My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
My love as deep; the more I give to thee,
The more I have, for both are infinite.

William Shakespeare

********************

The wailing moan of the trees outlining the wall that he knew protected Isengard set Spike on edge. Mounted behind Aragorn, he kept a watchful eye – and ear – out for anything amiss while his brother reined Hasufel in a few paces behind Gandalf. The horse snorted, as if confirming his unease.

None knew what to expect upon arriving at the wizard’s stronghold. Sounds that would normally accompany the creation of an army were absent. It unnerved them all, the eerie silence. Made them sit up straighter in their seats, hands resting lightly on their weapons while their mounts moved ever closer.

Spike breathed deeply as they drew nearer to the main gate, trying to place the unusual smell that seemed to permeate the area. But, it wasn’t until they’d stepped out into the clearing and encountered the decimated stone wall surrounding Saruman’s fortress that he was able to put two and two together – scalding flesh covered with a layer of water.

And they all gaped as one at the two hobbits lounging comfortably on an unbroken portion of the stone barricade.

“Welcome, my lords, to Isengard!” Merry rose to greet them, sweeping into an exaggerated bow.

“You young rascals!” Gimli barked at the two from his place behind Legolas, barely refraining from shaking a meaty fist in their direction. “A merry chase you’ve led us on and now we find you feasting… and…and smoking.”

The two hobbits just puffed harder on their pipes, grinning merrily down at the group.

“That’s what one does, Mr. Gimli… or so I’m told… when one defeats the enemy,” the Slayer announced, having waded through the water to stand at a gaping hole in the stone wall. “A victory celebration of sorts…”

“Buffy.” Spike whispered and jumped down from the back of Hasufel. “Buffy!”

He was beside her in a flash, scooping her up and swinging her around and around. Burying his face in her neck, he breathed in her essence – assuring himself that he wasn’t dreaming, that she was alive and relatively unharmed. Whispering her name over and over again, his voice choked with emotion.

“I thought I’d lost you,” he murmured against her throat.

Spike finally pulled back to look down at her once he’d felt he’d gotten control of his riotous emotions, oblivious to the fact that both stood in about a foot of water. His eyes scanned over her face, wincing at the cuts and scrapes it bore. One hand lifted to smooth back a piece of hair that had come loose from its fastening, tucking it behind her ear.

“I’m ok… see?” she answered softly.

Buffy couldn’t look away from him. Her eyes burned with unshed tears, grateful that he’d returned to her comparatively unharmed – his face bearing some of the scrapes and bruises her did, which meant the rest of his body hadn’t gotten off as lightly. Gandalf had told her about the sheer size of Saruman’s army that would be laying siege to Helm’s Deep and she’d been scared, probably more so than she’d ever been in her life, at the thought of Spike and the others taking on so many…

Then it didn’t matter any more because he was kissing her. The fear, the anxiety, it was gone in an instant – because the second Spike’s lips touched her own, all she thought about was him. The way he made her feel.

Both were too caught up in each other to hear the attention-getting coughs. Witness the amused indulgence on the face of Aragorn and the others.

It was the Ranger that finally broke the couple apart, nudging his horse into the vampire’s back – nearly sending them both face first into the knee-deep sludge, if not for Spike’s quick reflexes and steadying hand.

“Come on, Kriger. We’ve got a wizard to see to.”

His words were like a bucket of ice being poured on the Slayer. Not that she felt guilty in the slightest about greeting Spike, or her spontaneous show of affection, which, as she glanced around and noticed everyone’s eyes on them, caused her to blush profusely. No, she was embarrassed because in her excitement at seeing Spike, she’d completely forgotten about Willow – her sole focus on the vampire that still had yet to let her go.

“Willow!” she gasped, remembering.

“’s ok, luv. Gandalf here can help…”

His brother was right, they had an evil wizard to take care of; his and Buffy’s reunion could wait a little longer – now that he knew she was alive…and safe.

Spike grabbed the Slayer by the waist and deposited her on the back of Aragorn’s horse. He moved away before she had time to protest, waving his brother off after Gandalf, then beckoned the two hobbits down off of the stone structure, settling Merry behind Eomer and Pippin behind another Rohirrim rider. Ignoring the water, and how it continued to seep into clothes, Spike trotted after the others through the sludge.

“Young Master Gandalf, I'm glad you've come,” Treebeard greeted the wizard in his slow, gravelly voice. “Wood and water, stock and stone, I can master. But there is a wizard to manage here…locked in his tower.”

“Yes. It’s why I’ve come, wise Treebeard. Though he holds no more power here, he does have something that does not belong to him.”

The Ent raised his eyebrows in question, but Gandalf did not elaborate, instead guiding Shadowfax up the first set of stairs and dismounting, quickly disappearing out of sight of the others.

“Should we go after him?” Gimli asked.

“Nay,” Aragorn replied. “If he’d needed us…”

A loud crash spooked a few of the mounts, causing riders to grasp their reins more firmly. A feminine scream rent the air, and the Slayer was off the back of Aragorn’s horse and racing up the steps before anyone could stop her – though Spike was hot on her heels, shouting her name in vain.

Buffy reached the main foyer and heard sounds of fighting drifting down from above and took the stairs two and three at a time, running as fast as she could towards where the noise was coming from. Only to have it stop abruptly once she’d reached the open double doors.

Spying the crumpled form of her friend lying in the corner, Buffy hurried over and fell to her knees beside her, drawing Willow awkwardly onto her lap. She whispered her name, shaky fingers pushing the hair out of her unnaturally pale face. Watching in amazement as the color faded from black to her natural shade of red right before her eyes.

The sudden presence of the vampire at her back was comforting. The whispered words he spoke, telling her that Willow would be just fine, that he could hear her heart beating strongly within her chest, flooding her with relief. The hands rubbing up and down her back calming as the excess adrenaline that flooded her body in the face of Willow’s scream began to slowly seep out of her.

Gandalf had Saruman spread eagle against a far wall, holding him there with some invisible force. In a final act at showing his superior magic over the evil wizard, Gandalf snapped the other’s staff in half, effectively rendering it useless. He turned away without another glance at his former friend, pausing momentarily before Buffy and the others.

“Come, he has no more power here. We return to Edoras.”

Spike nodded at the wizard and stepped in front of Buffy to relieve her of her burden, easily bearing the witch’s weight in his arms.

Back outside and mounted on their horses, they bade goodbye to the Ents, entrusting the wizard and what was once his domain to their care. Though, confined to the tower as he was, with no means to work his dark magicks, it wouldn’t be too difficult a task for the tree people.

********************

“How is she?”

Buffy jumped. She hadn’t knocked, just let herself into the room, not expecting him to be inside. After a circuit or two of the overflowing hall with no sign of him, she’d happened upon Aragorn who’d said that Spike might be in his room, and her feet had carried her to the door before she could change her mind.

“She’s resting,” she stammered out, eyes drawn to where he lay on top of the coverlet. “Doesn’t really remember anything after we sorta crash landed in Isengard…which I guess, in a way, is a good thing. Can I…?” At his look, she shut the door behind her and made her way over towards the bed.

In another part of the Theoden King’s home, the sounds of the Rohirrim’s merriment as they celebrated their victory over Sauron’s forces echoed down the halls. And she wondered why he wasn’t out there with the others.

“Don’t you want to…?” she nodded towards the door, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

Stretched out on the top of the covers in only his tunic and breeches, Spike shook his head. Though the men had come to appreciate his skill with blade or bow, he’d seen the wary looks cast his way as he walked among them. And, personally, he didn’t quite feel comfortable in their presence either – even if they did know their way around a horse. No, the only time he could truly let his guard down was when he was among the elves – and now, with the members of the Fellowship, though of the two men that had been a part of the group, only one remained, and he Spike’s brother. It was the elves that accepted him wholeheartedly, man and demon.

He’d been the first to leave after the toast, followed by – he was sure – the remaining elves not long after his departure. Better to let the Rohirrim have their fun without having to be wary of his presence among them.

Besides, having the Slayer all to himself beat out drunken revelry any day.

Though, it was a double edged sword, because now that she was here, alone with him, sitting only inches way, it was taking all the self control he possessed not to reach over and haul her down next to him. Assuage the demon that she was back – safe – by claiming her with cock and fangs. But it was the weariness that seemed to exude from her frame, though she did her best to hide it, that had him doing nothing more than drawing her down to lie beside him, rolling their bodies over until they lay side by side, staring at one another.

It had been a hard ride from Isengard back to Edoras; they’d ridden straight through, none of them willing to be caught off guard by any roving bands of Orcs – unlikely though it may have been. After the crushing defeat the Orc army had suffered, they’d no doubt retreated to Mordor. Those that managed to escape, that is. But, none had wanted to take a chance, Spike especially, and it had been an exhausted group that had finally led weary horses through the gates of the Theoden King’s home.

“I think Willow’s found a protector.”

Buffy blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. Really, she wanted nothing more than to rip Spike’s clothes off and have her wicked way with him, purge the anguish she’d suffered these past several days by having him buried deep inside her. When she’d not seen him socializing among the others in the great hall, she’d been shown the room he’d been given for his stay, wondering if all the merrymaking had been too much for the vamp. Sneaking into his room and seeing him reclined on the pillows, one arm tucked beneath his head causing his shirt to gape open at his neck… Buffy’d had to swallow hard at the bolt of lust that raced through her body.

He looked half asleep, exhaustion seemed to wrap him in a shroud, making his voice more husky than normal, and she would have said more sexy than normal, but really didn’t think such a thing were possible.

And there she was, ready to jump his bones.

His question had startled her from the silent reprimand she’d been giving herself. He was obviously tired, if he wasn’t out celebrating with the others, and here she was salivating over the picture he’d presented.

To make matters worse, he’d gone and pulled her down on the bed next to him, and was now staring at her with those eyes.

The hand on her hip scorched her skin where it lay. But it was nothing compared to the way she was getting lost in his gaze. The way her mind seemed focused on the fact that they were alone and in bed, their arms wrapped loosely around the other.

She stuttered Willow’s name again before she did something crazy, like lean up and kiss him. Though, it earned a quirked brow in response.

“That…that Eomer guy? He seems kinda hung up on her.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah… hung around her room while Gandalf and another girl… Eowyn, I think…checked her over.”

“He did spend a bit o’ time around Red, what with him carrying her on his horse these last few days,” Spike began.

“I know… but it’s like he’s totally… I dunno… smitten?”

“Red could do worse. Eomer’s a nice enough bloke.”

“Yeah, but…remember Tara? And, the whole gay thing Willow’s got going on?”

“Maybe you’re reading a bit more into it than you think, Slayer. Men are different here. More chivalrous, I guess you could say. It’s in their make-up to be solicitous to the women in their care. Could be he’s just making sure she’s all right since she was entrusted to him.”

“If you say so…”

“And, if not, I can always have a talk with him…let him know the score.”

“You’re not going to mention Tara, are you? Cuz…well… they seem a bit old fashioned here.”

Spike couldn’t help but chuckle.

“What? I’m just saying…”

“I’ll make sure to leave Glinda’s name out of it, luv. Alright?”

Buffy nodded.

“Good. Now, get some sleep. I know you’re exhausted, pet.”

She squelched a denial at his words and managed to nod. If he wanted to sleep, she would sleep – and be happy that she was in his arms.

********************

What did she think he was? A bloody saint?

Her moan of contentment was bad enough, but coupled with the way she’d rolled over and presented him her back, then proceeded to scooch back until she lay flush against his chest, her ass pressed intimately against his groin.

He closed his eyes and prayed for deliverance from the sweet torture her nearness was causing. His fangs were itching against his gums, and already he could feel them pushing through. Amber eyes locked on her throat, revealed by the borrowed gown she wore.

Spike thought that by both of them keeping their clothes on, he wouldn’t be tempted to do what his demon was practically demanding right now. Who knew that her lying before him, long blonde hair fanned out on her pillow, her body garbed in the finest silk that left her shoulders and neck bare to his gaze would be the most erotic thing he’d ever seen?

Then the chit had to move again, grinding her delectable ass against his throbbing cock as she sought to get more comfortable; her breathy sigh was more than he could take.

He growled, he couldn’t help it. He was trying so damn hard to keep himself in check, but her nearness was proving too much. Eyes squeezed shut against the sight before him.

Spike felt her shift in front of him, heard the question in her voice as she softly called his name.

Melted under the touch of her fingers running along the prominent ridges on his brow.

“Spike?”

His eyes opened and noticed the confusion on her face – her hands unstopping in their soothing caress.

“What’s wrong?” she questioned softly; beneath her hand she could feel his body, and how it nearly vibrated with energy. Too innocent in their relationship yet to recognize his barely leashed desire… his demon’s need to reclaim what it felt was his.

“Buffy… I…” His voice trailed off, unable to put into words. Unwilling to scare her off. He could master this. Be a man for her.

But then she leaned up and kissed him, and his good intentions were shot to hell.

Spike rolled the Slayer to her back, barely managing to sheath his fangs before his mouth attacked hers. His fingers tore at the fastenings of her dress, and the only thing that saved him from the guilt he was bound to have afterwards was that hers were just as frantic – ripping his shirt when the ties wouldn’t give fast enough. When her hand closed around his cock suddenly, he gave up trying to tear her dress off of her, instead settling for gathering her skirts to her waist. Her knickers were shredded in an instant, and his face shifted back to his demon as the smell of her threatened to consume him.

He felt himself being guided to her opening and he could no more stop himself than he could stop the sun from rising. He was buried within her fiery depths the next instant, groaning as her internal muscles gave way to his girth until he could go no further. Twin moans of pleasure sounding in the otherwise quiet room as they lay there, both fully clothed, taking one brief moment to savor the feeling of being joined so intimately.

It was overridden the next instant as the passion that had gotten them both to this point consumed them and their bodies took over. Buffy’s blunt teeth nibbled at his neck and ear, her nails scored his back and dug into the globes of his ass as Spike rocked against her. The bed shook with the force of his thrusts and wrung cries of delight from her mouth when it wasn’t otherwise occupied.

Their dance was fast and furious, but no less tender for it. Their shouts of completion echoing off the stone walls as they collapsed together in the aftermath. Breathing heavily, they clung to one another, neither ready to be separated just yet.

After a while, Spike pulled himself out of the Slayer’s embrace and climbed from the bed to divest himself of his clothes. He was by her side soon enough, doing the same for her, laving kisses to her skin as it was exposed to his gaze.

When they came together the second time, their pace was unhurried. They took their time reacquainting themselves with the other’s body. Whispered the words of love and devotion that had been unspoken in their first coupling, though not unfelt.

In the aftermath, they wrapped themselves around each other, snuggled beneath the thick blankets that covered the bed, both drifting off to sleep. The sounds of the Rohirrim still celebrating their good fortune hovering at the edge of their consciousness.