"Once In a Lifetime Love"
Author: Ashlee
Contact: ashlee_999@hotmail.com
Notes: This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction so please be gentle. Also a very special thank you to my awesome Beta, Allison, who is super fast.
Relaxing
As Spike walked in the hotel room he gave a nod to Gunn, letting him know it was okay to leave. Heading for the bedroom, Spike slowly opened the door and checked on Buffy. Seeing her laying on the bed, he turned to head back to the couch for the night.
"Spike?"
Spike turned to at the softly spoken word, but she spoke before he could. "Will you stay with me?"
"I'm here, luv."
"No…I mean, just hold me tonight."
Spike nodded in understanding and led her back to bed. Slowly, so as not to startle her, Spike took off his shoes and shirt before lying down on the bed. Buffy immediately curled up into him.
"Is this okay?" he asked.
Buffy nodded. "Much better. You make me feel safe just being close by."
Spike gently ran his fingers through her silky hair as she traced erratic patterns on his chest.
"You're not going back to work are you, luv?"
"No, I've got my friend Anya running everything. She pretty much figured out what happened and told me to take as long as I needed."
"That's good," he said as they lapsed into another comfortable silence.
"Thank you for staying with me, Spike," she said a minute later.
"Wouldn't dream of being anywhere else, Buffy."
Softly kissing her forehead, they both drifted off to sleep, content in each other's arms.
The next morning, Buffy was feeling more like her old self. She went about her usual activities of preparing for the day, trying to avoid the huge mirror in the bathroom. When she finally looked in it, she realized she was starting to recognize the woman again. Right after the rape, Buffy felt like it wasn't even her who was living in her own body. Now, as some of the bruises began to fade to a harsh yellow and the swelling had receded, Buffy was slowly looking like she used to.
"This won't happen again," she said softly to the mirror.
"Glad to hear that, luv."
Buffy spun around to the doorway and saw Spike leaning against it, watching her, before continuing. "Although, I heard you gave Mr. Finn a good thrashing yourself."
"Yeah, well, I don't take getting raped lightly."
Spike had to suppress a smile at the strong tone of her voice. If it wasn't for the dire circumstances, he would thoroughly enjoy this side of Buffy.
"The carnival's in town. I thought maybe we'd take Caitlyn tonight, if you're feeling up to it."
Buffy nodded. "Yeah, I want to put this past me, and I miss Caity."
"Okay. I've got to call my agent and rearrange a few things, and then I thought we could grab some breakfast. Do you want to order in?"
Buffy looked at her reflection for a long time before turning back from Spike. "I think that would be best. I'll spend the day getting better."
Spike walked over and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "I'll be finished with my work in no time, pet."
"I'm not keeping you from anything, am I?"
Spike turned back to her with a smile. "No, nothing important."
"Spike," she said with a warning tone. "You can't drop everything to stay here with me. You have a job. A job which pays a lot of money, and you shouldn't miss it."
"Buffy," he said soothingly. "I'm not missing work. Just some interviews and press junkets. You are more important than some reporters. I'm already taking some time off until the beginning of next year. I need a break, so don't worry about what I might be missing."
Buffy nodded with a heavy sigh as Spike turned and headed out the door.
Later that night, Buffy dressed in her favorite jeans and a black V-neck fleece sweater. She applied some foundation over the fading bruises and a heavy lip gloss to cover her split lip. When she was finished, Buffy stared at her reflection. She was wearing more make-up than she usually did, but it didn't appear to be caked on, so she gave a shrug and ran a brush through her already smooth hair. She was starting to feel better, though she refused to talk to a counselor. Just telling the police officers the details had been painful, but she felt better letting someone else know.
Spike stood in the doorway, watching Buffy, as she finished putting on her shoes. She did look better. He knew the darkest bruises were layered on her body, but her face didn't look nearly as bad. Since the make-up she was wearing was covering the worst of it, Buffy looked almost like her old self. He knew going out at night would camouflage her injuries even more.
"Ready to go, luv?"
"Yeah. Did you call my mom?"
"Yep, she's going to have Caitlyn ready."
"Did she want to go?"
"She said she'd meet us there."
"Okay, let's go."
A few minutes later, Spike's Navigator was pulling into Buffy's driveway. Spike saw Gunn loading some things into his car and went over to talk to him while Buffy rounded up her daughter.
"Hey, man," Gunn said, turning to face his friend. "Anything you need me to do tonight?"
"Actually, that's why I came over. You've been working hard since you got here, and I think you should have the night off."
"Hey, sounds good to me."
"Okay," Spike said, turning to face the house. "Looks like my girls are ready to go."
Gunn tried to hide his smile at the possessive quality in Spike's voice. "Yeah, have fun tonight. You all deserve it."
Spike was dragged from the parking lot to the fairgrounds by a skipping little girl who had a death grip on his hand.
"Come on, Uncle Spike, come on!" she said urgently.
Spike laughed at the frantic tone of her voice and turned to see Buffy. He was met with a bright smile at the display they were making. Once they had paid the admission and entered the fair, Caitlyn froze. She stood still for a full minute, taking in the lights and sounds of the area. Spike had to smile at the look of wonderment on her face before scooping her up and leading her to the first of many booths.
An hour later, Caitlyn was still going strong as a result of the cotton candy and frozen lemonade that she had consumed. Buffy was holding on to the goldfish, teddy bear, and stuffed Winnie the Pooh that Caitlyn and Spike had won through a few team efforts.
"Uncle Spike, will you take me on the carousel?"
Spike got a panicked look on his face as he glanced at Buffy. "I think maybe your mommy would rather take you on that one, Little Bit."
"No, that's okay, you're more than welcome to take her," Buffy said, trying to suppress a laugh at the horrified expression on his face. Caitlyn was tugging him toward the ride, and Buffy couldn't hold back a laugh anymore as she heard mumbled expressions of "poofters" and "silly spinning horses."
Looking around, Buffy searched for an available bench or picnic table to deposit the prizes while she took a much needed rest. The night was wearing her out more than she dared to admit. After wandering for a minute, Buffy found a bench on the edge of the fair, close enough to the carousel to see when the ride had ended. Sitting her daughter's treasures on the cold wood, Buffy gingerly lowered herself to a sitting position.
Spike looked up from his position on one of the benches as a chill ran down his spine. He had convinced Caitlyn to not make him ride one of the horses and instead kept an eye on her as she giggled and kicked her legs playfully against each side of the horse in front of him. Spike spotted Joyce in the crowd and waved to her as the ride started. Catching his eye, she smiled in relief at finding them and waved back.
Spike was exploring the grounds, trying to find where Buffy had headed off to, when his cell phone rang.
"Hello."
"Spike, it's Gunn. Listen, I just got some bad news. It seems Finn made bail earlier today, and nobody knows where he is."
Spike felt his blood run cold, and he stood up from his seat as he frantically searched the area he last spotted Buffy. He could see Joyce waiting for them at the exit but had no idea where Buffy was.
"Spike? Are you there? Did you hear me?"
"Yeah, mate, I heard you, and I can't find Buffy."
"What do you mean you can't find her?"
"I mean what it sounds like. Caitlyn and I left her standing at the entrance of a ride, and now I can't find her," he said quietly so as not to alert Caitlyn to his conversation. The ride slowly came to a stop just as Spike saw it. An empty bench with Caitlyn's prizes sitting on it. Without thinking, Spike hung up the phone and grabbed the little girl. As he ran from the ride, he quickly handed her to her grandmother as he passed a worried-looking Joyce.
"Spike, what's going on?"
Spike ignored her and took off for the bench. Quickly scanning the surrounding area, he didn't see her anywhere.
Fighting Back
Buffy slowly shook her head as her eyes tried to focus. Looking around, she saw that she was in a heavily wooded area, propped up against a tree. As she tried to move her arms, she quickly realized they were tied behind her back. Trying to open her mouth to yell for help, she realized that it, too, had something tied in it to gag her.
"Well, there she is."
Buffy turned her wide eyes to face Riley Finn, and immediately, hatred seemed to fill her body.
"I didn't mean to knock you out, but it was just a little tap. You were only out for about a minute, which really served to help me out since I didn't have to deal with your temper while I tied you up."
'He really is insane,' she thought as he circled her.
"You know," he continued. "I would have thought you'd learned your lesson after the last time. I mean, at first, I thought I was too rough on you, but at least I was kind enough to give you a little treat to remember our time together."
Buffy visibly had to stop herself from heaving as she felt her stomach revolt against his words.
"It wasn't quite as good as when we were together, but I'll give you points for effort. You know, maybe your new guy just isn't the man that I am."
This time, Buffy didn't stop the gag that overtook her.
"You know, I could let you talk, but I have to tell you, if you scream..." He pulled out a sharp hunting knife. "...I'll be forced to silence you."
Buffy gulped as he drew closer to her, discreetly trying to work on untying her hands. As he drew nearer to her, she shrank away from his touch as the knife got closer to her face.
"Stop moving, we wouldn't want an accident, now would we?" he asked as he removed the gag. Buffy worked her jaw, trying to get the soreness out of it before fixing him with a cold glare.
"You really are psychotic, you know that?"
"Now, Buff, name-calling isn't nice. You wouldn't want me to lose my temper and go find my daughter and take her away somewhere, would you?"
"You son of a bitch," she ground out between clenched teeth. "You are NOT her father. Angel is, and you were his friend. What would he say if he could see you now?"
"Oh, I think he'd be proud with how I watched out for his family. More so than your actor who's been using you."
"Caitlyn's happier with Spike than she ever was with you, so don't try and play the doting father act. It's not becoming to you, Riley."
This seemed to anger him as she watched his hand grip the knife a little tighter.
"You little bitch. You think you're a good mother? Get knocked up at 17 and can't even keep the father of your child alive? Yeah, I know you blame yourself for Angel's death, and guess what? I do, too. But guess what? It wasn't you. I feel comfortable telling you this since you won't be alive much longer- you remember when I left for a while a few years ago?"
Buffy raised an eyebrow. "To tell you the truth, Riley, I couldn't have cared less about you, so my answer is no. I don't remember you at all."
Riley drew back and backhanded Buffy for her insolence. Taking a deep breath, she smiled against the pain and turned back to stare him in the eye.
"You know, I think I'm going to miss that about you the most, Buff. The way that no matter how much you're punished, you always manage to put on a brave face."
Buffy didn't say anything as she felt a give in the ropes and began speeding up her attempts at freeing herself.
"You see, Angel always had everything I wanted. Growing up, he had all the better toys, all the better clothes, and the older we got, all the better girlfriends," he said, looking at Buffy. "I began to resent him for that, and after a while, I just got fed up, so I left town. Didn't really know why at the time- just up and left. Eventually, I realized what was wrong with my own life. It wasn't me, it was him. So I started discreetly asking around. Anyway, to make a long story short, Angel's accident was no accident that night."
Buffy froze as she looked up into Riley's wild eyes.
"Yeah, you see, I had this guy, and he was more than happy to help me. Plowed into your fiancée's car, going about 60 miles an hour, and left the scene. Didn't you ever wonder why they never caught the guy, Buff? Why they just ruled it out as a drunk driver and shut the case?"
Buffy felt the tears pooling in her eyes as she tried to comprehend what he was telling her.
"After that, it was easy to find myself a place in your life. The grieving lover who needed a father for her daughter. It was perfect. I gave you a few months so it wouldn't look intentional and then found myself calmly imbedded in your life. The only problem with this little scenario, Buffy, was that you never fully embraced me. You never loved me the way I loved you. Too busy grieving over your poor boyfriend to give me much of a thought. Eventually, I just got fed up with you, and by the time you told me I couldn't be Caitlyn's father, well, let's just say you got everything you ever deserved."
Buffy cringed at the sound of his voice. Her mind rapidly recalling all of the beatings that she had to deal with, and she felt anger fill her.
"So, Riley, what you're telling me is you're a pathetic nobody, who couldn't even get a girlfriend, so he felt it easier to pay to have his best friend killed and then worm into the lives of a grieving family? Yeah, you're a real man."
Buffy felt the rope pull free as he stared at her in shock for disrespecting him in such a way. Buffy quickly lashed out with a strong kick to his knee and felt a brief sense of satisfaction at the crack and resounding cry it brought out of him. Jumping to her feet, Buffy tried to look for any light coming through the thick trees and gasped as she was tackled to the ground. Rolling over in the leaves, she felt herself pinned down by the larger man, and the memories of the other night came back to her as panic seized her body.
"You wanna play again, Buff?" he asked, thrusting the bulge in his pants against her body.
"That's it," she said, lashing out with a hand and clawing at his face. Riley screamed out in pain as he pulled back to hit her. Buffy quickly rolled out of his way just as his hand connected with the hard earth. Rapidly trying to get away from him on her hands and knees, she pushed herself to her feet as she heard him stand behind her.
"Oh, Buffy," he said.
She glanced over her shoulder and felt the blinding pain of a knife splitting the skin on her upper arm. Her left hand flew up to the injury as Riley pulled back to thrust the knife into her. Spinning away, she kicked out with her foot and watched as he fell to the ground. Buffy backed away and watched him for a moment. When he didn't move, she felt herself getting closer to him of her own volition. Nudging him lightly with the toe of her shoe, she took a step back when he didn't move. She paused when she saw the pool of blood, spreading and staining the dry leaves on the ground. Stepping forward, she froze, this time at hearing her name. Still holding her arm, she spun and looked through the shadows of the woods.
"Buffy!"
"I'm here!"
A few seconds later, Spike broke into the small clearing and ran over to grab her in his arms. "I was so worried."
"I'm okay," she whispered, burying her head in his shoulder, enjoying the warmth he brought her as she melted into his body.
Spike looked over her shoulder and saw Riley lying on the ground. Slowly pulling Buffy protectively behind him, Spike edged closer to the man and roughly kicked him over. Buffy gasped as he rolled, seeing the knife sticking at an angle out of his rib cage. Spike quickly moved to cover her eyes and led her away before returning and checking his pulse.
"Damn," he said softly, so Buffy couldn't hear. "I was almost hoping you were alive so I could have a go, you pillock."
Standing, Spike called Gunn, briefly telling him what happened, before turning and leading Buffy out of the clearing.
When Spike and Buffy emerged from the woods, she saw her mother and daughter running over to them. Buffy pulled Joyce away and told her what happened, asking her to take Caitlyn home. Joyce nodded, hugging her daughter, before taking the little girl by the hand and leading her away. Buffy felt the shock begin to settle in as Spike slowly rolled up her sleeve to examine her cut.
After a few minutes, Buffy heard sirens in the distance and saw the swarm of police officers heading toward her.
"Miss Summers?" Buffy turned to face an attractive brunette with a friendly smile. "I'm Cordelia Chase. I work for the Sunnydale PD and was wondering if I could ask you a few questions?"
Buffy nodded solemnly and began telling Cordelia everything that had transpired in the last hour as a medical technician began bandaging her arm. A few minutes later, the officer was called away to talk to one of her co-workers before returning.
"Miss Summers, they found the body, and it's clear that it was self-defense, so you don't have to worry about anything, okay?"
Buffy nodded as Cordelia turned to Spike. "Spike Hawthorne, right?" Spike nodded and shook her hand as she continued. "Tell your friend Charles Gunn thanks for the call."
Realization dawned on Spike's face as he stared at the other woman. "You're the friend inside the police department."
"Yep, that's me. I've been trying to get a solid case against this guy ever since the first complaint came in." Turning back to Buffy, she offered her another smile. "Go home and get some rest. I'll be in touch if I need anything else."
"Thank you," she said softly.
Cordelia turned to Spike and spoke in a soft voice. "She's been through a lot- make sure she's okay."
Spike nodded and wrapped an arm around Buffy to lead her to his car.
"I killed him, Spike."
"I know that, pet."
"He was going to kill me."
"I know that, too."
"He killed Angel."
Spike stayed silent as she seemed to be absorbing the information for the first time. Leading her to his car, he helped her in and began the drive home. Once they were safely in the Summers' driveway, Spike turned to face her. "Well, I gotta hand it to you, Goldilocks. You most definitely know how to take care of yourself."
Buffy gave him a soft smile and allowed herself to be led into the house.
Author's Notes: Well, there's the chapter most of you have been waiting for. I know a lot of you wanted Spike to come to the rescue, but ultimately Buffy is a strong woman and I wanted to show that. Hope everyone liked it.
Reconnecting
The weeks passed, and life slowly returned to normal. Spike had thrown Caitlyn a wonderful birthday party at the local pizza place and invited all of her friends from the center. Gunn had also shown up, though he was there as more of Fred's date than Spike's friend. Willow and Xander had also showed up, even though they had decided they were better as friends. Willow had gone on a few dates with a musician in a band, and Buffy introduced Xander to Anya at the party. The two had immediately hit it off, though Anya seemed to scare him a little at her frequent mention of a woman's right to the perfect orgasm.
It was now a few days after the party, and Spike was getting ready to leave for the night as Buffy caught his hand.
"Stay," she whispered.
"You sure, Buffy?"
"I'm sure, just stay with me. We've waited so long, and with everything that's happened…I'm ready to put the past behind me."
Not giving him a chance to reply, Buffy softly kissed him. Spike's hands went up to her silky hair and threaded his fingers through it as he deepened the kiss. They had waited a long time, Buffy feeling uncomfortable with intimacy and Spike scared that he would hurt her. Now, as their tongues met, tangling with each other, Spike lifted her into his arms and carried her up to her bedroom, his mouth never leaving hers.
Shutting the door softly behind them, he laid Buffy down on the bed and slowly began undressing her as she worked on the buttons of his shirt.
"I've missed you, Spike," she whispered, trailing kisses down his muscled chest.
Spike felt his breath catch in his throat as he focused on her gentle touches. "I've missed you, too, baby."
Both successfully undressed, Spike edged up the length of her body, leaving teasing kisses on her soft skin in his path. Reaching her lips, he became more frantic and demanding, wondering how he had lived without the feel of this woman for so long.
"Spike…stop," she whispered.
The second the request was processed in his brain, Spike was off of her. "Did I hurt you?"
"No," she said with a gentle smile. "Can I be on top? It's just…I'll feel better with more control."
Spike smiled, grabbing her hips and pulling her to him as she giggled. "Your wish is my command."
Buffy giggled again as she leaned forward to give him a searing kiss. Before Spike knew what was happening, he moaned as he felt himself penetrate her hot passage. Buffy gave an answering moan as she began moving slowly on top of him. Spike grabbed her hips, trying to think of anything to keep his mind off the climax that was building. He felt like a schoolboy again as Buffy's pace picked up.
"Something wrong?" she whispered, never stopping her movements.
"No…just trying to hold off, is all."
Buffy smiled as Spike opened his eyes. "And I think you're enjoying my problem a little too much."
Buffy didn't respond, just slid up the length of his shaft and arched her body back onto it, throwing her head back with a moan. Spike felt his eyes roll back at the vision before using her hips as leverage and pulling himself up into a sitting position. Buffy gasped at the new angle and met his eyes, leaning forward and kissing him frantically as her movements became more irregular.
Spike pulled her to him roughly until he was fully sheathed inside of her again. Holding her in place, he began to move as he kissed a trail down her jaw. Buffy gasped as he released one hand and traced it upward until he was gently outlining her nipple. As the kisses drew lower to the valley between her breasts, Spike used his other hand to extend over her back, pulling her firmly against him as his lips found the other nipple. Buffy frantically began to move her hips up and down as he quickened his ministrations.
"Spike…I need you…I need…please…"
Spike abandoned his work to latch onto her hips again. "I know what you need, luv. You need me…filling you."
Buffy tossed her head back as she felt the tightening in her body begin to unravel. "Spike!" The word was so frantic, Spike knew she was almost there. Quickening his pace even more, he pulled her onto him even harder as he thrust up to meet her. Reaching a hand up to cover her mouth a second before she screamed her release as her body felt like she was exploding, Spike felt his own pleasure overtake him as he pulsed deep inside of her.
Releasing his hold on her mouth, Spike moved a few more times, each time enjoying the blissful aftershocks of their orgasms. Buffy slowly moved to his side, collapsing against the pillows as Spike lay down next to her.
"That was…"
She trailed off as Spike watched her, a smile playing on his lips as his hand snaked down to her legs.
"What're you doing?"
"Well, since I didn't even get a response, I figured I'd do this," he said, circling the little bundle of nerve endings and gently flicking it with a finger.
"I can't…it's…it's too much…" she whispered frantically.
"Just let it go, pet," he whispered, nibbling seductively on her neck. Buffy gasped as a long finger slipped inside her folds, arching her back at the new sensations.
"Spike-"
"Let it go, baby." Fusing his lips to hers, he smiled as she once again began bucking wildly against his hand.
Breaking away after a moment, Spike looked at her expectantly.
"It was okay," she said breathlessly with a little shrug. Spike raised one eyebrow at her. "Well," she said, grabbing onto his hardening erection. "I just figured you can do even better the next time."
With a smile, Spike rotated until he was on top of her, swiftly entering again.
"I think it's going to be a long night, pet," he said, moving with deep thrusts and smiling as the woman beneath him visibly began to lose control again.
Oh Bollocks
"I'll call you when it's over, okay?"
"Okay," Buffy said from the other end of the phone. It had been a week since that first night of reconnecting. A week of nights spent making love and waking up satisfied and happy. Now Spike was back in L.A. for the premiere of his new movie. Initially, he'd wanted Buffy to attend with him and then decided against it when he realized the paparazzi would start stalking her house. It would happen eventually, but Spike felt it best to hold off for a while.
"I've gotta go, I'm almost there, but I'll talk to you soon, okay?"
"Okay."
After they hung up, Buffy began making dinner. An hour later, she was sitting at the island in the kitchen, reading a magazine, waiting for her casserole to finish baking when she heard Caitlyn.
"Mommy, mommy! Uncle Spike's on TV!"
Buffy ran into the living room and smiled at the man on the screen. He was dressed in an expensive tux and waving to his adoring fans from his position on the red carpet. Buffy turned up the volume to hear the reporter's commentary and felt the smile drop from her lips as she went to sit next to her daughter.
"It seems that after a self-imposed hiatus, Spike Hawthorne is once again mainstream news as it looks like he and co-star Drusilla Bennett are getting hot and heavy both on and off the screen."
Buffy watched in shock as a beautiful, tall brunette came into focus, standing next to Spike, and he snaked an arm around her slender waist, pulling her closer to his body. Buffy listened as the reporter kept talking.
"Ms. Bennett has always enjoyed a flirtation with her sexy co-star and recently told me that she would love to take things to the next level, if he was willing and able. It looks like they are."
Buffy felt tears flood to her eyes as Spike whispered something softly in her ear, and the brunette laughed before turning and giving him a passionate kiss. Her stomach clenched, and Buffy took several deep breaths to calm her nerves.
"Mommy, why is he kissing that lady?"
"I don't know, Caity, I think he's just saying hello to a friend. Go wash your hands for dinner."
Buffy turned off the TV and headed for the kitchen as the phone rang. Wiping away tears as she ran for it, Buffy snatched up the receiver.
"Hello."
"Buffy, it's Anya. We have a big problem. The guy that was supposed to do the show at the gallery this weekend just called and said he can't leave New York until Friday night."
"We have to set everything up by Saturday morning."
"I know. He said he would send someone else with all the work, but all his people are working on other things, and he refuses to ship it without someone else accompanying."
"Wonderful," Buffy said sarcastically. "Let me call my mom and see what I can work out. Can you work the rest of the week?"
"Sure."
"Okay, I'll get back to you."
Buffy quickly hung up and fixed Caitlyn a plate for supper before grabbing the cordless and dialing her mother's number. Explaining the situation as she ran through the house gathering clothes and bags, she arranged to drop Caitlyn off on her way to the airport. Quickly packing for herself and her daughter, Buffy called information and had them connect her to ticket sales. Booking a flight for eleven o'clock that night, she ran back downstairs.
"Okay, Caity, you're going to go visit Grandma while mommy goes to get some things for work."
"Yay!"
"Go make sure mommy got everything, and then we need to leave."
Buffy quickly cleaned the kitchen, made sure all the appliances were turned off, and headed for the front door. Grabbing her cell phone, she realized the battery was going to die and grabbed the charger for it.
'Oh well,' she thought. 'Guess I won't be talking to Spike after all. I'm not sure I want to after that lovely show he put on with his co-star.'
Switching off the phone, Buffy threw it in her purse and grabbed her keys. Making a quick run out to the car to load their luggage, Buffy went back in the house.
"Come on, Caity," she called as her daughter appeared at the top of the stairs, clutching the teddy bear Spike had won for her at the fair.
"Who's going to feed Goldie?"
Sighing, Buffy jogged up the stairs to get the goldfish. Coming back down, she quickly ushered her daughter out to the car, careful not to spill the water. She instructed Caitlyn to get in the car as she walked next door. After making quick arrangements for her neighbor to feed the fish for the remainder of the week, Buffy crossed the yard and hopped into the car.
"We all ready to go, baby?"
"Yep," she said, still hanging on to the bear.
Buffy barely made it to the plane before take off. Now as she was sitting in her cramped seat, sipping her coffee, she let her mind wander. The kiss Spike had shared with his co-star had looked so adoring. She knew that he cared for her, but what if Buffy was the other woman in the scenario? The thought had never entered her mind since Spike stayed in Sunnydale for so long, but now that she thought about it, it started to make more sense. Her heart felt heavy as she ran the same situation through her mind until she fell into a troubled sleep.
Buffy made her way through JFK airport after collecting her bags. She didn't feel one hundred percent safe at this late hour in a strange city, but she didn't dwell on it. After catching a cab, Buffy gave the driver directions to the hotel her mother always stayed in. Joyce had been kind enough to call and make a reservation for her while Buffy was making the drive from Sunnydale to Los Angeles.
As the cab pulled up in front of the large hotel, Buffy stepped from the car. Once she paid and gathered her luggage, she quickly made it through the check-in process and was shown to her suite. It was a beautiful room with a living room and kitchenette. A bedroom door was off to the left, and straight ahead was a wall of windows, complete with a sliding door and a huge balcony.
Buffy made her way out to the balcony and stood there, staring at the city. She felt drained from her long night, and aside from her calm exterior, she was an emotional wreck from seeing the man that she was falling in love with kissing another woman. A woman Buffy felt inferior to in every way.
Buffy decided to head to her bedroom and not worry about it for the rest of the night, even though that was easier said than done. Closing the balcony door, she grabbed her purse and pulled out the cell phone and charger. Once it was plugged in, Buffy decided she didn't want it turned on. She had enough to deal with tonight without listening to Spike's excuses. She had briefly told her mom what had happened, but it had been no help since she had to run and catch her flight.
Spike was getting worried. He had been trying Buffy's house and cell for the past few hours, and there was no answer on either. Finally, he dialed Joyce's number and was relieved to at least hear her voice.
"Joyce, it's Spike. Listen, I'm in town, and I told Buffy I'd call her tonight, but I can't get her on either phone."
"That's because she's not there, Spike."
"Well, where is she?"
"She had an emergency at work."
"So I should try her at the gallery?"
"No, she's not there."
"Joyce, why won't you tell me where she is?"
"Because, William, you hurt my baby girl."
"And how on earth did I manage that from a different city?"
"Have you ever heard of this thing called a television? It transfers all these pretty pictures from one place to another, and when something big happens in the entertainment industry, it's big news. Like for instance, two co-stars making out in front of the cameras."
"Bloody hell," Spike muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Joyce, tell me she didn't see that."
"Now, Spike, my daughter's not stupid. She took what she saw at face value, had a work emergency, and dropped Caitlyn off with me."
"So she didn't care?"
"Now, did I say that? No. What I said was, she took it at face value."
"But you said Caitlyn's with you, so she's here."
"Spike, I don't think she wants you to know where she is right now," Joyce said with a heavy sigh.
"Joyce, please. What you saw…it-it wasn't what it looked like. Please tell me where she is so I can explain."
"She's in New York."
"New York! What the bloody hell is she doing in New York?"
"I told you, she had a-"
"A work emergency, right," he said, cutting her off.
"That's right. Good night, Spike."
Disconnecting the phone, Spike put his head in his hands. "You really bollocksed this up, you wanker."
It's Raining, It's Pouring
Buffy woke up the next morning, feeling worse than the night before. It had finally sunk in that she wasn't good enough for Spike. All she had to do now was except it. Rolling out of bed, she sighed. She would be here until Thursday- might as well make the most of the few days she had on her own.
After a long shower, Buffy dressed in a pair of off-white dress pants and a long-sleeved, silky V-neck top. Drying her hair until it fell straight and shiny, Buffy pulled on her shoes and grabbed her small cell phone to slip into her pocket. She was going to finish her business before she took in any of the sights or started a short shopping spree.
Spike nearly threw his phone against the wall in irritation. Buffy still wasn't answering her phone, and he couldn't figure out where she was staying. Suddenly an idea hit him as he picked up the phone and quickly dialed a new number.
Buffy rolled her head around on her shoulders after the long day. She had been dealing with the irate artist and his representation for the past seven hours, and she thought her head was going to explode. As if it was her fault that he was too much of a jerk to ship his work to her. And God forbid that he didn't know she was a woman. Would a woman be able to make sure all his art got across the country safely? Buffy nearly told him where he could shove his sexist views and his art, but she bit her tongue. She needed this commission, and she couldn't let him get to her.
Walking out of the building, Buffy looked up at the sky and saw the rain clouds rolling in.
"Great," she muttered. "It's a beautiful day until I set one foot outside."
Walking into the first restaurant she saw, Buffy headed over to the bar. Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she saw several new voicemails from Spike and decided to listen to them later. She saw that Anya had called and quickly returned her call, telling her about the day she had and promising to be back with the items for the show. Hanging up, Buffy ordered a drink from the bartender and was surprised to hear a male voice speaking to her.
"Pretty girl like you, drinking all alone? Something must be wrong."
Buffy turned to face the man and gave him a small smile. "Rough day."
"I hear that," he said with a slightly Midwestern accent. "I'm Lindsey, by the way. Lindsey McDonald."
"Buffy Summers," she said, shaking his offered hand.
"So, what's a girl like you doing here without anybody? Let me guess, you and the boyfriend have a fight?"
"Something like that."
"Aah yes, and let me guess, he hasn't called."
"Actually he has…I just haven't talked to him."
"I thought that's what girls did. Sit by the phone, waiting for it to ring."
"I'm not most girls," she replied, arching an eyebrow at him. "I just fly across the country to get away from him and then ignore him for a while."
"You're serious?" he asked incredulously.
"Somewhat. I did fly across the country, but it was for business, and I am ignoring him for the time being. Besides, he never said he was my boyfriend."
"I'm thinking the guy's an idiot then. So, where'd you fly from?"
"California."
"Really? Know any stars out that way?"
Buffy laughed. "Actually, yeah. Just one."
"Impressive."
Buffy looked at Lindsey as his eyes widened slightly. "It's not by any chance Spike Hawthorne, is it?"
Buffy froze. "How did you-"
"Not good to go to a strange city alone, pet," a seductive voice whispered in her ear.
Buffy whirled around and faced a dripping wet Spike.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
"Now, now, luv. Aren't you gonna introduce me to your friend?" he asked, staring daggers at Lindsey.
"Honestly, it hadn't crossed my mind. What are you doing here?" she repeated.
"Finding you."
"Yeah, now that you mentioned it, how did you do that?"
"A lot of effort, luv."
"Such as…"
"Such as flying out early this morning after your mum told me you were here. Putting in a call to Anya while I searched for you, waiting at your hotel a few blocks away since you were out, and finally getting a phone call from Anya a few minutes ago, telling me she just talked to you and you were here."
Buffy stared at him incredulously as he finished his story before she snapped out of her daze. "Well, sorry you made the trip for nothing. See you around."
Buffy hopped off the barstool and turned to Lindsey with a bright smile. "Nice meeting you."
Leaving a ten on the bar for her drink, Buffy evaded Spike's move to grab her arm and headed out the door. Groaning as the rain fell from the sky, she heard Spike approaching from behind and headed out into the storm. Walking toward her hotel, she heard Spike jogging to catch up with her.
"Buffy…Buffy…wait up, pet."
"Why?" she asked, spinning around and facing him. "Why should I wait for you? It's obvious that you don't need me."
"Buffy, the kiss-"
"Opened my eyes. Spike, I told you months ago that I didn't have anything to offer a movie star. You should have believed me then."
"And I told you not to sell yourself short, luv."
"Then why did you go and make out with another woman on national television?"
"I'm sorry. It was for publicity."
"Yeah, her tongue in your mouth was really public," she spat back at him before turning and heading down the street.
"It wasn't like that, Buffy. The director wanted us to do it for the cameras. I didn't want to, but that's what I'm paid a lot of money to do," he said, trailing her as the water pelted down on them. "I promise, if I'd known how much it would hurt you, I wouldn't have done it, and I'll never do it again. I don't give a damn about Dru."
Buffy stopped but didn't turn to face him. "Then why come after me?"
"Because I'm in love with you."
Buffy spun around to see him. His eyes looked so open, as if he was a little boy, terrified of rejection. "You love me?"
"I've loved you since the night I came to your house. The night I met Caity," he said softly. "I knew I couldn't live without you. Without either of you," he continued, slowly advancing on her. "When I heard what you'd been through, what you were going through, I couldn't help but want to protect you. Everything you do, the way you are with your daughter…I fall in love with you all over again every time I see you."
Buffy pushed the wet hair out of her eyes as she stared up at Spike. "I love you, too." It was spoken so softly, Spike only stared at her for a minute before a brilliant smile lit up his face. Buffy smiled in return as he picked her up and swung her wildly around in circles before setting her down in the middle of a puddle. Neither noticed as his lips met hers in an intense kiss. Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck, holding onto him as Spike, once again, lifted her off the ground. This time, it was for better access to her lips. As they slowly broke apart, both looked up as they were drenched by the rain.
"Let's get outta here," Buffy said. Spike put her back on the ground, and she grabbed his hand as they ran through the streets, back to her hotel.
Making Up
Spike and Buffy barely made it through the door of her hotel room before his lips were on hers again. Frantically pulling at her shirt and unzipping her pants, Buffy worked equally as hard to unbutton his shirt. Finally revealing the solid muscles of his torso, Buffy scratched her nails along the exposed skin as Spike succeeded in peeling off her pants from her soaked body. Giggling, Buffy grabbed his hand and gave it a jerk toward the bedroom.
Spike walked a few steps behind her, enjoying the view that the white lace thong was allowing him of her toned backside. Instead of heading to the bed, Buffy veered off to the bathroom. Spike followed and watched appreciatively as Buffy leaned into the shower stall and started the water.
Turning around, Buffy eagerly licked her lips at his exposed upper body before motioning for him to come over to her. Spike arched one eyebrow and smirked at her as he shed the rest of his clothes. By the time he was finished, Buffy was already in the shower, letting the stream of water slide down her body. Spike felt his erection grow even harder as he watched her tilt her head back to soak her hair. Looking over at him, she smiled. "What?"
"Just wondering how you can look so adorable when rain is pouring over you but unbelievably sexy when it's a shower."
"Maybe because I'm naked," she said with a playful smile.
"Maybe," he agreed, jumping into the shower and shutting the door behind him. Pinning her against the wall, Spike trailed hot kisses down her neck and back up until he reached her lips again. One hand slid around to the swell of her butt as the other glided upward to gently squeeze her breast. Breaking away from her lips, Spike looked down at her. "You know, after my heartfelt profession of love, this isn't exactly the location I pictured for this happening."
"Oh come on, it's a tradition," she said, kissing his throat.
"Tradition?"
"Yep," she said, jumping up to allow him to grab her thighs and pin her to the side of the shower. "Every time something big happens, you end up taking me against a wall."
Spike smiled at the memory of his first time and then moaned as he felt himself slip inside her warm depths. "You know, luv, you could give me a little warning before you do that."
"Where's the fun in that?" she asked, moving in a slow rhythm.
"Won't be much fun if it's over before it starts," he said breathlessly.
Buffy moaned as Spike began grinding against her, rapidly picking up the pace. Holding onto his shoulders for leverage, Buffy pushed against him and began to move more rapidly as he held onto her hips. After several long minutes, Spike felt his climax approaching and frantically began pumping himself into her body. Buffy felt as if she was shattering as she let out a scream that sent Spike over the edge as well.
Coming down from their respective climaxes, Spike tightened his arms around Buffy's waist and held her against the wall with his forehead against her shoulder.
"I love you, baby," he whispered.
"I love you, too."
Later that night, as they were lying in bed together, Spike was lazily tracing patterns on her skin.
"You know, luv, you didn't have to leave the state and try and get away from me."
Buffy laughed. "If that was my intention, it wouldn't have worked. You obviously would have found me anyway."
Spike pulled her up to give her a soft kiss before pressing his forehead to hers. "If I was blind, I'd see you."
Buffy kissed him again and straddled his waist. "Up for round two?"
"You know it, baby," he replied, arching an eyebrow.
Surprises - Eighteen Months Later
Buffy sat in front of the vanity, staring at her reflection as her mother placed the veil on her head. Smiling at the happy woman she saw there, Buffy got up and looked out the window at the small crowd milling around the grass.
Willow and her boyfriend Oz were engaged, and Buffy had arranged for Oz and his band to play at the reception later that day. The stage was set off to the side of the pool at the country club, giving plenty of room for dancing. Spike had firmly vetoed nearly all of Buffy's ideas for the wedding. She always thought it was the woman's job to do the planning, but Spike clearly disagreed. He had wanted a big, flashy ordeal, which was met with a resounding 'No' from Buffy.
After many long talks and lots of compromises, it was decided they would get married at the Sunnydale Country Club with fresh arrangements of spring flowers on every surface. White folding chairs lined the lawn, facing a brilliant floral archway that Spike and Buffy were to be married under. Both the bride and groom had decided to forego the numerous attendants. Instead, Caitlyn was to walk down the aisle with her variety of brightly colored flowers and stand next to her parents. It was decided that they would live in Sunnydale with Spike commuting to L.A. to do one movie a year. He was a millionaire and didn't need the money, but he enjoyed the work. Buffy and Caitlyn would travel with him in the summer to any shoots he may have to do.
Buffy smiled as she remembered Christmas Eve. It was their second Christmas together, and everything had been mostly smooth sailing for the couple, excluding a few minor disagreements they had over inconsequential things. They had all been staying up, watching the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree, when Caitlyn had turned to Spike and asked him if she could call him her daddy. Spike had immediately pulled the little girl into his arms with tears in his eyes and told her he would love to be her daddy. After a few minutes, he had whispered something to Caitlyn, and she had gone to get a present from under the tree. Sitting the box in front of Buffy, she had resumed her seat on her new daddy's lap.
Buffy had looked at them both quizzically before she unwrapped the present to reveal another slightly smaller wrapped box inside the larger one. Opening that one, there had been another smaller box, and another, and another, until Buffy was finally left with a tiny box, wrapped in silver with a white ribbon. When she opened it, she nearly fainted at the large emerald cut diamond set in platinum that was displayed on the black velvet. Spike had immediately knelt on one knee, asking her to marry him, and she had jumped into his arms in response, giving him a thorough kiss with Caitlyn giggling in the background.
The biggest shock of that Christmas wasn't Spike and Buffy's engagement, which was inevitable, but the fact that they had later found out Xander and Anya had run off to Las Vegas the day after Christmas and gotten married at an all-night chapel.
Now, several months later, Buffy stood in the doorway in her elegant silk strapless dress, taking deep breaths as her mother walked up to tell her it was time. Making her way to the outdoor ceremony, Buffy smiled as she saw Spike fidgeting at the end of the aisle. Noticing Buffy being escorted by her mother, Spike visibly relaxed as the woman he loved seemed to float toward him. As Joyce gave her daughter away, Spike took Buffy's hand, giving it a loving kiss before they turned to face the minister.
When the vows were exchanged and the cake was cut, Buffy stepped up on the makeshift stage to address the crowd.
"A lot of you don't know this, but when Spike first approached me, I wanted nothing to do with him. Or at least that's what I told him," she said with a smile as the crowd laughed softly. "Looking back, that was the night that changed my life. I fell in love with a man who was more compassionate than I first gave him credit for. And now, I trust him with my life, but more importantly, I trust him with the life of my daughter. Caitlyn and I had a long talk, and now, she has a little gift for you."
Spike looked down at the little girl tugging on his coat and holding out an envelope. Smiling at her, he bent down to her level and opened it. Staring at it for a minute, he looked from Caitlyn to Buffy disbelievingly. "Adoption papers?"
The crowd buzzed as Buffy smiled at him. "You're already her daddy. I figured you might want to be her father."
Spike looked at Caitlyn, who was smiling brightly at him, looking like a mini-replica of her mother. Spike planted a gentle kiss on the top of her head and looked into her eyes. "I love you, Little Bit. You know that, right?"
Caitlyn smiled at him. "Of course I know that, Daddy. You're silly. Go tell Mommy."
Spike smiled and took off for his new bride, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her from the stage to give her an adoring kiss as the crowd cheered for the family. Pulling away, Spike spent a minute looking deeply into Buffy's eyes.
"You're sure, luv?"
"Well, I figured since you're about to be a new daddy, you should officially be Caity's."
Spike stared at her as confusion, shock, and finally excitement flashed across his features. "But, you were…"
"Yeah, I know. Seems like when I had the stomach flu a few months ago, the pills didn't want to stay in my system."
"We're going to have a baby?" he asked in disbelief.
Buffy nodded as he smiled. "We're going to have a baby!"
Pulling her close to him again, Spike kissed her lovingly. Pulling away after a minute to Caity once again tugging on his coat, Spike swung her up in his arms.
"I love my girls."
"We love you, too, daddy," Caitlyn said, planting a kiss on his cheek as Buffy watched with tears in her eyes before nodding.
"Yes, we do."
The End
Note: Okay, another huge thank you to my beta, Allison! If she hadn't liked this story, it probably would have never been posted, so thank you so much for the support! Also, thank you to all the reviewers and readers-I'm glad you liked it. Please read my other stories!