Castaway

By Ripe Wicked Plum

Buffy Summers smiled brightly as she looked at the tickets in her hand, shifting her bag on her shoulders. It was heaven, pure and simple.

For her graduation present, her father had sent her a ticket for a cruise to the Hawaiian Islands, just for the two of them. It wasn't often that she got to see her father, and this was big-big...three weeks, just them and the sun. She didn't even need to beg Giles for the time off, since summer Slaying was so slow anyway, and Faith was there to pick up the slack.

She glanced around the crowded port, her bags already having been picked up by the porters, waiting for her father to show. Finally, she caught a glimpse of him, and beamed brightly, standing on her tiptoes, waving to get his attention.

Her face suddenly fell when she saw a flash of black hair, and then his secretary, Tina was coming towards her, waving and smiling brightly, her own bag on her back. The young woman smiled as she went up to Buffy, "Oh, your father told me sooo much about you, Buffy! I'm sure we're going to have fun-fun-fun!"

"What?" Buffy glanced towards her father, who was coming up behind Tina, panting underneath the weight of all the bags, "Daddy, I thought it was supposed to be just us!"

"I know, honey, but Tina hasn't been to Hawaii before, and besides, it's about time you two got to know each other," Hank Summers said, setting down his bags to run a hand through his thinning, brown hair, then he embraced Buffy warmly as Tina headed up the gangplank to give them some time alone. "Missed you, pumpkin."

"Missed you too, dad," Buffy said dejectedly as she grabbed a few bags from him, "Missed you too..."

Spike stared up at the lid of his coffin, irritated beyond hell. A week on a cruise ship...and he was sitting in a coffin...granted, it was nicer then the other, wooden ones he and Dru were used too, at least these ones had nice, satin lining...but still...it was pathetic. Who traveled like this anymore?

Apparently him and Drusilla.

Spike sighed, wincing when someone dropped his coffin onto the floor without a care, shifting uncomfortably, feeling cramped. No one had respect for the dead anymore.

They would have been on a plane, but the last time he had tried that, Drusilla had tried to punch out a window to catch a cloud. He was a vampire and immortal, but he was pretty sure a plane crash would pretty much liquidify him.

He heard the sound of something being dropped next to him, and knew it was Drusilla, hoping she'd remember to keep quiet, so as to not alert anyone to their presence on the ship...yet.

He shook his head slightly, closing his eyes and trying to keep some sleep, then frowned, shifting to get comfortable again. Damn this!

He pushed open his coffin, glancing around, glad to see the hold was empty, and removed a pack of cigarrettes out of his duster pocket as Drusilla opened hers too, peeking out, "Is the naughty Slayer gone?"

Spike frowned slightly in confusion, nodding for simplicity, "Um...yeah, Dru...the Slayer's gone...go to sleep, alright? We can go to our cabin tonight.."

Drusilla pouted, but obeyed, laying back down and closing the lid. Spike took a deep drag of his cigarrette, relunctant to get back into his coffin. He really hated boats.

Buffy slammed her bag onto her bed in her private cabin, glaring at the door that led to her father's. "I just wanted you to get to know her, honey," She mocked his voice, starting to unpack, slamming her clothes into her drawers, "More like I just wanted to fuck around some more and not spend time with your daughter!"

She growled angrily as the ship pulled out of dock, flopping down face-first on her bed. "This cannot get any worse."

Spike finally allowed Drusilla to get out of the coffin as soon as the sun set, and they moved up to the upper decks, heading to a cabin he had purchased before. He really hated that the ships always set sail in the afternoon. It was a pain in the arse.

He opened it up, glad to see at least their bags had made it on safely before flopping out across the bed, stretching his sore, cramped body as Drusilla eyed him hungrily. He glanced at her, grinning wickedly, and she went towards him, stretching her body out over his as she kissed him.

She bit into his lower lip, drawing blood, and he growled as she sucked on it, wrapping his arms around her small body. "I'm hungry, Spike," She complained, pulling away from him, and Spike dropped his head in disappointment, gesturing at one of the bags, "There's blood in there, luv...you know we can't just go feeding on everyone."

Drusilla pouted as she climbed out of the bed and opened the bag up, lifting out a cooler and taking out a blood bag that Spike had liberated from a local bloodbank just before they left and sank her teeth into it. "It's cold...and there's no fear in it..."

"It's a bag, Dru...it doesn't have much to fear," Spike reminded her wearily, closing his eyes, "I'm going to get a quick nap before we hit the deck, pet. I friggin' hate those coffins."

"I liked mine," Drusilla said, touching her finger to her blood smeared lips, "Like a mouse...be quiet...pretend to be a corpse...all dead and still..."

"Uh-uh..." Spike muttered absently, tuning out her chatter as he had long learned to do. It seemed to be coming more of a habit since the incident in Brazil when he had caught her making out on a bench with a demon. Sometimes, he found himself getting tired of her and it scared and puzzled him at the same time. She was the only constant in his life, and she wasn't too constant anymore...especially in her affections. It was a frightening thing to contemplate, so he just locked it away, pretending not to notice.

It was easier that way.

He opened his eyes as she stopped talking, watching as she wavered a bit before collapsing. He stood, picking her up gently and setting her on the bed, brushing her hair away from her eyes. He hated to have to drug her, but he couldn't have her prancing off all about the ship. He wasn't able to keep her killing in check anymore, and he couldn't risk her killing a bunch of people before they reached port.

He sighed, stretching out beside her and drifting off to sleep.

Buffy was seething...she had gone to all the trouble of dressing up nicely for dinner, putting on make-up and doing up her hair...and her father was no where to be found. She had looked for him all over, finally finding him and Tina by the pool, sharing a jacuzzi, and he had told her to go ahead and eat without them, and that'll he'd meet up with her later.

This vacation was already starting to suck.

She sat her table alone, picking at her food boredly, looking up every once in a while for her father, but he never showed up. She shook her head, adjusting the skirt of her short, black cocktail dress, leaning back in her seat. She sipped at her coke, watching the couples on the dance floor with a sigh.

She tensed suddenly as cool hands clapped on her shoulders, and a silky smooth voice whispered in her ear, "All alone, pet?"

Buffy yelped, whirling in her seat to stare...at nothing...she heard a scrape behind her and turned back towards the table to see a smirking blond pulling in a chair, straddling the back as he rested his head on his hand in a thoughtful pose.

"Spike...you son of a bitch..." Buffy reached for her purse, which was lying on the table, but Spike's hand shot out, grabbing it before she could and he dropped it on his lap.

"Now, now, luv...how are you gonna explain to the other passengers the dust on the floor?"

Buffy glared at him, settling back in her seat, "What's wrong, Spike? Dru dump you again and so you decide to follow me?"

"Actually, no...Dru's here with me...and you're just an extra bonus. Didn't know you'd be on the ship..."

"What?!" Buffy shot to her feet, looking around as the other diners looked towards her, slightly irritated looks on their faces, "Drusilla's here?!"

"Relax, Slayer...didn't want her snacking on someone while we're traveling, so I drugged her," Spike said casually, lighting up a cigarrette. Buffy glared at him, waving a hand in front of her face to clear the smoke as she sat down again, "You're so staked."

"Come on, luv...I call a truce. I'm not killing while on the ship, so I'm not doing any harm..."

"Yeah, but once you get off..."

"Didn't bother you before when you let me leave the country...twice, I might add. What? Don't you like South Americans?"

"You have a point...not about the South Americans..." Buffy hastily added on, then sighed, "Keep her out of the way and no snacking and we got a deal."

"Great...so...to answer my question...you here alone?"

Buffy didn't have a chance to answer him as Hank came up, his arm around Tina's waist, who was dressed in a slinky dress, and she scowled as Spike eyed Tina appreciatevely, "Hey, pumpkin...nice to see you're making friends already," He said as he kissed Buffy's cheek, and Spike glanced at her, raising an eyebrow.

"Pumpkin?"

Buffy rolled her eyes as Hank and Tina sat down, and the older man offered his hand to Spike, "I'm Hank Summers, Buffy's father, and this is Tina..."

"Nice to meet you," Spike smiled charmingly at Hank and Tina as he took each of their hands in turn, "I'm Sp--William."

"Nice to meet you, Will." Spike scowled at the shortening of his name as Hank turned his attention back to Buffy and her half-full plate, "What's wrong, honey? Not hungry?"

"I'm a little...sick," Buffy said, throwing a look at Tina who had started whispering in Spike's ear, and the vampire laughed as she rested her hand on his forearm. Hank didn't seem to notice her shameless flirting as he picked up a menu.

"Well, I'm so hungry, I almost resorted to chowing down on humans."

"Me too," Spike said with a smirk in Buffy's direction, making no move to leave even though she was sending him deadly glares that she hid when Tina or Hank looked towards her. This was too much fun.

"So, Will...what do you do?"

Spike blinked in surprise at the question, and Buffy smirked at him as Tina tittered, "I bet he's a weight-lifter or something...he has really strong arms..."

"Um...free-lance...writer...?" Spike said it more as a question then a statement and Buffy raised an eyebrow.

"What kind of writing?"

"Novels?"

"What kind of novels?"

"Um..." Spike glanced down at his lap, "Vampire ones?"

"Oh...like Anne Rice?" Tina asked, beaming at him brightly as Buffy snickered behind her hand, "I love Anne Rice..."

"Not me...the bint doesn't know what's she talking about," Spike muttered beneath his breath.

"I don't like what she says about vampires and sex, though...they're supposed to be a really sexual creature, and she says they're impotent..."

"Yeah, Spike," Buffy was having a hard time to keep from bursting out laughing at the stricken look on Spike's face, "Do you think vampires are impotent?"

Spike shot her a glare, "No, I don't think they are...although, some poofters probably are...only getting it on once and prancing off to parts unknown..."

It was Buffy's turn to glare at him as Hank glanced at him in puzzlement, "What was that?"

"Nothing...uh...just...nothing," Spike shook his head slightly.

"What's a poofter?" Tina asked, leaning towards Spike again and resting her hand on his knee, and Spike opened his mouth to answer her, but Buffy was on her feet, grabbing him by the arm.

"Come on, we're dancing."

"We are?"

"We are," She gritted her teeth together, dragging him out on the dance floor. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he rested his hands on her waist, both of them trying to keep distance between their bodies, "What the hell was that?!"

"What was what?"

"YOU! Flirting with my dad's girlfriend!"

"That's your dad's girlfriend?" Spike glanced at Tina, who was watching them, then down at Buffy, "Jeez...I thought she was your cousin or something...what is she? Twelve?"

Buffy giggled, then glared at him, "No...she's...twenty-three..."

"Oh, big difference," Spike rolled his eyes, "How old is he?"

"Forty-four," Buffy shook her head, "Don't even get me started..."

"She's not the chit that he left your mum for, is it?"

"What? Who told you that he left my mom for someone?"

"She did...remember...cocoa...you threatening me with a stirring spoon?"

"Oh...right. And no...that was someone else...Cheryl or Maggie or something like that...I can't keep them in order."

Spike whistled, raising an eyebrow, "He traded down for a younger model?"

"Don't you mean trade up?"

"Luv, with your mum, anyone else is a trade down."

Buffy raised an eyebrow as the song they were dancing to ended, and she started to walk towards the door, Spike still following her, "You're saying something nice about my mom? Who are you and what have you done with Spike?"

"What? I like your mum...she's decent people," Spike protested, "Do you know how long it's been since anyone's made me cocoa and listened to me bitch about Dru? None of my minions ever did that, let me tell you..."

"Hmm...and I just don't see Angelus as the cocoa type."

"Naw...he preferred to rot his brain with liquor..."

"Oh...and this coming from the guy who spent a good portion of his last visit to Sunnydale drunk off his ass?"

"I was dumped, I had an excuse...he was just a drunk," Spike said as he and Buffy went up towards the bow of the ship, and Buffy leaned against the railing, looking over the side into the water.

"Sounds like a lame excuse too me..."

Spike rolled his eyes and Buffy glanced at him, "How'd you know that Angel took off anyway?"

"Vampire grapevine."

"Oh...great...so I break up with Angel, and it's all over the vampire world?"

"What can I say? Slayers are big topics on the vine. Considering that you like to kill us and the way you threw us all for a loop."

"What? How'd I do that?"

"There has never been two Slayers activated at once...and it's happened twice," Spike reminded her, and Buffy nodded as the vampire jumped up on the bottom rail, leaning over too look down into the water, spitting, like he was a little kid. "What was the deal with that anyway?"

"Oh...the master killed me for a few minutes...drowning sucks, F.Y.I, and Xander revived me...but apparently I was dead long enough for Kendra to be called...and well...we all know what happened to her...and Faith was called."

"Never met the chit...what's she like?"

"Um...kinda like you...actually...whole bad girl attitude going on...she's sweet though, underneath. She and Xander are going out..."

"The whelp?" Spike whistled, "How'd he land that one? Last I heard, he was with a cheerleader or something..."

"No thanks to you. Oz and Cordy found them at the factory after you kidnapped them...getting into some major smoochies. He and Cordy broke up...and Oz and Willow were on the outs for awhile, but they're cool now."

"Oz?"

"Oh...right...you never really met him...he joined the Scoobs after you were put into the chair," She told him as he rocked back and forth on his heels, still looking down at the water, "He's a werewolf."

"Werewolf?" Spike smiled, "The werewolf, the Witch and the Watcher...sounds like a C.S. Lewis story."

Buffy laughed and Spike glanced at her, grinning madly before throwing his arms out and screaming, "I'M KING OF THE WORLD!"

Buffy started to crack up as Spike climbed down, clutching her sides, "Oh God...do that again when I have a video camera..." She gasped out, grinning, "No one is gonna believe me when I said you did that."

Spike growled playfully, "Tell anyone and I'll kill you."

"Can't...truce, remember?"

"Oh...right...damn."

Buffy sighed, leaning back against the railing as Spike lit another cigarrette, looking out over the moonlit ocean, "This sucks..."

"What? The company? I thought you knew that."

"Ha ha," Buffy shook her head, "No...my dad...and Tina..." Spike was unaware that someone could muster that much hatred into one name, and he glanced at her curiously, "Don't like the bint?"

"No...whatever the hell that means...she's okay, I guess...but my dad said it was only supposed to be us two..."

"Ah...lack of dad time...know how that is..."

"What? You?"

"They had divorce back in my day too, pet...granted, the woman usually got really screwed back then on alimony," Spike shook his head, "I was around five...my father ran off with some tart, left me mum to take care of me and six other kiddies. Never saw the bastard again."

"Really?" Buffy glanced at him, raising an eyebrow, and Spike seemed to realize who he was talking too as he ran a hand through his hair, coughing nervously, albeit unnecessarily as he flicked his cigarrette over the side.

Buffy flushed, glancing back out over the water, the comfortable comraderie broken as Spike shifted on his feet, frowning slightly as he took a step back from her, "Right...listen, I should...you know...uh..."

"Check on Dru," Buffy supplied and Spike nodded emphatically, "Yeah...Dru...check on her..." Spike turned, his leather duster swirling out behind him as he left her to her thoughts, and Buffy sighed as she looked out over the ocean, breathing deep the ocean air. What the hell was that anyway, Buff? Mortal enemy...remember?

She shook her head at her own thoughts as she pushed off the railing and headed back into the dining room to her father and Tina.

Spike went into his cabin, glancing at Drusilla, who was still lying on the bed, unconcious. He went to his bag and pulled out a syringe and a vial of liquid, then injected Drusilla with more drugs to keep her from waking up during the day before stripping and climbing into bed beside her.

She lay still as death against him, and in appearence, appeared as just that, her chest not rising and falling with breath, and her eyes did not twitch in sleep. Spike closed his eyes as he wrapped his arms around her, inhaling her cold, dead scent before slipping into sleep.

Buffy stretched out on a lawnchair by the pool, smiling as she sipped at a fruity, icy cocktail...without alcohol, of course, working on her tan. Several college students who were taking the ship to Hawaii watched her admiringly, a few boys going over to chat her up.

Despite her father's additive of Tina to the trip, she was starting to have a good time. There was nothing better then lounging by the pool and being hit on by cute guys, with no vamps in sight.

Oh...right...she sighed, thinking of her current vamp problem, but if Spike kept his word, he wouldn't be bothering anyone and Dru was out for the count. Still...she had major misgivings about the both of them.

I can't even believe that he went back to the ho, she thought with a shake of her head. There was no way she would have ever gone back to someone had cheated on her...then again, Angel techinically had with Dru...but that was a moot point at the minute.

She scowled, her good mood dissapating. She blamed Spike, of course. She had been in a good mood, eyeing the hotties by the pool behind mirrored sunglasses...and he had come in and drove her into thinking about Angel...

You know...lunatics blame people who aren't even there...Buffy snorted, thinking of Drusilla, wonder if she still has that creepy doll.

Buffy looked up when she heard a crack of thunder, and sighed, seeing storm clouds in the distant. "Oh...perfect..." She sighed as she stood up, grabbing her pool things before heading towards her cabin to escape the coming rain.

Spike stirred in his sleep, unconciously aware of the sudden rocking and roiling of the ship, and then he yelped as he fell off the bed, Drusilla falling on top of him.

He sat up, looking around in confusion as the ship rolled to the left, and he went skidding across the floor to slam into the wall, Drusilla rolling after him.

He stood up, trying hard to keep his balance, glancing down at Dru, deciding she was out of it enough not to notice the rocking and went towards the door to peek out. It was only one in the afternoon, but the sky was pitch black, and he glanced down as water swept past his feet.

Rain was pouring outside in thick sheets, and he jumped as thunder cracked seemingly nearby. He went back inside and pulled his clothes on and put on his duster before venturing out the door again.

He glanced up and down the deserted deck, keeping underneath the overhang to keep dry. He removed a cigarrette from his pocket, glancing out over the ocean, wincing at the sight of the huge waves slamming against the side of the ship, then yelped when he fell against the railing, nearly pitching over.

"Brilliant idea, Spike...go outside in a storm..." He muttered as a crew member came towards him, hurrying along.

Spike called out to get his attention, and he paused, glancing at him, "What's going on, mate?"

"Return to your cabin sir...it'll pass, sir..." The man said, but Spike scented the fear coming off of him, and growled, "What's going on?"

The man glanced around before taking a deep breath, "A hurricane's coming sir...please don't tell the other passengers...it might cause a panic..."

"A bloody what?!"

"Please, sir...return to your cabin..."

Spike ignored him, catching a glimpse of blond hair up ahead and shoved past him, heading towards Buffy.

"SLAYER!"

Buffy glanced towards him, then back out at the storm, and he froze in his steps, catching her scent of fear, "Oh...fucking great..."

Her eyes were wide, looking almost panicked as he came up towards her, "What's going on?"

"Hurricane, pet..."

"What?!" Buffy started to hyperventilate, and Spike reached out, resting his hand on her arm, "Slayer, look at me..."

She did, and he almost winced at the look of abject fear on her face. She was the Slayer...she wasn't supposed to fear anything, "What's gonna happen?!"

"Nothing, pet...just a little storm...I've been in worse," He hurried to assure her, but it wasn't working, and he sighed, glancing over his shoulder, "Go back to your cabin..."

"I don't want too...my daddy's in the dining room..."

"You shouldn't be out here, luv...and it's too far there...get inside..."

Buffy looked down the deck, and he could feel her trembling beneath his hand, and he slipped it down, capturing her hand with his. "Come on, pet...you can stay in my cabin..."

Buffy allowed him to lead her towards his cabin, and she glanced at Drusilla laying on the floor as they went in, and tensed. "Relax, Slayer...she's out of it...she won't awake up..."

Buffy nodded slowly as Spike bent and lifted Drusilla up, replacing her on the bed. He glanced around, grabbing one of her dresses and stripped some fabric off to tie her hands and feet to the bed. At Buffy's look, he shrugged, "She'll get bruised if she keeps rolling around on the ground," He explained, and Buffy nodded, rubbing her arms as if cold, still standing by the closed door.

"Have a seat, Slayer," He told her, gesturing at one of the chairs before digging through a bag and removing a bottle of scotch. He poured them both a generous glass, and she eyed it doubtfully.

"It'll calm your nerves a bit," He told her, draining his and pouring another as Buffy gingerly sipped hers, jumping everytime she heard thunder, glancing towards the door as water ran beneath it, soaking the carpet. Spike seemed unconcerned as he drank his liqour, his eyes on Dru, but she could see worry etched in his eyes.

The lights went off suddenly, and Buffy let out a scream, shrinking down in the chair, then yelling again when she fell out of it when the ship rolled sharply.

She felt strong arms grab her in the darkness, and she threw her arms up and around Spike's neck, climbing into his lap, surprising him as she burrowed her face in his chest, shaking more then the ship was.

Spike vamped out to see her in the darkness, and he saw tears pouring down her face as she sobbed quietly.

He tightened his grip on her, stroking her soft, fragrant hair as she shook against him like a leave, glancing towards the door as more water poured in. Fuck...

The storm seemed to calm down towards nightfall, but Buffy still clung to him, murmuring beneath her breath in abject fear. Spike managed to ease her off his lap, but she clung to his neck still, yelling, "No! NO! Don't leave!"

"Pet...I'm just going to the door..." He told her, standing up with her still holding him tightly. He walked with her towards the door, and opened it, looking out.

When he saw what was out there, his eyes widened, and he swept Buffy up into his arms and ran outside.

Buffy glanced over his shoulder as he raced down the deck towards a life-boat station, and screamed.

Heading towards them was at least a two hundred foot tall tidal wave.

Spike hit the life-boat station running and reached into the boat, grabbing out a yellow, rubber square, and then they were lifted off solid ground in a white, wall of water, and Buffy gripped Spike tightly as they were plunged over the side.

Spike felt water pressing down on him on all sides, and a solid body pressed against his, Buffy clinging to him still.

They were swept along, spinning beneath water, and Spike felt Buffy being ripped from him, and he shouted, water filling his mouth as he caught sight Buffy's horrifed face before it disappeared in the blackness.

Spike surfaced, spitting out water. He was still holding the rubber square he had removed from the boat before being swept off, and he struggled to pull the stopper on it as he was tossed by the waves.

There was a hiss, and then the rubber unfolded, inflating automatically into a life-raft, and he climbed over the side of it with some difficulty. He looked around, vamping out to see in the darkness, but was unable to see the cruise ship.

He tensed as he saw what looked like a pile of clothes floating by, and he plunged back into the water, swimming after them.

He grabbed them, and Buffy's head came above the water, her face pale and her lips blue. She wasn't breathing.

Spike swore, backstroking back towards the life boat and flipped her over the side before climbing in beside her. The rain drove into his back as he bent over her, lifting her up and bending her over his knees as he began to pound on her back as hard as he could.

"Come on, Slayer...spit it out...come on!" He snapped at her, and he breathed an unnecessary sigh of relief as she puked up what must have been a gallon of water, breath hitching in her chest and making her whole body shake.

She started to sob, and Spike gathered her onto his lap, holding her as she cried, his eyes searching the empty ocean for any sign of the ship. As they were lifted up on a huge wave, he saw a pale, white shape disappearing beneath the waves and he closed his eyes. Oh...Christ...Dru...

The storm disappated before dawn, leaving the two blonds shaken, wet, but otherwise unharmed. Buffy kept looking around, searching for the ship, and Spike lay dejectedly on the bottom of the raft, having neither the heart nor the spirit to tell her it was gone...for good.

Buffy finally settled back down beside him, "They'll find us, right? Once the sun comes up?" She asked, and Spike barely looked at her, "Probably not, pet...and even if they were looking...they'd only find you."

"What?" Buffy frowned, and then her eyes widened in realization. Dawn was coming, and the storm clouds were leaving. "Oh God..."

"Yeah...right...like he cares..." Spike muttered, throwing an arm over his eyes, trying to still his thoughts...but they still screamed 'Dru's dead...you let her die.'

She never had a chance...

Buffy looked around the empty lifeboat, nearly panicking again, but she forced herself to remain calm as she looked down at her clothes. "We can cover you with your jacket and my clothes...and I can keep on soaking them to keep you from bursting into flames...but you might get a bad sunburn in the process..."

Spike lifted his arm, frowning, "Why would you want to do that?"

"I don't know how long I'm going to be on this thing..." She muttered, "I don't want to be alone..."

Spike nodded, glancing up towards the sky as it started to lighten and laid down, curling into a ball, pulling his duster around him as Buffy stripped, covering any exposed skin with her clothes. She reached out into the water and began to wet him down, "Comfy?"

"I'm bloody sodden...starving...and my girlfriend is dead...yeah...I'm just peachy!" Spike snapped irritably, and Buffy sat down, staring at the bundle of clothes that was Spike, "Dead?"

"Fuck..." Spike inhaled deeply, "Sorry, Slayer...I saw the...the ship went down...the wave must've capsized it..."

"But...my...my daddy..." Buffy shook her head, "You're wrong...they're not dead..."

"Pet...the ship's gone...and probably everybody on it..." Spike sighed deeply, "They're not going to be coming for us, cause they don't know I'm on the ship, and they will probably think you went down with it...no one's coming for us..."

Buffy lapsed into silence as Spike did, and the only indication of her presence was her scent, and the water dripping on him at periodic intervals.

Soon, though, he heard muffled sobs, and he closed his eyes, unable to do anything about them, trying to concentrate on something other then his very human shipmate, his growing hunger...and the tingling of his skin, despite his rudimentry cover.

Darkness fell eventually, and Buffy pulled on her wet clothes, her skin flaring red from the sun. It had been unbearably hot, but she was a Slayer...she could deal with sunburn. Spike was a unhealthy pink himself, and he winced as he took off his shirt, whinging out the water, glancing at Buffy, who's eyes were red and puffy. "Try not to stare at the water too much, luv...it could make you go blind."

"What?"

"Reflection of the sun off the water," He told her, "Kinda like snowblindness...but with water."

"Oh..." The two mortal enemies fell into silence, both staring in opposite directions. "The boat's really gone?" She asked softly, and Spike nodded slowly.

"I'm sorry, luv...but it's gone."

Buffy glanced at him, "Why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Save me? When Dru was still there...?"

Spike scowled at her, crossing his arms over his bare chest, "Don't get any ideas, Slayer...I was saving myself...you just wouldn't let go of me..."

Buffy looked down at her feet, chagrined, and Spike sighed, "Sorry. I don't know...I was panicked...wasn't thinking...I just ran."

"Thank you," She said softly, looking up at him, "For whatever the reason...thanks for saving my life."

"Welcome," Spike said gruffly, looking out over the moonlit ocean, "Fuck...I'm hungry..."

"So am I...ohhh!" Buffy looked up at him sharply, scooting back in the boat.

Spike sighed, shaking his head slightly, "Not going to eat you, Slayer..."

"Yeah, till you get really hungry...God knows how long we're going to be on here..."

"I'm not going to eat you, Slayer...if I did, I'll just die before the sun rises with no one to keep the clothes wet."

Buffy eyed him warily, "But...but you have no control..."

"I have plenty of control, Slayer," Spike told her, "I went two weeks without eating once...if I need too, I'll do it again...I'll be rotting away, literally...but I can do it."

"Do we have anything?" She asked suddenly, "Flares or something?"

"Nope, no flares," Spike said, going with the subject change for the sake of simplicity. He knew the feeding thing worried her, since she was without arms, and they were stuck on a tiny boat. "I should've grabbed something else as well...but there wasn't enough time..."

"I'm sorry about Dru," Buffy said softly, "I know it hurts..."

Spike didn't answer her as he leaned his head against the side of the raft, closing his eyes, "I'm going to get some sleep, pet...baking slowly isn't really conducive to napping..."

"Spike...the human body can go a week without water..." She told him softly, brushing a strand of hair out of her face, "If...if we're still on the boat then...can you do what you promised?"

Spike opened his eyes, frowning slowly, "What did I promise?"

"To make it quick...at the school...you said you would make it painless..."

"Luv..."

"Please?" Buffy begged, though he had said before she wasn't the begging type, "I want to die like a Slayer...even if I'm in the middle of nowhere..."

Spike contemplated her in silence before he nodded slowly, balling up his duster to make a pillow, gesturing for her to lie down. The two stretched out along the small boat, and Buffy pillowed her head on his chest, and he could feel her body shaking with cold. He took out the duster, spreading it over them. "Try to wake up before dawn, luv...don't want to be fried," He told her, and Buffy smiled, closing her eyes.

"Kay."

Spike glanced down at her as her breathing evened out, then lay his head back again, staring up at the clear, night sky, the stars a million pinpoints of light above them.

I'm naming all the stars...

You can't see the stars. That's the ceiling, pet...plus it's day.

He closed his eyes, tears slipping out from beneath the pale lids. I'm sorry, Dru...oh God, pet...I'm so sorry.

Three days passed in the lifeboat thus. The two remaining silent during the day, both too hot and too hungry to talk, and falling into fitful sleep at night in each other's arms after talking for a little while.

Spike felt the call of the bloodlust intently, but he refused to give into it, though the temptation to reach out and grab Buffy by the throat and drain her dry was overwhelming. Only his demon's sense of self-presveration kept him from doing so.

They were both sunburned to a rosy red, and whenever one of them moved, it was accompained by hisses of pain.

Buffy's entire body felt dried out and she had a severe case of cotton mouth as her body water was sweated and drained from her by the hot sun.

Spike's face was gaunt, his cheekbones more prominent then usual as his face sunk in, and his gums seemed to have gone white as they drew away from his teeth.

On the fourth day, Buffy looked up at Spike as he sat up, shedding the clothes and handing hers to her, both not seeming to care that she was dressed only in bra and underwear. Any interest that might have provoked in Spike was driven away by hunger.

"Tomorrow, Spike...if we don't get rescued...tomorrow you can do it..."

Spike looked at her in horror, and she smiled wanly, barely able to sit up, her body frightfully thin. She was weak.

"No..."

"Please, Spike...I won't make another day...please?"

He nodded slowly as he laid down, and she lay against him, her breathing shallow and laboured. He tilted her chin up so that he could stare down into her face, her eyes without life, and he brushed his dry, cracked lips against hers, before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep, as she did the same.

The small boat brushed against a reef, nearly being tossed to the side, but neither occupant seemed to notice.

But when it struck solid ground, it jolted him awake, and Spike sat up with great effort, looking around. Land..."Land..." He muttered softly, "Land...we're...on...land..."

He tried to climb out of the boat, only to trip and land in the sand, and he rolled onto his back, digging his hands into the damp sand.

"Land...Slayer...it's...LAND!" he crowed the last word as loud as he could, sitting up. He saw Buffy lying in the bottom of the boat, not moving, and he reached into her, to feel her heart still beating, but it wasn't as strong as it should be, and he couldn't shake her awake.

He forced himself to his feet, steeling himself as he looked up and down the beach, then towards the jungle in front of him. He could hear things moving around in the thick underbrush...live things...

He looked down at Buffy before dragging the boat further on the shore, so it wouldn't float away, and he brushed her hair out of her face, "Be right back, pet...promise..." He told her, quelching his blood lust as he allowed himself to vamp out and he shuffled into the jungle with a purpose.

Buffy felt something drippling on her face...cool and refreshing and she forced her eyes open to see Spike, his face smeared with blood, grinning down at her.

She jolted in shock, but Spike touched her shoulder reassuringly, "Not yours, pet...I went hunting..."

"What?" She muttered weakly, "Hunting?"

"Land, Slayer..." He grinned so wide, it looked like his face would split in two, dropping a handful of sand near her leg. He lifted up his shirt and held it over her face, wringing it out, and Buffy opened her mouth as fresh water dripped into it, her eyes closing in pure pleasure.

Spike was still a bit weak, but he was feeling much better as he lifted her out of the boat and carried her up the beach, "There's a cave nearby...there's a spring flowing through it...fresh water..." He told her, "I found it when I was chasing the monkey..."

"What? You caught a monkey?" She asked, wrapping her arms around his neck as he carried her, and he shook his head.

"It was a pain in the ass in my state...but I managed to get the bastard by stunning him with a rock."

Buffy nodded, closing her eyes as he went into the jungle, tripping on a few tree branches in the process. After about ten minutes, Buffy saw the dark opening of the cave and Spike ducked in the low opening and sat her down near the spring.

Buffy leaned over and began to hungrily drink it up, relishing the taste and coldness of it, and protested as Spike grabbed her shoulders, and pulled her back. "You have to slow down, pet...you drink too much, too fast, you'll just vomit it all back up again...won't do you any good..."

Buffy nodded, leaning back against the cool stone of the wall as Spike straightened, "I'll be right back...I'm going to pull the boat up farther on the beach...I don't want the tide to come in and take it away."

Buffy nodded again as Spike turned and trotted out, closing her eyes. They immediately shot open when she heard things moving in the trees, and she curled her knees up to her chin, staring outside.

After what seemed like forever, Spike returned and he collapsed next to her with a sigh before removing his duster and spreading it out on the ground, "Try to get some sleep, pet," He told her, "I'll watch till dawn, and then it's my turn."

"Okay," She said, lying out on the duster, shifting to get comfortable with no avail. Spike rolled his eyes as he stretched out his legs, and Buffy scooted up next to him, resting her head on his thigh before closing her eyes. "Night, Spike..."

"Night, Slayer..."

When Buffy woke up, it was well past dawn, and Spike was still awake, staring down at her. "I thought you needed your rest," He told her softly as she sat up.

She thanked the powers for Slaying healing, feeling much better as she drank from the spring, relishing the feel of the cold water hitting her stomach. She stretched out her slightly sore body, standing, "I'm hungry..."

Spike smiled, lifting something from beside him, "Mangoes...found them last night. Thought you'd be starving when you woke up..."

Buffy took it, using her chipped nails to peel away the skin of the plump, juicy fruit, and sinking her teeth into it. She ate ravenously, then smiled when Spike handed her another one, eating that one as well. She washed her sticky face and hands in the spring before going to sit near Spike again.

She leaned her head against his shoulder, "You ate a monkey?" She asked, "What kind?"

"I don't know...monkey shaped..." Spike shrugged, "It was dark, and I doubted you would have appreciated me bringing it back to the cave."

"Poor monkey..."

"You'd rather I eat you?" Spike asked, and Buffy grimaced at him, and he chuckled, "So be quiet about the damned monkey."

Buffy nodded, looking out towards the cave opening, "What are we going to do?"

"Once night falls...we'll scout the island together. See what's here. Maybe if we're luckily, we landed near a resort or something."

"You think?"

"Who knows?" Spike replied, "We may have landed on real land, not an island..." he shifted uncomfortably all of a sudden, "I was thinking last night...we may have gotten blown off course...I reckon...that we might have drifted at least a couple hundred miles off the ship's course...and that's an optimistic view..."

Buffy sat up to look at him, "What do you mean?"

"That if they even look for us...they might be looking closer to where the ship sank, pet. If we don't find life on this place...we're probably not getting off..."

Buffy shuddered, rubbing her arms as if cold, "Not getting off?"

Spike inwardly swore at the sight of her dejected face. He should have kept his stupid mouth shut...but it wasn't healthy to harbour false delusions. Not if they wanted to survive.

"Sorry, pet...but it's reality. You have to face that."

"Kay," Buffy nodded slowly, and he was almost proud to see her expression steel itself, "Right...we can do this. I faced vampires and demons...this should be no problem."

Spike smiled at her, then lay out on the ground, "If you go out exploring, be careful...if you get hurt, I can't help."

"Okay...I think I'll go down to the beach and scout around...maybe see if we're at least near a shipping lane."

Spike nodded, feeling proud of her once more as Buffy stood, "I'm going to see if I can find some food too. I can't survive on just mangoes."

"With me hunting, you won't have to worry about red meat," He assured her, "As long as there's an abudence on monkeys..."

Buffy grimaced, "I am not eating monkey meat."

"Just watch, pet...after a few months, you won't be so picky," Spike said as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. "Be careful."

Buffy stood, heading towards the opening, then glanced over her shoulder at the blond who had already fallen asleep, "Thanks," She said softly before going out into the sunlight.

Buffy walked along the beach, the sound of the waves filling her eardrums. God had to be laughing at her...really, he did. Of all the people to shipwreck her on an island with...it had to be Spike.

However, at the moment, he didn't seem inclined to kill her or hurt her...but then again, she wasn't exactly fashioning a stake. He probably feared what she did. Bad enough to be shipwrecked on a deserted island with your mortal enemy...but it was a million times worse to be alone. Fights, disagreements and hostility, she could face...but the prospect of being alone was even more frightening.

Buffy stopped every once in a while to pick up things that were on the sand, things that appeared to have come from the ship. Pieces of steel, a piece of bent railing, and some clothes. She pulled some pieces of thin steel up on the beach, setting it aside in case it could be useful and gathered the clothes as well. They would really come in handy. She wasn't looking forward to wearing the same outfit for god knew how long.

As far as she could tell, there were several reefs a mile or so from the island, and probably more out farther, making it difficult for ships to come in close to shore. There was a large stone face about six miles ahead of her, reaching out into the ocean, and she could hear the roar of waves as they struck the face, being sucked into a cave near the bottom of it. She and Spike should go up there later to look out over the island, if they were on one, but she was pretty sure that was what it was.

Jungle ran along the beach and farther inland, and she could hear all sorts of animals in the trees, which meant that there was food for Spike, as well as for her. Which was a relief in itself.

She found some more mangoes and had lunch near the water before going swimming for a little while and she opened up her eyes underwater to see all sorts of brightly colored fish swimming around a reef. She made note of that before returning to shore and pulling back on her clothes.

She went to glance at her watch, sighing when she saw it was waterlogged, and was about to toss it aside when she decided against it, slipping it into her pocket. Her father had given it to her for her last birthday.

After a few more hours, she headed back towards the cave to see that Spike was awake, and looking worriedly towards the entrance, but he turned his face away, "What'd you find, Slayer?"

"Buncha stuff," She deposited the clothes and mangoes on the ground, "Found some clothes, and some pieces of steel from the ship...I figure we can use them for something."

"Good idea. When the tide comes up, we'll walk along the beach again and salvage what we can."

Buffy smiled, sitting down to eat another mango, looking at the vampire as he stretched out his back, wincing as it cracked, "Could you not do that?"

"What'd you see?" He asked, ignoring her as he reached his arms over his head, cracking his back again, "I didn't have a chance to explore last night."

"Beach, trees...beach...and more trees."

"Bloody great..."

Buffy sighed, sitting down, "From what I can tell, there's a lot of animals in the trees, and there's fish too...but I don't think they're gonna do you any good."

"No...fish don't have real blood," Spike said, glancing around at the cave, "And I don't think either of us want to spend too much time in here, so we should start looking to make shelter that'll work for me...better it's along the beach too, so we can watch for ships."

"Okay..."

"And we should try to find more water...I don't know if that spring will dry up during a certain time of year or something. Better safe then sorry..."

"Okay..."

Spike continued to talk more to himself then her, and Buffy smiled in amusement, washing herself off in the spring before rinsing out the clothes she had salvaged from the beach. He was using her as a sounding board, not really expecting an answer.

Finally, night fell, and they were able to go outside. Along the beach, they pulled more pieces of steel up from the waterline and they headed towards the rock face. Spike looked up at the sheer face, then glanced at Buffy, "Should we go around?"

"Yeah...I'm thinking we should..."

The pair walked along the edge of the jungle, finally finding a navigable way up the rock face. They came to the top and exchanged a look. The island was about ten miles long and twenty miles wide, but they could see water surrounding everything. "Great...still think we'll find that resort?"

Spike shook his head. It was nothing but beach and jungle. "We'll start building shelter tomorrow night," Spike said softly, starting down and Buffy sighed deeply, looking around once more before following.

They continued to explore the island, and near dawn, they found a break in the trees along the beach, about six miles down from the rock face. When they went into the trees, they found a huge waterfall, bubbling over into a large pool of fresh water that ran into a small river that meandered inland. And nearby was another cave, a bit larger then the one they had been staying in before.

Spike and Buffy exchanged a look and both grinned before they started to strip down to their underwear and they plunged into the fresh water.

It felt good to wash the salt, sand and grime off their bodies. After a while, Spike retreated into the cave as Buffy went back to the other one to grab their things and transfer them to their new shelter. And then they both fell asleep to the sound of animals moving in the early dawn, and water rushing over rocks.

The next night was spent in gathering more debris from the ship wreck, mostly clothes and even a few suitcases. They also took the pieces of steel they had salvaged to the beach near the waterfall and cave.

Spike looked over what they had, frowning in thought, "We'll use the steel for the roof...for sun protection, it should work...but how the hell are we going to make the frame?"

"Spike...we're surrounding by jungle..." Buffy said sarcastically, "You're not seeing the forest for the trees...and oh my God...I just used a Giles colliquism."

"I can't believe you used the word colliquism in a sentence...and used it rightly," Spike teased, and Buffy rolled her eyes. "There's the issue of cutting them down, Slayer. Unless one of us remembered to bring an ax on our vacation."

"Actually, I did...but it's on the boat."

Spike shook his head, "Only you would bring weapons on a cruise ship."

"Hey, I learned a long time ago that nothing goes right for me...I just jumped to the conclusion that it'd be demons or vamps or something...I wasn't thinking about acts of nature."

Spike sighed, going towards the waterfall again, and he fished among the creek till he found a rock that was wedged-shape. He sat down in the sand with another rock and began striking it against the side of it, attempting to sharpen it. Buffy saw what he was doing and got her own rocks, beginning to make her own.

"Why do I feel like a cave-Slayer?" She asked as they worked, and Spike chuckled.

"Next problem...bloody making fire from mangos and rocks."

"Oh...great..."

Spike watched as Buffy came into the cave, carrying a coke can she had found a bunch of little pebbles.

"Spike...how long do you think we were on the boat?"

"About four days...why?"

"Okay...and we've been on the island for at least a week and a half..." Buffy dropped 15 pebbles into the can, glancing at him, "Calendar...don't say Coca-Cola never did anything for you."

Spike shook his head, turning his attention back to the pile of sticks lying in front of him and began to strike rock against rock, trying to get them to spark.

He gave out a shout when a spark shot into the dry sticks and they began to smoke and he leaned down to blow on them.

They finally burst into flames, and Spike grinned at Buffy, proudly pounding on his bare chest, "Me make fire for Jane."

"Great, Tarzan...too bad you ate Cheetah. We coulda partied."

Month One

Home

The cords in Spike's back stood out as he held down the last piece of steel on top of their shelter, and Buffy pounded it into shape before lashing it into place with the ropes she and Spike had braided with vines. Instead of using trees like they had discussed before, Spike had managed to find a few stands of thick bamboo, and it was much easier to lash them together, since they had no nails. The roof of the hut rose into a small peak to insure that water would run off it, and the steel had been tied down to prevent sun exposure.

She hopped off the roof, with Spike in tow, and they exchanged a proud look. They had built the bungalow style home with their own two hands. It was simple, really. One large room, with two beds that were really pallets, with the clothes they had salvaged laid out across them, as well as broad, soft leaves from a grove of trees they had found farther down the river.

They would make rudimentry furniture as they went along, but for now, it was home.

Buffy laughed before running into it and flopping down on top of 'her' bed. "Finally! No more cave!" She exclaimed. She could have moved into it before, but she didn't really want to leave Spike all in the cave by himself before they finished covering the roof.

"Thank God..." Buffy sent him a look, and Spike grinned sheepishly, "Not that I believe in him or nuthin..."

"Uhuh," Buffy sighed, getting up again, "Let's finish moving everything from the cave into here before daybreak," She ordered, and Spike rolled his eyes as they went to do just that.

Buffy sat her coke can down on a wobbly piece steel on a pillar of rocks that was acting as a table, dropping another pebble in as day broke.

Spike looked around worriedly as the sun rose, looking for any chinks that let sunlight in, and Buffy hurried to pack those in with mud till no more light was showing, and finally, exhausted, they each collapsed into their own beds, not having to use each other as pillows anymore.

Neither fell asleep for a good while.

Month Two

Hunting and Gathering

Buffy dived beneath the water, her eyes burning against the salt as she looked around, swimming towards a stand of coral. She saw a conch shell and picked it up, looking inside and grinning. She swam back to the surface and dropped it inside the raft before diving again.

She managed to catch a lobster as well, not too big, but it would do and she returned to the boat, paddling it towards shore again.

At the house, she could hear pounding as Spike attempted to cut a window in the bamboo for her, since she had complained about the lack of ventilation during the day. He was standing on the porch they had built so that he could at least be outside during the day, and he glanced over his shoulder, shielding his eyes against the glare as he watched her pull the raft ashore and gathered up the supplies she had gotten from the water.

Currently, he was dressed only in his black jeans, but they were full of holes and tears from when he had been climbing a coconut tree so that Buffy could drink something other then water. His hair was growing out, leaving it a bleached blond at the tips and he had a good inch of root growth, a honey-colored blond. It curled around his ears and he ran a hand through it as he watched her come up towards him.

Buffy was wearing a bathing suit they had found in a suitcase that had washed ashore, the pale, blue material standing out against her golden tanned skin. Streaks of pure blond ran through her hair, bleached by the sun.

Spike turned back towards the house and used the sharpened piece of rock to chop away at the bamboo, creating a hole in it. Finally, the bamboo dropped away, and he gathered up the sticks and sat down on the porch, tying them back together, "What you find, pet?"

"Lobster...a conch and a pretty shell."

"A pretty shell?" Spike shook his head with a small smile as he stood again, tying the bamboo back into the hole and propping it open with a stick and he grinned, "Viola...there's your window, pet."

"Thanks, Spike...it won't bother you during the day, will it?"

"We're facing the south, so I think we'll be good. By the time it becomes a problem, I'll be awake and can move around a bit," He assured her.

Buffy nodded as she sat down on the porch and Spike sat beside her, playing with the lobster she had caught, and she sighed deeply, "I counted the pebbles this morning...we've been lost for exactly two months. And we haven't seen one ship or one plane."

Spike shifted on the gritty porch, glancing at her, "I know. Sorry..."

"There has to be one, eventually...right? I mean...I know it's a big ocean and all...but..."

"Luv, those coral reefs are a hazard...and who knows how far the can reach out...or how many islands like this are around us...ships might just avoid this area all together because of them...they can't be scraping bottom."

"Gee...ever heard of false hope?" Buffy asked sarcastically, huffing as she stood up, grabbing the lobster from him, "And don't play with my food."

"Your food? Don't I get any?"

"Nope...you get monkey, I get lobster. Fair's fair."

Spike rolled his eyes as he stood up, glancing out over the water before sighing and heading inside himself.

Buffy woke to the sound of water striking steel, and she opened her eyes, the window near her showing a dark, overcast sky.

She could see Spike standing out on the beach, staring thoughtfully at the water, holding a long stick in his hand.

She jumped when she heard thunder, and watched as lightening struck the water out at sea. She screamed his name, and he whirled in surprise before racing up the beach, his bare feet kicking up sand behind him.

"What the bloody hell is wrong?" He shouted as he leapt up on the porch and Buffy grabbed him around the middle, burying her face against his chest as she started to cry.

Spike frowned in confusion and then she jumped at the sound of more thunder, crying even harder. Realization dawned on his features as he wrapped one arm around her, trying to soothe her fears, "Shh, luv...it's only rain...promise...it's just rain..."

Spike used a sharpened rock as a knife, scraping it along the tip of a long stick as Buffy sat cross-legged in front of him, driving another rock into a coconut, putting a hole through the top. She watched him curiously as she drank the milk out of it. "What are you doing that for?"

"Fishing, luv. We live on a bloody beach...figure we might as well take advantage of the fact."

"Fishing? You're making a fishing pole?"

Spike shook his head, "Not a fishing pole, pet...a spear. For spear fishing," He gestured towards the beach, "There's all kinds of critters around the rocks...even at night. Figure some fish would be looking good right about now."

"Oh...so...I get to stake fish?"

"Better them then me," Spike replied,standing up and testing the weight of the spear in his hand before tossing it towards Buffy. She caught it and looked at the pointed end, then at him, and Spike raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"I just think it's kinda cool you trust me enough with this..."

"Hey, you trusted me and I don't even have to have a weapon."

Buffy nodded slowly, smiling as she went out the door to test it out. For the rest of the day, Spike watched her from the house, laughing when he heard her swearing her little head off everytime she missed.

Finally, she came huffing up to the house and threw the spear at his feet, "It's no good...they move too fast."

Spike only smiled, going to lay down on his bed, "Whatever you say, Slayer."

Buffy sat smugly on the beach as Spike waded into the water with the spear, "You're never gonna get it!" She called out to him as he struck the spear down near a rock.

He lifted it up, complete with an impaled, wriggling fish.

Buffy scowled. "Smart ass."

Month Six

Fighting

Buffy paced the house, scowling out at the heavy rain fall outside. The rainy season had started, apparently, since it had not stopped raining for nearly a week.

She was rapidly getting annoyed with Spike and his annoying habits as the week wore on. She hated the way he chewed on a twig, twirling his spear absently as he stared out the door, his gaze unfocused and far away. He was just mocking her ineffectuality with it. She had gotten the hang of it...sort of, but she only had a fifty-fifty success rate, while he always seemed to hit the fish every time.

Spike scowled as Buffy paced in front of him, annoyed by the way she was getting all antsy. She was supposed to be a Slayer, for God's sake...why couldn't she sit still for five minutes?

On her next pass, his spear accidently slipped between her legs, and she yelped as she pitched forward, slamming into the crappy little table and sending fruit, fish left from dinner and some blood Spike had set aside for later all over the floor, as well as her coke can full of pebbles.

Spike's eyes widened slightly as she stood up, swiping at her change of clothes, a white dress much too baggy for her, now covered in blood, and she was glaring at him murderously. Time to beat a hasty retreat...

He jumped to his feet, spear forgotten as he barrelled out the door into the rain, and Buffy picked up his spear and ran after him, both oblvious to the rain pelting them in hard pellets.

"Come on,Slayer! It was an accident!" He called over his shoulder as she came at him, and he did a quick turn in the sand, letting her run past him as he went in the opposite direction.

"YOU ARE SOOOOO GONNA DIE FOR THAT ONE!" She screamed, and Spike yelped as the spear grazed his shoulder, and he looked over at her.

"Are you nuts!? Don't throw sticks, you stupid bitch!"

"BITCH?!" She put on a burst of speed, and tackled him behind the knees, sending him crashing into the sand, and he got a mouthful of the grit, and he spat it out, twisting his body and bucking her off of his legs before kicking wet sand in her face and climbing back to his feet.

Soon, they were both grinning as they chased each other up and down the beach, and Spike stopped suddenly, grabbing her around the middle as she ran past, and lifted her into the air.

She screamed and kicked her feet down at his face as he carried her towards the edge of the water as he called, "Sorry, luv, but you need to cool of--aaaahhhh!"

Her thrashing threw him off-balance and he fell into the water with her, and he growled as he sat up, his face in full-vamp mode and his bangs falling into his eyes as she laughed at him. "You look like a drowned vamp."

"I am a drowned vamp!" He growled at her, swiping at his hair as she rolled her eyes and jumped him, pushing him back into the water, and he sputtered angrily, "You brat!"

"You started it!" She retorted, screeching as he lunged at her, ducking her before swimming away from her, and she pursued him in the water, till, both exhausted and laughing, they climbed back on the sand and collapsed, Buffy panting for breath, and Spike just laying there as if dead, both soaked to the bone.

"Whoa...I think I needed that," Buffy panted out, and Spike tilted his head towards her. Her long hair lay over her chest and face in wet straggles, sand clinging to the strands, and sand and blood covered her dress, making her look like a mess. Still, she looked absolutly stunning.

"Well, I'm just glad I don't look like you," He said with a grin, and Buffy looked down at her state before groaning and dropping her head back on the sand, glancing at him. He wasn't better off with his shirt and torn jeans covered with muddy sand and his face was spotted with flecks of shell and grit, but he was grinning widely, and she couldn't help but think he looked kinda cute like that.

Spike reached over to her and lifted a sodden strand of hair from her eyes, chuckling, then falling into all out laughter, and Buffy wasn't far behind.

Month Seven

Cleaning House

Spike moved silently through the jungle, his body flowing with fluid grace, his muscles rippling silkly beneath his bare skin. His body was devoid of clothing as he hunted, not wanting the foreign sound of rustling clothe to scare away his prey.

He hunted without weapon, other then those sired upon him, for prey other then human, as was his usual repast. The only other human on the island was his only company, so she was spared from the hunter's eyes.

He heard movement ahead of him and he immediately fell into a crouch, pale nostrils flaring, eyes glowing with an hellish-light as he focused in one the life ahead of him. Howler...he thought automatically.

The black shape moved in the trees and he crouched down even more before letting out a snarl and leaping forward.

An inhuman shriek rose into the air, and then there was silence.

Spike slipped through the trees, heading back towards the house, his hunger sated.

He was striding along the river, pausing to wash his hands in the water, then pulling on the pants he had set aside. He straightened, running a hand through his hair, the hair now curly and nearly all honey-blond. It still curled around his ears, even though Buffy had tried her best to cut it. Even so, there was still white-blond tips, but he didn't really care, it wasn't like anyone else was going to see it.

He walked towards the waterfall, then paused, his keen ears catching the sound of splashing and he glanced down, the moon lighting up the water, and he inhaled sharply.

Buffy was oblivious to his prescense as she bathed in the pool near the base of the water fall, her long, golden blond hair floating on the surface, her full breasts covered with droplets of water that caught the moonlight and shimmered on her golden skin.

She looked like a siren, sent to lure men to their deaths with her song, her golden body used to seduce men, promising them a taste of something dark and forbidden. She ran her hands through wet hair, and he thought that she must know he was there...and was tormenting him, punishing him for everything he had ever done as her body arched in his direction before she dived beneath the water.

He nearly groaned as he backed away, going down an alternate route back to the house, his erection biting against his zipper, causing him to almost limp as he went along. He really hoped she wouldn't be done soon, cause he was going to be needing the house for a long while.

Buffy wrung out her hair, grimacing down at her feet as she walked into the hut, "You know...I'd kill for a vacuum...all this sand is driv--"

"OH! BLOODY HELL!" Spike yelped, and Buffy glanced at him before screeching, "OH MY GOD!" And whirling to rush out, only to run into the door jamb, knocking herself out cold.

Spike quickly zipped himself up, then looked down at the unconcious Slayer, then at the empty door frame. "Time to invest in a door, I'm thinking..."

Spike sighed deeply as he scrubbed the entire house top to bottom with sand and water as Buffy watched on, "Ya know...a guy has needs..."

"Well, take your needs outside!" Buffy snapped, "And don't think I'm going in there till you're done!"

Spike grumbled beneath his breath, rolling his eyes as he continued to scrub.

Month Eight

Gifts

Buffy frowned, opening the door to look up and down the moonlit beach a bit worriedly. For the past couple of nights, Spike had been going out God knew where, and staying out till nearly dawn, worrying the crap out of her. If he got dusted by the sun, she'd kill him.

Oh...that's what is known as an empty threat, she thought, shaking her head with a sigh as she went outside, deciding to jog on the sand for a little while.

When she came back, she could immediately sense that Spike was inside, and she sighed in relief, going in, "Glad to see you decided to make an app--" She froze suddenly, eyes going wide in surprise. Sitting at a real, wooden table, painstakingly carved and smoothed, was Spike, with a half of a mango sitting in the middle, and a little stick was burning in the center of it.

"All right...so it's not a bloody cake...but until Betty Crocker gets shipwrecked with us, you have to deal," He said with a sad grin, and Buffy smiled as she sat down on the chair he had made as well, her name carved into the back, "Spike! I can't believe you remembered my birthday!"

"How could I forget?" He glanced down at the mango, "Your candle's burning down."

She smiled, closing her eyes and then, making a wish, she blew it out with a large smile. "How did you know it was my birthday?"

Spike looked up at her, and she saw that he had been crying, dried blood at the corner of his eyes, the orbs slightly red, and her eyes widened, "Oh...God...Drusilla..."

"Turned 200 yesterday," He said softly, looking down at the table again, "If she was...y'know..."

"Oh...Spike...I'm so sorry..." She reached across the table that didn't shake when it was touched, clasping his hand in hers, and she squeezed it gently, and Spike smiled as he looked up, "Well...enough of that depressing display...whatcha wish for?"

"Can't tell you, or it won't come true," Buffy said, giggling when he pouted, "Fine...hint. We're stuck on a desert island...so naturally, I'd want to be...you know..."

"Right...this would be the point that I say 'duh,' but I'm not that pathetic...yet."

Buffy laughed, eating a piece of her mango, "The table and chairs are great, Spike...how long have you been at it?"

"A little while...had to start working overtime the last week, though, to have them ready in time," He grimaced, "Who knew basic carpetanry skills were so hard? And the bloody splinters were hell."

Buffy smiled, standing up to go to him and plant a kiss on his forehead, "It's sweet...and we so needed furniture too."

Spike cleared his throat, looking a bit uncomfortable, "Well...uh...happy birthday anyways...even if it is kinda sucky being stuck on this island or all..."

"Hey, way I look at it...this is the only birthday I've had when something bad hasn't happened...but then again, we still got a few hours to blow that theory out of the water."

Spike chuckled, leaning back in his chair, glancing around the hut. In the last few months, it had gone from simply shelter, to a home. Shells decorated Buffy's side of the hut, tacked on the wall with sticky sap from the palm trees, while Spike had a small shelf, with several small skulls that he had found on them. Their clothes were strewn about a bit carelessly. It wasn't much but it was their home.

He turned his attention back to the table, seeing Buffy's eyes were on him, a unreadable look on her face. "What?"

"Nothing..." She murmured, glancing around just as he did, "This is it...isn't it? Eight months...and not one sign of a boat or a plane...we're never getting home, are we?"

Spike let out a sigh, "It's still a possibility..."

"Eight months, Spike," Buffy shook her head, tucking her knees beneath her chin, wrapping her arms around them, "It's time to face facts. We're never going to get off...and I'm going to die here."

"Slayer," Spike began sternly, "I don't care if I have to bloody build a boat out of coconuts, we're getting off..."

Buffy gave him a look that clearly told him that it wouldn't work in a million years. Besides the problem of building a boat with the rudiementary tools they had, there was also the problem of the sun and his inabilitiy to keep blood fresh on a boat. He'd either go mad from blood lust and kill her, or just wither away into nothing long before they ever reached safe harbour.

Spike shook his head as he stood, going to the doorway, and looking down at the beach as the early sun chased away the morning gloom, "Well...there could be worse places to be stuck, Slayer," Spike observed calmly, "People pay thousands upon thousands of dollars for beachfront property like this. We have plenty of food, water and we have shelter. Under the circumstances, what more could we ask for?"

Buffy stood up to stand behind him, looking out on the scenary. The sun was glinting off the pure, white sand, and small, ocean swells swept up the beach, cresting with a dull roar she barely noticed anymore. In the jungle behind them,she could hear the calling of birds, and movement of animals in the rich tapestry of life that seemed to surround their island.

Spike glanced down at her, then looked back outside, "Think about this, Slayer...here, there are no games...no pretending...what's the point? No one's gonna know but us. I'm no longer just a vampire, and you're no longer just a Slayer. We're just two people trying to survive with what we got...and I say we did a bloody good job of it so far."

"Yeah, and you haven't tried to kill me yet," Buffy replied, and Spike gave her a look.

"No point in killing you, Slayer. There's no one around to brag about it too..."

Buffy smacked his arm, "So, the second we get off this island, you're gonna start all over again?!"

"I think we're past that stage of our lives, Buffy," Spike smiled at her, then touched her shoulder lightly, before he went back into the darkness of the hut to lay down on his pallet, bunching his slightly raggard duster beneath his head, and closing his eyes.

Buffy continued to stare outside the door, thinking of what Spike had said. No games, no rules...no one to tell me what's right or wrong...it's like we're the last two people on Earth...Adam and Eve in Eden...

She slowly turned, staring down at the vampire lying on the pallet. As usual, he was only wearing a pair of shorts, and her eyes ran over the smooth planes of his chest and face, and she smiled slowly to herself.

Spike opened an eye when he heard the Slayer come to stand beside his pallet, puzzled when she just stared down at him, "What I do?"

"You forgot one thing that we have," She told him, and Spike frowned slightly.

"I did? What's that then?" He asked, and then his eyes widened as she lifted her shirt over her head, and let it fall to the ground at her feet, "We have each other..." She told him, stepping out of her shorts, and standing before him, completely nude, her deeply tanned skin off-setting her sun-bleached hair.

She bit her lip, suddenly self-concious when Spike just stared at her, his mouth slightly open, his eyes roving over her toned body. "Slayer...?" He finally managed to squeak out, "What are you doing?"

"Apparently humilating myself..." She muttered, crossing her arms over her chest, flushing deeply, seeming to make her skin even darker.

Spike managed to snap himself out of his stupor, and he was on his feet in an instant, pulling her to him, and crushing her lips to his with a small, muffled moan. He ran his tongue along her soft lips, and nearly groaned as her tongue invaded his mouth, sweeping along his palate.

She dug her hands into his shaggy hair, her nails scraping lightly along his scalp as his arousal rubbed against he abdomen, making the Slayer groan with wanting, a deep, throaty sound that made Spike's entire body tingle.

He suddenly broke the kiss, his midnight-blue eyes burning with desire as he stared down into her flushed face, her lips swollen and pouty looking. "Slayer...' He choked out, "Are you sure? Cause...in about five seconds, I'm not going to be able too..."

She cut off his words with another kiss, and then pushed him so that he fell back onto his pallet, and she smiled at him coyly as she crawled up his body slowly, noting with satisification that he inhaled sharply, his eyes widening slightly as her breasts brushed against his bare abdomen, the muscles in his stomach quivering. "Do I look like I'm not sure?"

"Good...God...I hope not..." Spike banged his head against the pallet as she kissed his stomach, twitching a little...he was a little ticklish in the bellybutton area, and Buffy's warm, pink little tongue dipping into it wasn't helping matters any.

His mind was already fried, and he was having trouble thinking as the Slayer, of all people, seduced him, and he nearly completely shut down as her hot mouth engulfed his hard length, and he hissed, digging his fingers into the leaves beneath him, "Oh...shit...Slayer....fuck..."

Buffy smiled around his cock, watching as he continued to bang his head against the pallet, feeling a surge of power at the reaction she was invoking in the usually cool vampire, and she teased the head of his cock with her tongue, running it along the senstivie underside of the head.

He was babbling her name over and over again as he came, bucking into her mouth as it was flooded with his cool semen, unable to hold on for very long due to his long period of forced abstinance.

Buffy smiled as she straightned, then raised an eyebrow. Spike was unconcious.

She shook her head as she climbed up beside him, running her fingers over his chest as he came too, and she giggled at the incredolous look he gave her, "That's...actually...never happened to me before..."

"I take it you liked?"

"Oh...fuck yeah..." Spike growled as he gripped her shoulders, and rolled them so that she was trapped beneath his body, crushing his lips against hers, almost savage with his kiss, and Buffy moaned into his mouth, arching her hips up, suddenly craving friction as he kissed along her jawline. She tensed slightly when his lips brushed against her unprotected throat, but he only ran his cool tongue along it reassuringly, "Relax, pet..." He murmured in her ear, "I won't bite unless you ask..."

She forced her body to relax as he kissed her collarbone, dipping his tongue into the hollow of her throat as one his hands came up to cup a full breast, and Buffy exhaled sharply as his mouth closed over a peaked nipple, suckling it gently as he kneaded the other one, sending bolts of need straight to her womanhood.

She hissed, then gripped his head, pulling him back up for another kiss, then rubbed against him, "Spike...now...please..." She pleaded, trying to coax him up to her.

"Luv...let me just..."

"Now!" She ordered firmly, "Please...I need you now..."

"Bossy chit," He smiled, then groaned as he sheathed himself deep within her body, her heat searing his terminally cold body, "Oh, God...pet..."

She impatiently moved her hips against his, and he growled as he dropped his mouth to her throat, sucking at the soft skin over her jugular as he slowly began to thrust into her, the muscles in his back rippling with the movements, and Buffy ran her hands along his spine, her breathing deepening as she closed her eyes, murmuring his name.

Spike pulled away from her neck, bracing himself up on his arms so that he could watch her face as he plunged into her deeply, and she arched her body up towards him, her eyes shooting open to meet his yellow ones, and she reached up to trace the smooth planes of his face, wondering why his eyes had changed, but not the rest of his face.

Spike brought one hand up, fondling her breasts as he kissed her again, the taste of him still clinging to her tongue, and he moaned deeply as he picked up his speed, thrusting into her, and relishing the sound of their bodies smacking together, skin on skin, warm against cold.

He dropped his hand to between their bodies, and Buffy tore her mouth away from his as she gasped, her eyes widening as his talented fingers found the hard, bundle of nerves, and pressed against it. She slammed her hips upward as she climaxed, calling out his name, and Spike groaned as her silken, soft walls tightened around him, squeezing him tightly, and he thrust into her a few more times before his body shuddered, and he buried himself to the hilt deep within her, filling her with his dead seed.

After a few moments, he rolled to his side, and pulled Buffy over to him, kissing her softly, and she smiled slightly, closing her eyes as she tucked her head beneath his chin.

Month Ten

Storm

Buffy smiled as she woke slowly, finding Spike's head pillowed her chest. He was part growling, part purring against her skin, and she wondered idly if that was his way of snoring as she ran her fingers through his tousled hair.

The vampire murmured sleepily, snuggling closer to her, and she glanced towards the door as a cool, ocean breeze blew in, and she suddenly sat up, her entire body going rigid. "Spike...wake up..." She hissed at him, and Spike jerked his head up, looking at her dazedly, "Huh? What's wrong?"

She pointed towards the door, and Spike's eyes widened when he saw the huge, midnight black clouds looming in the distance, and the sound of the ocean swells pounding the beach below. "Fuck..."

"Is it...?"

"No...probably just a tropical storm..." Spike scrambled out of bed, pulling his lover to her feet, "Grab some food and head to the cave, pet. It's the safest place for now..."

"Where are you going?" She asked fearfully as he started pulling on his clothes, and he paused to kiss her forehead reassuringly, "I'm going to grab some wood, and then find some food for myself...these storms could last a few days. I'll meet you there, luv...promise..."

Buffy nodded slowly, chewing on her lip as Spike slipped out the door and headed towards the jungle before grabbing food, the tools they had made, and Spike's fishing spear. She made a few trips back and forth, jumping everytime lightening crashed in the distance.

Her heart was pounding faster then ever before, and her skin had broken out in a cold, panicked sweat as she hurried to get everything done. Soon, she retreated into the very far back of the cave, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath as she tried to compose herself.

An hour later, Spike appeared, carrying a large armful of wood, and he grimaced as he dropped them on the floor of the cave. "I'm so bloody, goddamn stupid..." He cursed himself, and Buffy looked up at him in relieve as he knelt, starting to build up a small fire to keep her warm, "I should have noticed that the fuckin' animals had been more scarce the last few days...I couldn't find one bloody thing moving out there. They've been prepared for this longer then we have..." He sniffed the air, then glanced towards Buffy, seeing she was shaking.

"Luv, come here," Spike beckoned for her and she went towards him, sinking into his embrace with a contented sigh as his strong arms held her tightly, "It's gonna be fine. Just a bit of wind and rain, and the world's good as new again."

"What about our house? Will it be okay?"

"Should be...but if it doesn't hold up, no worries. We'll rebuild," Spike assured her with a grin, "This time...indoor plumbing."

Buffy giggled, "And how are we gonna do that? Build a portapotty out of rocks and mangos?!"

Spike scowled at her, but it was playful, glad that he had at least gotten her mind off the coming storm, then winced when a roar filled the air, and Buffy clutched his arm, her nails digging into his skin. "Oh God..." She muttered, snapping her eyes tightly closed.

Spike looked up sharply at the sound, pulling Buffy onto his lap so that he could hold her even closer, and he murmured soothingly in her ear, while keeping a close eye on the entrance to the cave as the storm hit with all it's force.

"Buffy..." Spike's soft voice pulled her from the darkness of sleep, and Buffy opened her eyes tiredly. She was cradled against his side, the pair having retreated towards the back of the cave when water had flooded the bottom part. Luckily, it was higher in the back. "Luv...it's the eye...we got about forty minutes to stretch our legs..."

"Uh? Eye?" Buffy repeated, and Spike smiled.

"Eye of the hurricane. I want to try and see if I can scare something up to eat before we get hit again..."

Buffy stood up a bit shakily, looking a little panicked, "No...you don't have too..."

"Pet...I'm starving, I'm colder then usual, and I feel like a drowned rat...and you don't seem much better. You need to get warmed up a bit..." Spike took her hand, and they sloshed through the water at the front of the cave. Spike glanced up at the clear night sky above them, repressing a shudder at the false calm.

They climbed up towards the waterfall, and Buffy sat on a rock, grimacing at the dampness, and Spike smiled, "I'll be back in a bit, before the storm comes again...but if the wind picks up, I want you to go back in the cave..."

"You'll be here before then, won't you?" Buffy asked, her eyes widening slightly, and Spike nodded at her, kissing her forehead.

"With bells on, Buffy. Promise," Spike shrugged out of his duster and wrapped it around her shoulders, "I'd light a fire, but it's too bloody damp. Try walking around a little bit to get warm, alright?"

Buffy nodded, watching worriedly as her lover slipped into the jungle, then turned her eyes towards the black, boiling sky in the distance.

Spike was pushing his luck, and he knew it. He had already been in the jungle for an hour, but was still unable to find something to eat. The animals had all gone into hiding. He considered turning back, but he had to keep looking. The second half of the storm, from the looks of it, was going to be worse then the first. They had already been trapped in the cave for a day and a half...he didn't trust himself to be around her for another two days.

He rubbed his hand over his face, surprised to feel the ridges. It wasn't good if he was going into game face and didn't notice it. He growled in annoyance, then plunged deeper into the jungle.

Buffy was watching the trees closely as the wind whipped her hair around her face and head, Spike's duster wrapped firmly around her body. She glanced towards the storm, watching as lightening flashed, shuddering. "Spike...where the hell are you?"

Nobody answered her, and as the rain started again, she was forced to retreat back to the cave, and she watched the entrance worriedly, unconciously rocking back and forth on her heels.

I have to be the most bloody insane man on the planet...

Spike ran a hand through his hair, accidently leaving a livid, crimson streak through the honey-blond locks. He had been forced to climb a palm tree, and he had found a small monkey, but he had sliced his hands open on the palm fronds while trying to catch it. He had also cut up his last pair of jeans while climbing the tree, and his knees were now scabbed and bloody.

Now, to top it off, rain was driving down at him in hard, sideways sheet. Each drop felt like a pinprick in his skin. Lightening flashed ahead of him, heralding the coming of the second half of the storm. The trees groaned as the wind picked up.

Spike growled as he bent forward, trying to fight the force of nature shoving back at him, then jumped when a tree nearby was struck by lightening. He started to sprint, but that only served in tiring him out as the wind and rain kept beating back at him, seeming to become more intense the harder her pushed back at it.

It took him an hour to reach the entrance of the cave, and he gave a sigh of relief. Then lightening flashed above him, and his eyes widened. A tree had fallen across the mouth of the cave, blocking his only way in, and effectively trapping Buffy. "GOD BLOODY DAMMIT! CAN'T SOMEONE CUT ME A BREAK?!" He snarled at the sky, as if challenging nature herself, then turned his attention back to the cave.

He tried to wrap his arms around the slick, damp trunk, rain biting into his back from behind, and the wind trying to shove him forward into the sharp, knife-like ridges of the bark, and he growled as his hands were cut up even more.

His feet slipped in the slick mud, and he fell against the bark, hissing as his chest rubbed against the bark, and he looked down, his shirt ripped into shreds, and his skin looking no better. He sucked it in, closing his eyes as he reached around the trunk again, trying to yank it away from the cave, but soon, he gave up, panting needlessly as he rested his forehead against the bark, cursing.

He felt a chill hand touch his, and he sat up a bit, peering over the top of the trunk to see Buffy's wide, frightened eyes looking at him fearfully, "Spike...I can't move it from my side either..."

"It's all right, Slayer..." Spike told her, biting his lip when he could scent her fear quite clearly, despite being downwind of her, and she took a deep breath.

"Can you get to the other cave? The one we stayed at when we first got here...?" She asked, trying to hide the fear from her voice as she knelt in the dirty water, her entire body soaked, but Spike shook his head, "I can't...I'm too bloody tired...I'm just going to stay here..."

"But..."

"No worries," he smiled wanly, "Won't kill me, right?" He squeezed her hand gently, and she tightened her grip on it, "Now...go back in the cave before you catch yourself a cold, all right?"

She nodded, and obeyed...for about ten minutes before she was back, her entire body trembling as the lightening continued to crash, and she could hear the roar of the wind and the trees cracking under the strain of the gale-force winds.

Spike reached his arm through the hole as far as it would go, wincing when he sliced it again on a piece of rock jutting out, but he ignored the pain as he awkwardly wrapped his arm around Buffy's shoulder, and she pressed herself against the trunk, resting her head against the junction of his elbow and arm, closing her eyes tightly as Spike whispered to her soothingly, telling her nothing and everything as he braved the storm for her sake.

Buffy was shaking in her sleep, from both cold and residual fear that carried over into her dreams. Soon, however, the sound of silence woke her, and she blearily opened her eyes. She was sitting in a puddle of water, and she was soaked through and through...and Spike's arm was still wrapped around her.

She sat up, glancing through the hole to see the ashen faced vampire resting with his cheek against the tree trunk, numerous cuts and scrapes marring his face. "Spike...?"

"Ugh..." The vampire moaned groggily, opening his eyes slowly and he glanced at her dazedly, "Dru?"

Buffy felt a fresh stab of fear, "No, Spike...it's me...Buffy..."

"Bloody doll..." Spike closed his eyes again, "Oughta smash the damn thing..."

Oh Crap...he's delirous...Buffy gently put his arm back through the hole, wincing when she heard him land in the knee deep mud outside as he lost his only grip on the tree, and sat back on her butt, bracing her feet against the trunk of the tree. For forty minutes, she pushed and grunted, trying to dislodge it, and then, finally, it gave with a loud crack, part of it breaking off. After another forty minutes of pushing, she managed to create a hole big enough for her to just squeeze her small body through.

She landed on her hands and knees, and she panted for breath, glancing up at the clear, lightening sky, and she glanced at Spike, then back at the hole. There was no way she was going to be able to get him through there, and she wasn't sure if she'd be able move the rest of the tree. Her joints and legs ached to the point of incapacitation, and she was tired enough to want to just fall over in the mud and sleep right there.

She forced herself to her feet, going towards Spike, and she dropped beside him, rolling him onto his back, his entire front covered with black mud, and she slapped his face lightly, trying to wake him, all the while wincing when she took in his sliced up chest, legs and arms, and his back had looked raw and red from the constant beating of the hard rain, and the buffeting he had recieved from the wind coming at him from behind.

"Please, Spike..." She pleaded, "Wake up...the sun's coming up..."

He opened his eyes again, the orbs shining with delirum, and he mumbled something in what sounded like Chinese or Japenese, and Buffy groaned, slipping his arm around her shoulders, and pulled him forcefully to his feet. "You have to walk with me, Spike...I'm too tired to carry you..." She told him, and he garbled at her in another language that she couldn't identify. He at least seemed to understand her, and slowly, they put one foot in front of each other.

Buffy stumbled over a fallen tree, and she collapsed, with Spike landing on top of her, the vampire slipping into unconciousness. She groaned, then glanced at the tree they had fallen over. It was braced against a rock, and there was an opening just big enough for Spike to fit under.

She rolled him beneath it, then found some leaves to cover him up with. She then laid down beside him, uncaring about the damp ground, and pulled his arm around her waist, snuggling up against him. She shivered, and his grip tightened around her as he rested his cheek to hers, and Buffy closed her eyes, allowing sleep to claim her.

Buffy woke as the sun started to set, Spike's arms wrapped around her waist, and she weakly elbowed him a bit. The vampire opened his eyes with a small groan, "Slayer?"

She smiled in relief that he was lucid once more, "The sun's set...we can get out now..."

"Get out?" He repeated groggily, looking around him in confusion, then with a great bit of difficulty, used his arms to push himself upright, the effort tiring him immensely. He never had felt so weak in his life, even when Buffy had dropped a church organ on him.

He glanced around, wondering how he had gotten from the cave, then glanced at Buffy as she shuddered, still wrapped up in his duster.

"Do you think you can walk?" Buffy asked, "I don't think I can carry you again..."

"Gonna have too..." Spike winced, forcing himself to his feet with another groan, "Bloody 'ell..."

"I told you to leave," Buffy said, sounding suddenly angry, "You could have gotten killed! And where would that have left me?!"

"Sorry, pet," Spike gave her a weary look, then scented the air, hoping to catch a scent of some nearby animal, then sighed in disappointment, "How bad was the damage?"

"Huh?"

"To the house, pet, how bad is it?"

"I don't know...I didn't have a chance to look," Buffy replied, "You might have to sleep underneath it..."

"Bloody grand," Spike muttered beneath his breath, then sighed as they leaned against each other for mutual support, making their way through fallen trees and piled up brush towards the beach.

They pratically stumbled out onto the sand, their feet sinking into the still damp sand. They stopped on the sand, and Spike let out a relieved laugh as he let go of Buffy, flopping down on the sand. "Finally! Someone cut us a bleedin' break!"

Buffy smiled as she looked over their house. It was completely intact, save for a bit of the steel had been sheared off, and landing in the trees behind the hut, then glanced down at Spike, who was grinning tiredly, but his eyes were shining as he rolled back to his feet, "If I still believed in God, I'd be thanking him right about now..."

"You're atheist?"

"No, Slayer...I'm the only Catholic vampire on the bleedin' planet," Spike replied, heading into the shack, and Buffy followed him, rolling her eyes.

He collapsed on one of the pallets, and Buffy smiled wearily as she laid out next to him, and he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her throat tiredly before closing his eyes, falling into a much needed sleep.

Buffy turned in his arms, unable to fall asleep, and she smiled as she watched her lover's chest rise and fall with habitual breath, and rested her head against his chest, splaying one warm hand across his abdomen, careful not to touch any of his cuts and bruises.

She smiled slightly as she thought of the way he had stayed outside of the cave all during the storm, one arm wrapped around her. She would have been safe alone, so it wasn't a matter of him trying to keep her alive so he wouldn't be alone. He actually...cared. Cared about her..how weird is that?

She sat up a bit to stare down into his peaceful features, then reached out a hand, tenderly tracing his face with her fingertips, a small smile coming to her lips.

"Whatcha thinking?" Spike suddenly asked, his eyes still closed, and Buffy tensed in surprise, then relaxed against him.

"Just thinking I owe you one," Buffy replied softly.

"Not at all," He replied, finally opening his eyes, then cocked an eyebrow at the look of complete contement on her face, "Why do you look like the cat that just ate the canary?"

"Huh?" Buffy looked confused, and Spike chuckled.

"You look...happy...I can't figure out why the hell you are...since you just spent an entire night wet to the bone in a bloody cave..."

Buffy kissed his lips with a small smile, "No reason. Just glad to be here..."

"Really...even if it's with your mortal ene"marquot;

"Yeah," Buffy snuggled against his side with a small sigh, "Even with my mortal enemy."

1 year and three months

Surprise

Spike frowned as he listened to Buffy retching outside, wondering what in the hell was going on. For the last few weeks, she had been sick every morning, and then she'd come inside, then eat as if she hadn't just purged about six pounds worth of fish, mangos and monkey meat out of her stomach.

Buffy came back in a few minutes later, glancing at Spike, his honey-blond hair finally free of all dye, and flopping in his eyes as he bent over a rock, sharpening another fishing spear. He looked up at her in concern, "You feeling all right, pet?"

"Yeah...I'm just fighting whatever bug I got..."

"I don't know where the hell you got it," Spike replied, "We're the only two people on the bloody island. A cold, I understand..but the flu's a virus, ain't it? You can only catch it from other people...and I sure as hell didn't give it to you."

"I'm fine!" Buffy snapped, and Spike looked down with a low growl.

"Well...just bloody well excuse me for caring!"

Buffy sighed, then plopped down on his lap, effectively stopping his work, and he wrapped his arms around her as she laid her head on his shoulder. "Sorry...I've been kinda bitchy lately..."

"Yeah..." Spike chuckled as she glared at him, "But I forgive you, pet."

"Good," She snuggled with him, content for the moment, then suddenly flew off his lap, and back outside.

Spike shook his head slightly, "I hope you're covering that up with sand!"

Spike ran a hand through his damp hair as he grimaced down at his bare feet, sand sticking to it as he went into the hut, shaking his head slightly, "Christ Almighty...the sand thing is killing me..." He paused, frowning when he saw Buffy sitting on the floor, counting her calendar stones. "Why are you doing that again? You did it just this morning...three times...four more times in the afternoon..."

Buffy looked up at him, her eyes slightly wide, "Spike...I skipped a period..."

"So?"

"Spike...I never skip a period...never, ever!"

"Relax, pet," Spike flopped down on their bed, "I can't knock you up..." He saw the look on her face, "I can't...right?"

"Think about it, Spike...all the food I'm eating...the sudden craving for red meat..."

"Your diet's a wee off...and you're a growing girl..."

"The morning sickness, Spike..."

"Oh...fuck..." Spike stared at her, "How the hell can you be pregnant?! I'm a vampire, last time I checked!"

"I don't know! It's definitatly yours, since there's no one else here!" Buffy looked dismayed, "I can't be pregnant...not here..." She almost whimpered, "I mean...there's no hospitals...what if something goes wrong?!"

"Relax, pet," Spike held out his arms for her, and she abadoned her stones to sink into his embrace, tears springing to her eyes, "My mum had me with just my aunt helping her...and my mum was a mid-wife...and I was her assistant when my sister Susanne died...so I know a bit about babies..."

Buffy sniffled as tears slipped down her cheeks, and she looked up at him, "Your mom was a mid-wife?"

"Yep..." Spike smiled reasurringly, cupping her chin and brushing his lips across her forehead, "I must've helped with about twenty births...it's no big deal, really...some hot water...towels..."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah..." A sudden grin broke over Spike's face, "I'm having a baby..."

Buffy giggled as he suddenly stood up, swinging her around happily, crowing loudly, "I'm having a baby!"

"Spike...you know I'm the one that's pregnant, right?" Buffy teased and Spike's grin only widened.

"If it's a boy, we're naming him William. Elizabeth if it's a girl."

"What? Don't I get a say?" Buffy complained, "I'm the one pushing that sucker out!"

"Nope!" Spike let go of her, and ran to the doorway, yelling out onto the empty beach, "I'M HAVING A BABY!"

She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling, his excitement very contagious, and she giggled as he whirled and wrapped one arm around her waist, and started to waltz with her around the hut, and then he kissed her so hard, her lips felt almost numb afterward, but that still didn't wipe the smile off her face. If anything, it only got bigger as Spike kissed her cheek with a loud smack.

"This has to be the best day of my unlife," He exclaimed, "I never thought...you know...that I could..."

"Must be a Slayer thing..." Buffy replied, and Spike grinned as he pulled her close, rubbing his nose along her face playfully.

"I'm having a bbbbaabbyyy..." He sang loudly, and off-key as he started to dance with her again, beaming brightly, "Baby, baby, baby..."

"You're nuts, you know that, right?" Buffy told him, rolling her eyes, and he laughed happily, "I love you, you know that, right?"

Buffy tensed slightly, and Spike stared at her, looking a bit self-concious. He hadn't meant to let it slip just like that...but he couldn't help it. He was in love with the fiery young woman, who was carrying his child...but he knew she couldn't possibly love him like that...not when she loved Angel. He was just there, is all...never in a million years would she love a mons--

"Love you too, fangbreath," Buffy smiled brightly, "But if it's a girl, I want to name her Jennifer..."

"No way. Elizabeth was my mum's name...and it's yours too...so you're outvoted..."

"There's two of us! How can I be outvoted?!"

Spike dropped to his knees, kissing her stomach, "What do you say, luv? Jennifer or Elizabeth?"

Buffy giggled as he pressed his ear to her belly, then he grinned up at her, "She says Elizabeth."

"What if it's a boy, Spike? Since he voted Elizabeth, are we gonna name him that?"

"Course," Spike chuckled, "I'm very open-minded...if he wants to be girl, let him be a bloody girl...who's gonna see him?"

"You're demented, you know that right?"

"Yeah, but that's what you love about me," Spike jumped back to his feet, and kissed her soundly with a large grin, then raced out the door.

"Where are you going?" Buffy called out, going to the door, and Spike glanced back at her, "Well...we're gonna need a nursury of sorts, right? Better get cracking if we want everything ready by then!"

Buffy shook her head with a smile as she watched the vampire rush off into the trees, then rested her hand against her belly. "That's your dad, kid...yeah...I'm scared too."

 

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