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Disclaimer: This story is inspired by and contains characters from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," a series that is wholly the intellectual property of Mutant Enemy, Twentieth Century Fox and Joss Whedon. This story is written without permission, with no intent of infringement or expectation of profit. I am not making any money from this! This fiction presented is for private sharing only. The author's owns nothing of the actual show. No commercial and/or trade purpose is intended to infringe the copyrights registered by official parties.

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Summary: Sequel to ‘Hidden Agendas’. For once life in Sunnydale is going smoothly, your everyday run of the mill vampire being the only threat encountered by the Slayer and her new patrolling companion. The quiet however, isn’t going to last. Someone… wants the Slayer dead.

Again.


A/N: Here it is, the first chapter of the sequel to Hidden Agendas. Couldn't do much more with the summary without spoiling the plot direction. I'm equal parts excited and nervous about what everyone will think of this but I couldn't NOT post anything up any longer.

BIG thanks go to Sue and Niamh for betaing. *hugs* you both.

LOL Anyway, I REALLY hope you guys like it.



Chapter 1: Shameless Affection.


Buffy’s laughter echoed throughout the small training room at the back of the Magic Box as she danced out of the range of Spike’s attacks. He pivoted forward and dropped to his knees, spinning a low kick that would have knocked her off her feet if she hadn’t been expecting it. They were sparring, each darting forward and striking without any real intent of inflicting pain. It was light hearted and fun, a great way for them to exercise and burn off some of the sexual tension that built quickly between the two of them.

It had been three weeks since Darla and Angel had left Sunnydale and returned to LA. Giles kept Buffy informed with progress reports about Darla’s condition, the Watcher getting gratification from the fact the vampiress was now under lock and key.

Several days after the end of the whole fiasco he had discovered Glorificus was no longer a threat. The double removal of both crazy blond women who had wanted to kill his Slayer and Dawn was of great relief to them all. He had found out through several sources the body Glory had co-inhabited was that of Ben, the doctor from Sunnydale Memorial. Needless to say the Summers women had been less than impressed with the young man’s dishonesty. But considering the accident resulting in his death had rendered the god a non-threat, they had attended the funeral to pay their respects. Despite his evil alter ego, Ben had been heavily involved in the treatment of their mother and that was not something that they could ignore.

Now life was starting to smooth out. Dawn had returned to school and her grades were beginning to recover from the downward slide they had taken after Joyce’s death, and Buffy was even contemplating returning to study at University full time. With little more than the odd run of the mill vampire to deal with over the last few weeks, Buffy had been enjoying the time off by spending it with her sister, friends and boyfriend.

Spike.

Their budding relationship had been kept secret for a whole three days until Dawn had caught them kissing outside on the porch, and excitedly ran inside and telephoned Willow to inform her of the happy news. Word had spread like a bushfire and within an hour the whole gang knew. Including Giles.

Surprisingly he had been a lot calmer than Buffy had anticipated. When the group had come over later on that night for a general Scooby meeting, it had been the Watcher who had first broached the subject. Buffy had denied it at first, wanting to keep her private life private but she had given up in a matter of minutes when it became apparent everyone knew about them.

Dawn had openly admitted to being the one who let the cat out of the bag, grinning with almost epic proportions whilst she regaled her tale of catching them making out. Buffy had blushed profusely whilst Spike had just sat back and grinned. He was glad that their relationship was out in the open, not wanting to keep the fact he had the girl of his dreams hidden from anyone.

Giles had removed and cleaned his glasses several times when an embarrassed Buffy had admitted to Dawn’s claims. Expecting the worst she had launched into a mini debate, pointing out she was an adult and could make her own decisions and if it weren’t for Spike she mightn’t be alive right now.

Surprisingly Giles had agreed on all counts, interrupting Buffy before she could continue further. Apparently Willow’s ‘my will be done’ spell from the year early had acted almost as a test run, preparing him for this new development. He had begrudgingly admitted so long as Buffy was happy, he was happy. Of course, away from prying ears later on that evening he had threatened to kill Spike by tearing limb by limb from his body if he ever did anything to upset his Slayer.

Spike’s respect for his fellow countryman had almost doubled in that moment and in response he had sworn he would never knowingly be the cause of upset to Buffy.

Unsurprisingly it had been Xander who had offered the most objection, pointing out that Buffy and romantic connections with vampires didn’t seem to last, let alone could be classified as a normal, healthy relationship. Buffy had threatened to slug Xander if he ever compared Spike to Angel again and that was the end of that argument.

Once more, Spike had grinned broadly.

The two Wiccans had expressed their delight, both having noticed the growing chemistry between the pair long before Spike’s capture at the hands of Darla. Anya had also given a vote of confidence. If Buffy was dating Spike that was one less woman Anya had to worry about latching their claws into Xander, not that she considered Buffy to be a serious threat.

With the knowledge of their relationship now out in the open and with no longer a reason to hide it, Spike and Buffy had begun the tentative rituals of dating.

Spike had taken her to a movie, the details of which neither could recall due to their attentions being focused on the other’s lips for the majority of the evening.

They had picnicked up in the bluffs over looking the ocean under moonlight, only to be interrupted by vampires. As a team they had worked to dispose of the three intruders, the action serving only to spur on their intentions towards each other. That had been the first night that his hands had slipped beneath her shirt and caressed her breasts. That night had almost been his undoing.

Spike had also been invited over for dinner several times at Dawn’s insistence. Each time he had turned up with some gift or another, be it flowers, chocolate or a bottle of wine. Buffy was slowly letting down her walls and Spike was finding himself falling more deeply in love with her with each moment that passed. He was happy, she was happy and life was good.

The more time they spent with each other, the closer they became, and not only in a romantic sense. It was now a nightly ritual for them to patrol together before joining in a lengthy make out session at Buffy’s door at the end of each night. Heady kisses and moderate petting was as far as they had delved into a physical relationship, they had yet to initiate any intimate activities and that was in most part because of Spike. He wanted Buffy to be comfortable and secure in what they had together.

Not that he didn’t want her, because by god did he. These days he was practically a walking erection, her kisses drawing responses from him like no other he had experienced before. He had wanked off more in the last three weeks than he had in his entire undead existence. Her touch set him aflame and every time their bodies were crushed against each other’s he had to fight not to grind his response against her hips. It was like he was a modern day teenager, except his fantasies of having a hot girlfriend were actualized. Buffy trusted him with her life and that meant a lot to Spike. But it was important to him that she be comfortable with him before they took things further.

There had been one or two weak moments when his resolve had been ready to crumble. If it hadn’t been for an interruption of some sort - be it Dawn turning on the porch lights or the detection of a vampire nearby - he likely would have given into his desire and have let things go that step further. Each time they were interrupted he mentally cursed the source before immediately thanking them. For once in his life he wanted to do something right and he saw the opportunity to do so with Buffy. Spike put her before his needs and he knew it didn’t go unnoticed.

Buffy herself had been anxious about initiating the physical side of the relationship with Spike because of her insecurities. Even though she trusted Spike, and knew he would never intentionally hurt her, a small part of her still worried about the possibility of abandonment. It seemed the people she cared about always up and left at the precise moment it would cause the most pain.

Her trust in Spike was growing, her affection for him deepening. She had been right in saying she believed she could one day love him because that fact seemed to become more likely with each passing night. This romantic side to him that he had been displaying, the dates, the gifts, was not something she had expected. Spike continued to surprise Buffy with the depths of his feelings for her. To have that attention showered upon her did more for her confidence, not only in herself but also in them, than she could ever fully express verbally.

She caught herself watching him with a more fixated attention, be it when he fought by her side or simply when he entered a room. He noticed her regard as she did little to hide her perving of him, partly because she didn’t care who saw her looking at her man, and sometimes because she didn’t even realize she was ogling him so openly.

It was often Anya who would interrupt Buffy’s daydreaming with mentions of hot sweaty sex, which would cause a blush to rise in the Slayer’s cheeks before she hurriedly exited whatever room she was in. It was especially embarrassing when the ex-demon would mention something of that nature in the presence of the others, most notably Giles. The Watcher had excused himself on several occasions to bury his head in a book in an effort to divert his attention from whatever sexual act Anya had suggested.

Resigning himself to the fact that she was never going to listen to his protestations, Xander had stopped chastising Anya for her abruptness, instead apologizing to Buffy for any discomfort his girlfriend may have caused.

The insurance money for the Magic Box was currently being processed, the agent who had visited the store approving the claim. Knowing he had a cheque in the mail, Giles had shelled out some money from his own pocket and the store was back in business.

The Watcher was currently in his office going over some paperwork whilst Anya busied herself with reorganization of products, which provided a modicum of privacy for the sparring duo in the training room.

Buffy swung a fist at Spike that the vampire dodged, the misconnection causing her follow through to over extend. Using her momentary propulsion to his advantage, Spike grabbed Buffy’s right wrist with his left hand and pulled it further beyond him, the action tipping her balance so he could twist the Slayer in his arms. With her back was pressed up against his chest, his arms wrapped possessively around her torso.

“Gotcha,” he whispered with a grin, his tongue flicking out to run the length of the shell of her ear.

Buffy trembled in his arms, a moan escaping her lips as she instinctively relaxed and pressed herself up against him, eliminating any space between their bodies. She spun in his embrace and wrapped her own arms around his neck, dragging his head down to meet her lips in a searing kiss.

Spike lost himself in her attentions, so it came as a complete surprise when he found himself suddenly pinned to the floor, her tiny frame straddling his hips and a fist balled over his heart where a stake would be had she been armed.

“Gotcha back,” she grinned devilishly, mimicking his words from seconds ago.

“That you did, pet,” Spike conceded as he grasped her by her wrists and rolled them over so she was now beneath him. His head dipped towards hers as their lips met once more. Buffy instinctively pressed herself against him, her kisses swallowing the moan Spike uttered in response to her movements. She moved against him again, delighting in the friction, this time her movements deliberate.

Breaking the kiss with a groan, Spike admitted between the new kisses he rained down her chin and along the creamy skin of the column of her neck. “You’re killing me here, love.”

Her response was breathy as she felt her desire mount, while his tongue laved at his bite wound on her neck. “Spike I --”

Buffy was cut off by a gasp and an abrupt, “Oh, dear lord.”

Two heads lifted to the door to see the retreating Watcher. A crimson blush rose in Buffy’s cheeks as an annoyed scowl crossed Spike’s. “We need a lock for that door.”

The pair begrudgingly extracted themselves from each other’s embrace and stood up slowly, adjusting their slightly rumpled clothing before making their way towards the door. Giles was pretending to be immersed in the order sheet he held in his hands, but Buffy could see as she walked towards him, it was in fact, upside down. A slow grin crept across her face at Giles’ obvious embarrassment at finding his charge on the floor of the training room, in a rather compromising position with her boyfriend.

Buffy’s smile brightened. It was surprising how just thinking of Spike as her boyfriend could bring a smile to her face.

“What’s up, Giles?” she asked cheerfully, as she put some distance between she and Spike for Giles’ comfort.

“Oh, Buffy. I was just about to fetch you from the training room,” Giles feigned nonchalance, completely ignoring the scene he had just walked in on. Buffy was like a daughter to him, and no matter how much she aged, he doubted he would ever feel entirely comfortable seeing her publicly, and unabashedly, showing any affection towards a male companion. His flustered response was not all that dissimilar to the time when his grandmother had caught him at the age of ten looking at a men’s magazine. “Your plans for patrol this evening?”

“We’re going to do a sweep through Weatherly Park, Shady Hill Cemetery and the High School ruins,” she informed, looking to Spike for confirmation.

The vampire nodded as he withdrew his cigarettes from his pocket and slipped one between his lips. He wouldn’t smoke inside the shop for fear of promoting Anya’s wrath. “I’m just going for a smoke, love,” he informed Buffy as he made his way towards the front door of the shop. “I’ll meet you out front.”

The bell chimed as the door opened and then closed behind the exiting blond. Buffy followed his exit with her gaze before turning her full attention back to Giles. “It’s been dead out there for the last few weeks,” she smiled at her pun before continuing. “I’ll check in tomorrow?”

Giles nodded in agreement as he made his way into his office. This reprieve from apocalyptic battles was one felt by all of them, and he had not missed the change in Buffy. She was happier than he had seen her in months. He knew it was in part because of the quiet nature of her patrols for the last few weeks, but it was mostly due to Spike’s presence in her life. He watched as his Slayer left the shop, hoping this break from life threatening situations continued.

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Spike inhaled the nicotine deep into his lungs as he waited for Buffy to join him outside. His gaze swept the street for possible threats. He knew Buffy could handle herself in a fight but that didn’t help to lessen his concern for her well-being. So long as he was around she would be safe.

A sleek black car crawled slowly down the street, Spike’s eyes narrowing in suspicion at the way it slowed as it passed the shop. He thought of approaching the vehicle when the door behind him opened.

“Hey, you,” Buffy greeted as she slipped her arm through his.

Spike watched the car disappear around the corner before turning his full attention to his girl. Pressing a quick kiss to her lips he shoved his hands in his pockets as they began moving towards Weatherly Park. Whilst their relationship was secret from none of her friends the pair tried to be careful about keeping it secret from the demon community, neither wanting to put the other at risk by revealing a weakness. It was a well-known fact they patrolled together now, the vampire had joined forces with the Slayer but it just made them more deadly. Spike wasn’t going to give the demon population any advantage in a fight by exposing their budding relationship. Sometimes their need to touch each other got the better of them but when that was the case they would dart into the nearest crypt. Shoving his hands in his pockets just served to put an extra barrier between his wandering digits and her.

“Is everything okay?” Buffy asked when she noticed Spike seemed deep in thought.

“Everything’s fine,” he replied, brushing away her fears with a smile. His thoughts went back to the car but he pushed them away for now. It was something he would investigate later…



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A/N As always, I’d love to know your thoughts!