Never Alone by Lilachigh


Chapter 16 Just a Stranger


Buffy heard his footsteps behind her as she came to a fork in the tunnel and hesitated. Both ways looked dark and dangerous. The flashlight was getting dimmer now and she knew she would have to head for the surface soon. It would be pointless being down here without any light.

‘Right hand one, luv,’ Spike said in her ear and she jumped, annoyed with herself that she hadn’t heard him approaching.

‘How do you know?’

‘Left heads back to the mall, where we came from. Clem will be searching by now from that direction. We need to head out further.’

Buffy sighed. ‘I thought all these tunnels had been destroyed when the Hellmouth was closed.’

Spike shrugged and rubbed at the new scar on his forehead. It was stinging like blazes. She talked about closing the Hellmouth as if it was something he knew about. Which was a load of bollocks. Even if you’d lost your memory of somethings in your unlife, you weren’t going to forget something as massive as a Hellmouth.

They walked in silence for a while, then, ‘Spike, the flashlight is fading. Can you see where we’re going?’

‘Sure. Follow me.’

He went to push past her, to take the lead just as the tunnel narrowed dramatically. Suddenly they were squashed close together, held almost motionless by the rock walls on either side. And at that very second, the light gave a final flicker and complete darkness descended.

Buffy could feel him there, pressing against her, the man she loved. She knew she ought to move, to make some bright witty comment and ease away, but the length of his body was against hers, one of his legs had somehow pushed between hers and she knew that his mouth was only inches away from hers.

All it would take was for her to raise herself just fractionally on tiptoe and - this time the kiss was all about her. She held his face between her hands and let her fingers trace it’s shape over and over again as her tongue raced across his lips and battled with his.

She could hear a vague moaning and realised the sound was coming from deep inside her throat. She knew she should stop; this was madness. He didn’t know her. God what would he think she was, but his T shirt had risen up and somehow she was naked to the waist and she could at last press her burning breasts against the chill smooth chest she’d hankered for all these long months.

They didn’t speak; she could hear her breath coming in great gasps as he bent his head and his clever tongue found one of her nipples. And at that moment she was lost. She no longer cared what or who they both were. Even thoughts of Tosh and Clem faded into nothing. She was a female who needed her mate, needed him now. And the temptation was too great to resist.

She felt him tear her jeans down her legs and kicked them away into the dark. Her hands hunted for his zip and she had a flash back to another night, a deserted house and the very first time they’d made love.

Then that memory was swept away as he picked her up under each thigh, held her against the wall as she wrapped her legs round his waist and screamed as without any preamble he pushed the whole steel length of him inside her.

For a long time they didn’t, couldn’t move. Then he began to pound, slowly at first, then faster and faster, grunting with the effort, groaning with the delight.

She clenched her inner muscles tightly around his cock and angled herself slightly so every thrust hit her clit. Months and months of grief and desire were beginning to mix and melt inside her. All she wanted was relief from everything, she needed him to make her come, to make her feel he was hers, alive once more.

She began to squirm, to shake and knew that this was going to be fast and furious and oh so good, little waves began to flash through her, then bigger and bigger and she was screaming his name soundlessly as she felt his cock grow and grow larger and larger inside her and oh god he was coming and she was nearly there, nearly and oh god, oh yes, here it came, coooommming now!

The tremors seemed as if they would never cease. Her legs slipped down from around his waist, but he held her tightly, his cum wet on her thighs. She buried her face in his neck, unable to speak or think.

What had she done? This was bad, truly bad. He’d think she was some big old ho, just out for what she could take. But oh god that had been so good. And if she was honest, all she wanted was for him to do it again.

Spike held the Slayer in his arms in the dark and felt her trembling with desire. He couldn’t believe what had just happened. She was so hot, so tight and somehow he’d known exactly how to please her.

And even now - he ran a hand down her naked back and felt the cheeks of her pretty little bum contract. Oh, yes, she thought she was finished, but she wasn’t, not quite yet. Some of the tension had gone, but there was still a knot there, deep inside her that he had to untie.

He slid one finger down through the soaking wet curls of her quim and heard the guttural gasp as he tapped her clit. Oh yes, madam, this is what you need, isn’t it, he thought with a grin and circled it again and again, one finger, two, feeling the pressure build under his fingertips, felt her stiffen like a board, felt her nails raking grooves into his naked back and finally she came again in great shaking waves, over and over, sobbing her release as that deep knot was finally broken.

Buffy got dressed in silence, feeling in the dark for her clothes, pulling them on as fast as she could. She was cold now, all the heat gone and reality freezing her very being.

‘Slayer - ’

‘Don’t let’s speak,’ she said sharply. ‘There’s nothing to say.‘ She thought if he laughed at her, she would kill him.

‘Well, it’s not every day a Slayer throws herself at me,’ he said cheerfully. ‘Just wanted to make sure you enjoyed it. I mean, was it good for you, sweetheart?’

Buffy stumbled away down the passage. She could hear the laughter in his tone. Oh god, this was so dreadful, she couldn’t even think how bad it was. She’d just had mad passionate sex with a man who - as far as he was concerned - was a complete stranger. What did that make her?

She felt dirty and deeply unhappy. It didn’t matter that he was the man she loved, the man she’d thought was dead who had miraculously been restored to her. He didn’t love her. He didn’t even know her! What on earth would her mother have thought of that?

A hand touched her shoulder and she flinched and banged into the rock wall.

‘Hey steady on, luv. There’s no need to go off like this. We’ve still got to find that kid and it won’t help if you knock yourself out. I don’t understand why you’re all in a twist, anyway. Whatever it was you needed, I obviously was the guy to give it to you. You won’t hear me complaining!’

Buffy lurched away from him. She was disgusted with herself. She wanted to be sick, could feel the vomit in the back of her throat. But there wasn’t time for that. She’d wasted enough minutes having her own itches scratched. But no more.

The hand caught her arm once more and she tried to pull away. “No, stop a second, Slayer. Listen?’ His voice was suddenly serious.

She slammed her thoughts away in a part of her brain she hoped she’d never visit again and forced herself to listen. From somewhere nearby there was the sound of whimpering, the cries of a small child who was lost and lonely.

Twenty yards further on, the passageway turned sharply to the right and Buffy gasped. She knew where they were. They were standing on the edge of a vast precipice. A great cliff face of rubble fell away from the end of the passage, down into infinity. Down into what had once been the Hellmouth. And from somewhere down there came the whimpering cries again. They’d found Tosh.

Buffy crawled to the edge of the precipice and stared down into the vast cavern of Hellmouth. In the months since Spike had destroyed it, the ground had obviously carved out a way downwards once more. Hundreds of feet below she could see smoke and dull orange and ochre flames. The air smelt of sulphur and she realised it was getting hard to breath. There were a few small fires half way down and in their flickering light she could see Tosh.

Clem’s little son was perched on a finger of rock that stuck out from the side of the cavern about fifty feet beneath her. His shirt collar had caught on something and that was holding him steady on his precarious seat.

Buffy shouted down to him .“Tosh, hold on. Buffy’s coming to get you.” She wasn’t sure if he could hear her or not. He was still crying.

“Bloody Hell! How are you going to get down there, Slayer?” Spike said, peering over the edge.

“I can climb down, unhook him and - ”

“And what? You can’t climb up holding him as well. The first time he struggles, you’ll both go down.”

Buffy bit her lip. He was right but there was no way she could leave the child there. As soon as his shirt tore free, he would panic and fall.

“So what do we do. Wait until Clem gets here and tell him we’re sorry but we can’t rescue his son!”

Spike raised an eyebrow at her tetchy tone. Hot sticky sex obviously upset this girl’s temper. He would have to remember that. “We’ll both go. One on each side of the rock he’s on. I’ll put him on your back, his arms round your neck. Then we both climb, I’ll guard you with my body all the way up so if he does fall off, I’ll catch him.”

Buffy nodded. His plan made sense. She hesitated briefly on the edge of the chasm. It was hard to realise that it had been somewhere here that Spike had burnt and died. And he had no memory of it at all. And even after making love to her, there was no recognition in his eyes. It broke her heart - all over again.

But that would have to wait. First they had to rescue Tosh.

Inch by inch, she clambered down the rock face, her feet slipping and sliding as she fought to keep her balance. She glanced across at Spike. He’d thrown off his leather coat and boots. His bare feet were feeling for holds on the slippery surface but he was moving swiftly, surely and she remembered with a flood of emotion how easy it was to work with him, knowing that his vampire strength was almost as good as her Slayer’s.

At last she reached Tosh, just as a spout of flame gusted up from underneath her. It missed them by about three feet but the heat was enough to make the toddler scream and wriggle. As he did so his shirt came free and he swayed perilously on his rocky perch.

“Spike! I have to get him now. He’s going to fall.”

“I’ve got your back, Slayer,” Spike said and gasped as his new scar throbbed violently, the pain so great it almost made him pass out. He bit back a groan and watched as she swung herself across, plucked the little demon from the rock and swung him onto her back where he clung like a baby monkey.

Those words - god, what did they mean? He’d said them before - somewhere, sometime. And she’d said - something like - a faint echo sounded in his head - ‘I thought you wanted me to leave you alone’.

He swarmed across the rock face and covered the two of them with his body as another great flame flared up. It missed them by inches and slowly Buffy began to clamber up the side of the Hellmouth, aware of his body protecting them every foot of the way.

“You’re doing fine,” Spike gasped. “Not far to go now.”

“Tosh keeps wriggling. Don’t let him fall. Catch him if he does. Promise?”

‘Promise. And I always keep my word to a lady, sweetheart,” he laughed then glanced behind him. The flames were coming fast and furious, leaping higher and higher, like crazed animals, desperate to reach them. “Can you climb a bit faster, luv?”

Buffy put on a spurt and then, a worried wrinkled face peered over the edge above them and Clem was there, reaching down with flapping arms. ‘Daddy!” Tosh squeaked and let go of Buffy’s neck.

Clem howled as the boy fell backwards, then Spike reached up and plucked him out of the air. He swung from the rock face by one hand, the other grasping the child by one wrinkly arm. Buffy turned and gasped. Spike didn’t look secure. Tosh might only be a toddler, but his weight was pulling the vampire’s bare feet off the rock face. And underneath him the flames were growing larger and hotter every second.

As she watched, he scrabbled for a hold, the blood pouring from his toes as he caught them on the razor sharp surface. “Can’t hold him for long, Slayer,” he gritted.

Then she was at his side, catching Tosh’s other arm and together they heaved him up into his waiting father’s comforting arms. Panting, Buffy and Spike hung together against the rock face. He stared down into the green-grey eyes. He felt he was drowning in their depths. Why could he remember her saying those words? When had she said them?

‘Spike, flames, burny, no good,” Buffy said at last as the heat became unbearable and they scrambled up the last few feet together to lie exhausted in a tangle on the rocky tunnel floor.

“Oh thank you, thank you so much!” Clem’s ears were waving back and forwards in his joy. He clasped the little lad to his chest, kissing his wrinkly head over and over again.

“Think nothing of it,” Spike groaned, rolling over onto his back and wincing as his bare feet touched the ground.

“I must get him home. The Shades are still hunting for him and his mother will be back any minute. See you later, guys, and thanks again. If I can ever do anything, anything...” and he hurried off back up the tunnel, with Tosh waving goodbye over his shoulder.

“You’re hurt,” Buffy said, looking at he vampire’s torn feet.

“Just another set of scars to add to all the rest,” Spike replied and sat up, resting his back against the rock wall. He rubbed the new scar on his forehead and glanced across at Buffy. He’d never met a girl like this before. Brave, strong, resolute. But she was still the Slayer and he was a vampire. Why did he feel admiration for her? Nothing made sense and his head hurt so badly when he tried to think about it.

She caught his gaze and frowned. “What?”

“You’re something else, Slayer. I’ve never seen anything so brave. You could have gone down into that fire in a second.”

Buffy reached out and tentatively touched his shoulder. “I thought you were the brave one. The last time you were here, you burnt up and vanished. Spike, don’t you remember any of that. The amulet, the potentials, all the Scoobies fighting the First?”

There was a long pause as he fought his way past the agony in his head. “Just now, when we were doing our Batman and Robin routine, I remembered - ”

Buffy’s heart leapt. “What?”

The vampire frowned and ran a filthy hand through even dirtier blond hair. “Something, nothing, I don’t know, Slayer. It hurts so much when I try and think about the past.”

She bit her lip and clenched her fists so hard her nails bit into her palms. It was like losing him all over again, but he’d suffered enough for her. There was no way she was going to let him go through another sort of hell just so they could play ‘do you remember’ in the rubble.

‘Then don’t,’ she said firmly. “Perhaps it’s all tied up with your coming back from wherever the amulet sent you. Perhaps you’re not supposed to remember things. Let’s get back and check on Tosh.” She got to her feet and held out her hand. He took it and she hauled him upright. Leaning on her, they made their way unsteadily down the tunnel, heading for the mall and his room.

Buffy was glorying in the heavy weight of his arm around her shoulders and Spike was wondering why he felt so glad to feel the warmth of her body against his. Neither of them bothered to glance behind them and neither Slayer or Vampire saw what was crawling out of the pit.


to be continued