Spike stared down at the city blueprints and the maps
spread across the large desk in Angel's office. He was leaning over the table,
his weight supported on his clenched fists as he pressed his knuckles into the
wood.
His brows knit.
Buffy had moved slowly around the table and had come to settle next to him like
it was now the most natural thing in the world for her to do.
He closed his eyes briefly and inhaled.
He didn't know what had possessed him to kiss her. It was more that he wanted
her to kiss him so that her friends would see she needed him. He wasn't sure if
it would have helped her in her attempt to win them over about him or whether it
would have just hindered her.
The fact was that he couldn't help himself when she'd come in to the lobby to
see what was happening between himself and Cordelia.
The second she'd appeared, his attention had been wholly with her, the argument
with the dark haired girl completely forgotten and the words he'd thrown at her
had been for show.
It was all bravado.
To win the girl.
He surmised that testosterone wasn't something that left you when you became a
vampire and--if anything--it got even more potent.
She had looked so beautiful as she commanded the room--not giving or taking a
single inch in her attempt to break up the fray. He'd been mesmerised. Her
signature and scent buried itself deep inside his un-beating heart, wormed its
way into him until there was no way he was ever going to be able to get her out
of his system. It was clear to him that he was never going to be the same again.
The vampire he had been not three weeks ago was still there, it was still him,
only now he had something in his existence that ranked higher than the hunt and
the blood.
Spike frowned at that thought.
She was more important to him than blood?
She was his blood.
His life.
His everything.
He'd never been one to fall gently, both in life and death.
But he'd never fallen this hard, this fast before.
He'd never been so unsure about what was going to happen--not since he was
William.
Spike flared his nostrils and tensed his jaw, exhaling sharply as he stared
unseeingly at the maps below him. He started as he felt her small hand run over
his shoulder, her concern echoing in his body as she watched him.
Closing his eyes, he allowed himself a moment to enjoy her feelings for him and
then met her gaze. Her face was a mask of beautiful emotions. Her green eyes
watching him with slight anxiety and her round lips twitching at the corners
into a smile that showed him she really meant everything he was seeing in her
expression and feeling in her body.
There was a word for her, balanced precariously on the tip of his tongue.
Effulgent.
Spike bought his hand up and placed it over hers where it rested on his
shoulder. He smiled at her before he looked down at the maps again and noticed
her eyes fell there also.
Buffy looked down at the maps. Standing next to Spike in front of her friends
and planning just where they were going to start looking for Angel had a weird
feel to it. It wasn't so much the friends or the planning. It was Spike.
She felt like she was no longer the only General in the room. Standing beside
him it was as if they were both in command, or at least that she was in control
and had a first officer that knew a lot more about warfare than she did.
It was a nice feeling.
Having backup that could do just that. Back her up. For once, she was going into
a fight with someone by her side to help her and she didn't have to worry about
him getting hurt.
She shifted her gaze off the maps to rest on the ring that encircled a finger on
his left hand.
At least in theory she didn't have to worry, but the tiny part of her mind where
that niggling voice lived was very much awake today and taunting her.
Her eyes widened as she felt something brush against her hand where it was
pressed against the table. Looking down at it, calm washed through her as she
saw Spike's hand brushing against hers, his little finger playing with her one.
Buffy swallowed her apprehension about the upcoming fight and smiled at him.
"They took him during the day?" She turned her attention back to Cordelia who
was standing on the opposite side of the table to them. From the look on her
face, it was clear to Buffy that she hadn't missed the display of mutual
affection that had played out between her and Spike.
"Down the sewers." Cordelia gestured towards the basement. "There's an entrance
down there that Angel always used when he needed to get around the city
unnoticed."
"Or un-fried." Spike muttered as he pressed his finger against the blueprint
that mapped out the network of sewers in Los Angeles. "They could have gone
anywhere from here; there's about five different directions breaking off from
this one point."
"But you'll be able to pick up a scent?" Buffy looked concerned.
Spike let his brows furrow as jealously swept through him. The thought of her
intense concern for Angel made him want to push away from her. He squashed down
his desire and kept his eyes fixed on the map.
"Give me blood, I'll give you Angel cake." He said emotionlessly and let his
eyes trace the possible directions the gang could have escaped in.
Closing his eyes, he tried to remember where he'd been the night that he'd been
attacked. He had driven his Desoto into the heart of Los Angeles and then he'd
stopped. He'd been unsure of where to go and had wound up down by the ocean
somewhere. Images of hangars and cranes flashed into his head and he knit his
brows again.
The docks.
He remembered he'd gone there to watch the moon play on the water, a bottle of
bourbon keeping him company as he sat perched on the bonnet of his car and
thinking of her. His gaze moved to rest on her where she was walking around the
table, her eyes fixed on the maps as a frown of concentration wrinkled her nose.
He hadn't realised back then that the reason she was on his mind so much was
because she'd claimed him. He had presumed there was only one emotion at work
and not the multitude it took to create a bond between them.
Spike felt his jaw tense as he ran through what had happened that night. He'd
been drowning his sorrows in an attempt to rid himself of the feeling of loss
that being parted from Buffy had instilled in him. There had been the noise of
doors opening and a few minutes gap of silence, and then there had been pain.
Blinding, searing, pain.
He rolled his shoulder and sniffed as he tried to ignore the feeling of rage
that boiled up inside of him. The desire to kill flooded his veins and almost
overwhelmed him.
Buffy shot her head up and frowned at Spike as she felt his signature grow
stronger, laced with fury and darkness.
Moving around the table, she hesitated for a moment in front of him. His eyes
were almost black as he looked at her. His expression hard and unforgiving.
Spike narrowed his eyes on her, expecting her to lash out at him or to drag him
away from her friends so they were safe from harm.
His eyes widened in shock as, instead of doing as he'd predicted she would, she
wrapped her arms around his neck and cradled him to her--allowing him to bury
his face into her throat as she held him tightly.
Buffy let her cheek rest against his neck as she ran her fingers in small
circles on his leather-coated shoulders. She knew without question what had
upset him; instinct told her he needed comfort and she was the one to give it to
him--to bring him back down to earth and ground him again.
Murmuring quiet words to him, she stroked the soft hair on the back of his head
as he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tight enough to break her
back--if she'd been a normal girl.
Buffy met Willow's eyes as she watched them. As she read the softness in them,
she realised that her friend had seen the conflict and pain in Spike as clearly
as she had. She just hoped that now Willow wouldn't be as scared of him, that
she could start to see the side of him that so far he'd only shown to
herself--his more human side.
Spike nuzzled her neck and breathed in deeply, taking comfort from her scent and
the way it calmed the swirling emotions inside him. Loosening his grip on her a
fraction, he closed his eyes and let his cheek rest heavily on her shoulder. He
hadn't realised just how tired he was until she'd held him, her warm embrace
triggering the sudden onset of drowsiness.
Buffy continued to thread her fingers through his hair as he breathed heavily
against her neck. She could feeling him growing heavier in her arms, his body
leaning hard into hers and his grip on her failing. She nudged him slightly and
he pulled away, blinking down at her as he tried to force the tiredness from his
body.
She looked at the clock on the wall opposite. It was nearing midday.
"Sleep." Buffy whispered quietly and watched an appreciative smile flicker on
his lips.
She took hold of his hand and led him through the building to a quiet room at
the back that Cordelia had offered to her earlier.
Watching him settle down on the tatty old bed, she wanted nothing more than to
curl up with him and sleep the day away. Her body felt as fatigued as his--even
her brain was aching for sleep. Sighing to herself, she ran her fingers lightly
down his cheek and then pressed a kiss to his forehead.
"Sleep…" She whispered again and then backed out of the room, closing the door
quietly so she didn't disturb him as he drifted off.
Buffy almost squealed as she turned sharply to find Cordelia standing inches
behind her.
"Christ…" Buffy hissed and then started walking up the hall.
"More like the devil." Cordelia fell into step beside her and watched her face
closely. "You're playing with fire. Angel's told me all about him."
"Look, this is none of Angel's business. He left me. I have every right to see
any man that I want to."
"Vampire." Cordelia corrected her.
"Those too." Buffy muttered and walked back into Angel's office. Stopping a few
steps inside the doorway, she turned on her friend. "Besides, Angel's done
things that were just as bad as he has, if not worse. He's only had a soul for
what, a century? Think of all the people he killed the hundred years or so
before that."
She realised she sounded like she was trying to justify her attraction to Spike,
and in front of all her friends, too.
Buffy paced by the desk in silence for a few minutes before stopping dead and
looking at them all.
"This thing with Spike. I just realised something. I don't have to justify it or
try and convince you all that I'm not going crazy." She let her brows knit. "You
just have to accept it. That's that. I'm not going to waste my time trying to
get you all to like him or to recognise my feelings for him. I know it seems
insane, but it's been there all along…since the moment I met him there's been an
attraction between us and I guess my time with him in the caves just allowed it
to come out into the open and develop. I can't explain it; it's deep, like it
happened to us both on a base level and we're powerless to change it or resist
it. I'm not going to beg you to like him, or to accept him, I just want to ask
you to give him time and he'll show his true colours to you all like he has to
me."
The stunned looks on their faces made her lips curve into a smile--it was always
a sure sign that she'd made a good speech.
Before they had a chance to say anything she turned and let her eyes fall to
rest on the maps, her fingers tracing the sewer tunnels and the five directions
that Spike had mentioned earlier.
"It's almost noon, guys. In five hours Spike and I are leaving via the sewer
tunnels and we won't be in contact again until we've found Angel. I'll wake
Spike in just over four hours and we'll go over the maps again. Let's hope
there's some blood in that sewer to give Spike a signature to lock on to."
Buffy felt a hand come to rest on her shoulder and stifled her desire to break
free of it. She turned her head slightly to see Giles standing beside her,
concern wrinkling his brows. "You should get some rest, too. You haven't slept
in over twenty four hours."
She smiled at the sight of affection in his eyes, and nodded.
Walking down the hall to the bedroom she'd left Spike in, Buffy paused outside
it and eased the door open. She remained frozen to the spot as she looked at
Spike. He was stretched out on the bed with his eyes closed in sleep.
She ached inside.
If she went to him now and curled up beside him, she would be surrendering
completely to her emotions and the need that burnt inside her to be close to
him. There would be no coming back. He would wrap his arms around her
possessively and she would never want to sleep alone again. She'd need his tight
embrace, the comforting scent of his body next to hers and the feeling of safety
he gave her.
She'd want him.
She'd love him.
Her hands trembled as she stared down at the line that ran across the floor at
her feet, stretching across the open doorway like a barrier she was going to
have to cross.
Taking a long, deep breath she stepped over it and discovered that surrendering
to her need to be close to him wasn't as bad as it had seemed. She didn't feel
different in any way. If anything, she felt stronger for finally admitting it to
herself.
Slipping her boots off, she moved silently across the room and looked down at
where Spike lay sleeping. Giving herself a moment to build up the courage to lie
down next to him, she looked him over. His face was soft with his slumber,
reminding her of the time that he'd been drunk and had attempted to bite her,
only to fall asleep instead.
Sitting down on the edge of the bed, she took another deep breath and then lay
down next to him. She curled up on her side and waited quietly, anxiously, to
see if he would react to her presence the way she wanted him to.
Spike growled and rolled onto his side, his arm wrapping around her waist and
tugging her flush against his body.
Buffy sighed and closed her eyes, a warmth spreading through her as she was held
tightly. Letting sleep overcome her, she wriggled against his body and smiled as
his breathy growl of possession tickled her ear.
She felt safe.
Warm.
Loved.
Buffy looked up at the small bright hole they had just
climbed down. Willow's face was still visible at the top, her anxiety clearly
written across her features.
"Be careful, Buffy."
"I'll call as soon as we have him." She called back up at her friend and watched
her face disappear as the manhole cover was replaced.
Buffy turned to Spike. He was sniffing the air like a predatory animal searching
for the scent of their prey. Angel was his prey.
She mused that either Angel or herself always seemed to be his prey--it was
always the same with Spike since she'd met him.
"Anything?" She watched him run his fingers along a rung on the ladder and bring
them up to his face for inspection.
Spike sniffed at the dirt on his fingertips and then frowned as he raised his
nose up into the air, trying to get a lock on the scent he'd found.
"You're in luck, love. Angel was bleeding--left a good enough trail at the time,
but it's fading now." Spike stared down a long straight stretch of sewer.
Buffy resisted the temptation to roll her eyes in order to mask the conflict his
words stirred in her. His tone had been hard and cold, void of the emotions she
was sorely growing used to and it was an obvious sign of things to come. He
wasn't going to be nice during their mission. He was going to shift from nice to
nasty and back again in the blink of an eye like he used to. He was going to
make her pay for wanting to save Angel.
Heaving a long sigh, she started down the tunnels after him, watching his coat
sway as he walked with purpose through the dirty water at their feet. Buffy
pulled a face at the bottom of her dark blue jeans, already coated in filth and
she'd only walked ten metres.
Catching up with Spike, she fell into line alongside him and followed his lead.
She hoped he knew where he was going and that in a fit of jealously he wouldn't
be tempted to walk her around in circles and let Angel die. She realised that
was fast becoming a recurring thought--would Spike let Angel die? Or would he
save him just to make his mate happy?
Buffy let a pensive expression settle on her face.
Spike tilted his head as he looked down at her. She had her hair still up, drawn
back into a tight ponytail that showed his marks on her neck to the world. The
ones he had inflicted as a show of territory were healing now, the bruises
beginning to fade even if the actual wounds weren't.
"You okay, kitten?" He watched her start slightly as his voice roused her from
her thoughts.
"Yeah…" She said sullenly, and saw he wasn't convinced. His brow arched.
"Okay…no…be honest with me…"
"Always, if you want me to." Spike watched her expression soften over his reply.
"Angel…" She waited for a sign of a reaction to that name but he just continued
to watch her. "…You do know where you're going, I mean…I know there's a million
reasons you can think of to just let him die, but I need to know…you're not
going to lead me in circles or anything like that are you?"
She saw his face fall, the lines of it turning hard and causing her to run over
what she'd said. Buffy stopped as it hit her.
"I trust you, Spike…really I do." She caught hold of his arm and forced him to
look at her. "Just…I need to know…only to silence the voice in the back of my
mind."
Spike stepped towards her and let the backs of his fingers brush against her
cheek.
"I'd never lie to you. I'd never hide anything from you. I'd certainly never do
anything to hurt you. You're my mate, Buffy. Perverse as being bonded to a
Slayer is, you're my flesh, my blood. My heart." He removed his hand and
clenched it into a fist. "I wouldn't do such a thing…much as I'd love to. I
couldn't stand to see you upset…couldn't stand to see you pissed at me."
Buffy smiled and ran her fingers over his hand, the palm of it wrapping around
his still clenched fist. "Feelings mutual."
Spike searched her eyes in the dim light to see if there was truth in what she'd
told him; he smiled as he saw it in their green depths.
"We'd better move. I have a rough idea where they're keeping him and it's a long
trek from here. Still…if it's where I think it is then we don't have to walk
home dragging Peaches' tired little feet."
Buffy watched him walking off and hurried to catch up with him as she shifted
her axe to her other hand. "Huh?"
"My baby…she's in LA by the docks…I think that's where they are. The whole time
I was locked up by those bastards I could smell sea water and day old fish." He
peered down both stretches of sewer as he stopped at a t-junction. Holding his
hand up to silence her reply, he sniffed the air and pointed to the left.
When he started walking again, Buffy took it as a sign that she could speak.
"Baby?"
"My car…I was down the docks with her."
"Why?" Buffy let a slight frown wrinkle her brows as she tried to think of a
possible reason for him to be in the vicinity of the docks after he'd left her.
"Don't know. I guess I was looking for somewhere quiet to think, you know? My
head was so full of you that I couldn't get any peace though. I was just
drinking and watching the light of the moon playing on the water. It was…" His
look turned thoughtful as he pursed his lips, searching for the right word.
"Calming?" Buffy offered and he flashed her a wide smile.
"Yeah." He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Did you feel it, too?"
"I was sleeping mostly, but in the morning I went outside to listen to the birds
and watch the sun rising…" She watched him arch a brow. "Okay, I wanted to be
alone…but it felt calm…like I'd found peace."
Spike nodded in understanding and then turned down another section of sewer.
"If you know where we're going then why are we wasting time walking in the
sewers?" She looked down at the grime under her feet, her boots ruined by its
slimy wetness.
"I said I had a rough idea where we were going…I have to track his scent to know
for sure." He put his hand in his pocket to find his cigarettes but found the
small gold and diamond bracelet from the tomb instead. Ignoring it, he searched
his other pocket and found them.
Buffy watched him light up and frowned as he exhaled. "Isn't that going to ruin
your tracking abilities?"
Spike tapped his nose. "Got lover boy all locked in now, sweetheart. No need to
fret. Could find him a mile off."
She let her frown intensify over the sarcastic tone he'd used and his choice of
wording. "Let's get one thing straight, Spike. We're rescuing Angel because he's
my friend…he's a good man and he's fought by my side…I can't let him die, I have
to try and save him…it has nothing to do with the fact that I used to love him."
Spike felt the words hit him hard.
She used to love him.
Who did she love now?
"So why'd you rescue me?" He ventured hesitantly, unsure of whether he really
wanted to know the reason or whether his enquiry was solely motivated by
jealousy.
Buffy mused his question and then smiled as she realised what he was up to.
"Because I had to." She answered in a casual tone and with a shrug of her
shoulders.
Spike stopped dead, his brows knitting tightly as he felt like she'd just
trampled all over his emotions.
"What?" He stared at her back.
She turned with a smile on her face that soon faded on seeing him so crushed and
pressed her hand to her mouth as her eyes widened. "Oh…god…I was just
joking…well…I mean, I really had to but there was more to it than that."
Spike did his best to look unaffected, the stunned and hurt expression he'd been
wearing not moments before washed from his face.
He started walking again, keeping his eyes fixed straight ahead of him as he
tried to discern if there was any danger in the dark tunnels and tried to take
his mind of what Buffy had said.
"Spike…" Buffy hurried to catch up with him again, but this time decided to hang
back so she wasn't walking along side him, but rather a few steps behind. It was
easier to talk to him when there wasn't any chance of him looking at her. "…I
had to find you; I had no choice! I felt like if I didn't find you that I would
die along with you. I couldn't leave you hurt and alone somewhere…even though I
didn't know where you were, I left straight away to try and track you down…stole
my mom's car…"
Spike stopped dead again and Buffy almost walked into his back.
"You stole your mum's car, to find me?" Spike kept his back to her, his eyes
straying to the side in an attempt to see her without moving his head.
"Yes. She was so pissed at me, but then she saw you and she went into mom mode."
Spike didn't quite know how to interpret the new information. She had stolen her
mother's car to come and rescue him. She had worked on instinct and let it guide
her actions. She hadn't plotted and planned, arranging lifts and wasting time
like she had with her rescue attempt of Angel. She had done everything as
quickly as possible, regardless of how much trouble she was going to get into
for the things she did. She had been that desperate to get to him, to rescue
him. To ensure that he was safe she had risked everything. She hadn't known
where he was or who was holding him, yet she came alone and without a weapon, so
sure that she would be able to rescue him--or possibly prepared to die trying.
He didn't know what to say to her. Suddenly his jealously over her wanting to
rescue Angel seemed pointless. Now that he realised that he meant more to her
than Angel did, a tranquil feeling washed away the conflicts inside him and he
turned to face her in the dim tunnel.
"I know I shouted at you once for thanking me…told you I was evil…well,
thanks…for coming to get me…saving me from the horrible clutches of tall, dull
and forehead."
Buffy tried to stifle a giggle and saw Spike smile at her.
"Got a pretty giggle, too…" He turned around again and started walking.
Buffy slipped her free hand into his and intertwined their fingers. She felt a
warmth creep up her arm as he squeezed her hand in his gently and pulled her a
little closer to him.
Spike peered out of the sewer exit and into the street. Angel's scent had led
them back to the docks and he almost felt like giving Buffy an 'I told you so',
but then thought the better of it when he remembered he was over a century
old--not a teenager.
Crawling out of the manhole, he helped Buffy out before replacing the cover.
Buffy walked over to the nearest building as quietly as possible and pulled out
her phone as she rested against it.
10:47pm.
She raised her brows and looked down at her clothes--they certainly looked like
she'd been in the sewers for five hours.
Spike watched her look down at her feet and looked down at his own. He sighed
emphatically at the sight of his boots covered in a thick layer of filth and
then walked past her. As he disappeared around the corner of the warehouse at
her back, Buffy hastened to follow him, putting her phone away and gripping her
axe tightly as though she expected trouble to be waiting for her.
There was only Spike.
Lighting up a cigarette with a broad smile on his face.
She frowned and then followed his gaze. He was staring at his car.
"Just where I left you." Spike's smile widened into a grin and he walked over to
the black Desoto. Pulling his keys out of his pocket, he opened the driver's
side door and rummaged about.
Buffy tried to peer around him to see what he was looking for.
She rolled her eyes as he held up a near empty bottle of bourbon, a triumphant
look etched on his features as he pulled the cork out and then offered the drink
to her.
Buffy shook her head.
"Little Dutch courage?" He continued to hold it out to her but when she shook
her head more firmly, he just shrugged. "Your loss."
Spike swallowed down the remains of the bottle and then tossed it back inside
his car. Locking the door, he patted the roof affectionately before closing his
eyes.
He inhaled deeply.
Wherever Angel was, he was close.
Buffy watched Spike closely as he tried to get a lock onto Angel's scent. At
least she hoped that was what he was doing. It was either that or he was trying
to communicate telepathically with his car. She raised a brow as he stroked the
roof idly.
"Anything?" Buffy tried to bring him back to her.
He nodded and pointed to their right. "Back that way…blood is stronger there."
Jamming her hands into her jeans pockets, Buffy started to wish she'd worn more
than just her trousers and little green t-shirt. It was cold in LA tonight.
Spike walked alongside her. He was mesmerised by the little goosebumps that kept
appearing and disappearing in waves along the bronzed skin of her arms. He
wondered if his touch would have the same effect on her, the cool of his skin as
it brushed against hers.
Buffy frowned questioningly at him and he turned his attention back to tracking
Angel. Taking one last drag on his cigarette, he exhaled the smoke into the cold
night air and flicked the spent stub to the ground.
The smell of metal laced the air.
Like snow.
"Close." Spike whispered and looked along the row of warehouses to the left,
searching for something he'd remember or would trigger a memory.
Nothing.
Just the smell of the ocean mixed with blood.
Taking hold of Buffy's hand again, he started walking faster and with every step
he took, the strength of the blood in the air seemed to increase. Buffy allowed
him to lead her as her eyes remained locked on his profile. He was frowning, his
nostrils flared as he stared with steely intent ahead of them.
As he stopped and sniffed the air near an alleyway between two warehouses, she
rubbed the arm that held the axe in an attempt to keep the chill off her bones.
"Something's not right." Spike growled quietly and caught hold of her hand
again, leading her down the alleyway.
Buffy's eyes widened as she looked at the rusty corrugated metal walls
surrounding her. There were long streaks of blood along them that looked as
though they had been painted on, all pointing directly towards the large
warehouse ahead of them.
"It's a trap." Buffy whispered and Spike narrowed his eyes.
"That it is…someone bled Angel on purpose…someone knew we'd be coming."
There was a series of bangs inside the warehouse at the end of the alley; light
flickered through the broken dirty windows and Buffy frowned.
"Welcoming committee?" She hissed at Spike and started walking at the same time
he did.
"Maybe." He stopped just outside the main doors to the building. "Let's see who
wanted us here so badly."
Buffy gripped the axe tightly in both hands.
Spike pulled open the door.
Nothing.
Buffy squinted into the dimly lit expanse of the warehouse. It was littered with
large wooden crates piled haphazardly. Listening hard for any sign of movement,
she frowned when nothing clear came back to her.
Spike looked up at the high ceiling above them. The air ducts intersecting the
vast space reminded him painfully of the ones back in the factory in Sunnydale.
He watched the swinging light nearest the platform directly above them; it
creaked slightly on the chain that held it in place.
"Anything?" Buffy asked again and watched him shake his head in the negative.
"Only blood. Enough of it to dull even my senses."
Buffy took the hint and tried hers, hoping that the strength of Spike's
signature when he was wearing the Gem wouldn't drown out the others--if there
were any present. She closed her eyes and reached out, searching for a blip on
her radar and feeling the tightness of her stomach worsen with each passing
second.
She couldn't sense a thing.
"Nothing." She frowned at the room in front of her. "We need to get higher up.
Maybe if we're looking down on this place we'll be able to spot something."
Spike nodded and started towards the stairs. He'd wanted to check out what had
caused the light above them to swing anyway and she'd given him the perfect
excuse.
His normally calm senses were going off the scale inside the warehouse. He never
usually felt nerves; he knew he could handle himself, but this time it was as if
something was different.
There was more at risk.
There was Buffy.
He stopped and let his eyes follow her as she passed him by on the metal stairs.
He was worried about her. From the second he'd realised it was a trap and
someone had purposefully bought them here, he'd been on edge. The only way he
could protect his girl was to remain close to her at all times, not letting
whoever was hiding in the warehouse get the opportunity to hurt her. He was
invulnerable with the ring on, but she was still just a girl. She bled like one
and she could die like one. All it needed was a lucky hit or for them to have
weapons and she was in more danger than he cared to see.
He'd stay close to her.
Protect his mate with his life.
Catching up with her, Spike found her staring out the window by the swinging
light. He placed his hands tentatively on her waist and stood behind her,
letting his cheek rest against hers.
Buffy rolled her eyes closed briefly as his skin made contact with hers, the
gentle pressure of his grip on her sides making her body hum.
"Someone was up here." She stared out of the window to the spot in the alley
below where they had been standing not minutes before.
"Figured as much." He released her waist and turned around to survey the
warehouse floor below them.
In their current position, they were relatively safe from attack, so long as the
people that had been watching their arrival didn't have guns, bows, or any other
long-range weapons.
He let his gaze slip to Buffy as she settled beside him, her free hand coming to
rest on the handrail as her other gripped the axe.
"They know we're here, then." She said quietly and felt reassured as Spike's
hand closed over hers.
"We know they're here, too." He flashed her a smile and then searched the floor
below them. Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply, hoping to catch more than just
Angel's blood in the air. He knew Angel and as much as he loathed admitting it,
his grandsire wouldn't give up without a fight. Someone other than the vampire
had to have bled.
A tiny hint of blood caught on the edge of his senses. It wasn't Angel's.
"Wherever they are…they're human." Spike looked disappointed as he told her.
"Which means we can't kill them." Buffy stated flatly and watched Spike closely.
He didn't react for a few seconds, but then nodded resignedly.
"I'll play nice, but only because you ask me to, love." He ran the pads of his
fingers over her cheek and down her neck, and delighted in the way her heartbeat
sped up a little and her skin grew hotter under his touch.
Buffy met his eyes, feeling goosebumps erupt in the wake of his fingers as she
became lost in them. Their clear blue lured her in and captivated her with the
depths of the emotions that were playing out in them. She'd never been looked at
with so much open affection--not even Angel had been so intense.
Angel.
That one word broke the spell she had been under and reminded her why she was
here.
She wasn't here to get lost in little moments with Spike.
As much as she'd love to do just that.
She was here to find Angel and bring him home safe.
"We should…" Buffy started but trailed off when Spike pressed a gentle kiss to
her forehead.
"Let's go, sweetheart." Spike ran his fingers down her arm and slipped his hand
into hers, leading her back to the stairs and smiling to himself.
He had indeed been able to cause goosebumps on her skin, but he'd learnt more
than that by doing so. She'd reassured him with her reaction that when he was
around her there were no thoughts in her head of Angel or anyone else. Captured
by his smile and his eyes she was his and his alone. He'd kept her standing in
one spot for almost five minutes. He had driven all thoughts of rescuing Angel
and her current mission clear from her mind by his touch alone. If he had
ventured a kiss she would still be there now, not caring that she wasn't doing
her mission because he was close to her and that was all that mattered.
Claims were a funny thing.
She had powers over him she couldn't even start to comprehend yet he was the one
who had her enthralled. As the initiator of the claim her power was strongest in
the bond--she held more sway and had stronger abilities, so long as the mating
remained unconsummated. She also had her mark stamped all over him. That was
going to change whether she liked it or not.
Spike had a plan.
It wasn't a great one but it was a plan nonetheless.
He was going to claim her.
Counter-claims were tricky. It was going to hurt her, but he had a way of
solving that little problem and hopefully she'd be none the wiser. If it all
went to plan, she'd have no clue that she was changing roles and he would then
have the dominant claim. The one with the power.
"You coming?"
He looked up to see Buffy waiting patiently at the top of the stairs.
He smiled broadly.
"Just the way I'm standing, love." Spike walked past her and down the stairs,
and waited for her reaction.
Buffy looked pensive as she tried to understand what he'd said. She wrinkled her
nose up and then widened her eyes as it dawned on her.
"Eww…gross much?" She followed him down the stairs, hoping that the reason he'd
been staring blankly at the warehouse below them hadn't been because he'd been
thinking sex thoughts.
Anything but that.
Weaving his way through the boxes, Spike tried to follow the faint scent of
human blood he'd detected. It wasn't getting any stronger as they moved further
into the building. He could feel Buffy's heartbeat resonating through him; the
adrenaline in her veins and the excitement that raced through her echoing in him
and making him feel like it was his adrenaline and excitement.
The excitement was definitely his. She only added to it.
Tracking down prey was something he excelled at. He loved the hunt and it didn't
have to be human to get his predatory nature to kick in. He could hunt anything.
Everything was fair game.
He turned his head to look back at Buffy as she followed him.
Especially now that his favourite prey was off the menu. He didn't want to think
about the fact that he would no longer be able to hunt humans. He would have to
rely on bagged blood and whatever his mate would offer to him. His whole world
had changed in one fateful night and now he was going to spend the rest of his
existence denying his true nature.
He wanted the hunt. He wanted the kill.
But it was far outweighed by how much he needed her.
She'd offered her neck up to him, allowed him to feed off her repeatedly and it
almost made up for not being allowed to kill humans. Her blood was an elixir. It
was a delight and an honour to be given it so freely and with so much affection.
He'd take Slayer blood over human any day.
Especially when it was hers.
Buffy teased her lower lip with her teeth as Spike's eyes came to rest on her.
She could feel his signature growing stronger with each passing moment, and it
was all focused on her. It made her stomach flip and her body heat through. The
intensity of passion in his eyes and desire in his body was enough to make her
want to forget about what they were supposed to be doing and allow herself to
get lost in his kiss.
Spike flicked her a wicked smile and turned his attention back to the hunt. The
temptation to act on the signals she was sending him was overwhelming but he
refused to give in. If he gave her what she wanted and Angel died, then she
would hold herself responsible. And he would never forgive himself.
Approaching a clearing at the opposite end of the warehouse from where they had
started, Spike motioned to Buffy for her to stop. She peered around the crates
and narrowed her eyes as her look turned pensive.
She reached out to Spike. "Something's there."
Spike nodded in agreement. "This whole section stinks of vampire…must be
Angel."
Buffy tiptoed and tried to get a fix on the signature she was picking up.
Something moved in the far corner, a shadowy shape in the darkness.
She nodded towards it and saw Spike's eyes become nothing more than slits as he
tried to discern what was there.
As he slipped into game face to sharpen his senses, he heard Buffy's heartbeat
accelerate again and remembered how she'd mentioned that his signature in
vampire guise with the ring on made her feel sick.
She felt anything but sick to him.
That now familiar feeling of desire and arousal echoed in him, and as usual it
was coming off her in waves.
"Kinky Slayer." Spike watched her jump as he spoke into her head. Her
heart skipped a beat and her breathing hitched in her throat.
"Don't know what you mean." Buffy did her best to look confused as she
willed her body to gain some control over itself.
When Spike turned to look at her--his face in demonic visage--she found control
had all but disappeared.
Her thighs ached.
She smiled awkwardly.
Spike gave her a toothy grin that set her stomach on fire. The sight of his
fangs was enough to have her hand subconsciously moving towards her neck and his
marks there. The memories of his bites stirred the fire inside her until it
burnt hotter than the sun.
Spike sucked in his cheeks and smirked.
Slinking towards her, he pressed the flat of his hand against her stomach,
rolling his eyes closed as the warmth of her seeped into him. He let his yellow
eyes open and lock with hers.
"Like I said…" He leant in close to her so his lips were almost touching
hers. "Kinky Slayer."
Buffy sighed out her breath as his lips moved away from hers and his hand
brushed against her breast as it left her stomach.
She grabbed his arm as he went to move away. Spike turned, his features
smoothing back into human form as he looked down at her.
She went to say something.
Spike beat her to it.
"I really think you should focus your attention on saving Angel, I
mean…that's the plan right? I know I'm hard to resist, pet…Angel first. You and
I can come later…" He resisted waggling his brow at her.
Buffy put her hands on her hips and gave him a look that said she hadn't missed
his innuendo about sex and her.
"Just get on with it." She pushed him in the back and ignored the cocky
look he shot at her.
Creeping along the shadowy wall of the factory to avoid being seen, Buffy tried
desperately to figure out just what they were heading towards. She hoped it was
Angel.
Spike stopped dead as he followed behind her. The stench of old blood hit him
hard in the stomach and its scent was all too familiar.
Buffy rushed forwards as she saw him. Chained in the corner, he was wearing
nothing but a ragged pair of black trousers and looking like the people
responsible had done a similar job on him to the one they had done on Spike.
Angel.
As she moved closer to him she saw that his injuries weren't as bad as Spike's
had been. He had deep lacerations across his chest where he had been bled for
the purpose of bringing herself and Spike to his rescue but other than that,
there were only minor cuts and some bruising.
"Angel?" Buffy whispered as she knelt beside him. She could feel Spike standing
a few metres away, his eyes following her every move and she knew that if she
made one wrong one that he would make her pay. She didn't know how, but he
would.
She risked touching Angel on the shoulder. She had to see if he responded but
didn't want to risk angering Spike by touching him somewhere more intimate. As
she tentatively placed her hand on his shoulder, she reached out to feel what
Spike's reaction was. He didn't like it but he didn't seem to be angry with her
for doing it.
Buffy remembered the way she had reacted to Giles and Xander touching her. Deep
down inside she knew that if Angel tried to touch her then her reaction to it
would be worse than what it had been with her friends. Spike would make sure of
it if the claim didn't.
Angel looked up, his cracked and dry lips moving wordlessly as he extended a
manacled hand towards her.
Buffy stood up sharply. Moving quickly out of his reach and hating herself for
doing so. She wanted to comfort him, but the thought of him touching her
sickened her. She held her stomach as it tightened and lurched.
A comforting hand on her shoulder made her close her eyes. She leant her back
into Spike's chest as he moved closer to her; his body flush against hers.
Buffy stared down at the seemingly small form of Angel as he huddled up on the
floor. The once great man she had seen him as was all but gone from her vision
of him now. He was weak. Inferior.
She turned her head and looked up at Spike as he gazed into her eyes. He felt
strong. Superior.
She wondered if it was her heart seeing them as this or if it was just the
claim.
"It's okay, pet." He held her shoulders tighter as she looked confused. "It
takes a little getting used to."
Releasing her, he moved around to the other side of Angel and frowned down at
him.
"You're not here…" Angel chuckled quietly at Buffy as he raised his head.
"Ghost…"
Buffy furrowed her brows, a sorrowful expression washing across her face. "He's
delusional."
"Finally, someone who agrees with me…" Spike said earnestly and then regretted
it the second she turned her frown on him.
"Don't, Spike." It came out a little harder sounding than she'd intended and she
could see in his eyes that he saw it as her defending Angel. "I just mean…it
isn't the time for being funny."
He nodded, resigned, and let his gaze settle on the chains holding Angel.
Heaving a long sigh over what he was about to do, Spike bent over and slipped
his fingers into the manacles, breaking each one apart and freeing his
grandsire.
He caught the look of gratitude on Buffy's face as he straightened up. Flicking
her a smile that said it was nothing, he felt warm inside over her silent thank
you for doing something for her and understanding why she needed to free Angel.
Only there was still a large part of him that didn't understand.
The part that saw Angel as a rival for his mate's affections.
The part that wanted Angel deader than dead.
He watched as she crouched down beside his adversary. He watched as she frowned
at the wounds that streaked across Angel's bare chest. He could see her hands
trembling and knew it wasn't because she was nervous or scared. Inside him, he
could feel her apprehension. She wanted to check Angel over but at the same
time, couldn't bring herself to touch him. Conflict reigned inside her. Spike
smiled. He was starting to love how the claim affected her, ensuring she was his
and his alone, even if the voice at the back of his head still told him she
wasn't.
A distant sound barely registered on the edge of his hearing.
He raised his head and listened hard but the air was still.
"Buffy, sweetheart." He placed his hand on her shoulder and she looked up at
him.
Buffy stood slowly. The confusion she felt inside seemed to disappear as she
looked at Spike and distanced herself from Angel. Giles had been right when he'd
said the claim would have consequences and it would take her time to adjust to
the feelings it gave her. She hadn't bargained on it taking this long, though,
and the fact she couldn't bring herself to touch Angel for fear of him returning
that touch, made her feel conflicted. Was she always going to be like this? Or
would the claim eventually calm down and allow her to touch and be touched by
other males? Giles had touched her and she had managed to control herself, so
maybe there was hope in her future. But she suspected it would never be so with
Angel--Spike would see to that.
"We should get out of here before it's…" Spike trailed off as loud clunks echoed
around the warehouse and the lighting overhead burst into life.
Buffy and Spike turned sharply.
Spike raised his brows.
Buffy wrinkled her nose.
In front of them were seven robed men. She could just about make out their faces
and their signatures said they were human. A part of her felt as disappointed as
Spike did. She wanted something she could fight without fear of repercussions.
She wanted demons.
She wanted something she could kill.
Buffy felt Spike tense at the same time she did; the men dressed in dark brown
robes pulled large curved knives out--seemingly from nowhere and in perfect
synchronisation.
Like someone was controlling them.
Buffy blinked. They were like puppets.
Spike decided it would be an opportune moment to finish his sentence.
"…Too late."
Taking a solitary deep breath, Buffy threw herself at
the nearest man to her, punching him square in the jaw as she breathed out. He
crumpled to the floor like he was a rag doll and Buffy was again reminded of
puppets.
She frowned and executed a low sweeping kick, taking out the legs of another as
it moved to attack her. To her right she could see Spike--he was fighting them
as best he could without killing them and she smiled as she saw he was keeping
his promise.
As one of the robed men flew past her and hit the back wall of the warehouse
hard enough to make the entire building shake she turned questioning eyes on
Spike.
He shrugged.
"He'll live."
Spike grinned as he did a fast one-two punch on the man he was fighting and then
grabbed him around the back of the head, bringing his skull down hard against
his knee with a satisfying crunch.
He ventured a look at Buffy. Luckily, she was so preoccupied with her own fight
that she hadn't noticed. The last thing he wanted to do was have her pissed off
at him.
Buffy arched a brow as she saw one of the men Spike was fighting fall to the
floor clutching his limp hand.
Spike just growled, his expression stern as he looked at her.
"He'll live…"
She realised he was doing his best, but the added strength that the Gem of Amara
gave to him--and the fact they were fighting humans--meant he was going to end
up hurting them no matter what he tried.
Knocking one of the men attacking her to the ground, Buffy knelt to punch him
again in order to knock him out but found herself staring blankly at the man's
face.
Wordless lips.
Sightless eyes.
She shot her head up and in a panicked voice shouted at Spike.
"Kill them! Kill them all! Don't let any of them escape."
Spike looked puzzled for a moment and then slipped into vampire guise, letting
out a roar of pleasure over being allowed to kill.
Shooting a hand out, he grasped hold of the nearest assailant's throat and
crushed his windpipe like it was made of paper--not flesh and bone. Dropping his
victim to the floor, Spike punched another body hard in the chest and listened
to the satisfying crunch of their ribcage as it caved in.
Buffy just stared.
She'd never seen anything so primal.
So intense.
So hot.
She blinked as what she was feeling registered. Watching Spike fighting, seeing
him so violent was making her desire for him shoot into overdrive. She'd never
once reacted like this when she'd watched Angel fight. The way Spike fought made
her breathing hitch in her throat, her heart pound harder and her knees feel
like jelly. He fought with passion, with determination that far outweighed her
own and she could feel inside him how he relished each kill. He loved the
violence and the death, loved finding new ways to kill each man that challenged
him and showed them no mercy.
Because she'd commanded him to kill them all and let none escape.
Buffy bit her lip and felt her temperature rise as she realised that he was a
killer by her command, a killer for love.
She barely had time to react as one of the men swung at her, his knife grazing
her upper arm and causing her to frown as she turned on him. Buffy twisted the
attackers arm around and broke it, forcing them to release their grip on the
knife. She grabbed hold of it and drove it deep into his stomach.
Watching him fall to the floor she stared at the knife and frowned.
Blood.
She didn't know what she'd expected but seeing the crimson liquid staining the
blade made her stomach turn. They weren't human. They only bled like them.
They weren't human.
At least not any more.
She span on the spot and yelled at her mate. "Spike!"
Spike turned in time to catch the knife she had thrown at him and plunged it
deep into the chest of the man he was fighting before slicing open another one's
throat. He watched the blood spilling out of the wound as he slumped to the
floor.
It smelt acrid.
Dead.
He shivered as it made his stomach lurch. Focusing again, he saw more robed men
entering the building, the blades of their knives shining as they ran towards
where he and Buffy stood.
Spike looked over at her.
"Get out of here."
She gave him a look that said she didn't understand. Spike growled commandingly
at her and watched her eyes widen. He felt a stab in his gut as he realised he'd
shocked her with his actions.
"Go. Get him out of here. I'll handle this." He tried to sound gentler in the
hopes it would persuade her to leave, to get herself out of danger.
"No." Buffy shook her head resolutely. "I'm not leaving you."
Spike felt his ability to breathe knocked out of him at her words. She wouldn't
leave him. She would risk everything to remain by his side, even though she was
vulnerable and could get hurt.
"Go." Spike repeated and was answered by another, firmer, shake of her head.
She bent down and picked up the axe, her grip on it tight enough to make her
knuckles turn white as she set her jaw.
"I said, I'm not leaving you." She ground out.
Spike felt desire burn through him like an inferno as she met his eyes. Her
whole body spoke to him of strength and power, her eyes reflecting her longing
to remain near him and protect him even though he was invulnerable.
He swallowed hard and felt the words drifting through him, working their way up
from his chest until they balanced precariously on his lips. Holding them back
he wondered if she could see them, could feel them burning inside him and
begging for release. The way her expression had changed made him believed that
she could, her face now soft with a warm smile teasing the corners of her lips.
This feeling between them.
This connection they felt.
It ran deeper than desire.
Burned hotter than passion.
A simple word could sum it all up, everything he was feeling and everything she
was feeling, too.
A word neither of them could bring themselves to say yet.
So they'd keep it locked inside, let it consume them until they couldn't hold it
in any longer.
Right now, they needed to fight.
Spike realised this as Buffy broke eye contact with him and swung her axe hard
at the man just feet from her. Her golden hair following the arc of her body as
she fought back and to Spike it looked like she was moving in slow motion.
He growled as something hit him, interrupting his thoughts and his appreciation
of the fluidic and graceful way his mate moved.
Coming out of his reverie, he found himself surrounded; he grinned at them as he
turned on the spot. This was going to be fun.
Unleashing a loud roar that echoed around the warehouse, Spike shifted his grip
on the knife and launched himself at the nearest enemy. He slashed him across
the chest and let instinct take over as another moved to grab him. Kicking out,
he knocked the attacker backwards and gave himself time to take out another of
the men. He punched him hard in the chest and grinned as his victim breathed out
sharply, the wind knocked from him.
Buffy grunted with effort as she fought to keep a distance between her and the
men in robes. They were crowding in on her, their fists and feet working to keep
her occupied as she desperately tried to fend them off. She briefly considered
that she should have done as Spike had told her but she couldn't bring herself
to leave him alone to fight for her.
This was her fight as much as it was his.
Feeling one of the assailants grab her from behind, she whimpered as his fingers
dug into her arms and images of vampires flooded her mind.
Spike turned as he felt the pain lance through her, the memories of that night
haunting her and making the rage inside him grow out of control.
Kicking the nearest attacker in the crotch, he stabbed him in the gut as he
doubled over and then raced to help Buffy.
Buffy closed her eyes as the men overwhelmed her. She felt her ability to
breathe leave her, the stifling heat of their bodies so close to hers it was
making her head spin.
An enraged growl made her try to fight again, the feeling of Spike so close by
and so desperate to get to her renewing her desire to win.
As she felt the man on her back hauled off her by her mate she lashed out at the
one in front of her, punching him across the jaw before swinging her axe round
and removing his head.
The sound of bone crunching caused her to turn sharply.
Spike twisted her assailant's neck around one hundred and eighty degrees with
such strength and speed that it made her stomach lurch.
She buried her axe into another of the men and grabbed his knife, stabbing him
in the neck with it before slashing another.
Spike smiled as he realised they were winning. The deadly combination of him and
his Slayer were no match for whatever it was they were fighting.
Just what were they?
He shook his head to clear it of questions as he killed the last of the men
attacking him. Staring down at the dead fallen at his feet, he frowned at them.
They looked human.
He remembered the look of horror on Buffy's face as she told him to kill them
all.
She knew what they were.
Her words were his command. Her desire to see them dead was all the invitation
he'd needed to make it so. He didn't need a reason.
Spike watched her breathing hard as she stared down at the men below her, blood
staining the dusty grey concrete floor as it flowed from their wounds.
The smell of it still turned his stomach and his thoughts drifted to the sweet
taste of her blood.
Buffy froze as she felt him watching her. She found his eyes lingering on her
neck as she moved to face him. On turning, she saw his eyes fall to the cut on
her upper arm and his tongue darted out to wet his lips.
Walking towards him, she ignored the quiet whimpers Angel was making and felt
lost in Spike's eyes as they met hers. His expression was tender, his eyes
speaking silent words of love to her that she couldn't quite bring herself to
believe.
As she reached him, she saw his eyes move to rest on her arm again, watching him
quietly as he dipped his head and licked along the length of the wound, sealing
it and helping it heal. Spike straightened up again and narrowed his blue eyes
on her green ones.
Pressing the palm of her hand against his chest, she watched his gaze move to
rest on it, his look turning curious.
"Why?" He whispered and she looked confused, unsure of just what he was asking
her. He nodded down at the dead men. "They're human--why kill them?"
She almost laughed at how weird it sounded to hear him asking why he was killing
humans.
"They were human. Now they're just agents of evil."
As Angel mumbled something Spike turned to face him and then frowned as he felt
Buffy's fingers slip from his chest. He narrowed his eyes as she moved towards
the vampire and knelt beside him.
"What did you say?" Buffy knit her brows and watched Angel blink as he fought
for consciousness.
"Spike…me…they wanted." He swallowed in an attempt to shift the dry lump in his
throat. "Heard you telling them. Prophecy."
Buffy went to reach out to touch his shoulder but found she couldn't bring
herself to do it. She felt Spike's signature growing distant.
Looking over her shoulder, her stomach twisted and flipped.
"You can't leave." Buffy whispered quietly and saw Spike stop, his back
remaining to her. A cold chill swept through her as his shoulders tensed and she
felt the emotionless void inside him.
"Prophecy…" Angel mumbled up at her. "Shanshu…you said we had to die…Buffy? Why,
Buffy? Why?"
Buffy looked at Angel and furrowed her brows. He looked so weak, so child like
as he stared at her with eyes full of hurt and confusion. "I don't know why. It
wasn't me saying those things…"
She felt Spike moving again.
"Spike." She stood sharply and took a step towards him as he stopped in his
tracks. "Don't."
Casting a look down at Angel, the conflict inside her knotted her stomach as he
gave her a look that said he didn't understand.
Buffy turned her back to him and walked over to Spike, her hand running up his
back to his right shoulder and settling there.
She closed her eyes and reached out to him. "Spike?"
He heaved a long sigh. "Yeah, love?"
"What is it? Why are you doing this?"
"Doing what?" He sounded cold and distant.
"Leaving me." She felt the tears well up in her eyes as she looked at his
leather-coated back, desperately hoping he'd turn and hold her.
Protect her.
"Because…" He shook his head and clenched his fists. "…I understand.
We can reverse the claim if you want to."
Her free hand flew to hold her stomach as it twisted up tighter, forcing a sob
into her throat and causing a feeling of emptiness to engulf her.
"You can't leave. I don't want to break this connection."
Spike smiled slightly at the note of desperation in her voice.
"I don't believe you mean that. This bond, it's just comfortable for you
because you've grown used to it. It means nothing to you." He wondered if
he'd pushed her too far as her hand left his back and he sensed how hurt she
was.
Buffy stared at his back for a few seconds before gaining the strength to do
what she knew she had to in order to keep him with her. She had to submit and
show him, and she would.
He just had to tell her how.
"This claim means everything to me. Don't you understand? You can see it,
can't you? Can see what it means to me, what it means to you. You'll know how I
feel if you just look inside yourself. Because you feel it, too. I've seen it in
you, in your eyes. Just tell me what I need to do to prove it to you."
Spike turned to face her. "Say it out loud. Now."
Buffy wasn't surprised. In the time she'd spent looking at his back, she'd been
preparing herself, building up the courage to say what she needed to say in
order to keep him by her side.
"Spike…" She closed the gap between them and looked deep into his eyes. "You
mean everything to me. This claim, this could only happen if what I say is true.
No one has ever been this close to me, no one. I can't let you go, what we're up
against now, what's to come…I can't do that without you by my side. I can't do
anything without you there with me."
Spike watched her green eyes twinkling at him as she ran her fingers down the
hollow of his cheek.
"I can't let you be alone, not now and not ever. This thing…the one that did all
this…the one that wants you to be nothing more than dust…it won't stop until it
succeeds. I can't let it take you away from me." She dropped her eyes to rest on
his chest, feeling the cold and paralysing fear of losing him flood her veins.
"…I can't lose you."
Spike pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her tightly and resting his
cheek on top of her head as she trembled against him. He could feel the pain in
every inch of her as her heart beat hard against his chest. The fear that was
washing through her, echoed in him until it felt like it was his own.
Pressing a kiss to her hair, he felt her grip on him tighten, as though he was
slipping away from her right now and it made her seem so innocent, so fragile.
"Buffy, love?" Spike looked down at her and gave her a reassuring smile as she
raised her eyes up to meet his. He could see tears swimming in them, threatening
to spill onto her cheeks if she moved too suddenly.
It reminded him of how she'd looked after her ordeal and when she'd been tending
to him after he'd been beaten up.
But now there was something else in her eyes, too.
Something that spoke volumes to him about what they were up against and how
badly she needed him in this fight.
"I won't leave you…never…I promise you." Spike saw a tiny flicker of relief in
her green orbs. He cupped her cheek softly and smiled as she leant into his
touch--like it was the most comforting thing he could've done for her.
He looked over at Angel and frowned as he remembered him muttering about a
prophecy and something wanting them both dust.
Moving his eyes back to Buffy, he couldn't resist her as she peered up at him
with such an innocent expression. Dipping his head, he brushed his lips against
hers, feeling warmth spread through him as she kissed him back. He let his eyes
roll closed as her kisses grew more fervent, her body leaning into his embrace
and her feelings singing to him of love.
Breaking the kiss, he looked down at her with a questioning frown.
"So, love." He emphasised the word to her and watched her cheeks colour.
"What are we up against?"
The smile faded from her face and was replaced by a grim look.
"The First Evil." She said quietly, as though pronouncing its name would bring
it forward.
Spike pursed his lips and raised his brows. For a moment, he considered what he
was going to say. Her look said it all really. 'The First Evil' wasn't a fancy
name some two-bit demon had bestowed upon itself. It was something she feared,
and if Buffy feared it then it meant it was bad. He cast a glance to where Angel
was watching them. In his grandsire's eyes, he could see the same fear that had
been in Buffy's.
Spike thought about how fighting alongside Buffy had felt, from planning the
attack to the beautiful violence itself. The way she looked to him for guidance,
the way she fought by his side, and the way she moved all stirred his blood. It
had been exhilarating. Exciting. Thrilling.
If this fight had made him feel like that, then the fight against 'The First
Evil' was something he didn't want to miss. He reasoned that it wasn't just the
fight, he needed to protect his girl, and the only way to do that was to kill
whatever tried to get near her.
He smirked and lit a cigarette, letting the smoke curl from his lips as he
grinned at his mate.
"Sounds like fun." He saw her eyes widened and put his arm around her shoulders,
leading her towards Angel where he was still sitting on the floor. "When do we
begin?"
Buffy just looked up at him with disbelief in her eyes and then smiled as she
realised that his reaction had just been so typical of him. Here they were,
facing what was potentially the fight of their lives and he was treating it like
it was just another scrap with a minion. She tiptoed and kissed his cheek,
watching him grin as she did so.
Let hell throw everything it had at them.
Let it open up and try to swallow them.
So long as she had Spike by her side.
Nothing could stop her.
Not even Evil itself.
~*~ The End ~*~