Chapter Fifteen
 
Rather than calling Giles to come get them, the two girls walked to the Magic Box. They had to knock several times before Giles came to let them in.
 
“My apologies,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting anyone and I locked the door.  You’re out more quickly than I would have thought.  Is everything all right?”
 
“As all right as it can be,” Buffy said. “Mom’s zonked on what she asked me to tell you are “really, really good drugs” and she went to sleep.  Wanna explain that to us?”
 
“That she went to sleep?”
 
Both girls rolled their eyes. “Right, Giles. Cause I don’t know what it means when somebody shuts their eyes and stops talking.” Buffy put her hands on her hips. “I meant the part about the good drugs. Why would my mom think you’d have any interest in drugs? Good or bad?”
 
Dawn grinned at him. “Does this have anything to do with a long time ago when you guys were all wacky from magic candy and you turned into some kind of juvenile delinquent?”
 
“You knew about that?” He looked horrified.
 
“I was young, not stupid or blind,” Dawn said, tossing her head.  “Mom dressed like a slut, and you were all punk guy. And your ‘cigarettes’ smelled funny....”
 
“Just be glad you never heard the comments I did when I was all ‘hear everybody’s thoughts’ girl,” Buffy said with a shudder as she thought about Joyce’s ‘stevedore’ memories of Giles as a punk. “You don’t want to know what they did!”
 
Giles turned very red and cleared his throat. “Yes. Well. Let’s just lock up, shall we? And I will drive you two girls back to your home.”  He relocked the front door and gestured toward the back. “My car is in the alley.”
 
“You parked in an alley? In Sunnydale? Without me?”
 
Giles looked offended. “I believe I am capable to getting myself safely into and out of my car without a bodyguard.  I am a trained Watcher, after all.”
 
“So was Wesley,” Buffy said, pushing past him to go out first. She walked all the way around the car, then waved them out. When the door had closed behind them and there was no longer any light streaming into the alley, the shadows suddenly became active and two vampires leapt toward the girls. Buffy staked hers without even bothering to quip, then watched as Giles struck the one attacking Dawn over the head with a large cross he had produced from under his jacket. Using the cross to keep the vampire at bay, he pulled out a stake and waited for another attack. He looked disappointed when the vampire crumbled to dust in front of him.
 
“I had it, Buffy.”
 
“You probably did, but I’m in a hurry to get home, so I just sped things up a little.”
 
Grumbling about her thinking he was too old to defend himself, he unlocked the car and waited for them to get in.  Buffy fretted about not having patrolled yet, but Giles assured her that Sunnydale would survive just fine if she stayed home and made up for missing so much sleep the night before.
 
The girls got out of the car with Buffy again thanking Giles profusely for driving them around.
 
“You know, you could get your license,” he said. “It’s not required that the Slayer walk everywhere if she isn’t actively patrolling.”
 
“I just haven’t had time,” Buffy mumbled, giving a smirking Dawn a shove. “I’ll think about it.”
 
“Spike could teach you,” Dawn said as they approached the house. “I’ll bet he could. He promised to teach me so I can get my license next year.”
 
“Over my dead body!”  Buffy opened the door and glared toward the living room where Spike was just sitting up, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. “You hear that, Spike?”
 
“What have I done now?”  He stretched and stood up, swaying slightly before catching himself on the back of a chair.
 
Forgetting what she’d been yelling about, Buffy rushed to his side and tried to get him to lie down again.  “What are you doing standing up?  Are you crazy?”
 
“Seems one of us might be,” he said, sitting back down with a relieved sigh.
 
“As entertaining as it looks like this conversation could be,” Dawn said, “I have some homework to do if I’m going to have to go to school tomorrow. I’ll just take some food upstairs with me.”  She went into the kitchen and began making herself a sandwich.
 
“So, what’s got your knickers in a twist?”  Spike patted the cushion beside him and smiled when Buffy sat down. He put his arm around her and pulled her closer. “Missed you,” he murmured.
 
“Did not,” she retorted. “You were sound asleep. Don’t try to deny it.”
 
“I can miss you while I’m sleeping. Been doing that for years, I’ll have you know. Only difference now is I bloody well know what I’m missing.”
 
“Hmmph.”  She snuggled in to his side and put her arm across his chest.  “How do you feel? And don’t lie!”
 
“You hurt my feelings, Slayer. As if I’d lie to you.”
 
She just raised her head and glared at him until he folded.
 
“Feel pretty good, all things considered. I expect what’s left of the headache is going to be around a while, but it’s getting better all the time. Scalp’s a little sore, but nothing that won’t be gone by tomorrow.”
 
“He said the bones in your skull will take a couple of days.”
 
“Reckon that’s true,” he agreed. “I’ll have to try not to get hit on head for awhile.”
 
“Shouldn’t be a problem. You’re not leaving here until I know you’re 100% healed. You and Mom are going to be my co-patients.”
 
“That so?” He pulled her closer. “Does that mean I’ll have my own little Nurse Buffy? Hmmm?” Nibbling on her ear, he said, “I think I feel like a sponge bath, Nurse Buffy.”
 
She giggled and squirmed away, hissing, “Behave yourself. Dawn’s right in the kitchen.”
 
“Ah yes. The little sister.  Remember that from last year’s engagement.” He let go of Buffy and sat forward. “Nosy, annoying little brat that she is,” he concluded, loud enough for Dawn to hear him as she came back through the room with her food.
 
“You have no idea how annoying I can be,” Dawn said, tossing her head. “But get on my bad side and you’ll find out.”
 
“You do remember I can bite you now, right?”
 
She rolled her eyes. “Right. Like that’s gonna happen. Admit it, Big Bad. You’re tamed. Wrapped up and delivered on our doorstep.” 
 
“Are you going to let her talk to me like that?”
 
Spike’s indignation was only partially faked as Dawn’s words sank in. His mood not helped by Buffy’s laughter, he growled and flopped back against the couch cushions.
 
Buffy waited until Dawn was well on her way up to her room before she moved over to straddle his lap, facing him. She sat there, waiting, until he stopped pouting and gave her a sheepish smile.
 
“You sound kinda grumpy,” she said, resting her arms on his shoulders.  “Do I need to go get more blood?”
 
He started to shake his head, flinching as he thought better of it. “No, love. That was plenty. I’ll need more tomorrow. May have to pay Willie a visit and pick up some O Neg. Just to help the healing along. Medicinal like, you know?”  He blinked at her innocently.
 
“How dumb do you think I am?” she snorted, narrowing her eyes when he opened his mouth to speak. “Think carefully before you answer that.”
 
His rich chuckle shook them both, and he put his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.  “I think you’re bloody brilliant, Slayer. And if you expected I was going to answer than question any other way, you must not think much ofmy IQ.”
 
She smiled at him and leaned in for the kiss he was offering. They were both happily exploring each other’s mouths when she pulled away and rested her forehead against his, sighing heavily. “We need to talk.”
 
“Well that’s one way to spoil a perfectly good snog.” He made a sound between a growl and a sigh. He loosened his grip so that she could move away if she wanted to, but Buffy stayed where she was, only lifting her head to meet his gaze.
 
“I mean it. I need for you to understand how I feel. About... what happened.” She bit her lip and sat up a little straighter. “I think I’m okay with what you did to Ben. Or I will be, anyway. Knowing that you killed him and that it means Glory is gone, is.... I don’t like it, but I understand why you did it. And Giles seems to be all rah, rah, Spike, so....” She shrugged. “But I don’t know if I can even explain how I felt when I saw you standing there holding his body.  Even when I got my memory back and knew what he was, I still couldn’t handle that you killed a man right in front of me.  I thought... I thought I was going to have to dust you. Just like I did Angel, and I... just wanted to die.”
 
“No dying. Not on my watch, Slayer. This was a one-shot thing. You know the Watcher would have done it in a heartbeat if he’d had his head right. It had to be done. I wasn’t going to risk losing you in a fight with a hellgod, even if it meant you kicked me to the curb. That’s the way it is, Buffy.” He took a deep breath. “I won’t kill for the sake of killing or to feed – I can promise you that – but I can’t promise you I wouldn’t do if it again if it was a choice of you or some other human I don’t give a toss about.  Don’t ask me to.”
 
“So I have to go through life making sure I never make any human enemies just so I don’t have to worry that you’ll kill them?”
 
“Don’t be daft. I’m not an idiot. First place, I know you can take care of yourself just fine. Don’t expect to have to go riding to the rescue all the time. You’re the Slayer. I’m the back up muscle. I think we’re both clear on that. This one time, I could do it and you couldn’t. How bloody often is that going to happen?”
 
“So, even if some human bad guy is threatening to kill me, you’ll just—”
 
“I’ll just let the Watcher shoot him.  Did you know he’s got a gun? And he knows how to use it?”
 
“Great, you’re already corrupting my watcher.”
 
“Don’t think old Rupert needs much corrupting, love. The man has depths.”
 
Buffy rested her head on his chest and tried to pretend she didn’t notice the bulge growing under her. When Spike began, less than subtly, nudging his hips up, she giggled and sat up straighter, pushing herself slightly away.
 
“Don’t you have healing to do?  Healing that requires you to hold still?”
 
“Sorry, love. I do, but sometimes the head that does the thinking isn’t the one that’s hurt.”
 
“Sometimes?” 
 
“Is that any way to talk to a man who’s just had brain surgery? Where’s your respect for my condition?”
 
“Which condition would that be? The one that means you should be lying down and resting, or the one that’s poking me?”
 
“Lying down sounds like a good idea for both them,” he suggested, wriggling his eyebrows at her and pushing his hips up again.
 
“You’re incorrigible.” She laughed and moved off his lap, ignoring his growl of complaint. “Come on. Let’s figure out where you’re going to sleep.”
 
“I was kind of hoping it would be wherever you are,” he muttered, adjusting himself with more blatant action than was necessary.
 
“Well, my bedroom is right across the hall from Dawn’s, and we already know she just walks in whenever she wants to. Plus, I don’t trust those drapes to keep the sun out in the morning. I guess I could cover the windows with a sheet or something....”
 
“Could always go back to the basement. “ ’less your mum already put away my cot.”
 
Buffy shrugged. “I think it’s still there. But I don’t want to sleep in the basement on that hard old cot....”
 
“Your bed it is, then,” he said, standing up and holding out his hand. “Won’t be the first time I spent the night just listening to you breathe and thinking how lucky I am, probably won’t be the last.”
 
She smiled and allowed him to pull her to her feet.  “Okay. Let me just lock up.”
 
XXXXXXX
 
Once again, Buffy woke up with her head on Spike’s chest and his arms around her, although this time he was under the covers with her and in his usual sleeping attire.  She heard Dawn go into the bathroom and reluctantly pulled herself away from Spike’s tightening arms.
 
“Let me go,” she whispered. “I’ve got to get Dawn off to school.”
 
“Mmmph.” He turned his face into her pillow, then lifted it for a second. “You’ll be back, right?”
 
“In a while. Go back to sleep.”
 
She got up and threw a robe on as she went out to greet Dawn in the hall.
 
“Where is he?” Dawn demanded.  “You didn’t make him leave did you? He shouldn’t be running around yet. We need to take care of him.”
 
Buffy smiled. “He loves you too. And no, I didn’t make him go anywhere. He’s asleep.”
 
Dawn’s eyes went to Buffy’s closed door.  “Oh. Oh! Am I going to be scarred for life now?”
 
“Not unless you open that door and pull the covers off him. I really don’t recommend that...”
 
“Got it. No talking to Spike unless he’s sitting in the living room with his clothes on.”
 
“Get dressed. I’ll go see what’s for breakfast.”
 
“Buffy, you do know I’m capable of fixing my own bowl of cereal, right? Mom doesn’t make breakfast every day.”
 
“I know. I just feel like I should be doing something useful while I’m staying here.”
 
“You’re here. That’s good enough for me.” Dawn turned away, embarrassed by her emotions. Buffy smiled her thanks, but kept her voice casual.
 
“Okay then. I think I’m going to run out and get Spike some more blood—”
 
“At this hour of the morning?”
 
“Oh. Yeah. Well then, if you’re sure you’ll be okay....”
 
“I’ll be fine. And I’ll lock the doors behind me so you can just snuggle with your pet vampire all day.”
 
 Buffy rolled her eyes and went into the bathroom. When she came out, Dawn was already downstairs and eating breakfast.  Buffy peered into the kitchen only long enough to see that Dawn was eating and that her books and backpack were near her on the counter.
 
“So, if you’re sure...”
 
“Go. Tell Spike I hope he feels better today. And... and that I’m grateful for what he did. It’s nice not to feel like a target anymore.”
 
Buffy flinched, not haven’t given a lot of thought to how Glory’s intent search for her key might have affected the young girl who was that key.  “I’ll tell him,” she said. “Don’t be late for school.”
 
“Yes, Mom.”
 
Buffy stuck out her tongue and turned to go back upstairs.
 
XXXXXXXXX
 
She slid into bed beside Spike, wondering how long he was going to sleep. Her question was answered when he rolled over and fastened his lips on “his” spot. He began humming and sucking while Buffy tried to pretend the sensations weren’t going straight down her spine to where his hand was finding its way into her sleep pants.
 
She pushed the pants off so his questing fingers could easily go where she wanted them.
 
“She’s gone then?” he murmured into the skin on her neck.
 
“Uh... huh!” She yelped when his fingers found what they were seeking and began to work their magic.  “She’ll be gone all day.”
 
“What a shame. All day. Nobody here but us. In your bed.  Naked.” He shoved her tee-shirt over her head. “What will we do with ourselves?”
 
“Guh!” Buffy flopped back on the bed to give him better access to her body. “You’ll think of something.”
 
He gave one of the sexy chuckles that made her warm all over. “Already thought of it, love.”  He followed his fingers with his mouth and Buffy’s ability to carry on a conversation went completely away. She had to keep reminding herself that he had a hole in his skull and that she shouldn’t touch his head or put her fingers in his hair while he did his best to make her cry in frustration. 
 
“Spiiiiiiikkkkkkeeee” Her one-word plea had the desired effect and he began to suck on her clit until she arched off the bed and cried out again.  As she came down from her orgasm, she realized that Spike was using his hands to keep her thighs apart.
 
“Oh my god,” she gasped. “I forgot about your head! Did I hurt you?”
 
“Didn’t hurt me, love.  I was just trying to be careful. Don’t want you using those luscious legs of yours to pop my skull open.”
 
“There’s a scrub-my-brain image,” she said, getting her breath back. “Let’s just not take a chance on it for a while, okay?”
 
He nuzzled the soft skin between her hip and her leg, licking lightly over the pulsing artery there.  He paused when she spoke.
 
“If you want to heal really fast, you know what will do it, don’t you?”
 
His head snapped up; eyes wide, he tried to hide a pained wince as he stared at her.  “Are you offering, or just making conversation?”
 
She bit her lip. “I’m... I can fix you. And I want to... fix you, I mean.  You can do it, can’t you? No chip to worry about now. If those vamp hoes can bite people without hurting or killing them, an old vampire like you should be able to—”
 
“There’s never been a question of whether or not I can, Buffy. But I’d need to know you were sure you wanted me to. Don’t want any second thoughts or regrets after.”
 
“It’s not kinky,” she said, as if talking to herself. “It’s... medicinal.”
 
Spike moved up her body, resting his hips between her thighs and his cock just at her entrance. “It’s not medicinal to me.  I mean, it will be, o’ course. Should make those pieces of my skull slam themselves shut.  But if I... for you to let me...” He tried to shake his head, wincing again. “It would mean everything to me. That you would trust me that much. That you would do that for me. It isn’t ‘kinky’ or any other sleazy-sounding word you can think of. It’s a bloody wonderful gift.”
 
“Oh... okay. Now you’re making it sound like it’s a really big deal, and it—” She stopped herself and met his narrowing eyes.  “And it is a big deal. I get that.... I do. But I want you to have it. Let me do this for you, Spike.”
 
Instead of answering, he fastened his lips on hers and left them there, indulging in one of what Buffy thought of as “Spike make world go away” kisses while he worked his way inside her.  They remained still for long minutes, nothing moving but their mouths and tongues as they let their bodies meld. When, almost without volition, their hips began to move together, Spike slipped his mouth down to her neck and began his normal sucking on the soft skin there. 
 
Not until Buffy was once again arching against him and whimpering her need, did he allow his fangs to drop and ease into that delicate skin. As soon as he’d penetrated the artery, he pulled them out and began to suck again.  Buffy’s whimpers turned to small shrieks as the sensations spread throughout her body and she clenched around him.  His own release followed hers by only a few seconds as the Slayer blood made it’s way to his cock.
 
When they had both stopped quivering, he licked the two small holes until the blood stopped seeping out. He dropped his head next to hers, turning it so he could whisper into her ear.
 
“Love you, Buffy.  Love you so very much....”
 
“I think I...” She shook her head. “Wow. I feel like... Am I in thrall now?”
 
His body shook with laughter. “No, more’s the pity. Why would you be?”
 
“”Cause if I’m not, then I think maybe I....” She turned her head so that they were face-to-face and she could look into his eyes. “I think maybe I could love you. Maybe I do love you.” She frowned. “It’s not clear.” She mock-glared at him. “I think that affected my brain.”
 
“’Cause you’d have to be crazy to love me?” His tone was light, but she could hear the disappointment and sadness behind the words.
 
“No, you dope. I just meant, I can’t be sure what I’m feeling when my whole body just wants to stay like this forever.”
 
“Forever works for me,” he said, his smile threatened to light up the room. “I’ve got no other plans.”
 
Buffy stretched under him, smiling when she felt him get hard immediately. “Feeling better are we?”
 
“Feeling like I could whip a hellgod all by myself,” he said, beginning to move again.
 
“Let’s not and say you did,” she said, moving with him. “How many times did we do this the first day?”
 
“Don’t remember the exact number, but I’m willing to try to beat it.”
 
Buffy’s happy giggle was the only response.
 
XXXXXX’’
 
 
In spite of Spike’s words, after a few hours of mutual happiness, Buffy nuzzled his shoulder, saying, “As much as I’d like to stay here the rest of the day, Mom should be in a room by now and I need to go see her.  I’ll pick up some blood for you on the way home.”
 
“There’s money in my coat pocket, love. Take it.”
 
Buffy shrugged. “Hope you weren’t expecting me to say ‘no’,” she said.  “I don’t have any money, and Mom’s got hospital bills.”
 
“All I’m expecting is you let me do my part while I’m here. Anything else, we’ll talk about later.”
 
“What else is there?” As she talked, Buffy was pulling clothes from drawers and getting dressed.
 
“There’s finding a decent place for us to enjoy our time together that isn’t a crypt that anything evil could walk into any time it wanted to. And isn’t a bed only a few feet away from your mother’s room. And isn’t a narrow little cot in a college dorm full of nosy other people.”
 
“You’re going to get an apartment or something?”
 
“Or something. I’ll work on it this evening before I check in on your mum.”
 
“Sounds very mysterious... what will you use for money?”
 
“Another one of those things we’ll talk about later. You go see your mum. I’ve got phone calls to make.”
 
“Okay,” Buffy leaned in to kiss him and give him a quick grope before dancing out of reach. “I’ll see you later.”  She surprised herself with her own playfulness, attributing it to no longer having to worry about a tumor killing her mother or a hellgod killing her sister.  If any of it had to do with the adoring vampire in her bed, she chose not to think about that just yet.
 
Spike watched her leave, a broad smile on his face as he began mentally reviewing what he needed to do to get his hands on his money and where to look for a place to live that would be convenient to Dawn’s school, the Magic Box, Buffy’s dorm, and Revello Drive.
 
“Got to take care of my girls,” he muttered as he pulled on his pants. “Time to get to work, Spike. Got to take care of my family.”
 
The End