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January

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The girl on the snow-covered pavement was whimpering. Her neck was bleeding from two fresh puncture wounds. Buffy’s eyes were fixed in the vampire’s before her. He was tall, thin and sleek with short-cut hair and a long coat, which looked a little too wannabe to her. She crinkled her nose.

“I know the look for your kind has been set through popular fiction for the past, what, one hundred years? But really, what is it with the black?”

“Helps us blend in,” the vampire replied, moving forward.

She easily met its punch, averting it with one arm.

“Well, you delude yourself if you want to,” she said, punching him in the stomach and delivering an awesome hook to his chin, having him stumble backwards as she finished: “Makes you stand out to me.”

It growled, and she smiled, crossing her arms over her chest.

“You’re just buying the whole package, aren’t you?”

“Don’t be so hard on him.” She turned her head at the sound of Spike’s voice, her eyes meeting his as he stopped by the girl still rolled into a protective ball on the ground. He was wearing the duster, and a small flare of want began to burn within her. “He’s just a fledgling,” he added, reaching down and carefully pulling the girl to her feet. His gaze left Buffy’s as he fastened it in the girl’s, saying: “You’re alright. You’re safe.”

Buffy, on the other hand, received a kick in the head. Literally.

She lost her balance and landed on her stomach with a hard thud, glaring up at her assailant, who was more than ready to deliver its next blow.

“Ow,” she grumbled, lying on her back and swinging her legs up and around, hitting the vampire in the chest before she spun in an angle, rolled backwards and landed on her knees.

She grabbed the vampire’s ankle as it was attempting another kick, turned the foot to the right, and pushed as hard as she could, making the creature fly ten feet through the air and hit a tree.

Spike’s hands took hold of her upper arms from behind, getting her to her feet. A rush went through her. She hadn’t seen him in over a month and still that rush went through her. The other vampire got up, staring at her, at his bleached kin, and then turning and running for its life. Buffy glanced skyward before she met Spike’s gaze. He smiled a little. She returned it and then they got moving after the runaway.

“I’ll go through,” Spike said as they caught glimpse of the demon ducking into a wide patch of high bushes. “Meet you on the other side.”

She brought her stake out, running along the bushes’ edge, hearing branches cracking within it. She stopped where she estimated the vampire would appear, bracing herself as the branches began swinging, and then throwing herself forward. A hand gripped the wrist which was swinging the weapon.

“Bloody hell!” Spike exclaimed and she dropped the stake as she realized exactly who she was attacking. “Can’t you see the difference between me and that bleeding brat?!”

She stared at him, apologetically, and then she couldn’t hold down a smile.

He mirrored it, reluctantly, letting her go and shaking his head.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Living the life of the carefree, couldn’t you tell?”

“I mean, in New York.”

He tilted his head a little to the side.

“I’m here with Angel. For work.”

“Ah. I’m here to see Xander,” she said. “In case you wondered.”

“Ah. You’re not here to do the slaying, then?”

She glanced around, the fledgling being nowhere to be seen.

“Apparently not,” she sighed.

“How is Xander?”

She raised her eyebrows slightly, then bent down to pick up her weapon, tucking it into her belt as they started walking back to the scene of the crime.

“He’s fine.”

“Heard he was gonna have a baby.”

Buffy smiled.

“Yeah, can you believe it? The first of the gang to start a family. Where are you staying?”

“At a hotel on Eighth.”

“Xander’s just moved to Brooklyn. So I have to take the train and... But it’s okay, I mean, it’s a nice house and Jackie really likes it. They’re getting married in the spring.”

God, I’m babbling, she thought.

“Angel told me.”

“I was surprised you weren’t at Angel’s wedding.”

“It was his fault. He sent me away.”

They stopped at the spot where the attack had happened earlier. The girl was gone.

“Hope she wasn’t too traumatized,” Buffy said, turning to Spike.

“They have a way of blocking it out. She’ll be fine.”

“Yeah,” she said.

They grew quiet, looking at each other. Buffy smiled.

“So,” she said.

“So,” he said as well.

“Good fight.”

“I didn’t fight.”

“No, but for me it was. Pretty good. Not really, got kicked in the head, but overall...”

But then he stepped forward and his mouth was against hers and she couldn’t talk anymore, only return the kiss, and she did, her arms wrapping around him, the world seeping away through invisible holes and left was only the excitement of guessing what was to come.

He backed her away from the path and into the darkness of trees and leaves and softness of snow, sinking down with his tongue telling hers all its secrets. This time they roughly got the obstacles out of the way, Buffy’s breathing growing heavier for each moment and when he finally was inside her she stifled a moan as she climaxed instantly.

She met his thrusts, her lips to his once more, feeling as though they were losing their minds, wondering what she was doing, and having all the doubts sift away with everything else as the pleasure built its fortress within her.

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Her cell-phone was ringing. It sounded angry. She sleepily reached for it.

“What?”

“Buffy, where are you?!”

She looked around and noted the unfamiliar room. For a second longer she was completely disoriented, and then her eyes landed on Spike lying next to her. Right, his hotel room. Right.

“I’m... I’m in the city,” she answered Xander’s question, sitting up and wedging the cell-phone between her ear and shoulder as she grabbed her shirt lying on the floor next to the bed.

“It’s seven o’clock in the morning, what did you do, sleep in the park?!”

She swallowed, smiling and beginning to button the buttons.

“No. But it got so late that I found a hotel room. I didn’t want to have to wake you guys.”

Which was all true, minus a few more sorted details.

“You could’ve called.”

“It was late!”

And that was why her cell-phone was out of her coat pocket. She had contemplated calling, but it had been close to one o’clock, if she remembered correctly, and the sound of Spike undressing had been slightly distracting.

“Alright,” Xander muttered. “I’m sorry I woke you.”

“No, no, don’t be sorry!” she said. “I should get going anyway. I’ll be there in time for breakfast.”

“You don’t have to...”

“But I want to,” she interrupted. “I’ll be there.”

She hung up, turning her head to look over her shoulder at Spike. She smiled at the fact that he was still sleeping, remembering a time when she had thrown candles at him as everything else had been to no avail. Putting on the rest of her clothes she ripped a piece of the hotel stationary and wrote him a short note. Placing it on the now vacant spot next to him she quietly left the room.

¤

“Hi!” she yelled, stomping the snow off in the hallway and getting her coat off. “I’m here!”

“Hey,” Jackie said, waddling into the hall with a bright smile on.

She gave Buffy a kiss on the cheek before taking her coat and hanging it up while Buffy kicked off her shoes.

“Sorry I’m so late. I hope I didn’t worry you.”

“We know – well, I know – that you can take care of yourself.”

“I know she can take care of herself!” Xander’s voice was heard from the kitchen. “But she gets hurt sometimes too!” The two women entered the room and he looked at Buffy as he finished: “You do, you know.”

“I know,” she smiled, patting his shoulder.

He frowned, looking down at her.

“What’s up with your shirt?”

She raised her eyebrows, then looked down. The buttons were off. She smiled, shrugging.

“Maybe lateness was just a bad excuse,” Jackie suggested meaningfully. “Maybe she got lucky.”

Buffy glanced at her, feeling to her detriment a sudden blush rising to her cheeks.

“Left in a hurry. Didn’t wanna miss these,” she therefore answered rapidly, grabbing a fresh muffin from the newly bought batch on the kitchen counter.

“You rushed into the cold for a muffin?” Jackie laughed. “Come on, what’s his name?”

“Stop it,” Buffy said.

“And she doesn’t deny it!” Jackie smiled.

“Buff?” Xander wondered, furrowing his brow questioningly.

“I love muffins!” she replied, giving Jackie a pleading look before heading for the door. “I need a shower. Be right down!”

“She actually does love muffins,” Xander said, turning back to the eggs he was frying.