Chapter 48: A Cabin in the Woods

“So,” he murmured, placing lazy kisses to her shoulder and her neck as he hovered over her, watching as the redness in her cheeks slowly disappeared and her eyes de-glazed from their passionate encounter, “I’m starting to reconsider the packing thing.”

“You don’t wanna go?” Buffy wondered, running her sweaty fingers through his hair, giggling as curls sprang free from the prison of gel.

“Oh, I wanna go,” he murmured, is hand moving between them to stroke her wet folds. “I just want you naked all weekend.” Buffy grinned.

“Yeah,” she murmured. “I like the sound of that. Ah…oh…yeah.” She bit her lower lip as he continued to caress her, dipping one finger inside of her and then adding another. She squirmed beneath him, and he smiled as she arched her back and brushed her belly against his.

Her arms snaked around him, and she bucked against his hand until she began to tremble and let out a choked gasp at her completion. Spike smiled cockily and kissed her swollen lips, taking her bottom lip between his teeth for a little nibble. He pulled back and brought his fingers to his mouth, sucking on each of them hungrily before sliding them out with two satisfactory smacks of his lips.

She smiled up at him, and he chuckled, leaning his forehead against hers.

“Kiss me,” he purred. And she did. He gathered her up close and rolled onto her back, taking her along with him. She straddled his hips and placed her hands on his chest, beaming down at him.

“Mmm, just think,” she murmured, closing her eyes and basking in the deliciousness of her thoughts, “two whole days…and we can be as loud as we want.”

“Of course, until the people in the neighboring rooms call management.”

“Yeah, but we don’t know them, so it’s ok,” she teased.

“Like the way you think, pet.” She giggled and pulled herself off of him, climbing off of the bed. He reached out for her, but she was too fast. “Oi! Where you going?”

“Bitty Buffy might be the size of my pinky finger right now, but she’s already dancing on my bladder.” Buffy rushed into the bathroom, and Spike stretched out on the bed, folding his arms behind his head. He sighed languidly and waited for Buffy to return.

It seemed only a moment went by before he felt a nudge in his ribs.

“You fell asleep,” she laughed, climbing back into bed with him.

“I did?”

“Yeah. I must’ve really worn you out.” She curled up against him, resting her head on his chest. Spike caressed her shoulder and smiled. “Is it sundown yet? I wanna get out of here.” Spike smiled a little and stretched, pulling her a little closer. Just as they both got comfortable, the phone rang. Buffy groaned and reached for it, since it was closest to her. “Hello?”

“Buffy, it’s Giles.”

“Unless you’re calling to tell me that the world is ending…I’m kinda busy. And I’m leaving town.”

“Yes, I think it’s best that you do.” Buffy sat up when she heard the urgency in Giles’ voice.

“What happened?”

“A friend of mine from the Council just called. He’s pretty certain Quentin Travers is sending a few Council members to…evaluate you.”

“What? Now?! What about Dana.”

“He’s personally working on her evaluation, so he won’t be coming. But, Buffy, there’s going to be no hiding this pregnancy from them. They don’t know I know they’re coming, so it would be best if you left until I tell you it’s safe to come back.”

“Ok,” she said slowly. “Well, Spike and I are leaving for a couple of days.”

“A couple of days might not do it. And your friends? The Council is rather good at getting information.”

“What are you saying?” Buffy groaned.

“I’m saying that I’m sending the lot of you to my cabin.”

“You have a cabin?”

“Well…yes.”

“Since when?”

“I told you about it. Last Thanksgiving.”

“No you didn’t.”

“I didn’t?”

“No.” She heard a sigh on the other line.

“That’s not the point. Right now, the best thing for you to do is to pack yourselves up for at least a week and lay low there. I’ve already spoken to Xander and Anya, and they’re heading home to pack as we speak.” When she didn’t respond, he continued. “It’s a very remote location in the woods. You’ll be safe there until you hear from me.”

“Let me guess…no phones?”

“There is a landline there, yes, for emergencies. I’ll call you when the coast is clear.”

“Giles?”

“Yes?”

“You know…you really suck right now.”

“Excuse me?”

“Sorry. It was supposed to be a…you know…getaway. Just the two of us. You know…things are happy again.”

“Oh…I’m sorry, Buffy. But unless you want to risk the Council finding you...they’ll be checking the hotels around the area.”

“Right,” Buffy muttered, running her fingers through her hair. “Ok. I’ll tell Spike.” She hung up and searched for Spike, who was already getting dressed.

“So what’s going on, pet?”

“Two days of nakedness are out the window,” she frowned. “We’re going to spend a fun-filled week cramped in a little cabin with five other people. The Council’s coming, and Giles thinks it’d be better if we flew under the radar for a while.”

“Right.” He pulled his shirt on over his head.

“We can still go away, right? Just the two of us? After the Council’s gone and everything?” Spike smiled a little.

“Of course, luv. Are you kidding? Two days of naked Buffy? That’s all I’m gonna be able to think about to get me through the sodding week.”

***

As soon as the sun went down, Xander and Anya’s car pulled up outside of the summers' home. Willow, Tara, Spike, Buffy, and Dawn all hurried out of the house and put their things in the trunk.

“I can’t believe we have to take one car,” Dawn pouted, as she scooted into the front seat, forcing Anya to straddle the console in the middle. Spike, Willow, Buffy and Tara all managed to squeeze into the back seat. Buffy was seated on Spike’s lap, and she was thankful to be short enough that her head didn’t get smooshed to the car ceiling.

“Giles thought it’d be safe if we just took one. That way there fewer trails to follow,” Anya deduced.

“Speaking of safe, Dawn, what about Jake? I mean, I know he’s not the most observant of guys…”

“It’s ok. He’s out of town. He had to go visit his grandparents in San Francisco.”

“Oh. Ok, good.”

“Don’t worry. The Watcher’s Council doesn’t care about the Slayer’s sister. I doubt they even know I have a boyfriend.”

“I really hope this isn’t a long drive, because, hello? Pregnant woman here. Not good with long car trips,” Buffy groaned, as they turned the corner and sped away from Revello Drive. With the thought of Slayer barf all over his car now firmly implanted in his mind, he tapped on the gas, hoping the directions Giles had given him wouldn’t get them lost.

***

“Oh sodding Hell. You have got to be kidding me.”

“It’s not that bad.”

“Take a good look, Harris. It’s a bloody box with windows.”

“Giles said it has two bedrooms and a large common area,” Anya insisted, as they pulled their luggage out of the trunk of the car.

“I get it. This is a joke on old Spike.” Spike let out a dry laugh. “Bet the Council isn’t even coming. Bet he just wants to see how long it’ll take me to bite one of you wankers.”

“Spike!” Buffy hissed.

“What? I’m just joking, pet. I wouldn’t bite any of them. Alright, I might bite Harris, but…”

“Hey! Buffy, tell your boy friend to keep his fangs to himself.”

“He wouldn’t bite you,” Buffy insisted. “He’s harmless as a puppy dog.” Spike shot a glare at her, and she winked at him. “Isn’t he cute?”

“Oh, I’m cute now, am I?”

“Wouldn’t go that far,” Xander muttered under his breath.

“Come on, it’ll be fun!” Buffy insisted. “Me and all of my best friends hanging out for a week. No patrolling. No demons.”

“Except for the one you’re shagging,” Xander reminded her.

“Yeah, well, that’s just a big plus.” Buffy grinned and took hold of Spike’s hand. “C’mon, let’s check out the place.”

After Xander unlocked the door, everyone piled their luggage in alongside the wall. It was dark, and nobody could find a light switch. Spike searched his coat pockets before coming up with his lighter. With a little flick, he produced a flame, holding it close to the walls as he felt along for a switch. In a moment, the room was bathed in light, and everyone looked around.

“Not bad,” Tara nodded, sweeping her gaze around the place. The living room was larger than Buffy’s. There were two couches and a couple of chairs surrounding a coffee table, and a decent-sized TV sat on an entertainment center against the wall. A little kitchen was off to the side, and three doors were spaced out along the walls.

Buffy made a beeline for the bathroom, and everyone else checked out the bedrooms. They were small but they’d each accommodate two people. Spike immediately grabbed his and Buffy’s suitcase and placed it on one bed.

“Hey, who said you get this one?” Anya asked, hands on her hips.

“’Cause the Slayer’s sleeping with me, and she’s pregnant.” Nobody could say much to that. It wouldn’t be very fair to make the pregnant girl sleep on the couch or the floor. Besides, they all knew it was better for them if she got a good night’s sleep, because pregnant Buffy was an unpredictably emotional Buffy.

Buffy returned from the bathroom and everybody turned to her.

“So…how bad is it?” Willow cringed.

“Not bad at all. Giles pulled through, ladies. A nice, big bathtub and plenty of counter space.” The ladies immediately went to deposit their makeup cases in the bathroom. Spike ran his fingers through his hair and glanced awkwardly at Xander.

“Looks like we’re outnumbered.”

“Us? What about you? You’re the only living dead here.”

“I meant the fact that we’re both men. You know we’re going to be forced to do unspeakable things like chop wood or kill little creepy crawlies.”

“You think there are creepy crawlies?” Xander asked, suddenly panicked. Spike furrowed his brows.

“I’d imagine. We are in the middle of the woods, Harris.”

“Yeah. Right.” He cleared his throat in a rugged, manly way and shrugged his shoulders. But then he got an idea.

“Who needs us rugged, tough men when the Slayer’s here? She’s killed a lot worse than a stray centipede or two.”

“What?!” Buffy exclaimed, rushing out of the bathroom. “Centipede? Where?” Xander was dumbstruck.

And mimicking Spike’s earlier words, Xander groaned, “you’ve got to be kidding me.”

***

Buffy had fallen asleep in one of the bedrooms. Anya was attempting to cook something in the kitchen, and Willow and Tara were desperately trying to help her in order to avoid eating something that tasted like the bottom of a high school locker room shower. Dawn was reading a girly magazine, and Spike and Xander were sitting on the couch fighting for control of the remote. Well, not so much fighting as exchanging words in a way that only two full grown men could.

“Give it back, you peroxided pillock.”

“Where’d you learn to talk like that?”

“I’ve been around you too much. Way too much.”

“Then go for a walk, Harris.”

“I sat down first.”

“Listen to me, you wanker.” Spike leaned in close, eyes narrowing at Xander’s wide-open ones. “If I have to sit through one more episode of “I Love the 90s…”

“The best part’s coming up.”

“Honey, I’ve seen this one!” Anya called from the kitchen. “Backstreet Boys were mentioned somewhere in the middle.” Xander groaned. “I mean…uh…shoot. Who was famous in the 90s?” Spike smirked.

“Don’t even start,” Xander grumbled. Spike yanked the remote out of his hand and flipped the channel. Xander opened his mouth, ready to protest, but when he saw what was on, he raised his eyebrows. “You watch Jeopardy?”

“Why not? Keeps the brain active.”

“Considering you don’t make brainwaves, because of the whole being dead thing…”

“Shut your trap, you limey…”

“Bite me, fang-boy.”

“I might just do that.”

“Hey!” a muffled yell followed by the thud of what could have only been one of Buffy’s boots hitting the wall stopped the conversation in its tracks. There was a squeak, two more loud thuds, and then the door flew open. Buffy stood there, eyes wild, hair messy, teeth clenched. And Spike felt his jeans grow a little tighter in the groin area. “Will you two stop acting like five-year-olds for two minutes? I’m trying to sleep!”

“He started it,” Spike muttered, turning the TV off and tossing the remote onto the opposite couch, just to piss off Xander. His stomach grumbled, but before he made his way to the kitchen, he made a pass by his and Buffy’s room and kissed her on the cheek. “Sorry, kitten. You hungry?”

“A little.” She sighed and realized that she should probably stay awake now, because if she didn’t, she’d never get back to sleep later. Spike took her hand and they walked into the kitchen together. Buffy’s nose crinkled at the stench coming from the stove. “What is that?”

“Tomato soup.”

“Why is it black? Did you…burn it? How do you burn soup?”

“I don’t know, ok?”

“You’re over eleven hundred years old, Anya,” Willow muttered, pouring out the ruined soup into the sink. “You never got curious…you know, picked up a cookbook?”

“I can cook some things,” Anya insisted. “Right, sweetie?”

“Yeah. She makes a mean lasagna,” Xander commented, flashing a smile at his wife. Spike opened up the fridge and pulled out a mug of blood. He sipped at it slowly, and he caught Xander’s glance. The young man was grimacing, and Spike deliberately created a little blood mustache over his upper lip and then smiled, making quite the display of licking it off. “Now that’s just wrong. If I have to put up with that for a week I’m gonna go crazy.”

Spike couldn’t resist. “All work and no play makes Harris a dull boy.” Xander glared at him and started toward the vampire, but Buffy pulled something out of the freezer and slammed it down on the counter. No words needed to be said. Everyone went back to what they were. To say it was going to be a long week would be an understatement.
*************

Let me know what you thought of the chapter. This MIGHT be my last update until Monday. I'll see how things go, but I haven't even started on the next chapter yet. Anyway, feedback, please! :)