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Trading Up by Thianna
 
Trading Up
 
Disclaimer: The characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer are owned by Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and Fox studios. This story is not meant to infringe upon anyone's rights, only to entertain.

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A/N: Thanks to Elizabeth Anne Summers for betaing this fic. You're the best!



Trading Up
by
Thianna



The Bronze was crawling with teenagers and Spike couldn’t be happier. He watched in the shadows, looking at each warm body and assessing which one he was going to feast on that night. There were a few girls that had caught his fancy but nothing compared to the young one that walked into the club just five minutes ago. She was with some dark haired whelp and a cute, shy redhead. He followed her with his gaze as they found a table and ordered some drinks. Maybe he was going to have a little fun that night with her. It wouldn’t really hurt and it had been a while since he was with anyone. The last bird he was with had been Drusilla.

The thought of his Sire sent shivers down his back. He wondered how he was able to stand her for so long. While he was with her, he thought he was the luckiest bloke in the world. He thought that he had finally found the love of his life – a woman who would love him and accept him for who he was. He had entertained her every desire, her every wish and followed her around like a lost puppy dog. How could he have been so blind? He was devoted to her and in his mind he knew that he had loved her. He even ignored the first couple of times when he caught her in the arms of another. It seemed as if he wasn’t enough to satisfy her desires and she sought comfort in whoever she fancied at the moment.

Well the blinders were off now and no amount of begging or gifts would ever get him to go back to her side. She had tried both of those a week or so after he finally said he was leaving her. She must have thought he was joking at first and it wasn’t until maybe a week after he left that she had started looking for him. Then there came the pleading, the pretty girls that she was offering to him and even the sexual gratification which he allowed. But after a fairly decent suck, he threw her out. Lucky for her, he still held some semblance of respect for her not to have thrown her out into the waiting sunshine. She was still his Sire and for the gift of immortality that she had given him, he would be grateful, but he wasn’t going to be her lapdog anymore.


So he traveled around for a bit, eventually breezing into Sunnydale, California for the mere reason that this was the Hellmouth. He thought that there had to be some good action in a place like this. And he was right, too. He had overheard in the local demon bar that the current Slayer was residing there as well. That suited him just fine. It meant that he would have a chance to put another notch in his belt. He had already killed two Slayers, and another one would definitely further his reputation.

But talk of the Slayer was for another time. Tonight it would be about girls, well a girl, if he could play his cards right. He saw her grab her two friends and pull them onto the dance floor. He watched in quiet fascination as this blond-haired beauty swayed her hips to the music. She was mesmerizing and he found himself inching towards her, stopping just by the edge of the dance floor as he watched those hips move to the music. Her lips parted on occasion to lip sync with the song.


Buffy giggled softly, letting the music flow through her. This just was what she needed – a little rest and relaxation before the short patrol she was planning on doing later tonight. There was only one thing missing and that would be Angel. He said that he would go with her to the Bronze but he was a no-show. She eventually had to call Willow and Xander to accompany her.

Another song started and Xander excused himself, saying he needed something to drink and leaving Willow and Buffy to dance with each other. After that song, a slow song started and those on the dance floor that weren’t a couple started trickling away. Willow turned towards their table and Buffy was about to follow but felt a firm hand clamp down on her wrist and pull her back. Her first instinct was to deck whoever it was that pulled her, but as she clenched her hand into a fist she was met with platinum blond hair and piercing blue eyes that left her speechless. His eyes were so intense that they seemed to bore through her soul. At the very least, she knew she should protest, but her mouth wasn’t working.

The stranger said nothing. He just planted his hands on her waist, locked his eyes on her and swayed to the music. Buffy felt her heart beating faster as she placed her hands on his shoulders. They stayed like that until the song ended which in Buffy’s mind seemed too short. He leaned his head on her forehead, taking in her scent before he tilted his head and moved to gently nibble on her ear. Normally Buffy would think any guy that would do this to her on the dance floor was a bit forward, but from him it seemed like it was natural. And what surprised her; she wanted him to do more than just that.

Spike filled his senses with her scent and there was something at the back of his mind that was telling him he should be careful. He dismissed the thought. He wanted to taste those lips and find out how her body would react to his touch. She seemed willing enough at the moment, but how would she be when they were alone. Of course he had to get her alone first. He looked into her eyes, seeing the stirring of need and curiosity, and he dared. Maybe it wouldn’t be too hard to convince her.

“Come outside with me?” he whispered softly into her ear.

Buffy bit her lower lip, part of her thinking that going outside with a total stranger was obviously not of the good, but she was curious. She could always deck him anyway. She nodded and pulled away from him slowly. “Umm … I’ll just tell my friends I’m going with you.”

Spike gave her a grin. “Wait for you by exit, pet.”

Buffy made her way back towards the table she, Willow and Xander had chosen. Willow was giving her a big grin when she approached, but Xander was pouting slightly.

“So Buffy, who’s the new guy? That looked umm ... pretty intense.”

The Slayer answered her friend with a small grin. “He does look yummy doesn’t he?”

“Ahem … yummy?”

“Yeah, yummy! Well I know you wouldn’t understand Xander,” she said grabbing her things.

“And where are you going, Buffy?”

Buffy gave him a slightly irritated look. “Out. I’m going to try and get to know him better.”

“Am I the only one in this table that thinks this could be potentially dangerous? I mean, Buffy, what do you know of this guy?” Xander complained.

Willow smirked. “Oh, you’re just jealous ‘cause they look good together.”

“Look, I’m not the first person that will want to point this out, but I thought tonight was your date night with Angel.”

Buffy felt a pang of guilt at having totally forgotten about Angel. “Oh…” She scanned the Bronze quickly but didn’t see him at all. He didn’t show. She glanced at her watch and it was already nine o’clock. Angel was supposed to meet her at seven o’clock and it was now two hours later. And not even a call to tell her where he was. She made up her mind right then and there. Any apprehension she had about going with the bleached blond hottie she met on the dance floor instantly disappeared. Angel had stood her up. And that in itself pissed her off.

“What about Angel?” Buffy said, grabbing a French fry from Xander’s plate and munching on it.

The dark-haired teenager’s eyes grew bigger at her comment about the vampire, but he didn’t say anything else.

“Well I’m outta here.” She gave both of her friends a quick hug before she turned towards the exit.

Spike waited for her patiently, watching her intently as she talked with her friends. He felt excited for some strange reason and he thought about what he was going to do to her tonight. He knew when they danced that she would be too good to kill tonight. No, not tonight. That would be too soon. He wanted to play with her first. She might prove to be quite amusing and it would such a shame to destroy something so entertaining so quickly. He gave her a devilish grin when she reached the exit. He offered his arm and they headed out into the night.


**

Buffy was sitting on a tombstone that marked the site of a fresh grave. She glanced at her watch with a bored expression.

“Come on, time to get up already. You know some people have tons of homework to get to after this.”

She let out another sigh and looked down at the still grave. “Fine, guess I’ll just have to think of something else to pass the time,” she said with small pout.

Buffy tried to pass the time thinking about last night. Spike. She felt giddy as a school girl with her first crush but thoughts about Spike also bordered on the dangerous. He walked her home last night but there were at least two times during the walk home where they ended up hiding behind a large tree, lips locked on each other and hands slipping underneath clothing to touch the skin underneath. Their first make-out session that night was a little awkward. His kisses were deep and passionate and not being used to something so intense, Buffy accidentally cut her tongue on his teeth. He didn’t seem to care as he let his own tongue trace lightly over hers as if to soothe the slight pain away. As soon as he had his fill of her lips, he moved to nuzzle her neck. But just when it was starting to feel good, he pulled away from her quickly and she could have sworn he growled. Her eyes were closed at that moment but when she opened them to look at him, it didn’t seem like anything was wrong. He was staring back at her with those same intense blue eyes. He did make some excuse, apologizing for his forward behavior which made her frown. She was actually enjoying the kisses so she didn’t understand why he pulled away quickly.

It took maybe two more blocks of them talking about stupid stuff when all of a sudden he said, “Sod it!” then pushed her against a tree and started kissing her again. For those two blocks she had tried to figure out why he pulled away from her earlier but when he claimed her lips again and didn’t seem as bothered about the act like earlier she started noticing other things that seemed odd. There was something missing…something she knew she should be hearing or at least feeling. Her hand was splayed against his chest gently and she felt nothing… not a thud … not a beat. She knew then with certainty that Spike was like Angel, one of the immortal undead. Part of her instincts was telling her to push him away and reach for the stake hidden behind her back. But the kisses felt genuine and instead of pushing away, her body was moving closer to his. All thoughts of being the dutiful Slayer were quickly disappearing as his kisses left her quite breathless and deliriously happy.


“Buffy?” Angel called out to the Slayer.

Buffy looked around flustered and had to place one hand on the tombstone to keep herself from falling flat on her face. “Are you crazy? You don't just sneak up on people in a graveyard. You make noise when you walk. You stomp or... yodel.”

“Sorry. Heard you were on the hunt. So, uh, you're here alone?

“Yeah! Why?”

“Just thought you'd have somebody with you. Xander or someone.”

“Xander?”

“Or someone.”

“Nope.” Though, she wouldn’t have minded if Spike was with her right now. Could Angel have seen her with Spike? “Umm … Why? Are you jealous?”

“Of Xander? Please. He's just a kid.”

Buffy restrained herself from commenting. Well Spike was far from a kid and he had made her feel things Angel never had before. If Angel saw her with Spike, Angel should be jealous… very jealous.

“You sure sound jealous to me.”

“I am not jealous.”

“You’re not jealous? What, vampires don't get jealous?” But Angel said nothing as if lost in thought. “Hey, are you even listening to me Angel?”

“Huh?” the ensouled vampire said, obviously distracted. “Dru?” he mumbled softly. “Sorry Buffy, umm … something’s come up. I’ll see you later.” And in a whirl of leather he was gone.

“Gah! First he goes all jealous on me making me feel guilty when he was the one that stood me up last night. And then he says we need to talk and there he goes, disappearing on me. Argh!” She was so fuming mad as she made her way towards the street that she didn’t notice the open grave and waiting coffin in front of her. She took one step forward and felt nothing. When her feet didn’t make contact with the ground her body instinctively knew that it was falling. She closed her eyes to brace for the impact of the fall when she felt cold hands pull her back and the faint smell of smoke and leather filled her senses. She opened one eye tentatively to find that she was now at least a few paces away from the open grave and a very familiar body was pressed against her.


Spike had been watching the interaction between his Grand-Sire and the Slayer. Yes, he knew she was the Slayer the moment he kissed her the first time last night. He hadn’t really paid that much attention to all her features in the Bronze. He was too mesmerized by her pretty face and lithe body to notice that the reason she moved so confidently was because she was the Slayer. Even when he walked her home he wasn’t paying attention to the subtle alarms being triggered in his head. It was when he tasted her blood when she cut her tongue on his teeth that he knew without any doubt what she was. And despite that knowledge he wanted more. He wanted her – all of her -- and he vowed last night as he watched her disappear into her house and even as he waited until she turned the lights off in her room that he was going to make her his.


He knew he was being selfish and possessive because for some strange reason he didn’t like the fact that his Grand-Sire actually knew the Slayer and seemed to know her intimately. Well there was no way he was going to let that stop him from making Buffy his. In fact, the notion that maybe he was taking her away from his Grand-Sire just added to his earlier resolve.

“What could have gotten my pet so fuming mad that you almost lost your footing?”

Buffy found herself smiling happily at the sound of that familiar voice. She leaned against him, letting his body mold against her as he took a step back away from the open grave, his arms still protectively wrapped around her. She was so caught up in the feel of his arms that she didn’t answer his question.

“Pet?”

“Oh… um… Angel. Angel’s being a pain.”

“Who’s Angel?” Spike knew of course who she was referring to, though he knew his Grand-Sire by the name Angelus.

“Angel, umm… well … He’s a friend.”

“A friend? Do you really get this upset over a friend? I’d love to see you get upset over someone more intimate, pet.”

Buffy looked down and let out a sigh. What was she going to do? She couldn’t outright tell Spike that she and Angel were sort of a couple. She didn’t want to drive him away. And that was where the confusion lay. Why did she seem to want to have Spike around anyway? Shouldn’t she want to flee from him? Shouldn’t she feel compelled to stake him?

As if on cue, Spike lowered his head and started nuzzling her neck, teasing the flesh over her pulse point with kisses and the occasional lick. Her eyes fluttered closed as she took a deep breath. She was trying to reason with herself that she should get away from him and think this through before it was too late. She wanted to muster the courage to pull away from him but the way he firmly rested his hands on her hips made her feel wanted, needed and oddly complete. Her body succumbed to his ministrations and all thoughts of staking the blond vampire were gone. She was starting to feel for him. Strangely enough she felt more safe and complete with Spike than with anyone else she’d ever met. No, she shouldn’t run from him nor should she destroy him. There was something between them and she wanted to find out what it was and what it could be. With the way Spike seemed to do things, finding out wasn’t going to be the least bit boring.


**

“So we have reached an agreement, yes?” Drusilla said, standing before the teenage boy. “You will do this piece of death magic for me and I will give you any of the girls you will need for your darling sweet brother.”

The teenager who she held in her thrall nodded solemnly which made the dark haired vampiress smile and clap her hands excitedly. “You know which charm to make?”

Again the teenager nodded.

“Show me. Show me. Miss Edith would like to see too.”

The boy began flipping through pages in the necromancy spell book on his lap and opened the book to show an illustration of an oval shaped gemstone with the necessary incantations and ingredients listed beside it.

“Soon, Miss Edith. Soon our Dark Knight will do anything I say.”



**

… two days later …


Spike waited patiently outside of 1630 Revello Drive, quietly smoking a cigarette behind one of the huge trees in the front yard. He was waiting for Buffy. They had agreed to meet up after she finished patrol and the little meeting session she had with her Watcher and friends. They had covered the I-know-who-you-really-are conversation yesterday. Spike thought that that would have been the end of their little half innocent tryst but she just told him he was silly and gave him a kiss.

He knew he should have stopped with the confession there but there was something inside him that wanted to be sure she knew what she was getting into so he told her about the two Slayers he had the pleasure of meeting and who helped further his reputation. Her mood became pensive for a moment as if she was trying to debate something inside her head. He was expecting her to pull away from him but she stayed in his arms.

“Do you feel like killing me?” she had asked him innocently.

Spike shook his head slowly.

Buffy smiled. “So there’s no problem then.”

And the next thing Spike knew Buffy was pressing her body against his and he was tasting her sweet lips. He wanted to do more than just kiss her. He wanted to take her completely. He wanted to hear her moan in pleasure and utter his name even as the demon inside was screaming to come out and possess her. He could have done it without regard for how she felt but it just didn’t feel right. She had given him her trust which, coming from a Slayer, was a pretty big thing. She trusted him and he didn’t want to do anything to destroy that trust. He had to restrain himself but that didn’t mean he couldn’t show his possessiveness by other means.

Spike had a feeling that this Slayer was going to keep on surprising him as the years went on. That in itself, the admission that he wanted to be with her for that long, both frightened and excited him. He was so sure when he first saw her that all it was going to be was maybe a week or two of playing with her. Then he found out she was the Slayer in between their little snogging session and instead of being reviled that he had kissed and touched the Slayer, he wanted more.

He felt someone approaching but as it got closer he couldn’t help but let out a small growl at finding out who it was.

“Now my little Dark Knight, is that how you treat a princess?”

“Leave me alone, Dru! I told you once before I don’t want to see you.”

“And so you no longer want to play with your Dark Princess?”

“You WERE my Dark Princess. Unfortunately you’re still my Sire. But that’s the only relationship we have with each other nothing more.”

“But I have somethin’ that you’ve been playing with. You’ve been a very naughty boy. Naughty Spike for tryin’ to hide in the sunshine. Do you think you can hide from me bathed in light? Do you think you can pretend and forget who you are in the sunshine?”

“I have not forgotten who I am but you’ve forgotten that you no longer mean anything to me. I’ve given you enough of blood and years of mindless devotion. I’m fed up with listening to your prattle and being a victim to your lunacy. My unlife is my own. So sod off.”

Drusilla gave her child a disapproving glare. “I have your little sunshine, William. I have your precious little Slayer. If you don’t want me to destroy her myself then you better come with me,” she said with a knowing smile.

Instead of shock, Spike let anger filter to the surface. He gave his Sire a menacing growl and a seething look as he followed her into the night.


**

Dru had led Spike into some abandoned building in the not so nice part of Sunnydale.
She led him to a medium-sized room that was meagerly stocked with medical equipment and there was a girl bound to a gurney. At first he thought that the girl on the gurney was Buffy. He couldn’t really see her features all too well because her feet was facing the door. His other senses told him that the girl was not Buffy, but he could tell that the Slayer was close by.

Spike could smell death in the room. It was that sickly combination of decay and formaldehyde and something else. It was magic, but not just any magic. It was necromancy -- death magic. The magic hung thick in the air but his senses told him it was mainly focused on that huge deformed creature standing close to the bound girl that, lack for a better description, reminded Spike of the Monster of Dr. Frankenstein.

He then noticed another gurney near the corner. He focused his senses on his new discovery and found his nose assaulted with more death and formaldehyde. Underneath that stench, he was able to pick out a faint mixture of three females. They must be the girls that Buffy was looking for. It all made sense. Just like in the book, this Frankenstein monster was looking for a mate and by the looks of things the bound and gagged teenage girl would be essential to bringing the dead girls to life.

Dru tugged on one of his sleeves urging him to follow her into another room. There was a huge smile on her face as she opened the door to reveal Buffy bound to the wall with chains. Spike resisted the urge to rush towards her side and opted to walk casually past his Sire. Dru closed the door behind her then made her way towards Buffy.

“She’s prettier than the others you’ve tried to conquer. How much of her have you tasted?”

“Is that any of your business, pet?” Spike said turning his back towards Buffy. He didn’t want to see her like that and it was easier to formulate a more coherent plan of escape if his mind wasn’t clouded with worry for her.

He let his eyes wander around the room as he tried to think up an escape plan. He had a feeling that he wouldn’t be able to defeat both the monster outside and his Sire all by himself. He needed to find a way to free Buffy first and then maybe the odds might tip in their favor. Unfortunately, she was chained and based on the small bruises on Buffy’s wrists, she had already tried pulling on her restraints with little success.

“It is my business to know how naughty my little boy has been. Mummy has warned you about the sunshine. I’m just tryin’ to protect you.”

“Protect me from wot? I don’t need you! I’ve killed two of her kind before. I don’t need your help in killin’ this one. How I choose to go about it is none of your business.”

“Is that all it is really? Because the pixies are tellin’ me something different.”

“Or sod your damn pixies and whatever other voices are in your head. I’ll kill the Slayer when I’m good and ready.”

“Perhaps you should say that louder because I don’t think the little girl heard you.”

“Spike?”

Spike closed his eyes at the sound of her voice. He was trying to convince his Sire that his interest in Buffy was purely business and unfortunately she must have heard some of it. It was going to be difficult to rectify this with her later but right now the easiest way to ensure her safety would be to assure Dru that she wasn’t being replaced by the bound Slayer. She had been, and still was, quite possessive of him and he had seen girls enduring quite a difficult and torturous fate just because he would flash them a grin. Of course he didn’t really care about those other girls. They were just passing fancies to occupy himself as he tried to forget Dru’s indiscretions towards him. Buffy was different though. He really felt for her and didn’t want her harmed.

“Right here luv.”

“What did you just say?”

Spike turned around slowly. “It’s nothin’ to worry your pretty little head over.”

Dru liked the worried look on the Slayer’s face and wanted to turn her feeling of hope at possible escape in the form of Spike to turn into despair. She made her way towards her child making a move to snake her arms around his torso.


Spike cringed and pushed her away. “Don’t you think you’ve done enough Dru? You’ve already taken away my fun at subduin’ my third Slayer,” he said waving a hand in Buffy’s direction. “And now you want this? I came here to get my prize back not to be coddled by you.”

Dru’s eyes narrowed to a menacing glare as she pulled the oval shaped gemstone she had the teenage boy make for her from her skirts, flashing it in front of her. “I will make you listen to me. No more naughty William. You will follow only my will from now on.”

The gemstone started to exude power and Spike could feel it calling to his body. It was beckoning his legs to move and walk towards Dru. He felt like a puppet on a string as his appendages were being tugged and wrapped around his Sire’s body without his prompting. With his body pressed against his Sire’s and the gemstone being a closer proximity to him now, he could feel the magic flowing against his arms and caressing his head. It felt like fingers were running through his hair but he had this bad feeling that it was just trying to relax him to do something far worse.

He would never allow anyone to take control of him ever again. He’s had enough of people trying to run his life. He was far from a fledgling and even though she was his Sire there would be no way he would ever allow her complete control of his body much less his mind.

He was never one to trust magic but he had taken precautious once he arrived in Sunnydale. Now he was thankful that at least he listened to his instincts and dismissed his apprehensions about magic to at least visit a witch to make him a protective amulet to ward against all magic. He wore the amulet around his neck hidden underneath his black shirt. Perhaps there was a part of him that knew that out of desperation Drusilla might try something like this. He did know her well since he had stayed by her side for over a century.

He had his ace up his sleeve but he wasn’t ready to reveal it just yet. He whispered the incantation that would flare his amulet to life but he continued to act as if his Sire had control over his body. He pushed down the revulsion that wanted to climb up his body as his lips sought out his Sire’s flesh, pressing “loving” kisses on her neck, nibbling and nipping at the spots that he knew pleased her. He sought out Buffy’s scent and pretended that he was kissing her instead. He let his hands roam, ruffling between and against fabric and skin. He smiled an evil smile when he found what he was looking for and all that came from Dru was a moan of desire.

“Angel…” Dru mumbled softly.

Spike narrowed his eyes and growled at her possessively accompanied with him tightening his hold on her. Dru smiled at his reaction. “It seems like Daddy has come wantin’ to save the day. He will come play with us. I’ll go greet Daddy and you can kill her in front of him. The sunshine was trying to take him away too. Shiny little Slayer has to pay.” She pulled away from her child and moved towards the door.

Spike let himself whimper and look at his Sire longingly. When he saw the door close, he let out the shudder he had been holding in flow through him. He spat at least five times to wash away the taste of Drusilla’s lips on his. He then turned to a not so happy Buffy who had been privy to him kissing his Sire. She gave him a menacing glare for a few seconds before looking away.

“Come on, pet. Don’t do that. I had to make her believe she had the upper hand.”

“Sure didn’t seem like you minded. How do I know that you’re not lying to me, trying to soften me up so you can KILL me?”

Spike let a pout paint his lips before he walked up to her and placed a gentle hand on her cheek. “Luv, you know you mean more to me than that.”

“Sure …, “ she said in disbelief.

Spike let out a sigh and moved to release her from the chains.

“You had the keys all this time?” Buffy asked as she rubbed her swore wrists.

“No. I had to go kissy face on that,” he let another shudder out. “ on umm... her to get it.”

Once free, Buffy crossed her arms across her chest still a little pissed at what he had been doing to the vampiress. Logically it sort of made sense in her brain. The way he was acting now did seem like he didn’t like the act at all but she couldn’t help but feel jealous. No one was supposed to be kissing him but her. She dared to look at him and he had that apologetic look that made him look boyish and so adorable. She tried to keep the frown on her face but her anger was starting to melt away as he started rubbing her arms gently.

“You know I hate you!”, she said in jest for there was no anger in her voice.

Spike let out a chuckle. “I know, pet,” he said before he lowered his head to capture her lips.

Buffy lost herself in that kiss once Spike let his tongue gently trace her lower lip. He pulled her closer, possessively planting his hands on her hips. She always was amazed at how he could just seem to make her forget about everything when they were close like this. She knew she should be worried about something but the only thing registering in her brain was Spike until she heard a loud crash from the other room.

“Cordelia!” She suddenly remembered that the head cheerleader was captured too and was about to have her head cut off. She pulled away from the bleached blond vampire and rushed towards the door. As she stepped into the other room, she noticed that half the room was on fire. She quickly scanned the area for Daryl, the deceased football player that had been brought back to life. She didn’t want to be caught unawares like earlier tonight when he ambushed her from behind. She saw that he was huddled by the gurney in the corner surrounded by flames. It seemed like he had thrown himself to protect his potential mate. She then frantically looked around for the other gurney but it was nowhere in sight. She could only hope that Cordelia had been able to escape when Angel came.

Drusilla was in the middle of the room, holding the gemstone in front of Angel whose eyes seemed to be mesmerized by the stone.

Buffy moved quickly and launched herself at Drusilla, knocking the oval gem from her hand. The dark haired vampiress turned and hissed vehemently at the Slayer.

“How did you get free?”

Spike moved closer towards them and flashed his Sire a toothy grin as he held up the keys to Buffy’s chains up in the air. Dru growled in anger and disbelief. “It is not possible. You should be under my power.”

Spike’s grin seemed to grow as he pulled out the amulet that was resting against his chest. “You really didn’t think I’d be unprepared now do you, luv?”

She hissed at both of them. “I still have Daddy. He’ll be by my side. He’ll fight for me.”

Angel dropped into fighting stance and quickly launched himself against Spike. Drusilla seemed to delight in the fight between her child and her Sire.

Buffy used the situation to her advantage and started looking for the gemstone intent on destroying it to free Angel from the crazy vampire’s control. She found it underneath one table and quickly dove for it. Once in her hands she smashed the gem on the floor, shattering it into pieces and effectively freeing both Angel and the necromancy magic held within it.

Angel came to just in time to catch Spike’s fist on his right cheek causing him to stagger back a few steps.

“Spike?!”

“Oi. You’re back. Sorry about that. … Nah! That felt too good for me to be apologetic, mate.”

Drusilla turned around screaming at the Slayer that had foiled her plans. She hated this girl not just because she was the Slayer but because she seemed to have taken both her Daddy and her child away from her. She only had one thought in her mind and that was to destroy the Slayer.

Buffy barely had time to react as she found herself pinned underneath a very angry vampire. She put her arms up in defense as Dru tried to claw at her face. She felt sharp nails dig into her flesh, pulling and scrapping skin down the length of her arm. She bucked her hips and shifted her weight hoping to throw the crazed vampire off from her but nothing worked. Dru kept on clawing at her and all Buffy could do was protect her face with her arms.

Spike moved quickly and pulled his Sire away from the Slayer, roughly throwing her towards the growing fire that was quickly threatening to engulf the entire room.

“We have to get out of here.” Angel cried out.

Buffy picked herself up and ran out the door, followed by Angel and then Spike.

Once outside, Angel started looking Buffy over and was about to help her with her freshly bloodied arms when Spike pushed him away with a growl.

“Hands off, mate.”

Angel gave him an irritated look. “What are you even doing here, Spike?”

Spike ignored his question and took Buffy’s arms to his lips, licking the fresh wounds gently to stop them from bleeding any further..

Angel’s eyes grew wider. “Buffy? Why are you letting him do that?”

“Why not? It feels good,” she said matter-of-factly.

“Why not?! Buffy, do you even know who Spike is? He’s killed a Slayer. He’s not to be trusted.”

“Actually I’ve killed two Slayers, Peaches.” Spike replied with a grin as placed himself behind the Slayer and proceeded to wrap his arms around her from behind. He did this on purpose because he wanted to see how Angel was going to react to his closeness with the Slayer.

Angel made a move towards them intent on freeing Buffy from his grandchild’s embrace, but Buffy put both her hands up to stop him. “I know who he is Angel. He already told me all of that.”

The elder vampire looked up at Spike, whose grin seemed to grow bigger. “He can’t be trusted, Buffy.”

“Yes, he can. And unlike someone I know, at least he always sticks around when I have something to say. Besides, there’s no way he’ll ever harm me. We have … um… an agreement.”

“Agreement?” Angel looked at the blonde couple with a puzzled look.

“I would never harm her, Peaches. There’s no way I could ever harm her.” Spike interjected.

“The only way that would be possible Spike is if your demon views Buffy as his property. But you haven’t marked her.”

Spike started laughing. “That’s what you think.”

Buffy’s cheeks suddenly grew redder and she crossed her legs together trying to hide the healing bite mark Spike had given her on her inner thigh.