Chapter 7

Two days later...

"Try again."  Spike coaxed, appearing much more patient than he felt.

Buffy growled at him but concentrated never the less. 

 "Ugh!"  I can't do it!"  She screeched at him a couple of moments later, and moved to get up, off the mat, but Spike pulled her back down.  She landed hard on her butt and growled at him once again.

"Yes, you can!"  Spike growled at her, and she immediately fell silent.  Her eyes dropped to the floor, suitably chastised by her sire.  Spike sighed; he didn't want to treat her like a minion.   He reached out and tilted her chin up with two fingers and brushed his lips against hers.  "Come on, baby...try again."

Buffy smiled at him, her demon satisfied that her sire wasn't angry with her.  "Okay..." She closed her eyes and tried again.  She could feel it...inside.  *Concentrate...*

 Spike watched as her features flickered, then shifted completely. 

Buffy smiled, opened her eyes and reached up to her face to feel her bumpies, "I did it!"

Spike smiled.  "You did it."  He agreed.

Buffy laughed and threw her arms around him.  They tumbled back on to the mats they were sitting on.  "I felt it and I pulled it out!"

Spike chuckled at her exuberance and wrapped his arms around her.  She lifted her head and pressed her mouth to his.

 They had been gone four days and there had been no word from either the Initiative or the gang.  Buffy had tried the gang two days earlier, but before they could get anywhere her keen vampiric hearing had detected a click on the line...sounding very much like someone was tracking or taping the call.  Since then she'd been too concerned both for herself and Spike, but also for her friends and family, to call back again.  She knew that if anything happened they would find some way to contact her...through magic if nothing else.

She wasn't quite sure where they were, but they had traveled at least twelve hours from LA in the past couple of days.  They were in one of the less grungy looking motels.  Spike had been teaching Buffy how to control her inner demon for nearly three days, and today was the first time anything had worked.  Though she hadn't managed to push her demon away yet Spike knew it was only a matter of time....she'd had enough of his blood at her siring to result in a very powerful and very controlled childe.

 They had been lovers for two days, though it seemed like it had been an eternity; they were so finely tuned to each other.  It felt like everything was finally falling into place for them both. 

Buffy hadn't cried in five days.

 There was no need.

-----

Two days earlier...

"Well?"  Joyce finally asked, after nearly five full minutes of complete and utter silence.

 "Uh, yes...my apologies..."  Giles shifted uncomfortably and removed his glasses, rubbing them in a long time habit. 

"Giles!"  Willow prompted.

"The council have, uh, come to a decision and..."  He paused.  "I want to first of all say, that as much as I hate the council they would never have performed such a tremendous feat if it were not of such universal importance." 

"What feat?"  Joyce asked.

"The council have, uh, come to a decision and..."  He paused. 

 "And??… Come on G-man; enough with the suspense!"  Giles didn't even glare at Xander at the despised name.

"The powers that be...upper beings that hope to maintain the balance between good and evil...have agreed to remove the threat of the initiative."

"Well, that’s good right?"  Dawn asked, frowning.

"Uh, perhaps.  It would appear that their presence in this world was unexpected...they have unbalanced the balance of forces.  By removed they meant entirely.."  Giles continued ominously.

"You mean...their research?"

"Everything...The council has given me..."  He pause for a humourless laugh.  "...a word of warning to prepare."

 "Prepare for what?"  Joyce asked, as she sat down.

"The beginning of the end."

------

Present Day...

 "Have you heard anything?"  Joyce asked as the gang assembled in the Summers' sitting room.  "Anyone?"

"No, nothing."  Willow watched as Dawn and Joyce deflated into each other.

"B-but, that doesn't mean anything.  No more initiative so you know...no big bad chasing them."

"Yeah, that’s good right?"  Dawn looked up to her mother.  "I mean what about the phone call?"

"What call?"  Xander asked.

 "We had a prank call - no one said anything, but it could have been Buffy...I guess?"  Joyce smiled at her daughter reassuringly.

 "What about magic call?"  Dawn asked.

 All eyes turned to Willow.

 "Do you know of a spell that could contact them?"  Giles questioned, leaning forward in his seat.

 "Uh...I think so...maybe."  Willow took a deep breath, then nodded with a bit more trust in herself.  "No, yeah.  I can."

 "What do you need?"  Giles asked.

---

Willow sat in the middle of the floor on top of a shirt they'd found in Buffy's room.  A large space had been cleared, and the rest of the gang was perched precariously on the moved furniture.  She had blessed the house and its occupants before setting up twelve candles in a circle.

 "Is she okay?"  Joyce asked, as Willow began to rock back and forth.

 "I hope so."  Giles murmured back.

 *Buffy?*

*Buffy?*

 *Red?*

 Buffy yelped in surprise as Spike suddenly fell to the ground.  "Spike!"

*Spike?  Is that you?*  Willow looked around; she couldn't see anything, just a bright white light.

 *Fuck, pet, what have you done?  Where are you?*  Spike turned around in a full circle, but he couldn't see her.  Couldn't even sense where she was.

 *A spell..*

 *What?!*

 *No, wait...we've been trying to contact you.  The Initiative…  Its gone.*

*Gone.  What are you yabberin' about?*  He growled, frustrated at his lack of senses.

*The PTB's removed them...and everything about them.*

*Captain Cardboard?*  Spike grinned at the thought.

*Yeah, Riley's gone, but that's not all...*

*What, Red?*

 *Well, you can come home now!*  Willow tried to change the subject.

*What else- oh, it's gone?*  Realization hit Spike, and he stumbled back.

 Buffy whimpered as Spike jerked in her grasp then went still.  A blood tear fell from her eyes and splashed on his lips.  Buffy let out a little cry, as he opened his eyes, and she crushed her lips to his in relief.

Chapter Eight

"So its all over?"  Buffy asked, unbelievingly.

 "Yeah, love.  No more initiative, no more Riley...also..."

"What, baby?"  She murmured, nuzzling her face into his neck, kissing him gently in an attempt to relax him.

"Willow...and God only knows how...but she said that when the council 'removed' the Initiative it had an extra side effect."

"Come on..I'm dying of suspense here."

"You're already dead, pet."

"Ha Ha, funny-man.  Tell me the terrible side effect."

 "The chip."  Spike finally blurted.  "It's gone."  He closed his eyes, waiting for her to freak.

 "Oh, okay."  She said, the epitome of non-chalantness, as she nipped as his neck.  "So we can get out of here, now?"

 "Okay?  That’s it?"  Spike asked, incredulous.

"Come on, Spike, I think you know me well enough by now."

"Yeah, I do. Why aren't you freaking out?"  He persisted.

"You know that if you ever killed an innocent...that would be it for us...that we couldn't be together anymore."

"Buffy...I would never...” His undead heart contracted at the thought of life without her by his side.

She placed gentle fingers over his lips, "I know...that’s why I trust you."

 "You do?"

 Her features softened, as they always did when his vulnerability showed, "I love you."

He purred, pulling her close, burying his nose in her hair as he held her.  "I love you too."

"Come on,” She said after a few minutes.  "Lets pack and get out of here."

---

 They walked from the hotel room in a comfortable silence, until they came to where Spike had remembered leaving his car.

He unlocked the car door and opened it for Buffy, who slid in.

 Spike got in the other side and grabbed the keys from the glove compartment, placing them in the slot he retracted his hand and turned to face his turned-slayer.  "Where do you want to go, love?"  Spike asked, as he watched her slide over to him and into his half-embrace, nibbling on his ear. 

"Home."  She replied simply, kissing down his neck.

 "Sunnydale, pet?" he attempted to clarify, leaning into her, tilting his neck slightly.

 "Yeah - home is where the Hellmouth is!" She laughed lightly before she vamped out and bit into his neck.  Immense pleasure shot through both their dead bodies, she sucked gently for a minute before retracting her fangs. 

She looked up at him; mischievous yellow eyes meeting confused but pleasure laden blue ones.  In way of explanation she said  "You marked me...” her fingertips grazed the bite mark on her neck, "....and now I've marked you."  She finished happily. 

Spike didn't think he could have been happier, until he heard her next words.  "You're mine."

 Pulling her into his lap, Spike morphed and sunk his fangs into her neck.  Power.  More so than before.  As her strong slayer-vampire blood flowed into his mouth he could feel his body growing stronger.

Buffy arched her hips into Spike's at the desire flowing through her.  Whilst slowly drinking from her,

Spike moved a hand under her top caressing her breasts, his other positioning his suddenly free cock at her entrance and thrusting into to her.  Minutes later as Buffy felt her self nearing orgasm, she sunk her fangs into her sire’s neck once again.  As his blood entered her mouth Buffy convulsed as her orgasm shook through her. 

 She barely noticed Spike’s orgasms, his dead seed spilling in to her dead womb, beyond her own sensations, own senses.  As she calmed, she could feel Spike nuzzling her neck, licking the wound, purring as he did, and she could hear herself making a purring, growling noise deep inside her chest.  She raised her head, her eyes meeting Spike’s. 

He lovingly brushed his lips against hers, before repeating her earlier words.  "You're mine."

***   ***   ***

He looked down at the girl sleeping in his arms.  They had driven for around an hour before the sun began to rise, and they had to find shelter.  Spike was just going to sleep in the car, but Buffy was adamant.

 "I may be a vampire Spike, but I'm not sleeping in a car, or a warehouse or a mausoleum."  She had informed her mate vehemently.  "I want a room, with a bed and a shower and a TV!"  Spike smiled at the memory of the previous day, they hadn't slept much, but Spike decided that he agreed with Buffy on this one. 

 A bed was a necessity!  And a shower had its perks!

 He had slept for a few hours, but had awoken- having never been a long sleeper anyway- and had spent the last 40 minutes flicking through the muted TV.  He was hungry, and he'd bet Buffy would be too when she woke up. 

 Knowing that his mate would make him go out anyway, he got up from under Buffy's arm and leg and had just finished dressing, ready to find a butcher when the sun set, and Buffy awoke.

She blinked sleepily as she reached out for Spike.  Not finding him next to her she frowned and sat up in bed.  Her tired eyes scanned the room finally falling on the vampire, who was fully dressed.  She smiled sleepily, and beckoned him too her. 

He walked over to his lover, who pulled him down on top of her, her tongue battling with his.  After a few minutes she broke away and looked into Spike's eyes, marvelling at the love she saw burning in them.  "Where were you going?" she eventually asked.

"I just thought you'd be hungry, so I was going to get you some blood."

"Mmmm, yeah you do that, I'm hungry!"  The slayer agreed.  "While you're out I'll have a shower or something."

"Okay love."  Spike responded climbing off her.  "When I get back we'll get back on the road to Sunnyhell pet - we should be there in about an hour."

 "Good, I actually miss it!  Huh - who'da thunk?"  She asked laughing.  Spike chuckled lightly, then leaned down and kissed her on the nose before leaving the room.

Buffy picked up the remote and continued flicking through the channels, after a few minutes she grew board, so she set down the remote on the bedside table.  Noticing for the first time that there was a phone in the room Buffy picked up the receiver and dialed Giles’ phone.

It was picked up on the first ring, and the watchers sleepy voice said into the receiver, "Hello?  Buffy?" Willow and Xander sat up from their texts and looked hopefully at the ex-librarian.

Buffy smiled, "Hey Giles!"

"Buffy, good heavens are you alright?  We've been so worried.  Where's Spike?  Is he still with you?

Where are you?"  the watcher said quickly, overly concerned for her.

"Chill Giles!  I'm okay, undead but okay!  Spike went out to get me something to eat.."  Giles wasn't sure he liked the sound of that, "..but yes he's still with me.  We're in a motel somewhere.  We should be home in an few hours."

There was a beat, and Giles breathed an audible sigh of relief, he was about to continue when he heard the door opening in the background.  "Buffy, is that Spike?"  he asked, unsure of whether he wanted it to be or not.

When Buffy didn't respond, Giles became worried.  "Buffy?....BUFFY?" he shouted.

"Mmm, sorry Giles!"  Buffy said, breaking from Spike's lips. She shushed Spikes sigh of annoyance, and continued,  "Yeah Giles, it is.  Look I have to go, why don't you get some sleep, you sound really tired.  We'll be back in a few hours"

 "Okay Buffy, I await your return."

"Oh and Giles, tell my mom and Dawny I'm okay - I tried them first, but they were busy.  I'll see you soon.  Bye!" Buffy got out before the phone was removed from her hands, and her lips were caught up in a passionate kiss.

***   ***   ***

"Bye."   Giles replied into the humming receiver.  He looked down at the text on the table in front of him, then up across to the two expectant faces, sitting in his living room.

"Giles?  Is Buffy okay?"  Willow asked, concern evident in her voice.

He stared numbly at the redhead before being prompted by Xander and continued. "Yes Buffy is fine.  Umm...she is still traveling with Spike, and they are on their way here."

"Ookaay!  Not loving this!  We're talking Buffy bringing the peroxide undead here, and everyone’s okay with that?"  Xander objected loudly, his eyes going between the two other people in the room as he spoke.

"Xander, Spike is Buffy's....boyfriend.  And we love her and if this is what she wants we're gonna be supportive of her, goddamn it!"

Both the men stared at the witch in some shock at her outburst.  Xander then laughed, reaching out and ruffling Willow's hair, the same way he used to when they were little and he knew he'd been in the wrong but he wasn't gonna admit it.

"So Buffy and dead boy junior are coming home?"  He asked calmer than before.

Giles took a sip from his now cold cup of coffee, grimacing at the taste.  "Yes, she said she'll return in a few hours."

 He stood up and walked to the kitchen and put the kettle on.  "I suggest we get some rest and food until she comes.  I shall go out and retrieve some blood for her...and Spike in an hour."  Shrill whistling resounded around the room, indicating the boiling of the water and Giles’ turned around to make the tea. "Would you like some biscuits?"  He asked after a few minutes, when no one responded he turned around to see the zeppo and the witch asleep on the couch. 

 With a smile Giles brought in his tea setting it down on his desk.  He picked up a blanket from the chair and covered the two sleeping forms.  The watcher returned to his tea and resumed his reading about a turned slayer in 1705.