Taking The Hard Way Out
 Part 1-6


 Written by: JBF_Hair Round Robin ~ Pandora, Deli, Richess, Kira, Raven, Shelby, Barb, Diurnal, Julia, Paula, Valerie, Bree, Guinan, Stacey, Wajoma, Munchkin, Gabriella, Valerie, Vic & others along the way

Summary: Set mid-season 2, the Scoobies and the Scourge of Europe find themselves scrambling to find out the meaning of a mysterious prophecy before time runs out and disaster strikes. A S/B fic, with B/A, W/O, D/S, C/X and D/A undertones.
Distribution: Heat. Desire., Strictly Fic, MirrorofDarkness, and all other author's sites.
Disclaimer: The show Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all of it's characters belong to Joss, Mutant Enemy, & Fox Prod.
Feedback: I will forward all email to the group, onegoodlaysb@yahoo.com, or you can email each other directly.





PART: 1/?
AUTHOR: Pandora aka Golden Spike aka InFury8ed
FEEDBACK: Spike-is-Sexy@att.net
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"Just a moment. It is here somewhere!" Giles told them as he shuffled through the papers on the library table. He kept running his hand through his hair, as if he had found something extremely important. While he was doing this, the gang lounged about in different places, thinking about anything BUT what Giles was saying.

**I really need to do my nails tonight,** Cordy realized as she examined her hands.

**I wonder if Cordy is thinking about sex,** thought Xander as he watched his girlfriend look at her nails.

**Willow. Sex.** Oz mused as he looked at the pretty redhead seated next to him.

**We had sex. We had SEX! We HAD SEX! Oz and I HAD sex. I can't believe that Oz and I had sex! I have to talk to Buffy. I just have to!** Willow thought as she turned her head to look at her best friend.

**Hmmm.. I didn't know he was so James Spader-like. If he wasn't a vampire, he could be a movie star, I'm sure,** Buffy speculated as she sat on the stairs near Angel, who was standing there against the wall, looking broody as usual. She turned to look at him, then realized what she had just been thinking. She gasped and brought her hand up to her mouth. **OH MY GOD! I did NOT just think of Spike in that way. No way. I did not. God, I SO have to talk to Willow.**

Her gasp caused Angel to look at her. His mind had been blank, other than feeling guilty for wanting this innocent golden girl, and her gasp had interrupted this pleasant, not-there, sensation. Looking at her caused his mind to start up again, though. **I love this girl. I do. But I don't deserve her. I don't. I should leave her alone, but I can't stay away from her. I need to suffer. I CAN'T be happy...---** his brooding cogitations were suddenly broken off, interrupted by Giles who had yelled out to the assembled group in his excitement.

"Yes, I knew it was here!" He started waving his hands in the air, with a small piece of ragged parchment held up in his right hand. "This is most profound! Most. You will all be extremely surprised by this..." his voice trailed off as he brought his hand down to have another look at the paper and then seemed to be stopped in his tracks.

"Uh, Giles... could you.. maybe.. reveal the deal?" Buffy asked her watcher, and upon seeing his inability to translate her words, added, "You know, let us in on your little thrill? Y'know, the thingie you found." **And please hurry. I HAVE to talk to Willow right now.**

"Uh, yes, that is right." He fumbled around with his glasses and then began reading the words on the paper.

"There will come a day
When the Slayer of Gold
Meets the One of the Night
Who is not as he seems
And although they are lost
They shall be found
When they stand together
On holy ground."

"Uhm, that's nice," Buffy responded, "but what's it have to do with us?"

"Well, Buffy, you are the Slayer of Gold," Giles told her.

"Yeah, Buffy, your hair is sorta golden," Willow added her words in agreement with Giles.

The rest of the group sounded out with 'yeahs' to show they also agreed.

"Okay, fine. I'm the Golden Slayer. So, that must mean that Angel is the One of the Night, right?" Seeing Giles nod his head, she continued. "Well, even if this is all true, what is supposed to happen when we stand on this ground?"

Giles took off his glasses and rubbed them with his handerchief. "I don't know. Part of the page has been ripped off, and...unfortunately, this is all that I have right now. But based on our past experiences with prophecies, we DO need to find out what it means. After all, a dire situation will undoubtedly occur if we don't discover what needs to be done."

At his words, Buffy sighed. She had hoped for an early night, but it looked as if they would be stuck here. She was, therefore, quite surprised when she heard his next words.

"There is nothing more that you can do here tonight. I suggest you all go home and come back in the morning. I need to ring the Watcher's Council to get some more information. I'll see you all bright and early," Giles finished his statement and started gathering his papers together in order to head to his apartment. Soon the gathered group was walking out the door.

No one noticed a flickering gold light shoot across the top of the room...


***


When they reached Buffy's house, both girls said goodbye to Oz and headed up the stairs. Joyce was out of town on business, so the two had the house to themselves. They quickly changed into their PJ's and went to her room. As soon as the door was closed, Willow pounced on the bed.

"Oh my God, Buffy. You'll never guess what happened. What I did!" she babbled.

"Okay, calm down, Wil." Buffy laughed at her friend's antics. "What's the big secret, 'cause I've got one of my own," she told her with a sly grin on her face.

"What did you do, Buffy?" Wil questioned.

"No, you go first."

"No, you..."

"C'mon, Wil, I can tell it's something mega important. So...let drip," Buffy told her friend while waiting expectantly. She watched as Willow changed from white to red and back to white and was amused at her friend's obvious embarrassment. Finally, the redhead worked up the courage and opened her mouth to speak.

"Well, Oz and I..we.. well.." Buffy laughed out loud at her friend's discomfiture.

"You know, Wil, the coffee will never get made this way and it IS a slow drip," she teased.

"Ha ha. Hold your horses." Willow took in a breath, then started to tell Buffy her news, but before she could finish the second word, a flickering gold light shot through the room and both girls were swept up in it. All across Sunnydale, the same light appeared in select rooms at seven other residences and those who were in the rooms vanished...





PART: 2/?
AUTHOR: DivaDelilah
FEEDBACK: divadelilah@aol.com

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The occupants of the ornate lobby looked at each other in complete disbelief. Ignoring their innate reactions to panic, they all gazed about the room before them. It had high cathedral ceilings, and lush décor, including gilded paneling, and velvet curtains blocking any light from coming in. The front desk loomed before them, a huge monstrosity of polished cherry wood with a mirrored top. Everything gleamed like new, though it was obviously pre-Revolutionary in era.

Giles stared at the glimpse of history before him. **Was this some sort of spell? A minute ago I was in my flat, and now...I'm in an inn that could easily date back to Angel's pre-vampire days.** He looked at the group surrounding him, noting all of his young charges were there as well as Angel.... and Spike?!? **What in God's name is 'he' doing here?**

Buffy looked around her in complete confusion. A moment ago, she and Willow were drinking wine coolers and starting to dish about men. They hadn't gotten to either of their 'important secrets', but they were well on their way when that little firefly of light... **Oh, no! Pleeeeeease tell me I didn't start some silly spell by drinking. I'll never do it again, I promise, she thought glancing worriedly around the room.** Her Slayer sense pricked up and she located Angel, who gave her one of his gentle smiles. She smiled back weakly, her mind fleeting to her earlier daydream about Spike, and her cheeks flushing.

"Buffy, are you okay?" Willow asked, noting her friend's red face. At Buffy's nod, she cleared her throat. "Well, good, because if you hadn't noticed, Spike and Drusilla are hanging out over there in that corner."

"What?" Buffy asked loudly, her face going aflame again. She looked over where Willow had indicated and groaned. She got up and went to the desk, banging her head on its shiny surface in frustration. "Why me? Why me?" she muttered.

Spike relinquished his place holding up the wall, and walked over to Buffy. "Well, well. What has my least favorite Slayer done to muck up my life this time?" He looked down at her and when her eyes met his, he felt a jolt of electricity run through him. Her breath had sped up along with her heart rate, and his grin spread. In the barest of whispers, he said, "Something bothering you, Buffy?"

At the sound of him saying her real name, she gasped. Everyone turned to look at her, and she backhanded him to save face. "Spike, I don't know what the hell you and that looney tune are doing here, and for that matter, I don't even know why 'we' are here. So...Get. Out. Of. My. Face."

Giles looked at the two blondes warily, then interrupted. "If I may..." When the group turned to look at him, he continued. "I think this may have to do with the prophecy we read earlier. While this may be completely random and perpetrated by any number of Buffy's enemies, I think the timing is too coincidental."

"Great. So you bloody white hats go all Reading Rainbow, and me an Princess are stuck here...why?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Buffy's eyes skittered to the vampiress, who was still lurking in the corner clutching her doll. She seemed agitated, but since she wasn't doing anything... **Let looney dogs lie, I always say.** "Well what the hell is this place and what does it have to do with me and Angel?" she asked impatiently.

"Even better. Some lovey dovey Romeo and Juliet rot," Spike muttered.

A small man appeared behind the desk and cleared his throat. "Do you have reservations?"

Cordelia looked at him as if he had three heads. "Duh. Do we 'look' like we're here for the B&B?"

The man clucked his tongue and turned to a book that appeared out of nowhere. "There are several reservations made, and the hotel is booked completely. Unless you are some of the parties listed...you'll have to leave," he replied gravely.

"Good. It's settled then. We'll all go home, and Spike and the looney can stay here forever," Xander said, rubbing his hands together. "Now, my good man, if you'll just show me the door..."

"Wait! Did you say a Mr. Spike?"

Spike rolled his eyes. "There's no Mister about it, mate. I'm Spike; can I help you?" he said, vamping out.

The man tsked again. "No need to be rude. I have your room all ready. I'm sure the others are part of this weekend's party as well then. If you could just sign here for your room...I'll get your keys."

Spike stalked over to the desk and growled. "Let me guess. We're stuck here until the prophecy's fulfilled? I'm gonna puke if I have to watch Peaches and Slutty paw each other for a whole weekend." He leaned over the register to sign, ignoring Buffy and Angel's threats in the background. His eyes lit up when he read the room listings. **Now 'this' is interesting...** Pretending to be angry, he pounded his fist on the desk. "What in the bloody hell is wrong with this thing? The names for my room should be Spike and Drusilla. Not Spike and the Slayer! Are you out of your bleedin mind?"

"What? No way! He'll kill her. She won't be able to sleep!" Angel shouted.

Dru started rocking in the corner, moaning to herself. "Wrong... it's all wrong... my daddy...my Spike....wrong!" she screeched.

Spike looked at the man. "I have to take care of her. She's helpless, and I'm the only one who cares. Fix it, 'now'." For emphasis, he grabbed the man's lapels and pulled him face to face with his demon.

The man sighed, flicking a finger at the vampire, making him fly across the room and land on a chaise lounge. "The room arrangements are pre-made and absolutely unchangeable. You will have to deal with it. This house has enough magick in it to make sure the wishes of its owners are followed, and I suggest not tempting them to get angry. Getting angry with me is no help, either, because I am merely the desk clerk, nothing more, nothing less."

"And how the bloody hell are we supposed to eat? Not likely we can snack on the kiddies here without a heavy penalty I suppose." Spike growled from his landing spot.

"You will find that your needs will be met as the time comes. You will not even feel the need to hunt; therefore, everyone is safe in Huntington Manor. You have a big weekend ahead of you, so I suggest you make you way to your rooms and retire for the afternoon."

Angel stomped up to the desk, his demon sliding into place. "And whom, exactly, am I rooming with?" he demanded.

"I have you with a Miss Drusilla. Room 237. Here's your keys, and take the stairs to the landing...make a right...follow the numbers from there. Who's next?" he replied, moving on efficiently.

Angel growled in frustration, and Buffy put her arm on his comfortingly. "I'll be okay. I don't think even Spike is evil enough to kill me while I can't fight back. Right, bleach brain?" she asked, her voice daring him not to agree.

"Oh bloody hell. Right, Slayer. No killing at...moments where I have the unfair advantage. Scout's honor," he said smiling in a way that melted her bones.

Somehow, Buffy knew he wasn't just talking about when she was asleep. And for some reason, it excited her. A lot. Pushing those thoughts aside, she smiled up at her love. "So grab yourself a looney and I'll see you later. Okay?"

He nodded, and Drusilla clapped her hands excitedly, frolicking towards the staircase.

"I think someone must have been a good little girl for Daddy to come home!" she cried as she followed him.

Spike caught himself just in time to keep from laughing. **It's been so long since Peaches has had to deal with her. To be a fly on that wall...** Then his thoughts turned back to his own predicament. Buffy was giving him death stares from over by the desk. He sighed and grabbed the keys from the man, waiting for him to give them instructions.

"Room 230. Up the stairs, take a left, the suite all the way on the end. Next?"

"Suite?" Buffy exclaimed. "I'm am sooooooo hoping there's a big bathtub full of bubbles waiting for me."

She closed her eyes, and the expression on her face almost made Spike wish he'd been responsible for it. It was one of pure ecstasy. Shaking his head free of those disturbing thoughts, he followed the Slayer up the stairs to what surely would be the end of him.

Buffy whispered in a very low voice. "Try anything and you fit in an ashtray. Got it?"

"Right. Like I'd want to dirty one finger on your skinny little body," he muttered.

Buffy's surprised eyes flew up to his. "I meant... I didn't mean... No blood drinking. No 'grr'," she finished, trailing off.

Spike took a deep breath and cleared his throat. "S'what I meant, Bu-Slayer. No... what you said."

Buffy noticed her body flaring in reaction to the gravelly tone of his voice and swallowed hard. **What is with me lately? First I defile my favorite underwear while fighting him, then I daydream about it during research time, and now I'm just about ready to jump his sexy undead bones! Did I say sexy? Bad Buffy! Bad! Bad!** She reached out and opened the door to their room, her eyes flying open when she saw their surroundings. After her shock died down, she noted Xander and Cordy taking the next room over, Giles heading towards Angel's hallway, and Willow and Oz opening the door between the two. Thinking quickly, she poked Spike. "Spike?"

"Yeah, luv?" he asked distractedly. For some reason, he felt compelled to draw a bubble bath in the huge claw footed tub in the bathroom.

"Can you... go check on Drusilla? I need to talk to Willow for a little while. Please?"

She made a doe eyed face at him that resembled the pouty one Drusilla gave him when she wanted something. He rolled his eyes, and cursed his bloody poofiness. "Sure, Slayer. I'll just... be gone for awhile. You... do whatever." He stalked out of the room, fighting the urge to do something stupid, duster flapping behind him.

Buffy watched, trying to figure out what she was feeling, and moreover, why she was feeling it. Sighing at the complexity of her life, she walked over and knocked on Willow's door.





PART: 3/?
AUTHOR: Richess a.k.a. A.N.H. Richards
FEEDBACK: richess78@hotmail.com

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KNOCK! KNOCK!

Buffy waited a couple of seconds then impatiently knocked again adding, "Willow!" She had to talk to someone level-headed. **I need someone to tell me that lusting after Spike is completely insane.**

KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Just a second!" Willow called.

Buffy heard a brief scurrying around and some hushed whispers. Suddenly, the door flung open, and Willow emerged, smiling like a cat that had just swallowed a canary.

"Took you long enough to answer the door. What were you guys doing?"

"Um...we were uhm...uhmm looking around the room."

"Not much to tour, Wil. Four walls, a bed, a bathroom, and a balcony," Buffy replied, looking suspiciously over Willow's shoulder.

"Why don't we talk about this somewhere else?" Willow gulped nervously, straightening out her pajama top.

"Ok, Wils."

The two walked the short distance and entered Buffy's room.

"It's cold in here" Willow commented offhandedly, noting the air visibly leaving her lips.

"Yeah it wasn't a minute ago," Buffy replied, shivering. "I wish it would warm up in here." **Even better, I wish Spike would come and warm me up. Bad Buffy!**

Almost instantly the room temperature changed. The teens looked at each other warily then sat down on the plush bed.

"This place is creepy," Willow muttered, looking at the dark wallpaper.

"I know."

"But you and Spike in a room together that must be even scarier." Willow looked around the Victorian-styled layout thoughtfully. "One bed. That should be interesting. You know, you and Spike. I mean, he is sexy and hot and boy I would jump him in a heartbeat. I sure know that you want to."

"WHAT?!" Buffy shrieked, shaking her head, forcing her mind back to reality.

"What what?" Willow asked, standing in the doorway of her room. "I asked you to hold on a sec. Then you like stared at me and wouldn't talk. Are you okay, Buffy?"

Oz peered over the redhead's shoulder, examining the Slayer.

"Yeah, I think so," the Slayer answered, sounding unsure.

"I'll be back in a bit, Oz." Willow gave her beau a quick peck on the cheek, grabbed her best friend's hand, and lead Buffy back to the Slayer's hotel room.


***


"Okay, what was that about Buffy?"

"I dunno; it was weird. I don't want to talk about it. What I'd rather talk about is the discussion that was about to happen at my house before we were so rudely transported into the vacation from Hell."

"Ohh, that."

"Weren't you going to tell me something about you and Oz? Something very important, if I remember correctly," Buffy teased.

Willow blushed as red as her hair. "I can't believe that you're staying in a room with Spike." **How am I supposed to tell Buffy about me and Oz if I'm scared witless?**

"It's way wiggy, but I BELIEVE we were talking about you, Ms. Rosenberg," Buffy said sternly.

"Ooooooh you got a four poster bed. Wouldn't that be useful if you and Spike were being naughty.... Not that... you and Spike would ever... I mean..."

Buffy's eyes widened with shock, then she quickly regained her composure. "Avoiding subject much? Come on, Willow. Spill!" Buffy pursed her lips, and Willow knew that she meant business.

"Well, you see, me and Oz. I mean, Oz and I.... Well, we.... Kind of ... sort of...."

Buffy leaned in toward her friend, eagerly awaiting what had to be a juicy confession.

"OzandIkindofhadsex," Willow said, jumbling her words so much it was almost unintelligible.

"No way! Really?"

At Willow's small nod, Buffy grinned, intrigued.

"So how was it? Did it hurt? Was it fun? Was it anything like the book with the vampires we found in Giles' locked cabinet? I mean, without the biting and the blood and stuff," she amended quickly.

"It was good. Well, I mean the first time, it kinda hurt, you know. The next few times, it's like 'whoa', and it gets so much better. Especially if the guy knows what he's doing, like Oz does," Willow said, her face aflame.

"TIMES?! Willow, you slut!" Buffy said, giggling as she teased her friend. **It's so unfair! I wanted to be the first of us to 'do it' and now Willow and Xander both beat me. You'd think with all his experience, Angel would be more eager to...experiment, but he treats me like a little girl. I bet Spike would teach me and how! Mmmmm... ** Her eyes flew open and she almost gasped at her train of thoughts. "So I mean... wow I can't even think. I mean. Wow. Now tell me everything, knowledge girl. And I mean everything -- the where, the when, the how, the size; I mean it all."

"Buffy!" Willow laughed.


***


Spike looked at the door briefly; he lifted his hand to knock but didn't bother.

"Peaches!" The Blonde vampire exclaimed as he entered the room. "So what have you and my Dru...."

Spike stopped mid-sentence and mid-stride as he saw Angel sitting Indian style brushing Miss Edith's hair. He couldn't help but laugh when saw Dru dancing around the room with an imaginary partner.

"Now that's what I always envisioned you as Angelus, a hairdresser," Spike scoffed.

"Oh shut up, Spike." Angel growled, as he got up and handed Miss Edith back to Drusilla who just continued to dance.

"Who are you dancing with, Pet?" Spike asked, turning his attention to the vampiress.

"A ghost." She replied simply. "The spirit tells naughty lies. Naughty. Naughty lies." Then she began to hum a vaguely familiar tune that Spike couldn't quite put a fix on. "Daddy doesn't believe in the ghosts. Daddy is evil with his dirty little soul; he killed mummy, and now mummy is away in that little box. Heart going thump, thump. Thump, thump."

Angel sighed heavily. "I'm going to go check on Buffy."

"Can't, mate, she's in with Red."

"Her name is Willow."

"I don't bloody care what her..."

Drusilla stopped dancing and began to moan wildly before dropping to the floor. Both Spike and Angel reached her side at the same time.

"What is it, Pet, what do you see?" Spike asked softly.

"The naughty spirits want to play. They want to play with fire and light." Dru snuggled closer to Angel, making Spike cringe. **Typical. I stay with this bloody loon for more then a century, and she turns to him still. The story of my life.** "They are everywhere; even light can't fight them." Her insane laugh made Angel pull away from her. "The light is dimming. The fire will be the first to be lost. I like the spirits. They are very, very bad. " She gnashed her teeth toward Angel who leapt back.

A scream pierced the air. Angel was the first out of the door as all of the other hotel room doors opened except one.

"What's going on?" Xander stepped out holding Cordelia's hand.

"Where's Buffy? What room, Spike?" Angel turned toward the younger vampire.

"I told you, she's with... Fire... And Light," Spike whispered.

Dru clapped wildly behind him, at which both vampires turned around. "That's my Spike. Always the smart one."

"Buffy and Willow." Angel ran down the hallway and burst through the door, only to be thrown back into the opposite wall by the invisible barrier and knocked out cold.

"My Angel!" Dru screeched, while running toward her sire.

"Stay inside everyone," Giles commanded as a huge gust of wind blew through the hallway.

"Willow's in there." Oz reached the doorway only to be toppled by Willow who had been brought to the door by an unseen hand.

Spike stepped over the couple to see Buffy being thrown onto the open balcony. Buffy's arms flailed as she tried to regain her balance. Spike watched in horror as Buffy began to go over the side of the balcony. He used his vampiric speed to reach her, but it wasn't in time as she went over the balcony. He barely caught her arm. Her hazel eyes looked up wildly at him. Nothing was said between the vampire and the Slayer. He gripped her tiny hand tightly before lifting her up over the balcony edge.

He instinctively wrapped his arms around her; the Slayer hissed in pain at the contact. **Bloody Hell, Mate! This IS your mortal enemy!**

"What's wrong, Pe...Slayer?" Spike let go of her and looked at her as if she had grown a second head.

"My shoulder," Buffy gritted between her teeth. **God, I thought that maybe for a second. He might have...nah never mind, Buffy. Never gonna happen. It felt so good being in his arms. Really...** "Ouch. That hurts."

"Your shoulder is cut. Take off your top."

Buffy was flabbergasted. "What? No!"

Their room door suddenly slammed, the lights dimmed and flickered before returning to normal. They both looked at each other.

"I think that means it's bedtime, love. Hopefully, no more big bads will come out tonight."

"But Willow..."

"She's with her rock star, and the others will be fine. So let me have a look at it. And hopefully there will be some first-aid equipment around here."

"Thanks for the help out there, Spike. But I thought I made myself clear. No." She kept her back toward him.

"Fine, suit yourself. Bleed to death; see if I care." He walked toward an armoire to see it lined with black jeans, black cotton T-shirt's and red-silk shirts. "Figures."

Buffy watched as he angrily snatched a pair of jeans and headed toward the bathroom. She sighed as she heard the pipes groan at the pressure from the shower. She carefully laid back on the bed and suddenly felt the events of the last few minutes. But the thought of Spike naked in a shower quickly took that tiredness out of her. **God, Buffy can you be anymore of a horn dog? The guy that you have been lusting after since well...forever. Ok, ok not forever but since that night in the alley. Now he's a behind a door naked and wet. Where is rational Buffy when she's needed? I mean some invisible thing nearly killed me, maybe it's like Marcy. An invisible person. That would explain everything. Oh, get a grip, Summers. What if it's ghosts? Not like I haven't experienced that before or it could be a ... Oh my god.**

Spike walked out of the bathroom glistening in water droplets, a towel wrapped snugly around his waist. His muscular chest unmoving and splayed with perfectly precisioned muscles. The Slayer quickly averted her eyes.

"Here!" He handed her the first-aid kit before quickly walking back into the bathroom, leaving her to take care of the injury herself, just as she wished.





PART: 4/?
AUTHOR: kira-nerys
FEEDBACK: kardasi@kardasi.com
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Buffy took the kit with the wrong hand and as she grasped the edges, a searing pain tore through her arm and she dropped it. Of course, it fell to the floor.

"Stupid vampire!"

She glared irritably at Spike's retreating form. Even in the darkness of their room he looked gorgeous. He didn't turn around, so she sat there, seething, while she waited for him to come back.

Thankfully, he wasn't gone for long. When he returned, he had gotten rid of the towel and was wearing a pair of black, very tight-fitting jeans and nothing else. Barefoot even. Buffy swallowed, her anger dissipating very quickly, and she looked away. She had to dress her wound. .

**Concentrate, Buffy!** she told herself. **Ignore sexy vampire. Think of pain, pain. Pain good. Spike bad.** Buffy frowned at that thought, but decided not to examine it too closely.

She winced as she moved to retrieve the bandages from the floor.

"Can you hand me the first-aid kit?" she snarled after valiantly trying to pick it up for several minutes, while Spike just stood watching, arms crossed and an annoying grin on his face.

"I just gave it to you," he said conversationally.

"Yeah, well I dropped it," Buffy sneered.

"Obviously."

She just glared at him.

"Say 'pretty please'," he grinned.

Buffy tried to reach the first-aid kit again, not succeeding. She shot him a venomous look. Unfortunately, she was in no shape to move around. Dark spots danced before her eyes and the wound in her arm was throbbing painfully. It wasn't like any wound she'd ever felt before.

"Pretty please," she muttered, and fell back on the bed, defeated.

**There has to be something wrong with me. I don't give up that easily,** she thought.

Spike bent down, picked up the kit and threw it at her. "There you go."

"Ouch," Buffy cried as it landed on the bed, bouncing against her injured arm. "Watch where you throw that thing!"

"Sorry, luv," Spike said tonelessly.

"But I thought you said that you could take care of that yourself."

**Well, I have to, don't I?** Buffy thought. This was all his fault!

If Spike laid his hands on her she'd be fighting a losing battle, trying to keep her hands to herself. If he didn't help her, god only knew when she'd get her wound bandaged properly. For a minute, she contemplated getting out of bed, to ask Willow or Giles to help out, but she decided against it. It was dark, and this house was about as safe and trustworthy as ... Spike!

"Just get dressed," she snarled and turned her gaze toward the first-aid kit.

Still she couldn't help watching him from the corner of her eye. His skin was so pale and so flawless, even more so than Angel's.

"What? You don't like what you see?" Spike said and made a little pirouette at the foot of the bed. It should have looked ridiculous. Only, it didn't. His muscles flexed beneath that perfect skin and Buffy quickly started rummaging around in the first-aid kit with her uninjured hand.

"I ain't getting dressed for bed, luv," he said when she refused to look at him. "But if you can't keep your lovely little hands to yourself...."

"You wish!" Buffy hissed.

If he only knew ...

Pain throbbed through her shoulder, all the way down her arm. Typical. Where were the Slayer's healing powers when she really needed them? She fumbled and dropped the first aid kit on the floor for the second time. She sighed deeply.

"Oh, for crying out loud," Spike snarled and picked it up from the floor and gave it to her again. "Can you hold onto it now?"

Then he crawled up the bed to sit beside her. He looked like a predator closing up on its prey, the muscles of his arms rippling enticingly as he came closer. For some strange reason he didn't seem to realize what he looked like or how much she enjoyed what she saw.

**You should be grateful for that, Buffy,** she told herself.

"What happened anyway? Your top is soaked with blood," Spike said, looking at her arm closely as thought noticing it for the first time, but that was impossible. Spike must have smelled her blood a long time ago.

"It looks like claw marks," he said calmly.

"Well, something scratched me." Buffy admitted glumly. "I didn't get a good look at what did it."

"Hm," Spike didn't seem too impressed with that and anger flared inside Buffy.

"The lights blinked and it went dark. I only felt something very cold brush past my face and then claws digging into my shoulder. Deeply."

"How deep?" Spike asked, and sniffed the air.

"Deep enough," Buffy muttered and drew away from him. He looked like he wanted a taste of her blood.

"Funny," Spike said and tilted his head to the side, watching her closely. That gaze was like an almost-touch. Buffy shivered and couldn't even look away. "I should be affected by that scent." He sniffed again.

"And you're not?" She narrowed her eyes, looking at him, but there was no bloodlust in his blue eyes. Not even a flicker of gold. How odd...

"Nope," Spike insisted, and leaned forward, sniffing her like a damn dog. It excited her, and all she really wanted to do was lean forward and let him smell her, lick her, taste her...

He smelled nice. Very nice, in fact. Soap, and after shave and ... Buffy shook her head.

"Get away from me! I don't believe you!"

"'Course you wouldn't!" Spike snarled, as though hurt by her suspiciousness. "I never lied to you."

"I don't care. Get away from me." Buffy insisted and tried to sit up straighter.

He was sort of looming over her now, and it made her uncomfortable, and made her want to give into that ... lust inside her. But the pain in her arm prevented her from moving. A lazy smile crossed Spike's features as though he finally noticed what kind of an effect he was having on her.

She wanted to hit him!

"You're helpless as a kitten, pet," Spike said with false compassion, and took the first-aid kit out of her hand.

"You can't even open that thing."

In a few seconds, Spike had gotten the bandages out, moving toward her to take care of her arm. She tensed and stared angrily at him, and he looked at her impatiently.

"Let me help," he said.

Buffy just kept staring at him, flabbergasted.

"Help?" she repeated dumbly. "You? Help? Me?"

"Yeah."

"Spike. You - vampire. Me - Slayer," she reminded him.

"Well, we're in this together, aren't we? I figure the chances of getting out of here are bigger if you aren't dead," he said coldly.

"A dislocated shoulder, and a few scratches aren't going to kill me," Buffy scoffed.

"Maybe not, but this house seems to have a mind of its own, and from now on, you and I work together."

"Says who?"

"Says I," Spike said and ripped her top.

"Hey!"

"Well you won't bloody well take it off, so I've no choice." Spike didn't seem to care either way, but brought out the iodine and some cotton.

"I've no idea what kind of nasty buggers might be in that wound. There are a hell of a lot of strange creatures around in here. I can sense them. Dru sensed them. Ghosts, she said."

"Ghosts?" Buffy's skin went cold. "You've got to be kidding."

"No kidding," Spike said seriously. "And there are many breeds of ghosts, some you shouldn't ever touch. Let's get this wound clean."

"Yeah," Buffy agreed finally. She didn't want to end up with some gross, ghostly disease!

Spike took care of the scratches efficiently, and Buffy was amazed at how careful he was. He didn't hurt her more than absolutely necessary.

"Okay, all done," he said after a while and Buffy looked at the clean bandages. They were tight enough, but not too tight. It felt much better, cleaner, as though the iodine had gotten rid of something nasty.

Buffy sat quiet for a while and then met his blue eyes.

"Thanks," she whispered. "Now we just have to fix my dislocated shoulder."

"I can help you with that, too," he said. "But it'll hurt like a bitch."

"I know. Just do it."

Buffy straightened in the bed, and Spike came closer, his arms winding around her to get a good grip on her arm and her shoulder.

"Brace yourself," he said, but yanked her arm before she even had time to realize that he was ready to do it.

"Oh, fuck," she groaned.

"I'd love to, pet," he said and leaned over, placing a quick kiss on her mouth.

Buffy was too shocked to react at first. Then the tingling spread through her body and she shivered when their gazes met once again.

**Damn,** she thought, knowing that her desire shone through her eyes and that he could see it, plain as day. **He knows.**





PART: 5/?
AUTHOR: Raven
FEEDBACK: Kettlynx@aol.com

______________________________________________________________________________


Buffy swallowed nervously as Spike shifted closer to her. A predatory smile flashed on his face as he watched the blatant desire in the Slayer's eyes grow the closer he got to her. Spike slipped his arm around Buffy's waist, pulling her close as he slid his hand around to the front.

"Let's get you cleaned up," Spike said as he stood them up and moved them to the bathroom. He smirked to himself when he saw the disappointment on Buffy's face.

**Dammit, Buffy. Control yourself. You're the Slayer. He's a vampire. An evil soulless vampire. An evil sexy soulless vampire. Wait! Sexy? He's not that sexy. His sparkling blue eyes DO NOT make my knees go weak. Plus, I DO NOT wanna run my hands over his rock hard abs.** Buffy continued to mentally berate her body's responses to Spike's nearness as Spike led her into the bathroom.

Spike gently seated her on the lid of the toilet.

Meanwhile, Buffy had become distracted by Spike's lush lips and all she could manage was a slight smile in response. **Ah what the hell, you only live once..erm..twice,** she thought moments before her lips descended on his, her fingers gliding over his rippling stomach muscles. Buffy moaned as Spike responded by gently cupping and caressing her breasts. She felt herself melt into him, something that had never happened when she kissed Angel. Surprisingly enough, it was Spike who pulled back.

"We should stop now. You're hurt," Spike said with a sexy smile as he got up and got a damp cloth. Buffy kept smiling and shooting glances at him as he cleaned the dried blood off her arm.

"I'll go get you something else to wear. " Spike planted a kiss on her forehead before he walked back into the room. He opened the other armoire to find it full of Buffy-sized clothing. Nothing seemed appropriate for a dislocated shoulder, though, so he grabbed a button-up shirt and a black t-shirt from his armoire. As he walked back into the bathroom, he smirked when he saw a smug, partially dressed Slayer with kiss-swollen lips waiting for him. **Never thought I'd be the one to cause the Slayer to look like that.**

"Well, it looks like your shirt's history," Spike said with a smile as he moved a stray curl behind Buffy's ear, before ripping the rest of the shirt apart.

Spike couldn't help but stare at the sight before him. "You're beautiful."

Buffy blushed at his words, pulling her ripped shirt slightly in front of her. Spike watched, fascinated, as her blush moved up her body to her face. He pulled her bloody shirt away as he held up his shirt. "I thought this might be easier to put on with your shoulder."

As she hissed in pain, Spike placed a kiss on her forehead and whispered, "It's ok."

Dark spots flickered in Buffy's eyes as Spike gently helped her hurt arm into the shirt. He ripped his black t-shirt into strips, which he used to immobilize her arm against her body. Then he carefully gathered her in his arms and laid her in the bed. He placed a kiss on her neck before curling up next to her, with his hand tracing patterns on her stomach.

Buffy felt very safe and content next to Spike as she drifted off to sleep.

"Sweet dreams, luv. I'll keep you safe," Spike whispered, nuzzling her neck.

Spike growled and tightened his arm around Buffy in his sleep as an unseen hand touched Buffy's dislocated shoulder, taking away the pain. The unseen hand then moved to Spike as it tried to convey its benevolent feelings towards the couple.

Spike woke with a start. He sat up and looked around. **Something's not right.**





PART: 6/?
AUTHOR: Shelby
FEEDBACK: tonka_toy7@hotmail.com

______________________________________________________________________________


Angel snarled at the door as it shut in front of him. The broody vampire grabbed for the doorknob so hastily, he didn't notice its glowing red color. Angel recoiled in pain as his right hand came in contact with the burning metal. His demon visage surfaced briefly while his left hand held his injured hand.

"Naughty, naughty house. Mustn't hurt daddy." Scowling and pointing her finger, Dru stared up at the ceiling, obviously talking to someone no one else could see. Not that anyone seemed to care. They were focused on Angel's hand and the door that was impenetrable.

"We can't get to Buffy this way." Angel approached the door again, this time touching the heavy oak surface. Swirls of color surrounded his hand; Angel pressed his hand deeper into the tiny vortex. A brief image of Buffy sleeping appeared, and the vortex disappeared, before a violent wind swept him off his feet and onto his rear.

Xander laughed and snorted. "You fell on your butt!"

Dru clutched her prized doll close to her chest, a panicked, daydreamy look in her eyes. "This is not the picnic I was planning for."

Giles rubbed his creased brow in aggravation. "I suggest we all try to get some sleep. Nothing we do tonight is going to help. This house apparently has a mind of its own."

Willow held tight to Oz's hand. "Buffy's going to be fine in there, isn't she? With Spike... and well, Spike." There was an uneasy tone to her voice. Oz wrapped a reassuring arm around her shoulders.

Xander huffed. "It's just a trick, right? That's not really what's going on in there. I'm sure Spike is on the floor and Buffy is awake on the bed. There is no way she'd sleep with Spike in the same room as her." His eyes darted to the door, where he'd seen a brief image of Buffy, with Spike curled around her, sleeping peacefully. He had almost gasped, then shook his head. It couldn't be true. He'd tell Cordy about it in the room and see what she thought.

Angel glared heavily at Xander as he brushed past him on the way to his room. Drusilla followed Angel closely in a swaying motion. "Night, night, sleep tight; be careful dancing with the ghosts tonight." Drusilla's words hung in a taunting melody as they drifted back to the Scoobies, who were now dissipating to their rooms.

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "That woman has serious issues. Have you seen her dress? It's so out of date."

"Right. And her style of dress is the worst we have to deal with, right, Cordy?" Xander ushered his girlfriend inside their room, waving quickly to Willow and Oz. Giles watched as each of the doors shut before going to his own room.


***


Buffy murmured a protest in her sleep when Spike moved. "No, don't move. I'm warm," she muttered, before drifting back to a comfortable slumber.

Spike tried as best as he could to accommodate her request. However, whether he moved or not, Buffy was in for a lesson on the difference between men and women. He settled for a closer nuzzle against her small body, praying she was too asleep to notice.

"Who's there?" he demanded suddenly, the hackles on his neck rising. No response. Just a thick silence lingering in the air. Spike's eyes darted around relentlessly for something, anything that would indicate who or what was in the room. He found himself frustrated because he couldn't see anything. **Stupid vampiric senses are off too, aren't they?**

He was ready to give up and pass it off as his imagination, until he felt the wispy touch of air brushing over his bare chest. Moments later, the image of a woman in white, billowy lace appeared at the foot of the large bed. A hazy cloud of violet surrounded her, while her white, brilliant hair fluttered around her waist in a delicate wind that seemed to only affect her. The lace of her dress flowed out from under her legs, making it apparent she was suspended above the hardwood floors.

"What the bloody hell?" Spike asked in a whisper.

The ghost brought a finger to her mouth as if to silence him. "Protect her."

"Not bloody likely. It's not my job to protect her; it's the Poof's. I kill her kind," Spike answered with a cocky grin. All for show, and he knew it. **Can't let them know I actually fancy the bint.**

The woman shook her head side to side. "Protect her, Spike. For the sake of all you hold dear." She vanished, leaving nothing in her wake but a very confused vampire.

Buffy raised her head. She looked up at Spike with sleep-filled eyes and asked, "Who was that?"

Spike wrapped his arms around her a little tighter, placed a light kiss on the top of her head, and whispered in her ear, "No one, pet. Sleep now."
 



Continued...



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