Disclaimer: Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy own all the characters contained within. I hold no claim on them.
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Set during Buffy versus Dracula and then goes seriously AU after that! Buffy is missing and Spike is the only one who has noticed. Where is Buffy and why is Spike the only one who is worried? Will the peroxide vampire be able to find her before it's too late? What has happened to the Scoobies and will they save Xander before he really becomes Dracula's butt monkey?

Chapter 7

Spike eased away from Buffy's sleeping form. He quickly cleaned up the mess on the floor and heated some more blood. Taking them over to the coffee table he set them down before squatting next to Buffy. He ran his hand over her shoulder, rubbing gently.

"Buffy, wake up," he whispered gently.

Buffy yawned revealing her fangs; she opened her lavender tinted eyes. The smell of the blood made her stomach rumble. "I can't..." She sat up pressing her lips into a fine line.

"Luv, you have too. You're starved, and you're in game face." Spike tentatively touched her cheek.

Buffy pulled away from his gentle touch and covered her face. "Don't look at me. I'm ugly..." she wailed.

Spike chuckled.

The sound of his laughter made Buffy whip her hands from her face to glare at him.

"Are you laughing at me?" She pouted angrily, and then yelped when her fangs cut her lips.

Spike's eyes were riveted to the small amount of blood on her lips. He shook himself.

"Buffy, you're ruddy gorgeous." He licked his lips imagining himself licking her pouting mouth and tasting her glorious blood.

"I'm lumpy and all grr faced and you thinking I'm pretty?" Buffy's voice broke as she tried to suppress the feelings of horror that filled her.

"Give me your hands, pet," Spike asked gently.

Buffy held out her shaking hands. Spike took them and raised them to her smooth forehead. "See no ridges..."

Buffy gasped in surprise, she pulled her hands away and ran them over her face. She frowned in surprise at the smoothness of her forehead.

"I don't understand?" Gingerly she prodded her small fangs and squeaked when they pricked her fingers.

Spike suppressed his demon; acutely aware she would be disgusted if he licked her bleeding lips and fingers.

"Baby, you're a marvel, all pretty with lavender eyes and teeny tiny little fangs. Hang on..." He leapt up and rummaged through a cupboard. "Here it is!" He whirled holding out a Polaroid camera, which he had left there on a previous visit.

"Why've you got a camera?" Buffy knelt and watched him over the back of the sofa.

"Gotta check the bleach is all over my head. Don't want to end up looking like a skunk, do I?" Spike held up the camera. "Smile, Slayer." With that he snapped a picture, the camera whirred and spat out a photograph. He pulled it out and shook it, to speed up the development process.

He leapt over the sofa and chuckled as she snatched the developing picture off him. Leaning over he snagged a mug and sipped at the cooling plasma to distract himself from the scent of her powerful blood.

Buffy watched as the picture developed and her mouth dropped open in surprise at the image of her face.

"I look like that?"

Spike glanced over and nodded. "Pretty as a picture, luv, now drink up!"

Buffy looked at the mug and grimaced. She shook her head, "I can't..."

Spike sighed and reached over pulling her rigid form into his arms, he tilted his head back revealing his pale throat. "Drink from me then, Slayer..."

Buffy looked at his neck and licked her lips, her stomach rumbled but she still hesitated.

"It's okay, just until you're ready to brown bag it, but don't take too much," Spike rubbed her back soothingly. With that Buffy sank her teeth into his neck. He sighed as she began to tentatively drink from him.

Buffy groaned at the rich taste of his blood as it ran down her throat. Her mind began to fill with images. All their meetings and fights over the years, Spike's gradual change towards her, his pride at her successes and most importantly the love that was budding in his undead heart...for her.

Spike cradled her drinking form close and tried to move her away from his hardening erection. 'Last thing she needs to feel now is your stiffy, you git...'

Buffy wriggled as he tried to shift her, annoyed that he was trying to stop her drinking and seeing all that his blood revealed to her. The images shifted and the image of the original Slayer appeared in her mind, whispering that death was her gift and she had been given it sooner than was expected. Buffy pulled away reluctantly from her Sire's neck with a gasp. Her eyes faded back to their normal colour and her fangs retracted, the demon in her was sated.

As she shifted Buffy became aware of something hard pressing against her. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Spike?" All thoughts of the First Slayer vanished in that instant as Buffy felt his arousal pressing against her thigh.

Spike pushed her gently off his lap and flipped the throw over his lap, trying to hide his erection. "Sorry, pet..."

Buffy stared at him with wide eyes for a second. She glanced down at his lap, her jaw dropping open in surprise. 'He's huge!' Buffy slapped the side of her head with the heel of her hand and then leapt up and ran upstairs.

Spike glared down at his erection. "Nice going, mate..."

*********

As day broke, the impasse between Spike and Buffy was still in place. The peroxide blond vampire was curled up on the sofa fast asleep and Buffy was wide-awake behind locked doors in the Master bedroom. For the last few hours she had lain on the silken coverlet and stared at the ceiling. One ear trained on the door, waiting to hear Spike's footsteps on the stairs. With mixed feelings she lay there alone for hours. Her mind ticking over the events of the past few days, she ached to call for Spike. Needing his company and reassurance, but the sensation against her thighs and buttocks of his erection chased away the words to call him before they left her lips.

If Buffy could have blushed, she would have been crimson.

It was huge! She had forgotten how well endowed Spike was. After the aborted fake engagement spell, Buffy had religiously avoided thinking about Spike in any other way than a peroxide nuisance.

Buffy smacked herself in the head.

"Stop thinking about Spike's dick!" she muttered to herself and rolled onto her side. "How old are you?" This last question gave her pause, as she realised that she would never age or change again. Buffy had mixed feelings about this. On one hand she was never going to die, unless she was dusted.

Whereas if she had remained a Slayer her life expectancy was minimal, so in a sense it was a good thing she had been turned. On the other hand, she was never going to die! Which -the tiny blonde realised- meant she would probably be fighting evil for all eternity and would watch her friends and family age and die around her. A flash of Spike's lust darkened eyes filled her mind, and she realised that Spike would be there for her. He had promised to protect her until he was dust. Somehow this reassured her more than anything.

Buffy wriggled on the bed trying to get comfortable. Sighing she punched the pillow, trying to soften it.

Buffy lay there and tried to come to terms with her changes. She wondered how she was going to be able to carry on her day to day living, which was going to be impossible considering her sun allergy. College was a no go unless she could change to night classes - which might work. Mom and Dawn would adapt; they could learn to keep the drapes shut and get used to nightly visits rather than meeting for lunch in town. As Buffy lay there trying to adjust her life around her new circumstances, she never paused at the sudden inclusion of a sister, a sister that had not existed until a few hours ago. The monks' spell seemed to have been successful.

"I need to get rid of Dracula. There is no way I can let him live for what he has done to me," Buffy thought darkly. "He made me a killer." Buffy clapped her hand over her mouth and tried to calm herself. She was unwilling to lose any of the precious blood Spike had given her; Sire's blood.

Buffy shivered with delight as she allowed Spike's feelings to flood her mind again. The turned Slayer was surprised at the lack disgust she felt at the images of Spike's days in the killing fields. As a Slayer she should have been revolted but for some reason she wasn't and it puzzled her.

What surprised her was the feelings of jealously she had at the images of Spike and Dru making love and their affection for each other. A low growl emanated from her throat for the love Spike had for his fickle dark wicked plum. Sadness also filled her when Buffy recalled Spike's deeply suppressed and unacknowledged devastation that his beloved Sire loved Angelus and was only fond of her faithful and constant companion of over a hundred years.

Buffy had also sensed Spike's recent acceptance that Dru had used him as a substitute for her beloved 'daddy'. The small vampire wondered if her Sire even realised that Dru had, despite her madness, realised that she needed Spike to protect and nurture her. She wasn't equipped to look after herself and that was why she had clung to the peroxide vampire for so many decades...

She wondered if Spike was even aware of the hurt deep inside him...probably... but instead her mercurial Sire had continued to love Dru and fight for her attention with every ounce of his being.

Buffy pushed aside the maudlin memories, and latched onto the ones she had felt about herself. The awe that he had a Childe and his pride in her and the love, which stunned her...

What was even more amazing was the strength and comfort, which infused her being from the taste of Spike's blood. She wanted more and Spike had allowed her to take as much as Buffy had wanted. She was stunned at his generosity.

Even she knew that it was a rarity that it was offered so freely and to let her drink her fill was something unheard of. Sire's usually used their blood as a way to control their fledglings, but Spike as usual was a rebel. He was different. Buffy's train of thought paused; he was different for many reasons, but his words haunted her. He had never made a Childe. Why had he agreed to be her Sire?

"Note to self: remember to ask him in the am," Buffy whispered to herself.

She rolled over onto her back and wished that Willow were here to talk to. Buffy missed her best friend and was desperate to talk to her. Or maybe...Tara. Of the two Wiccan lovers, the voluptuous blonde was the one whom Buffy thought might be the better confidant- she didn't have a 'bottle in the face' history with Spike.

'Maybe Spike has a mobile?' Buffy dismissed this possibility, and then considered it again. 'I mean, come on! Look at his house- it's amazing. I wonder why he hung out in that gloomy ol'crypt without a view! He obviously has money. Spike must have a phone as well.'

Buffy realised that maybe it was not a good time to call home; how was she going to explain what had happened to her. She knew instinctively that Willow would be devastated by Xander's betrayal and Giles would probably be heartbroken. Her Mom...oh god her Mom, what was she going to say? It was all good and well thinking they would adapt, draw the curtains and meet for dinner. But Buffy knew her Mom was gonna be devastated that her baby was a vampire. Buffy's eyes filled with tears at the imagined reaction of her mother, she turned her face into the pillow and began to cry.

Buffy's sobs increased and her entire body shook with the force of them.

And then they stilled when Buffy finally realised that there was one person she had forgotten.

Riley... Her boyfriend and lover...who had not tried to find her.

All the time she had been with Dracula Buffy had prayed that Riley would appear and rescue her from the depravity and pain that she had endured within the walls of Dracula's mansion. The blonde woman had lain unresisting under Drac's body as he surged into her, praying that Riley would appear stake in hand and save her.

But he had never come.

Spike had...her mortal enemy and reluctant ally had been the one to notice she was missing and came to save her.

Why hadn't Riley come?

Why had Spike come in his place?

Did Riley even care for her anymore? Had he even noticed she had missed their date the night Xander had kidnapped her?

Buffy curled up into a small ball and whimpered quietly, she knew that Riley had a very black and white view of the world. Vamps were evil and disgusting things only good for dusting, and humans were good and worth fighting for.

His Initiative training had instilled these beliefs in the ex-soldier, along with his strong religious convictions. Buffy cringed at the imagined disgust on the tall man's face when he discovered she was now a demon, he would never want to touch her...hold her or love her now. He would probably try to dust her, to put her out of his misery...

How was she ever going to face him? Did she even want to face him? What would she say? Buffy's heart ached as she imagined the look of sadness on Riley's face and then the disgust and rejection that would undoubtedly follow.

Buffy flopped onto her back and stared blankly at the ceiling. She was confused and scared. She had feelings for Riley but now after tasting Spike's blood she was in a muddle. Everything was different now. She could feel it...something had shifted inside her and Buffy knew that her destiny wasn't with Riley. The thought saddened her. Her chance at normal had disappeared with an unexpected betrayal and the sting of Dracula's fangs in her throat.

Buffy's breath hitched in her chest and she began to cry again.

*********

Spike snorted and rolled onto his back. He gradually began to wake; something was tugging at his heart. He could feel through their link that Buffy was upset. Spike opened his eyes and glared at the ceiling. He wanted to go to his Childe but was unsure as to whether or not she would stake him. His sharp ears picked up a quiet sniffle, which broke his heart. Spike groaned and rolled to his feet. Even when he had been with Dru, he had never been able to resist her tears. It appeared that poofy instinct had transferred to Buffy now as well.

"Bollocks, sodding hell and, for shits and giggles, bloody hell!" Spike muttered under his breath as he stomped up the stairs. He got halfway up and paused. Spinning on his heel, he stomped back down.

"Bloody whipped, aren't I?"

Spike sank down into a chair at the dining table and rested his head in his hands. He spotted his duster slung over the chair next to him. Spike patted his pockets and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He lit one and puffed on it. Inhaling deeply, he relished the rush of nicotine. He puffed on it for about two more seconds before he heard another pathetic sniffle from upstairs. Stubbing it out in one of the many ashtrays that littered the cabin, Spike sighed.

He stalked upstairs and paused at the door. His pale hand hovered over the door handle again. Spike hesitated. It was only when he heard a really loud sniff followed by a hiccup that his hand descended and he tried to open the door. 'Soddin bint locked it! What did she think I was gonna do, leap on her skinny body and shag her into next Tuesday? Well... I might have done!' Spike sighed and then with a sharp twist of his wrist, broke the lock and pushed the door open.

He was greeted with the sight of Buffy curled up into a little ball on the bed. Her back was to him and shaking with sorrow as she cried.

"Oh Pet. Come on, none of that!"

Spike's long strides brought him to the bed. He crawled onto it and curled around the huddled form of his weeping Childe. He wrapped his arm around her and slid the other under her neck, curling it round so that his hand rested over hers.

Buffy sniffed and to Spike's surprise turned in his arms and nestled against his chest. "My Mom is going to be so upset with me!" she whimpered.

"Course she won't, Luv. She'll be pleased to have you home safe," Spike crooned as he cradled her gently against him.

Buffy shook her head, "No she won't. I'm dead," she wailed.

"Well un-dead, and not likely to snuff it anymore, are you?" Spike cautiously pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"What do you mean, all it takes is a stake and poof! No more Buffy."

"Hardly luv, Drac's a tough bastard to stake, tried it in Venice once and he reappeared in a puff of black smoke, bet you can do the same trick." Spike paused. "I wonder if you can turn into a bat, too?"

Buffy tipped her head up and stared at Spike as if he had just said he was a ballerina and asked if she'd like to see him in a pink Tutu.

"Huh?"

"Drac's got a load of party tricks and seeing you have the lumpie free face and the pretty purple eyes- turning into smoke, I figure you got all the mod cons." Spike explained. He resisted pressing a kiss to her soft lips, which were inches away from his.

"Really?" Doubt coloured her voice.

Spike nodded, "m'sure of it, come luv, you know you're special!" He teased.

A watery smile appeared on her face, "I am?"

"Stop fishing for compliments, Slayer," he growled.

"Okay." Buffy snuggled her head under his chin. Spike groaned as he felt her soft lips on his chest. "Sleep now?" She pushed all her worries about her friends, family and Riley from her mind and inhaled the comforting scent of her Sire.

"As you wish, love." Spike sniffed at her hair and his senses were filled with her unique scent. He sighed happily and dozed off, Buffy following suit.

*********

It was the bird song that woke Buffy from her deep sleep, the first proper sleep she had had since being turned. Not counting the magical coma Drac had put her in. She felt a hundred percent better, and she instinctively knew it was because of the vampire wrapped around her. She awkwardly rolled her head back, and eyed the snoring vampire. She wondered why he snored - if it was a left over habit or purely instinctive. 'He is kinda cute when he's asleep...Actually, he's always been a hottie, I just never let myself look too closely...well, not since Will's stupid spell.'

Spike was pulled from a deep sleep; his predatory nature warning him that he was being watched. He opened one blue eye and was faced with a smiling Buffy.

"Mornin', Pet." He reluctantly released his hold on her and flopped over onto his back. To his surprise Buffy followed his movements and flopped on top of him. She wrapped a leg around his hip and slung her arm over his chest. He opened one eye and stared down at her in surprise.

"You okay, Slayer?"

"Yep, hungry now." Buffy blinked up at Spike. She smiled hopefully, revealing her sharp little fangs.

"So go get some blood. I stocked up; it's in the fridge." Spike teased, aware that she was hoping for his blood.

Buffy pouted, well as best she could around her fangs.

Spike rolled his eyes. "All right, but don't make a habit of this!" He warned. 'As if you'd ever say no to her.'

Buffy shuffled up and sank her teeth into the same spot she had drunk from earlier. She braced herself for the images that would follow, but this time there were none. Only feelings, feelings that she never considered a soulless vampire would have.

Tenderness, caring, lust and more importantly love. She paused in her drinking; lifting her head up Buffy stared at Spike in shock.

"Wot?" He asked defensively.

"You love me?" Buffy squeaked.

"Bugger...should've know m'blood would give me away...now don't get your knickers in a knot." Spike tried to ease away and failed, there was a Slayer shaped limpet clamped to his torso. "Lemme up, Sweets," he coaxed gently.

"Spike! You love me! That's why you saved me and Sired me!" Buffy tightened her grip on the now frantically wriggling vampire. She pulled herself over and straddled his waist. "Nu uh, you're not going anywhere."

Spike tried not to groan, moan or whimper pathetically at the sight of his golden goddess straddling him with blood stained lips. It was the stuff of his wildest dreams. "Buffy, you're killing me here."

She tilted her head and examined Spike, wondering why he was so embarrassed. "Spike, I don't understand."

"What," he growled defensively. "That a soulless beast like me has feelings and shock horror, fancies himself in love with you?" He arched upwards trying to toss her off. "Let me go now!" He snarled and then whimpered as his motions brought his aching cock against the soft juncture of her thighs.

Buffy hesitated for a second; her eyes widened at the frisson of excitement Spike's movements sent through her body. "Spike?" Her hazel eyes were filled with confusion and a large amount of desire.

"Slayer...Love...Pet, please either get off me or get me off," Spike moaned desperately.

"Crude much?" Buffy teased. His guttural words had shaken her too the core. She knew she was playing with fire, but now she didn't mind getting burnt. "Spike, open your eyes," she softly ordered.

Without hesitation the pinned vampire opened is eyes and stared up at her. A mixture of devotion and fear in his pale blue eyes.

"Faith once taught me something I was too scared to try...well, until now." Buffy smiled down at the confused Master Vampire.

He cocked his head. "What was that then, sweetness?"

"It's Want...Take...Have..."

As she whispered the final word, Buffy leant forward and caught Spike's lips in a sweet gentle kiss, one that blew his mind and made his toes curl...

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