full 3/4 1/2   skin light dark       
 
The Gentleman Returns by slaymesoftly
 
Seven
 
<<     >>
 
 
Chapter Seven
 
“Are we doing to talk first, or find Council wankers first?”
 
“If you were smart, you’d kiss me first.”
 
He stopped and spun in front of her so that she ran into his chest. “Always happy to follow instructions like that, Slayer, but I’m a bit unclear on the connection.”
 
“Just trust me. You need to kiss me. Now. A whole lot. And bring your A game.”
 
She raised her face to his, closing her eyes and trying to fall into fog of desire that kissing Spike usually inspired. However, after giving her one relatively chaste and tender kiss, he pulled away.
 
“What’s this all about, love?”
 
Her lip came out in a pout as she glared at him. “It’s about how you killed one of us and now you wear her coat. Like it’s a trophy.”
 
“It is a trophy. She was something, that one. I earned this coat, and I loved every minute of it. Could have danced all night with her if she’d let me. Never met a slayer like that... not until I met you.”
 
“You’re not seeing what’s wrong with this?” Her voice was shrill and Buffy, stopped to take a deep breath before continuing more quietly. “You’re proud of killing somebody just like me. You kill slayers, Spike. How can I let myself—” She shook her head. “Look at what happened the last time I... liked... a vampire. And he had a soul.  Most of the time,” she finished in a mutter, turning her face away.
 
Spike was silent for so long that she looked back to make sure he was still there. His face was still, his eyes hooded, but the pain on it was obvious. He nodded and cupped her chin with his hand.
 
“I don’t have a soul, Buffy. Don’t want one. I am what I am, what Angelus, and Darla and Dru made me. And I’m bloody good at it. Or I was.” He took a deep breath. “But then I met another slayer, and my world changed. Wanted to kill you at first, won’t deny it. But mostly I just wanted to fight with you. Didn’t really care if I killed you after a while, just wanted to be close to you. Challengin’ myself, challenging you. It made me crazy when that spell made you so weak. But even when you weren’t you, you still made some body parts sit up and take notice. Even then, I wanted you. And you let me have you—I know!” He put a finger to her lips. “I know it was the wrong thing to do. But I’m evil, pet. A demon. And that demon wanted you any way he could have you. Making love to that little girl was good, but making love to the slayer was...” He shook his head.
 
“It changed everything for me. Still wanted you. Still wanted to fight you. But I didn’t want you dead anymore. And when you had Dru at your mercy and kept your word to let her go... Don’t think I don’t know how hard that was for you, Slayer. I saw your face. But you did it. For me. And I had time to study you last year. Saw how hard you tried. How you dried your tears and carried on when Angelus turned up in the body of the vamp you thought loved you. And those nights we spent fighting.... Don’t know when I’ve felt more alive than when you and I were taking on half-dozen or so of something really nasty. Or when we were sparring with each other, trading insults and making each other laugh.”
 
Buffy was staring at him, arms crossed and feet tapping.
 
“Sorry, love. Forgot where I was goin’ with all that.” He gave her a sheepish smile. “Didn’t mean to make a speech.”
 
“And yet, you’re still talking....”
 
“Right.” He straightened up and put his hands on her shoulders. “The point is, falling for you has changed me in ways I haven’t even figured out yet. I’m still working on what those changes are. But I do know that I don’t need a bloody soul to be in love with you, or to want to keep you safe. And I don’t need one to keep the demon in check. I’ve got you for that. To tell me when I’m messing up, or being too—”
 
“Spike!”
 
He blinked at her.
 
“Stop. Talking. And. Kiss. Me.  Now.”
 
 She reached up and grabbed his ears, pulling his head down where she could fasten her mouth on his.  This time, he didn’t pull away, but kissed her back with all the pent-up passion he’d been feeling since he arrived in Sunnydale. After several long, tongue tangling kisses that left them both breathing hard, she pulled her mouth away.
 
“That’s better.”
 
“I’m not half done with you,” he growled, diving for another kiss. She whimpered in the back of her throat and put her arms around his neck, allowing him to pull her into his body.  So wrapped up were they in each other they barely noticed the approaching group of teenagers until they heard the giggles and the laughing “Get a room”.  One look at Spike’s true face sent the kids fleeing back the way they’d come, screaming and jostling each other to get away.
 
“Shame on you,” Buffy said through her own giggles.
 
“Did them a favor,” he said, grinning back at her. “You know they were headed into the cemetery for a little slap and tickle. We saved them from being vamp food.”
 
“Good point. Yay us.”
 
He pulled her back into a more gentle embrace. “Now, where were we?”
 
Buffy smiled, but pulled back enough that their bodies weren’t touching.
 
“We were forgetting that we’re out here to find those guys from the Council. I can’t have vamps running around Sunnydale that know that much about the Council and slayers.”
 
“Right you are, pet. Find the bad guys, that’s the ticket.” He released her, but with obvious reluctance. “So what’s the plan?”
 
“Well, they aren’t likely to be in a cemetery, cause they weren’t buried, so I guess we need to go where there are people. They’ll be looking for food.  And for Angelus?” She waited for Spike to give her more information about newly turned vamps.
 
He thought for a moment. “Well, they aren’t anything but minions – if that at this point – so they won’t be able to feel that he’s gone the way a family member would, so yeah, they may go lookin’ for him.  Depends on how smart they are. If he told them to stay put somewhere, they’ll probably just sit there till hunger drives them out.”
 
“Okay then, we start with that old apartment building Giles said they were staying while they were here.”
 
As they walked through Sunnydale, arms brushing from time to time, Buffy twirled a stake between her fingers, swearing when it would drop out occasionally. Spike watched without speaking until the third time it flew out of her hand.
 
“Slayer? Buffy?”
 
“What?” She was glaring at the stake as if it had deliberately set out to annoy her.
 
“If... when we find these wankers, what do you say about letting me handle them while you watch?”
 
“Why—oh.  Cause I’m not me yet, you mean.”
 
“Yeah. The bloody test is over, and you did ace it. But you’re still not anywhere near what you should be. After dusting a 200-year-old demon, would be a bit sad to be taken out by a brand new fledge. And any vamp can get lucky once.”
 
“We’ll see,” she said, not exactly agreeing to letting him handle whatever they came across, but not refusing either.  
 
 
XXXXXXXX
 
They hadn’t quite reached the old abandoned building when they came upon the two remaining Council employees. Both were wearing their newly acquired fangs and wrinkles, and neither of them recognized Spike for what he was. The English accents that were obvious even as they had trouble speaking around their fangs told Buffy she’d found what she was looking for.
 
“Isn’t that— Why isn’t she dead? Why aren’t you dead?” the least bloody one demanded.
 
“Things didn’t work out quite like you guys hoped,” she said. She thought about twirling her stake again, but decided against taking a chance she’d drop it again. “But we’re here to fix it.”
 
“The only thing that needs to be fixed is the fact that you’re still breathing,” the other new vampire said, licking his lips. His size and readiness to fight indicated he’d probably been one of the Council’s bodyguards rather than a researcher.  “And we’re just the ones to fix that little problem.”  When Spike snorted in disbelief, he turned to him, still apparently not having noticed Spike’s lack of heartbeat.  “We’ll get to you, mate. Just wait your turn. Want to taste Slayer blood before we try yours.”
 
He frowned in confusion when Buffy and Spike both burst into laughter.

Buffy looked at Spike and shrugged. “I think the skinny one is going to be too easy, but I’ll let you have He-man there.”
 
They moved apart so as to have some space to fight, Buffy going to the side where the less confident fledgling was. She waited calmly for him to attack. Which he did, much more clumsily than most vampires would have. Even with her diminished speed and strength, Buffy had no trouble avoiding his rush and driving her stake into his back.  She didn’t even wait to see his dust fall, just turned to watch Spike and the larger vamp face off.
 
“If you know what I am, you should be pissing your pants right about now.” The new vampire’s confident grin faded as Spike went into game face and he found himself staring at a much older vampire.
 
“If you’d had enough sense to know what I am, mate, you’d.... Well, you’d still be dust in a few seconds, but you might have tried to run.” Spike’s fangy grin clearly was giving the newly turned minion pause.
 
“Well, you may be tougher than you look, but when Angelus comes ba—”
 
Spike shook his head. “The poof isn’t comin’ back, you big git.  Would’ve thought you’d figured that out, what with the Slayer standing here all alive and what not. Reckon they don’t choose you wankers for your smarts.”
 
“Not coming... you killed Angelus?”
 
Spike laughed and nodded his head at Buffy, who was waiting semi-patiently for him to stop toying with his prey.  “Not me. She did for him. Took his head right off... after she drove a stake through some soft body parts.”
 
The big vamp blanched. “I thought she was—”
 
“Not entirely,” Spike said. “Something to keep in mind... not that we’re going to give you time to worry about it,” he added, noticing Buffy’s growing impatience. “Now are you going to fight me, or just hop on my stake like a good little minion?”
 
With a snarl, the vamp turned to run, bursting into dust when Buffy’s thrown stake hit him in the back.  Spike raised an eyebrow and made a pouting face.
 
“You said I could have him. Slayer.”
 
“Sorry? I was getting bored with all the chit chat. What is it about guys that you have to growl and posture before you actually fight?”  She walked over to Spike and pushed on his pouting lower lip. “Did you notice what I did?”
 
He frowned, then smiled. “Getting your powers back, then, are you?”
 
“Looks like. Still don’t feel just exactly like me, but I don’t think I could have made that throw an hour ago.”
 
His smile faded. “Won’t be needed the extra muscle now, will you?”
 
“Do you think that’s the only reason I want you here?” She glared at him, hands on hips.
 
“Do you? Want me here, I mean. Is that what you want, Buffy? Another old vamp in your life?”
 
She sighed. “Well, I don’t want you to be not here.”  She cupped his cheek and smiled sadly.  “Guess that wasn’t exactly what you wanted to hear, was it?”
 
“It’ll do me for now, love.” He leaned into her hand, turning his head to kiss her palm. “I can work on the rest of it.”
 
“Is this where we start kissing again? Cause that’s—”
 
He took her hand and pulled her toward the building. “What say we make sure there aren’t any other vamps lurking around, and then claim this old building for ourselves?”
 
 
XXXXXX
 
After a thorough examination of the old building, they determined that the Council team and it’s trained and muscular vampire-fighting bodyguards had kept the building free of any vampires other than the one they’d hoped to use on Buffy. Bloodstains in one of the bedrooms and the kitchen gave evidence of where, if not when, Angelus had taken over the operation.
 
“What do you think he did? Get them to tell him the plan and then get rid of his soul?”   She frowned. “No, that can’t be right. Angel wouldn’t have wanted to lose his soul. They must have talked about it in front of him or something. Before they did it.”
 
“Don’t know, love. Angelus can—could—be a right convincing bloke when he had to. Once he knew where to find you, he didn’t need them anymore.  My guess is, he killed the two we saw here and told them to stay hidden until he’d driven off with the others. I expect he killed them once they got to the restaurant. After he lulled them into thinking he was all tamed and willing to behave just to have a shot at you. Probably took the other muscle out first. Without him, the two non-field wankers would have been easy pickin’s. Probably tried to hold him off with crosses or such.”
 
“So. We have the whole building to ourselves then.”
 
“We do.” He moved closer and pulled her close. “Now, about that kissing...”
 
“Mmmmmm....”
 
Several frustrating minutes later, Spike pulled his mouth away, taking unnecessary panting breaths. Buffy was clinging to him with arms and legs, just as she had in her kitchen. But without something to brace himself on, Spike was struggling to maintain their position.
 
“Need to take this horizontal, love. Much as I don’t want to not be touching you, I’d much rather be doing it lying down... and naked.”
 
With a sigh, Buffy dropped her feet to the floor.  “Okay, but don’t forget, Giles is waiting for us to tell him we got those guys.  We can’t stay here all night. My mom’s going to expect me back too.”
 
Spikes’ growl was muffled where he’d buried his face in her neck.
 
“Bugger the watcher. We’ll tell him when we tell him.”
 
“And my mom?”
 
He lifted his head and growled again.  “I’ve got an idea...” He stared around the room, which had apparently been a lobby of sorts. “I think I saw something where they....” He started walking toward a small office where they’d seen some paperwork and personal effects with blood spatters on them.  “Yep. Here is it.” He pointed to a portable computer.  “Knew the wankers would have a way to communicate with Merrie Olde.” He sat down and stared at the screen.  “Don’t suppose you have any idea how to work one of these things?” he said.
 
“That’s Willow’s department. But if I can find their email...” Buffy pushed him off the chair and began looking through the computer’s files. “Here it is! And no passwords either.
 
“Arrogant wankers.”
 
“Whatever. Here’s the name of the guy it looks like they were reporting to.... Yeah, the last message said they captured Angel and were working on the spell to remove his soul.”  She bit her lip.  “What a stupid thing to do. And poor Angel.” She glared at Spike when he muttered something under his breath about Angelus, but didn’t ask him to repeat it.
 
“What should I say to him?”
 
“They already know it went bad. Just tell him we—you—found the last two vamps and dusted them.  And look what else I found!” He held up a cell phone. “If they were just as careless with this, we can just call your mum and let her tell the watcher we did our job, but we’re still patrolling.”
 
Buffy rolled her eyes at him, but dutifully sent a terse message to the Council telling them their entire team had been killed and that the two that had been vamped were now dust. She bit her lip, then signed it “Buffy Summers, ex-vampire slayer”.
 
Spike handed her the phone. “Now your mum.  Tell her you still have patrolling to do and not to wait up.”
 
Buffy shook her head. “I’m not going to lie to my mother, Spike.”
 
“You lie to your mum all the time. Or you used to, anyway. Might not be a lie. We might find something evil to slay on the way home.”
 
“You’re a bad influence,” she grumbled, taking the phone and trying to figure out how it worked. “I don’t know how to use this—and stop that!” She tried to duck away from him as he began nibbling on her neck.  As she punched in her home phone number, she giggled and tried to shrug off the lips he was running over her face and neck.  Holding Spike off with one hand, Buffy glared at him as she spoke into the phone.
 
“Mom? Yeah, it’s me. We got them.  There were only two and they were still together, so it didn’t take long. Tell Giles he can report that the Council is minus five employees, one slayer, and him, if he’s still planning to quit.”  She ran around the room, putting the table between her and Spike, as she finished. “We’re gonna do a patrol... just in case I missed some regular Sunnydale vamps.  I... Don’t wait up...  Bye!”
 
<<     >>