Chapter 49: Morning Habits

“I guess I don’t get it,” Anya muttered, pacing around in her pajamas. “Why are we hiding out? I mean, the Council’s going to eventually find out about the baby.”

“Yeah, but we’d like to keep that little tidbit of information from them for a while, because they might be the danger that that Voraos guy was warning Spike about,” Buffy explained, propping her feet up on the footstool. She looked at the clock. It was nearing midnight. Dawn had fallen asleep about twenty minute ago in one of the comfortable chairs, and Willow and Tara had perched themselves on the other couch. Xander and Anya had taken the other bedroom because they were newlyweds, and knowing Anya, she wouldn’t let a few friends get in the way of having sex with her new husband. So, to save everybody’s eyesight, everyone had willingly given the room away. For a couple nights, anyway.

“An? Honey? You coming to bed?” Xander stepped out of the bathroom, towel over one shoulder, wet hair slicked back. Anya’s face lit up.

“I have to go now.”

“You two have fun,” Buffy called with a knowing smile. She got up and headed into her and Spike’s room, where Spike was sitting in bed reading. She raised an eyebrow. “Wow, look who’s being anti-social.” Spike looked up as Buffy closed the door.

“What? Wanted to read. S’wrong with that?” Buffy placed her hands on her hips as she sauntered across the room.

“I know Xander’s not your favorite person.”

“Actually, he would be my least favorite person.”

“C’mon, baby,” she whispered, crawling into bed and nuzzling his cheek with her nose before placing a kiss there. Her minty-fresh breath made him shiver. “He’s trying.”

“I know, luv, but he…he brings out the demon in me.” Buffy saucily raised her eyebrow and gave him a devilish grin. She whisked the book out of his hands and straddled his lap, placing kisses to his neck.

“Thought I was the only one that did that.”

“Oh…you bring the demon out…in a good way. The boy? A very, very bad, evil way.”

“Come on,” Buffy urged him. “Did you ever think that maybe he’s jealous that he’s not the only guy in the group anymore?”

“Or maybe he’s jealous that he had to settle for the ex-demon instead of the Slayer.” Buffy frowned and pulled back a little.

“He doesn’t think about me like that anymore.”

“You sure about that?”

“Yeah. Well, he married Anya.”

“Doesn’t me he doesn’t want you. Just means he knows he can’t have you.” Buffy shrugged her shoulders.

“If he feels that way, that’s sad, you know? We’re happy. He should be happy too.” Spike’s hands gently caressed her hips, and she teasingly wiggled in his lap, feeling his erection pressing into her.

“Yeah, well, he takes one step out of line, and I’ll…”

“Do I have to lock you two in the basement again? I mean, I’ll do it. He doesn’t hate you, Spike. And you don’t hate him.”

“No, but I could live without him.”

“Just so you know, you sling it back at him as good as he shells it out. He’s intimidated by you. If it came down to a fist fight, we both know who’d win, so he tries to be witty, and you throw it back in his face.”

“Why shouldn’t I? I’ve got my pride.”

“So does he, baby. I think he’s just irritated that he can’t threaten to stake you anymore because you’re, you know, all sweet and cuddly.” She chewed on his ear. Spike grimaced.

“Say that a little louder, will you? I don’t think my poker buddies heard you.”

“Come on, Spike,” Buffy urged. “I know Xander hasn’t exactly been on the Spuffy wagon, but…”

“The what?”

“Spuffy.”

“What the bloody hell is Spuffy?”

“I just put our names together. It’s cute. Spike plus Buffy.”

“Know what else you could make out of that?”

“What?”

“Bike. Or Spiffy. Oh, how about…” He considered ‘Spikey,’ but that only brought on unwanted memories of a certain blonde vampire he’d love to forget. Buffy frowned.

“But then it’s not cute.”

“Exactly.” At her glance, he sighed. “I’m a vampire.” He cleared his throat and formed his hands into faux claws. “Grr?”

“Right. You’re bad, I get it,” she giggled, suckling on his neck. “All I’m saying is that you can be the bigger man. You can show him how willing you are to get along.”

“But I’m not.”

“For me?” Spike sighed when her warm breath tickled his neck.

“You’re evil, you know that?” he wondered, threading his fingers through her hair. She grinned, kissing him and gently nibbling on his lower lip.

“I know. That’s why you love me.” He couldn’t disagree, and he smirked against her lips before flipping her over in the small bed.

“Yeah, and now I’m gonna show you exactly why you love me.” She bit her lip, giggling as he kissed his way down her body, and showed her, for the first of many times that evening, one of the many reasons she loved him so much.

***

“Do you hear anything?” she whispered sometime after sunrise, sitting up in bed. Spike shook his head. Buffy felt her cheeks turning red. “You don’t think they heard us last night, do you?”

“Over the porn stars in the next room? Unlikely,” Spike muttered. Buffy couldn’t help but laugh. “Would think they’d have the decency to be a little quiet. At least we tried.” Buffy leaned into him, stifling a giggle against his shoulder before placing a kiss there. She then climbed out of bed and pulled on a bathrobe.

“I’m gonna go get a shower,” she offered. Raising an eyebrow, she grinned. “You know, it’d only be fair to save the hot water for everybody else. Why don’t we…you know, shower together?” Spike practically leapt out of bed, pulled on a pair of boxers, which he’d not wanted to take but had because Buffy’d insisted he not walk around naked in front of her friends, and he rushed out the door after a robe-clad Buffy.

Once safely inside the privacy of the locked bathroom, Buffy turned the shower on and pulled off her robe. She stifled a yelp as Spike pulled her naked body against his cool, boxer-clad one. She smiled wickedly and kissed him roughly before dropping to her knees, yanking the boxers down his lower half. As soon as he stepped out of them, he felt her warm fingers wrap around his hard shaft and he sucked in a sharp breath. She looked up at him through her long eyelashes, and she placed a finger to her lips.

“Shh,” she whispered. Well, he definitely wasn’t complaining, but as the head of his cock slipped in past her soft, wet lips, he had to lean forward and grip the sink to keep himself steady. She moaned softly as she took him in, her tongue teasing his tip each time she rolled back up. Her eyes never left his, and he felt like he could come right then.

She pulled back all the way and smiled up at him. Before he could protest, she began to stroke him with both of her hands, one after the other. He threw his head back, slowly pumping his hips to the rhythm of her hand strokes.

When she took him back into her mouth again, he bucked forward, but she kept her hand at the base of his shaft, controlling the amount she took in. And when she began to tease him with her tongue, he lost control and came into her mouth with a muffled groan. She smiled up at him again and rose to place a soft kiss to the side of his mouth. When reached her hand under the shower stream and nodded.

“I think it’s hot enough.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder and stepped into the shower. He was right behind her, and he intended on giving her entire body a good cleaning…after he dirtied her up a little more.

***

By the time Spike walked out of the bathroom toweling off his hair, while Buffy was finishing brushing her teeth, the rest of the group was up, and they all turned, and he saw their jaws drop in shock and eyes widen in surprise to see him wearing nothing but a pair of boxer shorts. He couldn’t help but smirk, wondering if they were more surprised that he was barely wearing anything or that he actually had the decency to put something on.

“What?”

Xander turned to see the Anya and even Willow and Tara staring. Judging by the looks on their faces, Spike didn’t often walk around with that little on. Anya tilted her head to the side, and she glanced at Xander. He hoped to God she wouldn’t point out the difference between Spike’s chiseled torso and his not-so-chiseled, but still not bad to look at one. Anya opted not to say a word, to which Xander decided to be eternally but secretly grateful.

“Um, good morning, Spike,” Willow said quietly, trying not to gawk at Spike. Just because she wasn’t so much into the guys anymore didn’t mean she didn’t appreciate a nice male physique when she saw one. “Um…is Buffy almost done?”

“Yeah. Should be out in a sec. Did you run the thing by…”

“The ceremony?” Xander asked, a little loudly, causing Spike to stalk across the room.

“Why don’t you speak up, Harris? Don’t think she heard you try to ruin the surprise.”

“Sorry,” Xander said, holding his hands up.

“So you’re all up to speed?”

“Yeah,” Willow pointed out, trying to speak below the volume of Buffy’s electric toothbrush’s buzzing. “No pastor, so we don’t need to call and reschedule. But we might have to resort to a little magic to get everything else done. I mean…the dress…with the measurements you gave me…what if she’s gotten bigger…”

“We’ll take care of that if we have to, sweetie,” Tara said quietly. “I’m sure we can sneak out and take care of everything without magic…well, unless we have to use magic to get there, and then…” Tara stopped. “You get it, right?”

“Yeah,” Willow said with a smile.

“Alright, good. And I don’t want anybody ruining the surprise. Got it?” His gaze snapped to Xander.

“Why does he look at me when he says that?”

“Says what?” Buffy came out of the bathroom, drying her mouth on a towel. She quirked an eyebrow at the sight of her boyfriend standing in nothing but his boxers in a roomful of her friends.

“Oh, you know, that he wants to bite me, but I’m not worth it, blah blah blah,” Xander covered.

“Spike,” Buffy warned before padding into the bedroom, bathrobe pulled tightly around herself. Spike spun around to glare at Xander again.

“Thanks, you stupid git. Now she’s…”

“Hey, I didn’t ruin the surprise. If I’m supposed to be quiet for you, then you’re gonna have to suffer the consequences.” Anya’s eyes widened as she watched her husband and the vampire exchange glares and words. Suddenly, she jumped up and grabbed Xander’s arm. “Wha…” She whispered something in his ear. “That got you in the mood?” And then their door slammed behind them. Spike shook his head, trying to get the mental image of the whelp shagging the ex-demon out of his head.

“Well, while they’re doing that, I’m gonna get a shower and everything,” Willow decided.

“Breakfast’ll be ready when you get out,” Tara assured her. They shared a brief but tender kiss before Willow headed off to the bathroom, and Spike couldn’t help but find the idea of the two of them a little sexy. Though he would never in a million years tell Buffy this, he’d often imagined what it would have been like to be with both Buffy and the Buffybot at the same time. Of course, he’d had the Bot, and nothing compared to the real thing; the way the true Slayer moaned in his ear, said his name is just the right needful whisper. A shiver rolled up his spine, and he realized he was getting turned on. And this was bad, because he was wearing nothing but boxers.

Just as he was about to turn and go into the bedroom, Buffy burst out, hand over her mouth, and rushed through the bathroom door.

“Hey!” Willow exclaimed, toothbrush hanging out of the side of her mouth as she stood in nothing but her bra and underwear. She quickly covered herself with a towel and ran out as Buffy heaved into the toilet. About a minute later, the toilet flushed and the pale-faced Slayer stepped out into the living room.

“Sorry, Wil,” she muttered sheepishly. Willow grimaced but nodded in understanding.

“It’s ok,” she assured her friend. “Do you need to go again, ‘cause I can wait to take a shower.”

“No, I think I’m ok. I just need some fresh air.”

“Come here, Buffy. I have some herbs in my bag. I was gonna use them for a locator spell, but they work good in a tea. It should help your stomach.”

“Thanks Tara.” Willow headed back into the bathroom, and Buffy settled down in the kitchen. Spike finally headed back to get changed.

“The great thing about our normal schedules is that everybody usually cleared out of the bathroom before my morning sickness starts.”

“It’s ok. It’s just for a week.”

“Yeah,” Buffy said slowly. “But I’m not sure if all of us are gonna make it out of here alive.”

“It’ll be ok,” Tara agreed with a grin. “But maybe you should do something about the guys. It’s toned down a lot over the past month, but now they’re just acting like…”

“Big babies?”

“I wasn’t gonna say it…but…you know…”

“Yeah,” Buffy said with a nod. “Last time I had to lock them in the basement together. What could I do out here that’s just as bad that…” Her eyes widened.

“Buffy?”

“Oh. Oh…” A wicked smile spread across her face. “Where’s Anya?”

“With Xander. His and Spike’s display of manliness got her all…well…you know.”

“Oh,” Buffy pouted. “Ok, well, when they’re done then.”

“What are you planning?”

“Oh. This is gonna be good, Tara. Better than The Parent Trap even.”

“Huh?”

“You’ll see,” she smiled. “This is gonna be great.”

***

“You must be Faith.”

“You must be Dana. Hey, Dana.”

“Hi,” Dana said slowly. Faith nodded.

“Hey back.”

“So you’re here to be evaluated too, huh?”

“Guess so. But I gotta say, I could totally get used to this place.” She looked around the lobby of Council Headquarters. “No bars on the windows or the doors.”

“Not totally true,” Dana murmured, looking away.

“Right on, so you’re a rebel too?”

“I was in prison for murder…just like you.”

“Oh. Right,” Faith said with a slow nod. “But since you’re here, you must be back on the straight and narrow too, huh?”

“I didn’t mean to do the things I did,” Dana immediately defended. Faith put her hands up.

“Whoa. I wasn’t accusing you.”

“Mr. Travers has told me about you. About the men you killed.” She saw a flicker of familiarity in Faith’s eyes. She wasn’t sure if she was seeing regret or simply discomfort with talking about it.

“Yeah. I did kill them. It was a choice. A wrong one, but it was a choice.”

“And now you’re…what? Trying to be a good Slayer again?”

“Same as you, it looks like.” The two sat down across from each other. Both were aware of the man peering down at them from the stairs. “So what do I have to look forward to?”

“You? I don’t know. They sent me off to Sunnydale after they were done with me here.”

“Good ole’ Sunny D. So you met B?”

“Huh?”

“Buffy. The other Slayer.”

“Oh.” Dana smiled. “Yeah. I did. She’s…she’s nice.”

“Wound a little tight, huh?”

“Well, she’s good at what she does. She’s careful. She’s really smart.”

“Yeah, but the girl doesn’t know how to let loose.”

“I don’t know about that,” Dana said with a shrug.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.” She frowned and looked into Faith’s eyes. “I’m leaving here in a few days.”

“Going back to Sunnydale?”

“I wasn’t going to, but…they’ve been asking me some really…really weird questions. I just kinda want to get back to training and talk to Mr. Giles.”

“What kinda questions?” Dana noticed Travers approaching and she shook her head just slightly.

“Just…if they ask you about your memories…”

“What?”

“Just…they might ask you some weird questions, and…” She cut herself off when she heard him stop behind her.

“Ah, so you two have met at last.” Mr. Travers patted Dana on the shoulder and smiled warmly. “Welcome, Faith. I was just informed you got in.”

“Well, not ‘just’ informed. You’ve been watching us for the past five minutes.” At Travers’ stern look, she stood up. “So, you wanna tell me what I’m supposed to do now?”

“I’ll have someone take you to your flat.”

“And then what?”

“Then nothing. You’ll be assigned to a Watcher, and he’ll contact you. Tomorrow, you’ll begin your evaluation and your training.”

“Oh,” Faith said slowly, feeling a little bit of déjà vu. It had felt similar to this when the mayor had prepared to take her to her new place, which had turned out to be pretty fantastic. That was, until she and Buffy had had a hell of a fight. Then she’d never seen the place again.

“So is Slayer Jr. coming with, or…”

“No, Dana is needed elsewhere. It’s just the two of us, Faith. I know that the Council has not been kind to you in the past, but I have every intention of making your stay here worthwhile.” Faith glanced at a nervous-looking Dana and then back at Travers.

“Alright, well, lead the way, boss.” She flashed him a smile and stepped out of the way. He gave her a little nod and headed off. Faith turned to follow, but Dana grabbed her arm. Spinning out of the girl’s hold, Faith shot her a questioning glance. But Dana said nothing. She only watched as Faith slowly turned back around and followed Mr. Travers out of the building.

************
Let me know what you thought of the chapter! Thanks....:)