Aloha my love by Isabel

Chapter #1 - Welcome to Paradise

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Disclaimer: Lyrics at the beginning of the chapter are from Road to Mandalay, by Robbie William CHAPTER 1 Welcome to Paradise Save me from drowning in the sea Beat me up on the beach What a lovely holiday There's nothing funny left to say Buffy watched silently as the sun went down, spellbound by the breathtaking sight. Different shades of vivid orange and purple mixed together, some dark clouds contrasting artfully with the bright colors. It was unlike anything she had ever seen. Sure, California sunsets were nice, but nothing compared to this. She couldn't believe she'd have the chance to admire this amazing display every night for the next two weeks. Thankfully though, next time she’d be sitting by a pool with a margarita in her hand instead of standing behind the airport window. Buffy turned around and looked at her travel companion who was currently sitting on an uncomfortable looking modern plastic bench next to the baggage carousel, well away from the late evening sun rays. He looked bored as Hell and was busying himself making a little wind mill with the straw in his empty can of Coke. She frowned lightly and shook her head in disbelief, a small smile playing on her lips. **If someone had told me less than a year ago that someday, I’d go on a dream vacation in Hawaii with the bleached wonder, I would have choked laughing. How did things get so weird? Maybe it’s a good thing nobody else could come with me after all...** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Three weeks earlier In super slow motion, Buffy glided in the air for what seemed like forever before landing face first in the dirt of a freshly dug grave. She looked up and spat out a mouthful of a mixture of dirt and vampire dust. She had grass stains on her face, and dead leaves in her messed up hair. Buffy growled menacingly at Spike. “Couldn’t you help me instead of just sitting there like a useless undead moron?” They might have grown closer since Buffy’s little escapade in the land of clouds and harps, but it didn’t mean they couldn’t enjoy some good old fashion bickering once in a while. They had always enjoyed pissing each other off. It was an art, and they were both extremely good at it. So why give it up? “Bloody Hell, woman. You just told me to get out of your way. Suss out what you want already!” He slowly got up from the headstone where he was sitting. Taking his sweet time, he crushed his cigarette under his combat boot. Buffy tried to turn on her back to face her attacker, but wasn’t fast enough. The vampire took hold of her foot while she was still on her stomach, lifted it straight up, and used the momentum to smash her knee on the ground. There was a nasty cracking noise and Buffy howled in pain. That prompted Spike to move faster. He charged the vamp and the two supernatural beings landed hard on the ground. “You stupid git!” He pulled out a stake from his sleeve. “Lesson number one in survival, mate: Don’t hurt the Slayer.” Spike staked the surprised vamp before he could do anything to defend himself. He didn’t wait for the dust to settle before turning to where Buffy was prostrated on the ground, holding her knee. He crouched next to her. “You all right, pet?” “Fine.” she snapped angrily. He offered her his hand to help her up. She hesitated for a moment before stepping on her pride and accepting it. He pulled her up, but her knee gave way under her weight. “Shit! That hurts!” “All right, Slayer, up you go.” Without asking for permission, he picked her up. Buffy protested, but her complaining soon turned into light mumbling, then faded to silence. They made their way to her house without a word. Dawn answered the door after Spike banged on it with his foot. “Oh my God! What happened?” The teenager shrieked, her face suddenly paling at the sight of her hurt sister. Spike walked past her and carefully put Buffy down on the couch. “I’ll go get you some ice, pet. I’ll be right back.” She watched him go, then looked at Dawn who was still waiting for an answer. “So?” “Just a little accident, Dawnie. Nothing too serious.” “Nothing too serious? Spike had to carrying you home!” “Yes…” She drawled “but I’m alive and well. That counts for something, right?” “It’s my fault for being a stupid wanker.” Spike said as he walked back into the living room, carrying an ice pack. “If I hadn’t been such a jerk…” “Would you stop it. You were right, I’m the one who told you to get out of my way. Know what they say, right? Careful what you wish for.” “Still. I was a right wanker. Since when do I listen to anything you say? I had to choose tonight of all times.” He delicately pulled the leg of her pants up to reveal her very swollen knee, and applied the ice. Buffy winced in pain. “Damn! That stupid jerk did get a good shot in. It’s always the most harmless, dumbest looking fledglings who manage to get lucky. That’s not fair." She pouted. "That's probably another thing they explain in that Slayer handbook I never got: beware of the dumb vampires. The lower the IQ, they most likely they are to get you.” Dawn frowned. “Should we get you to the hospital to check if anything is broken?” “Nah.” Buffy dismissed the idea. “Some rest, a couple of days off from slaying, and I’ll be right as rain.” “Right then. If you ladies don’t need me anymore, I’ll be on my way.” Spike got up. “Huh. Spike?” Buffy blushed a little, not liking to have to ask for help. “Could you--maybe take me upstairs to my room?” Spike leered at her and gave her his sexiest smirk. “Really, pet? Isn’t it a little fast? We haven’t been even been on a date yet…” She glared at him. “Fine. Don’t help me.” “Don‘t get your knickers in a twist, Slayer. Come on, I’ll take you upstairs.” He picked her up and took her to her bedroom. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The hotel’s shuttle bus drove for about half an hour before reaching their final destination. From what she could see, Maui was beautiful. They drove along the coast and the view was nothing if not breathtaking. The full moon was reflecting on the bay and the dark mountains in the background were peppered with the lights of villages. Everything was perfect. Even Spike seemed mesmerized by the display. He was silently looking out the window at the landscape, and had stopped complaining about not being allowed to smoke in the shuttle bus. The bus stopped in front of a gate and the driver spoke to the night guard who let them in. “Oh my God, Spike. This is amazing!” The long private driveway that led to the hotel's main building had gigantic palm trees and bushes covered in tropical flowers on either side. Spotlights had been installed on each side of the road to highlight the bushes and illuminate the road. The long driveway ended in a roundabout right in front of the hotel, a beautiful fountain in the middle. The hotel was all white and pink marble, the façade illuminated by more spotlights. People were leisurely walking around, holding hands, talking, laughing, and just generally having a good time. Buffy thought the grin that was currently splitting her face probably wouldn’t fade for the next two weeks. She suddenly realized Spike was talking to her. He was standing outside the mini bus, holding the sliding door open for her. “Huh?” “I said, are you coming or what?” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Two weeks earlier “Hey Buffster. We‘re bringing offerings. Cosmo, In Style, Vogue, and the ever popular National Enquirer.” Xander walked into the Summers’ living room, followed by Spike and Tara. Buffy was laying on the couch. She was covered by the old ratty blanket that her mom used to tuck her into when she was sick, and surrounded by everything a girl could need: Ben&Jerry’s ice cream, chips, magazines, and the sacrosanct remote control. Being stuck at home because of her knee automatically made her master of the remote. Or at least, that’s what she told Dawn. “Hey Dawnie, what’s up?” Xander asked. He waved at Willow who was sitting on the floor by Dawn’s feet. The tall girl was curled up in the armchair, sulking. “What’s up?! I haven’t been allowed to sit on the couch for a week. How can a 5ft midget take so much room? And now, I’m forced to watch Dark Angel reruns. That show sucks some major ass the first time you watch it, imagine the second time!” “Dawn, your sister went through knee surgery only a week ago.” Tara said while sitting next to Willow on the floor and kissing her hello. “Give her a break.” “Yeah, listen to the wise witch and be nicer to me. She knows better.” Buffy stuck her tongue out at her sister. Xander rolled his eyes at them. “Come on girls, play nice. Dawn is right, Buffy. No one should be forced to watch Dark Angel. That’s just mean. Unless you’re a guy and find Jessica Alba sexy, there is no reason to watch that show.” Dawn let out a triumphant “Ha Ha!”, and Buffy pouted. “… and Dawn, midget or not, Buffy gets the couch. You have your health, be happy. Besides, our favorite tiny little Slayer got hurt protecting the good citizens of Sunnydale against the forces of darkness…” Spike snickered. “Forces of darkness? Try skinny geek with fangs.” Both Buffy and Xander glared at the vamp. Xander kept talking. “Therefore, she deserves love and pampering.” Buffy nodded vigorously to show her agreement. “Yes I do!” “Which brings me to this. I had an idea…” Spike cleared his throat, staring menacingly at Xander. “I mean--we had an idea.” Spike kept staring until Xander amended his statement again. “Fine, fine. The bleached wonder over there kinda made a suggestion that we turned into an idea.” “Not to be rude or anything, Xander. But would you get to the point please?” Buffy sighed. “Huh--right. So we decided that you needed a vacation. Except for that one time a few years ago when you went to spend the summer with your dad, I don’t remember you ever taking a vacation. So, we all contributed to the ‘send the Slayer to some place nice’ fund, and--Tada!” Xander pulled out a card from behind his back and handed it to Buffy. Buffy took it, looking more than a little surprised. She tried to joke. “Wow. You guys aren’t trying to get rid of me, are you? Sending me some place cold and deserted like, I don’t know, Canada?” Xander opened wide eyes. “What? We thought you’d love survival camping in Yukon! Damn… And it’s non refundable.” She opened the card and it said: “For the Slayer who has everything but wants only one thing: a break from saving the world. Hope this will be a couple of demon free, apocalypse free, weeks in paradise. Love,” and it was signed by everybody. “Giles and Anya chipped in too.” Tara said, breaking the heavy silence. “They’re not here because they had to stay at the Magic Box.” “You guys, I don’t know what to say… Thank you.” “You don’t even know where you’re going yet!” Dawn said, excitedly bouncing on the armchair. “Open the envelope!” Buffy opened the envelope containing the tickets and looked at them with her mouth open. In it were two tickets for an American Airlines flight to Maui. Willow couldn’t stop smiling. “It’s an all inclusive. Free booze, free food. All you have to do is sit your little Slayer behind on the beach, soak up the sun, and check out the hot Hawaiian guys.” Buffy’s eyes watered as emotions flooded her. “This is--I can’t believe you guys. It’s amazing. I can’t believe you did this for me.” They all went to hug Buffy, except Spike who looked somewhat uncomfortable. Buffy noticed and smiled at him. “Thank you Spike.” “Hey, don’t mention it. Just bring me back one of those little fridge magnets, and we’ll call it even.” She smiled. “I’ll do that.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “You have got to be kidding me. Check this out, Slayer!” Buffy stopped and looked around. “What? What are we looking at?” Spike was staring at something in awe. Buffy waved a hand in front of his eyes. “Hello? Am I supposed to be looking at something specific?” “The bar. There’s a bar IN the pool!” Buffy couldn’t help chuckling at the statement. “Do you swim?” “Not really. But still--Bloody brilliant, that’s what it is!” She laughed at how excited he seemed. “Come on Bleach Boy. Lets got to our room and change so we can try the ‘bar in the bloody pool’ wonder. I wouldn’t say no to a pina colada.” That got Spike walking again. Torches were lighting the path that led to the rooms. When they got there, their suitcases were already inside. They looked around the room, amazed at how luxurious it all was. The patio door was covered by long flowing royal blue curtains that were currently open to reveal a balcony. They had the ocean view room. It had probably cost extra money, but it was so worth it. Buffy promised herself to take her breakfast on the balcony the next morning. They had made sure to ask for a room that faced the side of the sunrise so the balcony would be in the shadow after noon and Spike could enjoy it for the rest of the day if he felt like it. The room’s floor was white tiles. There were two king size beds covered with fluffy looking baby blue comforters and lots of pillows. A complimentary bottle of champagne had been placed on ice next to the bed. **They were probably expecting a couple** Buffy thought with a pang of regret. **Oh well, we can still drink it, right? Just with less romantic intentions** Spike was looking at everything. Turning the TV on, then turning it off, opening the mini fridge to check the contents, reading the room service menu. “Since you’re busy playing with everything, I’m gonna go change into something more appropriate.” Buffy said while opening her suitcase. She pulled out her black and pink bikini, as well as a skirt and halter top to put over it, then went to change in the bathroom. The bathroom was the size of her bedroom back in Sunnydale. It was huge, and very obviously romance oriented. It had an oversized Jacuzzi, another bottle of champagne in an ice bucket sitting on the edge of the tub, fresh exotic flowers all over the place, and an assortment of expensive looking bath products on the counter. It was beautiful. The white floor and white bath tub contrasted nicely with the deep plum of the walls and the large mirror had lights all around it. Like in the movie stars dressing rooms. The light had been dimmed to set the mood. **This would be so romantic if… Nope. Not going there** She thought, trying her best not to picture Spike and her in any kind of situation involving nakedness, water and bubbles. Buffy sighed and changed into her bikini, putting all thoughts of Spike and her soaking in the Jacuzzi out of her head. She pulled her skirt and top over her bathing suit and went back to the room. Spike looked at her, a grin on his face, eyes sparkling with amusement. “What?” She asked defensively. “Nothing.” “Spike..” “I was just thinking. Did you ever think that some day, you’d go on vacation with me of all people?” Buffy couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips as his thoughts mirrored the ones she’d had earlier at the airport . “Hell no!” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Three days earlier “So, basically,” Buffy started angrily, “you’re telling me that you gave me two tickets for a fabulous trip to Hawaii, but I’ll have to go alone like a big loser because nobody can come with me? Is that it?” “Buffy…” “Don’t Buffy me, Xander. That’s really not cool. I can’t believe I’ll be stuck on my own for two weeks! What am I gonna do?” Willow gave her an apologetic look, while Xander started nervously playing with a piece of paper and Anya went back to her cash register. “Well, I sure won’t go with you because I can’t leave my shop for two long weeks. Especially now that Giles has gone to England for the summer. But I know this cute guy…” “No way! I’m not gonna spend two weeks with a guy I don’t know! What are you, crazy?! Blind dates are painful enough when they last two hours, I don’t even want to imagine what two weeks would be like.” She turned pleading eyes to Willow. “Are you sure you can’t come with me? Willow? Tara? Anybody? Please?” “Sorry, Buffy. But Tara and I paid for those summer classes already. We wanted to take some advance on our fall courses.” “I’m being ditched for school. I can’t believe this. Xander… Are you sure, SURE, you can’t take two weeks off?” “I’m sure, SURE, Buffster. We’re starting the new contract Monday. I’m in charge of this. It’s a huge step up for me. I’m sorry. Ask Dawn to cancel her trip with her friend. I’m sure if she knows you’re going to be all alone in Hawaii, she’ll go with you.” Buffy’s shoulder slumped. “I can’t do that. Dawn has been looking forward to this trip in the Caribbean for months. Her friend’s parents have this huge boat and they’re going to cruise around the islands. I don’t want her to cancel because she feels sorry for me.” Buffy got up. “I’ll see you guys later.” She walked out of the shop, still limping slightly. Spike, who had been uncharacteristically silent during the entire exchange, got up to follow her. Once in the alley, he stopped her. “Don’t laugh in my face, but if you don’t find anybody--I could go with you.” Buffy slowly turned around to face him. She stared at the vampire, not sure she heard him right. Feeling uncomfortable under her silent scrutiny, Spike shoved his hands in his jacket pockets and looked away. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m just offering because you have no one else. I’m sure you don’t really fancy being stuck with me for two weeks. But if you don’t want to go alone… Just know that I wouldn’t mind.” “Thanks.” She said truthfully. “But you do remember you’re a vampire, right? Hawaii has beaches and sun. Lots of it.” “So does California. Doesn’t stop me from living in Sunnyhell, now does it?” “You got a point. But, wouldn’t it be boring to be stuck in a hotel room for two weeks?” “Cable TV, comfortable bed, room service. It’s already a huge step up from my crypt. Plus, all you can drink booze and food. How can a bloke not have a good time? I can enjoy the beach at night, and it said in the brochure that they have three different clubs on the resort. Again--can't be worse than The Bronze.” Buffy frowned, looking like she was seriously considering it. “Color me shocked, but you kinda make sense.” “So?” “So. Would you--make an effort to not be a pain in the ass?” “Being a pain in the ass does come naturally to me." He winked at her. "But I s’pose I could make an effort--just this once.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Hell no." She repeated. "Not even in my wildest, most disturbing dream did I ever imagine going on a vacation in Hawaii with you.” Spike took his leather jacket off and dropped it on one of the beds. He took his cigarettes and put them in the back pocket of his jeans then turned to face Buffy. “Can’t say our lives are predictable or boring, right pet?” “Nope. Really, really, can’t say that.” “All right, Blondie. Still fancy that pina colada in the pool? I’m dying to see what sexy tiny little bathing suit you’ve got underneath those clothes.” Buffy hit him on the shoulder. “Pig.” **Yeah,** She thought **the two following weeks will be--interesting. To say the least.** "So," She asked, following him out of the room. "is this what you're gonna wear for the duration of our stay?" Spike looked down at his black jeans and black t-shirt. "What? What's wrong with my clothes?" "Let's just say you won't win a 'Aloha Spirit' contest anytime soon." Spike stopped walking and turned to face Buffy. "Have you seen me the day I was forced to wear one of Xander's Hawaiian shirt?" Buffy's eyes danced with amusement, and she bit her lower lip to stop herself from laughing out loud at the memory. Spike snorted. "I rest my case." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N: I really, really, hope you'll enjoy this story because I think it will be a fun one. I have lots of cool ideas... or at least, I think they are lol. Let me know how you feel about it so far, I love to hear from you ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter #2 - The longest night

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CHAPTER 2 The Longest Night They came back to the room in the early hours of morning, exotic birds noisily waking up around them, making the dark night come alive with unfamiliar sounds. “D’ja hear that bird, Spikey? Sounds weird.” “S’not a bird, Slayer. I think it’s a bug. Thing must be bloody huge to make that sound.” She stopped and took a quick look around, not sure if she should believe him or not, then snorted. “Yeah right.” Spike sneaked his arm behind her back and ghosted a finger along her bare arm, making her gasp and jump in fright. “Hey! That was sooooo not funny!” She yelled indignantly. “Wot? The mighty Slayer’s afraid of a little bug?” “Am so not!” She started singing again and Spike rolled his eyes. The hotel had a main lobby with the main restaurant and bar, and the rooms were in five smaller three story buildings with paths leading to them. Just reaching the right one had been an adventure in itself, and stopping Buffy from jumping in the pool with all her clothes on and possibly drowning… a tour de force. The Slayer had broken her ‘alcohol equals badness’ rule and was more than a little tipsy. She was singing so loudly that Spike had to walk with his hand covering her mouth after the second person yelled at her to shut the hell up and she had threatened to use her Slayer strength on them. Not that he cared personally--he was always up for a bit of entertainment--but he was sure she would care in the morning after she sobered up to find out that they were being kicked out of the hotel. Spike wouldn’t allow anything to ruin her well deserved vacation, even if it meant risking a finger. With a yelp, he quickly removed his hand from her mouth as she attempted to bite him. “A Slayer biting a vampire. How beautifully ironic.” Spike snickered. He stopped in front of the door and fumbled with the key card for a few seconds, swearing under his breath. Buffy was leaning against the door frame, batting her eyelashes innocently at him, a Cheshire cat grin on her lips. Seeing that Spike was a second away from losing patience and breaking the door down, she finally spoke. “might be drunk ’n loud, but even I know thish’s not our broom…. Rooooommm.” She giggled happily at Spike’s angry snarl and pointed at the door on the other side. “Thish is where we live, doofus.” Spike went to the other door and opened it with one sweep of the card. Buffy walked in and dropped on her bed like a rag doll. She giggled madly, obviously still amused by the wrong door incident. Spike took off his shirt and tossed it on the bed. He rolled his eyes at Buffy’s antics. “You’re a riot, Summers. I thought you were knackered. Why don’t you go to sleep?” She pouted, still sprawled on the bed, staring at the ceiling fan. “That was earlier. This is now. Not tired. More volcano coconut drinks thingy with the tiny umbrella… Please.” The blonde vampire tried his best to look stern, but he couldn’t help the smile tugging at his lips. “You know I hate to say no to you, pet…” She sat up quickly, hope written plainly in her eyes. “So we can go back then?” “… but as much as it pains me to disappoint you, NO.” She braced herself on her elbows and did her best attempt at giving him a murderous glare… which turned out to be more comical than threatening, but she got an A for effort. “And no amount of evil looks or pouting will make me change my mind about this one so don’t waste your time. Besides, the bartender cut you off when you started singing that horrible Copacabana song. God bless that poor sod for stopping you before my ears started to bleed.” “I’ll have you know that I’m a very good singer. I’ll prove it to you. We’ll go to Karaoke tomorrow night and I’ll sing Wind Beneath my Wings. You’ll have no choice but to admit that I’m the bestest singer EVER.” Spike, who was balancing on one foot to take off his boot, almost fell on his ass. “Karaoke?” He said, a touch of panic in his voice. “Huh… I have previous engagement… with the telly. I think they’re showing reruns of Baywatch. Bloody brilliant show. Can’t miss it.” Buffy let herself drop back on the bed, arms and legs spread out comfortably. She yawned loudly. “You’re just a big undead meanie.” He smiled affectionately at her. Sure, he was teasing her, but he loved seeing her like this. He’d endure hours of Karaoke if it would get her to smile. The last couple of months had been tough on her and hearing her laugh again was heaven to him. He wanted her to enjoy herself the way a twenty year old was supposed to. “Did you have fun, pet?” He finally asked, all teasing gone from his voice. Buffy smiled, her heavy eyelids fluttering shut. “So much fun.” She mumbled, already half asleep. “Glad to hear it.” He turned to go to the bathroom thinking she’d already fallen asleep, when she spoke again. “Spike?” “Yeah?” “Thanks.” “For what, luv?” “Yah know… All of this. I know it was your idea, no matter what Xander said. Thank you.” “You’re welcome Buffy. But the fact that you’re enjoying yourself is enough of a thank you for me. That‘s all I wanted.” He smiled at her almost shyly and shifted on his feet, looking somewhat uncomfortable. “I’ll… go take a shower. Get some sleep, pet.” She opened her eyes again after he shut the bathroom door and sighed. She listened intently to the sounds coming from the bathroom, trying to imagine what he was doing in there. Silence, things being moved around, more silence, then the shower being turned on. It automatically conjured images of wet naked Spike and she shut her eyes, trying to make the thoughts go away. She knew sleep was not in her near future. Buffy was drunk, but not nearly as much as she looked--just enough to have a bit of fun and not care about anything. For the first time in forever, she was truly enjoying herself. Tonight, she’d been free to just be a girl on vacation without worrying about what anyone thought. No responsibilities, no world saving obligations, no need to be all grown up for Dawn’s sake, no friends looking up to her and expecting her to be perfect. It felt so amazing to just be Buffy for once. And Spike had been great company. She smiled to herself while remembering how much he’d made her laugh, images of the blonde man with a tiny pink paper umbrella behind his ear flashing through her mind. They’d even shared a pina colada with two straws, racing to see how fast they could get to the bottom of it. She’d never seen Spike shed his Big Bad image so completely before, and she knew he’d done it for her. When the bathroom door opened, Buffy blinked several times to adjust her eyes to the sudden brightness. Spike stood in the doorway, framed by the light coming from the steamy bathroom. He was barefoot, wearing only a white towel around his lean hips and was rubbing his wet hair with another towel. He turned to throw it on the counter and turn the light off. Buffy listened to the sound of his bare feet slapping lightly on the white ceramic tiles as he made his way to his bed. He pulled the covers back and the mattress creaked lightly as he climbed into the bed. Towel still covering him, he slipped under the sheet and after a quick struggle, he pulled it out from under the covers and let it drop to the floor. Buffy bit her lower lip and shut her eyes tighter, trying to forget the fact that Spike was now naked underneath that thin cotton sheet. “’night, Slayer.” “Good night, Spike.” Buffy tossed and turned for a while, before finally settling on her back with a sigh. Spike was trying to imagine what kind of thoughts could keep her awake and make her fidget like that, but soon, his own treacherous mind drifted to forbidden territories. Places he didn’t want to go. The entire year that just went by, for one thing. How he’d completely lost control over his own life since the fateful night he’d told the Slayer he loved her, a little over a year ago. He hadn’t told her since that night. And he would never say the words ‘I love you’ to her again, unless he knew for a fact that his feelings would be welcomed. It had hurt too much. This kind of rejection was something he wouldn’t be able to deal with again. Not after his summer in Hell mourning the woman whose memory had branded his heart so painfully. The torment had lasted three months. 147 days. Unable to wash her off his skin, refusing to ever move on, not seeing a possible ending to his pain. All this time, he had been living in the shadow of a woman who was no more, clinging to a ghost and refusing to ever let go of her because then she’d really be gone. It had been the worst and longest 147 days of his unlife. There was something to remind him of her around every corner. A sidewalk where she’d stood while telling him to get lost, the coffee shop where she’d sipped on her double mocha with whipped cream, the cemetery where she’d fought with him, the Bronze where she’d danced so many times, everything in Sunnydale was about Buffy Summers. He couldn’t stay, but he couldn’t leave either. Besides the obvious reason that was Dawn, and the promise he’d made to protect the girl with his unlife, leaving Sunnydale would have been like leaving Buffy behind. That would never be an option. So he had stayed. And 147 days later, the unthinkable had happened. Buffy. Breathing and living. As beautiful as ever, maybe even more beautiful if possible. She’d been standing on the stairs at the Summers’ house, the exact same place she’d been standing so many months before when they talked for the last time. She was a vision. An angel. He hadn’t known what to say then, choked as he was by his overflowing emotions. He had promised himself that he would talk to her next time they were alone. Tell her all these things he had regretted not telling her before it was too late. And that included ‘I love you’. But when she’d shown up at his crypt the night after, the way she came to him for comfort, opened her heart to him… that was more than he’d ever expected from her and he wouldn’t ruin it. He had made a decision: he would not tell her again. He’d be grateful for her friendship, keep it precious, and do everything he could to be deserving of it. God help him, he still loved her--possibly even more than he did before--but he’d keep it to himself instead of showering her with unwanted love words that could possibly ruin what they had now. She would probably never let herself love him, but at least they had grown closer. Her friendship was the crumb he had begged for what seemed like a lifetime ago, and now, he was trying not to be greedy by asking for more. He’d asked for a crumb, not a slice of bread. And definitely not the whole bloody loaf. So friendship was good. Didn’t mean he couldn’t dream though. Spike turned on his back, his arms crossed under his head, and waited for the elusive sleep to wash over him while listening to the breathing of the woman he loved laying in the bed next to him. She wasn’t asleep either, but he would have never guessed that her thoughts mirrored his own. Buffy was laying on her side, clutching her pillow in her arms, and wishing that the vampire--no, man--laying in the bed next to hers would join her and wrap his arms around her. Not that she would ever say that out loud. Insecurity had crept into her heart over the past few months when it came to the vampire’s feelings for her and her own feelings for him. The relationship between them had gone from one-way love to two-way friendship… which should have been a good thing. But it did raise questions in Buffy’s mind, and she was too scared of the answers to chance asking herself the questions. One night a few months ago, soon after she came back from the dead, she’d had the sudden urge to throw him against a wall and take him. All of him. She had been confused--a lot more than she was now--and didn’t know what to make of the new found closeness between them. Of course, there had always been this deeply repressed lust for him, but there was also this new connection and feelings she couldn’t understand. Everything had changed so fast and she was reacting on pure instinct. She was so cold inside and the only thing that made her feel the warmth she craved was being around him. But something had stopped her and she was glad now that she had fought the impulse that might have ruined things between them. It had been too soon, their relationship new and fragile. But was now a better time? Could they work together as a couple or would it destroy everything they tried so hard to build? Would she hurt him? These were just a few of the questions she didn’t want to ask herself. Fear was stopping her from taking the leap because she couldn’t lose him. Spike had become too important to her over the past five months she’d been back. He had helped her through some truly difficult moments of this third chance at life she hadn’t wanted in the first place. It had been so hard, she had been so angry at her friends for forcing her back. She thought she didn’t have a choice, but he’d shown her she was wrong. She had the choice to feel sorry for herself and ensure that life would be as miserable as she could make it, or start fresh and try to enjoy this borrowed time on earth. He had been the rock in her life. The shoulder she had been leaning on for the past five and a half months until she could do nothing but slowly warm up to him and start to see what had been right under her nose all this time. Spike was worthy. He was what she’d been looking for all along, she was just too blinded by her prejudice and past experience with Angel to see it. Angel couldn’t in any way be compared to Spike. They were like night and day. Now, she felt like she had reached a point in the road where she could either keep going or take a turn. The problem was she didn‘t know what she‘d find if she decided to take the new direction. It could be perfect and make them both happy, or it could turn ugly and they’d lose everything. It was tempting to just leave things as they were. It was safe and comfortable, but at the same time, her heart was screaming at her to stop being an idiot and tell him how she felt. Maybe if he‘d take the first step and tell her he loved her, it would be easier. But because of her actions in the not so distant past, he wouldn’t utter the words anymore and she had to rely on what his gorgeous blue eyes were telling her. She couldn’t blame him for being shy with words though, considering the way she’d reacted the first time he’d confessed his feelings to her. And no matter how hard she tried to remember the way her mind worked back then, Buffy couldn’t understand why she’d reacted so violently to his declaration. God knows her reaction would be different now. Too bad he seemed content enough with the relationship they had now. She wasn’t. So she tossed and turned in the bed, restless and praying that something would happen soon. Or else, the vacation in Hawaii might just be a very long one. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter #3 - Slayer, such a lovely word

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CHAPTER 3 Slayer Buried to her eyes in warm blankets, Buffy blinked groggily, trying to adjust her eyes to the dim light filtering through the curtains. She groaned when the new found awareness also woke the evil headache that seemed to have only been waiting for her to open her eyes before starting to jump up and down in her skull. She risked a glance to the right to see if Spike was awake. If he was, he’d probably be suffering as much as she was and would be in a foul mood. Or maybe not since he did have that vampire constitution going for him. He was sprawled on his stomach, the white sheet riding low on his hips. Buffy almost forgot her headache at the sight of him. She sighed and got out of bed, careful not to wake him. It was only eleven o’clock but she didn’t want to waste her entire first day in bed. Especially not to do something as boring as sleeping. Now, if there was another reason for her to stay in bed all day… She scolded herself for the direction her thoughts were taking and hurried to the bathroom to freshen up. When she walked out half an hour later, she was decked in khaki low-rider cargo pants and a white solid tank covering her candy pink bikini, her hair in a high ponytail, sunglasses on top of her head. She was ready for a long, exhausting day doing absolutely nothing. Spike was lounging on the bed with his arms crossed casually behind his head, his bluer than blue eyes watching her as she came out of the bathroom. “Morning, Slayer.” He drawled lazily, his voice thick with sleep. “Morning, vampire.” She snapped back at him. It came out harsher than she intended, but for some reason, his use of the word ‘Slayer’ hurt her. “Someone is grumpy.” He said, frowning in confusion at her unexplained outburst. “What’s the matter, pet? You don’t like when I call you ‘Slayer’?” “Why should I? It’s pretty much like me calling you ‘vampire’ or calling Xander ‘human’.” “No it isn’t.” “It so is. The Slayer is what I am, not who I am. And it brings back memories of a time when we were not so much with the friendlies.” “I happen to like our past.” He said so softly that she barely heard him. “It brought us to where we are today, didn’t it? If I hadn’t come to Sunnyhell years ago hell bent on finding the Slayer and a cure for my ex, I would have never met you.” She shrugged a bit, looking down. “Yeah, guess you’re right. But it doesn’t change the fact that you usually use that nickname when we’re arguing or when you’re trying to look detached and uncaring. I don’t like it.” Spike smirked and patted the bed next to him. Buffy reluctantly came to sit. “You got it all wrong.” “Oh, I did, did I?” She couldn’t help the smile tugging at her lips. “Why don’t you explain it to me then? I’m afraid I’m a little slow. It comes with the whole dumb blonde persona I got going on.” “Don’t say that. You’re not dumb. Anyway, it’s all in the way the word is said. I can make that one word mean whatever I want it to mean. Why don’t you let me demonstrate?” “Fine. Demonstrate away.” Spike‘s facial expression hardened. “Ssslayer!” He hissed through clenched teeth, spitting out the word with something akin to disgust and hatred. Buffy’s eyes grew cold instantly, her whole body tensing up with anger. But then his face softened noticeably and he leaned closer until his lips touched her earlobe, and said it again. The word was silky and loving, his voice a soft purr that made her shiver from head to toe. And as much as she tried to repress it, she didn’t manage to stop the girly giggle from escaping her lips. Spike leaned back against the headboard, arms behind his head and grinning in self-satisfaction. “I rest my case.” Buffy rolled her eyes, hoping she wasn’t blushing like a school girl. Now that’d be embarrassing. She stood up. “All right. You can have this one.” Spike put his hand over his heart in mock surprise. “Is the mighty Slayer letting me win an argument? That’s a first.” “Only because I don’t have time to keep defending my point. The sun is waiting.” She started moving around the room again, shoving random items into her beach bag. Spike was looking at her curiously. “Are you really going to need all that junk? I thought all you needed to survive the whole bloody beach experience was sun tanning lotion, a towel and sunglasses?” Buffy snorted in amusement. “And when was the last time you’ve been at the beach exactly? 1880? Things have changed since.” “Yeah, go ahead. Mock the poor vamp with a severe sun allergy.” “Sorry. I need all that ‘junk’ because it’s easier to bring too much stuff than come back if I forget something. And there’s nothing I’m taking that I won’t need. SPF 40 for my face, SPF 15 for the first couple of hours, then I’ll move to SPF 8 for the rest of the day. I also need entertainment.” He watched her putting three books in the bag. “How long are you planning on being gone?! Bloody Hell, you’ve got enough reading material to last you a month!” “I don’t know what I’ll feel like reading. What if I bring one, and when I get there, I feel like reading the other one? And I’m bringing my CD player in case I just don’t feel like reading at all. I got it all covered.” Spike shook his head, smiling. “Crazy bint.” “Oh! My camera.” Buffy suddenly remembered. She started looking through her luggage for the missing camera, but not being successful, she soon lost patience and started emptying the content of her bags onto the floor. “What the bleedin’ hell are you doing, luv?” He finally asked after he heard her swearing under her breath. She turned around, a distressed look on her face. “I… I think I forgot my camera. Xander gave it to me the night before we left because I didn’t have one. I must have left it on my night stand.” Spike couldn’t stand seeing her looking so disappointed. “S’all right, luv. Give me my jeans.” She handed him the jeans that were on the back of the armchair and he fished his wallet out of the pocket. He gave it to her. “Here. There’s a souvenir shop near the lobby, maybe they sell cameras. If not, we’ll go into town tonight.” “Really?” She asked in a hopeful voice while looking into the wallet. She found several hundred dollar bills in it. “What’s all that money for?” “You. I figured you might get bored of staying here all the time and you’d want to go into town at some point. Change of scenery and all. Maybe go to a fancy restaurant or take excursions. So I brought some spending cash. Didn’t steal it if that’s what you’re thinking. I won it fair and square at a poker game.” She smiled at him. “Fair and square, huh? I have my doubts. Anyway, thanks.” “Yeah, don’t mention it. Just need to make my Slayer happy. Now go before the sun set and you miss out on all the fun.” Buffy put her beach bag on her shoulder and made her way to the door. When she reached it, she hesitated. “Are you gonna be all right? What are you gonna do here all by yourself all day?” “Wouldn’t you like to know.” Spike said playfully, winking at her. “Don’t worry, pet. I’ll be fine. I’ll go back to sleep for a while, watch some telly and call room service if I get too bored. You forget that I’m used to being stuck inside all day. It’s not any different than back home… well, except that I don’t have room service there, of course.” “OK then, I’ll see you later.” And after one last look at him, she was gone. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Buffy made her way to the hotel lobby with a spring in her step. She stopped on the way to admire the brightly colored exotic flowers and watch people who were strolling leisurely, in vacation mode. Couples were walking by, laughing and holding hands. She longed for that, but couldn’t let herself think about it too much or it would ruin her good mood. Finally, she walked into the main building where the lobby was located. Three steps led from the garden to the inside. It was a vast open space with a marble floor and high ceilings. On one side of the lobby was a bar with brass and black leather stools where people were enjoying coffees and talking animatedly, laughing and smiling. Next to the bar were two large wooden doors that led into the main restaurant of the resort. The doors were open and a hostess was standing there to welcome people. Buffy decided to go grab something to eat. The young woman smiled warmly at her. “Aloha!” “Aloha.” “One person?” “Huh… yeah.” “Follow me, please.” Buffy was about to walk in when a tall woman with thick, long, black hair, followed by a shorter man, almost knocked her out of her way. “Geez, rude much?” Buffy mumbled under her breath. She turned to look at them, only to see the man looking back at her appraisingly. Buffy snorted in disgust and followed the hostess who led her to a table. As soon as she sat down, a waitress came to offer her some coffee. “You know what, I’ve changed my mind, I’m not going to stay. I’ll just grab a muffin at the buffet or something. No need to get the table dirty for me.” The waitress smiled and walked away. Buffy went to see what the buffet had to offer her and opted for a bagel and an apple. She didn’t want to waste anymore time inside when she could be outside enjoying the sun and the ocean. And she still had to stop by the gift shop to see if they had cameras. So with the apple held between her teeth and the bagel in hand, she left the restaurant. She crossed the lobby while munching on her apple and went to where the gift shop was located, next to the check-in counter. She was about to open the French door that had the sign ‘open’ on it but someone walked out as she was reaching for the handle. Once again, she was faced with the dark haired woman who seemed to be expecting Buffy to move out of her way. **Who died to make her Queen?** Buffy thought, annoyed. But this time, instead of stepping aside to let the woman pass, she moved in her way. She smiled innocently up at her. “Oops, I’m sorry. Am I in your way?” The woman gave her a cold look, before finally smiling. But there was nothing nice about her smile and it only made Buffy uneasy. “I’m terribly sorry,” She said with a thick Italian accent. “It seems we keep bumping into each other.” Before Buffy could think of something to say, a man called the woman’s name to get her attention. “Carlita, are you coming?” “Yes dear.“ The tall Italian woman looked at Buffy as if she was studying her, but the expression on her face was unreadable. Buffy was about to ask her what the hell she was looking at, but just like that, she was gone. **Freak** She thought while watching the woman’s retreating back. Snapping out of her contemplation, she walked into the store. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The beach was amazing. Miles and miles of white sand stretched in both directions as far as she looked and the water was pure turquoise. This was heaven. OK, not literally because, hey… been there, done that, and nothing could compare. But it was pretty close. People were surfing a little further down, where the waves were stronger, and Buffy wondered briefly if she could do that. But she quickly dismissed the thought. Not today. Today was for relaxing and doing absolutely nothing at all. Yep, that was the plan. She chose a secluded spot to spread her towel and stripped down to the cute little bikini she had bought just for the trip. Too bad the only person she wanted to seduce wasn’t around to see it. Taking a bottle of coconut scented tanning lotion, she covered every inch of her golden skin with it, then lay down on her towel with a blissful sigh. This was THE life, she thought happily. Buffy closed her eyes, enjoying the warm caress of the sun on her skin. In a matter of seconds, she was fast asleep. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter #4 - Who needs sun anyway?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CHAPTER 4 Who needs sun anyway? Buffy turned on her stomach and stretched languorously, enjoying the burning hot sun on her back. The rhythmic sound of the ocean was soothing and she’d never felt more relaxed. Feeling someone coming toward her, she looked up, blinking against the glare of the bright sunlight. The most gorgeous male specimen she’d ever seen was coming her way, stalking like a giant cat. Spike. He was wearing nothing but his black jeans, his bare, sculpted chest glistening with sweat, the golden light of the sun casting a halo around him. His bare feet were digging into the soft sand with every step, slowing him down and making him look like he was on the prowl. God he was sexy. He stopped when he reached her and crouched down by her head. Reaching out, he brushed back a strand of hair that was sticking to her sweaty forehead. “You’re going to burn that beautiful skin of yours to a crisp, pet.” She smiled lazily. “Hum, don’t care. Don’t wanna move.” “Let me take care of that then.” He purred in her ear. “Yes, please.” He took the sun tan lotion and squeezed a generous amount on her bare back. The contrast between her burning skin and the cool lotion made her jump and giggle. “It’s cold!” “It will get better, believe me.” And with a stroke of his strong hands, he had her moaning in pleasure. His magic fingers worked the lotion into her tanned skin in slow, sensuous, circles, massaging the tension right out of her muscles. He placed a soft kiss between her shoulder blades while running his hands down her back, all the way down to the top of her bikini bottom. He slipped his thumb teasingly under the elastic band and that simple gesture was enough to make her burn in all the right places. “Turn around, pet.” His voice was like pure silk and made her shiver. She obeyed, not caring that she was topless and exposing herself to him. “You’re beautiful, Buffy. I always dreamed I could see you under the sun.” The comment made her frown, as if she was trying to remember something important. “Spike--the sun--why are you not burning? I don‘t understand…” “It’s not important. Let’s just enjoy the moment while it lasts.” He put some more lotion in the palm of his hands and rubbed them together before placing them on either side of her small waist. Slowly, he brought them to her stomach and made his way up her torso, stopping right underneath her breasts. He swept his thumbs over her erect nipples, making her arch in his touch, and moan softly. She couldn‘t keep her eyes off of him. “Spike…” “Shhh, it’s okay, luv. Just enjoy.” With a mischievous glint in his blue eyes, he bent down and placed a kiss on her bikini covered sex. She gasped, but he abandoned the pleasurable spot before she could fully enjoy it, leaving her frustrated. Spike went to her feet so he could work on her legs. He put her right ankle on his shoulder and worked his hands down her sweat sleeked, muscular leg. With each down stroke, the tip of his fingers got closer and closer to where she wanted them, until he brushed lightly against the crotch of her bikini bottom. Her hips rose above the ground, seeking contact desperately but when she opened her eyes again, he was gone. Buffy woke with a sharp intake of breath and looked around herself wildly, trying to find the man of her dreams. But that’s just what it was: a dream. A very erotic dream featuring Spike. She sat up on the towel, hugging her knees to her chest, still shaken. For a while, she just sat there, watching children playing in the waves or building sand castles, people jogging along the beach, and surfers showing off. Everyone was having a good time, and she knew she should too, but she couldn’t help feeling a bit lonely. Buffy spotted a couple playing in the shallow water, splashing and chasing each other. They embraced and kissed passionately, and Buffy sighed while thoughts of Spike invaded her brain again. She couldn’t help but think that he must be feeling lonely all by himself in the room. He was probably watching some crappy show on TV and bored out of his mind. Buffy wasn’t sure if she really believed it or if she was just trying to convince herself, but she couldn’t have cared less. She fished her watch out of her beach bag to see how long she’d been at the beach. It was 1PM. So she’d only been there for an hour and a half. No doubt Spike would wonder why she was back so soon. Maybe if he didn’t look outside, she could convince him that it was raining? **Screw this.** She thought and started gathering her things, shoving everything in her bag. She pulled on her cargo pants, not bothering with the tank top and left the beach. She went straight back to the shop. When the man behind the counter saw her, he automatically jumped to the wrong conclusion. “Something wrong with the camera, miss?” Buffy smiled. “No, I haven’t even tried it yet. I was just wondering if you have playing cards?” The man turned around to look on the shelf behind him and turned back holding three different decks of cards wrapped in plastic paper. Buffy laughed when she saw the one with the hot Hawaiian girl with big boobs. “I’ll get that one, thanks.” She paid for her purchase and left the store to get back to the room, knowing that Spike wouldn’t say no to a game of poker. With one sweep of the key card, the door opened. Nothing could have prepared her for the sight that greeted her. In a matter of seconds, her throat got so dry that it made it hard to swallow, and her cheeks flushed bright red. Her free hand rose to cover her mouth, muffling her gasp of surprise. The star of her every fantasy was standing there in all his naked glory. He was facing away from her, drying his hair with a white towel. Beads of water were adorning his broad shoulder, and her eyes followed the one single drop running slowly down his spine all the way to his firm ass. Her previously dry mouth started to water at the delectable sight. She was completely transfixed by the way the muscles of his back moved. And then, he did it. Probably sensing someone behind him, he slowly turned, offering her a full frontal view. If she thought her eyes couldn’t get any wider, she was completely wrong. God, he was the hottest, sexiest man she had ever seen. Everything about him was absolute perfection. Spike was sex on legs, no other words could describe it. She inadvertently gazed south and her cheeks flamed even brighter. Yep, every single part of him was definitely perfect. Buffy knew she should be doing something sensible. Like closing her eyes, or turning around… Heck, even running away would be a good idea. But she was frozen on the spot, staring at the man in front of her with her mouth agape. Spike casually reached for his jeans and put them on as if everything was right in the world. As if she wasn’t standing there, burning with embarrassment. Bastard. “What’s wrong, pet? Cat got your tongue?” She tried to open her mouth so say something, but only ended up looking like a fish out of the water. “What are you doing here so early? Weren’t you supposed to be soaking up the Hawaiian sun?” She tried again, this time with more success although only one word made it past her lips. “… Cards.” Spike looked at her with a mix of amusement and curiosity. “Cards?” Buffy nodded vigorously, grateful for the distraction. “I got cards.” Spike went to sit on his bed, still giving her a strange look. “Ookay. Still not getting your point.” Finally, Buffy managed to move, taking a few steps inside the room after closing the door. “I… I got bored so I bought a deck of cards. Thought you could show me how to play poker or something. We could order room service.” She tossed the plastic wrapped deck of cards on the bed and came to sit in front of him. Her heart was still beating wildly but she managed to regain her composure somehow. Spike took the cards and unwrapped the plastic cover. “Sure, poker sounds good.” She watched as his long fingers shuffled the cards expertly, completely missing the amused grin on his face. “So…” He drawled sexily, making her look up at his face. “Didn’t know you could turn such an interesting shade of red, pet. Like what you saw?” Buffy narrowed her eyes at him. “Forget Poker. Maybe we should play Asshole instead. I’m sure you’d be really good at it.” Spike chuckled and passed the cards. Buffy tried to hold back her amusement, but lost the battle. “Asshole” “Bitch” “Jerk” “Peeping tom” “Hey!” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter #5 - Trouble in Paradise

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CHAPTER 5 Trouble in Paradise “So, let me get this straight.” Spike said to the waking girl who was stirring sleepily. He was laying on the bed amongst abandoned playing cards and various bags of snack food. His back was propped up against a mountain of pillows that he had stuck behind him without moving too much since Buffy had chosen his shoulder as the best place for an afternoon nap. She was spooned against his side with her head on his shoulder, and yes, normally that would have been a dream come true, but right now, he was glad he didn‘t have circulation because after three hours of this, his arm might have fallen off. “You get to see me in all my naked glory, but then refuse to agree to an innocent game of strip poker. And at the rate you were losing,” he added with a smirk, “You would have been starkers in about ten minutes flat. A bleedin’ shame, that’s what it is. Then, you make me watch… Princess Bloody Diary.” He spat the words as if they were poison. “Hey, you enjoyed it.” Buffy mumbled sleepily, hiding her face in his t-shirt. “And THEN,” He continued, ignoring her, “you fall asleep and drool all over my shoulder. Now tell me how the bleeding hell you consider this to be fair? I give you a free show and get nothing in return.” He concluded, pouting like a little boy. “First,” she said while sitting up and stretching like a cat after a long and satisfying afternoon nap. “You got to enjoy my company. That should be plenty enough. Second, I did NOT drool! And… It’s fair because I’m a woman and women are always right. That’s why.” The TV was still playing on mute, closed captions flashing regularly at the bottom of the screen. Spike had switched to mute when Buffy when she had fallen asleep after the competitive game of cards and a satisfying lunch. The late afternoon sunlight was streaming through a crack in the curtains, but otherwise the room was cast in peaceful darkness, the only source of light being the TV screen. “How very not sexist of you, Slayer. I admire your fairness.” “Well, you should. I’m more fair than any Slayer ever was before me.” “Yeah, Queen Buffy, fair ruler of the Hellmouth.” Spike snickered. “Who goes bug shagging crazy on me just because I make a little joke by asking the room service guy what his blood type is.” Buffy gave him a dark look, scolding him like a disapproving mother. “It wasn’t a funny Joke, Spike.” “You don’t have a sense of humor, pet.” “I do too! Just not when the victim of the joke looks terrified.” “He was a pathetic Nancy boy.” Spike said dismissively. “You looked at him like he was a juicy steak.” He snorted derisively. “I’d hardly call him that. More like a dry piece of beef jerky.” Buffy ignored the comment. “You LICKED your lips for God‘s sake. And I think I saw some fangs too!” Spike couldn’t help but look pleased with himself. “Poor sod. The look on his face was just priceless. I’d bet money we’re not gonna see him again any time soon.” “You know what? If next time we order room service nobody comes, you’ll have only yourself to blame. You can wait for those chicken wings for hours and I won‘t feel sorry for you, not one bit.” “Did you happen to catch the wanker’s name, luv? I think I’ll ask for him personally next time. Maybe even invite him in for blood and crumpets. You know… to apologize for my incredibly rude behavior. What do you think, pet?” She got up and stretched her arms above her head, then cracked her neck from side to side, a grimace on her pretty face. “I think that you don’t make a very good pillow.” Spike looked offended at the comment. “Hey! I make a perfectly fine pillow. I can’t be held responsible for my rock hard pecs, now can I? It’s genetic. Next time you decide to fall asleep on me, I‘ll drop you on the bloody floor… see how comfortable that is.” “Aww, did I hurt poor little Spikey’s feelings?” Buffy asked with fake concern. “I know I should be more gentle with you, but somebody’s got to downsize that ego of yours, and that job happens to be perfect for me. What can I say… I’m just so damn good at it.” “That works out fine then because somebody has to annoy the bleeding hell out of you and… what can I say… I’m just so damn good at it.” They grinned at each other, eyes locking for a moment that lasted just long enough to start getting uncomfortable. Buffy finally shook her head, effectively breaking the spell. She grabbed some clothes from her suitcase and made her way to the bathroom. “The sun is almost down, I’m gonna go get ready for dinner.” She stopped, her hand on the door knob. “…You’re coming to dinner with me, right?” “’f course, pet.” She hesitated, than nodded with a small smile on her lips. “… I had fun today, Spike. Probably more fun than I would have had all by myself on the beach anyway.” She didn’t wait for an answer, disappearing in the bathroom and leaving Spike to ponder her words. Which of course, was a bad idea. Too much thinking never leads to anything good. When she reemerged from the bathroom half an hour later, all glammed up in a pretty baby blue satin sundress, her blonde hair tumbling on her shoulder in shiny waves, Spike was sitting on the edge of the bed watching TV. Just one look at him and she could tell that his mood was considerably more somber than it had been when she had left the room. Still standing in the bathroom’s doorway, she frowned in confusion and waited for him to finally look at her. “Everything all right?” She asked when he looked up. “Sure.” He answered dismissively, his eyes going back to the TV screen. “Looking good, Slayer.” He added, almost as an after thought. “Thanks. But I don’t believe you.” That got Spike’s attention. He looked at her in confusion. “Why would I lie to you ‘bout that? You know you look bloody gorgeous. You always do.” Buffy rolled her eyes. “No Spike, that part I believed. That’s why I said thanks. I meant that I don’t believe the part where you said that everything is all right. You don’t have your ‘all right’ face. What could have possibly happened in the past half hour to make you go from happy vamp to sulky vamp? And you better not say it’s because it took me too long to get ready. I was speedy Buffy! I curled my hair in half the time it usually takes me.” Spike sighed and turned the TV off. “It’s nothing. I was just out here, thinking, and…” He started fidgeting with the remote control in an uncharacteristic display of insecurity. “Look, forget it.” Losing patience, Buffy put her hands on her hips and shot him her best ‘don‘t bullshit me‘ look. “Out with it already. I’m hungry, and hungry Buffy is cranky Buffy.” “Me being here was a bad idea. I‘m ruining your bloody vacation, that’s what’s wrong.” Spike snapped. “Huh? I’m sorry… What?” She finally managed to ask, not sure she heard him right. “You’re supposed to be having fun, and instead, you feel bad for me and stay inside with me. Don’t get me wrong, I had a good time and I appreciate what you’re doing. But don’t. You’re supposed to be outside enjoying yourself.” Buffy remained silent for a few moments, not sure whether to yell at him for playing dumb so annoyingly well, or cry. Why couldn’t they have one good day without arguing over something as ridiculous as this? Finally, she settled for making fun of what he’d just said, hoping to lighten up the mood enough for them to go back to the easy banter they were so good at. She took a small step forward, her hands pressed to her chest and titling her head to the side to observe him with exaggerated attention. “Angel? Is that you, Angel? Oh, I would recognize that passion for guilt and self-flagellation anywhere! When did you and Spike switch bodies?” Unfortunately, her little performance did nothing to snap Spike out of his dark mood. “Yeah, you’re bleedin’ hilarious, Summers. I was being serious.” “No.” She snapped, all good humor gone. “You were being ridiculous and I was trying to be funny to give you a way out before you started sounding even more like a dumbass.” Spike looked stunned for a moment. “Excuse me? Did you just call me a dumbass?” “You heard me.” She replied, chin high, cheeks flushed with anger. “I call them as I see them. Seriously, Spike, did you hear your little ‘self-sacrifice speech’? All that was missing was the violin playing in the background. I don’t know why you suddenly felt the need to ruin a perfectly good day by trying to come up with stupid reasons to feel guilty, but great job!” Spike stood up and started pacing. She could tell he was desperately trying to control his impulsive tongue so as not to get himself deeper into trouble. Obviously, he lost the fight. He came to stand in front of her and gestured wildly to the room around them. “A perfectly good day? Are you bloody kidding me?! This is the kind of day we have all the time back home.” “And what the hell is wrong with that? Is my company so horribly boring? Are you trying to tell me that when we hang out together at home, you’re just humoring me when you say you’re having a good time?” Spike snorted. “Now you’re the one who’s being daft, Buffy. You know how much I love spending time with you, so don’t go and twist my words around.” He took a deep breath to try calming his anger. “You know damn bloody well what I meant. This is Hawaii! It’s not soddin’ Sunnydale, California. It’s your chance to finally enjoy some demon free, apocalypse free fun. Work on your tan, go snorkeling, or whatever it is you’re supposed to do at the beach. Your chance to go out there and pretend to be a normal girl for a change.” Buffy stomped her foot, getter more and more annoyed by the minute. “Yes. And it’s also MY vacation and I can do whatever I want to do. And contrary to popular belief, you are not my charity case. I was on the beach, I was bored, and I chose to come back to the room to spend some time with you. So sue me.” “And we’re back to it’s my fault for being here in the first place, luv. If I wasn’t here, the thought would have never crossed your mind.” “Argh! Oh my God, you are so infuriating! I just can’t believe you!! I thought I was joking earlier when I asked if you switched bodies with Angel, but now I‘m starting to wonder if you really did get a personality transplant. Bipolar much?” “For once I’m trying not to be my usual selfish evil self and you’re cross with me for THAT? Well excuse me for caring if you ruin your bloody vacation you bloody bint.” He barked angrily. Buffy snatched her purse from the armchair. “Yeah? Well excuse me for giving a flying rat’s ass if you’re stuck in here all day by yourself. Next time, you can just rot in here for all I care!” She yelled before rushing out of the room and slamming the door shut. Spike stared at the door for a second before calling after her. “Buffy? Come on, pet, don’t leave like that!” He left the room quickly, hoping to catch up with her, but she was gone. Turning around to get back inside, Spike was faced with a closed and very locked door. The shirtless, bare foot vamp growled and punched the door in frustrated anger. “Bloody buggering hell! How did this day get so messed up?!” His back against the door, he sank slowly to the floor. There was nothing he could do except to sit there and wait the half hour or so until sundown so he could go get a new key at the front desk. All he could do was hope that Buffy wouldn’t get even more pissed off when he didn’t come after her right away. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter #6 - Hawaiian Idol

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Disclaimer: The lyrics used in this chapter are from Love Song, by The Cure, and Bitch by Meredith Brooks CHAPTER 6 Hawaiian Idol Young hearts, to yourself be true Don’t be no fool, when love really don’t love you Spike scanned the crowd anxiously, his eyes not lingering on the happy vacationers. Neither did he bother looking at the stage where the girl responsible for the horrific rendition of ‘Young hearts run free’ was enthusiastically screaming at the top of her lungs. Of course Buffy had been right. She was right, and he was a blasted, insensitive, idiotic, git. Story of their life, really. And God knows there is nothing worst than a woman who is right, except maybe admitting that she is. Spike sighed in defeat. His eyes settled on the bar for a moment, the lure of all that liquid courage was strong, but he had to fight the urge to just give up his search and take comfort in his friend Jack. William the Bloody was not a coward. He had fought the scariest beasts, confronted two Slayers in battle and lived to tell the tale. So why in the bloody hell was he squirming at the idea of facing Buffy and admitting he was wrong? *You know why you git. Because the bint will never let you hear the end of it. That’s why.* But despite his reluctance to face the tiny girl, he knew he had to hurry up and find her soon if he valued his unlife at all. With every passing minute his chances of being forgiven quickly and completely were severely decreasing. He knew Buffy: the longer she’d wait, the angrier she’d get. She’d jump to conclusions and assume he didn’t care enough to come after her right away. He really didn’t fancy them fighting for the remainder of the two weeks because then he could truly say that he’d wrecked her holiday. The blonde vampire cringed at the painful noises coming from the stage. Sounded like a Shiraag demon during mating season. Vampiric hearing could come in handy sometimes, but at other times--like now--it could be a right nuisance. But he’d have to tough it out because Buffy had to be hiding in there somewhere. He’d just spent the past hour looking for the girl in every corner of the paradisiacal resort without success. Knowing it was karaoke night in the main bar, he’d kept it as last resort, all the while hoping he could spare himself the torture if he found her before. No such luck, of course. Now, he was standing in a room full of drunken tourists, listening to Candi Staton’s hit being massacred by a fifteen-year-old pimpled face girl, and just about to give up and go back to the room. But he hadn’t suffered in vain. A waitress who had been standing in front of a table suddenly moved away, and a flash of golden hair caught Spike’s eye. There she was, sulking by herself in a corner. And if the way she was tearing apart the little paper umbrella that was once decorating her exotic drink was any indication, she was still in a dangerous mood. The addition of alcohol to the mix could only mean trouble for the bleached blonde vampire. When he walked up to her, his step lacked its usual arrogant swagger. He stopped in front of her table, hands buried deep in his pockets, and waited for Buffy to look at him. But the stubborn Slayer pointedly ignored him, keeping her eyes trained on the stage. A middle aged man sporting a pregnant beer belly was now shaking his behind singing ‘Baby got back’ and getting a good laugh from the gits at his table. Buffy seemed fascinated. Spike decided to try the casual approach. “Enjoying yourself, luv?” “Absolutely.” She answered, her tone icy. “Until you showed up, of course. Because, you know… According to your twisted sense of logic, I’m only allowed to enjoy myself ALONE and away from you. Oh, right. I think it’s fine if it’s out of pity too. Did I get the rules right? You know me, I’m not used to following rules so it can get confusing sometimes.” “All right then.” He sighed and pulled a chair to sit in front of her. “That answers the question whether you’re still mad at me or not.” She snorted loudly. “Mad? Who’s mad? I’m not mad. Why would I be MAD? It’s a free world, you’re allowed to think whatever the hell you want and to share it with me. If you really think I’m Mother Teresa and would spend all my time with you out of the goodness of my generous Christian heart and not because I actually WANT to, then it’s your problem.” Spike frowned in confusion. “’m trying to suss out what’s going on in that noggin of yours, pet, but I’ve got nothing. Basically, you’re telling me that thinking you’re a nice person is… a bad thing?” Not getting an answer, he shook his head and continued. “You know what, never mind. Look, I’m sorry. I really am. I didn’t mean to muck everything up the way I did. I should have kept my bloody mouth shut. You know me, I have a knack for saying the wrong bloody thing at the wrong bloody time. Can’t help it, it’s something in my blood. I won’t speak again for the rest of the trip. I’ll just smile and nod my head once in a while.” A small smile tugged at Buffy’s lips. “You realize that if God, in his infinite wisdom, had created you mute, you’d be almost perfect? Too bad you learned how to speak.” Spike opened his mouth with every intention to make some smart ass comeback, but decided to follow his own advice instead and shut up. He smiled, and nodded. Buffy rolled her eyes at him, doing her best to hide her amusement. “So, luv, is there anything I can do to be deserving of your forgiveness?” She finally let the smile wash away the grim look that had been clouding her features since he’d arrived. With a devilish gleam in her eyes, she slowly, dramatically, slid a black binder across the table. Binder that he hadn’t noticed she’d been holding the entire time they were talking. Spike raised a curious brow. “What’s this, then?” She only said one word. “Sing.” “Excuse me?” Buffy’s smile broadened. “You. Karaoke. Sing.” “No bleeding way! I am not going on this stage to make a bleedin’ fool of myself like those pansies over there.” To illustrate his point, he pointed at the three guys on stage currently singing an N’Sync song. Looking at him through her long lashes, she gingerly took the straw between her pink glossy lips and took a sip of her drink before speaking again. “You asked what you could do to earn my forgiveness: I told you. Now, if you don’t care all that much…” She pulled the binder containing the song selection back toward herself. Spike snatched the book back from her, a scowl on his handsome face. “Fine. I’ll do it. But I really don’t see what this has to do with anything.” “Everything.” She replied brightly. “ It’s embarrassing, it’s silly, and it’s completely beneath the Big Bad. So if you do it, it’ll show me just how much you really want me to forgive you. And also that you love my company so much that you’re willing to humiliate yourself in front of everybody just so you’ll be tolerated in my gracious presence again. Yep, Buffy Summers, Fair ruler of the Hellmouth, declares that’s what shall be done.” “That’s what I shall do then.” Spike opened the book with a heavy sigh, and started browsing through the titles. “Besides, who says I’m going to humiliate myself? Did you ever hear me sing?” Buffy opened her mouth to answer, but he hurriedly cut her off. “I meant sober and not yelling along to Sid Vicious.” “Uh… I guess not. But believe me, once you’re done going through the selection, you’ll realize that ‘humiliating’ might not be that much of an overstatement. All they have in there is the worst of the 80’s and 90’s, along with the Back Street Boys and Spice Girls’ greatest hits.” “Those Spice Girls’ birds were a bit of all right. The tiny scraps of clothing they called outfits sorta made you forget about the horrible singing.” “You’re still in trouble, buster. So a little less with the pervy comments and more with the groveling please.” “Yes ma’am.” Going through a few more pages only confirmed that she’d been right about the music choice. “Bloody buggering hell.” Buffy chuckled happily, and went back to casually sipping on her drink, her eyes not leaving his expressive face. Pretty damn entertaining. And at the same time, she was touched that he’d be willing to do this just to make her happy. Of course, that feeling lasted only until he uttered his next sentence. He searched for a few more minutes before looking up at her. “All right, I’m bloody well doing this… but you have to do it too.” She suddenly got a little pale. “What? Noooo sir. I haven’t done anything to you worth this kind of punishment. At least, not lately.” He smirked. “Really? I’m sure if I think hard enough, I could remember something. Oh right. Wasn’t it just last night that you were making fun of me for trying to open the wrong sodden’ hotel room door? I can still hear you cackling like a hyena an hour later, all tucked in for the night in your warm little bed. Bleedin’ hilarious, it was. And what about…” “Fine!” She interrupted sulkily. “I’ll sing, you big bully.” “Look at the bright side, pet.” “There’s a bright side?” “Yeah. I don’t think we can be much worst than those wankers even if we try.” She laughed, her good mood finally returning. “You’re lucky, you know?” “Why’s that?” “I was going to sing ‘You’re so vain’ and dedicate it to you, but someone else sang it just before you arrived.” “Bleedin’ shame, that’s what it is.” He shook his head in mocked disappointment. “So, how does this work anyway?” Buffy handed him a small paper and a pen. “Here. You take this, you write your name on it, the title of the song you want to sing and the number of the song, then I’ll go give it to the MC” They both filled out their papers and Buffy stood up. “Oh, and did I mention that this is a contest? The winner gets a Jeep excursion on the volcano, followed by a dinner at the best restaurant in Maui with champagne and everything. So if you want to make me happy, you’ll win for me… No pressure or anything.” She gave him her sweetest smile and briskly walked away. Spike lowered his head in defeat. “Bloody women.” He ordered a beer and waited for Buffy to come back. She was grinning madly. “What got you so happy, luv?” “You’re next.” She said simply before sitting down. Spike’s eyes widened comically. “What? But what about all those wankers who gave their papers before us? Aren’t they supposed to go first?” “Pretty amazing what flashing a bit of cleavage will get you, isn’t it?” She batted her lashes innocently at him. “You’re truly evil, you know that?” “I learned from the master.” The MC came on, his voice booming in the crowded bar. “Next, we have Spike… huh… The Bloody.” The MC looked up at the crowd. “Interesting stage name, man.” Spike narrowed his eyes at Buffy who just grinned, obviously pleased with herself. “Spike will be singing ‘Love song’ by The Cure. The mic is yours buddy.” Everybody cheered when Spike stood up, Buffy being the loudest. He shed his leather jacket, leaving it on the back of his chair, and made his way to the stage as nonchalantly as if he’d been going to the 7/Eleven to buy cigarettes. He reached the elevated stage and hopped on it with feline grace. Already you could tell the female part of the audience was fascinated with the blonde man. Spike looked around and quickly spotted the guitar the MC used to entertain the guests between two ‘performers’. He walked up to the microphone. “Sorry, slight change of plans.” Then, turning to the Karaoke guy. “Do you mind if I borrow that guitar of yours, mate? I’m in the mood for something accoustic if it’s all right.” The guy shrugged and made a gesture towards the guitar to signal that he didn’t have a problem with that. “You still need the lyrics on the screen, buddy?” “It’s fine, I know the song.” Back at the table, Buffy’s eyebrows raised in incredulity at the idea that Spike could play the guitar. The vampire would always find new and interesting ways to surprise her and keep her on her toes. Every time she thought she had him figured out, he’d come up with something new to throw her off balance. It was kind of annoying, but mostly, it kept her interested. She watched as he carried a bar stool and the guitar to the middle of the stage and, after adjusting the height of the microphone stand, made himself comfortable. He didn’t make any dedication, it would have been superfluous and kind of awkward considering they were officially “friends”, but she knew. Love song. She’d seen the title on the paper while bringing it to the MC and her heart had clenched painfully in her chest. For a moment, she had wanted to go back to the table and tell him that he didn’t have to hide behind stupid songs to tell her how he felt anymore. But she’d been a coward and kept walking to the front of the bar. The first rift of guitar rose and the crowd fell eerily silent. Whenever I’m alone with you You make me feel like I am home again Whenever I’m alone with you You make me feel like I am whole again His voice was smooth and sweet like warm caramel and had the crowd, and Buffy more than anybody else, mesmerized in no time. Whenever I’m alone with you You make me feel like I am young again Whenever I’m alone with you You make me feel like I am fun again He hadn’t been bragging. The previously semi comatose patrons were suddenly paying rapt attention. He was good. Better than good… and he had all the women in the place swooning after singing just a few bars. Buffy felt a pang of jealousy, hearing the comments from the tables nearby, but he wasn‘t singing for them. He had eyes only for her. However far away I will always love you However long I stay I will always love you Whatever words I say I will always love you I will always love you Spike had more presence on stage than anybody she’d ever seen. He was commanding attention. It didn’t matter if the song was a slow one and he was only sitting there, strumming his guitar: it was all about his eyes and his voice. His eyes bore into hers with an intensity that made her want to look away, but she couldn’t. He was telling her with the song all these things he couldn’t say to her, and she wanted nothing more than to throw herself at him. A woman at a table next to hers was looking her way, and Buffy clearly heard her saying “lucky bitch”. The blonde Slayer couldn’t help the little snort that escaped her lips. If only she knew how incredibly stupid the “lucky bitch” was, keeping a man like Spike at arm’s length for so long, no doubt that woman would have a good laugh. Whenever I’m alone with you You make me feel like I am free again Whenever I’m alone with you You make me feel like I am clean again The last notes died on the guitar and Spike rose to thunderous applause. He ducked his head in a rare show of shyness, and mumbled a thank you into the microphone before hurriedly getting off the stage. He reached their table and sank down in a chair. “Tell Harris I sang, and there will be hell to pay.” Buffy didn‘t answer. She just looked at him, smiling warmly, until he started looking uncomfortable. She watched as he ran restless fingers through his hair and looked around while mumbling that he needed a drink. “Don’t worry,” she finally answered. “I promise I won’t tell anyone. But I don’t see why you’re so embarrassed; you were amazing up there.” He looked even more self-conscious if possible. “Yeah well…” He let out a forced chuckle. “What can I say, I‘m a man of multiple talents.” Buffy decided she’d tortured him enough. She saw a waitress passing by and stopped her to order more drinks. While talking to the waitress, she noticed the Italian woman sitting nearby and seemingly observing them. After the server left, Buffy turned discretely to try to see of the dark haired stranger was still looking their way or if she was just being paranoid, but the other woman quickly looked away. Buffy frowned. She tried to push the strange feeling away. After all, she was on vacation and besides, there couldn’t be any evil in a paradisiacal place like this. But the worry must have shown on her face because Spike asked her what was going on. “Nothing. It’s just this weird woman I kept bumping into this morning, and now I thought she was staring at me. But I’m probably just being paranoid. She’s probably just looking at you. After that performance, I’m sure she wishes she could have a piece of the Big Bad.” Buffy tried to joke. “The Italian woman who looks like a transvestite, has been sitting there since I arrived and has yet to touch her Martini?” “Yeah. You noticed her too?” “Hard to miss.” Buffy forced herself to lighten up. “You know what? It’s nothing. I’ve been away from Slayer duty for a couple of days and I bet I’m just subconsciously trying to find trouble. I’m itching for some violence. Things to hurt, evil to slay, ya know. The usual.” “They do have a punching bag in the gym, pet. Maybe you could use that? And if it doesn’t work, we could go some place relatively deserted and spar together. I wouldn’t mind a work out myself.” “Mm, yeah. That could work.” She answered, a far away look in her eyes as her mind drifted to dirty places. Images of a shirtless Spike fighting with her on a deserted beach, silvery moonlight highlighting the corded muscles of his torso, his body pressed against hers, rolling around in the still warm sand… “Give a big round of applauds to Buffy Summers, who will be singing I touch myself.” Buffy instantly snapped back to reality. “What?” “’m afraid it’s your turn, pet.” “I changed my mind.” She hissed under her breath, her fingers gripping the edge of the table hard enough to break the wood. “Not bloody likely, Slayer. We had a deal. I sing, you sing. You can’t back out of the deal now.” He smirked in that way that could make her forget how sweet he could be sometimes. “You‘re not scared now, are you?” She huffed indignantly and stood up. “Me, scared? Never.” But even as she said it, her face was getting a little paler. Spike made a dramatic gesture with his arm. “Well go on then. Your adoring fans are waiting.” She threw a dark look his way, then took a tentative step toward the stage. Then another, and another until she finally reached it. She looked like she would bolt at any moment now. He could see her glancing in every direction to try finding an escape route. But she was smart enough to know that he’d manage to stop her from leaving. Actually, Spike almost felt sorry for her. When he saw her hesitating in front of the stage, he wanted to go to her and tell her to forget the whole thing, but then she took a deep breath and took the final steps to the mic. She changed her mind and walked up to the MC who was just about to put on her song. Then, she came back to the microphone. “Hi. I’m sorry everybody, there was a last minute change in my choice of song. This is for the most patient man in the world. He’s got to be, because he puts up with me. It’s my way to say I’m sorry.” An apology from Buffy. Spike just couldn’t believe what he was hearing. There were two things that he thought he’d never hear Buffy Summers say to him. “I love you.” and “I’m sorry.” Spike was stunned. The song started and he didn’t recognize it, but the lyrics when she started singing, made him laugh and shake his head. I hate the world today You're so good to me I know but I can't change Tried to tell you But you look at me like maybe I'm an angel underneath Innocent and sweet Yesterday I cried Must have been relieved to see The softer side I can understand how you'd be so confused I don't envy you I'm a little bit of everything All rolled into one She finished her rendition of 'Bitch', bowed shyly when people cheered and applauded, and came back to the table. “Thanks luv. But you don’t have anything to apologize for. I already told you that you were right.” “I know. But I’m not stupid, Spike. I know I’m not always easy to deal with. And yet, no matter how many times we argue or fight, or how irrational I get, you put up with it. Not a lot of people would let me be myself and still stick around. My friends, I love them, but they expect me to be perfect and it’s hard sometimes. You make me feel like it’s OK for me to have flaws.” “Wouldn’t want you any different, Slayer. What you say are flaws, really aren‘t. It’s all part of the package and I like it all. You never have to be someone else with me. Perfect people don’t exist, and if they did, they’d be boring as hell. Believe me pet, I don’t mind the arguments. It keeps things interesting between us.” God she wanted to kiss him just then. Instead, Buffy broke the silence to keep things from getting too intense. “Wanna go somewhere else? I heard there’s a party by the pool.” “Don’t you want to stay to see if one of us won?” “We can come back later. They’re going to announce the winner at 2am.” She knew Spike was only there to make her happy and she felt it was her turn to make him happy. Besides, a party by the pool sounded good. She’d had enough of bad singing for one night. Dancing Queen made the decision easier. Slayer and Vampire both made a face and stood up. “Yeah, let’s bugger off before our ears start bleeding.” She nodded enthusiastically, eager to escape. Unless Spike was singing, Karaoke wasn’t as fun as she’d thought it would be. As they walked by the table where the Italian woman was sitting with her companion, Spike noticed she was still looking at them. He told Buffy to wait and went back to where the two were sitting. Buffy saw him lean towards the woman and say something. The woman’s mouth dropped open, her eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed an interesting shade of red. Spike winked at her and went back to Buffy. She frowned in confusion. “What the hell did you do?” “Nothing bad. I just informed her that we were flattered, but that we are not into that sort of thing.” He waggled his eyebrows to make his meaning clearer. Spike could read Buffy’s thoughts just by looking at her face. There was the blank expression as she tried to process what he‘d just said, then the widening of her hazel eyes as she finally got what he‘d implied, followed by her cheeks turning pink in embarrassment and, finally... “SPIKE!!” The vampire laughed and grabbed her hand to lead her out of the bar. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter #7 - One too many rejection

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CHAPTER 7: One too many rejection She ran into the hotel suite, fuming. The naturally dark skin of her face was tinged with pink and her dark eyes were smoldering with anger. Crossing the living room part of the suite, she walked into the bedroom and slammed the door behind her. “Carlita, calm yourself. Why are you in such a state of fury? You knew who we were to deal with before coming here. Things like that are to be expected coming from him.” There was some Italian swearing in the bedroom before the door opened again. She stood there, her long black hair wild around her face, her strong jaw clenched making her features look even more masculine than usual. Tension radiated from the tall woman. Feeling the danger, he took a few steps back. “Why are you so upset, Carli?” “DON’T call me that. I remember telling you before. And I have every reason to be upset. This… This--THING, has no right mocking me.” “God forbid…” He whispered under his breath. “What did you just say? Maybe you should watch your mouth too, Benjamin. You being the boss’s nephew won’t stop me from losing my temper with you. Remember what happened when I lost my temper with that man in Rome?” Ben put his hands up in surrender. “Please, let’s try to remember why we are here. This isn’t helping.” Carlita took a deep breath and finally admitted in her thick Italian accent: “You’re right.” She sat on the couch, disdainfully throwing on the floor the pillow and blanket Benjamin had used to sleep. She crossed her legs elegantly and smoothed down her skirt to cover her knees. “Now that we have proof, we can do what we have to do.” “What… what do you mean, proof? We don’t have any proof.” The short man ran his fingers through his shaggy brown hair repeatedly, which was a nervous habit of his. He went to sit on the armchair facing the couch and patted the front pocket of his shirt for his pack of cigarettes before finally remembering that he’d quit smoking a month ago. *Bloody bad time to quit smoking.* He thought bitterly. Carlita huffed, looking at him the way she’d look at any being of inferior intelligence. “Why of course we have proof. I would think what we saw tonight is proof enough that they ARE a couple. There is no doubt in my mind, caro.” He shook his head, obviously not convinced. “That wasn’t proof. Have you seen them kissing, or holding hands? This is the most romantic resort on the island, couples who stay here aren’t usually shy about displaying affection in public. If they were indeed a couple, I think it would be more obvious.” Benjamin crossed his legs and started bouncing his foot. Carlita stared at the moving foot with narrowed eyes, obviously annoyed. Without needing to be told, Ben uncrossed his legs and put both his feet back on the floor. Only a few days of dealing with the Italian woman taught him that she was easy to annoy and if she was hard to get along with when she was in a good mood, there were no words to explain how bad it was when she was angry with him. “He sang a song and looked her in the eyes.” Ben continued while looking at anything but her. “It’s hardly a proof that she returns the feeling, if feeling there is. We must make sure before proceeding with the plan. The outcome of this is too radical to allow us to act on pure instinct.” The Italian’s volatile temper seemed dangerously close to flaring again. “You are annoying me, Benjamin. A lot of people might be afraid of your uncle, but rest assured that I am not. Try to remember that you are not here because of your competence, you are here because your uncle needed a way to get you away from London before he lost patience and strangled you himself.” The young Brit stood up, obviously having enough. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m not the most qualified person to handle such a situation. But I’m intelligent enough to realize that if we do something as irreversible as killing them without tangible proof, there will be repercussions. Would you perhaps want me to call London and inform my dear uncle of how exactly you are handling this? He might not like me very much, and he might hate Buffy Summers even more, but I’m not sure he would approve of what’s going on here.” “Darling Benjamin, so sweet and innocent. I do think you have been highly misinformed about your uncle’s intentions. He never verbalized it, but I know the man well enough not to entertain any delusions about what he really wants.” “And what, pray tell, would that be?” “To get rid of her.” “You are wrong. He wants her dead because of what he suspects she does, but if we provide him with proof that he’s wrong, he’ll call the whole thing off, I’m sure of it.” She smiled coldly. “Very well. If you really do believe that, I’ll give you until tomorrow night to get proof that it is happening again… or not, like you seem to be thinking. If you can’t convince me that they are not a couple, I will do what I’ve been sent here to do. Do we have an agreement?” Benjamin sat back down on the armchair, his shoulder slumped as if under a heavy burden. “Yes, I believe we do. Any ideas on how exactly I could prove this?” Carlita burst into laughter, the rich sound echoing in the suite. “My poor darrrling,” She said, rolling her r exaggeratedly. “This, I’m afraid, is your problem. Personally…” She stood up and stretched her arms above her head. “…I’m going to bed. Buena notte, caro. And good luck.” He narrowed his eyes at her retreating back and waited until she closed the door before relaxing. “Bloody stupid Italian trash.” He looked up, his gray eyes wide with panic, and held his breath for a few seconds listening for any sound coming from the bedroom. The bleedin’ witch had supernatural hearing, he was sure of it. He slumped in the armchair when nothing happened. “Bitch.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “You look stunning, pet. You have plans? Secret meeting on the beach with some handsome bloke?” Spike was sitting in the armchair in the shadowy corner of the room, watching as Buffy applied the finishing touches to her makeup. He had an open book on his lap but hadn’t touched it since she’d walked out of the bathroom wearing a revealing red halter dress. The fabric was airy, the skirt just short enough, and the neckline plunging. To Spike, she looked like a goddess. Hard to focus on a book when she was applying lipstick in front of the mirror, bathed in the late afternoon light. Buffy turned to face him, smiling brightly. “I’m gonna go have a drink by the pool before dinner. You can meet me there after sun sets. What do you think?” “Sunset is in an hour and a half…” “So?” “So you’re going to sit all by yourself at a bar for an hour and a half, looking like that?” “Still don’t see your point.” “All the stupid wankers in the place are going to be drooling like slobbering idiots and…” “Spike, don’t start. We’ve had a good day. I’ve managed to both spend some quality time with you, AND go out shopping and enjoy Maui just like you wanted. We’re NOT gonna start arguing now, OK?” “I wasn’t arguing I just…” “I’m not going hunting for a potential one night stand, I’m going to have a drink and enjoy the sunset. That’s all.” Spike had the decency to look ashamed. “Sorry luv, didn’t mean to sound all protective like that.” *You can be all protective and jealous after you finally kiss me for the first time, you stupid man. But until then…* Buffy thought, slightly aggravated, but smiling nonetheless. “I’ll see you in a little while, Spike.” “Sure, pet. I’ll even make an effort to dress up just for you.” “Aww, but I like the way our looks clash. It makes me look even more classy and glamorous in comparison.” “Ha ha, charming. There I am showering you with compliments, winning stupid Karaoke contests for you, and what do I get in return? Insults.” “I don’t insult, I tease. There’s a difference. And it’s not that I don’t compliment you, I just keep my compliments for myself because you so don’t need an ego boost.” She blew him a kiss and grabbed her purse. “See you later, oh my Karaoke champion.” And just like that, she was gone. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Buffy took a seat at the bar by the pool and ordered a Mai Tai. She didn’t notice the short man with shaggy hair staring intently at her on the other side of the pool. He stood up and slowly, almost hesitantly, made his way around the pool. When he reached her side, he just stood there awkwardly as if trying to think of a good opening line, until she finally noticed him. Buffy gave the man a questioning look. “Can I… help you with something?” This seemed to snap him out of his trance. “I, huh, saw that you were sitting all by yourself and thought that maybe, well… Maybe you’d like some company.” Buffy smiled politely. “Thanks but I’m fine.” She turned around, hoping he’d give up, but she wasn’t that lucky. “I’m sorry, I didn’t introduce myself, which was quite rude of me. My name is Benjamin. You can call me Ben.” “Yeah, OK. I’m Buffy. Nice meeting you Ben. But really, I’d like to be alone if you don’t mind.” “It’s just,” He started, taking a seat next to her, “I’m alone too and it’d be nice to have someone to talk to.” This time, Buffy got really annoyed with the man who apparently, didn‘t seem to take a clue. “Oh, so you’re alone now. I see. Funny how I keep seeing you with that tall, rude, Italian girlfriend of yours. What is it, you two have an open relationship or something? Or is it that Spike was right and you really are swingers. Cause I gotta tell you, that’s just sick.” Ben’s eyes widened in horror at the implication. “What? Me and..? Oh dear lord, no! Carlita and I are not by any means romantically involved. She is merely an old friend of the family I‘m traveling with. As a matter of fact, I‘m single.” “And as a matter of fact, it doesn’t matter because I’m still not interested. I was serious when I said I want to be alone.” “Oh, I see. Is it because you‘re involved with someone? Is that man I’ve seen you with your boyfriend?” “Actually, I am. And you’d better leave my girl alone, mate. I believe she already told you to bugger off.” Buffy turned around to see Spike standing there, looking all king of the castle. The sun had gone down enough behind the buildings to allow him to venture outside. As he promised, he had dressed up for her. He was wearing a crisp white shirt with the buttons half undone, the sleeves rolled up, and black slacks. He looked absolutely scrumptious, but it didn’t stop Buffy from being a little annoyed at the display of testosterone. She was a big girl, she could deal with that guy, she didn’t need Spike coming to her rescue. He took her hand and pulled her off the stool. Neither of them noticed how pale the other British guy had turned. “Come on, pet. Let’s go dance.” He led her to where a few people were slow dancing right by the pool. One of the hotel’s employees was lighting up torches to cast away the approaching darkness. Spike pulled her into his arms and started moving to the music. After a few moments, she finally spoke. “What the hell was that all about?” “What?” “The pissing contest at the bar?” “That wasn’t a pissing contest, that was me saving you from that nancy boy.” Buffy pushed away from him just enough too look him in the eyes. “Since when do I need to be saved, Spike?” He frowned in confusion. “What the bleedin’ hell are you on about?” To be fair, Buffy wasn’t so sure either why it bothered her so much that Spike intervened the way he did. But she pushed the thought to the back of her head to analyze later. Right now, the conversation was taking a turn for the worst. Spike continued what he was saying. “I was coming toward you, saw that you were trying to get rid of that guy, and I helped. I don’t see why you’re getting your knickers in a twist like that.” “My knickers are not twisted. But I have no problem rejecting a guy myself, I don’t need help.” She knew she’d said something wrong just by the way his body tensed and his cheeks hollowed. It took a couple of seconds before he opened his mouth to reply, but when he did, his voice was cold. “You’re right, Slayer. I almost forgot how good you are at rejecting men. I should know that first hand now, don‘t you think?” Her face drained of color, and she took a step back. They stared at each other in silence. She opened her mouth to say something, but suddenly changed her mind and bolted. That stunned Spike out of his anger. “But.. What?.. Fucking HELL! AGAIN?!” He threw his arms in the air in exasperation. “Buffy! Hey, I‘m the one who‘s supposed to be mad now, not you, you stupid bint!” He yelled, not caring if people were looking. “Buffy?” But she was long gone. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Benjamin was sitting at the table in the hotel room, the phone in front of him. Carlita was standing by the window, looking at him with a smug look on her face. “Seriously Ben. It was so obvious that saying ‘I told you so’ wouldn’t even bring me any satisfaction.” He didn’t answer. “Why do you even care?” She opened her eyes wide in fake shock. “Oh, don’t tell me you like her? That would be too pathetic for words. It’s not even romantic, it’s just ridiculous.” Ben got angry. “It doesn’t matter if I like her or not, Carlita. She’s still a human being. Is your heart so dead that you don’t feel anything at the idea of killing a young woman who’s been through so much already?” Carlita’s eyes got darker. She came to stand next to him, and slammed her hand on the table making Ben jump. “Every choice we make in life has consequences. When she chose to be with him, she also accepted the consequences. You and I are just the ones who make it happen.” “Couldn’t we just warn her? It seems unfair that she doesn’t even know the consequences of that choice she made. Maybe she‘d leave him if she knew.” “Now don’t try to weasel your way out of this, Benjamin. We have a job to do and we’ll do it, end of the story. Now, are you going to call London, or do you want me to do it?” He nodded slowly, his expression somber. “I’ll do it.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter #8 - And my sins will be forgiven

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CHAPTER 8: And my sins will be forgiven High heeled sandals were not the shoes of choice to run on stone paved sidewalks lit up by torches. Buffy found that out the hard way. After twisting her ankle for the second time, she paused long enough to take off the offending footwear. She threw the sandals in a nearby bush and kept going until she was past the limits of the resort. She was not nearly as upset as she had been while standing in front of Spike, but she still needed to be alone. She stopped running and turned around. The sky was now completely dark and the lights of the resort made it look like a small village in the distance. But around her, everything was dark and peaceful. Just what she needed. Buffy resumed her trek at a much calmer pace now that she was sure to be completely alone. She walked in the direction where the sound of the ocean was coming from. She climbed a few rocks, which would have been a challenge in the dark if she wasn‘t the Slayer, but she managed easily and with her usual grace. She finally hopped off the rock and landed in the soft sand of a secluded beach. She let out a sigh of contentment at the wonderful feeling of the sand between her toes. Buffy took a few steps until she could feel the waves lapping gently at her feet, then closed her eyes to take it all in. The rhythmic sound of the ocean, the smell, the cool night air… She felt alive. Her head was clearer and her thoughts more quiet. This was exactly what she needed. Running away had been an impulsive reaction, but it did prove something: Spike had hit a sore spot with his comment and maybe it was time that she faced some of the things that were just beneath the surface; things that were still there between them. Pretending the past never happened doesn’t make it go away, unfortunately. Buffy pouted at the thought. Why wasn’t denial a good thing again? She was so great at it. Not caring about her dress, she sat in the slightly humid sand. She stretched her legs in front of her and reclined back with her head pillowed on her crossed arms. Getting the sand out of her hair in the morning would be a real bitch, but she couldn’t bring herself to care at the moment. The stars above her were brighter than she’d remembered ever seeing them before and she wished she could enjoy the view and think of nothing else. But thoughts of Spike kept invading her consciousness, and despite her best efforts, she simply couldn’t ignore them. Spike. His reaction earlier to her being her usual unreasonable bitchy self had come out of the blue. OK, maybe not. They did have some major unresolved issues between them. Issues that were mainly rooted in those six months right before she died. So no, not out of the blue because it was probably always there just waiting to come out. But it had definitely taken her by surprise. And perhaps it was a good thing. After all, it did shock her out of her denial. Buffy knew she tended to act as if her life before and after her death were two different lives, especially as far as her relationship with Spike was concerned. She had been stupid and blind, now she saw the error of her ways and came to her senses, end of the story. But what she’d done before, the violent rejections, the way she’d mocked him, the hurtful words, ignoring how hard he was trying to change for her… Spike had been the one to live through all this, not her. So of course it was easier for her to just pretend it never happened. But finding the courage to declare your love to someone, only to have the person tell you: “the only chance you’ve ever had with me was when I was unconscious.” of course that will leave a scar. Buffy snickered humorlessly at her own stupidity. How could she think even for a second that he’d ever try again? No man in his right mind, and with an once of pride, would ever risk facing that kind of rejection twice. Oh, sure she was much friendlier to him now, but did she give him any reason to believe that his love would be welcome now? Buffy sat up and rubbed her arms to rid them of the sand stuck to her skin. She bent her legs and hugged her knees to her chest. The jumble that had been her thoughts just a moment ago, were now clear and everything seemed simple. Well, as simple as they could ever be anyway. She saw the look on his face earlier when she’d thoughtlessly said that she was good at rejecting men. The hurt in his eyes. She’d run because she knew she did that. She was angry with herself. And she did have a good reason to be. But she also needed to accept that she’d done that to him, and forgive herself. His forgiveness, that was something she had no control over. But this, she could control. Accept it, then move on and work on building something with him from scratch. Their timing had been so wrong before. He’d fallen in love with her when she was anything but ready for it. But now, they were both on the same page and had a chance to finally put the past behind and move forward. He’d been ready for that for a while, and now she was ready too. But she had to stop waiting for him to take the first step because the chances of that happening were non-existent. Buffy jumped to her feet, deciding that her little epiphany had lasted long enough. She really wasn’t the kind of girl to spend hours in deep meditation over her problems. Yes, she easily admitted to be clueless at times when it came to serious life stuff, but once she got something, there was no need to look at it from a million different angles. She started the trek back to the hotel room, filled with the certainty that tomorrow was the first day of their new life. She’d stop being a coward and act like the confident Slayer that she really was. Since when did she need a man to take the first step anyway? She couldn’t remember what exactly she’d been thinking. She’d take control of the situation, make things right, then make Spike forget she was ever a bitch to him. Yep, that sounded like a good plan. The best she’d had in ages. Better yet, she knew exactly how to make it happen. She smiled and bit her lip at the naughty idea that crossed her mind. She knew she should stop playing games with him, but couldn‘t help it. After all, she needed to keep things interesting. Sitting down and discussing their relationship? What would be the fun in that? It wasn‘t their style anyway. She retrieved her sandals from the bush where she’d dropped them earlier and made her way to the room. It was still early so Spike was most likely still out. He was probably sitting at a bar somewhere, drunk and pouting. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should go to him, but decided it was best to give him some space for now. Buffy swiped her keycard and opened the door. The room was cast in darkness, but thanks to the light in the hallway, she could see that Spike was in bed, facing away from her. She closed the door as quietly as she could, unsure if he was asleep or just laying down. She was slowly making her way to the bathroom when his voice broke the silence of the room, nearly making her jump out of her skin. “’you all right?” He asked, his voice flat and emotionless. Buffy turned to look at him, but he was still facing the opposite wall. “Yeah… Why?” “Blood.” She frowned, trying to think what he could mean by that, when it downed on her. “Oh. I cut my foot on a rock on the beach. It’s nothing, just a scratch.” “Fine.” She waited a beat or two, but he said nothing more. “Spike…” “Trying to sleep.” She was tempted to reply that it was only 11 o’clock, but decided that it really wasn’t a good idea. She hung her head and turned back to the bathroom before saying sadly: “For all it’s worth… I’m sorry. I really am.” Buffy thought he wouldn’t answer, but he did. “Don’t fret over it. I’m not mad. Just tired.” “… ok.” She said almost shyly before disappearing in the bathroom to change. She came back out and slipped under the covers of her bed. She waited a long moment before finding the courage to break the silence. “Good night, Spike.” She almost held her breath while waiting for the answer. She was a bit relieved when it came and his voice didn’t sound as lifeless as it had been when she’d first walked into the room. “Good night, Buffy.” Yeah. Tomorrow. Tomorrow he would be rested, in a better mood, and would have forgiven her stupid comment and her past mistakes. By the same time tomorrow, things would finally be right. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter #9 - Playing games never ends well... or does it?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CHAPTER 9: Playing games never ends well... or does it? The sun was still low in the sky when Buffy came back into the room the next morning. She was carrying two paper cups full of coffee, a bag of croissants that she’d gotten from the restaurant, and a small plastic bag containing her latest acquisition from the gift shop. She voluntarily bumped into Spike’s bed on her way to put the breakfast on the small coffee table, hoping it’d be enough to wake him. The vampire groaned in protest then turned on his side before opening one heavy eyelid. She smiled at him. “’morning sleepy head.” “You awfully chipper this morning, pet. Where did you go at such an ungodly hour?” “Shopping.” Spike turned on his back to look at the alarm clock on the side table. “It’s 9 in the bloody morning and you went shopping?” “Couldn’t sleep. I remembered that really hot little bikini I saw at the gift shop when I went to buy the camera the other day and decided I wanted it… Coffee?” Spike nodded sleepily and sat up. The white sheet dropped low on his waist and Buffy swallowed hard at the delectable sight. She handed him his cup, doing her best to keep her eyes on his face despite the extreme temptation to look much lower. He gave her a grateful look and took the cup from her. “Thanks, pet.” He took a sip and grimaced when the hot liquid burned his tongue. “Got any plans for today?” “Yep. I’m going to show off my new bikini on the beach.” She turned to take the plastic bag and headed for the bathroom. “Wait until you see it. You’re gonna die.” Spike chuckled. “I know it’s the obvious retort and it dreadfully lacks originality, but… I’m already dead, pet.” She stopped in the doorway and looked over her shoulder, giving him a flirty smile. “Just wait and see.” Buffy shut the bathroom door and let out the breath she’d been holding. Phase one of her plan was on the way. She’d gotten up early and went back to the gift shop to buy the horribly tacky bathing suit. When she’d been in the store to buy the camera, the man working there had tried to convince her to buy this incredibly flashy silver bikini that looked more appropriate for a strip club than it would be for the beach. She’d laugh it off at the time, but changed her mind. All right, she did have an ulterior motive to change her mind: driving a certain sexy blonde vampire out of his mind. She got the bathing suit out of the bag and got out of her clothes before putting it on. Buffy looked at herself in the mirror and blushed bright red. She’d never felt so naked wearing clothes before. Not that the scrap of silver fabric could qualify as clothes. She almost jumped out of her skin when she heard Spike speak from the other side of the door. “You coming out of there any time today? Still waiting for the fashion show, pet.” “Yeah, yeah, I’m coming. Don’t rush me, it needs to be perfect.” There was no way in Hell she would ever go out in public wearing that thing. Thank God, the chances of her making it outside before Spike would tear it off of her were almost non-existent. Naked with Spike was a good thing. Naked in public, not so much. Buffy checked her hair in the mirror, reapplied her lip gloss, then took hold of the door knob. She took a deep breath, then quietly opened the door. Spike was just taking a sip of his coffee when he looked up and saw her. He promptly spat out his mouth full of coffee all over the white sheet. “Jesus fucking bloody Christ!” Buffy smiled and struck a playmate pose against the door frame. “You like?” Eyes wide in disbelief, eyebrows high, mouth slack, Spike didn’t answer. His hands were fisted in the now dirty sheets, the coffee cup abandoned on its side in a puddle of spilled coffee. Buffy put her fists on her hips and pouted. “What? You’re not gonna say anything? I thought you’d like it.” She wrapped the tiny little silver mesh matching sarong around her hips. It was see through, and more the size of a headband, really. She put on her flip flops and went to the armchair where she grabbed her beach bag, a little worried that Spike hadn’t said or done anything yet. Then, he burst out laughing hysterically. “You’re bloody joking, right?” “Excuse me?” Buffy snapped, unable to help but feeling a little insulted by his reaction. It didn‘t help any that she felt so vulnerable in her almost naked state. Spike laughing was definitely not the reaction she was hoping for. “Good one, luv.” “If you don’t like my bathing suit, no need to be rude about it.” She glared at him. He sobered up instantly, his eyes almost popping out of his skull when he realized she was being serious about this. Buffy put her sunglasses on her head and shouldered her beach bag. Her heart was beating wildly at the realization that maybe there was a chance he was going to let her walk out of the room dressed like that. But there was also the other part of her--the overly independent feminist part--that rebelled against the idea of having a man tell her what she could or couldn’t do. And that’s when she finally came to the terrifying realization that this plan, this incredibly, humongously, stupid plan, was going to end badly. In fact, the idea was so far beyond idiotic that she could probably win the award for dumbest plan of the year, if there was such a thing. Spike swiftly wrapped the white cotton sheet around his lean hips and stood up. His shock had quickly made way to anger, if the flickers of gold in his blue eyes were any indication. “Slayer…” He growled. If the event had been taped, it would have been possible to tell exactly the moment Buffy’s brain switched into “how dare you tell me what to do” mode. “You are completely off your rocker if you think for one bloody minute that I’m going to let you go outside half naked.” “Ooooh…” Buffy shook her head, smiling dangerously. “You did not just say that.” “Damn straight I did. For once, I don’t give a bloody fuck if you get pissed at me. Buffy you can’t go out in public like THAT.” “Watch me.” “Buffy!.. Fine, I’m coming with you then.” Trying not to trip over the sheet, he followed her into the hallway. Buffy didn’t stop or look at him. “Aren’t you forgetting something, dumb blonde? It’s morning and your friend the sun is up and shining.” “Too bad, I’m still coming.” A few steps ahead of Spike, Buffy pushed the door open and walked into the morning sun. OK. New plan. Take a few steps to be out of reach, turn around to see the frustrated expression on his face, go back inside, scold him for being a dickhead while dragging him back to the room to have her wicked way with him. Yep, much better plan. Unless of course… There was a hiss, and a pained grunt coming from somewhere behind her. Buffy felt a cool hand on her shoulder, and the few seconds it took her to react, the hand went from cool to burning hot. Reacting on instinct and at full Slayer speed, Buffy pushed him back through the door and away from the harmful rays of the sun. “Have you completely LOST YOUR MIND?!” The smell of burned flesh reached her nose and almost made her gag. Only his left hand and forearm were burned, but it was red and already blistering. Buffy grabbed him by his right arm and helped him stand up. Spike fumbled with his sheet, trying to hold it up with his good hand despite Buffy pulling on his arm. His other arm was cradled protectively against his chest. Without a word, Buffy walked into the room, followed by a contrite Spike. She made him sit on the bed and went to get the travel size first aid kit she had in her luggage. “Gimme your hand.” “No.” “Give me your hand so I can make it better.” Spike turned side way to try getting his injured arm away from her. “No.” “Come on, don’t be a baby.” she said gruffly. “You weren’t scared of a little pain earlier when you almost dusted yourself running after me under the sun.” He let her take his arm and smear cream over his tortured skin. “Told you I would, but you didn’t stop.” “So what was it? A contest to find out who is the dumbest between you and I? Is that it? I was being an idiot, so you had to go and be a bigger idiot?” Buffy angrily threw the tube of cream on the desk and walked up to where she’d dropped her beach bag by the door. She took it, turn to Spike and empty the content of the bag on the tile floor. A towel, kaki shorts, a t-shirt and a very decent, pink bathing suit. “I was joking, Spike. I was just screwing with you. Do you seriously think I’d go out in public looking like a two dollar whore who just walked out of the strip club? I was going to change as soon as I was out of sight.” She came back to stand in front of him, her blonde hair wild around her face, eyes blazing with self-righteous outrage. Spike had to use every once of restrain he had to keep his eyes on her face. He knew that letting his eyes roam over her almost naked form wouldn‘t lead to anything good. “But you just HAD to be all caveman about it, didn’t you?” She continued. Things were snowballing out of control. She could hear herself saying things, and just couldn’t remember how it got to this point, or how she could stop the words coming out of her mouth. Spike wasn’t saying anything anymore. For once, he seemed to have decided it would be safer to keep his mouth shut and let her vent out her frustration. Which she did. Even if she really had no idea where the frustration came from in the first place. “You hate the bikini that much, huh? Want me to take it off? Is that it? Well there!” Without really thinking about what she was doing, she tore the bikini top off of her and threw it at him. “Happy?” Everything happened in slow motion in Buffy’s mind. One second, she was arguing with Spike, the next… Well, the cool air from the air conditioning system was hardening her bare nipples, shocking her back into realizing what she’d just done. Her eyes widened comically and she gasped before wrapping her arms tightly over her chest. If Spike had been shocked when she’d walked out of the bathroom earlier, it was nothing compared to the look on his face now. “Bleedin’ hell…” Buffy blindly reached for the sheet on the bed and pulled it to her to cover her naked breasts with. Which resulted in an even louder gasp when she realized that Spike was now sitting on the bed completely naked. Buffy just couldn’t hold back the hysterical laughter bubbling inside of her. “Oh my God!” Before she knew what was happening, Spike had pulled her into his lap. She squealed in surprise. “If you wanted me naked, luv, all you had to do was ask. No more games, Buffy. Now tell me, what was this particular game about? ‘hard to play when you don‘t know the rules.” His lips were a mere inch away from hers, making it hard to concentrate. “Uh… Game? Oh yeah. Making you so jealous that you’d throw me on the bed and have your wicked way with me. Preferably sans the slutty bathing suit.” At that moment, she was sure he was about to kiss her. But then, with his arms still firmly around her, he twisted around to throw her on her back. Buffy giggled, all memories of their spat already forgotten. She was finally where she wanted to be. “You do realize we’re most likely the most dysfunctional people in history?” Spike said, his voice thick with desire. She nodded her head slightly, her eyes never leaving his. “We have issues. But that makes us more interesting.” “That it does.” He agreed. All she could focus on were his lips. So close, yet so far. He was hovering above her, eyes as clear and blue as the sky that was so lethal to him, and he was grinning down at her. “What?” She asked, breathless. “I like you better like this, laughing and happy.” “And if you want me to stay happy, I think you’d better kiss me now.” “Happy to oblige.” He reached up to brush a strand of hair away from her forehead, then lowered his lips to hers. She’d been dying to know what it felt like to be kissed by him, and she wasn’t disappointed. Sure, he’d kissed her before. But that was a lifetime ago, during a spell, and it felt like it happened to another girl. This… this was different. So much more real. She was intensely aware of everything that was happening at once. Every feeling, every touch. How firm and plump his lips were, how good he tasted, the way he smelled, the little moans he made at the back of his throat. For the first time in months, she didn’t miss heaven. Spike pulled away first and Buffy whimpered in protest. Pushing himself up on his arms, he looked at her in silence. “What’s wrong?” She asked, suddenly unsure of herself. “Nothing wrong, pet. Just taking it all in. I never thought in a million years that this would ever happen.” “What?” She smiled playfully up at him. “You and I naked on a bed?” Spike smirked. “Yeah, that.” “Well then…” Buffy pulled his head back to her. “I think we really shouldn’t waste any of those precious moments, don’t you think?” “You’re right.” He murmured against her luscious lips. One of his hands caressed the side of her body all the way down to the elastic band of her bikini bottom. He easily snapped it and rid her of her last piece of clothing. Her legs fell open and he settled between them, his eyes rolling back in ecstasy at the feel of his cock pressing against her wet cleft. She instinctively lifted her hips, seeking more contact. “Spike… I’m sorry it took me so long.” “’s OK, luv. You’re worth the wait.” She reached between them to guide his cock to her opening and wiggled her hips until the head of his penis was inside her. His eyes never leaving hers, Spike slowly pushed his meaty cock all the way in. Overwhelmed by the feeling of being sheathed inside her body, Spike hid his face in her neck and took a deep calming breath, inhaling her sweet scent. “Are you OK?” She asked in concern, her voice shaky. He nodded against her. “Just trying to calm down a bit. Wouldn’t want to embarrass myself. You feel so bloody amazing, pet.” Spike started moving within her wet heat. His large cock fit inside her perfectly. She was like a snug velvet glove around him, her inner muscles strangling his cock and making it hard for him to keep his control in check. Buffy could tell by the way the muscles of his arms were straining that he was close to losing it. She reached up to caress his face. “Let it go. You don’t need to hold back… I’m so close too. Just let go, I can take it.” “Oh Buffy… My Slayer…” He lowered his head and kissed her passionately. Her words made his control snap and he started pumping his hips furiously, ramming his hard cock inside her pussy with a strength that would have hurt a normal woman. But Buffy wasn’t a normal woman and she welcomed his passion. Their moans echoed loudly in the room, the bed banging against the wall rhythmically. With a shout of his name, Buffy came first, her fingers digging painfully in his shoulders and her entire body tensing. For a long moment, she wasn’t aware of anything that surrounded her, blinded by her pleasure and riding the waves of her orgasm. She came back to herself just in time to watch Spike as he came with a choked sob, emptying himself inside of her. Of all the expressions she’d seen on Spike face, this one was by far her new favorite: a mix of intense pleasure, happiness and bliss. She promised herself that from now on, she’d see that face as often as she possibly could. Spike fell on his side and pulled her into his arms, covering her face with soft kisses. “I feel like I’ve lived more than a century just so I could experience this. You’re amazing.” He whispered against her ear. She smiled at him and kissed him, devouring his lips hungrily before settling back into his arms. “You know,” Spike said thoughtfully, breaking the comfortable silence. “I really did like that trashy suit on you, luv. Brought out your best assets.” “If you like it that much, I can put it back on you know...” “Don’t you bloody dare. I like you even better without… In all your glorious nakedness.” She chuckled then lay her head back down against his chest, a contented smile on her face. “Good cause I’m never wearing that thing again. Unless I’m bored some day and decide to give you a strip tease…” Spike groaned at the mental picture she evoked. “You could easily drive a bloke out of his mind, Slayer.” “I don’t know if I could. But I try really, really hard.” Spike pulled her up until she was face to face with him. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and kissed her breathless. “Don’t know what I did to deserve having you here with me, Buffy, but I’m definitely not going to complain.” She smiled at him. “Oh you deserve me all right. I could even give you a list of all the things you did lately to deserve me. And…” I love you OK, maybe she wasn’t feeling quite that courageous yet. But hopefully, it would come soon. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter #10 - Phone calls and photo shoot

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CHAPTER 10: Phone calls and photo shoot If someone needed an example to describe the word bliss, this was it. An early morning moment when time seemed to have stilled just so two lovers could lie down and rest after finding each other for the first time. A slight breeze was blowing through the open window, caressing naked skin, and making the light curtains billow softly to a silent beat. The curtains kept the sun safely outside the room, but let enough light filter through to cast a golden glow on everything. Still lost in this place between awareness and dream, Buffy felt completely at peace for the first time in a lifetime. Eyes still closed, she let herself enjoy the moment, hoping against all hope that it would last. This thought brought on the familiar fear of having her heart broken, but she quickly pushed it aside, instead deciding to concentrate on the feel of Spike’s cool skin beneath her cheek. What mattered was that she was happy now. She could worry about later… later. The vampire was deeply asleep, his face relaxed and sated after an entire day and night of alternating between tender lovemaking and hard, fast, passionate, sex. They’d barely stopped to eat and take a shower. And of course, the purpose of the shower had nothing to do with getting clean. Buffy’s body felt happily sore, her muscles relaxed and her limbs heavy. Definitely the good kind of soreness. A sappy smile stretched her lips when the strong arms around her tightened slightly and Spike let out a contended sigh. An exotic island, a warm fragrant morning, a sexy naked vampire… That was enough to make a Slayer never want to go back home. Not that home would let her forget about it though. The phone rang shrilly, effectively shattering the peaceful silence. It was accompanied by a loud “Bloody hell!”. Spike swiftly wrapped himself around Buffy to prevent her from answering. He rolled them to the side and with one hand, pulled the blankets over their heads. Buffy giggled and tried pushing away from him so she could escape the circle of his arms and answer the phone. “Spike, I have to answer…” “No you don’t.” He mumbled sleepily, his face hidden in her hair. “Come on, let go of me.” He stubbornly tightened his grip on her. “Not bloody likely.” “All right, you asked for it.” Using her new intimate knowledge of his body, she slid a hand up his side until she reached his ribs, and ghosted a finger over the ticklish skin. Spike yelped and let go of her instantly. Buffy giggled at the expected reaction and picked up the phone. “Evil bint.” Spike mumbled, turning to lie on his back, an arm thrown casually over his eyes. “Hello?” Buffy said into the receiver, wondering who the hell was calling at 9 in the morning. “Aren’t you supposed to say ‘Aloha’ now?” “Xander!” Spike lifted his arm to give Buffy an incredulous look. “The Whelp?” He mouthed. “You ruined the moment to talk to the Whelp?! Bloody buggering hell…” Buffy covered the mouth piece with her hand. “Stop whining. Could be important.” “Yeah, Sunnydale might have run out of doughnuts.” Buffy rolled her eyes. “What’s up, Xand? I’m telling you now, if it’s an apocalypse, you’re on your own. There is no way I’m cutting my vacation short, buddy.” “Nope. Nothing end of the world-y. Just checking on my favorite Buffster. Making sure you’re having fun.” “Thanks for checking up on me, Xand…” Spike gave her an ‘I told you so’ look. “…everything is great. We’re having an amazing time.” “How’s Hawaii? Is it as pretty as they say it is? Did you do anything fun? Taken any excursions or anything?” Somehow ‘I had lots of sex with Spike’ didn’t sound like the kind of conversation she really wanted to have with Xander at the moment. But since she hadn’t done anything else so far, she said the only thing that she knew would get Xander’s mind off her activities since she arrived in Hawaii. “Spike won a Karaoke contest.” The vampire sat up abruptly. “Oi! You promised not to tell anyone!” “…huh…Oops?” Buffy had to get the phone away from her ear when a roar of laughter echoed through the receiver. Spike sat against the headboard, arms crossed over his chest sulkily. “Just fantastic. I’ll never hear the end of it.” She kissed his shoulder and whispered: “Sorry. I’ll make it up to you.” “You better.” Buffy put the phone back to her ear. For a moment, she was tempted to just hang up on her friend and focus her attention on the naked vampire. His skin was just begging to be licked. But instead, she gathered all the self-control she could find and looked away from Spike. “Xander!! Cut it out. It’s not funny.” She waited a few more seconds for her friend to stop laughing. “Are you done now?” “Y-yeah.” He hiccupped. “Anyway. He won dinner for two at a fancy restaurant in town and an excursion on the volcano. Should be fun.” “Cool. But don’t you have to do this excursion during the day? You’ll go without him, right?” “No.” She said, her voice a little colder. “I won’t go without him, Xander. He never had a problem getting around Sunnydale during daytime; I don’t see why it would be a problem now. I’ll park the Jeep near our room and Spike will take a blanket. We’ll leave late in the afternoon so we have time to make it to the top to watch the sunset, then we’ll come back. We were supposed to have a guide with us, but we already told them that all we want is the Jeep and a map with directions to the most interesting sights. Should be fun. And we made the reservations at the restaurant for tonight. It’s supposed to be the best on the island. I can’t wait.” “So, I take it you and Spike are getting along?” “Absolutely. Why wouldn’t we? We get along at home, don’t we?” Spike scooted down on the bed next to her. He threw an arm across her hips and rested his cheek on her stomach, making himself comfortable to wait for Buffy to finish her phone conversation. She looked down and smiled at his blonde head, suddenly losing interest in what Xander had to say. “Maybe recently, but it wasn’t always like that.” Xander whined. “I kinda miss the good ol’ times when you and I would team up to make fun of Spike.” He sighed dramatically. “Good times.” “Well I don’t miss it. I like things the way they are now.” “Relax, Buff, I was joking. It’s me, Xander… remember? That’s what I do. I joke. If you’re having fun with Mr. Clairol, good for you. I just want you to have a memorable vacation.” Buffy smiled. “Oh believe me, it will be.” “Make sure you take lots of pictures to share with your poor friends who are unfortunate enough to be stuck on the Hellmouth, OK?” Buffy looked at the camera sitting on the dresser and grinned. “Sure thing, Xand.” “All right. Gotta go. Anya is trying to tell me with sign language just how much of her precious money I’m spending on this long distance call. Say hello to the Karaoke King for me, and tell him his secret is safe with me… NOT.” He chuckled like a hyena. Buffy shook her head. “Bye Xander.” She hung up. Spike tried to pull her into his arms, but she evaded his embrace and jumped out of bed, pulling the sheet along with her. Truth be told, she felt comfortable enough walking around naked in Spike’s company, but it was just so much more pleasant to see him laying there in all his naked glory instead. “Hey!” The naked vampire protested loudly. “What’s that all about now? Where do you think you‘re going, Slayer?” “Don‘t be a baby, I‘m right here.” Buffy smirked, but Spike couldn’t see the mischievous glint in her eyes since she was facing away from him. She walked up to the dresser and picked up something, her back still on him. Spike sat up straighter, curious to see what she was doing. “What are you up to, pet?” She turned to face him, her hands behind her back to hide what she was holding, and made her way back to the bed. “Xander had a request and since I’m a good friend and don’t want to disappoint him, then I guess I’ll just have to grant his request.” Spike eyed her suspiciously. “And what would that request be exactly?” She pulled out the camera from behind her back. “He said to take as many pictures of our trip as possible so he could live the Aloha experience through them. I think I’m gonna show him what exactly the Aloha experience is.” And before Spike could do or say anything to protest, Buffy had jumped up on the bed. Standing above him, white cotton sheet wrapped securely around her chest, she put the camera to her eye and snapped a shot of naked Spike. “Bloody hell, woman! Gimme that!” The next shot was one of Spike growling menacingly and reaching for the camera. Buffy giggled madly and avoided him just in time. Ducking and diving, she ended up behind him and snapped another shot, of his naked ass this time. She laughed even harder at the look on his face. Spike attacked swiftly, using her distraction to his advantage. He pinned her to the mattress and managed to take possession of both the camera and the bed sheet she was using to cover herself. Buffy opened her mouth to protest, only to be interrupted in her attempt by the flash of the camera. “Two can play this game, Slayer.” Spike grinned, obviously proud of his own cleverness. They ended up wrestling together, the room filled with laughter and Buffy’s high pitch squeals as Spike tickled her mercilessly. They calmed down after a while, a mess of tangled limbs and wild hair. The bedding and pillows were on the floor, and they were happier than they‘d ever been. They kissed passionately. Buffy got a hold of the abandoned camera and took a picture at arms length. Spike laughed against her lips. “Minx.” She smiled and kissed his nose. Spike turned on his back and pulled her against his chest. He took the camera out of her hands and she didn’t fight him this time. Holding it away from them, he snapped a shot of himself holding his girl. Then another one making a funny face. Buffy pouted. “You made a face, you ruined the picture.” “Did I now? How about this one?.. A special, just for the Whelp.” His face morphed into his demon, golden eyes, fangs and bumpies, and he lowered his sharp teeth to Buffy’s throat, pretending to bite her. He growled exaggeratedly, making Buffy crack up, and took a picture. Still laughing, Buffy slapped his arm playfully. “You moron, where am I going to get those pictures developed now?” “They’ll think it’s Halloween pictures. A very kinky Halloween.” Spike was still in game face, grinning at her, and she shivered. But they were good shivers. The kind that start in your lower belly and spread through your entire body. Spike had never tried to shield her from this side of him, never hid his vampire face from her the way Angel used to, but if he was in game face, it was usually justified by the situation. Battle, anger, fear for her well being, but never before had he just sat there, looking at her through his demon eyes. He looked almost vulnerable. He could not bare himself more completely than this, naked and in game face, and Buffy knew it took courage to show the person you love exactly who you are despite the risk of being rejected. Risk of seeing fear in her eyes, or disgust. Risk of discovering that her affection was reserved only for one half of who he was. She gave him the acceptance he needed by reaching up to caress the side of his face. She leaned closer to him and pressed her lips to his, kissing him softly, pouring all her love into the act. Spike returned the kiss, careful not to cut her with his fangs. Buffy’s heart started beating faster, but not in fear. Even the Slayer in her knew she had nothing to fear from this vampire. Her heart beat faster because for a moment there, the kiss wasn’t enough and she found herself craving something that should have been unnatural and somewhat frightening. For a moment, the image of Spike’s fangs piercing the skin of her throat flashed through her mind, and she wasn’t horrified by it the way she should have been. She broke the kiss and smiled at him, trying her best to hide her discomfort. “Everything all right, luv?” Spike asked, his face returning to his human disguise. “Everything is perfect.” She smiled while pushing the unsettling thoughts to the back of her head to be examined at a later time. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Stretched out comfortably on the couch, Carlita popped a chocolate covered macadamia nut in her mouth while waiting for someone to answer on the other end of the line. After the sixth ring, she sighed exasperatedly and was about to hang up, when there was a mumbled “Hello” on the other end of the line. “Well hello there, Mr. Travers. I was starting to think you would not answer.” “Carlita, my dear. Always a pleasure hearing your voice, even at 2 in the bloody morning.” She glanced briefly at the clock on the wall and saw that it was four in the afternoon already, therefore, ten hours later in England. She shrugged, not caring too much. “There, there, Quentin. Being sarcastic so isn’t attractive in a man. I do apologize for calling this late, but you’re the one who told me this problem with Buffy Summers was your number one priority. I simply assumed that if it was so important, you wouldn’t mind me disturbing your sleep. Was I wrong in assuming so?” A few thousand miles from Hawaii, the head of the Watchers Council took a deep calming breath. He turned the light on and sat up in his bed. “Of course not. Are there any new developments? Ben called earlier this afternoon, but his call was cryptic at best. To be frank, I do not believe he understood the point of this vacation.” “That’s exactly why I called, dear Quentin. I wanted to confirm with you that I understood what you wanted. My understanding of the situation is that Miss Summers is to be… prematurely ‘retired’, no matter what. Am I correct?” “Isn’t it what we discussed before you left?” “Yes, of course. But Ben is starting to become a problem, so I wanted to make sure I have the green light from you in case he tries opposing me. After he called you earlier, he told me you needed more proof of Buffy’s relationship with the vampire. Was I wrong to conclude that this was a lie?” “I never said such a thing. Miss Summers’ relationship with William the Bloody is of no interest to me. It is only one in a long list of grievance I have against her. She’s proven again and again that she is unfit to be the Slayer. Her relationships with demons are just final proof of this, nothing more.” “In this case, I’ll go into town right now and get what I need to take care of the problem. Surely you don’t mind if I use a more unconventional approach, do you? Somehow, in a one on one fight, I think the odds would be against me.” “Whatever needs to be done. Carlita, I chose you for this unpleasant task because you are a dear friend and I know I can trust you…” “…and I have no moral issues doing what you asked me to do.” She finished for him. “Correct.” The smile could be heard in his voice. “So you do whatever you have to do in order to put an end to Buffy Summers reign as the Slayer. She‘s caused enough trouble. Once she’s out of the way, the only thing left to do will be to deal with Faith so another Slayer can be called. Hopefully not as troublesome at her two predecessors.” “By tomorrow night, you’ll be rid of both Buffy Anne Summers and William the Bloody. It will look like an unfortunate accident.” “I’d lie if I’d say I’m not liking the sound of that.” Quentin Travers said smugly. “And if Ben gets in your way, act without him.” “That’s what I needed to hear.” “I… assume I can count on your discretion, Carlita? The council can never know of this affair.” “Well of course.” She huffed, slightly insulted. “Haven’t you purposefully avoided using the Council’s goons to make sure of this? You know you can trust me. No one will ever be the wiser, I guarantee you. Now darrrling, I’m going to let you go back to sleep, and I will go take care of business.” “Thank you. Ring me when it’s done.” “I will. Good night, Quentin.” Carlita hung up the phone and put some more nuts in her mouth and chewed mindlessly, lost in thought. God, Travers was such a dirty little rat. She smiled and shook her head, popping more of the sugary nuts in her mouth. Oh well. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N: I'd like to thank those of you who have been reviewing this story. I enjoy reading your comments a lot. And if you read and don't review, please don't be shy. Take a minute and let me know how you feel about the story. I don't bite... much lol Seriously, it's the only way for me to find out if I'm doing a good job or not. :)

Chapter #11 - Hawaiian magic

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N: My beta commented that the name of the restaurant is a bit confusing, and she's right. But this is an actual restaurant in Maui. I did my research and apparently--I don't know I've never been there--this is one of the best. The food and wine they order are on the real menu of this restaurant. Enjoy the chapter. CHAPTER 11: Hawaiian magic The limousine stopped in front of i’o restaurant, the driver walked around the car to open the door for them. The day had been amazing and Buffy was expecting the night to be even better. She could not, even if she tried, remember why she'd thought for so long loving Spike would be a mistake. Granted, they'd only been together for a little more than twenty-four hours. But so far, it had been the happiest, most intense and carefree twenty-four hours of her life. Buffy couldn't remember a time when she'd felt this way. It was like the elusive happiness she'd been chasing for years had been right under her nose the entire time. All she had to do was open her eyes and embrace it. Nothing had ever felt as right as taking the hand Spike was extending to help her get out of the limousine. The coolness of his palm against hers, the spark in his blue eyes, the silly grin on his face. Yes, this was right, and she was glad she'd come to her senses and ended years of fruitless search for "normal". "The bloke who made the reservation for us at the hotel said i’o was one of the best restaurants in town. He better be right about this, pet. I want this night to be perfect." Buffy squeezed his hand, a permanent smile plastered on her face. "Don't worry, it will be. The only thing that could ruin this would be a clan of Grulaf demons attacking the place." She frowned, her smile faltering. "I think I might have jinxed us by saying that." Spike chuckled, obviously not worried. "Nah. The climate is too hot and humid for Grulafs, we should be fine." He let go of her hand and put his arm around her bare shoulders. "I wonder what kind of demons they have here? We should have looked into it before leaving, just to be prepared in case some local nasty decides to try to take a bite out of us." Buffy laughed and smacked his chest playfully. "Don't kid around with stuff like that. I sooo don't want to have to slay anything while we're here. Beach, cocktails, sun--well, for me at least--and naked fun. Nothing violent, no guts and blood, and definitely nothing slimy or gory." "Bleedin' hell... I guess that means I'll have to call off the massacre I had planned for you as a surprise then." "Ha ha, cute." She rolled her eyes but there was no mistaking the good humor in her smile. They walked in and stopped in front of the hostess. Buffy noticed the girl checking Spike out discretely, but couldn't blame her. He looked absolutely gorgeous. To her request, he'd agree to leave his hair curling wildly, which gave him a disarmingly boyish charm. He was wearing black pants that nicely displayed his firm ass, and a loose white linen shirt. The sleeves were rolled up on his muscular arms and the first few buttons were left casually undone. His usual heavy jewelry, a chain around his neck and silver rings on his fingers added an edge to the look. Definitely drool worthy. Buffy had opted for a simple, yet sexy black strapless dress, and let her hair tumble over her shoulders in golden waves. She couldn't help the girlish pride sweeping through her and making her cheeks flush slightly knowing they looked like such a hot couple. As soon as they walked into the restaurant, they attracted admiring as well as envious glances from the other patrons. "Reservation for Summers." Spike told the hostess. His arm tightened slightly around Buffy's shoulder and he gave a dangerous look to a man who'd been staring a Buffy longer than was considered acceptable. The hostess told them to follow her and she led them to a table in a quiet corner of the restaurant. Buffy was grateful for the privacy. The server came over to give them the menus and offer them a drink. Buffy ordered a Sea Breeze and Spike a Scotch on the rocks. There was a moment of comfortable silence between them as they look at the menu. "What are you having?" Buffy finally asked. "Maui steak. Bloody rare." He added, winking at her. She chuckled. "Of course. Everything has to be bloody with you, Mr. The Bloody." "Why ruin perfectly good meat by over cooking it? It kills the taste. What are you having?" "We're not paying for this, so I think I'll indulge and have the Lobster Tahitian. Sounds yummy." The server came back with their drinks and took their order. Spike ordered wine after barely looking at the wine list. The server looked impressed. “Excellent choice, sir.” The man said, nodding discretely before walking away. “What did you order?” Buffy asked, her curiosity getting the best of her. She just couldn’t picture Spike as being the kind of man to know fine wine. “Something you’ll like, I promise.” He answered vaguely before taking a sip of his Scotch. Buffy raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “It took you barely ten seconds to chose, Spike. So either you pointed at the most expensive thing on the list, or we’ll have a surprise.” “First of all,” he replied, looking slightly offended “the most expensive bottle was a Chateau Petrus and cost $980, so no, I bloody well did not order it. Second, what makes you think I don’t know anything about wine? When you‘ve been around for more than a century, pet, you tend to pick up things as the years go by.” “Uh… Sure. I guess. I didn’t mean… Oh come on! Can you blame me for being shocked? You’re not exactly the type to frequent fancy restaurants and wine tastings.” “I did the sophisticated bit for a while. I have layers I’ll have you know.” He was almost pouting now. The waiter came back and presented Spike with the bottle of wine. “1990 Mouton Rothschild, sir.” Spike looked at the label and nodded, waiting for the server to open the bottle. He sniffed the cork while the other man poured some of the dark ruby red wine in a glass, then tasted it. Spike nodded his approval and the server put the bottle in an empty bucket next to the table. “Expensive,” Spike commented after the other man had left, “and the hotel isn’t paying for this--there was a bottle of house wine included but this is so much better, you’ll see. And since we’re saving on the meal, I think we can afford it. It’s our first official date and we haven’t spent any money during this trip yet. So why the bloody hell not.” “Wow.” Buffy commented, clearly impressed. “You do enjoy that stuff. I would have never guessed.” “You don’t know me all that well, luv. Never cared to find out.” At the wounded look she gave him, Spike quickly amended his statement. “What I mean by that is that we were enemies for most of the time we’ve known each other. Can’t blame you for not caring too much about my past. A fight to the death isn’t exactly the best time to play twenty bloody questions.” Spike started worrying that he might have spoiled the evening already. **That would be a bloody record** He thought sourly when she didn’t say anything. Buffy was looking down, playing distractedly with her napkin. Finally, she managed to smile a little. “I know, but we haven’t been enemies for a long time, Spike.” “Yeah? And did you forget that you’ve been dead most of this time? Before you died, we weren’t enemies, but we weren’t friends either. And after you came back, things might have changed, but you had a lot on your mind.” “Still, I could have stopped being selfish for a minute. After all, you know everything there is to know about me,” she said, smiling sadly at the vampire sitting across from her. “And believe it or not, you know everything there is to know about me as well. You know who I am, that’s what matters, pet. The past is just that; the past.” “Well, it matters to me.” Spike sighed when he realized she wouldn‘t let this go. “Buggering hell, woman. Just ask questions and I’ll answer.” She gave him a winning smile. “OK. What’s your last name?” “Don’t rightly remember.” She narrowed her eyes at him, clearly not believing him, but moved on to the next question anyway. “Fine. When’s your birthday?” “Sorry, don’t remember.” “Did they do research on the abusive use of bleach? Maybe it affects memory. They really should look into it.” She took a sip of her Sea Breeze and pouted petulantly. “I bet stupid Drusilla knows what your last name is..” “Actually, no she doesn’t. She never thought of anything besides herself long enough to care.” “Out of respect for you--since she’s your sire and your ex--I’ll refrain from commenting on this.” Buffy said, her loathing for Drusilla obvious on her face. The server brought their appetizers and wished them bon appetite. “Trenton.” Buffy looked up from her plate, not sure what he was saying. “What?” “Trenton. My last name. William Henry Trenton.” He said gruffly, not looking at her. “Right poncy name.” “Sorry to disagree, but it’s a perfectly fine name. Nothing wrong with it.” “No one has celebrated or even mentioned my birthday in more than a hundred years. After a while, you stop thinking about it because it doesn’t mean anything anymore. So I did forget the exact date. But it was sometime in August.” She nodded thoughtfully, not sure what to say. “Why didn’t you want to tell me this?” “I’d rather not remind you that I was human once upon a time.” “You think being human is a bad thing?” “No, pet. Being a vampire is a bad thing in your eyes and talking about my human days would only remind you of what I am and that I wasn’t always like this. It’s hard to explain.” “Why don’t you try? Because right now, you’re not making much sense.” “Not exactly the kind of light hearted conversation I was hoping for, but I’ll try.” He paused, looking for the right words to explain himself. “I might be wrong; you’re not exactly a transparent woman, no matter how I say that I know you. I just think that me being what I am is something you had to overcome in order to give me a chance, and it makes me nervous to remind you…” “And there I was thinking that I made it clear this morning that I know damn well what you are and it doesn’t bother me.” “Was that what that was?” His eyes widened in realization, remembering the kiss she‘d given him that morning when he was wearing the face of his demon. “Men,” Buffy rolled her eyes. “We always have to spell everything out for them. Yes Spike, that’s what that was. I didn’t think it could get any more clear. You don’t have to tip toe around me when it comes to what you are and who you are. I’m fine with it. I won’t lie, I am confused about a lot of things, including my feelings for you, but I’m working on it.” “What kind of things are you confused about, Slayer?” He couldn’t help but ask, his insecurity bubbling to the surface. “Being with you raises questions that never occurred to me while dating Angel because he was always pretending to be human. He was doing everything to shield me from his true nature and because of that, things were different.” “Bloody poofter…” Buffy chuckled. “You can’t help yourself, can you?” “Sorry pet, don’t mind me.” “I feel things for you that I need to understand. Understand my reactions to you. But it’s not a bad thing. It’s not the bad kind of confusion. Sometimes, things need to be a little complicated to be interesting.” “Maybe, but I’d still worry a little less if things were simple for you. I don’t want you to decide that things are too complicated and it’s not worth the trouble just to be with me.” “Spike, things have been confusing between us since the day we met. Nothing ever makes sense when it comes to you and me, nothing ever goes according to plans, and yet, it always makes complete sense. My life would be incredibly plain and boring without you in it. And yes, it is totally worth the trouble to be with you. It’s only been a day and I’m happy.” He grinned. “Good. That was my evil master plan: to make you happy.” “Congratulation, honey. It’s your first plan that didn’t blow up in your face. I’m proud of you,” Buffy mocked, eyes sparkling with mischief. He glared at her and she giggled happily, obviously proud of herself. “Let’s get back to the ‘get to know Spike better’ game, shall we?” Buffy asked, a humorous gleam in her hazel eyes. “How old were you when you lost your virginity?” Spike groaned, and Buffy burst out laughing at the expression on his face. He’d do anything to keep hearing this laugh though, even answer bloody embarrassing questions. Spike was whipped and he knew it. But he didn’t give a toss as long as his Buffy was smiling. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tourists were milling around her, strolling leisurely hand in hand, lovers were kissing, and children were enjoying one last ice cream with their parents before returning to their hotel for the night. The evening was particularly hot and humid, which was not helping Carlita's already impatient mood. She walked quickly, sidestepping one distracted tourist after another. With every step, she regretted not taking a cab just a little more. She hadn't wanted to attract attention to herself by having a local driving her to the shop. A local cab driver would have known what this address was, despite the fact it was disguised as a souvenir shop. So she'd taken the shuttle bus into town and walked the rest of the way. She was sweating, her feet were hurting, and she missed Rome terribly. But tomorrow night, everything would be over and she could finally go home and forget about this place. Why in the world people would spend thousands of American dollars to vacation here was beyond her. She preferred the cool indifference of Europeans to the wide eyed wonder of sun travelers. A little boy plowed into her. Carlita grabbed his arm and stopped him from running away. "Do you know what happens to rude little boys like you?" she asked him, her voice terrifyingly cold. The boy stared, shaking his head in answer. "The boogie man eats them in their sleep." She let go of the boy and he ran into his father's arms, a few feet away. The man opened his mouth to defend his son, but he shrank back at the leveling glare Carlita sent his way. The Italian woman walked away quickly. She turned left to walk down a much smaller and quieter street. There, on her right, was a little shop. Nothing special about it. It looked just like the hundreds of other shops that sold junk to tourists eager to spend their money. Post cards, key chains, gift bags full of macadamia nuts or Hawaiian coffee; not the kind of place a woman like Carlita would shop at. But she went in anyway and walked up determinedly to the woman behind the counter. The young woman barely looked up and greeted her in a bored tone. “Aloha. May I help you?” “I would like to see Samara.” The woman’s attitude changed in a matter of seconds. She stood up, her demeanor suddenly stiffer. She was obviously nervous. “Follow me.” Carlita followed the much smaller woman to the back of the store. A door was opened for her and she walked in without a moment of hesitation. There, she found exactly what she’d been looking for. The only underground magic shop on the island. Only serious magic users knew of this place and the knowledge was well guarded from amateurs. The name of the owner was enough to get you in, but very few people knew it. The young woman disappeared, leaving Carlita to do business with Samara herself. The owner of the magic shop was standing a few feet away; she was lost in a book, her back turned to her, but Carlita knew better than to assume the renowned witch wasn’t aware of her presence. Samara had black hair that fell to her waist; she was wearing a red cotton dress and was barefoot. Carlita’s preconceived idea was shot to hell. Having quite a fair amount of powers herself, she wasn’t one to assume a witch had to be old and ugly, but with a reputation as impressive and international as the one Samara had earned, she thought this one must be very old. Wrong. “How do you know of me?” The clear voice that asked the question was the voice of a very young woman. She didn’t bother turning around to address the visitor. “We gravitate to the same circles. Your store was recommended to me by a friend in Rome. Paolo…” “Guzzo. Yes, I remember Paolo. Interesting character. Such darkness.” Samara said dreamily. She turned to face the visitor. Carlita couldn’t help looking down. She chastised herself for doing so. Nobody made her look down. But the black eyes of the girl were disturbing. She was only a girl. Samara couldn’t be much older than eighteen. Or maybe she only looked very young. Looks can be deceiving. The Italian woman took a step forward. “My name is Carlita. It’s an honor to meet you.” Samara nodded thoughtfully. There was a dreamy quality about her. Almost as if she wasn’t really in the room with Carlita. It was unsettling to say the least. Carlita hesitated only for a moment, then spoke again. “I came because I…” “Because you want to do very bad things.” The soft spoken girl interrupted. “I know. I see it in your eyes.” Carlita got flustered despite herself. “Well… It’s… justified.” The girl smiled. “The human mind is a beautiful thing. It can find ways to justify just about anything to get out of feeling guilty. I’m sure Hitler would agree. Don‘t you think?” Carlita stared open mouthed. For once in her life she was speechless. The girl laughed, and light crystalline noise in the empty room. Without another word, Samara started walking through the store, gathering supplies as she went. She put everything in a box and returned to the still stunned Carlita. “Here.” She said without preamble. “Everything you need to raise the starving monster you’ve been thinking about.” Carlita nodded gratefully, taking the box from the girl after giving her money for the supplies. “Thank you for your help. I can see why people recommended you.” Samara looked at her retreating back. “He’ll eat them, but will still be hungry. He’s always hungry. It’s his curse. Poor monster.” Carlita shuddered and shut the door after saying goodbye. That was one strange girl. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter #12 - Dessert

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N: Here's your V-Day present... I guess that means you're all my Valentines lol Hot smut just for you. Enjoy and happy Valentine's day to all of you. CHAPTER 12: Dessert Buffy's bare foot was resting on Spike's thigh under the table, the whole display hidden by the floor length table cloth. She was massaging his tight muscle with her toes, a sly smile on her lips while she was casually sipping coffee from an expensive looking china cup. Spike couldn't hide the look of amusement and lust in his eyes at her action. Her small foot traveled further until it came to rest on the growing bulge in his pants. Her smile turned into one of satisfaction at getting the reaction she wanted. She was obviously pleased with herself. "Having fun, pet?" She batted her eyelashes innocently. "What do you mean? In general tonight, or right now?" He didn't answer, merely raised an eyebrow at her. She shrugged her bare shoulders, the smile never leaving her face. "It would be a yes to both questions anyway, so I guess it doesn't really matter, does it?" She curled her toes, gently kneading his cotton covered erection, and got rewarded by a quiet groan. "What do you say I pay the check and we bugger off, kitten? This evening is just getting even more interesting." Spike asked in a strained voice. "Mm Hmm." She smiled and Spike couldn't help wondering what she was up to. He waved the server over. Buffy stood up, taking her evening purse as she did. Spike gave her a questioning look. She turned to leave, then stopped and looked at him over her shoulder. "I'll be in the bathroom... if you need me." She grinned and walked away, making her hips swing seductively, knowing he was staring at her retreating back. Spike gaped in amused shock, almost not believing that she might have implied what he thought she implied. But he wasn't a man to look a gift horse in the mouth. He quickly pulled his wallet out of his pocket. When the server came back with the check, Spike had the money all ready for him. "The only charge is for the wine, sir. Of course you'll understand that the hotel..." "Yeah, I know. Here..." He gave him enough money to cover the bill, and an extra fifty for the tip, then stood up, almost knocking his chair over in his haste. "Thank you, sir, and have a good evening." The server said before walking away to attend to another customer. "Oh, I think I will." Spike mumbled under his breath while making his way to the ladies' room. He hesitantly pushed the door open and peeked inside. Buffy was sitting on the counter by the sink, her bare legs crossed in an enticing way. She crossed her arms over her chest, pretending to be annoyed. "Took you long enough." She said, matter of factly. Spike walked inside and shut the door behind him. He leaned against it, looking her up and down with a predatory look in his eyes. "Sorry, pet. The bloody waiter took forever to come back with the check." He hooked his thumbs in the waist of his trousers, his fingers framing the object of Buffy's lust. "Feeling naughty, kitten?" She pouted, one hand coming up to twirl a strand of her blonde hair. "I haven't had dessert yet." She complained in a girlish voice. "Is that so? Well that just won't do." She crooked a finger and motioned for him to come towards her. Spike was happy to oblige. With a swagger to his steps, he crossed the posh, richly decorated bathroom. He came to stand in front of her and she automatically wrapped her legs around him. "Never pegged you as the public sex kinda girl, Slayer. I must say I'm pleasantly surprised." He whispered against her ear before gently biting her ear lobe and sucking it into his mouth. Buffy closed her eyes, enjoying the attention. "You bring that out in me. But... maybe this is a bit too public?" She tilted her head towards the stalls and Spike chuckled. “More privacy. Got it." He wrapped his arms around her and carried her to the bigger stall at the back of the bathroom where they would have a bit more privacy in case somebody walked in. Pushing her against the wall, her legs still wrapped tightly around his hips, Spike attacked her mouth with his. It didn't take long for the kiss to heat up and things to get out of control. With one hand holding Buffy’s back firmly, he let the other one trail from her waist to her thigh, then back up underneath her dress. He broke the kiss to give her a surprised look when no underwear obstructed his exploration. "And the surprises just keep on coming. Going without knickers, pet?" "Just thought I'd speed things up... Took it off while I was waiting for you." She said in a breathless voice before forcefully pulling his head back to her to resume the kiss. Spike chuckled against her lips, then gasped when he felt her reach between them to grab his cock through his pants. She squeezed him rhythmically, feeling him grow harder beneath her palm. She hurriedly fumbled with his zipper. When she didn't manage to get the button open fast enough, Spike helped. He pushed her hand away and opened it himself, afraid she'd let her impatience get the best of her and rip his pants open. Wouldn't do to have to walk out of the restaurant with his pants hanging open when he didn't have his duster to cover himself with. Buffy reached into his trousers and pulled his throbbing erection out, giving it a few loving strokes. Spike braced himself against the wall, meanwhile still holding her to him. She guided him to her already wet opening and he pushed in with a groan of pleasure. "God, Buffy. I've been thinking about this all night." "Me too." She admitted unashamedly. She moaned and threw her head back with abandon, banging it against the unforgiving wall. "Ouch." She chuckled lightheartedly, too relieved at feeling him inside her again to care about a bit of pain. “You OK?” Spike asked with concern, slowing his movement. “Don’t stop... I’m fine.” He bent his head to suck on the tender skin of her neck, pumping his cock inside her in long, deep strokes. Buffy was panting, the pleasure steadily building inside of her. Her nerve endings were on fire and she knew she wouldn’t last much longer. Suddenly, there was a noise in the bathroom and they both froze. They heard the bathroom door closing, then the sound of another stall door opening and closing could be heard. A thrill went through Buffy at the idea of getting caught. She bit her lip to stop a nervous giggle from coming out. But the pleasure of Spike’s thick cock filling her quickly made her forget her fear and she teasingly flexed her muscles around him, earning a gasp and a warning look. She snorted lightly and hid her face against him, biting his shoulder to keep the giggles at bay. Spike inhaled sharply, clearly enjoying the light biting. He retaliated by thrusting inside her. She whimpered and shut her eyes tightly, praying that whoever was in the bathroom with them would just hurry up and leave. They heard the water running, then the bathroom door shut with a click. Instantly, Spike resumed his thrusting in a nearly desperate rhythm. That little pause in their love making had not been welcomed by either of them and they were glad to be alone again. Having to stay still for so long had been near torture. “Spike...” Buffy whispered, her head still buried in the crook of his neck, “I need...” “I know, luv. Come for me... I’m so close.” Buffy sighed and moaned, doing her best to be quiet but not doing a great job at it. The door opened again, and this time, someone cleared their throat. Buffy’s eyes widened and she blushed furiously. Spike narrowed his eyes and failed at holding back the growl. There was a nervous voice that Spike identified as belonging to their waiter. “Uh... You know... Well, this isn’t... a motel. You, huh, someone complained. Please leave...” Buffy let go of Spike and hid her burning face in her hands. “Ohgodohgodohgod...” She mumbled under her breath, not believing this was happening. She saw Spike reaching for the lock on the stall door and snatched his hand away. “What the hell are you doing?” She hissed as quietly as she could. Spike broke her hold on his wrist and put her down. He pushed her in the corner of the stall and cracked the door open. “What the bloody hell do you want?” He snapped at the red faced server. “Didn’t I give you enough tip to keep your bleedin’ trap shut?” “Oh.. uh... sir... It’s just that...” Spike pulled out his wallet and got a fifty dollar bill out. He handed it to the waiter. “Here. Give us a minute. And watch the bloody door!” “Yes sir.” The young man hurried out of the bathroom and Spike turned back to Buffy. “Now, where were we?” “W-what?!” Buffy spluttered, turning even redder. “Did you just give this guy money so we could... finish what we were doing?” Spike frowned, pretending not to understand what the problem was. “Well... yeah.” He smirked at her. “C’mere kitten.” She shook her head vehemently. “No way! This is too embarrassing.” He growled playfully. “C’mere before my soddin’ balls turn blue and fall off. You wouldn’t want that to happen now, would you?” She pouted, glancing from the stall door to Spike. He could see she was tempted. He got closer to her and tenderly kissed the side of her face. “Come on... I know you want to. You’re all shivering and unsatisfied. I can make it all better.” His words made Buffy more conscious of her unfulfilled state and she trembled slightly. Teasingly, Spike closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. “It turns you on, doesn’t it?” “What? No! Of course not...” He smirked sexily. “Don’t deny it, I can smell it. You’re all hot and bothered at the idea that there someone in the hallway who knows what we’re doing in here.” The hands that had been resting lightly on her waist slid down to her ass and he lifted her up. As soon as she was in his arms again, she forgot all about the waiter standing vigil outside the bathroom. Spike rubbed the head of his cock against her wetness and she was lost in him again. Right away, Spike started pounding into her. She met him thrust for thrust, both desperate for release. When he felt her body shudder against him, he reached between them and rubbed slow circles on her clit with the tip of his fingers. “Let it go, kitten. Come for me.” Seeing her opening her mouth, he pressed his lips to hers, swallowing her loud moan and desperate pleas. Her inner muscles clenched around him, clamping down on his cock with a strength that only a Slayer could possess. As she rode the waves of her intense orgasm, he started pumping faster inside of her in a pace that only she could take without pain. He came, holding her tightly to him. They calmed down, both a little stunned by the intensity of their orgasms, then Spike put Buffy down. She was staring at him, mouth slightly opened as if trying to understand what had just happened. Then they burst out laughing. “Oh my God!” Buffy said while brushing tears of hilarity from her eyes. “I can’t believe you gave money to that poor guy so he would give us time to come!” “Hey, a vamp’s gotta do what he’s gotta do, pet. No way I was leaving you unsatisfied; it would have ruined my reputation. And,” he added with an amused grin “can you see me walking out of here with a raging hard on?” That got more giggles from Buffy. He helped her smooth down her hair and her dress, then opened the stall door. Buffy froze. Spike turned and gave her a puzzled look when he saw she wasn’t moving. “What now?” “...I’m not walking out of here.” “Why the bleedin’ hell not?” “The server...” Spike scuffed. “Who gives a toss about that wanker?” “And he probably told all his little server friends...” She continued, biting her lip nervously. Spike grabbed her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. “So what? They’ll just be jealous. They’ll all wish they’d be me.” She couldn’t help smiling at that. “And you like that idea, don’t you?” “Love it.” He pulled her towards the bathroom door. “Come on. The trick is to look more confident than you feel. Head held up high, smirk a little if you can... like the cat who ate the mouse. They’ll never know you’re faking it.” She nodded hesitantly and did as he said. Spike opened the door and walked out. She followed him with confident steps. The waiter was still standing there, still red in the face. Spike nodded in his direction. “Have a great evening.” He told the blushing waiter before walking away, Buffy by his side. “As good as mine, I hope.” He added, a satisfied smirk on his face. That got Buffy to chuckle and forget about her embarrassment long enough for them to make it out of the restaurant under the stares of the staff members. As soon as they were on the side walk, they burst into side splitting laughter. When the laughter died down, Spike put his arm around Buffy’s shoulders and led her down the street. They stopped for ice cream, enjoying the warm and quiet night, truly comfortable in each other’s company. Spike never told Buffy that he saw the strange Italian woman standing on the other side of the street holding a box and staring intently at them. No need ruining such a perfect night. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter #13 - Hot tub, bubbles and fantasies

CHAPTER 13: Hot tub, bubbles and fantasies Carlita was sitting on the floor in the middle of the living room part of the suite. Her legs were folded to the side, her skirt covering her up in a dignified way. Everything she did had to be proper, it didn't take Ben too much time to realize that. But he also knew that beneath all the ladylike mannerisms, she was nothing but trash. He'd been raised in high society, his family was wealthy. From generation to generation, the family fortune had been passed on. His cousin and he had attended the best, most exclusive private school in England, and since being part of the Council was a family thing, would move on to an even more select school where they'd learn to be watchers. So yes, he had experience smelling rude, ignorant people from a mile away, no matter how much money and manners they were hiding under. Carlita was just that: an ignorant twit decked in expensive, designer clothes who used affected words. God did he ever hate the woman. He had to constantly remind himself that it was only for a few more days, and then he'd be rid of her. He promised himself he'd do everything he could to never see that woman again. Might be hard considering she was a family friend and his uncle was so fond of her, but he'd try. “I see you’ve been busy.” He finally commented casually, trying to hide the disdain in his voice. Carlita looked up from the articles she’d been sorting through. There was a small empty box abandoned to the side and items laid out in front of her. She had a pair of reading glasses resting on the tip of her nose, the heavy black frame making her features look even harder. Without a word, she started collecting everything and placing it back in the box. She then stood up and took time to smooth her skirt down before facing him, her usual fake smile firmly in place. “Nothing you should concern yourself with.” P> He frowned, his thick dark brows drawing together. “I see.” Ben walked up to the wet bar and poured himself a drink. His back still to Carlita, he spoke up again. “Does this have anything to do with the Slayer and her vampire?” “Whatever would make you think that?” Her overly cheery voice was grating on his last nerve. “Oh I don’t know, maybe the fact that it’s all you’ve been concerned with since we got here, and suddenly, you stopped talking about it altogether. This would be quite enough to have me worried. Whatever you’ve been up to, I’d appreciate it if you’d fill me in. We’re in this together in case you conveniently forgot.” He turned to face her, an angry scowl on his face. But it apparently didn’t faze her in the least. “Not anymore, Benjamin, dear.” “Says who, if I might ask?” “Quentin.” Ben almost choked on his drink. He coughed to get the liquid out of his now burning lungs and took a deep breath. "Rubbish. My uncle sent me here with you; I don't see why he would change his mind so radically as to..." "My poor boy. You don't get it, do you?" The tone of her voice was insulting in its sweetness. She was obviously mocking him by talking to him like he was a small child. She approached him with a cold smile on her thin lips and reached up to touch his cheek, trying her very best to make him feel pathetic. It worked. Benjamin flinched away from her touch and she chuckled. "What the bloody hell do you mean; I'm not part of this anymore?" She shrugged indifferently and turned away from him. She picked up a crystal glass and admired it for a moment before pouring herself a glass of red wine. Still not facing him, Carlita sighed. “Quentin and I had a little talk last night. He finds you too... reluctant to do what needs to be done. And he was not pleased that you lied to me, mio caro.” “I did not lie.” She sharply turned around and pinned him with a malevolent look. “Do not, I repeat, do NOT mistake me for one of your little--how do you Brits call these females--trollops? I’m not one of your pathetic little trollops back in London. I could make your life so miserable that you’d beg me to kill you. Never lie to me again. You can’t fool me darling. I can sense deceit and lies from a mile away.” Her eyes still terrifyingly cold, she managed a smile. “On this not so friendly note, let’s get back on topic, shall we? I’m following orders, Ben, and you lied to try to stall my progress. Quentin was furious and gave me permission to act without you if I deemed it necessary. And I do.” “You bloody cow! You’re going to kill an innocent girl.” “Santa Madonna, do you even listen to the things that come out of your mouth? Innocent girl? How ridiculous! If she’s innocent, then I am a saint.” Benjamin was getting frantic. He paced the length of the room, desperately trying to come up with an argument that would soften Carlita’s stance on the Buffy Summers case. “This young woman goes out every night, risking her life for the sake of the world. Don’t you think she deserves a chance? Contrarily to Faith, she does what she’s supposed to do, saving innocent people despite the risks to herself. I’m sorry if I’m not more eager to end her life, Carlita. I’m not like you. I’m not...” She cocked an eyebrow in question. “You’re not... what?” “Dead inside. Incapable of any human feelings.” “Oh you delightful little hypocrite.” She winked at him before sitting down in a plush armchair and taking a sip of her wine. Ben spluttered indignantly. “Beg your pardon?” “If I recall, you were positively horrified at the notion that she was sleeping with a demon. You were happy beyond words when your uncle announced that she would be away from her family and friends for a week, making it all the easier to disguise the kill as an accident. You were the first one at the jet.” He looked away from her in shame, staring out the window. “I was eager to please my uncle. He scarcely sends me on missions, especially not one as important as this. I was glad he trusted me. And I did believe the slayer defiling herself with a demon was sickening.” The Italian woman chuckled. “And your views on the subject changed when you came face to face with Buffy Summers’ obvious charms. How very convenient.” “I know what you’re implying,” he said through clenched teeth; anger simmering in his dark eyes. “and, it has nothing to do with my attraction to her. She’s good at what she does and the world might need her. And as far as the vampire goes, I haven’t changed my mind. I still find the idea disgusting...” “As a woman, I beg to differ.” She laughed at the look on his pinched face. “Oh come on, don’t be such a prude.” “As I was saying, having a relationship with a vampire is immoral and I can’t condone it, but that doesn’t mean Buffy needs to die.” Carlita swiftly stood up and took the few steps that separated her to where Benjamin was sitting in another armchair. She braced herself on the armrests and leaned forward until she was eye to eye with him, her face dangerously close. “And as I was saying, you don’t get it. Quentin couldn’t care less about the vampire. He’s merely a nuisance in the way that he follows her everywhere. The true reason Quentin wants to be rid of her is because she’s been a constant pain in his behind since the day she was called as the Slayer. Fighting him and the Council’s authority every step of the way. He wants things back the way they’re supposed to be. Sweet, obedient little puppet Slayer controlled by her watcher who in turn, is controlled by the council. Buffy Summers brought chaos to this perfect little arrangement and he’s sick of it. The Council is useless without the Slayer and her watcher under their thumb. He decided it’s time to end it. Whether you agree or not. And Ben? She waited until he looked back up before continuing on with what she was about to say. “The only reason you’re here is because your uncle wanted to get you as far away from him as possible. So don’t fool yourself thinking you’re actually needed.” The young man pushed her away from him. He stood up, gathering the little dignity he had left and walked towards the door. She watched him and waited until he reached for the door knob before speaking again. “If you’re thinking about confessing all this to Miss. Summers and her boy toy, I’d think twice. He didn’t answer, only waited for her to get the threat out in the open. “Not only is it not going to save them, but it would be so easy to add you as a hit. Don’t mess with me.” He opened the door and stormed out. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Buffy rolled bonelessly onto her back, arms extended to the sides. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly and her golden skin was covered by a light sheen of sweat. Spike and she had decided to kill time in the most pleasurable of ways until it was time to leave for their little safari adventure, and so far, there hadn’t been a dull moment. It was now two o’clock in the afternoon, the rental Jeep was parked by the door, the front desk had given them maps and pointers to the most interesting sights on the way to the volcano and in about two hours, food would be delivered to their room. A bag of sandwiches and other goodies they could take with them on their late afternoon trip. "Did I tire you out, pet?" A grinning vampire appeared above her, and she grinned right back at him. "Tired? Me?" She snorted. "Yeah right. If we didn't have to leave soon, I'd make a bet with you on which one of use would pass out first from too much sex, or beg the other one to stop." "Oh you're on, kitten. Too bad we can't do this today though. I'd be well on my way to win." "God you're so full of yourself." Her harsh words were softened by the humor in her eyes. "I'm the Slayer, buddy. You can't outdo me. You can try though. I wouldn't complain about that." Spike gave her naked body a lustful look. "I'll die trying if I have to. Shagged to death... Nothing wrong with that. Beats a stake through the heart any time of the day." He lowered his head and kissed a path across her breast bone, from one shoulder to the other. Buffy let her head hang over the edge of the bed and sighed contentedly. Then she spotted the open bathroom door. "You know..." She drawled, her voice a sexy purr. "I had this little fantasy when we first got here... Wanna hear about it?" She lifted her head back up to look at him, a glint of mischief in her eyes. "Depends. Is it naughty." "Yes." "Is it dirty?" "Nope. It's actually as clean as it can be." Spike frowned and sat back on his heels, his gorgeous naked body on display for Buffy to admire. She let her eyes roam over him. Seeing him so sexy and obviously comfortable being naked around her made her so hot, she could have sworn the A/C had stopped working. She saw Spike's lips moving, but just stared without answering. She finally snapped out of her contemplation, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "Sorry, I spaced out for a moment. What did you say?" He smirked knowingly. "I said, you got me bloody curious. What did you have in mind?" She blinked. "Fantasy, pet?" "Oh. Right! Bathroom, that's it. Hot tub. Bubbles, champagne, yummy, wet, naked Spike." "And when exactly did you think of that?" He asked, his blue eyes shining with mirth. She flushed a little more under her light tan. Suddenly feeling too naked, she pulled the white sheet to her, covering her breast almost demurely. Spike chuckled at her little display of modesty and swiftly ripped the sheet away from her and sent it flying across the room. "Not hiding from me now, you little minx." He lowered his head and gave one of her puckered nipples a wet suck. "And I believe I asked you a question." "First night we got here." Buffy mumbled. "Is that right?" He asked with the beginning of a smug smirk forming on his lush lips. "Mmhmm. We'd just arrived and we were looking around the room before unpacking. You were playing with the T.V. I think and I went into the bathroom. Everything seemed to be arranged for a couple to have a romantic vacation. The huge tub with the bubble bath bottle next to it, the scented massage oils, the candles and the champagne. I found myself thinking of you and me taking advantage of the romantic setting. Can you blame me?" Spike's expression soften, the smirk turning into a warm, gentle smile. "No, Buffy. I don't believe I can." She was very much a girl still. With a yearning for normal and girly. He had to admit that her romantic side spoke to the foolish human poet that was still, and always would be, part of who he was. “As a matter of fact,” he continued. “I think we still have that bottle of champagne. The maid put it in the mini-fridge when she made the room the next day. What do you say we act on that fantasy of yours, kitten?” She nodded her head, a happy smile lighting up her face. Spike planted a kiss on her forehead and stood up. Buffy tried to follow his lead, but he stopped her. “Lie down, relax, and let me take care of everything.” She watched him disappear into the bathroom and rested her head back on the mattress. Only a few minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Buffy got up and went to retrieve the sheet that was now in a heap on the floor. She wrapped it around her slim body and went to open the door. Assuming it must be their picnic food being delivered earlier than expected; she opened without even looking through the peep hole. She groaned when she saw who was standing there and automatically regretted opening the door. “What the hell do you want? How did you know what room I was in?!” Buffy asked angrily. In front of her stood the man who had flirted with her the other night and wouldn’t take no for an answer. He looked haggard and for a moment, Buffy thought maybe he was psychotic and she’d have to kick his ass to make him understand the meaning of ‘not interested’. The man ran nervous fingers through his shaggy hair. He looked shifty. “I said, what do you want?” Buffy snapped when he didn’t answer right away. “Miss Summers... Please, could we go somewhere together. We need to talk...” “You know what? I changed my mind. Don’t care WHY you’re here. How did you find me? Are you some kind of psycho stalker or something? I told you to get lost.” Spike walked back into the room still naked, his very manly bits on proud display and obviously not bothering with fake modesty. Buffy turned her attention to him, giving him an amused look. Ben didn’t seem so amused by the scene. “Please, I beg of you... Give me a chance to...” “Oh my God! What is wrong with you?” Spike came to stand behind Buffy, and looked genuinely shocked when he got a good look at who she was talking to. “Bleeding hell, mate; you’re thick as a brick wall, aren’t you?” He dropped a kiss on Buffy’s shoulder, his eyes never leaving the other man’s wary ones. “The lady’s spoken for. I’m the one who gets to shag her. BUGGER. OFF.” “You don’t understand...” But the door was unceremoniously slammed in Ben’s face. He stood there for a long moment, dumbstruck. He raised his hand to knock again, ready to insist, but changed his mind when he heard a loud thump behind the door, followed by giggles and moans. Bloody hell. Where they shagging against the door for his benefit? He took a step back and hesitated for a moment, but then decided it was best to leave. Maybe this wasn’t worth risking his life after all. He knew he should be doing something sensible, like sliding a note under their door to warn them, but truth be told, he was too insulted by the way he had just been treated to do such a thing. With an attitude like that, they could get out of this mess on their own for all he cared. He’d tried, his conscience was at peace. Not his soddin’ fault if the two twits wouldn’t listen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Spike had carried Buffy into the bathroom while still deep inside her body. He had managed to climb up the two steps that led to the bath tub and get in the water without dropping her or slipping out of her. Then they relished the feel of the hot, sweet, scented water sloshing around them as they made love. There was now water all over the floor. It looked like the bathroom had been hit by a hurricane. Spike smiled down at the woman in his arms. He pushed her wet hair away from her face. She was strangely quiet and he wondered what was going on in her head. “You alright, luv?” She nodded her head, cheek pressed against his wet chest and arms holding him firmly around the waist. “Yes. Alright doesn’t cover it. I’m better than I have ever been. Why?” “Don’t know. You’re just quiet, is all. Was wondering what you were thinking about.” When she didn’t answer his indirect question, he decided not to pry. He reached over her and grabbed the opened bottle of champagne and the two glasses. He poured the sparkling treat into the glasses and handed her one. She took a small sip and smiled. “Yum. Bubbly goodness.” Spike grinned at her and took a sip. “Yeah, this is pretty good stuff for complimentary champagne,” he commented while pulling her back into his arms. They lapsed back into silence and again, he wondered where she was. “Wanna share, pet?” “Uh? Share what?” She asked, pretending to be clueless. Truth was, she was a little embarrassed to voice what had been bothering her. “You’re a million miles away. If you want to talk, I’ll listen. ‘is all I’m saying.” He was surprised to see her blushing bright red. “I... Forget it. It’s stupid. Just thinking about this makes me feel like an idiot, never mind talking about it with you.” Spike’s eyebrows drew together in concern. “Pet, you do know you can tell me anything, right? I would never think less of you or judge you. If you don’t want to talk to me, that’s fine. But don’t think even for a second that I’d bloody well make you feel like an idiot.” “I know that. It’s just a little embarrassing.” She took a shuddering breath. “It’s just... Yesterday. Remember in the morning, after Xander called?” “Yeah. What of it?” “When you were all with the bumpies and everything...?” The look of confusion on Spike’s face could have been comical if Buffy wasn’t so flustered at the idea of confessing what she was about to confess. Spike nodded his head carefully. “Yes, pet, I do remember that.” “Well, it’s just that... something happened. And it happened again just now while we were having sex. It’s...” She let out a frustrated breath and Spike ran a soothing hand on her back to try to get her to relax. “It’s weird and twisted but...” Understanding dawned on Spike and his eyes widen a little in shock. “You wanted me to bite you.” He stated in a soft voice, almost afraid the words would make her run away. She looked away and nodded her head slowly, her cheek flaming red in embarrassment. “I don’t know why. I don’t know what got into me. “Buffy, pet, look at me. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s normal.” She gave him a disbelieving look. “Really?” “Yeah. It’s... complicated and I wasn’t sure if... with a human... but it’s normal, believe me. And you’re not sick or twisted.” “But, I’m around vampires all the time and it never happened to me. I never thought of being bitten with anything but disgust and fear. And even with...” She decided not to say the name, but she could tell he knew she meant Angel. “I bleeding well hope so! Doing your job would be a tad more dangerous if you started getting aroused at the thought of being bitten by the first pathetic fledging crossing your path.” He gave her a look and she couldn’t help but smile at the thought. “Yeah, that could get awkward... and potentially deadly.” “And luv, it probably didn’t happen with...” He scrunched up his nose in obvious disdain at the idea of even referring to his grand sire in relation to Buffy and sex. “...the poof because you had other things to worry about that night. But sex with vampires and biting kinda goes hand in hand. Just never thought a human might feel that way. Maybe it has to do with you being the Slayer.” “So... I’m not crazy or perverted then? I don’t have a death wish?” Spike relaxed against the tub and pulled Buffy closer to him. He ran a hand over her wet hair and kissed the top of her head. “No luv. You’re not crazy. There are different kinds of bites.” “Really? Like what?” “Well, there’s the obvious. The bite to feed. Clean, quick, over in a snap. That one you know about, of course. Then, there’s the one to kill and hurt. Angelus’ favorite. I don’t think the magnificent poof ever made it quick. He was a sadistic bastard. Sorry pet.” “’s ok. I know how Angelus was. Or at least, I have an idea. Keep talking.” “There’s the bite to dominate, between sire and childe. It’s a hierarchy thing... to show who’s the boss.” Buffy nodded her understanding. “But what you felt... That was a totally different thing. Biting can be pleasurable during sex. It’s very intimate and creates a bond between lovers.” “Oh.” Was all Buffy could manage to say. Seeing that she was once again lost in her thoughts, Spike kept talking. His next words sounded almost shy. “But there’s also the most important of bites. The claiming. A vamp and his or her lover exchange blood to become mates. That bite creates an unbreakable bond between them.” Buffy was now staring at him with her big hazel eyes, her pretty face serious. She leaned forward and kissed him softly. “Do you think... Do you think we...” Spike put his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her away. “No.” She looked hurt by the rejection so he tried to explain. “I don’t mean never. I just mean... Oh bloody hell.” He stopped talking, frustrated with himself for not finding the right words. Spike polished off his glass of champagne and served himself a refill before continuing. How did he get himself into this mess? He didn’t know how to explain to her how foolish what she was asking was without hurting her feelings. “It’s sacred to vampires, pet. It’s a huge deal. You don’t just rush into something like that. It would be like getting married to some wanker you just met in Las Vegas while you‘re drunk, only worst.” Her dejected look was slowly replaced by a sort of understanding. “I’m not saying never, Buffy. There’s nothing I’d want more. But we’ve only been together for a few days. And honestly, I have no clue what your intentions are for when we get back home. Kitten... I don’t even know how you feel about me.” She had the decency to look ashamed. She knew she hadn’t said the words to him yet even though she wanted to. “I know...” Spike crushed her lips with his, kissing her fervently. He quickly pulled away and smiled at her. “Baby, if we go back to Sunnydale and manage to make things work between us, then we‘ll see what happens next and we‘ll suss out together where we go from there.” “Yeah, I know. I guess I just wanted to know if you’d want to. I know it’s too soon. I’m not even sure I really understand all of this.” “Of course I would want to. Just not now. It’s too soon.” Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck and their lips met again. He felt her shivering against him and pulled away. “Let’s get out of here. Water’s getting cold.” Spike helped Buffy stand up and wrapped her in an oversized towel, then picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. They were putting on clothes and getting ready to leave when there was a knock on the door. Spike answered it. It was room service delivering their food for the road. He gave the guy a good tip then shut the door. “You ready to go pet?” “Absolutely!”

Chapter #14 - Road trip

A/N: I took a few creative liberties in this chapter. After researching on the net, I think you can’t actually go to the crater in a Jeep. Most tours that are offered are bike tours and you need a guide with you. But for the sake of the story, let’s pretend it's possible. Enjoy! Also, I'd like to thank Linne--or the Red pen Goddess as I like to call her--for being my fabulous beta. Linne, you're the best. Thanks. CHAPTER 14: Road trip Sitting behind the wheel, Buffy looked at a map provided to them by the hotel, her little nose scrunched up in concentration. Spike looked anything but comfortable in the back seat, wrapped protectively in a thick blanket. It had been reluctantly agreed upon that Buffy would be the one doing the driving since the sun was still high enough to be harmful to the vampire. Despite his love for the girl, Spike had absolutely no faith in her driving skills, but it was a necessary evil until the sun was low enough behind the mountain not to be a danger to him anymore. Then they would switch places. Buffy looked up from the map with a triumphant smile. She turned in her seat to show the map to her vampire lover. “Here. That’s us right there.” She pointed out their current position helpfully. “That big thing right here is Haleakala and over there is the entry point to the national park. It doesn’t look too complicated. We should be there in no time.” “If we don’t crash into a tree on the way.” Spike mumbled sullenly. She rolled her eyes. “Don’t be such a baby. I’m an excellent driver. I just don’t get enough practice, that’s all.” Spike snorted, not bothering to hide his disagreement. “Hey! You wanna do this or not? I still think I can drive better than a flaming vampire could. So shut it and try to have some faith in me would you? You’re making me nervous and nervous Buffy is not a good thing when her foot is on the gas. Got it?” “Fine. Let’s go before I come to my bloody senses and change my mind about this.” She turned the key in the ignition, but with her foot on the gas instead of the break, the Jeep jerked forward abruptly. “Oops. Wrong pedal. Gas right, break left. Got it.” Spike groaned. “That big stick over there on your right with the little numbers on it? You gotta put it in reverse, pet. It’s the little ‘R’. She pouted slightly. “I knew that you poophead. Don’t be a backseat driver. I don’t need help, I’ve driven sticks before… once.” “Bleeding hell. We’re gonna die, aren’t we?” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The tall Italian woman walked along the secluded beach, cursing under her breath at the sand getting in her shoes. She stopped briefly to remove them, then kept walking, ignoring her companion. Ben was following a few steps behind, looking like his puppy had died. They hadn’t said a word to each other since they’d left the hotel half an hour earlier. She finally stopped walking when she judged that she’d found the perfect place for her purpose. There wasn’t a living soul for miles so there shouldn’t be any interruption. She dropped her shoes to the side carelessly and then put the box she was carrying down on the sand. In it was everything she would need to put her plan into action. Deciding she had no time to waste, she pulled everything out while mentally going over the steps one more time to make sure everything would be perfect. Then, she traced an inverted pentagram in the middle of a circle around her, the downward tip pointing toward the ocean. She wanted to roll her eyes at how typical this was, but apparently it was required for the spell to succeed. Something about mind over matter. When Benjamin snickered, she wondered briefly what stopped her from drowning him in the ocean or choking him with her mind. “Something funny, mio caro?” He gestured to the pattern she had drawn in the wet sand. “Inverted pentagram, how very spooky.” “Poor honey, you have no clue, do you? Of course an amateur like you would mistake this as merely a symbol of evil. Not that I would waste my time trying to enlighten you. You’ll just have to see for yourself that this conjuring is far from amateur.” His arms crossed sulkily over his chest, Ben narrowed his eyes at the object of his hatred. He watched her close her eyes and mutter some words under her breath. Seeing that she was lost in the spell, he reached with his foot and tried to erase part of the circle, hoping it would be enough to disrupt the conjuring. But the line remained untouched and the circle, as well as the pentagram, started glowing. Carlita reopened her eyes and smiled in fake innocence. “What? Did you think that’s all it would take? Maybe you thought that the circle would be broken, the beast would still be conjured, and wouldn’t be bound to me therefore would try to eat me. Is that it, Benjamin darling? Because that would not be very nice of you. Now shut your mouth and stop distracting me!” She snapped angrily. Ben glared, then went to sit on a boulder at a safe distance. He wasn’t brave enough to anger her more than she already was and risk pushing her over the edge. So he settled for observing the scene in silence since he apparently couldn‘t do or say anything to make her change her mind. He watched as she whispered words that were lost in the wind, lifting her arms to the side with an ornate dagger clutched firmly in one pale hand, and a small velvet pouch in the other. Carlita emptied the pouch, glittery powder floating in the breeze coming from the ocean, then she quickly fell on one knee and brought her arm down to embed the dagger in the wet sand. In the next moment, Ben was on his feet with his mouth agape in shock. The circle surrounding the witch was ablaze, the flames reaching wildly toward the darkening sky, and the inside of the circle was hidden from view by a small tornado of whirling sand. Next thing he knew, the contained storm died down, and there in the middle of the circle stood Carlita, and what looked like an eight feet tall tower of muscles, claws and teeth. Ben took a step back, nearly tripping over rocks. “Dear lord…” Carlita was looking up at the beast, a triumphant smile on her lips. She said a few words he couldn’t hear, then took a step back to break the circle. As soon as the protection was breached, the beast fell on its four legs and took off. Ben’s heart clenched in fear at the idea that Buffy and Spike would have to face this thing, and he hoped that they’d find a way to come out of this alive… or undead, whatever the case may be. Carlita turned to him, looking quite pleased with herself. “Well, that was fun. Now, why don’t we use all this magical energy coursing through me and open a little window to see what our lovers are up to, shall we? I want to see first hand when the beast sink its teeth into that Slayer.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Every time they came face to face with another car’s headlights on the narrow road, the Jeep inevitably jerked to the right and Spike had to shut his eyes tightly and force himself not to shriek in fear. A vampire could be killed in a car accident if the car exploded. Fire and vampires equaled dust, that was a well known fact. Seeing a clearing, Spike finally had enough of this torture. Even Angelus in the good old times hadn’t been this cruel. “Alright, pet. The sun is low enough. Pull over, it’s my turn to take the wheel.” Doing her best to hide her relief, Buffy grumbled. “I was doing just fine.” “Not saying otherwise, but I’m tired of sitting here… I’m getting a bit restless. C’mon, be a good Slayer and pull over.” “Fine. We’re almost there anyway. Time to look at the map again to make sure we’re still going in the right direction. Feels like we’ve been driving around the damn volcano for hours.” Buffy carefully signaled for what seemed like an unnecessary long time before pulling aside, to the great joy of the four other cars that had been tailing them for the past half hour. She put the car in park and got out. Spike extricated himself ungracefully from the backseat and stretched his sore muscles. “Bleedin’ hell, luv, are you sure we’re not lost because this felt like an eternity to me.” “An hour and a half is not an eternity, especially not for someone who lived for more than a century. Maybe it’s taking a little longer than expected, but it’s nothing to worry about.” She spread out the map on the hood of the car and tried to figure out where they were. Spike pulled out his pack of smokes. He put a cigarette between his lips, cupped his hand around it to shield it from the light wind and lit it with a sigh of pure pleasure. “Maybe, but for a smoker, an hour and a half IS an eternity.” “You’re just whining because I wouldn’t let you pollute my air. Come on, help me find where we are. It’s getting darker and I can’t find it.” The sky was darker now that the sun was hidden, and the trees surrounding them were casting them in shadow, making it more difficult for Buffy to see the details of the map. “We should just go back. We’re not gonna make it before the sun sets. It was a stupid idea anyway. Maybe if I hadn’t stopped like twenty times to take pictures on the way…” She leaned against the bumper of the car, looking away. She was trying to sound casual, but Spike could tell she was disappointed and he hated seeing sadness in her eyes. “Don’t be daft. You’ll get your volcano crater and your bloody sunset. Give me the map.” He picked up the map to look at it more closely. After a few moments observing it, he folded it again and shoved it in his back pocket. “Got it. Come on pet, get in the car. The sun’s not going to wait for us.” “You know where we are?” She asked hopefully. “’f course I do.” Spike lied. He didn’t know but he was confident enough that he could find which way to go. After all, they hadn’t lost sight of the volcano yet, so that was a good indication they weren’t that lost. All they had to do was to find the entrance to the park. “Let’s go.” Spike got behind the wheel and waited until Buffy was settled before gunning the engine and driving off. It took him about twenty minutes to finally come to the conclusion that they were buggered. “You should have taken the exit we just passed. It indicated a village. We could have stopped at a gas station and asked for directions.” “Don’t need soddin’ directions. I know where we are.” Buffy rolled her eyes in annoyance. “What IS it with men and asking for directions? I really don’t get it. Anyway, admit it. We are lost. As long as we could still see the volcano and we were driving along the coast, I could entertain the delusion that we knew were we were going, but now… This looks like the freakin’ jungle to me.” Spike didn’t answer. For the tenth time, he looked into the rearview mirror and frowned. “Bugger…” “What? What’s wrong?” “I’m not sure.” Coming across a smaller road, he turned the steering wheel sharply, the sudden motion of the car throwing Buffy against the door. The Jeep started going uphill as he drove it deeper into the rainforest, stepping heavily on the gas. “What the… Oh great, another manly cliché: The short cut.” Buffy snickered. “If we weren’t lost before, now we will be for sure. What do you think you’re doing?” “Look. There’s something following us. It’s big, it’s fast, we’re in the middle of soddin’ nowhere and we don’t have weapons with us. So if you don’t mind, I’ll lose the damn thing first, then I’ll worry about finding our way back.” Buffy frowned and turned sharply in her seat to see what he was talking about. She squinted, trying to see something in the shadows of the tall trees surrounding them. “Something’s following us? I don’t see anything.” “Believe me, I do.” He said through clenched teeth. “I can’t tell what it is, but I can tell you it’s big.” He drove fast in hopes of losing whatever was following them. They both remained silent for a few minutes, until the Jeep started slowing down and finally came to a stop. “Spike? Why did you stop the car.” “… I didn’t.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Carlita looked into the small puddle of ocean water with a satisfied smirk on her face. “Everything is going according to plan.” There, in the magical window, she could see the Slayer and the vampire getting out of the Jeep and looking around themselves with worry on their faces. Carlita turned to Benjamin. “Oh for Christ sake, would you turn that frown upside down? Soon we’ll be back in our comfortable hotel room, order some room service and forget the whole thing. Of course… I’ll be the one who will have the pleasure of calling Quentin considering I did all the work. But I might even be nice and say that you helped.” “Keep me out of this. I don’t fancy playing any part in your little assassination plot.” “Darrrling, you are such a kill joy. You never seem to be happy about anything.” “Oh bugger off you blasted cow.” Ben muttered, kicking sand into the magical window. The image was instantly lost. Carlita glowered at him. “Now look what you’ve done you pathetic little rat. It took all I had left of my energy to open this window and I probably won‘t be able to open another one. How am I supposed to know if we succeeded? ” “How YOU succeeded. I told you not to include me. And why should I care? I believe it is your problem, Carlita, not mine. Personally, I’m going back to the room.” Ben walked away, leaving a seething Carlita behind. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter #15 - Welcome to the jungle

A/N: If you want a good idea of the settings for this chapter, I was thinking about the location where they shoot Lost. Enjoy the chapter and don't forget to take a minute to leave a review. I live for reviews ;) CHAPTER 15: Welcome to the jungle For a seemingly endless moment, the two blondes stood outside the car looking as if they were expecting it to fix itself. Spike finally gave the nearest tire a solid kick while muttering a string of British curses, half of which Buffy didn’t understand. She hugged herself, trying to chase the feeling of dread that was slowly seeping into her, chilling her to the bones. “Why do I keep expecting the entire crew of ‘Punk’d’ to jump out of the jungle?” She tried to joke, but all she got for her trouble was a glare. “Wow, tough crowd.” She rolled her eyes at the overly dramatic vampire. Without a word, Spike walked around the jeep and yanked the trunk open. The serious expression on his face while he searched for god knows what was starting to freak Buffy out. “Don’t you think we should head back in the general direction of the road instead of just standing here and doing nothing? Not that you’re doing nothing. You’re definitely doing... something. What the hell are you doing by the way?” Buffy asked not so eloquently, her eyebrows drawn in confusion. “Looking for potential weapons, Slayer. What does it look like?” “To fight that thing you said was following us?” Buffy tried her best to look detached and unconcerned. After all, she was hardly defenseless. When it came to fighting big, fat, nasty demon thingies, she was a pro and it took a lot to scare her. She had even started a journal when she first moved to Sunnydale in which she listed all the freakiest things she’d come across. At first it was supposed to be a top five type of thing. But it soon turned into a top ten, then top fifty... and it had finally ended up a top hundred. And they kept on coming. So as far as scary things went, she was pretty much jaded. But one thing couldn’t fail to scare her: seeing Spike scared. He slammed the trunk shut with a frustrated yell and continued his abuse of the poor car by kicking the bumper so hard that it detached and fell to the ground with a loud clang. Buffy gave him a scolding look. “We’re gonna have to pay for that, you know?” “Yeah well, if we make it out of here alive, I’m bloody suing the wankers at the hotel for giving us a piece of junk and getting us stranded in the middle of nowhere. And that’s because I still have the bleedin’ chip in my noggin stopping me from killing them all.” Buffy smiled playfully at him, still not seeing how serious their situation was. “You know what they say: if you can’t kill ‘em, make a shitload of money off of ‘em.” Spike grabbed her by the arm and started pulling her in the opposite direction from the road. “Let’s get movin’ Slayer.” Buffy pulled out of his grasp and took a step back. “Now hold on just a minute. What is going on here? I don’t know what you saw back there, but whatever it is, it’s not like we can’t fight it or anything.” “With what?” He asked, clearly aggravated by her lack of faith in his judgment. “With the screw driver I found in the trunk? Or did you want to throw sandwiches at the giant doggy that could eat us both in one bite? We have nothing, Buffy.” His harsh words sobered her up and she suddenly looked worried. “Can’t we stay in the car and wait for someone to find us?” “Soft roof, pet. Again with us turning into yummy dog food. Let’s get a move on, shall we? We’re wasting valuable time arguing over nothing.” Buffy opened her mouth to reply, but shut it just as quickly. They both turned briefly to look in the direction where they could hear the sounds of a struggle coming from the trees, getting dangerously closer. They looked up at the top of the trees contrasting in black against the darkening sky and then saw in the near distance some of the smaller trees falling down. In a synchronized way, they turned and started running. “Told you so!” Spike shouted over his shoulder while trying to maintain his pace and not trip over anything. Buffy was following closely. “That thing is freaking huge. How come I didn’t see anything when I looked back earlier?” “It wasn’t following us on the road, luv, it was hiding in the trees on the side of the road. Believe me, if you’d known where to look, you wouldn’t have missed it.” “Yeah, kinda hard to miss. What’s the plan?” “We stay where there’re plenty of trees and obstacles that will slow it down a bit. Then we run until we end up somewhere more civilized, or... until we‘re lucky enough to trip on a sword, an axe, anything sharp and lethal.” He added sarcastically. “That’s it? That’s your brilliant plan? Run until we die of exhaustion?” “If you can come up with something better, I’d love to hear your suggestion, pet.” For a long moment, all that could be heard was the sound of leaves rustling and branches cracking loudly behind them and their own hurried foot steps on the damp dirt. “Well?” Spike asked looking at her over his shoulder with a smirk. Buffy glared at him. “Shut up and run.” “Look, pet, we both know how my elaborate plans tend to blow up in my face. But there’s one thing I’m good at and it’s finding a last minute way of getting myself out of a sticky situation. I don’t know how we’re gonna get out of this, but when I see it, I’ll know. Trust me, I’ll find a way.” “I trust you. But run faster because I don’t fancy the idea of a fight with whatever’s following us. I did not save the world that many times only to end up as Dog Chow while on vacation.” The two blondes wove their way through the jungle with the agility of supernatural beings, but the proximity of the trees with their long hanging foliage and gigantic roots sticking out of the ground slowed them down considerably. Fortunately, it made it even more difficult for the much larger beast to follow and gave them a chance to put some distance between the demon and themselves. After a few hours spent running and climbing, they finally reached a clearing. Spike stopped in his tracks and Buffy barely avoided collision. “Give a girl a warning, why don’t you.” She took a moment to look down at herself and frowned with displeasure. Her clothes were torn and multiple scratches that now marred her tanned arms. “Damn it, why do these things only happen to me when I’m wearing my favorite clothes? Save the rain forest, they say. Well the rain forest isn‘t being too friendly to me so I don‘t see...” Spike motioned for her to be quiet and listened intently. “What? What’s going on?” She whispered quietly. “It’s not following us anymore.” “Really? Do you think it got bored? Cause that’d be great. I’m tired of running and I kinda hurt my ankle back there.” “Yeah well, I doubt it. It’s been chasing us for a long time and we haven’t been able to put that much distance between that thing and us. I don’t see why it would give up now. This seems like a bloody diversion to me...” As if the beast had only been waiting for those words to make a good entrance, blazing red eyes appeared in the trees on the other side of the clearing and a dark massive silhouette emerged from the trees. “Bloody hell, it got us. The thing just made us look like sodding amateurs.” Spike nearly growled, his features contorting into his demon visage. Buffy’s eyes were round as saucers as she took in what looked like a cross between a giant dog and a bull with a bad case of rabies. The thing was the size of a small pick up truck, black as the night, its eyes red and vicious with a double row of terrifying teeth in a jaw that could easily bite off both their heads at the same time. To add to the picture, it had little horns on its big dog head and a gold hoop through its snout. “Holy shit.” She whispered as the beast slowly advanced on them. “Cujo on steroids.” “Uh... I think now would be a good time to make ourselves scarce, Slayer.” Spike said in a low voice before grabbing her arm to make her move. “Unless you wanna wait and find out exactly how far Cujo’s freakishly muscled legs can jump.” They made a mad dash to the side, narrowly escaping the attack from the beast, and dived back into the trees. “I’ve seen something like that before...” Spike said while shoving tall plants out of his way. “Well aren’t you the lucky vampire.” Buffy snickered sarcastically. Her breathing was starting to get heavier after all these hours of running but they needed to put as much distance as possible between them and the hell dog so it wasn’t time to slow down. “It’s not exactly the same, but it could be related to that demon I saw once. And if it is, we’re nice and buggered, pet.” “Thanks for pointing that out. What is it?” “Don’t rightly remember the name in Greek, but it’s in the same family as the demon they called the Minotaur. Not that I’ve actually seen the Minotaur myself--they managed to kill that thing long before my time--but I saw the same kind of demon once in Eastern Europe.” “You mean the Minotaur was actually real?” “And you’re shocked because you haven’t seen enough demons in your lifetime?” Buffy huffed. “No need to be a smart ass, mister. Anyway, wasn’t that thing in Greece?” “The Minotaur was just some bloody demon that happened to be there. It’s not uncommon to see the same type of demons in different parts of the world. They couldn’t kill it so they managed to capture it before it killed the entire island’s population, then they fed it with their enemies once in a while and built a legend around it. But it really was nothing but a demon.” “But wasn’t it supposed to be half man, half bull?” “According to the myth, yes. But they liked to embellish the stories and make them fit with their God mythology back then. Hell knows what that thing actually looked like. The guy I talked to when I saw this thing in the flesh said it was a descendant of that breed of demon, but it could have been crossed with some other demon for all I know. I’m not sure, all I‘m saying is that it looks an awful lot like the one I saw in Ukraine a while back. Could be something else entirely too, but it definitely had the same taste in jewelry. The other one had the same gold hoop through its snout.” “And why do you say we’re in trouble?” “Because this thing is usually summoned by someone and has a specific target. Apparently, us. And it won’t stop until we’re both dead. The gold hoop is a magical symbol that means it has a master.” “I’m sure we can find a way to kill it. I find that a good beheading, or poking big bad beasties through the heart usually works on pretty much anything.” “Won’t work on this. For one thing, it doesn’t have a heart. And it might take it a while to recover from beheading, but it will eventually and then it will search for us again. This nasty bugger is driven by its hunger and the only thing that will satisfy it is us. They managed to kill the one in Kiev by ripping out its stomach, burning it separately from the body and scattering the ashes in the river, then burning the rest of the body and burying it.” Buffy grimaced in disgust at the image provided by her imagination and Spike’s words. “Eww. Sounds like fun... not. But who would summon this thing and send it after us? Are you telling me that only a week here and we already managed to make new and aggressive enemies? That‘s a record.” “I have my suspicions.” “Who?” “Remember that Italian bird we keep bumping into?” “Yeah...” “Well maybe she really isn’t interested in sharing my hot body with you after all.” Buffy got distracted by Spike’s words and failed to notice a root sticking out of the uneven ground. She tripped, but he managed to catch her in time. “Careful there, pet. Wouldn’t be a good time to sprain an ankle.” “It’s your damn fault with your stupid comments about threesomes with the creepy Italian chick.” He winked at her and they resumed their long and strenuous trek. “So as I was saying, yesterday when we left the restaurant, I saw her standing there and looking at us. I have a bad feeling about her.” “Good to know I’m not just paranoid. You know what that means, right?” He looked at her questioningly. “It means we have to find a way out of this so we can have some fun with the Italian bitch. And I’m not talking about physical pleasure, if you get my drift.” “Good old fashioned violence?” “Oh yeah. If I find out she has anything to do with trying to turn this into the vacation from Hell, she’s going to regret ever crossing paths with this Slayer.” Spike smirked. “That’s my girl.” The moon was shining bright overhead, casting a soft silver glow on the surrounding vegetation as the vampire and Slayer continued their seemingly endless trek. They were getting closer to the volcano and Spike thought it might be a good thing for them. If they could reach higher grounds, they would be at least able to orient themselves and make sure to walk towards civilization or, at least, the ocean. The road, as well as most hotels, was along the coast; therefore, they'd be sure to find shelter, weapons, or at least a car that would take them back to their hotel. "The incline is getting steeper," Buffy noticed, a touch of weariness in her voice. "We're reaching the base of the volcano. Not good." "Might help us, pet. This way we can have a view of our surroundings and figure out which way to go. Maybe find a hotel nearby." "And bring a blood thirsty beast into civilization so it can have a little snack?" "Saint Buffy, always thinking of others before herself..." "Excuse me, but I was chosen to protect people against things like that, in case you hadn't caught on to that yet." "Look, I know it's risky, but where there’re people, there are weapons. So far, it's our best option." "I know. Doesn't mean I have to like it." The beast was maybe a few hundred feet behind them now, but it was still too close for comfort. They could hear the birds flying away in fright at its approach. The night had gotten cold, the temperature made worse by the humidity lingering in the air. Buffy was tired and shivering like a leaf. Her sweat soaked shirt was clinging to her back, cooling her body even more. Spike looked at her with concern, a frown marring his face. "You OK, Slayer?" She nodded curtly, her eyes focused on a point in the distance, her lips set in a determined line. He took off his duster and put it on her shoulders. She gave him a look of gratitude before slipping her arms in the sleeves. Buffy sighed in contentment. "I was making fun of you for taking it when we were still at the hotel earlier... Look who's laughing now, uh? Thanks." Spike smiled at her then took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. “What happened to that famous Slayer stamina?” He tried to joke. “I might be stronger than you…” She started saying between clenched teeth. He huffed, clearly insulted. “You wish.” “But…” She continued, ignoring his bruised ego, “I have the added sometimes not so fun bonus of having human lungs. We’ve been running around the freakin’ jungle all night, so give me a break.” He didn’t answer, merely nodded his understanding. The trees were closer together now and they had stopped running a while ago when they realized that they could still stay ahead of the beast while walking quickly. The trees were enough of a hindrance to the beast to give them the advantage. Besides, Buffy might be the Slayer, but she still needed to save her strength in case they were forced to fight the beast at some point. Spike noticed that she was slowing down almost imperceptibly, but it was enough to get him worried. He kept her hand in his hoping to motivate her to keep going. “We’ll find something soon, pet. I know it.” “What about... some kind of cave?” She asked, her voice hopeful. “Something big enough for us to fit in... But too small for the big bad doggy?” “That would work.” Spike said. He was reluctant to crush her hopes, but continued anyway. “But we’d also risk getting trapped. And what are the odds of finding something like that? We’d have to be extremely lucky to just happen to find something suitable, and pet... I think we ran out of luck a while back.” She let go of his hand and shoved her cold ones inside the duster pockets, hanging her head in defeat. “I know.” They kept walking in silence for a half hour that felt to Buffy like three hours, each lost in their own head, until Buffy suddenly reached her limit. Tears flooded her tired eyes and slowly, gradually, she came to a halt. Focused on moving forward, Spike failed to notice that she wasn’t following anymore. “Spike... Spike! Stop. I can’t do this anymore. I think we lost it. Can we stop for a little while? It’s been hours. Won’t this thing just give up already?” Spike stopped walking and turned to face her, worry, as well as frustration, clearly visible in his stormy blue eyes. A big part of him wanted to be able to let her rest, but it wasn‘t possible. She needed to be strong and keep moving even if she couldn’t anymore. Giving up now wasn’t an option. He was getting increasingly scared for her safety and that made him snap at her. “No, we haven’t lost it. And no, we can’t stop.” Spike said through gritted teeth. He was tired too and wanted nothing more than to stop walking and rest for a while, but knew it wasn’t possible. “I’m exhausted, I’m hungry and my entire body aches. It’s like...” She looked at her watch and gasped in shock. “It’s freakin’ three in the morning! This stupid thing has been after us for six or seven hours. Will it ever give up?” “No. It won’t. If it’s anything like the demon I told you about earlier, it won’t stop until we’re dead. It can’t.” He started moving again. “Come on. I promise I’ll find something soon. Don’t give up on me now, Slayer. Never pegged you for a quitter...” “I am not a quitter!” She yelled at him, clearly stung by the taunt. She started after him. “Are too.” “Am not!” “All right, all right... quitter.” He mumbled loud enough for her to hear, but then turned his head to wink at her. She scrunched up her nose in a grimace of annoyance, but didn’t reply. Despite his attempt at lightening up the mood, Spike’s thoughts were grim. He prayed to whatever gods were listening that they’d find something to get out of this mess and soon before they ran out of time. And who would have thought that God would listening to a being who’d spent more than a century killing and committing unspeakable crimes against humanity for the fun of it? And yet, someone up there must have been listening to the desperate blonde vampire. The vegetation got sparse, the trees farther in between until there was nothing but the night sky in front of them. They both advanced cautiously until they reached a cliff so steep and deep that it made Buffy dizzy and she had to take a step back. “Great. Just what we needed.” She muttered somberly while looking left and right, evaluating their options. “Which way do we go now? Not that it matters... Left and right, same deal: trees and more freakin’ trees.” But Spike was still looking down the wall of rock. It was at least a hundred feet drop, with a rough landing. Suddenly, he straightened up and turned around to face Buffy who was still muttering about stupid cliffs. But what Buffy saw as an obstacle, he saw as an answer. “Pet, remember when I said I’d find a last minute way to get us out of this mess? Well this is the time to trust me.” “You’re not seriously thinking about climbing down, are you?” she asked worriedly, starting to have serious doubts about his mental state. “Do you trust me?” He repeated insistently. She gave him a concerned look, but nodded anyway. “Climb up this tree, go as high as you can and stay there until I tell you to come down.” “What? No. I’m not leaving you alone...” “For once in your bloody life, would you do as you’re told and stop arguing? We don’t have time for this. GO!” After a moment of hesitation, she finally relented and jumped up with the grace and agility of a feline, despite her aching muscles. He waited until she disappeared then braced himself for the arrival of the beast. He didn’t have to wait too long. Suddenly, he was face-to-face with the vision of nightmare. Spike took a step back, then another one. With each step, the monstrous creature took one as well. Its red eyes were focused on him, drool falling from teeth sharp as knives. “Come on Cerberus, be a good doggy and follow uncle Spike,” the vampire taunted, in full game face and ready for action. “I‘m right tasty. If you want me, come and get me you nasty bugger.” Praying to all Gods that the beast would chose to follow him and not sniff out Buffy’s scent and opt for the easy prey instead, Spike took off in the direction of the cliff. From her perch in the tree, Buffy anxiously followed the action, a look of complete horror forming on her face as she realized what was happening. The beast was mere inches away from Spike, its teeth making a sickening snapping sound as it tried to take a bite out of the vampire. Buffy’s mouth opened in a silent scream as she realized that Spike wasn’t slowing down or turning like she’d expected him to. Instead, she could only watch as he jumped off the cliff, the giant dog flying right over him and falling into the ravine. Buffy leapt down from the branch and ran as fast as her legs would go. She dropped to her knees at the edge of the cliff and looked down, fully expecting to see Spike’s broken body a hundred feet below. Instead, what she found was a vampire holding on to the edge by the tip of his fingers, and standing on a rapidly crumbling boulder a little lower. “Uh... A little help here?” Without hesitation, Buffy grabbed his wrists and pulled him up until he collapsed safely next to her. He knew he was in deep trouble the minute he noticed the redness of her cheeks and her blazing eyes. She started pummeling him. “You STUPID... IDIOTIC... MORON!! I can’t BELIEVE you just did that! How could you?!” Spike deflected her fists with his raised arm. “Hey now, hold on just a bloody minute! I said I had an idea... Never said it was a good one.” “I thought you were dead!!” She screeched in a way that made Spike wince. He grabbed both her wrists and immobilized her before pulling her against him. He let go of her wrists and put his arms around her. “Calm down, pet. I’m sorry, OK? I didn’t mean to scare you. I didn’t have time to explain my idea and argue about it. I just did what I thought I needed to do... It worked, didn’t it?” Buffy pinned him with a withering glare, but nodded anyway. “So... it’s over then?” Spike placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “What do you think?” He asked with a touch of sarcasm. “I think... I’m definitely not a dog person anymore. That’s what I’m thinking.” She mumbled somberly before collapsing on her back with a long, dramatic sigh. Spike chuckled and did the same, lying next to her in the dirt. “I’m with you on that one, Slayer. If we ever adopt a pet, I vote for a cat.” “...Or a hamster.” “Slayer?” “Yeah?” “Maybe we should just forget about pets. After all, we do live on the Hellmouth.” “Good point.” “So,” Spike said after a moment. “Which one of us is going down there to put the doggy to sleep for good?” “Crap!”

Chapter #16 - How to kill a demon in three easy steps

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N: I would like to apologize for how long it took me to update this story. I was supposed to update two weeks ago, but things happened. I'm a flight attendant and my airline sent me to Cyprus on 'rescue' flights to get Lebanese refugees back to Canada. I just came back last night. Sorry again. I hope you'll enjoy the chapter. CHAPTER 16: How to kill a demon in three easy steps "No." I beg your pardon?" Spike asked, an edge of defensiveness in his voice. He might be in love with the chit, but it didn't mean he enjoyed being told what he could or couldn't do. He was a master vampire for crying out loud. Buffy was still lying on her back in the dirt, in the same position she'd been in for the last fifteen minutes. Spike was sitting next to her Indian style, his arms crossed over his chest defiantly. "You're not going down there alone, and we're not going together either." She stated firmly, her tone allowing no argument. "Mind telling how exactly you reached that conclusion, Slayer?" "Only makes sense that the less flammable of us would go. And that happens to be me." He huffed and puffed like an irate child. "I know how to play with a lighter without setting myself on fire! I've been a smoker for the past eighty years of my life..." "I'm not talking about burning the demon you doofus, I'm talking about the sun." "Yeah? What of it?" "It's coming up in less than three hours." "Right. Like it's gonna take me three hours to climb down, set a half dead demon on fire, and climb back up." He said derisively. "Half an hour, tops. Maybe an hour. But I'll be back before sunrise, that's for bloody damn sure." "Really? What if something happens? What if by the time you get down there, the demon recovered enough to give you a hard time? What if it takes longer than you think and you can't find shelter from the sun? Or what if you think you have enough time, start climbing, then the sun decides to come out and play? Big pile of dust in the wind. Sorry but I'm not interested in seeing that happening." "Buffy..." "NO. I'm not giving you an order here, Mr. Ego, I'm telling you I don't want you to go down there. I can do this myself, I'm a big girl. That demon just dropped almost a hundred feet on hard, pointy rocks. Even if it starts to recover, it's still not up for a fight with the Slayer, weapon or no weapon. Besides, I'm mad as hell and anger always gives me an edge." She added, smiling smugly. "And you're also tired. It's too risky." "I was tired. Emphasis on the 'was'. I'm the Slayer, I recover fast. One night running around in the jungle is nothing, believe me. Now that I had time to rest a little, I'm fine." "There's no point arguing with you, is there?" "Nope." Spike groaned in defeat. She stood up and dusted off the seat of her pants out of habit, then looked at herself and realized how ridiculous her concern for a little dirt was. She'd stopped looking decent a long time ago and now looked like she'd been in a fight with a tiger. "Here's the plan. I go down there, take care of the bad puppy, come back up, we stay away from the sun for the day, then try to find our way back to civilization. And once we're back at the hotel, I kick some Italian witch booty and finally... Finally, I take advantage of that posh spa they advertise in our room. A shower, a loooong massage and clean clothes." "What's in it for me?" He asked hopefully from where he was still sitting. "Well, maybe we could save money on the spa and you could be the one giving me the massage instead. Hot scented oil, candles ... could be fun." "And would that massage get a... happy ending?" Buffy rolled her eyes at him. "Do you even have to ask? Come on, it's us we're talking about. I think we proved over the past couple of days that we're real horn dogs." Spike clasped his hands together and rubbed them eagerly. "All right then. Go get rid of the demon, and I'll have us out of here before you know it." "Yeah right." She chuckled. "How? With that great sense of direction of yours? They'll probably find our bleached bones a few years from now." "Have some faith in your man, will you? Now that I have a great motivation, I'll have us out of this jungle and back into our cozy hotel room in no time." "You better because that humidity isn't doing my hair any favors." She took the pocket knife and lighter he was handing to her and bent down for a quick kiss. "I'll be back before you know it. And Spike?" "Yes, luv?" "Don't let the big bad monkeys scare you. They pull hair, but they can't kill you." She blew him a kiss and started walking toward the edge of the cliff. "Cute, Slayer. Reeeal cute. If I might give you an advice of my own, careful not to put your hand on some giant hairy spider when you're climbing down the cliff." She narrowed her eyes at him and he gave her his best smirk. "Just saying." He watched her go carefully over the edge, then he dropped on his back and folded his arms over his face with a grunt. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Buffy lowered herself along the rock wall carefully. It took her a while to find the easiest way to climb down, but now she was getting the hang of it. Didn't mean she had to like it though. And every time she looked up, it reminded her that she'd have to climb back up eventually. She decided not to bother with the last fifteen feet or so and simply jumped down, landing in a crouch. She automatically looked around herself for any potential threats, a reaction that had become instinctual after almost seven years of fighting for her life every night. One didn't survive so many years as the Slayer without being on guard at all times. It didn't take too long for her to spot the soon to be defeated beast. It was lying on its side on sharp edged rocks now splattered with blood, its flank rising and falling with its labored breaths. Despite the damage inflicted by the fall, the demon had already noticed her, its red eyes focused on its prey, its front paws clawing weakly at the ground. Buffy couldn’t help but take a cautionary step back when the demon attempted to rise, but its broken bones didn’t allow it and it fell back heavily to the ground. The constant growling coming from its massive throat was far from reassuring, but after witnessing the state it was in, Buffy knew the demon was in no shape to put up a struggle. “Aww, poor beastie. You have a big owie? Know what happens to bad doggies who try to bite people? They get put to sleep, and their owners get fined. Of course, your master won’t get fined, she’ll get her ass kicked all the way back to Italy...” Buffy shrugged, a cruel smirk on her lips. “Same deal.” She drew the small pocket knife from the waistband of her pants and started approaching carefully. She circled the beast to avoid the sharp claws and teeth. “God, this is gonna get messy isn’t it?” She said, frowning in displeasure while looking at the size of her knife compared to the size of the demon’s neck. “Oh well. My shirt is ruined anyway.” She was about to plunge the knife in the demon’s meaty neck when it turned his head enough to bite down on her arms. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On the other side of the island, a woman was happy. She was sitting in the armchair in the corner of her bedroom where she’d spent the entire night sulking. Suddenly, the gold hoop hanging on a chain around her neck glowed for a few seconds. Carlita jumped up and hurried to the living room where Ben was sleeping. “Benjamin, darling, wake up. I have marvelous news.” A disheveled Ben sat up, the dark circles under his eyes a clear indication that sleep had eluded him for most of the night. He did not look pleased with his late night visitor. “What to bloody hell do you want now?” “It is done! As of now, the Slayer is officially retired.” He snorted humorlessly. “You mean, the Slayer has officially been murdered. That is what you meant, is it not?” The smile on her face didn’t falter for a second, guilt obviously not one of the emotion she was capable of. “How do you know she’s dead anyway, you crazy bint? Thought you tried reopening the window and couldn’t?” He grumbled unhappily. She pointed at the pendant around her neck. “When the beast has a taste of its intended prey, this hoop glows. It glowed a moment ago. Buffy Anne Summers and her lap dog won’t be a problem anymore.” She tucked the pendant underneath her shirt while rolling her small dark eyes at Ben. “You are such a bore, Ben. You really have to loosen up a little. No wonder you are still single.” As she turned around and made her way to her own bedroom for a much needed rest after a satisfying ending to a very long night, Ben stopped her. “I’d pray that you’re right, Carlita. Because if you’re wrong and she isn’t dead, it won’t take her long to find out who was behind all this and we’ll both be in deep trouble.” She shut her bedroom door without deigning to answer, and Ben wondered if the hoop she showed him was supposed to be black and tarnished like that. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The words coming out of Buffy Summers mouth were words she seldom used. She was not a big fan of profanities. She saved those words for special occasions. Like when she was alone in her basement trying to get demon goo out of her favorite sweater. Or moments like now. She looked like she’d taken a bath in demon blood. She’d had to stop at some point to fight dry heaves. She was certain she would vomit. And God knows she had experience dealing with disgusting demon guts and entails. But this was just too much. The severed head lay abandoned on one side, and entrails formed a pile in front of her. Buffy seriously hoped that one of the appendages in the pile happened to be the stomach. Hard to tell with demon innards. She had gathered a few twigs and dried leaves to set the whole thing on fire. Now, the smoke was making her eyes water and she had to cover her nose and mouth with her hands because of the unbearable stench. A thought suddenly occurred to her. She looked up and bellowed. “Spike! Spike can you hear me?” She waited a few beats before trying again. “SPIKE!” “Bloody hell, Slayer... Quiet down a bit... Gonna wake up the neighbors!” His voice was faint, but she could hear him just fine. “Yeah, real funny.” “What’s going on, luv? Are you all right down there?” “Fine. I just can’t remember if I’m supposed to burn the rest of the body too or just the guts.” “I think they burned the carcass of the other demon, but separately. What’s important is to burn the stomach and scatter the ashes, if possible in water. But burn the carcass too, just to be on the safe side.” “God damn it!” “Have fun, Slayer. And remember... You’re the one who volunteered.” “And I’ll volunteer to kick your ass when I get back up there you moron!” Her words were lost on the laughing vampire. Buffy gave the smelly dead demon a solid kick, then went to sit on a rock at a safe distance to wait for the fire to burn the organs of the demon. Looking at her nails, she waited for the boredom to settle over her. It wasn’t a long wait. She busied herself inspecting the strip of her shirt wrapped around the wound on her arm. The throbbing pain had diminished thanks to her Slayer's healing capabilities. She picked at the dried blood on the cloth mindlessly. After half an hour, the guts of the demon were nothing but a pile of smelly, smoldering ashes. She looked at the mess, then at the remains, wondering what to do next. She had to gather the ashes somehow. Spike could bless the Gods that she'd left his duster up the cliff. The thing would have been perfect to carry the smelly crap without having to touch it. Her blouse would have to do. It was ruined anyway now that she had to tear off a piece of it to bandage the arm that had been used as a chew toy, and she was wearing a tank top underneath anyway. So with her nose wrinkled in disgust, she kicked the ashes into a pile on her shirt and once she was satisfied she had it all, she tied the whole thing together neatly. She was about to walk away when she saw the head and the rest of the body abandoned there, and decided with a frustrated sigh that it was better to be safe than sorry. Flies were already all over the demon's body, or at least, what was left of it. While the guts had been burning, the carcass had slowly dried up and turned a dusty shade of gray. Buffy kicked one of the legs and it broke as if the bones had been under the desert sun for years. She touched the flame of the lighter to the body and it caught on fire instantly and burned in a matter of seconds. ­­­­“Neato!” Buffy commented, pleasantly surprised. She walked away in search of some way to get rid of the ashes. Looking up at the sky, Buffy thought that it was a good thing Spike didn't come with her after all. There was no way she'd make it back up there before the sun rose. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ By the time Buffy made it back up the cliff, it was already morning. The sun was still very low in the sky, but it was a good indication that she'd been gone for a while. She only hoped Spike had found a safe enough shelter from the harmful rays. Not seeing the vampire right away, she started worrying. "Spike? Spike are you there?" "Yeah." The voice came from somewhere to her left so she started walking in the general direction. "Where are you?" "Over here." She pushed through some bushes and found herself under a group of trees. Their tight foliage created dark shade. In the relative safety of the shadow sat a vampire who did not look amused. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter #17 - Rescue me

CHAPTER 17: Rescue me Buffy stood in front of Spike, looking like she'd just walked into a room filed with Fyarl demons having shrimp cocktails and discussing literature. She just stared at Spike with her lips slightly parted, blinking in incomprehension. "What's the matter with you? You look all bad moody. I'm the one who should be bad moody. Went down a cliff, killed big bad demon doggy, burned disgusting entrails, walked almost a mile to find a source of water where I could dispose of said entrails, had to find my way back up..." Spike just narrowed his eyes at her without a word. "Again I ask, why am I not the one pissed off here?" "You weren't down there anymore." "Uh?" She questioned in typical and very ineloquent Buffy fashion. Spike suddenly got more animated. “You were off having fun, while I was stuck here like a soddin' poofter, bored out of my bleedin' mind. Couldn't have done anything to help if you were in trouble either. All I could bloody well do was watch and give you pointers. Then you were gone and I couldn't even do that anymore." “Oh my God, Spike. You're such a big baby. Are you pouting?” She asked, incredulous. “I bloody well hate feeling useless.” Spike sulked. She walked closer and crouched next to him, a softer smile on her lips. “You are NOT useless and you know it. But I'm sorry you were bored though.” “’s’all right. I’ll get over it.” Buffy smiled and kissed his cheek affectionately. “I hope so. And if it makes you feel any better, it was really gross and boring. There was no fun to be had down there. The demon didn't even put up a fight. You wouldn't have liked it.” Spike finally took in her apparence. He gave her a funny look. “You’re all wet.” She sat next to him, grabbed his arm and placed it around her shoulders, making herself comfortable. She looked down at herself. “Is it that noticeable?” She mocked lightly. He tightened his hold on her and rested his chin on top of her head. “What happened? Got into a fight with the ashes while you were dispersing them in the water?” “Funny man. No, I was starting to smell funky and my clothes were all dirty. I thought that I might as well get myself squeaky clean while there was water available. It was so pretty too. I wished you would have been there with me. And before you ask, I washed myself before throwing the ashes in. I didn’t fancy a swim through smelly burned demon guts.” Spike chuckled. “Good to know, pet.” He caressed her wet hair lovingly. “Get some rest, all right? And when you wake up, we’ll go back to the hotel and you can have a long, hot, shower. I’ll even lend a helping hand... wash your back... soap you up.” He whispered suggestively in her ear. Buffy closed her eyes. “I don’t usually like your plans, but this one sounds good.” The sun was rising overhead, but they were safe where they were, protected by the trees. Spike stretched out his jacket on the ground so they could lie on it. “Not as comfortable as our bed at the resort, but I’m afraid it will have to do.” Spike smiled apologetically at Buffy. “It’s not that bad. It’s like Survivor, but with better looking people. I think I can deal.” They wrapped themselves in each other’s arms and remained quiet for a few minutes. Buffy thought Spike might already be asleep when he suddenly spoke. “So... Are we gonna do it?” Buffy burst out laughing. “What’s so funny?” “First of all, you just sounded like a horny teenage boy. Second, no way in Hell. I am NOT taking my underwear off here. Have you seen the size of the bugs crawling around? I swear I saw an ant earlier that was big enough to be a house pet.” “Fine.” “Besides, maybe withholding sex from you will be a good incentive to help you regain your sense of direction and get us out of here fast... Like the donkey and the carrot.” “’m not a bloody donkey.” “Whatever you say... horny boy.” “Hey!” After a little while, they fell into an exhausted, yet peaceful slumber. But a few hours later, Buffy was roused by something wet against the sensitive skin of her neck. Still half asleep, she slapped weakly at whatever was interrupting her dreams. "Mmmm, leave me alone." A low chuckle helped her regain full consciousness. "Sorry, pet, couldn't help myself. You just looked so tasty, I had to take a little nibble." "‘thought you were tired?" She mumbled lazily. "Was. I'm not anymore. But you can go back to sleep. I'll be quiet." He smirked, then went back to kissing her neck. Buffy giggled and squirmed in his arms when he hit a particularly ticklish spot. "Go back to sleep? So you can take advantage of my body while I sleep? I don't think so, buster." "Oh come on! You know you want to. I'll respect the 'underwear on' rule." "And how are you gonna do that? I'm really curious." "I'm all for showing you, baby." Holding her close to his body, Spike slipped his hand under her tank top to caress the smooth warm skin of her back in slow, lazy circles. He wedged a leg between hers, applying pressure to her sex with his thigh. She moaned and wiggled her hips a little to get some friction. Spike chuckled. He kissed her forehead lovingly, then the tip of her nose, and ended his little exploration by kissing her mouth and sucking on her bottom lip. "Thought you were sleepy?" "Someone woke me up." The circles he was massaging on her back started getting lower and lower, closer to the waist band of her shorts. The motion of his hand was soothing and arousing all at once and Buffy closed her eyes to enjoy the feelings it stirred in her. She could not resist this man if her life depended on it. She'd done it for too long and now that she'd given in, she had unleashed something too powerful to be locked up again. Hell, she'd probably give in to him if he wanted to be naughty in a church. Spike licked her throat, then made Buffy gasp and moan by nibbling playfully on the warm, sensitive skin with his blunt human teeth. He chuckled when she tilted her head to the side to give him better access. "Like that, kitten?" "Mmm hmm." She purred happily. After the night in jungle hell, this was a nice interlude. "How about this?" He asked while slipping his hand inside her shorts to tenderly caress her firm behind. Buffy gasped and giggled, all the while trying to evade his questing hand. "Hey! What exactly do you think you're doing?" Spike clicked his tongue, pretending to be annoyed. He immobilized her against him with his free arm. "Would you stop wiggling already, Slayer?" "Leave my butt alone, and I'll stop wiggling." He squeezed her delectable behind with his hand, before moving lower. "Fine. 's not your bum I was after anyway. But just for the record, pet, don't knock it ’til you tried it." Spike waggled his eyebrow suggestively, his tongue curled up behind his teeth in that sexy way that turned Buffy on so much although she'd never admit it. She gave him a dark look. He rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Slayer, could you just trust me for once in your bloody life? My intentions might not be pure," he added with a cheeky grin "but they aim to please." She didn't answer, but her cheeks took on a pretty shade of pink. "Good." He said in a husky voice. "I'll take that as a: yes Spike, I trust you with my life. Please pleasure me now." She hit him on the shoulder, but it lacked conviction. His hand was still exploring the curves of her behind and it was slowly turning her brain to a lustful, yet useless mush. His ministrations were turning her into a rag doll in his arms. Her eyes were closed, her mouth slack, her body boneless. He slipped his wandering fingers between her ass cheeks, rubbing back and forth. With each downward motion, the tip of his fingers brushed against her wetness, making her shiver with desire. "Spike..." "What do you want, luv? Tell me..." "Touch me." "I am touching you." She looked up at him, frustration and passion mixed together in her darkened eyes. "More." "Bossy chit." He mumbled, his eyes dancing with amusement, before lowering his head to lightly kiss the tip of her nose. "You like when I boss you around." He smiled. "You know I do." Their lips met in a loving kiss and for a moment, it was only the two of them. The jungle, the island, evil Italian witches, and the rest of the world... nothing mattered. Spike rolled to his back so she was lying completely on top of him. Buffy rested her head on his shoulder and let her legs fall on either side of him to give him more room to move his hand. His fingers were caressing her sensitive flesh achingly slowly, in a rhythmic back and forth motion that was making her pant in need. A part of her wanted to beg him to have mercy on her and end the torture, but she forced herself to be patient and enjoy it instead. Everything they had done together until then had been so desperately hungry and intense, it was nice to just enjoy the moment and let her pleasure slowly wash over her. She moaned against the skin of his neck, then kissed and nibbled on his throat the way he had done to her earlier. Spike increased the pressure with his fingers, separating her folds to brush more firmly against her clit. Buffy tensed. "Oh God. Don't stop. Do it again..." But he chose to disobey her, moving his fingers back to her butt hole, circling it to lubricate it, then pushing the tip of his finger inside. Buffy whimpered and gasped at the surprisingly pleasurable feeling. But he didn't linger there. His fingers went back to her aching sex and he penetrated her slowly. Buffy was breathing heavily. Her inner muscles were clenching around his invading fingers while the warmth built up in her womb and spread to her limbs. Feeling how close she was, Spiked pulled his fingers out of her and eagerly attacked her clit, rubbing the distended bundle of nerves with rapid, yet feather like touches. "Spike!" Buffy tensed when her orgasm hit her. Her mouth opened in a silent scream and she clutched at his shoulders almost painfully. He kept rubbing her clit until she finished riding the waves of her orgasm and fell back against him, still shivering. "You all right?" He asked while kissing the top of her head. She nodded, her nose rubbing against his neck with the motion. "You're amazing." She said, still trying to catch her breath. "You make me amazing, pet." He smiled down at her. "You're my inspiration." Buffy started kissing a path down to his chest, wishing he was naked so she could taste his skin. "Bet you say that to all the girls..." She mumbled against the cotton of his t-shirt. "No. You're the only girl. Bloody scout's honor. And where are you going like that?" He grabbed her under her arms and pulled her back up. "Come back here." Buffy pouted. "But... What about you?" "Let's save that for later at the hotel. It'll give me something to look forward to." "You sure?" "Yeah, I'm sure." She made herself comfortable against him and sighed, a smile on her lips. "Buffy?" "Yeah?" "I'm about to sound like a total ponce here, but indulge me." Still lying on his chest, Buffy propped her chin on her crossed arms to look at him, the seriousness of his voice making her curious. "All right. I'll bite. What's going on, Spike?" "What is this?" "What's what?" "You, me. This. What is going on between us? It's making me nervous not to know for sure. It think it'd be nice if we were on the same page, you know?" Buffy knew what she wanted the relationship to be. But there's a difference between wishing in your heart, and saying it out loud. She tried lightening the mood. She smiled and ran a finger across his chest, looking at him through her eyelashes. "Do you really need a definition?" He caught her hand and looked intently into her eyes. "I'm serious, Buffy. I thought about this a lot over the past couple of days, wondering when the right time to talk about this would be. I think there's no right time so might as well get it out of the way now. What I'm asking is, is this some kind of vacation fling? What happens when we get back home? I need to know." Buffy frowned and shook her head. "It's not a fling. Why would you think that?" "I don't know what to think, luv. I just want to be sure. I don't want to be expecting something and then get my heart broken when it doesn't happen. I'd rather know." "Spike, I don't want things to go back to the way they were when we get home. I don't know what to call this, I don't even know if there's a word for it..." "Didn't want to put you on the spot, luv. All I'm asking is for you to be honest with me. If you think there's a chance things might not work out for us back home, I just want to know so I can prepare myself, is all. Just promise me you won't hurt me." Buffy looked horrified at the idea. "What? No! I wouldn't. Spike, I don't think I could ever go back to not having you in my life after what happened between us. I don't know how things will be at home, but I know we'll try. I want to try. It won't be as easy as it is here, that I know for sure. I doubt Giles and Xander will jump for joy and they'll probably try to get between us. But I think together, we can deal with them." Spike smiled a little at that. "That’s if one of them doesn't stake me." Buffy took his face between her hands and kissed him. "They'll have to go through me first." He chuckled. "Well I guess I'm safe then. As long as I'm with you at all times, that is." "I don't have a problem with that. Do you?" "Absolutely not… I'm sorry if I'm being insecure and a right bleedin' pathetic wanker. I guess it's easy to tell that I'm not the one wearing the pants in this relationship." "Don't worry, you'd look totally cute in a skirt. You could start wearing a kilt or something." "And look like a bloody Scot? Are you mad?!" Spike exclaimed, looking horrified at the mere idea. "Gee, sorry if I offended your British sensitivity. My bad." Buffy laughed. Spike grumbled. "Yeah. You better be sorry... Yank." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Spike was walking through the jungle like a man on a mission. The sun had set a few hours ago and the night was beautiful. It would just be a hell of a lot more beautiful if he was sitting on a beach with a cold drink in his hand and the woman of his dreams in his lap instead of having her follow behind him, bitching non stop. That’s when he realized that said woman wasn’t following anymore. He stopped walking and turned on his heels. Buffy was sitting on a big rock at a distance, her arms crossed and looking none too pleased. “Pet, what are you doing?” “Making the very wise decision of not following you anymore. We’re lost.” “Were lost. I know where we are now. We’re walking in the direction of the ocean.” “Suuuure. If you say so.” “Trust me, I can smell it. We’re close now.” “Just like you could smell it four hours ago, right? Sorry honey, but I stopped believing you about two hours ago after seeing the exact same rock for the fourth time. This very rock I’m sitting on right now. I feel like we’re in a bad remake of The Blair Witch Project. It’s kinda spooky actually.” She shuddered visibly to emphasize her point. Needing something to do with his hands, Spike got his cigarettes out of his duster pocket and lit one. “If you think you can do better, be my guest. I have no problem following you.” “That’s only because you wanna ‘do it’.” She commented, the humor returning in her eyes. Spike blew out a cloud of smoke and smirked. “Well... yeah.” “I’m hungry.” Buffy pouted. “I saw a centipede a little while back that looked right fat and juicy. I could go get it for you if you want.” “Eww, Spike! Not funny.” “I read somewhere they’re full of protein.” “Thanks, I’m not hungry anymore.” He chuckled. “My pleasure.” Buffy sighed in discouragement. “So, what do we do now? Ideas... Suggestions..?” “Looks like my ideas didn’t get us where we want to go, so maybe you should be the one coming up with something.” He suggested while crushing the remains of his cigarette under his heavy boot. “OK. Uh... Well.” “Well?” “Fine. I don’t know. I would say we keep walking in the same direction until we find something--the island isn’t all that big after all. But I thought that’s what we’ve been doing and obviously, we’ve been walking in circles.” Spike raised a mocking eyebrow. “And you were criticizing my sense of direction?” Buffy rolled her eyes and stood up. “Forget it. Let’s just keep walking. For God’s sake, the two of us can fight an army of vampires without breaking a sweat, and we can’t find our way out of the stupid jungle. How lame is that?” They walked for another hour, Buffy kicking viciously at everything that was unfortunate enough to get in her way, when Spike stopped and motioned for her to stay quiet. “I hear something coming our way.” “Demon?” “Human. Five of them.” “Do you think it’s the stupid Italian bitch come to finish the job with some reinforcement?” “If it is, then they’re not being very discrete. I can hear them talking from here.” As he was saying that, Buffy could hear voices. She couldn’t make up what they were saying, but Spike could.” “Bloody hell, Slayer...” “What?.. What is it?” “I think it’s a soddin’ rescue team!” “You’re kidding?” He shook his head. Buffy looked like a fish out of water, her mouth opened and her eyes wide in disbelief. She whimpered. “Please tell me you’re joking?” “I’m afraid not.” He was biting his bottom lip to stop himself from laughing. “This is by far the most embarrassing moment of my life.” She thought about it for a second, then amended her statement. “OK, maybe not the most embarrassing because being turned into a rat, then turned back butt naked in front of Oz, will always be number one. But it’s way up there.” “Wolf boy saw you naked?” Buffy was saved from answering by the arrival of the rescue team. “Hey! You guys all right? We’ve been looking for you for hours. Some tourist found your Jeep this afternoon.” Buffy turned bright red. The Slayer, savior of the world and all that crap, and her master vampire lover, incapable of finding their way out of the jungle. How shameful. “We’re fine. Just out of a walk, is all.” Spike mumbled defensively. “Sure.” One of the guys answered with a chuckle, clearly not believing him. “Let’s get you back to your hotel.” Walking side by side, they started following the rangers to the Jeep that was not even a mile away. “No one can ever find out about this.” Buffy mumbled through clenched teeth. “Agreed. If you think I’d ever brag about this to anybody, you’re off your rocker. The Whelp would have a field trip if he knew.” “Good. As long as we agree.” “Oh yeah. We definitely do. I’ll take this little adventure with me to the grave. If this ever comes out, it might just destroy my reputation as a master vampire.” “Poor Spikey. Wouldn’t want the other vampires to make fun of you, now would we?” “Laugh all you want, Slayer. What do you think would happen if the demon population finds out that the Slayer was saved from walking in aimless circles in the jungle by a bunch of weak humans--the same human she‘s supposed to protect?” “Point taken.”

Chapter #18 - A lesson in Italian

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CHAPTER 18: A lesson in Italian Buffy leaned against the door frame with a sigh, resting her aching body while Spike searched for the room key in his pockets. The aggravated look on his face brought a smile to her lips. For some reason, seeing him get worked up always amused her. Taking pity on him, she pulled the key out of her pocket and waved it under his nose. "Looking for this?" She sing-songed. "Bloody hell." He mumbled, taking the plastic key out of her hand. "Oh cheer up, Grumpy McGrumpy. Think of the hot shower, the food... the bed." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively, making him smirk. "See? I knew I could help turn that frown upside down." This time, Spike couldn't hold back the chuckle. "Yes dear, your powers over my mood are infinite indeed." She grimaced. "Don't call me that." "What? Dear? I think it's got a nice ring to it." "Nice ring to it? It makes you sound like a bored husband who's been tortured by his bitter wife for fifty years." "Fine," he conceded. He swiped the key in the electronic lock and opened the door. "What should I call you then? Mistress? Sex kitten? Would that be better?" "You know, I think I kinda like Mistress Buffy. Sounds nice." Spike opened the door for her, but as she was about to walk into the room, she hesitated. Spike looked at her questioningly. "Something wrong, kitten?" "It's 'Mistress' to you, dear. And no, there's nothing wrong. It's just that... I think before doing the relaxing thing, I need some action." He grinned happily at his Slayer. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking, pet?" "I'm thinking, there's an Italian bitch and her British sidekick in dire need of a good ass kicking and it would be a shame to postpone it. Why do tomorrow what you can do today... Isn't that what they say? Whoever 'they' are." Spike closed the bedroom door. "What my lady wants, my lady get." Buffy frowned. "See... that doesn't work either." He rolled his eyes at her. "Bloody hell, woman. Let's just go." She chuckled and followed him down the hall. The resort was quiet at this time of the night. Eerily so. Spike and Buffy only came across a handful of people, most of them drunk and returning to their hotel room after a night of partying. The hallways were mostly deserted, and so were the trails leading from one small building to another. "So," Buffy started casually. "The losers who couldn't find their way out of the woods are expected to find two people hidden away in a resort that has almost three hundred rooms spread between five smaller buildings... how?" Spike huffed indignantly. "I can still pick up a trail you know. I can feel magic users. Whenever I'm around Red or her bird, I can feel the vibe from half a mile away when they just did some mojo." "Honey, not to burst your bubble, but Miss Tall and Ugly summoned the demon over twenty four hours ago. So unless she cast another spell recently, the mojo is probably long gone." Spike stopped and lit a cigarette before answering. "Come on, Slayer. Humor me. If it doesn't work, I'll just try to seduce the girl at the front desk so she gives me the room number." "No flirting with front desk clerks, buddy. And you're not allowed to smoke inside by the way." "Pet, the only place where I respect the no smoking rule is at your house. And that's because I'm secretly scared of you." Buffy laughed at that, but Spike's attention had already shifted. His eyes were focusing on the door right across from where they were standing. Buffy turned around to see what he was staring at. "What?" She asked curiously. "Did I miss something?" He put his index finger to his lips, motioning for her to be quiet. “I hear some arguing coming from this room over there.” “And we care because..?” Buffy asked, not understanding what he was getting at. “British swearing, pet. Lots of ‘soddin’ hell’, ‘piss off’ and ‘bloody cow’.” “So? A compatriot of yours is fighting with his wife or girlfriend. Big deal. I thought we were on a mission here. Or did you forget about the Italian witch?” Spike shook his head slowly while staring at Buffy with disbelieving eyes. When he didn’t answer right away, she insisted impatiently. “An answer would be good, you know.” “Give a bloke a minute, would you. I have to carefully prepare my answer so I don’t end up sleeping on the couch tonight for questioning your intelligence.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Answer or not, that’s where you might sleep, fang face. The question now is whether you’ll have pillow and a blanket. So spill.” “Bossy chit.” Spike mumbled. “Fine. How many British men did you met here since we arrived? Beside me, I mean.” Buffy’s eyes widened in understanding. “Oh.” “Yes. Oh. And if I hear a woman’s voice with a bad Italian accent, then my suspicions will be confirmed and we can get this bloody party started. So will you stop talking for a minute? Please?” “Got it.” Buffy pretended to zip her lips and throw the key away, her childish actions making Spike smile. They remained silent for a few minutes, Spike listening intently to what was going on behind the door. After a while, his lips stretched in a slow smirk. “Heard something?” Buffy asked under her breath when she noticed the satisfied look on her lover’s face. “Oh yeah.” “You sure it’s her?” “The voice is unmistakable.” Buffy smiled happily. “Shall we then?” Spike motioned toward the door. “Why don’t you do the honors, kitten?” She cleared her throat, then knocked on the door. “Aloha. Room service!” She said loudly in a ridiculously high pitched voice that made Spike chuckle. There was a long moment of silence on the other side of the door, then footsteps. “We didn’t order anything.” A muffled female voice could be heard saying. Buffy winked playfully at Spike just before kicking the door in and sending Carlita flying backward to land hard on her ass. “You didn’t?” Buffy asked mockingly, standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips, Spike right behind her. “Damn, I must have the wrong room. Strange. I could have sworn you ordered a good ass kicking.” The expression on Carlita’s face was priceless. She looked like she wanted to scream, but instead only managed to say: “You! But... but...” “But but but... What? We should be in the middle of the jungle, our bones being used as a chew toy by a giant puppy with bad breath? Sorry to disappoint.” His back against the wall not too far on Buffy’s right, a red faced Ben snorted loudly before bursting into hysterical laughter, the sound a mix of hilarity and a bad case of nerves. Buffy and Spike glanced briefly at each other before turning their eyes on Ben. “What the bleeding hell is wrong with the wanker?” Spike finally asked. Ben calmed down long enough to speak. “Oh this is highly amusing.” Buffy blinked a few times. “You think this is funny?” Ben wiped his teary eye with the back of a shaky hand. “In an ironic ‘oh God I’m gonna die’ way, yes.” Buffy saw Carlita standing up. Before she could take a step in the direction of the patio door, Buffy had the much taller woman by the arm and twisted it painfully until Carlita fell on her knees. “Not thinking about leaving the party early, are we?” “Let go of my arm this moment.” Carlita demanded, still retaining her air of superiority despite the precarious situation she found herself in. “Why? Are you not comfortable?” Buffy smiled cruelly before applying more pressure to the abused limb until Carlita let out a yelp of pain. “Now, unless I’m asking you a question, you shut up. Got it?” Ben tried to take a step away from the wall he was still leaning against. Spike moved so fast his compatriot didn’t even see him until the vampire was holding him against the wall in full game face. He held Ben by the throat, but was careful not to hurt the human. "Now that we got your attention," Buffy said, not loosening her hold on Carlita, "it's question time." Still in game face, Spike snapped his sharp teeth near Ben's face. "Not sure I'm up for a twenty bloody questions game, luv. I'm already bored and I don't think anything they have to say will help with that. Can we just get rid of the wankers already?" "Spike, behave." Buffy mocked scolded. "Fine, but I'm feeling a bit peckish. If I don't like what they have to say, I might just have myself a little snack." The vampire said, looking into Ben's terrified eyes. "You can kill us if you want, but we won't say a word." Carlita spat out before screaming in pain again when Buffy nearly dislocated the taller woman's shoulder. "Oh, I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" Buffy asked, an innocent smile on her lips. "Uh... I'm sorry to interrupt but, I'll talk." Ben said. His eyes were trained on Carlita, a malicious sparkle in their brown depth. Surprised by this new development, both Spike and Buffy looked back and forth between the two, curious by what would happen next. This was unexpected. "You coward!" Carlita yelled at Benjamin. "Oh no, Carlita, dear. Not because I'm afraid. But you see, after you called me my uncle's pathetic puppet the other night, I had some time to think things over. You were right. I was acting like the old man's puppet. And I think it's time for me to grow a back bone and do what I think is right." Carlita opened her mouth in outrage. Spike grinned and let go of Ben. He smoothed down the other man's rumpled shirt and patted him on the shoulder. "Wise decision. Why don't you have a seat and tell us what we want to know, mate?" Still shaking slightly, Ben made his way to the armchair and sat down with a sigh of relief. "So?" Buffy asked impatiently. "What was the attempted murder all about?" Ben looked at Spike, then Buffy, before answering. "You." Buffy rolled her eyes. "Duh. We're the ones the doggy wanted to have for dinner, so we figured that much already." The man shook his head. "No. I mean, you. As in the two of you... Together." Spike narrowed his eyes and took a threatening step toward Ben. "Mind being a bit more specific, mate? I'm starting to lose patience here." "The two of you being in an intimate relationship was unacceptable to the Watcher's council. We were told to eliminate you." Ben elaborated. Spike growled in anger while Buffy opened her mouth in stunned surprise. She knew she wasn't the Council's favorite Slayer of all time, but she would have never thought they would go as far as trying to have her killed. Spike was the first to regain his composure. "And how the bleedin' hell do they already know about us? We've only started dating after we got here." "After your relationship with Angelus, Miss Summers, some members of the Council feared that something like that could happen again. Then, when they visited you in Sunnydale last year to give you information on Glorificus..." "'Give' is not the word I would use." Buffy interrupted moodily, still bitter about the Watcher's Council last visit. Ben looked confused for a moment, not understanding Buffy's comment, but kept talking. "After their visit, they were under the impression that you were working closely with William the Bloody. Too closely I should say. Especially since you were resurrected. So they decided to keep an eye on you to try to confirm or deny their suspicions." "Keep an eye on me? You mean spy?" Buffy spat out angrily. "In a matter of speaking, yes." Ben confirmed with some embarrassment. “Benjamin, you are so pathetic.” Carlita said from her position at Buffy’s feet. “Shut up, we’re not done here.” Spike said, efficiently interrupting the Italian woman before she could go on. Buffy roughly brought her to her feet, then forcefully made her sit on the couch. “So,” Buffy asked, turning her attention back to Ben. “Who is involved and why did they chose the two of you for the job. I couldn’t think of a more mismatched pair to be honest.” Ben looked down at his fidgety hands, suddenly uncomfortable under the stare of the two supernatural beings. “Well, here’s the thing. When I say Watcher Council, what I really mean is...” “Quentin Travers.” Carlita finished for him. “His uncle.” Buffy rolled her eyes. “Travers. Of course. Who else would come up with something like that? Wait... Travers is your uncle?!” Both Buffy and Spike snickered at the idea. Ben and his uncle couldn’t have been more different. Benjamin Travers pouted like a child. “Could we move on to something more important, please?” “Yeah. So, Quentin and who else? I’d like a list please so I know whose ass I’ll have to kick.” “Quentin worked alone. He didn’t want the rest of the Council to know about this because he said some of the members wouldn’t see the big picture and would oppose on morality grounds alone. He sent Carlita who is an old family friend, and me, to do the job. He wanted you to die, then take care of Faith as well, so another slayer would be called. With the two of you gone and a new Slayer, hopefully more predictable and easier to work with, things would go back to the way they should be.” “Bloody typical if you ask me. Slayers have always been nothing but mindless puppets to the Council. Buffy is the first one who can think for herself.” Spike commented while helping himself to the finest scotch in the bar. “It’s what kept her alive this long--if you don’t count the brief interruption last summer--but that’s also why old Travers hates her so much.” “I changed my mind after meeting you. Realized that even though I don’t approve of a Slayer being in a relationship with a vampire, it still didn’t justify murder. That’s why I tried to warn you.” Spike snickered. “Could have tried a little harder, mate. But thanks anyway.” Buffy went to stand next to Spike, her arms crossed over her chest. “So, what do we do with them?” The vampire took the time to empty his glass before answering. “Too bad neither one of us can kill humans because I’d say ship the boy back to England, and kill the bloody cow.” Looking intently at Carlita, a slow smile formed on Benjamin’s lips. “If I may speak...” “What is it, mate?” “She isn’t human.” Ben stated, an evil glint in his eye. Spike frowned. “She smells human to me.” “Srylaiia demon. Devout magic users and...” The vampire’s eyes lit up with understanding. “... fantastic at human disguise. Well, well, that changes everything then.” The three of them looked at Carlita just in time to see her mouthing some Latin words, before she vanished in a puff of smoke. “Bloody Hell!” “Son of a bitch!” “Stupid cow!” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N: Sorry for the wait. I've had a major writer's bloke for the past couple of months. Don't know what happened, but I'm over it now. Thank God. No, I did not give up on my story. I would never do that. Thank you for your patience. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Let me know.

Chapter #19 - Leaving on a jet plane

CHAPTER 19: Leaving on a jet plane "This is a last call for flight 1023 shortly departing for Los Angeles and continuing on to Sunnydale. All passengers should now make their way to gate A6. I repeat..." Not letting go of Spike's hand, Buffy stood up, then turned to face him when he didn't move. She raised an eyebrow in question. "Let's miss the flight." "What?" "Sunnyhell doesn't sound too appealing to me right now. Let's just stay here." "Spike, I'd love to, believe me, but we can't." "Why not? Give me one bloody good reason why not. I'm sure there's plenty of demons for you to fight right here in Hawaii. And bonus, they don't know you're the Slayer. They'll have the shock of their miserable lives. Could be fun." "One good reason? I hate to break this to you, but our budget doesn't allow us luxury of staying here... not even one more night. It was amazing and all, but it was just a vacation. Now it's time to go back to reality." "I have a bad feeling that reality might suck. Especially after the past two weeks." "And I think I remember promising you that nothing would change." Spike snickered. "That's until Harris starts brainwashing you. The stupid wanker can be convincing." "The 'stupid wanker', as you call him, is my friend. If you want me to get him to respect you, you're gonna have to do the same. Or at least try." Spike pouted. "He calls me names all the time. What am I supposed to do, thank him?" She rolled her eyes. "Of course not. But at least make an effort. Don't insult him unless provoked." "Well he's not here now, is he? So what's the problem?" "Spike..." "Fine, fine, I'll try. I'll do my bloody best. Cross my heart." The ground agent repeated her announcement over the PA, adding that all passengers must now be onboard. She gave Spike and Buffy a pointed look. Buffy tugged on Spike's hand until he got to his feet. She gave him a reassuring smile. "Everything will be fine. They got used to having you around already, accepting you as my boyfriend shouldn't be too much of a stretch." He kissed the top of her head before walking up to the gate. "I hope you're right, pet." She stood there watching him walk away and hand his ticket to the agent. She smiled to herself. No, she wouldn't let anyone get in the way. She had too much to lose. Spike turned to look at her. "You coming?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The night before... Spike was lying next to Buffy and was busying himself covering her tanned shoulder with light kisses. She was playing with the unruly bleached curls of his hair, but her quietness finally made him look up at her face. "What's wrong?" He asked when noticing the tiny lines between her brows indicating that she was not entirely with him at the moment. "Nothing's wrong. Just thinking." "Are you still fretting over that Italian cow getting away? We'll find her, you know. People like her are usually too bloody stupid to stay away. She'll come back and then we'll make her hurt, a lot." Buffy smiled. "That's not what I was thinking about, but thanks for cheering me up." "No problem, pet. What's bothering you then?" She pouted. "Leaving." "Aw, poor kitten. But we still have twenty four hours before we have to board the plane. What do you say we make the most of it?" He pushed the white cotton sheet down her body to her hips to allow him access to her stomach, then bent down to dip his tongue in her navel. Buffy giggled and squirmed. Spike grinned against her skin before blowing softly on the wet spot. Her giggling doubled. "Now that's better, pet. No more frowning." "No frowning. Promise. You have a real talent for turning it upside down." "That's my secret super power. Some vamps have thrall, some can disappear in a puff of smoke--ok not really, but you know what I mean--I can turn frowns upside down." "Not very efficient in a fight," Buffy commented "but I'll admit it's great in the bedroom." Spike lowered the sheet a little more and kissed her thigh. "It's important to have a sense of humor in the bedroom. Keeps things interesting. Not that shagging you could ever be boring, mind you." "No one's ever made me laugh in bed before." Spike bit her thigh. "Hey! What was that for?" She complained. "Not bloody interested in your sex life before me." "Jealous." "Never pretended not to be." "Fine. Then I'll never tell you how you're the best lover I've ever had, and how you're the only one who ever made me come, and..." "Put this way... knock yourself out, pet. I'd like to hear more." "Oh no, I wouldn't want to make you jealous or anything. You might bite me again." "And that's bad because?" Spike asked, looking at her with a sexy smirk. Buffy opened her mouth to reply, but couldn't come up with any reason why it would be bad to get bitten by him. Not to mention that the fresh smell of arousal he probably already noticed would contradict any argument she would have. Spike winked at her then positioned himself between her thighs. He opened her up to his greedy mouth with his fingers and licked her from bottom to top. Buffy shivered and fought the urge to close her eyes and throw her head back. She wanted to see him. He looked like a big cat feasting on her and it was such a turn on. She leaned on her elbows, her eyes never leaving him. The vampire licked her a few more times then suckled on her clit. The action made her whimper and moan softly, the sound almost like a purr. Spike smiled against her swollen flesh, obviously pleased with himself. He pushed a finger inside her and started thrusting slowly while his tongue worked wonders on her erect clit, bringing her closer and closer to the edge. Knowing instinctively that Buffy was close, Spike stopped what he was doing. Buffy had given up the fight and closed her eyes, but opened them again when she realized she couldn’t feel Spike’s mouth on her anymore. She blinked to clear her mind and gave him a questioning look. “Do you trust me?” He asked, the blue of his eyes dark with lust. Buffy nodded, her eyes not leaving his. “Yes.” Spike vamped out and lowered his head to caress the juncture of her thigh with his lips. He kissed her warm skin lovingly while adding another finger inside of her and resuming his thrusts. Then without warning, he broke the tender skin with his sharp fangs, careful not to hurt her. The first pull of his mouth sent blood straight to her sex. The intense feeling it created in her made Buffy arch her back and opened her mouth to let out a scream that probably terrified the people staying in the room next to theirs. An almost violent orgasm wracked its way through her, taking her breath away and preventing any more noise to come out of her mouth. The pleasure was so intense that she felt like she was leaving her body. Spike pulled his fangs out and carefully licked the blood trickling down her golden flesh and staining the white sheet. Then he crawled up Buffy’s still shivering body to come rest next to her, cradling her against him. She was still staring at the ceiling, shocked by this new experience. Spike frowned with worry. “Are you all right, pet? Did I hurt you?” “What?… No!” She shook her head vehemently. “Far from it. Why?” He reached up and brushed a tear from her cheek with his fingertip. “You’re crying.” “Oh.” She touched her own cheek to find out that he was right. “I didn’t even realize. It’s good tears though. It’s ‘Oh my God, you just blew my mind’ tears. Don’t worry.” He smiled at her before kissing her forehead. “Good.” “So… Can we do that again someday, or was it a one time deal?” She asked almost shyly. She was blushing. “Anytime you want, kitten. You know I’ll always give you anything you want, right?” “I know. Spike…” She looked at him for a moment before finally adding: “I love you.” The emotions showing on the vampire’s expressive face brought more tears to Buffy’s eyes. Unable to find the right words to express what her words had meant to him, he finally crushed his lips to hers for a brief yet passionate kiss. Then he looked her in the eyes, a blinding smile on his face. “God, I love you too, Buffy. So much.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Buffy dropped into her window seat with a deep sigh of relief. The airport experience hadn't seemed so bad on the way to Hawaii, but the promise of gorgeous white beaches, turquoise water and fruity drinks had made the ordeal almost bearable. Now, going back home, it all seemed like a torture thought up by the cruel ruler of the underworld. And it all had been one piece of bad luck after another. First, there was a huge line up at the check in counter. After waiting in line for almost an hour next to an arguing couple, the person at the counter informed them with a disdainful look that they would be sitting at the back of the plane because they were almost the last ones to check in. Then, they were told they had to rush to the gate because they were late. Security had been a nightmare. They had Spike take off his shoes, his socks, his coat, his belt. It took everything for Buffy to keep him calm so he wouldn’t insult the security agent. The last thing they needed was for him to get strip searched and miss their flight. But Buffy almost lost it herself when they emptied her bag and looked at every item in it for what seemed like an eternity. She wanted to scream "It's a book, people, not a bomb!" But she managed to bite her tongue and smile tightly. Finally, they ran to the gate, only to find out the flight was delayed by an hour. But really, the cherry on top of the sundae had been the short walk from the front of the plane to the back. Short in distance, maybe. But between being stuck in the aisle behind everybody who thought boarding was a great time to block the aisle to empty their carry on bags, and Spike making comments about trying out the mile high club loud enough for the entire plane to hear, it felt like hours to Buffy. Spike nearly growled when another passenger pushed rudely pass him to get to his seat. The passenger didn't even look back. Spike sat next to Buffy, closed his eyes and took a deep calming breath. "I have never wished more for the chip to malfunction." At Buffy's disapproving look, he quickly amended. "Not to kill, pet. Just to have the luxury of throwing a couple well deserved punches. It would help take the edge off." "I know. I was ready to hit someone too. It seems like all we've been doing for the past three hours is hurry up and wait. Thankfully, nobody was sitting next to them and they were grateful for the privacy. "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome on board flight 1023 to Los Angeles and continuing on to Sunnydale. The flight time tonight to Los Angeles will be six hours and ten minutes at an altitude of 37 000 feet. In preparation for take off, we ask you to please fasten your seat belts and make sure that all hand luggage is placed securely under the seat in front of you, or in the over head compartments. We would like to remind you that all our flights are non smoking and the use of cellular phones is prohibited. Thank you and have a good flight." "Six hours without a fag. Bloody hell. After all they put us through, they should at least allow us one. It's only fair." "Not much you could do about it anyway; they took your lighter at security." "Soddin' hell!" "Spike?" "What do you think about Ben? Do you think he can be trusted?" "Hard to tell, pet. After all, he did double cross his own family." "Because he wanted to do the right thing." "Or because he was afraid to die." "He knew we can't kill humans. Besides, he did try to warn us before she sent the demon after us." "Buffy, if you do trust the bloke, why do you ask me?" "I don't know if I do or don't, I'm just arguing for the sack of arguing. If I listen to my instincts, I'm tempted to give him the benefit of the doubt." "It's not like we got a say in this anyway. He’s on a plane to London as we speak. We'll just have to wait and see." "I guess." Buffy said thoughtfully. "Why do you think he wanted me to read the Watchers' journals?" "Your guess is as good as mine, pet." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Earlier that morning in Buffy and Spike's room... Ben was standing awkwardly by the door in a suit that reminded Buffy of Giles. The only difference was the black shirt underneath the tweed jacket that brought a more modern touch to the outfit, and the missing bowtie. Buffy wondered for a moment when Giles had stopped wearing a bowtie. Her mentor had changed so much in the past few years, and she hadn't even noticed. "So, we have an agreement?" Spike asked from his slouched position on the armchair by the bed. "Of course. You can count on me. I am so grateful for your understanding... I will do anything I can to help you." He picked up the small suitcase on the floor. Then, his hand on the door knob, Ben hesitated. "What is it?" Buffy asked when it was obvious he had something else to say. Ben turned to face Buffy. "Could I give you some advice, Miss Summers?" "Advice is good. What's up?" "When you get back to Sunnydale, it would be to your advantage to take some time to read the Watchers' journals. I believe they are in Mr. Giles' possession. These are usually hidden from Slayers, but I think if you could find a way to get them without your Watcher knowing, you could learn a great deal. Especially about the Council. Things they don't want you to know and that could be useful in order to keep you one step ahead of them." "Probably not on Oprah's best sellers list..." Buffy pouted, not sure she liked the perspective of spending hours reading books written by stuffy watchers. "I think Travers Jr. might be right, Slayer. The more you know, the better." Spike commented. "A few of the journals are being kept by the Council. I don't know for sure what's in them and why they haven't been made available to your watcher, but if I believe the rumors, there's something in them the Slayer is not supposed to know about." The vampire sat up, suddenly more interested. "And you think you can get your hand on those?" Ben smiled. "I will do my best." "Thanks for the heads up, Ben. It was surprisingly nice meeting you. You must be adopted." Buffy joked. Benjamin Travers laughed good naturedly. "Thank you, Miss Summers." "Call me Buffy." "It was nice meeting you, Buffy. And you too Spike. I shouldn't have listened to what my uncle said about the two of you." "See you, Junior. We'll be keeping in touch." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Spike and Buffy waited at the back of the aircraft for the other passengers to deplane. Buffy was exhausted. While sleeping on Spike's shoulder was comfortable in a bed, it was an entirely different thing sitting upright in a very stiff and uncomfortable seat. She had slept a total of an hour out of the six the flight had lasted, and it wasn't an uninterrupted rest either. She was now ready to go home and sleep in her own bed. Hopefully with Spike next to her. That thought almost gave her heartburn. The mere idea that in order for that to happen, she would have to confront her friends tonight about the sudden turn her relationship with the vampire had taken, made her want to run and hide. But she'd made a promise to him that she wouldn't keep him as her dirty secret and she wasn't about to let him down. Said vampire snaked his arms around her from behind and pulled her close. "You look tired, pet. Ready to go home?" "God yes. As amazing as this little vacation was, I missed Dawn. I wonder how her trip with her friend was. I can't wait to hear about her adventures. And tell her about our. A PG-13 version, of course." Spike smirked. "Of course. Wouldn't want to traumatize the nibblet. We'll keep the restaurant bathroom escapade for Xander and Giles." Buffy turned her head and narrowed her eyes at her lover. "Don't you dare." "Don't worry, kitten. I'll keep it to myself. I'll file this in the little box in my head marked: blackmail." "You know, you're right, Spike. You're still evil." He grinned and hugged her closer. "I'm the Big Bad alright. Better remember it." The flight attendant standing in the galley behind them cleared her throat noisily. Buffy looked up to see that the plane was empty. She turned to give the flight attendant an apologetic smile. "Oops, sorry." The woman gave her a plastic smile, obviously wanting to get the hell out of there so she could go home after a long night of work. The blonde couple grabbed their bags and made their way through the narrow aisle to the front of the plane. Despite Buffy expressing her desire to go home earlier, they were both dragging their feet while walking through the airport. As they walked side by side, their arms brushing against each other, Spike took Buffy's hand in his. "Are you going to sleep at your crypt tonight?" Buffy asked, breaking the comfortable silence. "Nah. I was thinking I could spend the night at my ocean view mansion." Buffy rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling. "You're such a comedian." "Where else would I go, pet? Unless..." "Unless you want to, maybe, spend the night at my place?" Spike squeezed her hand affectionately. "I'd love that." They walked the rest of the way to the baggage carrousel in silence, Spike never letting go of her hand. She had told him before that he had nothing to worry about and she wouldn't keep their relationship hidden, but he hadn't had real hope until now. She was really going to do this. She'd asked him to sleep at her place. Her sister, her friends, they would find out and she was obviously OK with that. He felt lighter than he had in years. Slowly, the crowd parted in front of them to reveal a short familiar redhead and an equally familiar but taller, and slightly chubby, brunette construction worker. Willow and Xander were far off, but noticed them and waved. And then Buffy made a mistake. She quickly let go of Spike's hand and took a step to the side to put some space between them. The look on his face was worth a thousand words and made it hard for her to breath. He started walking faster, leaving her behind. "Spike! Wait..." She tried to stop him, but he had already walked pass Willow and Xander, completely ignoring their greeting, and kept going until he was out of the airport and in a cab.

Chapter #20 - Dawn, master of puppets

CHAPTER 20: Dawn, Master of puppets "Good morning, Dawnie. Slept well?" Wearing pink fuzzy slippers and a purple pajama with little pink hearts on it, Willow walked into the sunny kitchen with a bright smile on her face. She had always been a morning person. She loved this moment of the day when everything was fresh and new, just before your problems from the previous day caught up with you and brought you back to reality. By the look of things, Dawn was far from sharing her love of early mornings. The girl was sitting at the breakfast counter, looking gloomily at her soggy cereal through the strands of long brown hair falling in front of her face. "Yeah, whatever." She answered, obviously cranky. Used to the girl's unpredictable moods, Willow shrugged it off and went to the refrigerator to get the carton of orange juice. She poured herself a tall glass and downed half of it in a few long gulps. “Any plans for today? I remember you wanted to go shopping. We could go together,” the short redhead suggested pleasantly while turning back to face Dawn. Still not looking up, Dawn refused to answer. If anything, her look darkened even more, her eyes narrowing dangerously and her lips pressed into a thin line. “Dawnie, are you OK?” Willow asked, finally realizing that the young girl’s mood went beyond morning crankiness. Dawn stood up abruptly, and took her still full cereal bowl to the sink, dropping it in noisily. She turned to face Willow, fire in her blue eyes. “You know,” She said “for a best friend, you kinda suck.” The witch looked stunned. She blinked a few times, trying to find words. “...What? What did I do?” “You were so busy being selfish and blabbing away last night that you never even realized that Buffy didn’t say a word, never considered there might be something wrong with her. She spent the night crying in her bed and yet you slept like a baby. Seriously.” Dawn shook her head angrily. “You know what, never mind. I’m gonna go check on my sister. Because I care, unlike other people.” Dawn marched out of the kitchen and up the stairs, leaving behind a shocked Willow. She knocked lightly on Buffy’s door “Buffy?” For the longest time, there was no answer, but then she heard a muffled “Go away.” Ignoring an order to “Go away” was almost instinctive for the younger Summers girl. She turned the knob and walked in, shutting the door behind her. Buffy groaned and pulled the blankets over her head. “Why is go away so hard for you to understand?” She mumbled, just loud enough for Dawn to hear despite the blankets. Dawn sat on the bed. “Oh, I don’t know... Maybe because that would mean I’d have to pretend not to care that you came back home all sad and didn’t sleep all night. And also because it’s in my job description as your little sister to annoy you.” Buffy peeked at Dawn from underneath the blankets. “And you’re doing a bang up job. They couldn’t have sent anyone better to fill the position of the annoying little sister.” “Probably because they made me out of you.” The young girl said thoughtfully. “That explains a lot.” “Yeah, like why we have the same taste in clothes. That’s my sweater by the way.” Buffy commented, looking pointedly at the cream cashmere sweater Dawn was wearing. “And it will be back in your closet by tonight. Unless you and I go shopping today, then I can change into whatever cute new clothes I’ll get.” “Nice try missy. But I’m not going anywhere. And I’m not sad. Just tired. And just so you know, I didn’t sleep last night because I’m jet lagged. There.” She went back to her hiding place under the covers. “Rrrright.” Dawn snorted. “There’s like a two hours time difference between here and Hawaii. That doesn’t qualify as jetlag. Buffy, I’m not deaf. You were crying.” “I so was not. I have allergies.” “Since when?” “Dawn, leave me ALONE.” “Fine. Be that way.” Dawn stood up and went to the corner of the room where Buffy’s suitcase was still unpacked. She unzipped it and started emptying her sister’s dirty clothes, separating everything into piles of colors, whites and darks. The blonde head emerged from the covers again. “What the hell are you doing?” Dawn shrugged, not turning to look at her sister. “Laundry.” “Since when?! Have you ever done the laundry before?” An incredulous Buffy asked. “Did too. Lots of times.” “Yeah, like twice. When mom forced you.” “It doesn’t mean I don’t know how to do it. And it’s not like Willow will take care of it. You’ve been gone for two weeks with all my favorite Buffy clothes. I want ‘em back.” “Dawn...” The tall brunette turned around, an exasperated look on her face. “Look, I’m trying to do something nice for you here. Can you just let me? You won’t talk to me so it’s the least I can do. Just go back to sleep and get some rest.” Dawn finished separating the clothes. She emptied the rest of the content of the suitcase, shampoo, blow dryer, make up, and found the camera. She glanced back at the still form of her sister on the bed to make sure she wasn’t looking, then put the small digital camera in her back pocket. She then grabbed an armful of clothes and left the room. She’d bugged Buffy the night before to see the pictures of her trip, but Buffy had said that she was too tired and wanted to go to bed. She didn’t need Buffy to narrate, she could look at the picture without her there to make comments on each and every one of them. Besides, maybe she would find a clue that would explain Buffy’s mood. Most likely, she’d fought with Spike for the entire trip. Or maybe it was raining for two weeks straight. She’d see that on the pictures. Willow was sitting at the table chewing on toast. Dawn ignored her and went to the basement to put the clothes in the washer. Once that was done, she sat on the floor with her back against the machine and turned the camera on. When the first picture appeared on the small screen, she squinted to look at it, not sure of what she was seeing. Then she squealed loudly and hid her eyes after realizing that it was Spike. A lot more of Spike than she ever wanted to see. The basement door opened and Willow looked down. “Dawn? Is everything OK?” “Yeah... Just a spider. I’m fine.” “Oh. You want me to kill it for you?” “I said I’m fine.” Dawn snapped. “I already killed it.” “OK.” Dawn waited for Willow to close the basement door again before returning her attention to the camera. She made a grossed out face then clicked to move on to the next picture. She moved through the pictures as fast as she could, having no interest in her sister or Spike in their birthday suits. She stopped when she reached a picture of them kissing lovingly. “Well that explains it.” She said to herself, rolling her eyes at how stupid they were. They probably got into some stupid fight before coming back. The girl sighed and stood up. “That just won’t do.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For a place of death, Spike's crypt was usually lively. It was almost a representation of who he was: the most alive corpse there ever was. A living, talking, contradiction. But not today. When Dawn walked in, she shivered and hugged herself. The place was dark, gloomy and musky. For the first time since she started visiting Spike on a regular basis last year, it looked like what it was: someone's grave site. Until she heard a crash coming from downstairs and noticed the soft light coming from the opened trap door. There was a muffled curse and Dawn slowly walked to the trap door. It sounded like Spike was talking to someone, but by the one sided conversation, she could tell he was doing the questions and the answers. "So bleedin' stupid... should have known better. The bloody bint had the nerve to look into my eyes and promise. And I believed her. Was too good to be true." Looking down through the trap door, Dawn cleared her throat. "Bloody Hell! What do you want? Came back to taunt me, did you? I was right, you got a lot of bloody stones, Slayer!" Dawn squealed when she heard the noise of a bottle breaking. "Spike! It's me... Dawn. Relax. Geez." "Go away, bit. It's not a good time." "If I got a quarter for every time I heard that word today, I wouldn't need to ask people to go shopping with me. I'd buy my own stuff." "I'm serious, Dawn. I'm really not in the mood." "Yeah well, tough luck. I'm pissed too and I want to talk to you. If you're naked, you better cover up because I'm coming down and I don't want to see it... again." She waited a few seconds before slowly making her way down the steps. She jumped the last few steps and turned to face the clearly angry vampire. Good thing she knew Spike would never hurt her, because she would be a little scared. Spike nearly growled. "You're one stubborn little bint, pigeon." "I know." She put her hands on her hips, trying to look more intimidating than she was. "I get that from..." "Don't finish that sentence." Spike interrupted. Dawn snorted. "Her name WILL come up in this conversation, so you should get used to it now." "Dawn." The tone of the vampire's voice was almost threatening. "Go HOME." "I came here to figure out something, and I won't leave before I do. So the faster we start talking, the faster I'll be out of here." Spike sighed. He shut his eyes and rubbed his temples. He turned around and went to find another bottle of booze. "What do you want, Dawn?" "I want to know what the hell happened between you and Buffy." "That's not your concern, nibblet." "Uh... Yes it is. She's my sister and you're my friend. It's my concern when both of you are unhappy." He laughed, but there was no humor in the sound. "Nothing happened. No one's unhappy. End of the story." "Oh really?" Dawn crossed her arms over her chest. "Funny cause I saw some pictures that led me to believe otherwise." Spike almost choked on a mouthful of Whiskey. "Soddin' hell! You saw the pictures??" She blushed brightly and ducked her head. "I kinda... borrowed the camera." "Bleedin' hell!" Spike rushed to put a t-shirt on, as if it would erase whatever the young girl had seen. Dawn managed to joke despite her embarrassment. “A little late for that, isn’t it?” The vampire narrowed his eyes at her. “Now I understand why your sister gets so mad when you touch her things without asking first.” She rolled her eyes. “Relax. It’s not like I actually looked at the pictures. After the first one burned my cornea, I skipped through them until I reached a more decent one. And my point is: something did happen between you guys and I want to know why you’re not together right now being all happy and stuff.” “It doesn’t matter, Dawn. Whatever happened, it’s over.” “Oh. So you guys had a stupid fight before arriving here and that’s it? You’re giving up? Wow. You two are more stupid than I thought you were.” “Hey!” “Well you are. I’ve wanted so badly for the two of you to get together and just when my wish comes true, it’s over. I thought you were perfect for each other. Guess I was wrong.” Dawn stopped trying to look tough, her arms falling at her side and tears welling up in her large blue eyes. She looked like a lost little girl. The anger drained right out of Spike. He was always a sucker for a crying woman. Couldn’t stand it. “Look, nibblet. I’m sorry you’re disappointed, but things are the way they are. There’s nothing I can do. I thought it would work out between us, but it didn’t.” “I thought you were a fighter, Spike. All this time, Buffy didn’t give you the time of day, but you still stuck around and hoped. And now, you just give up after one stupid fight. I don’t get it. What did she do? I know she did something. She always messes up everything. It’s the blonde hair thing.” Spike sat down on the bed, looking defeated. “I don’t want to talk about it. Let’s just say she promised something to me, and broke her promise at the first bloody occasion. She’ll never change and I can’t handle it.” Anger returned to Dawn’s eyes. “Fine. If you won’t tell me, I’ll get the story from Buffy herself. Maybe you don’t think it’s worth fighting for, but I do. I won’t give up until you’re together again.” “Stay out of it, Dawn. It’s between Buffy and I.” But Dawn had already made her way up stairs and out of sight. “Dawn... Dawn!”

Chapter #21 - Olive branch

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N: I just want to thank you all for sticking with the story even though it takes me such a long time to post. I'm sorry, life is keeping me busy. But I promise I'll try to do better. I'm still enjoying your reviews so much, so keep em coming! The lyrics at the beginning of the chapter are from 'Sand in my shoes' by Dido. CHAPTER 21: Olive branch "I've still got sand in my shoes And I can't shake the thought of you I should get on, forget you But why would I want to I know we said goodbye Anything else would've been confused But I wanna see you again" A million thoughts were fighting for attention in Buffy's head as she mindlessly followed the familiar path from her house to Scooby Central. The weather contrasted nicely with her mood; the sun was as bright as her thoughts were grim. But as usual, she chose to ignore what should be the most important thing and instead focus on what she was good at: Slaying, demons, research... or at least, having other people research demon stuff. She had just spent the entire night beating herself up for yet again screwing up her love life. She refused to do it any longer. The whole relationship thing was apparently too abstract a concept for her to understand. Killing. That she could do. She might hate the research that came with the slaying, but at least, it would keep her mind busy for a while. She reached the door to the Magic Box and opened it with purpose. Bringing the Scoobies up to speed on the whole Carlita debacle would give her something concrete to focus on. Focus was of the good. Moping was not. Definitely not. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On the other side of town, one Miss Dawn Summers was about to abandon herself to a fit of hormonal anger. For once, her teenage drama wasn't about herself. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, not even in exchange for a lifetime supply of anchovy pizza, but it was nice to deal with someone else's drama for a change. It gave her a sense of purpose. Although, if she was honest, it was about her in a way. If both her sister and Spike were miserable, who would be the one to suffer? Exactly. She would. After all, she lived with Buffy and would have to deal with her sour puss on an every day basis. How could she convince her annoying sister that she really needed that new pair of boots if Buffy was in a pissy mood? And no more of Spike's stories while munching on Buffalo wings if he was too drunk and depressed to even talk. So it WAS about her. Damn. So much for the selfless act. But Buffy wasn't home anymore, and now Dawn felt like she was on a wild goose chase around town. She had expected to find her in her room where she'd last seen her, but the bed was unmade and Buffy free. Willow wasn't there either. The house was silent and empty, not even a note on the fridge to let her know where to find everybody. Her best guess being the Magic Box, that's where she was heading now. The tall brunette stopped before entering Anya's beloved money making business place. She pushed her sunglasses on top of her head and pulled down on her too short skirt to make it look more decent. Wouldn't do to have a confrontation with her sister about what was or wasn't appropriate for her age. Better keep that fight for another day. She walked in with a smile on her face, but it faded when she didn't see Buffy sitting with the rest of the gang. "Hey, Dawnie." Tara greeted her, taking her eyes off the book she was reading just long enough to smile at her. "Hey." Dawn walked up to the table where they were all sitting apparently in extreme research mode. "What are you guys up to?" Before anybody could answer, Giles walked in carrying a fresh pot of tea that he put down on the only corner of the table that wasn't taken by piles of books. Dawn beamed when she saw him. "Giles! You're back!" She walked up to him and engulfed him in a tight hug. The watcher had been called by the Council a week ago. They had asked him to fly to London so they could review his Slayer's training and get a complete report on the current situation on the Hellmouth. Or at least, that's what they'd said. But it had all been a complete waste of time and they'd suddenly sent him back home two days ago, a week earlier than he was supposed to come back. The watcher seemed beyond tired, but smiled warmly at the teenager. "It would appear so. Although I'm afraid my brain doesn't know that yet. I'm still on London time. I just arrived a few hours ago." "Why aren't you at home resting?" He sighed deeply before sitting at the table. "There is no rest to be had when one lives on the Hellmouth, unfortunately." "Yeah, Buffy just told us about some demon chick who tried to ruin her vacation by attempting to kill her." Xander explained. "And to think that all this time, my money was on Spike ruining it for her. Guess even I can be wrong sometimes." Dawn perked up when she heard her sister's name being mentioned. "So she was here? Where did she go? I need to talk to her." "In the back." Willow supplied helpfully. "You know her, ten minutes of research and she needed a break." "Can't blame her." Anya pouted, obviously bored by the content of the book in front of her. Dawn was already making her way to the back of the store. "Thanks!" She walked into the training room but it was empty. She went to the back door and opened it to look in the alley. There was Buffy, sitting on the crate. The back of her head was resting against the brick wall and her eyes were closed. To the casual observer, it looked like she was taking a moment to enjoy the warm caress of the sun on her face, but the frown creasing her forehead said otherwise. She spoke without opening her eyes. "Go away, Dawn. Is it too much to ask for a moment to myself?" Dawn ignored her and hopped on the crate next to her. "Yep." The Slayer groaned. "What the hell did I do to the Powers That Be to deserve that?" "Uh... For starters, you're acting all stoopid." Buffy opened her eyes to look at her sister. The teenager was grinning smugly. "I'm not acting 'stoopid'. You don't know what you're talking about, Dawn, so just let it go, would you?" "I know a lot more than you think I do. And I won't let it go, so brace yourself." "Oh really?" Buffy challenged. "And what is it you think you know, oh wise one?" "I know about you and Spike." Buffy looked surprised but didn't confirm or deny. "And I know you screwed things up." The surprised look turned angry. "Hey!" "Don't deny it." Buffy looked away. "I see. So you talked to Spike then?" Dawn snorted. "Attempted to talk to Spike is more like it. He was too drunk, hurt and pissed off to have a decent conversation." Guilt flashed across Buffy's features, but she didn't say anything. "One thing he refused to tell me and I'm really curious about though... What the heck did you do to him?" Dawn asked. This time, the tiny blonde attempted to defend herself... weakly. "And why exactly do you just assume I'm the one who did something to him?" Dawn raised an eyebrow and Buffy deflated. "Fine. I am stupid. Are you happy? I screwed up. I'm a screw up. End of the pathetic story." "That's not an answer. What did you do?" Dawn insisted, determined to get to the bottom of the story. "I can't fix it if I don't know exactly what happened." "You can't fix it. I hurt him without even wanting to." Buffy almost whispered. "I promised him I wouldn't hide what happened between us, but as soon as we arrived at the airport and I saw my friends, I broke my promise." "Why did you do that? What were you afraid of? You kill demons every night and you're afraid of Xander and Willow?" Dawn added the last part with a snort. "I wasn't afraid and I wasn't going to hide anything. I just didn't want them to find out at the airport in front of thousands of people. I was going to tell everybody, but in private." "And you couldn't have explained that to Spike before you got there? Or even after? I'm sure he would have understood." Buffy sighed. "I didn't think of telling him that before because I never thought it would be an issue. I thought they'd wait for us at the car, we'd get home, and then I would tell them. But then, we were holding hands and when I saw them... I just didn't think it would be a good idea for them to find out this way. Xander would have exploded like a nuclear bomb." "Ok. Fine. I get that. But why didn't you talk with him after?" "I never had the chance. He ran away. He freaked out and left. Dawn, the look on his face... He looked so hurt and disappointed. In that moment, I felt like the worst bitch in the whole world. Believe me, I thought of going to his crypt and explain myself after we got home, but I couldn't face him. And the longer I waited, the worse it got. I spent all night awake, debating about going, then changing my mind, imagining what he would say and how angry he would be. I couldn't do it." "Well you're gonna go now. You have to. I won't let you ruin your chances at being happy." Dawn said firmly, her tone of voice leaving no place for argument. "And what will I say to him? Even if my intentions were good, it doesn't make the way he felt at the airport less real. I did hurt him. And why would he believe me? He'll probably think I'm bullshitting him to get some Spike lovin'." Dawn frowned and thought about it for a moment. "Yeah... makes sense. He wasn't exactly in a listening mood." Buffy whimpered and hung her head. "But..." She looked up at her little sister, her big hazel eyes filled with hope. "But?" "But if it's already done, then he'll have to believe you." The brunette grinned almost triumphantly. "You mean..." "I mean, they're all inside right now. You have your captive audience. Take a deep breath, march inside, tell them you're in love with Spike and you don't care whether they approve or not. Then you go to him. A big fight deserves a big gesture. I think that's a big enough one." "You think that would work?" Buffy asked, hopeful and terrified at the same time?" Arm extended, Dawn pointed commandingly at the door. "Don't think about it, just do it. Go!" Buffy hopped off the crate and walked toward the door like a woman on death row. She stopped and turn to look at her sister, her eyes almost pleading. Dawn gave her a pointed look. "GO. And don't try to escape through the front door or I'll tell them myself." Buffy walked in and crossed the training room. She took a deep breath. She tried to give herself a pep talk. "Come on, Buf, don't be stupid. So what if they're pissed. It's not like you need their approval anyway. No one liked Anya at first, but it didn't stop Xander from dating her, right? Right." She walked to the table where they were all sitting, silently going through dusty books. She stood there for a while before Giles finally looked up and noticed her. "Buffy, I'm afraid this Carlita person might be a tad bit difficult to track down. She could be anywhere in the world. Are you certain she is a threat? Maybe she'll be smart enough to stay away..." "I don't really care about that right now, Giles. There's something... " "You mean you had us researching for hours and you don't even care?" Xander exclaimed indignantly. Research was definitely not something he enjoyed. "Yes. I mean no! It is important, there's just something else I need to tell you. It's difficult because some of you won't like it, so let me just say it." That got everyone's attention. They all looked at her, silently waiting for her to say what she had to say. Suddenly, she felt ridiculous for feeling like she was a little child in front of them. They were her friends, not a jury. She had a right to be in love with whomever she chose and it was just too bad if they didn't like it. So she squared her shoulders, put on the Slayer look and said it. "While on vacation, Spike and I got together." At the blank stares she got, she felt obliged to clarify. "As in 'together' together. As a couple. I don't know if it will work out or not, but I'm in love with him and... Well, that's that. I love your guys, you're my friends, but I have to think of myself sometimes. He makes me happy and whether you approve or not, as my friends, you should be happy that I'm happy." Her bravado left her and was replaced by insecurity at the looks that she got. "Right?" She added in a small voice. That wasn't so bad, she thought to herself. But she celebrated too fast. The silence seemed to go on forever. She could almost hear the crickets chirping. Then Xander stood up so fast his chair fell backward, crashing noisily to the floor. "Xander..." He was out the front door before she could add anything else. She turned her eyes back to the table. Giles' face was a mask carved in stone. He just stared at her a little while longer, then went back to his book without even making a comment. Buffy tried her hardest to hold back the tears. "Giles?" "I don't want to discuss this right now, Buffy." His voice was cold. The Slayer turned her eyes to Willow, then Tara and Anya. As usual, the ex vengeance demon was oblivious. She just smiled and said "Hey, good for you." then returned to her bridal magazine. Tara looked like she wanted to disappear. The soft spoken witch didn't deal well with tension. She gave the Slayer a weak smile, but didn't say anything. Buffy hoped to find comfort on Willow's face at least, but the red head remained expression less. She finally spoke, her voice guarded. "Buffy, are you sure about that. I mean..." Before she could finish what she was saying, Buffy was already walking to the front door. She might not need their approval, but it didn't mean she hadn't hoped to get it. So she left. No way was she going to let them see her tears. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter #22 - You and me against the world

CHAPTER 22: You and me against the world She'd thought getting there would be the worse part. Then, once she made it, she changed her mind and decided that walking there had been a piece of cake compared to actually opening the door. But after spending a good five minutes standing in front of said door, then finding the inner courage to open it, walking in turned out to be quite the challenge. The inside of Spike's crypt was silent and dark. As she took a few tentative steps, Buffy half expected an invisible orchestra to play a suspenseful score to accompany her. Instead, the only soundtrack to her nerve wracking march was her own heart beat. Finally, she took a deep breath and called out Spike's name, if only to break the painful silence. When she didn't get any answer, she walked to the trap door and jumped down, not bothering with the ladder. "Spike?" Buffy blinked a few times, her eyes trying to adjust to the darkness surrounding her. She knew Spike was there, could feel the tingling at the back of her neck, but didn't see him right away. Looking around, she finally spotted him sitting in his old, ratty armchair. "Not a good time, Buffy." He finally said after a few uncomfortable moments. He almost spat out her name. He was in a bad mood. Fine. She'd been expecting that. "Spike, we need to talk." "Don't." He nearly growled. "Look, I know you're angry, and you have every right to be," she started to say. His eyes fixed on her, Spike slowly stood up. Every muscle in his body was tensed, but he still moved with feline grace. Buffy didn't step back--she knew he would never hurt her--but her heart rate increased nevertheless. "I'm sure the last thing you want to do is listen to me right now, but I had to tell you..." Spike stopped mere inches from her. She could tell by the look in his eyes that he was not hearing a word she was saying. "Spike..." Before she could react, he'd grabbed her and pulled her hard against him, his lips crashing on hers. "Mmmph!" She tried to say something, but was silence by the cool tongue invading her mouth. She struggled a little, managed to pull away long enough to say "I told..." but never finished her sentence. She did a little mental shrug, then kissed him back just as ferociously. Since her original goal was to get back the Spike lovin' and that's what seemed to be happening at the moment, it didn't make a difference anymore whether she told him about her friends now and after. The second he stopped, she'd tell him. Buffy closed her eyes and yielded power to him, giving him complete control of the situation and offering no resistance. He picked her up and walked her to the bed where he dropped her unceremoniously, following her in her fall, but landing on his elbows to avoid hurting her. He ripped her silk chocolate brown wrap dress opened and kissed a path across her naked chest before going back to her lips. He didn’t even seem to notice his face had shifted and the demon had taken control. Not taking his lips off of hers, he reached down with one hand and made her panties disappear with a flick of his wrist. He threw the torn underwear away and returned his attention to the naked blonde goddess beneath him. Buffy fumbled with the buttons of his jeans, all the while thanking God that he was shirtless which would significantly cut back on the undressing time. If he'd been wearing a shirt, it would have probably got ruined. Spike flipped them so she was on top of him, and she automatically sat up on him and sunk down on his cock, gasping and panting. She let the relief of having him deep inside of her wash over her before starting to move. Their frenzied, desperate movements slowed as they slipped into the comfortable familiarity of making love together. Spike sat up and scooted back, bringing Buffy with him. Her knees on either side of him and her arms around his neck, she rose and fell on his erection, squeezing him tightly with each downward motion. As they both neared their orgasm, Spike nuzzled her neck and bit down on her tender flesh. Buffy whimpered but only held him closer to her. After a few pull of her blood, he retracted his fangs and whispered a simple word: Mine. His head was down, as if he was afraid to look at her. She put her hand under his chin and looked into the yellow eyes of the demon. "Yours." Spike looked shocked. He'd claimed her instinctively, without thinking about what he was doing, and hadn't expected her to accept it. Hesitantly, he bit his own wrist. Knowing what to do without having to be told, without having to be told, Buffy grabbed his arm with both hands and put her lips to the open wound. She sucked on it for a moment, then looked at him again. "Mine." "Yours." They both came hard, then Spike fell back, his head resting against the wall and Buffy's cheek against his chest. After a while, she sat up to look at him, worried by his silence. His eyes were closed. "Spike?" He didn't open his eyes. "Buffy, I'm so sorry..." "Oh no you don't!" She exclaimed angrily. His eyes shot open. "Don't you dare ruin this moment, Spike, or I swear to God, claim or not, I will stake you." "But, we didn't even talk about this first. You mean, you really wanted this?" She rolled her eyes at him. "Did you have to pin me down and twist my arm behind my back?" "No but..." "No but nothing." She interrupted. "I'm a big girl and no one makes me do something I don't want to do. I wanted this more than anything and I'm happy. You have nothing to apologize for." She bent down and kissed him softly. She was surprised to feel his relief and love as if it was hers. She looked at him questioningly. "What?" He asked. "Nothing. It's just..." She didn't know how to explain what she was feeling. Spike smiled. "You can feel it too?" Buffy nodded. "Is it normal that I know how you feel?" "Part of the claim, pet. There are a lot of misconceptions about claims, like that you can read each other's thoughts, or that two mates glow when they‘re near each other, or that if one dies, the other one does too. A bunch of bollocks that some people believe. Because of that, not too many vampires mate. But the truth is, a claim is like a deep connection. And yes, other vampires can smell it on you. Might not stop them from trying to kill you, but they'll be a little more wary of consequences, and they'll never try to turn you." She smiled, then rested her head on his shoulder, cuddling to his side contentedly. "Good to know." "No regrets then?" "Nope. You?" The vampire laughed at the question. "No. Never." "Spike?" "Yeah?" "Before we got sidetracked, I was here to say that I told my friends about us." Spike stared at the top of Buffy's head, surprise in his blue eyes. "... You did?" She nodded against him. He wasn't sure what to say. This was the last thing he’d expected. "How did they react?" The distress he felt coming from her answered his question. Buffy looked up at him with a sad little smile. "Oh luv." He pulled her closer against him. "You didn't have to do this alone. That's not what I wanted. I'm sorry, I should have been there." "To do what?" "I don't know. Emotional support? Or," he looked slightly sheepish, "make it worse, probably." She chuckled. "Like they say, it's the thought that counts. But I'm sure you standing there smirking at him wouldn't have helped with Xander's reaction. Or Giles' for that matter." "They gave you a hard time? You want me to brave the headache and bite them?" "No. But thanks for the offer." She sighed. "I'm not even all that upset about that. I kinda expected them to flip out. But it's the girls' reaction that surprised me. I hoped they would defend me but they didn't." "I'm sorry to hear that, pet. But Buffy, you do realize it's not that you didn't tell them that got me upset, it's that you couldn't be honest with me. If you weren't ready to tell your friends about you and me, I would have understood. But saying you would, then acting all embarrassed in front of them, that I wasn't fine with. Made me feel like a bloody idiot for believing you." "That's the thing, I was ready to tell them. I just didn't want them to find out this way." "You should have told me that." "I know. Can I just say I'm sorry?" He smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Yes you can. And I'm sorry I acted like a real wanker and didn't give you a chance to explain." "Apology accepted, moving on." "Yes, moving on." "Can I say something without you thinking I'm completely paranoid?" Spike could sense the tension in her and it made him tense too. Being connected on such a deep level would take some getting use to. "What is it?" "It's probably nothing. It's just that after what happened in Hawaii with Quentin Travers trying to get rid of us, Giles' reaction worried me. It will sound stupid. I know Giles is not exactly Mr. Council man, but... Do you think there is a possibility that maybe Travers got to him?" "You mean, convinced him that you need to be taken out of the picture because you're with me?" She chuckled nervously. "Uh... yeah. Something like that." "I really don't think that could ever happen, pet." "You think?" "Rupert's an uptight wanker, but there's no denying the man loves you Buffy. Even if I was caught up in my own grief at the time, it didn't blind me enough not to see his despair after you died. The watcher drank himself unconscious every night that you were gone. There's no way he would participate in any plot against you." "I know that. He does love me, but sometimes I think he loves someone who just doesn't exist. He'd want me to be perfect and sometimes, I disappoint him. He is a watcher before everything else. And don't you find it suspicious that just when Quentin Travers was trying to have us killed, Giles got called for an unplanned trip to London? God knows what they talked about. Did Travers convince him that I'm unfit and it would be best for the greater good and the safety of the world to get rid of you, me and Faith? Get a new Slayer and start with a clean slate? You know to what length he's willing to go to protect the world. Xander told me after I came back that Giles was the one who killed Ben that night. He didn't hesitate to take a human life." Spike shook his head while Buffy said the last words. "Pet... No. You can't hold that against him. As much as it pains me to defend the old wanker, he did what had to be done. Even if you hadn't been up on the tower at the time, he couldn't have let you do this. Killing an innocent goes against your nature. It would have changed you forever. No luv, he had to do it or the Glory problem would have never gone away." Buffy ran her fingers through her messy hair, her head low. "I know. But it stills brings up the question of what he can and can't do. And he is part of the Council and they are a threat to us right now. I don't think Travers will back off so easily." "So what do you suggest we do?" "I think I should follow up on Benjamin Travers' suggestion. I'm going to break into Giles' house and go through the watcher journals to try to find out more about the Council and previous Slayers. It might help us figure out a way to stop Travers, or at least, get some blackmail material to get him to back off. And it might help restore my trust in Giles. I might be overreacting, but you didn’t see his face when I told him about us. He looked so cold. He wouldn't even talk to me. I need to be able to trust him, Spike. He's the one person with the most power over me. I have to trust him if I want to be safe. He's the one who provides me the information to be able to do my job as a Slayer successfully. One wrong piece of information, like forgetting to tell me a demon is poisonous, and I'm toast. " "You might be right. It doesn't hurt to be careful. I think reading the journals might put your fears to rest." "I'll do it tomorrow when he's at the Magic Box." "So, pet, just curious here... do we have anybody on our side?" "Well, I'm half expecting Xander to burst through your door with a stake in his hand, so he's definitely not going to be one of our main supporters. I think I should have talked to him alone first. Maybe he would have listened." "Give him some time to calm down, he'll come around. He'll probably still try to stake me, but he'll forgive your bad taste in men eventually. He did forgive you for Peaches." "Not sure he did." Spike smirked. "Can't blame the boy for that one." She rolled her eyes. "Moving on." "Anya is on nobody's side but her own. As long as nothing interferes with her impending nuptial extravaganza, she couldn't care less." "In that case, let's hope the Whelp doesn't decide to eat his way through a life time supply of Cheetos to ease the pain of you and I together. If he gets so fat he can't fit in his bloody tuxedo anymore, we might have a vengeance demon to deal with." Buffy smiled, but her amusement faded quickly. "We can't trust Willow either." She said sadly. She had fully expected Willow to come to her defense, and the sting was still fresh. The blonde vampire looked surprised at her declaration. "Red's your oldest friend, pet." He tried to argue. "She's also an incredibly powerful witch with a tendency to rely on magic to fix everything she doesn't like or agree with lately. I'm surprised she hasn't tried to make clouds disappear on a rainy day yet. Come to think of it, maybe she has." Spike chuckled. "I guess there's no way of telling. But the sky has been suspiciously blue lately, or so I'm told. Could be that pesky California weather though." "Spike, this isn't funny. I know you like Willow but..." "Correction," Spike interrupted "used to. I liked the sweet, caring, brainy and slightly awkward girl she used to be, but I can't say that I'm found of the new and not so improved wicked witch in sheep's clothing. The way she uses her power to boost her ego makes me nervous. Magic isn't something to be taken lightly." "I'm not going to jump to conclusions regarding Willow. Like you said, she is my oldest friend and even if I think she needs an attitude adjustment, I still love her. But do I trust her? No. Even if she doesn't hate the idea of you and I together, if being with you creates tension with the others, she might decide to use magic to fix things. Tara did confess to me that Willow used a spell on her to make her forget a fight they'd had." Spike sighed. "Fine. So the little red witch goes on the list of people not to trust right now. What about Glinda?" "I love Tara dearly, and I do believe she's happy for us. But she also loves Willow and despite their occasional fight, I don't believe Tara would openly disagree with Willow. I think she's more likely to avoid taking side. But I could be wrong." "So that leaves..?" "Us. You, me, and Dawn. Or at least, until proven otherwise." "Everything will be fine, Buffy. I know things look a bit dark right now, but I know your friends and Giles love you enough to get past this. They'll come around. And we'll deal with Travers and the council of wankers. You and I might have tried to kill each other in the past, but we also make a bloody good team. And the Nibblet proved that she'll be a great addition too. She's just like her big sister. Stubborn and clever. She did manage to get us to stop fighting, didn't she?" "She did." Buffy planted a loving kiss on Spike's lips. "Is it wrong that I wish we'd never left Hawaii?" Spike smiled. He put a finger under her chin to make her look at him. "I do too, but things will work out. And if worst comes to worst, we jump on a plane, get new identities and disappear on an island somewhere." "Promise?" "Promise."

Chapter #23 - History lesson

A/N: I promised myself no begging for reviews, and I'll keep that promise. But gentle prodding doesn't count as begging, right? No, seriously, I'm just curious to hear what your thoughts are on this one ;) CHAPTER 23: History Lesson London The beautifully carved wooden doors of an old elevator opened slowly, revealing a skittish looking man. Benjamin Travers had many talents, and an IQ bordering on genius, but controlling his nerves was not his forte. Neither was acting, or lying. But he'd made a promise, and he was the kind of man who prided himself in always keeping his word. He inhaled deeply then took a step forward. The basement was cool and humid, just like you'd expect it to be in a seventeenth century building in central London. The place was suitably spooky and Ben tried to avoid it as much as he could in normal circumstances. But that's where the archive of the Watchers Council was located, therefore that's where he needed to go. He wiped a bead of sweat from his eyebrow and prayed to God he didn't come across anybody, knowing that guilt was written all over his face. He was always the one to follow the rules and his loyalties to the Council were rock solid. This was highly unusual for him and he did not like it, but it was the right thing to do. Sometimes, you have to break the rules for the greater good. This was one of those times. Ben started walking down the hallway, his steps echoing loudly against the stone walls. Apparently, no one heard his prayers because before long, he came face to face with a colleague. "Benjamin, fancy meeting you here." The other man commented jovially. Bernard Lafond was in his early seventies. He was one of the few Watchers who'd had the honor of being responsible for a Slayer during his career. A French girl by the name of Sophie. Ben did his best to look casual and smile. "Hello, Bernard. How do you do?" "Just fine, thank you. And you?" "I'm good, thanks. I'm here to look up some prophecy for my uncle." The older man chuckled. "I see Quentin is keeping you busy as usual. Pardon me for saying this, Benjamin, but you really should tell the old man to sod off." Ben opened shocked eyes. "Mr. Lafond..." The old watcher gestured dismissively with his hand. "At my age, I’ve earned the right to be brutally honest, young lad." Ben couldn't help but smile at this. "I believe you did, sir." "You're a brilliant watcher, Benjamin, but it doesn't stop Quentin from treating you like a simple secretary. It hurts me to see how he's taking advantage of you. If you ever decide to stand up to him, just know that you'll have support." His initial reaction was to get insulted at the idea that his submissive attitude toward his uncle was so obvious to everybody else, but he swallowed his pride anyway. "Why are you telling me this now?" The old man smiled cryptically and started walking away. All he added was: "Because someone should stand up to him before it's too late. It's happening again and it's wrong." Ben frowned. "What? What do you mean? Mr. Lafond, what is happening?" But the watcher was already in the elevator. Benjamin stared for a while, then turned around and made his way to the archive room. Virginia, the woman responsible for the documents in the room, was sitting dutifully at her desk. Too many years spent in that basement made her look as old and dry as the books and parchments she looked after. "How may I help you, Mr. Travers?" She asked, her voice flat and emotionless. Ben gave her his friendliest smile. "I would like to consult some documents regarding the Juluria Prophecy, if you wouldn't mind." He had to stop himself from sighing in relief when she pushed the registry toward him. "Sign here, please." He signed his name and thanked her. "You'll find everything about prophecies in the back section." He nodded and waited until she pressed on a button that unlocked the door, then walked in. He had asked for the prophecy books knowing that they were out of sight, at the back of the room, and near what he really needed. He made his way through rows of dusty volumes then reached a locked door. Ben took out the keys he'd ‘borrowed’ from Quentin and unlocked the door with a shaking hand. In the small closet sized room were a few shelves with books on them. You needed special authorization to consult these books. Ben knew that's where he would find what he was looking for. Benjamin had advised Buffy Summers to read the Watcher's journals, but knew that some were missing. These were kept under locks at the Council's head quarters for good reasons. There were certain things the Council didn't want the active Slayer or her Watcher to know about. And that's exactly what she needed to know to protect herself. Especially now that she had William the Bloody in her life. It didn't take him long to locate the journals. There were six in total. He put them in his bag and quickly walked out, relocking the door behind him. On his way out, he took the book of prophecies and left. "Found it?" Virginia asked. He showed her the book. "Yes, thank you." She carefully wrote the name of the book down, then dismissed him by going back to her knitting. When he was out of sight, Ben finally let out the breath he didn't know he was holding in. This had been much easier than he'd thought. Now, all he had to do was to ship the books to California. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sunnydale, three days later A loud knock sounded in the Summers' house. Almost a full minute passed before the second attempt. Buffy thought Willow or Dawn would answer, but when nothing happened, she came running out of the bathroom, still wet from a long soak in the tub and trying to wrap her bathrobe around herself while taking the stairs two at a time. "Coming!" She yelled, hoping whoever was at the door would wait. She opened the door to see a FedEx guy walking away. "Hey! Wait!" The man turned around. "Are you Buffy Summers?" He asked. "Yes, that's me." He walked back to the house and handed her a package. "Sign here, please." He asked with a little smirk, eyeing her appreciatively. She glared, but took the pen from him and signed her name. He tried to open his mouth to say something that was more than likely going to be an attempt at flirting, but Buffy cut him off. "Thanks." She said, before closing the door in his face. She looked curiously at the package, and when she saw the sender was Benjamin Travers, she took it upstairs to open it in the privacy of her bedroom. She might be alone in the house for now, but didn't know for how long. She knew exactly what was in the package and didn't want to be interrupted. Two days ago, she had broke into Giles' apartment while he was at the Magic shop, and gone through the Watchers' journals. After noticing that some where missing, she'd called Ben to ask him about it. That's when he'd told her that he had already sent her the missing ones. Buffy went downstairs and made herself a cup of coffee, then went back to her room. She closed the door and went to sit in her armchair with the journals. She started with the oldest one. It dated of 1678. It began the same way the other ones she'd read did. Nothing noticeable. A Slayer had just died and another was called in Russia. Her name was Catarina and she lived in St. Petersburg. A Watcher was sent to train her and guide her. Buffy skimmed through Catarina's first couple of years as the Slayer. Then something caught her attention. The emotionless tone of the watcher's writing had changed abruptly. Anger and outrage permeated the pages. The watcher, Joseph Williams, had noticed a change in his charge. The normally obedient and subdued eighteen year-old girl was more confident and argumentative. She started making her own decisions, using unconventional methods, and possessed information about the demon world that he had not provided her with. So he started following her and made the shocking discovery that his Slayer had a relationship with a demon. A vampire. As she read, Buffy started understanding why Benjamin wanted her to know this. Catarina was claimed by a vampire. Her watcher notified the Council. The Slayer was put on a train and sent to London supposedly to be taken away from the influence of the vampire who had put her under his ‘thrall‘. A week later, a new Slayer was called. Almost frenetic, Buffy dropped the journal and grabbed the next one. She read the first few pages. 1725, country side near Toulouse, France. Marguerite Golon was the Slayer, a French man by the name of Louis Delamont was her watcher. Marguerite kept the region of Toulouse safe from demons for four years before things went to hell. That's when she met Frederick. A vampire who did not want to kill her. May the 12th, 1729 Marguerite has lost her mind. She came to me today with the ridiculous notion that not all creatures of the night are evil. She says that her life has been saved by one of these animals last night. The foolish girl has not killed the beast, choosing instead to let him roam free. I am afraid she might not be fit to do her job properly. I will have to address this issue, and contact the Council for advice on how to handle the situation. As the months passed, the watcher sounded increasingly agitated by his Slayer’s refusal to slay Frederick. One of the last entries had Louis horrified and disgusted: Marguerite Golon had been claimed by the vampire. The next entry was dated two weeks later. It only said this: My Slayer is dead. I failed as a Watcher. The very last page of the journal was Louis Delamont’s confession. October the 20th, 1729 I hope God forgives me. Knowing I did what needed to be done does not lessen the guilt weighing down my soul. Marguerite might have been under the demon’s thrall, but she was still a child and no child should die in this way. Perhaps I could have achieved the same goal in a kinder way. Telling the village that she was a witch and lived with a demon ensured her a violent death. I will forever have nightmares of a mob walking up to my Slayer’s home and setting it on fire. What troubles me is the memory of the demon trying to get her out of the burning house, the action resulting in his own demise when he caught fire. Demons have no souls, they cannot feel love. Why did this one sacrifice himself for the woman? Could we possibly be wrong? Buffy didn’t even bother brushing off the tears running down her face. Her coffee was cold and she hadn’t even touched it. She had a sinking feeling that she knew how all of these journals would end. Morbid curiosity made her pick up the next one. 1898, Romania. Slayer fell in love with a vampire. Slayer disappeared a week later. 1912, Boston. Slayer was claimed by a vampire. She died. The next Slayer unfortunate enough to let a vampire into her life was called in 1963, in Seattle. She was a Slayer for five years. She was even less lucky than the other ones. Her watcher never mentioned anything about her being in love with a demon, or being claimed by one. He never let things get this far. All he said was that Mary Jane had come to rely on a vampire for help during her nightly patrols. Her watcher did not approve. She died in the hospital, poisoned. The watcher did not accuse himself, but he did sound relieved. There was another entry after the one announcing the Slayer‘s death. The watcher said the vampire had relentlessly tried to kill him. Buffy hoped he succeeded. Spike‘s face flashed before her eyes. Would he avenge her if something happened to her? Would he risk the chip liquefying his brain in order to kill her murderer? She had no doubt that he would. She didn’t know why she was torturing herself, but Buffy picked up the last journal despite knowing how it would end. This one happened just a little before her time. The fact that she was alive and in waiting to be chosen while this took place made it that much more difficult for her to read. Sophie Lemieux was a sixteen year-old French Canadian girl. She lived in Quebec City in 1985. Buffy could easily imagine the girl walking through cemeteries, singing some Madonna tune and twirling a stake in her hand. As she read her story as seen through Sophie’s watcher’s eyes, her heart hurt. She sounded so much like herself, it was scary. In fact, Sophie’s watcher, Bernard Lafond, was the only watcher so far who sounded like he loved his Slayer. He described her as “an unpredictable spitfire with a dry sense of humor”. But it didn’t change the ending of Sophie’s story. The French Slayer was sent into a trap with her vampire lover. She died. There was no mention of the vampire‘s fate. Buffy stared at the last page of the journal for the longest time, seeing nothing. She finally looked up when she heard someone clearing their throat noisily. Giles was standing in the doorway.

Chapter #24 - Will you kill me?

CHAPTER 24: Will you kill me? Spike was sitting on the roof of his crypt, smoking a cigarette. His legs were dangling from the edge and he was rhythmically kicking the stone wall with his heels. His head thrown back, he blew smoke at the stars, lost in thoughts. The peacefulness of the moment was suddenly shattered by an onslaught of intense emotions. Distress, fear, disbelief, betrayal. It hit him like a tidal wave. Buffy. In a matter of seconds, he was off the roof and running at full speed in the direction of Revelo drive. He burst through the door, making it slam against the wall so hard that the knob left a hole in it. Spike took the stairs three at a time and appeared in the doorway of Buffy's bedroom just in time to receive a leather bound book right in the face. "Oi! Bloody Hell!" He yelled, holding his bleeding nose. Buffy winced in sympathy. "Sorry honey! I wasn't aiming for you." Spike finally noticed Giles who had apparently dodged the book just in time for the vampire to become the target instead. Buffy's contrite expression quickly returned to anger and she picked up another book, apparently ready to aim again. Giles put his hands up in surrender. "Dear lord! Will you stop long enough to explain the reason for this violent outburst?" "Oh you wanna know? You wanna know, don't you? Here!" She threw the book she was holding. Giles managed to deflect it with his arm. "Read this if you really want to play dumb with me." The expression on Spike's face was almost comical. "What is going on here?" Buffy promptly burst into tears. Spike rushed to her and pulled her into his arms. "Buffy, luv, talk to me. What the bleeding hell is going on?" Giles was looking at the leather bound journal with a confused look on his face. "Is this a Watcher's journal?" He looked at Buffy, sobbing in the vampire's arms. "How did you get this?" She lifted her head away from Spike's shoulder long enough to answer. "Does it matter?!" She yelled at her Watcher. "Did Benjamin send you those books, pet?" She nodded, her forehead still resting against his shoulder. "Who is Benjamin?" Giles asked. "Benjamin Travers." Spike answered curtly. "Quentin's nephew?” Giles sounded surprised. “Yeah. Met the bloke in Hawaii.” “Hawaii you say? It surprises me that Quentin left him enough free time for a vacation.” Spike snorted. “If you call trying to kill me and Buffy a vacation.” “Why on earth would Benjamin try to kill the two of you?” Buffy pushed away from Spike, her anger back full force. “Oh cut the crap, Giles!” “I beg your pardon?” “Stop. Playing. Dumb.” She said slowly through clenched teeth. The Watcher sighed. “Buffy, I wish I could, but I’m afraid you will have to explain the situation.” She squared her shoulders and crossed her arms over her chest. Her eyes were burning holes through Giles. “Fine. You want clear? I’ll give you clear. Are you here to kill me?” Giles sputtered uncharacteristically. “What??” Even Spike was shocked at her question. “Buffy?” “Yes, Giles, now that Spike and I have claimed each other, isn’t it your duty to get rid of your rogue Slayer? Isn’t it what happens to bad girls like me?.. ANSWER!” Giles sat heavily on the foot of the bed, his shoulders slumped. “Dear lord...” Buffy turned to Spike. “Did you know that Quentin sending Ben and Carlita to kill us in Hawaii was just a preemptive strike? Apparently, it’s totally normal to murder Slayers who hang out too much with vampires. We’re fair game now, honey.” She said sarcastically. “So that’s what Ben wanted you to know? That’s what you found out in those journals?” “These are the missing journals, aren’t they?” Giles finally said, his voice almost lifeless. “The ones I was told were lost over time.” Buffy’s anger deflated, tears returning to her eyes. She took a few steps in Giles’ direction. “Tell me you didn’t know about that. Please.” He shook his head. “I... I heard stories. I was told these slayers turned evil, killed humans. Like Faith did.” She snickered. “They were not. They were like me. Older Slayers who fell in love with vampires. Vampires who changed sides, not the other way around.” Giles looked up. “Buffy, you must know that I would never...” “Read the journals, Giles.” She tightened the sash of her robe self-consciously. “We’ll be downstairs.” The information suddenly traveled to his brain. “...You claimed each other?” But she was already gone, Spike close on her heels. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Buffy and Spike walked into the kitchen silently. He didn’t need to be her mate to feel the waves of tension coming off of her. She went to sit at the kitchen table, her elbows resting on it, and her head in her hands. Spike went to the fridge and opened it. After a moment, Buffy looked up. “What are you doing?” “Making you something to eat. You didn’t eat anything all day.” She frowned. “How do you know that? Is it the claim thingy?” He smirked. “Heard your stomach growling.” Buffy managed a smile. “Clever man. Didn’t know you could cook.” “Nothing fancy, pet. But I can make a mean sandwich.” She nodded. “Sounds good.” She remained silent while Spike sliced up tomatoes and cucumbers, her face thoughtful. He looked at her, but didn’t say anything; he didn’t want to intrude on her thoughts. He put some bread in the toaster and waited somewhat impatiently for the toast to pop out. Buffy sighed loudly, but he still didn’t say anything. He spread some mustard on the toast, then added the tomato and cucumber slices, and some left over chicken. He put the sandwich on a plate and cut it in two triangles before walking up to Buffy and setting the plate in front of her. He went back to the fridge, got a can of diet coke, a glass that he filled with ice, and put it next to her plate. “Eat.” He commanded. Buffy did as she was told. “Thanks.” She said after the second bite. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was. It’s been a long day.” “Wanna tell me about it?” He finally asked. She took another bite and chewed carefully before answering. “Remember I told you I didn’t find anything of interest in the journals at Giles’ place?” He nodded. “Well after that, I talked to Ben on the phone. He said he had already sent me the missing journals. Got them today. I spent the entire day reading them.” “And I gather by what I heard upstairs, the Slayers in those journals got into a bit of trouble with the Council for their associating with bad boys with fangs?” Buffy’s expression darkened even more. She proceeded to tell him the story of those girls, calling them by name like old friends. Even if they lived long before her time, she felt close to them. Mixed with her outrage at how their lives were ended by the short sightedness of some British men who thought of themselves as God, was the strong feeling of not being alone anymore. In a way, it was as if Catarina, Marguerite, and the others were telling her that she wasn’t a freak for loving a vampire. Spike listened attentively to her words, but he had to stop himself from growling. He wanted nothing more than to fly across the ocean and rip Quentin Travers’ head right off. Buffy hadn’t said anything for several moments. Spike looked up. “And I thought I was supposed to be the monster.” Buffy shook her head. “You’re not a monster, Spike. You acted according to your nature, did what was expected of you, until you found a reason to change. And you did a pretty good job at changing.” Spike smiled. “Vampire, pet. By definition... Monsters.” “If you told me that a while ago, I might have agreed with you. But I gotta say, after today, my definition of a monster is radically different. Men with souls who get rid of girls the same way they would get rid of spoiled food that’s been in the fridge for too long, those are monsters to me.” “I’ll have to agree with you.” Giles walked into the room, put the six journals on the table and took a seat next to Spike. His face was grim. “So you really had no idea this was going on, Watcher?” Spike asked. Giles took his glasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes closed. He sighed. “Like I said before, I’ve heard stories. But to have the proof in front of me is rather disturbing, and worrisome.” Spike stood. “Anybody want tea?” His body was taut with unreleased tension. Since he couldn’t punch anything and couldn’t smoke because of Buffy’s no smoking policy, this was the next best thing. Buffy and Giles both nodded. While Spike busied himself making tea, Giles returned his attention to Buffy. “I never paid much mind to the rumors, but I didn’t take a chance either. Whenever Angel was brought up, I tried to downplay your involvement with him. I always put emphasis on the fact he had a soul and was helping. Of course, at some point, it was impossible to hide,” Buffy snorted. “I guess it didn’t help when I called the Council to ask for help to cure him, then quit when they refused.” Giles smiled slightly . “No, it didn’t. But at this point, they had their hands full with Faith and the mayor’s ascension. And Angel still had a soul. It could have played a part.” Spike put down three steaming cups of tea on the table and reclaimed his seat between Buffy and Giles. “But now,” Giles continued, “with Spike...” “I fit the profile of the Slayer gone bad. Plus, I spent the past seven years pissing Quentin off so he’s all too eager to get rid of me.” “Exactly.” Giles agreed. “But why did he have to do it behind the Council’s back? Ben told us Quentin wanted the whole thing to be hush-hush; make it look like an accident. If this practice is accepted by the Council, why did he have to hide it?” Giles frowned and thought about it for a moment. “Did you claim each other before the trip?” “No. But some of those girls hadn’t been claimed either. The one in Seattle was just friends with one and she got axed anyway. No pun intended.” “Maybe he was afraid not all Council members would agree with this barbaric tradition, pet.” Spike suggested. The blond Slayer narrowed her eyes. “The Council has never seen me as anything but a disposable tool. I don’t see why they would suddenly grow a conscience.” “Not all the Watchers think that way, Buffy.” Giles looked at her pointedly. “I did lose my job because I cared too much, didn’t I?” “Yes, because you got to know me. That doesn’t count.” “Based on what you said, Ben seemed reluctant to kill you.” Giles said thoughtfully. “Not at first. He came around, but he did fly all the way to Hawaii with Carlita to kill us.” She argued. They all sipped on their tea silently for a while, lost in their thoughts. After a while, Buffy spoke again. “Giles?” She started hesitantly. “Yes?” “In the other journals... well, while I was reading the oldest ones, one of the Watchers mentioned something about how the first Slayer was made and I was wondering...” Giles was frowning. “You read the journals I have in my possession?” Buffy looked guilty. “Uh, yeah. I sorta broke into your apartment a couple of days ago because Ben told me I should read the journals. Sorry about that.” He rolled his eyes. “Is that your influence, Spike?” He asked the vampire almost playfully despite the tension. The vampire smirked. “What can I say, she’s a quick learner.” “Excuse me, can we get back on track here?” Buffy asked the two men, one eyebrow raised. “I’m sorry, Buffy. Go on.” The watcher gestured for her to continue. “As I was saying--and gotta say, I was a little freaked about that--this watcher mentioned that the essence of a demon was used to create the first Slayer.” Spike gave her a curious look. He’d never heard that before. Giles confirmed it. “The details are a little sketchy, but yes, that would be correct. Although, this does not mean you are part demon. Merely that you have the strength of one. I don’t think it’s something you should worry about, Buffy.” “I’m not. Well, I was upset at first, but,” she shrugged “I guess it makes sense in some weird way. It makes things more fair in a fight. But that’s not what I was getting at. What I want to say is, do you think it might be meant to be? Slayers and vampires I mean. If you think about it, the ones who had a chance to end up with a vampire as a mate were older Slayers. Having a demon for partner kind ups the chances for survival, don’t you think?” Giles thought about what she said, carefully pondering his answer. “It would make sense, but I’m not so sure about that. Like I said, you are not part demon, so I don’t see why Slayers would be more attracted by demons.” “I’m not saying older Slayers are automatically attracted to demons, any demons, I’m just saying that it would make sense if a vampire was to fall in love with a Slayer and wanted to change his ways... Well, what I’m trying to say is that people in general are more attracted to their equal, physical or intellectual. A Slayer and a human male is not exactly a match made in heaven. Look at me and Riley. He’ll probably never get over the inferiority complex.” “I’ve always had my doubts that the Council didn’t like to have older Slayers on their hands. For many reasons I believe. Too confident, too independent, too much knowledge of the demon world. This could be another reason. I’ve wondered if the Cruciamentum ritual was really designed to test Slayers’s competency when they turn eighteen, as they say, or if it was to get rid of them.” Buffy nodded. “That would make sense. Think about how much longer a Slayer could live if she was paired with a vampire willing to help her. I know you’re not happy about Spike and I being together, but you’ve seen us work together. When it comes to keeping the demon world in check, we’re better together.” She flashed Spike a smile. “Not that I’m with you because of the increased chances of survival, honey.” “Geez, thanks. I’m relieved.” He rolled his eyes. “Giles, these girls had done nothing wrong.” Buffy continued. “Vampires switched sides to be with them, not the other way around. I can see how hundreds of years ago, the reaction of the Council made sense in a sickening way. We’re talking about a time when women were burned at the stake for being able to cure a headache with some herbs they found in their garden. So never mind sleeping with a demon. But now? It’s inexcusable. Nothing is black and white and the Council needs to see that. I need to put an end to this.” “So what do you suggest we do, Slayer?” Spike asked. “What we do best. Think outside the box. We always find a solution, today is no different.” Spike closed his eyes, a pained expression on his face. “This has research written all over it, does it?” Giles smirked almost evilly. “It does indeed.” Buffy ignored them. “I do have the beginning of an idea forming. But for it to work, we’ll need to find everything we can on these murders. The one that happened the most recently. I’ll have to talk to Willow and try to get her to work with us on this. We can do it without her, but she’s better with computers.” Spike looked positively miserable. “Like I said: research. Bloody hell!”

Chapter #25 - Going to war

CHAPTER 25: Going to war Buffy was sprawled across the bed on her stomach, naked. One arm was thrown across Spike's chest and her head was resting on it. The sheets were tangled and wrinkled; the result of hours of lovemaking. She looked at her lover with sleep laden eyes. "You think it will work?" The question confirmed what Spike already knew: the distraction he'd offered had only worked temporarily and she was still worried. "Yes, luv, I think it will work," he said truthfully. "I wonder if Xander will show up tomorrow morning. I left two messages but he didn't call me back." Spike rolled his eyes. "It's not like the Whelp would be of much help. His only expertise is in the boring jokes that nobody gets department." "Spike..." She warned. "Sorry, can't get over the way he treated you. The boy should learn to mind his own business. If there's ever a chance of me and him getting along, he'll have to stop treating you like property first." Buffy couldn't deny it, so she didn't reply. Her mother always said, if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything. That was definitely the case here. "Let's see the brighter side, pet. If your plan doesn't work, I'll get to use plan B." She raised her head off his chest to look at him. "What's plan B? You never mentioned any plan B before." She didn't like the smirk on Spike's face. It meant trouble. "I get to scare the living daylight out of Quentin Travers. That's plan B." He waggled his eyebrows. "Travers knows about the chip. Threatening him won't do anything." He huffed. "Who said anything about threatening? It would be worth the nasty headache, believe me." She dropped back on his chest, groaning. "God I hope my plan works." Spike chuckled. "You're no fun, pet." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "So, what are we researching?" Willow ask Buffy. The redheaded witch was sitting at the table in the Magic Box with Tara, Giles and Anya. Xander was nowhere to be seen. "Prophecy? Demons? Apocalypse?" The redheaded witch tried her best to break the awkwardness by being overly cheerful. Buffy and she had had a long overdue talk in the training room before Giles arrived and things were fine, but there was still an underlying discomfort and she didn't like it. She'd apologized for not defending her friend and had told her she was OK with her and Spike, but now she just wanted things to go back to normal. "Nothing like that." Buffy said. "So why do you need us then?" Anya asked, already bored with all this and wanting nothing more than to open the store to paying customers and go back to her money. "And by the way, I just want to mention that while I'm happy you're finally having hot sex with Spike, it's affecting my own sex life in a very negative way. Any chance you two will break up soon so I can go back to having orgasms?" Spike narrowed his eyes at Anya. "Maybe YOU should break up with your immature wanker of a boyfriend, pet. Ever thought of trading up? I‘m sure a lot of blokes would just love to have orgasms with you and won‘t have a hard time getting it up because they obsess too much over their friend‘s love life." Anya opened her mouth to reply. Buffy cut her off. "Enough!" The Slayer said angrily. "Spike, behave. Anya, sorry about your orgasms, but Spike and I are not breaking up. Can we move on now?" The ex vengeance demon crossed her arms petulantly. "Fine. Be selfish." The bell jingled, indicating that someone had walked in. They all turned to look at the newcomer. Xander walked right to the table and sat down without a word. After being stared at by the Scoobies for the longest time, he finally felt obliged to explain his unexpected appearance. “I’m here to help.” He grumbled. “Doesn’t mean I approve of...” he gestured in the general direction of Spike and Buffy without looking at them, “this freak show.” Spike growled threateningly. “Watch your mouth, Whelp.” Buffy put a calming hand on his chest. “Forget it. It’s not worth it.” Xander ignored them. Buffy decided it was best to leave the issue with Xander for later and focus on the problem at hand. She lifted her arms and pulled her hair into a tight ponytail then crossed her arms, ready to bring her friends up to speed. Spike smiled. She always did that when getting ready for action, whether to face demons, or research the latest threat. He went to sit on the counter while Buffy told her friends about the other Slayers and their vampire lovers, the Council‘s policy about that, the murders, and how Quentin Travers wouldn‘t rest until both she and Spike were dead. Tara was the first one to regain use of her voice. “Buffy, that’s terrible. How are we going to stop the Council?” Willow added her concern to Tara’s. “Yes, Buffy, you did a good job at putting him back in his place before, but I doubt you can make him change his mind with a speech this time. Not that your speeches are not good.” Buffy smiled. “I know, Will. I do have a plan that will get the Council off my back, but for it to work, we need to do some research. I need to know everything there is to know about the most recent murders. If something was written in the news paper, I want it. And police reports would be good. We already have someone at the Council working with us. He’s going to get us those Slayers’ personal files and fax them to us later on today. I do have the journals, but it’s not formal enough to prove anything. He says the Council also keeps files with personal information on every Slayer.” The curiosity made Xander ask: “Who’s working with us at the Council?” “Travers’ nephew.” He couldn’t help but smile at that. “Oh the sweet irony.” “Hate to be the party pooper,” Willow said “but can we rely on this guy? He’s related to Quentin Travers so unless he’s adopted, he could be a backstabbing bastard just like his uncle.” “So far, it appears that we can count on him. Which is rather surprising I must say.” Giles confirmed. “He did send Buffy the missing journals so I don’t see why he would have a change of heart now.” “It’s a long story and I don’t have time to explain, but I know we can trust him. So, are you guys on board?” Buffy asked. She couldn‘t keep the hopeful expression from her face as she nervously waited for an answer. “Of course.” Tara answered with a warm smile. “Whatever.” Anya shrugged. “If you die again, we‘ll have a repeat of last summer‘s drama and that would suck. I‘m in.” Willow pulled her computer out of her bag and set it down on the table, a determined look on her face. “Willing and ready.” Buffy turned to Xander. He nodded. “Yeah sure. If someone wants a piece of the Buffster, I sure as hell won’t let them.” Buffy grinned. “Thanks.” She went to take a seat at the table. “So, where do we start?” “I’m thinking this is more of a hacking job than a book research job.” Willow commented. “Most big libraries have put their old newspapers on computer files. All I have to do is get into their system. Shouldn’t be too hard. Then I can hack into local police computer files. I’ll need the names of these girls though.” Spike stood up and pulled a folded sheet of paper from his pocket. He handed it to Willow. “We wrote down the names, locations, and dates. We left out the ones that took place too long ago. I doubt the police are interested in investigating a murder that took place in the eighteenth century.” “Probably not.” Willow conceded while looking at the names in front of her. “This should only take me a couple hours. I’ll hook up my computer to the printer in Giles’ office and print the files so we can all look through them. It will speed things up and help to make sure we don‘t miss anything.” They worked until sunset, bouncing ideas off each other, reading police reports and looking through articles in old newspapers. Spike’s knowledge of the French language, although limited, came in handy when researching the death of the Slayer from Quebec. Until they later on figured out that Quebec also had English newspapers, which greatly amused Xander and annoyed the hell out of the vampire who had spent almost an hour on a translation. They all worked hard, except maybe Buffy who was bored out of her mind and kept finding excuses to get up every half hour until Giles lost his temper and pointed out that it‘s her life they were trying to save. She pouted for a while but managed to stay put until Dawn arrived from school and the two of them left to get Chinese food for everybody. They were all sitting and enjoying pineapple chicken, fried rice and eggrolls when Willow finally closed her laptop with a long sigh. They all gave her an expectant look. “I think that’s it. We won’t find anything more.” She rubbed her eyes tiredly. “Do we have enough?” Spike was sitting at the table between Buffy and Dawn, and munching on a deep fried eggroll. Xander had been glaring daggers at him since the moment Dawn had pulled a chair for the vampire to sit between her and her sister, but he’d managed not to say anything. “I believe we do.” Giles said while gathering everything they had and putting it in a big brown envelope. He added the files Ben had faxed earlier and sealed it. “So what now?” Xander asked, his eyes still not leaving Spike. Buffy had noticed--the flames of hatred shooting from her friends’ eyes were hard to miss--and she knew she’d have to talk to him sooner than later, but now wasn’t the time. “Giles and I... and Spike,” she added quickly, not wanting to leave her mate alone with Xander and risk coming back to a pile of dust “are going to meet with a lawyer and make sure everything’s in order. Then tomorrow morning, we’ll go to the bank and put this in a safety deposit box.” “Buffy?” Tara said almost hesitantly. “What’s up, Tara?” “It’s just... I was thinking that maybe we should have an alternative just in case. If you don’t mind, I think Willow and I should look into a spell to use on Mr. Travers if we can’t convince him. You know I’m against using magic for personal gain, but I think saving the Slayer’s life doesn’t really count as personal gain, does it?” Buffy frowned and slowly shook her head. “I don’t know...” “I think the little witch has a point, pet. Better be safe than sorry. You know how much I hate magic, but I’m willing to risk consequences if it means that you’ll be safe from this wanker.” “Fine. You guys look into it. But it’s only to be used as a very last resort.” She agreed. “There’s still the problem of getting to London, Buffy.” Giles pointed out. “What’s the problem?” She hadn’t really had a chance to think about the trip to London yet. “Well, for one thing, we can’t very well use the Council’s credit card or they’ll find out we’re coming and we’ll lose the element of surprise. And I doubt my finances will allow me to pay for all of us. It will probably have to be only you and me, Buffy.” “But, what about Spike? This concerns him too.” Disappointment was showing clearly on the Slayer’s face at the idea of facing Quentin Travers without Spike. “Buffy, even a night flight would eventually reach day light. It’s unavoidable. A few passengers leave their window shades open and there will be nowhere for Spike to go. It’s too big a risk to take I’m afraid.” She pouted. “Can’t we tell the flight attendant that Spike has a severe sun allergy and ask them to ask the other passengers to keep their window shades shut?” Giles raised an eyebrow in answer. “Actually, I might have a solution to that little problem.” Spike mentioned. Buffy looked hopeful. “Really?” “Don’t get your hopes up too soon, but there’s this man who owes me a huge favor. I wasn’t planning on collecting, but considering the situation, I don’t think we have a choice.” Xander scoffed at the idea that Spike of all people could save the day. “Yeah right, what’s he gonna do, beam us there?” “No, Captain Kirk. But he might let us use his private jet though.” That got Anya’s attention. “You have a friend who owns a private jet?! Why am I only hearing about this now?” She asked excitedly. “Can I meet him? Is he single?” “Anya!” Xander looked positively horrified. The soon to be Mrs. Harris had the decency to look guilty. “Sorry honey, I didn’t mean it like that. But can you imagine the investment advice this guy could give me?” Her eyes glazed over at the thought. Buffy turned her back on the bickering couple and faced Spike. “You think this guy could help?” The vampire shrugged. “He might laugh in my bloody face, but it’s worth a shot.” “And where does he live?” “About forty five minutes outside of town. The bloke’s a bit of a recluse; he doesn’t like the attention. I could drive us there after you meet with the lawyer.” Buffy nodded. “Alright. Let’s do that then.”

Chapter #26 - That surprising vampire of mine

CHAPTER 26: That surprising vampire of mine The California night was surprisingly cool for the last week of August; enough to justify wearing a light sweater after the sun wasn‘t in the sky to warm up the air. Buffy briefly pondered if the cold spell could be a sign of impending apocalypse. She did a mental shrug--apocalypses were so last year--and returned her attention to her fashionable, yet incredibly painful boots. Cute, but definitely not a smart footwear choice for the occasion. How was she to know this guy lived in the middle of the woods and she’d have to walk a dirt path on four inches stiletto heels for half a mile? Stupid tree roots were sticking out everywhere as if purposefully trying to trip her. She wondered if there was such a thing as demonic trees. She’d have to ask Giles about that. Thank God for Spike’s arm, the only reason she hadn’t ended up on her proud Slayer behind yet. Soft wind ruffling the foliage, full moon shining bright, stars sprinkling the clear night sky, her man walking next to her, it could have all been eerily romantic if it wasn’t for her tortured toes, repeatedly twisted ankles, and the hissing whispered conversation coming from somewhere behind them. Xander and Willow had insisted on tagging along, and agreeing turned out to be a very bad idea. “I’m telling you, Will, this will never last. It will end badly and I’ll be very happy to say ‘told you so’.” Xander said under his breath. Willow inhaled deeply to steel herself against the burgeoning headache her oldest friend was responsible for. “Xander, come on. It’s Buffy’s business. I’m not completely happy with it myself...” “Ah! I knew it!” He exclaimed a little too loud. “Shhh! Would you stop? As I was saying, I’m not completely happy with it, but it’s her life and if this relationship makes her happy, I‘m willing to give it a chance.” “So that’s it? It’s her life so you’ll let her make a big mistake and do nothing about it?” “It’s not necessarily a mistake. You’ve read the other Slayers’ stories. Maybe it’s meant to be.” “Yeah sure. We all read all well these stories ended.” He snorted in contempt. “And the Council members are not the only potential bad guys here. What if Spike pulls an Angelus on her?” “Don’t bring Angel into this. Spike is nothing like Angel.” She snapped, clearly exasperated by her friend’s irrational obsession. “And you’re right, the other Slayers stories weren‘t exactly all hugs and puppies. Which is exactly why we’re trying to make sure the same thing doesn’t happen to Buffy and Spike. Now walk faster, we’re too far behind and you never know what kind of nasties could jump us. It is a Hellmouth forest after all... and the full moon.” Xander sulked in silence for a little while. Then he noticed Buffy tripping again, then Spike and her exchange what looked like angry words. He pulled on Willow sleeve and pointed. “See? They’re fighting already! I told you this wouldn’t last. It’s just temporary insanity on Buffy’s part. She’ll snap out of it and before you know, she’ll be asking you for a spell to break that claim thingy. Or she’ll stake Spike for brainwashing her. I like the latter better.” Willow punched him in the arm. “Ouch! What the Hell was that for?” He asked while making a big show of rubbing his arm. “Oh, let’s see...” Willow pretended to count on her fingers. “Annoying me, acting like a poophead, being totally irrational obsesso-boy, wishing for one of your best friend to have her heart broken... Shall I go on?” He looked down and kicked a small rock with the tip of his sneaker. “Whatever.” “And look,” Willow continued “the couple about to break up? Not so much with the breaking up it would seem.” Xander looked up to see that Buffy and Spike had stopped walking and were engaged in a brief but steamy make out session. He swore under his breath. Willow started walking faster to catch up with them, leaving Xander behind to stew a little. When she reached the couple, they had were in front of a huge clearing. At the other end of the clearing was the largest, most beautiful mansion they had ever seen. “Wow. That’s what you call a crib.” Buffy commented admiringly. Willow gaped for a couple seconds before finally saying “Goddess, that’s a big house!” “Knew the bloke was one of the richest man in the state, but to see it is bloody impressive.” “Wait.” Buffy turned to Spike with a suspicious look on her face. “You mean, you’ve never been here before? Do you really know this guy or is he going to send the Dobermans after us? You know how I feel about big ugly drooling dogs with sharp teeth.” Spike smirked, but Willow missed the reference. “No worries, pet. I promise I do know the guy. Just never been to his place, is all. See?” He pulled a business card that had direction written on the back. “How else would I know where he lives, right?” She shrugged one shoulder. “Good point.” Then she turned to Willow. “Do you mind if I stay behind and meet you there? I really need to have a little talk with Xander.” “Uh, sure. Did you... hear our conversation?” She asked, suddenly nervous. “Sure did.” Buffy answered with fake cheerfulness. “But, how is that even possible? We were whispering... fifty feet behind you!” “Don’t know. The claim I guess? I still have to figure out all the perks.” Xander, who had been dragging his feet, finally reached them. “Holy Moses!” He exclaimed when seeing the house. “This guy really is loaded.” Spike and Willow started walking toward the mansion, but Buffy put a hand on Xander’s shoulder to stop him. He shot her a questioning glance. “We need to talk.” The young man’s expression went from sulking to downright gloomy. “I don’t really feel like talking, Buff.” “Yeah well, I don’t give a shit.” Xander’s eyes widened at Buffy’s unusual choice of word. “I don’t really feel like listening to your nasty comments either and yet, I don’t seem to have a choice. Now it’s your turn to listen to me.” “If it’s about Spike...” He started saying. “What else could it be about?” “There’s nothing you could say to make me be OK with that joke of a relationship. There’s just no way.” Buffy put her hands up, her face scrunched up in something close to pain. “Stop! Would you just stop it? What kind of a friend are you, Xander? Jesus!” “Buffy...” “No. Shut up, please. It’s my turn to speak my peace.” There was a long pause, Xander and Buffy warily staring at each other. Xander wouldn’t dare opening his mouth again, afraid she would go all Slayer on his ass. Wise decision because she was close to the breaking point. When Buffy spoke again, her voice was laced with pain. “You hurt me.” “Buffy, that’s not what I want to do. You’re my friend. I love you and I’m just looking out for you.” “You call that looking out for me?” She was incredulous. “He’s not good enough for you, Buff. You deserve so much better.” “Get me off that pedestal, Xander. I’m tired of standing there. I am not that perfect hero you made me up to be. I have made decisions you didn’t agree with before and I will again in the future. Because I’m my own person and I don’t belong to you. You’re not the puppet master in charge of my life. And what you think is a bad decision, isn’t necessarily bad for me. We are close, and you know me well, but there are things about me you will never be able to understand.” “Because you’re the Slayer.” Xander said almost bitterly. “Yes. Because I’m the Slayer. And as much as I would love to be just a normal girl, I am not. And because you don’t understand that part of me, you can’t make decisions for me. You don’t know what I need or what I deserve. Hell, even if I was a normal girl, it’s not your job as my friend to decide anything for me. You, Willow, Anya and Tara did it once, and look what happened. You pulled me out of heaven. Don’t you ever learn?” “That’s not fair, Buffy.” “It’s not? You know what’s not fair? Me having to put my own happiness after yours. My entire life is about other people. Don’t I deserve some happiness? I have enough things in my life getting in the way, I don’t need my friends to make things hard for me on top of everything.” She could tell he was biting his tongue to stop himself from making some comment. Probably something denigrating about Spike and happiness. “You broke my heart, Xander. You, Willow, Giles... I couldn’t believe my friends would treat me like that the other day.” “What kind of reaction were you expecting? You couldn’t possibly think we’d be happy to hear the news.” “I wasn’t expecting a hug and a congratulation if that‘s what you mean, but support might have been nice. That’s what friends do. They support each other. Do you have any idea how much you hurt me? At least Willow apologized. But you? You just keep on going. And you don’t even see it. You are so focused on your own belly button that you don’t even realize what you’re doing to me.” Xander went to sit on a log, his head down and his hands clasped between his knees. “What do you want me to do, Buffy? I don’t like the guy.” She went to stand in front of him and waited for him to look up. “I love him. Can you understand that? I. Love. Him. You don’t have to, but that’s the way I feel. You should try to respect that, respect me.” She sighed. “Xand, we don’t always agree with our friends’ choices. Sometimes they do stupid shit, make bad decisions, mistakes, or shock us. Don’t you think I wasn’t shocked when I found out Willow was a lesbian? Of course I was. Doesn’t mean I had to say anything bad to her. I could have said things like “You’re just upset that Oz left. You’re confused. You’ll snap out of it. It’s just a phase, or some kind of fad.” I didn’t. And you…” “What about me?” “I couldn’t stand Anya at first. She was weird and annoying. She was an ex-vengeance demon who had hurt men for a thousand years, caused pain and death and didn’t even feel bad about it now that she is human . Did I ever say anything to you? Was I ever mean to her?” “Anya never did anything to you.” He argued weakly. She opened her mouth in disbelief. “Are you serious? Selective memory much? Wasn’t it just a few months ago at the Bronze that Anya told us about that wish she granted to Cordelia? Sunnydale without a Slayer, the Master taking over, humans as slaves... ring any bells? Can you imagine what it could have done to the world? But that’s not the point. The point is I never made you feel bad for falling in love with her. I gave her a chance even though I thought it would blow up in your face. Because the best I could do as your friend was to be there if it did blow up in your face.” They didn’t say anything for the longest time, but Buffy could tell she was getting to him. When she opened her mouth again, her tone was softer. “It’s ok to give me you opinion, Xander, your advice, but you can’t get mad at me if I follow the path I’ve chosen despite how you feel about it. There is a way to disagree and still be supportive.” He stood up. “I’m sorry, Buffy. I don’t know how, but I’ll try.” She smiled at him. “Maybe you could start by remembering that every time you say something nasty to Spike, it’s me you hurt. Same goes for when I overhear you wishing the man I love would dump me. I’m sure if you heard me tell Willow I hope you and Anya would break up, it would hurt you. Right?” “Right. I promise to do my best to keep my big dumb mouth shut.” She pulled him into her arms and gave him a hug. “Your mouth’s not dumb, Xand. It’s just big... and sometimes mean.” “Can I still make fun of his hair at least?” Buffy rolled her eyes and started walking toward the house. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The front door opened, revealing a tall thin man in his early forties. He had shaggy light brown hair, thick glasses that rested on a rather big nose, and was dressed in a gray turtleneck and black trousers. His face lit up when he saw her and he extended his hand. “You must be Buffy?” The smile he gave her was so warm, she couldn’t help but smile in return and shake his hand. “Yes, I’m Buffy.” “I’m Richard Gallager.” Xander gasped and Buffy turned to look at him. But he was staring at the man. “The video games software? THE Gallager?” He was almost drooling. Richard laughed and shook Xander’s hand. “Yes, that would be me. But I don’t usually put a ‘THE’ in front of my last name. I’d rather keep my ego in check.” Xander let out an unmanly giggle. “Please come in.” Richard opened the door wider to let them in. “I‘m sorry you didn‘t find the lit, paved path that‘s on the other side of the house, it would have been easier. The way you used to get here is my trekking trail.” Xander groaned. Buffy’s mouth opened in disbelief. “There was a path? With lights? Damn it!” Richard laughed at Buffy’s pouty look. “Yes. I should have been more clear with the directions I gave Spike. Come with me, Spike and Willow are waiting in the sitting room.” They followed him into the room. The decor was manly, but classy. Large comfortable brown leather couches, dark mahogany furniture, expensive looking paintings on the walls--probably originals -- an antique pool table, and one of the walls was covered with books from floor to ceiling. Both Spike and Willow were standing in front of the book collection and going through the titles. They looked like they had just found heaven. Buffy smiled. Xander was staring at the room with his mouth opened. Spike and Willow tore themselves away from the books and joined them. They all sat on the couches. “Mr. Gallager...” Buffy started to say but he interrupted her. “Please, call me Richard.” She smiled. “All right. Richard, how do you know Spike? We keep asking him, but he won’t tell.” “That’s very humble of him.” Richard said. Xander snorted, then turned it into a fake cough and shot Buffy a sheepish look. She shook her head. Hey, at least he was trying. “About a year ago, two months after I moved here, my only son disappeared. He was five at the time. The ugliest thing I had ever seen in my life showed up at my door with a ransom note.” “Same type of demon who attacked the night you came back, pet, but different gang.” Spike clarified. “Didn’t know demons were into kidnapping.” Willow commented. Spike shrugged. “These wankers probably thought it would be a bloody fantastic way to finance their gang. Even demons need money.” “The thing is,” Richard continued after they returned their attention to him “my wife died two years ago and Nicolas is all I have left. He’s the joy of my life and the idea of something happening to him was unbearable. I wanted to do what they ask so I went into town to withdraw the money. But the more I was thinking about it, the less I thought my son would live one way or another. He had been kidnapped by demons. They would probably kill him even if they got the money they asked for. I didn‘t know what to do.” “Found Rich in an alley behind the bank, having a bloody panic attack.” Spike said, adding to the story. Richard looked embarrassed. “I know, not very manly.” “But understandable.” Willow reassured. “I told Spike here the story, expecting him to laugh or run away from the crazy man who believed in demons, but instead, he helped me.” Spike started looking decidedly uncomfortable. He was tapping his foot and fidgeting, not looking at anybody in the room. Richard took pity on him. He took an ashtray that was on the side table next to him, a half smoked cigar in it, and put it in front of Spike. The vampire gave him a grateful look before lighting a cigarette. He let out a cloud of smoke and sighed contentedly. “Spike found my son in less than two hours. I had never seen anything like what happened that night. He must have killed at least twenty demons in there. Almost died too.” “’t’was nothing.” The vampire said dismissively, trying to play it down. “To me it was.” Richard huffed. “You gave me back my son, it was definitely something.” Even Xander looked suitably impressed. He was staring at Spike with a strange impression on his face. “What?” Spike finally asked. “How come you never bragged about that? Wasn’t it around the time you were trying to impress Buffy? This would have definitely impressed her.” Spike narrowed his eyes. “Not everything I do is to impress Buffy, Whelp.” Buffy was expecting another snide comment from Xander, but instead, he turn to Richard. “Do you... Uh... Do you know about Spike’s sun allergy?” “Xander!” Buffy couldn’t believe he would dare bring that up. “What? It’s a genuine question.” “You’re asking me if I know he’s a vampire? Yes I do.” Xander looked at Buffy. “I just wanted to know so we wouldn’t say something in front of him if he didn’t know. It’s not like I could ask outright.” “Speaking of being a vampire...” Spike hesitated, looking uncomfortable asking what he was about to ask. Richard turned his attention to Spike. “Yes?” Spike told him about their problems, explaining what a Slayer was, the watchers, and how they wanted to stop the Council from eliminating both of them. “You know when you said you owed me?” Spike asked almost shyly. “Of course. Whatever you need, it’s yours.” “I never planned to take you up on that offer, mate. I didn’t help you to get something in return. I like kids, you seemed like a nice enough bloke, and I decided to help. Nothing else to it. But now... We need to get to London, and me being a vampire, it’s impossible to go on a regular flight. I’m too flammable. But then I remembered you mentioning you’d sell your company, your house, you cars and your private jet to get your son back... About that private jet... Still have it, mate?” Richard laughed. “Yes I do. It’s parked in a hangar at LAX. And yes, you can use it, Spike. Just tell me when, I’ll call the pilot, and all you’ll have to do is get to Los Angeles.” Spike let out the breath he’d been holding in. “Thanks, mate. Means a lot.” Buffy beamed. “Thank you so much!” They all thanked Richard warmly. He offered them a drink, which they were happy to accept. At some point during the conversation, Willow asked their host what made him move to Sunnydale. He gave the smile of a man who finds irony very amusing. “I was tired of the attention I got in L.A. It didn’t feel safe anymore. I figured, a place called Sunnydale... Just saying the name makes you feel warm and safe.” They all burst out laughing. “Told you pet,” Spike said to Buffy when he finally got his mirth under control. “They should rename the place Sunnyhell so people would know what they‘re getting themselves into when they move here. Calling the place Sunnydale is just false publicity.” Even Xander laughed at the comment. That just made Buffy’s night even better.

Chapter #27 - The US invasion

CHAPTER 27: The U.S. invasion Her forehead against the cool, thick glass, Buffy was staring outside at the tiny houses growing bigger and bigger as the flight reached its final approach stage. The blue and pink light of dawn made everything look crisp yet slightly dewy. It reminded Buffy of an early morning in the mountains when the grass is cold and wet beneath your toes and the air you breathe is so refreshing that it makes you feel like a new person. She looked in awe at the British landscape, admiring the green hills and abundant trees, the tiny red roofs of the houses, and the little cars going the wrong way in the streets. The sun was just rising, sitting lazily on the horizon like a ball of fire. In the two seats facing her, Willow and Tara had a matching look of fascination on their faces. Buffy turned to Giles, who was sitting to her left, across a narrow aisle. "Where's the rain?" She asked teasingly. "The brochure said lots and lots of rain. I want my money back." The Watcher gave her a look, but quickly returned his attention to his homeland with a happy smile on his face. Buffy put her hand on the window and refocused on the landscape. "It's pretty. We better get the 'Quentin problem' out of the way fast because there's no way I'm going back home without visiting first." Anya, who was sitting in front of Giles, agreed with her. "Absolutely. I would like to do some shopping. I especially want to find a magic shop. It would be great to see how they do business here so I can compare. I'd like to find ways to improve my store and possibly increase profits." She kept talking but seeing that Buffy had already lost interest, redirected her comments to Giles, to the Slayer's greatest relief. Relief that didn't last too long. Loud cheers, followed by American curses and British insults, made her narrow her eyes in anger. "That's IT. It's been nine hours of this, I've had enough. I'm going back there, open a door and push them both out." Willow reached from across the small table separating them and put her hand on Buffy's to stop her from standing up. "At least they're getting along... Kinda." The redhead smiled sheepishly. "Better they kill each other as fictional characters in a video game than in real life." Tara gave her a sympathetic look and added "We're almost there, sweetie." Buffy turned and knelt to look over the headrest of her seat. The back of the plane was dark, all the window shades having been shut for Spike's benefit. The only source of light was a giant TV screen that was currently casting flickering shadows on the two bickering males. They were holding controls in their hands, pressing frantically on buttons while trying to push each other with their shoulders and elbows like teenagers. "Last warning!" Buffy yelled at her lover and her best friend. "If you don't cut it out right the hell now, you'll have to find your own way back home." "Sorry!" They answered simultaneously before continuing to insult each other under their breath. The voice of the captain came on the P.A. "We've been cleared for landing. We'll be at Gatwick airport in five minutes. Fasten your seatbelts." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This was insane. Pure chaos. Buffy had been in airports before, but nothing like this. Nothing made sense in the maze that was Gatwick airport. People as lost as they were bumping into each other while trying to find their way, suitcases on wheels running over feet--Buffy's included--and she could tell by the look on Spike's face that if they didn't find Ben right now, he could probably snap and bite someone. Good thing Giles knew where he was going. Too bad they'd lost him and the others when Buffy had stopped to look at perfume in the duty free shop. A very freaked out Buffy grabbed Spike's arm, silently vowing never to let go. "If you get me out of here in one piece," She said through gritted teeth "I promise to do any crazy dirty things you want in the bedroom." Spike smirked. "You already do that, pet." "Shut up and get us out of here before I end up killing someone. British prison is not on my list of things I want to visit." "Let's just forget about the others, grab our luggage and go find Ben. They know about the meeting point so they'll find us there." She nodded stiffly. Spike started walking fast, zigzagging between people and pushing some a little roughly. Polite was over rated anyway and the Brits didn't seem to know anything about personal space, so why not. By the time they reached the carousel, their suitcases were the only ones left there. They picked them up and made their way toward the exit. They spotted the Scoobies and Benjamin almost immediately and waved. Giles looked relieved. "Good Lord! Where have you two been?" "Got into a fight with some rude passengers. Spike killed two, I killed one. But mine was a really fat and angry Man U fan, so he counted for two." She said with a straight face "Those soccer fans are vicious." She rolled her eyes at the look on Giles' face, then turned to Benjamin. "Hey Ben, nice to see you again." He stiffened and stuttered when she gave him a quick hug, clearly not expecting the familiarity. "Nice to see you again, Miss Summers." He blushed slightly and looked down. "Shall we go to the car, then?" "Uh, just a question." Xander raised his hand like a kid in school. "How are we gonna fit eight people and eight suitcases in one car?" Ben smiled. "Mr. Giles informed me that you were all coming. I borrowed the Council's limousine. It will be large enough to fit everybody I believe." Buffy's eyes widened in disbelief. "They have a limo? They can't afford to pay me, but they can afford a limousine? Now that's a slap in the face." Ben opened his mouth to answer, but Giles raised a hand and shook his head, indicating that it was better to just drop it. "Very well, let's go then." They followed Benjamin out of the airport. As they walked, he informed them that he rented a flat for them not too far from the Council's headquarters and they could discuss the plan once they were settled in. The first ten minutes of the ride was punctuated by ohs and ahs, but eventually, the inside of the limo grew quiet. Willow was fast asleep against Tara's shoulder, Giles was reading the London Time and was nearly drooling in ecstasy, Spike was reading over his shoulder, and the others were just staring out the window. After half an hour, Buffy let out a long, over dramatic sigh. "Why in the world would they build an airport so far outside the city?" "We've almost reached the flat, Miss Summers." Ben said. "It's Buffy. You've tried to kill me, I think that puts us on first name basis." The reminder of what he'd almost done not too long ago made Ben turn bright red in guilty shame. Buffy laughed. "No worries, Benji, it's all behind us." She winked at him. Spike snorted. “Benji... Good one, pet.” The limousine came to a stop in front of a narrow three story apartment building connected to other similar ones in a street bordered by tall trees. They all got out of the car, collected their luggage and followed Ben inside. After dropping their bags in a corner, they all looked around without a word until Anya broke the silence with one of her trademarked blunt comments. “I would say it’s small, but that would actually be nice of me.” “Things are different in Europe, Miss..?” “Anya.” She smiled brightly, unconcerned by the fact he forgot her name. “Contrary to the States, space is a luxury here. They build small to save it. To buy a flat like this one would be around 250,000 pounds. So around 500,000 US. But it belongs to a friend of mine who rents it to tourists, which is how I got it.” “That’s fine, Ben. It will do.” Buffy interrupted before Anya could get into numbers. “There are three small bedrooms and a pull out couch.” He informed them. “And I believe I’ll be the one relegated to the couch.” Giles commented, his shoulders sagging in defeat. “Hey, not our fault you’re not in a couple.” Willow said brightly, patting the older Brit comfortingly on the shoulder. “If you‘re feeling lonely, Xander can sleep with you on the couch.” Giles, Xander and Anya all looked at one another in horror at the idea. “I will not... Dear Lord!” “No way! Are you crazy?” “Xander will sleep with me, and only me!.. Unless I’m invited to sleep on the couch with them.” Anya seemed pleased with her idea, to everyone's horror. “Anya!” Tara exclaimed in shock, blushing wildly. “What? A girl can fantasize, can't she?” “Ew!” Buffy shook her head to clear it of unwanted images. “Guys, enough already. We need to talk about what we’re going to do.” “Yeah.” Spike said while standing from where he was sitting on the couch, obviously more than ready for action. “When can we get this bloody show on the road?” “No time like now.” Ben said, a slow smile stretching his lips. “Is that possible?” Giles asked. “Well, maybe not this minute. I have a few phone calls to make first. Quentin will be at the headquarters this afternoon. I will call all the members and schedule an emergency meeting at 3pm today. Once they’re all there, I'll get Quentin and we can start.” “Sounds great, mate.” Spike nodded his head in approval. “Are you sure it’s that easy?” Buffy asked. “Yes, won’t they wonder why you’re the one calling the meeting?” Tara asked shyly. “That won’t be a problem. I’m often in charge of calling everybody for meetings. My uncle likes to use me as his secretary.” There was bitterness in Ben’s tone. “All right then. If we all agree, we’ll do it this afternoon.” Giles concluded. “I will go take care of the details, meanwhile, may I suggest you get some rest? I will get you this afternoon around 2pm.” They all nodded, then Ben left. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Are you all right, luv?" That question was whispered only for Buffy's ear. Sitting in a big leather chair, her knuckles were white from where she was gripping the armrests. She swiveled the chair to face Spike and nodded briefly. "Yes. Just a bit of an adrenaline overload. I'll be better when it's done." "You've faced the wanker before, you'll be fine." "Yeah, but this is different. If he doesn't take the bait, I don't know what we can do to get him off our backs." He reached up to caress her cheek with the back of his hand. "Worst comes to worst, the witches will come up with something." "I know. I just want this to be over already." Ben had picked them up from the apartment at 2pm and snuck them into the Council's headquarter. They were now all waiting for the showdown in a small office adjacent to the meeting room where the Watchers were slowly gathering. Benjamin would contact them through the intercom as soon as Quentin was in place. They fell back into silence and waited for the signal. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In the meeting room, a large crowd was gathering. Benjamin Travers was standing at the door, politely greeting new comers. "Benjamin, how nice seeing you again." Bernard Lafond said warmly while shaking Ben's hand. With a twinkle in his eye, he got closer to Ben and whispered in a conspirational way "Where's the devil?" Ben smirked. "He'll be here. Please have a seat, Mr. Lafond, we're almost ready to start. Bernard smiled. "Very well. You got me quite intrigued." He walked into the room and took a seat at the large table where the rest of the Watchers were waiting patiently for the meeting to start. Seeing that everybody was there, Ben took a deep calming breath and left to go find Quentin Travers. When in front of the office door, Benjamin knocked lightly. Quentin looked up. The questioning look on his face quickly turned to annoyance when he noticed his nephew standing there. "What is it?" "Your presence is requested, uncle." "Regarding..?" Ben didn't bother answering. He simply said: "Everybody is waiting in the meeting room. Please follow me." He turned around and started walking away, praying that the pride of the almighty Quentin Travers wouldn't get in the way of him obeying his nephew. Back in the room, Ben made his way to the other end of the table and waited. Sure enough, Quentin Travers came marching through the door, looking above everything and everyone as usual. The other Watchers were now looking curiously between the two of them, but too polite to ask questions, they waited for the meeting to start. Ben reached for the intercom on the table and pressed the button. "We're ready for you," is all he said. The superior look on Quentin's face was flickering in and out as he obviously tried hard not to look out of the loop. He quickly lost the battle when the double doors at the other end of the room crashed open and the Slayer stood there in all her glory, her friends and Watcher standing behind her. "... Miss Summers?" Eyes blazing, face hard as stone, the Slayer nodded briefly. "Travers. Surprised to see me?" A smirk slowly stretched her lips. Giles came to stand to her left, documents in hands, and Spike planted himself to her right, a menacing look on his face. "I think we need to talk." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N: I'm such a bad girl. I knew I hadn't updated in a while, but didn't realize that it has been almost two months. My muse refused to get to work, and life got really busy for me. I hope you're still enjoying the story because seriously, it's almost over :( Take a minute to let me know by leaving a reviews. I'll worship you forever. By the way... that was me begging lol

Chapter #28 - Independence day, Buffy Summers style

CHAPTER 28: Independence day, Buffy Summers style There is something quite terrifying about quiet rage, especially when hidden behind a polite smile. But while the look on Quentin Travers' face might have forced some people to take a step back, it took a hell of a lot more to rattle the confidence of a Slayer who’d died twice and faced monsters that should only exist in horror movies. "Miss Summers. How lovely to see you." The older man said with forced cheerfulness. She smirked. "I'd love to be able to say the same, but considering the unpleasant purpose of my visit, that would be hypocritical of me." The Watchers sitting around the large table looked more and more confused, but they instinctively knew to stay quiet. Curious eyes kept darting between Quentin and Buffy, as if they were following a tennis match. "And what might the purpose of this visit be, Miss Summers? It must be important for you to choose to travel across the ocean when you could have easily picked up the phone." He turned his icy glare in the direction of Giles. "You didn't use the Council's credit card for this unnecessary trip, did you?" "Unfortunately, no. I would have, but we found another way. I believe seeing your face while discussing the fact that you tried to murder the Slayer would have certainly justified the expense." Every single Watcher in the room gasped. They all straightened their backs and turned their faces toward Quentin. The head of the Watcher's Council had temporarily lost his countenance and his face had turned an interesting shade of red. “I beg your pardon??” Buffy turned her head sharply to glare at Giles, ignoring Travers. "That was MY punch line." "I'm terribly sorry, Buffy, it just came out." Quentin spluttered uncharacteristically. "Of all the insane theories..." He finally managed to let out. "It's more than a theory, isn't it, uncle?" Benjamin Travers turned to address the rest of the room. "He sent me to eliminate Miss Summers and William the Bloody. That's of course until I came to my senses and realized that it was unjustified." A young female Watcher, whom Buffy recognized as being the one with a slight obsession on Spike, raised her hand. "But... why? We all know the Slayer isn't exactly cooperative, but we've established that she is very good at what she does. So why kill her?" She blushed brightly at the attention she got for speaking up and asking the question on everyone's mind. "Because of me, luv." Spike answered. Her blush intensified when the vampire looked at her. She looked down. "Oh." Instead of looking defeated as he should have been by now, Quentin regained his calm and confident attitude. He crossed his arms over his chest defiantly and stood up straighter. "This is nothing but a ridiculous accusation. You can't prove anything." "So, you're telling me it's not Council policy to kill Slayers who mate with Vampires?" She asked. His eyes narrowed and she could tell he was barely keeping his anger in check. "A Slayer who would have mated with a Vampire would have gone rogue, Miss Summers. She would be a danger to humanity." "Or so you say. But I'm the living proof that you're wrong." More gasps in the room. Lydia, the watcher with a crush on Spike, spoke again. "You are mated?" Quentin ignored her. "To say that it's Council policy would mean it happened before, and there is no precedent..." "Oh cut the crap, Quentin!" Buffy yelled, the man obviously getting on her last nerve. Giles handed her a stack of books and she dropped them noisily on the table in front of her. "It’s happened before. It's all here. Each and every one of these girls was killed and you tried to do the same to me." He didn't say anything. "This is outrageous. Aren't you gonna say something?" One of the Watchers asked. Nothing could interrupt the intense staring match between the head of the Watcher's Council and the Slayer. Finally, Quentin spoke again. "And what exactly do you intend to do about this, Miss Summers?" "Everything I have to in order to keep myself, as well as the ones I love, alive." Spike took a step forward and put a folder on the table. He pushed it sharply and it slid across the table to where Quentin was standing. "What is this?" His tone was like ice. "This document is the proof that will link the Council to the murder of many young women,” Buffy told him. “And before you even think about it, this is a copy. The originals are in a safety deposit box back in Sunnydale. If anything was to happen to me, Spike or my friends, a lawyer has been instructed to release this information to the authorities in the States, Canada, and the UK." She smirked proudly. "You better pray that I live a long and healthy life, Quentin." His reaction was not what Buffy expected. He smiled. "And you think this will be taken seriously." He scoffed. "Please. A tale of Slayers, vampires and demons. You should know by now that normal people don't believe in any of this." Buffy nodded slowly. "You're absolutely right." She placed her hands flat on the table and leaned forward, her intense eyes fixed on Quentin. "But a tale of old British men recruiting young women for something that sounds like a sect, young women that turned up dead, THAT they will believe. They take this stuff very seriously you know. And I doubt that your secret organization wants the publicity." A man, who had been sitting quietly and looking down at his hands the entire time, slowly stood up. "If anything was to happen to you, Miss Summers, I will come forward as a witness to confirm your documents." Buffy looked at the man in surprise. "I'm sorry... who are you?" "My name is Bernard Lafond. I had a Slayer once." Buffy recognized the name. Her eyes narrowed in anger. "The French Slayer. You killed her..." "Absolutely not!" He looked horrified at the accusation. "I had no part in the death of my Slayer. But I always suspected the Council did." "If you know that, why did you stay?" "Because I still believe in the mission, Miss Summers. Corrupted or not, the best place to help save the world is still right here at the Council, helping the current Slayer. But I swore to myself I would never let the Council kill another girl. I promise I won‘t let what happened to Sophie happen to you, Miss Summers." Quentin raised his eyebrow. "You're fired, Mr. Lafond." "No, he isn't." Buffy said. Quentin opened his mouth to protest. "You have no right..." "That's where you're wrong. I am the Slayer. This organization is nothing without me. I was wrong when I quit a few years ago, I should have demanded that you be replaced. You know why, Quentin? Because I have the power. You don't. You‘re nothing but an old man jealous of teenage girls. How pathetic." With quiet strength, Buffy looked around the room. "Why don't we vote? All in favor of Quentin Travers being fired from the Council, raise your hand." Slowly, hands were raised one after the other. None of the Watchers dared to look at Quentin. When all hands were raised, Buffy smiled brightly, raising her own hand high and proud. "I guess I'm not the only one who thinks you suck at your job then." "You can't do this." He said through clenched teeth. "I just did." Her bright smile turned into a dangerous smirk that made Spike proud. Xander, Willow, Anya and Tara, who had been waiting quietly a few feet behind, all took a step forward in a show of support. They gathered around Buffy, Giles and Spike. Willow rested a hand on the Slayer’s shoulder and fixed her emerald eyes on Quentin Travers. “I think you should leave now, Mr. Travers.” Her voice was soft, but the strength of her power could be felt in every word. Quentin looked at every face around the table, hoping to find some support. He found none. In a fit of uncharacteristic rage, he slammed his fist on the table, making everybody jump in surprise. “You fools! You’d rather follow a demon whore than me?” Spike growled and his face morphed. “Watch your mouth, old man. I might be chipped, but I’ll deal with the head ache for the pleasure of breaking you neck. This woman you just called a whore, she faced unspeakable horrors since the age of sixteen and died twice trying to protect this world your sorry arse lives in. Show her some bloody respect.” The Watchers all held their breath, wondering what would happen next. No one expected Quentin Travers to give up the fight. “You’ll all pay for this.” He said through his teeth before turning on his heels and leaving the room. Everybody started talking all at once. Willow turned to face Buffy. “I doubt he’ll leave it at that. We shouldn’t take a chance.” Buffy nodded. She knew Quentin Travers was not the kind of man to give up that easily. The man had worked for the Council his entire life. He WAS the Council. By doing what they just did, they’d made an enemy for life and if they didn’t deal with the problem now, it would come back to bite them in the ass sooner or later. “Are you sure you and Tara can do this, Will?” The redhead smiled. “When we’re done, Quentin Travers will never remember anything about Council, Slayers and demons. I promise. And more importantly, the name Buffy Summers will mean nothing to him.” “All right, go. Take Ben with you and be careful.” Willow took Tara’s hand and walked up to Benjamin Travers. She said something in his ear and soon after, the three of them left the room. With Spike’s arm wrapped tightly around her waist, Buffy observed the chaotic scene in front of her. It was obvious to her that these men and women were not used to being left without a strong leader, and they were at a loss as to what to do now. He might have been a corrupted bastard but for years and years they had relied on Quentin Travers to lead them and tell them what to do. Their world had just been turned upside down and now she needed to turn their tangible excitement and panic into something productive. Buffy glanced briefly at Giles who nodded his encouragement, letting her know that whatever she chose to do next, he was right there behind her. He didn‘t want to be the one to speak, he wanted her to be in charge. Giles had faith in his Slayer, and he wanted the other Watchers to do so as well. “Listen up, everybody...” She tried to get their attention, but they all kept talking animatedly. She rolled her eyes. “Quiet!” This seemed to work. They stopped talking and looked at her. “Before we start, anybody here agree with Travers’ views? Because now would be the time to leave. Anyone?” She waited a beat or two. When nobody said anything or stood up to leave, she smiled. “Good.” One of the Watchers raised his hand. “Yes?” Buffy asked. “I apologize for jumping ahead, but we were wondering who will take over as the head of the Watcher’s Council?” “We’ll get to that. But before, there’s a few things we need to clarify.” She paused for effect and looked at each and every one of them before continuing. “This isn’t 1408, anymore. This is our chance to take the Council out of medieval times, and into the 21st century. The Slayer will not be a tool anymore. Not only will I be part of this team, I will be the most important part of this team. Same goes for whoever will replace me and Faith in the future. The idea of making sure Slayers die young so they’ll be immature, naive and easier to manipulate is barbaric.” One of the Watchers opened his mouth to deny, but Buffy effectively glared him down. “Not only is it barbaric,” she continued “but it doesn’t serve the purpose of this organization. Our goal is to keep the world safe. The older a Slayer gets, the more experienced, knowledgeable and efficient she gets. Quentin’s agenda wasn’t to keep the world safe, it was to stroke his own ego by keeping a being as powerful as the Slayer under his thumb and dispose of her when she gets a little too head strong. This stops now. These girls,” She put her hands on the journals “died at the hands of ignorant men who didn’t know any better. But the most recent deaths happened under Quentin Travers’ regime.” “And why is that different?” Lydia asked, then quickly added: “Not to excuse his actions, mind you.” “It was still inexcusable, but it was a different time.” Buffy answered. “Women were seen differently, we didn’t matter as much, and they didn’t know what we now know about the demon world. They saw everything in black and white and probably honestly thought that these Slayers were a threat to the world because they fell in love with Vampires. It would have never occurred to them that a demon could change for love and actually help a Slayer in her duty. But Quentin Travers knew better and it didn’t stop him. Spike has helped me fight. He’s put his life on the line so many times for me and the world. Travers knew this and it didn’t stop him from trying to kill me and Spike.” Buffy pointed at Spike, then at herself. “Together, we’re stronger. He’s there to watch my back in battle, keeps me safe so I can live to fight another fight. If I have changed, it’s for the best, not the worst.” Spike grabbed her hand and she smiled at him. Some of the Watchers were nodding in approval, and Lydia looked like she was about to swoon. Probably fantasizing that she was the one Spike was looking at that way. “Glad we‘re on the same page. So from now on, we’re a team and we all work toward the same goal. I have the power, you have the knowledge. We need one another. I think if we can keep that in mind, our working relationship should improve a whole lot.” One Watcher started applauding, almost hesitantly at first, until another one joined him, then another one. Soon, the entire room was clapping. Buffy beamed, and Giles patted her on the back to show how proud he was of her. When they all settled down again, a thin blonde man with thick glasses spoke up. “We still don’t know who will be head of the Council now.” Buffy frowned, not sure what to answer. Finally she asked: “Any suggestions?” No one spoke for awhile, but then the same thin blonde man finally made a suggestion. “What about Mr. Lafond? He is the most senior of us, had a Slayer, and is well liked by everybody.” Bernard seemed surprised that someone would think of him. He removed his glasses and started cleaning them in a gesture that reminded Buffy of Giles and made her smile. She turned her head to whisper in Giles’ ear: “Is the glasses cleaning a Watcher thing? I always thought it was just you.” Giles bit his lower lip to stop himself from grinning. “Would anybody else like to nominate someone?” Buffy asked, returning her attention to the Watchers. She didn’t get any answers. “All right then. All those of you in favor of Bernard Lafond as the new head of the Council of Watchers, raise your hand.” It was unanimous. Mr. Lafond would be their new leader. This was definitely the beginning of a new and improved era. Spike leaned over to whisper in Buffy’s ear. “As if you weren’t famous enough already. I think you just made Council history, pet.” Buffy’s grin widened. “I know. I‘m awesome, right?” The vampire laughed and shook his head in amusement. “Yes, pet, that you are.”

Chapter #29 - Epilogue

A/N: Well, that's it guys. The end. I had such a hard time writing it because a part of me didn't want to end this story and also, I wanted the ending to be just as good as the rest of the story. Didn't want to let you down, ya know. But I did it and I hope you've enjoyed the story as much as I've enjoyed writing it. I would like to thank my beta, Linne, for all her hard work, and all of you for your feedback and continued support. Love you all! CHAPTER 29: Epilogue Of all the feelings in the world, the one of a mission accomplished was the best to Buffy Summers. Sitting in her plush seat and sipping on a perfectly chilled diet coke, she looked over her magazine at the people who mattered the most to her and smiled to herself. The atmosphere on the plane was drastically different from what it had been a week ago on their outbound flight. Xander was listening to Anya while stuffing his face with paprika flavored British "crisps", which he'd bought a lifetime supply of, while proudly wearing one of those giant hats in the colors of the Union Jack. Willow and Tara were chatting animatedly about something they'd seen at the London Museum; Willow's green eyes sparkling with excitement. Suddenly, Buffy blushed and sunk deep into her seat, lifting her magazine to hide her face. Somewhere in the back of the plane, her mate was smirking. She couldn’t hear thoughts, but didn’t need to. The vibes she was getting from him were clear enough and if she could hear what he was thinking, it would probably be something along the lines of “Are you interested in the mile high club, pet?” Didn’t need to be a genius to figure that one out. She turned her head to glare at him, then went back to her reading. But somehow, the hook ups, weddings and babies of British celebrities held even less appeal than it did earlier. “Are you all right, Buffy?” Willow asked with concern. “I’m fine.” She mumbled. “Why?” “You look a little flushed.” Another wave of arousal hit her and she stood up quickly. Stupid vampire, she thought, more amused than annoyed. Still pretending to read his book, Spike chuckled. “It’s hot in here.” Buffy informed Willow. “I’m gonna go freshen up.” Willow shivered and tightened the blanket she had wrapped around herself while giving her friend a look that clearly meant “Are you crazy?”, but she refrained from commenting and went back to her conversation with Tara. Buffy quickly made her way to the bathroom, but just before she had a chance to close the door, a big black combat boot obstructed it. Buffy opened her mouth, but before she could object, Spike had forced his way in and shut the door behind him. “Excuse me, miss, could I get you interested in a membership card for the Mile High Club?” “Oh, honey, you’re sooo.... Neither original, nor funny. And let‘s not even talk about the sleaze factor. I so knew you would say exactly that.” Spike pretended to be crushed. “You hurt my feelings, kitten.” He pouted. “Aw, poor baby. Will you ever forgive me?” He leaned back against the door, his arms crossed, and pretended to think deeply about it. “Maybe. But it will take a lot. You insulted my wit, my originality and my seduction technique. But, I’m willing to forget all that if you agree to have sex with me right now. Isn’t it a generous offer? We both win.” “Spike...” She was shaking her head and avoiding his eyes, not wanting her resolve to be weakened by his gorgeous baby blues. “Please?” “No. My friends are a few feet away. There’s no way.” “They’ll never know.” “No.” “The noise of the engine will cover up the noise we make in here.” “No.” “You promised.” “Did not!” He smirked. “Did too.” “I didn’t... Would never... I don’t think I...” She was so flustered she couldn’t finish a sentence. Finally she started doubting herself enough to ask: “All right, smartass, when did I promise that?” Spike clasped his hands together, a big happy grin on his face. “We were lost in the airport and you promised that if I get you out of there, you’d do any crazy dirty thing I want. I got you out, so now, pay up.” “No.” “Oi! That’s not bloody fair, pet!" "Sure it's fair. I said I'd do anything you want in the bedroom. This isn't a bedroom." Spike looked shocked and offended. "We both know what you meant by "the bedroom"." "Oh really? What did I mean by that?" "Bedroom is a metaphor for sex!" "No it's not!" He turned and reached for the door knob. "Why don't we ask Xander and Giles for their opinion?" Buffy yelped and quickly tackled him against the door. "Don't you dare!" Spike turned around to face her, his blue eyes sparkling with amusement. Now they were both grinning. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. Buffy leaned in to kiss him. He pulled back to look at her. "Thought you said no?" She shrugged. "We've been in here so long that they probably already assume we're having sex. If we're gonna have to do the time, might as well do the crime." Spike picked her up and sat her down on the tiny counter space next to the sink. She leaned against the mirror and he bent down to kiss her neck while his skillful hands undid the buttons of her blouse. Buffy dug her fingers through his hair and closed her eyes with a contented sigh. He explored the curve of her lace clad breasts with his soft lips and cool tongue, getting soft moans to escape her parted lips. Buffy tightened her grip on his hair and forcefully made him look up so she could kiss him. Her legs came up to wrap around his waist and she pulled him close, happy to feel the evidence of his arousal between her legs. Spike rested his hands on her thighs and slid them up slowly, pushing her skirt around her hips. He took hold of her panties and tore them off in one quick motion. "Hey! I'm gonna need that..." She protested weakly. "Guess you'll have to go commando for the rest of the flight. Just make sure to keep your legs crossed or you might flash Giles." "Ew!" Spike laughed and stopped any further protest by kissing her passionately. She tried to talk around his lips, but soon gave up. Instead, she unzipped his jeans and shoved them down his narrow hips. She grabbed his cock in her small hand and gave it a few strokes. Spike wasted no time. He reached between her legs and slipped two fingers inside her while rubbing her oversensitive clit with his thumb. Buffy's head fell back, her eyes closed, and a moan escaped her parted lips. He positioned himself at her entrance and slowly pushed in. Spike sighed in relief at the familiar feeling of Buffy surrounding him. He placed a kiss on the side of her neck, just below her ear. "God I missed this." He whispered hotly against her skin. "Next time we go on a trip, we leave your mates behind." Buffy eagerly nodded her head. She thrust her hips forward, not so subtly telling him to start moving. "Mind if we make travel arrangements some other day? We're kinda in the middle of something here..." He chuckled but didn't argue. Hey, he was man enough to admit when his woman was right. Shag now, plan romantic trip later. A bloke needed to have his priority straight. But yes, there would definitely be many more of those romantic getaways. They got along so much better when her friends weren't around to bollock things up. He would have rather taken his time and worship her body for hours, but a bathroom shag wasn't meant to be dragged out for too long. He ran his hands down her arms, grabbed her wrists and lifted them above her head to pin them against the mirror. She gave him a hungry look and he kissed her. His hips worked frenetically to drive her to orgasm, thrusting his cock deep inside her at a dizzying pace. She bit her lips to keep quiet, and squeezed him on every downward stroke, driving him crazy. Spike let go of her arms so he could hold himself up by placing his hands on the counter. He bit down on her shoulder with his human teeth, trying his best to stay in control, but it was a losing battle. He was so close. Feeling everything he was feeling, Buffy knew he was trying to hold back for her, so she could come with him. She had mercy on him and reached between them to play with herself, flicking her clit with her finger. "Buffy..." "It's OK. Let go." He felt her clench around him, felt her body tensing, and he followed her, abandoning himself to his own orgasm. They locked lips to swallow each other's cries. When they parted, the first thing out of Buffy's mouth was: "I'm all wet." Spike's eyebrow arched and he gave her a "duh" look. She rolled her eyes. "I mean--really--wet." He moved her to the side. She had been sitting against the faucet and her skirt was all wet. Buffy looked horrified. "Are you KIDDING me?!" Spike tried his hardest not to laugh, but it was impossible. He slapped a hand against his mouth, but his eyes--sparkling with mirth--and his shaking shoulders betrayed him. She narrowed her eyes at her lover. "You think this is funny? How the hell am I supposed to explain this?" "How about ‘I was having hot sex in the bathroom and my ass got wet‘?" He said, grinning like an idiot and obviously very proud of himself. "You are so lucky there's not enough room in here for me to kick you in the head." He helped her get off the counter, took his shirt off and wrapped it around her waist. "There you go, luv. All better." "It's still wet and uncomfortable... But I guess it'll have to do." Buffy pouted, but she still got on her toes and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Thanks." She turned to face the door. With her hand on the knob, she took a deep breath. "Whose idea was it to have sex in the bathroom again? Oh yeah, yours!" He chuckled. She growled. "Damn you, stupid vampire and your stupid ideas." "Hey! Didn't hear you complain too bloody much a minute ago when you had your legs wrapped around me and I was shagging your brains out." She shrugged, a smile on her lips, then opened the door and walked out, trying to look as innocent as one can be minutes after being fucked against a bathroom mirror on an airplane. She walked straight to her seat, grabbed her magazine and sat down. A quick look around revealed red faces doing their best to hid behind books and magazines. Across from her, Willow was staring at her over her book. "What? I dropped my earring in the sinkhole... Spike was helping me." She mumbled defensively. The bright blush of her cheek made her lie obviously, but Willow pretended to believe her, nodding her head before going back to her book. There was a long sigh coming from one of the seats. Anya turned a page of her fashion magazine noisily. Never looking up, she stated the obvious in the refreshing yet embarrassing way that she mastered. "They had sex." Collective gasp in the plane. Spike rolled his eyes and Buffy groaned and sunk deep in her seat. Anya continued, unfazed. "You people should grow up! A healthy sex life is good for the soul. And speaking of... Xander, the bathroom is free now." Xander yelped, his face so red it looked like it was about to explode. "Anya!" Buffy put her hands up. "Oh my God! Can we please talk about something else?" "Actually, I'm begging you." Giles intervened. He shook his head and returned to his conversation with a very traumatized looking Ben. Giles and Ben were discussing the new council. Yes, they had brought Benjamin Travers back with them to the States. The night before, Benjamin had shown up at their flat to ask them if he could tag along . For centuries, the Council had been a passive observer in the Slayer's life, which caused their views and ideas on how things should be handled in the field to be unrealistic and outdated. As part of the new Council's way of dealing with their Slayer and working with her instead of constantly butting heads, Ben thought that a trip to the Hellmouth was in order. He had promised not to interfere and to be there only as an observer. He wanted to learn more about the thought process that goes into fighting an apocalypse or any kind of battle for that matter; find out more about the Hellmouth itself and the demon world and its shades of gray. As Buffy put it: out of the books and both feet in demon guts and blood. But the most important part, he wanted to see for himself what was needed in order to improve the Slayer's quality of life and what the Council could do in order to help her more efficiently in her mission. Bernard Lafond had made Ben his second in command, and that was just fine in everybody's book. So they had readily agreed and welcomed him. Buffy only gave him one condition: he had to promise to have the Council look for Carlita. She still had a score to settle with the bitch and wasn't about to let it go. "...right, Buffy?" Buffy looked up, a blank look on her face. Willow was looking at her expectantly. "Uh... Sure." "You have no idea what I just asked you, do you?" The Slayer looked sheepish. "Nope. Sorry." Tara giggled and Willow rolled her eyes. "I was saying that now that we know Mr. Gallager, maybe he'd let us borrow his plane once in a while and we could make this an annual thing. Pick a different country every year. Wouldn't that be cool?" Buffy smiled at her excited best friend. "Sure Will, that'd be fun. Maybe if I offer to patrol his property once in a while.." "Or," Ben, who had been listening in on the conversation piped in "we could take a trip and visit the different Hellmouths." Everyone except Giles looked at Ben in shock, and not of the happily surprised kind. "There's more than one Hellmouth?!" Buffy nearly shouted. "Of course. There are 27 in total." Ben clarified. Even Spike reacted at the news. "Bloody Hell! You gotta be kidding, mate. I knew Sunnydale wasn't the only one, but 27?" "So what, you guys wrote all twenty seven cities on little pieces of paper, put them in a hat, and drew one to decide which one you'd send the Slayer to?" Xander voiced what was in everyone's mind. "Of course not!" Still not used to Xander's way of putting a funny yet sarcastic twist on everything he said, Ben sounded offended, which made Giles smile. He had been in this position only a few years ago when meeting the Scoobies for the first time. Benjamin Travers still had a lot to learn and the road ahead of his fellow Brit promised to be bumpy for him, and entertaining for everyone else. "Sunnydale is the only active Hellmouth at the moment." Ben explained. "One of the Council's jobs is to keep an eye on all the Hellmouths in case they become active again. Of course, there is always more demonic activity in these cities, but as long as it doesn't get out of control, the Slayer is more needed in Sunnydale." "And all this time, I thought you guys spent your days drinking tea and eating scones." Xander grinned and Ben gave him a sour look. "I'll have you know the Council has many responsibilities. The Hellmouths, staying one step ahead of prophecies, keeping track of the most notorious demons... and of course, drinking tea and eating scones." The last part was added with a smirk. They all busted out laughing, even Giles. Anya stood up. “This is boring. Xander, I’ll be in the bathroom.” Xander groaned. Benjamin blushed. “Is she always this blunt?” Spike smirked. “You’ll learn to deal, mate. I find that singing songs in my head helps. The Sex Pistols work quite well at drowning the awkward comments, bad jokes and bloody useless babble. But in your case, I’m sure the Spice Girls will work just as well.” Buffy chuckled. “You’re now officially a Scoobie in training, Benji. Welcome to the gang.” The End