Chapter Nine           

 

Buffy insisted that they take Spike to her house on Revello Drive rather than to his crypt.   Riley’s concern that Buffy was endangering her mother by leaving the vampire with her was completely wasted as Joyce took one look at his unconscious and bleeding body and ordered them to carry him upstairs to Buffy’s room.

 

For the first time since she’d met him, Spike looked truely dead to Buffy.  He was usually so animated and active that it was easy to forget that he had been technically dead for well over one hundred years.   Now, with him lying on her bed with no sign of life except the blood still slowly seeping from his ears and nose, she was forcibly reminded that despite his good looks  Irrelevant, Buffy!  We’re not thinking about Spike’s looks right now!  and human habits, he was still very much an animated corpse. 

 

             And the demon that animates him is what I was chosen to destroy.  Could my life suck any more?

 

Joyce came back in the room with a bowl of warm water and a wash cloth with which she began gently wiping the blood off his face. 

 

“What happened to him, Buffy?” she asked, giving her daughter a look that said, “We’ll discuss later the fact that you have nothing on but Spike’s shirt and your underwear.”

 

“He saved Xander, me and Riley before he tried to get away,  Mom.  I’m not sure  exactly what happened to him, but he’s not dust, so I think he’ll be OK.” 

 

I hope.  Please let him be okay. Why is it so important to me that he be okay?.

 

Buffy went to her dresser and pulled out some sweat pants and a tee shirt.  She took Spike’s shirt off, holding it to her nose for a minute and inhaling his scent before laying it down carefully beside him on the bed.  She reached a hand toward his face, then pulled it back with a guilty start as she noticed her mother watching her.

 

Joyce narrowed her eyes slightly, but didn’t say anything, just got up and went into the bathroom to empty the bowl of bloody  water.  She deliberately took her time rinsing out the washcloth and putting the bowl away before she came back into the room.  When she did, she saw that Buffy was sitting beside Spike’s inert body with tears in her eyes.  She put a gentle hand on Buffy’s shoulder and said, “I’ll watch him for  awhile.  I think you need to go downstairs and help your friends decide what’s next.”

 

Buffy gave her mother a watery smile and said,  “Thanks, Mom.  He really likes you, you know?”

 

“I know,” her mother said.  “I like him too.”

 

“You do remember he’s a vampire, right?” Buffy looked at her mother incredulously, remembering how much she had disliked Angel.

 

“I know that, honey.  But he has a good heart.  He’ll be fine here – and so will I.”

 

Buffy went downstairs shaking her head at hearing her mother describe William the Bloody as someone with a “good heart”. 

 

As she entered the living room, everyone looked up questioningly.  “Is he....?” Willow began. 

 

Buffy shrugged.  “He’s not ready to sweep up with the dust buster, so we’ll just have to see what happens.”  She turned to her watcher. “He’ll be alright, won’t he, Giles?” she asked, trying very hard not to sound like she was pleading.

 

Giles cleared his throat and cleaned his glasses before he answered, “I really don’t know Buffy.  We don’t know much about vampires and their nervous systems.  If he has brain damage from that chip....”

 

Buffy threw Riley a dirty look, even though she knew that if not for the chip no one, including her, would have given a second thought about Spike’s well-being.

 

The chip made me see what he really is; and now it might kill him.  Life just keeps getting better....

 

Willow got on her lap top and with Riley’s input, tried to find out what the creature they saw might have been.   Giles contributed the information that Maggie Walsh had called him “Adam” and referred to him as her “son”.

 

“I guess we can assume from that, that she created him – whatever he is.” Buffy sighed.  “Any ideas, Riley?”

 

The commando shook his head.  “Obviously she included some demon parts, but I have no idea where the other parts came from – or what they’re capable of.   If we could get into her records somehow....”

 

A loud noise from the driveway got everyone’s attention and they looked out the window to see two army Hummers pulling up.  At the sight of Forrest and Graham getting out, Buffy flew to the door and threw it open.

 

“What the hell are you doing here?” she growled as she stood on the porch glaring at them.

 

“Buffy.... look we’re sor—” The rest of what he was going to say never made it out of his mouth as the Slayer landed an uppercut to his jaw that sent him flying back several feet, briefly knocking him unconscious.  By the time the rest of the gang, including Riley, joined her outside, she was holding Graham up by his belt and collar and preparing to throw him into a tree.

 

“Buffy!” Riley shouted.  “What are you doing?  These are my friends.”

 

She turned to stare at him coldly.  “These are the men who knocked me out and put me in that place.  Don’t try to defend them, Riley.”

 

Riley looked at his friends, and Forrest nodded his head slowly, wincing as he moved his chin. “She’s right, Finn.  But we were just following orders from Professor Walsh.  We didn’t know what she was planning.  We’re sorry, Buffy,” he added.  “Really we are.”

 

Buffy reluctantly lowered Graham to the ground and continued to glower at them as she asked, “What are you doing here?”

 

“We thought this is where you might be and we were looking for Riley.”  They turned to meet the angry gaze of their senior officer and friend.  “We need to talk,” Forrest said.  “We have a big problem.”

 

“Yeah,” Xander put in, “we met him.  Big, ugly problem – with pointy things in one arm and energy cannons in the other!”

 

“We’ve got Professor Walsh’s records,” Graham waved at the vehicles.  “We’ll share them with you,” he added as a peace offering.

 

With a sigh, Buffy relaxed and turned back toward the house.  “Fine, you guys see what you can find out about this creep.  I’m going to check on Spike.”   She missed the look on Riley’s face as she went through the door and up the stairs, but Giles saw it and frowned

 

                   Leaving Giles and Willow to go over the records Graham and Forrest had managed to get out of the Initiative, Buffy went back up to her room and entered quietly.

 

“Mom?” she asked softly.  “Is he....”

 

“He’s just the same, Buffy.  Hasn’t so much as twitched.  It seems strange to see Spike so still.  He’s always so... vibrant.”  She looked up at her daughter and smiled.

 

“Why don’t you stay here for awhile and I’ll go downstairs and see if anyone wants something to eat or drink.   I don’t suppose....” She looked at Spike questioningly.

 

“Not unless you’ve got some O neg in the fridge,”  Buffy smiled tightly.  “Just keep everyone downstairs for a while, Mom.  I’ll take care of Spike.”

 

Joyce frowned slightly, wondering what that meant exactly, but shook her head and left the room.  Since finding out that Buffy was the Slayer, she had come to realize that there were some things her daughter was more qualified to make decisions about than she was.  She sincerely hoped this was one of them.

 

            Much later, when everyone had digested the information provided, agreed that there was nothing more to be done right then, and left, the house was quiet and Joyce came upstairs to try to get a few hours sleep before going to the gallery to work.  She tiptoed to the door of Buffy’s room and slowly opened it.

 

The first thing she noticed was that there had still been no change in Spike.  He lay perfectly still like any dead body with no sign that he was even alive so to speak, let alone conscious.  On the floor beside the bed, her daughter sat leaning against the bed with her head resting on the edge of the mattress near Spike’s hand.  She seemed to be sound asleep and Joyce decided not to wake her up.

 

           

           

 

            Chapter Ten

 

             Bloody hell.  This headache makes the rest of them seem like a spring breeze.  What the hell happened to me?  And where am I?  Feels soft – a bed? Smells like the Slayer?  What the hell?   Buffy?

 

He opened his eyes carefully and looked around as best he could without actually moving his head.  He didn’t recognize his surroundings, but the pervasive scent combined with the girly decor gave him a strong hint.

 

 I’m in the Slayer’s room?  In her bed?  Did I die? Is this Heaven? Not bloodly likely, that.  So I must be still among the living- er undead.

 

He moved his hand experimentally and froze when his fingers touched something smooth and warm.  Tilting his head carefully to the side, he looked toward his hand and saw that it was resting on a small blonde head.   Without consciously thinking about it, he began gently stroking, letting his fingers enjoy the feel of Buffy’s silky hair. 

 

The tired Slayer gradually woke up as the soft stroking of her head brought her out of the exhausted sleep she had fallen into while waiting for Spike to come to.  She sighed and relaxed into the hand touching her head, reveling in the sensual pleasure of fingers in her hair.  When she was awake enough to wonder whose fingers they were, she sat up abruptly and whipped her head around.

 

“Spike!  You’re awake!”  She looked at him with genuine delight, then frowned a little as she noticed how still he was.  “Are you all right?  Do you hurt anywhere?”

 

“Good morning to you, too, Slayer.” He tried to smile at her, but his facial muscles still didn’t want to work that hard.  His hand felt empty now that she had sat up and he was no longer touching her head.  He tried to reach for her again, but found that the rest of the arm wouldn’t respond at all so he settled for touching her silky hair where it fell over his hand.

 

“What’s wrong?  Why aren’t you moving?”

 

“Not sure I can, luv.  Can make my mouth work—”

 

“Oh, surprise,” she couldn’t help saying.

 

“And my hand,” he growled, tugging on a strand of hair hard enough to make her wince.  “That’s about it, though.  Nothing else seems to be workin’."

 

She moved up onto the bed beside him and ran her fingers lightly over his face. “So,” she said carefully, “You can’t move at all?  hmmmm...”

 

He eyed her warily and answered,  “Not at the moment, no.  Got no feeling anywhere except my hand and my face.   Got lots of feeling in my head, though.  Feels like a bloody parade band marchin’ through it.  Hurts like a bastard.”

 

“Let me get you some blood.  It should help—”

 

“Just let me rest some more, love.  I’m not sure I could swallow anyway.  Having you close by will do me as much good as anything.....” He looked up at her concerned face and tried to smile.  The smile quickly turned into a wince as his head throbbed again.  “Ow! Soddin’ chip!  Now it’s firing for no reason,” he groaned. “That’s just wonderful.”

 

“Maybe we can take your mind off your head.....” she said as she moved closer to him.

 

“Really?” he asked with little enthusiasm.  “How do you plan to do that, luv?” 

 

“Oh, I don’t know.   Maybe I’d better check you for other injuries?  See what the damage is.  Where else does it hurt?”

 

“Pretty much everywhere.  Feel like I’ve been beat black and blue.  What the bleedin’ hell happened to me anyway?”

 

“Adam – that’s the monster’s name—"

 

“It has a name?”

 

“Yes it has a name. Don’t interrupt me.” she said beginning to pull his shirt up.  “Adam shot you with some kind of energy or electrical beam.  Probably would have killed a human – made the heart stop beating or something like that.  But since your heart doesn’t beat...” As she spoke, she was running her hand lightly over his muscular chest, stroking it gently and letting her fingertips brush over his nipples. She stopped and left it lying on his chest right over his heart.

 

“Slayer?  Buffy – what are you doin’, luv?” he asked hoarsely.

 

“Just checking you for injuries,” she said, smiling.  “Can’t have any of my rescuers hurt....”  She lowered her head and began planting light kisses all over his chest and neck.  “Just trying to make you feel better.”

 

“Oh, I think that might do it, Slayer,” he gasped as he felt himself begin to get feeling back into at least some body parts. 

 

She reached up toward his face, sliding her body over his as she did so, and looked into his eyes.  “Thank you for coming after me.” she said seriously.  “And for trying to stop them when they grabbed me.”

 

“Wasn’t much help there, was I?” he snorted and looked at her apologetically. “I’m sorry, luv.  Never wanted you to end up in there like that.  I just couldn’t stop them before the chip fired.”

 

“You tried, Spike.  That’s the important thing.  You were there for me and I appreciate it.  I even forgive you for following me and spying on me again,” she teased.

 

“Was just watchin’ your back,” he growled.  “Not spying on you.  Not like I want to spend my time watching you play kissy-face with soldier boy, you know.”

 

“I think I’m done with that,” she said shyly  and ducked her head. He cocked one eyebrow at her.  “With him, anyway,” she added as her eyes traveled down his naked chest to the hard abs disappearing into his jeans.  Suddenly she remembered their fully clothed grinding against the refrigerator and felt her underwear getting wet.

 

“Then who....” His question went unasked as she fastened her mouth on his and began kissing him.  Suddenly the fact that he couldn’t move his arms and legs became more than just an annoyance.  The same overwhelming need for more contact that had swept through them both after their dreams was running through his body.  

 

God, I want her so much.  She smells so good, feels so good,  I need to touch her.  Want to make her feel it too......

 

He groaned with frustration and need as she continued to move her supple lips on his, darting her tongue into his mouth and running it over his blunt teeth.

When she pulled away from his mouth so that she could catch some breath, he groaned again and struggled against whatever was keeping him immobile, trying to reach her to pull her in again. 

 

“Slayer. Buffy. Please love.  Come back,  Buffy, “ he begged as he tried to reach her mouth again. 

 

“Not through checking for injuries,” she said in a huskier than normal voice as she slid her mouth down his chest and onto his stomach.  “If you can’t move your legs, there must be something injured down here,” she breathed as she unfastened his jeans and pushed them down his hips.   “I think I’d better check it out.”

 

As she pushed his jeans down further and ran her small warm hand down his abdomen, following the line of soft brown curls that began just below his naval, she thought she saw something twitch. She ignored the strangled sounds he was making as she continued her exploration.

 

“Looks like some parts are more recovered than others,” she said as she reached into his pants and pulled out a semi-erect penis. “Do you suppose I could kiss it better?”  As she said that, his eyes rolled back in his head and he started cursing softly under his breath.  When he felt her warm mouth surrounding the tip of his cock, he whimpered in frustration and pleasure. 

 

“Oh, look!  I made it all better,” she chirped as she was suddenly looking at a full blown and rock hard erection.  “Whoa,” she added almost to herself.  “I made it waaay better. “ 

 

 No wonder it makes such a big bulge in his pants.  Not gonna be able to hide that thing.

 

“Buffy.....”  Spike was putting so much energy into trying to move his arms and legs that he could hardly  speak coherently.  Having the Slayer running her tongue up and down his throbbing cock wasn’t helping that either.

 

“Poor Spike.  I should probably do something to help you with that, shouldn’t I?  It looks really uncomfortable.  Let me think.  Kissing it didn’t make it better – I wonder what else I could do?  I’ll think about it while I get ready for bed, I guess.”

 

She stood up and stretched her arms over her head before she pulled off her shirt and walked over to the dresser in her sweat pants.  “Oh, that’s right.  My  pajamas are back at the dorm.  Oh well, it’s a warm night – I’ll just sleep in my underwear, I guess.” She looked over her shoulder at him and grinned at the expression on his face. 

 

“You don’t mind, do you, Spike?” she asked innocently as she dropped her sweat pants to the floor and stood in front of him wearing nothing but a lace thong.  His eyes, usually such a pretty blue, were dark with desire and she almost turned away from their intensity as his gaze devoured her body. 

 

She found the intensity a little too uncomfortable, and reached for his shirt saying,  “Maybe I’ll just wear your shirt to bed.  It’s really soft and comfy – so smooth and silky,” She ran her hands down the unbuttoned shirt and over her body.  “I’ll see you after I have a little nap....” She put a pilow and blanket on the floor, smirking over her shoulder at him as she did so .

 

The immobile vampire growled and his eyes flickered yellow for just a second as he ground out between his teeth,  “You are a heartless, dick teasing bitch and when I can move again, you are going to pay for every second of this.”

 

“Or,” she said suddenly serious, “I could just leave the room and go sleep in the guest room...”  She whirled and turned to leave, face flaming.  She knew he was right, she HAD been teasing him, but still....

 

“No!”  he almost screamed, terrified that she would really go and leave him paralyzed and aroused.  “No,” he said more softly.  “Don’t go.  Please.”

.          

 ”I was just playing....”

 

“I know you were just playing, love; and if we were just pretending I couldn’t move, I would be enjoying the hell out of it.  But I CAN’T move.  I want to touch you, to hold you, kiss you, taste you.... and all I can do is lie here and think about what I want to do with you.”  He blew out an unnecessary breath and continued,  “I’m sorry, Buffy.  It was just the frustration talkin’.  Sleep here.  Please?  With me?”  He was disgusted by the begging tone in his voice, but couldn’t help himself.  The idea that she might not stay with him was frighteningly depressing.

 

            What the hell is wrong with me?  Why do I want this woman so badly? And why do I care so much what happens to her ? I can’t be falling in love with the Slayer.  I can’t –I’m William the fuckin’ Bloody.  I kill slayers.  I don’t ........

 

Spike’s thoughts were interrupted by the feel of the Slayer’s warm body as she slid into the bed beside him.  She put her head on his shoulder and nuzzled his neck as she threw one arm across his chest and curled one leg around his.  Having her there, snuggled up to him felt so right, so perfect that he completely lost his train of thought.  All he could think of was how good her body felt pressed up against his.

 

“Ah, Slayer,  what am I gonna do with you?”  He smiled down at the top of her head and wished again that he could move more than his head.

 

“Well, not much I guess if you still can’t move.  But that’s okay.  We do need to rest.  Tomorrow I’ve got a Frankenstein monster to slay.”  She nestled against him and yawned, “And you need to get better.”

 

 

Chapter Eleven

 

 

Buffy gradually became aware of a weight across her waist and a soft purring sound.  As she woke up, she remembered where she was and who she was with and was amazed at how good it felt to be snuggled up with an undead body.  Turning her head slightly, she saw that the weight on her waist was Spike’s muscular arm and she concluded he was getting some feeling back in his limbs.

 

Moving slowly so as not to wake him, she tried to ease out from under his arm so she could go to the bathroom.  At the first sign of her leaving his side, his arm tightened around her and he growled into her ear, “Where do you think you’re goin’, Slayer?”

 

Buffy gave up trying to be careful and sat up quickly.  “I have to go pee,Spike. Let me go.”

 

“Will you come back?” he asked doubtfully.

 

“Yes, I’ll be back.  Now let me go or you’ll be sorry....”

 

            “Oh, back to threatening me, are you?  Gonna hit a sick man?”

 

“I meant that I was going to wet the bed if I didn’t get to the bathroom; but if you’re going to be an ass about it, I could arrange a punch in the nose.”

 

He released her abruptly, laughing as he said, “OK, luv.  I get the picture.  Just come back soon.   Please? “ he added in much less confident voice as he pushed a piece of hair out of her face.

 

She leaned into his hand for a second, then pushed herself away, got out of bed and walked to the door without answering him.

 

Spikes dropped his arm and flopped back onto the bed.  He experimented with moving his other arm and his legs and found that he could feel them and with a concentrated effort he could make them twitch, but he still didn’t have full use of them.  Growling in frustration, he clenched his fist and pounded on the mattress with the one arm he could use.

 

 Got to get my body functioning again.  Can’t help her from here and I’m not sending her out there to face that thing alone

 

In the bathroom Buffy studied her face in the mirror and wondered who she was looking at.

 

 I just spent the night snuggled up to a soulless vampire and it felt like the most natural thing in the world.  What kind of Slayer am I? Two of the three men in my life are vampires – and I am saying Spike is in my life?  What about Riley? She groaned and put her head in her hands.   I must be the world’s worst Slayer.

 

She splashed water on her face, then squared her shoulders and walked back into her room.   She could see that Spike hadn’t moved from where they’d put him yesterday and frowned at him with concern.

 

“Can you move yet?” she asked anxiously. 

 

Not much,” he admitted reluctantly. “Some feeling’s coming back, but I can’t move much but my head and this arm.” He hit the mattress again in frustration.

 

She looked at him thoughfully for a minute, then said, “I’m going to go downstairs and get you some blood.  And if that doesn’t work, we’ll pull out the big guns.”  Spike stared at her curiously, but didn’t ask what she meant.  He watched her pull on her sweat pants and a clean top as naturally as though she got dressed in front of him everyday.

 

I wonder if that’s good or bad?  Is she that comfortable with me seeing her undressed; or just that unconcerned because I’m just a vampire?

 

Buffy herself wasn’t sure why sure why she was so unconcerned about being undressed in front of Spike – she just knew that, like waking up next to him, it didn’t feel wrong.  Deciding to worry about her lack of modesty later, she smiled a goodbye at him and went out the door.

 

To Spike’s surprise, when his cup of warmed pig’s blood came back upstairs, it was Joyce carrying it, not Buffy.

 

“Good morning, Spike,” she said cheerfully.  “How are you this morning?”

 

“Been better,” he growled, “But then again, I’ve been a lot worse,” he added philosophically.

 

“Buffy tells me you still can’t move.” she asked, setting the cup down on the nightstand.  “If I prop you up, do you think you can hold the cup?”

 

The former member of  the Scourge of Europe stared at the human woman with amazement for a minute, then ducked his head shyly and said,  “I think so.  Can’t get myself up, though.  Sorry.” he apologized.

 

“Nothing to be sorry for.  You got hurt saving my daughter and her friends. You deserve whatever help we can give you,” she said firmly as she tugged him up and propped him up on the pillows she put behind his back.

 

“I have to get to the gallery soon, but Buffy  and her friends will be here.  If you need something, just yell and someone will hear you.”  She handed him the cup of blood and turned to leave, then turned back and hesitantly touched his cheek.  “Thank you, Spike, for saving my daughter,” she said softly.

 

When she was safely out of the room, the vampire rolled his eyes and groaned, “That woman – she hits me with an axe, then fixes me cocoa, and now she’s feeding me blood and leaving me in her daughter’s bed.  What is wrong with her?”  In spite of his complaining about Joyce’s lack of fear and her kindness to him, he could feel a little warm spot in his chest for her.  “Bloody hell!  Another Summers woman to take care of.  I hope there aren’t any more of them!  I won’t have any reputation left at all.”

 

 

Downstairs the Scoobies were gathered for a strategy session, with the assistance of Riley and his two former comrades.  After poring over Professor Walsh’s notes, they felt they had some idea what Adam was, although how to stop him was still under discussion.  Buffy was all for charging in and taking him on face to face, the soldiers wanted to blow up the main bulding and hope he was in it, Giles was pleading for patience while the council got back to him about what kind of help they might expect from the government.

 

The discussion was becoming quite heated and loud when everyone’s attention was drawn to the stairs where a very slow-moving and shaky Spike was trying to work his way down while roaring, “What does a bloke have to do to get a little peace and quiet around here?”

 

The sound of an angry vampire froze everyone long enough for him to get to the bottom of the stairs where he collapsed onto the bottom stair. 

 

As Buffy ran to him crying, “Spike! What are you doing out of bed?” the two commandos recognized him and flinched back, reaching for their guns.

 

“It’s Hostile Seventeen! “  Obviously they had not expected to ever see him again after leaving him bleeding and unconscious on the campus.  Certainly not in the Slayer’s house.  When they realized no one else was getting freaked out at the sight of a vampire coming into the Slayer’s living room and being helped to a seat by the girl herself, they looked at Riley questioningly.

 

He shrugged, looking extremely unhappy as he watched Buffy fussing over the vampire and helping him get into a comfortable position on the couch.  The two witches moved over slightly to make room for him, but neither seemed inclined to flinch away from him.  If anything, they looked even more concerned than Buffy did. Giles looked at Riley meaningfully and the big man shook his head in disgust as he said,  “It appears he has become a... a....” He struggled to put a name to what Spike’s position in Buffy’s life had become.

 

“A friend.” she said quietly as she glared at Forrest and Graham.  “He’s the reason I’m not being chopped up in your lab, and that Riley isn’t a puddle of protoplasm on the floor of the zoo you guys were stocking.”

 

The two commandos has the grace to look embarrassed as they were reminded of their participation in Buffy’s kidnapping and imprisonment.  Mumbling apologies again for their actions, they relaxed back onto their seats and tried not to look at the vampire staring at them coldly from across the room.  The only reason they weren’t edging toward the door was the knowledge that his chip would render him incapacitated before he could actually hurt them.

 

Before the discussion could get back to it’s previous sound level, the phone rang and Buffy handed it to Giles.  His face when he hung up was grim.  “Well, it appears we may be on our own for awhile.  There will be no help coming until the end of the week – and then it appears it will be a new commanding officer for the military personnel already here,” he glanced at Riley and his friends, “not re-inforcements.”

 

“So,” Buffy said, “We’re supposed to what?  Let Adam run amok and build his strength while we sit here and wait for him to find us?  I don’t think so!”

 

“Until we figure out how kill him, it doesn’t make much sense to try to take him on in his own territory,” Giles pointed out.  “We still don’t know where he is vulnerable.”

 

“Uh, nowhere?” Willow put in.  She had spent a good bit of the morning going back over the notes from his construction and couldn’t see any way to take him out short of an atomic bomb.

 

“He’s got to have a weakness,” Buffy growled.  “I’ll find it.  And when I do....”

 

“Not by yourself, you won’t!”  Spike’s growl was deeper and more real than Buffy’s and everyone turned to look at him. “Not before I’m able to go with you.”

 

“Since when are you giving orders, evil undead?” Xander asked incredulously.

 

He fully expected Buffy to smack the vampire down, if not physically then certainly verbally.  Instead, she just looked over at him and said,  “Don’t worry.  You’ll be better by the time I’m ready to go”  Without offerering any explanation to either the frowning vampire or the curious Scoobies, she turned back to Giles and continued to plan.

 

“Willow says he’s powered by some sort of atomic thingie in his chest.  So cutting off his head won’t hurt him, but if I could get close enough to reach in and pull that out....”

 

“He’d fry you before you got within fifty feet,” Riley reminded her.  “He’s not approachable.”

 

Buffy looked at the two witches on the couch and her Watcher thoughtfully.  “But, if he didn’t know I was there until it was too late....” 

 

While the soldiers just looked on in confusion,  Giles and Willow exchanged glances.   “Well, we could try.... but we would need a trial run of some sort first to be sure he’s susceptable to magics.”

 

“Well, you held him off for awhile before, didn’t you?”

 

Giles responded, “Yes, but I was just throwing up shields against the power surges he was sending – and they didn’t hold very long.” He looked at Spike apologeticaly and the vampire shrugged. “And they didn’t prevent him from seeing any of you.  We’d have to come up with a spell that would hide you until you were close enough to—”

 

“Ok, well, you and Willow work on that.  I’m going to get something to eat and try to get a couple of hours rest before tonight.”  She turned around and started toward the kitchen but stopped when Riley said,  “Uh, Buffy?  What about us?  What can we do?”

 

“I don’t know, Riley.  What can you do?  I guess you could try to take out any manufactured demons that come after us.  I’m assuming your guns actually work?” she snarked at them. 

 

Not being in on what happened to Buffy the first time she visited the Initiative, Forrest and Graham frowned in confusion.  Riley looked annoyed and said, “Okay, Buffy.  You made your point about Maggie.  Can’t you let that go?”

 

An outraged snarl from Spike drew everyone’s attention and before anyone could stop him, he had pushed himself off the couch and into the larger man.  “You miserable, soddin’ bastard.  You let her get set up by your boss and you want her to ‘get over it?’  You shouldn’t even be in this house!”  The force of his leap had carried him into Riley’s body and knocked them both to the floor.   He was not in game face, but his intent was obvious. 

 

“Spike! Stop it! “  Buffy grabbed him by the collar, pulling him off of Riley and throwing him toward the stairs. 

 

Riley was on his feet immediately and leaping toward the blond vampire.  “You don’t belong in this house!” he shouted.  “You don’t belong anywhere near her, you bloodsucking—”  He was stopped by a surprisingly angry Slayer.

 

“You stop it, too.  He’s just protecting me.... I mean, he’s...” At  the look on Riley’s face, she backtracked quickly.  “He’s touchy about that place – you know that’s where he got his chip....”  Her voice trailed off  and she turned to look at Spike with an expression of sheer horror on her face.  As soon as he saw her face, he grabbed his head and moaned, knowing he wasn’t fooling her, but hoping no one else had noticed that his chip hadn’t fired when he crashed into Riley.

 

 

Chapter Twelve

 

 

Buffy went through the rest of the morning in a daze.  She helped Spike get back upstairs and into bed, but refused to meet his eyes or talk to him.  There was no banter, no flirting or tender touches, she was all business as she put him back on the bed and took the empty cup back downstairs with her.  If it weren’t for the slight trembling he could see every once in a while, Spike would have thought she was completely unconcerned about him.  But the cold tone of her voice when she said, “Stay here,” and the way her hand shook as she picked up the cup told him how worried she was about what she’d seen.

 

When she got back downstairs, she went through the motions of eating, picking up after the visitors and cleaning the kitchen.  Finally, when she had run out of things to do  Avoidance much, Buffy?,  she squared her shoulders and went back upstairs to her room.  Pushing open the door slowly she steeled herself for the questions she knew had to be answered.

 

Spike was half-lying, half-sitting against the pillows with his eyes shut. He was so still she thought he might be asleep again, but without opening his eyes he said evenly, “So, Slayer.  Come to stake me?”

 

“How long, Spike?”

 

He didn’t bother to pretend he didn’t know what she meant.  “Don’t know, luv.  Prob’ly since that jolt of whatever.  Must have fried the chip.  Sure would explain the headaches.”

 

“When did you know?”  She struggled to keep the fear and anxiety out of her voice as she continued her interrogation. 

 

I won’t think about staking him until I know there’s a reason.

 

He opened his eyes and looked at her flatly, “Same time you did, pet.  When I knocked Cap’t Cardboard down.”

 

“Why did you do that?” she asked suddenly, surprising both herself and him.

 

Way to change the subject, Buffy.

 

As though reading her mind, Spike didn’t answer her question, just said quietly, “It’s not going to go away just because you don’t talk about it, luv.  I’m not guaranteed safe anymore. You have to deal with that.”

 

Buffy stuck her lower lip out stubbornly and said, “Just answer my question, Spike.  Why did you do that?”

 

“He made me mad,” the vampire mumbled, looking down at the bed spread.

 

Knowing full well what had upset him, Buffy  let her shoulders slump as she approached the bed and slid to the floor.  She rested her head on the side of the bed and sighed when she felt his hand tentatively touch her hair. 

 

Can’t I stop being the Slayer for just a few minutes?  Would the world come to an end if I took a little vacation and was just a normal girl for little while.  Oh wait. That’s right.  A normal girl wouldn’t have a vampire lying on her bed and feeling her hair. My life just sucks.

 

She gave a small groan and turned to look up at him with such uncertainty and pain in her eyes that he was sure he could feel his heart breaking. 

 

No use trying to kid yourself, nancy-boy.  You’re head over heels in love with this woman and the best thing you can do for her is to leave before you make her have to kill another man she cares about.

 

“Slayer – Buffy,” he began slowly.  “Don’t ... I’m not going to make you stake me, love.  I promise.  Let me help you take care of the overgrown science project and then I’ll leave Sunnydale.  Please believe me, love.  Let me help you.  Please. Will you trust me?” he ended in such a strained voice that she was forced to accept what he was saying.

 

“You’re telling me you aren’t going to start feeding again?  That you aren’t going to take revenge on any Initiative soldiers you come across?  That my friends and family are all safe with you?  How can I believe you, Spike?  Tell me!  How can I believe that?”  Her eyes were filled with unshed tears as she pleaded with him to make her believe.

 

Blue eyes bored into hers with an intensity that shook her to her core.  “Because I love you, Slayer.  I love you too much to do anything that would hurt you. I know you can’t love something like me, but staking me would hurt you.   I know it and you know it.  You don’t want to kill me, and I promise you I won’t do anything to make you feel you have to.”  He ran his hand from her head down her cheek and gently touched her bottom lip. “You’ve already buried yourself in my heart, Slayer.  I think the stake would be overkill.”

 

He loves me?  Spike loves me?  When did that happen? Where was I?  I thought he just wanted me – in some macho/vampire possessive way.  He can’t love me. He has no soul.

 

“Spike... I... I don’t... I can’t....”

 

“I know you don’t, pet.  Don’t care.  Alright, that’s a lie.  I care.  I care a lot.  But I don’t expect it.   Just don’t shut me out of this,” he pleaded.

 

Buffy took a deep breath, and shook herself.  I’ll think about this later.  Way to go Scarlett – think about it tomorrow.

 

“Speaking of helping,” she said as calmly as she could,  “we need to get you back to full strength quickly.  I think I know a way.” 

 

“Does this mean you trust me?” he asked.

 

              “I guess it does, “ she told him, meeting his eyes fully and letting him see the truth there.    She moved up onto the bed beside him and slid into his embrace. 

 

“Don’t make me regret it.  Please.” she whispered into his chest.

 

“Never,” he breathed into her hair as he tightened his arms around her. 

 

She was so still and quiet he thought she might have fallen asleep, but then she stirred and shook herself slightly.  “Okay, enough with the cuddly stuff.  We’ve got to get you up to full strength if you’re going to help me.”  She pulled away from his chest and put her hands up to cup his face.

 

“I know what can make you better faster than anything else.  And it isn’t pig blood.”  She looked into his face, forcing him to see her meaning.

 

“No!” he shouted, pushing her away from him so hard she almost fell off the bed.  “No way!  Are you crazy?”

 

“You told me I could trust you, Spike.  And I do.  Take what you need.  It’s the only thing that will let you finish healing by tonight and you know it.”

 

The vampire knew he was giving a good imitation of a fish out of water, but he couldn’t wrap his brain around what she was offering.

 

Is she really saying she wants me to drink from her? She’s offering me Slayer blood.  My god, I love this woman.

 

“Are you sure about this, love?”  He was torn between his desire to never harm her and his demon’s craving for the elixer she carried in her veins.  “Maybe just some human blood from the hospi—”

 

“Not the same and you know it.  And I know it.  You won’t drain me.  I trust you.” He felt like she was holding his heart in her small hands as she calmly bared her neck for him.  “Do it, Spike. Now.”

 

After another second’s hesitation, he gently put his lips on her neck just over the pulse he could hear pounding.  She could try to appear calm about this, but the rapid beating of her heart gave her away.  Instead of biting her, he ran his tongue over the pulse point and gently sucked on it.  Keeping his lips on her skin the whole time, he moved his mouth back up to her chin, then fastened it on her warm, soft lips. 

 

At this first touch of his lips, the world went away and she was lost in the sheer sensual pleasure of kissing him.  The soft, gentle pressure gradually became more demanding and she willingly opened her mouth to allow his cool tongue to slide in and meet her own.  When she finally had to pull away to breathe, he moved his lips slowly back down her neck and placed them over the scars left by the Master and Angel. He sucked gently on the marks first, then let his fangs slide into her skin as easily as he could.

 

Buffy gave a little hiss of pain as his sharp teeth punctured her skin, then immediately moaned as the incredibly pleasurable sensation of his sucking erased all memory of the pain. 

 

Oh my god!  It never felt like this before.  He could drain me and I’d die happy.  This is just... too... too... Spike!  Oh god, did I just...?

 

Spike smiled into her neck as he felt her shudder and he stopped drinking, pulling his fangs out and licking the holes closed.  He felt the Slayer blood flooding his body with strength and healing, as well as giving him a raging hard-on.  He shifted uncomfortably, trying to relieve the pressure of his tight jeans without releasing his grip on the warm body lying next to his.

 

“Spike?  What the hell?  No wonder you killed so many people.  They must have been lining up for....”  She shook herself in disgust and groaned, “I did not really say that.  Please tell me I didn’t really say that!”

 

He looked down at her shocked face and kissed her gently as he said,  “No, love, nobody lines up for that.  And no vampire takes that kind of care with the bite when he’s hungry.  This wasn’t about feeding – it was about you willingly giving me something you wanted me to have.  And about my appreciation and the connection between us that makes sharing something like that a... a....”  His voice trailed off as he refused to let himself say aloud what he was thinking.  A holy experience.

 

For several minutes, he just clutched her to his chest, inhaling her scent and enjoying the feel of her in his arms, knowing it was probably the last time it would happen now that the chip was gone.

 

Buffy sighed with contentment as she snuggled up to him, forgetting for a time that he was an unchipped, potentially deadly vampire.   She gradually became aware that he was squirming carefully and realized that she wasn’t the only one to have found his drinking from her to be an arousing experience.   A quick mental calculation told her that they had some time to kill before anyone would be back to work on the plans to take Adam down.

 

 

Chapter Thirteen

 

“Spike?” she asked softly.  “How do you feel now?”

 

I could take on the whole bleedin’ US Army, and still have time left for Robo-demon. Like magic, your blood is.”  He smiled at her gratefully and squeezed her again.

 

“Um, so you’re all recovered,then?  You can move and everything?”  As she spoke, she was running her hand down his chest to the unmistakable bulge in his jeans.  He drew in an unnecessary breath as she touched him and wrapped her warm hand around the bulge.

 

“An’ everything,” he growled, turning her on her back and running his hands down her body.  He took both her hands in his and stretched them up over her head, holding them in place with one hand while he allowed the other to roam across her body.  Every feather-light touch set her skin on fire and she squirmed under him.

 

“Let me go, Spike.” she gasped.  “Want to touch you,” she begged, blushing as she did so.

 

“Don’t think so, love.  Payback’s a bitch, isn’t it?” he grinned as he teased her nipples through her shirt, rubbing them until he could see the hard little tips sticking up.  He lowered his mouth to suck on one of them through the cloth and she was able to wiggle one hand free.  She used her free arm to pull him in tighter and press his mouth into her breast as she arched up into him, moaning.

 

Suddenly they both needed to feel skin on skin, and she tore at his tee shirt as he ripped her top off.   He slid his hand down into the warmth of her sweat pants and began sliding them down her hips, following his fingers with his mouth.  She moaned again as his tongue plunged in and out of her belly button then continued down the soft skin of her belly until he reached his target.  He inhaled deeply and groaned,  “Oh, Slayer, Buffy,  got to taste you....” burying his face in her folds and lapping at the moisture already there.

 

Buffy was reduced to whimpers and gasps as he moved his talented tongue over and around her most sensitive parts.  He pulled her into his mouth and sucked gently as he plunged two fingers into her warmth.  “So wet, so tight, so beautiful,” he managed to gasp out without stopping his ministrations.  When Buffy started throwing her head from one side to the other and making mewing noises, he finally stopped teasing her and grabbed her clit gently with his teeth as he sucked on it hard.  At the same time, his fingers were hitting a spot inside her she hadn’t even known she had and she screamed as a powerful orgasm seized her.   While she was recovering her breath and her ablility to think, Spike had shed his jeans and moved up her body to place his engorged cock at her entrance.

 

He didn’t push his way in;  he waited, trembling, until she was looking at him and meeting his eyes.   He leaned in and kissed her, losing himself in the feel of her soft lips and darting tongue.  As her arms reached around him and pulled him closer, he fought to keep his demon in check and nuzzled his bite marks on her neck.  Buffy sucked in her breath in a gasp as he pulled gently on the skin over the marks before pushing himself up off her body again.  She whimpered and tried to pull him closer again but he shook his head and said,  “I have to know you want this, Buffy.  I don’t want any regrets.”

 

“I would think it’s pretty obvious I want it,” she said wryly as her hips continued to push up toward him. 

 

He smirked at her briefly, then sobered, “No, love, I don’t mean that your body wants it . I mean that you – Buffy Summers, The Slayer – you want me.  Me – William the Bloody.  It means too much to me to settle for your body. “ 

 

She stared at him incredulously and he looked embarrassed,  “Alright, I’ll settle – you know I will.  It’s taking every ounce of control I’ve gained in the last hundred-twenty plus years to hold off this long –  but, I need to know you feel something... anything... just give me a crumb, love.  Tell me it means something to you.”

 

Buffy stared into his pleading blue eyes, reading the truth in what he was saying and felt her heart ache to give him what he asked for.

 

I am the Slayer.  I cannot love an unsouled vampire.  I can’t – shouldn’t love ANY  vampire.  People die when I allow my feelings for one of them to affect my decisions. I can’t give him what he wants.  I can’t. I’m the Slayer....

 

Buffy’s internal struggle was clearly visible on her face and her eyes filled with tears as she saw his sad acceptance of her unspoken answer.   When the tears spilled out of her eyes and ran down her cheeks he lowered his head and began licking them off her face. 

 

“Ah, don’t cry, love.  It’s alright.  I understand.  If I were you, I wouldn’t love me either.” He paused to give her his trademark smirk, but his eyes remained full of pain, “Well, I probably would – but then I’m evil – so I think I’m pretty bleedin’ irresistable.”

 

Buffy gave him a watery smile and said, “I think you’re irresistible too.  I just can’t....” she started to cry in earnest and clutched him to her.  

 

Way to destroy the mood, Buffy.  That’s me – Buffy the Romance Slayer.

 

Spike rolled off her, pulling her with him as he went so that he was on his side holding the sobbing girl in his arms and murmuring in her ear as he stroked her head.  “Don’t do this to yourself, pet.  Don’t, please.  I’m sorry.  I’m a bad, rude man and I never should have—”

 

“No, I’m sorry.  I want to... you don’t deserve....” She caught her breath and sniffled,  “I’m the Slayer, Spike.  I’m supposed to kill you, not fall in—” She stopped, hoping she’d caught herself in time, but one look at Spike’s startled eyes and hopeful smile told her he’d heard every word, including the unspoken ones.  Before he could say anything, she put a hand to his cheek and stroked it.  “I’m not going to finish that sentence, Spike.  It wouldn’t change anything.  I’m the Slayer and you’re a soulless vampire.  This is all we’ll ever have.”

 

“Then it will have to be enough, my love,” he breathed in her ear as he pulled her ear lobe into his mouth.  As quickly as her tears had doused the heat between them, the touch of his lips on her skin brought the inferno back and within a few seconds they were both breathing hard and rolling back and forth across the bed trying to touch as many body parts as possible at one time.  The last roll brought them back to their earlier position with Spike lying on Buffy’s body, the head of his cock pushing against her wet warmth. 

 

This time he didn’t allow any conversation to interrupt them.  He moved the head of his cock slowly back and forth from her entrance to her throbbing clit several times until she grabbed his butt cheeks in both hands and pulled him to her gasping, “Now, Spike.  I want you inside me, now.”  

 

With a groan, he slid into her, a little at a time, giving her time to get used to his size and adjust to it.  As soon as he felt her warmth around him, he shuddered and clenched his teeth, struggling to maintain control and not pound into her.  Buffy’s sigh of relief as she felt him fill her up completely helped him relax and for a few seconds they were still, just reveling in the feel of each other.

 

“Buffy, my slayer, my love.  You feel so good.  I’ve wanted to be here for the longest time.”  Some small part of her brain noted that Spike’s accent had slid into something much closer to the way Giles spoke than to his usual manner of speaking. Not being particularly verbal herself, she settled for planting kisses everywhere she could reach and clenching her internal muscles around him to show him how happy she was to have him there.

 

His “Hey, now!” and groans of pleasure made her smile and begin to move.  They moved slowly and gently at first, enjoying the closeness and the connection between them, but neither could keep that up for long and he was soon thrusting into her as hard as he could while she urged him on with gasps and moans.  The way he twisted his hips at the end of each thrust soon had her raking her nails down his back and gasping incoherently.   As she reached her climax and screamed his name, she also bit down on his neck with her blunt little teeth and the vampire roared and exploded into her in ecstasy.

 

“Love you, Buffy.  Love you so much,” he murmured  over and over as he inhaled her scent and licked at the tiny punctures on her neck. Everytime his tongue touched the mark on her neck, Buffy felt a tingle go through her body and she unconsciously pushed up into the lean body lying on hers.

 

Buffy glanced at the marks she had made on his neck with her human teeth and saw that she had bitten him hard enough to break the skin.  She tentatively stuck out her tongue and gently licked at the tiny trickle of blood coming from the toothmarks.  At the touch of her tongue on his wounded neck, Spike hissed in suprise and pulled back from her.

 

“You bit me!” he whispered in awe as he stared at her tongue, still wet with a few drops of his blood.  He lowered his head and gently kissed her – touching her tongue with his and reveling in the taste of his own blood on her.

 

 Easy, mate he told himself she has no idea what that means to a vampire.  It was just passion for her, not a commitment.

 

 

Chapter Fourteen

 

Buffy looked at his awestruck face and flushed as she tried to apologize for biting him so hard.  To her surprise, he shook his head and stopped her with a finger on her lips.

 

“Don’t apologize, love.  I know you didn’t know what you were doing, but that’s the most... erotic, loving ... and    Do I dare tell her?  ... binding... thing you can do to a vampire.  I’ll carry this memory with me forever.”  He held her gaze, willing her to see how important this was to him.  A worried voice in his head told him if she had any clue how close they had come to claiming each other and what that meant, that she would stake him on the spot, but he ignored it and continued to gaze at her with awe and devotion.

 

She tried to read the message in those beautiful eyes, but her knowledge of vampire lore was sadly lacking and she really didn’t see what the big deal was.  “Okay, I get that it’s erotic – I mean when you bit me, I... ” She blushed remembering her reaction to his bite.  “But, what do you mean – binding?  Binding what?”

 

He took a deep, unnecessary breath and said,  “Us, love.  If either one of us had entertained a possessive thought during those bites, we would have been claiming the other.   If we’d both thought it and/or said it out loud...”  He shook himself,  “But, it’s alright.  We didn’t.  So, we’re alright.  No bond.”  He tried to keep his disappointment out of his voice and off his face.

 

“Claiming?” She frowned in confusion. “What’s that?”

 

“It’s how vampires proclaim their... love... for each other.” He ignored her start of surprise at the idea that vampires could love each other, although she knew he had loved Drusilla and that he said he loved her.   “To make a claim, and have it returned is to mark each other as bonded for all eternity.  It’s a very long-term committment.”

 

“So,” she said softly,  “You’d want to be sure he was the long-haul guy before you did anything like that, huh?”

 

“Yeah, I guess you would.” He smiled down at her.

 

Know that’s not me, don’t I?

 

“Were – are – you and Drusilla bonded?” she asked carefully, not looking at his face as she asked it.

 

His face closed down for a moment, then he replied tersely,  “No.  She wouldn’t.”

 

She looked at him with surprise and said, “She wouldn’t?  But I thought you and her....”

 

“She fancied someone else and refused to tie herself to me any more than we already were.  She’s my sire, so there is a bond.  But it’s not a claiming.”

 

Buffy felt herself battling sympathy for the obvious pain in his voice as he gave her the explanation and jealousy that he could feel that deeply about someone else. 

 

 “So, you and she never.... But who else would she have wanted to....” Her eyes widened as she remembered why Spike had joined with her to fight Angelus two years ago and she realized who the only other vampire could possibly be.  “Oh,” she said quietly.

 

Way to destroy the mood again, Buffy.  Now we’re both thinking about somebody else.

 

“Yeah, oh,” he agreed and shut his eyes in pain.  The knowledge that the two most important women in his world were in love with his grandsire was almost more than he could bear.  He was mildly surprised to find that he cared more that Buffy loved Angel than he did that Drusilla loved Angelus.

 

As they talked, Spike had been supporting himself on his elbows so as to remain in as much contact with Buffy’s body as possible and so that he could look at her face as they spoke.  Somehow, with the memories of Angel and Drusilla hanging over them, the space suddenly seemed very crowded and he rolled off of her and moved away. As she felt him slide out of her, Buffy whimpered at the loss and turned toward him.

 

“I guess I spoiled that moment, huh?” she ventured, wondering if he would object if she touched him again.  She settled for resting her chin on his arm and touching the hand resting between them.

 

He turned his head sharply and linked his fingers with hers as he said, “Nothing you could do could spoil this for me.”  He brought his free hand up to her face.  “This means the world to me, Buffy.  Having you here, touching me, kissing me, sharing your blood... Bloody hell, woman.  You’ve made me yours forever – no claim necessary.  I’ll love you till I’m dust and I’ll relieve the memory of this last hour until I have no memory left.” 

 

Buffy felt warmth run through her at his words and her mood changed from sad back to joyful in the length of time he took him to finish talking.

 

“But,” she said playfully, “ we have a couple of hours left before everyone comes back.   There could be so much to remember that you won’t be able to....” Her sentence ended in a giggle as he pulled her on top of him and growled,  “I’ll take that chance, Slayer.”

 

She felt the growl shake her whole body with delicious vibrations.  “Have I ever told you how sexy that is?” she asked as she wriggled on top of him.

 

“No, love. Can’t say you have.” He smiled at her and allowed another rumble to shake his chest.

 

“Makes me want to—” She slid down his body just enough to place his newly erect cock at her entrance.  As she lowered herself on to him and saw the expression on his face, as he hissed in pleasure at the feel of her muscles contracting around him, she said softly,  “Let’s make memories, Spike.”

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

By the time Joyce got home from the gallery, Spike and Buffy were dressed and downstairs going over Willow’s notes on Adam.  She looked at them curiously, but attributed their subdued demeanors to the dangers they would be facing  later in the evening.  She couldn’t miss, however, the way Spike was looking at Buffy when she didn’t know he was watching her.   Joyce wasn’t sure how to feel about his obvious love for her daughter.  On the one hand, she liked Spike and she knew he would protect Buffy with his life.  But he was also a vampire.  A being her daughter was sworn to destroy.  She shuddered, remembering how wrong things had gone when Angel had lost his soul because of his relationship with Buffy.

 

Sighing, she resoved not to worry about it until the current crisis was over.  She knew Buffy kept her out of the loop about most of her activities and she was sure that if she knew the dangers her daughter faced regularly she would be a nervous wreck all the time.  But this time, with most of the planning taking place in her living room, and having seen Spike’s condition when they brought him in, she couldn’t shut her eyes to the very real possibility that one or both of them might not be coming back tonight.  At the moment, there seemed to be more reasons to be glad the vampire was in love with her daughter than to worry about it.  She was confident that nothing was going to harm Buffy if Spike was able to prevent it.

 

When everyone had gathered in the Summers’ living room, assignments were made, argued about and reassigned.  Giles did his best to provide guidance and a sense of structure; but the plan basically boiled down to getting as close as they could to Adam’s stronghold and then hoping Giles and the witches could put up enough of a smokescreen that Buffy could get close enough to pull his power pack out of his body.  Riley and whatever remnants of the Initiative garrison that had survived the demonic take over of their facility would provide cover fire to allow the Scooby gang to get as close as possible.

 

“And what’s the suddenly disgustingly healthy-looking corpse going to contribute to this expedition?” Xander snarked when he realized Spike hadn’t been assigned to any group.

 

“He’s with me,” Buffy said flatly in a tone that broked no discussion.  Spike’s instinct was to lord it over the glowering boy, as well as the equally angry soldier. The knowledge that this would probably be his last time with Buffy while they would both be around to comfort her when it was over kept the smirk off his face and his mouth uncharacteristicaly shut. 

 

Joyce caught Giles’ eye and walked slowly to the kitchen.  When the watcher had followed her in there, she turned to him and said,  “I know I usually stay out of Buffy’s duties, but I need you to know that  I want them to come back tonight – both of them.”

 

Giles took his glasses off and polished them vigorously as he thought about the implications of her request.  “Joyce,” he began, “It is always my hope and intention that Buffy come back relatively unscathed from any mission.  But I cannot make guarantees.   I will do my best for her of course, but Spike....”

 

“He loves her, Rupert.”

 

“Yes, I believe he does, Joyce.  But that doesn’t alter who or what he is.  Without that chip....”

 

“Both of them, Rupert.  They need each other.”  Joyce glared at him and he knew from whom Buffy got her determination.

 

“I’ll do my best,” he sighed.

 

 

Chapter Fifteen

 

As the group approached the cave entry into the Initiative, the remaining soldiers spread out to form an armed shield around the Watcher and the two witches.  Buffy held up her hand at the entrance to stop everyone.

 

“All right, everyone knows what to do, right?” she whispered, looking around.  “As soon as Giles is sure the cloaking spell is working, Spike and I will work our way to Adam and try to remove his power pack.  Riley and his men, and Xander,” she smiled quickly at her friend who seemed quite pleased to be included with the military men,  “will try to keep the demons away from the witches so they aren’t interrupted.”

 

The small army slipped into the cave entrance and took the widest, shortest route into the complex.  They hadn’t gone far before they encountered a couple of surprised demon sentries which Buffy and Spike took out very quickly.  As soon as they reached the entrance to the large open staging area, the commandos split up to allow Giles, Willow and Tara a clear look at Spike and Buffy.   Working quickly, they spread their herbs and began their chants.  When Giles was sure the spell was working he nodded his head at Buffy, and the Slayer and her vampire walked cautiously into the room.  

 

Buffy felt her nerves thrumming and her heartrate increasing as she moved silently through the space.  When they had eased their way past several demons and at least one guard that appeared to be a combination of human and robot, she began to relax a little.  She looked over at Spike to see if he was also being hidden by the spell and he took the opportunity to wink at her and blow her a kiss.  She glared at him for not taking their situation as seriously as she thought he should, but she felt a warm glow inside. 

 

And I’m not going to think about what it might mean that an air kiss from Spike makes me more warm and tingly than a full make-out session with Riley.  At least not until we’re out of here.

 

Buffy noticed that if she got too close to any of the demons, they looked around suspiciously, but none seem to realize that she was actually there.  Spike, on the other hand, didn’t seem to be inspiring any uncomfortable feelings which Buffy attributed to his lack of body temperature and breathing. 

 

They had got almost half way across the room when a door leading to the labs came open and Adam stepped out scanning the room with his mechanical eyes.  Buffy froze as his gaze swept over her and lingered.  She stopped breathing and willed her heart to slow down as she waited anxiously to see if the cloaking spell would work with Adam’s mechanical enhancements.  After staring suspicously at her general area for a long couple of seconds, he continued looking around the room, pausing for a shorter period of time when he looked across Spike.   Sudden movement at the entrance to the room made him turn that way and he pointed to the suddenly visible commandos, ordering his demon army to attack.

 

As the room filled with demonic soldiers all rushing toward the tunnel in which Giles and the witches were chanting, Buffy and Spike found themselves dodging this way and that as they tried to avoid being run in to.  Buffy had time to notice with amusement that Giles was taken back at the numbers and ferocity of the tiny little demon clones.  That’ll teach him!  she thought smugly.

 

 As Adam turned to go back into his lab, Spike moved toward the door and slid in behind him.  Buffy threw a look over her shoulder at the battle going on across the room, then hastened to follow him.

 

As soon as she opened the door and slipped into the room, she realized they had miscalculated how far the cloaking spell would carry.  Adam turned slowly, holding Spike up in the air by his neck, and greeted her with, “Hello, Slayer.  This is not one of my vampires.  Is he with you?”

 

Buffy ‘s mind went temporarily blank as she watched Adam squeezing Spike’s neck.   She struggled to keep her panic off her face as she lied, “No, I slay vampires, remember?  I don’t pal around with them.”  She shrugged and tried to look unconcerned as she edged her way into the room, trying to get behind a metal file cabinet before it occurred to Adam to shoot her with his built-in weapons. 

 

Apparently taking Buffy at her word, he tossed Spike off into a corner and spun around to face the Slayer.  A glance showed her that Spike was unconscious, but not dusty  and she immediately focused on the patched together being in front of her.

 

“Are you really planning to defeat me in hand to hand combat, little girl?” he asked her curiously as he tracked her progress around the room.  “I’m indestructable, you know.”

 

“Yeah, so I hear.  But you know me,  just gotta see for myself.”  As she spoke, she flipped toward him, finishing with a hard kick to his chin that appeared to accomplish nothing but making her foot ache.

 

“Very disappointing, Slayer.” He said as he backhanded her into the metal cabinet.  “I really thought you might be a challenge for me.”  He shrugged and turned away from where she sat crumpled against the cabinet.

 

“And you, vampire.  What are you doing in here?  I don’t need any more vampires.”

 

“Wanted to make a deal with you,” Spike growled, sitting up and rubbing his throat.  “Need this soddin’ chip out of my brain and figured you would know how to get it done. Just used the confusion out there to sneak in.”

 

Adam stared at him thoughtfully for a second, then dismissed him with a wave of his hand.  “I don’t have time for that right now.  And I can’t imagine you have anything I want or need.  If you leave now, I won’t kill you.  Please close my door on the way out.”

 

While he was talking to Spike, Buffy had pulled herself to her feet and she pushed a heavy metal table into the monster as hard as she could.  As Adam staggered briefly before flinging the table across the room, a recovered Spike launched himself at his back, pinioning his arms behind him.

 

“Now, Slayer!  Do it now!” he roared as he struggled to hang on to the angry robot.  Buffy leaped forward, plunging her hand into Adam’s chest and grabbing the warm power pack.   The robot stared at her in amazement as she pulled the power pack out and held it up.

 

“If you’re so indestructable, I guess you won’t miss this,” she said cheerfully. 

 

The mechanical man gaped at her and reached the arm he had wrenched away from Spike’s grip toward her.  Buffy scampered back immediately, stretching the wires running from the power pack into Adam’s chest cavity to their limit.  With a bellow, he threw Spike off into the wall and leaped toward the Slayer.

 

“Did you want this?” she quipped as she yanked it hard.   “Oops!  I’ll bet those were supposed to stay connected, weren’t they?” she added as the wires came free from Adam’s chest and he looked down at himself in confusion.  There was a tense minute in which Buffy was afraid Willow might have been wrong about what made Adam run.   She continued to back away from him wondering what was left to try if she hadn’t incapacitated him as expected.  Then, with a shudder, his eyes went dark and he toppled over with a very satisfying crash.

 

Buffy let out the breath she didn’t even know she’d been holding, then threw the power pack on the floor, crushing it under her boot heel until it was just a collection of metal and plastic parts.

 

“Did we win, love?” she heard Spike groan from the corner where Adam had thrown him.

 

She flew across the room and slid to her knees beside his battered body. “Yeah, we did, Spike.  Thanks to your help.”  Impulsively she leaned in and kissed him warmly but chastely on the lips.   He looked up at her and growled,  “’M not that beat up, Slayer.  Com’ere and do that right,” he said grabbing the back of her neck and pulling her in for a long, sweet langorous kiss that threatened to turn into something much more.

 

Buffy’s head was spinning as she finally pulled away from the kiss that she would have liked to just fall into for the rest of the day.  When her breathing was close to normal again, she rose shakily to her feet and pulled him up with her.  “We won in here, but there’s still a war going on out there,” she sighed and gestured toward the still closed lab door.

 

“Right, then,” he said, running one hand down her arm and squeezing the hand he was still holding, “Once more into the breach...”

 

“What?”

 

“Stupid American education system.” He muttered.  “Let’s go, pet.  The sooner we get out of this place the better.”

 

Shaking her head at him, she yanked open the door and pulled him through.  She almost wished she could go back inside and close it again.  The huge open area was swarming with manufactured demons, real demons and the little needle-toothed ones she and Spike had already fought once.   Now that there was no need for the cloaking spell, Giles was wielding a sword in a large circle around himself and the two witches, trying to keep them safe from the swarms of demons.

 

“Buffy!  Over here!” Riley shouted to her from the doorway.  “Quickly.  We’re just waiting for you.”

 

Buffy and Spike exchanged glances and sighed matching sighs.  “Damn, I’m tired of running from these miserable little....”  The rest was inaudible as they dove into the fray, using folding chairs to chop their way through the hordes of demons.  Working perfectly together, they quickly cleared a path to the rest of their small army and ducked behind the line of soldiers.

 

“Adam?” asked Giles anxiously.

 

“Taking  some permanent down time,”  Buffy  smiled at her watcher.  “Good job, guys,” she added, turning to include Willow and Tara in her smile.

 

“So, can we, um, leave now?” Tara asked meekly as she flinched from teeth snapping at her sleeve.

 

Riley stepped up to the group and looked for a second as though he was going to hug Buffy.  The lack of welcome in her body posture had him thinking better of it at the last minute.  “As soon as you guys, “ he pointedly avoided looking at Spike as he spoke, “are well on the way out of here, we’re going to set off some ordinance and hopefully, seal this place up.  We’ll meet you outside.”

 

“Ok, then.  That’s it.  Let’s go, kiddies!”  Spike grabbed Buffy’s hand and tugged her toward the exit.   He was brought up short when he reached the end of his arm and she was not moving.   “What?  Capt’n Cardboard said to get going.  So let’s get going.”

 

As the Slayer stood still, just glaring at him, he quit pulling on her and gave her a sheepish smile.  “Well, was worth a try, pet,” he said shrugging and moving with her to get between the Scoobies and the still loud fight going on.

 

Riley and Xander both watched the two with almost identical expressions.  Finally, Xander spoke out,  “Uh, Buffy,  you do know the evil undead is holding your hand, right?”

 

Buffy looked down at their linked hands in surprise.  She actually had not noticed that Spike was still holding her hand.  She froze and felt the flush rising up her face as everyone looked at them.  Before she could snatch her hand away, Spike smiled at her sadly and with a little squeeze dropped her hand. 

 

“Nothing to get anybody’s knickers in a twist about,” he growled.  “I just forgot to let go, that’s all.”

 

Buffy knew that she was the only one who could hear the pain in his voice as he moved away and relinguished her to Riley and Xander who almost knocked each other down trying to touch her and assure themselves that she was still Buffy.

 

“He didn’t hurt you, didn’t he, Buffy?” Xander asked, glaring at Spike.

 

“For god’s sake, Xander! No, he didn’t hurt me.  He was just holding my hand for a second while he tried to get me to leave.  What’s wrong with you?”

 

“And what, exactly was that all about?” Riley asked quietly.  “How did he know you weren’t going with him?  And why didn’t he leave without you?” he added with a long look at the vampire.

 

“Because we have to bring up the rear, Riley.”

 

“I didn’t hear you say anything to him.”

 

 “I didn’t need to. We’re the two strongest people here.  And Spike knows that.  He knew we couldn’t go scampering off with super speed and leave everyone else to try to catch up.  I didn’t need to say anything.”

 

 

            Before the conversation could go on,  Giles broke in to point out that they needed to get out soon before the commandos ran out of ammunition and Spike and Buffy were the only thing left between the demons and everyone else.  That broke the tension and everyone started moving out of the area, Giles and the witches first, Xander after them and Spike and Buffy right behind the soldiers, ready to jump in if their firepower was overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

 

            When the Scoobies had reached the cave entrance and were safely outside,  Riley’s men laid down a very heavy fire which forced the demons back temporarily and alllowed them to retreat into the outside air.  As soon as everyone was out, Riley gave the signal and the explosives were detonated.  For a few seconds after the plunger was pushed there was silence, then the ground shook slightly and they could hear amuffled roar from within the cave.  A small amount of dust drifted out the the entrance and wafted away on the breeze.

 

 

Chapter Sixteen

 

            At the home on Revello Drive the celebration party was in full swing.  The commados were busy congratulating each other and slapping backs as they described their exploits to each other.  Willow and Tara sat on the couch holding hands and staring at the men in amazement.

 

            “Giles,” Willow whispered, “Do they think they defeated Adam all by themselves?”

 

            “Apparently,” he said dryly as he took a sip of scotch.

 

            Buffy quickly tired of the testosterone fueled bragging and moved away from Riley and his men.  She scanned the room, but couldn’t see Spike anywhere.  She went into the kitchen and caught the glow of a cigarette outside the back door; opening the door quietly, she slipped out to join him on the steps.

 

            “Slayer.” He greeted her.  “Couldn’t take any more talk of medals and heroes?”

 

            She smiled softly in the dark and moved closer to him.  “Thought I’d come out here where the real heroes are.”

 

            Spike felt his breath catch and tried to hide the jolt of joy that shot through him as she spoke.

 

            “That right, Slayer?” he asked quietly.  “There’s more than one of you?”

 

            She poked his arm and said, “There’s more than one of us, Spike.  Don’t try to pretend you didn’t do anything.”

 

            “Just did what I said I would, love.  Backed you up.  Don’t make a big deal of it.”  He shrugged and peered at her out of the corner of his eye.  “Unless you really want to, of course,” he added hopefully.

 

            “I want to,” she said softly as she leaned in and kissed him gently.

 

            “Oh, well then....” He quickly deepened the kiss and they were so lost in each other that they didn’t realize the door had opened behind them.

 

            Their first sign was the fact that Spike was jerked away from her by a frowing Xander.  “Keep your filthy lips to yourself!” he said.  “You’ve got no right to—”

 

            Buffy held her breath as Spike’s eyes flashed back and forth between blue and yellow and he growled softly.  He quickly sprang to his feet and when the angry young man threw himself bodily at him, Spike just slipped out of the way and watched Xander crash to the ground with a loud “oof!”

 

            “Xander,” Buffy said firmly,  “That’s enough.  Leave him alone.”

 

            “Oh, that’s right.  Mustn’t hurt the poor, widdle, crippled vampire.  He can’t fight back.  Well, I don’t care.  He has no right to touch you like that and I’m going to see he knows it.”

 

            Spike streched his neck, wringing it around as he tried to control his temper and ignore both the things the boy was saying and the small pang he felt at being attacked by someone he’d thought had begun to accept him.  After Xander had taken several more ineffectual swings at Spike, Buffy stepped between them and put her hand firmly on Xander’s chest.

 

            “Wouldn’t that be my decision to make, Xander?” she asked him quietly.

 

            Xander was saved from answering her by the arrival of Riley and several of his men, coming to see what the excitement was about.

 

            “Riley!” Xander shouted, “He was kissing Buffy.  I saw him!”

 

            “That’s one mistake too many, Hostile Seventeen,” Riley snarled as he launched himself at the vampire.  “This nonsense ends now!”

 

            Riley’s size and enhanced strength made him a much more serious opponent for Spike than Xander had been.  Staying in his human face, Spike met the large man in the middle of the yard, but remained purely defensive in his tactics.  He thought as long as he didn’t allow Riley to get close enough to grapple with him, his vampire speed and reflexes would be enough to keep him from getting hurt without his having to let on that the chip wasn’t working anymore.

 

            However, the size difference became a factor when Riley was actually able to get close enough to Spike to pull him to the ground and the vampire found himself pinned down while Riley bellowed at his men to throw him a stake.  Spike’s eyes shifted to meet Buffy’s and she answered his silent question by nodding her head slightly.  The communication went unnoticed by everyone except Giles who narrowed his eyes at her thoughtfully before he turned his attention back to the fight.  As soon as Spike had the okay from Buffy, he shifted into his game face and used his now enhanced abilities to throw the larger man off him.

 

            Riley gaped at the vampire in surprise, but quickly recovered and leaped back at him, confident that Spike couldn’t really hurt him.  When Spike caught him in mid-leap and held him up off the ground with one hand, he started to worry that the fight wasn’t going to go quite the way he expected it to.  However, he continued to try, kicking out with one leg and catching Spike in the ribs that were still sore from where Adam threw him into the wall.

 

            With a hiss of pain, Spike dropped Riley to the ground, then gave a spine chilling snarl as he leaped onto the bigger man and carried him to the ground, reaching toward his neck with his fangs.  At the last second, he stopped his bite leaving just tiny pin holes in Riley’s neck.  Instead of draining the burly soldier, he buried his fist in Riley’s face.  He continued to pound on the commando until a softly spoken, “Spike, please,” came to him and he stopped abruptly.  With a last snarl at the semi-conscious soldier on the ground, he stood up and shook himself back into his human visage.

 

            He looked around at the shocked expressions on the faces of the on-lookers. He couldn’t resist a smirk at the look on Xander’s face as realization of how close he could have come to painful and bloody death sank in.  However, there was nothing funny about the frightened looks on the other Scoobies and soldiers, or the grim expression on the Watcher’s face.  The only people who weren’t looking at him as though he had suddenly turned into a rattlesnake before their eyes were Buffy and her mother.

 

            Before anyone could move or say anything, Joyce walked up to Spike and put her hand on his cheek gently.  “Come inside, Spike.  Let me see if that bully hurt your ribs again.”  Completely unafraid, she walked back to the kitchen door, pulling the astonished vampire with her.  With a guilty look at Giles, who clearly knew that she was aware of the chip’s malfunction, Buffy hurried to follow her mother into the house.

 

            Spike and Buffy were staring at each other from across the kitchen, neither one really noticing that Joyce was still there.

 

            “Well,” he said slowly,  “So much for having time to pack and make plans before I leave, eh, Slayer?”

 

            Buffy couldn’t say anything.  She was fighting back tears and trying to think like a Slayer rather than a girl.

 

            “Where are you going?” Joyce asked Spike in surprise.  “And why?”

 

            “He’s not chipped anymore, Mom.” Buffy said, never taking her eyes off the vampire.  “He can kill again.”

 

            “Well, yes, he can. Obviously,” her mother said with a puzzled frown.  “but that doesn’t mean he will kill.  Does it , Spike?” she turned to the vampire and waited for his answer.

 

            Spike gawked at her in amazement.  “Aren’t you afraid of me?” he asked.  “Didn’t you see how those people out there were looking at me?”

 

            “Well, yes, dear.  But they don’t know you like I do.  Why would I be afraid of you?  You’ve never hurt me before and we’re friends now.  Buffy, you’re not afraid of Spike, are you?” She turned to her surprised daughter cheerfully.   “Well, are you?” she pushed as Buffy didn’t respond right away.

 

            “Uh, no, of course not.  But I’m the Slayer.  I can’t just.....”

 

            “You just saved the world again,” her mother pointed out.  “I would think you could do whatever you wanted to.  Do you want Spike to leave?”

 

            “Mom!  You don’t understand.... I’m the Slayer.  I kill vampires.  Spike is a vampire.  If he stays here, I’ll have to kill him.... and... I... I don’t want to do that,” she finished softly and let the tears fall as her head fell forward.

 

            “I don’t see why you have to kill him unless he does something to deserve it,” Joyce argued.  “Spike, are you planning to make Buffy have to kill you?”

 

            “Not planning on it, Joyce.  But that’s not gonna carry much weight with those wankers outside.  You saw how there were lookin’ at me.  I’ll bet the Watcher and whelp are sharpening stakes right now.   Not going to do that to your daughter, Joyce.  I’d rather leave than put her in that position... again.”

 

            Joyce looked back forth between her now sobbing daughter and the vampire who was obviously so in love with her that he would put her needs above his and shook her head.

 

            “Well,  I guess you two know what you need to do.  I’ll leave you to work it out, but you know you’ll always be welcome in this house.” She gave the astonished vampire a brief hug and a kiss on the cheek, then went out onto the porch where there was a very loud discussion going on about what to do about Spike.

 

            Ignoring the loud voices from the backyard, Spike moved closer to Buffy and tentatively slid his arms around her quaking body.   He let out a breath he didn’t even know he’d been holding when she relaxed into him and put her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest.

 

            “I need to leave, love.  You know I do.  If I stay....”

 

            “I know.”  She sniffled into his shirt.  “I just... I hate being the Slayer!”

 

            Smilling at her vehemence, he tipped her chin up and made her look at him, “No, you don’t, Buffy.  That’s why you’re so good at it.  Because you have fun while you slay, you love the fight and you like being the boss.  You know you do.”

 

            “If I’m the boss, why don’t I get to say who gets staked and who doesn’t?” she grumbled.  “I don’t want you to leave.  It’s not fair!”

 

            “Life isn’t fair, pet.  I know you know that by now.” He rubbed his hands in small soothing circles on her back.  “You know, love,  we could just ask them to replace the chip.....”

 

            Buffy shoved him away from her almost violently.  “Are you crazy? If that chip was working, Riley would have killed you just now.  I’m not going to have you crippled again.  If it means I never see you again....” Her voice trailed off as she contemplated that possibilty.  She looked up at him sharply.  “You would do that for me?  Get re-chipped?”

 

            He gently pushed a piece of hair behind her ear,  “If it meant I wouldn’t have to leave you, Buffy?.  Yeah, I think I would,” he said softly.  “But I don’t think I trust those wankers out there to do something like that.  I’m pretty sure there’d be some kind of ‘accident’ while I was under the knife.”

 

            “You’re probably right,” she agreed.  “Definitely not a good idea.  Guess you’re the Big Bad again, huh?”

 

            “I was always the Big Bad, love,” he said with his customary smirk.  “Just had to keep a lower profile for awhile there.”

 

 

Chapter Seventeen

 

            Meanwhile, outside, the argument over when and how to kill Spike was continuing.   Joyce stepped up next to Giles who was talking with Willow and Tara, and asked him quietly, “ Can’t you do something about this?  He just helped Buffy save Sunnydale from an evil robot, for heaven’s sake!”

 

            “Yes, Joyce. He did help her with Adam, and he has been very protective of her for the last couple of weeks, but we cannot forget what he is.  And now, apparently he is no longer harmless.”

 

            “Was he ever really harmless?” Joyce asked with a false innocence.  “I mean couldn’t he have made other vampires kill for him?  If he’d really wanted to kill us, I’m sure he could have found a way.”

 

            Giles gaped at her and saw that she already knew the answer to her question. “Yes,” he said slowly,  “I suppose he could have.  Can’t say I ever really thought about it before – but as soon as he knew he could hurt other demons he certainly could have declared himself Master of Sunnydale without actually killing humans himself. And I suppose,” he added reluctantly, “if he really wanted us dead, he could have just burned a building down or something like that.  It’s not like Spike isn’t capable of great creativity when it comes to murder and mayhem....”

 

            “So, what you’re saying is he has been helping you out and not harming the people around him because he chose not to, not because he had to.”  Joyce forced Giles to meet her steady gaze and waited for his response.

 

            The Watcher took off his glasses and proceeded to polish them vigorously while he avoided Joyce’s accusing eyes and struggled to absorb the new ideas with which she had just presented him.  He remembered seeing the end of Xander’s attack on Spike and that the vampire had never even gone into game face, let alone tried to hurt the young man.  And, he remembered seeing Spike look to Buffy for guidance when Riley had him pinned before he fought back even though the other man was clearly planning to kill him.  There was no question that the vampire had made a clear decision not to bite or drink from the soldier, in spite of having his teeth on the man’s neck.  Giles could not remember ever reading anything about a vampire showing that kind of control.  

 

            “Giles?”  Buffy’s mother prodded the Watcher. 

 

            The man sighed then said to her,  “You’ve given me a great deal to think about, Joyce.  I’m not sure I can process it all right now, but......”

 

            “Now happens to be when my daughter and the man who loves her are trying to say ‘good-bye’ forever because they’re sure no one here will trust him without that stupid chip!  If you listen carefully, I’m pretty sure you can hear their hearts breaking from out here.  I know I can.”  She glared at him definantly, clearly waiting for him to do something.

 

            “I... I... think I trust Spike.” Tara ventured tremulously.

 

            “Uh,  oddly enough,  so do I,”  Willow agreed.  “Even last year when he was saying he was going to kill me, I didn’t really think he would.   I don’t think he wants to kill any of us.   Well, maybe Xander, “ she added with a smile as he joined them on the porch.

 

            “Maybe Xander what?” he asked looking from Willow to Giles and Joyce.

 

            Giles cleared his throat and admitted, “We’re discussing the fact that Spike has not seriously tried to kill any of us since well before he got the chip.  And,” he added quickly as the young man’s face twisted, “he didn’t try to hurt you tonight, even though the chip is apparently not working.”

 

            “We’re talking about the evil undead, here!” Xander said with an almost hysterical tone to his voice.  “You can’t seriously be thinking about letting him go?  Buffy needs to stake him and if she won’t, I will!” he finished, folding his arms across his chest. 

 

            Giles sighed and looked at Joyce pleadingly,  “I’m leaving this one to you, Joyce.  I need to talk to Buffy – and to Spike,” he added as he reached for the door knob.

 

               The Watcher stepped into the kitchen to find his Slayer and the vampire facing him as a unit.  Their shoulders were touching and he could see that their hands were linked.

 

            “So, Rupert,” Spike asked with a growl, “You come to be sure I leave?  Or have you decided the safer option is to stake me now?”

 

            Buffy  stepped slightly in front of him, facing her watcher warily.

 

            “I’m not going to let you kill him, Giles.  No one is going to kill him.”  Her voice trembled slightly, but the look she gave him was pure Slayer.

 

            Giles sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to reassure them. “I’m not here to stake you, Spike.  But I do need to ask both of you some questions.”

 

            Spike arched an eyebrow in surprise.  Buffy relaxed her stance slightly and leaned back into him.

 

            “What kind of questions, Giles?” she asked warily.

 

            “Well, to begin with,  how long has it been since the chip stopped working?”

 

            “Since Robo-man zapped me, we think,” the vampire answered.  “And, to answer your next question, I knew about it yesterday when I jumped on GI Joe and it didn’t fire.”

 

            “And you haven’t fed on anyone yet?”  the watcher inquired with disbelief in his voice.

 

            Slayer and vampire exchanged a look and Buffy spoke up hesitantly, “No one he didn’t have permission to feed from.”  She met her Watcher’s furious look defiantly.  “I asked him to – so he would be able to heal and help me tonight.  He didn’t want to – and he didn’t almost drain me like Angel did.  It was no big deal,” she muttered as she looked away from the Watcher’s appalled face.

 

            To Giles’ amazement, the vampire looked thoroughly ashamed of himself and he offered apologetically,  “Would never have touched her if she hadn’t insisted.  I‘ll never do it again, I swear.”

 

            Giles approached them and went to reach for Buffy’s wrist to see the bite.   To his dismay, she turned her head so that he could see her neck.   As he was moving his gaze from the bite marks on her neck to her face, he saw Spike’s neck out of the corner of his eye and hissed as he saw the human teeth marks there. 

 

Suddenly the Ripper was in full view,  “Did you claim her?” he demanded as he shoved the vampire up against a cabinet. “What the hell is this?”  He knew if he’d had a stake in his hand, the vampire would already be dust and he would have a hysterical slayer on his hands.  At that moment he couldn’t decide if he was grateful he didn’t have one in his hand, or sorry about it.

 

Buffy stepped between them and pushed her Watcher back from the immobile vampire.  “Giles! Leave him alone.  We’ve both told you it was my idea.  I needed him healthy and that was the fastest way to do it.  It’s my blood and I’ll use it as I see fit.  It was a Slayer decision.”

 

“And your teeth marks on him?” he queried angrily.

 

“Different time, different situation,” she blushed with embarrasment,  “And soooo none of your business.”

 

Giles took a deep breath and stepped away from the girl that was like a daughter to him.   “Right then,  most definitely something I don’t want to know about.” He tried very hard not to see the mocking smirk on the vampire’s face.

 

There was an uncomfortable silence for a minute until Giles got himself under control and continued with his original line of questions.

 

“So then, except for, “ he waved vaguely in the direction of Buffy’s neck, “you haven’t been feeding off people?”

 

“No, Watcher.  I haven’t.”  Spike looked the other man in the eye blandly.

 

“Why not?” Giles surprised himself and the couple with the vehemence of his question.  “You don’t have a soul – what’s keeping you from feeding?”

 

“I may not have a soul, Watcher, but I do have a conscience.”  He put his arms around Buffy and pulled her back into his chest, making it very clear what his meaning was.

 

Giles looked at them curiously for several minutes.   He couldn’t get over how relaxed and at ease Buffy seemed in the arms of the killer of two slayers.  Nor could he pretend that he coudn’t see the love on the face of the demon with his arms around her.

 

“You know they’re howling for your blood out there, don’t you?”  he finally offered.

 

“Figured they would be.  Can’t blame ‘em.  I’d be the same way in their place.  It’s not like they don’t know I have plenty of reason to want them dead,” he finished with a growl.

 

“So, what is the plan then?” Giles asked mildly.  He tried to appear casual, but he was watching Buffy’s face closely and he saw the flash of pain that went across it at his question.

 

“We figured I’d just disappear.  Go somewhere else where there won’t be a crowd of people expecting her to do her job and stake me.”

 

“And that’s all right with both of you?”

 

Buffy just bit her lip and clutched the muscular arm that still held her against Spike’s chest, but the vampire exploded, “Bloody hell! No, it’s not alright!  I don’t want to be on the other side of the world wonderin’ if she’s alright, if she needs back up, if she... she....”  He stopped, not even willing to give voice to what was the inevitable fate of all slayers.

 

“Buffy?”  Giles inquired gently.

 

“I can’t kill another man I love, Giles.  I won’t.  As long as everyone thinks he’s dangerous, that’s what I’m going to be expected to do.  If I have to send him away to keep him safe from me, then that’s what I’ll do.  Even if it kills me,” she added softly looking up at Spike with tears hovering behind her eyelashes.

 

The vampire hadn’t even heard anything she said after “man I love”.   He knew his heart hadn’t beat in over a hundred years, but he was sure it was pounding in his chest as he fell into her eyes.

 

“Never want to leave you, my love.  Want you forever.  Love you so much....”

 

Completely forgotten by the two other people in the room, Giles watched in stupification as they stood, foreheads pressed together, tears on their cheeks  Can vampires cry? murmuring things he realized he had no business listening to as they prepared to part for the rest of their lives.   As he watched them, he remembered how short that period of time was likely to be in Buffy’s case, and the idea that she would spend what was left of her life wishing she was with someone she thought she shouldn’t be suddenly became very disturbing to him.

 

Murmuring, “Don’t leave yet, Spike,” he turned and went back out on to the porch.  He met Joyce’s eyes and nodded his head to her and was rewarded with a smile. 

 

The commandos had sobered up considerably after watching their leader get thoroughly thrashed by something they thought had been rendered harmless.  Riley walked slowly up to Giles, one eye swollen shut and blood on his cheek.

 

“Where is he?” he demanded.

 

“Gone,” Giles answered calmly. 

 

“Gone as in Buffy took care of him the way she should, or gone as in left Sunnydale?”

 

“Spike has left Sunnydale and I doubt he will come back.  He knows he can’t kill this slayer and he has no other reason to stay around.  He probably went back to South America.  I believe he owns property there.”  Giles spoke the lies without so much as an accelerated heart rate.

 

“I need to talk to Buffy,” Riley started up the steps only to be stopped by a hand on his chest.  He glanced at the watcher in surprise, then tried to push forward. 

 

“I wouldn’t go in there right now if I were you,” Giles said mildly, but the look on face made it perfectly clear that Ripper was more than willing to see that the advice was followed.

 

Riley huffed indignantly, but turned and went back down the steps toward his men.

 

“Let’s get going, men.  Nothing else for us to do here.  We need some down time before the new commander arrives.”

 

 

Chapter Eighteen

 

At Joyce’s invitation, the Scoobies and the Watcher all moved back into the kitchen for hot chocolate and coffee.  Everyone noticed that Buffy and Spike were standing close together at the edge of the room, but even Xander refrained from making any comments.  Giles raised his eyebrow at Joyce and she just blinked at him innocently as though having no idea what he was surprised about, so he just shook his head and sat down.

 

Joyce took orders for coffee and hot chocolate, but didn’t bother asking Spike.  She just handed him a cup of hot chocolate with small marshmellows floating on top. He smiled his gratitude at her and ducked his head shyly.

 

“Well,”  Giles finally began, “I guess we need to make a plan.”

 

“Plan?  What plan?  We just defeated the bad guy – we don’t need any more plans!”  Xander sputtered.  “Can’t we just go home and sleep?”

 

“Yes, of course.  We all need to rest – and we will, soon.  But first we need to be clear on....” He glanced at Spike and Buffy, still holding themselves away from the rest of the group as they sipped their hot chocolate.  “We need to be clear on what we talk to the Intiative people about.”

 

“Uh, G-man,” Xander put in as he looked over at Spike, “didn’t I hear you tell Riley that the evil undead was long gone?”

 

“Precisely.”  Giles glared at the young man.  “They cannot know that Spike is still here, or that we know where he is.”

 

“And that’s because...?”

 

“Because,” said Joyce quietly, “the women in this household do not want to be deprived of the pleasure of his company.  Which would surely happen if they knew where to find him.”

 

“So, we’re back to hiding Deadboy, Jr. from the Intiative again?  Cause that was sooo much fun the last time,” Xander groaned.

 

“Don’t worry, Xander, he won’t be staying with you anymore.” Buffy finally entered the conversation.

 

“Already hating myself for asking this, but, where will he be staying?”

 

“For the rest of today, he will be staying in our basement,” Joyce said firmly, gesturing to the brightening sky outside.  “Then we’ll see.”

 

“’Preciate it, Joyce.  But it won’t be for long.  As soon as it’s dark again, I’m going to take off for parts unknown.”

 

Buffy inhaled sharply, then reached for his hand and moved closer to him.  There was a gasp from Xander as she leaned into the vampire and put her head on his chest.  Soft choking noises could be heard from the dark eyed man as Spike’s free arm went around Buffy and he held her tightly.  Never taking his eyes off her shocked friends, he said very clearly, “But I won’t be gone long.  I’ll be back as soon as the Watcher tells me it’s safe. Is that the plan, Rupe?”

 

The Watcher met his eyes steadily and nodded once.

 

“Safe for who?” Xander muttered.  “Giles?  Tell me you’re not condoning this, this....”

 

“Buffy is not a child, Xander.  She is a young woman and she is entitled to whatever happiness she can squeeze into a very chaotic, sometimes unpleasant and always dangerous life.  I cannot say I am happy about the situation, but I won’t stand in the way of what makes her happy.  At the moment, that appears to be Spike.   I suggest you strive to achieve the same attitude,” he added pointedly.

 

Willow reached over and squeezed her best friend’s hand and whispered,  “Please, Xander.  Try.  For Buffy?”

 

 His brown eyes flashed around the room, meeting nothing but calm, accepting looks from everyone.  Even the vampire seemed to be waiting for him to say something.  Eventually, with a final glare at the vampire, he groaned,  “Oh, all right.  We survived one vampire boyfriend, I guess we can survive another.  But, if you ever hurt Buffy or Joyce, or....”

 

“Goes without saying,” Spike agreed quietly.

 

The tension suddenly went out of the room as everyone relaxed and Joyce quickly suggested that everyone find a comfortable spot to settle down for a few hours of sleep before heading to their respective homes.  Willow and Tara thanked her, but said they had early classes and wanted to get back to the dorm.  They left as the sun was rising, holding hands and leaning in to each other.

 

Giles also thanked Joyce for her offer, but declined and offered Xander a ride home.  As the boy went out to get in the car, Giles turned to Buffy and Spike and said, “Everyone needs to rest.  Is that clear?”

 

Picking right up on his message, Joyce added, “Yes,  Buffy, now that Spike is recovered, you can have your bed back.  Spike, there is a cot in the basement with sheets and blankets folded on it.  You should be able to sleep down there for the rest of the day.”

 

“Well, that was subtle,” Spike mumbled, looking thoroughly embarrassed as he began edging toward the basement door.  Buffy, however, hung on to his hand and looked back and forth between her watcher and her mother.  “I have three words for you two – hood, police car,” she said clearly.  When her flustered mother looked as though she was planning to speak anyway, Buffy added quietly, “stevedore”.  Flushing bright red, her mother mumbled a quick “good night” and ran for the stairs.  Giles vigorously polished his glasses, cleared his throat and with a “Yes, quite, well then....” he edged his way out the door.  When he got outside he paused and smiled to himself.  “Stevedore, huh?” he repeated as he walked to his car with more spring in his step than usual.

 

“What the hell was that all about, pet?” The puzzled vampire was trying to make sense out of the abrupt change in demeanor of the two other people.

 

            Buffy grinned at him.  “Remind me to tell you the whole band candy story sometime.  But not right now,” she breathed as she moved into his arms for a kiss.  “Right now we have resting to do.”

 

“Resting, right then.  To bed it is,” he said, swooping her up and opening the door to the basement.

 

 

Epilogue

 

The Slayer was restless.

 

 The Initiative was gone – sent to South America to collect and tag demons there.  She’d made it very clear to Riley that there was no reason for him not to leave with his men.  He hadn’t taken it well – finally snarling some ugly things about slayers and the vampires they couldn’t or wouldn’t kill.   The ugliness of his accusations and his condemnation of her calling was all it took to remove any residual feelings of affection she might have had.

 

I’m not a normal girl.  Never was, never will be. Don’t know why I even tried. I’m the Slayer.  Super powers, short life.  That’s my destiny.  I need someone who understands me and my life – not someone who wants to change it.

 

The Hellmouth was quiet – only the odd fledgling to dust on patrol.  And she hadn’t heard from Spike in a week.  He’d been very faithful the first month he was gone, calling every night and sending her the occasional letter written in an ornate, flowing script that she had a hard time associating with the hard-edged vampire she had met in the alley behind the Bronze two years ago.  But the calls had become less frequent and there hadn’t been any in the last week.  Not for the first time she wished she’d insisted he tell her where he was going when he left Sunnydale.  She suspected that Giles knew, but her pride prevented her from asking the Watcher if he knew where her boyfriend was.

 

With a sigh, she turned toward Revello Drive and her empty bed.  “Another night of trying to sleep when all I really want to do is... Damn vampire!”

 

When Buffy got into the house, she systematically checked all the doors and turned off the lights.  Her mother was away on a buying trip in San Francisco and Buffy  had offered to stay at the house.  She prided herself on her ability to handle the household responsibilities while her mother was gone.  She checked the phone machine for messages, frowning when there was nothing there from Spike. 

 

Her inherent insecurities about men were beginning to surface and she struggled not to give in to thoughts of his having found Drusilla or Harmony and deciding to go back to being the Big Bad with another vampire for a consort.

 

What if he didn’t like having sex with me?  I probably don’t do the things vampires like.  Maybe it was the chip that made him think he loved me.  Maybe he doesn’t want me any more.

 

Shaking off the negative thoughts, Buffy brushed her teeth, put on some loose boxers and a tank top and got into bed.  She closed her eyes, determined not to dream about Spike. 

 

An hour later she was tossing restlessly as she dreamed of cool hands sliding over her body and soft lips kissing hers.  She moaned in her sleep as she arched her body into an imaginary mouth traveling over her skin.  Suddenly she sat up, searching the dark room frantically.  She couldn’t see anything, but her Slayer senses were screaming and the bite mark on her neck was tingling. 

 

She gave a muffled scream as she was suddenly grasped from behind by arms that felt like steel cords.  Even as her slayer instincts were telling her to defend herself, she was sinking back into the body behind her and tilting her head to allow access to the bite marks.  She shivered as she felt his soft lips gently cover the marks and his cool tongue probe them softly.

 

“Did you miss me, love?” he murmured in her ear as he moved his mouth up to nibble on her ear lobe.  Relief at feeling his arms again and the desire to punish him for making her worry competed for Buffy’s attention.

 

“Not even a little bit,” she said as she turned around so that she could capture those soft lips with her own.  “I hardly noticed you were gone.  What with slaying, and the Bronze and school and....” The rest of the lie was smothered by Spike’s hungry mouth and tongue and talking became impossible and unimportant until she had to break for air.

 

“I missed you, Slayer.  Every second of every day.  All I could think about was you and what I was going to do with you when I got back.”

 

“What are you going to do with me?” she asked breathlessly, leaving little kisses along his jaw line and down his neck.  “Tell me, Big Bad.”

 

“Rather show you, love.”

 

As he spoke, he was working her shorts down her legs and off to the floor.  When he turned her around to face him, Buffy realized he was already naked and hard.   She moved into his lap and wrapped her legs around his waist, putting her warm entrance right over his throbbing cock.  Both groaned as she squeezed him against her, trapping his erection against her stomach.  She moved up and down slightly, rubbing her most sensitive parts on his shaft and spreading her moisture all along it.  Spike lowered his head to lavish attention on her breasts; sucking each hard, pink nipple until it was standing straight out and Buffy was moaning and pushing her chest toward his face;  her head thrown back and eyes shut. 

 

When her moans turned to whimpers and pleading repetitions of his name, he moved his lips back up her neck and fastened them on her mouth again, murmuring her name over and over as he did so.

 

Another bone-melting kiss later, and Buffy was lowering herself on to his cock and pulling him down on top of her as she turned them in the bed.  She shivered in anticipation at the same time her body felt like it was on fire.

 

Spike felt like he was going to spontaneously combust as he buried himself in her heat.  He pulled her arms over her head and stretched his body out on top of hers so that every inch of skin that could touch her was pressed up against her warm golden body.

 

“Buffy.” He groaned.  “I’ve missed this so much, love.  I could stay here forever.”

 

Feels like home.

 

This is home, Spike. 

 

 “Promise you won’t ever leave me again.”

 

“I promise, my love.   Never leave you.  Want you forever.  Love you forever.” He breathed into her ear as he began gently moving within her.  He vowed to make this reunion love making last, but it wasn’t long before his body took over and he was thrusting into her with all his vampiric strength while she met him – thrust for thrust, clenching her slayer enhanced muscles around him and sending him spiraling toward his release.  He slipped a hand between them and pressed down hard just as he reached his peak, sending her over the edge at the same time, screaming his name as she came.

 

When they had recovered enough to talk,  Buffy curled up next to the vampire, running her hand in small circles over his chisled chest as she asked, “Where were you?  You didn’t call or anything for almost two weeks.”  Buffy was surprised and not very pleased at the whiney tone to her voice, but didn’t seem to be able to do anything about it.

 

 Way to go, Buffy.  Start the conversation with a nag. That’ll make him want to stay.

 

She sounds like she really missed me.  Guess the time away didn’t change how she feels.

 

 Spike hadn’t been aware of how unsure of her he was until her words flooded him with relief.  As the small ball of worry he’d been carrying around the the last six weeks dissipated,  he gave a sigh and pulled her closer.

 

“Went back to England for awhile,  pet.”

 

She sat up with surprise.  “England?  What were you doing there?”

 

“Had some business to take care of – and, the Watcher wanted me to talk to some people....”

 

Buffy’s eyes narrowed dangerously.  “The Council,” she said flatly.  “He had you talk to the Council.  I’ll kill him.”

 

The vampire smiled and squeezed her gently.  “’S alright, love.  I was careful.  Didn’t actually meet with anyone until we were sure I would be safe.  Started with one of Rupert’s old friends and he kind of ran interference for me.  The Watcher wanted to know if you – we -- would be safe from the Council of Wankers if they found out about us.  So he had his friend do some diggin’, then gradually broke it to him that he wanted him to talk to me.  He didn’t tell them my chip was gone – figured asking one of them to meet with William the Bloody knowing I was free to kill again would be askin’ a little too much....”

 

Buffy looked at him with confusion.  “Digging for what?   To see if other Slayers have fallen in love with vampires?”  She laughed in disbelief.

 

“Actually, love, that’s exactly what he was looking for.” Spike said seriously.

 

“What?  He expected to find something like that in the records?”

 

“Well, not in the records they use every day – can’t have their people thinking vampires might not all be something to be staked on sight – but in the old Watcher’s Diaries.  Seems like we’re not as special as we think we are...” He smiled at the indignant look on her face.  “Well, maybe special.  But not as unique.”

 

“So... other Slayers have....”

 

“Not a lot.  Most don’t live that long, you know? “ He wanted to bite his tongue when he felt her flinch at the reminder of how short her life was expected to be.  He pulled her up so that she was looking into his deadly serious eyes.  “You are going to – live, I mean.  As long as I have anything to do with it.  You’re going to be the longest lived Slayer ever – you’ll be the only one running around with a walker, beatin’ poor fledgling vamps over the head with it as they dig their way out of their graves.”

 

Buffy smile at the mental image of herself as a little old lady still slaying vamps in Sunnydale.

 

“Think you’ll still be around by then?  When I’m old and ugly and—”

 

His possessive growl startled her, but gave her the same familiar tingles that it always did.  “You will never be ugly to me.  And, yes, I’ll still be here.  If you still want me to,” he added softly, his insecurity showing through the macho bluster.

 

“I will always want you here,” she said shyly, forcing herself to look him in the eye so he could see the truth in her.

 

“And I will always be here.”  He met her look and she felt herself falling into those beautiful eyes.

 

Without consciously willing it, Buffy’s mouth moved closer and closer to his and they were soon lost in the sensations created by soft, supple lips and strong tongues.  Kisses that ran the gamut from soft and tender to heated and passionate and back again kept them occupied for a long time.

 

During a break, Buffy came back to Spike’s conversations with the Councel of Watchers.   “So, what did they find out about Slayers and vampires?”

 

“Well, it has happened before.  Not always with a happy ending,” he admitted.  “It’s always an older slayer.”  He laughed at Buffy’s snort of indignation.  “Not old, love, just not some little fourteen, fifteen-year-old virgin.  And, always an older vampire – usually a master.” 

 

“Why is that, I wonder?”  she mused aloud as she absorbed the information.

 

“Probably because the older slayer has had enough time and experience to show some discrimination in her slaying.  She’s not just out to kill everything that moves.   Same thing for the master.  He’s got some control over his bloodlust.  He’s got the ability to think past his demon.  And, an older slayer is a very good – or very lucky—” He laughed again when she punched him on the chest.  “Anyway, the two would be too well-matched physically for either to kill the other straight away.  Giving them time to get to know each other.”

 

“Makes sense, I guess,” Buffy agreed.  “But it doesn’t happen very often, right?”

 

“No, only a few times since Watchers' started keeping their journals.  And some of those times, the slayer’s watcher staked the vampire – or the Council terminated the slayer.”

 

“Terminated?  You mean like they fired her?”

 

“No, sweetheart.  I mean they terminated her.  Permanently.”

 

“Assholes,” Buffy muttered.  “I knew I didn’t like them.”

 

“Yeah, they’re a right bunch of wankers,” he agreed.  “But we needed to know that they would be alright with this.  I didn’t want to put you in danger,” he said gently, stroking the side of her face.

 

Buffy leaned into his hand, closing her eyes contentedly as she asked, “And are they?  Okay, I mean.”

 

“I think so.  ‘Course they think I’m still chipped.  I figure by the time they find out it’s not true, I’ll have a track record of helping you fight the bad guys and they won’t come screaming for my dust.”

 

“Over my dead body,”  she vowed, the Slayer very clearly present for a moment.  Just as quickly, the young woman was back and she eyed him speculatively.

 

“I’ll bet I know something that’s unique about us.” She smiled at him and ran her hands up his sides. Her smile got wider as he hissed and she felt him grow hard again inside her.  Ignoring his questioning look, she sat up, straddling him and began moving.

 

“Uhhhh,” he groaned as she rode him slowly.  “We’re bloody good at this, but I don’t think we invented it, love,” he gasped as he clutched her hips and pushed up into her.

 

When Buffy’s panting whimpers told him she was reaching her release point, he flipped them over so that he was on top and she was looking up at him.  She searched his face with her eyes wide, as though looking for something in particular.  Whatever she saw in those intense blue eyes burning into hers, was what she was looking for and she yanked him down, grabbing his throat with her blunt little teeth.

 

 “Mine!” she gasped as she shuddered beneath him.

 

Spike’s demon reacted before he even realized what she’d done, and before her teeth were even through his skin, his fangs had sunk into the mark on her neck and he growled, “Mine!” as he exploded within her.

 

Teeth buried in each other’s necks, the two arched into each other and shuddered as wave after wave of orgasm swept through them.  Buffy’s bite released when she lost consciousness from the constant waves of pleasure rolling over her.  As soon as she let go,  Spike’s demon withdrew and he collapsed on top of her, completely unaware of anything except the warm body under his and the incredible power flowing through his body from her blood.

 

Buffy came back to awareness with Spike feathering her face with kisses and murmuring over and over,  “Love you, love you, love you, love you,” as though it was a mantra.  She basked in the feeling of emotional and physical contentment for a minute, then had to interrupt his litany of “love you”s to request some space to breathe.  He moved to one side with a mumbled apology, but never let up the kisses he was showering on her face and neck.

 

“So,” she breathed softly, “Does this mean you’re my long-haul guy?  That you’ll still be here when I’m old and gray?”

 

She almost flinched from the devotion in his eyes as he stopped his kissing to stare into her face.  “There was never any doubt, love.  You didn’t do that just because you thought I might leave you, did you?”  His heart ached that she might have doubted him enough to have made a commitment she really didn’t mean.  He could feel tears prickling behind his eyes and blinked hard to try to keep them there.

 

Great!  Verbal moron Buffy strikes again! What did I say?

 

She reached up a tentative hand and touched the one tear that had escaped to run down his cheek.

 

“Spike?” she asked softly, her own eyes filling with tears.  “What’s wrong?  I thought you’d be happy....”

 

“I am happy, love.  You have no idea.  I’m just afraid that you don’t really understand what we just did.  That you’ll regret –“

 

She stopped him with a hand on his lips.  “No regrets, Spike.  I knew what I was doing.  This means we’re bonded forever, right?  I’m yours, you’re mine – for as long as we have together?  Isn’t that what you told me?”

 

He nodded slowly, unable to speak around the lump in his throat.

 

Well, she might as well know now what a nancy-boy she’s got herself.

 

Willing him to see how serious she was, Buffy said slowly and carefully,  “ I love you, Spike.  I want you with me for the rest of my life.  Are you okay with that?”

 

“Yeah, I think I’m good with that,” he finally got out.  At a loss for words for one of the few times in his life, he folded her into his arms and resumed his kissing.  “I’m very, very good with that,” he added, vowing to himself once again that she would be the longest- lived Slayer ever.

 

 

The End