Betaed by Maria and Flight Of Fancy.


When Spike woke up, he was alone in the bed. He could hear the shower running, and it wasn’t long before Buffy came out of the bathroom, dressed in jeans and a white top.

“Morning, Spike,” she smiled brightly. “How are you today?”

“Better, I think. I haven’t really tried moving much.” Spike grimaced as he shifted on the bed. “Maybe not quite ready to wrestle a Fyarl yet, but better.” The vampire’s eyes followed Buffy as she disappeared into a walk-in closet he hadn’t noticed before. It had sliding doors that were almost invisible in the panelling, and he knew anyone not aware of its location would easily miss it.

Buffy stood in the doorway, brushing her hair. “Do you want me to change your bandages now, or can they wait for later?”

Spike looked down at his body. There was no fresh blood that he could see, but one sniff told him that the smell of old blood was still strong. Surprisingly, there was nothing but the barest lingering scent of his Grandsire. “I think it can wait, but I’d really like to take a shower and put some clothes on.”

Buffy smiled. “You don’t smell bad, so no hurry. I can go to the factory while I’m out, and I’ll grab all your stuff.” She disappeared into the closet.

“It’s not about how I smell, really. I haven’t had a shower since before Angelus decided to entertain himself by carving me up,” he said a little louder, making sure that she heard him.

Buffy came back into the bedroom, closing the hidden door behind her. She busied herself with her shoes, and avoided looking directly at the vampire in her bed. “Well, you...yeah. Um...I gave you a bath before I bandaged you up the first time. You were kind of out of it then, so you probably don’t remember.” She still didn’t look up at him.

Spike choked, and his eyes opened wide. That was something he hadn’t expected. “Couldn’t you have had that guy do it? Merrick...Wasn’t that what you called him?”

At that, Buffy did look up with a slight pout. “He was out getting blood for you, and I didn’t really mind.”

“I...It’s just...I don’t think it was really appropriate. You’re far too young to be alone with a naked man, even if he is wounded and out cold.”

At that, Buffy couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m not as young as you think I am,” she choked out, before finally calming down. “Besides, it’s nothing I haven’t seen before,” she added with a smirk reminiscent of a certain blonde vampire.

Meanwhile, feeling unsettled by her laughter, Spike had pulled the blankets up all the way to his chin. “Seen before?” He raised an eyebrow at the young woman brave enough to tease him.

Buffy couldn’t control the blush that coloured her cheeks.

Now, instead of being bashful, Spike’s whole demeanour had changed. He patted the bed beside his hip as he purred at her, “Hmmm. I think you need to come over here and tell me more about that.”

“Don’t worry, I will. I just thought you’d appreciate some clothes first, so you can get out of bed and check out the rest of the house. I hope you’re not mad, but I had to cut your pants off. They were stuck to you, and I didn’t know if there was more damage that I just couldn’t see, or if it was dried blood that had dripped down from your back.” Buffy smiled as she apologized, hoping that Spike would understand. “If it’s okay with you, I’ll stop by the factory today and grab whatever clothes look like yours. You’ll have to let me know if there’s anything else you want me to bring back.”

“Sure, Pet. I can play nice for now, but I expect your promise that, when I’m feeling a little better, you’re going to fill me in on just how it is that you’ve seen my private parts before.”

Buffy nodded. “When you’re up and about again, we’ll sit down and have a nice, long chat.” One more trip to the closet, and then Buffy was back with a hair band that matched her shirt. “I’m going to be out for a while. Most of the work is done here, but the place wasn’t set up to live in yet. I need to do some shopping. Should I ask Merrick to bring you another mug of blood?” Buffy wrapped the band around her hair, until she had a flirty ponytail that bounced whenever she moved.

“That would be good, Pet. See you when you get back.”

“That you will.” She smiled softly at him, before leaving the room.

There was something in her eyes when she looked at him. Something he’d never seen before. He couldn’t define it, but he knew he wanted to see that look directed his way again. There was definitely something about this former Slayer, something that drew him in and snared him. Spike was still thinking of Buffy and that look in her eye, long after she’d passed through the door of the warehouse and headed off to shop.

The vampire’s musing was interrupted a short time later by someone knocking on the bedroom door. Merrick opened the door slightly. “Can I come in? Buffy said you needed some more blood, so I’ve got a mug here for you.”

“Gotta love room service. Come on in?” Not without some pain, Spike pulled his body up to lean against the headboard.

Merrick came into the room, carrying a tray with a teapot, teacups, a mug, and all the fixings for tea. “I thought you might enjoy a cup of tea, after you’ve eaten.”

“That’d be nice. It’s been a while since I’ve had a decent cuppa. Don’t suppose you’ve got any Weetabix, do you?” Spike asked Merrick, with a hopeful look in his eyes.

“Sorry. I’ve only got tea, cream, and sugar in the kitchen, and that’s because Clem or one of his guys left them there.” Merrick placed the tray on the floor near the bed.

“Clem?” Spike took the mug that Merrick offered him, and raised it to his nose for a sniff.
Merrick bent down to pour himself a cup of tea. “He’s the demon that Buffy hired to oversee the remodelling. Would you like me to pour your tea now, or wait for a bit?”

“No time like the present. My mug is already empty,” laughed Spike.

“Do you need more?” Merrick asked, as he passed Spike a full teacup in exchange for the vampire’s dirty mug.

“Not right now. Thanks, but I could probably use some in an hour or so. My body is a bit more needy than usual, probably because it’s trying to heal. Where did you get the blood, anyway?” Spike asked. “You’re aware that it’s human, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I am. Buffy specifically asked me to get human when she told me to go buy blood for you.” The Watcher met Spike’s eyes calmly.

“Well, well...Did she now?” Spike wasn’t sure what to make of Merrick’s response.

Merrick smiled. “In fact, she told me to go rob the blood bank, if I had to.”

“That’s just not right,” Spike mused.

“What’s not right?” Merrick seated himself at the end of the bed, taking care not to spill his tea.

“A Slayer feeding a vampire anything but a stake is crazy enough, but I’ve got one that sets me up with human blood. I don’t get it.” Spike held his tea cup in one hand, pinkie finger politely extended, and held the saucer underneath in his other hand.

Merrick laughed, and then mysteriously said to Spike, “She’s not a Slayer.”

“Yeah, I don’t get that either,” Spike scowled, quite frustrated. “She isn’t even afraid of me, the Big Bad, Mr Slayer of Slayers.” He shook his head.

“She’s had quite a history, but that’s for her to share with you. I can tell you though, that she has her reasons for acting the way she does. Being allowed to retire as Slayer, that’s a reward from the Powers for all that she’s endured. A reward, and an apology, of sorts, I think.”

“What does that mean?” Spike demanded.

Merrick just looked at Spike, smiled, and shrugged his shoulders.

“You won’t tell me anything?”

“Sorry. It’s not my story, and I know Buffy wants to tell you herself.” Merrick gathered Spike’s cup, and prepared to stand up.

“You don’t have to leave yet, do you? Why don’t you tell me something about yourself, instead?”

Merrick couldn’t resist the unspoken plea in the vampire’s eyes, and sat back on the bed, prepared to share with the lonely vampire. By the time Buffy returned an hour later, the two men were well on their way to becoming friends.

“Hi.” Buffy looked from Merrick to Spike, and smiled.

Spike smiled back, and nodded a greeting.

“Hey, Buffy. You took your time in town. Was there a shoe sale at the mall?” Merrick teased the blushing blonde.

“The stores were busy, and it took ages to get my stuff and pay. Plus, I had to go to the factory for Spike’s stuff.” Buffy leaned against the door frame.

“How did that go, Pet? Any trouble?” Spike arched a brow.

“It was fine. There were a few minions at the factory, but they scattered when I walked in. I didn’t bother chasing them.” She shrugged a shoulder.

Spike and Merrick kept staring at her.

“What? They didn’t bother me. I thought it was only fair to let Kendra finish them off.” With a smile, she left the doorway for a few seconds. “Here.” She was back, and placing a shopping bag at the end of the bed. “I grabbed all the clothes I could find in your room,” she told Spike.

“How did you know it was my room?” Spike was curious and asked as he poked around in the bag.

“One sec...” Buffy said, before she darted out of the room again. When she came back, she was wearing Spike’s coat. “I found this on a chair in one of the rooms. That, and a closet full of nothing but black, and I figured I was in the right place.”

“Looks good on you, Luv.” In truth, seeing the little blonde as a vision in black leather had Spike’s inner bad boy standing at attention.

Buffy smiled brightly at the compliment. “It suits you too. Very sexy.”

“Is that right?” Spike asked, as he looked at Buffy from under his lashes and ran his tongue over his teeth.

Buffy returned Spike’s flirty look with one of his own, before she took the coat off and tossed it on the bed. “I’d better have a look at your wounds now.”

“Piss off. I can do it myself. Don’t need a nursemaid...I’m not a child,” Spike said harshly. He didn’t want the ex-Slayer to think he was a wuss. The rules in the real world were simple: The strong survive, and the weak don’t.

It would seem that Buffy really had grown wiser. This time, instead of reacting with anger and hurt feelings, she was able to take a deep breath and then respond in a soft voice. “Are you flexible enough to check your own back?” she asked. She didn’t want to embarrass him, but she was determined that her vampire would receive the best of care.

Spike opened his mouth a couple of times, but didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to admit she was right and he’d overreacted. Finally, he settled for a teasing, “You just want an excuse to ogle my sexy body,” smirk firmly in place.

“You wish,” Buffy laughed, as she walked closer to the bed.

“Okay, I think that’s my cue to leave the two of you alone,” Merrick said, with a smirk of his own. He collected the tray of teacups and then left, closing the door behind himself.

Buffy checked Spike’s bandages, looking for fresh blood. She could see some older stains over the stake wound, and in a few places on his back, but nothing new. “Do you still want to take a shower?”

“A shower would be great. I may be dead, but I’ve got standards. I’ll need that bag of clothes though...I’m not running around here starkers, even if it is just a trip to the bathroom.”

“You might as well use the sheet. I’m going to change them anyway.” She grabbed Spike’s bag of clothing and headed to the bathroom with it.

Spike raised his voice, so she could hear him over the sound of the shower she had started. “You know we have to talk, Buffy!”

“I know. Don’t worry; I’m not going to forget. Let’s just save it for later, when you’re feeling better.” Buffy wished she could stop time right then, before anything could go wrong.

Spike was standing just inside the bathroom, and was watching Buffy. Suddenly, she’d looked so sad, though Spike couldn’t see a reason for it. “Any specific reason why we’re not talking about it now?” he asked, with a tilt of his head.

Buffy’s hair hid her face. “Well, part of it is that I’m afraid of how you’re going to react to what I have to tell you. I also want to make sure you’re all healed up, so that you can leave, if you decide you want to. For now, you still need someone to take care of you and, if you’ll let me, I’d like to be that person.”

“It can’t be that bad.” Spike slowly sat down on the side of the bath tub. He took a quick look around before commenting, “Nice bathroom.”

“Thanks. I’d planned to do a bit of decorating in here, but I think the basics are nice. Now, can you lift your arms a bit?” Buffy tried to ease off the bandages, but they were stuck to the vampire’s flesh in some spots. She used a pair of hair scissors to trim as much of the cloth off as possible. “Okay, put your arms down. You’re stuck in a few spots. I know you asked for a shower, but how about a soak in the tub instead? That way, we can let the last of the bandages soak off.”

“Sounds good, Pet. I could use a good soak.”

Buffy carefully removed the gauze pad on his chest. The hole made by the plastic stake was starting to heal, but still looked painful. She swallowed, and then sent a brave smile to Spike. “It doesn’t look that bad anymore.”

Spike bowed his head as much as possible, trying to get a good look at the wound. “A couple more days and I’ll be right as rain. Don’t fret about it, Luv.”

Buffy gently touched the red edge with her fingertips. “Can you get into the tub on your own, or do you need a hand?”

Spike tilted his chin, lifted a brow, and just glared at her.

“Right...you think I’m too young to cope with the sight of someone as manly as yourself. Forgot about that.” She chuckled. “Fine. Get yourself into the tub, and I’ll go grab you some towels.” Buffy left the room, still chuckling.

Spike carefully removed the sheet that was protecting his dignity, after making sure that Buffy had left the bedroom and wouldn’t be popping her head back into the bathroom anytime soon. His wounds had stopped bleeding, and now he needed to move slowly and carefully, to make sure he didn’t rip anything open again. He sighed when he could finally lie back in the tub and relax in the bubble bath that Buffy had prepared for him. Closing his eyes and breathing deeply, he could smell Buffy’s soap. Vanilla...it was now one of his favourite scents.

He was almost asleep when Buffy lightly stroked his cheek. Her touch came as a shock, and he immediately sat up, cracking his forehead onto her chin. The both cried out in surprise.

As they sat there, Buffy rubbing her chin, and Spike rubbing his forehead, they couldn’t help but laugh. Spike reached out a hand, and tucked a strand of Buffy’s hair behind her ear, and they smiled shyly at each other.

“I brought you a cup of hot chocolate.” Buffy took a small tray from the bathroom counter and placed it on the edge of the tub.

“And you even brought little marshmallows for me,” Spike said with a tender smile. “You must know me very well. My fondness for them is a closely guarded secret.”

“I try.” Buffy used a hand to gently cup Spike’s cheek, looking deeply into his eyes.

To Spike, it felt as if she was trying to look right down into his soul. The soul he didn’t have. “You know I’m an evil, soulless, monster...right, Pet?”

“Don’t worry, Spike. I know exactly what you are.”

“You do, do you? I’m not changing for you. Not getting a soul, like Peaches.” Though he was protesting, the vampire leaned into Buffy’s touch, like a cat being stroked.

“I would never ask you to get one. You don’t need it.” Buffy leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on Spike’s lips. Before he could react, she stood up. “Drink your cocoa while it’s still warm.”

Spike’s eyes followed her as she turned and left the room. There was something about this young slip of a girl that he couldn’t ignore. Once Buffy had retreated down the hallway, Spike sank back into the warm water and sipped at his hot chocolate.

Spike might be a ‘spur of the moment’ kind of guy, but he recognized that something big was changing in his life. Where or what he was going to be by this time next week, the vampire didn’t know. One thing was for sure, though. Buffy was willing to be right there with him.

She’s shown him that much with the kiss she’d given him.

Thinking of that quick kiss had Spike licking his lips and then groaning. Her flavour was still on them. He tipped his head back, and closed his eyes in frustration. The taste of the sexy little ex-Slayer made him hard. Hell, just the thought of her was almost more than he could stand, and he knew he was going to have to take himself in hand if he was going to make it back to the bedroom without embarrassing himself.