Spike started up the Desoto and pulled the car out of the restaurant parking lot and onto the main drag. He looked over at Buffy staring out the window, presenting Spike with her profile. She was so beautiful: shampoo-shiny hair, thick eyelashes, big hazel eyes, soft, smooth skin. He could sense her rich, hot blood rushing through her veins. His demon rumbled just under the surface.

Buffy felt Spike’s eyes on her, and her skin flushed, her blood felt hot as it rushed through her veins. She dared a glance at him, and her panties became moist. She rubbed her thighs together to get her body to stop reacting. She darted her eyes away from him as he flicked his heated gaze to her lap when he sensed her arousal.

“So pet, where do you want to go?” Spike asked, watching the road.

“TCBY, I’ve a hankering for cheese flavored yogurt,” Buffy smiled shyly.

“Cheese flavored yogurt?” Spike raised the scarred brow.

“I know it’s strange, but it’s only a craving after that fried ravioli I just ate,” Buffy let out a genuine laugh.

Spike cocked his head. “Okay, TCBY and cheese flavored yogurt it is.”

After picking up the yogurt, Spike drove to the park and sat with her on the swing set. He silently watched her eat, eying her beautiful curves. His eyes traveled along her neck watching her throat muscles work at swallowing the treat. His gaze stopped at the pulse point in her throat and grew hot. His demon was held at bay with the promise that she had agreed, by action, to be his.

Buffy felt her skin flush wherever Spike’s eyes touched her. It was like a long leisurely caress across her flesh. She imagined his hands and mouth on her body following the same path as his eyes and her cheeks grew hot, liquid pooling between her thighs. She nearly dropped the cone and moaned at the thought of Spike claiming her. She licked traces of yogurt from her lips when she finished the cone.

A smile tickled the corner of Spike’s mouth as he sensed her arousal and watched her flush and squirm under his scrutiny. Yes, he definitely had an effect on her. He could smell it from where he sat in the swing next to her as her arousal permeated the open air. His fingers itched to reach out and caress her cheek and her lips. He wanted to know every inch of her body by touch. He groaned when he saw her pink tongue slip out to lick her lips clean.

“Where to next, pet?” Spike asked.

Buffy closed her eyes and let Spike’s British voice roll deliciously over her nerves. She loved the purr of his accent. It only added to her daydream – or night dream – of his touch on her flesh. She shouldn’t be here with Spike. She was afraid of the feelings he stirred in her. It wasn’t that she was afraid of Spike; it was more of what Riley would do when she got home tonight.

Spike watched Buffy’s expression change from content to worry. “Buffy, what’s wrong?”

Buffy was pulled out of her thoughts with his question. She looked up into his beautiful blue eyes. How could a vampire be so devilishly handsome and sexy with cerulean eyes fringed by the thickest eyelashes she had ever seen on a man? “Nothing’s wrong,” she stammered.

“Are you sure, pet?” Spike was concerned for her. He only wanted to see her happy. She wasn’t happy with Riley. He would watch her cry in her sleep sometimes after he had patched her up, and he would lie on top of the covers and hold her until she slept soundly. It broke his undead heart to see her in pain. He wanted to love her as she deserved.

“Not sure, but yes,” Buffy gave him a half-smile. She didn’t want to worry Spike any more than he had to be. Riley. Riley turned out to be more than she anticipated, and not in a good way. He was supposed to be normal and ordinary. Now, he made even Angelus safe to be around.

Spike stood up and offered Buffy his hand. She took his hand and got out of the swing. His cool fingers were soothing against her hot flesh. His touch made her skin tingle all over. The tingle went all the way to her core and caused a pool of fluid in her panties. She made a small moan.

If Spike hadn’t had enhanced hearing he would have missed the quiet noise, but he couldn’t miss the stronger scent of her arousal. He grinned curling his tongue against his teeth. He stepped closer to her, until they were a breath away from each other. He stared down into her hazel eyes, and wrapped his hands around her hips.

Buffy saw Spike’s grin. He knew of his affect on her. Her senses reeled when he drew closer to her. She couldn’t stop the kiss that was coming even if she wanted to. She closed her eyes and let his presence wash over her. When she felt his cool, full lips press against hers it felt as if a sunburst exploded inside her and she moaned again. It was heaven.

Spike shuddered with the touch of her warm lips on his. When Buffy moaned, he slipped his tongue between her lips, caressing her tongue, drawing it into his mouth to engage her in an erotic battle of touch and feel and caress. He crushed her body against his, groaning with the feel of her hot body warming his own. He let go of her, pulling his lips away from hers. He had to or he would end up making love to her right here in the park.

Buffy felt the loss of Spike’s touch. Her eyes moved over him to make sure he was really there and not a mirage. She sighed deeply and watched him with a bit of confusion. “Is something wrong, Spike?”

Spike genuinely smiled at her. “No, love. Everything is perfect. I can’t just touch you and not want to do more, Buffy.”

She sighed, relieved. “I know. I can feel it, too. We can’t act on this. Not now.”

Spike rested his forehead against hers. “I know, pet. I know.”

“When did you want to claim me?” Buffy asked shyly.

“Soon, Buffy. You’ll be mine soon enough.” Spike promised her.

Buffy felt butterflies in her stomach at the thought of Spike protecting her through the claim. That he’d be able to tell her emotions with clarity, he’d be able to feel her, tell if she was in trouble, be able to find her – all with more clarity than a just any vampire staking out his prey – it would be a vampire feeling out his mate, no matter where she was. The thought warmed her heart. “What type of claim would this be really?”

Spike smiled when he saw Buffy relax once again. The knowledge that he had caused that in her exhilarated him. She made him feel whole, like she was what he’d been looking for all his living and undead life. She made him feel important, like he was taller than his 5’10 frame. His insides melted with the feeling. He was completely in love with her, and he felt that it was becoming more and more mutual in the few passionate kisses they had shared so far. “Well, when I thought about the idea, it was just a protection claim against Angelus. But I don’t think I could stop at just a protection claim.”

“Oh.” Buffy was bewildered. A thrill ran through her body as her previous thoughts were confirmed. Her thoughts were all over the place. Spike wanted more than to protect her. Then Riley came to mind, his face angry that she dared defy him and even come here. Her mind switched between the two.

“Where would you like to go next?” Spike’s voice broke through her thoughts.

“I don’t want to, but I have to go home,” Buffy responded. She dreaded going home to Riley, and having to face him after such a calm few hours with Spike. Spike made her forget her troubles with Riley, if only for a short time. It was refreshing to not have to think of what waited for her at home for a few moments.

“I understand, pet. I’ll take you home,” Spike said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and kissing her temple before walking with her to the car.

“When will I see you again?” Buffy asked.

Spike couldn’t help but smile. He hated having to ever leave her now. He couldn’t leave her alone for long even if he wanted to, not when he knew that his feelings for her were being reciprocated. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t voiced them yet. He could tell the feelings were there in her touch, in her kiss that gave him permission to claim her, could sense it in her being, in her reaction to him. “Oh, baby. You can never get rid of me now.” He declared, opening the car door for her.

Spike knew Buffy wasn’t ready to go home to Riley by the conflicting emotions racing across her face all night. He did the next best thing – he took her to her mother’s house. It would give her time to collect herself and be able to face Riley again. He kissed her again before she entered the house leaving him standing on the porch. He actually whistled on the way back to the car and drove back to his crypt in high spirits.

Chapter 13

Riley took off after Buffy had left the apartment. He had to find her, there was no telling what the little bitch was up to when he wasn’t around to watch her every move. He stalked her usual haunts, like the Bronze, and even went so far as to ask her friends and watcher if they had seen her but nothing came of it.

Riley wondered were Buffy had gone in a town this size. He walked through the cemeteries with the idea that she might be patrolling but no luck there. He even looked in Spike’s crypt windows and saw nothing of interest. The fucking vampire was probably in the lower level sleeping.

Riley searched the whole town before giving up and going home around midnight. He was too tired to notice a shape in the shadows watching him as he entered the apartment for the last time. When he entered the house Angelus came out of the shadows and headed back to Spike’s crypt through the tunnels.

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Angelus had taken the opportunity of Spike’s absence to do a little recon of his own. He made his way through the tunnels to the college campus. Once he went above ground, he sniffed the air until he caught on to Buffy’s scent and followed it to her apartment. He just staked it out for the moment.

It seemed to be a nice enough apartment for college students. It was a small, one-level house with brick façade and arched windows. He watched the house long enough to get a lay of it and watch Riley’s comings and goings, which were frequent for one night. He figured Riley was probably looking for Buffy and gave up around midnight when he turned in. Angelus headed for Spike’s crypt an hour or two after Riley entered the apartment for the night.

Angelus wondered why Riley had given up at midnight. In early years when Drusilla used to disappear for her nightly excursions, Angelus would seek her out until Sunrise made him run for the shadows. Finally, he got sick of chasing her down and let her either find her own way home or find shelter until night came again. It was an abomination to Angelus to stop looking for a loved one until the last vestige of the person’s scent dissipated.

Yet here Riley was giving up at midnight? Spike was right; the idiot didn’t deserve Buffy at all. She was too good for the likes of Soldier Boy. Angelus didn’t much care for anyone really, but family was another thing and if Spike wanted the Slayer and would treat the girl with better respect than Riley is doing at the moment, then more power to his grandchilde. Angelus thought back to all the things he did to torment Buffy and for some reason, Riley’s hands on approach was much worse than his own tactics. Angelus never wanted to physically hurt a girl, just drive her completely around the bend – once or twice.

On his walk back through the tunnels he wondered what Spike and Buffy had been up to while he was gone. Surely Riley didn’t find her tonight, so he was sure whatever Spike did with Buffy it was in a place Riley hadn’t thought to have looked. In his own cruel way, he wondered what Spike had done with Buffy. From what little sexual experience Angelus himself had had with the Slayer it seemed like she had great untapped potential. He wondered his grandchilde could sense it. He figured Spike was in for a surprise when he finally got between the Slayer’s creamy thighs.

Angelus only hoped Spike was smart enough to stay out of trouble; he wasn’t here to waste time helping his grandchilde if the lad decided to be bold in his pursuit of the slayer with Riley prowling around town looking for her.

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

Spike was still in a good mood when he returned to his crypt. Angelus was nowhere to be seen. Not that it mattered where Angelus went. Spike just hoped he wasn’t getting into too much trouble while he was at it. Angelus made it perfectly clear to Spike why he was here and what he would be staying for – at least for the time being.

Spike fixed himself a glass of blood and eased into the chair and flipped the TV on. Even as he flipped through the channels he wasn’t paying attention to the programming. His thoughts were on Buffy.

Spike thought of the past few hours with Buffy, watching her eat dinner and dessert. For the first time in the past month she was easy going. He could feel the emotions rolling through her the entire time he was in her presence, from before she realized Angelus was in town to dropping her off at her mother’s house.

Spike closed his eyes and imagined how Buffy looked tonight. She was so beautiful, soft, blond hair that framed her face, big hazel eyes, softly blushed cheekbones that got even pinker throughout the night from blushing her embarrassment. He groaned softly when his thoughts turned to the feel of her soft body against his own, her strength just underneath the surface. He was pulled from his thoughts by a scuffling sound coming from the lower level. Angelus is here.

Spike climbed down the ladder to see Angelus coming out of the tunnels. “Where did you go tonight, Angelus?”

“Just a little recon on Buffy’s apartment. Saw Riley out looking for Buffy,” Angelus reported. “I hope you didn’t do anything to garner attention, my boy.”

“I was wondering the same about you,” Spike wryly.

Angelus glowered at Spike. It was a look that said “you should know better than that”.

Spike shrugged. “I just took her to eat like I promised and bought her a frozen yogurt to eat in the park and took her home to her mother’s right and proper. That’s all, ‘dad’. I swear.” He smirked at Angelus.

“Riley was out until midnight, one could only think he was out looking for Buffy, William.” Angelus tried to appeal to the man Spike had once been to be cautious.

“I hear you, Angelus. I know the risks of being seen with her at this point. I was careful,” Spike assured him, taking a sip from his glass of blood.

“Good. ‘Cause I’m not here to bail you out of every scrape you get into,” Angelus reminded him, plopping back on the bed feeling tired, missing the glower he got from Spike, but not the feeling of irritation that rolled off the younger vampire.

Spike always hated this part about Angelus. It wasn’t so much the take charge attitude as the fatherly “do as I say my way or I’ll rip your throat out and end it right here and now” attitude. It might work on Drusilla, but it chafed Spike to the bone. He watched Angelus a moment before shaking the irritation off and tried to figure out how to deal with Riley with intermittent images of Buffy dancing in his mind.

Spike thought of things he’d like to do with Buffy once she was free of Captain Cardboard. He figured he’d try a tactic that even Angelus hadn’t thought of. He would send her small gifts of affection. Nothing real fancy at first, just little sentimental things he knew girls reeled over. Spike wasn’t overly sentimental himself, but the William in him wanted to court her. For his entire Big Bad persona with the world, when it came to his vampire family and now apparently Buffy, he was still William.

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

Buffy quietly walked into the house smiling. It was like she had a new lease on life after spending just a few hours in Spike’s company. She went to the kitchen to fix a drink and then to the living room to watch a little TV before bed.

Joyce came down the stairs when she heard the drones from the TV and saw her daughter curled up on the couch. She entered the living room. “Buffy what are you doing here?”

“Oh. Hey, mom. Just didn’t feel like going home, it was a long night patrolling and your house was closer so I figured I’d crash here. I hope you don’t mind,” Buffy said.

“No, honey, I don’t mind. Just surprised me is all,” Joyce smiled.

Joyce sat with her daughter and watched The Heiress on AMC. It was an old movie, black and white from the forties, starring Olivia de Havilland and Montgomery Clift.

Buffy stayed with her mother for a week, and even as she received calls from Riley asking for forgiveness for his actions, again, Spike left her gifts on her doorstep – a teddy bear with flowers, a silver chain necklace, and a small kitten she named Goldie because of its eye color. She flourished under Spike’s attention, seemingly happier and more agreeable with her friends and watcher.

Spike also left gifts that were of interest to her mother’s eye for art; rare pieces he had collected for over a century but no longer had any use for. Joyce would take them to her gallery and display them. When asked where she got them, she would smile and say they came from a valued art dealer.

Then came the night that would change Buffy’s life forever . . . .

Chapter 14

Spike walked up the front steps of the house at 1630 Revello Drive. He rapped his knuckles against the hard wood of the door and stepped back and waited for the door to open. He stood there dressed in his usual attire of duster, plain black shirt, nice button shirt over it, and a crisp pair of jeans with his Doc Martens.

Joyce opened the door and smiled when she saw Spike standing before her. He was such a handsome boy. Well she couldn’t really call him a boy since he was like a century older than she was. She gave him a confused look. “Spike why are you at the front door? And knocking?”

Spike half-smiled at Joyce. “Hello, Joyce. I figured if I was going to take Buffy on a proper outing, I’d use the front door for once.”

“You’re taking Buffy on an outing?” Joyce squeaked in surprise.

“Yeah, if that’s all right with you. I would like to take Buffy out tonight, get her out of the house, give her a break and have her enjoy herself for once.” Spike suggested.

Joyce gave Spike a huge smile. “I think that sounds like a fine idea.” Joyce stepped out of the way. “Oh, please forgive me. Come in, Spike.”

Spike gave a curt nod and stepped over the threshold into the entryway. He closed his eyes for a moment, reached his senses out to find Buffy, and located her in the living room. He followed her scent to the doorway of the living room and stopped. She sat on the couch, dressed casually watching television. Even now she was beautiful to him.

Joyce came up behind Spike. “Buffy, Spike’s here to take you out.”

Buffy looked up at her mother surprised. “He, what?’

Joyce pursed her lips. “Spike’s here to take you out and I think you need it. You can finally have a night for yourself. Don’t worry about me or Giles. Just enjoy yourself.”

Buffy gave her mother an irritated look. Why would Spike want to take her out on . . . a date? More importantly, her mother is pushing her for a date with Spike? Buffy knew her mother liked Spike. But she was shocked to know her mother accepted Spike as date-worthy. “Are you serious?”

Joyce rolled her eyes at her daughter. Sometimes Buffy was so stubborn when it came to dating. To her daughter and Mr. Giles it was all about being a Slayer and they forgot that Buffy was still a twenty-year-old girl who still was able to enjoy life’s little nuances such as going out and having fun with friends. “Listen, you’ve either been with Giles or cooped up in this house. Spike is offering to take you out so you can be carefree for a few hours at least, and I agree with him on this. Now go get your shoes and jacket.”

Buffy let out a small sigh, got up and ran up the stairs to retrieve her jacket and shoes.

Spike smiled at Buffy’s retreating back. “I did spring this on her. She wasn’t expecting me to formally take her out anywhere.”

Joyce smile gratefully at Spike. “I’m sure you did. I’m grateful that you would do this for her. She sure does need to get out of this house.”

Buffy came down the stairs as she was putting her jacket on. She stopped at the foot of the stairs and smiled at Spike. She sat on a step and put her shoes on as she mulled over the idea of actually going out. Besides it was Spike, so she felt safe enough, as safe as one could be in the company of a vampire who swore fealty to her.

Spike smiled back. “Are you ready?”

Buffy nodded. She walked out the door with Spike following, saying good bye to Joyce before closing the door.

“Where are we going?” Buffy asked. Spike taking her out was a new venue she never thought was possible. She watched his chiseled features as they walked down the sidewalk.

“Somewhere where you can loosen up and be yourself.” Spike told her.

They walked in silence each sneaking peeks of the other when they thought the other person wasn’t aware of it. Their hands brushed against each other as they fell into step with each other. Then their hands slid together, their fingers lacing through each other. It seemed natural when their fingers interlocked like a jigsaw puzzle and two pieces became one.

They got to Sunnydale’s Holiday Inn and Spike dragged Buffy in. Inside someone had rented out the common room for a dance. The room was crowded and smelled of stale perfume and perspiration. Something off the Dirty Dancing soundtrack was playing and Spike fell into the rhythm pulling Buffy with him. They swayed together and ground against each other. Buffy started off reserved but by the third song, she was relaxed and dancing carefree, moving along with Spike.

The DJ noticed the blond couple and with every song that he spun, the rhythm got slower, and the moves got dirtier, until Spike and Buffy were meshed together. Her arms were around his neck, her breasts pressed against his chest. His hands gripped her waist and his pelvis ground against hers. The heat from her body seeped through their clothes and seared his cool skin.

When the DJ played Ani DiFranco’s Circle of Light, Buffy turned in Spike’s arms, her back against his front. She reached behind her to grip his hips as he held hers in his and rotated her hips against his crotch. Her head rested on his shoulder. Spike growled low in his throat. He didn’t know how much of this he could take. Buffy was going to be the death of him at this rate.

When the DJ played Prince’s Darling Nikki, Spike gripped Buffy’s hips and rotated their hips together and slid his hands from the side curve of her breasts down to her thighs, swaying with Buffy the entire time. To an outsider it seemed like the blond couple was in a mating ritual.

Spike nearly came in his jeans when strands of Nine Inch Nails’ version of Queen’s Get Down Make Love came over the PA and Buffy slid down the front of his body and slowly worked her way up again. His fingertips caressed her cheeks, throat, shoulders, breasts, stomach and waist as she crawled up his body in time with the music. That was it, he was hard and she was killing him. Could a vampire dust from the heat rolling off a human body this way?

Buffy smiled to herself when she felt Spike’s growl vibrate against her, making her nipples hard and a pool of liquid form in her panties. Was he regretting his decision to bring her here to be herself? She melted against him moaning softly when he bent closer and nipped at her ear with blunt human teeth. His shallow breath cooled the heated flesh of her neck causing her to shiver against him.

Spike took the lead when Billy Idol’s Flesh for Fantasy came over the PA. He ground his hips against Buffy. He crushed her against his chest, burying his face in the curve of her neck as he moved her body against his own. He sang the words in her ear while they moved together.

Everyone around them had backed away to watch the blond couple through the whole thing. The sexual energy rolled over the couple causing those around them to feel more than just the heat of the crowded room. The more the couple moved against each other, the hotter the aura around them became. At the end of the song, Spike took Buffy’s hand and led her out of the crowded room.

Spike went over to the front desk and asked for his key and pulled Buffy with him to the elevator. The second the doors closed and Spike had pressed the button for the appropriate floor, Buffy tugged on the lapels of his duster, pulling him against her.

Spike looked down in Buffy’s passion-glazed eyes as he walked her back against the corner of the elevator. With her body cocooned in his duster, he bent his head and pressed his lips against hers. He licked her full lips until they parted on a moan and then plunged his tongue into the honeyed heat of her mouth. He sensually licked the soft flesh inside, running his tongue along hers, groaning with need.

Buffy’s hands fisted the lapels of his duster as she pressed her body against his lean frame. She arched into his body and deepened the kiss, letting her tongue explore his mouth in return. She purred into the kiss at the taste and feel of his cool body against her heated flesh.

They stayed locked together through the elevator ride. Spike’s hands were everywhere at once: caressing the curve of her back, her hips, squeezing her ass and pulling her against his straining hardness. Buffy stroked the back of his neck, her fingers teasing the hair at his nape. They broke away when they heard the loud ding and the doors slid open.

Spike laced his fingers through Buffy’s again and led her down the hall looking at the numbers on the doors until he came to his. He pushed the keycard into the slot and jerked it out when it unlocked. He opened the door and tugged her inside, shut the door behind him and heard it lock.

Spike shrugged his duster off and threw it on a nearby chair. He watched Buffy remove her own jacket as he walked to the mini bar to get a drink. After choosing a beverage he leaned back against the bar and watched her with hungry eyes. She was golden perfection. His gaze grew hot when she shrugged her jacket off to reveal her tank top.

Heat spread through Buffy’s body when she felt Spike’s eyes on her. She could feel the trail of his sight like it were his fingers as they moved down her face, neck, shoulders, breasts, and stomach. When his gaze hit her mound a flood of liquid released into her panties.

Spike could smell Buffy’s arousal from across the room. He put the glass down and stalked over to where she was by the bed. His movements slow and deliberate like a panther stalking his prey. He cocked his head and watched her reaction as his fingertips followed the path that his eyes had traveled a moment ago.

Buffy saw Spike through passion-glazed eyes. She moaned softly at the bare caress of his fingers on her hot flesh. When his hand flattened out on her chest and trailed down to her abdomen her body seemed to arch into his touch of its own accord. She never felt like this, never responded like this with anyone before.

Spike smirked when he saw Buffy’s body responding to what he, Spike, William the Bloody, was doing to her by his mere touch. He wondered if Angelus had any idea that she was this responsive to touch. He knew Captain Cardboard had no clue. He growled possessively at the thought of anyone but him finding out the hidden surprises in Buffy’s hot little body. “You’re so responsive, kitten.” His voice was a just above a whisper.

Buffy moaned softly. She felt as if she was burning up and Spike’s cool touch on her body soothed her. She stared into his eyes through a haze of passion. Her hands started an exploration of their own. She ran her small hands over his clad chest and taut stomach and gliding her nails back up his arms to his shoulders. She was rewarded with the shudder of his body and a quiet moan that escaped his lips. “So are you,” she mused.

Spike pulled his shirt off, tugging his t-shirt over his head. He stood before Buffy in his half naked glory. His muscles rippled under her scrutiny. The scent of her arousal from watching him turned him on even more. He ripped his thoughts away from throwing her on the bed and burying himself deep inside her heat.

Buffy ate up the sight of half naked Spike, fuelling the fire that threatened to consume her. She licked her lips when her eyes fell on his nipples and something inside dared her to lean closer and flick her tongue over the hard nub. She leaned over and flicked her tongue over a nipple eliciting a hiss of pleasure from him.

Spike hissed and shivered at the touch of Buffy’s hot tongue. If he died from burning to ash tonight it would be well worth it just to feel her heat seep into his flesh. He threaded his fingers through her hair, tugging her head back gently and kissed her hard. His lips claimed hers, plunging his tongue into the heat of her mouth, devouring her. His arm went around her waist and hauled her up against his hard body. He pushed her back on the bed and slid perfectly between her thighs.

Buffy grew hotter as she returned Spike’s kisses with equal fervor. She went willingly as he pushed her up the bed so that her head lay on the pillows. She moaned in protest when he broke the kiss to pull her shirt up over her head. She didn’t care where it went; she only wanted his touch on her burning flesh. She pulled him back to her for another passionate kiss, thrusting her tongue inside his mouth to roll over his cool tongue. Her body arched and strained against his, her hips grinding against his crotch.

Spike growled in his throat and it reverberated in his chest. Buffy was so hot and responsive to his touch, he didn’t think he could last through the foreplay before coming in his pants. He had to be sure this was what she wanted, that she knew exactly where this would lead, that she wouldn’t regret it in the morning. He didn’t want to think of the rejection in her eyes when reality hit hard. “Buffy?” he sighed against her lips.

“Hmmm?” Buffy moaned in response. Her nails skimmed his shoulders and upper back, needing to feel him.

Spike pulled back reluctantly. He winced at her squeak of protest. “Buffy, love, are you sure you want this? Do you know where this is going? What will happen, the result in the end?”

Buffy thought for a moment. Her dreams of Spike and Angelus protecting her came to the forefront of her mind and she nodded. “I know. I want you to claim me, to feel your love and protection completely surround me. I’m tired of having to defend myself around someone who should love me but doesn’t. I want this, Spike. I want you.”

Something burst inside Spike and he shuddered in pleasure at her words. He wanted to make it perfectly clear to her that, after this night, they would belong to each other. That nothing would sever that bond between them. “Buffy . . . once this happens it can’t be undone. Once the claim is in place, it’s forever.”

Buffy looked up at Spike through watery eyes. “I know that, honey. I wouldn’t want it any other way.” She closed her eyes to gain courage for her next words. She cupped his cheek in her hand and stared into his cerulean eyes. “I love you, Spike. I suppose I always have but I’ve been too afraid to feel or act on it. I thought having a normal boyfriend would stop the feelings but that didn’t help. Lately you’ve been so attentive and caring …. I finally let myself feel for you and those feelings are threatening to swallow me whole.”

Spike was shell-shocked by Buffy’s admission. He never dreamed of hearing those four little words pass through her lips and actually mean it. He wanted to rush over to the windows, open them and cry out his joy to the whole world: His Slayer loved him! Instead he swooped down and kissed her hungrily, telling her that he loved her by touch and taste. He reached down between them and opened her pants as he kissed and licked his way down her throat to her breasts.

Buffy moaned and squirmed, trying to help Spike get her pants off. She arched her back and unsnapped her bra, pulling it off and flinging it away. Her hands immediately went to run over the flesh of his back and shoulders, delving into his hair. She raised her hips and gyrated against his body, kicking her pants off. She gasped when Spike ripped her thong away from her body. “You have too many clothes on. Take your jeans off,” she breathed.

Spike chuckled against her breast. She was an insistent little minx. He sat up between her thighs and unbuckled his belt, unfastened his jeans and tugged them off, pitching them over the bed. He allowed her to look at him and moaned when he saw her hungry gaze take him in with appreciation.

Buffy couldn’t take her eyes off him. He was perfect, lean, muscled, and cool and smooth like marble. She held out her arms welcoming him to lie against her body. When he accepted, she let her hands slither over his cool flesh. She arched under his touch when he slid down her body.

Spike could do nothing but accept her invitation. His skin was itching to feel the heat she provided. He nibbled and licked each nipple to a painfully hard peak before licking the tender underside of her breast. He licked circles down her ribs and nipped at her stomach, running his tongue over the contracting muscles there. He moved lower to take her clit between his teeth and lick the tender nub. He smiled to himself when his tongue sent a violent shudder through her, causing her hips to buck and her thighs to tighten around his head.

Buffy shivered under his slow attention. She nearly cried out when his cool breath fanned her sensitive clit. When Spike’s soft, smooth human tongue laved the little nub it struck her like an electric shock. Angel had never told her about this sensation. Riley never even got near her clit with his mouth. Yet here Spike was, head buried between her thighs lapping at her clit like he was dying of thirst. She squirmed and pushed against him. If he was going to kill her this way, she’d have no problem with it.

Spike heard her moan when he carefully pressed two fingers into her folds, purring in his throat as her tight muscled sucked his fingers deeper into her heat. He flicked his tongue over her clit faster, biting on it every so often while he worked his fingers in and out of her tight quim, pulling against her grasping muscles and pushing back in again.

Buffy cried out Spike’s name, squirming and bucking under his mouth, rocking her hips on his fingers. He was torturing her, she knew it. She clawed the sheets and raised her hips to grind against his mouth.

Spike moved lower and replaced his fingers with his tongue. He rubbed his thumb against her clit then he pushed his tongue into her hot, tight quim, licking the bundled nerves at the roof of it. He moaned at the feel of her body shuddering around him.

Buffy cried out a moan, rocked and her hips against Spike’s fingers, and shuddered as a small orgasm shook her body at the feel of his tongue entering her. A tightly coiled feeling burst throughout her body when she came from the dual sensations of his fingers and tongue. “Spike! Oh, God!”

Spike opened his mouth to let her essence pour in as she came. He licked her cleft clean of the fluid before creeping up her body, settling his hips in the well of hers. He brushed her hair back from her face and kissed her, his teeth playfully nipping at her bottom lip. “Yes, love?”

“I never felt anything like that before. That was . . .,” Buffy started to explain.

“Your first mind-blowing orgasm,” Spike provided as he nuzzled her cheek. He reached down to take himself in hand and rub the head against her clit before positioning his hard cock to push deep inside of her.

Buffy leaned into his embrace. When she felt his shaft nudge between her thighs she raised her hips to rub against it. That brought a moan from both of them. She raised her knees along his sides and cried out against his shoulder when his shaft thrust deep, filling her completely.

Spike wrapped himself around her and crushed her to him. He buried his face in the curve of her neck, growling against her pulse point when he felt her heat envelope his cock. He wondered if he had died and gone to heaven. Buffy’s body was so hot and welcoming for him, he wanted to cry. He pulled his hips back and thrust deeper, grinding against her clit. Her moans of pleasure near his ear were driving him wild. With each moan he received he pushed even deeper.

Buffy cried out her passion. She loved – really loved – the feeling of Spike inside of her. He made her feel full, complete, whole, like he was the piece missing from her life. She rocked her hips matching him thrust for thrust. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him all the way inside her, then let her muscles work his cock.

Spike nearly came right then when he felt Buffy pull him inside her to the hilt and felt her muscles contracting around his shaft. “Buffy . . . I can’t take any more. Please, love . . .“

Buffy answered by moving her head to the side, offering Spike her throat. She ran her fingers through his hair and brought his head down against her shoulder. She shuddered deliciously when she felt his face shift to his demon and gasped when she felt his fangs sink into her flesh. Her pussy contracted around his cock with each strong pull of her blood that he took. She took upon herself to complete the claim by tearing into his neck with her blunt teeth, lapping at blood welling up.

Spike’s fangs sank into the curve of Buffy’s neck like a knife through warm butter. He plunged into her body with one good hard thrust then came with the first taste of her blood. Slayer’s blood was ambrosia for any vampire, but the verity that it was Buffy and she had given it to him freely made it sweeter than the finest wine he had ever tasted. He growled into her throat when he felt her muscles contracting around his shaft.

He gave a sharp gasp when he felt her tear into his neck, and held her tighter to him. He carefully extracted his fangs, pricked his tongue and lathed the wounds, sealing them with his blood and saliva. “MINE!” he hissed possessively in her ear.

“Yours,” Buffy said in a strong clear voice before repeating, “MINE!”

Spike pulled back to stare into Buffy’s eyes. “Yours.” He kissed her.

Buffy hugged him to her and cried softly into his shoulder. Spike rolled over so that she was on top of him. He smoothed her hair out of her eyes. “Something wrong, pet?”

Buffy shook her head against him and sat up a bit. “No, nothing’s wrong. I just never expected making love to be so beautiful. I never expected to enjoy it so much.” She smiled down at him, “Thank you.”

Spike took her face in his hands and pressed his lips against hers. Within seconds it turned into a passionate, possessive kiss on both sides. “You’re welcome, Buffy. Expect many more like this or better in the future.”

Buffy smiled and lay next to Spike, resting her head on his shoulder and he curled around her body protectively and they drifted off.

Neither of them saw the figure with the night vision binoculars spying on the couple from the low roof of the building across from the hotel.

Chapter 15

Angelus knew his grandchilde had been restless the past week away from Buffy so it did not surprise him in the least when Spike told him that he was going to be gone for the night. Spike had too much humanity in him to let a slip of a girl, a Slayer no less, dominate his thoughts. The entire week Spike fidgeted, if you call prowling the crypt on both levels and ripping things to shreds fidgeting. The boy just wouldn’t sit still for any length of time.

When Spike mentioned going out for the night, Angelus knew exactly where he would go. Also, knowing that at the moment Spike was incapacitated by the chip; Angelus followed him at a safe distance. Spike could sense him if he reached his senses out but he wasn’t visible. Angelus picked up the trail of the younger vampire after he left the Slayer’s house. He stalked the shadows of the Holiday Inn’s dance hall, watching his progeny bump and grind against the girl. Watching them made him hard. They moved together perfectly like equal halves of the same whole. Yes, he had to agree that even though his Soulful self brought her into the Aurealian line, Buffy and Spike were matched in every way.

Angelus had heard Spike request a room in the hotel and lead Buffy to the elevator. He disappeared into the crowd and ventured outside looking for a good vantage point. He’d give the couple their privacy, but he would watch them. In some sick sense, his demon loved a good voyeuristic liaison.

Xander had talked Riley into attending a dance at the Holiday Inn. The younger man felt Riley needed a night off from his mundane schedule. Knowing that Buffy was staying at her mother’s and not gracing him with her presence, he reluctantly agreed. He and Xander were going to attend the function together, but Anya sidetracked Xander with a date night of their own, alas, Riley ended up at the dance by himself.

When Riley got there it was just in time to see Spike and Buffy head for the elevators. He frowned and walked out of the hotel. He noticed the building beside the hotel had a low roof. He climbed the fire escape to the top and located Spike’s room. He sat and waited to see what was going to happen between his girlfriend and Hostile 17.

Always the boy scout, prepared for anything, Riley pulled out his night vision binoculars and watched the byplay between Buffy and Spike. The evil son of a bitch was kissing his girl and she wasn’t pulling away from him. In fact she looked like she was enjoying his touch. His temper rose concentrating so much on the pair that he didn’t sense Angelus on the same roof until the vampire was behind him.

“Enjoying the show, Finn?” Angel kept his voice to a menacing whisper.

Riley stood stock still. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from the image of Spike touching Buffy. He gulped when he heard Angelus’ voice near his ear.

“It seems my boy is about to have his way with your girl.” Angelus looked far off into the distance, then back at Riley. “Oh, I’m sorry. I meant to say his girl.” He looked back at the scene in front of them. Spike and Buffy were on the bed in a heated kiss and she was trying to rip Spike’s clothes off. Angelus remained hard at the display. “Have you ever seen the Slayer in the throes of absolute abandon? Look at how he touches her, how she responds to him. She’s never responded to you that way has she?”

Riley ground his teeth but kept silent. By the deadly whisper in his ear, he knew if he turned his head, he’d come face-to-face with Angelus’ demon.

Angelus reached down and adjusted his aching cock when he saw Spike working his way down between Buffy’s thighs. When she lifted against Spike’s mouth, Angelus taunted Riley again. “Dru taught him how to work a pussy over with his tongue. He can lick the Slayer for hours, have her in a continual orgasm and never stop, even if she begs for mercy. Can you say the same?”

Riley’s brow furrowed until he developed the beginnings of a headache. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Buffy was thrashing on the bed under Spike, tugging his mouth closer to the apex of her thighs. He twisted his face in disgust knowing that his girlfriend got off to having her pussy licked, not only that, but an evil, soulless creature was causing her to respond to his touch.

Angelus chuckled. “Spike warned me about you. He said you were white bread. All that training with the Initiative and you’ve not only regimented your day but also your fucking?” Angelus looked back at the vision of his grandchilde bringing the slayer to another orgasm with his mouth. “Spike said he warned you that the Slayer needs some monster in her man. Do you know what that means?”

Riley’s whole body was tense. Buffy was going to pay dearly for disobeying him. He was sure of that. Let her have her one night of passion with the demon. He’ll get her back for making a fool of him.

“That means that she needs an equal. Her Slayer side seeks a mate who’s a kindred spirit. Spike’s demon meets that pull in every way. Have you ever seen the two of them fight? It’s poetic. They match each other perfectly. That’s why they can’t kill each other: they fight so well together. Face it white bread, you’ll never be man enough for Buffy. She likes her men like she likes her evil . . . .” Angelus cocked his head and smirked, “Evil.”

Riley watched through the night vision binoculars as Spike claimed Buffy with the hard thrust of his cock and his fangs sank into the base of her neck. He couldn’t believe it when Buffy came, shuddering and screaming Spike’s name and then returning the claim on the vampire.

Angelus nearly came right there when he saw Spike claim the slayer as his own. “Well, Finn, it seems the girl is no longer your concern. Spike just brought her full circle into the Aurealian line. I never knew he had the balls to do it, but then he’s been full of surprises over the years.” Angelus patted Riley on the shoulder. “We’ll be seeing ya, Riley.”

Riley stood there dumbfounded, staring at the couple who kissed in the afterglow of lovemaking. Angelus’ menacing laugh echoed into the night as he walked away and disappeared into the black cloak of night.

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

Spike and Buffy walked back to the Summers’ abode. Their heads were together as they discussed what to do next.

“Buffy, I feel that you’ll be safe with your mother for now. Neutral ground for you and Riley, granted he isn’t the type that needs an invitation.” Spike tried to sound reasonable. Inside he was scared to death, he wanted to take Buffy and run . . . anywhere but here.

“When will we be together again, Spike? I miss you already,” Buffy said.

“Soon, love. It won’t be long.” Spike promised her.

Spike walked Buffy up to the door. He leaned in to kiss her, and moaned when she met his lips. He wrapped his arms around her waist and hauled her up against his hard body. He pressed her back against the side of the house, thrust his tongue inside her mouth, and licked the soft flesh inside.

Buffy closed her eyes and clung to Spike, nearly fainting at the feel of his tongue exploring the inside of her mouth. The kiss reminded her of what happened between them earlier tonight and in an instant caused her essence to pool in her pants. She reluctantly ripped her mouth away from his to speak. “Spike! If I don’t go in now, we’ll never get anything accomplished.”

Spike had moved to press kisses down her throat, licking his claim mark, making her shudder against him. “We’ll get plenty accomplished . . . upstairs, pet,” he said.

Spike’s words caused a delicious shudder to run through her. She reluctantly pushed him away from her and opened the door, stepping back inside the house.

Spike watched her back away from him into the sanctuary of the house, his eyes full of love for the tight little seductive bundle that was Buffy along with a devouring passion to make love to her and claim her all over again.

Buffy gave Spike a sad smile and closed the door softly. She kicked off her shoes at the bottom of the staircase and went into the living room. Joyce was sitting on the couch reading with the hum of the TV as background noise.

“How was your date, Buffy?” Joyce asked.

“Just peachy. We went out dancing,” Buffy said. Okay, so it wasn’t the whole truth.

“Spike is such a nice man. He even had you home before midnight. Very old-fashioned type of guy,” Joyce mused. The punctual timing for being home after a date put another good mark in her book for Spike.

“Yep, that’s Spike… very old-fashion-y.” Buffy quipped. “Well, I think I’ll get cleaned up and go to bed. Night, Mom.”

Buffy headed up the stairs, taking her discarded shoes with her. Her mother’s answering “night” followed her up the stairs. She dropped her shoes when she entered her bedroom and climbed into bed. She had a wonderful ache between her thighs, and even though slayer/vampire stamina was a plus, it was always catching up with her. The second her body hit the bed she was asleep, thoroughly exhausted.

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

Spike was leaving the Summers property when all of a sudden he felt a jolt of electricity rush through his body. He shivered violently and fell to the ground. A bulky figure grabbed the vampire by the arms and dragged him over to the bushes. The man watched Buffy’s bedroom window from the shadows before stealthily climbing up the trellis to the porch roof that was outside her window.

The man hooked his fingers under the cracked window pane and slid it open the rest of the way. He crawled silently into the room and watched the Slayer sleep for a moment. He wrapped the girl in her own quilt and made a careful but hasty exit out of the house and jockeyed himself down the trellis without incident before disappearing into the night.

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

Buffy awoke to find herself shackled – actually shackled with real chains – to a dirt wall. She was sitting on the dirt floor with her legs curled underneath her body. It took her eyes several seconds to get used to the dim light before she surveyed her surroundings. If she remembered correctly, she should be in the old Initiative Caves. She groaned and tried to relax her tired jaw only to bite down on a cloth gag. What to do now?

The caves were cold but not freezing. Buffy shuddered as a breeze went by. She looked down and saw she was naked. She thought she had put pajamas on before bed. Was she really so tired she forgot and just disrobed and crawled underneath the covers naked? How did she get here anyway?

“I wondered when you’d wake up,” said a familiar voice in the shadows. The figure came closer into the torchlight and revealed himself. He reached out and pulled the gag out of her mouth.

“Riley . . . what are you doing here?” Buffy gasped his name and then her voice hardened over the question.

“Saving you of course,” Riley answered, staying half in shadow and torch.

“From what?” Buffy wondered.

“From yourself. You’ve become reckless. I mean here I thought I could trust you to just patrol and come home at night. Instead I find that you were sneaking behind my back to see your demon lover. How long have you been running to Spike, Buffy?”

Buffy looked at Riley as if he’d finally gone insane, though she kept quiet. Whatever happened to the sweet Riley Finn that she was so fond of? When did he become more evil than he claimed Spike was? The man before her had the face of her Riley, but the amiable Riley she knew was gone. This Riley was vengeful and had her chained to a wall, with actual chains she might add.

“Let me get this straight, you stole me out of my own bed to chain me to a wall of a cave to save me from what you deem to be my loose morals?” Buffy tried to rap her mind around Riley’s warped thoughts and proceeded to form a headache instead.

“I saw you fucking that demon, that vampire, with my own two human eyes. There’s nothing like watching your girl giving it up to another – well I guess you can’t call him a man – another creature with cliff notes from the thing that made said creature what he is today, now is there?” Riley charged.

“What are you babbling about?” Buffy was confused trying to follow Riley around the bend. Is Riley saying he saw her with Spike? How could that be when they were on the sixth floor?

As if reading her mind, Riley retorted “I saw you with Spike. I spied you with my night vision gear from the roof of the building next to the hotel.”

Buffy let her head fall back against the dirt wall and groaned. Riley had spied on her; he saw her making love with Spike. Even as the thought of Riley seeing that filled her with dread, the mention of Spike’s name brought a clear image of him to her mind: tall, a shock of white-blond slicked back hair, chiseled cheekbones, the way his cheeks caved in when he clenched his teeth, hard, muscled body, big strong hands with long fingers. She shivered at the image.

Riley saw the shiver run through her body, “Yeah, sorry about the lack of heat in this place, it being a cave and all.”

Without opened her eyes she asked, “Where are my clothes?”

“I burned them. They had his scent all over them. I couldn’t very well rescue you with any memory of him lingering around you, could I?” Riley asked sardonically.

“What did you do with Spike?” Buffy wondered aloud.

“Oh, he’s fine, or at least he should be by now. I hit him with a stun gun before taking you, and left him in the bushes somewhere.” Riley shrugged not caring what happened to the blond menace.

Buffy furrowed her brows. “Just how are you planning on saving me from myself?”

“Well as I see it, you’re all with the giving freely of your body to vampires these days, and since beating it out of you didn’t do anything, torture should do the trick, don’t you think?” Riley sneered at her.

A frisson of apprehension and sadness ran through her. Riley had become completely insane. She tried to channel her thoughts on Spike for some sort of peace in this situation. She attempted to get word to Spike through the claim they shared.

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

Spike came to a half an hour later with a feeling of light-headedness, and when his body inadvertently shifted his side hurt like the devil. He lay there for a few minutes making an effort to gain his bearings. He opened his eyes just barely and stared at the sky, the stars winked down at him. Satisfied that it was still dark outside, he opened his senses to air and ground. Sniffing the air he discovered it was still a long way before sunrise, and the light dew on the grass under him helped gauge the time to be around midnight.

Why was he on the ground? He reflected back to tonight’s events. He had taken Buffy out dancing, he smiled when he thought of the tight shirt and pants she wore that molded to her curves. He had sensed his grandsire in the room. He knew Angelus would follow him to wherever he took Buffy.

Those last two dances were for Angelus’ benefit. The bumping and grinding motion that Buffy had started, Spike used to full advantage knowing Angelus was watching them. Something in Spike wanted to goad his grandsire. When he smelt the scent of the older vampire’s arousal, Spike felt he had accomplished his task and gotten Buffy out of there and upstairs to a room.

When he got to the room, he could feel Angelus was nearby, watching them from a distance. He remembered quickly glancing over in the guise of his demon and seeing Captain Cardboard with his grandsire before reverting back to his human face and going down on Buffy. He smirked at the memory of showing Riley exactly what Buffy responded to. If it hadn’t been their first time together, and a claiming on top of it, he would have gotten rougher, showing Soldier Boy that she’d never hold back when she knew the boy – the man – she was with wouldn’t break under the force of Slayer strength.

Thinking of Buffy made him hard all over again. He was in the middle of thinking of all the things he’d love to introduce her to when a wave of fear hit him. He expanded his senses and felt her. She was in trouble. He concentrated on her, receiving her jumbled emotions of fear, apprehension, panic and fear. They all hit him like a sack of bricks to the midsection. He had to find her. He slowly got up testing his limbs to make sure they would support him. Standing under her window, he sniffed the air until he separated her scent from everything else and followed it.

When he was within sight of the Initiative Caves, he growled his anger. He tried to send calming thoughts through the claim, but only received another wave of fear. He tried to clear his mind but Buffy’s trepidation continued to seep through, nearly doubling him over in pain from his mate’s emotions.

Spike refused the idea of leaving Buffy to find Angelus, so he probed his grandsire’s mind, letting Buffy’s emotions tell Angelus that she needed help. More help than Spike could provide with the chip in his head. When he felt Angelus mentally nod, he shut off the link to the older vampire, and quietly entered the caves.

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

Angelus had left Riley on the rooftop to contemplate his words and ventured to explore the city that he had tried to destroy before using Acathla. It was a quiet residential neighborhood, save for the undead that walked the streets at night. He found himself in Willie’s ordering up a bottle of O-positive and balked at the price of $4.00 for an 8 oz. glass. Bagged blood was scarce in this town.

He had just sat down with the bottle when he felt a niggling in his mind. He mentally looked for the signature and opened his mind when he recognized Spike. Angelus nearly crushed the bottle in his hand with the anger that washed over him at the thoughts of Buffy in trouble. Angelus sighed and gave the bottle back to Willie and walked out of the bar. He gave a mental nod and felt Spike leave his mind as he headed toward the spot where he thought he had felt Spike was.
NOTE: Please be advised that this chapter contains violence in the form of torture and a glossed-over rape scene, but nothing detailed.
Chapter 16

Riley hauled Buffy up on her feet by her chained wrists. When she tried to kick out at him, he growled and backhanded her. When she elbowed him in ribs and tried to run, he had a grip on her arm and pulled her down with him when he doubled over. She fell to the ground again. He straddled her waist and had a grip on the chain between her wrists. She struggled against him, trying to throw his bulk off of her, but the effort was rewarded with a black eye and bruised cheek from Riley’s free hand.

“Girl, you’re feisty when you want to be,” Riley said snidely. “How come you never gave me this in bed for all those months?”

Buffy’s answer was to pull her wrists up to her mouth and bite Riley’s knuckles. He reared back and yelped in pain before hitting her again with a closed fist.

“Bitch!” Riley yelled, getting to his feet and yanking her back up by the chain to stand in front of him. He hooked the chain over a hook above her head. “Now, I’m going to find out what it is about a vampire that gets you to spread your legs so willingly.”

Buffy snorted at that. “If you wanted to know that you could’ve just asked. The two vampires I let touch me, care about me.”

Riley guffawed. “You fucked the soul out of one vampire and brought him back to his own bad self again, and the other is an evil, soulless murderer.”

“And yet, they are still much better men than you will ever hope to be, Riley Finn.” Buffy shot back.

Riley sneered. “You would actually trust your life with two known killers than with a military-trained man like myself?”

Buffy smirked. “What would be the difference? Never mind answering that. Spike has kept more of his soul when he turned into a vampire than you have gained since the Initiative War last year. What am I saying, once an Initiative always an Initiative. At this point, Riley, I’m thinking you’re more evil than Spike ever proved to be.”

Riley ground his teeth before cocking his fist back and knocking her out with a hard punch. He could torture her easier this way, now that he didn’t have to hear her humiliate his manhood. He grabbed a Bowie knife and proceeded to make small incisions in her flesh. If she didn’t want him, he’d just make sure that Hostile 17 wouldn’t find her appealing.

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

Spike felt Buffy’s emotions get more erratic through the claim. He gave a long grateful sigh when he saw Angelus barreling through the brush. It grated his nerves that he needed Angelus to help him save Buffy, but this fucking chip in his head wouldn’t let him kill a human. His grandsire could though, and from what he knew of the great Angelus, the older vampire loved the torture and killing part of his demon side.

Angelus finally caught up to Spike. “What’s going on? Why are you just standing here?”

Spike gave him an annoyed look. “I can’t very well barge in there guns blazing with this bloody chip in my head, now can I?”

Angelus rolled his eyes. “Fine. We’ll talk about getting the chip out after you save your girl.” Angelus quirked an eyebrow at his grandchilde. “You are saving her right? Or do I have to torture the boy and save the girl, too?”

Spike growled a warning. “You keep your bloody mitts off my girl, Angelus. I won’t let you challenge my claim on her. I may not be able to kill a human, but on my chip’s radar you’re dead making you fair game.”

“Is this a ‘laughing in the face of death’ scenario, William?” Angelus chuckled.

“No, mate, just a fact. You may be a century older than me, Grandpa, but I’m still young and strong enough to kick your ass when I want something bad enough. You aren’t taking Buffy from me,” Spike threatened.

“So what’s the big plan to get our girl out of there?” Angelus asked seriously.

Spike smiled at Angelus’ claim that Buffy was theirs. “Barge in guns blazing.”

Angelus’ lips thinned at that. “I guess I’m the blazing gun? Thank whatever evil there is that I don’t shoot blanks then.”

Spike growled irritated at Angelus’ dig on his chipped status. “As you promised, it won’t be for long.”

Angelus laughed. “By then Riley Finn won’t even be on the radar.”

Spike ground his teeth, making his cheeks cave in. “Stop bantering with me and save my girl.”

Spike pushed Angelus further into the cave by his shoulder and followed close behind. They fell into step with each other, like they always did when they were together. They complemented each other: Spike’s light to Angelus’ dark, both walked tall and straight, holding their head high with confidence. These two passionate creatures who made up half of the Scourge of Europe, who were responsible for laying waste to continents, putting them in the top ten of Natural Disasters along with Bubonic Plague.

Spike and Angelus stopped in their tracks when they came upon a chamber in the cavern. They could smell the Soldier Boy and Buffy’s scent. Angelus held Spike back from running headlong into rescuing Buffy. They had to find a better solution than barging in and getting her killed.

Angelus took in his surroundings and saw a pathway that lead around the chamber to the other side from where he and Spike stood. The opening on the other side was closer to the sounds echoing in the room than their current location. Angelus tapped Spike on the shoulder and pointed to the opening across from them and then to the pathway. Spike nodded his head and followed the path.

Angelus waited until he saw Spike pop around the other side of the chamber. Angelus quietly moved closer to his side of the chamber and took in the sight. His preternatural hearing picked up Spike’s possessive growl.

Right in their line of sight was Buffy’s unconscious body hanging from chains, her flesh covered in a myriad of shallow and deep cuts and bruises, and there was Riley holding her thighs apart as he violated her insensate body. Angelus growled at the damage done to his extended family. The bastard would surely pay for this. He saw Spike’s face crumble at the sight of someone violating his mate. Spike looked to him and Angelus nodded.

Spike vamped and roared his rage as he barreled out of his hiding place and ran straight at Riley, ripping the bulk away from his mate. Surprisingly the chip didn’t go off. He turned so that his body was between Riley and Buffy and let out a territorial growl before lunging at Riley with the intent to rip his throat out. He didn’t care if the chip went off he was going to tear the boy limb from limb.

Angelus stood there stunned at the ferocity of Spike’s attack. Angelus ran over to the grappling duo and tried to pull Spike away from the bastard before the younger vampire did swing on the kid and set the chip off.

“No! I’m going to kill him! I want him dead, Angelus! I want him to feel everything he ever did to Buffy.” Spike looked down at Riley and rammed the toe of his boot into the guy’s ribs. “You don’t deserve to live in the same world as Buffy, you sadistic son of a bitch.”

Angelus twisted his body, throwing Spike away from him and in the direction of Buffy. “Go. Cut her down. We’ll take care of Soldier Boy later,” he promised as he grabbed Riley by his throat, pulled the boy up and waited for Spike to collect Buffy.

Spike growled at Angelus and stomped toward his bound mate. He pulled the chain off the hook. In his anger, his demon broke the chains apart. He tenderly cradled Buffy’s abused body in his arms and picked her up. He carried her out of there followed by Angelus dragging Riley out by the throat.
NOTE: Please be advised that this chapter contains violence in the form of detailed torture.
Chapter 17

Angelus and Spike walked in silence, the only sound was Riley’s whimpering moans as Angelus dragged him along behind them. Spike didn’t bother to ask Angelus about their destination, he knew where they were going: the mansion. It was the one place where the two vampires were most comfortable even in daylight and Buffy could rest in a real bed.

They didn’t pay heed to anyone they passed on the side streets to the house and those that gave curious looks, they both snarled at. Angelus was more worried about Buffy than he let on. He felt a kinship with her due to Spike’s claiming of the blond beauty. He’d make Riley pay for what he did to her this night and every night before this. He’d exact revenge on the drugged-up limp dick bastard. When they entered the mansion, they broke away from each other: Spike going upstairs to the bedrooms and Angelus going into the living room.

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

Spike carried Buffy up the stairs to a bedroom with an accompanying bathroom. He carefully laid her on the bed and went in the bathroom to fetch cloths and warm soapy water. He came back into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed beside her. He set the bowl on the end table and dunked a wash cloth in the water. He rang it out and proceeded to clean the cuts on his mate’s body, unchecked tears trickling down his cheeks.

As he broke the chains off her raw wrists, Spike hoped to Hell that Angelus was more brutal than normal in his torture. He didn’t want to think of the sleepless nights ahead that Buffy would experience. He gave a small smile of gratitude as he observed Slayer healing at work as he cleaned each wound free of possible infection. If only Slayer abilities could heal her mind as well.

He used up all the Rite Aid bandages he could locate on the second floor to cover the worst of her wounds. He leaned down and gently kissed her warm lips and prayed to her God that she regained consciousness soon. He lay on the bed next to her, gathered her in his arms and watched her silently. He sneered when he heard hoarse screams coming from the floor below.

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

Angelus tied Riley up using the beam from the rafters above, cinching the rope to let Riley dangle a foot off the floor. He ripped Riley’s shirt off and took a step back and watched the boy sway for a moment as he contemplated his first torture. Do you start with tonight’s events or at the beginning?

A smug smile formed on Angelus’ face as he decided to bleed the boy first. He went to the kitchen and came back with a hunting knife. He let Riley cry out as he inflicted little nicks and deeper cuts all over the boy’s back and torso. “Do you think this is how Buffy felt when you did this to her?” Angelus asked without expecting an answer.

Angelus put the knife down and pivoted on his foot, delivering a fist to Riley’s midsection. The blow made the cuts in his abdomen and stomach sting causing Riley to yelp at the pain. Angelus started pummeling Riley everywhere, the punches becoming harder as images of Buffy’s battered unconscious body swam in his head. Riley cried out as Angel’s fists were bruising muscle and cracking bones with the onslaught.

Angelus stopped and walked over to the couch, and sat down. He picked up a nail file and methodically cleaned his nails. He looked up at the swaying battered body of Riley. “So how much pleasure did you gain from hurting Buffy all these months?” Angelus asked in a calm, conversational tone.

“Plenty. I had to beat the insolence out of her. She played me for a fool.” Riley’s voice was ragged.

“And the rape that Spike and I came upon? How much did you enjoy doing that?” Angelus ground out.

“No girlfriend of mine is going to fuck an evil soulless demon. She allowed herself to be used as that bastard’s whore, after months of not letting me touch her.” Riley forced the answer out painfully.

“I told you back at the hotel, that Buffy was no longer a concern of yours. She belongs to the Aurealian line, claimed by Spike. But you didn’t head my words; you went after her anyway.” Angelus’ voice was a dead calm.

“Fuck you!” Riley bit out.

“You know, I may take you up on that before this night is over,” Angel said, putting the file aside and standing up. He picked the knife up again and walked over to Riley. He pressed the blade against the crotch of the boy’s pants and jerked up making Riley gasp and yelp. “Wouldn’t it be justified for what you did to Buffy’s body while she was knocked out?”

Riley broke out in a sweat. He winced and tensed up when he felt Angelus saw the knife through his pants, cutting them away but stopping before nicking his balls.

“Give me one good reason not to castrate you right now,” Angelus taunted.

Riley jerked his knees up and twisted the knife from Angelus hand. The vampire retaliated by breaking Riley’s leg with a solid kick to his knee. The sudden force of Angelus’ instep caused Riley’s body to sway from side to side as he cried out in pain.

Spike walked into the room in time to see the break. He sat down on the couch and silently watched the torture with a smirk on his face. He had left Buffy to sleep in peace for the time being to check on Angelus’ progress. From Spike’s vantage point, it was going along quite smoothly.

Spike lit a cigarette before looking up at his grandsire. “How’s it going, Angelus?”

“Just great. How long do you think we should keep the sorry excuse for a human alive?” Angelus asked in mock curiosity.

“Depends on when Buffy wakes up,” Spike replied, taking a drag on his cigarette.

Spike stood up and moved over to Riley walking around the Soldier’s swaying body admiring Angelus’ work. He stopped in front of him. “You know she was never your girl to begin with. You were the rebound guy between Angelus and me. I told you that you weren’t dark enough for her.” Spike had curled his tongue against his front teeth in a smirk before giving Riley a straight face. “I saw you watching us, back at the hotel,” Spike took another drag on his cigarette. “Did you see how she responded to my touch; the writhing ballet that overtook her body as I made love to her?” Spike nodded. “Of course you did, you had your night vision goggle things with you.” Spike cocked his head and raised the scarred brow. “You should know what she tastes like when she comes, screaming your name. From what I gather of her response to my tongue, both human and demon, you’ve never touched her. So I guess what I meant to say, ‘when she screams my name’, eh?”

Spike ducked out of the way when Riley swung his feet out to kick him away. Riley growled at Spike then groaned at the exertion of his action.

Spike turned at quiet sound of Buffy’s voice. She had slowly but carefully made her way down the steps, hugging the wall for support. “Buffy, you shouldn’t be up. How did you get down here?” He was worried about her. When he and Angelus had come upon Riley violating her, it tore his insides apart. He could only imagine what she suffered before the commando had knocked her out.

“Spike,” Buffy called to him in a weak voice. “What’s all the screaming about?” Being a slayer afforded her great healing abilities, but her body still felt drained from the nervous tension she had from Riley’s torture before he had knocked her out.

Spike jogged over to where Buffy leaned against the wall looking ready to drop. He gathered her in his arms and turned his body to protect her from the sight of Riley’s bloodied body hanging from the living room rafters. It was one thing for her to kill a demon, but Spike didn’t want Buffy to see one of Angelus’ tortures, not when it was this messy. Not when she had yet to fully come to terms with what Angelus had done to her in the past even as she had accepted Angelus as a protector now. He kissed the top of her head, “Nothing to worry your pretty head about, pet.” Spike looked at Angelus over Buffy’s head and gave his grandsire a “now, what?” look.

Angelus went over to the blond couple. He combed his fingers lightly through Buffy’s hair and stared into Spike’s cerulean eyes. “Buffy, why don’t you go back upstairs and rest? Spike will go and stay with you.” Angelus tried his best to speak calmly. Buffy wasn’t mad like Drusilla was, at least not yet anyway, after the trauma of tonight, who knew what tomorrow would bring.

Angelus looked at Spike and nodded. Spike gave an agreeable nod and picked Buffy up in his arms, and ascended the stairs. When he got to the bedroom he designated as Buffy’s he shut the door with his foot and carried her over to the bed, laying her gently on the spread.

“Spike, don’t leave me,” Buffy called out in her weakened state when Spike straightened to his full height.

“I’m not. I’m just removing my clothes to join you, love,” Spike smiled down at her. The bruises on Buffy’s body were lighter than they were when they brought her to the mansion. He shed his clothes, and carefully pulled the bedspread out from under her before joining her in the big bed and tucking both of them in. When all was right with the arrangements, Spike snuggled Buffy against him. He was content to just have her in his arms.

In the living room, Angelus heard the door shut to Buffy’s room and turned to Riley’s swaying form. He figured he’d join Spike and Buffy later after he tortured Riley some more. He looked up Riley’s battered face. “Sorry for my grandchilde’s wayward tongue. It runs away from him sometimes.” Angelus grabbed his knife again and began making deeper gashes of the small nicks he had inflicted earlier. “Now, where were we?” His response was Riley’s scream.

Chapter 18

“Spike, make it all disappear, make it all go away,” Buffy appealed to her mate.

Spike had started to drift off when he felt Buffy relax against him. He didn’t open his eyes when he replied, “I wish I could banish all your bad memories, love.”

“But you can, Spike. Riley made me feel dirty and no longer yours.” Buffy looked up into Spike’s eyes. “Please, make love to me, Spike. Make me yours again.”

Spike growled angrily at the lengths Riley went to disabuse Buffy of the knowledge that she was loved and claimed by him, Spike, William the Bloody. He crooked a finger under her chin and brought her lips up for a kiss. “Buffy, I love you.” He touched his claiming mark on her neck. “These marks are proof of my claim, no human can challenge them. Same goes for the claiming mark you made on me.”

Spike trailed his fingers down Buffy’s throat to circle his fingertips around her nipple. Hearing her sigh in pleasure made him swell up in pride. He kissed her passionately, licking her lips open. When he pinched her nipple, she moaned into the kiss and arched against his body.

He pulled back and looked down at her beautiful face. “If you’re sure you want this, I’ll try and go slow.”

Buffy squirmed and nearly cried hysterically, “I want you to be you. I want you to wipe Riley’s touch from my body. If I don’t get it off now, I’ll never want to be touched again.”

Spike raised his brows in astonishment. His mate wanted him to wash her body clean of her assailant’s touch. It was what he wanted to do ever since he took her out of the caves, but he didn’t expect her to want it this soon. Yes, her physical injuries were healed with Slayer abilities, but he was more worried about her mental state. He looked down into Buffy’s hazel eyes and saw the pleading in them, and the sight crushed him like no other feeling before it.

Spike didn’t speak, only took her in his embrace, crushing her against him and kissed her hard with all the feeling he had in his being for her. He felt so much emotion break through that his senses couldn’t handle them all and blood tears slid down his cheeks, dripping onto her face. He pulled back enough to lick the blood off her cheeks.

Buffy arched against Spike like a taut bowstring. Her greedy hands rubbed over his body, reacquainting herself with the cool flesh and hard muscle that was truly hers for the taking. She stroked her nails down his stomach to rake along his hips. She opened his pants, pushing and tugging them down with hands and feet that chafed his legs to get them off. When his shaft flopped against her mound, she moaned and pressed up against it. “Please, Spike, I can’t wait any longer,” she pleaded.

Spike reached down and spread her thighs, dropping his hips into the cradle of her thighs. He positioned the head of his cock at her entrance, and watched her reaction as he plunged his shaft deep inside her hot tunnel.

Buffy clawed his arms and cried out in ecstasy when Spike thrust deep inside her. She closed her eyes and rocked her hips against him, letting her muscles contract around his cock. She groaned when he began thrusting slow hard strokes, grinding his pelvic bone against her clit.

Spike watched Buffy’s reaction to his long, deliberate thrusts until the feeling of her heat wrapped around his cock became too much for him to bear without closing his eyes against the exquisite torture of her muscles squeezing the shaft.

The same feeling that tortured Spike became too much for Buffy. She hugged him against her, literally sobbing into his shoulder as her hips bucked faster against his thrusts, her body straining against his. “Spike! You’re tormenting me! Fuck me, please!?”

Spike growled in response. He gripped her hips, his fingers digging into the soft flesh. He held her hips steady at the same time as he slammed his cock into her, the force of his thrusts causing her body to quaver under him. With each cry of passion his thrusts rang out of her, the harder and deeper he pushed. He bit her full lip drawing blood when she rotated her hips against him. The taste of her blood and her response to his demanding pace drove him mad.

Buffy arched and bucked against Spike faster, grinding against him. She whined as her orgasm hit when he bit into her lip. She shattered around him when her orgasm exploded through her. She leaned up and sank her teeth into her previous mark. “MINE!”

Spike let out a feral growl and responded through clenched teeth, “Always yours, Buffy,” before sinking his own teeth into his marks on her neck and snarled, “MINE!”

“Completely yours, Spike,” Buffy cried out softly.

They collapsed together in a heap. Spike wrapped his body protectively around her with his shaft still buried inside her warmth. They fell asleep tangled together.

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

Angelus looked at Riley’s body hanging from the rafters. The boy’s body was bleeding profusely from the deep wounds that had been inflicted, the vampire didn’t think the kid had long to live, if he had managed to survive the torture this long.

Angelus knew he had to remove the body before Buffy discovered it the next morning. At the same time he thought about Buffy, he heard her scream in orgasm. He smirked at the sound, knowing his grandchilde did what he had silently asked of him and erased Riley Finn from Buffy’s body and thoughts. From now on the boy would be just a distant memory to the Slayer.

Hearing the orgasm was all the permission Angelus needed to end the torture session. He cut the rope that suspended Riley from the rafter. He vamped and gripped the back of the boy’s head, before savagely plunging his fangs into the man’s throat and draining what was left of Riley’s blood. When the blood ceased to flow, he retracted his fangs and let the body fall to the ground. He basked in the euphoria for a moment before his demon withdrew into the background again.

Angelus took great care in cleaning up the blood and disposing of the body. He buried Riley in an unmarked crypt and sealed the door. He made sure there were no bloodstains to be seen – a task that he had perfected over the years.
After washing himself of the blood, he climbed the stairs and opened the door to Buffy’s room. Spike was curled around Buffy’s body protectively. When Angelus moved closer to the bed and disrobed, Spike gave a territorial growl. Angelus ignored the warning, knowing Spike did it instinctively, and climbed into bed, wrapping his arm around Buffy’s waist. As far as Angelus was concerned, Buffy was back in the Aurealian fold, protected by two vampires and surrounded by family. He would take on the role as head of the family and protect both Spike and his grandchilde’s mate.
Epilogue

It had been two months since that fateful night occurred. Buffy had moved into the mansion with Spike and Angelus two days after the vampires had gotten their revenge on Riley. Neither of them told her the truth of what happened to Riley. As far as she knew, Angelus put the fear of God into the boy and sent him packing.

Buffy was much happier these days. She went back to college, and continued her slaying. When the Scooby gang first asked about Riley, she only told what she knew and never elaborated. She would go with her friends to the Bronze on the weekends. Sometimes Spike would go with her, Angelus stayed to the shadows if he tagged along.

It took Xander a month to get used to the idea that Buffy had chosen Spike over Riley. He still didn’t completely like the idea, but after Buffy made her point clear with a punch and few choice threats, Xander did calm down. Giles kept his opinions to himself, knowing his Slayer would never heed his warnings if he did happen to speak up against Spike. Willow was all supportive in an “I nailed garlic wreaths to my windows” kind of way.

Joyce wasn’t too keen about Angelus staying at the mansion, though she invited Spike to dinner every Sunday. Buffy didn’t know which news was harder for her mother to take: that she was a Vampire Slayer or that she was living with two Vampires.

Spike still hadn’t gotten his chip out; there were still hang-ups with Buffy’s family and friends concerning that topic. Such as the idea never got past the three people living in the mansion as opposed to those who visited the house.

Angelus lived at the house, but hunted elsewhere. He refused to tell Buffy the location of his hunting grounds, although he’d assured her on more than one occasion it wasn’t Sunnydale. Spike had a feeling that when Angelus did leave the town on his hunts, he was looking for Darla and Drusilla to finish his assault as payment for them being a thorn in side all these years.

This story was in response to tifftasticTiff’s Challenge #13 based in Season 5. The situation and requirements were as follows:
Set somewhere after Spike finds out he loves Buffy. Doesn't really matter. And though its a key element in the BtVS seriously try not to include Glory cause she takes angsty to a whole new level and I like Joyce waaaaaaaaaay to much so she CANNOT die. Buffy and Riley move in with each other much to Spike's dismay but not everything is Christmas and puppies. Spike finds out about Buffy and Riley's relationship - which is abusive - and really ,really bad; Riley's always hitting and hurting Buffy. When Spike confronts Buffy about it after seeing bruises that even slayer healing can't heal quick enough she begs Spike not to say anything. Buffy, meanwhile, is screwed up in the head thinking that since Riley is a human maybe this is normal and that this is the way normal people have a relationship. I really hate Riley make him mean and nasty. Spike ends up nursing Buffy's wounds when Riley just gets rougher. Buffy falls in love but is afraid and Spike has to show her that being loved doesn't mean getting hurt (both mentally and physically).
Must Haves:
1. Angst lots of it (make me cry!)
2. Spike taking Buffy out on a secret date and Riley or one of the Scoobies finding out about it
3. Cheese Flavored Yogurt
4. Bitey Goodness (YAY!)
5. Riley going on and on about him being Buffy's savour and stuff
6. Rite Aid Bandages
7. True Match Foundation
8. Jealous!Angry!Protect-y!Spike
Can Haves:
1. Shy Buffy
2. Dark Xander (I tried to include Xander, but Riley got too dark)
3. Angelus (though I don't know how you would but you can! ß-I loved this element)
4. A Teddy Bear
5. Kittens (but not for gambling)
Can't have:
1. No Character Deaths (except Riley, Riley can die lots and lots of times if you want) (Believe me, Riley died horribly)
2. Shy Spike
3. Instant romance between Spike and Buffy
4. Angel
5. Drusilla
6. Giles going all Ripper
I tried to keep in within requirements but Spike and Angelus had other ideas! So if it’s doesn’t strictly follow challenge requirement, blame it on the men in this story.