Thank you to Sue for the beta!


Chapter 20: A New Life.


Buffy walked into the library, her eyes scanning the musty room for a certain red head. A smile curled at her lips when she spotted the mountain of books stacked on a table in a semi dark little corner of the room, the only illumination coming from a small lamp. “Boo!” Buffy announced her presence as she snuck up on her friend.

“Holy frijole Buffy, don’t scare a girl like that! Especially not one with witch-fu that could turn you into a… a bat!” Willow chastised whilst simultaneously patting the seat next to her for her bestie to sit in.

“A bat?”

“I’ve been research girl and the Count has been mentioned in some of my readings,” Willow shrugged. Apparently Dracula had quite a checkered history of deals with Wolfram and Hart; the research she was undertaking at Giles’ request related to anything that referred to the law firm. After Buffy’s trip to L.A., Giles had realized that it would be foolish to cut off lines of communication between their old allies, but that didn’t mean that they wouldn’t be monitored. Carefully marking her place with a bookmark, Willow closed the large tome and pushed it aside.

Buffy nodded in understanding. They hadn’t heard anything new about Dracula since his visit to Sunnydale years ago. He was on her ‘find-a-permanent-way-to-get-rid-of’ list, but since he didn’t seem to be that much of a threat she wasn’t losing sleep over him. It was a different vampire that was keeping her awake at night…

“Sooo…” Willow probed when she saw Buffy’s eyes glaze over. “How’s coupley life treating you?”

“Good,” Buffy responded with a happy nod. “Great actually.”

Willow nodded in understanding. She was happy for her friend, happy that Buffy was happy. And Willow was also thankful. The fact that Buffy’s room was in its own private wing meant nobody’s sleep was disturbed. A week or so ago Giles had walked in on the two of them fooling around in one of the training rooms and he hadn’t been able to look at the gymnastics horse the same way since. The redhead snickered at the memory of Giles’ ghost white face when he wandered into the library moments after, muttering ‘oh dears’ and ‘blindness would be a blessing’ under his breath.

Giles sole task of late had been working with Dana. There had been little progress in rehabilitating her as of yet, but that didn't mean he was going to give up.

“How’s your neck feeling?” Willow questioned when she found Buffy watching her intently, no doubt wondering what she found so funny.

Buffy’s scarred hand instantly moved to the fresh scar on her neck—the only scar that was now visible—her fingers trailing over the tender flesh. The wound was completely healed over yet that area was forever tender, something to do with the whole connection thing she and Spike had going between them now. “It’s fine,” Buffy replied honestly. “Tingles every now and then but that’s just Spike letting me know he’s around.”

Mere days after their return to England, Buffy began researching into claims. Whilst there was some documentation of claims between vampires there wasn’t a whole lot about the effects a claim could have on a human. When her own research hadn’t brought anything super enlightening forward Buffy had turned to her best friend. Willow’s excitement at Buffy’s hush-hush announcement that she was thinking of deepening her connection with Spike had been palpable. It had only been when Buffy had threatened to inform the new girl, Emily, about Willow’s crush on her—now that she and Kennedy had broken up—that had shut Willow’s excited babblings up.

Together in secret they had researched to the best of their ability. It was late at night, on one of their particular investigative sessions, when Spike had wandered in on the pair and discovered the texts.

To say Spike had been excited was an understatement of immense proportions. He had Buffy’s love, something he would now bet his life on. But the fact that she was carefully considering the claiming process to the point of research was more than he had ever allowed himself to wish for. To be bound to each other forever… it was something he had dared not even dream about.

Willow and Buffy had at first tried to lie their way out of the discovery but had failed miserably, a petulant Buffy complaining that Spike had ruined her surprise. A quick scolding, and a promise from Willow that if they went through with this and Spike ever hurt Buffy he’d be a dead man—again—the wicca realized that the best person to speak to about vampiric claiming would obviously be a vampire.

Spike glossed over the details, not wanting to spoil all the surprises that he had been informed of in his youthful days as a newly turned vampire. Angelus had taken great pleasure in pointing out the fact that Dru would never claim William, no matter how much she cared for him, because she also loved her ‘Daddy’. Even though Spike knew Angel was well and truly out of the picture he couldn’t help the smug grin that had crossed his face with the knowledge that the love of their lives was choosing him, and not his grandsire.

All it had taken was the mention of ‘a shag’ to cause both women to decide this was something that should probably be discussed in private; Buffy and Spike leaving Willow in the library and heading in the direction of their ‘wing’. With the door closed, it was a matter of seconds before clothing was flying throughout the room and the lovers found themselves in a naked embrace, enjoyed in the comfort of their bed.

“Buffy, love,” Spike whispered. “Are you sure?” The mere thought that Buffy wanted to go through with this was enough for him, knowing that she cared enough to consider it. The last thing he would want was for her to do this only because she thought he wanted her to.

“I’m sure,” Buffy replied with a loving smile, which quickly became mischievous as a hand snuck between their bodies and gripped his erection tightly.

Spike’s responding gasp and growl was all the encouragement Buffy needed before she claimed his lips in a devouring kiss, all the while her hand pumping and teasing. He desperately broke the kiss, panting unnecessarily as he locked his gaze with hers. “Love, if you keep that up I’m not going to last much longer,” he confessed. It didn’t matter how many time they had coupled since that last night in L.A., being with Buffy was something Spike still treasured every moment of. And when she worked him like she was working him right now, it wasn’t easy to stave off his release.

When all the response he got was a cheeky little laugh Spike decided it was time to even the playing field. In a practiced move he flipped them over, his mouth seeking out and latching onto a pert rosy nipple.

Buffy gasped in pleasure and her hand stilled as she bucked her hips up off the bed in response to the sensations his lips on her breast were drawing out.

A lascivious smile curled at Spike’s lips the moment she became distracted and he took advantage of that moment to snake a hand between their bodies, finding the small nub of her clitoris with two fingers and pinching it gently.

Buffy gasped again, the intake of breath becoming a breathy moan as she exhaled. “Spike…”

“Yes, love?” he grinned.

“More… I need…”

“I know what you need,” Spike said knowingly, his lips returning to her breast to suckle at the previously ignored nipple whilst he continued stroking the warm heat of her sex.

Buffy practically growled with frustration and decided to get her own back by continuing her stalled ministrations. She felt his cock jump in her hand when her thumb brushed over the tip, wiping away the pre-cum and teasing the head with her gentle touches.

“Two can play at that game,” she laughed breathily when Spike growled with want, his hips pushing towards her hands.

“No more games,” Spike decided for the both of them, dragging her hands up and over her head and pinning them gently with his.

In understanding Buffy bent her knees and opened her legs to give Spike access to--

“Nyaaahhh!” Buffy gasped when Spike’s sizeable girth stretched her inner walls in one quick thrust.

“Buffy…” Spike murmured into her hair, forgetting everything in his mind, his love for the woman beneath him and the sensations of pleasure she created for him the only things he thought of.

Buffy met each downward thrust of Spike’s hips by raising her own, legs wrapping around his hips as her hands tangled in his hair and freed his curls from the hold of the gel. Lips found lips and tongues danced a familiar dance as their coupling intensified.

Moans, groans, gasps and growls were the only sounds the filled the room for many minutes before Buffy spoke. “Spike, you said that…” Buffy cut her own sentence off with a gasp when Spike’s fingers once again found their way to her nether lips, the stroking of his hand in time with the thrust of his hips.

“Yes, love?” Spike responded, grunting when Buffy angled her hips just so in a way that maximized the pleasure for both of them.

“Huh?” Buffy murmured, having momentarily forgotten what she had been about to say.

Spike laughed, immensely proud of the fact that he could distract his girl to the point of forgetting her train of thought.

“Oh… right,” Buffy remembered. “Before, in the library…” She gasped again before forcing herself to continue. “You said something about… about… about shagging… and…”

“We are…” Spike growled; his eyes fluttering shut for a moment when he felt his impending release arising. “We are shhhhaaagging…” he struggled.

Buffy laughed momentarily before a particularly strong roll of pleasure interrupted her mirth. “I-I’m going to…”

“I know. I’m cl…” Spike began to confess but finding his concentration waning when Buffy sped up her thrusts. “Buf-Buffy!”

“I know,” Buffy announced with a gasp. “I love you, Spike.”

“I l-love you,” Spike stammered, his whole body quivering in anticipation.

Without thinking Buffy’s mouth latched onto his neck and bit down, her blunt human teeth breaking the skin and causing his blood to flow into her mouth. It was Buffy’s bite that brought on Spike’s release, a strangled cry ripping from his lips as his body tensed, cold seed spilling within her.

“Buffy!” Spike gasped in surprised seconds later when he found his voice, his hips resuming their thrusting when he felt her pussy walls clenching him as if trying to strangle to life out of his cock.

“Spike!” Buffy gasped as her orgasm washed over her. “You h-have to return it, bite me!” she demanded.

“Buf--” Spike growled in primal need when he felt her teeth sink into his neck again.

“Mine,” she growled.

Spike’s vampiric countenance came forward as his lips found her neck. He hesitated only for a moment until Buffy’s hips lifted to meet his again, using her strongest weapon against him—her sex—to urge him to go through with it. His teeth sank into her neck, her blood filling his mouth as his had filled hers.

“Mine,” he murmured against her neck just loud enough for Buffy to hear.

The bite caused a second more powerful orgasm to wash over Buffy as Spike’s tongue left his mouth to lave at the open wound, licking up every last dro--

“Buffy, you didn’t hear a word I just said did you?” Willow asked with an amused smile.

“Huh?” Buffy blinked, a blush coloring her cheeks when she realized she had slipped into full sex-dream replay mode right in the middle of a conversation. “Oh god, I’m sorry!” she apologised profusely. “I was just --”

“Thinking of your honey?” Willow mused.

“Would you believe that I was thinking about patrol?” Buffy tried but her guilty expression did nothing to help her lie seem convincing.

“Liar!” Willow chuckled.

Patrol huh? What you couldn’t think of somethin’ more interestin’ like my lips on your cli--

“Be quiet!” Buffy hissed.

Willow blinked in confusion, looking around the room in confusion to confirm their own status before returning her gaze to her friend.

“Buffy, who were…” Realization dawned on her and an excited grin crept across Willow’s face. “You two are connected telepathically? I thought that was a myth! Oh wow, just wait till Giles finds out that --”

Giles hadn’t been all that impressed at first upon finding out that Buffy had mated with a vampire, nor the fact that they had left it several weeks after the fact before informing him of it. It had been Willow’s stating of the obvious, that having an opportunity to document the effects of a claiming between a vampire and human mate, that had somewhat dampened his irritation. All aspects involving the couple’s sex life was, of course, not included in the report, Giles stating outright that he had seen enough in that training room and that he didn’t want to hear any details. Not even when Spike had suggested that it might be important for their research purposes, a remark that had warranted the vampire a strong punch in the shoulder from his blushing mate.

“Yes,” Buffy confirmed. “It’s like I can hear him in my head, like surround sound for a movie.” She smirked mischievously. “Too bad it doesn’t come with a mute button.”

Play nice, kitten…

Buffy giggled, hearing the growl in his voice as if he were standing right next to her. “He didn’t seem to like that.”

I know a way you can mute me. Just bring that hot little mouth of yours up stairs and…

Once again Willow’s gaze darted nervously around the room. “It is just telepathy, right?” she asked curiously. “He can’t see what you’re seeing?”

“No, he can’t see anything. He can just hear my thoughts, feel what I’m feeling.”

Oh, I can see plenty. All I have to do is close my eyes and imagine. You, laying wanton and waiting, spread-eagled on our bed, naked with your hand…

“All right, you’re having way too much fun with this Mr,” Buffy scolded. She looked apologetically at her friend, contemplating telling her friend something but figuring it would be over-sharing and the look she was getting from Willow now suggested she had cottoned on to what was going on.

“He being all naughty with the sexy thoughts?” Willow asked, almost laughing at Buffy’s surprised blink. When her friend nodded, an impish smile crept its way across the red head’s face. “I know what you could do; it would take him down a peg or two.”

“What? Please help me!” Buffy begged.

“Does he still have a thing about your past ‘thing’ with Angel?” Willow asked as her smile stretched even wider.

A matching grin crept across Buffy’s face as she conjured a picture of her ex in her mind, the sexy taunting in her head immediately stalling with a petulant cry.

Hey!

And then there was nothing. “Oh, pouty!” Buffy teased. When she still didn’t get a response she frowned.

“Will, I think I’m gonna go upst--”

“Told you it would work,” Willow laughed as Buffy left the library.

~~~

Buffy opened the door to their bedroom, her eyes finding Spike slouched in a comfy chair in the corner of the room. “Baby,” Buffy began, stopped her forward momentum at his warning growl. “Spike?”

“That wasn’t very nice, kitten,” Spike snarled.

“Oh, come on! I was just teasing,” Buffy excused. Her expression became blank as Spike’s thoughts went to imagining a dark haired, ivory skinned, crazy vampire slowly stripping off her--

“Okay I get the point!” Buffy shouted. “I won’t do it again.”

“Good,” Spike muttered as he lifted himself from the chair and slowly walked towards her. “I don’t like hearin’ in my head you thinkin’ of Peaches.”

“You think I like the thought of you fantasizing of Drusilla?” Buffy retorted angrily, her arms folding over her heaving chest, turning her head away from him when he reached out to caress her cheek.

“I wasn’t fantasizing. I was just tryin’ to show you that it isn’t nice to do that.”

“You were imagining her undressing!” Buffy snapped incredulously.

“And it was stupid, I admit that,” he replied honestly when he realized how hurtful that must have been. “Besides, it much more fun to imagine you undressin’,” he added as he curled his tongue behind his teeth, eyes fluttering closed.

“Yeah?” Buffy questioned. “In your mind, what am I doing?”

“Well, first you…”

Buffy listened with interest, keeping all her thoughts focused on his words so as not to give away the fact that she was actually following his directions, stripping off each article of clothing silently in the order that he described.

“And then…” Spike’s eyes fluttered open to be met with the naked vision of his mate. His surprised gasp was quickly replaced with a growl of appreciation. “Naughty little minx, distractin’ me like that all the while the real deal is standin’ right before me.”

“And what are you going to do about it?” Buffy demanded, placing a hand on her cocked hip.

Spike’s expression became predatory and with a delighted squeal Buffy took off at a run to the other side of the room. When his mind began filling with all her naughty little sex act thoughts his patience with buttons evaporated as he tore the shirt clean off his chest, sending them ricocheting throughout the room.

Buffy giggled again when his attempts to kick off his boots, remove his black jeans and chase after her all at once, resulted with Spike falling to a heap on the floor. He was just removing the last offending article of clothing when Buffy dropped to her hands and knees by his feet and crawled up his body.

Not known for his patience, Spike wrapped his arms around Buffy and pulled her flush against him, the playful expression fading and becoming more serious. These weeks together had been incredible; surpassing all of his wildest expectations ten fold. They lived together now; they slept in the same bed together each night. It wasn’t just sex and it wasn’t puppy love. It was a connection deeper than that.

They were building a life together.

“I love you, Buffy,” he professed as he linked their scarred hands together, delighting in the jolt that the action sent through him when their flesh connected.

“And I love you.”


THE END


A/N: First of all I want to say a BIG thank you to everyone who has followed this story from the beginning. I appreciate each and every review that was posted, and would LOVE to hear your thoughts on the ending.

I chose to finish the story like this for several reasons - if you'd like to know why head over to my LJ. I am more than happy to discuss why I did what I did. (My journal is normally friend locked but I'm going to unlock a post for commenting.) Click here to go to my journal.

This was my second piece of fanfic and I was thrilled with the responses I gained from it. Reading everyones comments always brought a smile to my face because you guys read it, and KEPT reading. Which was awesome.

Big Thanks go to Megan and Sue for betaing this story. Their help was incredible and their comments are what drove me to write more.

Thank you everyone, look out for something new from me in about a weeks time. Until then, happy reading!

Amy.


~~~~~~~~~~

Challenge Requirements:
Seasons: Post Chosen

Challenge: 114

What if Buffy had been the one to go to LA to get the rogue slayer instead of Andrew. She usually is a hands on sorta girl and probably wanted to see it was done properly, hehe. Anyways, what happens when she arrives at Wolfram and Hart where there is a man wondering about who she thought was dead?

Must haves:

1. Angel trying to keep them both in the dark about the other one being there (for example -doesn't need to be the idea used, but could use this- Buffy actually sets up a meeting for Angel's cooperation and Angel purposefully makes sure Spike is busy with something far from W&H and that no one mentions him to Buffy... etc)
2. The Immortal at some point at least, or can be an integral character
3. Much Spike/Angel bickering hilarity
4. Spuffyness and Bitey Smuttiness as per rules of the site

Can haves:

1. Calling the other Scoobies in for back up?
2. Connor coming back for some reason?
3. Lorne having them all sing to help resolve some "issues"
4. A kid Spike didn't know about

Can't haves:

1. Any Buffy/Angel kissing or sex, whatever... that's icky icky icky
2. If you bring the other Scoobies in, no continuing to be asses to Spike (except maybe a little uneasiness from Xander), I mean, he gave his life for them and all!
3. If you bring her in, Dawn immature brat-iness... have her at least mature a little