Chapter 1 - Daughter of Fate


“Spike, be careful with it,” Buffy said, watching him carry the heavy box over the threshold. “Be careful… Be careful!”

Jumping when he dropped the box on a nearby chair and spun around, her eyes widened as Spike’s face shifted. “One more word out of you, Princess, and I’m moving into a bleeding crypt,” he growled.

“Sir, yes, sir!” she said in a sharp voice, standing up straighter, trying to suppress a giggle when he narrowed his eyes on her.

“You think you’re so cute, don’t you, Summers?” he asked, slowly approaching her.

“I know you think I am,” she said with a smile, running her hands over his chest when he reached her.

Closing her eyes when she felt his lips against hers, Buffy sighed, eagerly deepening the kiss when she felt his arms band around her waist. Feeling his tongue brush along hers, she shivered in excitement, pulling away after a moment.

“We still have a lot of things to unload,” she said with a pout.

“Sod it,” Spike muttered, crushing his lips to hers again.

Smiling against his lips, she ran her hands through his hair, freeing it from the gel as he lifted her into his arms, holding her close.

Thrusting his erection against her, Spike fisted a hand in her hair, gaining more control over her.

Feeling lightheaded, Buffy hesitantly pushed him away, closing her eyes when he trailed kisses along her jaw before biting her neck with his blunt teeth.

“Spike,” she whispered, her voice thick with need. Placing a hand on the back of his neck, she guided him toward his mark. “Please.”

Vaguely hearing a car door, Spike pulled away, taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. Hearing Buffy whimper in need, he pressed another quick kiss to her lips, seeing the uncertainty in her gaze.

“What’s wrong, love?” he asked in concern.

“What?” she replied, her voice distant and distracted. “Oh… uh… nothing,” she said, shaking her head. Clearing her throat in an attempt to change the subject, she walked toward the front of the house. “I guess we really need to finish this.”

“Don’t give me that tone of voice,” Spike replied with an amused smile. “My vote was for the movers, but apparently the popular vote was to move in ourselves.”

“Well, it was actually the popular vote that we all load you up, since you’re the one with super-strength, and then you can bring everything into the house,” Buffy replied, suppressing a grin.

“Excuse me?” he said with a raised eyebrow.

“It’s a compliment,” she said with a bright smile.

“I seem to recall you having your own strength, as well,” he replied.

“Aww, baby, you always told me my strength was in the bedroom,” she said, smiling when his eyes darkened. “You’re always so sensitive,” she said, backing away from him when he slowly advanced on her until she was pressed against a nearby wall.

“I’m not the only one,” he said in a husky voice, slipping a hand between her thighs, smiling when she closed her eyes as her breathing became labored. Studying her for a moment while her face flushed, he moved to kiss her, pulling away when he heard a noise at the front door. “We’ll finish this later,” he whispered, brushing a kiss to her cheek.

“I’m holding you to that,” she said, pushing away from the wall to go back into the main room, seeing her father and Cordelia bringing boxes into the living room.

“Was wondering if you two were gonna show up,” Spike said, walking in behind her.

“Be glad we’re helping at all,” Angel muttered, setting a box down. “We have our own problems to worry about.” Turning around, he came face-to-face with his daughter’s wide green eyes. “Not that I would pass up the opportunity to help you, sweetheart.”

Smiling brightly, Buffy stood on her tiptoes to kiss her father’s cheek before the group made their way back to the truck to finish moving their belongings into the house.

“How’s the remodeling going with the hotel?” Buffy asked, picking up one of the heavier boxes and turning toward her father and Cordelia.

“Good,” Cordy said, nodding slightly. “Still have to get up to code on a few things, but for a few months work, I think we’re doing a good job.”

“It should open on schedule,” Angel said, following his daughter back into the house. Setting the boxes down on the newly purchased dining room table, Angel gently kissed Buffy’s temple. “I’m glad you’re moving here.”

“Me, too,” she said, smiling up at him.

After a year of enjoying the perks of being human, Angel had soon realized that he would have to do something about Angel Investigations. As strong as he was, it still worried Cordelia when he went out to patrol alone. Between the two of them, they had decided to restore the Hyperion to former glory. One phone call to Buffy and Spike in Las Vegas had them agreeing to move to Los Angeles and maintain the demon population.

“Of course, it would have been a little nicer if Peaches had chipped in on the house,” Spike said, walking through the door with Cordelia.

“Be nice,” Buffy scolded, walking over to her mate and wrapping her arms around his waist as she rested her chin against his shoulder. “He paid for the move. They have enough of their own expenses right now.”

“Wanting to retire so his daughter can carry on the family business,” Spike said, seeing Angel glower at him.

“As if either of you had a choice in the matter,” Cordelia said, exchanging a look with Buffy, knowing that the young woman wouldn’t do anything just because her father or the man she loved asked her to. She was strong enough to make her own choices, not depend on the men in her life to do that for her.

“Let’s get this finished,” Angel said, walking out the door.

Buffy gave Spike a pleading look, silently asking him to behave himself.

Spike sighed, gently kissing the top of Buffy’s head before following the other man outside.

Following them after a moment, Buffy had to smile when she saw Angel giving Spike orders as they tried to maneuver the couch down the ramp.

Just because Angel was no longer a vampire didn’t mean that he wasn’t Buffy’s father. The same was true with Spike. Human or vampire, he was still Spike’s grandsire, and both accepted the relationship to the same degree that they always had.

It didn’t mean Spike would always listen to Angel, but there was still an amount of respect that he held for the other man.

Cordelia soon joined Buffy on the porch, smiling at the two men as they argued back and forth.

“What do you say we leave them to their own devices and we start unpacking?”

Raising an eyebrow when Spike dropped his end of the couch on the driveway, forcing Angel to drop his, as well, she nearly laughed when her mate threw himself onto the couch, fed up with Angel’s orders.

“Sounds good,” Buffy said with a smile, turning her back on the argument as she followed Cordelia into the house.

* * * * *

Falling back on the bare mattress of her bed, Buffy instinctively knew that the sun was about to rise as she closed her eyes in exhaustion.

“I didn’t know we had so much stuff in our apartment,” she said when she sensed Spike walk into the room.

“Would have been a lot less if you hadn’t gone shopping for months before we came,” he teased, lying down next to her.

“It’s a big house for the two of us,” she said, rolling over and wrapping an arm around his waist as she rested her head against his chest. “I wanted to have it all ready to live in.”

“You forgot that means that we have to ‘ready’ it,” Spike said, closing his eyes as he tenderly ran a hand through her hair, relaxing both of them with the simple touch.

“Thought that was half the fun,” she replied with a yawn.

“Going to sleep so soon, baby?” he asked in a husky whisper.

“So soon?” she asked, suppressing another yawn. “It’s almost sunrise.”

“Thought we had a little something to finish,” he said, leaning over to gently bite her neck, sending her hips automatically thrusting against his thigh.

“Spike,” she whispered, her voice thick with desperation while he easily stripped her of her pants. “More.”

Maneuvering her until she was straddling his waist, Spike smiled as he shook his head. “Not so fast, Goldilocks,” he said, pulling her shirt over her head. “You’ll have to earn it,” he said with an evil smirk.

Biting her lip as her hips began to move with his, Buffy eagerly pushed his shirt up his chest, feeling the strong muscles beneath her fingertips, smiling when he sat up to quickly pull it off.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, Spike took a nipple in his mouth, circling it with his tongue as he held her close.

Buffy arched against his mouth, threading her fingers through his hair. Feeling Spike’s hands abandon her waist as he quickly unbuckled his belt, she helped him push the jeans over his hips, freeing his erection.

Raising up onto her knees, she positioned him at her entrance, sinking onto him with a strangled cry.

Holding her hips in a brutal grip, Spike guided her movements, feeling the tension in her body. Pulling back to look at her face, his gaze darkened as he watched her.

Throwing her head back, Buffy dug her fingernails into his shoulders, her eyes closing as tremors of pleasure ran through her body.

“Open your eyes.”

Hearing the command in his voice, Buffy did as she was told, looking deep into his eyes.

Jerking her forward for a brutal kiss, Spike slowly broke away, holding her to him as he slowly moved his lips along her jaw. Kissing along her throat, he could feel her trembling in his arms.

“Please,” she whispered, closing her eyes and leaning more heavily into him. “Spike, please.”

Finally sensing that his features changed, she was able to moderately relax.

“You know I love to hear you beg, baby,” he whispered huskily seconds before plunging his fangs into her throat.

Feeling the slice of his razor-sharp fangs cutting into her skin sent Buffy into an instantaneous orgasm. Frantically moving on his lap, she screamed out her climax, desperately thrusting her hips against his as her inner muscles flexed around him. Still moving her hips while she slowly came down, Buffy whimpered when she felt him try to pull away from her.

“No,” she said, holding the back of his neck, pressing him more forcefully toward her neck. “Don’t leave me.”

Kissing the fresh puncture wounds, Spike pulled back, his demon face still in place as he looked at her, subtly shaking his head. Easily flipping them over on the mattress, Buffy felt her excitement building again. He’d always reverted back to his human face shortly after biting her. Seeing the demon on top of her had her trembling beneath him.

Noticing a difference in her reaction, Spike smiled. “See something you like, love?”

“Always,” she murmured, pulling him lower to kiss him, feeling his fangs leaving tiny scratches along her lips and tongue. Sensing through the claim when one of his fangs scraped along his own tongue, Buffy eagerly tasted the small amount of blood that came from the scratch, her hips arching against his until he was steadily pounding her into the mattress.

Feeling his climax approach, Spike pulled back in surprise when Buffy offered the side of her neck that he had just bitten. “Can’t,” he said, shaking his head, his movements never stopping. “It’ll hurt you.”

“It’s okay,” Buffy whispered, stroking the fine hairs at the back of his neck as her hips continued to move with his. “I like the pain,” she added with a smile.

The soft words were nearly enough to send Spike over the edge as he eagerly sunk his fangs into her throat for the second time. Numbly hearing her cry of pain turn into a scream of pleasure had the demon practically smiling in delight. Tremors shook through her body, forcing Spike’s own release as he spilled himself within her.

Taking a final swallow of blood, he prepared himself to pull away, surprised when he once again felt Buffy’s hand on the back of his neck. “Not yet,” she breathed, her hips still moving with his. “I need to come again.”

Lapping at the pool of blood on her neck, Spike smiled. “Insatiable minx.”

“Spike,” she said in a warning tone.

Slipping back into his human features, he kissed her gently before moving to the other side of her neck. Seeing the scar from the claiming bite he’d given her more than a year before, Spike eagerly sucked on the more sensitive flesh, reaching between their bodies until he found Buffy’s clit and languidly stroked the sensitive bundle.

Increasing the pressure of his lips and blunt teeth until the skin was bruised, Spike waited until he could feel her body trembling as she sought out her orgasm. Biting down until his blunt teeth nearly broke the skin, his hand moved over her clit at a rapid speed, hearing the scream that was ripped from her as he continued to manipulate her body.

Pulling away from her, Spike could feel himself harden inside of her, seeing the smile on her face as she breathed heavily.

“Up for another go, pet?” he asked with a smile.

“Always.”
 

Chapter 2 – Dark Desires


Opening her eyes a few hours later, Buffy frowned as she looked around the room. Sitting up, she clutched the sheet to her chest, pouting slightly when she didn’t see Spike anywhere.

“Alright, you bleached pest,” she muttered, climbing out of the bed. “It’s daylight- you have to be around here somewhere.

Concentrating for a long moment, she bit her lip when she felt his presence on the first floor. Still holding the sheet around her, she slowly walked down the stairs, glancing around the house before walking into the kitchen. Standing in the doorway for a moment, she watched as Spike calmly drank from a mug as he read the paper.

“When did you go all domestic?” she asked, raising an eyebrow when he looked up and smiled at her.

“And she’s awake. Thought you were going to sleep the day away.”

“No, that’s your job,” she replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

Spike frowned as he looked at her, abandoning his place at the counter to walk over to Buffy. Gently resting his hands on her hips, he tugged her forward until she was flush against him. “What’s wrong?”

“You weren’t there,” she said with a pout, using it more to get her point across than to influence him.

“Not the first time that’s happened, pet,” he replied with a raised eyebrow, trailing a finger along her exposed cleavage, smiling when she closed her eyes.

“But this is the first time in a new place,” she said, the fighting quality of her voice fading away as she rested her head against his chest. “I wanted you there.”

“Sorry, baby,” he whispered, kissing the top of her head before pulling back to tilt her chin up to face him. “Forgive me?”

Hearing the teasing note of his voice, Buffy narrowed her eyes, playfully punching his chest. Moving away from him, she stopped when she got to the island in the center of the room.

“Please tell me you didn’t risk a sunburn to get this,” she said, turning to Spike with a raised eyebrow, holding the newspaper in her hand.

“It was in the shade,” he replied, walking behind her to wrap his arms around her waist.

Shivering against him when his lips ghosted over her shoulder, Buffy closed her eyes as she dropped the newspaper on the counter. Turning in his arms, she let her hands thread through his hair, pulling him closer to her.

“And you say I’m insatiable,” she murmured as his hands began to work on the sheet, slowly exposing her skin to his gaze. Closing her eyes when he lifted her up to sit on the island, her legs reflexively parted as he moved forward. Breathing more heavily when he finished his task of unwrapping the sheet, Buffy shivered when the cooler air swept over her body.

“Beautiful,” he whispered, enjoying the way she still flushed every time he paid her a compliment.

“You’re just getting senile in your old age,” she said, smiling slightly when his eyes darkened.

“Not too old to spank you,” he said, a smirk playing on his lips.

Angling her lips until they were nearly brushing against his, Buffy slowly smiled as she looked into his eyes. “Promise?”

Trembling when his face shifted, Buffy instinctively leaned toward him.

Spike intentionally breathed as he moved closer to her, breathing in the scent of her arousal. “Want me?” he whispered, letting his fangs gently graze her neck, enjoying the sharp gasp that she gave him.

“You know I do,” she whispered, clutching at his shoulders.

“Tell me,” he growled as his fangs slowly scratched the length of her throat, leaving a thin line of blood in their wake.

“I want you,” she whimpered, reaching for his belt, groaning in frustration when he swatted her hands away. “Spike, please…”

“Please, what?” he asked, his tone holding a certain amount of amusement as Buffy struggled to remain calm.

“Do something,” she said, grabbing the back of his neck and pulling him toward her. “Do anything.”

“But it’s so much fun this way,” he said with a smile that looked more menacing with his fangs being showcased.

“Spike,” she groaned, digging her nails into his covered back.

“What do you want, Goldilocks?” he asked, tenderly running his hands along the smooth lines of her bare stomach. “This?”

“You know what I want,” she whispered, gasping when his hands moved lower.

“This?” he repeated, gently stroking her thighs.

Shifting uncomfortably, Buffy lifted her hips toward his hands, gritting her teeth when he moved away from her.

“Or this?” he asked.

Buffy barely had a chance to wonder what he was going to do to her next when she felt him bury two fingers inside of her.

“Yes,” she breathed, relaxing slightly with the moderate relief that she was given.

Leaning closer to kiss him, Buffy nearly jumped at the sharp knock on the door. Whimpering when Spike pulled away from her, she pouted as he looked at her, his eyes shifting from gold to blue.

Pressing a tender kiss to her lips, Spike gently trailed a hand along her cheek. “I better get that.”

“You owe me,” Buffy said, the pout never leaving her lip as she wrapped the sheet around herself.

Spike kissed the tip of her nose in response, waiting until she walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs before moving toward the door. Frowning when he opened it to reveal a chipper woman on the other side, he raised an eyebrow at the basket that was thrust toward him.

“Howdy, neighbor.”

“Uh…yeah…hello.”

“My name’s Rosie, and I’m your neighborhood welcome wagon.”

‘I could be inside the woman I love right now and instead I’m sitting here talking to a welcome wagon?’ he thought with disdain.

“Well…thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” she said with a friendly smile, trying to look over Spike’s shoulder. “Is there a lady of the house I could greet?” she asked, glancing at Spike as he moved to pull the door closer to him.

“There is, but she’s resting right now. I’ll be sure and tell her you stopped by.”

“Please do,” she said, taking a step back when Spike moved to shut the door.

“Oh, one more thing,” she said, putting her hand out to stop him from closing the door.

“Yes?” Spike asked in an irritated voice.

“I don’t know your name.”

“William,” he said, tightening his hold on the doorknob. “My…wife is Buffy,” he said, deciding that their relationship was as close as they would get to a husband and wife.

“Nice to meet you, William,” she said, holding out her hand.

Careful to avoid the sunlight, Spike grudgingly shook her hand, his mind on the images of Buffy wearing only a sheet, waiting for him. “You, too,” he said with a curt nod. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

Shutting the door and twisting the lock with a violent turn of his wrist, Spike turned and dropped the fruit basket on the island before running through the house and up the stairs. Seeing Buffy standing in their bedroom with her back to him, attempting to clasp her bra, Spike’s eyes darkened. Crossing the room, he grasped her hips in his hands, jerking her back toward him.

Buffy knew that she would be bruised in a few hours from his harsh grip, but she also knew that it was just a show of ownership for Spike to do something that would only leave a temporary mark on her body.

“Did I tell you to get dressed?” he growled, sending shivers racing up and down Buffy’s spine.

“You were busy,” she said, hiding her smile when his grip tightened for a moment before one hand abandoned her skin. “You didn’t want to be with me enough to ignore whoever was at the door,” she said, her body trembling as she restrained her laughter when he growled possessively, hearing the sound of a zipper before he spoke again.

“Hands on the bed,” he said in a low voice.

“And if I don’t?” she asked, loving the more menacing snarl that Spike gave her when she challenged him.

Feeling the tip of his cock at her entrance, Buffy automatically closed her eyes and leaned forward, more out of reflex than obeying his command.

Thrusting into her with such force that he lifted her off the ground, Spike smiled when he saw her hands fist in the comforter.

Pulling out, only to slam into her once again, the demon delighted at the little whimper she gave him, while the man in him trailed a soothing hand along her back. Moving at a slower pace, Spike grew even harder when he heard her whispered plea for him to be rougher with her.

Wrapping an arm around her waist, Spike lifted her, turning them until she was facing the wall. “You know what to do,” he said in a low voice, listening to the small gasps and moans that she was emitting.

Spike felt her inner muscles flex around him as he continued to move in and out of her. Hearing her gasps turn to cries of pleasure, he pulled back for a moment before seeing that her hand was no longer pressed against the wall- it was now between her thighs, moving frantically over the sensitive bundle of nerves to help her toward her orgasm.

Grabbing her wrist in his hand, Spike shoved her more forcefully against the wall, growling at her. “You belong to me,” he said in a low whisper, his face shifting as the predator came to the surface.

“I belong to no one,” she said, wanting to see how far she could push him. Smiling when he nearly snarled at her, Buffy eagerly met his thrusts as he brutally slammed into her.

Listening carefully for any hint that he was hurting her beyond the painful pleasure that he was inflicting, Spike smiled as an idea occurred to him. Still holding her wrists in an unforgiving hold so that she couldn’t bring herself off, he pumped into her until he felt the tightening in his own body. Thrusting into her with a final grunt of pleasure, he vaguely heard Buffy whimper as he climaxed.

Pulling out of her, Spike let go of her wrists, taking a step away to see her turn around in confusion.

“Spike?”

“Yeah, love?”

Looking at him in disbelief for a few moments, Buffy was torn between hurt and anger that he was being so thoughtless. Seeing him fixing his belt, her mouth dropped open. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Got what I wanted,” he said, trying to ignore the look on her face.

“Well, I’m happy for you,” she said sarcastically as she turned toward the bathroom. Gasping when she found herself slammed against the wall, Buffy looked into the cold amber eyes, seeing the challenge in his gaze.

“Say it,” he said, moving a hand between her thighs, feeling the dampness that remained.

Narrowing her eyes, even as her breathing became labored, Buffy tightened her lips. “No.”

Surprised when he didn’t pull away, Buffy’s eyes widened when Spike dropped to his knees.

Tasting her softly at first, Spike could hear the panic in her voice, even as her hands threaded through his hair.

“No, Spike…you’ll hurt me…no-oh!”

Her knees buckled when she felt one of his fangs gently touch her skin.

“Say it,” he growled, holding her upright as she nearly collapsed at the vibration he sent through her.

“No,” she rasped, arching her hips toward his mouth, uncaring that his demon was on the surface.

Moving even lower, Spike gently punctured the skin of her thigh, feeling her trembling in his arms. Pulling away at the barest taste of her blood, Spike climbed to his feet, seeing the frustration and longing in Buffy’s eyes.

“Say it,” he repeated, seeing her half-lidded gaze turn to him with contempt.

“Do you belong to me?” she asked, breathing heavily as he considered her for a moment.

“You know I do,” he finally said, brushing his fingertips over her exposed breast. “Now, say it.”

“I’m yours,” she said, dragging him closer to her. “Now finish what you started.”

Pulling him closer to her, Buffy eagerly thrust her hips against his thigh, growing restless when he didn’t make a move to finish her off.

“Spike,” she groaned, breathing a sigh of relief when she felt two fingers push into her. Opening her eyes, she could see the amusement in his gaze that he’d finally gotten what he wanted. Uncaring of his fangs, Buffy pulled him closer, kissing him as he continued to bring her closer to the edge. “You better make it good,” she whispered, smiling when he pulled back with an offended look on his face.

Narrowing his eyes in shock that she could even think he wouldn’t make it good for her, Spike withdrew his fingers, pausing just long enough to see the look of confusion on her face before lunging at her throat.

Biting her more savagely than he ever had in the past, Spike took deep pulls of her blood before reaching between them and twisting her clit, hearing her cry out as her orgasm swept over her. Unsatisfied with the result, Spike tightened his fingers and sunk his fangs in more violently until Buffy was screaming in pleasure.

Feeling her grow limp in his arms, he slowly withdrew, catching her before she fell to the ground. Seeing the soft smile that she gave him, Spike felt a momentary pang of remorse as his face shifted.

Laying her on the bed, he stretched out beside her, pulling her close.

“Didn’t mean to be so rough, baby,” he whispered, seeing her wince when she turned to look at him, the movement agitating the damaged skin of her throat.

“If that happens every time you bite me like that, that’s definitely of the good,” she murmured, her eyes closing in exhaustion.

Tightening his arms around her, Spike closed his eyes, breathing a heavy sigh as he kissed the top of her head.




 

Chapter 3 – Possessive Frustration


Buffy opened her eyes and became aware of two things: she was starving and she was sore.

Slowly rolling over, she looked at Spike, who was contentedly sleeping beside her. Wincing as she pulled away from his arms, Buffy carefully sat up and got out of the bed, attempting to stretch her muscles as she walked toward the bathroom.

Sitting on the edge of the tub a few minutes later as the water adjusted to the right temperature, Buffy tentatively reached up to touch the swollen area around her neck. Standing up and walking toward the mirror, her fingertips ghosted over the irritated skin, seeing the ragged bite mark and the dried blood that clung to her throat.

Her chin trembled slightly as her thoughts seemed to run away with her. Staring at the bite mark with such fixation, she never noticed the door open.

“I’m sorry.”

Spinning around to face the door, Buffy’s hand went to her chest as she took in a deep breath. “Spike,” she breathed, looking at him in surprise. Clearing her throat, she turned toward the shower, testing the water with her hand. “I didn’t see you,” she said with a slight smile, never looking at him.

“That pesky vampire thing, kiddo,” he said, gesturing toward the mirror. “No reflection, remember?”

“I remember,” she said, attempting to get into the shower, stopping when she felt his hand on her arm.

“Let me see.”

“Spike,” she whispered sheepishly, looking down at the floor when he turned her to face him. “It’s nothing, really.”

Closing her eyes when he cupped her chin in his hand and gently tilted her head until her neck was exposed, Buffy bit her lip. Relaxing when she felt his thumb brush over the damaged skin, her hands automatically reached for his waist, needing some form of closeness.

“I should have never-”

Buffy’s eyes snapped open when she heard his choked voice. Looking up at him in surprise, she vigorously shook her head. “Spike, no. You just… I wanted it. I think that was fairly obvious,” she added with a slight smile.

“Buffy…”

Feeling his hand slip around to the back of her neck, she tried to control the slight cringe of pain, unsuccessful as his hand trailed over the dried blood that remained.

Watching as Spike turned to walk out of the room, Buffy quickly caught his hand, drawing him back to her.

“Hey,” she said softly, gently touching his face in reassurance. “You haven’t done anything to hurt me.”

“How can you-”

“Then make it better,” she whispered, taking his hand and leading him toward the shower.

“I shouldn’t,” he said softly, shaking his head, even as Buffy began undressing him.

“You know you want to,” she murmured, giving him a sweet smile as she stepped under the steaming water.

Not strong enough to resist the woman he loved, Spike quickly followed, ignoring the water as he wrapped Buffy in his arms, pulling her close to him and dropping his head to her shoulder.

Feeling her trembling, Spike gently pushed Buffy against the wall, brushing his tongue over the tender skin, doing what he could to put her at ease.

Buffy closed her eyes when she felt the gentle way he was treating her. Running her hands along his strong back, she held him close to her before threading her fingers through his hair, holding him closer to her.

“I love you,” she whispered into his ear, kissing along the column of his throat.

Spike gently kissed his mark before trailing kisses up her neck, lightly biting her jaw before responding, “Love you, too, baby.”

Shivering against him, Buffy brought her lips to his for a tender kiss, pulling away when she felt his resistance. “What’s wrong?”

“You should be mad,” he said, looking at her with a sad smile.

Buffy frowned for a moment before realizing that he was still upset over what he’d done a few hours earlier. “Not mad,” she said before a coy smile spread over her lips. “In fact… let me show you how grateful I am.”

Spike tensed when he felt Buffy slip away from him to fall to her knees. “What are you- fuck!” he yelled when her lips closed over his cock. His hands automatically traveled to her hair as the hot water continued to wash over both of them. “Buffy, you… what…?”

Separating with him for a moment, she shook her damp hair out of her face as she looked up at him with a smile. “Showing you how grateful I am,” she said as her hand slowly pumped him up and down. “Would you like me to stop?”

Smiling when he eagerly pulled her toward him, Buffy resumed her ministrations, enjoying the gentle thrusts and soft noises Spike was making as he leaned against the wall.

Feeling lightheaded after a few minutes, Spike breathed heavily, swallowing hard when she began to speed up her movements.

“Buffy… pet… I need to…” Not bothering to finish his statement, Spike continued his shallow thrusts. He’d been with her long enough to know that she didn’t need any warning, feeling her teeth gently graze the tip of his cock before she took all of him in, swallowing against him.

Pulsing into her mouth, Spike’s hand tightened in her hair as he held her in place, growling softly when he felt her swallowing.

Briefly closing his eyes, Spike had to stop himself from sliding down the wall to join her.

Buffy stood up a few moments later, mischievously smacking her lips as she gave him a smile.

“Think you’re so cute, don’t you?” he asked in a breathless voice.

“Doesn’t matter what I think,” she said, biting her lip. “Matters what you think.”

Waiting for a response, Buffy’s eyes widened when Spike dropped to his knees.

“Spike, what are you…?”

Trailing off with a gasp, Buffy arched her back as Spike pulled back to look at her for a moment.

“Returning the favor.”

* * * * *

Catching Spike’s hand in hers, Buffy smiled up at him when his hand reflexively tightened.

“What’s going through that mind of yours, pet?” he asked, looking down a darkened alley before continuing down the sidewalk.

“Do you like it here?” Buffy asked, redirecting him slightly to lead him down the alley, keeping an eye on the shadows.

“I s’pose,” he muttered, obviously growing distracted as they walked.

“Not really the answer I was…” Trailing off when signatures of dozens of vampires seemed to slam through her, Buffy looked around with a worried expression. Normally a tremor of fear never passed through her when she patrolled. Now she found herself taking a step closer to Spike.

“Where are they?” she asked softly, looking around the alley and extracting a second stake from the waistband of her pants.

Closing off his senses until he was tuned into the vampires, Spike turned toward a nearby door that had a dumpster partially concealing it. “There.”

Turning toward the door, Buffy took a few steps toward it, stopping when she felt Spike’s hand on her arm. Looking up at him in confusion, she frowned when he shook his head.

“Demon bar.”

“Your point?” she asked in confusion.

“Anyone who goes in there knows what they’re getting into,” Spike said cryptically.

Looking over her shoulder for a moment, Buffy slowly turned her gaze back to the man beside her. “It’s like the place in Vegas, isn’t it?” she asked, fighting the urge to drop her eyes to the ground.

“What place?” he asked, trying to remain nonchalant, even as his body tensed.

“That I…the place where Ford bit me,” she whispered, wincing when she heard the warning growl from Spike.

“Yeah,” he muttered, turning around and walking toward the end of the alley.

Berating herself for bringing up a bad memory, Buffy slowly followed behind him, folding her arms over her chest, trying to fight the chill that was racing through her.

Spike continued walking, clenching his jaw as he tried to rein in his temper. Gaining a semblance of clarity, the further he walked from the demon bar, he slowed down, briefly closing his eyes when he realized what he was doing.

Turning around, his gaze softened when he saw Buffy looking smaller than ever as her huddled form slowly walked toward him, her hand reaching up to brush away the tears from her eyes.

Closing the distance between them, Spike quickly cupped her face in his hands. Drawing her gaze up to his, he tenderly brushed his lips over hers until she slowly began to respond to him.

“Shouldn’t have acted that way, love,” he whispered, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “Wasn’t like we were together at the time.”

“But I was yours,” she said, looking into his eyes. “Claim or no claim, I’ve always been yours.”

Kissing her again, Spike gently grazed a hand over her cheek before pressing his forehead to hers. “It fades,” he said, closing his eyes to try and curb the possessiveness that was welling up inside of him. “Everything-”

So intent on the woman in his arms, Spike never noticed the three vampires approaching them.

Growling in frustration when he was pulled away from Buffy, he immediately vamped out and spun around, startling the two vamps behind him. Unconcerned with the third that he was confident Buffy was handling, Spike threw a series of punches and kicks at them until they were obviously disoriented.

Grabbing one in a reversed headlock, Spike easily snapped his neck before thrusting the stake into his heart. Spinning around to face the female vampire, he cocked an eyebrow when she immediately froze, obviously recognizing him.

“Master Spike… we… I…”

“You’re dead,” he filled in, throwing the stake through the air, watching it successfully slam into her chest, smirking when she exploded into dust.

Turning around to check on Buffy, he smiled when he saw her toying with the remaining vamp.

“Stake him, already, love. We have more important things we could be doing.”

Pausing long enough to send a coy smile in Spike’s direction, Buffy delivered an impressive spinning kick to the vampire, disorienting him long enough to stake him.

“Whew,” she said, her breathing slightly labored as she tucked the stake into the waistband of her leather pants.

Admiring her flushed cheeks and tousled hair, Spike met her halfway, wrapping an arm around her waist.

Buffy shivered when Spike bent low enough to nip at her neck before looking up at him with a raised eyebrow. “What did you have in mind?”
 

Chapter 4 – Just a Glimpse


“Did you get the paper?” Buffy asked, sipping her coffee the next morning.

“Shouldn’t the person who doesn’t run the risk of bursting into flames be the one who gets the paper?”

“I made the coffee,” Buffy said meekly, holding up the mug as if she was waiting for Spike’s inspection.

“Yeh, fine work,” Spike muttered. “Something to stunt your growth when you’re only three feet tall as it is.”

“Hey!” Buffy cried indignantly, narrowing her eyes when he turned toward her with a raised eyebrow.

“I’m over five feet, thank you very much. And you’re one to talk, shorty.”

Squealing when Spike ran around the island to get to her, Buffy ran toward the front of the house and threw open the door, running into the sunlight under the pretense of getting the paper. Turning around to see Spike safely standing in the shadows of the house, Buffy stuck her tongue out at him.

“Have to come back in this house sometime, pet,” he called, leaning comfortably against the doorframe.

Unwilling to walk any closer, Buffy stopped at the front steps, looking up at him with wide, innocent eyes.

Smirking at her from the house, Spike looked her up and down, thoughtfully trailing his tongue along his bottom lip.

“What’s going through that demented mind of yours?” she asked.

“Come in the house and find out yourself,” he replied.

“Nuh uh,” she said, shaking her head.

“Fine… guess I’ll have to come out there and get you.”

“Spike…” Buffy gasped when he took a step forward. Flying up the steps, she shoved him back in the house, slamming the door behind her. “What the hell do you think you were doing?” she asked, smacking him on the chest.

“I think I know how to get my girl back,” Spike said, smiling down at her.

Standing up a little straighter to brush a kiss to his lips, Buffy smiled. “You always know how to get me,” she said, sliding her hands down his body, pausing when the phone rang.

“Don’t look at me,” Spike said with a heavy sigh. “You were the one who insisted on having the bloody thing.”

“I didn’t think it would ring at inopportune times,” she pouted.

“What other time would it ring?” Spike asked in amusement.

Sighing as she walked toward the phone, Buffy quickly answered. She’d barely said ‘hello’ when she heard her father’s voice.

“Sweetheart, is Spike there?”

“It’s not even noon, Dad. I think it’s safe to say that he’s here.”

“Okay, I… tell him that I need to see him tonight.”

Frowning at the serious tone, Buffy turned away from Spike’s inquisitive gaze. “What’s wrong?”

“What?” Angel asked. “Oh… nothing. It’s nothing for you to worry about, honey, we just need to, uh… work out a few details from the move.”

“And you can’t do that over the phone?” Buffy asked suspiciously.

“Paperwork,” Angel replied as if he’d only just thought of the reason. “We have to do some paperwork. So, you see…?”

“We’ll be there tonight.”

“No… no reason for you to come with him.”

“Okay, if you wanted me to not be suspicious about something, you’re doing a horrible job of it.”

“I’m sorry,” Angel said, sounding a little more like his old self. “I just thought you’d like to stay in and rest tonight.”

“No reason for me to do that,” Buffy said, still suspicious. “See you tonight, Dad.”

Hanging up before Angel could argue, Buffy turned toward Spike, seeing him leaning against the wall.

“Dad wants us to-”

“I heard,” Spike said, looking at her in amusement when she glared at him. “Hey, now, what’s that look for? I didn’t do anything to you. Not me who’s trying to boss you around.”

“No, but you’re the one who’s eavesdropping on a personal conversation with your stupid vamp hearing.”

“I seem to recall you having better hearing than me, Goldilocks,” he said with an easy smile.

“Not the same,” Buffy sulked.

“Hate to argue with you, Princess, but it’s exactly the same.”

Barely hearing him as she remembered the conversation with her father, Buffy tossed the newspaper on the kitchen island as she walked toward her coffee.

“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Spike said in a soothing voice.

* * * * *

“Maybe we should have found a place closer to the Hyperion,” Buffy said, climbing on the back of the motorcycle, wrapping her arms around Spike’s waist. “Or maybe I shouldn’t have worn a skirt,” she said, giggling when Spike growled. “What?” she said, seeing him look over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow. “You want me to flash every available man between here and the hotel?”

“Just keep your legs closed, Princess.”

“I don’t think you’ve ever said that to me,” she replied with an amused smile.

“You’re right,” Spike said, starting the powerful engine. “On second thought, just keep them wrapped around me at all times.”

“Like usual, then?” Buffy teased, sliding closer to him on the seat until Spike was groaning at the feel of her body pressed against his.

Turning the bike down the street, Spike put more pressure on the gas, briefly glancing over his shoulder. “Hold on to your knickers.”

Leaning forward even more, Buffy playfully nipped him on the side of the neck before leaving tiny bites in her wake. Her tongue darted out to flick over the sensitive skin behind his ear. “Not wearing any,” she said, her voice getting lost in the wind, but the way Spike’s muscles tensed beneath her hands, she knew that he’d heard her.

Raising an eyebrow as he glanced over his shoulder at her, Spike had to smile when he felt her hands slowly trailing along his body, lightly playing with the bulge in his pants. Taking a deep breath as he faced forward, Spike attempted to stay focused on the road, trying not to notice how her warm hand was gently stroking him through the thin layer of denim.

“Wanna play?” Buffy asked, biting his earlobe after she spoke.

“What kind of game?” he asked in a husky voice, her heightened senses picking up on the soft question.

Not bothering to answer him, Buffy carefully popped open the button on his jeans, sliding the zipper down until she could slip her hand inside, gently stroking him as Spike tried to maintain his focus, steering the motorcycle down the street.

“Not playing fair, love,” he said, inhaling sharply when her grip tightened as her hand moved up and down on his cock.

“What fun would that be?” she replied, the smile obvious in her voice as her movements sped up. Hearing the soft groan that came from him, Buffy idly thought about how dangerous this was, but the shallow thrusting of Spike’s hips, urging her on, was too much to ignore. Pumping him harder, Buffy’s eyes widened when she saw Spike turn off the main road, pulling into a darkened alley and shutting off the engine.

“Spike, what’re you-”

Her question was cut short as Spike leapt off the bike, maneuvering her until both of her legs were on one side. Arching against him when he plunged into her, Buffy smiled as she wrapped her arms around him, meeting his rapid thrusts while he frantically moved with her.

Threading her fingers through the soft hair at the base of his neck, Buffy gasped when he pushed into her with more force. “Got you worked up,” she murmured, bracing one hand on the seat of the motorcycle to prevent her body from flying over the edge of it.

Growling low in his throat at her soft words, Spike quickly picked her up and spun her around, slamming her against the wall of the alley. Feeling the bricks biting into her skin, Buffy enthusiastically met his thrusts as he continued his vicious assault. Gently wrapping a hand around the back of his neck, Buffy guided him toward her neck, closing her eyes when she felt him nuzzle her close, offering a glimpse of the love that he felt for her, even as he was pushing her violently toward the edge.

Feeling her orgasm building, Buffy moaned, shivering against him when she felt his face change. Ridges brushed against the skin of her neck as the demon showed ownership over her, ensuring that she was okay in spite of what was occurring between them.

“I love you,” Buffy breathed, closing her eyes when his fangs slid into her throat as he took two short pulls of her blood. Tightening her hold on his shoulders, Buffy trembled as her orgasm washed over her, feeling Spike’s movements slow down as he came.

Licking the blood that began to pool from her wound when he pulled away from her, Spike took a deep breath. Leaning away from her, almost afraid to see the judgment in her eyes, he gave her a soft smile when he saw nothing but adoration. “Love you, too, baby,” he whispered, kissing her tenderly as he lowered her to the ground.

Pulling him close to her for a warm hug once he’d zipped his jeans, Buffy held him tight, feeling a shiver run through her. Looking around the alley, she noticed that Spike was looking at her quizzically.

“Something wrong?”

Never taking her eyes away from the shadows, Buffy shook her head. “Just a case of the creepies. I don’t think it’s anything to worry about.”

“Someone there?” he asked, narrowing his eyes to tune into their surroundings, criticizing himself for getting too lost in the moment and putting Buffy in a dangerous situation.

“I don’t think so,” she murmured, interlacing her fingers with his and leading him toward the bike, her eyes still on the dark shadows of the alley. “Come on… we’re already late and I’m sure Dad expects one hell of an explanation.”

“No problem, pet,” Spike said with an easy smile, sitting down and waiting for Buffy to get readjusted behind him. “I’ll just tell him I was fucking his daughter in an alley. I’m sure he’ll be fine with it.”

“Oh yeah,” Buffy replied in the same sarcastic tone. “Never mind that he’s human, Spike. If you piss him off, he’ll still manage to put up a good fight.”

“You saying I can’t take him?” Spike asked with a smile, starting the bike.

“Nope,” she said, shaking her head. “Not saying that you couldn’t take him. Just reminding you that my father is not exactly Mr. Joe Restraint when it comes to over-protecting his little girl.”

“Neither am I,” he replied, his voice turning serious as he pulled out of the alley, never seeing the movement in the shadows.


 

Chapter 5 – Choosing Battles


“I really don’t want to go in there,” Buffy said, looking at the hotel with trepidation.

“Preaching to the choir, love,” Spike replied. “But you’re usually the one who’s talking me into seeing the poofter.”

“Badness is on the other side of that door, Spike.”

“And finally, she sees the light!” he yelled to the sky, chuckling when Buffy hit him in the shoulder.

“I’m serious!” she said, crossing her arms over her chest and leveling him with a glare. “There’s something going on and he’s not telling us… well… he’s not telling me,” she clarified, trying to keep the sulking tone out of her voice.

Pulling her closer to him, Spike brushed a kiss to her temple, breathing in the scent of her hair. “Everything will be fine, Buffy.”

“Promise?” she murmured, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her head in his chest.

“I promise,” he said, guiding her toward the hotel. “Come on. No telling what the Almighty Hair Gel King has in store for us.”

“You’re one to talk,” Buffy said in amusement, running her hand over his perfectly slicked back hair.

“Hey, no touching!” he cried, moving to step away from her, trying to keep from smiling as she happily tousled his hair.

Stepping away from him with a sigh, Buffy turned to look at the imposing building. “Alright,” she said after a moment. “I guess we should get this over with.”

Walking toward the hotel, both could already see Angel pacing as they approached.

“You’re late,” Angel said irritably as he watched Spike walk into the lobby of his hotel with one arm securely wrapped around his daughter. Squashing down the familiar possessiveness, he reminded himself that he trusted Spike. To some extent, he always had and he knew Buffy wanted to be with him.

“Nice to see you, too, mate,” Spike said, seeing Angel’s expression darken when he watched Buffy nervously tuck a lock of hair behind her ear, slightly exposing the bite mark on her neck. “I think we’re found out,” Spike murmured with a smirk, leading Buffy further into the hotel. “Good thing those extra-heightened vamp senses aren’t there, huh, pet?”

Buffy tried to hide her smile, looking up when her father spoke.

“I don’t need enhanced senses to know what you two have been doing,” he said, glowering at Spike.

“Why did you want us to come over?” Buffy asked, trying to maneuver the conversation away from dangerous territory.

“I told you that you didn’t need to come, Buffy,” he said, trying to keep the irritation out of his tone. “Just need to talk to Spike,” he added, clearing his throat in a nervous gesture, hoping to be playing it off as casually as he could. “Cordelia was actually wondering if you could help her move some things around upstairs.”

Studying her father for a long moment, Buffy slowly turned toward Spike, hoping he would be on her side, fighting for her to stay. Seeing the intense looks that were passing between her father and her lover, Buffy sighed, knowing this would be fighting a losing battle.

“Evasive maneuver technique,” she muttered, walking toward the stairs. “Got it.”

Spike watched as Buffy walked up the stairs, waiting until he knew she would be out of hearing distance before speaking. “What’s wrong, Angel?”

Hearing the use of his name instead of a nickname, Angel took a deep breath, knowing that Spike could sense the seriousness of why he had called him. And hating the fact that his instincts were right.

* * * * *

“This is just so frustrating,” Buffy said, kicking an empty cardboard box as she paced around the room.

“I’m sure it’s just some male thing,” Cordelia said, moving boxes into the room.

“More like an alpha-male thing,” Buffy muttered, looking out the window to see the smoggy Los Angeles skyline. “They think that whatever they’re talking about, I can’t handle hearing.”

“And how do you feel about that?” Cordy asked in amusement, knowing exactly how the other woman felt about it.

“Aside from the need to shove a stake right up their… not good,” she corrected, clearing her throat when she saw Cordelia’s raised eyebrow. “Half the time I’m treated like a warrior… that’s who I am, after all. Or who I was prophesized to be, but then sometimes…” she trailed off, clenching her hand into a fist as she took a deep breath. “I thought we were past this,” she said, sitting in front of Cordelia. “The whole ‘let’s keep everything a secret and protect poor little Buffy’ thing? I thought we were over it.”

“They just want to keep you-”

“Safe,” Buffy filled in, rolling her eyes. “Do you know how old that line gets? I am safe. I’ve faced off with the worst vampire on record and lived. Killing him in the process, I might add, and don’t think that it helped since it was my father! That was no walk in the park. I mean, I’m destined to live forever – it’s gonna take a lot to kill me. I’ve known about vampires for as long as I can remember. I’ve been training to fight them since I was a kid, and they still feel the need to shelter me and coddle me. Well… Dad does,” she corrected, blushing slightly at the idea of Spike and coddling. There was definitely no coddling on his part, judging from their activities of a half hour earlier.

“How do you even know it’s about you?” Cordy replied, looking at her surrogate daughter.

Buffy gave her a look of disbelief. “Not to sound conceited or anything, but I’m the Daughter of Prophecy. Or, I was. Whenever there’s been something brewing, when has it not been about me?”

“Very true,” Cordelia said with a nod.

“Good or bad, although it’s usually bad, and they still feel like I can’t be mature about it.”

“Well, to be fair-”

Cordy began, only to stop when Buffy continued talking, never hearing her surrogate mother speaking.

“I mean, doesn’t it drive you crazy that he won’t tell you what’s the what?”

“Not really,” the older woman replied. “I know that there’s a reason he does what he does.”

“It’s killing you, isn’t it?” Buffy asked with an understanding smile.

“Oh yeah,” Cordy replied, letting her true feelings come out as she nodded. “But you have to choose your battles, Buffy. You just learn to do that.”

“Yeah?” she said in a questioning tone, staring at the door to the room. “Well, this is one that I feel the need to choose.”

Seeing Cordelia move to restrain her as she made her way out of the room, Buffy easily side-stepped her, intent on her destination – and the need to put two men in their place.
 

Chapter 6 – Biting Silence


Storming down the stairs, Buffy saw both Spike and Angel look up as she approached.

“Okay,” she said, coming to a stop between the two men and crossing her arms over her chest. “I want to know.”

“Know what, pet?” Spike asked, mimicking her position.

“Don’t mock me, Spike. You know damn well what I want to know.”

“There’s nothing to know, Buffy,” Angel said in the same tone he’d tried to appease her with for years.

“That’s bullshit and you know it!”

“Watch your tone, young lady,” Angel replied, his tone and features darkening as he looked at his daughter.

Realizing that she was overstepping some bounds, Buffy decided to try a different approach.

“If there’s something dangerous going on, I think I should know about it,” she said, managing to keep her voice calm, even as the two men exchanged knowing glances.

“You’re right,” Angel said with a nod. “If it was anything that directly put you in any danger, you would deserve to hear about it. Fortunately, we’re not in a situation like that.”

“You can’t keep doing this, Dad,” she said quietly, getting her point across more effectively than if she’d yelled at him. “You kept the prophecy about my life a secret from me until I discovered it on my own. Please don’t make that mistake again.”

“I’m not,” Angel replied, turning to walk away.

“Dad, wait,” Buffy called, catching his arm, unwilling to let him leave. Seeing his narrowed eyes, she nearly shrank away from him in fear. “What?” she asked nervously, shivering when she didn’t get a response from him.

Seeing the direction of his gaze, Buffy self-consciously reached up to her neck, feeling the few sets of puncture wounds that layered her skin. “It’s… it’s not what it looks like.”

“Too much,” Angel growled, spinning around to face Spike. “What the hell are you…? Never mind. I know what you were thinking,” he continued, his jaw tightening as he looked at the other man. “You should-”

“I said- it’s not what it looks like!” Buffy interrupted, growing frustrated that he wouldn’t listen to her.

“Then what is it?” Angel asked, turning toward her with fire flashing in his eyes.

“It’s… I love him,” she said, moving away from her father. “You know that.”

“That’s no excuse for this,” Angel replied, turning and walking toward his office.

“You know how it is, mate,” Spike said, causing Angel to stop before he reached the doorway. “Don’t pretend that you don’t.”

“There’s a difference, Spike,” he said, practically spitting out the name.

“Maybe yes and maybe no. Point is- she wants it.”

Looking down at the ground, Buffy quietly slipped out of the room, not wanting to hear anymore of the conversation. Quickly running into a nearby bathroom, she shut the door behind her, feeling sick to her stomach as she heard the shouting coming from the other room. Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, Buffy pushed the hair away from her shoulders with shaking hands, catching her breath when she saw what her father saw.

Anytime that Spike had ever bitten her, Buffy felt special. She felt unique. Now she just felt unsettled. Something was happening, something deep inside of her that she didn’t understand and didn’t know how to handle.

“What’s wrong with me?” she whispered, blinking away the tears in her eyes.

Quickly brushing her hair back into place, she listened to the reverberation of the office door slamming and the sounds of the argument gradually fading away, signaling the end of yet another fight.

“What are they going to do when there are actually people staying here?” Buffy muttered, trying to distract herself as she left the bathroom.

Walking through the quiet hallway, she made her way toward her father’s office, stopping when she heard the muffled voices. Placing a hand on the wall that separated her from the voices, Buffy leaned in, hoping to catch some of the conversation.

“Maybe she’s right,” Angel said. “Maybe she does deserve to know.”

“Not yet… too soon.”

Buffy frowned at Spike’s response, not liking the idea that the man she trusted more than anyone would attempt to shelter her from something. Especially since he knew firsthand exactly who she was. As well as her strengths and weaknesses.

“This is dangerous, Spike. We have to handle it carefully.”

“All the more reason not to get her involved. We can handle this.”

“She’s my priority, Spike,” Angel said in a quiet voice.

“Mine, too.”

Stepping away from the wall, Buffy was inwardly warring with her natural reaction to run into the office and demand to know what was happening or go find a dark corner of the hotel and cry over the fact that she would always be a little girl to the men she loved most.

Knowing that neither option would get her the desired response – or prove to anyone that she was the mature young woman that she knew she could be – Buffy stayed where she was, seeing the door open a moment later. Raising her eyes to Spike’s when he appeared, she saw the instant guilt that flashed in his eyes, feeling a jolt go through her body as she felt what he was feeling before he quickly turned away. Getting the same reaction from her father, minus the physical jolt, Buffy stared at them for a moment before turning and walking away.

She didn’t want to hear what they would say about her now. She hated that they couldn’t trust her enough with information that obviously involved her own life.

Walking into the kitchen, Buffy opened the refrigerator, feeling her stomach churn in response to some of the contents before grabbing a bottle of water. Viciously twisting the top off as she kicked the door shut, Buffy turned in time to see Spike enter the kitchen, hands shoved deep in his pockets.

“Guess we need to talk.”

“Do we?” Buffy replied, taking a sip of water as she moved to walk past him, out of the room, stopping when he grabbed her arm before she could leave.

“I know you don’t like this-”

“What’s that?” she asked, finally turning to look at him. “The fact that you feel the need to keep talking about me behind my back? Or is it the fact that nothing’s changed between us in over a year of being together?”

“You know that’s not true.”

Staring into his eyes, Buffy seemed to be searching for an answer, shaking her head slightly when she didn’t find what she was looking for. “I don’t know anything anymore,” she whispered, pulling free from him. Walking out of the room, she flinched when she heard his raised voice behind her.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Stopping out of reflex, Buffy nervously twisted the cap on the bottle, trying not to turn around.

“Buffy.”

“I know what you’re going to say,” she muttered, staring at a point on the wall. “That whatever you do, you’re doing it for me.” Turning to face him, she didn’t bother to mask the pain in her eyes. “Am I right?”

Slowly stepping forward, Spike took a deep breath, needing to take some kind of edge off. Taking the water bottle out of her hand, he set it on the floor before taking her hand in his. “Come here, love,” he whispered, maneuvering her until she was pressed against the wall. With carefully gentle movements, Spike brushed the hair away from her throat before lowering his lips to her skin. Bypassing the point where her shoulder met her neck, he moved higher.

“Right now,” he whispered into her ear, feeling her trembling against him, “Nothing matters but us.”

Piercing the soft skin, Spike didn’t make a move to take any of her blood or deepen the bite- simply needing the connection of being close to her. After what felt like an eternity, he felt Buffy slowly raise her arms to wrap around him, relaxing against him. Closing his eyes, he let the demon fade away, leaving his face buried in her neck.

“I love you,” he whispered in a choked voice, swallowing the lump in his throat. “Never doubt that.”

“You’re scaring me,” she said softly, bringing her hands up to play with the soft hairs at the base of his neck.

“Don’t be scared,” he said, pulling back to look at her. “Just needed you to know that.”

Trailing a hand over his cheek, she gave him a soft smile when he relaxed. “I’ll always know that.”


 

Chapter 7 – Lessons Revisited


“What are we doing in here?” Buffy asked warily, following Spike into the training room that was to be converted into a gym when the hotel was fully operational. Angel had insisted they stay the night, knowing that they would be racing the sunrise on Spike’s motorcycle. After sleeping through part of the day, Spike had woken her up with the intention of training – two hours later, they’d left their room.

“I think you give me plenty of exercise without the machines,” she said with a knowing smile, running her hand over his bare stomach, enjoying the way the loose-fitting pants hung low on his hips. “Unless you’re planning on using some of the machines in an unconventional way,” she murmured into his ear.

“Not now, Buffy.”

Taking a step back at the abrupt tone of voice, Buffy felt her anger come back to her. “What the hell is going on, Spike?” she asked, stopping when the door shut behind her, crossing her arms over her chest.

“We’re training, love.”

“I’m not talking about that,” she said, taking a deep breath as she looked at the floor. “Look, if you don’t want to tell me what’s going on-”

“I don’t.”

“-I can deal with that,” she said through clenched teeth. “But don’t insult me by treating me like a child. Why are we here?”

Spike turned around, taking a deep breath as he looked at her. “There’s something… I’m trying to protect you.”

“Yeah, got that,” Buffy said, rolling her eyes. “And do you get that I don’t need protecting?” she asked, looking up at him with a pleading expression. “I don’t need my big, strong knight to ride to the rescue. I can handle whatever this is, and I gotta tell you - not knowing what’s coming isn’t doing me any favors.”

Hesitantly reaching up to cup each side of her face, Spike sighed heavily, tilting her eyes up to look at him. “I promise I’ll tell you… when you need to know.”

“Do you know how much I hate you right now?” Buffy asked in an even tone, her jaw tightening as she began breathing more heavily as he took a step away from her.

“That a fact?” Spike replied, slowly walking around her, obviously eyeing her up and down before he faced her again. “What’re you gonna do about it?”

Looking at him with pure rage in her eyes, Buffy raised her chin defiantly. “That’s easy,” she said with a halfhearted shrug before smashing her fist into his jaw.

Spike reeled back from the blow, his eyes settling on her a moment later, obviously joyful at her response. “There’s my girl,” he said, his eyes briefly flashing yellow when she hit him again.

“What if I don’t want to be your girl?” she asked, hearing his warning growl, barely managing to keep the smile off her face at his reaction.

Spike lunged at her, feeling his temper snap as he slammed her against the floor, his fangs instinctively finding their way into her throat, reestablishing who she belonged to.

Buffy let herself enjoy Spike’s possessive moment, forcing herself to focus when he extracted his fangs, seeing the demon’s smug expression. Knocking him to the ground, she quickly jumped to her feet, delivering a spinning kick to his stomach, surprised when he managed to grab her ankle, causing her to lose her balance.

Falling to the floor, Buffy twisted so her shoulder would take most of the impact, never realizing how close they were to the weight machines. Her temple connected with one of the sharp iron corners, immediately dazing her as she fell to the ground in a heap.

Spike’s entire demeanor changed, the demon shifting away as he watched her head connect with the machine. His entire body felt as if it was briefly shutting down before he rushed for his fallen mate, carefully rolling her onto her back, listening for her heartbeat and blood-flow as he looked at her.

“Stay with me, baby,” he said, cautiously tilting her head to get a better look at the wound as Buffy’s eyes fluttered between unconsciousness and waking. Seeing the gash along her temple, he frowned, knowing that he’d unintentionally caused that.

Buffy tried to keep her eyes open – her vision and memory blurring together as Spike tended to her.

Barely able to keep her eyes open, she vaguely realized that she had been hit in the temple with a small statue.

Trying to fight through the dizzying feelings that were crashing through her body, Buffy tried to stand, cringing when another sharp pain raced through her stomach. Looking up, she barely had time to see the blur of black leather and blonde hair as the fledgling was tackled.

“Stay awake, love,” Spike whispered, seeing her slowly focus on him before fading away again.

Carrying her into his crypt, Spike was nearly panicked by the time he lay her down. Blood continued to flow from the wound on her temple, teasing him with the intoxicating scent.

She looked so young… so innocent. Spike shook his head to clear it of the thoughts running rampant. Tenderly leaning over, his tongue tenderly brushed over the damaged skin, reveling in the taste of her blood, craving more as he gently cupped her face, sealing the wound and cleaning the excess blood from the gash.

Buffy moaned in contentment when she felt Spike closing her wound, unconsciously leaning toward him, taking a deep breath when he pressed a gentle kiss on her head.

“What have I taught you?” he asked, smiling when she looked up at him, her eyes more focused and clear now. “Lesson the first… you never take your mind off your opponent.”

Feeling her temper raise as he spoke, she narrowed her eyes. “Lesson the second,” she replied, punching him in the nose. “Never underestimate your opponent.”

“My head hurts,” she murmured, snuggling closer to Spike.

Seeing his eyes darken, Buffy was only mildly surprised when she felt the solid backhand that connected with her cheek.

“I know it does, baby,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Want to go back to the room?”

‘Right,’ she thought, waiting for her vision to clear. ‘Chipless, soulless vampire, you idiot. He has no problem hitting a girl.’

“No,” she said, struggling to get to her feet, slightly disoriented when she managed to stand up. “No, I’m fine.”

“You’re sure?”

Blinking a few times to refocus her vision, Buffy nodded. “Yeah,” she said, taking a deep breath. “May as well finish what we started, right?”

Retaliating a moment later, Buffy slammed her fist into his nose again, seeing his jaw tighten upon impact before he grabbed her by her arms, throwing her against the nearby wall.

“I’m not gonna hit you when you have a head injury love.”

“More fun for me,” she said with a grin, smashing her fist into his nose.

Shoving back against him, she could have sworn she heard a moan coming from him before driving her elbow into his stomach and spinning around to face him.

Spike immediately growled, blocking her next punch. Buffy never moved to make direct contact with him again, enjoying the simple act of watching his fluid motions as he deflected each of her moves.

Seeing his eyes sparking with yellow in the dim moonlight, Buffy panted as she continued to look at him. Staring at each other for a long moment, she gasped when his lips crashed down on hers, causing her eyes to widen before shivering and eagerly kissing him back.

So worked up and turned on by watching Buffy spar with him, he never saw the movement coming. Grunting when his legs were swept out from under him, he landed on the floor with a thud. Preparing to jump to his feet, he stopped when Buffy immediately straddled him, her hands on his chest.

Feeling him gather her up in his arms, Buffy’s body automatically responded, locking her legs around his waist as her hands held onto his shoulders.

Leaning closer until her breasts were pressed against him, Buffy teasingly licked his ear, hearing him groan in response. “Pinned ya,” she breathed, pulling back to look at him with a sweet smile.

“That you did,” he said, returning her smile as he put his hands behind his head, fully intent on catching the show. “Now that you have me here, what do you plan on doing to me?” he asked in a teasing voice.

Breaking away for a moment, Spike let his lips brush along the line of her neck, pausing to suck on the tender flesh and gently biting down with his blunt teeth. Hearing her breathy gasp escape her throat, he smiled as Buffy eagerly tilted her neck, allowing him more access.

“Oooh… I can think of a few things,” she said with a smile, her fingernails gently scratching along the bare skin of his chest, watching his muscles flex in response as he swallowed.

“Care to show me?” he asked, his tongue pressing against his teeth as he looked at her with lust in his eyes.

Buffy felt a thrill go through her as she watched him. Breathing heavily, she closed the distance between them, pressing her lips to his as Spike pushed her pants over her hips, sliding them down her legs.

“More,” she whispered, feeling his hands slip down her body and quickly shoving the skirt up over her hips. The sound of the zipper seemed to echo in the open space, but neither had a chance to think about what they were doing as Spike continued his ministrations on her neck. Buffy arched her hips against his body as his hands grasped her thighs in a bruising grip before traveling higher.

Smiling when she hastily kicked off her shoes and quickly removed her socks and pants, Spike’s fingertips tenderly trailed over the muscles in her legs. Settling on her hips as she stripped off her sports bra and began to work on pushing his pants over his hips, he closed his eyes when her warm hand enveloped him.

Pushing her soaked thong out of the way, he didn’t even have time to think before he was buried deep inside of her. Numbly hearing her scream of pain as their hips met, Spike pulled away in shock, feeling his heart constrict when he saw the tears in her eyes as she gasped and swallowed, trying to recoil from the sudden, unfamiliar invasion of her body.

Spike’s jaw tightened when she began taking him in, inch by agonizingly slow inch. “Buffy, I swear, if you don’t speed this up…”

“You’ll what?” she asked with a smile, slowly lowering herself until her hips met his.

Spike sucked in a sharp breath, lifting up to meet her, watching her eyes close as her lips parted in pleasure. “That’s it, baby,” he whispered, running a hand over her bare stomach, clenching his jaw when she began to move faster. “Take it all in, love,” he said, straining to keep from flipping her over and plunging into her. “That’s my sweet girl,” he said, practically babbling as Buffy sped up her pace, frantically riding him. His hands on her hips assisted her movements, lifting her up and thrusting into her.

Sitting up, Spike smiled as Buffy cried out at the change of position. His hands locked behind her back, holding her to him as they moved together.

“God, Spike, I need it,” she gasped, her fingernails digging into his shoulders.

“Can’t,” he rasped, his jaw clenching as her hips swiveled in a slow circle before she continued the pace. “Biting you too much lately,” he said, his hands tightening on her waist, bruising her skin.

“Please,” she whimpered, pulling back slightly to look into his eyes. “Please, Spike.”

Unable to control it any longer as he watched her face contort in pleasure, his vampire guise fell in place. He waited until Buffy looked at him before he moved closer to her. Seeing her tilt her neck in invitation, he willed himself not to look at it.

‘Too intimate,’ he thought, trying not to think how hypocritical that sounded in his head.

Staring at her neck as she pulled him closer to her, Spike groaned with repressed need. ‘Too much,’ he thought, shaking his head. ‘Need to give her a break.’

Moving lower, Spike let his fangs sink into the soft swell of her breast, feeling Buffy’s body shudder as tremors ran through her, sending her screaming out in climax.

Buffy arched her back, forcing more contact with Spike’s fangs as he continued to drink from the puncture wounds in her breast. Holding his head to her chest as she cried out, her hips frantically moving with his, she gasped for air, trembling as he pulsed inside of her.

Breathing heavily as she slowly came down from her climax, Buffy gave a contented murmur of pleasure when she felt him lapping at the wound he’d just inflicted on her. Running her hands through his soft hair, she left a gentle kiss on the crown of his head, watching as he raised his eyes to hers.

Each offering the other a tender smile, no words were needed. No soft professions of love that they already knew to be true. No possessive statements. Each content with the knowledge that they belonged to each other.



Chapter 8 – Fighting the Wrong Fight


“You look lost in thought.”

Buffy’s spine straightened as a feeling of déjà vu seemed to rush through her at the sound of the familiar voice. Turning toward the entrance of the kitchen, she idly picked at the ice cream in front of her, not wanting to think of where this conversation could lead. The last time they’d had a late night discussion in the hotel kitchen, Buffy had ended up with a concussion from the blow that Angelus had given her. “Are you… you?” she asked, smiling at how absurd the question sounded.

Knowing what she was talking about, Angel smiled as he walked into the kitchen, sitting down next to her. “Human now, princess,” he said, grabbing a spoon and digging into the ice cream carton sitting in front of Buffy. “Can’t exactly lose my soul. No one would be more surprised than me if that was the case.”

Buffy smiled, allowing herself to relax.

“What are you sitting here thinking about?” Angel asked after a moment.

“You,” she replied, staring at the counter as she idly licked the ice cream from her spoon. “And Spike.”

Angel sighed, dropping the spoon onto the counter, knowing where the conversation was heading. He knew his daughter, she wouldn’t rest until she found out what they had been talking about earlier. Hoping that if he gave her a crumb, she would be satisfied, Angel took a deep breath. “There’s something coming,” he said after a minute, seeing Buffy turn her gaze to him.

“Something that I’m not ready for?” she asked, her jaw setting in a firm line as she waited for his answer.

“Something that… I don’t think you should know about,” he said carefully.

“This is about Angelus, isn’t it?” Buffy asked, feeling her heart drop into her stomach.

“He was a factor,” Angel muttered, looking at the counter.

Buffy’s head fell into her hands as she ran her hands through her hair, sighing heavily. “You’re not going to tell me, are you?”

“Not unless you need to know,” he said quietly, slowly standing up. “I need you to understand what I’m trying to do.”

“Protect me,” she filled in.

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m being more selfish than that. I’m protecting myself.”

“What do you mean?” Buffy asked, looking up at him with a confused expression.

“I did so many horrible things as Angelus-”

“You’re not him,” she said quickly.

“-Things that I never want you to hear about,” he continued as if she’d never spoken. “This is one of those things.”

Buffy didn’t say anything, watching as he solemnly stood up and walked out of the room. She stayed where she was for a long time, staring at every steel surface of the kitchen, wanting to prove that she could understand his decision. Her normally stoic father had taken a tiny step with her tonight. Maybe, over the next few days, she could get him to open up a little more.

* * * * *

“You expect me to just-”

“Yes,” Angel said, standing across from Spike with his arms firmly crossed over his chest. “I expect you to handle this.”

Spike clenched his jaw, not liking the tone in the other man’s voice. Being woken up by anyone who wasn’t Buffy was bad enough – being woken up by her father was a bloody nightmare.

“And I can’t tell Buffy,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair before turning angry eyes to a man he knew as his grandsire. “This is your secret,” he said, eyes flashing yellow as his temper rose. “I’m risking a hell of a lot more than you by keeping this from her. I should walk down there and tell her exactly what’s going on.”

“Spike…”

“She knows you’re not perfect, Liam,” he said, trying to control his temper. “She saw firsthand what you were. She’s heard about what you did to Drusilla. She can handle the truth.”

“I know she can,” Angel said with a slight nod, looking into the other man’s eyes. “But should she? Just because she can handle the truth, does that mean it would make it any easier knowing what her father used to be?”

Spike sighed, looking at the floor before angrily kicking the dresser in front of him, hearing the wood crack from the impact.

“She’s twenty years old, Spike,” Angel continued quietly. “I haven’t been able to love her the way she deserves. I haven’t been a father to her. I haven’t kept her protected the way she should’ve been. I’ve left that up to the people I trusted… and you,” he added, seeing Spike narrow his eyes in response. “I can’t shelter her from the hardships of life anymore, but I’ll be damned if I add to it.”

Sighing heavily, Spike braced his hands on the surface of the dresser, seeing Angel’s reflection standing alone in the mirror in front of him. “You’re going with me?”

“I am,” Angel said with a nod.

“And Cordelia…?”

“If I thought Cordy was in danger, I would do everything to protect her. You know that.”

“When are we leaving?” Spike asked in a resigned voice.

“How soon can you pack?”

Looking up to meet the other man’s gaze, Spike nodded, waiting until Angel left the room before grabbing a bag from the closet shelf, throwing in the small amount of clothes that he kept at the hotel for visits.

Hearing the door open, he paused for a moment before continuing his packing.

“Whatever question I ask, I’m not going to like the answer, am I?”

Spike briefly closed his eyes at the sound of her voice before zipping up the bag. “I doubt it.”

“Then I’ll risk it,” she said, looking at him with trepidation. “Where are you going?”

“Your father and I have some business,” he said, carefully choosing his words as he turned around and walked past her, out the door of the bedroom.

“Spike-”

“Buffy, I can’t tell you,” he said, already knowing her next question.

“What do you mean you can’t tell me?” Buffy asked, following him down the stairs.

“Just what I said, Goldilocks. Can’t tell you.”

“Spike, you can’t just leave. Let me come with you- whatever it is, I can help.”

“Not with this trip, you can’t,” he said picking up his duster and quickly pulling it on.

“This isn’t fair,” she said, hating the whiny tone in her voice. “We’re supposed to be together- you can’t just leave me.”

“Buffy, it’s not like that,” Spike said irritably, looking around the area before grabbing the keys to his motorcycle, seeing Angel watching him from the doorway before the other man turned and walked out of the hotel.

Pressing a quick kiss to her lips, Spike picked up his bag and threw it over his shoulder. “I’ll call you soon, baby.”

“Spike!” she yelled, seeing his shoulders tense at the sound of her voice before he turned to face her with an unreadable expression. “Please, tell me something.”

“You don’t need to know,” he said, his voice low and menacing.

“You’re treating me like I’m a child,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“That’s because you are,” he said, raising an eyebrow, trying not to let her tear-filled eyes affect him.

Taking a deep breath, Buffy slowly looked at the floor, nearly shaking her head at the hypocritical words. “You don’t have a problem with who I am when you’re fucking me,” she said, her whispered words cutting into him.

“Don’t start this,” he said, gritting his teeth when she looked up at him. “I don’t have time for it.”

Turning around, Buffy nearly ran up the stairs, not sparing him a second glance. “Have a nice trip!” she yelled, punctuating her sentence with the slamming of a door.

Spike clenched his jaw, glancing at the clock behind the counter. “I don’t have time for this,” he repeated, closing his eyes and refusing everything inside of him not to go to his mate, knowing that she must be distraught.

Turning and walking out of the hotel, he threw his bag on the back of the motorcycle.

* * * * *

Buffy let her tears intensify when she heard the sound of the bike starting and pulling away. The effects of the claim seemed to be getting weaker and weaker the farther away he traveled.

Knowing that he was shutting himself off to the claim to keep her from discovering what he was doing, Buffy sobbed into her pillow.
 

Chapter 9 – Longing to Hold You


“Buffy, where are you going?”

Turning toward Cordelia, Buffy stopped for a moment, wondering if she should tell her the truth.

“I need to get out of here for a little while, Cordy. Or… a long while, actually.”

“Nuh uh,” the older woman replied, shaking her head. “Your father was very specific about the not leaving of you.”

“Yeah? Well, Spike was pretty specific when he told me a lot of things, too. Doesn’t mean I’m going to listen to him right now.”

“Where are you going?” Cordy asked, knowing that she couldn’t stop the powerful girl from leaving.

“Home,” she murmured, walking out the door before Cordelia had a chance to reply.

Feeling the air hit her face, Buffy turned her eyes up to the moonlit sky, letting the tears spill down her cheeks again. She was surprised she’d been able to hold in her emotions in the amount of time she’d talked to Cordelia.

Running a hand along her neck, she shuddered at the feel of the healing wounds. For the first time, she felt revolted. Damaged.

Without Spike around, they seemed to represent everything she was against instead of everything she loved. Closing her eyes, Buffy tried to stretch out her senses Unable to get an accurate feeling from him, she could sense that he was okay. That was enough for now.

* * * * *

Spike paced through the hotel room, feeling his anxiety growing as the sun began to set. He’d been cooped up in an eighteen by eighteen cell – known as the Sun Spot Motel for hours and he felt as if he was going insane.

He felt horrible about the way he’d left things with Buffy, knowing that she deserved better treatment from him. Sitting on the edge of the bed for a moment, he nervously shook his leg, biting his lip as he stared at his cell phone.

She hadn’t called.

He knew that she didn’t have any reason to – he was the one who had been in the wrong – but his anxiety was growing from not being able to feel her. To touch her. To hear her voice.

Grabbing the phone, Spike quickly dialed the number, standing up to pace when he heard the woman’s voice on the other line.

“Cordelia, can I talk to Buffy?”

“She’s not here, Spike.”

Turning toward the window, he tried to calm himself with the knowledge that it was daylight outside. Buffy could take care of herself. “Do you know when she’ll be back?”

“She left early this morning,” Cordy said, obviously nervous about telling him anything.

“How… early?” he asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

“Before sunrise.”

“Bloody buggerin’ hell!”

“Spike, calm down-”

“She knows-”

“If you say she knows better, I will personally come find you and kick your ass. Buffy is a smart girl, she can handle things, and she wanted to go home. It’s not like I can keep her here. Maybe you should’ve thought about that before you went running off to God knows where.”

“Cordelia, it’s not my-”

“I know, Spike,” she said, her irritation growing.

Spike stopped, staring unseeingly at the wall in front of him. “You know?”

“That Angel’s past is about to jump up and bite him in the ass? Yeah. I’m not stupid.”

“That you’re not,” he agreed with an amused smile.

“I think you should tell Buffy,” she said, knowing that her suggestion wouldn’t go over well. “She’s a big girl, she can handle it.”

“I had nothing to do with it, Cordy,” he said tiredly. “This is Angel’s-”

“Spike.”

The tone of her voice sent a slight shiver of fear along his spine. Briefly taking the phone away from his ear to look at it, Spike shook his head, wondering how a woman could scare a vampire.

“Look… if this isn’t finished soon… I’ll think about,” he said, taking a deep breath. “I’ll tell her what I can.”

“Good. Because, Spike? She deserves to be with someone who’s honest with her.”

“I’ve never lied to her, Cordelia,” he replied with an edge to his voice.

“Close enough,” she said, hanging up the phone.

Spike attempted to calm himself as he stared at the phone. Yelling at Buffy definitely wouldn’t put him back in her good graces, especially considering she had the right to leave the hotel anytime she wanted. Slowly dialing the phone, he cleared his throat, waiting for her to answer.

“Hello?”

“Hey, baby,” he whispered, sitting down on the edge of the bed, feeling relieved by simply hearing her voice. Waiting for her response, Spike sighed when he didn’t hear a reply. “So, it’s the silent treatment, then, is it?”

“No,” Buffy said, slowly walking over to the dresser, feeling her anger fade slightly as she listened to the comforting sound his voice. “I guess I’m just tired.”

“Did you get any sleep?”

“Without you here?” Buffy replied, not bothering to answer him, knowing that she’d gotten her point across.

“You need to rest, pet,” he said.

Buffy didn’t say anything, looking up to see her reflection staring back at her.

“I shouldn’t’ve left the way I did,” he said quietly, pinching the bridge of his nose as he waited for her undoubtedly angry reply. Frowning when there was none, Spike sat up a little straighter. “Love?”

“I’m here,” she said quietly, staring at her gaunt reflection in the mirror, shocked at the person she saw.

“You alright?”

“I’m fine,” she said weakly, running a hand along the hollow of her cheek.

“You don’t sound fine,” he said, sitting up a little straighter. “What is it? Is something wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Buffy said with a sigh, turning off the lamp on the dresser and walking over to sit on the edge of the bed. “I already told you, I’m just tired.”

“Baby, please stay at the hotel,” he said, running a hand through his hair.

“What? Like Cordelia is going to protect me if the next Big Bad comes calling while you and Dad are off playing Mighty Mouse?”

“What if you need to protect her?” he replied, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

Buffy stayed quiet, knowing there was some truth to that statement. “I’ll think about it,” she said softly after a long moment of silence.

“I love you,” he whispered, putting every ounce of emotion into his voice. He felt as if his heart was splintering when she didn’t respond immediately.

“I know you do,” she said softly, taking a deep breath. “Where are you, Spike?”

Staying quiet for a moment, Spike felt his exhaustion turn into frustration. Hating Angel for dragging him into this situation, hating Angelus for causing it in the first place, hating himself for letting it happen.

“Are you cheating on me?” she whispered in a strained voice.

“What? No! No, baby, I love you. I would never do that.”

Buffy relaxed slightly, knowing that he was telling her the truth - knowing that she shouldn’t have asked him in the first place. She trusted him. She trusted him with her life. And apparently so did her father.

“Please tell me where you are,” she said, hoping to at least get that much information from him.

“Sunnydale,” he finally replied in a tired voice. “We’re in Sunnydale. In that fleabag motel off the freeway.”

Buffy stayed quiet, not wanting to start another fight with him.

“I want you here with me,” Spike said after a minute. “I do. You believe that, don’t you?”

Feeling tears burn her eyes, Buffy sniffled slightly as she nodded, realizing he couldn’t see her. “I believe you,” she said in a choked voice.

“Hasn’t even been a day and I feel like I’m going out of my mind without you,” he said, standing up and walking around the empty room. “How did I last when you left for a year?”

“You weren’t in love with me,” she said solemnly, remembering one of the darkest periods of her life as she flashed back to her memories of living alone in Las Vegas.

“Says you,” he replied, his voice taking on a playful quality that made her smile.

“How long will you be gone?” Buffy asked, tugging at a loose string on the quilt.

“I hope not too long,” he said, taking a deep breath.

“What’s ‘not too long’?” she asked, keeping her tone soft. “A week? Two? Three?”

Spike seemed to consider his answer for a long moment. “This might take longer than a few weeks,” he said, leaning against the wall. “But if I’m gone for two weeks, I’ll come see you… alright?”

Buffy hastily wiped her eyes as her emotions seemed to set her on edge. “I miss you,” she whispered. “I want you home.”

Spike closed his eyes, concentrating for a moment before feeling her through the claim. The sadness that he felt from her was nearly overwhelming him. Knowing that he was the cause of it, he tried to comfort her, letting her know how much he loved her. He knew he wasn’t having much success when he heard her try to muffle a sob. The sound nearly had him running back to L.A. to get to her. “Sod it,” he muttered, clenching his teeth. “I don’t care what your da’ says- if we don’t finish this soon, I’ll tell you everything.”

Buffy sat in shock for a moment, unsure if she’d heard him right. “You mean that?” she asked in disbelief.

“I don’t want you to ever think you don’t have a reason to trust me, love.”

Buffy stayed quiet for a long moment. “Thank you.”



Chapter 10 – Feverish Feelings


Buffy rolled over in her bed, trying to keep from shivering as she snuggled deeper into the thick down comforter. In spite of the warmth that seeped through the room, she couldn’t stop her teeth from chattering, trying to get her trembling body under control.

Opening her eyes after a moment, she tried to focus on something in the room, hating that her vision was blurry and distorted. “What’s wrong with me?” she whispered, breathing deeply.

It had been a full day and a half since she’d last talked to Spike. He hadn’t called since, but knowing that he was carefully closing off his emotions to her so that she wouldn’t know much about what he and her father were doing, Buffy didn’t expect him to realize how sick she was.

The tears started again without warning. She’d woken up that morning feeling weakened and disoriented. Assuming that she’d somehow gotten the flu, she had decided to stay in bed. Then the tears had started.

Great, sobbing, heart-wrenching tears. She had no idea where they came from or why her body felt the need to release so much anguish, but she found that she couldn’t stop the tears, even when she tried.

At times, an almost delusional feeling would come over her, sending her into mild panics that had her clawing at the bed sheets.

She went from rage to depression in a matter of moments.

Buffy knew she was feverish – she wasn’t sure of her exact temperature, but she told herself not to worry about it. She was immortal, after all – how much harm could a little thing like the flu do to her?

Getting a rare moment of clarity where she felt nothing – no heat, no cold, no anger, no sadness – Buffy slowly sat up in bed. Her first thought was to call Spike, but she quickly dismissed the idea. He would call her soon enough and there was no need to worry him about her being sick.

If she could only get to the hotel, she knew she would feel better. Cordelia was there, as well as Wesley and Fred – she wouldn’t be alone.

Slowly pushing herself out of bed, she pressed a hand to her forehead, trying to control the wave of nausea that coursed through her at the sudden movement. Groaning at the weakening feelings that were coursing through her, she took a deep breath, hoping that she would be able to make it to the hotel.

Carefully dressing in her favorite pair of jeans, a tank top, and a warm sweater over it – hoping to take care of her hot and cold chills, depending on which one she had – Buffy slowly made her way out of the room, walking toward the stairs. Gripping the banister, she managed to slowly work her way down the stairs, breathing a sigh of relief when she reached the bottom, her hand immediately clamping over her mouth, trying to curb the sickening feeling that coursed through her.

Opening the front door, she grabbed a stake and tucked it into her jeans, closing her eyes when the soothing evening air hit her face.

“Just get to the Hyperion,” she told herself, feeling a little better now that she wasn’t confined to the house but hoping that she arrived at the hotel a little faster than she normally would on foot.

Wishful thinking.

Over two hours later, Buffy frequently had to stop to rest, hating that a simple slow walk could wind her when she was used to much more strenuous tasks. Ridiculing herself for not bringing money for a cab.

“Well, what do we have here?”

The cocky tone combined with the predator she sensed almost could’ve convinced Buffy that Spike was back and teasing her the way he usually did when he found her somewhere he didn’t expect her to be.

But this voice didn’t have the accent or the familiarity of the man she loved.

Slowly turning around, Buffy clenched her jaw when she saw the vampire behind her, moderately relieved when she felt the adrenaline automatically course through her body, causing her to nearly sag in relief that she might be able to defend herself.

Out of reflex, her first reaction was to grab the stake out of her waistband and taunt the vampire in front of her. But knowing that her reactions would be slower, her muscles weaker due to her lack of food and rest, Buffy knew that she would have to try a different tactic with this one. If she was to whip out her stake at this point, she wouldn’t be surprised if it was swiftly knocked out of her hand.

“You have a girl who wants to go home,” she retorted, pretending to play the part of the helpless female, knowing that he wouldn’t be expecting her to know what he truly was, simply thinking that she’d stumbled across a man in a darkened alley.

“No, I don’t think I’ll let you do that.”

Buffy watched as the man continued to walk toward her, shivering when she let him get closer to her than normal, hoping her reflexes were fast enough to get the stake into his heart without him realizing what she was doing. She gasped when she felt her arms grabbed in a vice-like grip, inwardly kicking himself for letting him get that close.

Instinctively knowing when his face shifted, Buffy cried out, struggling in his arms, her weakened body making her feel more vulnerable than she’d felt in years.

“N-no!” she cried, her heartbeat skyrocketing when she felt the fangs at her jugular, her mouth opening in a silent scream at the slicing feeling.

Struggling to breathe when she felt herself shoved away, her hand quickly covered the puncture wounds on her neck. She felt rejuvenated, stronger. Seeing the shocked look on the vampire’s face, she nearly rolled her eyes, wondering how he could’ve missed the scars that layered the skin of her throat before sinking his teeth in.

Obviously he knew that she’d been claimed by a vampire much stronger than he was, and Buffy reveled in the terrified look on his face. “Yeah,” she said with a smile, finally reaching for her stake, twirling it between her fingers. “You really should be more careful and check over your food before you sink your teeth in.”

Not bothering to listen to whatever response might have come out of his mouth, Buffy threw the stake, sending it rotating through the air before landing squarely in the heart of the vampire. Watching with a smug look as he exploded into dust a few moments later, she closed her eyes, feeling the blood slipping through her fingertips, continuing on to trickle down her neck.

Buffy felt chilled at the knowledge that her fever was gone. Her body was as strong as it had always been. Looking behind her as if she could turn away from the obvious answers to her unasked questions, Buffy closed her eyes.

The fever, the cold chills, the hot flashes, the trembling – everything that could’ve been attributed to the fact that she had the flu. But there was one little problem. In twenty years, she’d never had the flu. Never had a cold, never had a fever – never been sick.

Her hand never moved from her throat as she touched the source of relief from her pain earlier. The bite that had been inflicted on her – the bite that she hadn’t wanted, hadn’t asked for – had automatically restored her health, seemingly healing her from her earlier pain. A solitary tear slipped down her cheek at the realization.

She hadn’t been sick. She’d been having withdrawal symptoms.

Her whispered word seemed to carry through the alley as she stared disbelievingly at an unfocused place on the ground. “Fuck.”
 

Chapter 11 – For the Love of…


Buffy wrapped her arms around her shivering body as she paced back and forth through her home. She knew that she should’ve gone straight to the hotel after her revelation – and probably should’ve confided the entire story to Cordelia and asked for help.

But she didn’t want help.

At least not from Cordy. And the one person she would have accepted help from happened to be the one person who seemed intent on ignoring her.

Staring at the phone for what felt like the millionth time in an hour, Buffy worried her bottom lip, as if by sheer force of will, she could make Spike pick up the phone and call her. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t have had to even think it – if he had been more in tune to what she wanted and needed, he would’ve known that she’d been bitten tonight, and that fact alone probably would’ve drawn him back to Sunnydale faster than anything else.

But as the minutes turned into hours and the hours continued to tick by, Buffy was left with the realization that she really was alone. She knew she could’ve just as easily picked up the phone and confided in her mate, but her pride wouldn’t let her. Some stupid part of her brain kept holding her back every time she reached for the phone. A small part always telling her that if he’d just been honest with her, they wouldn’t be in this predicament to start with.

Feeling petty and selfish and more than a little irritated, Buffy angrily ran her hands through her hair. Finally turning away from the tempting sight of the telephone, she sighed heavily.

“What do I do?” she murmured, staring at the floor, hoping that an answer would jump out at her. And in a sense, it did.

Looking at her weapons bag that lay near the front door, Buffy took a hesitant step toward it. She was practically the Los Angeles Slayer, after all – taking after her father, in that respect. It was up to her to keep the vampire population down. But did she dare to go out and take another risk of getting bitten?

“You take that risk every night you patrol,” she muttered, grabbing a stake and tucking it into her waistband, ignoring the more risky possibility that any pair of fangs she came across tonight might very well look too tempting to ignore.

She contemplated taking an axe or a sword – possibly the entire bag - but decided against it. Until she knew more about what was going on with herself, she wasn’t going to take the risk of straying too far from home. One or two stakes would serve the purpose and make her feel better about being able to do something.

With one last glance at the phone, Buffy walked out the door, nearly shaking her head at how naïve she still felt in the dark of night. And in the harsh light of day as well, since she knew – without question – that she would be sitting on the couch all day tomorrow, waiting in vain for that phone to ring.

Nearly slamming the door as she left the house, Buffy walked in the direction of the park that was located a few blocks away. Her father had told her when she and Spike were still looking for a place of their own within the city that the park was frequently a vamp hangout. She remembered having given him a strange look, wondering why they would bother to mill around a nearly deserted park when there was no shortage of bars in the area. Angel had merely shrugged, mentioning something about the hunt but not elaborating on it. Buffy had easily taken the hint - Angelus loved to hunt. And he wasn’t alone in the apparent thrill of it.

That seemed to make a moderate amount of sense to Buffy. After all, everyone who dared to venture out in this city after the sunset was some form of hunter or predator. Survival of the fittest, and at night, it seemed that the phrase was really put to the test, whether it be vampire, demon, immortal, or human or a would-be vampire Slayer who really wasn‘t a Slayer at all, but the daughter of a prophecy.

Skirting around the perimeter of the park, Buffy deftly slipped around trees, staying to the shadows, not wanting to give up her advantage. She was strong, but she wasn’t stupid. One vampire would easily meet her stake - any more than that, and she knew she could handle what was thrown her way, but that didn’t mean she relished the thought of being turned into a snack because a pack of them happened to stumble across her.

Seeing a vampire in the distance, Buffy broke into a jog, knowing that the vamp had targeted a young couple that was walking through the trails hand-in-hand. Nearly rolling her eyes at the way the vamp was tormenting its prey, Buffy pulled the stake from her waistband. “Didn’t your mommy ever tell you not to play with your food before you eat it?”

Smiling when the vamp turned around with a growl, she shrugged. “I know they say the liquid diet gets boring, but really, you oughtta vary up the routine sometimes. Ever tried any veggies?”

Easily ducking when the vamp lunged toward her, Buffy popped up on the other side of him, glancing back at the cowering people behind her. “You run.” Turning to face her opponent, she made a point of idly rotating her arms, stretching the muscles. “You can make this easier on both of us and run into the tree branch over there,” she said, gesturing toward the protruding limb. “But we both know that you don’t have much of a brain to speak of, considering the look you’re giving me now, so I guess we’ll be doing it the hard way.”

Slamming her foot into his knee, Buffy nearly smiled at the cracking sound, her eyes widening when she felt the vamp grab a chunk of her hair, pulling her viciously toward him until she was in a firm chokehold. “Okay,” she gasped, thrashing out. “That’s cheating.”

Struggling against the choking grip that her captor had on her, Buffy gasped as a shock seemed to run through her, feeling Spike’s presence through the claim.

“Oh, for the love of…” Buffy muttered, doing what she could to free herself. “You wanna fight like a girl, I’m all for that.” Digging her nails into the vamp’s arm, she nearly smiled at the cry of pain that sounded through the park. Smashing her head into the vampire’s nose and spinning around to face him, she clenched her jaw at Spike‘s obvious worry. “Of all the times for him to check up on me,” she said, nearly smiling at the confused look on the vamp’s face before she slammed her stake into his heart.

Tucking it into her back pocket and wiping the dust from her hands, Buffy allowed a smug smile to play on her lips as she surveyed her handiwork - or lack thereof. “There. That’ll teach you to mess with-”

Trailing off with a choked gasp, Buffy felt herself being lifted into the air, the hand at the back of her neck unrelenting as she desperately squirmed against her captor, knowing that at any moment, her neck could be snapped in the prone position. “You talk too much, Slayer,” a deep voice growled in her ear.

Buffy’s eyes widened in shock as she let out a startled cry, feeling the fangs of the new vampire sink into her neck. Already feeling lightheaded at the amount of blood she was rapidly loosing, she weakly struggled in his grasp. Feeling Spike’s panic through the claim, Buffy willed herself to focus, knowing that he wouldn’t be riding to the rescue for this one.

Painfully twisting her body until she was nearly able to dislodge the fangs, Buffy wrapped her arm around the neck of the vamp behind her, groaning at the overextended muscles. Struggling with him for a moment, she finally heard the satisfying crack from behind her, dropping the dead weight to the ground.

Breathing heavily, she clenched her jaw, studying the vampire for a moment, feeling the all-too-familiar pain and pleasure that threaded through her at the familiarity of the fangs. “I’m not the Slayer,“ she gasped, staking the vamp.

“That’s enough excitement for one night,” she murmured, running a hand through her hair, grimacing at the sticky-coated ends of her hair that had been swept through the blood trail on her neck.

She could still feel Spike’s anxiety through their connection. Knowing that he would be frantic with worry, Buffy couldn’t make herself feel remorseful for going out alone. After all, if he had been more open to the claim in the first place, he would know what was going on with her.

Sighing softly to herself, Buffy closed her eyes, doing what she could to calm him. “It’s more than you deserve,” she muttered with a smile, wishing that he could hear her. “But at least you won’t worry so much.” Looking through the darkened alleys of Los Angeles, Buffy hesitantly ran a finger over the damaged skin of her throat. “I wish I could say the same.”