full 3/4 1/2   skin light dark       
 
Shame on You by ginar369
 
Chapter 18
 
<<     >>
 
Shame Banner
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Since I have already stolen Drogyn and hopefully given him a better death than Joss did; you won’t be all that surprised that I am playing with the Angel timeline. I’m just borrowing one more character. But I promise to give him back in the same condition I got him in.
 
Dialog taken from “No Place Like Home” by Doug Petrie. Dialog taken from Triangle, written by Jane Espenson
 
Many thanks to my beta No_Promises. The wonderful banner is by 3hours.
Anya’s, “It’s about damn time!” startled both blondes out of their post coital bliss. Spike yanked the covers up over them glaring at the ex-vengeance demon in the doorway. Looking over at his bed mate Spike could see a flush of embarrassment rushing over her face. Trying to ease her discomfiture at being caught he made shooing gestures with his hands to get Anya to turn around so they could get dressed.

“Somethin’ you needed demon girl?”

“Huh? What?” Shaking her head to clear out the images of a very nicely shaped Spike Anya remembered what she had come to tell the couple. “Tara thinks there might be someone in the tunnels.”

Buffy started grabbing for her clothes at the news. “How does she know?”

“That spell she did, there is some kind of alarm on it.”

“What kind of alarm? I didn’t hear anything.” Buffy’s question was muffled as she tried to talk and put her shirt on at the same time.

Tara’s answered, her voice coming from the hallway, “I’m the only one that can feel it. The spell shields us from magic but it also created a bubble around us. It doesn’t stop anyone from entering but it lets me know when they do.”

“Ready Slayer?”

Buffy put the images and feelings from a few minutes ago to the back of her mind. Grabbing a stake and a short sword from the pile near the door she turned back to Spike. “Ready.”

After ten minutes of searching Buffy was getting ready to call it quits. “This is getting annoying; it’s like playing hide and go seek!” Taking a turn down one of the tunnels they hadn’t explored yet Buffy slammed into a hard body. “Watch it!” She yelled as she struggled to get her stake clear of the arms that were wrapped around her. Sounds of a struggle could be heard coming from behind her as Spike obviously dealt with his own intruders.

“There’s no food slayer. So we came to get you.”

“Hey, that’s not my fault. Besides I'd have to stake you anyway for snacking on humans.”

“That bitch has most of the humans under her control. The ones that aren’t are staying in. Can’t even buy pigs blood anymore.” The vampire reared back shifting into game face ready to dive towards Buffy neck where the call of fresh pumping blood was all too loud in his ears. Taking advantage of the slack it created Buffy brought up both arms and shoved him hard to break his hold. Stepping back she fell into a fighting stance with a stake in her right hand. A quick glance behind her showed that Spike was dealing with his adversary.

As the starving vampire charged Buffy let loose with a flurry of kicks and punches until her foe was on the ground. In one fluid motion she bent down and ran the stake through his heart, sweeping her left leg out to take down another vampire that had stayed back from the fighting. Staking that one just as quickly Buffy swiveled around to see if Spike needed any help with the one he was fighting. But the bleached blonde had no more opponents left and was making his way towards her. Reaching a hand out he help Buffy up from her crouch on the ground. The two made their way back to the main chamber in companionable silence.

“So were the orgasms good?” Anya asked as soon as the two entered the main room.

“Anya!”

“What? I haven’t had any since Willow turned Xander into a bunny! I need vicarious orgasms!”

“An’ on that note I’ll just leave you ladies to your gabbin’.” Spike quickly made his retreat. It had taken every ounce of self control he had possessed not to blurt out his feelings for the slayer when they had been in bed together. He really didn’t want to hear what Buffy might tell demon girl and Glinda about their time together. He knew she didn’t feel the same way about him as he did for her.  He was in love with the slayer. Had been for months, he was pretty sure she had no idea.

Tarawatched as Spike made his getaway, she had to smile as Anya bombarded Buffy with questions. Buffy for her part seemed embarrassed by the questions but not unhappy at the event itself. Making a silent exit Tara followed Spike into one of the side rooms. “Hi.”

“Hey, Glinda need somethin’?”

“Did you want to talk about it?”

Spike gave the blonde witch a hard look, trying to figure out if she had an ulterior motive behind her question.

                                                                      §

“So? Were the orgasms any good?”   
   
“Anya!”

“What?”

“It’s just, it was Spike okay… Not exactly one of my better ideas alright?”

“You do remember what I said before right? Short brutal life.” At Buffy’s nod the ex-demon continued. “Think of it this way, he’s strong, he likes to fight, he is very pleasing to the eyes, and if all that moaning I heard is any indication he’s very good in bed. Plus Spike is smart and funny what’s not to like?”
“Uh, vampire, no soul and my friends hate him.”

“Psht, a happy slayer is a good slayer. And you sounded very happy. Besides Xander needs to worry about the orgasms he gives me not yours. And Willow dated a werewolf and now a female witch she really doesn’t have any room to talk.”

“Listen, I’ll… I’ll think about it alright?” Flushing with embarrassment Buffy started walking out of the main room. As she made her way down the tunnel she could hear Spike and Tara talking.

“It’s nothin’ Glinda.”

“Spike I can tell it’s not nothing. What’s going on?”

“Doesn’ matter.”

“Spike”

“I’m in love with her alright? ‘Ave been for months now. Don’ know what this means, but I know as soon as we take care of this Kaledena bint whatever this is between us ends. The Watcher, Red and the whelp’ll stake me if they ever find out. I’ve been changing for a while now and none of ‘em can see it or want to see it. What soldier boy was doin’? Wasn’t right, using the slayer like that. Couldn’t sit back and let him do that to her. Wanker was trying to move up the ranks by spying on her and ‘er friends tellin’ her he loved her.” “Could you imagine what they would have done to the bit if they ever found out what she was? Woulda destroyed Joyce and the slayer. Did I even get a thank you? No I got punched in the nose. I’m trying here an’ maybe she’s right. Maybe you need a soul to be good but then how do you explain captain cardboard? Maybe without it I don’t always know right from wrong but doesn’t it count that I’m trying?”

Taradidn’t say anything; she wasn’t exactly shocked by Spike’s announcement. She had seen the looks he had been giving Buffy the last few months when he thought no one was watching.

His next words were full of pain and said so softly that she and the girl standing outside the room had to strain to hear them. “I’m hers, to use or abuse till I’m dust. But how do I go on after having her when it goes away? I know I’m a monster, I know I’m not lovable just somethin’ wrong with me that way, first time it killed me got turned that very night, leaving Dru made me feel like dying but I think this time it just might dust me to walk away.”

Tarawalked over to the vampire and sat down next him putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. Buffy stood stock still in the hallway. Spike’s in love with me? Holy Crap!

As quietly as she could Buffy made her way out of the hallway towards one of the other rooms. Spike’s in love with me. I’m wigging out here. Okay deep breaths Buffy you can handle this. This isn’t good, Spike in love is scary crazy guy, do anything in the world for the person he loves kind of guy. Huh. Now that would be something different. Angel walked away when things got difficult, Riley well I guess the military meant more to him than me. But to be fair my slaying meant more to me than him. He said he got it but I guess he really didn’t. And there was that whole the military could do my sacred calling better than me thing. He never got over losing all that strength. Even when he was on those pills, he was never as strong as me, he didn’t get it though. I was holding back the whole time, I never had to do that with Spike though. And the sex? There really isn’t any comparison. Sex with Riley and sex with Spike is like the difference between store brand vanilla ice cream and Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Therapy.

                                                                        §
 
The three former Scooby’s were very nervous. Kaledena had sent them a message through the bond to appear before her. In the few weeks since she had been able to complete the ritual that returned her to her true form she had moved into the abandoned mansion on Crawford Street that Angel had once lived in. When they arrived they were surprised to see that most of her followers were in attendance. “You have failed me. My most trusted aides, and yet you have not been able to produce the slayer or the key. What do you have to say for yourselves?”

“We have scouts all over town and search parties checking every abandoned building in town. There have been no sightings. We have had reports of break-ins at a few grocery stores, and the occasional hardware store but by time they are reported the perpetrators have gone.” Giles responded.

“Why have you not stationed guards at these locations to catch them in the act?”

“Um, we kinda don’t have enough people for that.” Xander supplied.

“Then get more! I have shared my power with you! Make more worshippers and search for the traitors.”

Willowhesitantly spoke to the enraged woman before her. “We brought everyone at the hospital under your control, most of the police force and store owners too. But um, a lot of people left town or were used to keep up your strength.”

“What are you saying?”

Giles could see that Willow was terrified of angering Kaledena further so he spoke in her stead, “What she means is that there are not enough humans left in town to suffice for all your needs. The humans left can either be brought under your benevolent leadership to be given the task of searching for Buffy and the key or they can be used for your consumption but not both.”

                                                                       §

“I don’t understand.”

“You don’t understand what Joyce?”

“Dawn’s learning a spell that would make the Hellmouth not evil right?”

“Yes but the effects will only be temporary.”

“But that’s the part I don’t understand, why can’t we make it permanent? Without an evil Hellmouth Buffy wouldn’t have to patrol anymore. She could have a normal life.”

“Unfortunately that is not true. First of all there are other hellmouth’s on this planet. Granted they aren’t as active as the one in Sunnydale at this time. Secondly if this Hellmouth became dormant the council would insist that Buffy move to one of the other hotspots in the world. She will have to patrol until she either dies or Faith is released from prison.” Laying a hand on Joyce’s shoulder in a comforting manner Wesley continued. “Being the Slayer is not a phase she is going through. It is a sacred calling she cannot escape. Can you see Buffy walking past someone who is being attacked by a vampire? Even if somehow she was no longer the slayer? Do you think she could honestly turn her back on someone in need of assistance?”

“No, no I can’t see her doing that. It’s just, I want so many things for her and she’ll never have them as long as she has to go out every night and kill things.”

Wesley found he had nothing to say that would make any of this any easier for the slayer’s mother and the two fell into an uncomfortable silence.

                                                                        §

Tara and Anya had ring side seats to the Buffy and Spike show for the next two weeks. After a single day of Buffy ignoring Spike the pair were practically inseparable. Buffy had used that time wisely though. She thought about what everyone would say and how they would react. But it was Tara’s words that carried the most weight. Making her decision Buffy joined Spike moving the rock slide and later that night she didn’t hesitate to climb into his bed.
If you didn’t know what to look for you would miss it. The pair still argued about inconsequential things, they patrolled the tunnel system around their hideout for any vampires desperate enough to search them out as a source of blood. They also continued to shift the rock slide out of the tunnel. It was the small glances and fleeting touches that gave the blooming romance away. Both girls knew that Spike was in love with Buffy and it seemed that she was warming up to him too.

Anya kept a running count of the orgasms the two shared each night. “Anya! What are you doing?” Tara caught the ex demon eavesdropping outside Buffy and Spike’s room one night.

“What do you think? I’ve been stuck here underground without Xander for a month now. He owes me as many orgasms as Buffy is getting from Spike.”

“Didn’t think the bricklayer had it in ‘im demon girl.” Spike chuckled from the doorway.

“Well no, humans can’t keep up with vampires everybody knows that. But that doesn’t mean I won’t try. I’ll have to make a schedule though between his job and mine at the Magic Box it won’t give us a lot of time. And I can’t close the shop we’ve been shut for too many days now as it is.”

“I’m sure you’ll do your best, pet.” Spike left the two women and went back into the bedroom with Buffy.
 
<<     >>