Both the Slayer and the Bleached Blonde Vampire face each other wearing blindfolds. Each are covered with a light layer of sweat and breathing heavy, she smiles as she listens to his labored breathing and not for the first time is in awe at his need to breath. As they circle each other listening to the others position she speaks, “You know your not really a true vampire any more, lover.”
He growls playfully at her as he spins without warning, going low, his right leg extended catching her behind her knees, she goes down and comes up in a forward roll. Her right hand open palmed strikes him square in the nose. “Damn it Slayer, must you always go for the nose.” His right hand comes up feeling it and comes away bloody. He licks at the blood and growls.
She follows up with a backhand to his head; he ducks and spins his left hand extended. She catches it, going low and throws him over her head. He lands in a heap against the wall and slides down it groaning, “That’s it Summers the kid gloves are coming off.”
He removes his blindfold as she does the same simultaneously. Both move without thought, she grabs him by his open black shirt, falls back with all her weight and he goes over her. She holds onto him and ends up on top. Faster then thought his right hand goes behind her head and he grips her hair tightly as he brings her face to his and kisses her for all he is worth. Wanting more contact she tightens her hold on him and whimpers deep in her throat at the want that crashes through her body.
A male voice from behind them makes an ahem sound, “As Dawn would say, get a room you two, you came her to spar not make out.”
His lips reluctantly pull away from hers, “Bugger off watcher! Didn’t your mother tell you it’s not polite to stare?”
The man removes his glasses and nervously starts to clean them with his handkerchief. Buffy slowly, reluctantly, gets off Spike and looks over at Giles. Then impishly she kisses Spike softly and pulls him up with her. He moves behind her, his arms going around her waist and her arms going around his.
“Yes, quite, so this is how you two practice is it?”
“Giles, have you found anything yet as to why Spike came through the trials kind a part human and part vamp?”
“No, not yet. There has never been anything quite like him with the exception of the DayWalker mentioned in the prophecy, I told you both about.”
“I told you before Watcher I am not going into the sun to test that theory of yours. Last time I touched sunlight I almost burned to death. It was not pleasant and I am not doing that as your little test.”
“Honey, I told you I saw the light hit you in the back that morning at the crypt.”
“And I told you, Slayer it was a trick of the light. I may have a bleedin’ soul but I am not human.”
“Then how come you reflect in the mirror?”
“He does what in a mirror?” Said a stunned Giles.
She grabbed his hand and led him over to the mirrored wall on the other side of the room. “See he is all reflectiony.” She said proudly as she smiled at her lover.
Giles walked over to join them his eyes never leaving the mirror. “This is remarkable.”
He stared at his reflection in the mirror, “Oh bugger this, my roots are showing.”
Buffy tried hard not to laugh and then lost it, Giles joined in and the souled vampire growled at both of them. “It’s not funny. I look all poofy.”
She tugged on his arm and he turned towards her. “I think you look sexy.”
“I think I am going to be sick,” said a disgusted Giles as he walked out of the training room.
“I want to go home pet.”
“Come on, fang face, let’s go home and make some cocoa. That will cheer you up.”
“Do I get the little marshmallows?”
“Yes, baby, you get the little marshmallows,” and so went the playful banter as they left the training room.
“Did you two remember to turn the lights off,” said an amused Giles as he watched them together, thinking only on the Hellmouth.
“Oh, bugger this, no I did not turn off the lights, bill me Watcher.”
“Spike I ask you to do one thing and you can’t even do that. Why?”
“I’ll tell you why, I’m evil.”
Buffy rolled her eyes at the two, it had been going on like this for weeks, since he finally excepted that Spike was souled and that they where not giving each other up. He had to admit his Slayer had never seemed happier and Spike; well he had changed in a way that was not suppose to happen to a vampire. He was able to feed again off humans and to Gile’s knowledge he had not done anything to harm a human since his return. Not counting the encounter with the biker, but then Gile’s had to admit that the biker had deserved getting his hand crushed. In fact since his return he had lost a lot of his cruel streak. Something the Watchers Council said was impossible for a vampire to do. Showing concern and genuine affection.
Now the reflection thing; he was not a normal vampire, not that he ever was. This bleached blond vampire was always capable of such love and devotion and now this compassionate vampire had gotten a soul. At first it had unnerved him and he refused to believe but as time went by he had proven he could be trusted.
“Your not evil Spike, just take her home and watch over her.”
He smiled a genuine smile not his customary smirk but a genuine heartfelt smile. “Always Watcher, with my life or unlife or whatever it is I now have.”
She watched the exchange with such love her heart it threatened to overflow. She for her part had never known a love like his nor had she ever allowed herself to love so freely in return. As she reflected on Angel and Riley she realized before Spike she never really understood love and devotion. He was her everything. He had rescued her from herself when she had come back to life. She smiled as she thought it was now her turn to rescue him from his tumulus emotions.
“Say good night Spike,” She said to him as she moved him towards the door.
“Good night Spike!” He said in response and she mouthed good night to Giles.
“Night you two.” He said as they walked through the door out into the dark of night. He had much to ponder this night. He shook his head as he went about and locked up the shop for the night. Remembering the light in the training room he walked to the back of the shop and turned it out saying to the dark room, “Your not evil anymore Spike. I always suspected that Buffy was your soul, but I never once thought you where hers.”
He smiled once more and walked to the front of the darkened shop it was time for him to leave as well.
She watched him sleeping from her place beside him on the bed. She was on her side propped up on her elbow. She caressed his face as he grimaced and broke out in a sweat. She whispered words of endearment to the tormented vampire beside her. He never heard her so locked in his dream of the past. He was witnessing himself impale someone with a railroad spike. He saw himself laughing. The part of him watching his dream felt like he was going to throw up.
He opened his eyes in terror and got out of bed running for the bathroom. Buffy got up to follow worriedly. As she followed him into the bathroom she heard him retch. This had been going on for 3 weeks now. He would sleep for an hour or two and then get up and race into the bathroom hugging the porcelain bowl for dear life as he threw up and then went into dry heaves.
She would kneel beside him and rub his back. Telling him it would be all right. “I love you, baby. We’ll get through this together. You’re not alone. I’m right here with you.”
Funny she thought to herself she use to be so afraid anyone she loved would leave her. Now she knew he was afraid she would leave him. Get tired of his trying to cope with what he had become.
One night as they lay in bed after making love he had broken down and cried confessing to her his fears of her leaving him or forcing him to leave her. He thought she would realize he was still the same as he always was and force him away. She told him she loved him and that would never happen. She told him he was her heart and her soul mate.
She held his shaking body to her own and told him he would never have to worry about her not wanting him again. Never. She would rather stop breathing the air she needed then leave him or force him from her. She told him over and over again he was her love and he fell asleep that night believing her and dreaming of a life with her for the first time secure in her being with him and not having any regrets.
That was almost three weeks ago and here they were together on the bathroom floor and she held him comforting him. His breathing finally slowed as he started to calm. “Come on baby, let’s go back to bed.”
He nodded as she helped him up and cleaned his face with a wet washcloth before she led him back to their bed. He was asleep almost as his head hit the pillow. She held him and kissed his face gently as she caressed his face with her hands. Shortly after she followed him into the sweet peace of sleep.
Chapter 2 - Sunnydale Memorial Cemetery, Two Days Later
“Tell me again why we’re doing this, pet?”
“Duh, Slayer girl here!”
He looked at her incredulously, “Not this, I bleed’n well know why we’re doing this. I mean why are we telling Xander about us: he’s going to want to stake me.”
She rolled her eyes at her lover. “Baby, we have been through this before. I love you; I‘m tired of hiding it. I mean the only people who know about us are Dawn and Giles. They accept you.”
“Slayer, they accept me because Giles is your watcher and he trusts you, not me, you. As for Dawn she already read me the riot act, if I hurt you again blah bloody blah. That and that fact that the Niblet loves me.” He smiled at the last as he looked at her. “Your little sis would love me souled or not souled.”
She cut him off, “You are souled.”
Before he could respond she said, “Duck!” Without question he obeyed as she did a flip over him stake in her right hand and plunged it into the newly risen vamp’s chest as he arose. Straightening up she continued as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. In retrospect, he being a vampire she being a slayer, one would have to admit it was an ordinary occurrence. “Spike he will just have to deal. I mean he was and still is in love with a vengeance demon who was human and now is a vengeance demon again. Not to mention the fact that he is also in love with Willow who killed a human. Even if he did deserve to die.”
“Buffy you know that is not going to mean anything to him with his holier then thou attitude.”
“Listen to me you vampire, you. I’m only going to say this once. I love you. I am not running from this like I did before. I am not hiding you from my friends. They are going to have to deal.”
He looked deep into her hazel eyes as he pulled her into his embraced and kissed her deeply, his tongue tracing her lips as she opened her mouth to admit his tongue. Her heart beat wildly in her chest, as he touched her face with both his hands, tasting her as if for the first time, in truth every time he touched her it was like the first time. His hands sliding down her body caressing every part he could touch as she moaned into his mouth sucking on his tongue.
Finally the need to breath proved too much for them and they broke from one another. Each holding on to the other for dear life, “Take me home Spike, I need you to make love to me.”
Before he could answer her, a voice rang out, “Slayer and the traitor. My, my, my, what a touching scene.”
Both turned to the sound of the voice only to find five vampires surrounding them. “Look mate, you might want to just call it a night and leave the same way you came or…” His voice trailed off as she took up where he left off.
“Or we can just dust you all and call it a night and then go home and,” she winked at her lover, “Shag our brains out!” She said in an awful British accent.
“Gor, pet, that was awful. You really need to work on that.” He said with amusement in his voice totally ignoring the fact that the vamps surrounded them.
“Excuse me,” The leader of the vamps said.
“What?” They both asked in unison before spinning from one another stake in hand and fighting there way through the vamps. She punched one in the face as he came at her, then spun to her left impaling one on the stake in her hand as it dusted she said in an irritated voice, “You don’t have to be rude you know.”
Spike for his part grabbed the nearest vamp and repeatedly struck him in the face, breaking his nose then his jaw as he beat him senseless. Releasing the vamp he fell to the ground unconscious. He felt a hand on his shoulder and whirled around grabbing the offending hand and twisting it till he heard the satisfying sound of bones breaking and a yell. He effortlessly eased the stake into the vamps chest and pulled it out as it dusted. “Hey watch the bleedn’ jacket git I just got it cleaned.”
As he turned around looking for another vamp to dust he saw the Slayer laying on the ground a vamp over him. He roared and moved to take him out as he heard her scream his name. “Buffy!” He yelled his heart almost stopped beating as he staked the vamp in the back and it dusted, he saw her lying in a pool of blood. Her head bleeding, he growled as he knelt down beside her, “Slayer, Buffy, love, wake up okay. Please wake up.” He pulled her into his lap as the last vamp moved towards him. “Your bitch is dead, traitor and your going to follow her.”
Before the vamp could follow through on his threat a stake rammed through his back piercing his heart and he dusted as his eyes opened wide in shock. Spike looked up to see Giles, Xander and Willow standing over the dust of the deceased vamp.
Xander tried to get to Spike not understanding what had happened. All he saw was his enemy with Buffy in his lap and all that blood. “What did you do Spike? Finally get that one good day you bastard.”
Giles and Willow stopped him from moving as he spoke, “She needs a hospital.” He looked up at them his eyes filled with tears. “We were attacked…she…she…” His breath was coming in ragged pants as he tried to speak all the while cradling the woman he loved more then his own life.
“Xander, whether you believe it or not he would never hurt her, he loves her and she loves him. Now help us with her. We need to get her to hospital.”
He looked at him, not believing his ears when Giles snapped out the word, “Now!”
Willow reacted for both of them calling an ambulance on her cell phone. Her voice sounded calm all through the conversation with 911. As she disconnected from the call she sank to her knees next to Buffy and Spike. Leaning into Buffy she stroked her hair, stiffening as her eyes started to turn black, Xander moved towards her as soon as he saw her body stiffen. “Will, no. No magic we agreed.”
“I can save her. You know I can save her, she has lost so much blood.”
“Willow, no,” said Giles as he sank on the ground next to them. “The ambulance will be here soon. Let them do their jobs. She will be fine.”
“Buffy, please baby wake up. You can’t leave me here. I can’t do this alone. I can’t…”
She gasped as her eyes opened and the first thing she was the sapphire blue eyes of her lover, she tried to raise her hand to his face and the effort proved too much as she began to cough. He pulled her even closer and stroked her face as the others looked from one to the other.
Xander holding Willow to him, protecting her against what she almost did. Giles holding Buffy’s left hand between his two. Telling both her and Spike everything would be okay. All the while Spike spoke to her of his love and how much he needed her. Touching her face to reassure him she would be all right. In the distance the sounds of sirens getting closer could be heard.
In the waiting room the sounds of angry voices could be heard.
“Tell me again Giles, why he can be in there with her and we can’t. How can you trust him, last time he was with her, he almost raped her. I say we stake him now and be done with it.”
“Xander, he won’t hurt her.”
“Giles, how can you be so blind. How do we know he didn’t hurt her in the first place?”
Dawn had been listening to this for what seemed like ages and she had had enough as she snapped out, “Xander what is your problem? He loves her and she loves him. Why can’t you accept it? I may only be a kid but even I can see how much they love each other. You didn’t see her after you stopped Willow from ending the world. I did. She was all moppy girl. Then he came back from Africa all souled. He was devastated over what he had almost done to her. You haven’t seen him after his nightly bout with the nightmares where he relieves his past every single night.”
“Dawn… he is still the same Spike.”
“No Xander, he isn’t. He has changed and she needs him as much as he needs her. You’re just too blind to see it and you know the sad thing about all this? You can forgive everyone else but you can’t just be happy for her. So I am wondering who the evil one is here.”
He looked around at the others after being told off by a fifteen year old. Then sank slowly into his chair, as Willow held his hand her tiny one. “I’m sorry Dawnie, maybe your right, maybe he has changed and I‘ve just been so caught up in my own life I’ve been unable to see it. Kind of like a knee jerk reaction. I’ve hated him so long it’s hard not to.”
He didn’t say anything more as he cast his eyes upon the hand he was holding lovingly in his own.
At that moment Spike came out of Buffy’s room and walked up to the Niblet, “She’s awake and she wants to see you.”
Dawn got up and hugged him then went straight into her sister’s room.
“Dawnie, you alright?” She said in a voice sounding weaker then she had ever heard come out of her sister’s mouth.
“Oh, Buffy, God are you alright? I was so worried about you.” As she spoke she went to the bed and hugged her sister tightly. “I love you, Buffy.”
“Honey, I’m fine the doctors said I just have a concussion, which explains the headache and I’m so tired. I just wanted you to know I was okay. I want you to do something for me though.”
“What Buffy? Anything!”
“I want you to take Spike home. He’s exhausted and he needs to sleep. K?”
As they spoke he slipped in and heard the last thing she said.
“No, love, it’s bloody not okay. I’m not leaving you here alone. The Doc says you need to stay awake for the next twenty-four hours. I aim to make sure you do just that,” he said softly as he moved to the other side of the bed. “I’m not leaving you, ever.” He looked from one to the other, his family.
“We are a family, pet, you, me and Dawn. I’m not leaving without my family. I want you well and I have to see that with my own eyes. Dawn and I are staying till you’re out of the woods so to speak.” With that said he leaned down and kissed her on the head just above the bandage. “Now you rest, love.”
Xander stood by the open door and listened then turned to Willow and Giles whispering, “I was wrong about him wasn’t I?”
They both nodded and he walked weakly back to them feeling as if the strength had gone out of him.
“People change Xander.”
“But how?”
“He has always loved her,” Giles said knowingly. “He just now has a soul instead of a chip to keep him on the straight and narrow.”
“Thinking back,” said Willow sadly, “I don’t think it was the chip that turned him, I think it was her. I just think none of us wanted to see it.