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 8

Joyce woke suddenly.

She could feel someone watching her.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes she sat up.

"Didn't mean to startle you, Mrs Summers."

Joyce slid backwards until her shoulders hit the headboard. "Who...who the hell are you?"

"A friend...well, a messenger from the Powers." Whistler shifted uneasily as he watched the Slayer's mother glare at him. "See where your daughter got it from...the glare that is!"

"Buffy? Where is she? Have you seen her?" Joyce leapt from the bed and rushed over to the short demon.

"She's fine...safe." Whistler patted Joyce awkwardly on her shoulder.

"She is!" Joyce's eyes filled with tears of relief. "Oh...thank god..."

Wiping the tears from her face she wrapped her arms around Whistler who struggled slightly. Joyce pulled back. "Sorry about that, it's just I was so worried."

Whistler straightened his jacket. "No problem...uh..."

"Where is she? Can I see her?" Joyce asked hopefully.

Whistler stared at Joyce, and sighed. "She's safe, with Spike..."

"Spike? I thought so...when he was here earlier asking about helping...I knew he'd help out whoever was in trouble. I just didn't realise it was my little girl!" Joyce managed to suppress the innate motherly instinct to go to her lost child.

She knew that for now Buffy would have to find her own path. Joyce rubbed her hand over her eyes and hoped that Spike would protect Buffy and keep her safe until she was home. Part of her knew that Spike would protect her daughter with his life. Their conversations over hot chocolate had revealed to the older Summers woman a caring side that the usually defensive vampire rarely let show.

She could only hope Spike would be there for Buffy.

"He's been a surprise to us all, including himself..." Whistler grinned. "She's safe, I promise."

"Thank you. I forgot her, how could I forget my baby girl?" Joyce's eyes filled with tears. "I'm a bad..."

"No, don't say it! It was magic, nothing you could control..." Whistler tried to reassure her. "What happened is done and now you have to be there for her."

Joyce nodded. "Can I see her?"

Whistler began to edge out of the door. "Uh...not yet, she needs time. The Slayer'll be back soon...be ready for her." With that he vanished.

"Time?" Joyce shouted. "What for?"

"Mom?" Dawn staggered sleepily out of her room; she had been awoken by Joyce's screaming.

"What's wrong? Is it Buffy?"

Joyce looked over at her youngest. "Buffy's safe, a smelly little man just came to see me!" A large smile of relief spread across her face.

Dawn squealed and wrapped her arms around her mother. The noise from the two Summers women woke the rest of the house.

Joyce quickly explained what had occurred.

"He didn't give his name?" Giles asked. His clothes were rumpled and his eyes were swollen with tiredness.

"No, all he said was that he was a messenger from the Powers. Who are the Powers?" Joyce wrapped her arms around Dawn and hugged her close. Gaining comfort from her younger daughter.

"Powers?" Willow frowned in confusion.

"They are essentially a group of higher beings that control the balance between good and evil." Giles explained. "I believe Buffy met one of their representatives during the Acathla incident. She described Whistler as a short smelly demon with a New York accent."

Joyce tilted her head. "That sounds like the not-so-fragrant man who was in my room. I wonder if it was the same person?"

"Probably..." Giles rubbed his hand through his hair. "I imagine he works with the Slayer line...I'll need to research."

Tara had stood quietly listening. "Um...what did he mean Spike was taking care of Buffy?"

Her softly spoken words stilled all the conversations.

"Spike?" Giles frowned. "He's looking after Buffy? How and why?"

Joyce shook her head. "I don't know, all he said was she was safe and needed some time. Then she would be back. We need to hold tight."

Willow nodded. "So we have to wait for Buffy, but maybe we can try and get Xander in the interim?"

Anya nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, I want him back! Soon..."

"Right then, we need to locate and capture him. Willow, I need you and Tara to work on a location spell." Giles turned to the two Wiccans. "I know you've tried before, but maybe whatever was blinding us to Buffy's presence was also preventing us from sensing Xander."

Willow and Tara nodded.

"Okay, but how are we going to stop him from leaving us again?" Willow asked nervously.

"Chains! I'll get some from the flat." Anya chirped and then dashed out the front door.

"I guess we don't want to know why they have chains..." Willow shuddered.

Joyce covered Dawn's ears. "Wish she hadn't shared!"

"Indeed..." Giles sighed.

"What can I do?" Dawn asked hopefully.

"Get ready for school," Joyce ordered.

"Mom!" Dawn whined.

"Dawnnnn!" Joyce grinned and pushed the teen into her room. "Go get ready."

*********

"No, stop luv..." Spike caught hold of Buffy's hands.

Buffy pulled away from kissing and nibbling Spike's pale throat. She struggled against his gentle grip. She pouted down at Spike. "Why?"

Spike gritted his teeth, as he felt Buffy wriggle against his straining erection. "You're not ready for this," he told her though his body was screaming the opposite. To emphasis it's point his hips jerked against her warm softness.

Buffy's thighs tightened around his hips and she ground herself down, a soft moan escaping from her mouth.

"Buffy, luv we need to slow down..." Spike gritted his teeth, his hands gripping her wrists gently as he nudged her writhing body off his.

"Spike...why?" Buffy asked again. Her lower lip trembled and tears filled her eyes. "It's okay, I understand...I'm gross..." She scrambled off the bed and ran from the room.

Spike sighed. "Balls..." He sat up and winced as his aching cock pressed against the cold metal teeth of his jeans. He glanced down, "'bout dam right, balls...or more like blue ones!" He gingerly stood up, adjusting himself and Spike sighed again. He could hear Buffy stomping around downstairs, muttering under her breath.

"Stupid Vampire! What's wrong with him? I'm all...Spike!" Buffy span around at the sound of Spike's quiet descent down the stairs; he was crouched at the foot of the staircase watching her pace.

Her vampiric hearing had kicked in with a vengeance, she frowned at the sight of the shirtless vamp crouched staring at her. "Leave me alone!" she yelled and ran into the kitchen. Buffy was embarrassed by his rejection and unsure of why she had jumped Spike. 'Okay, I always thought he was cute...but he's a vamp...so no way, no how!' Buffy ran her hands through her hair as she continued to think. She had forgotten for a brief moment that she was a vampire as well now.

"Slayer?"

Spike hadn't moved from his position. He was confused and aroused. He admitted to himself that he had always thought the Slayer was gorgeous, but he had been trying to kill her most of the time, not shag her. Now everything had changed, he felt something...something that could be classified as love...attraction...lust? But he wasn't sure if it was the Sire/Childe bond, he didn't think so but was nervous about taking the attraction further in case that was all it was.

He had never created a Childe and didn't know if these feelings were normal. 'Normal? Ha! What's normal about any of this...?' Spike shifted his weight and sank back on his heels. 'S'not like I can call Peaches and ask him what he felt like when he sired Dru. First off, Angelus probably didn't feel anything except Darla shaggin him into the ground, next to Dru in the Nunnery...'

He rubbed his hands over his face and sighed. It was all too much. When Joyce had said it was a good thing to help, he had agreed. But now he didn't know how! "Buffy, luv..." he whispered. Spike's voice cracked as he called to her.

Buffy stiffened at the sound of her name whispered with such confusion and longing. She kept her back to Spike and glared sightlessly at the fridge. Buffy knew if she turned around that she would want him again.

Buffy bit her lower lip and her eyes watered. One of her fangs had pierced her lower lip.

Spike froze at the intoxicating scent of his Childe's blood. His cock hardened even more. 'It's gonna drop off at this rate!' he grimaced down at the bulge in his jeans.

'Don't look at him...all tousle haired, confused and sexy...' Buffy slapped herself on the forehead. "Not sexy!" she muttered and then sighed. "Who am I kidding, he is..." Her shoulders slumped. 'But he's obviously disgusted by the new and not so improved me...hence, the pushing away...'

"Don't keep hurting yourself, Slayer." Spike whispered. He still remained crouched like a gargoyle at the base of the stairs. Spike winced at the sound of concern in his voice. He also smirked at the compliment Buffy had given him. 'Sexy, am I?' He opened his mouth to call her on this, but was interrupted.

Buffy whirled around at the sound of her Sire's voice. She stared sphinx-like at the shirtless vampire watching her closely. 'God, he's gorgeous...much better than Riley.' With her last thought Buffy flinched. "Oh god...Riley!" She shrieked.

Spike shut his eyes. 'Well, that got rid of my boner...' The delicious memory of her saying he was sexy was pushed aside by her mentioning the overgrown nit.

Buffy ran over to Spike and pulled him up. "I need a phone, now!" She shook the unresisting vampire hard in her panic, her sharp nails breaking his pale skin.

Spike glared down at the frantic Slayer. "Right, Spike won't play so you want Captain Cardboard..." Hurt coloured his voice and he clenched his jaw, trying not to strangle Buffy...not that it would've made any difference.

"What? No! I just wanted to...I don't know what I wanted...everything is too much." Buffy's eyes filled with tears and she began to sob.

Spike pulled himself free from her clutching hands and gently ran his finger over her wounded lower lip. Unable to resist the call of her blood he licked his finger.

Spike's eyes rolled back in his head and the powerful taste of Buffy's blood. He shivered at the sensations that flooded his system and growled. "I need to replace all the blood you've taken from me." He growled coldly and pushed Buffy away before stalking into the kitchen.

"Spike..." Buffy whimpered. "I'm sorry..." She wrapped her arms around her small form and watched Spike moving mechanically around the kitchen. She knew bringing up Riley was a bad move and now Spike was angry with her.

The small woman was terrified and had wanted to grasp at something familiar, familiar like Riley. But she had no idea why... All Buffy knew was that she needed to make amends. Spike had come through for her, when no one else had.

Spike nodded abruptly and busied himself preparing blood for the both of them. "Don't apologise, Slayer. I know you think I'm nothing...just something to be toyed with," he sighed. His shoulders slumped, he was tired and confused, the night before last he had been alone in his crypt and now he had a Childe.

He was at a loss; something he was getting used to these days - ever since the chip, Spike had felt hopeless. The blond vampire was beginning to feel the weight of the responsibility of accepting Drac's offer of Buffy. He hated that the strong warrioress was now a vampire and whether or not she knew it, dependant on him. Spike also was not too sure if he wanted the responsibility.

"Spike?" Buffy put her hand on his shoulder and turned him to face her.

Spike stared down at the floor, refusing to meet her eyes. He was channelling his inner William; he hated himself for it, but something about the small blonde in front of him was evoking these reactions. Bringing up long repressed memories of the git he had been. Her rejection of him and wanting her soldier boy had brought back memories of Cecily's rejection. And he hated it!

"Look at me," she pleaded with him as she cupped his chin and lifted his head up.

Spike shut his eyes, unwilling to expose himself for more 'kick the Spike.'

Buffy stomped her foot in rising frustration. "Open your eyes...please," she whispered.

It was the softly whispered please that reached Spike. He opened his eyes and stared at the tearful face of his Childe. Something inside him flinched at the sorrowful expression in her face. He stood still and looked at her. 'Not gonna open myself up to any more of her games...'

'Great, he's doing that 'I can see right through you into your soul' stare! I wish I could do that...' Buffy released his chin and wiped her face with the back of her hands.

Spike tried and failed not to smile at her childlike antics. 'She really is cute...'

"I'm sorry, really sorry. I shouldn't have shaken you like that or brought up, you know who." Buffy jumped at the sound of the microwave pinging.

"Right." Spike spun and pulled open the microwave door. He was stunned by her apology; the Slayer never apologised to the likes of him. The chipped vampire had no idea how to handle this.

"Spike?" Buffy was surprised, she had expected the cocky vampire to gloat or comment at her apology. She had not expected his shy reaction and complete silence.

"Here, drink this." Spike handed her a mug of blood. He ducked his head and looked at her through his eyelashes. The vampire's stormy blue eyes were filled with questions and hope.

"Thanks..."Buffy gingerly took the mug and glared at the contents. "This time you're staying down," she griped at the crimson fluid. 'Just pretend it's a cherry Slurpie...'

Spike blinked at the tiny blonde and sipped his blood, hiding his grin behind the mug. He sat down at the dining table and watched worriedly as Buffy drained the heated animal blood. He tensed waiting for her to puke it all up again.

"Bleeeech!" She stuck her tongue out and shook her head while scrunching her face up. Buffy shivered dramatically. "Ta...daa..." she flourished the empty mug under Spike's nose before turning and putting it in the sink.

Spike tried to suppress a smile at his Childe's antics but failed. He dipped his head and covered his mouth with his hand and grinned at the cuteness of his girl. Coughing he wiped the grin off his face and straightened.

"Rinse it out luv," Spike commented idly. "Blood is a bugger to wash off ceramics once it gets all crusty." He regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth.

Buffy retched at the image that floated into her mind. She clamped her hand over her mouth. "Oh no! Spiiiikee!" she wailed through her fingers.

"Bollocks!" Spike leapt to his feet and raced over to the heaving form of his Childe.

Buffy looked up at him, her eyes were watering. She looked miserable. "I'm a crap vampire..." She muttered through her hands. "I can't even drink blood without wanting to puke my guts up!"

Spike wrapped his arm around her shuddering form. "Hang on, luv. Spike's got yah," With that he vamped out and slashed his fangs across his free wrist. "Here, this'll help..." He thrust his bleeding wrist in front of Buffy's face.

Buffy wrapped her hands around his proffered wrist and pulled it to her mouth.

Spike groaned at the sensation of her soft lips on his skin. He hardened again as he felt Buffy suckling on his blood. "Oh pet..." He pulled her across his body and held her against him, in a classic vampiric hold.

Only this time he wasn't taking blood but giving it.

Buffy ran her tongue over the closing wound trying to get as much of Spike's rich blood as she could. A wealth of feelings flooded her. Buffy could sense his worry for her. She could also sense his confusion, frustration, his hatred and anger at Drac and most importantly she could sense his fierce protectiveness of her.

Most importantly, the deeply hidden love he held for her- so deep that Buffy sensed he wasn't completely aware of it. She groaned and pulled his wrist closer to her lips and at the same time pushed backwards and ground herself against his hardness, which pressed urgently against her.

Sighing she reluctantly pulled away from Spike's pale wrist. Buffy turned in his arms and looked up at him. "Thank you, I feel better."

Buffy wrapped her arms around Spike's waist and pulled him closer, relishing the close contact as well as his obvious arousal. Blinking up at him coyly, she grinned impishly. "I guess you aren't turned off by me being a vamp?" Buffy held her breath nervously, amazed that she had voiced her deepest fear so easily.

Spike inhaled sharply, her scent flooding his senses. Closing his eyes he swallowed hard; reaching up he wrapped his long fingers in her hair and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Never said that," he whispered against her cool flesh.

"But you pushed me away..." Buffy pouted.

Spike feathered soft kisses over her forehead and then buried his face in her fragrant hair. "No luv, was worried you were acting on the Sire/Childe bond...I've never sired a Childe, so this is all new territory for me, Slayer."

"I sensed what you felt when I was drinking from you, Spike," Buffy whispered into his neck. Her lips brushed over the mark she had left earlier. A shiver ran through both of them.

Spike pulled away slightly and gazed down in surprise. He had never sensed anything when he had drunk from Dru.

"What!" Spike tried to pull away, embarrassed. Buffy growled at his moving away and pulled him back closer. If he could Spike would have blushed all the way down to his toes.

Buffy ran her hands over the soft pale skin on his back, trying to reassure the embarrassed vampire in her arms. "I got all your feelings, all of them." She repeated to ensure that Spike had heard her and wouldn't weasel out of anything.

'Bugger...think fast, mate!' Spike shifted slightly and his grip tightened around her.

Buffy nudged her head under his chin, smiling against him. "Don't even try to cover up, Spikey..." She sing-songed, feeling braver now that she was aware of her Sire's feelings.

Spike slumped in her arms, defeated. "Bloody women, can't keep anything from them!"

"Nope!" Buffy grinned wickedly and pinched his firm behind. Pulling out of his arms she grinned mischievously as she danced away from his reaching arms.

"Buffy...come 'ere..." Spike chased after the whirling blonde dervish.

Buffy leapt over the back of the couch and flopped onto her back. "Ommph!"

Spike landed on top of her and pressed his lean body against her soft welcoming curves. "You are amazing, luv..." With that he kissed her, ravishing her mouth with his.

Buffy eagerly responded. Her hands ran over his back and shoulders as the kiss deepened. "It's so weird. I feel safe with you..." she gasped against his demanding lips.

Spike pulled back and pressed fevered kisses over her face and neck. He growled softly when he felt her soft lips peppering his throat with kisses.

"I promise I'll protect you with everything I am," Spike swore as he kissed her closed eyes.

"You might need a hand with that," a voice interrupted the two vampires.

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