Chapter Eight

Buffy sat very still. She kept her breathing slow and even as she counted to ten. For the fifth time. When she felt sure she wouldn’t start throwing Giles’ possessions randomly around the room she looked at Spike.

He was sitting rigidly in a chair across from her. His unwavering gaze locked on her. She could see a muscle ticking in his jaw and knew he was just as furious as she was.

“So you’re saying that Riley is some high-level soldier in a government organisation called The Initiative which has a huge facility underneath the campus. And that the day I broke up with him he decided to get his revenge on both of us by torturing you and making me think that you’d left town.”

Spike nodded stiffly. “Yeah pet. That about sums it up.”

Finally the dam broke and Buffy shot out of her chair to pace around the room. “God I can’t believe him. All those months he knew I was the Slayer, he’s part of some demon hunting operation and never even bothered to tell me. And then, trying to manipulate me by making me think…” Angry to the depths of her core Buffy let out a frustrated roar. Spinning back to Spike she ranted, “He tried to get back together with me you know. Claimed he heard on the grapevine that you’d taken off the first chance you got. Had that smug smirk on his face too. Oh, I should have known something was up.”

“Not to mention the torturing pet. Can’t forget the torturing,” Spike added, a little piqued that she had yet to express an appropriate amount of outrage over his suffering.

“Oh I haven’t even gotten to the torturing yet,” she continued with renewed enthusiasm. “I mean I’m happy to kill demons to make the world safer but experimenting, torturing, trying to gain knowledge about their abilities in order to use them? That just has evil agenda stamped all over it.”

“Yeah well,” Spike said tersely, in no way mollified by her monologue. “Everybody’s got bombs now. I guess the military is looking for a new advantage over the other bloke.”

At that moment the door opened and Giles strode in with two large bags. Sensing the tension in the room he looked from Buffy to Spike and back again. “What did I miss?”

**********

A short time later Giles asked, “So what do you intend to do now?”

Buffy sighed tiredly. She’d told Giles everything, except the part where Riley had targeted Spike to get back at her. “Well I figure I’ll start by kicking Riley’s arse. See what else I can find out about The Initiative.”

She looked at Spike, who was finishing his third bag of blood. “That will have to wait till tomorrow though. In the meantime I’m going to take Spike home with me. Tomorrow morning we can go over the details of what he remembers about The Initiative.”

Giles frowned at her suggestion. “Buffy are you sure that’s wise?”

“It’s okay,” she told him reassuringly. “Mom’s out of town. I’ll just tie him up for the night. I’ll be fine.”

Spike stood, glaring as he pointed a finger at her. “No bloody way am I spending my first night of freedom tied to a bloody chair. I told you, I can’t hurt anybody on account of the chip they shoved in my skull.”

Buffy rolled her eyes. “Sure Spike. I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“Alright fine,” Spike spat out, already preparing himself for the pain. “I’ll show you.” Drawing back a fist he aimed straight for Buffy’s petite nose. He got within about half a foot before the pain kicked in and he screamed out loud, clutching at his head.

Buffy cringed at the look of pure agony on his face. “Oh my God,” she said to Giles. “Maybe he is telling the truth.”

“Possibly,” Giles conceded. “But still Buffy. I’d feel better if you agreed to restrain him, at least until we know for certain.”

Buffy nodded, even as Spike glared at her. “Sure thing.”

**********

When they entered the house Buffy headed straight for the kitchen to store the rest of Spike’s blood.

“I don’t suppose there’s any chance of grabbing a shower before you start with the bondage love?”

Feeling suddenly awkward about having Spike in the house Buffy avoided his gaze. “Sure. Follow me.”

After showing him to the bathroom Buffy went hunting for some clean clothes.

“You’ve probably noticed the complete lack of males living in this house,” she said, handing him her baggiest sweatpants and her largest t-shirt. She saw the doubtful look he cast her way and shrugged. “It’s the best I can do.”

Buffy spent the next 20 minutes keeping herself busy. Dragging a dining room chair and long length of rope into the lounge room, making sure the room would be sunproof come morning, grabbing a snack from the fridge. Anything to keep her mind off Spike. In the shower. Naked.

Inching her way up the stairs she came closer to the bathroom door. She could hear the water running. Pictured it flowing down over his body. In her mind’s eye she could see his strong hands covered in soapsuds, gliding down his chest, coasting over his stomach, before one hand wrapped around his hard–

Suddenly the door opened and he was standing in front of her. His face just inches from hers and looking extremely smug. She hadn’t even realised the water had stopped running.

“Was there something you wanted love?” His deep, husky voice reached her ears just as her eyes were drawn irrevocably down his muscular body. His chest was bare, revealing his broad shoulders and mouth-watering six-pack. The wound over his heart, which was healing quickly now, did nothing to detract from his masculine beauty. His narrow hips were snugly encased in the light grey sweatpants. They may have been baggy on her but on him they left very little to the imagination.

As her eyes finally returned to his face she found him watching her with a cocky grin, still awaiting an answer to his question. Boy, did she ever see something she wanted.

Suddenly snapping out of her drool-fest she blurted, “Your clothes. I was going to put your dirty clothes on to wash.”

With an amused smile he turned to retrieve his clothes and handed them to her.

“Lounge room. Two minutes.” She threw back over her shoulder as she hurried down the hall. “And you may want to put on a shirt so the ropes don’t chafe.”

**********

“I still don’t see why this is necessary pet,” Spike grumbled. “If I wanted to kill you I would have done it when you were naked and handcuffed to my bed.”

With a gasp Buffy suddenly straightened from her rope tightening. She found him staring hungrily at her lips and felt her body respond instantly. He smiled saucily as he winked at her and she realised he knew exactly what effect he had on her.

Drawing herself up to her full height she stared down her nose at him as she replied, “You’ve been hell bent on killing me for years Spike. Forgive me if one night doesn’t suddenly make me willing to put my life, and the life of anyone else who happens to cross your path, in your hands.”

Spike rolled his eyes when she placed the remote control for the television in his hand.

“Good night Spike,” she proclaimed brightly before turning on her heel and practically running from the room.

“Silly bint,” Spike muttered as he began to flick channels. Finding a re-run of Dawson’s Creek playing he settled in for a long and boring evening.

**********

Several hours later the tattered remains of the ropes lay about the lounge room floor. He’d done his best not to damage Joyce’s dining room chair, which still sat in front of the television as Spike’s silent form disappeared up the stairs.

Opening the door to Buffy’s room Spike stood silently for a few moments, watching her sleep. Her long hair was spread across the pillow. She was lying on her side, the sheet draped low across her hips. She was wearing a pale pink tank top and he could see her breasts rising and falling as she slept. Moving into the room Spike shed the t-shirt and, after a brief deliberation, decided to keep the sweatpants on in case she tried to stake him in the morning.

Then, drawing back the sheet, he slowly eased into the bed behind her. Lying down he nuzzled the back of her neck gently, inhaling the scent of her deeply. Careful not to wake her he slid one arm around her waist, curling up against her body so he could feel her pressed against the length of him. She stirred briefly, sighing deeply and snuggling back into him. A contented smile tugged at his lips as he closed his eyes and allowed sleep to overcome him.