Tempus de Muto

by Schehrezade

Disclaimer: They ain't mine but I gets to play with them!!
Feedback: As a first time writer, I would love input. It's a drug that I could become addicted to! Drop me a note at
schehrezade_1@hotmail.com
Rating: PG15 for now will vary from chapter to chapter. Will always put in a warning.
Dedications: To Tales, cos I wouldn't be writing without her prodding. You're my muse girl!! Madame Draco my Beta. Thank you for all the hard work and patience. A true gem!

Chapter 1

The pale man lay silently in his bed, the occasional ping of a machine and the slow rise of his chest the only indication that there was a spark of life in him. She stood at the foot of his bed, checking his charts. When his eyes fluttered open and pinned her with his sharp, blue-eyed gaze, she was transfixed by the sorrow and guilt that lurked in them. The rumours of him being attacked by a friend made her smile gently at him, trying to ease his sorrow. The nurse hadn't realised that she had moved to his side until he grasped her wrist.

She jumped as she felt his slender fingers press a scrap of paper into her palm.

Smoothing it open, she read quickly.

Looking down into his sad eyes, she smiled and nodded. Reaching her hand out, she smoothed the bandages on his neck gently and left the room. Glancing back, she saw that he had closed his eyes and his hands twitched restlessly on his blankets.

**********

Sunnydale

1630 Revello Drive

Dawn stomped past Willow without acknowledging her nervous stuttering. The teenager's blue eyes sparkled with anger as she cradled her broken arm with her free hand and shot up the stairs.

"Dawn... Please! I just wanted to say..." Willow jumped as she heard Dawn's bedroom door slam shut. Her hands fluttered nervously as she stood staring up the empty staircase, her shoulders dropped and she shuffled into the dining room and back to her studies.

'I just need to find a way to fix this. Then, Dawnie and Tara will forgive me.'

Willow rested her aching head in her hands and closed her tired, red-rimmed eyes, trying to push aside the aching gnawing in her guts. She groaned under her breath as she felt Rack calling her to him. Gritting her teeth, she blocked his siren call out of her head and grimly picked up the nearest textbook, staring blindly at the writing.

"Hey Wills! Go you with the textbookness!" Buffy chirped as she trotted through from the kitchen.

Willow jumped out of her skin. She quickly checked. 'Nope, still in here.' You never know living on the Hellmouth. She looked up at Buffy as her best friend fluttered around the table picking up books and then dropping them - the noise making Willow wince in pain.

When she looked over at Buffy she frowned. 'What the hell is going on with her?' She studied her blonde friend cautiously as Buffy studiously avoided Willow's gaze and scuttled out of the room.

Buffy tried to ignore Willow's puzzled look and shot back into the kitchen.  She stood by the island, staring sightlessly at a rather moldy looking apple in the fruit basket.

'Oh God! What was I thinking? They are going to know what I did!' Buffy looked down at her chest. 'Nope, no scarlet letter of shame stitched on her shirt!

Everyone's going to guess what I did with Spike.' Buffy stood there chewing on her lip, worrying at a raw piece of skin. She felt really bad. Why had she told him he was convenient? Why on earth did she tell him that? 'One vampire got her hot and......... he was just convenient. I'm a bitch and truly evil. I did come back wrong! Why did I say those things? Freak show?' Buffy groaned. 'Motor mouth Buffy to the rescue. God his face!'

She had seen a flicker of utter pain in his eyes as she scrambled for her boots. When she had looked back up, he had his 'Big Bad' on and let her have it. They both should have just kept their mouths shut. 'Arghhh!'

She wouldn't have said anything. If he hadn't started that crack about 'only thing better than...' everything might have been a bit better. 'Enough! Gotta keep moving. Gotta keep busy.'

"Just gonna check on Dawn and see if she's ok." Buffy rattled up the stairs. She paused at Dawn's room, knocked and popped her head around the teen's door.

"Hey, sweetie, need anything?" Dawn looked up from her magazine, shrugged and shook her head.

"No Double Meat terror tonight?" she asked. Buffy came slowly into the room and flopped down onto the bed next to her sibling.

"Nope." She turned her head and looked at her little sister. "Want to spend the night with me eating ice cream and watching TV?" Dawn stared at her in surprise.

"What? You want to hang out with me?"

She couldn't keep the surprise and hope out of her voice. Buffy flinched and looked down, watching her fingers toying with a loose thread on the bedspread. Strong fingers, which threaded through hers and pulled her closer, her sweat-slicked flesh pressed again his cool hard chest

"Hey! Buffy... Buffy?" Dawn nudged her and Buffy snapped out of her memories and looked up into her sister's concerned blue eyes. 'So much like... No, not going there.' Buffy shook her head and jumped to her feet.

"Course I do - Look, let me do a quick patrol and I'll swing past Blockbusters and head back." She reached out and smoothed Dawn's hair off her face.

"Look, baby, I know it's been bad, but I promise it will get better. I will get better...."

Dawn grabbed her small-framed sister in a fierce one-armed hug. Buffy stood there shocked for a second.  Dawn rarely wanted her to touch her, so with her little sister initiating the hug she was wrong footed for a second. She wrapped her arms around her tall, slim-framed sibling and squeezed hard.

"Gak." Dawn hopped back. "Slayer strength - weak human here!" she giggled, thrilled that her sis was responding to her hugs. She had watched Buffy getting more and more withdrawn since she had come back. She and Tara had worried over Buffy's rapidly diminishing curves. Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes filled with tears.

"Dawnie?" Buffy watched her sister's face crumple. Concern etched deep lines around her hazel eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I miss Tara." Buffy pulled her teary-eyed sister to her and stroked her hair gently.

"Oh, Dawnie, so do I baby." Buffy closed her eyes and tried not to cry as well. She desperately missed the gentle Wicca with her soft ways and gentle concern. 'Damn Willow. I wish she was the one gone and Tara was here with us.'

Buffy was shocked by her thoughts. She looked over her shoulder guiltily, checking that Willow was not near enough to read her mind. She shrugged. 'Paranoid much?' Buffy turned back to her sister. She wondered if it was time for a change.

"Look, I'll skip patrol and just get some vids and popcorn, and we'll have a girly evening. Hey, I'll even let you do my hair and nails!" she chirped. Looking down at her hands, she grimaced. The normally perfect nails were torn and ragged. She guessed that the combo of Double Meat and a night with Spike had caused as much havoc on her manicure as it had on her mind.

In a typical teenage mood swing, Dawn grinned.

"Cool! Go get Ashton Kutchner and... oooh Brad Pitt. A girly night needs Brad and Ashton." She made a shooing motion with her hand and twirled around to pull out her make up kit and straightening irons. She looked over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow. Buffy's breath caught in her throat again. 'God, she looked just like a certain peroxide menace when she did that.'

She shot out of Dawn's room and grabbed her purse and coat on the way out.

'No more thinking of Spike. No more thinking of his cool arms pulling her towards him. No thinking of the ecstasy he evoked with just a single touch of his hands. Not thinking about the way he looked up at her in surprise and shock as she sank down on his.... Gah! Bad Buffy! Need soap to wash out dirty mind!'

She bit her lip nervously, worried that there was a big sign over her head saying, "I GOT SPIKED!!"

"Still here, Buffy?" Dawn asked, leaning against her doorframe, watching Buffy standing in the hall. Grinning at her spaced-out sister, Dawn wondered what the hell was going through her older sibling's mind.

"Hey, why don't you swing by the crypt and get Spike? I know he always needs a new coat of paint on his nails!" Dawn watched Buffy closely, wondering why her sister's left eye had twitched at the mention of Spike's name. She tried it again. "SPIKE!" she shrieked and Buffy flushed bright red and waved her hands up and down, bouncing on the spot.

'Ahhh! She knows! She's guessed something! She can see what I did,' Buffy thought.

Panicking, she tried to edge towards the stairs. Dawn's free hand snapped out and grabbed her in a vice-like grip.  Dawn dragged her sister back into her room and pushed her in the direction of the bed.

"Spike," she chortled gleefully, watching as her embarrassed sister flushed an attractive shade of maroon. She sniggered, wondering what the hell her sister and her surrogate big brother had been up to. Her eyes narrowed sharply when she recalled images of Buffy, limping into the kitchen the other day.  Suddenly, everything made sense.

"OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!"

She shrieked and Buffy winced at the high-frequency squeals filling the room. She glanced over her shoulder in a panic. Now, she really was expecting to see Willow standing in the door of her very loud baby sister's lavender-painted room.

"Dawn, shut up!" she whispered in a complete panic. "Ahh!! Willow's downstairs."

"Pfft," Dawn shrugged dismissively. "She's too busy worrying about herself to hear anything." Dawn uttered the words coldly and without any compassion, gingerly shifting her broken arm in the sling.

"She's probably too busy jonesing for a fix to even hear if a herd of Fyarl demons began doing a tap dance on the roof!" she snarked.

Buffy didn't have the heart to correct her. She knew that her sister was probably right on track with her opinion of the disgraced witch.

"So? You and Spike?" Dawn asked archly, as she patted the space next to her on the mattress.

"Dawn, there is no me and Spike." Buffy lied very badly. Her blushes and twitching hands, contradicting anything she said.

"Yeah, right!" Dawn snorted. She took a deep breath. 'Ok, Summers, suck it up! You can do grown up. If you wanna play with the big boys, you're gonna have to act like one!'

"Buffy I know something is going on. You're never in. You smell like leather and cigarettes. That one night you came back stinking drunk, I saw Spike carrying you in. Man, Buff, you should have seen how sweet and gentle he was. He sat on the roof outside your room after Giles went to bed and watched over you until it was sunrise. Even though Giles yelled at him to get lost and that it was all his fault! I bet even after the sun rose, he was hiding in the sewers in case you needed him. He really loves you. You should have seen how broken up he was this summer." Dawn paused.

She bit her lip and looked straight into Buffy's hazel eyes.

"At Glory's tower, you know... the day, day you died. He cried!"

Dawn paused to take a breath, feeling light-headed from lack of oxygen. She looked over at her pole-axed sister's face and plunged in. "Buffy, what have you done? Please don't make a mess of this. He is a good vamp. He loves you. He would be so good for you and us. Please don't break his heart!" Dawn begged.

Before Buffy could reply, Dawn had uttered the magic words. They were all that Buffy needed to realize it would be okay with Dawn. If, and a big if, she decided to try and change things for the better with Spike, she had her sister's blessing. The way she was feeling at the moment, Buffy guessed that Spike might be in for a shock.

Then, all her raging insecurities rose up. 'But what if he didn't want to know...?'

"It's alright to love him." Five words that suddenly simplified Buffy's world.

"The others, if they can't handle it, then they have to come through me! Also, hey!  Not like they can say anything. Their dating history consists of 1000-year-old ex-Demon, werewolf, Inca Mummy girl, creepy robot guy and preying mantis teacher. Not like they can throw stones 'cause... hey, they live in a majorly big greenhouse!"   She reached over and stroked her hand down Buffy's tear-stained face and smiled reassuringly at her, suddenly feeling much older than her frazzled sister.

"Also, Mom, she wouldn't have said anything. She really liked Spike. If she was here and did say anything, all you would have to do was remind her about Ted. That would shut her up real quick!" Dawn grinned.

"Dawn, how did you? You don't mind?" Buffy stuttered.

"Buffy, I love you and I love Spike. Even if he is a schmuck, he's our schmuck! If being together makes you both happy, then bonus, 'cause, hey, my two favourite people are happy and together. Also, double bonus, maybe less of the bad-moody Buffy," Dawn paused, looked down at her hands and then looked her sister straight in the eyes.

"I know it's been really tough for you. I hate what Willow and the others did. Leaving you down there, in... in your coffin. But I am happy you're here and if I can help in anyway, even if it's by telling you it's ok to love Spike, then, good." She nodded her head firmly, trying to suppress the huge grin that was tickling the edges of her mouth and then gave in and let out a very teenage shriek!

"Check me out! Go Dawnie, with the big girl's advice. I cool. Yep, I am!" She grimaced. 'Ok! That was not too mature but, hey, she was trying!'

"Dawn, what? How did you? You know? Uhmm." Buffy bit her lip, which brought back a flash of Spike leaning in and capturing her swollen lips in a gentle, fanged nip before he veered off and peppered her face and neck with butterfly soft nibbles and kisses.

"Buff, it's cool. Go talk to him and bring him home. I miss him and I know that you guys need some quality time and I bet some snuggles." Dawn hugged her shaking sister and leapt up. "Go get Spike and vids. I'll be here!"

Dawn's voice shocked Buffy out of her triple X-rated memories, causing her to blush even redder.

"Ummm, okay, but Dawn..." Buffy peeked up through her lashes at her sister's back and then she realised. It was ok with Dawn, really ok, and suddenly she felt happy, happier than she had been since that night in the fallen down house. She also realised if she could talk to Spike things could be okay.

Dawn looked over her shoulder and grinned at her smiling sister. 'Cool, I did that. I made Buffy smile. Go me!'

"Still here, Buff? Go. Go get Spike. Go get chocolate and films!" Dawn pushed her smiling sister firmly out of her room. Buffy turned to look at the closed door and rested her hand on the wood. Then, she whirled around and shot down the stairs. She had no idea what she was going to say to Spike. Buffy and words were non-mixy. But she was going to do her best and if that didn't work she'd knock him out and drag him back to Revello Drive and Dawn could talk to him!

"Bye, Wills. Back in a sec," she called over her shoulder to the empty dining room.

'That's weird. Where did she go?' she thought as she trotted down the sidewalk. However, thoughts of her, Dawn and Spike having a family night soon blotted out any worries she had for Willow.

'Whoa! Spike and family in one sentence.' She rolled the thought around in her head and smiled. 'Yep, that sounded good.'

*********

'Things had to change.'

Spike swirled the amber liquid around a shot glass and ignored the concerned, wrinkled, saggy face across the table from him. He knew if he looked up at Clem that he would give in to the gentle demon's worried looks and start talking. The last thing he wanted was for the red-eyed demon to know what he and Buffy had got up to.

He often wondered if Clem was empathic.

He downed his JD in one go, he grimaced at the aftertaste and reached over and dropped a couple of bills onto the scarred and filthy table.

"I'm off mate, I'll just take the two and you keep the rest."

Spike reached over to the mewling basket and pulled out two kittens. A ginger one and a blue-eyed white furred one. He glared at Clem, daring him to say something as he tucked them into the pockets of his ever-present duster.

He cocked his scarred brow at his wrinkled friend and managed to paste a sly grin on his face. He turned and swept out of the bar. As he passed, the blue faced barman he held out a hand and snapped his fingers. The demon dropped a brown paper bag full of blood bags into his outstretched hand.

He strode out into the night, his cool factor lost when his coat started to mew in stereo.

Spike paused and glanced down and grinned. 'So much for getting his rocks back! Look out the Big Bad kitten is coming!'  He stifled a snort and looked around carefully before he dropped his hands into his pockets and pulled out the mewling kittens and looked them in the eyes.

"Now listen, you two. Behave." They regarded him solemnly and the white one yawned exposing a pink tongue and what appeared to be a fine set of fangs in the making.

Spike grinned. "Bloody charming! Not even two little fluffers respect me!" He tucked them back in his pockets. "Right, off we go." He strode off down the street his blinding bright hair gleamed in the streetlights. 

*********

Spike stumbled into his crypt juggling bags from "Pets are Us" trying to ignore the rising mews coming from the two furry beasts that were trying to escape the confines of his duster. It hadn't been easy doing a bit of B & E with the two kittens voicing their disapproval. However, he had managed and grabbed everything that he thought that his two girls needed to take care of the new soon-to-be additions to the Summers' house.

He hoped that Buffy would accept them and see them as the apology that he needed to make.

'Poor little girl doesn't fit in anywhere. She has no one to love.'

Spike rolled his head from side to side and groaned. It had to have been the adrenaline that made him say all those things to her! Finally able to fight her and the blood lust just took over. Then, in the space of seconds, minutes, their tentative friendship was shattered, in a flurry of fists and angry words.

But then, when she yanked his fly down and sank down on him he had felt like he was in heaven or as close to it as a vamp would ever get.

'Why did she do that?'

Spike dropped the bags on the sarcophagus and pulled out his two temporary roommates, dropping them on his ratty armchair where they sat and watched him solemnly. He emptied out a box and popped in a worn black t-shirt and then lifted them in. They promptly curled up and went to sleep. Spike paused in his tracks and watched their furry bodies, curled around each other. His mind whirled as he wondered how the hell he was going to get them to Buffy and Dawn. He knew that the Slayer would probably throw a fit if he just turned up with them.

So he guessed that Dawn was the way to go. 'But how?'

He knew he was channeling his inner William by just considering giving the kittens to Buffy and Dawn but....

He flopped down into his armchair and pulled out his flask and took a long drink from it. Emptying it, he threw it across the crypt.  His mind filled with images of that night.

'Christ! She had nearly burnt his dick off when she sank down on him for the first time, and every other time after that!'

He reached for the ever-present bottle that was tucked down the side of the armchair and took a long pull and shook his head. The sex had been great.

Fuck that! It had been amazing and earth shattering.

Then it had all gone to hell in the morning, the two of them had ended up spouting vitriol. He couldn't prevent the poisonous anger that had bubbled out of him, in reaction to her words. Within seconds of their arguing he knew that between them, they had shattered any hope of a truce.

His mouth had shot off before his brain could prevent it. Guess he had fried a few brain cells with the toe curling orgasms the Slayer had wrung out of his aching body. He banged his head on the worn headrest and then leapt to his feet and started pacing, ignoring the chafing in his jeans and the half-healed scratches on his back. The Slayer had been a wild cat. She had scratched the hell out of his back. And just about anywhere else she had managed to get her hands on. Thank Christ for vamp healing! Though, as he paused and pulled his black t-shirt away from his body and looked down his chest, he wished that he could keep the scratches longer, if only to prove to himself he hadn't dreamt it.

He paused mid-stride. His voice broke the silence of the dusty crypt.

"Gonna make it right... It has to get better... I know she felt something."

It had been the best night of his unlife. He had thought that they were finally back on an even footing when he realised that he could fight her again. He had missed the dance and in his euphoria he had been carried away. Being the idiot he was, he had as usual taken it too far. His plan had been to give her a few taps just to remind her who he was, to show her he wasn't some kind of fluffy puppy.

He had been the Scourge of Europe! He wasn't the Slayer's lapdog!

He snorted in contempt at his posturing

'Yeah right! Not her lapdog!'

He knew that she had him by the short and curlies, as did the Niblett. One big-eyed look from either of them and he would be on his knees. He was theirs as much as they were his.

Then, his words to her flashed through his head again. '...Came back wrong, fuck!'

What had he been thinking? Tell the girl you loved that she was a freak and what? He was surprised she had flipped out and run off virtue fluttering? The fear pouring off her had been palpable. "You're a right tosser, Spike, mate," he muttered under his breath as he reached for an axe. With a quick look over at the kittens to check they were asleep, he stalked out into the cemetery.

Spot of violence before bed might clear his head. He had to formulate a plan. He had to sort this out with the Slayer. She had to know that he would lay down his unlife for her and that he loved her.

Spike tripped over a fallen tombstone and lay sprawled on his face. Of course she didn't realise he was in love with her. Not after his choice words that morning! What had he been thinking?

He rolled over onto his back and screamed at the top of his lungs and then started laughing.

If Dru could see him now! Tripping over tombstones and contemplating gifts of the furry kind for the Slayer and her sis! How the mighty had fallen!

Then he heard the ground shifting and breaking to his right. He leapt to his feet as a fledgling pushed its head out of the freshly turned soil. One swing of the axe and the newborn vamp was dust.

Spike pulled out a cigarette and lit it. The flame illuminated his angular face for a second.

Then, he strode off into the night, leaving a trail of smoke behind.

**********

Willow stood at the end of the filthy alley, chewing her bottom lip, as she wrung her hands nervously. Looking over her shoulder to check that no one was behind her, she stepped forward. Then she paused shuffling her feet as she tried to move away, indecision showing in every line of her petite frame, but her bones ached and Rack's call echoed in her head. 'Come to me, Strawberry. You know I'll make it good. Just a taste and all will be well.' She stepped forward. There was a shimmer in the concealing field around Rack's den and Amy appeared, Rack stood just behind her, grinning in anticipation, watching his new girl coming towards him. She reached out and pulled the red-headed girl in.

Amy looked over her shoulder at Rack. She saw the anticipation on his scarred face. She shivered and reached for the door to his inner sanctum. Pushing it open, she stepped in. She knew that there was no way she could get away from him at the moment. She would have to bid her time. She felt sick with guilt. What had started out as a bit of fun, a power boost, a way to let loose after being literally caged for years! It had turned into something dark and terrifying, and then there was Willow. She looked over at her old school friend and shuddered. Willow had no idea what was going to happen to her. At this point she doubted Willow would even care. As long as she got her fix!

There was no going back now and Willow's body went limp. Her pulse raced at the anticipated high as she followed Rack into his inner sanctum. 

***********

"Crap!" Buffy dropped the bags of films, chocolate, popcorn and melting ice cream on the crypt floor. Spike wasn't around. She reached over for a lit candle and cautiously walked around the bags and sat in the ratty armchair. She covered her face with her hands, her nerves were getting the better of her, and all her rehearsed speeches flew out of her mind.

She froze.

There was a scratching noise and a snuffling. 'Demon!'

She reached for the ever-present stake in her waistband and cautiously stood up. The noise was coming from the far corner of the crypt and she edged slowly forward, her hand raised and her breathing even. As she got closer to the faint noises, her hand raised and she plunged the stake downwards.

"Buffy! No!"

She jumped, tripped forwards and fell to her knees. The stake skittered away from her hand.

'So much for Slayer grace and poise!' she thought ruefully, as her cheeks reddened in embarrassment.

Spike shot over and caught her small body in his arms and steadied her. He inhaled sharply at the contact of her supple form against his, which immediately sent his brain into meltdown. The mingled scents of perfume, Dawn and Buffy's unique scent overwhelmed him. He pulled her pliant body onto his lap and rested his cheek on the top of her head.

"Luv? You ok?"

He was thrilled that she was here in his crypt waiting for him. 'Hang on! Waiting for him with a stake in her hand? That's not good!'

He eased her relaxed body around so that he could see her face. Her eyes were tightly shut and her long lashes feathered over her flushed cheeks.

"Buffy, look at me, sweetheart."

She shook her head and burrowed her face into the leather of his duster.

'What the hell was going on with her?'

He had spent the last hour staking every vamp in sight and had beaten a green, slimey thing to an even bigger pile of green, slimey goo. He was feeling much better.

Now this. 'Please don't have been here to stake me, luv!' he pleaded mentally. Spike knew if that was why she had been waiting in his home, then, after the other night, he would not be able to stop her.

He froze when he felt a soft brush of slayer lips along his neck and then jumped as she bit down gently on his neck.

"Ahh... Love, just like that!"

He tilted his head allowing her more access to the sensitive skin on his neck, his dick jumped in unison with the next Slayer nibble on his earlobe. Unable to stop himself, he growled and pulled her closer. Slamming their lips together for a passionate but gentle kiss, he tried to convey his love and longing to her.

Buffy pulled him closer and wrapped her legs around his waist. She ground herself down on his rigid erection, causing them both to throw back their heads and gasp. Before they could continue, a chorus of mews broke their passionate haze.

Buffy cocked her head and raised a finely plucked brow at Spike.

"Is that the effect I have on you? You mew?" She grinned at him, amused at the affronted look he gave her.

"Yeh... Right luv, I know you've got the boys in a vice but..."

He growled dramatically and pushed Buffy onto her back, with a twist of his hips he settled between her legs. Spike then purred loudly at her, as his mouth descended and soft lips trailed down her neck.

Spike paused, cocking his head. 'Hang on. Who mewed?'

Buffy looked up at him in confusion. 'Why did he stop?' Her fingers massaged his pecs and her legs pulled his hips back down to her groin.

"Spike?" she pleaded. Her hot demanding hands pulled at his duster and slipped it off his shoulders.

"Hang on, love." He pulled away from Buffy's warm embrace and shot across the crypt.

She lay back on her elbows and watched her insane vamp muttering under his breath and then he disappeared into the shadows. She gulped as she ran the last thought through her mind again. 'Her Vamp?' She grinned. 'Yup, that sounded about right.

But no more smoochies, more talkies and home to Dawn,' she told herself firmly. She sat up and primly began to re-button her shirt. 'How does he undo them so quickly?' she wondered, but Spike's return distracted her.

"Oh, oh. They are adorable." She frowned, her hand paused mid stroke "You're not going to gamble with them are you?" Her eyes flashed green in anger.

"Oi! White flag, already. They're for you and the Nib!" He smiled nervously and ducked his head sheepishly, trying to avoid Buffy's searching gaze.

"For me?" Her bottom lip quivered and she reached over and gently picked up the blue-eyed ball of white fluff. She gingerly cradled the kitten to her neck.  She shrieked as she felt a tiny rough tongue licking her neck.

"Oh, it's a mini Spike," she giggled at the affronted look being directed at her by the vampire. "Oh, come on. He's cute! It is a boy isn't it?" Spike shrugged.

"No idea, love. Want to play doctor?"  He waggled his tongue at her before curling it over his teeth.

"Ewww! Gross, Spike!" She wrinkled her nose at him and giggled. Spike's scarred brow shot up. Buffy giggled! He grinned at her, thrilled as her soft giggles filled the crypt.

"Oh my god. I forgot Dawn!" She rushed over to the door and then stopped.

Spike kicked at the dirt on the floor. 'Great a little progress and off she runs virtue all a flutter.'

"Spike... Spike? Pick up the bags! Come on. Dawn's waiting for us."

Startled, he looked over at his impatient lover and saw her standing at the door, kitten in hand and struggling to pick up all the bags scattered across the floor.

"Damn. The ice cream is melting. Come on! Hurry! We've got to get it into a freezer. Dawn will kill me if her cookie dough turns into cookie goo."

Confused, he just stood and stared at her, wondering what the hell was going on. Spike jumped when he felt the needle picks of tiny claws in his abdomen, he looked down at the kitten that was kneading his shirt with very sharp claws.

"Me?" He cursed mentally when his voice cracked.

"Yes. You. Get your stuff and come on. Dawn's waiting, at home for us."

"Us?"

"Oh boy! Spike's brain has vacated the building." She snarked gently at the peroxide vamp, who still hadn't moved an inch.

"You" she pointed at the vamp.  "Come... home... with... me... and... kittens. Dawn... waiting. Pick... up... bags and walk... with... me." She enunciated her words slowly and carefully, hoping that the normally sharp vamp would eventually catch on.

"Oh. Right! Coming." Spike reached over and grabbed various bags and tucked them under one arm. He shoved the kitten in his pocket and then offered his free arm to Buffy. He held his breath waiting, daring the Slayer to comment on his chivalry.

Buffy curled her hand primly over his forearm, without a comment. She reached up and planted a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you, Spike. I love William." She grinned cheekily up at the horrified vamp's face.

"William?" he spluttered "William? Now, love, please," he begged.

"Aww, come on, Spike. He's a perfect you. White hair, blue eyes and attitude! He's a mini you. Shall I call him Spike?" she asked archly as they circumnavigated around a tombstone.

"No! No! William is fine, not Spike. No way, never. The Whelp would have a field day."

"Ok, William it is!" Buffy snuggled the kitten under her chin and then batted her eyelashes up at Spike. "But, Spike, we do have to talk and soon."

Spike frowned worriedly. He hoped he would survive the "Talk" with all his bits intact.

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

Wave after wave of orgasmic pleasure flooded the red-headed witch as she floated higher and higher.

"Like that, Strawberry?" Rack spun Willow's relaxed, small body around the room before blasting her again with a crackle of power.

"Want some more?" He laughed, thrilled that she had answered his calls. This one was powerful and he knew that she was almost ripe for the plucking.

Willow moaned. Her eyes opened and a jet-black darkness filled them as she came again and again.

Amy sat next to Rack and watched the red–head, worrying.

'How the hell were they going to get out of here?'

Rack sent another final blast at Willow and watched her writhe in ecstasy as she floated slowly down from the ceiling, into his waiting arms. He pulled her close and kissed her gasping mouth violently. He watched her delirious face carefully as his hand slid up her skirt to the juncture of her thighs.

"Ahhh, there you are, Strawberry. I wonder if the rest of you is as sweet."

His scarred face loomed over Willow's and he kissed her again as his fingers slid upwards.

Amy watched horrified, as Rack molested one of her few friends, but knowing his power over her, she didn't say anything.

**********

A phone rang, breaking the silence of the Magic Box and the answer-phone clicked on.

Anya's voice filled the darkened shop.

"This is the Magic Box. We are here to service your magical needs, so please leave a message after the beep and I will call you back for your money."

"Hello. This is a message for a Mr. Giles..."

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