The Rest of our Lives
By Ariel Dawn
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Chapter 5: Restoration

Summery: In which stuff is explained, Andrew is annoying and Buffy battles the Vampire Hunter of Cleveland.

Disclaimer: Joss owns the Characters of BTVS, but Valery and Gable are mine (and don’t you just want to hurt them?)

Author’s note: Thanks to all my reviewers!
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“Did we set everything back to the way it was supposed to be?” asked Willow eagerly.

“Looks like,” said Buffy standing up. “I feel strong again, a little more powerful actually, must have been all that demon I inhaled.”

“Ha ha,” said Xander, “I’m just glad this is over. No more...whatever that was. At least this time I wasn’t the only butt monkey in the troupe. Whose butt monkeys were we anyway?”

“I’m afraid that it is worse than you’ve ever imagined,” said Giles, taking off his glasses and cleaning them. “The green light hit the three of us. You, Andrew and myself.”

“Meaning what?” asked Xander.

“Meaning that we are or have been selected to be the new watchers council.”

“Cool” said Andrew, “ I shall endeavour to excel.”

“Hold on, is that why you said we had to come?” asked Xander.

“Well there always was the possibility that a new council would be chosen from her ‘tribe’ as it were. I had hoped that they would choose Dawn instead of Andrew but that point is moot now,” said Giles as he cleaned his glasses.

“I still get to be a watcher though, right?” asked Dawn.

“Oh yes, we will definitely train you to be a watcher, you just won’t be inside that box for all of eternity,” said Giles.

“What box?” asked Andrew.

“The Shadow casting box,” said Willow, “Whenever a new slayer is chosen your spirit will guide her to...”

“Demonic possession,” filled in Buffy.

“Cool,” said Andrew, “very other worldly.”

“What if I don’t want to be in a box?” said Xander.

“I don’t see that you have much of a choice in the matter,” said Giles.

“So, you all are watchers then.. . congrats” said Buffy standing up and blowing out the candles.

“Can we eat now?” whined Dawn “Starving here.”

“I second that motion,” added Andrew.

Willow pulled Buffy aside.

“Buffy are you ok with all this, being the slayer still? I know you were looking forward to no being the only chosen one.”

“Ya, I’m ok with it. Nothing’s changed. I’ve had a couple of months vacation is all. And some
day I’ll die for the third time. I just hope that I’ll get to see my fat grandbabies before that happens.”

“Buffy...”

“No it’s fine Willow, everything’s back to normal now.”

“That’s what you think,” said Willow as she watched Andrew swing the scythe around.

“Hey it’s all fun and games until I lose my other eye. Cut it out moron,” said Xander.

“My Hero,” said Dawn shoving pizza in her mouth.

Turning her attention back to Willow Buffy continued. “So what are Kennedy and Faith going to think about not being the slayer anymore?”

“Kennedy!” gasped Willow, “She’ll be furious.”

“I can’t imagine Faith would be extremely happy about the change either,” said Buffy.

The phone rang.

“Three guesses who that is,” stated Xander.

Willow picked up the phone. “Hello?” she answered. “Kennedy. Please don’t yell. We did what we had to do. Yes, Buffy is still the slayer. No, baby please stop yelling. It was the only way. No, please, I’ll be back soon.” Willow hung up the phone then smiled a very forced smile.

“Willow, you ok?” asked Dawn.

“Ya, everything is hunky dory. Pizza,” stated Willow.

The pizza was passed around. More was ordered.

“So what happens now?” asked Andrew, “ Now that you have a fantabulous watcher’s council are we going to England? Do we have to go through rigorous training? Cause I don’t know if I can do that. I don’t do heavy lifting.”

“So why wasn’t I chosen to be watcher then?” asked Dawn. “Honestly...come on, it’s super sci fi geek.”

“I think our most pressing needs right now are to rebuild, recruit and to find potential slayers,” said Giles.

“Major fun had by all, I’m sure, as long as there is no more butt monkeying I’m cool,” said Xander between bites of pizza.

Buffy pulled a bag of blood out of the fridge and filled up a mug. After the microwave beeped she waded through the living room into her bedroom, where Spike was lying on her bed in a bored fashion.

“Hey,” she said offering him the blood.

“What?” he said annoyed.

“I brought you something to eat,” said Buffy sadly.

“Thanks,” he said reaching for the mug.

“You don’t seem so happy with all the happy bonding in the living room.”

“Not my cuppa tea pet; you know that.”

“Ya, I do,”

Spike finished his mug of blood in silence and set it on the floor.

“I’m gone,” he said simply grabbing his coat. “Gotta find me a new place.”

“When will I see you?”

“Don’t know, pet. When the Scooby fest is over. I’ll find you,” he said cupping her face with his hand tenderly.

“Don’t be away too long,” she said trying to smile.

Spike crossed through the living room and exited the apartment in his usual surly manner.

“Where’s he going?” asked Dawn.

“Guess we aren’t so exciting,” added Willow.
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Buffy rolled out of bed, trying not to wake Dawn, sleeping soundly beside her. Buffy dressed quickly and was out the door before she could change her mind.

She headed straight for the closest cemetery. She wanted to test herself out. See if she was different since the demon had entered her body. She had been offered the demon’s power before, but had rejected it, that time when they had first found the box. She wanted to know what it did to her.

The first two vampires were easy, fledglings, no experience what so ever, hardly a challenge. She did feel more powerful.

She reflected on the evening. She had experienced a full range of emotions and expectations. She had been so close to being normal again but it was ripped away from her, again. In the briefest of seconds she had imagined a job, a family, with little blond children playing around her feet. She also knew that in her fantasy the father of said children was a vampire, a snarky leather wearing vampire, and therefore said little children would not exist. But it was a nice fantasy, fantasy children were the only ones she would ever have.

Whoa... Buffy stopped her train of thought for a moment, since when is Spike the father of my fantasy children? When did this happen? For the longest time Buffy only ever imagined that Angel was the father of Joyce Anne and Trevor Rupert (Yes like a lot of girls Buffy had named her kids already). Even when she had been with Riley, Angel was still the father. Maybe it was the whole LA sitch, Buffy thought. And Spike’s back so why not?

Maybe cause he hasn’t shown any real interest for you since he got back, said the pessimistic voice in Buffy’s head. Sure he came with you to Cleveland, sure went and got Dawn for you, sure he’s all protect-y and all that, But has he said that he loves you? NO! Resounding nos all around.

And it’s not like he doesn’t know that I love him, I mean I told him! Stupid Vampire.

Buffy shook off the depressing reflective thoughts and trudged into the cemetery, unaware that she was being followed.

“Oof!” grunted Buffy as she hit a gravestone. She turned and looked to see who it was. “Oh it’s you!” said Buffy very annoyed.

Looking back at her was David Gable.

“Why are you here again?” he asked tired.

“Hmm, no stake. Gone soft on the vamps since I last saw you?” countered Buffy.

David crossed his arms and stared.

“No talky today? I gather that since you are no longer trying to stake me that you don’t think I’m a vamp anymore?”

“Nope, just an idiot girl with a creepy boyfriend.”

“Huh, well improvement I guess.”

“You should leave. Now.”

“But I don’t want to,” she said in a little girl voice. “Can’t I just tag along and learn from you?”

Gable softened.

“It’s dangerous out here for ladies like yourself to be out here in the dark.”

“Please, look I know I’ve been all thorns and stings, but I’d like for us to be friends,” she said as
she got up off the tombstone batting her eye lashes.

“Apology accepted, but you should go before the vampires smell fresh blood.”

“No fun,” stated Buffy with emphasis, “boo hoo. Look, I’m only just trying to have a truce with you here. Me no fight you, you no fight me. Evil soulless vampires bad, Buffy good.”

“Buffy dumb,”

“That’s where you are wrong, mate,” said Spike as he lit a cigarette. “She may be impulsive, stubborn, moody, but she is not dumb.”

“Thanks, I think,” said Buffy.

“It was a good show, were you trying to make me jealous, pet or was it just a side effect of the light show earlier?”

“You were jealous?” she asked hopefully at the same time Gable said: “A show?”

“Well I was having fun, as much fun as I could have without you on patrol,” she said walking closer to him.

“Having fun?” shouted Gable, who was being ignored by the vampire and his slayer.

“A little too much fun, pet, if you want my opinion,” Spike said as he slid off the tombstone he was sitting on.

“All I wanted was a little slaying, to, you know, test out my new inner demon,” she said all flirty, her fingers walking up the arm of his leather jacket.

“Demon?” questioned Gable. “I knew there was something evil about you!” Gable dug a stake out of his pocket and made to stake her.

“Whoa, hey buddy, stakes are for vampires, not demons,” said Buffy as she kicked the stake out his hand easily. “And secondly, we are having a moment here!”

“I thought you had had enough of this Pansy,” said Spike to Buffy.

“I told you, I just wanted a little action and he spoils my fun.”

“You two are crazy,” shouted David.

“Nice come back,” taunted Buffy. “I knew fledglings with better come backs.”

“You know, you are starting to get on my nerves, so why don’t you scamper on home like a good undertaker,” said Spike trying to make himself seem impressing and scary. “You see over the course of my long existence, most of the peop0le who have annoyed me found themselves dead mate.”

“Spike...” said Buffy reproachfully.

“Look this is my cemetery, I will do what I want in it. If you have any problems with that, bring it on. I’ve killed a lot of vampires, means I could wipe the grass with you man.”

“Hey!” yelled Buffy, stepping more between them and holding out her arms. “Chillax already. God, men!” Buffy took two calming breaths. “Ok, clearly this just isn’t going to work for us. You...” she said looking at Gable, “have possessive cemetery issues, a death wish and a male chauvinist thing going on. And you...” she said looking at Spike, “ have a temper, bloodlust and are stunningly good looking.”

Spike smiled.

“Obviously,” she continued, “issues to be resolved. It’s late and we could catch our deaths out here.”

“Don’t come back,” said Gable meanly as he walked away.

When Gable was safely out of hearing Buffy picked up the stake he had left and started walking. Spike followed at her side.

“Wanker.”

“Spike, please...You were gonna eat him weren’t you?” said Buffy.

“No of course not pet, made my stomach growl thinking about it though.”

“You’re sick.”

“Nope, just a tender soul in an evil body, which you happen to find stunningly good looking.”

“I should have tried harder to think of nasty things about you or hit you or something.”

Spike noticed that they were heading back to Buffy’s apartment.

“I thought you wanted to test out your inner demon?”

“I wanted to. It’s 4:30am Spike. It will be dawn not too long from now. I need to sleep. I’m having a bed delivered. Dawn needs to go to school and the apartment hunt continues. Did you find a new place to crash? I mean, a new crypt?”

“Ya, Pine Creek cemetery, north of here.”

“Show me?”
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Buffy walked into the crypt and wrinkled her nose.

“Crypt sweet crypt? Like the air freshener scent, Ode to rotting corpses?”

“I’ll clean it up a bit, it’ll be just like Sunnydale when I’m through with it.”

“Right, Sunnydale,” said Buffy suddenly losing all happy thoughts.

There was a long pause.

“What are you thinking pet?” he asked moving closer to her.

“I don’t know, Sunnydale, all the things that happened there, the people that I lost there. I destroyed it all.”

“No, you didn’t, pet.”

“I’ll never see my mother’s grave, lay flowers on it, pray beside it, Tara’s grave, Miss Calendar. It was my home. My family, we’re all broken apart now. Willow will go back to LA, Giles to England, Dawn may have to go back to LA too. Nothing is familiar here. All those things in my apartment aren’t mine. I have no memories with them.”

“Make new memories pet.”

“I want Sunnydale back, living with Willow and Dawn. Having a life, doing something with it, other than fighting undertaker boy and worrying about Dawn. Barging into your crypt to get information out of you, fighting beside you,” she looked into his eyes, “this isn’t your crypt Spike, it’s not the same.”

“I know. You were, relatively speaking, happy in Sunnydale, but things change pet, we move on. Do you think I don’t dream of being in my home again in London with my mum waiting to fuss about me? Even after I was turned I sometimes dreamt of home, but I moved on, otherwise I’d still be there in that house, scouring the neighbourhood for fresh blood. I’d be a tired old man, stunningly good looking, but not the clever chap I am today.”

“Thanks Spike, that oh so cheered me up.”

“Glad I could oblige pet. Now what do you say to properly christening this place?”

Buffy gave him a look.

“Please don’t mean what I think you mean!”

“Why not? If it is be home. A ship can’t set sail with a little champagne getting spilt.”

“Metaphors abound, just what are we comparing the champagne to?...Wait. No. I don’t need that mental picture.”

“No need for mental pictures pet. I’m offering the real thing,” he said softly running his finger down her arm.

“It smells gross in here.”

Spike sighed.

“Right then, I’ll walk you home,” he said resigned.
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“I can’t believe you gave up so easily.”

“You know you confuse the hell out of me,” said Spike as he reached for a cigarette. “One minute you are all touchy feely, the next your the ice queen, and too bloody cryptic. Picked up some tips from Peaches while I was away?”

Buffy decided to let the Angel comment pass. She really didn’t want to get into a fight with him right now.

“Are you really going to live in there?” asked Buffy after a good 5 minutes of silence. “It’s skanky.”

“Yep, and I’m a vampire. Are you telling me, I’m too good for that place?”

“You are too good for me,” she whispered.

“Again, no, Vampire, bad.”

“Buffy stupid, tells Spike, I love you while dying, which you didn't believe and pissed me off.”

“I believed you.”

“Then why did you say ‘No you don’t but thanks for saying it?’”

“Um...The ceiling was collapsing. Wanted you to leave pet.”

“Oh,” said Buffy disappointed.

“Isn’t that what you expected to hear? You can’t honestly think that I wanted you to stay there and die again while we had a heart to heart about your impeccable timing.”

“Kinda, no, actually, I imagined that we’d have a fight about it. How I never mean what I say, say what I mean, that my words don’t mesh with my actions.”

“They don’t.”

“Then...Huh?”

“I’ve been trying to figure you out for a good long time Slayer, you confuse the hell out of me. You made it very clear for a very long time that you didn’t love me, you said it often enough to my face for me to start believing it. I know you, you would never say that to some one without meaning it.”

“I should have told you before that.”

“Would it have made any difference?”

“Probably not,” said Buffy. “Might have made me feel better in some small infinitesimal way.”

“I’m all for that.”

Buffy smiled.

“Are you really going to live there?”

“It’ll clean up nice, just hope gravedigger boy leaves me alone there.”

“Me too, but if you find him hovering over your tomb with a stake, defend yourself.”

“Don’t worry about me luv.”

Buffy kissed Spike on the cheek and left him to go up stairs, Her apartment was still a den of sleeping scoobies. Giles, Andrew and Xander were sleeping all over the living room, Dawn in her bed, Willow on the floor in her bedroom. Buffy tip toed into the bathroom for an extremely early shower; the smell of that crypt was in her hair.

It was terrible to think of Spike living in that skanky crypt. No matter how much it cleans up nice, it’s still going to smell.
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Buffy trudged Dawn to school in the next day, and spent forty minutes with the principal showing her the facilities at the school. The cafeteria was clean, the library full of new-ish looking books and computers.

“Giles would have hated this,” whispered Dawn.

The science lab was science-y and their guidance team top notch. Buffy agreed that Dawn
would be fine at such a well kept school.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how’s the student mortality rate her at J. F. Kennedy High School?” Buffy asked near the end of the tour.

“Why Miss Summers, what an odd question,” said the principal.

Buffy looked like she wanted an answer.

“We have a few suicides every year, the occasional accident of course. But J. F. K. is a very safe school. Your sister will be safe here.”

“I was wondering if you have any courses on ancient languages, Greek, Latin, some Native American languages,” asked Dawn, “I didn’t see any on the course list.”

“We offer Latin every other year, sadly this year we aren’t offering it.”

“Does this mean I’ll have to take French?”

“Yes,” said Buffy. I endured French, you will endure French.”

“Ick French bad.”

“And Latin is funner?”

“Latin is useful.” said Dawn

“And French isn’t?”

“Latin is more prolific.” Dawn noticed the puzzled look on the principal's face. “Uh, I want to study ancient languages at University.”

The principal gave a lot of trying to understand. The bell rang.

“Well I guess I’d better get to my first class,” said Dawn, “ Chemistry.”

“Good luck!” said Buffy.

“And Miss Summers what do you do?” asked Principal.

“I am currently between jobs actually. I was a high school guidance counsellor, before our town was swallowed by an earthquake. I’m hoping to go back to school actually.”

“You are from Sunnydale then. Terrible tragedy. I should tell you that our school works very closely with social services. Dawn’s state of California records show her as frequently absent from Sunnydale high and low test scores. She was at school for 2 days in LA before coming here. May I ask why she was moved so early in the school year? Obviously it wasn’t work related.”

Buffy bit her tongue, choking down what she really wanted to say to this nosy woman.

“My father is under suspicion of arson in California.”

“And your mother?”

“Died of a brain aneurysm two years ago. I have legal custody of Dawn. Look I know you want to help and I'm very grateful this has been rough for her. I thought leaving her in LA with our Dad was better for her. But with what happened, I just want her to have a normal life and graduate high school with out any problems.”

“I’m very glad to hear it Miss Summers. I hope you find a job soon,” said the Principal. “Good luck.”
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Buffy spent the day phoning places for rent, had a bed delivered and tired to entertain her friends and Andrew. Willow was to catch a plane to LA that night. Giles and Xander had conspired to fly to England in a day and Andrew had volunteered to stay in Cleveland and be Buffy’s watcher.

“I think he’s crushing on Dawn a bit,” warned Xander.

That much was obvious.

Now with another bed in the living room the apartment was way too cramped. Seriously expediting the reasons to locate another place to live.

“What you want to do is buy, not rent,” said Xander. “I’m thinking condo or small house.”

“I’m sure the condo board will enjoy the clash of weapons, the pounding from the punching bad, the strange hours and weird people I bring home,” said Buffy trying to move Dawn’s bed in a better location.

“Right, house it is,” said Xander.

“I need to get a job, I can't afford a house outright, I’d need to make payments.”

“How about law enforcement? You did test well for that at career day in high school,” said Xander.

“Career day,” sighed Willow. “I met Oz at career day. Goddess that was long ago. I’m old.”

“Some of us are older than others,” said Giles wiping his glasses.

“Where is Oz anyway?” asked Buffy.

“I don’t know, he took off last night,” answered Willow.

“Did you guys talk?” asked Buffy.

“There was talking. I don’t think it went well. He still has girlfriend issues.”

“Oz has a girlfriend?” asked Xander.

“No, my girlfriend issue, that I have one,” stated Willow. “I just wish I could reach him. I want to be friends again. I miss talking to him.”

“Uh huh,” said Buffy totally not believing the talking part. Willow wanted smoochies with Oz.

“Buffy...”

“I’m not saying anything,” she said raising her hands in the air.

“How is Spike?” asked Willow mischievously

“Moving in to a smelly old crypt as we speak.”

“Does it really smell?” asked Willow.

“And how, gross. I just hope that the mad vampire hunter of Cleveland leaves him alone.”

“The who?” asked Xander.

“David Gable, caretaker of one of the local cemeteries I believe, fanatical, loaner, very unpredictable.” said Giles brewing himself a spot of tea.

“You know him?” asked Buffy shocked.

“Yes, he’s been operating for 15 years or so, killed his share of vampires, been in the hospital quite often.”

“I’d like to put him in a hospital,” said Buffy, “arrogant jerk, thinks that little girls like me aren’t fit for vampire slaying.”

“His father was a watcher, his slayer was killed in an automobile accident in the 1970’s. He hunted vampires himself before being killed 15 years ago. I doubt David knows anything about slayers or the watcher’s council. Gable was an old eccentric man,” said Giles.

“The son is just as freaky. He didn’t know anything about the slayer, seemed out of the loop. He kills vampires, that is all. Thought I was a vampire, last night he finally clued in, but now he thinks I’m just an idiot girl.”

“I hope Spike’s ok,” said Andrew.

“Me too,” agreed Buffy.
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tbc...
 

The Rest of our Lives
By Ariel Dawn

Summery: In which Spike comes for an extended stay.

Disclaimer: Joss made the wonderfulness that was Buffy...sigh

Author’s note: Thanks to my reviewers! As I’m going camping this weekend and won’t be able to post until at least Tuesday, I’ve decided to post again tonight...Enjoy! Happy mother’s day!
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Chapter 6: Dead animals.

Buffy barged into the crypt in the Pinehill cemetery.

“Spike?” she called out. There was no response. The crypt still smelled. Gross. He was probably asleep in one of the tombs. Buffy looked to the left and right. There only 2 tombs to choose from, one had a decomposing body, the other Spike. 50/50 chance. Just as she was about to push back the slab on the right tomb, she heard a noise from below between the wall and that tomb, at the very back was an opening large enough for a person to crawl down a very narrow set of steps. Cautiously Buffy descended.

Underneath the tomb the smell was much more pleasant, The stairs led to a small tunnel and then opened out into a moderately sized cave, that had been hung with fabric and lighted with candles. At the back of the room, there was a large four poster bed. Spike was sleeping upon it.

Buffy watched him sleep. He drew no breath. He was perfectly still, like the corpse he was. Except for his eyes, which moved while he dreamt. He was naked under that sheet, He must have been up the rest of the night and half the day just doing this. All he was missing really was a fridge and a TV. Buffy checked her watch. It was 1 pm. She had wanted to check on him to make sure David Gable wasn’t stalking him. Dawn would be back from school in an hour and a half. She wanted to take Dawn to see a few places before they had to take Willow to the airport. Buffy slipped off her jacket and shoes and climbed into bed beside him, not touching but close. She watched his face with intensity. He was gorgeous, no doubt, it seemed that no matter what pain he suffered his face would still heal itself to what she saw before her. Except that scar in his eye brow, given to him by the Chinese slayer he killed. She liked the idea that she alone had been about to tame his heart, this killer of slayers. No doubt Robin Wood would jump at the chance of being here right now to stake Spike for killing his mother.

She wondered if Willow and Xander would really have a problem with her if she started sleeping with Spike again. Probably, after all, sure he had saved the world, but Xander could never see past the Vampire thing and Willow, well Buffy wasn’t really sure exactly what Willow’s objections were, just that she would have them. Dawn probably thought that something was up, its a tad hard to keep that from your sister when she sees the guy in her bed. Not like anything had happened that night anyway. They were both just so tired. There was nothing more Buffy wanted that to allow herself to be with his man. He was her equal. She knew it and had accepted it long ago, it was just that for the longest time she thought he was her equal opposite, his darkness compared to her light. She knew now that there was no such thing. Spike was her true equal.

Buffy felt herself sigh. She didn’t care if Xander got angry, or Willow made faces or Giles disapproved. Spike was it. she wasn’t going to let him slip away again.

“Slayer, are you going to stare at me all afternoon?” he said without a hint of sleepiness.

“Have you been awake this whole time?” she sounded indignant.

Spike opened his eyes and rolled towards her propping himself on his elbow.

“How do you like it now?” he asked, “You never stuck around last night to have a proper look around.”

“I thought you wanted to have sex up there in the stink. God, it’s awful, What is that?”

“Dead rat. I left it to keep away unwanted visitors.”

“I think it works. Am I gonna have to plug my nose every time I through there?”

“Na, there’s another passage to the surface down here. Think I enjoy the rat smell?”

“Well, you are dead...”

“So what’s so important that you choose to wake me up from by death like sleep in the middle of the afternoon? Anything other than a Randy Buffy and I’ll be terribly disappointed,” he said moving closer towards her.

“Spike...” she moved away from him.

“Right then, get out of my bed, let me rest in peace,” Spike rolled away from her and pulled the sheet over his shoulders.

This was not the reaction Buffy was expecting. She resisted poking him sharply in the ribs but instead cuddled up behind him spooning him from behind. She reached with her topmost arm and began tracing his skin from his thigh to his chest gently sliding her fingers over his tepid skin.

“Do they know you are here pet?”

“Yes, I told them I needed to check on you to make sure that Vampire Hunter Guy hadn’t found you.”

“Touching concern,” he said still with his back to her.

“Aren’t you moody today.”

There was an exasperated sigh from the vampire. Spike propped himself up on his elbows again and gave her a hard look.

“Please don’t look at me like that,” asked Buffy sadly.

Spike softened and gathered her up in his arms. They lay together, him holding her while she let tears roll down her face. She didn’t know why she was crying, It was as if a whole flood of emotions were suddenly released, pent up anxieties she didn’t know where to begin. She’d kept it in for so long. All she knew was that she and her delicate emotional state were safe with him. The sobs lasted for about 15mins. She finally sniffled, and wiped away her tears.

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

“No problem pet”

“Sorry about waking you up.”

“Anytime,” he said planting a kiss on her forehead.

Buffy looked at him intensely. “Sometimes I wish I understood you, like you understand me.”

“Been studying you for a good long time now Slayer. You can learn a lot about a person when you spend all your time watching them for weakness. I think I have the Slayer figured out, it’s Buffy that sometimes throws me for a loop.”

“I’d like to be able to say the same thing. To understand what‘s going on in that bleached head of yours.”

“I hope you never figure it out pet, its not nice inside my head. Too many dead people.”

“Just like me,” she added quietly.

“Don’t you go comparing yourself to be now. You are a shining angel, compared to me. How could you ever be in my bed is miracle enough for me.”

“Spike...” she said slowly tracing the outline of his face with her hand. “I need you, you make this dimension of hell worth living in. You make me feel like I'm living.”

Spike kissed her. She kissed back, her lips moving with his, his lips so soft and cool. She felt his tongue force it’s self past her lips, god he was a fantastic kisser, she thought. She pulled back from him.

“Spike can we pretend something?” she asked, “Can we pretend its the night before, when we both thought we were going to die? Could we just relive it, pretend we are in the basement on Revello dr?”

There was no need for him to say anything . She saw the assent in his eyes. Both of them stood up. He carefully put back on his black jeans and t shirt. This was the first time he noticed that she was wearing very close to the same outfit she had had on that night. They stood staring at each other from across the room. Slowly they walked towards each other. Reaching for each other. There hadn’t been the need for words. She reached out and touched his scar on his eyebrow, she had wondered what scar would be left behind from this battle. Tomorrow they closed the hellmouth, cost what it will. Spike took her hands and kissed them tenderly then gathered her up and laid her on the bed, all the while kissing her mouth with passion. She pulled his head towards her. One of his hands gently made its way down to her crotch, stroked it a few times before starting to unzip her pants. Buffy gasped as he slid his hand down into her jeans and began to rub against her clit. Buffy tugged his shirt off and continued kissing his now warm mouth. Buffy’s hands set to work on his pants. She felt her own pants pulled away from her. Then she felt something warm and slippery enter her. She looked down to see Spike down on her, his tongue licking and probing her pink demenses with careful accuracy. She felt herself move in time with his actions. Buffy quickly removed her top and bra. Then she grabbed him by his bleached locks, to get his attention.

“I want you inside of me,” she whispered. It’ll be the last time, she thought.

Spike pushed up her knees, spread her legs and positioned himself above her. Far too slowly he entered her, like he was savouring the moment. She gasped as he penetrated her. They moved in time with one another gently rocking back and forth, taking their time. This was after all the last time they would do this. One of them would be dead the next day. Buffy ran her fingers over his smooth back. It felt so right, she thought, to have him inside her making the hollow place full. He was what she needed and she wanted to stay that way forever.

“Buffy...” he whispered in her ear, just as he had before.

She moaned, her conversation between her and Angel the night before flashed in her head, ‘Do you love him?’ Angel had asked. ‘He is in my heart’ she had said. All very true. But as she lay there, her legs spread, him kissing her face and neck she felt that she did love him. She wrapped her legs about him and squeezed him tightly into her.

He was getting close.

“Oh god, Buffy, I love you,” he said between thrusts. He had said that then too.

“Spike...” she whispered because she had then too, Then she moaned again. Her legs were quivering, her clit throbbed,. A tear rolled down her cheek. All as before but this time would be different. “...I love you.”

His hands that had been fondling her breasts stopped only for a moment, as he registered this new information. There was one more thrust and she felt herself give way, the sensation was overpowering, it rippled up her body, her muscles clenched involuntarily. He pressed into her one final time before spending.

Buffy, panting and shaking found his lips once more.

“Thank you,” she breathed.

He rolled off of her, his body slick with her sweat. He looked into her eyes and smiled.

“Bloody Beautiful, you are,” he said,

“Spike...”She said trying to sound displeased but couldn’t.

The charade was over.

“It wouldn’t have made a difference you know.” he said, “Wouldn’t have made you feel I didn’t believe you though.”

“I’d have died with you. I think I wanted to.”

“Don’t say that.”

“I wanted to,” she repeated more firmly, “And someday I will.” Buffy rolled off the bed to retrieve her clothes.
__________________________________________
Dawn made her way back to her house. Her day at school had been weird. She’d met many more people she knew from Sunnydale there than she thought she would. Now that she thought about it they had been the weirder kids at school.

Dawn stumbled back into the apartment to find Xander and Andrew watching movies on Buffy’s new TV (a house warming gift from Xander), Giles was drinking tea and reading, probably something fascinating about demons and Willow was making cookies- which meant in Willow speak that something was very wrong in Willow Land. She was worried about Kennedy. Buffy was no where to be seen.

Her new bed had arrived and was sitting all made up to sleep on in the living room. Dawn dropped her bag on it with a thud.

“Dawn, how was school?” asked Willow extra cheery. “Have a cookie!”

Dawn helped herself. “School was ok, it was school, I have to take French, ick,” she munched on a cookie, “Hey, where’s Buffy?”

“She said was checking up on Spike to make sure Mr David Gable doesn’t make with the stake while Spike slept.”

“Oh,” said Dawn knowingly.

Willow glanced up from her cookies, “Dawn do you know more? I need details” said Willow grabbing the girl’s hands.

“What I don’t know anything, really,” she said smiling, “I’ve only been here a day longer than you have.”

“Dawn...”

“K, so when I woke up my first day, they were sleeping in Buffy’s bed, But I’m pretty sure nothing happened cause he was still dressed in the same clothes, when we were in the car, the next morning and asleep,” said Dawn.

“Is that all?” asked Willow disappointed.

“Is that all! Please god may it be all,” pleased Xander.

“Hey, I think its cute, they were majorly tight before. Why not now, now that the apocalypse has been averted. If they love another why not?” offered Dawn.

“Whoa, hold the boat, love one another, no way. Not possible,” said Xander, “Don’t care what the evil undead thinks he feels, no way does Buffy love him,” protested Xander.

“You don’t know Xander, they’ve been giving out the weird signals, lots of sexual tension in the air,” observed Andrew.

“Tension yes. Love no,” declared Xander.

“Could we please move on to a more sane conversation,” asked Giles removing his glasses and rubbing his temples.

“She bought him a shirt, a present, and look at all the blood in the fridge!” said Dawn excitedly, “She brought him here to Cleveland with her.”

“There are definitely signs...” said Willow.

“And you are ok with that Will, cause you weren't formally of the Spike fan club,” said Xander.

“Xander you should have heard her this summer, her pain, she needed him. She was like...like Captain Picard with counsellor Troi... like sixteen year old Buffy without her Mr Gordo. She was miserable. I just want her to be happy.” said Willow, trying to use analogies that would make sense to Xander.

“But Captain Picard never had sex with Counsellor Troi,” said Andrew trying to make sense of the analogy. Thankfully he was ignored.

“Do you think they’re making with the smoochies right now?” asked Dawn.

“Ug, mental picture stuck in brain,” said Xander disgusted. “Hopefully she’s kicking his ass into the next state.”

“Na, smoochies it is,” said Willow.

“I also vote smoochies,” said Andrew, “Giles?”

“Huh?” said Giles suddenly startled out of his reading by hearing his name. “I’m sorry you pursued quite an unappetizing topic of conversation, I’m afraid I tuned you all out.”

The door opened.

“Anyone care to rental shop with me before we have to take Willow to airport?” asked Buffy pleasantly.
__________________________________________
They drove, five of them, Giles preferred to read his book rather be cramped illegally into a car, to one of the rental homes Buffy had made inquiries about. Buffy hadn’t told her friends but she wanted this house. It was a three story, four floor house, brick, small front yard, larger backyard, six bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and it looked out onto Spike’s cemetery, Pinehill, but she didn’t tell that to her friends that tid bit of news either.

Dawn was enchanted with the house and already picked out her bedroom on the 2nd floor, facing the back yard.

“The owner is renting the place, but thinks he might be willing to sell in a few years,” said Buffy.

Xander inspected and pronounced it sound.

“Which bedroom is mine?” Andrew asked when they got back in the car.” The four others gave him looks of death. “Well if I am to be your watcher, won’t I need to live with you?”

“Giles said you’d be more like a record keeper, didn’t he?” said Dawn.

“My question is what are you going to do with all those bedrooms?” asked Xander.

“One could be a workout room,” offered Dawn.

“Ooooh! Library!....or an office” said Willow.

“One could be Spike’s,” said Buffy.

There was silence in the car.

“Come you guys, how long do you think its going to be until this David guy finds Spike? He’ll be tracked and hunted. He won’t be safe until he is living under the same roof as I am.”

“I don’t think Spike needs all this consideration, Buffy. Are we forgetting the rape? The killing? The trigger?” said Xander.

“No, but I think you are forgetting the soul and the saving the world bit. He isn’t a monster and I think he deserves a little more respect,” said Buffy.

Dawn poked Willow and smiled.

“So house good?” continued Buffy. “I’ll sign the lease papers tomorrow. We can move in next month.”
__________________________________________
Spike sat on his bed, reading a large volume of poetry he’d nicked from a street vender the day before. Buffy had asked him to wait until after she’d taken Willow to the airport so that they could patrol. Spike knew it wasn’t even sundown yet, Buffy would be even now driving to the airport. He smiled, she hated driving. His memory went back to when he had first seem her at the bus station. Of course he hadn’t just seen her, he smelled her, lovely smell. When he say her though, if he had a living heart it would have stopped beating, She had looked so sad, so miserable it was everything he could do but hold her in this arms and whisper to her that everything would be alright.

And then she hadn’t believed that it was him. A natural reaction he supposed, she didn’t have a vampire’s sense of smell.

It turned him on to think of her smell. And she loved him! Well she said that she loved him and she didn’t lie to him as a rule.

Lost in his own thoughts he almost missed the door of his crypt open and close. Buffy? he thought. No it couldn’t be her not yet. For once he cursed the fact that the upstairs of the crypt smelled so rank.

He put down the book and stood up from his bed and backed away until he was hidden behind his fabric wall hangings.

Into the room stepped Gable. Stake in hand. Bloody hell, thought Spike gritting his teeth. He watched as Gable poked around his things, picked up his duster from the bed and started inspecting the pockets. Gable pulled out Spike’s Zippo and Buffy’s pink silk undies that she had left there that afternoon. Spike could feel his anger come up. He kept his game face at bay though. When Gable started moving back towards the stairs with his things. Spike immerged from the walls.

“Now that you’ve had a right snoop around mate, I’d appreciate it if you left me things,” said Spike.

Gable jumped.

“I knew these were yours and hers. The moment I saw them thought I’d take them as a warning to get out.”

“Na, not going to work, cause I really like that coat, I’d have tracked you down and taken it from you,” said Spike as he swaggered towards the human, “Give it back before bad things happen.”

“Make me,” said Gable with a stoic face.

“All right,” said Spike.

Spike punched Gable directly in the face, causing the man to stagger back and drop the coat. With one slick move Spike grabbed the coat and put it on.

Gable wiped away the blood trickling down his nose. “Now you’ve done it, I was going to take it easy on you, but now,” Gable moved towards Spike, fists raised. He punched feinted punched kicked and positioned himself to throw Spike. Not one blow landed on the vamp.

“Come on, you can do better than that, after all your the vampire hunter of Cleveland for Christ's sake,” said Spike mouthing off.

Gable got in a lucky blow, finally, landing squarely on Spike’s cheek. Without meaning to, Spike vamped out and roared.

“I knew one of you had to a vampire,” said Gable pleased with himself and raised a cross to keep Spike away.

“I’m gonna have fun with you mate. Bet it’s a long time since you had a challenge, beating someone to a pulp has always given me an appetite.”

Gable raised the cross higher. Spike ignored it as long as he didn’t touch it he was ok. Spike knocked the cross out of Gable’s hand and made a rush for him. Then out of no where a splash of water met Spike’s face. Holy water. Spike screamed in pain. He couldn’t see. Crouched on the floor in pain Spike knew that Gable would stake him next. Spike flung out his arm and knocked Gable’s legs out from under him. Spike took off out the secret exit not wanting for Gable to regain his equilibrium.

Spike stood outside for a moment. He couldn’t see and he wasn’t burning, so the sun must have gone down. He needed to find her. Spike sniffed the air and began walking.
__________________________________________

Buffy stood in the middle of Spike’s crypt. It was smouldering. The fire couldn't have been out for more than a few minutes. Buffy had dropped off Xander, Dawn and Andrew at he apartment before walking here on foot.

“Spike?” she called. She really hopped that he wasn’t here when it happened that he hadn’t been staked, How could she find out if that were true. The whole place was ash. Where would he have gone? To find her. He hadn’t been at her apartment when she had dropped off the others.

Buffy bolted out of the crypt. What if he were injured? Buffy took off her jacket and wrapped it around her waist. It was too cold for the tank she wore but the more skin she showed the more scent he could smell.

Buffy walked in the direction of her apartment not stopping even for traffic lights. She had to find him. He couldn’t be gone, not again, she wouldn’t lose him again.
__________________________________________

This wouldn’t have happened if he had been wearing his bauble, he thought. He had hidden it in Buffy’s weapon’s chest the first time he had spent the night there, he figured it would be safer there. Now here he was blind, walking towards her smell. He couldn’t even be sure that he was walking in a straight line. He stumbled over something every few feet, usually a curb or an uneven paving stone.

“Spike?” he heard her voice.

“Buffy?” he answered, relieved.

He felt her rush up to him.

“Oh my god, Spike what’s happened to your face?” she asked. He could sense her disgust looking at it. “Gable did this to you didn’t he?”

Spike felt his arm being wrapped around her shoulder.

“Come on, let’s go home,” she said sweetly.
__________________________________________

“Oh my god, Spike what happened?” cried Dawn as soon as they were in the apartment.

“Gable splashed Holy water in his face, he’s blind,” said Buffy leading Spike to her room. “He burnt up Spike’s crypt.”

“Wow,” said Andrew.

They all followed her into her room. Xander and Giles with token concern on their faces.

“Dawn find me the first aid box, Xander heat up some blood. Giles there’s some whiskey under the sink and Andrew, get out of my room,” said the General.

Everyone left the room. Buffy started to truly assess the damage. His face looked like acid had burned him, his eyes were swollen shut. On his legs and hands were hundreds of gashes, cuts, scrapes probably from trying to find his way to her blind. Carefully she removed his duster trying not to move him too much. His jeans were ruined, cut up in so many places.

Dawn arrived with the first aid kit and the blood Xander was supposed to heat up. Giles came in with the whiskey.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Dawn asked.

“Not right now, but I’ll call for you if I need help K?” said Buffy trying to smile.

Giles and Dawn left her to her task. Shutting the door behind them.

Buffy planted a kiss on Spike’s head. she carefully wrapped gauze around his eyes and set to work on his hands, carefully wrapping every cut.

Buffy loosened his belt and pulled his pants off. He grunted in pain. Along with the gashes and wounds, Spike’s right leg was broken.

“Must have been when I was hit by that car,” he said gritting his teeth.

Buffy handed him the blood then the bottle of whiskey. “Drink up, this is going to hurt.”

He screamed a bit when he set the bone. Then she dressed his other wounds.

She curled up in bed beside him under the covers and held him gently.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you,” she whispered. “He will never hurt you again.”
__________________________________________
Buffy left her room quietly a few hours later.

“How is he?” asked Dawn.

“He’s sleeping, possibly passed out from the whiskey. His face is burnt, his hands are badly cut up and his right leg is broken. He was hit by a car while he was trying to get away from that monster,” said Buffy hurt and angry.

Buffy walked to her weapons chest and took out a small dagger.

“Buffster, what are you thinking?” asked Xander.

“Vengeance,” replied Buffy.

“Buffy, you can’t be serious, he’s a human being. You can’t kill him.”

“Why not? He tried to kill Spike. I’m not going to kill him, rough him up, put the fear of Buffy in him.”

“You’ll be put in jail Buffy!” pleaded Dawn. “I’ll have to go into foster care!”

“I’m sure Spike would much rather take his revenge out personally,” said Andrew.

“I’m going. Dawn look after Spike,” said Buffy as she slammed the door closed.

Buffy head straight for Gable’s cemetery. The caretaker’s house in fact and pounded on the door. It was only 8pm, he was probably watching Friends or something.

Gable cautiously answered his door.

“Dumb Buffy,” he said with a smirk. “How’s your vampire boyfriend?”

Buffy tightened her grip on her dagger in her jacket pocket.

“You have made the biggest mistake of your life and you are going to pay for it.”

“What? You are going to beat me up? That’s rich. Scared of you little girl.”

“Oh you better be scared,” she said walking towards him. “You are the first human in a long time that I would happily let him drain.”

With a flick of the wrist he flung Holy water at her.

Buffy smiled. “I’m not a vampire, remember? I’m a demon!”

She lunged forward and grabbed his neck hoisting him up in the air.

“Stay away from us. If you see us coming run away little man or you will end up in the ground a lot sooner than you think.”

Buffy threw him across the porch and walked off kicking over a tombstone as she went.
__________________________________________
When she returned to her apartment several hours later she refused to speak to anyone she kicked her new punched bag which sat in the corner of the living room and trudged into her room, closing the door behind her. One look at Spike’s bandaged face sent her into tears.
__________________________________________
Dawn had looked up from her homework when Buffy stormed back in. Guess she wasn’t sleeping in Buffy’s room tonight. It was the floor for her.

“Do you think he’s dead?” asked Andrew.

“No, Buffy wouldn’t be still angry if he was among the living,” said Xander.

“She’s gonna be like that for a few days,” said Dawn. “I mean I’d be furious if someone beat up my boyfriend, and look what happened to the last guy who messed with Buffy’s boyfriend.”

“That was Spike,” observed Xander.

“And he spent months in a wheelchair for it too. No one messes with Buffy’s boyfriends.”

“Also, NOT her boyfriend.”

“Whatever Xander”
__________________________________________

tbc...

Chapter 7: The invalid Vampire

Buffy woke up with Spike’s arms wrapped around her. Her eyes were crusty from crying.

“Good morning” Spike said into the dark room.

“How do you feel?” she asked propping herself up on her elbow.

“Better, hands seemed to have healed well enough. Leg still hurts like a bitch. Face too, though doesn’t hurt to talk. Hungry mainly.”

“Ok, blood. Must pee,” she said lifting herself up off the bed.

Buffy stumbled out into her living room. It had to be 6 am. Giles and Dawn were asleep in Dawn’s bed. Xander and Andrew were on the floor. Must Pee, Buffy thought.

The small bathroom was a mess. It was worse than her bathroom in Sunnydale when the potentials lived there. Various male bathroom products littered the sink and tub. She stared into the toilet, someone hadn’t flushed, yuck. She was glad that her new house would have more than one bathroom.

Things to do today: sign lease on house, take Giles and Xander to Airport, take care of Spike... Buffy felt another tear fall down her face.

Buffy padded out into the kitchen for blood. They were getting low on the stuff again. She shhhhhed the microwave as it beeped.

Need to buy Spike new pants and a washing machine and a dryer. Buffy hadn’t found time to do any laundry since she arrived. Laundry room was in the basement. Buffy made a mental note to do laundry today.

Back in her room with the door closed she slid in beside Spike and put his hands around the mug.

“It was my fault you know,” he said between sips. “Bloody not used to going in for the kill. Waited too long. Wanted to make him pay. Taking my things. Taunted him. Could have been over in a flash, neck snapped, could’ve had a quick drink too.”

“Spike...”

“I know you don’t like to be reminded of Spike the Big Bad, just cause I got this soul now doesn’t mean I can’t think nasty things.”

“Spike, I went to kill him, for you, last night...”

“Buffy...”

“I didn’t, oh but I wanted to, in the worst way. I wanted to hurt him, like he hurt you. I couldn’t”

“Because he’s human?”

“Because I won’t let the demon control me. I saw it in my head you know, like I was watching myself. He still thought I was a vampire too. I got Holy water in my face. Then I remember a sick smile coming over my face, the kind you used to get before the soul, when you were gonna kill something. It scared me.”

“Think he should be the one who should be scared. Four or five days to heal up and I’ll be back out there seeking my own vengeance.”

“Spike,”

“Don’t deny me payback, luv”

“I won’t, I just don’t want you to get hurt again. I need you at my back, make sure this demon inside me doesn’t get the upper hand.”

“Never you mind about that Luv, I’ll not be leaving you of my own accord.”

She kissed his burnt face.

The alarm sounded. 7 am. Sounds of the latest N’Sync song filled the apartment.

Buffy heard sounds of people waking in the next room. Buffy looked down at her clothes, the same ones that she had worn the night before. Buffy started looking around in boxes for clothes to wear.

“Tell me what you’re doing luv, it gets awful dull just sitting here.”

“I’m looking for clothes to wear, clothes that aren’t dirty. Hmm,” she said as she found a pair of black pants and a red v-neck sweater.

“Hmm?”

“I’ve found what I’m going to wear,” she said.

Buffy knelt on the bed beside him, took his hands and put them on her hips.

“I want you to undress me,” she whispered in his ear.

Spike slid his hands up under her shirt and let his fingers worked their way up to her shoulder touching her skin. Buffy raised her arms and let Spike pull off her top. Next she took his hand and placed them on her hips once more. He found the waist of her pants and started undoing the buttons on her fly. Buffy lay back and let him slide the pants over her butt and down her thighs. Buffy kicked the pants off and faced him again. His hands instinctively rose to her breasts and then around to her back to undo her bra. The silky garment fell away, but his hand lingered. His hands slid down her body until he felt silk again. Buffy raised herself up to let him remove her underwear. Flinging them aside he moved his hands up and down her body trying to touch every part.

“Buffy!” called Dawn through the door, “Are you awake?”

“Hold on, I’m getting dressed!” replied the slayer rolling her eyes.

“You’re getting dressed with Spike in there!!!?” exploded Xander.

“He can’t see Xander, relax,” said Dawn.

Buffy kissed Spike on the cheek and hastily on her clothes. Buffy couldn’t help but notice Spike’s particular delight from his part in Buffy’s undressing. Buffy spread a blanket over him.

“Little excited?” she whispered.

“Cock tease”

Buffy laughed. She opened the door to find Dawn smiling and Xander furious.

“Good morning Buffy,” said Dawn with a wink. “I’m off to school, unless you want to drive me?” she said hopefully.

“Not really. Don’t want to leave Spike alone too long,” said Buffy.

“Hey, it’s ok. I’ll see you when I get home. Maybe we can order in Chinese?”

“Sure Dawn.”

Dawn turned and gave big hugs to Xander and Giles, their plane left that afternoon.

“Have fun in England. Send me cheap chocolate, ok?” she asked Xander.

Dawn was out the door with hardly a tear.

“Buffy,” said Xander, after Dawn had left. “I was thinking maybe I should stay here with you. Instead of the big nerd here, I’m not great with the recording but I’m good with the protecting and the taking care of Dawn.”

“Xander, I don’t need you here to look after us, we will be fine. I don’t even know why Andrew’s staying. I think he’s crushing on Dawn, which creeps me out a bit.”

“Its not Andrew I’m worried about.”

“Spike.”

“Captain Peroxide”

“Xander, I get the protecting me bit, I get that you can’t stand him, he’s proven himself over and over to us all, he deserves your respect.”

“I respect him, I do, as a scooby, ya he’s fought along side us, not eaten anyone recently. I get that, what I don’t get is why he’s in your bed right now, after all he’s done to you.”

“It’s called forgiveness Xander. I forgave him, because he forgives me. Just like we forgave Willow for trying to end the world after Tara died, or we forgive Angel for the nasty stuff he did without his soul. I forgave him Xander, a long time ago.”

“But, it’s Spike.”

“Yes, Spike, Big Bad with a soul, who loves me Xander, loves me and I love him,” she whispered.

“No,”

“Yes, please Xander, I need your friendship, I don’t want to...It’s important to me that we are friends Xander.”

“He’s wrong for you Buffy, he’ll leave you like the others.”

“No he won’t Xander and isn’t it my own choice to risk my heart again? Please Xander tell me you are ok with this.”

“No...I’m not ok with this...but if this is what you want to do, who am I to try to change your mind , just some poor sap with no magic or other worldly talents, who has loved you since the first day I saw you.”

“I know, you’ve been the most wonderful friend a girl could ask for.”

Buffy planted a kiss on Xander’s cheek and pranced off to the kitchen, where Andrew was making himself breakfast. One down, three to go, she thought, or is it four? Should she tell Angel too?

Giles was just getting out of the shower four hours until they had to be at the airport.

“Buffy!” said Giles in greeting, “How is Spike this morning?”

“Better, his face is still burnt and he’s leg is still broken but otherwise he’s a happy vampire,” she said far too cheerfully.

“Buffy about last night...” he started to say.

“Ya, I know, I went all protective mama bear, I’m over it, ok? I was just madder than...well I was very mad.”

“Which is understandable. I just hope that nothing happened last night that you will come to regret.”

“Like what? I don’t think Mr Grumpy Gable will look at me the wrong way again.”

“I was referring to the law, he could charge you with assault.”

“It’d be his word against mine Giles.”

“That didn’t work so well with Ted,” interjected Xander coming out of the bathroom himself.

“Until they found the bodies...” replied Buffy.

“I’m just saying that you should watch your step with him, he’s not really in the same...”

“What? reality?”

“I was going to say world view. He knows nothing about Slayers and watchers, to him it is all very likely that he believes the law works in our line of business.”

“Speaking of business, who do I start to see a pay check now that I’m a watcher, doomed to be held in a box for all eternity?” asked Andrew.

“Once you have done something constructive for the council, pray let it be soon.”

“Pay check? Why does Luke Skywalker get a pay check?” asked Buffy.

“Watcher’s have always been paid by the council,” said Giles.

“Why not me? Huh? Haven’t I saved the world enough? Don’t you think that I deserve to be on the payroll too?”

“No Slayer has ever lived long enough, in an era when it was acceptable for girls to live on their own. Most slayers have lived with their watchers until their deaths. They never needed an income.”

“Times change, Buffy need money, or I’m gonna have to get me a job, again. I need to furnish my new house and I’m badly in need of training again, look, flabby everywhere,” said Buffy lifting her shirt to expose her tummy rock hard that it was.

“Right, I’ll look into it.”

“Look into it?” asked Buffy.

“I thought we were the council? asked Andrew, “Can’t we just vote and give her the money?”

“Yes, I suppose...”

“All in favour of Buffy getting paid for slayage and saving the world?” asked Andrew.

The three men raised their hands and said “Aye”

“Motion carried” said Xander, “let’s eat.”
__________________________________________

“You bitch! How could you do that to me? Its all I ever wanted! You took it away from me!” screamed Kennedy.

“I had to make the killing stop. The spell that I did, was wrong. I know that now, the powers wouldn’t let it continue. People were dying,” countered Willow.

“People? What about all the people that are going to die now, because there aren’t slayers to protect them, in LA, in Washington, London, Paris, all over the world? How can you decide to let them face demons and vampires alone?”

“I didn’t decide Kennedy. The original watcher’s council decided, not me. Even if I hadn’t done it some how the legacy would have been put back, the way it was. Buffy would have died, again.”

“You didn’t even try to stop it Willow. You found out what they were doing and you went right along with it. You didn’t even try.”

Willow was silent. Kennedy was right, she hadn’t tried.

“You are right, I didn’t,” she said quietly, “I took the safe route, I didn’t even bother to fix it with magic, I helped them and now everything is back the way it was.” It was what Tara would have done, she thought.

“You knew how important being a slayer was to me and you didn’t even try Willow!”

Willow got angry. “You know what? I’m sick of this being all about you Kennedy. People were dying. I took the only path I had at the moment. There was no possible way I was going to let anyone hurt Dawn or Buffy again. So you aren’t a slayer anymore, boo fucking hoo. You can live Kennedy, unlike Amanda or any of the other potentials who died. Maybe there was a reason there had to be only one slayer, who am I to tamper with the legacy Kennedy, who am I? Just a powerful witch with a knack for doing some weird shit. If you don’t like it, there’s the door,” said Willow opening the door by magic.

Kennedy walked out and slammed the door behind her.

“Tara would have understood,” cried Willow.
__________________________________________
It was a few days later that Willow ran into Valery at the open air market. The slender brunette was even more thin than Willow remembered her. There was anger in her face until she caught Willow in her eye.

“Willow!” said Valery, “It’s good to see you”

“Valery, hi! How are you?”

“Ok, healing slowly, got out of the hospital yesterday would have stayed home, but there’s no food in our new place. Hanks been very busy with his job and dealing with the police. They still think he might had done it. How are Buffy and Dawn?”

“Good, Dawn’s in school, Buffy’s leased a very nice house, the apartment was far too small for them both.”

“A house, goodness, won’t she be lonely when Dawn comes back to LA. I mean once Hank’s police problems are over?”

“Dawn isn’t coming back, Valery, Buffy has custody.”

“Buffy decided that Dawn should stay in LA,” declared Valery, “Buffy decided Dawn needed to have a stable environment Willow. How can Buffy possibly provide a stable environment for her sixteen year old sister? Buffy’s a child herself. She could die at any time.”

“Dawn is sixteen Valery, she knows what she wants to do and right now she wants to stay with Buffy. You are just going to have to accept that.”

“No, I don’t and neither does my husband. I know what Buffy is now, and Dawn will be much better far, far away from her sister’s influence.”

“No Valery, you are wrong” said Willow walking away from the woman.
__________________________________________

Buffy looked through the mail with hope. Bill, Bill, Junk, Bill. She frowned, no letter from Xander about her money. She’d spent far too much on new things since she got the insurance money from the Sunnydale house.

“Bloody Hell,” came a cry from her bedroom.

He’s awake.

Buffy padded into her room to find Spike and her bed covered in blood. She would have gasped at the sight, but she knew better. Spike had been getting restless just sitting in her bed all day. Buffy had done everything she could think of to make him comfortable, brought him blood, signed out books on tape from the library for him to listen to, but he was clearly unhappy about being cooped up. Buffy hoped that he would be up and about in a few more days, he was healing a lot slower than she thought he would.

“Buffy?” said Spike, “ I know you are here, I can smell you.”

“I’m here, Spike, she answered walking towards him, “How do you get yourself into these messes?”

Buffy started pulling off his clothes, his black t-shirt was soaked in blood, his new black tear away pants she had bought him (cause they were easier to get on and off with the broken leg) had splashes down both legs.

“Up you get,” she said hoisting him from the bed and onto a chair in the corner of the room, which until moments ago, held a neatly stacked pile of clothes.

Buffy set to work to gather up the blood coated sheets. She took a peek at her naked vampire. His leg was till in a splint, his face had healed from the burns but he still couldn’t see. She wanted to hold him in her arms forever. He didn’t deserve to be like this.

Buffy put new sheets on the bed and helped him back to his side of the bed. They had slept together in this bed for almost a week, just touching he hadn’t wanted to do anymore than that. Buffy covered him up with the sheet and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

“Buffy...” he said apologetically.

“Don’t worry about it Spike, accidents happen, sheets needed to be washed anyway.”

He groped for her hand and held it.

“I don’t want to be a burden. I should go.”

“No! You shouldn’t. Spike, he still could be looking for you.”

“You haven’t been patrolling, you haven’t been training, because of me. I will not be a burden.”

“You aren’t a burden Spike. I need you to be safe.”

“I can’t help you the way I am,”

“You won’t always be like this Spike.”

“The leg will heal up fine, I don’t doubt that, but what if I can’t see again?”

“Spike, of course you will see again. Give it time. Rest and blood are all you need. Would you like for me to get you another mug full?”

He didn’t answer but turned away from her. Buffy padded out into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Way at the back was something she had been saving for a day like today. She opened the bag and poured some into a new mug. She slipped it into the microwave.

She recalled the weird look on the nurse’s face at the blood clinic, when she asked if she could have blood taken and then keep it herself. Surely other people did this too? Buffy thought.

Buffy presented the mug to Spike.

“Don’t want anymore bloody pig blood,” he whined.

“Spike!” she said angrily, “ Drink”

Reluctantly he took the mug. He inhaled and a smile crept over his face.

“Where did you get this pet?” he asked.

Buffy smiled, “Drink up, I’ll tell you when I get back from putting the sheets in the wash.”
__________________________________________
Giles surveyed the assembled watchers. These were all that remained in all the world, a mere hundred when there had been 5 times as many.

Xander stood to his left, his one eye taking in the weird faces before him.

“So the legacy has been started afresh?” asked a curious sandy haired blonde in the centre of the room.

“Yes, so it appears,” said Giles.

“Will the consequences be the same? as it was with the first slayer?” asked another watcher, a man this time.

“All indications are that indeed consequences will be the same for Buffy as was for the First Slayer, which should give us time to recruit new watchers train them and return our numbers before the need becomes necessary to send watchers out to observe and train potentials.”

“Giles do you really think it is wise to go so long without training potentials? What if the legends is not true? There could be a mad panic to find the next chosen one should the slayer die.”

“Perhaps a school for potentials, where our resources would not be as stretched, as they would if we were all assigned potentials,” offered another.

“I concur”

Xander felt Giles sigh.
__________________________________________

Buffy returned from laundry duty to find Spike standing up on his own.

“Spike!” she said happily, “You can walk!”

“I guess that spot of human blood did the trick. Are you going to tell me where you got it?”

Buffy put her laundry basket down and walked up to him. She put her arms around his neck and whispered into his ear.

“It was mine.”

Pressed up against him as she was she couldn’t fail to notice his reaction to her words. She led him by the hand back to her room.

Closing the door behind her she led him to the bed and sat him down.

“Undress me,” she purred in his ear, taking his hands and placing them on her hips.

Spike slid his hands up under her shirt, taking the garment with him. Buffy raised her arms up to help him. Once the shirt was clear she planted a kiss to the top of his head. Spike had started to pepper her tummy with light kisses. He dipped his tongue into her navel and slid his hands lower, to take off her pants.

Spike made short work of the button and fly on her pants and was pushing them down, while letting his tongue trail down her thigh. Buffy kicked off her pants and moaned as his attention returned to her undergarments. Spike had hooked his thumbs into her panties and was sliding them down now too. This time though, his attention was caught not by her soft skin but by the smell of her arousal.

Spike picked her up and tossed her on to the bed. He spread her legs and began to kiss up her thighs, only stopping once he made to her moist centre.

It was only after her orgasm shook her body that Buffy thought about how she could take his blindness to her advantage.

Buffy flipped her lover so that he was spread eagled on her bed, facing the ceiling. Buffy tore off his tearaway pants, earning a smile and a secret prayer to the powers thanking them for whoever invented the things.

Buffy began her torture, kissing her lover in random places on his body, sometimes, they were harsh pecks, sometimes moist and open mouthed. Spike moaned when she gave a long languorous lick to the underside of his cock, standing at attention.

Buffy grabbed his hands as they attempted to give himself some relief from her teasing.

“Bloody hell woman! What are you doing to me?” he whined.

“Tsk tsk, Spike. You should know better than not let me have my way.” Buffy resumed her merciless teasing.

Buffy let her tongue bathe his cock, before taking him in full into her mouth and deep throating him a few times, before pulling him out and blowing on his moist cock.

Spike shivered.

“God, please Buffy...”

“Please what?” she asked.

“Fuck me Goldilocks, please,” he begged.

Buffy smiled and placed his restrained hands on her breasts. Slowly she straddled him and lowered herself so that her entrance was poised only a hair’s width from his cock.

Spike tried to buck against her to achieve contact.

Buffy giggled.

“Ah luv, I‘m gonna dust if I can’t be inside you soon.”

“Well we can’t have that.”

Buffy sank ever so slowly onto his hard prick, earning a grateful groan from the vampire. Even more slowly Buffy started sliding herself up and down on him, while he massaged her breasts.

Finally Spike couldn’t take it anymore more and overpowered the Slayer for a moment and flipped her over and began to pound into her.

Buffy screamed her orgasm to be followed shortly by Spike, who collapsed next to her on the bed.

“Cock tease,” he whispered.

“Next time I’ll tie you up, cheater.”
__________________________________________
Buffy was roused from her exhausted and spent state by the ringing of the telephone. Weakly she picked up the phone.

“Hello?”

“Buffy, it’s Willow”

“Willow, hey, how’s Willowland?”

“I bumped into Valery today, she more or less threatened to take Dawn back. She says as soon as your Dad is cleared of suspicion they will be taking her back.”

Buffy snapped to her senses.

“They can’t do that. Dawn’s mine. I have papers.”

“She doesn’t care, she’s angry. I just thought I would warn you what she’s up to.”

“Thanks Will.”

“So anything other than Evil Stepmom...How’s Buffy?”

“Good.”

“Just good? As in ‘I’ve had a great piece of cheesecake’ good or good like ‘fantasizing about sex’ good?”

“Willow!”

“Just asking, want to know what’s up with the Buff.”

“Buffy good, in the ‘I don’t have to fantasize about sex cause just had some’ kinda way.”

“Buffy! Spike?”

“No Andrew, of course Spike.”

“Good job Buffy, oh wait I didn’t interrupt did I?”

“No Willow, I wouldn’t have picked up the phone if you had”

“How is he? I mean in the non sex way, injuries.”

“He’s walking, broken leg, healed, face, no scars. He can’t see yet though,”

“That’s too bad, you want me to do a spell?”

“No Willow, everything will heal with time. Heard from Giles or Xander lately?”

“Xander called yesterday. I think he’s overwhelmed boy. Watcherness is ‘daunting’ I think he said.”

“Sounds Giles-y”

“Our dear Xander, he hasn’t a chance.”
__________________________________________

tbc...
 

__________________________________________
Chapter 8: Unexpected News

Buffy put down the phone with a thump.

Valery wants Dawn back, probably to hurt me, cause I didn’t protect her. Grrr, Buffy thought to herself. Buffy rolled over to hug Spike, to make her demon go away. Inadvertently she noticed the clock. 2:30 pm. Dawn would be home from school soon followed by Andrew who had gotten himself a job at an electronics store.

Buffy bolted out of bed, threw on some clothes and tore around the room, gathering laundry.

“Crap, crap, crap,” said Buffy under her breath.

“The niblet’s not going to mind if the place is a bit mussed, luv.”

Buffy found him some clean clothes and threw them at him.

“Spike, get dressed. No way am I going to let you parade around here in the nude. And while you are at it make the bed.”

Buffy hurried out of the apartment with laundry. Her laundry had been sitting in the washing machines now for ages, probably someone had tossed the whole wet pile on the floor by now.

All was quiet in the laundry room, no piles of wet clothes. Buffy took wet clothes and put them in the dryer, and added her new basket of clothes to the washing machine.

Buffy took two steps at a time to get back up to her second floor apartment. She had reached the lobby and was facing the apartment’s main door when someone entered. Faith.

Buffy stood with her mouth open for a moment.

“F..Faith,” Buffy stammered.

“B”
__________________________________________

“So were ya gonna tell me B? Were ya gonna tell any of us?” Faith said, hands on her hips in the middle of Buffy’s cramped apartment.

“Look, I didn’t know what was going to happen, I just did like I was told, my family was being stalked, Faith. They were gonna be killed.”

“Not the way I heard it”

“What did you hear?”

“That everyone’s favourite witch decided to put this back the way it was in the beginning, so you could live for centuries.”

“Excuse me, that is the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard today, wait no, second most ridiculous thing. But it’s right up there. Again with the Huh? Willow did nothing, just helped the watcher shadow caster guys along so they wouldn't kill anyone. It was gonna happen anyway, Giles and her...they thought it’d be better if my dad and sister didn’t die.”

“So you don’t care at all about the semi immortal part?”

“Again...large helping of Huh? Immortal?”

“That’s right, you’ve started the whole slayer legacy thing again. One girl chosen in all the world crap...remember? Like it or not you have started this thing again. From what I hear you’re gonna do everything the first slayer did, live for centuries. I just hope you are ok with that cause damn I wouldn’t be.”

“Hold on, back up. I’m so totally not with you on the live for centuries bit. How do you know all this?”

“Pillow talk. Wood’s been telling me all sorts of slayer stuff. Things the watcher who raised him told him. About the first slayer. He knew what was happening when I...when my powers were taken. Told me what would happen.”

“What did he say about the first slayer?”

“A demon possessed her, she was primitive and violent. Used sex as a weapon, abandoned her bastards, lived for centuries, never aging until one of her descendants killed her.”

Buffy sat on Dawn’s bed staring at the floor.

“It’s nasty, but I might as well let you know, seems fitting, taking our powers away from us, look what you have to live with, not that I’m not grateful. It’s you and not me.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t think they would have considered me potential material anymore. I’m knocked up.”

“Congratulations,” said Buffy dimly.

“Don’t get too excited and all.”

“Considering I’ve just been told life as I know it is over for me, that’s all you’re going to get Faith. Did you expect instant baby shower?”

“Na, it’s cool, totally get it. I mean if it was me, I’d be wigged for sure.”

“Faith...”

“Ya B?”

“Why are you in Cleveland?”

“Visiting my grandmother’s grave,” said Faith seriously. “Don’t think it’s all because of you that I'm here. I’m not mad B, can’t be mad at you anymore, mostly I pity you. Look me up if you are ever in the big apple.”

Faith walked out of the apartment.

Buffy tried to stand up but ended up collapsing on the floor in a heap.

“Spike?” she cried.
__________________________________________

When Dawn arrived home she could tell that Buffy had done not one thing all day. She heard sobbing from her sister’s room and went to investigate. The door was open. Spike lay on the bed holding Buffy as she sobbed.

Dawn knelt beside her sister next to the bed.

“Buffy? What’s wrong?”

“Sis just got some unexpected news from the Faith bint,” said Spike.

Here Buffy started sobbing louder.

“Nib, need you to ring the watcher. Need all the info you can get on the First Slayer, Pronto.”

Dawn stood up and smiled. Yes, this was going to help Buffy. Never any good at the mushy stuff. Family trait I suppose. Whatever was bothering her, glad she wasn’t keeping it in.

Dawn did get on the phone to England, but only after she helped herself to food.

It was only after she had hung up the phone that Spike left Buffy’s side and felt his way out into the kitchen.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on? or am I going to have to guess,” asked Dawn.

Spike was feeling around in the fridge for something.

“Let me do that,” said Dawn grabbing the nearest bag of blood and putting some in a mug. “Are you going to tell me or not?”

Spike relented. Buffy had safely cried herself to sleep. He could tell the story in peace. He imagined Dawn’s eyes grow wider and wider as he told the facts, that Faith had been there, that she believed Buffy would become exactly like the first slayer, that she was a demon and that she would live for centuries.

“It’s not the living for centuries that she’s afraid of pet, its the demon you know about the first slayer, she’d afraid it will take her over. She’s had dreams, you know, about her, how wild she was, how crazy. Buffy’s just afraid of that happening to her too.”

“That’s why we need the info about the first slayer, right? Was Faith mad, like Kennedy was? About not being a slayer anymore?”

“No, got a bun in the oven that one.”
__________________________________________

Buffy awoke with a start. Everything was dark around her. She was alone in her bed. She had to move, had to fidget. She padded out into the living room. Dawn was asleep, Andrew was curled in a ball on the floor at the other end of the room. Quietly she grabbed a stake from her weapons trunk, found her shoes and was out the door.

Something, someone caught her hand as she left the building.

“Out for a patrol Slayer?” he asked, a cigarette hanging from his lip.

“Felt fidget-y, gotta move.”

“Don’t go near Gable Slayer, he’s mine.”

“Is that an order? Since when do you order me around?”

“Since he hurt me, I get to hurt him.”

“What makes you think I’ll go after him now?”

“That gleam in your eye that says I want to stake something.”

“Stake something, Spike, not kill someone. Besides when did you get to see again?” she looked up at him for the first time. He wasn’t wearing the bandages over his eyes.

“Since Dawn fixed me the last of the bag of slayer blood. Can see out of my left eye now.”

Buffy looked up into his face. The left side was not as noticeably scarred and that eye was Blue and piercing as ever, but his right side of his face was still very scarred and his eye was still swollen shut.

“I’m just all medicine-y” she said sitting down on the step.

“With none of the after taste,” he joked.

“Did you tell Dawn?”

“Uh huh, couldn’t help but notice her big sis sobbing like a baby when she got home from school.”

“Spike...What’s going to happen to me?” she asked looking at him, tears in her eyes.

“Not a thing pet,” he said sitting down and gathering her in his arms. “Not a bloody thing.”

“How can you say that? You heard what Faith said to me.”

“Makes no difference either way. You are still beautiful shining walk in the light Buffy, you will still fight demons and vampires, save the earth from apocalypse, just like you did before.”

“But now I’ll have to fight the demon inside of me too. What if I can’t? What if I’m not strong enough?”

“Bull shit! Not strong enough? You are the strongest being I know. You’ll fight that demon and deal with it everyday cause you have to, because you have people you care about, like Dawn, who need you. The demon can be fought pet.”

“You do it everyday, fight the demon inside you. I guess I’ve become a lot more like you than I had thought I would. What with the dead and now the demon. Maybe I should get me a cool leather coat and bleach my hair, take up smoking and start wearing black all the time.”

He laughed. “Leather you pull off quite nicely, hair looks fine the way it is.”

“Thought you said my hair was stupid?”

“Smoking, bad habit, costly too. Wearing black, very slimming, but you are too damn skinny to begin with.”

“Funny Spike.”

Spike flicked his cigarette out on to the sidewalk.

“Spike, I’m scared,” said Buffy timidly, “The first slayer was crazy, psycho, demon gal. I don’t want to be like that.”

“You aren’t now, the demon went inside you days ago. What makes you think you’ll start actin’ like she did?”

“What if it takes a while? New house and all, time to redecorate, before the crazy starts seeping through. What if I start hurting people?”

“You won’t luv, It’s not in you.”

“I hurt you.”

“I let you hurt me. Sucker for punishment I am.”

“Not not true. I was cruel, no one deserves that.”

“You needed time to work things out after you came back.”

“I was cruel before I died.”

“It’s in the past luv”

“Do you forgive me?”

“Ya, I do, have done, long time ago.”

Spike stood up and offered her his hand to help her up. “Patrol?”

Buffy nodded.

They walked in silence to a cemetery north of her apartment. He held her hand.

“Tell me about you, before you met Drusilla,” she asked, keeping her eyes on the ground.

“You don’t want to hear that luv, Boring. Dull. Born, lived a bit, died. Not much to tell.”

“What was it like? Was it like that book we listened to together a couple of days ago? Pride and Prejudice? Were the girls witty and talented? Did you ever meet the King? Did you hunt birds on your manor?” she giggled.

Spike laughed. “I was no freakin’ Mr Darcy if that’s what you are after. Was a stupid git, did stupid things and was unhappy for a good long time. It’s best not to think on it too long love.”

“No fair,” she stomped her foot, “Why are you so afraid to tell me?”

“Not afraid luv, don’t want you to be disappointed.”

“I wouldn’t be.”

“No, you’ve got a bit of a romantic notion about he past, fancy dresses and chivalrous men. Jane Austen didn’t write about me love. Dead long before I was born.”

“When were you born?”

“Nope, not important. William is dead, no use celebrating his birthday”

“When were you turned then?”

“Why is it important?”

“Just want to know Spike. You know a hell of a lot about me.”

“I bloody don’t need to have William the Bloody: the official biography published for all to hear. Once the questions start there’s no end to them. William is dead, RIP. Anything you need to know abut me you already know, from those bloody council diaries and from what you’ve seen me do.”

“Spike...”

“Leave it. Past is past. All we have is the present.”

“No,” she said stopping. “Not true,” she looked up at his blue eyes. “I live in the present Spike, but I’ve been told I may live for a good long time. I have a future now, I’m gonna get paid by the council, you are going to be in my future Spike.”

Buffy leaned in and kissed him.

“I love you Spike, someday you’ll tell me all the dirty details. I won’t runaway from it you know.”

Her lips inched forward and they kissed again, his hands moving over her back and shoulders.

“Buffy...” he whispered between kisses.

He pushed her up against a mail box, running his hands over her body, inching up her legs. Buffy linked her hands around his neck using him as leverage to wrap her legs around him. All of a sudden the mail box gave way. The pair fell hard against the metal with a thud.

“Oof,” said Buffy. “I guess we had better do this somewhere else.”

Buffy rose and tugged his hand, pulling him into the cemetery and into the nearest crypt. Buffy and Spike fell into each other’s embrace. Buffy let her lips pepper Spike’s face with tiny kisses as he kissed her neck. His hands worked down her body until they reached her waist. With a flick of his fingers Spike undid the top bottom of her jeans and slid down the zipper slowly and carefully. He wanted it slow, she wanted it fast. Buffy bit down on his lip, not enough to draw blood, but enough to let him know she wanted his hard. Buffy’s hands pulled open the vampire’s jeans and pushed them down hard. Spike's cock sprang forth indicating his eagerness for her. She clasped her hand around his cock and pulled it towards her violently.

Spike gave an involuntary grunt. He yanked her hands away from his more sensitive parts and pushed down her jeans to the floor. He plunged two fingers into her wet recesses and began to stoke her clit with his thumb. Buffy grabbed his hair and pulled him to the floor.

“Fuck me, you Big Bad Vampire,” she growled.

He smirked at her.

“God I love you Buffy.”

He position himself over and thrust inside her all at once. Buffy gasped then started rocking against him hard and fast. She raked her nails along his back, leaving red marks on his pale skin. Her teeth attacked his shoulders and neck.

“Bite me Spike,” she said suddenly.

He stopped and she was unprepared for it.

She looked deep into his questioning eyes and repeated, “I want you to bite me.”

“No“ he said, but his body lied. He was not disgusted by the idea, he was still hard and possibly even closer than before at the suggestion.

“Please,” she begged.

“No,” he shook his head and pulled out. He sat down on the floor a little ways away from her.

Buffy looked down at his erect cock to make sure that her body hadn't deceived her.

“I want you too,” she whispered. This hadn‘t gone like she had planned.

“You don‘t know what you want“

“I don‘t? I want you Spike,” she said crawling towards him. “I want every part of you, man and demon. William and Spike.”

He smiled at that, but the smile was short lived.

“And you think that another scar on your neck will pull that off?”

“No, not a scar, Spike a reminder“ Buffy pulled off her sweater, exposing a pink lace bra. “See this?” she said pointing to the car on her neck, “All my slayer healing powers and I have this scar bitten my the master, then by Angel, then Dracula, all of whom mean nothing to me, next to you. I need this to be your scar Spike. I need you to bite me.”

“Fine, whatever, just can‘t do it like this, not during sex.”

“Why not?”

“It‘s not right, yet.”

“’Splainy?”

“Later.”

“No, now“

Spike sighed and pulled his pants on and stood up.

“Vampires only bit to feed, to kill, to mark or claim, Buffy.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know what a claim is,” He said bitterly reaching for his cigarettes.

“I’m not a complete moron, but Dracula didn’t claim me.”

“No, didn’t do it during sex, did he? He marked you pet, means you belong to him. ‘Sides you fought him, the tosser probably thought you were too much bother to try to turn.”

“I fought him,” she smiled, “I don’t want to fight you.”

“That’s why we can’t do this now. Sex, it’s just too bloody intimate. I’d claim you and you’d resent it and me while you’re at it. Not bloody giving you another reason to do that if I can help it.” He sighed again, “ You aren’t ready for that.”

“Again with the huh? Confusing much Spike.”

Suddenly he was in a bad mood.

“Let me put this in a way that your Valley girl brain will understand, ya? Do you want me floating around in your head? Slipping into your dreams? I’d be with you all the bloody time and you won’t ever be able to tell me to bugger off.”

“Oh,” she said quietly, pulling her sweater on and fixing her pants. “Sorry.”

“No, pet, nothing to be bloody sorry for?”

“I need to go kill something,” she said absently.

“Fine, I’m going to be dead for a while, sleep.” He pulled back the stone on one of the sarcophagi in the crypt, chucked out the bones of ‘Walter Madison 1820-1850’ on to the floor and settled in.

Buffy rolled her eyes.

“Goodnight Spike,” she said solemnly as she exited the crypt.
__________________________________________
Buffy’s patrol proved fruitless. No vamps to slay, no demons to fight. The lack of activity proved to Buffy that she had far too much on her mind, Spike in particular.

Why wouldn’t he bite her? Sure there was the claim thing, but wouldn’t he want to claim her. He’d probably just say he has too much bloody respect for her to claim her when she wasn’t ready. Or maybe he’s not ready?

Spike loved her. She knew that much. But Spike was different, like he was a punk with Victorian morals sorta. He’d probably want to ask Giles’ permission before claiming her or some stupid thing.

God, that was it! The Victorian thing, product of his childhood and all that crap. No matter what he’s done, who he’s killed he’s still William what ever his last name was. Victorian momma’s boy, the soul made it worse.

or I’m completely out to lunch.

I love him.

Why should I want him to claim me? If I’m going to live forever, should I find someone who will stay with until, what did Faith say? ‘Her descendants killed her?’ Guess I won't be dying if I can’t have descendants. Two demons roaming the earth killing other demons. Good times.

Buffy padded her way back to her apartment contemplating what it was like for Spike to be raised in the 1800’s. Always covered from head to toe, no shorts, no peroxide. Buffy prepared herself an herbal tea that Willow had left behind and wondered what his real hair colour was. Wondered if he had job or was a gentleman like Mr Darcy.

Buffy silently showered and made her way into her bed, wondering if he used chamber pots and had to take baths instead of showers, if he had brothers and sisters.

Her last thoughts before slipping off to sleep was a wish to have been able to see what he was like when he was human.
__________________________________________
tbc...