Chapter 24:

Soft kisses brought Buffy through the morning mist of the waking world. Plush lips pecked at her mouth chastely, then brushed along her jaw, up to her temple, then short open-mouth kisses were set in a row down her forehead and nose to her lips again.

"Mmmm..." she stretched beneath her lover as she smiled, "You are the nicest alarm clock I have ever had."

"You looked so cute, I couldn't help myself," he explained, his hands combing through her shimmering locks of blonde hair. Her eyelashes fluttered open to reveal the diamond perfection of her grey eyes. Spike drew in a sharp breath, "You are so beautiful."

"Remember once when I said that you implying in any way that I was sexy was just icky?" she asked, her fingers dancing up his chest that leaned over her. He nodded. "Yeah, well, forget that. It's not icky AT ALL. So keep it up."

Spike chuckled, his pale blue eyes sparkling as he leaned down to kiss her forehead reverently. "You are so sexy, my Love. You turn me on with little things, you know, like your giggle, or the way your right eye gets smaller than your left when you are being serious and emphasizin' important facts."

"Okay, first off, it is disturbing that you notice that. And secondly, it's disturbing that that turns you on," she said jokingly, her right eye doing the squinting thing. Spike groaned and leaned down and plundered her mouth with his tongue. Moments later they broke apart panting.

"And suddenly, it's not so disturbing anymore," she said between breaths. Spike smirked knowingly and rolled onto his back, wrapping his arms around her slender naked waist and pulling her on top of his chest. Sighing with contentment, Buffy burrowed her nose into his neck.

"It feels so right to have you in my arms. Xander said that he thought that once I found you, then I'd realize that I needed you as more than my best friend. He was..." Spike's strong accent broke off as he reined in his emotions. Something about the idea of just having Buffy as a simple friend caused him to want to vomit, and then go into a corner and bawl his eyes out. To give up on this...peace...that he had holding her naked body to his, their skin sticking together, their breath mingling and smelling of each other. God, it was perfection.

Buffy wiggled deeper into his embrace to comfort him when she heard his voice cut off. She felt him swallow and tighten his grip around her, and she began to suck gently on his earlobe. He hissed in pleasure.

"He was completely correct," she finished for him, whispering it into his ear. He nodded jerkily, tears threatening to spill. Buffy raised her head to look down into his face.

"Hey..." she cooed, running her fingers through his dark curls and white tips, "I'm here now. YOU'RE here now. It’s perfect. No regrets."

"No regrets," he responded, smiling up at her flushed face. Their aching and hungry lips were about to meet again when the phone's sharp ring interrupted. Buffy groaned with unsatisfied desire and crawled over to the other side of the bed where the nightstand sat. Spike watched her naked ass sway in the air, trying to resist the urge to reach out and squeeze it, but failing miserably. She turned when his hand gripped one smooth globe, and shot him a seductive glare as she pressed the Talk button with her thumb.

"Hello? . . . Oh, hi honey-bun, how was your sleepover? . . . Yeah...uhuh...when? . . . That sounds good. Remember to tell Mrs. Palmer thank-you for letting you spend the night.... Nice try, Mister, but no- I am not going to remind you to thank her when you get home, you are old enough to remember for yourself.... Yes, he's still here," her eyes gazed at Spike as she said that. Spike looked down at his hands, "Okay, sweetheart, I'll see you in an hour. Bye."

"He was afraid I left?"

Buffy shook her head adamantly, "No, Spike. Don't think that. He was just...reassuring himself that you were here. He's kinda like his mom in that way," she said quietly, her hand reaching for his. Spike turned his hand over so their fingers could intertwine, and yanked her back to him again.

"So tell me about our little Nicholas. Wha' was he like as a baby?" he asked, holding her close.

"Good. He was a good baby. I mean, he slept the nights, most of the time. Everyone doted on him, since he had the hugest blue eyes. I thought he was going to look just like you at first, especially since his eyes were still blue after 6 months. If a baby has a certain eye color after 6 months, they say that that's the color they will stay. But when he was around 8 months old his eyes started darkening to grey, and now they are the hazel of yours truly. He was always very smart, but sensitive and sympathetic. He loves playing by himself, and writing stories that he never lets me read." Buffy's voice was full of sweet motherly pride as she described her son to his father. "To tell you the truth, he's a lot like you, despite my influence."

Spike chuckled at that, and rolled them over so he was above her. He slid mostly off her body and placed his head on her stomach reverently, worshipping her. "When did you tell him about me?"

"When he was 4 he asked about his dad. I just explained that you were an old friend from California. That seemed to satisfy him at the time. When he was 7, I sat him down and had a heart-to-heart with him. He's been crazy about you since then."

"Really?" Spike's voice was filled with hope.

"Yeah. I told him that you were a bartender, and you played guitar, and our paintings were by you. I told him about how you loved Manchester United, and had an English accent, and you always seemed to wear black. He thought you were so cool." Buffy giggled when Spike licked her bellybutton.

"I AM so cool, pet," he replied with a rakish grin.

"Bastard," she laughed when he growled playfully and nuzzled into her abdomen. Suddenly, Spike looked up at her, his face serious but soft at the same time. She scrunched her eyebrows, "What?"

"Do you think-" he began, then took a deep breath before whispering, "that we may have done it again last night?"

Buffy's face heated up with uncertainty and hope at his question, "Maybe. We'll see in a couple of weeks, right?"

He nodded thoughtfully, setting his chin on her skin to gaze up at her, "I hope we did. I hope number 2 is on his way."

"You do?" she whispered in awe. Spike crawled up her body, suspending himself over her with muscular arms.

"Yes," was all he said, but it took Buffy's breath away. She choked back a sob/laugh and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down for a passionate kiss, full of emotion that took HIS breath away.

--- --- ---

Spike sat at the kitchen table later on that morning, thoughtfully chewing on his bagel while he read the paper in his pajamas. Buffy watched him for a moment before coming over and setting her coffee mug down on the glass surface with a bang. Spike jumped.

"Jesus, Buffy!" he gasped, looking at her with confusion as she sat down across from him, "Way to scare a bloke out of his skin!"

"We need to talk," she stated firmly, cupping her mug in her hands and staring at him seriously.

His eyebrows shot up as he cautiously began to speak, "But I thought no regr-"

"No, no no. Not about that!" she cut him off, shaking her head. "You have to move out."

"Why?" Spike asked, leaning back in his chair and threading his hands behind his head.

"If you and I are gonna turn this relationship into something, then you are going to be sticking around in Philadelphia, correct?"

"Yeah...so why do I have to move out of your place? 'S not like you don't have room for me," he pointed out.

"I know I have plenty of room, but you yourself said 'No lovers moving in together until engagement point'. I think it would be better if you got your own place. Nicholas can go back and forth when he wants, and you and I can date and get this relationship to grow, " Buffy explained.

He leaned forward, his arms dropping to the table, his voice taking on a fiercely soft tone, "Buffy, I said forever. Engagement be damned, I'll marry you tonight if you want to."

She was glad she was sitting down, otherwise she would have melted to the floor at his admission. This was WAY too much for one girl to handle. In the space of 24 hours, he had said more amazing things to her than she had seen, read, or heard of anywhere else.

"Ol' Spike's full o' surprises, eh, pet?" he smiled gently at her stunned expression. She shook herself out of her haze.

"Yeah, very full. Look, what you said...it's a ... lovely thing to say, but its not really realistic. Let's do this right, and not jump so far ahead that we mess up again. We need real commitment, and we are capable of it, I know, but let's just do this the old fashioned way- with the flowers, the kisses, the dinners, the moonlit dances, okay?"

"If that’s what you want," he obliged.

"And I want to talk to Nicholas about any...marriage...decisions we make. No secrets from him, it wouldn't be fair," Buffy continued, sipping at her coffee.

"I don't think he'll have a problem with us marrying, Sweetheart. So you want to tell him that we are together when he comes home today?"

"Yeah...telling it as PG as possible," she blushed and giggled. Spike smirked as he stood up and walked behind her chair.

"Better enjoy those PG moments while you still can, because from now on? Your life's gonna be a whole lot more NC-17." his sexy voice was full of promise as he whispered into her ear. His tongue darted out and swept along the pink shell before he turned around and left the room.

"Damn," Buffy sighed with a smile as she felt the coolness on her ear begin to dry.

Chapter 25

Recognize the name of Nicholas's friend, anyone? Put together his first name in Chapter 22, with his last name in Chapter 24, and what do you get? A gold star goes to the reviewer that puts it together, and tells me what episode and what season he's from! (a metaphorical gold star of course) Reviews are encouraged, by the way. And private e-mail reviews are even better!

Spike sat on the grand staircase, savoring his surroundings and the sunlight streaming in the gigantic window that towered over the foyer. Buffy was blowing dry her hair in her room, singing a song by Michelle Branch, her voice wafting through the creamy, peaceful emptiness of the house. A frozen pizza was cooking in the oven for lunch, the tempting and warm smell mixing with the fresh scent of pinesol and the many potted orchids that Buffy was so fond of.

He peered down into his icy glass of lemonade, contemplating on whatever he did to deserve such a beautiful existence. This house was not his, and yet now it was home. He felt as though half of his soul had always been with Buffy, and he realized that with Nicholas's life, it had. Spike was not whole without his Love and their child.

A mini-van door sliding shut outside shook him out of his thoughts as he heard Nicholas's exuberant voice shouting "Thank you for letting me spend the night, an' for the cookies!" across the yard. Spike stood up and walked down the gleaming wood steps to the front door just as it swung open.

"Dad!!" Nicholas shrieked, instantly dropping his bag and baseball mitt, and jumping into his father's outstretched arms.

"Whoa, careful! Don't want to spill my lemonade all over the floor your mum jus' washed. She'd make me clean it with my tongue." Spike chuckled at the boy's ferocious hug as he carefully lowered him back to the floor.

"Well, if the floor's clean, why does it matter if you have to clean it with your tongue?" Nicholas shot back, putting his small hands on his non-existent hips. Spike's eyebrow rose at the show of wit and gave his son a playful nudge and wink.

"Sharp little mouth o' yours. 'S gonna get you in trouble some day." he scolded, turning around and walking to the kitchen. Nicholas trotted behind him.

"I get it from my dad."

Spike let out a bark of laughter, "That you most certainly do."

"Oh my goodness! It looks like a certain little monster is home!" A female voice's teasing shriek came from the bottom of the staircase. Nicholas turned around and skipped to the foyer to greet his mother, leaving Spike to listen with delight to the sound of Buffy giving the boy a bear hug.

They came back into the kitchen, arms around each other, Buffy having slung the backpack over her son's shoulders as she carried his mitt. "Have fun, muffin?" she asked him, playing with his curls.

"Lots an' lots. Dijyou have fun?" Nicholas asked, once again dumping the bag and sliding onto a barstool to watch his mother work in the kitchen. Buffy stopped and shot a startled and suspicious look at Spike. What did he tell him? Or was that just a childlike innocent question?

"As a matter of fact..." Spike began before Buffy tossed the baseball mitt at his chest. He flinched with mock pain and smirked as her face became rosy with embarrassment.

"Mattera fact, what?" Nicholas pried, clueless, but curious of what was going on between his parents.

"Um.." Buffy began, trying to distract herself by cutting the pizza into wide slices. Then she really was distracted by the honking of a horn, and the sound of 4 loud, unmistakable voices, "Oh no..."

Spike looked at her face that had gone pale, and then looked at the excited face of his son, "What the bleedin' hell is going on?"

"Spike!" she managed to admonish his language before she hurriedly wiped off her hands and ran to the door that led to the garage. It burst open before she could get to it.

"Buffy, darling!" Wesley cried perkily, slinging his arm over Buffy's slender shoulders as he led the way for his cousin, uncle, and uncle's fiancée.

"You must be William, " Fred said in her nasally feminine tone, reaching for Spike's hand and shaking it furiously, "I'm Winifred. Well, Fred. My last name's Giles. Fred Giles, that's me!"

"Giles!" Buffy shrieked indignantly as she shrugged off Wesley's friendly arm, turning to her surrogate father, "What are you doing here!?"

"It's a beautiful Sunday afternoon, and we brought a delightful picnic lunch to have on that lovely wooded hill of yours. And you hadn't telephoned me to come meet our Nicholas's father, so I decided to invite myself." Giles explained cheerfully.

"Wes! Fred! Giles! Jenny! Dijyou all come jus' to meet my Dad!?" Nicholas asked loudly, running to stand in the midst of all of the talkative adults.

Jenny reached down and mussed his black curls, "Yeah, and to see you, of course Nicholas. Is that okay with you that we want to gawk at your Dad?"

The boy nodded eagerly and moved to wrap his arms around Spike's slender waist, clinging to the material of his white oxford with love, "Guys, this is my Dad, William Sheffield. Mom calls him Spike, so I think you can, too."

Every adult in the room smiled at the charming introduction. Even Spike, whose smile had a tint of embarrassed red with a proud nod. Then they all erupted into their cloud of frenzied voices and motions again.

Wesley tucked his glasses into his front pocket and gathered silverware and paper plates from the cupboard, passing them over the top of Buffy's head to Giles, who handed them to Jenny, who tucked them into the heaping basket that Fred had fetched from the car. Jenny shouted orders to Giles who joked with Nicholas while the boy tugged at Buffy's shirt and asked her questions about the pizza and how she was going to carry it up the hill. Spike just stood in the center, avoiding all of the reaching arms and loud words by just standing still in his case of slight shock. Buffy slid over to him through the hubub and wrapped her arms around his middle, looking up into his face with a knowing smile, reassuring him as her fingers danced up and down his spine. He couldn't resist. His eyes fluttered shut and he lowered his mouth to her willing one.

And of course, the chaos came to a screeching halt. Nicholas was the first to break the silence, and the haze around his kissing parents.

"Mom? Dad?"

"Buffy? William?" Wesley's voice squeaked slightly.

"Buffy? Spike?" Jenny corrected, her wide eyes still trained on the couple.

They were so involved in each other's taste and feel. Had it only been an hour ago that they had kissed last? It felt like eternity. Oh god, how they had missed the heat that sparked between their mouths, or the way their hands molded to each other's body even over clothes. Spike's hands held her head gently, combing into her beautiful blonde hair while her own arms clung tightly to his narrow waist. Heaven.

Nicholas huffed for a minute before reaching up and tugging on his mother's hands. "Mom!!"

Buffy snapped her head back at his urgent voice, then realized that she and her lover had the full and undiluted attention of every man, woman,...and boy-who-happened-to-be-her-8-year-old-son...in the room.

"What the bleedin' hell is going on?" Nicholas demanded, stomping his foot.

"Nicholas!" Buffy scolded, then looked back up at Spike with blame, "William!"

Spike had the decency to blush at his son's obvious use of his own language, "Sorry, pet."

"What the bleedin' hell is going on!?" Giles repeated. Spike chuckled and wrapped his arms back around Buffy's petite form, pulling her to his chest again.

"Me an' Buffy...we're together."

Buffy smiled and buried her head in his shoulder, hiding from the cascade of questions that would inevitably come at that statement.

"Since when!?" Jenny, Giles, Wesley, and Fred all shouted at the same time.

"Since this mornin'," Nicholas answered. They all looked at him, including the previously-hiding Buffy.

"How do you know that?" she asked her son with a raised eyebrow.

"Dad smelled like your vanilla shampoo. An' his hair was still kinda wet," the boy responded, shrugging his tiny shoulder. All eyes darted back to Buffy and Spike then.

"Um, yeah..I took a shower in your Mum's room, Nick-Bit." All eyebrows shot up at that, "ALONE, people." Spike corrected, shaking his head at the thoughts he knew went through all of their heads.

"So the two of you are...an item," Fred mused, "That's good, right?"

"Maybe," Giles replied, eyes narrowing, "But why?"

"Giles!" Buffy exclaimed with shock, "Why would you ask something like that?"

Spike lowered his head to the sweet shell of her ear and made a small comforting sound to calm her.

"Well, excuse me, Buffy, but I'm trying to protect you, as I have done since we met. I was the sole person in your life when you gave birth to Nicholas. I watched you raise him with a bit of pain in your heart that his father had rejected you. And now said father is back in your life, claiming to be someone he did not want to be 9 years ago." Giles explained softly, his eyes staring straight into Buffy's eyes, and then into Spike's.

"I'm thankful to you, sir," Spike said seriously, his voice taking on the upper class quality that he usually ignored, "That you were here when I was not. Had I known where she was, and about Nicholas, please rest assure that I would have done everything in my power to be a part of their lives. I have missed Buffy with all of my heart since she left, my feelings for her getting stronger day by day. And now that we have been reunited..." his voice broke off momentarily before he took a big breath, "Mr. Giles, I am in love with her."

Everyone in the wide kitchen was silent for a moment, minds spinning with the force of emotion behind Spike's words.

"And you intend to work at a relationship?" Giles asked, this time his tone much more sympathetic and understanding.

"We do. Together," Spike responded, looking down into Buffy's watery hazel eyes. Her beaming smile was full of encouragement, and his heart leapt with joy at the sight.

"And as for the future...?" the older man trailed off inquisitively, taking off his glasses and cleaning them with a hanky.

"As much as I love you, I don't think that is your business, Giles," Buffy spoke up, turning completely to stare at the group. Then she stooped down and reached out for Nicholas's tee shirt, tugging him towards her. "Hey you. What do you think about all of this?"

Nicholas's hazel eyes looked up at his father and then back down at his mother. He took a deep breath and placed his tiny hand on Buffy's shoulder, "Mom...it's very good."

Buffy grinned at him and rubbed her nose against his in an eskimo kiss, "Ready to have your Dad hanging around all the time, huh?"

Nicholas nodded, "He's my Dad-Bit."

Spike whooped with laughter and dropped down next to the two of them, enfolding them both in a gigantic hug.

"Well, that settles it for now, don't you say? Let's go picnicking!" Jenny said enthusiastically, her eyes bright as she gathered the basket, linked arms with Fred, and led the group to the forest knoll.

--- --- --- ---

The house was silent at midnight. The classifieds lay scattered across the kitchen table, some apartments and condos nearby circled in a sporadic pattern across the pages, phone numbers highlighted. Two empty wine glasses next to an empty can of Coke were on the coffee table in the den. Pillows were in a trail all the way up the staircase, clearly marking the progress of the latest pillow fight.

Spike first went in to his sleeping son's room, admiring the tiny life he created. The boy lay in the sliver of light that poured in from the hallway, one small hand curled up under his chin in a perfect imitation of his mother's sleeping position. The black curls were in a wild frenzy from his tossing and turning before he had finally fallen into the void of slumber. Spike leaned down over him, brushing a lingering kiss across the smooth ebony brow, breathing deep the scent of the young skin.

Next he stood in Buffy's room, eyes following the graceful curves under the silky sheets that he knew intimately. Her face was peaceful, almost happy, as her hair lay in a shimmering fan out on the mattress. Spike reached down and gently smoothed his thumb over her perfectly plush bottom lip before replacing the finger with his mouth. She responded even in her sleep, opening her lips so his tongue could ever so lightly lap at the moisture inside the warm opening. Then he pulled away, kissed her forehead briefly before leaving her room so she could continue to dream her delicious fantasies.

He went to his room, just to use the phone. No way was he gonna sleep alone in a guest bed when he was welcome to sleep in the arms of his beloved. He dialed a number he knew by heart, and smiled when the woman picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Mrs. Summers."

"Spike! Hi! How are you?" Joyce asked pleasantly, glad to hear from him.

"Absolutely wonderful. Can't talk long- I got a beautiful woman to go snuggle with, but Joyce?"

"Yes?"

"Thank.You. So. Much. Words cannot express," he almost choked on the words, so full of the most breathless gratitude for the information that she had given him that had finally led him to Buffy.

"You're welcome," Joyce seemed near tears herself, so thankful that they were FINALLY together, "You go snuggle with that mother of your child now, you hear?"

Spike grinned, "Yes ma'am. Have a good night."

"Goodnight, William."

Spike hung up, pulled off his shirt and jeans, and tugged on a soft pair of loose fitting sweatpants. And with complete silence, he padded down the hallway to the bed of his Love.

Chapter 26

And now for an obscenely long A/N---
Okay, my dear readers, I have some bad news. Its time for another writing hiatus. Remember the long one in March? Well, that was because I was on my way here to Uzbekistan, and it took a while to get myself up and writing in the Fanfic world again. And now I am headed back to the United States, but not without taking a two week vacation in Europe first. I am also selling my laptop here, so it will be impossible to write and post anyway. I apologize profusely, since I told you all that I'd keep writing, and yes- I have all the chapters planned up to the Epilogue, so I am ready to write..I just won't be able to. I'm also trying to finish up my senior year of highschool, as well as the humanitarian projects I am juggling here in Uz, and then in America I have all this time to spend with all the friends I deserted for 4 months. I'm a busy gal, and I bet you really didn't want to know all of those details!
BUT! When I return to writing again, look forward to me writing..
-The wonderful end of 'Weave and Tear'
-The sequel to 'The Last' (finally!!)
-'Angels Fall At Her Feet' and 'Freedom' (two fics in outline form I plan to write. Both AU, both totally awesome. You'll love them. I promise. Have I ever lead you astray before?)
AND...::drum roll, please...:: My very own archive site!! Its called Heaven's Fields Laid Bare and it will be ready for your most wonderful attention as soon as I return. It has everything you could ever want on it- my fanfic, mental imagery, links to other great fanfic sites, and quotes from other author's awesome fics, PLUS its pretty and its mine. ;-)
See, you guys have a lot to look forward too! So now, just re-read all the fics I've ever written, and then it won't be so bad to wait a month until my return. (And I know most of you are occupied enough with reading other delicious epics, like 'Awakenings', and 'Touch of Jealousy', and 'Blue Horizons', and 'Three Hearts Entwined' -what, not reading that one? well try it. Its awesome.- and 'Take a Chance', and 'Into the Dark With You', and 'Ice Becomes Her', and 'Killer Hearts'...and I'm getting competely carried away...)

So now, I bid you farewell.
-Alantie

PS- The following chapter is the longest chapter I have ever written, EVER! I just kept going and going, and once you get to all of the smut, you don't want to stop! I didn't bother cutting it either because I thought "What the heck! The readers will enjoy it!" so here ya go. Double the normal length, so I expect DOUBLE THE REVIEWS...;-) E-mail 'em, please- Javasoo@aol.com

The monday following was one of those random holidays where schools gave the children the day off. Nicholas was filled to the brim with excitement that he could spend the whole day at home with his father while his mother had to run errands and go to the resteraunt for the inevitable business meetings. By noon they had managed to have four games of basketball, two games of soccer, a water gun fight, a mock-martial arts fight on the trampoline, and a baseball extravaganza where Spike had to hoist Nicholas up onto the garage roof six times to retrieve the ball. The two rambuncious boys also had discussed plans to make the tree house bigger, where to put the olympic-sized pool they both wanted, and how to build a laser tag dome in the woods without Mom ever finding out.

In short, it had been a successful morning for the Sheffield men.

---

Buffy had finished up the things on her To Do list a little after noon, coming home to a house she was sure would be covered with areas that should be declared national disasters. She held an expecting cringe on her face as she came through the door from the garage to encounter....

Silence.

Okay, now her curiousity was piqued, and her dread was multiplied. A quiet Nicholas meant either trouble or beautiful behavior...but a quiet Spike? Now that was the end of the world.

"Helloooo?" she half-sang out into the house from the kitchen, setting her bags on the counter and moving into the foyer to call up the sweeping staircase, "Spike? Nicholas?"

"Go run more errands!" her son's voice shot from the second floor.

"We're not home!" Spike's followed. Buffy grinned and started up the steps.

"I know that trick, William Sheffield!" she teased, "And I'm coming up!"

"No mom, NO!" Nicholas's desperate tones pleaded from...a bathroom. HER bathroom. Buffy quickened her pace.

"What are you guys doing in my bathroom?" she asked, entering her bedroom and striding for the slightly ajar master bathroom door.

"Nothin'!" they said in unison, someone pushed the door shut with a firm bang. Buffy pounded her fist against it.

"You better let me in, or I'll ground you both!" she threatened through the amused grin glimmering on her lips.

"Can't ground me, pet. 'm older than you!" Spike taunted back, his voice directly on the other side of the wooden panels.

"I'll cut you off from your new favorite activity..." she let the sentence dangle in the air. A gasp was her reward.

"You wouldn't..." he denied in horror.

"Just try me, " Buffy dared him, barely containing her giggles. She heard Spike and Nicholas discuss her entry fee in low voices, the delicious male murmering causing her to fill up with contentment.

"Okay, ducks, we'll open the door...but you can't get all bug shaggin' crazy, alright?"

"Uh, oh...I don't think I like the sound of th-" she stopped abruptly when the door opened swiftly to reveal one completely peroxided Spike, and one black-curls-with-shockingly-white-tips Nicholas.

"Hey Momma! What do you think?" Nicholas asked perkily.

Buffy's eyes darted back and forth between her lover and son, "Oh my god!"

"Brings back memories, eh, Love?" Spike asked almost bashfully, running a hand through his bright white curls.

"Oh my god!"

"An' look, see? He did mine like his used to be!! Innit cool?" Nicholas excitedly pointed to his hair before turning back to stare at himself in the mirror.

"Oh my god!"

"Don't worry though, we didn't do it in here. We did it out back. Jus' came in here to use all your girly hair stylin' rot. I mean, I 'ave some of my own, but we really wanted to play with it all, get it all gelled up an' handsome. We look right smashing, don't we?" Spike proudly bounced on his heels, putting an arm around the dumbstruck Buffy.

Just then the doorbell rang through the house, shaking Buffy out of her state of shock when Nicholas rushed passed and downstairs, shouting about how he hoped it was one of his friends so he could show them his new look.

"See, I only did a little of his. He wanted all of it bleached, but I didn't think you'd like that," Spike continued to explain, looking down into the finally-focused eyes of the small woman.

Suddenly he found himself pinned against the bathroom wall, her soft body melding against his hard one, her lips crushed against his, tongue demanding entrance. Spike moaned and opened his mouth to give her eager tongue access, loving the way she plundered so desperately. Her hands wandered erraticly, up and down his torso. He let his own hands drift down her back, cupping her ass and pulling her more firmly against his rapidly growing erection. When she tore her mouth away, both of their chests were heaving with arousal and need for breath.

"Wha' was that for?" Spike gasped, staring down at her with his lust-clouded blue eyes. Her spindally fingers surged into his bright blonde curls, twining their softness around her fingers so she could admire the vibrant color against her skin.

"Your hair," she said simply, eyes still on his bright locks, "It just...turned me on. I had to kiss you. I've always loved your hair like this. I mean, I love the black too, because hey, natural color, plus Nicholas's color...but the bleach...god, its so hot!"

Spike smirked proudly at her admission, especially tickled pink by the way she writhed in want as she spoke with those airy, aroused tones.

"Jus' you wait until tonight, my sweet," he promised, gently grabbing one of her wrists and pulling it down to his face so he could kiss each fingertip, " 'S gonna be so good..."

"Mm..can't wait.." she purred, leaning her head into the crook of his neck so she could nibble at the delectable skin of his throat.

"MOOOOOOM!!! Its for YOU!!!" Nicholas shouted, stomping up the steps. Buffy pulled away from Spike with a slight blush, wiped her lips with the back of her hand, and hurried to meet her son in the hallway.

"Sorry, hun, what?"

"I've been callin' you for the past four hundred minutes! Penn is here to see you," the boy explained, waving his hand towards the front door vaguely, his face twisted in an expression of distaste.

"Penn? He's here? Why?" Buffy asked, eyes nervously glancing over the railing to look down into the foyer. Sure enough, the handsome, glasses-wearing blonde business man and...psycho... was standing patiently in the tiled entrance hall.

"I dunno. Came to see you. I thought you told him to go away last time?" he accused, looking up at his mom.

"I did." Buffy said with a frown, "Baby, why don't you find your dad and the two of you play with legos in your room, okay?"

Nicholas nodded and went to find Spike as Buffy slowly walked down the hardwood steps to greet her unwelcome guest.

"Buffy!" Penn cried sweetly, opening his arms as if expecting a hug.

"Penn," Buffy nodded cordially, clenching her teeth to keep back the more angry words that were spinning through her head. She crossed her arms over her chest, "What can I do for you?"

"Oh, I do so love that question from your sweet lips," he laughed with mock dramatics, "I need a favor."

"What else is new? That's all you ever bother me for," she said coldly.

"Now now now," Penn scolded, shaking his head, "We both know that's a lie."

It was if the mask had been abruptly torn from his face. Gone was the smiling man with sparkling eyes. In its place was the cold hearted, manipulative, insane monster who Buffy knew very intimately. She cursed the day she met him.

"What do you want?" her voice was low, her body completely still as he approached her, stepping over the line of personal space. She couldn't do a fucking thing about it.

"Deposit five thousand dollars into our account by friday," he ordered, whispering in her ear.

"What's it for this time?" she dared to ask, closing her eyes in revulsion at the smell of his expensive cologne. Sure, it smelled wonderful to a normal person, but to Buffy the scent brought back horrible memories.

"A guy in New York. I promise you, it's nothing illegal."

"Like this isn't?" she snapped, her eyes fluttering open to stare into his icey ones. He chuckled and ran one finger down her face.

"Mm, true. Blackmail never is. But its the way of this wonderful world!" he winked at her and set a harsh kiss on her forehead before leaving her alone in her foyer. She sighed when she heard his Z3 rev and pull away from the curb. Delicately she sniffed at the collar of her shirt. God, she needed a shower. She had Essence of Penn on her. With that, she jogged to her bathroom before she could be stopped or questioned by her son or his father.

--- --- --- ---

Buffy let out a deep, relieved breath at the gentle pounding of the hot water on her back. It rushed down the back of her body, while rivlets of warm water spidered around the front of her torso, around her neck, and dripped from the curls between her thighs. Relaxation, check. Penn smell gone, check.

She turned to embrace the cascade, her face tilted up to accept the burning spray so that it washed and cleansed her entire being. The steam built up around her, enfolding her body in a moist blanket of purity. She was so caught up in the tranquility of her shower, she didn't notice the entrance of another person until two arms slid around her waist, and a solid male body pressed up against her back.

"Mind if I join you, cutie?" Spike's low baritone filled her mind, almost lulling her to sleep. Her body sagged back into his, and he was very happy to be of service and hold her upright.

"You are a God-send," she sighed, closing her eyes and concentrating on the feel of his chest muscles flexing against her shoulder blades, his testicles nestled at her bottom, and his fingers lightly caressing her abdomen.

"An' here I was goin' for naughty and lascivious," he joked, hand coming up to push her wet hair away from her neck so he could place kisses along the nape.

"Well, you're that too," Buffy amended, feeling as if she were resisting the urge to purr at the way he was making her feel so at peace, "but what I meant was, you're exactly what I needed right now."

"You mean at this time in your life, or this moment in th' shower?" Spike clarified softly, lips now at her earlobe, kissing the silver loop that ran through it.

"Both."

"Does this have anything to do with tha' wanker that came to see you that Nicholas was complain' about?" he asked, pulling away so he could hear her answer well.

"Oh! Speaking of Nicholas.." she started. Spike cut her off.

"Don't worry, I didn't abandon him to come snog with you in the shower. He went over to the Miller's to hunt for more rocks in the stream with his pal Mikey. Now, who was the bloke?"

"Penn," her voice grew soft and hurt. Spike's fingers curled under her chin and urged her to tilt her head to look up into his eyes.

"Wanna tell me about it?"

"Not yet. Not now," she whispered, turning in his arms so that her breasts brushed his pecs erotically. His cock twitched to life in response. They both noticed. "For now, I want to have those snogs, naughties, and lasciviouses."

His mouth opened slightly, temptingly, as his voice dropped to the carmel bedroom tones, "Did anybody ever tell you tha' you butcher the English language, Love?"

They gazed into each other's half-lidded eyes, heavy with arousal. She leaned even closer to his mouth.

"Nope," she gasped, popping the 'p', "Gonna punish me, Big Bad?"

Spike shook his head slowly, the motion causing their lips to brush together, "No...'m gonna teach you so you know better. See, when you speak English well, you gotta use your lips like this..."

He nipped at her top lip first, then her bottom lip, then finally sucking gently on the swell of her pout.

"...An' you gotta use your tongue like this..." he drawled before his tongue flicked out and played with the upper and bottom lip again, making the wet and tempting. Then he thrust his tongue into her mouth, swirling it around her own and searching every single place of the moist caveran so that no section was not tasted by him.

His hand had crept unaware to the apex of her thighs, and then suddenly three of his long, elegant fingers slipped into her increasingly wet center. Her head dropped away from his as she moaned, the forgotten shower spray rushing over her forehead and down her long hair.

"Like that, pet?" he purred, loving the look of ecstasy on her face as he rubbed her slippery inner walls with his fingertips. She managed to lift her head to look at him again.

"What is this lesson now? Finger spelling?" she joked around the little puffs of air she was taking as his thumb began to massage her clit.

Spike chuckled and added a fourth finger to the invading ones, "Don't think you're quite ready to move on to finger spelling yet. I still want to work on your tongue movement."

"Oh yeah?" Buffy asked, raising an eyebrow. Then she reached down and gently pulled his hand from her hot depths, giving him a reassuring smile at his look of confusion before dropping to her knees.

"Buffy..." he breathed as her tongue darted out to lick his already-hard and getting-harder cock, "Y-you don't have to do th-that, sweetheart."

"Are you kidding?" she asked, looking up at him with huge grey eyes, "I have wanted to do this to you for as long as I can remember!"

A look of astonished surprise blanked out Spike's face.

"Wha'?" he asked, not sure he had heard her correctly.

"I was in love with you way before I admitted it to you. And I lusted after you waaaaaaay before that. I always wanted to give you so much pleasure, just so I could see what you looked like, knowing that I was the one who made you come and come...." she trailed off with a blush, and covered it up by shrugging nonchalantly, "Just one of my fantasies."

Spike stared down at small naked woman kneeling at his feet, her mouth getting closer to his massive erection. Buffy had fantasized about going down on him? That was the most insane, unpredictable, wonderful, HOT thing he had ever heard! And then her tongue was running up and down its hard length again, and no coherent thought could be formed.

She licked and licked, then nipped and kissed, and finally began to suck on the velvety soft skin. Oh god, it was so exquisite. Spike's head dropped back, his teeth clenched and eyes shut tightly as he hissed with pleasure. He pressed one hand against the side of the shower to hold himself, while the other lowered to tangle in her soaking locks.

Buffy was crazy about it. Never had she wanted to please him more than this moment, when he let out a long groan that echoed off the tiles, and sent a flood of wetness to her groin. She slid one hand up to play with his sac, the other gripping his muscular thigh, while she began to suck harder and harder, cheeks hollowing out. When her teeth gently scraped along his cock as she mewled with delight, Spike lost it. With a loud shout, his fingers pulled her hair almost painfully as he came, shooting his semen into her willing and eager mouth. His eyes fluttered open just in time to watch her swallow and lap clean the softening tip....oop, not softening. Hardening, again. She was just so damn amazing, he couldn't help it.

"Buffy, come up here..." he panted, urging her to stand. She quickly obeyed, wrapping her arms around his neck as he caught his breath.

"You looked so incredible," she whispered headily in his ear, "and you tasted so good."

Spike clenched his teeth again to keep back the aroused moan at her words, "Buffy...good god, you are perfect!"

"Thanks!" she said brightly, kissing his earlobe.

His hands came to hoist her thighs around his waist, so his erection was nestled at her slit. Buffy wimpered at the feel, and began to thrust her hips to relieve the delicous ache in her core.

"Please, Spike...Please!" she begged, rapidly losing control. Spike smiled in revenge and clutched her hips, first lifting them up, and then finally lowering her onto his cock. They both groaned in unison, his throbbing member getting squeezed by her wetness, and her muscles getting stretched by his hardness.

Spike turned slowly to put her back against the cold tiles, pivoting her there so he could thrust in abandon, reaching desperately for the pleasure that blossomed between their union, magnified by the hot spray of water. She rocked against him furiously, letting out breathy gasps and cries that made Spike lose his mind.

"Oh god, Buffy...the sounds you make, the way you make me feel..." he said between pants of air to supply strength so he could thrust harder and harder, "Nobody but you. Always you. God, I love you, I love you so bloody much..."

She couldn't respond. She was too caught up in the delicious ecstasy and black of unnamed emotions to say anything. But she heard him, oh god did she hear him. And it sent shivers of amazement through her as she gazed unseeing into the falling water. Then suddenly his hands were not on her hips anymore and just as she began to wonder what he was doing...one hand was at her crotch, fingers burying themselves in her curls and between her nether lips to rub her clit...and the other hand was at her ass, two fingers squirming between the cheeks to open them, and touch her gently.

Buffy's scream echoed through the house. She felt so exposed, opened up to him, nothing hidden or secret from this man who was her lover, life, and her everything. He was dominating and consuming her, and it sent her flying over the edge of reality, all her muscles claming violently on his fingers and cock.

At first Spike was posessed with pride and extreme arousal at the look on Buffy's face, how suddenly she wasn't quite herself, and yet she was more herself than any other time he had seen her. Her face was an expression of complete beauty and pleasure, worthy of the awe Spike had for it. But when her scream tore from her mouth, and her body reacted with shuddering and wringing as he had never felt it before, Spike soon fell into the undescribable world that she was currently in. His head dropped to her shoulder as his cock pumped spurt after spurt of his seed into her soft womb.

His hands slipped from her, hers fell limply over his shoulders as they recovered from the astronimical orgasm. The sound of the now-cooling water mingled with their gasps.

Spike raised his head when he finally felt he had enough energy, looking down into her closed eyelids.

"Hey..." he cooed softly, defying gravity to lift his hand to her cheek. Her eyelashes fluttered open.

"Hey..." she responded just as quietly. He smiled at her, rewarded by her own exhausted smile.

"Tha' was..." he began, trailing off when he was suddenly at a loss for words to describe it.

"The most amazing, earth-shattering moment of my existence," Buffy supplied, filled with wonder.

Spike nodded, taking a deep breath, " 'was gonna say 'a lot more than a snog', but what you said..tha' works too..."

"Always you. Nobody but you," she repeated his words from earlier, fingers sliding from his shoulder blade to his jaw, to trace the sharp angles of his face.

Blue eyes gazed adoringly into hazel.

"I love you," he said seriously.

"I love you," she responded, and leaned in for a sweet kiss that seemed to last for days and days and days. Neither wanted or dared to pull away.

tbc...

Chapter 27

The sunlight flickering through the lace curtains teased Buffy awake. She rolled over in her soft sheets, reaching for the man who had been laying there, just as naked as she. But he wasn't there. Frowning, Buffy sat up, holding the sheet to her chest as she cocked her head to listen for sounds of her lover. Then the rattling of glass and silverware reached her ears and she gasped with delight when Spike pushed open the bedroom door with his toe and entered, balancing a breakfast tray.

"Oh Spike, hunny, this is great!" she squealed, tucking the sheet under her arms so she could clap gleefully.

"I know! I'm the best boyfriend ever," Spike laughed boastfully. He carefully set the tray down on its legs on the mattress before leaning forward to lay a pecks on Buffy's smiling lips.

"Mmm, I love that word describing you," she murmered between kisses.

"You could use a word a little more dear, Buffy-Love," he reminded shyly as he stretched out beside her. She sighed, reaching for the silverware.

"It's not time for that yet, " she said in an apologetic voice, "I love you for waiting," she offered, and then speared a piece of pineapple with her fork and held it in front of his face as a peace offering.

"I love you for loving me for waiting for your official love," he grumbled, leaning forward and biting the fruit off the fork, chewing with a frown, "I just realized how much that did not make sense."

"Don't talk with your mouth full, baby," Buffy scolded absently. Spike turned his head to glare at her until she gasped with realization, her hand flying to cover her mouth.

"Oh, god, Spike, sweetie! I'm sorry! Once a mom, always a mom."

"Yeah, yeah. Well 'm not your soddin' kid, Summers," he growled, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting.

"No, but you act like one, and you're responsible for mine," she shot back with a triumphant grin, spearing another piece of pineapple and offering it to him.

"Don' want it."

"Aww, come on, Willie. Pineapple's your favorite," she teased, waving the fork back and forth under his nose.

"You're being mean to me today- won't marry me right away, chastizin' me as if I were an 8 year old, an' calling me 'Willie'. I don't want anything from you," he grumbled, his bottom lip pushing out even further. Buffy stared at him with twinkling eyes before dropping her fork on the tray, and grabbing a hold of the top of her sheet.

"You sure you don't want anything from me?" she asked innocently, pulling off the sheet to reveal her naked body.

Spike swallowed with lust when he turned his head and drank in the sight of her sunkissed skin and satin smooth curves. His pout turned into a wicked smirk.

"It's not a question of what I want from you, its about what I'm gonna DO to you."

And with that he was upon her, and their giggles, sighs, and moans filled the room.

--- --- ---

The day wanned on to afternoon, hot and bright. The kind of afternoon that fills every nook and cranny with its warmth and light.

Spike sat out on the back veranda on a chaise lounge, clicking away on online designs to be e-mailed to Revamp, Inc all the way back home in California. Buffy had returned from Rustic Bend earlier in the day with a determined look on her face, and instantly retreated to her office to work through the piles of paperwork, stopping only occasionally to grab a soda from the fridge or give Spike a quick kiss on his cheek as she walked passed. Nicholas came darting in and out sometimes, followed by the gang of neighborhood boys and sometimes alone, doing a mission:impossible to grab snacks from the pantry for the rest of the hungry pirates.

It was a deliciously normal suburban summer day, and Buffy found herself staring out the window more than once, daydreaming about REALITY, and not that which wasn't.

The sound of the slamming front door startled her out of her thoughts. Footsteps went rippling over the floorboards of the staircase. Sounded like Nicholas was home for good. She heard him banging and shuffling around in his room above her, and scrunched her eyebrows together with curiousity. What in the world was that boy up to?

Buffy crept out of her office and moved silently up the stairs, the shuffling and whispering still coming from Nicholas's room. Tiptoing along the wall, she turned and peered around the corner through the doorway.

And there was Nicholas, desperately trying to keep the cardbaord flaps of a box down, while something kept trying to push them up.

"Ahem..." Buffy interrupted, stepping inoto the room and closing the door behind her. Nicholas whirrled around, panic on his face as he tried to discretely push the box under his bed.

"Nothing, mom!" he pleaded his innocence.

"You've been saying that to me a lot lately. I think your father's a bad influence," she mused. Nicholas pushed at the large box a bit more desperately, "That isn't going to fit under there, Nicholas," she pointed to the box.

The flaps wiggled again, and this time, Buffy got a glance of a shiney black nose.

"Oh, well, um, yes it is!" Nicholas argued back, pushing even harder. Just then, the box burst open, and out bounded a an energetic puppy. Nicholas lunged forward and grabbed it, a giggle escaping when it began to lick his face with its soft, wet tongue.

Buffy sighed and knelt down next to them, "So, where'd he come from?"

"It's a she, and I named her Scout. The Rellison's gave her to me," he explained, handing the adorable Rottweiler-shaped ball of fur to his mom. He was determined that Scout could win her heart.

"You would think that Pam would have called and warned me about a litter of puppies," Buffy sighed drolly, petting the animal.

"I told her you wanted a dog," Nicholas bent his head with shame as he spoke.

"That was lying, young man. I don't want a dog," she said sternly, looking at her son, then looking down at Scout.

"I know. I'm sorry," he apologized in a low voice.

"But..." she drawled, smiling when Nicholas's head shot up in gleeful expectation, "I kinda want *this* dog."

"Really?" he asked breathlessly, face full of light.

"Yeah. Welcome to your new family, Scout," Buffy giggled, holding the puppy above her head and doing 'Awwww, how adorable' kissy faces, "Make sure its alright with your dad though."

"Why?" Nicholas cocked his head with curiousity, "He's not gonna live here."

"Well, I kinda wanted to talk to you about that..."

--- --- ---

"Yeah, we'll meet you there tomorrow night. Don't forget, I want the Australian white wine. Australian, Giles. No, the Italian is not better. Why do you always argue with me when it comes to this? Hey, don't mock. Wait, do you even know where Garden Seat Parish is? Yeah, its ab-"
"Hey sweetness," Spike greeted as he came through the bedroom door, tossing his car keys on the nightstand next to the bed, "Have a good evening?"
Buffy abruptly yanked the telephone away from her ear when Spike entered, then realized how suspicious that looked and quickly replaced it. He turned to look at her curiously when he didn't get a response.
"Whats the matter with you?"
"Nothing!" she squeaked, fingers clutching and unclutching around the reciever, "Um, just talking to Giles."
Spike's eyebrows furrowed, "Yeah, you..do...that. Co-owner, an' all that rot. Why so..."
"Jumpy? No reason!" she assured him. Her eyes darted around the room, "So, you're back from.."
"The post office..." he supplied, suspicously looking around the room, "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yup! Peachy!" she smiled wide.
"Mm..okay," he still didn't look entirely convinced but disappeared into the bathroom. Buffy breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'm so glad we're doing this tomorrow, Giles, I would blow it if the time were any longer than 24 hours. Yeah...yeah...okay, see ya then. Bye."
She hung up the phone and sat quietly on the bed staring at it, relishing the feel of her heart beating furiously in her chest. She was going to do it. She was. And he'd be so surprised. And they were both going to be so happy.
The bathroom door opened again and he emerged in his boxers, tossing his clothes onto the dirty pile in Buffy's closet, as if this were his home. It was so natural and perfect. A smile crept across her face.
"What?" he stopped like a deer in headlights with suspicion again, "What are you smiling at?"
"You, doing the daily thing, like this is where you live. It's cute...considering you're not supposed to be living here," she gave him a look.
"'m still searching for a place!" he said defensively, dropping down heavily onto the mattress, causing Buffy to bounce slightly.
"Surrrrre you are," she drawled with amusement, laying back into the pillows next to him. He watched her with eyes of adoration, noticing the way the golden satin of her negligee bended the light of the lamps.
"I am! You jus' don't realize it, because you like me livin' here and taking...advantage.." he purred, running one hand down her belly.
"No, I realize it. I just give you a break because I know how tough it is to find a good place to live in this city," she explained, putting her hand over his to stop the seduction. She wanted to talk.
"Yeah, 'm guessing you an' Nicholas didn't move into good ol' Dogwood Avenue until the big bucks came in. Where were you before then? I heard something about a dingy apartment before, didn't I?" he sat up slightly, and turned his hand so their fingers could intertwine.
"Yeah..." her voice turned soft and sensitive again, "That would be the Penn-Era of my life."
"Oh yes, the git. Ready to spill the story?" Spike settled firmly into the pillows, ready to listen to this tale that seemed to haunt her. He squeezed her hand to signal her to speak. She took a big breath, and began.
"After I called you that one time, and then decided I wouldn't call again, I found out that the owner of my apartment complex had died and his creepy son was taking over. That first guy, he was straight-laced and everything, but he was a good landlord, but his son was just...well, corrupt is the perfect word. He raised the rent to an impossible level, so, I went to him."
Spike sucked in a breath, "I'm really not going to like this story, am I?"
Buffy shook her head.
"I was desperate. I am ashamed to say that I pleaded like a desperate, single-mother, poor waitress should. I was practically on my hands and knees, asking for him to give me a break. He gave me a break alright: he asked me out. At first it was...harmless dating...then I really realized what a controlling pig he was. I tried to break up with him, but then he showed me the records- my rent was practically nothing, and he was paying for my groceries, and anything Nicholas needed..all because he "enjoyed me" so much. Thats when we made this deal....He promised to continue helping me out, if I promised to.... be at his beck and call."
The silence of her pause filled the room with thunder.
"You were his whore," Spike whispered. Buffy's downturned eyes slid up to stare at him, watching his jawline clench with anger.
"Yes," her voice was raspy and faint as her fingers tightened around his..
"Continue," he ordered.
"Spike, you gotta understand...it was horrible of me, yes, but-"
"It's okay, Buffy. Please continue," this time his voice was more gentle. She nodded.
"Well, that, like, broke me inside. Soon Penn ran my life practically. He combined our bank accounts, helped me pay for Rustic Bend, paid for everything Nicholas ever needed. Finally, right before my mom came to visit the first time, I convinced Penn seperation was a good idea: he could keep running his little financial empire and keep our bank account, and I would go off and run my resteraunt and raise my son. He used to drop by once or twice a month for a good time, but then he got too busy. Little empire not so little anymore.
"But now...its financial blackmail, technically. Especially with the amazing success of Rustic Bend. I have to keep putting money into the account for him to use for whatever he uses it for. I mean, I've paid my dues, literally. I'm not under his thumb anymore...but if I don't donate to his cause, then he can bring me to financial ruin in a heartbeat. And he's got all kinds of legal issues he can bring up too. Its not like I can sue him, or tell the cops about the blackmail. I willingly stepped into a situation that would eventually lead here...even though I knew it would."
Spike's eyes were full of astonishment and despair.
"There's gotta be something-"
"There's not," she interrupted firmly, "Its okay. He only calls or comes by when he needs the instant cash. Hence the reason he was here yesterday. Nicholas hates him," she smiled bitterly.
"Gotta agree with the Nick-bit there," he growled, angry energy setting into his bones. Buffy watched him slide off the bed and pace the room, "God, Buffy, this is horrible! I can't believe that you-...I mean..that this happened. That you allowed your life to get...bloody consumed by this guy!"
Buffy rose from the bed and strode over to him, placing her tiny hands on his shoulders to stop his movement, "Look, Spike, it happened. In the past. I can't do anything to change it. All I do is respond when I must. Other than that, Penn has no part of my life anymore."
"You gave yourself to him," he muttered with hurt, eyes staring at the carpet. Buffy ducked her head to catch his eye.
"Yeah...and you gave yourself to Drusilla."
Spike's face glimmered with respect that she threw that back at him, "Yeah..." he whispered, hand coming up to cup her cheek.
"But now we have each other. The time for giving is WAY over. I conquered you," she said with a teasing grin.
"'m gonna find a way to fix this financial shit," he promised, wrapping his arms around the soft little body of his best friend.
"I was hoping you'd say that...but I wasn't going to push for anything," she sighed, breathing in the smell of his bare chest.
"Let's go to bed." he whispered, scooped her up and buried himself in her embrace and blankets.

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