CHAPTER FIVE
 
Spike’s slamming of the door as he went back into the night reverberated for several seconds while the humans all stared it.  Giles recovered first.
 
“Well, in all fairness to Spike, his perspective is probably legitimately skewed by his own experiences.  Although I cannot in good conscience say that neutering one the world’s most dangerous vampires was a bad thing.... as much as it must seem so to him.”
 
“I don’t think he’s just talking about the chip,” Buffy said quietly. “He told me some of the experiments and tests they were doing in there.  I think the only reason Spike survived long enough to even be chipped is because he’s so old and strong... and so stubborn.”
 
“May... maybe I can access those records somehow,” Willow said. Her tentative attempt at apology and appeasement was greeted with cautious smiles and nods.
 
“Can you do that?”
 
“I can try. I’m sure they’ve entered the data into a file somewhere. I just need to break in and find it.”  Suiting actions to words, she sat down and opened her laptop.  Her “Really, Giles?” when he tried to peer over her shoulder sent him back to his desk. 
 
Buffy stared at the closed door, then sighed and walked over to sit beside Xander and Anya.
 
“So, what set fangface off? What don’t we know?”
 
“They ran a lot of tests on Spike and the other vamps and demons. Some of them were pretty brutal – lowering the temps to see if they could freeze them, raising them to see if they could make them sweat, cutting off... body parts... to see if they’d regrow. Stuff like that.”
 
“Body parts?” Xander grew a little pale. “Spike’s missing his body parts?”
 
“No!” Buffy realized she’d shouted and lowered her voice. “I mean, no, nothing important, anyway. He has some scars, though, from where they took out chunks of flesh. It’s growing back but—”
 
“I knew it!” Willow crowed. “I knew you had sex with him!”
 
“What?”
 
“How would you know he had scars if you haven’t seen him naked? How, huh? How?” Willow seemed more interested in proving that her spell had worked than she was in sparing Buffy embarrassment.
 
“He wears tee-shirts,” Buffy said through clenched teeth. “He showed me his arm, and he pulled up his shirt and showed me his back. I didn’t need to see him naked.”
 
“But you have, haven’t you?” Anya broke into the discussion. “You’ve seen him naked. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. He’s seen you naked too. And he wants to see you that way again. I don’t understand why he didn’t take advantage of you the last time Willow put a spell on you. That’s not very vampire-like at all.”
 
All four of them stared at Buffy with varying degrees of curiosity and trepidation. She did her best to stare back in righteous indignation, but was hard put to maintain her innocent pose.
 
“All right!” She leapt to her feet and waved her hands in the air. “All right! Yes, when Willow told us to go off and screw each other unconscious, that’s exactly what we did.” She whirled to glare at Willow, whose expression wavered between satisfaction and dismay. “Happy now?  I woke up in a sleazy motel, naked, next to a vampire that’s tried to kill me. So think about that the next time you decide to throw spells around.  It just turns out Spike was enough of a gentleman to give me his coat to wear home and to keep his mouth shut about what we did.”
 
 She whirled on Anya. “And he didn’t take advantage of me because he didn’t want to sleep with me again unless I knew what I was doing. And no, it’s not ‘vampire-like’ and I don’t know what to think about it, but I don’t want him to have to go back to that place where they tortured him.”
 
She turned her damp eyes on Giles, who was staring at her with a horrified expression on his face. “And if that makes me a bad slayer, then I’m a bad slayer. Deal with it!”
 
Without another word to any of the dumbstruck people in the room, she went out the door, slamming it behind her almost as hard as Spike had.  She charged across the parking lot, not slowing down until she reached the street where she looked back and forth before setting off toward Restfield.
 
 
                                                                        XXXX
 
 
She hadn’t gone far before she realized that she was feeling familiar tingles on the back of her neck. She looked across the street to see Spike keeping pace with her, but staring straight ahead. She stopped, rolling her eyes when he stopped also, but continued to stare straight ahead.
 
“Are you coming over here, or am I coming over there?”
 
He turned his head and peered at her from under his eyelashes.  “Dunno. I’m still brassed off at you.”
 
Buffy sighed and rolled her eyes again. “Would it make you any happier if I told you I slammed out the door too?”
 
“You did? Why is that?” He had crossed the street and was beside her almost before she finished speaking.
 
“Damn, you move fast!” Buffy tried to keep the admiration from her voice, but if she was being honest with herself, she would have to admit to being impressed.
 
“I can move slowly when the occasion calls for it,” he said, bumping her with his hip. “Could show you, if you’ve forgot....”
 
She shook her head and snorted. “Behave yourself.”
 
They walked in companionable silence for a few minutes before Spike broke the quiet.  “So, Slayer. Where are we going?”
 
Buffy slowed. “I don’t know. I guess I was going out to find you.”
 
“You’ve found me. Now what?”
 
She stopped and frowned at him. “I don’t think I thought that far ahead. I just wanted to leave before I had to answer a bunch of embarrassing questions.”
 
He quirked an eyebrow at her. “Questions?”
 
She sighed and studied the toes of her shoes.  “I might have... sort of...  accidentally... blurted out that we weren’t captured by demons and that we— And then I had to defend you and tell them you were a gentleman about it and that I wasn’t going to let Riley and his men take you back to that place even if it meant I was a bad slayer and then I ran out,” she finished in a rush.
 
“Bloody hell...” he barely whispered, then recovered his usual cockiness.  “So, is this going to mean the only thing welcome at Scooby meetings now is gonna be my dust?”
 
“I dunno,” she admitted. “I ran out before anybody could say anything.” She peered at him sideways. “I think it’ll be okay. Willow already thought her spell worked the first time, Giles is fair enough not to blame us, and—”
 
“And the boy is going to put a stake through my back the first time I turn it.”
 
Buffy shrugged. “You’d think so – but Anya keeps saying he doesn’t want you dust, so I guess we just have to hope she’s right.”
 
They had reached the gates of Restfield and paused there uncertainly.
 
“I’ve already done a patrol tonight, luv, but if you want to take a swing through....”
 
“Isn’t this where you live?”
 
He blinked. “Is. Still working on making it more homey, but if you want to see where it is....”
 
“I... I think I should know where you live, don’t you?  In case I have to find you for some... some reason?”
 
“Sure, Slayer. Just in case.  This way....”
 
They were walking across the grass, not following the paved drives, when Spike suddenly halted and cocked his head to listen. Without a word to Buffy, he tugged her behind a large clump of shrubbery and signaled her to be silent. She could just see his face in the moonlight, so when his eyes widened with shock and he yanked her to the ground, rolling over so that she was underneath him and his coat was covering them, she gave him the benefit of the doubt.
 
“Pull the collar up,” he hissed in her ear. “Cover my hair as best you can and stay underneath me.”
 
Buffy did as she was instructed, trying not to notice how good it felt to be pressed against him again.  She was so busy telling herself she wasn’t enjoying the position, or the way he was just touched her ear with his lips, that she almost didn’t hear the voices until they were right beside them.
 
“Come on, Finn. Even if the hostile is still out here, and even if your supernatural girlfriend is still with him, it’s time to call it a night. We’ll get them some other time. It’s a small town.”
 
“Yeah, Riley. Anyway, you’ll see her around the campus if she isn’t smart enough to stay away now that she knows you know what she is. We can grab her then.”
 
“Whatever a Slayer is, she’s supposed to be fighting evil. I need to know what she’s doing hanging out with hostiles – even neutralized ones.  If half of what we read is true, she should have dusted him the first time she saw him.”
 
“Well we’re not finding a damn thing out here tonight. The only sign of life we’ve seen was a squirrel.  I say let’s pack it in.” There were rustling sounds as equipment was put away.
 
“Fine, fine,” Riley grumbled. “But you can explain to Maggie that we managed to lose both Buffy and Hostile 17 at the same time.”
 
Their voices faded as the soldiers moved away and the sound of an engine starting soon followed. Buffy and Spike remained immobile until the vehicles were out of hearing range, even for Spike. As silence fell again, only the usual soft sounds of night in a cemetery came to their ears.  Buffy relaxed and released the breath she’d unconsciously been holding. Which allowed her to notice that Spike was still lying on her and now nibbling on her ear.
 
“We... we should move,” she gasped, even as she tilted her head to give him access to her neck.
 
“Don’t want to,” he whispered back, taking full advantage of her invitation to begin kissing his way down her neck and up to her mouth. “Don’t ever want to.”
 
“Don’t say tha—”
 
His lips fastened on hers, cutting off her intended reply, but not before Spike understood what she was planning to say. He kept her busy with long, languorous kisses until he felt her relaxing under him and molding her body to his. When she was whimpering in the back of her throat, he rolled off to the side so he could start running his hands over her, sliding one hand into her jeans before she’d even noticed they weren’t fastened any more. He kept his mouth on hers, swallowing any complaints as his fingers began massaging the little nub he found already damp with fluid.  Within only a moment or two, he had brought her to a quivering release against his hand. Giving her one last lingering caress, he pulled his hand out and zipped her pants up before licking his fingers.
 
Buffy was lying, loose limbed and relaxed, eyes half closed as she sighed in contentment until she saw what he was doing.
 
“That’s just gross,” she said, her scolding completely negated by the sleepy smile she wore.
 
“Not gross,” he said. “Just Buffy.”  He rolled onto his back and pulled her over on top him, brushing the grass and leaves off her back and combing them out of her hair. He smiled at her mumbled thank you, and hugged her tightly.  “Can’t have you going home all covered in leaves and whatnot, can we?”
 
She sighed again, this time in exasperation rather than contentment. 
 
“I’m not sure I should go home – to the dorm or anywhere else they could get to me. And not until I know what they want me for.” She pushed herself up and off his body, sitting on the ground beside him.  “And it’s really gonna spoil my dramatic exit if I go running back to Giles now.”
 
Still lying on his back and gazing up at her, Spike gently pushed some hair out of her face.
 
“Could stay with me tonight,” he said, his voice level and with no trace of the hope so visible in his eyes, even in the dim light of the moon. “Crypt isn’t what I want it to be yet, but I’ve got a few amenities. Could get more if you tell me what you want.”
 
“In a crypt?”
 
“It’s more like a house – made of stone, in a cemetery, with very old, dusty dead bodies in big cement containers.....  Think of them as furniture.”
 
She shrugged and stood up. “Can’t be any worse than that scuzzy motel we were in....”
 
“Not worse. I promise.” He kipped to his feet and cocked his head to listen and scent the air.  “Seems safe, Slayer. Let’s go.” He took her hand and began to walk rapidly across the grass, moving too fast for her to pull her hand away. He didn’t slow down until they were nearing a large mausoleum with a door and windows.
 
“Who puts windows in a crypt?” Buffy put her hands on her hips and watched as Spike pulled open a metal grill, then a heavy wood inner door.  “Wow. It is almost like a house.”
 
He held the door and gestured for her to come in, then closed the door, plunging the room into complete darkness. The windows were just visible as pale places in the wall. 
 
“Wait here, luv.”  She could hear Spike’s footsteps crossing the floor, the snick of his lighter, followed by the flare of a candle.  He moved around the large stone room, lighting candles until she could see as well as he could.  “Is that better?”
 
“Yes, thank you.” Buffy moved into the room, gazing around in amazement. In just the week or so that Spike had been living there, he’d managed to find some old furniture, a beat-up TV and an even more beat-up refrigerator. 
 
“’S not much yet, but things have been slow at the dump. Once I get some wires in here, and some rugs for the floor....  There’s another whole room down below. Access to the tunnels and sewers, more privacy....”
 
Ignoring the leer on his face, but blushing in spite of herself, she said, “Speaking of privacy, won’t all this light attract attention?”
 
“Could, I reckon. I’ll get some blackout curtains tomorrow night. Just in case....” He began walking around, pinching out candles until only one flickering light was left all the way in the back of the room. “Just wanted you to see it. So you could decide if you... I mean... it’s not exactly... but I’m making it better....” His voice trailed off as he stopped in front of her.  He touched her cheek and brushed his fingers down her jaw.  “It’s not what you deserve. I know that.  But it’s safe enough for tonight.”
 
Buffy looked away, not wanting to meet his eyes when they were looking at her so softly. “It’ll be fine,” she said, pretending to be looking around for something. “Still beats that scuzzy motel.”
 
“The motel had a bed and reasonably clean sheets,” he pointed out. “All I’ve got to offer just now is a lumpy couch or the top of a stone coffin.” He gestured at the sarcophagus in the center of the room. Buffy gave a shudder.
 
“I’ll take the couch,” she said, unable to stifle a yawn. “You’re welcome to sleep on top of the old dead guy.”
 
He laughed and moved away. “Not really ready to sleep yet, love. Got back onto vamp schedule while I was stayin’ away from you, and I sleep when it’s light out. But you’ll have been up all day, so just make yourself comfortable. I’ll be around, working downstairs or standing guard, or something.”
 
Buffy frowned as she tried to find the least lumpy place on the couch, remembering how Spike had brought her off so easily and quickly, and without asking for anything in return. When he draped his coat over her, she peered up at him, trying to read his face in the dim light of the only candle.
 
“You’re just going to let me sleep? You aren’t go to...? You don’t want to—”
 
He was on his knees beside her before she finished speaking.
 
“I do. You have no idea how much I do. Don’t ever doubt it.” He took her hand, looking at her questioningly for permission before placing it on the bulge in his jeans. “That’s how I am around you all the time.” He let her pull her hand back and tuck it under the coat. With a sigh he stood up again. “But you’re not here for that; you’re here to be safe.  And I can see how tired you are.”
 
“Is this another one of your tricky Spike-knows-how-to-be-a-gentleman things?”
 
He snorted and shook his head. “Just common sense, Slayer. Want you to feel safe, and that’s not going to happen if I take advantage of the situation to coax you into something you may not want... yet.”
 
Buffy gave her own snort at the “...yet”.  “So, what was that all about when we were hiding in the bushes?”
 
“Common sense goes walkabout when I’m that close to you. I’m not a bloody saint, and bringing you off is almost as good as....” He shrugged.  “You already know I don’t intend to give up.  But I’ll apologize for it if it makes you feel better.”
 
“Actually, it made me feel pretty damn good,” she said, pulling the coat over her head to hide her flaming face. “No apology necessary.”
 
He roared with laughter, and she held her breath until she heard him move away, muttering, “Just when you think you know somebody....”