Author's Note: Thanks as always to Diabola, who not only works wonders on the site, but also on my wee ficcie.

Cara Mia - Chapter Three

Spike could hardly contain his elation at holding Buffy in his arms again. God, it had been too long. Too long since he'd felt her powerful little frame against his. Too long since he'd been able to breathe in her fragrance and revel in the knowledge that she was his. His body's reaction was instant, and Buffy felt it. She went completely still for just a moment, then started to struggle harder as his erection pressed into her lower back.

"It's not a stake in my pocket, love, I'm just pleased to see you," he murmured into her ear.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy froze when she heard Spike's chuckle, the stake tumbling from her suddenly nerveless fingers. That voice. She never thought she'd hear that accent again, on this side of the grave or otherwise. She inhaled deeply, almost tasting the familiar scent of him, overlaid as always with leather and smoke. For one shining moment, Buffy's heart sang with joy at the thought that Spike had survived and forgiven her immeasurable cruelty, causing a sob to catch in her throat. But the next second, harsh reality asserted itself, her mind's eye reliving the last moments they spent together.

Beyond them the sounds of battle raged, the newly empowered slayers holding back the First's forces while they retreated to the surface. The amulet on Spike's chest began to glow brighter and brighter and the earth began to shake. The vampire's face contorted in a grimace of pain and Buffy's body was gripped by a chilling fear she'd not experienced even when facing the Turok-Han. They'd won, Willow's spell had worked: surely the Powers would have mercy on them. That hope was shortlived, however, when the amulet's glow grew more intense and Spike gasped, telling her his soul was stinging. Buffy fought back tears as she tried to pull him from the Hellmouth, trying to put everything she should have said into the touch of their hands, hanging on even as they combusted and she felt her skin charring. She tried to make him see, tried so hard to make him understand what he meant to her, but he'd been in no shape to listen, even as he sacrificed himself for her and everything she held dear. The one time she wished he would use his unerring insight to know what was inside her, and he'd been blind.

Buffy's eyes were wide as she struggled to contain her tears in this Italian graveyard. Spike was gone, burned to ashes for a higher purpose. Whatever mimicked his voice and wore his body was a malevolent and cruel being indeed, and she was going to destroy it utterly. The Slayer relaxed against the creature holding her and felt an answering loosening of its grip. In one fluid motion she crouched, coiling into herself, and somersaulted onto the tomb in front of her to land in a fighting stance. Her glare took in how completely this thing mirrored her dusted lover, even down to the scarred eyebrow and the self-assured way he held himself. Her eyes narrowed, outrage strengthening her determination to wipe this abomination from the earth, and she launched her attack.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike had always believed that the Slayer was at her best when she was in action, a being who was only wholly alive in the thrill of battle, and seeing her tonight erased any doubt in his mind. Even when they had made love it was a fight, a contest of wills and prowess, and her ferocious passion had been captivating. God, she was awe-inspiring when her power was upon her, and right now she was practically glowing. He could smell her on his skin, the brief moment he'd just held her creating a disorienting sensory memory, which is perhaps the reason he failed the see the killing instinct in her hazel eyes.

The slight blonde sprang at the vampire, her hands landing on his shoulders as she pushed into a handstand and vaulted over him, using every ounce of strength she possessed to throw Spike across the cemetary. He landed hard, smashing into a headstone which disintegrated under the impact, and he lay stunned as Buffy advanced on him.

Dawn saw Spike wrap his arms around her sister and smiled. At last it was all going to be okay. Her sister would find the happiness that she deserved, a happiness she been trying to achieve when she'd started dating the Immortal. Dawn would have her big brother back, and the three of them would be a family again. The tall brunette chanted,

"Please, please, please," under her breath, praying that Buffy wouldn't overreact at the surprise of finding Spike alive. Well, as alive as he ever managed, anyway. The thought echoed in her mind for a couple of seconds before she realised what she was saying. Buffy not overreact? Oh God.... Dawn was running over to the couple even as Buffy broke away from the vampire, panic rising when her sister leaped through the air.

"Stop it! Buffy! Stop!" Dawn screamed shrilly, sprinting to place herself between the Slayer and the vampire. Buffy's eyes flashed green as she turned to her younger sister.

"Dawn, that's not Spike. Get out of the way. Whatever it is, it's going to die for this," she vowed, moving closer. Spike struggled to one knee, too groggy to make sense of the confrontation between the two Summers girls.

"No! Buffy, no. It's Spike. He's back," Dawn pleaded with Buffy. The blonde turned to Dawn, her anger lapsing to show the raw emotional pain on her face.

"No, Dawnie. Spike's gone, sweetie. This... thing, it's just trying to get close to us. It's trying to trick us. Move away," Buffy begged, watching as Spike began to recover.

"I won't," Dawn shook her head, her jaw set in a stubborn line.

"Dawn. Move. Now," Buffy ordered, desperate to finish off her foe, terrified that Dawn would fall victim to this monster. Spike was now on his feet, raising his chin to lock darkened blue eyes on the girls. Buffy wavered in a moment of indecision. Her rage screamed at her to obliterate the creature that defiled the memory of the man she loved, but her sister's safety was more important. Grabbing Dawn's wrist, Buffy fled from the cemetary, leaving a battered and bewildered Spike staring after them.

"What did I say?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Are you alright, Dawnie?" Back at the apartment, Buffy's adrenaline overload was slowly leeching from her system. Her sister had been screaming at her to let her go, that it was Spike, he was back, and he loved them both. Dawn's face was a study of misery, tears streaming from her eyes, her skin blotchy.

"No! You just dragged me away from Spike. I barely stopped you from kicking the crap out of him! What the hell is wrong with you?"

Buffy sighed. This was going to be a long night. The blonde stepped closer to the brunette, raising a hand to stroke the younger girl's hair.

"Dawn, that wasn't Spike. You...you weren't there when he.... You didn't see it. There is no way that Spike made it, believe me. No one wishes he was here more than me," she said softly. Dawn backed away.

"How would you know? You're so wrapped up trying to make it work with that loser the Immortal that you have no idea what's going on any more. Spike's back, and he's here, and he wants to be with us both like it was before. But you're wrecking it, just like you did at home. I hate you!" The teenager spun on her heel and ran to her room, slamming the door behind her. Buffy took a deep breath and picked up the phone, dialled, and waited while it rang.

"Buffy?" The cultured British accent was clipped.

"Wow. How'd you know it was me, Giles?" Buffy was impressed.

"Because only you would call me at 3 o'clock in the morning without a second thought, or indeed, a call to the emergency line. I take it something's wrong?" Giles' sarcasm was strangely comforting, and in spite of herself, Buffy smiled.

"A world of wrong, Giles. Do you know of any shapeshifting demons? Or demons that use camouflage spells?" The Slayer side of Buffy took over, the need to get down to business asserting itself.

"Er...well, there might be a few species that can change shape, or even use magic to hide their presence...." Giles sounded faint for a moment, and Buffy imagined him reaching for a book. She wondered if that was simply habit, or if it helped him think.

"Why do you ask? Have you found something in Rome? I thought the Immortal protected the city," Giles continued. She heard pages being turned in the background.

"He does. Giles... tonight on patrol Dawn and I ran into something that looked like Spike," Buffy told her former Watcher quickly, in the vain hope that it would lessen the pain.

"Oh, Buffy. I'm sorry, I know that must have been very difficult for you. What can you tell me about your encounter? Did this creature attack you or Dawn? Was it trying to feed in some way? Did it want something from you?" Giles's sympathy, coupled with his customary curiosity about new demons, sent a sharp pang of loneliness through Buffy's stomach. She missed her old friends so much - even though they had often united to stop the apocalypse, there were so many times when they had just spent time together. Most of all, they had cared for each other and provided a sense of family Buffy had not known since before her parents had started fighting.

"Buffy? Are you still there?" Giles' concern renewed the tears she had suppressed earlier in the cemetary, and her voiced trembled.

"Yeah, I'm still here, Giles. It didn't attack us, it just stalked us. I started fighting it, and it blocked me. It... It talked to me, Giles. It sounded just like him. I mean, exactly like him, exactly like something he'd say," even in her distress, she blushed and hoped the stuffy englishman wouldn't make her repeat the phrase the doppelganger had breathed into her ear.

"I see," was the only reply. "I'll do some research and see what I can find, Buffy. It may take a few days before I have anything, though. It sounds like this creature, whatever it is, is just biding its time, trying to get close to you, rather than attack you outright. If you're careful, you should be able to avoid it until I have some information," the Watcher advised.

"Thanks, Giles. I think the hard part is going to be making sure Dawn doesn't go after it alone. She really believes it's Spike," Buffy confessed her fear.

"I can imagine, she did get rather attached to him. If you can prevent her patrolling I think you'll be alright. I'll call as soon as I find anything, I promise."

"I know. Just...Giles, please, hurry. I need to know what this thing is so I can kill it," Buffy's tone grew hard.

"I understand, Buffy. Try to get some sleep."

"Goodnight, Giles," Buffy replaced the handset and decided to seek the solace of a bath, in the hopes that afterwards she would be tired enough to sleep without dreaming of cool hands and lips, and sapphire eyes that could read her soul.