~Chapter Two~
Over a month later, they were settling in nicely to the sleepy little town of Dahlonega. The rental was only a two bedroom, but it had a basement that they fixed up all nice for Spike. Almost like his crypt back in Sunnydale. He didn't go out much, so it wasn't hard to integrate him into their new life. When someone asked and he was with them, Buffy introduced him as her friend or even her boyfriend, Will.
During the day, Buffy was off working at Brookes Bar and Grille while Dawn went off to school, leaving Spike to sleep all day and watch TV as he pleased. Sometimes, if the mood struck him, he would go upstairs and do some housework. He even made cookies a couple times. Buffy was still adjusting to her new Happy Housewife Spike... Dawn would come to the restaurant after school and sit in a small booth doing homework then having dinner with Buffy when 'Helen' got off work. After that, they would simply head home and Dawn would go to bed while Buffy stayed up for awhile keeping Spike company.
James Brookes, the owner of the restaurant and former watcher, was doing his best to help her in her new life there as Helen Davis as a personal favour to his old friend, Rupert. He became almost like her new watcher, growing fond of her and her sister almost immediately. He was, of course, uneasy around Spike, which Buffy understood by now as normal for everyone. She just tried to keep the James/Spike contact to a minimum.
Every week, James flew to Texas on business and so Buffy would give him a letter that she wrote to the Scoobies to put in the mail from there. Word to let them know Dawn and she were okay. After the second trip, he told her he had word from his friends that a strange group from California had arrived briefly and had been poking around the town. It made her thankful that she had thought enough ahead to not just put it in the mail there in Dahlonega.
Their actions were typical. Their usual selfishness of wanting her around to take care of them, no matter what she needed. She had told them she would keep in contact and might come back sometime down the road when things had settled down. But, did they want to give her time to herself?
"No..." she grumbled to herself and rolled her eyes as she took off her apron. She tossed it aside and grabbed the usual burger plates for her and Dawn, heading out to their usual booth. She stopped, though, when she saw Spike sitting there. "Hey... what's up?"
"Jus' wanted t' have some nosh with my girls," he smiled up at her and took the plates from her hands.
"Okay... well, you can share my burger with me... its pretty big and I usually don't eat it all anyways. What do you want to drink?" She thumbed over her shoulder towards the kitchen. She didn't even bother motioning towards the bar since one of her rules was no drinking or smoking around Dawn.
He lifted a shoulder. "Cherry coke should do me."
She nodded and went to get his drink, then came back and slid it in front of him. Dawn wasn't there and she glanced around, thinking her sister had slipped off the restrooms.
"She said she was tired an' headed back home," Spike supplied as he started munching on Dawn's burger.
"What? By herself?" Her brows went up.
He reached out and touched her arm. "The Bit'll be fine. No worries. Can handle herself."
She frowned at him slightly for a moment before sighing and relaxing. Dawn was already long gone anyways. Might as well not blow up at Spike for her sister's usual recklessness, even if she thought he should have stopped Dawn. Stupid bleached... semi-bleached punk always let her get away with everything... she rolled her eyes.
"You always get that look on your face around me," Spike wipe his mouth with the back of his hand and pouted slightly.
"What look?" Her brows went up.
"The look you jus' got while you were thinkin' 'bout whatever you were thinkin' 'bout..." he waved a hand and took a drink. "Can' describe it really... but if you'll get me a camera, I'll take a picture of it next time."
"Oh yeah, I'm gonna give you a camera so you can sneak around taking pictures of me while I'm sleeping and doing who knows what else so that you can use them to do things I don't even want to think about. I still remember your Wall O' Buffy...." She made a face and took a small bite of her burger, continuing her lecture around the food in her mouth. "Though... a camera would mean you would take a couple flashes and leave... instead of that sketching thing, which meant you musta been sitting in my room for like hours watching me sleep." She shook a fry at him. "Gawd you're a freak."
He raised a brow, watching her passively throughout her ramblings. Then at her declaration at the end he frowned for a moment before cracking a smile and laughing. "I s'pose I am... always been a bit odd... even by vampire standards..."
She rolled her eyes at him with a small smile. "Figures that would be a compliment to you..."
That Friday, Buffy went straight home after work because Dawn had left for a weekend trip with her new friend's family. She was so glad her sister had been able to make new friends here, something she had worried about when uprooting her sister even if it was for her sister's safety. Kelly Carson was better than some of the friends Buffy had met back in Sunnydale, as well. She probably wouldn't have let Dawn spend the weekend with her Sunnydale friends...
She walked into the house and tossed her purse and jacket onto the table as she passed. She glanced around the empty house and called out, "Spike?"
"Down here, pet," his voice floated up from the basement and she walked over to the open door. "C'mon down an' keep a guy company. Ordered pizza an' wings. Got some beer, too."
She rolled her eyes as she entered the basement. "Should've known you'd take the opportunity to drink the moment Dawn left the house." Looking down at his upturned face, she couldn't get mad and lecture him. He had been doing very well, better than she could have ever expected since they got there. So she curled up on the sofa beside him and reached for a beer. "So what's on tonight?"
A slow smile spread across his face when he realized she wasn't going to lecture him about the beer and was even going to join him. "Uh..." He fumbled for the bag beside him from the video store. "I got a load of scary movies with loads of blood... will understand if you don' wanna watch them. Can watch them later."
"No, that's fine with me. Hey, I've seen my share of the gory and bloody..." she rolled her eyes and took a long drink of the beer, wincing slightly at the taste. She glanced over and caught him smirking at the wince. She grabbed one of the videos and hit him with it lightly. "Oh shuddup..." She got up to go put the movie in.
By the end of the movie, they had polished off all the beer and were laughing at the overly dramatized deaths. Buffy turned off the movie, laying her head in Spike's lap and looking up at him. She closed her eyes and started to snuggle in, dozing slightly. He smiled at her and scooped her up gently, carrying her upstairs to her bedroom. He crawled into bed beside her and wrapped his arms around her to hold her as she dozed, pressing a light kiss to her forehead and falling asleep himself.
Later that night, Buffy opened her eyes slowly and looked up at Spike, surprised at the position she found herself in. Snuggled against the snarky vampire in her bed, sleeping peacefully together. It was almost... intimate... She started to sit up and he grumbled, tugging her close again.
"Spike..." she said quietly to rouse him.
"Don' want t' let go of you jus' yet... this is too nice..." he opened his eyes slowly and looked down at her. He dipped his head and kissed her slowly, loving the way she tasted.
"Spike..." she breathed.
"Buffy, please don' tell me t' stop... it'll kill me..."
"Spike..."
"I've been real good since we've got here! Been followin' your soddin' rules an' even doin' nice for you girls here, takin' care of you both."
"Spike..." He started to interrupt her again and she finally put a hand over his mouth. "Will you stop interrupting me? Sheesh..." she chuckled. "I was gonna agree with you! And before that, I wasn't arguing with you the other two times..." She rolled her eyes.
He smiled widely, overjoyed as he rolled her onto her back and rose over her. He resumed his exploration of her mouth, becoming more insistent as his hands moved over her. He urgently tugged at her clothing and wiggled out of his own, wanting to take advantage of this before she changed her mind. Who knows how long he would remain in her favour this time.
He nudged her legs apart with his knee and lowered himself between them. He kissed her neck while taking hold of her hips and lifting them so that he could enter her slowly. She let out a low moan and wrapped her legs around his waist, tilting her head to give him better access to her neck.
"Mmm slayer... feel so good..." His hands traveled over her hips and up her sides to cup her breasts, kneading them in his hands. "So hot..." he breathed his cool breath against her skin as he nibbled at her shoulder, "an' tight..."
She pressed herself more firmly into his touch and moaned. Her hands moved over his back and one went up to play in the curls at the nape of his neck, then caught at them to force his face back up so that she could kiss him hungrily. Her hips moved against his, urging his thrusts to pick up pace.
"Pet... as much as I'm lovin' your enthusiasm... don' want t' hurt you," he returned to kissing her neck and shoulder. "Vampire here an' all that... wanna be gentle with you."
She rolled her eyes, making an irritated sound and rolling them both over so that she was on top. "One, you talk to much, two, I'm a freakin' slayer here and not just some human, and three, you should know by now that I hate it when people treat me like I'm some fragile little girl." She started moving her hips slowly with a small smile.
He closed his eyes and tilted his head back, groaning, "Buffy..."
His eyes opened and flashed gold briefly as he quickly sat up, startling her for a moment. "You wan' the big bad t' stop bein' gentle with the wee lil slayer girl?" He smirked and grasped her hips, holding her firmly against him. At her nod, he started to thrust up into her hard and plundered her mouth with his own. "Gawd woman... the things you do t' me..."
"You even talk in your sleep, I bet..." she chuckled and rolled her eyes again.
"Prob'ly do." His tongue curled behind his teeth as he watched her move against him, small breasts bouncing at the force of his thrusts. "An' maybe you'll get more chances t' find out from now on..."
He bent his head to capture one of the bouncing peaks in his mouth, eliciting a gasp from her. Her mind was too foggy with pleasure at that moment to register the full meaning of what he had just said. She was more intent on her fingers tracing the muscles of his chest and moving up to his own hardened nubs. Tracing them lightly in teasing circles.
He moaned as he kissed and nibbled back up to her throat, then kiss her mouth hard. "Buffy, luv... let me taste you... wan' t' taste you so badly..."
She looked into his eyes, fighting the fogginess in her brain. "Huh? Isn't that what you just did?"
"I wan' t' bite you, ya silly bird." He chuckled and kissed her slowly. "Sure you taste so sweet an' delicious..." He purred and nuzzled at her neck, nipping lightly as one hand left her hip to dip down to where they were joined to massage her clit. "C'mon, know you'll love the feel of my fangs... much better than that big poofter..."
"Mentioning him is not a turn on..." she grumbled and arched her back slightly, worrying her bottom lip. "And... and bite me?" She tried to get her brain to focus for a moment. At her hesitation, he stroked her clit more insistently so that she was moaning louder as pleasure started to build towards her climax. "Fine!" She gasped, "Just do it... I'm about to explode..."
Her smirked before biting into her throat, drinking deeply as she cried out in pain and pleasure. She came and her nicely trained slayer muscles clenched, causing him to stop drinking as he cried out as well and spilling deep inside her. Both clutched each other, panting even though only one needed the air that they were sucking in greedily.
"Are you okay, pet?" He asked gently, wary of her going off on him for showing concern again.
She smiled and brushed a light kiss across his lips, flooding him with relief. "Yes, told I wouldn't break."
"So you did," he chuckled and moved her off his lap to lay her down gently before laying down beside her. He curled a possessive arm about her and tugged her close. "I jus' hope that you'll let me share your bed again now an' then at least. An' not jus' for sex, jus' bein' beside you an' I sleep a hundred times better. More peaceful." He nuzzled her shoulder with a purr. "You smell so good an' feel so bloody amazin'."
"You better stop that or my heads gonna get too big to get out the door. I'll be stuck in here and who'll make us money then?" She grinned impishly at him.
"I sorta like that idea an' I'd think of somethin' t' provide for my girls."
"Silly man..." she chuckled and brushed a thumb across his sharp cheekbone. "An' I suppose we could come up with a new sleeping arrangement... just need to be careful with Dawn in the house..." She nodded.
"Apparently you haven' seen the note on the counter yet," a laugh rumbled low in his chest and grew at her confused look. He got up and went to go get it, handing it to her before slipping back into bed beside her. He curled against her again as she read the note from her sister.
Hey, left the numbers to reach us like you asked. Oh, and if you and Spike don't take advantage of having the house to yourself for the weekend then I'll beat your heads together... then probably leave again so you two will finally get smart and get it on. The way you two moon over each other, it's so gross! Figure once you just boink each other and get it over with then everyone will be happier! To hell with what the others would say, its none of their damn business!!!
Much kisses and hugs, Dawn ♥♥♥♥
Her eyes got wide in shock that her kid sister would even say that to her, no matter that she had been near Dawn's age when her and Angel... okay, so not going there or she would just end up wanting to chain Dawn in the basement. But still... her kid sister cheering on her Spike boinkage... that was just so wrong!
Then her eyes lifted to Spike's smirking face suspicious, feeling a slight pang of hurt that as other sorts of bad thoughts popped up. He had read this before they had their little love fest? Is this the reason he had... just to make Dawn happy or something? Her brows drew together as she felt ready to flee to the bathroom.
He tore the note from her hand, easily reading her changing expressions as usual. "Pet... know that's not why I..." he paused as he didn't think it was right to call what he just did with her something as crude as shagging, but not sure if she would run again at another admission of his feelings for her. He sighed and figured to bite the bullet, "made love t' you... though did get a good laugh at the note at the time, but the only thought when I read it besides how adorable she was is that I agreed this would be a good time t' get close t' you... but as far as taking advantage of some shag time..." He shook his head quickly, hoping her wasn't sounding like a total fool, his inner William coming out, "I was goin' t' leave that t' you t' decide when you were ready... but with the alcohol an'-"
He was cut off when she tugged him close and kissed him, tongue probing deeply and savouring his taste for a moment. She released him after a few moments and offered him a small smile while he regained brain function.
"Okay... okay... you're startin' to babble about as bad as me and Willow..." she chuckled. "And I believe you, I do. I think I'm actually starting to trust you, oddly enough. As you said earlier, you've been really good for awhile now... more than can be attributed to the chip. Been good to my mom, then Dawn, and when I stopped being a stuck up bitch then me. The chip only made it so you couldn't attack humans, didn't force you to be nice to them." She smiled and kissed him slowly again.
"Means alot t' me that you would say that, luv." He settled against her, relaxed now that all seemed to be well for the moment and still aglow from their lovemaking. "Now get some rest. Gonna need that energy if we're gonna have a few more encores this weekend. Or, if not, then you'll need it for fendin' off a randy vampire chasin' you around in the nude." He laughed.
She laughed as well, picturing that and sure he would do just that if she tried to flee the bedroom.
"I'm really starting to get worried," Willow said quietly as she lay with her head in Tara's lap. Both were curled up on the couch of their new apartment. "I mean, what if she doesn't come back? It's been over a month and I thought this was just going to be something so she could blow off some steam for a bit. What if something happens and she's not here to go all Commando Barbie on it?"
"You'll go Big Bad Witch on it?" Tara offered a small smile of comfort to go with her attempt to lighten her lover's mood. "It'll be okay. I'm sure she'll hear if some apocolypse starts to go down again and come rushing back. And, Angel told us that if we did have any problems to call him. So at least we have that?"
"I guess... but she's obviously too far away for me to get a lock on her with my hokey locator spells. I need to do a bigger, stronger one and I'll be able to find her, I'm sure."
"No... just let her have her space. She'll resent you if you force her to come back... and she probably isn't totally over the whole ripping her from heaven thing." She bit her lower lip, not wanting to sound like she was coming down on Willow. "And I'm just a little bit uneasy with you doing powerful magic. I mean, glad you've been real good about not using it so much since the whole memory incident... but I don't think it's necessary to tempt yourself when I don't think its necessary. Nothing's trying to destroy the world at the moment and she needs her space right now, apparently."
"Okay... but if it looks like we've got trouble, I'm so breaking out the big guns to find her and all that," Willow nodded and then her brows furrowed in though. "I just realized... haven't seen any of Spike lately, either."
"Well, he only really hung around because of Buffy... so now that he's gone its not like he's going to hang out with any of us. Not really on the best of terms or anything." The blonde witch wrinkled her nose in thought as she tried to think of the last time she even saw the bleached vampire.
"Yeah, but we would've at least stumbled into him or something, like on our mini-patrols to cover for the missing slayerage. I mean, walking right through his neighborhood in a manner of speaking, should've spotted him at least once in all this time... unless he was avoiding us... and he's so cocky he wouldn't even if he was up to something."
"Yeah... I guess..."
Both frowned as the seeds of worry were implanted over a possible third missing citizen of Sunnydale.
tbc...