The Problem Revealed
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She walked back to her room with Riley and they parted after a short goodbye kiss but only a few minutes later, she was out of the room again. She was practically running by the time she reached Restfield cemetery and she forced herself to slow down- calm down- as she approached the crypt she had accompanied Spike to. She came to the large wooden door and contemplated knocking for a brief second before kicking it open and making her way into the crypt. It was surprisingly light inside- candles scattered around the room providing plenty of light- and she took in the few home comforts: an armchair, an old television, a fridge.

Slayer.

She heard the voice flash through her head only seconds before Spike appeared, climbing out of what appeared to be a lower level.

“Well, what brings you round here, Slayer? Not having fun with Captain Cardboard?”

As if you could have fun with that boy. Bet he doesn’t even know what he’s doing in bed.

The voice that ran through her head spurred her onwards and she went to the vampire, grabbing him by the collar and pushing him up against a sarcophagus that was right in the centre of the room.

“Bloody hell, Slayer!”

“What did you do?!” she cried out.

The vampire was completely still, staring at her in confusion.

“Huh?”

“What have you done?!” she bit out, “Why are you in my head?!”

He looked even more confused now and she tightened her grip on him, shoving him against the sarcophagus.

“Take it easy, Slayer!”

“Get out of my head!”

“I’m not in your head. You’re off your nut!”

He looked completely bewildered and she released him reluctantly, staggering backwards.

“What have you done?” she murmured, raising her troubled gaze to his bright one.

“Haven’t done anythin’. Been sitting here getting bored like a good vampire.”

“You must have done something. You did something to my head. What did you do?”

“Slayer, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

She sighed, running her hand through her hair as she tried to think.

“Something must have happened,” she whispered and looked up at the vampire, searching for a clue.

“Slayer, what are you going on about?” Spike asked.

“You…I can feel you inside me,” she whispered but when he quirked an eyebrow and she saw the start of that smirk she quickly rephrased her sentence, “I mean, I can hear you…in my head. I’ve seen things… Things that I shouldn’t know about.”

“Not understanding, love.”

“I saw you kill a Slayer. She was Chinese. She was wearing brown trousers and a shirt…and she had a knife. She cut you with it.”

She raised her hand to her eyebrow- the same one which on him was bisected by a scar. He just stared at her for a long moment and inside, she was praying that he would believe her.

Bloody Slayer’s gone nuts.

“I’m not crazy,” she answered, as if he’d spoken out loud, and she saw his eyes narrow slightly.

Or this is some sort of trap.

“It’s not a trap.”

His eyes went wide then and he studied her silently.

“Spike, please tell me you know what’s going on? I really do not want you in my head.”

He jolted out of his daze and shook his head.

“No idea, love,” he murmured, his eyes on her as he leant back against the sarcophagus.

“I’m not your love,” she answered absentmindedly.

They were silent for a long time and she sagged, looking at her feet, hoping for inspiration.

“So, you know what I’m thinking?” Spike spoke up, breaking the silence.

She raised her eyes to him hesitantly, unknowingly biting on her lip.

“Well, it seems worse now I’m near you. Before, it was just like…feelings.”

“Right…and memories.”

“Yeah.”

He frowned and she found herself frowning too. His hand went to his neck absentmindedly and then he froze, his eyes flying to hers.

“Think we’ve got a problem.”

“What? What is it?!”

His fingers moved against his neck and his eyes met hers.

“You drew blood.”

“Not exactly something unusual.”

“Do you remember what you said though?” he asked quietly, his eyes burning into hers.


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“Spike,” she whispered with a smile, running her hands up his chest and gripping his shoulders, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” he whispered.

She smiled and slid into his lap, moaning as he pulled her close against him. His hand slid down to her behind, holding her close and she smiled, her mouth going to his neck as he moaned.

“Slayer, are you sure we have to wait ‘til the wedding night?”

“Yes!” she protested with a laugh, running her tongue over his ear, “But we can still have fun.”

Her hands found the buttons of his shirt and began to undo them as she kissed him hungrily. She finally undid the last of the buttons and pushed the shirt from his shoulders, her hands gripping his bare shoulders as he kissed her. He deepened their kiss and his hand moved to her breast, brushing over her teasingly as she let out a moan and arched back, inviting him to her neck. He pressed a kiss to her skin and then began to suck lightly on her pulse point and she gasped, her nails digging into him. He let out a little moan and she righted herself, looking at the tiny spots of blood on his neck. His eyes met hers in a blaze of desire and then she dipped her head, placing her mouth over the wounded skin. She could taste his blood in her mouth and smiled when he moaned slightly at her suckling. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him close as she licked the wound.

“Mine,” she whispered almost instinctively.

“Yours,” he answered automatically, his arms winding around her tighter.


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“So, let me get this right…” she started hesitantly, her eyes fixed on the vampire’s, “You’re saying that I…claimed you?”

“Think so. That explains why you can feel what I feel.”

“Maybe it was just the spell.”

“So why don’t I know what’s going on in your head?”

It was a valid point and she frowned, her eyes on the vampire. She just couldn’t get her head around this claiming thing: apparently, her drawing his blood and saying ‘mine’ actually made him, well, hers. Simple as that. Of course, she was pretty sure this kind of thing wasn’t supposed to happen between a vampire and the Slayer. Why didn’t Angel ever tell me about this? Why didn’t he ever claim me?

She shook that thought off and focussed on the vampire in front of her.

“So, how do we get rid of it?” she asked and his eyes met hers.

“I’m not sure we can.”

“There must be a way.”

“I don’t know, love. Last time I got claimed…well, that was a long time ago.”

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“You’re mine, William.”

“Yours. All yours, Dru.”

“Good boy,” she laughed, her nails scratching at his bare skin.
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They both jolted back to the present and suddenly his eyes flew to hers, locking on hers unnervingly.

“You saw that?”

“Yeah,” she admitted softly and he turned away with a barely audible curse.

“You know, kinda fed up of things messing with my head.”

“Trust me, I don’t want to be in there either!”

He turned back to her with a wry smile and sank against the sarcophagus, pulling out a cigarette and lighting up.

“So, does it, like, fade?” she asked hopefully.

“Not as far as I know. But then, I was always around Dru. And always reaffirming the claim.”

They were silent for a moment but then she spoke up again.

“How does that work?”

“What?”

“Well, if I’ve claimed you as well- which is so wrong- does it cancel out Dru’s claim?”

“Not exactly. Just…dulls it, I guess. You can have more than one claim.”

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“You will obey me, boy.”

“You wish, Liam.”

He was struck around the face and cupped his hand to his bleeding nose. Before he could stop him, Angelus was on him, his fangs piecing the skin of his neck.

“You’re mine, William.”

He struggled against his grandsire’s grip but it was too strong and it soon tightened on his throat.

“Say it, William.”

“Yours,” he bit out.
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She came round and frowned, avoiding the vampire’s gaze when it sought hers.

“Beyond weird,” was all she got out, “Look, we’re not getting anywhere. Have you told me everything you know about claiming?”

“Yes.”

“Right, that leaves only one option. Giles.”

She was already halfway to the door when he spoke up, halting her.

“Don’t I even get a choice in this?”

She turned back to him, crossing her arms.

“No. I want out of your head.”

“Fine.”

She turned back to the door but he spoke up again.

“Just…don’t be telling your friends all my secrets, eh? S’bad enough that you know them.”

She heard something like vulnerability in his voice but shook her head in disbelief and walked out of the crypt.