Buffy sits at the table at the back of the Magic Box. She’s been back a few weeks now, and the Gang seemed to be different somehow. Oh, of course, they had been weird around her at first and that had been expected.

But… they seemed to work closer together now. All of them are there – except Giles who had gone back to England – Anya, Xander, Willow, Tara, Dawn … and Spike. It was very new to her, but she liked it that they had learned to accept him while she was gone. She’s sure that it made things go smoother for them.

Less work for Giles…

Buffy watches the Gang as they interact, just as close net as if they had working together for years without all of the hard feelings, and hatred that had used to be here.

Spike is sitting up on the counter as usual, with Anya telling him to get down non-to-gently, but that was Anya. The little things had changed.

As she watches, Willow walks over to Spike without hesitation and asks him how to pronounce the name of a particular demon she’s studying for the new big bad.

It’s no big deal to Buffy; the demons are being morons and doing the stupidest stuff. Just like with patrol a couple of nights ago.

She and Spike had been out on patrol as had turned into something of a tradition with them since her return, and they had had to go Spike’s bar to get some information on this demon that had been robbing banks. When they were leaving, this black van that had been following her around was sitting just across the street. Then this stupid red demon had come up to them.

Buffy had just giving it a flimsy punch to the head and it had fallen to the ground. After using this really bad disappearing smoke, the demon had run of; her and Spike had shared an amused smirk.

The gang had acted weird when she first had come back, like they couldn’t get over the fact that she is actually back, but now, they acted as if nothing had ever happened; which is just fine with Buffy. It’s better than the ‘weird’ treatment.

But Spike was still different toward her. Sure, they talked more now than they ever had, and they went on comfortable patrols together, and even sharing a laugh over the stupider demons and vampires that just didn’t get it and leave them alone. Sure, they were talking and laughing, but how dump can you get?

Buffy’s thoughts are interrupted when Dawn starts to squeal. She looks up to see Spike chasing the girl around the front of the shop with Anya hallowing at them to stop messing around in her shop so people will actually want to come in. The two finally stop and stand in front of the counter with mock sheepish looks on their faces as they try to hold back their smiles.

Smiling, Buffy watches as the two friends burst into laughter in front of Anya, causing her to turn red with anger.

Shock crosses Buffy’s face. It’s the most shocking thing of what has changed since she was gone. Sure, over time, this would have happened with all of them, but not this one. Buffy never would’ve believed it if she hadn’t seen it first hand.

As she watches, Xander walks over to Spike as he extends his hand, and Spike gives his hand a slap. The two got along a lot better than anyone could have thought, even imagined. Or, mostly, to Anya’s dislike.

Now that the two got along, Anya seemed to the butt end of any and every practical joke the odd pair could come up with.

Buffy’s eyes wander over Spike. He seemed to be more himself then she had ever seen him… if she had ever seen what he will be when he lets himself relax.

It reminded her of before she had died, how he would be when it was just the two of them, alone in their own little world. At times, now and then, she wished she would’ve just told everyone to hell with the rule book and just follow her heart, but….

From what she had gather from the other’s, Spike had been really bad for awhile, so bad that some of them would find Spike passed out on her front porch with an empty bottle of something in his hand, and the sun inching closer and closer to him.

She knew now that her earlier guess about would happen to Spike if she had let it happen then…. He really would’ve killed himself.

It really would have killed him if she had gone through with it…. And now that she was back, Spike didn’t seem to feel that way about her anymore. Sure, he was friendly to her, and they spent a lot of time together…. But he hadn’t mentioned his feelings toward her once since she’d come back….

She’d thought rapidly about seeing if that spell was still in effect, but she didn’t want to do it that way anymore. She wanted….

Her thoughts are but to the back of her mind when Dawn sits down next to her abruptly, asking, “Can you help me with my homework?”

Buffy turns to her smiling, and says, “Of course.”

*       *       *

Spike’s sheets are tangled around his waist and hips as he turns repeatedly in his bed, moans and gasps coming from his mouth…. “Buffy….” He’s dreaming as he does every night, every night since she came back….

Buffy held him to the stone top of the sarcophagus as she rode him hard and fast. It gave Spike such an incredible high when she took control of their lovemaking.

Their release comes hard and fast, just, as their lovemaking had been.

Collapsing on top of him, Buffy lets out a sigh of contentment, and just lets herself lay there.

The dream shift suddenly. Only a few moments have passed, and they’re moving together again. Spike gasps as Buffy takes his Adams-apple into her mouth, and laves it with her tongue.

Spike willingly goes down onto his elbows as Buffy draws his mouth into a long, mind-numbing kiss that leaves the non-breathing vampire breathless, and panting for more. Barely giving her time to catch her breath, Spike captures her lips in another gasp inducing kiss.

His attention wanders down her throat, his blunt teeth skimming over her smooth skin, and down to the hallow at the base of her throat where his tongue swirls there.

His mouth leaves opened mouthed kisses along her shoulder where he then bits down, causing her to gasp, and arch into him. Spike responses by pressing himself further down into her.

“Spike…” He hears her gasp into his ear. Raising his head, he looks down into her flushed face, and glazed eyes. A tender, lust filled smile flashes over his face briefly.

Fleetingness of his smile is caused by Buffy as she takes a hold of his rear and pushes herself up into his downward thrust. As he left her, she clenched around him, but as he came back into her, she opened fully to him.

His eyes roll back into his head, and a groan escapes his lips as she keeps it up for longer then he thinks he can take it. Finally not being able to handle it any longer, he growls in a husky voice, “Keep that up, and this is going to be over a lot sooner then you’d like, love.”

His eyes glaze over as he looks down at her. Her mouth is open in a silent scream; eyes wide with pleasure, and her hands are messaging the muscles in his back as he moves with in her.

Not taking his advice, she holds him tighter to her, and moves with him as if she is stretching. Unable to help himself, Spike feels himself to follow her lead, and moves with her in a slow-hard play of thrusts that feel more and more like long stretching motions.

Still, they move together, as Spike bends his head down to her breasts, and takes one of the small mounds into his mouth, and suckles her. He takes great pleasure in her response as she arches her back and thrusts herself more fully into his mouth.

A gasp slams out of Spike’s mouth as he feels Buffy’s hand slide between their bodies. As he lets her breast slide from his mouth, Spike goes up onto his hands as he feels Buffy’s hand find its destination.

Their moans feel the emptiness of the crypt as Buffy’s hand caresses and feels where they’re joined. Her fingers come around him in a V shape, caressing him as he moves in and out of her.

Suddenly they arch into each other, crying out each other’s names as their release crashes down on them. Pushing himself farther down into her, Spike groans as his pleasure edges closer to pain with each passing moment.

Then he feels Buffy below him letting her breath go in gasp, and their release breaks the rest of the way through…

Spike sits up gasping in his bed. His chest is slick with sweet, and as he shifts, he feels something sticky, and wet slide, and move with him, under him.

He falls back on his bed with a groan as he releases that he had come in his sleep. It happened almost every time.

He didn’t understand why this was happening… not that he was complaining it was just that its torture at the same time that it brings him great pleasure.

This wasn’t her. It’s a dream that he wakes up from, and she’s gone, and he’s still aching for her, and he already feels as if he’s been rode from here to hell and back. And he still wanted more.

Groaning again, he throws the covers back, and gets out of the soiled bed. He disappears into the interior of the crypt.

*       *       *

Buffy wakes with a shuddering breath as she finds her release both in the dream and in real life. Pulling the covers away from her, she gets out of the bed, and walks into the bathroom, glad that she didn’t have to go out into the hall.

That dream had been just after Spike’s stupid Buffybot had been discovered. At the time, she didn’t know, hadn’t cared why, all she knew was that she was made at him for making that thing, the thought him not knowing about them, not even entering into her mind.

After a few weeks of not seeing, being so disgusted… and hurt by his actions, she had gone to him, whispered that one, magic word, and had rode him for all that she was worth. After wards, she had just laid there wondering why she was punishing him when he had no knowledge of their relationship together.

She’d come twice with him that last time, and so had he.

She needed to talk to someone. This is driving her mad. All she ever seemed to think about anymore is him, and what things could be like if she could just… just…. She didn’t know what do to. But the whole situation is driving her mad.

Over the past couple of weeks since she had been back, she had debated whether to tell someone. The only person she could even think about telling this huge secret to was Willow. But how would Willow take it? Would she look at her with disgust, and hate?

And not because it’s Spike, Buffy had learned enough since her return that she knew they were past caring about that.

It’s because of the things she had done; casting that spell on Spike, keeping from the rest of them, especially Willow… and casting that spell on Spike.

However, she had even heard Dawn saying something to Willow about Spike’s feelings towards her and Willow hadn’t had the reaction she would have had five months ago.

Her mind made up, Buffy heads to the bathroom before going to Willow… even if it is the middle of the night.

*       *       *

Opening Willow’s bedroom door, Buffy sneaks into what use to be her room and walks silently over to the sleeping figures on the mattress.

Buffy looks down at Willow hesitantly, and then decide against telling her now that she’s so close to having to tell. Turning around quickly, Buffy heads to the door only to slam her shin against something.

Humbling on one foot, Buffy makes it to the door only to hear Willow’s sleepily voice say, “Buffy? What are doing?”

Buffy turns and looks as if she’s the deer caught in the hunters’ sight. She swallows heavily and looks at Willow, she says, “I thought I heard something… but you…”

Willow’s eyebrow rises as Buffy stumbles over her words. “There was no noise.” Quickly glancing at the clock, Willow says, “It’s four in the morning. You must have a better excuse for coming in here then that?”

“Just checking on everyone,” Buffy says, proud of herself for not letting that come as a question as she had wanted to.

Willow smiles, and says, “Ok.”

Buffy turns as she see Willow go to lie back down. Impulsively, Buffy turns back to the bed and practically drags Willow from the room so that they don’t disturb Tara.

Once in the hall, Willow looks at Buffy with wide eyes, and asks, “What are you doing?”

“Not yet,” Buffy says as she continues to drag Willow down the hall and into her room. Shutting the door behind her, Buffy pushes Willow until she is sited on the bed.

Buffy paces a few times in front of the very confused Willow until she asks, “What is going on Buffy? Are you still having trouble with…”

Buffy stops and faces Willow saying, “No.”

“Are you sure, because…” However, Willow is cut off again.

“Yes, I’m sure. See, a few mouths before I died. Well, exactly a month after Spike was taken by Glory and almost killed I went to these monk type dudes and had them put this spell over Spike. The spell made it so that I could say this one and do whatever I wanted with, and say that one word when we were done and he’d never be the wiser. With me so far?” Buffy asks as she takes a long breath.

“I think so…” Willow says frowning as Buffy starts in.

“Well, I started seeing him… in a round about way, and the only reason I did it was because he would’ve killed himself after I was gone, and I didn’t want you guys to find out, and I think…” Buffy sounded as if might start to hyperventilate.

Willow reaches out and pulls Buffy down beside her. “Buffy? Slow down and take a couple of breaths. You lost me after “he’d never be the wiser”. What spell did these monks did you have them put on Spike?”

“I’m not sure,” Buffy says in a quiet voice.

“Ok, what was the word you used to open and close your… times with him?” Willow asked, not quiet sure what she’d meant but Willow had a very good idea what that might have been.

“D…desire,” Buffy says. She keeps her eyes down to the carpet, not wanting to see the disgust in her friend’s eyes.

“Ok, now when you say seeing him in around about sort of way, do you mean…” She didn’t know how else to get the information. “Do you mean you were sleeping together?”

Buffy looks up at her with wide eyes, almost like she was scared. Of what, Willow wasn’t sure.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m not made or disgusted that you would want to sleep with…” Willow is cut off when Buffy jumps up off the bed, and says, “I know that, and I wasn’t worried about that…”

“Good!”

“I was worried that you might think that I was disgusting or hate worthy because of what… I did,” Buffy says looking away from her.

“Buffy, no. I don’t think you’re disgusting or… or hate worthy. Your reasons are understandable… I don’t think it was the right thing to do, but there’s no disgust… no hate,” Willow says as she gets up and walks over to face Buffy.

“But I did something that I would be mad at him for, and I did it. I should be put to… something…” Buffy said. She couldn’t very well say put to death because well, look at the obvious.

Pulling her friend over to the bed, Willow makes Buffy sit down and look her in the face. “Buffy, you must have another reason for doing this. I know you. You wouldn’t get involved unless…”

“I know…”

They sit in silence for a long time, Willow allowing Buffy to come up with her own thoughts, and how far she wanted to take this little confession of hers.

Finally, Buffy breaks the silence. “I think it started after he kept Dawn’s secret, but the more I think about it, our whole relationship, it had been there all along. I don’t know when I fell…” She looks up at Willow, “in love with him.” Buffy’s eyes had tears threatening to spill over.

“I think it’s having these weird side effects though. I’ve been dreaming about us, about our time together ever since I got back. I don’t know what to do. It’s been driving me mad.” Buffy says.

“Then tell him, tell that you…”

“No! Do you know how made a righteously pissed off he would be?” Buffy asks.

“But you could tell him all of it, that you love him and that you didn’t want him to kill himself when you died.” Willow says. “Oh, and ‘righteously’? Nice word.”

“Xander gave me toilet paper with word of the day on it.” Buffy smirks at Willow.

Soon, both young women are laughing.

*       *       *

It’s nearly six a.m. when Willow finally climbs back in bed with Tara. Her love’s sleepy voice reaches her ears as she spoons up against her. “Where did you go?”

“Buffy finally confessed that she’s in love with Spike and that before she died that she’d had a spell cast on him. I’ll tell you the rest later.” Willow says and then kisses her love on the cheek. “Good night sweetie.”

“G’night.” Tara says.

Magic Box…

Spinning on his heel, he delivers a harsh back kick to the punching bag, sending to fly back and then to swing on its anchor to the ceiling.

Turning away, Spike walks over to the blue mats at the back of the training room and turns his back to them and lies back on them, after a very rough work out.

He had followed the gang here after a hard patrol and he had still felt wound tighter than a drum. After excusing himself, he had come back here and proceeded to beat the unsuspecting punching bag to death.

The already worn punching bag now sports a new rip in one of the round sides… even with the ducked tape. The punching bags never could stand up to him or Buffy.

Buffy…

He wasn’t sure what he’s going to do about that situation… although, there’s not much of a situation anymore between them. She seemed to be calmer since she’s been back. He liked it because it suited her.

Her calm made it easier to get along with her without all of those arguments that they had before. Not that he didn’t mind an argument here or there, but they had one at least once a day, if not more.

He knows that he’s more in love with her now then he had ever been, and it’s because she could laugh at herself now more than she could before, and she didn’t seem to be a prejudice as she had been before.

Which is the reason he hadn’t said anything to her.

If she rejected him once again, he knew he would have to leave this place, or it was going to kill him one of these days. And he just didn’t need that.

He hadn’t been sleeping very well at night… day… whenever he tried to sleep. He would just dream of her and the things he wanted to do to her…. The things he wanted her to do to him.

However, more and more, the dreams feel so real, and so pass tense… as if they had already happened. He knows it’s silly, but he just can’t shake the feeling.

The more he thinks about it, and he thinks about it a lot, the more he feels as if he’s reliving pieces of his life that he had already lived. Even, if in the dream it shifts from one scene to the next in the blink of an eye, he knows what had happened between that scene and the next.

Sighing, he closes his eyes…

Store Room Floor….

Buffy sits up in her chair straighter as images float across her mind. Her eyes dart around the room.

Everyone is doing their own thing. Anya is trying to tally the day’s receipts while Xander is pestering her, trying to get her to go home. It being a weekend night, Dawn is over at a friend’s house.

Willow and Tara have their noses buried in a book. They’re trying to find a spell to locate this new big bad that seemed to be irritating everyone and their demon.

Looking back down at the book she had been reading, she pretends as if she’s reading again. Instead, she pulls back into herself and focuses on the images floating through her mind….

Training Room…

Spike finds himself pressed against Buffy’s burning body the next time he opens his eyes. They’re secluded away in the dark dinning room of Buffy’s house.

Buffy lies beside him under the window that faces the road, and his back is to the table and chairs.

Leaning over her, Spike captures her mouth, and plunges his tongue in between her lips. As they kiss, one of Buffy’s hands slide down his chest and into his pants. He breaks away from her mouth panting as her tiny hand wraps around him.

She gasps as she feels Spike’s cool hand dive under her shirt. His fingers caress her stomach as his hand moves ever upward. All the while, his movements draw her shirt up.

At the same time, they keep eye contact as Spike uncovers her breasts. He only breaks eye contact as he lowers his head to her chest and takes her into his mouth.

Her lips part in a silent cry of pleasure – well aware that her sister is upstairs sleeping – as his mouth closes around her, his teeth around her hardened nipple.

Spike shifts on the mat in his sleep….

Store Room Floor…

Buffy’s head comes up as the door to the shop opens with the jingle of the bell.

Her eyes dart to Anya as she comes out from behind the counter and walks to the person. She’s saying, “I’m sorry, but the store is closed.”

“But what about all of these other people…” The man points to the Scooby gang.

“Yes, well, they’re not customers, and neither are you. The store is closed. Please feel free to come back tomorrow and spend as much money as toy like then.” Anya says as she ushers the man to the door. “Now please leave. The store is closed.”

Anya opens the door and non-to-gentle pushes the guy out the door and then shuts it in his face. She nods her head at him with a tilt, and then flips the sign over saying that the store is closed.

Buffy goes back to the erotic images flowing underneath her observations….

Training Room…

He groans as Buffy’s hand begins to move over him, her nails gently scrapping him as her fingers move down, and then her small hand cups him.

While his mouth works at her chest, his hand moves back down her stomach, and to the fly of her jeans. As they slip into the bliss of each other, Spike hand moves into her jeans, and then his fingers find her wet and warm for him.

Bringing his mouth back up to hers, he moans into her as he hand slips lower and her nail scraps that little place right between his anus, and his balls. He pushes into her touch, and groans as her hand moves away…

Spike jerks awake as if Buffy had been torn from him… and he knew that in the dream she hadn’t been. He had brought her to orgasm with just his mouth and hand….

Store Room Floor…

Buffy jerks, almost falling out of her seat when she feels someone laid a hand on her shoulder. Her heart pounds in her in her chest, and she heaves in gulps of air, trying to get her breathing and heart under control.

“Sorry, Buffy,” Willow says. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s ok,” Buffy says looking up at her. “What did you need?”

“I think I found something,” she said.

“Good. Then maybe we can finally get ride of these jokers.”

Willow sits down next to Buffy and starts to explain what her and Tara had found. A few minutes later, Spike comes walking out of the training room, making Willow and Buffy lift their heads.

“Hey Spike, I think I might have found something to help with the new big bad.” Willow says in a cheery voice.

Spike gives a weak smile and says with no inflection to his voice. “That’s love. I hope it works.” He says as he turns and slowly walks backward to the front of the store. “I’m gonna go.”

“Are you ok? You look a little… worn around the edges?” Willow asks concerned.

“Haven’t been sleeping very well Red. Nothing much.” He looks at Buffy and says, “See ya later Love.”

“Bye,” she says as she watches him walk to door as he waves farewell to Xander and Anya.

Willow and Buffy turn back to the their research.

*       *       *

The Next Day….

Everything that had happened day seemed so familiar to him, and it was eerie too.

Like when, Buffy and him were in the foyer after just getting back from the shop, again, and his skin was still stinging from running from the sewer to the porch.

“I was trying to get a job the other day, but between the new big bad, and not having any skills in… anything… it was pretty much useless.” Buffy is saying.

“I have some money if it’d help?” Spike offers as he leans back against the banister.

“That’s sweet, but I’d rather not. I need a permanent income.” Buffy says.

“I have an idea.” Spike says.

She perks up. “I’m all ears.”

“Now hear me out… I’ve thinking sense you know so much about fighting, you could start a self defense shop, or do jo, or something like that.” Spike pauses to see her reaction.

But before she can respond, the front door opens, and in comes Xander and Anya. “Hi guys,” Buffy says with a little smile.

“Buff,” Xander says and then turns to Spike and says good naturedly, “Blood breath.”

“Whelp,” Spike says with a little smirk.

“But a bank won’t give me the money to start up my own business…” Buffy says as if they hadn’t been interrupted.

“I know. I did some research and it would only cost fifteen thousand dollars to start.”

“Where am I going to get that type of money?” Buffy asks, her hope fading.

“I can lend it to you. Hell, you don’t even have to pay me back. Just use the money to start the business and I’ll be happy.” Spike says.

“I can’t do that…” Buffy starts to say.

“Sure you can,” Anya says. “He offered didn’t he? Take the free money.”

“As I was saying,” Buffy says, looking pointedly at Anya. “I can’t take the money without you letting me pay you back.”

“Fine,” Spike says, “Just as long you take the money.”

“Cool,” Buffy says, “Now, you help me fix dinner… Xander, could you go pick up Dawn from Janice’s?”

“Sure,” he says as he and Anya turn back to the door. “See ya in a bit.”

He follows Buffy in to the kitchen and watches as she starts to prepare for dinner. He doesn’t pay much attention to what she pulls out, but just watches her move, and listens to her voice as she talks excitedly about his idea.

It made him smile….

Spike frowns slightly as he watches Buffy start to bounce around in front of the stove. “What are you doing, love?”

She turns and looks at him with hope, and says, “I got to go to the bathroom.” Her voice is desperate. “Would stir this while I’m gone?”

“Just let it cock, it’ll be fine.” Spike says shrugging his shoulders.

“NO!” She says. “It’ll stink if you don’t keep stirring it, now come here, take the spoon and stir.” She demands.

Shaking his head, he walks over to her until she reaches out and drags him over, and shoves the spoon into his hand….

“Buffy?” Dawn’s voice sounds from the foyer as the front door bursts open. Spike frowns.

“Bathroom,” Buffy yells as she moves out into the foyer and up the stairs.

“Buffy?” Dawn says, wanting her sister’s attention.

“Bathroom, talk after,” Buffy yells from upstairs, and then the distinct sound of the bathroom door slamming could be heard.

Now, Spike is sitting on the back porch smoking a cigarette. He and Buffy may be friends now, but she still wouldn’t let him smoke in the house.

She had threatened that if he kept trying to smoke in her house that she would make him quite. Spike had quickly relented and now made himself go outside.

His thoughts dwelled on the fact that everything that had happened today sparked a sense of déjà vu. He couldn’t explain how, but most every little thing that had gone on today, seemed so eerily familiar that he was getting goose bumps. And that was something he hadn’t done sense he was human.

Shaking his head, he moves his thoughts to how happen his idea had made Buffy. It made him happy that she liked his idea. It did two things.

One, she would have an income and then he won’t have to worry so much about his girls

And two, that she liked the idea so much made him feel all kinds of poofiness.

*       *       *

Buffy jumps in her seat when she feels a hand laid on her shoulder and turns to see Willow looking sheepish. She had been waiting for people to get ready for a dinner that she had already fixed. But that was ok.

“Sorry,” Willow says frowning at herself.

“It’s alright,” Buffy says as she watches Willow sit down next to her.

“I think I found something,” Willow says.

“Good. Maybe this time it will work without killing them in the process.” Buffy says.

Willow starts shaking her head slowly from left to right. Buffy frowns and copies her. “What does this mean? It’ll do something worse?”

“No. I think I found the answer to your probable with Spike.” Willow says.

“You mean you found…” Buffy trails off.

“That’s right, I found the spell. Its actually quit simple in the way it’s set up to cast.” Willow says.

“Ok, but how does it work after that?” Buffy says.

“Buffy, before I tell you anything, I need to know how they cast it so I can be sure that it’s the right spell.” She takes a breath, “That was a mouth full.”

Buffy tells her how the monks had her stand in a circle, and then did something a scan of her… being. Then how they had had her think of Spike… and things to do with Spike, and how the trigger word kept repeating through her mind. And then, when the spell was completed, how she had… orgasm.

Willow nods her head in a doctor sort of way, like the doctor was wishing it weren’t true but they just couldn’t ignore facts. She looks up from the book in her eyes and meets Buffy’s eyes.

“It’s the spell alright. You described the whole thing. First off, the scanning was to see if you… how to put this? Of good character….”

“I’m surprised they cast the spell then…” Buffy mutters in a pout.

“Well… see that’s not all there is to it. Um… they do it to see your motives as to why you’re doing it….” Willow says.

“Then why did they cast it? Cause when I had it done, I convinced myself that it was because I needed something.” Buffy says.

“Yes, they’d see that but they look deeper, and see what you can’t see.” Willow says and stays silent to let Buffy mull that over by herself.

After a few seconds, Buffy slowly nods her head.

“Second, the reason the flashes of S… him, and then you and him together went through your mind, is so that the spell knows what it’s supposed to cover up when the trigger word is spoken a second time.” Willow says.

“That’s how it works,” Buffy says, as if she had been wondering all a long how it had worked.

“Yes. Third, the trigger word is a word or phrase that is… that directly connects with… um… a memory that you don’t want the person to remember.” Willow says, “That’s also the reason that you are present when the spell is cast. It’s a very complex symbol.” Willow says in a sheepish voice, “Now comes the hard part.”

“Hard part?” Buffy asks. “No, no hard parts please.”

Nodding her head, Willow says, “I can also explain why you’ve been dreaming about this what… happened when you were with him.”

Buffy perks up.

“I can also explain why he hasn’t been sleeping very well.”

Buffy’s eyes widen and she shakes her head.

Willow nods hers. “Yes. You see, the spell has an… undisclose-able clause in it.” She pauses and takes a breath. “If the spell isn’t used after a certain amount of time… the spell back fires and second, unsuspecting party of the spell starts to remember it.”

Willow pauses again and rises at brow. Buffy motions for her to continue. “This is where the dreams come into play. Beings that you remember, the dreams are like dreaming about the past. But at the same time, you dream them… No, let me start over.

“The dreams for the second party of the spell are like… real life. So, in effect, it’s almost if S… he is… time traveling. Also, you get pulled into his dreams, you’re pulled back with him.” Willow says.

They fall silent as Buffy mulls it over. What had she done?

After a long while, Buffy asks, “How do I fix it?”

“One of two ways,” Willow says and then stops.

“One?” Buffy prompts.

“One, you just let the dreams take their course up to the point where you stopped using the spell, and the person will just remember them as very, very vivid dreams.” Willow answers.

“What if you don’t dream in order?” Buffy asks,  a slight smile curving her lips.

Willow shakes her head smiling. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Good. S… he only has one more dream to go through.” Buffy says more to herself than Willow. She looks back up and says, “What’s the second way?”

“The second way can be more hurt full…” Willow rushes, “Not deadly, just emotionally hurtful if things don’t work out right. If you, say, want the person to remember what happened, alls you have to do is say the trigger word.”

Buffy slowly nods her head as she turns to look down at the carpet. “Desire…” The word rolls from her mouth….

Willow and Buffy look up toward the back of the living room as Xander, Anya, and Dawn comes from the kitchen.

*        *       *

Spike walks into the kitchen to find three of the Scooby’s laughing about some such nonsense. He shakes his head, trying to get the water to dislodge.

He had been sitting out there, thinking, and smoking his last cigarette when it had started to pour.

He smiles as the Xander, Anya, and Dawn precede him into the living room. Being wet, he moves to the foyer entrance into the living but stops short of reaching it.

His hearing drowns out the sound of the three noise-y ones moving into the living and zeroes in on Buffy’s voice.

“Desire…” The word rolls from her mouth….

Something like a freight train hits him so hard that he has to reach out and steady himself with a hand to the wall.

It’s all real; every touch, word, stroke, and caress. The whole bullock is true!

He even remembered the one thing, and he knew that is just one, that he hadn’t dreamed about yet. It hits him in flashes, but he gets the whole picture; knows it by heart. Even when he hasn’t had to time to memorize each time.

Slowly he moves to the living room entrance. The conversation dies down when they notice that he’s standing there, a crushed look on his face.

“Spike…” Dawn says.

But he doesn’t answer her…

“You cast a spell on me….” His voice is edged with something dangerous.

His voice hits Buffy like a ton of bricks….

“How could you do that?” Spike asks again, not being able to believe his own memories, his own knowledge of the fact.

During the time they had spent together, he had vaguely known. “I really hate this,” he remembered saying that in the training room with her little impromptu make out session.

“How could you?” He asks again.

“Because I needed someone. I didn’t want anyone to know. So that I didn’t have to hear my friends telling me I was wrong…” Buffy trails off biting her bottom lip. She’s surprised she could even talk at this point. The look on her face… “I’m sorry.” Her voice is whimper.

“Bull shit,” Spike says. He clenches his fists at his sides as he stares at her unblinking.

He feels so righteous, but it was bittersweet with betrayal. The preacher of good, and slayer of demons, cast a spell on a demon to do with, as she wants.

“You know how bleeding pissed you’d be if I’d done something like this to you?” He couldn’t believe how big a gull she had to pull something like this off. Spike had never imaged her doing something of this… He shakes his head.

For her part, Buffy is about ready to fall apart. If she had known that this spell would turn out this way, be so screwed up, she never would’ve had it done. She wouldn’t have done it… this way.

If she had known that he would look so betrayed, she wouldn’t have even considered having the spell cast. Even then, when she was thinking of how her friends felt, how the Slayer’s are supposed to act…

In the beginning, she had done it to keep people from getting hurt, but it was still happening anyways.

She regretted not having the courage to… love him out in the open. And not hide it behind a spell. A spell that might…. No, she couldn’t think of that happening.

Buffy’s thoughts go with Spike as he turns and walks out the front door, not even closing it behind him… or looking back….

She stares at the door for a long second. Debating what she should do. Finally, she looks at Willow. Willow meets her eyes, and she smiles. “Go, Buffy,” she says.

Before the word is fully from Willow’s mouth, Buffy is up and out the front door with bare feet. She gasps as she comes off the porch and immediately gets soaked by the torrential down pour.

Looking up and down the street, trying to find him through the sheets of rain pelting down onto her, and soaking through her clothes in just the few seconds that she’s been outside.

She turns to look up the street and barely glimpses Spike’s retreating form….

Before her thoughts even have a chance to process fully, her body is moving forward and chasing after him. The run to him seems to take forever, the rain, her soaked clothes, and even the air itself seemed bent on slowing her down.

But finally… Finally, she reaches him.

“Spike…” She grabs his arm, but she gets a surprise.

He turns on her. “Why?” He demands, his voice high, both from the emotion that was coursing through him, and talking over the roar of the rain.

She’s a bit taken back by that. However, she recovers quickly. “I told…”

“NO! That’s a load of bullocks,” he snaps. “The real reason.” He demands of her, not from her, of her.

She lapses into silence again. She feels as if she’s being torn in two. Did she let him think that she only wanted him because he was convenient? And possibly risk his leaving her? Or…

“Buffy….” He growls. He’s getting past hurt now, and getting angry. She could see it in his midnight blue eyes. They’d turn black soon if he got any angrier.

 “Ok,” she sighs, almost as if to herself. “I did it for so many reasons.” She had to practically yell the words so that she could just make sure she was saying the right thing. Damn rain. “Fear… of myself, my friends finding out and condemning me for what I wanted. I was even afraid that you’d leave me if I gave in.” She breathes deeply, trying to stave back her tears.

“I tried for so long not to… feel anything toward you…. But you made it hard for me every step of the way,” Buffy’s chuckle has very little mirth in it and is swallowed by the storm.

“Then you had to go all noble and not tell Glory about Dawn. I knew then, even if I couldn’t, wouldn’t allow myself to admit it…”

“Admit what…” Spike asks.

But Buffy continues as if he hadn’t even said anything.

“I had that spell cast because I knew if anything were to have happened between us… and then I die fighting Glory… then I died, and you would’ve killed yourself.

“You make it very hard… and because of that… that persistence, because you cared so much, I loved you… I still love you…” By this time, Buffy had stopped trying to it, and scolding tears are rolling down her cheeks.

“Why didn’t you…” He begins but isn’t even sure what he was going to ask. He’s reeling. It couldn’t be true.

She cared whether he died…. She loved him…. Gone unnoticed, tears track their way down his cheeks.

“Because I couldn’t admit it to myself,” she answers, “I was scared.” She takes in a gulp of air as she all but sobs. “I love you, I know I do. I also know that I’ve done horrible things to you… and I don’t deserve a…”

However, before she can even finish pleading him to take her back, he has her in his arms. His mouth captures hers, and compared to the cold rain, he feels warm, and safe.

Buffy melts into him with a post-crying hiccup and slides her arms up and around his shoulders. Her fingers clench in the leather of his coat and pull him closer.

*       *       *

They talk to the Scooby’s for what seems an eternity to them, Buffy doing most of the talking as she tells them what that whole scene had been about.

Buffy held her breath waiting for their reaction. Tara was the first to say something and it was encouragement and encouragement. Soon the rest were joining and giving the same support.

Buffy takes Willow aside.

“What is it?” Willow asks, concerned. “Something wrong?”

“No, no! Everything’s great and Xander is taking it better than I could ever imagine he would. It’s just that I just remembered something about that spell.” Buffy says. Elation overflowed from her, and Willow wondered how she could’ve missed it.

“What’s that?” Willow asks.

“Well, the first time… that night… the night that I had the spell cast, the monks gave me this bottle of some type of liquid. What was that?” Buffy asks.

Willow smiles. “I was wondering when you were going to ask that. Alls that is, is complementary gift from the monks.” Willow says, and then raises her brow. “They don’t give it to just anyone.”

“Oh,” Buffy says, starting to ponder on that. But soon, they’re both swept back up into the gang’s impromptu celebration.

*       *       *

Both Buffy and Spike let out a sigh of relief when the Scoobies finally decided to call it a night. When they’re inside her room, Spike turns and pins Buffy to the door.

She looks up at him with wide eyes. A trace of happiness could be seen in her calm face.

“Say it again,” Spike whispers, his mouth now close to her ear.

“I love you,” Buffy says, her voice, if possible, even lower than his.

His lips flutter lightly over her earlobe, and to her jaw. His hands had been resting on her shoulders now move down, and clasp her hands. “Again,” he says, demands, as he raises their arms above their heads. He presses into her even further as she’s stretched out beneath him.

“I love you,” she says, her voice a whisper now. She hears him gasp as she slips her leg in between his. Hocking her leg around the back of his, she brings him even closer to her and she says in her normal voice. “I love you…”

The word ‘you’ is barely from her lips when Spike possessively captures her mouth, and slides his tongue in between her lips. As they caress each other, mouths fastened together, Buffy’s hands slide from his grip and down the backs of his arms.

Taking the lapels of his coat, Buffy brings his arms down as she shove’s Spike leather coat from his shoulders. The leather falling away unnoticed as he moves his arms up, and around her waist to bring her body to his, and press them together.

Buffy wraps her arms around his neck but only briefly. He moves away suddenly, and turns her around and has her front pressed to door with his body pinning her.

She’s about to asks what he’s doing when she feels his leg slip between hers, and then spreads them apart. She gasps as she feels his hands slide down her sides and around to her front to gently cup her breasts before sliding away.

His hands slide down her sides, around her waist and stop to grab the globes of her rear in a firm grip.

“Spike…” she gasps as he starts to rhythmically massage her. The pressure and then the suddenly release sending darts through her body, and straight to her core.

“Yes love?” His voice sounds husky in her ear as he leans his head against hers.

“Mmm,” she answers as one of his hands slide back around and up underneath her shirt. There, his hand finds the front clasp of her bra, and releases her breasts to his ministrations.

She moans again as his hand slides over her breast and firmly cups it. Buffy loses track of his other hand as the one caressing her breast starts the same rhythmic massage. However, is what she doesn’t expect, at the end of the rhythm, his fingers slip up and pinch her nipple.

“Mmm…” The moan escapes from her unnoticed. “Finally,” she says in a breathy voice.

“Finally what?” Spike asks as he moves his other hand from her rear, and slides it under the shirt with the other, and takes her free breast into his hand.

“Oh… I get the real you…” She says on a sigh.

“But love,” he says as he takes his hand away from her breast. He ignores her cry of protest, and lets his hand drift back to her rear. He fits his hand to her rounded, small rear, and just leaves his hand there. “That was me before…”

His hand slips between her legs, and he runs his palm over her inner thigh. “Now,” he says, “I can take you whenever I want.”

Buffy cries out as his hand suddenly slips forward and he cups her.

As the sensation of his hand on her shots through her body, Buffy comes up on her toes. A grunting moan follows as he soon begins massaging her, caressing her.

Her hands claw up the door as her orgasm climbs surprisingly fast… And the only skin-to-skin contact he’s making with her is with her hand to her breast. She gasps as his fingers find her clit and press very lightly.

“Mmm Spike…” She moans.

“Right here,” he says and presses harder against that spot. Buffy cries out again but for a totally different reason this time.

Spike removes his hand s from between her legs, and chuckles at her protest. Smiling almost evilly, he moves his hand around her hip. At the same time, he covers her mound with his hand again; he presses his painful erection into her rear.

“God…” Buffy breathes. “I love you…” Her words turn into a moan as he grinds himself into her rear.

In reaction to her words, Spike presses hard on her clit, releases the pressure, and then does it again, and again.

Buffy’s orgasm crashes over her with a squeal. Her body tenses, and her fingernails dig into the wood of the door. Even before the waves of pleasure stop, Spike is turning her around and kissing her full on the mouth. Minutes go by as they drink from each other’s mouth.

Pulling away for breath, Buffy practically moans, “Closer,” as she starts to drag Spike’s shirt over his shoulder then his head. Soon, pieces of clothing were following one after another.

Buffy sighs into his embrace as he pushes her blouse and bra from her shoulders. She wraps her arms around his chest as he pulls her close. Skin to skin, manhood to womanhood, she buries herself in her arms, his chest.

Spike bends down and picks Buffy up into his arms. Smiling down at her, he takes her over to her bed, and lays her down on it. He stands there for a little while and watches her and she looks at him.

“Come here,” she says. Going willingly, Spike slides onto the bed next to her and wraps his arms around her when she cuddles up to him. They lay there, their desperateness wearing off as they settle in next to each other.

“Spike?” Buffy says quietly, reluctant to break the peaceful silence that had settled between them.

“Yes, love?” Spike says just as quietly.

“Are you made at me?” She says after some hesitation.

He’s quiet for some time. His quietness causes her stomach to clench.

“No,” he says at length, “I should be, and I have the right to be.” She feels him brush a kiss across the top of her head. “But I’m not. It’d just be less time with you.”

Buffy laughs as she lifts her head and looks at him. She scrunches her nose as she says, “You are one weird vampire, you know that, right?” She asks.

“Of course, that’s why you love you me,” Spike says with a smirk.

She whacks him on the shoulder but doesn’t resist when he pulls her down into a kiss… that leaves her breathless.

A little while later, after a lot of heavy breathing, and long, languid kissing, Buffy says, “I want you to move in.” Her voice was matter of fact, and she had no hesitation to voice her demand.

Spike’s a bit taken aback to say the least. “What?” He says, not sure if he was hearing right.

“I said, I want you to…” She starts only to be cut off with him saying, “No, I heard ya love, it’s just that… are you sure? So soon?”

“Not so soon,” Buffy says. “If you think about it, we’ve been together for almost a year now… well, if you include the time I was gone.” She says that last part more to herself to him as she looks in the general direction of his chest. “So you see, not so soon.”

She leans down and lays a kiss on his lips that he doesn’t let go of right away but keeps her there, close. She gasps as he release her from the embrace. “Too long if you ask me.”

“Fine,” he says. “I’ll move in.”

“Oh, your hard to convince,” Buffy teases him.

A large smile comes over Spike’s face suddenly, “Of course, it helped that you had your tongue down my throat.”

“You’re sick,” she says as she pushes away from him

“Oh yeah,” he says as he pulls her back down and into another mind blowing kiss. “It’s one of my many charms,” he practically purrs into her ear after he breaks the kiss.

“Yeah,” she agrees, “Just like being an ass.”

“You love it,” he says.

Before either of them realizes what they’re doing, their mouths are fussed together again. The kiss is hard and possessive.

Buffy moves up onto him, and frames his face with her hands. She plunges her tongue deep into his mouth, and as she pulls back, runs it over the roof of his mouth. Spike gasps, and rolls her underneath him as he comes up over her, and covers her body with his.

Buffy moves her hand between them, and wraps her hand around his length. He pulls his mouth fully away from her and rises up onto his hands. She starts to move her hand over him, caressing him where his motions directed her, and cupping him.

His moan moves through her she starts to pump him rhythmically, speeding up and then slowing down.

“Your teasing me,” he groans his head drops forward.

“My turn,” she says.

“Damn,” Spike grits his teeth as she pressed on the small area between his anus and balls, and then gently slides her fingernail up and over his balls. Then takes him back into her hand.

His head comes up as she raises her hips and brushes her pelvis over his. “God…” he groans as she does it again… and then again. Then again, for a fourth time, and presses her hips up into him. Not being able to stop himself, he thrusts down into her hand.

He drops down onto his elbows, and in a ragged voice says into her ear, “I want to be inside you…”

“No,” she whispers. “On me, I want you to come on me. All over my stomach… my breasts…”

Spike groans into her mouth as she captures his lips in a very possessive kiss.

Buffy brings her free arm around his waist and holds him to her as she moves her hand over his erection. “Please Spike,” she says on a release of breath as she breaks the kiss, gulping in air.

“I want you to come on me,” she says again. Finally, as her words reach him, he comes up onto his hands. He groans as he lets himself find release.

Buffy moans herself as he spills himself right where she wanted him, over her stomach and breasts.

He collapses onto her and wraps his arms around her shoulders and holds her close. He feels her lips brush over his ear, his forehead, and lifts away from her enough to look down into her eyes.

*       *       *

“It’s a good thing you have a private bath, love,” Spike says as he holds the washcloth under the warm water.

“Why’s that?” She asks quietly.

As he shuts off the water, he says, “Then we couldn’t walk around in the nude.” He rings out the cloth and turns to her as he starts to wash his semen from his chest, and stomach.

“Pesky clothes,” Buffy pouts as she watches him wash up. “Why are we doing this again?”

He looks up with his trademark smirk. “Because,” he says as he moves behind her, “For what I have in mind, we’re going to get sticky enough without adding to it.” His accent seemed to thicken just as he spoke about vaguely it.

She smiles as she feels him harden against her rear. “And what is that?”

“Now that would be telling, wouldn’t it?” Spike says as he brings his arms around her and puts the cloth to her skin. Very gently, he starts to wash his ejaculations from her body.

“What does that mean?” She asks as she frowns and tilts her head to one side, in turn, giving Spike more room to hook his chin over her shoulder. All in all, it’s a very comfortable position.

“It means that it’s a secret,” he purrs as he finishes with her stomach and moves his hands up over her breasts with the cloth cleaning up the mess she had made.

“Oh,” She says with the cutest little pout, “Well, why didn’t you just say that?”

“I did,” he drops the washcloth to the floor, wanting to feel her with his hands with nothing between them. His hands cup her warm breasts, and just holds her.

“Mmm, that feels nice,” she coos as her head drops back on his shoulder.

“That it is,” he says smoothly. He steps out from behind her as he takes her hand, and leads her out of the bathroom. He takes her into her room, and has her lie back. He stands at the side of the bed, and just looks down at her.

She is so beautiful. Her skin is flushed, her eyes gleaming. His eyes travel down her body, all the way down, past the juncture between her legs to her cute little feet.

However, his eyes are drawn back to her eyes, and chest. Her eyes shone with something he hadn’t every really seen pointed in his direction. Love.

Her chest was something else entirely. Her chest inspired desire. Her breasts are rounded, swollen from his ministrations from just seconds before. They gleamed, swollen and golden brown. She’s so beautiful. His eyes drift back up to her eyes.

Buffy was having a bit of the same problem, if one could consider this a problem.

The vampire, the man standing in front of her is the most gorgeous male she had ever seen. His was pale all over, hard – yes, all over – and… gentle. She knew he could be very gentle…

Not being able to stand it lying back anymore, she gets to her knees and wraps her arms around his neck. She presses herself to him and fastens her mouth to his.

As his mouth moves over hers, he pushes her back on the bed, and lays over her. Soon, Spike finds himself buried to the hilt within her, her arms and legs wrapped tightly around him. It felt so great to be back inside her… again. It felt like heaven.

As he moves over her, in her, a memory of them together comes to mind.

Grinning evilly into her throat, he pulls out of her, and he soothes her protests as does. “Shh, love. I’ve got you.”

Moving them more fully up onto the bed, he flips her over onto her stomach, and brings her up onto her knees. He purrs in response to her coo as he slips his body over her back, coiling her the curve of her rear, and fitting himself to her.

His hands come up under her. They slide over her chest, fleetingly caressing her breasts. As his hands move down her body, he places wet kisses down her spine, and then up and into her hair.

His hands reach her stomach and move down into the thatch of hair that grew between her legs, and buries two of his fingers into her hot, wet core. She groans and pushes into his hand, but he keeps his hand still. The only purpose he had in mind was to see if she were ready.

And she was ready.

Removing his hand from her, he ignores her protests for the moment, and lines himself up with her. Stroking forward hard, he enters her with a moan coming from both them as they mold to each other.

Buffy’s fingers curl into the sheets and mattress as he comes into her, hard and possessive. The sensation going straight to her head, and back to where they’re joined, and she cries out at the intense pleasure…

“That’s it,” he says. His hands come down and curl around her clenched fingers, and starts to move very slowly. So slowly at first, neither is sure if he’s moving at all. The only tell tale sign, was the burning between them, where they’re joined.

“Mmm…” They moan together as Spike starts to move faster but with the same even, measured strokes as before.

As he moves within her, she feels every contour of him, and the slide of flesh against flesh. Another moan rolls from her throat as she starts to move with him, thrusting back into his forward movements.

He growls, and moves just a fraction slower as he feels himself come dangerously close to losing it.  He groans in response to her small cry of frustration.

Rubbing his face along her shoulder, he notices for the first time that his face had shifted. He turns his head and runs his tongue along the perfect place… “Can I?” He asks as he another runs his tongue over his spot.

She pushes back into him, her head rolling back as she moans, “Please.”

He growls again… licks her shoulder once more, and then slowly slides his fangs into the back of her shoulder. His hips jerk when her blood hits his tongue, and flows down his throat like a thick wine.

At the same time as his fangs had entered her, he lifted their joint hands, and brings their fingers to her filled opening, and presses her fingers against them. He moans with her as he feels what she’s feeling. Their joined bodies moving in a slow motion, almost grinding against each other as they strain toward that finally release.

Pain shots through Spike’s head, and at first, he thinks that it’s the chip going off. But he couldn’t be hurting her, could he?

Then he feels the spasm in her body, and the clenching of her walls around him… and the burning in his groin as he release himself into her. Long, white ropes of semen…

“Mmm… Spike…” She sounds as if she tasted something delicious. She brings their still joint hands away from their joint pelvises and brings them her breast, and presses his hand to the swollen mound.

They slowly sink to the bed, their bodies still joined as small blissful twinges surge through their bodies. Buffy lies on her stomach for a long while with Spike draped over her. She moans in contentment as she drifts off to a light sleep.

*       *       *

Buffy wakes to find herself on her side with Spike spooned behind her. She smiles as she feels him grow hard, slowly, as he presses himself to her.

“Love you,” he says in a rattling voice. Its then that she notices he’s purring loudly into her throat.

“Love you too,” she whispers.

She shifts, and is surprised when she feels him shift with her. And then gasps as she feels him slowly start to enter her.

“Already?” She says in an… awed voice.

“Always,” he says as he then pushes hard, and into her…

Buffy runs and kicks the punching bag… deliberately sending it to hit Spike in the back of the head. As her feet touch the floor, the bag swings back and she catches it.

She smiles from ear to ear as Spike turns and looks at her. His scared brow is raised in question. He starts to move toward her.

She laughs at him as he stares at in her mock-indignation. “Trying that again, are we, love?” Spike asks, a smirk starting to curl the corners of his mouth.

“Oh yeah,” she says, and pushes the punching bag at him again. This time, however, he catches it.

She squeals as he comes after her… Spike starts to tickle her when he gets a hold of her, making her squeal even more. Not seeing it coming, Buffy starts to tickle him back. Her small fingers gently dig into his sides. He starts to squirm, trying to get away from her but she’s right there.

Giving her an evil grin, he reaches down and starts to tickle her inseam. She screams, and twists in his arms, bringing her back into his chest.

Not being able to stand it any longer, Buffy turns and grabs his hand as she falls back onto the mats.

He’s caught off guard when she does this. Buffy simply catches him and brings him down into her embrace. “We really should go home to do this,” he says before his mouth settles over hers.

She’s not sure what he meant by that but doesn’t bother to analyze it as she settles into his kiss. They slink down to the floor, their bodies hidden by a stack of mats at the far end of the workout room.

Buffy moans into the kiss as Spike’s body settles onto hers. Spike’s hands move into her hair, gripping firmly as he pulls down to bring her mouth more fully into his. His tongue seems to reach the back of her throat as he opens her to him.

His mouth then travels down her throat to the mark there, and he presses his teeth into. He gets thrill when her body arches up into his. Bringing his mouth back up to hers, he draws her tongue into his mouth as much as he had invaded hers just seconds earlier.

Just seconds later, he breaks the kiss again and trails kisses down her neck to his mark once more. There, on his clam, he draws foreign marks with the tip of his tongue. The actions cause Buffy to inhale sharply as a lightning fast tingle angels down her body. She arches her neck more fully into his open mouth, willing him do anything to her.

However, he just keeps on with his tortures, and laves the area with his tongue. “Spike,” she gasps.

“Yes, love,” he breaks contact just long enough to answer her, and then his mouth is back on her.

“Please?” She whimpers.

“Please what?” He asks, his voice being muffled by her throat.

“Calm me,” she says.

Groaning, Spike lets his face shift, and gives her what she wants.

Trying to keep her verbal reactions at bay, she purses her lips together. Failing horrorably, a long moan comes from her throat.

As he draws on her throat, he unconsciously lets a purr rumble from his chest in agreement. As a smile spreads over her lips, a sigh comes from her mouth. She loves it when he purrs, especially when he calms her. She can feel the vibration all through her body, it’s just as if he were in her.

Her hips rise up in reaction to her thoughts and brush them over Spike’s. She does it again… then again, and then holds herself to him, pressing into his body. She knows he loves it when she does this. Even though…

Spike’s head comes up, his eyes closed, and his mouth open as he tries to regain control of breath he doesn’t need. His hips press down into her in reaction. As he concentrates, his face shifts back to its human plains.

After a few seconds, his blue glazed eyes open and he looks down at her. “Tease.”

“Oh yeah…” she says as she brings him back down to her. She fastens her mouth onto his and draws his lips, and tongue into battle.

As their tongues and mouths fight for the bottom lip, Buffy’s hand slides down Spike’s chest, and over his pectoral, loving the sensation of his rolling muscles under her hand.

Her hand continues its journey over his hard, flexing stomach that double times it as her hand passes over. Her hand moves to his ….

“I think she’s in the training room with Spike. They’re probably having sex because it’s been quiet in there for awhile.” Anya’s voice floats through their lust glazed minds, and brings Spike up onto his elbows as Buffy’s hand slides into his pants.

They smile at each other as her hand wraps around his hard length.

Spike reaches out and pulls Buffy to him as their arms tangle around each other. He bends his head, and brushes his mouth across hers. His tongue caresses her bottom lip….

“Anya, don’t say that. You give me nightmares every time you do,” Xander’s voice echoes from the front of the shop. “Hey Buff, you back here?”

Buffy’s mouth opens on a breath, and Spike’s tongue brushes over hers. He sighs into her mouth as her hand starts to move over him….

“You guys better be decent.” Xander says. He’s closer than before. His footsteps can be heard now as he moves into the very short hall.

Spike’s head lifts, and in a husky voice says, “Never.”

Spike moves in her hand as they chuckle together. He groans as she squeezes him, her hand then moves down and briefly cups him.

Buffy starts to pull her hand out of Spike’s pants just as Xander gets into the doorway. However, Spike has other plans, and stills her hand from moving. She gets the idea and moves her hand back to him.

Wrapping her arm around his neck, she brings his mouth back to her throat. Spike flattens his tongue against the slowly seeping bite mark, and slowly drags his tongue over it.

“Ah, man,” Xander says.

Buffy and Spike lift their heads to see Xander standing over them from the other side of the stack of mats.

“Hey Xander,” Buffy says in a cheery voice.

 “Whelp,” Spike says grinning from ear to ear; at same time, Buffy is laughing behind her hand.

“Blood breath,” Xander acknowledges Spike, “I may like you now, but that doesn’t mean I want to see that.”

“Then leave, we didn’t invite you.” Spike says as he turns his mouth back to Buffy’s neck.

Over Spike’s shoulder, Buffy sees Xander’s retreating form. “Bye, Xander.” Buffy says, trying to keep the moan from entering her voice.

However, she moans as Spike’s hand slides up under her shirt, and his cool palm cups her breast….

*       *       *

A Few Days Later…

“Hey Buffy, come here. You’ll want to see this.” Willow yells in the kitchen’s general direction.

 A few seconds later, Buffy comes into the living room looking a little flushed in the cheeks. Willow rolls her eyes as she shakes her head as just behind Buffy comes Spike. And he, of course, was looking for all the world, like the cat that ate the canary.

He gives Willow a rakish grin, and sits down next to Buffy. “What’s up Red?”

Willow points to the television.

On the screen, a newswoman is talking about a late breaking piece of news.

“We apologizes for interrupting your original programming but three young men were found today in the basement of what was thought to be an abandoned house.

“The three young men were just a couple years out of high school. Now, we take you over to Kevin who is at the site of these grizzle murders. Kevin?”

As the scene switches to Kevin, Dawn comes down the stairs, and joins them on the couch.

“Thanks Maria…” Kevin says.

“What’s going on?” Dawn asks.

“Shh!” is the only reply that she gets from the three adults. Raising her brows, she turns back to the TV.

Kevin is now saying, “I’m on the south end of Sunnydale, where earlier today an inspector found the three dead men. The inspector was doing a retinue check to see if the house was still livable.

“The inspector, I don’t have his name, said that when he entered the house, “a horrible stench itched the inside of his nose.” Now, those are his words.

“I haven’t been able to get into the house myself because when I arrived the police were already here and had the place sectioned off.

“I was however able to talk to one officer, and he stated on no certain terms that the house looks as if it had been breeched from the back. But not through the door. Something or someone had rammed a hole into the back of the house for entry.” Kevin says.

Tara comes into the living room and stands by the couch and watches the TV as Maria’s voice is heard. “Kevin?”

“Yes Maria?”

“Do they have any suspects?”

“As of this moment, they do not. Right now, it looks as if some creature has killed these young men.

“The police are suspicious however. When they searched the house, the head detective said that a lot of ‘unusual and highly specialized equipment’ was found.

“The only thing that the police can come up with right at this moment is that these three young men were involved in something, and they were taken out.

“That’s all I have from here. Kevin Fitsgivens, reporting live for SD6.”

“Thanks Kevin,” Maria says as the screen comes back to her. “I just got this.

“The three men have been dead for several days. The cause of death, as of yet is unknown. However, what we do know is that the three men’s names were Warren, Andrew, and Jonathan.

“Please, if you have any other information on these three, and the murder please call us at…

“We’ll bring you more as we get it. Thank you.”

The screen flashes to an image as a voice says, “And now back to your original programming.”

Everyone in the room is stunned…

Willow lifts her hand with the remote in it, and turns the TV off.