Chapter 10:

Hours later, Spike returned to the room and saw Buffy still lying on the bed, curled up and staring at an imperfection on the wall.

“Hungry, love?” he asked quietly, and when she didn’t answer, he walked closer to the bed and crouched down in front of her. “Buffy?”

“Did my dad really murder your friend?” she asked, not looking at him.

“Yes,” he answered, tilting his head. “We didn’t do anything to him- he shot Xander and got us in a mess of trouble. Well, no more trouble than I’ll probably be in after this mess is over.”

“Were you two close? You and Xander?” she asked curiously, and he nodded. “I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault,” he replied, managing a weak smile. “But you told me that before.” She looked at him with sad eyes.

“If this was never about me, couldn’t you have figured out another way to get money from him?” she asked. “By blackmailing him somehow for shooting your friend?”

“Do you really think cops would believe any of us? Angel, Gunn, and I aren’t really outstanding members of society, as it is, and no one would believe a word we’d say against Hank because he sent us to jail for half a decade- we could be lying just to try to enact some revenge.”

“Dad has a security camera in his office ceiling- wouldn’t a tape prove that you guys weren’t threatening him?” she asked curiously, and he sighed.

“The tape didn’t have sound,” he replied. “And from the angle it filmed at, it looks as though I’m about to attack him. The tape didn’t help our case at all.”

“It seems like trying to steal a painting from him ended up being a very horrible decision,” she said, looking away. “One you will have to live with for the rest of your life. The consequences, I mean.”

“What, like being sent to jail?” he asked. “Losing Xander was like losing a brother. He was my best friend, and I owe him a lot.” He looked away. “I wish Hank had shot me, not Xander.”

“Don’t say that,” she replied, and he looked at her, frowning.

“Why not? What makes you think my life is more worthy of living than Xander’s?” he asked sharply. “He was engaged- his wedding was supposed to be three months after the plan was to take place. We were trying to steal the painting so we could all make money from it, money he was going to use for the wedding and his future with his wife. His intentions for the money were noble and valid, whereas I was just going to send myself back to London to track down my worthless ponce of a father.”

“Your father’s a bastard, too?” she asked, and he moved to sit down on the bed, beside her.

“He was,” he answered. “He died while I was in prison.” He took a deep breath before continuing, “He left my mum when he found out she was pregnant with me and didn’t try to contact her at all after my birth. Not until she died and left me to live on my own at age sixteen. That’s when he found me and made me live with him, since I was a minor and wasn’t likely to survive by myself.”

“Let me guess- living with him didn’t work out so well?” she asked, and he scoffed.

“Bleeding nightmare,” he replied, looking away. “He was verbally abusive, and on the rare occasions he was physically abusive, I was hurt so bad that I had to be sent to a hospital. But he never apologized, not once.” He sighed and wished he had a pack of cigarettes on him. “He sent me a letter a couple weeks before his death, telling me I was a waste and the most pathetic excuse for a son, how much he wished that I had never been born.”

Buffy could hear him choking up a bit and looked at him, surprised to see that his eyes were becoming watery.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly, and he waved it off, looking down.

“There’s nothing saying he was wrong about me,” he replied. “Maybe I am really a waste.”

“No one is a waste,” she said firmly. “Don’t ever think that.”

“Why are you being nice to me?” he asked, looking at her, and she shrugged.

“You’re not being that horrible to me, so why not return the favor?” she asked, and he smiled meekly. “So, when did your life pick up a bit?”

“I ran away from home one night when my father had passed out, extremely drunk, and stole all the money he kept in the house,” he explained, smirking at the memory. “I had just enough to send me to Los Angeles, where I met Xander. He worked at a wretched bar in the downtown area and managed to get me a job as a bartender. It’s because of him that I even lasted as long as I did here. If he hadn’t helped me, I would be a bum in a box somewhere, if not dead.” She nodded and looked down. “He met his fiancé there- she was a waitress. They were incredibly happy together, almost as if they lived in a fairy tale.” He made a face. “A kind of poor fairy tale, but you get what I mean.”

“What happened to his fiancé? After he died?” she asked, looking at him.

“She was devastated,” he answered, tilting his head back so it rested against the wall behind him. “She quit working at the bar and tried living on her own, but I don’t think that worked out. Last I heard, she got into drugs and alcohol and was arrested a few times for getting caught with illegal substances.” He sighed. “Her life went pretty downhill, and there was nothing I could do to help- I was locked up in a jail cell, wishing I was dead, too.”

“Have you tried seeing her since you were released?” she asked quietly, and he shook his head.

“She doesn’t want to see any of us, least of all me,” he said, staring up at the ceiling. “I’m the one who supported Xander’s plan the most- I could’ve stopped him from even attempting it, but instead, Gunn, Angel, and I went along with it, too greedy to even think about the repercussions of what we were trying to do.” He paused and shook his head, almost as if to try to clear it of his thoughts. “I’m sorry- I doubt any of this even matters to you.”

“It’s nice to see the more humane part of Spike,” she replied, smiling. “Plus, it gives me an idea of who you really are.” He looked at her, raising an eyebrow. “You’re letting me in on your life- that’s not something a kidnapper typically does.”

“Well, maybe I just needed to get it off my chest,” he said, standing up.

“And maybe you needed someone to listen, someone who might care about what you have to say,” she added, and he looked down at her.

“You care?” he asked, and she shrugged, sighing.

“Not like I have a lot else to care about right now,” she said. “Not about school, my dad, even about being here- if this is where I’m going to be for a while, I might as well focus on the internal stuff than on the external.”

“Well, thanks for listening, doc,” he said, walking to the door and extracting his key. “I’ll let you sleep in here alone tonight- I don’t anticipate you trying to break out. And if you do, you know we’ll track you down, right?”

“I’m not going to break out,” she mumbled, laying down again and turning on her side, facing away from him. “There’s not a whole lot for me to go back to.” He looked sadly at her curled-up form and took a deep breath.

“The hardest thing in this world is to live in it,” Spike said quietly, and she looked over her shoulder at him, standing in the doorframe. “There’s always something to live for, to return home to.” She raised an eyebrow as he shut the door and locked it, leaving her to think about everything he had said to her that night.

 

Chapter 11:

“Rise and shine, love.”

Buffy’s eyes snapped open when she felt herself being pulled out of the bed.

“What are you doing?” she asked blearily, turning toward Spike as she tried to focus on him. “What time is it?”

“Around two in the morning,” he replied, guiding her out of the door and down the hall, one hand on her arm, the other on the small of her back as he led her through the house.

“Where are we going?” she asked, shaking her head to attempt to wake up a little.

“Change of plans,” he said, leading her down the stairs. “Gunn! Where’s Angel?”

“I sent him out the back,” Gunn said, moving around the living room.

“Right,” he muttered, walking through the kitchen and opening a door.

“Spike, what’s going on?” Buffy asked, feeling a slight tinge of panic when Spike began pulling her into the dark basement.

“I just told you, pet- change of plans.”

“And what does that mean? That the cops are going to find me in a ditch?”

Stopping for a moment, Spike turned around, loosely grabbing the back of Buffy’s neck, guiding her until she could barely make out his face in the dark room. “Do you honestly think that?”

“I don’t,” she whispered after a moment. “But I would like to know what ‘change of plans’ means.”

“It means that the little conversation you had with your father earlier tipped off the police to an idea, and they’re on their way here.” Seeing Buffy’s eyes widen, Spike’s hold on her tightened as he pulled her closer. “No ideas.”

“H-how…?”

“Police scanner,” he replied, feeling along the wall until finding the latch he was looking for. Sliding open the panel, he pushed Buffy inside, following after her and shutting the door, leaving them pressed together in the small space.

Unable to do anything else, Buffy hesitantly placed her hands on his chest, feeling his hands loosely settle on her hips.

“What’s going on?” she asked, looking up at where his eyes were supposed to be.

“Gunn talks to them, they go away.”

“You’re so sure about that?”

“No ideas, Goldilocks,” he repeated in a warning tone. “I mean it. I don’t have a gag with me, but I’m sure I can find something to keep you quiet for a while.”

Narrowing her eyes at the shadowy outline, Buffy turned her head away, listening intently.

“What is this place?” she asked, her voice coming out in a whisper.

“Old storage room,” he replied softly, still listening to any faint sounds coming from the other side of the door.

“Not much room for storage,” she muttered, hearing Spike chuckle in response.

“For wood, love. When they used the wood-burning stove down here.”

“Old house,” she murmured, her fingertips gently grazing over his covered chest before she realized what she was doing. Swallowing hard, she could almost feel Spike’s eyes on her. “How long do we have to stay in here?” she asked, restlessly shifting on her feet.

Closing his eyes when he felt her unknowingly rub her body against his, Spike exhaled sharply. “‘Til they leave,” he replied.

Misunderstanding the reaction, Buffy rolled her eyes. “Sorry,” she said sarcastically, her voice rising with her temper as her eyes adjusted to see him in the darkness.

Hearing the doorbell chiming upstairs, Spike clamped a hand over her mouth, hearing her indignant, muffled reply. “Quiet,” he said in a harsh whisper, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her closer, feeling her heartbeat quicken, thudding against her chest, in response.

Spike listened to the muffled sounds of the officers moving around on the second floor, opening and closing the bedroom doors. Saying a silent prayer that nothing was in Buffy’s room that would link them to her, Spike gritted his teeth.

Listening for a few more minutes, Spike never noticed when his hand moved to the small of Buffy’s back, gently caressing it as if to put her at ease. Feeling her relax against him after a moment, he tensed up when he heard the voices getting closer.

“What’s down here?”

“Not much,” they heard Gunn say. “My grandparents used it more than I do. Just storing some of my old things down here now, as you can see.”

“I’ve done a lot to you, Buffy, but please…don’t say anything,” Spike whispered, his voice pleading with her, never moving the hand that was clamped over her mouth.

“Seen William Blake lately?” one of the men asked.

“He checked in with his parole officer the other day,” Gunn replied. “Came over, had a few beers- that was the last time I saw him.”

“Uh huh,” the officer said. “And Angelus O’Reilly?”

“Saw him about a week ago.”

“Any idea who might have the Summers’ woman?”

Spike tensed, his arms involuntarily tightening around Buffy.

“Haven’t watched much of the news,” Gunn said coolly. “Who is she?”

“Hank Summers’ daughter went missing. Being held for ransom. Seems like an awful big coincidence to have his only child disappear when you three get out of jail after assaulting him.”

“If you’re implying something, Officer, I hope you have a motive to back it up. I’ve never met Hank Summers’ kid, and I sure as hell don’t want to see him again.”

Hearing the sound of footsteps going up the stairs, Spike leaned toward the door slightly, hoping to pick up on more of the conversation.

“Well, if you hear of anything, you’ll let us know?”

“Of course, Officer.”

Listening to the officers leaving the basement, Spike hesitantly moved his hand away from Buffy’s mouth, watching her to make sure she wasn’t going to try anything.

“Thank you,” he whispered, breathing a sigh of relief.

His relief was short-lived when he heard the officer’s voice again. “Left my flashlight- I’ll be up in a minute.”

Seeing the indecision on Buffy’s face, Spike put a hand around the back of her neck, guiding her lips to his in a tender kiss. He had no idea how she would react to him, hoping this worked to his advantage. Testing the waters for a moment, Spike paid close attention to her. She didn’t try to deepen the kiss, obviously taken by surprise with the shock of it, but she didn’t bite him or try to yell, either. He was hoping that was a good sign.

Brushing his tongue against her bottom lip, his hands tangled in her hair when her lips parted. Pressing her against the wall behind her, Spike felt her begin to respond as he deepened the kiss.

Forgetting where they were, both nearly jumped apart, turning toward the source of light that flowed over them. Staring for a moment, Gunn looked back at them with an amused expression before clearing his throat. “They’re gone. Coast is clear…but if you two would rather stay in there…”

Gunn trailed off, turning around to walk up the stairs.

“Funny,” Spike muttered, placing his hand on the small of Buffy’s back, nearly cringing when she tensed beneath his touch.

Spike’s jaw tensed as he followed her up the stairs. ‘Oh, this will be a fun night.’
 

Chapter 12:

Buffy was silent as Spike escorted her back to the bedroom. When they were finally alone in the room, she was about to confront him about what had happened, but he turned for the door quickly and walked out. She raised an eyebrow and stopped the door from shutting before leaving the room and coming face-to-face with him.

“What the hell was that all about?” she asked, practically hissing, crossing her arms.

“I had to make sure you’d stay quiet,” he replied. “So I came up with a quick remedy for that.”

“By kissing me?” she asked, angry. “Kidnappers don’t kiss their hostages!”

“I’m sure some do, pet,” he said, trying to keep the amusement out of his voice.

‘She really is a feisty little firecracker, isn’t she?’ he thought, smirking.

“I don’t care if ‘some do’- you did!” she said, becoming slightly flustered. “I didn’t give you permission to!”

‘He’s so infuriating!’ she thought. ‘I wish I could just slap him and be done with it, but he’ll still be here when I wake up in the morning… unfortunately.’

“Permission? Do you require all the guys who kiss you to ask first?” he asked jokingly, trying not to laugh. “Besides, you clearly weren’t fighting against it- I didn’t feel any resistance from you. In fact, you responded to that kiss in a matter of mere seconds.”

“That’s because I forgot who it was with me!” she yelled, growing increasingly more upset. “You really thought I’d try to signal the cops somehow?”

“If I were you, I probably would’ve done everything in my power to alert their attention,” he said, shrugging. “So I did what I thought was necessary to keep you from doing anything.”

“You could’ve done something else, like not kissing me!” she practically shrieked, and he finally began to chuckle. “What’s so funny? I’m being serious!”

“You’re so worked up because I did something simple like kissing you,” he managed to say before calming down a bit. “Your past boyfriends must’ve had an interesting time with you.”

“Hey!” she said, slapping his arm. “I’ll have you know that I’m an awesome girlfriend, thank you.”

“Wait a second- are you offering your girlfriend services to me?” he asked, grinning, and she clenched her fists before turning on her heel and mumbling something as she walked back into her room. He followed her inside and leaned against a wall. “Come on, Goldilocks- admit that the kiss we shared was actually pretty nice.”

“Nice?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “You call shoving your tongue in my mouth uninvited nice?”

“Hold up!” he replied, becoming angry. “I did nothing of the sort! I kissed you pretty damn gently and didn’t exactly plunder your mouth- it was a sweet kiss!” She bit her lip, but giggles still erupted from her throat. “What are you laughing about?” He realized he hadn’t heard her laugh before and smiled slightly.

‘Wow, it’s nice to actually see her be happy, even for a second,’ he thought. ‘I’m sure she’s a happy person… that is, when she isn’t stuck in a house with three guys she doesn’t know who are using her to get her father’s money… Or with a perverse asshole, a charming ex-street thug, and a British man who finds her attractive.’ He inwardly was surprised at that last thought. ‘Attractive? Not a good idea to feel that way, you whelp.’

“Earth to Spike!” she said, snapping her fingers in front of his face. “Did you hear anything I just said? It was clever!”

“What? Sorry, love, I wasn’t paying attention,” he replied, frowning. “Can you repeat whatever you said?” She scowled at him.

“I said that the kiss may have been sweet, but it shouldn’t have happened,” she began to explain. “Under different circumstances, I probably wouldn’t fight this.” He raised an eyebrow, surprised, but she quickly continued, “The fact remains, though, that I’m being held here against my will and that you’re my captor. I am not here for you to use to get your rocks off.”

“I’m not even going to reply to that,” he muttered, sighing and turning for the door. “I’ll have Gunn bring you lunch.”

“Good,” she said, smiling. “At least I know he won’t attack my mouth.” Spike spun around and shot her a look. “I bet he’s a better kisser than you.”

“And I bet I’ll let Angelus up here by himself if you even try kissing Gunn,” he shot back, noticing how quickly her face fell. “Don’t mess with me, little girl- I still hold power over you.” He stormed out, closing the door behind him and locking it.

* * * * *

A couple of hours passed, and Buffy was thankful that Gunn came in with a bunch of food. He handed it to her and sat on the chair, which was becoming his usual routine whenever he visited her.

“So, you seem to have left our Spike in quite a funk,” he said, smirking. “I’ve never seen him get so worked up over a girl.” She looked at him, confused. “Oh, come on- I know he digs you. It’s obvious, Buffy- don’t tell me you haven’t noticed.” She looked down, frowning. “The kiss I walked in on seemed pretty intense.”

“It was a mistake,” she said sharply. “He shouldn’t have started it.”

“It didn’t seem like you were protesting it too much,” he replied, and she glared at him. “All I’m saying is that it looked pretty cozy.”

“Whatever you say,” she said. “Because to me, it seemed wrong.”

“How is it wrong?” he asked, confused. “He likes you, you like him-”

“Wait a minute, pal,” she cut in, angry. “I do not like him.”

“That’s great, but he likes you, and as long as you send out vibes that you don’t find him grotesque, he’s going to keep playing on that,” he said, standing up and going to the door. “Besides, Spike’s the one who came up with this plan, and if you have any survival instincts, you’ll start warming up to the guy a bit. It might help get you out of here quicker.” He looked at her and smiled. “But I didn’t tell you that.” He walked out and locked the door once again, heading downstairs to go hang out with Spike and Angel.

Buffy stared at the door for a very long moment, and suddenly, she knew what she had to do. If she wanted any chance of getting out of there, she would have to get close to Spike.
 

Chapter 13:

Opening the door over an hour later, Spike looked at Buffy for a moment, seeing the childlike way she raised her eyes to his, never actually looking at him. Something about it caused a strange tightening in his chest.

“Want out of here for an hour or so?” he asked, taking a deep breath as he waited for her answer.

Practically scrambling off the bed, Spike noticed her hair was damp and partially pulled away from her face in a half-ponytail. Wearing a pair of white, cotton drawstring pants and a black tank top, he studied her for a moment.

“What?” she asked, feeling self-conscious under his gaze.

“Uh…nothing,” he said, shaking his head. “You look nice.”

“Thanks,” she said, smiling slightly. “Your call?”

Looking over at her to see that she was gesturing at the clothes while she slipped on a pair of flip-flops, Spike shrugged. “They were already here. Gunn’s sister.”

“Oh…tell him thanks,” she said, following him out of the room. “Time for a trek down to the living room?” she asked, trying to keep the mood light.

“Figured you’d want some fresh air.”

“You’re serious?” she asked, a slight smile on her face as she turned toward him with a hopeful and disbelieving expression.

“If you’d rather not-”

“No, I just…I didn’t really think you’d want me out in the open.”

“Probably the stupidest thing I’ve ever done, but I’ll start feeling guilty if I keep you locked up for too long.”

Following Spike down the stairs and through the back hallways, Buffy realized for the first time what a huge house this was. She hadn’t put a lot of thought into where she was, knowing that she just wanted to go home.

Walking out into the cool night air, Buffy inhaled sharply, closing her eyes when the moonlight hit her face.

Spike studied her for a moment before looking away, growing frustrated with himself for the strange feelings he was having. Clearing his throat, he gestured toward a wooded area as he began walking, keeping Buffy in his sight in case she decided to run at the last moment.

Following Spike along a narrow path, Buffy nearly trembled when he placed his hand on the small of her back, leading her through the trees.

“Where are we going?” she asked after a few minutes.

“A place I like to go,” he said cryptically.

“This wouldn’t be a ‘good place to dump the body’ place, would it?” she asked with a smile.

Spike turned to look at her, his brow furrowed as a mixture of emotions played over his face. “Do you really think that?”

“Spike, I’m kidding,” Buffy said in exasperation. “Do you honestly think that I would be calmly walking beside you right now if I thought you were going to hurt me? I would be running as far and as fast as I could.”

“Then why aren’t you?” he asked, his interest piqued.

“Truth?” she asked, waiting until he nodded before continuing, “I don’t know where I am. I don’t know how far away we are from someone who may or may not help me, and…it’s not like I’m exactly missed at home.”

Tilting his head to study her for a minute, Spike’s brows knit together. “You know that can’t be true.”

“Maybe not,” Buffy muttered after a moment, looking at the ground as they walked. “My friend…Willow. I’m sure she’s worried about me. Probably blames herself because she wanted to walk with me to the library that night.”

“What night?” Spike asked, glancing over at her.

“The night that Angel grabbed me.”

Taking a deep breath, Spike exhaled slowly, shoving his hands in the pockets of his duster. “Question?”

“Sure,” he muttered.

“If you had it all to do over again…what would you do different?”

“Starting when?” he asked, becoming more uncomfortable with the conversation.

“Starting with you getting out of prison.”

“You’re asking if I still would have gone through with the plan?”

“In a roundabout way, yeah,” Buffy admitted with a soft smile, looking away when he smiled at her.

“I know what you’re asking, Buffy, and the answer…I don’t know. I don’t know if I would have brought you into this.”

Looking up when the trees parted, her eyes widened when she saw the moonlit pond ahead of her. Trees surrounded the glassy water, casting it with shadows and reflections, creating a peaceful tranquility around the area.

“Oh, wow,” Buffy breathed, taking in her surroundings.

Placing his hand on the small of her back, Spike led her closer to the water. Noticing the way she was trembling, he quickly shrugged out of his coat, wrapping it around her shoulders.

“Thanks,” she murmured, giving him a grateful smile before turning back to the pond. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered after a moment.

“It is,” Spike agreed, his eyes focused on one point as he tried to get his chaotic thoughts in order.

“My father’s not going to pay, you know?” she said after a moment, fighting the tears in her eyes as she thought of the man who was supposed to love her unconditionally.

“Somehow I’m thinking a lot of people in your situation have said the same thing,” he said, choosing his words carefully.

Turning to look at him, Buffy frowned. “You really don’t believe me, do you?”

Running a hand over his face, Spike shook his head, getting frustrated with the situation. “I don’t know,” he finally said, shaking his head.

Buffy tried to forget everything- where she was, who he was, the circumstances that caused her to be standing there with him.

“If you have any survival instincts, you’ll start warming up to the guy a bit.”

Gunn’s words from earlier that day were haunting her.

Studying Spike for a moment, she turned to face him, looking up at him with pleading eyes. “I want out of here, Spike,” she whispered, scared to put a strong voice behind her statement, unsure of how he would react.

Biting his lip, he looked at the ground, avoiding her eyes.

“Please, Spike,” she said, growing desperate.

“I can’t,” he whispered. “I just can’t.”

Hating her overwrought nerves, Buffy fought her trembling chin as she turned away and began walking up the path. She never liked showing any weakness, but the long days and lack of sleep were catching up to her, making her more emotional.

Spike caught her arm a moment later, turning her to face him, a confused expression on his face. “What is it?”

“What is it?” she repeated in disbelief. Opening and closing her mouth several times, she finally shook her head, frustrated that she was at a loss for words. Turning away again, she blinked back the tears in her eyes.

“Buffy!”

Whirling around to face him, she bitterly took off the coat and threw it at him. “For starters, I don’t like being treated like a damn pet!”

“What?”

“Oh please,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You lock me in a room, give me attention for about an hour a day, bring in sporadic meals and then leave me alone. Thank God I have a bathroom in my room- I shudder to think how bad it could be.”

“Buffy-”

“I hate this,” she said, her voice cracking as she avoided his eyes, covering her face with her hands. “I hate this.”

Feeling Spike’s arms wrap around her body, offering her what little comfort he could, Buffy clutched at his shirt, allowing a few tears to spill free. Taking a deep breath after a moment, she blinked the tears away, unwilling to let them all out when she was with someone.

Pulling away from Spike, she quickly wiped her face. “We should be getting back,” she murmured, feeling his hands on her arms, halting any movements.

Forcing her to look at him, Spike stared at her for a moment, knowing that she would never willingly go back to the house. “What can I do?”

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Buffy shook her head. “Nothing,” she whispered. “There’s nothing you’re willing to do…we’ll just wait for my dad to make his move.”

“Meaning?”

Looking up at him with sad eyes, Buffy sighed. “Meaning exactly what I told you my first night…start thinking of a plan B.”
 

Chapter 14:

They walked back to the house in silence, both thinking about the plan, but more accurately, Buffy was trying to figure out how to keep it from going through, and Spike was trying to come up with a way to ensure it would work.

Once they got inside again, Buffy walked ahead of him and into her room, shutting the door behind her. Spike raised an eyebrow as he stopped to stand in front of the door, the key in hand.

‘She could’ve ran when we were outside,’ he thought. ‘Will she go if I don’t lock it?’ He studied the key he was holding and sighed. ‘She said it herself- she doesn’t know where she is, and it’s doubtful she’ll get somewhere on her own safely… If she left and got hurt, I’d feel even more guilty.’ He turned to walk away before shaking his head and going to the door, locking it. ‘But I still don’t trust Angel with her, and I’m sure as hell not going to leave the door open so he can just walk in there and have his way with her.’

He walked downstairs and saw Angel and Gunn sitting at a table, playing a card game.

“So, I see she came back,” Gunn said, looking at Spike. “She didn’t try to run?”

“No,” he answered, sitting at the table. “She seems to be emotionally wearing down, though.” He hesitated. “I think we need to come up with a back-up plan in case Hank isn’t willing to pay us.”

“He’ll pay us,” Angel replied, putting down his hand of cards. “Why wouldn’t he? We’ve got his precious daughter here.”

“Because I’m starting to think that Hank really doesn’t give a damn about Buffy and if she lives or dies,” Spike answered, hoping his friends couldn’t hear the underlying anger in what he was saying.

‘If I had a daughter like her, you can bet I’d be overprotective of her,’ he thought. ‘Even if she was my girlfriend, I’d be protective.’ He paused, making a face. ‘Where did that thought come from?’ Before he could analyze it, Gunn handed him a few cards so he could play poker, too.

“Spike, Hank is going to pay, no matter what Buffy says,” Angel said. “She’s just trying to save her own ass.” He grinned. “A perfectly-rounded ass, might I add.”

“Don’t talk about her like that,” Spike said in a low tone, and Angel raised an eyebrow, amused.

“Why not? Because you want her for yourself?” he asked, and Spike looked at his cards, clenching his jaw. “Thought we weren’t supposed to touch the hostage, Spike? It seems as though you’ve done more than just tying her up.”

“Shut your gob,” Spike said sharply. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Like hell, I don’t!” Angel shot back. “Your feelings for her are beginning to blind you from what we’re trying to do! All you can think about is her and her well-being, not your friends and how careful we have to be so that we’ll succeed. You could be setting us up for a fall, for all we know.” Spike stood up quickly, his chair flying back with the force of how swiftly he moved.

“Don’t you dare make assumptions about what you don’t even know or understand,” he growled. “I’m the one who came up with the plan, remember? So what I say goes.” Angel stood up and moved closer to Spike so that they were toe-to-toe.

“I’m not going back to prison,” he said, looking down at Spike. “If we get caught, I will lie as much as I have to in order to take you down, got me?”

“No one is going back to jail,” Gunn said, standing up and pushing his friends apart. “Can’t we just sit here and have a peaceful card game?” Spike glared at him.

“Get stuffed,” he replied, walking away and going outside.

* * * * *

After smoking a couple of cigarettes, Spike walked back inside and headed upstairs, straight to Buffy’s room. He let himself inside and saw her on the bed, reading a book. He watched her for a moment, noticing how calm she looked.

‘If I were trapped in a house, I’d be doing anything to get out,’ he thought. ‘I’d run away, even if I had no idea where I was. I’d do anything to break out of this room, even if it involved jumping out of a boarded-up window and breaking my legs. Apparently, she’s not as adventurous as I am.’

She felt him watching her and closed her book, looking at him.

“Hi,” she said quietly. “What’s going on?”

“You said I should think of a Plan B,” he replied, and she nodded. “What would you do if you were me?”

“I would never be in your position,” she said, and he shot her a look, tilting his head. “Well, for one, I would let go of the girl you kidnapped.”

“Very funny,” he said, walking over to his usual chair and sitting down. “What else?”

“I guess I’d try to contact Hank somehow,” she said. “Maybe by phone or something, but not a cell phone or one that you could easily trace.”

“Like a payphone?” he asked, and she nodded.

“Or you could send him a letter of some sort,” she suggested, shrugging. “I don’t know- I’m just thinking of what I’ve seen done in the movies.”

“We could put blood or something in the letter, which would make him pay quicker, don’t you think?” he asked, and she raised an eyebrow.

“First, you’re not taking any of my blood,” she said. “Second, it wouldn’t matter to Hank. How many times do I have to tell you- he’ll get more publicity if I’m dead, which is exactly what he wants.”

“What do you want us to do? Kill you?” he asked, becoming irritated as she looked at him.

“Sometimes, I really wish you would,” she answered. “I think it might be better than being stuck here, not allowed to see my friends or live my somewhat normal life.”

“Well, sorry we took you away from everything,” he replied, angry. “But you’re here now, so it’d be great if you could help us, Buffy. The quicker we get paid, the quicker you can be released and get back to your life.”

“I don’t know what to tell you, Spike,” she said, looking down. “Maybe you should’ve thought of more than one plan before you made Angel bring me here.” She sighed. “And while you’re at it, why don’t you watch a bunch of cheesy robbery and kidnapping movies to get ideas?”

“You’re a laugh riot, pet,” he said sternly, standing up and going to the door.

“All I know is this- Hank’s not worried about me,” she said, and he stopped walking, turning back to look at her. “What you need to do is find a way to hit him where it hurts.”

“And where is that?” he asked.

She tilted her head and smiled softly. “His business.”
 

Chapter 15:

Spike stared at her for a long moment. “What do you have in mind, pet?”

“Who, me?” Buffy asked innocently, gesturing toward herself.

“You’re the one who wants out of here… You must have been thinking about it.”

“Maybe I have been thinking of a little something,” she said, looking up at him with a secretive smile.

Spike slowly crossed the room, sitting down on the bed beside her. He idly noticed that she wasn’t moving away from him but didn’t think what it meant. “And that would be?”

“Just a plan for you or one of your minions,” she said, raising an eyebrow when he looked at her. “Go to a payphone a few towns away. Call one of the bigger newspapers on the west coast- call all of them, for all I care,” she added with a shrug. “And simply inform them that Hank’s not willing to pay. I’m sure they’d love a story like that. His stock would plummet and he’d rush out to save the day, as always,” she finished sarcastically.

Raising an eyebrow, Spike slowly nodded. “Could work.”

“What have you done so far?” Buffy asked, turning to face him, looking at him with a curious expression.

“Made the call,” he muttered. “Told him where he could leave the money.”

“And because I know my father and I’m still sitting here, it didn’t work.”

Spike merely looked over at her, seeing the frustration on her face. Buffy breathed a heavy sigh, leaning back against the headboard for a moment. “I can pay you, Spike,” she whispered, causing his head to nearly snap over to look at her as she stared at her hands folded tightly in her lap. “It will take a while, but I have some money from my mom… Enough to tide you and your friends over until I can get more.”

“Don’t want your money, princess,” he replied, a hint of irritation in his voice.

“Well, I don’t want to be stuck here anymore,” she said, looking up at him with sad eyes.

“Is it really that bad here?” he asked, standing up to gesture around the room. “Fresh clothes, your own bathroom, practically having servants wait on you hand and foot-”

“The loss of my own freewill, having to worry about who’s going to walk through that door every time I hear the lock, not able to do anything without someone watching me!” Buffy countered angrily, climbing to her feet to look at him.

“It could be worse, Buffy,” Spike said in a low tone.

“Yeah,” she whispered, trying to control her voice from choking up. “It could be a hell of a lot worse. But it could be better.”

Opening his mouth to respond, Spike angrily shut it, waving his hand as if he was dismissing the very idea of what he was about to say as he turned and walked toward the door.

“What?”

“Nothing,” he muttered, searching in his pocket for his key.

“Spike, what?”

Not saying anything, he moved to unlock the door, shocked when Buffy grabbed the key out of his hand. Silently cursing himself for being distracted, he spun around to face her, seeing her back away from him.

“You’re not leaving here until you talk to me.”

“That’s just it, Buffy,” he said, stalking forward and making a move for her hand, gritting his teeth when she backed away even more. “I shouldn’t be here.”

“Well, neither should I!” she cried angrily.

“No! I shouldn’t be here. I’m getting too close. I’m not supposed to…”

“What?” she whispered, looking up at him with bright eyes, seeing the insecurity in his. “Not supposed to what?”

“I’m not supposed to feel this way about you,” he muttered, grabbing her wrist and pulling her toward him.

Buffy was in such shock at the admittance of his feelings, she misread what he was trying to do, tilting her head up to look at him. Feeling the key pulled from her grasp, she nearly pouted in disappointment.

“Spike, wait,” she said, taking a few quick steps forward, attempting to intercept him. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re what?” he asked, looking at her in disbelief. “Why are you sorry?”

“I don’t know,” she said with an amused smile. “But it kept you from walking out that door.”

Spike glowered at her as Buffy giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. The sound soon brought a smile to Spike’s face as he shook his head. “Guess I should commit that apology to memory since I’ll obviously never hear those words again.”

Smacking him on the chest, Buffy gave him an indignant look, putting her hands on her hips. “I don’t recall hearing one come from you,” she said with a haughty expression, obviously trying not to smile.

Leaning forward, Spike brushed his lips against hers, pulling away to see her looking at him in wide-eyed shock. “I’m sorry,” he breathed, running his hand along her cheek until he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, letting his hand remain.

Buffy could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she looked at him for a long moment. Hesitantly leaning forward until her lips caressed his, she relaxed against his body, clutching the sleeves of his shirt.

Holding himself back for a moment, Spike soon responded to the kiss, eagerly brushing his tongue against hers, eliciting a soft moan from her as her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer until they were backing toward the bed.

Feeling the mattress against her legs, Buffy stopped, gasping when Spike lifted her into his arms and placed her on the bed, never letting his lips separate from hers.

Eagerly pulling at his shirt, she soon had it untucked, letting her nails scrape along the muscles in his back.

“Do you want to do this?” he asked quietly, groaning at the feeling of her hands moving across his back.

“Does it look like I’m stopping you?” she asked somewhat breathlessly, looking up at him. He raised an eyebrow before smirking as she pulled off his shirt and ran her hands down his torso, her nails lightly scratching down his abs before she opened the button of his jeans. She looked at the slightly red tracks on his skin before shifting her gaze north and focusing on his eyes, hooded with lust. “This wasn’t part of the plan, was it?” He shook his head, surprised she would think that.

“I wouldn’t do something like that,” he said quietly, grazing her cheek.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked, tilting her head, and he smirked.

“Does it look like I’m stopping you?” he joked, repeating her words. She giggled and leaned up to kiss him, running her hands over his shoulders and down his arms. “I’m not supposed to want you.”

“Same goes for me,” she replied between kisses. He pulled her body closer to his and rested his hands on her lower back before grabbing the hem of her shirt and slowly taking it off, his fingers ghosting over her back. A slight chill ran up her spine at the feel of him touching her, which only intensified as his hands moved to her back once again and unclasped her bra. She looked into his eyes as he gingerly took it off of her, looking at the new skin he had exposed. She saw him swallow hard and smiled. “What’s wrong?”

“I haven’t done this in a while,” he answered sheepishly. “I’m just trying to enjoy every moment that I can, and seeing your body is… magnificent.” He quickly leaned down and kissed her passionately, laying her back on the bed and covering her body with his as he ran his hands up her sides and softly grazed the sides of her breasts. She arched her back up to increase the contact, moaning as he moved down her body slightly to take one of her nipples into his mouth, running his tongue over the hardened bud before giving it a gentle nibble. “You like that?”

“What do you think?” she sarcastically asked, grinning at him. He repeated his actions on her other nipple as he ran his hands down to the button of her pants, opening it and sliding the zipper down slowly. She noticed the dreamy look in his eyes as he tugged her pants down her legs, tossing them aside before focusing on her panties.

“Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?” he asked, marveling at her tan skin.

“Thank you,” she said quietly, blushing. “I feel underdressed.” He crawled back up her body and let her unzip his jeans, pushing them down his hips and freeing his throbbing erection. She felt her heart-rate increase as the reality of what was about to happen hit her.

‘I’m going to have sex with one of my captors,’ she thought. ‘And I don’t care.’ Spike took off his jeans and threw them by Buffy’s pants after retrieving a condom from his wallet.

“Did you know this would happen?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. He shook his head and smiled.

“Just wished it,” he answered before running his hands up her thighs and hooking his fingers beneath the sides of her panties, pulling them down slowly in anticipation of seeing her completely nude, laid out before him.

She looked at him insecurely as he stared at every inch of her skin, memorizing each curve and line. Her worry decreased as he tore open the condom wrapper and slid the scrap of latex over his manhood before crawling up her body once again and settling between her thighs. She looked up into his eyes and could tell that he was pleading for permission by the intensity of his gaze.

“I want to,” she whispered, and he leaned down, capturing her mouth with his as he used one of his hands to guide himself inside of her. Seconds later, she grasped his biceps as the feeling of him filling her washed over her, their hips meeting. She looked into his eyes as they began moving as one, her hips arching up as he pumped into her, doing everything to make her feel the emotions running rampant inside of him.

Unsure of how much time had passed, she leaned up and kissed him softly as she realized that what they were doing was something she had only experienced once before.

‘It’s almost as if we’re making love,’ she thought for a moment, but that thought quickly vanished from her mind as she began to feel her muscles tightening in her abdomen, signaling her impending orgasm.

“Spike,” she said breathlessly as he began to move faster, his thrusts becoming quicker with each second that passed. He pressed his forehead against hers when her inner walls began fluttering around him, grasping his cock and milking his seed from him as he began pulsing inside of her.

He laid on top of her for a very long moment while they both began to think about what they had done before he leaned down and kissed her languidly and laid on the bed beside her, wrapping his arm around her waist and holding her close to him. He tried to speak, but she shook her head.

“I just want to bask,” she said quietly, gently stroking his abs. “Don’t ruin the moment by bringing reality into this.”

“I was just going to say thank you,” he replied, smiling, and she kissed his shoulder before laying her head down on his chest and pulling a blanket over them.

It was as Angelus walked in that they realized the door had been unlocked the whole time. He looked at the two and smirked.

“Can I get in on the action, too?” he joked, and Spike growled at the other man, who raised his hands in surrender. “You guys might want to get dressed… well, Buffy wouldn’t need to, but anyways-”

“What is it?” Spike asked sharply, sitting up.

“It looks as though Hank might try to strike a deal with us.”
 

Chapter 16 – Foolish Mistakes


Spike was off the bed in less than a second, pulling on his jeans, leaving Buffy with conflicted emotions as she slowly got off of the bed, taking the sheet with her.

Vaguely hearing Angel telling Spike the plan, she grabbed some clothes and walked into the bathroom, quietly shutting the door behind her. Quickly pulling on some jeans and a long-sleeved V-neck shirt, Buffy looked at herself in the mirror.

One of the most intimate moments of her life was interrupted to announce that Spike might be a little richer in a few hours, and he hadn’t hesitated to pull away from her.

Buffy jumped at the sound of the loud knock on the door.

“Come on, love.”

Taking a deep breath, Buffy opened the door, avoiding eye contact with Spike as she walked into the room. Trying to focus on the fact that she could be free in a few hours, she walked towards the bed, avoiding Spike’s eyes as she passed him.

“What’s the plan?” she asked, sitting down on the bed to put on her shoes.

“You alright?” he asked, crouching in front of her.

“Fine,” she said in a cold tone. “What’s the plan?”

“I thought this was what you wanted,” he said, cupping her cheek until she looked at him.

“It is,” she replied, swallowing the lump in her throat. “I just… We need to go.”

Spike rocked back on his heels as Buffy jumped up and began walking toward the door.

“I’m assuming I’m going wherever this is,” she said, wrapping her arms around her body.

“Buffy, talk to me,” Spike said, standing up and crossing the room.

“I don’t really know what happens now.”

“With us?” he asked in confusion. Seeing her nod uncertainly, Spike took a deep breath, wrapping his arms around her until she relaxed against him. “We’ll figure something out.”

“You promise?” she asked, her voice muffled against his chest.

“Is that what you want?”

“Spike! Man, come on, we need to go!”

Hearing Gunn’s voice, Buffy sighed. “What’s the plan?”

“Ransom drop in one location. Angelus and I will be there while Gunn takes you to meet your father.”

“Where will you be after?”

“I… I don’t know, pet.”

“You’re just going to disappear, aren’t you?” she whispered.

“Well… yeah… for a little while. I have to,” he added as an afterthought.

“Why?” she asked, looking up at him with a hopeful expression. “Why do you have to? There’s nothing tying you to me. It’s not like I’ll tell anyone who my kidnappers… who I’m seeing,” she rephrased, seeing him flinch at the term. “And aren’t you on parole? Won’t that be a huge violation or something?’

“I’m not leaving the country, Goldilocks,” he said with a slight smile. “But I think it would look a little suspicious if the recently abducted daughter of Hank Summers was now being seen around town with the man who Hank sent to jail. And I thought you hated me,” he said in amusement.

“I don’t generally have sex with people I hate,” she replied.

Spike opened his mouth to respond, only to close it when he heard Gunn yelling for him again.

Seeing his jaw tense, Buffy gestured toward the door. “Let’s go make you some money.”

* * * * *

“I don’t like this, Gunn,” Buffy whispered, looking at the building across the street through the window. “This isn’t like my dad… He doesn’t do this.”

“So you’ve said,” Gunn replied, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with her as he looked out the window, too.

“So, what’s next?” she asked, turning toward him.

“Spike calls, lets me know he has the money. We drop you off at your dad’s office,” he said, gesturing toward the building across the street. “And we’re golden.”

“Literally,” Buffy muttered, wringing her hands together.

* * * * *

“Money money money money… Money!” Angel sang, tapping his hands against his legs.

“Shut… up,” Spike said through clenched teeth, pulling the hat lower on his head to cover his bleached hair.

“Come on, Spike- we’re about to be rich,” he replied, clapping him on the back.

Staring at the car parked down the street, Spike’s jaw tensed. “No, we’re not,” he muttered, turning and walking down the street, trusting that Angel was following him.

“What the hell is going on?” he asked, jogging to catch up to him.

“It’s a trap,” Spike muttered, glancing around the area for a moment before grabbing his cell phone. Hearing Gunn’s voice on the other line, Spike nearly breathed a sigh of relief. “Get her out. It’s a trap.”

“You’re sure?” Gunn asked, and Spike looked at Angel’s confused expression for a moment before running his hand through his hair.

“Yeah, I think so,” he answered. “Just take her back- we’ll meet you there.”

“Alright,” Gunn replied. “See you then.” Spike hung up and put his phone in his pocket before taking a deep breath and looked around for a moment.

“What if it’s not a trap?” Angel asked, crossing his arms. “We could be missing out on a good amount of money, man.”

“Do you want to find out the hard way that we’re being set up for a fall?” Spike asked, angry, and Angel looked away, clenching his jaw. “That’s what I thought.”

* * * * *

Once everyone had arrived back at the house, they assembled in the living room area, including Buffy.

“Did anyone see you guys?” Gunn asked, and Spike looked down.

“I don’t know,” he answered. “Maybe.”

“Probably,” Angel corrected, and Spike glared at him.

“Maybe,” Spike repeated. “Did anyone see either of you?” Buffy shook her head, and Spike felt relieved. “That’s good, at least. If anyone saw you, love, we’d be even more screwed.”

“So, what are we going to do next?” Angel asked, and Spike dropped onto the couch, shrugging.

“I have no idea,” he answered. “I guess we wait and see if Hank tries contacting us again somehow. If he doesn’t, we’ll have to go to him.”

“Even if Hank tries again, it’ll probably be a trap, won’t it?” Gunn asked, looking at the guys, who looked at each other with frustrated expressions.

“I don’t know,” Spike said, clenching his jaw, becoming angry. “Can’t we just skip asking all of these questions I don’t have answers for? For an hour, even? I need time to bloody think things through.”

“You’re the ringleader- you should’ve thought about all of this before,” Angel replied, and Spike stood up, grabbing his cigarettes out of his pocket.

“I’m going to have a smoke,” he said. “If you sods want to come up with something, go right ahead. At this point, I have no fucking clue what I’m doing.” He stormed outside, and Buffy watched him go for a moment before standing up and walking upstairs, closing herself off in her room.

* * * * *

About half an hour later, Spike knocked on the door before walking into the room, closing the door behind him. Buffy was sitting on the bed, reading a different book, her knees brought up to her chest.

“Gunn said you came up here,” he said quietly, trying to get her attention, but she didn’t look at him. “On your own, nonetheless.”

“Yeah,” she said, not paying attention to him.

“Are you okay?” he asked, crossing his arms, leaning against the wall behind him.

“Yeah,” she answered, turning the page in her book.

“Am I the best shag you ever had?” he asked jokingly, and she shut the book, chucking it at him. He caught it before it could hit him and looked at it, surprised. “So you’re still brassed off, then?”

“What do you think?” she asked, not bothering to mask the irritation in her voice.

“Pet, you understand why we had to leave when we did, right?” he asked, and she looked down, at the tops of her knees.

“I’m not mad that we had to leave,” she said. “Well, I am, but that’s not what’s bothering me.”

“Then what is?” he asked curiously, and she rested her chin on her knees, looking at him.

“The money meant more than me to you at that moment,” she answered, and he raised an eyebrow. “I’ve always known the money meant a lot to you, but we had a connection, Spike, one that could’ve lasted a little longer than a few minutes. You could’ve told your friends to wait for ten minutes or so.”

“We were on a set time, Goldilocks,” he replied, and she sighed. “You don’t know how much I wanted to just lay in here with you for hours on end, but it couldn’t work out that way. I’m sorry.” She looked at him.

“Are you? Sorry?” she asked, and he nodded. “Are you sorry we slept together?”

“No,” he answered. “It might not have been the smartest thing I’ve ever done, but it felt right, and it was a privilege, something I’ll never forget.”

“I know what you mean,” she replied, looking away, and he nodded. “I’m sorry it was trap.”

“Me, too,” he said. “If I had known it would be, I would’ve told the guys to go away so we could have a repeat performance.” She raised an eyebrow and smirked as he grinned at her.

“Well, maybe you and I could-” Buffy began to say, but she was interrupted by the sound of Gunn yelling up the stairs.

“Sorry to interrupt, but we’ve got someone on the phone,” he said, and Buffy and Spike exchanged a look. “It’s Hank.”

 

Chapter 17 – Was it Worth it?


Spike glanced at the door before looking at Buffy, seeing the insecurity in her eyes.

“I… I have to take this call, love,” he said, his brow furrowed. “You understand, right?”

“Do what you have to do,” she murmured, climbing off the bed and walking toward the bathroom.

“Buffy-”

Flinching when he heard the sound of the bathroom door slam, Spike looked up at the ceiling. “Bollocks,” he muttered.

“Spike! Take the call, man.”

Walking out of the room, Spike shut the door behind him with a soft click. Walking down the stairs, he grabbed the phone out of Gunn’s hand. “What?” he asked, easily slipping into an American accent, not wanting to give himself away.

“You weren’t there. Where the hell were you?”

“I was there,” he said, narrowing his eyes at a distant spot down the hall. “It’s a little hard to return your daughter when you’re planning on having me arrested. That’s not exactly on my agenda tonight.”

“Who said anything about having you arrested?” Hank asked, an innocent tone in his voice.

“Listen to me,” Spike growled. “The next spot will be at a place I choose-”

“No,” Hank replied, his voice lowering to a menacing whisper. “You listen to me. You’re not getting one cent of my money.”

“Need I remind you that we have your daughter?”

“Keep her.”

Spike felt short of breath when he heard the dial tone beeping in his ear. Staring straight ahead in shock, he felt the urge to truly kill someone for the second time since the plan started. Hanging up the phone, he saw Gunn looking at him expectantly. Not saying anything, he tossed the phone at the other man before turning and walking up the stairs, opening the door to Buffy’s room and nearly slamming it behind him.

Sitting on the edge of the bed for several long minutes, he felt his heart ache, listening to the quiet sobs that she was obviously trying to muffle. He let his head fall into his hands, knowing that he had caused her to cry. He couldn’t tell her what her father had just said, confirming every child’s worst fear.

Taking a deep breath, he stood up, nervously rubbing his palms against his pants. “Plan B,” he muttered, walking toward the bathroom door.

Silently pushing it open, he studied the woman huddled in the corner of the room. Tears burned his eyes as he watched her rock back and forth, her hands pressed against her face. Her nerves were obviously setting her on edge, overwrought from being held captive.

Crossing the room, he knelt in front of her, pulling her into his arms and resuming the rocking motion as he stroked her hair. Feeling her slowly relax against him after a moment, Spike kissed her forehead before moving to her cheeks, silently kissing her tears away until there were none left.

“Was it worth it?” she asked, swallowing hard.

Unsure of whether she was asking about the phone call or the kidnapping in general, Spike shook his head. “No… Not worth it.”

“What happens now?” she asked, leaning against his touch when he began caressing her cheek.

“Plan B,” he murmured, kissing her forehead once again.

“And what’s that?”

Studying her face for a moment, Spike took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “I’m working on it. Are you alright?” he asked after a moment.

“Just stress, I guess,” she whispered, resting her head against him.

“You need rest, love.”

“Stay with me?” she asked, looking up at him with pleading eyes.

Brushing the hair away from her face, Spike gave her a tender smile, letting his thumb gently caress her cheek.

“Come on,” he murmured, hooking one hand under her legs and supporting her as he stood up, carrying her into the bedroom.

Gently laying her on the bed, he crawled in next to her, covering them both with a blanket.

Exhaustedly resting her head against his chest, Buffy let her hand play along his abdomen, raising an eyebrow when his hand soon covered hers. Looking up at him with a questioning gaze, Spike gave her a gentle smile.

“Gettin’ me a little worked up, love,” he said, pressing a kiss to her temple.

“I wasn’t doing anything,” she said with a smile.

Loosely holding her hand in his, he brought it to his lips, brushing a gentle kiss to her palm. “Don’t have to. You do a pretty good job of it just by being here.”

Slowly pushing herself away from his chest, Buffy brought her lips to his in a tender kiss, letting her free hand play along his cheek. Pulling away after a moment, she could see the sadness in his gaze.

“Hey,” she murmured, trying to give him a smile. “What’s with that face?”

“It’s nothing,” he whispered, trying to blur out everything around him as he focused on her.

“You’re sure?” she asked, tilting her head in concern.

“I’m sure,” he replied, meeting her lips for another kiss. Letting her lips play over his, Buffy moved to deepen the kiss, pulling away in confusion when she felt Spike gently push her away.

“You need some rest,” he said, trying to control his growing arousal.

“What if I need something else?” she asked with a smirk.

Unable to resist any longer, Spike rolled them over, eagerly kissing her.

* * * * *

Buffy screamed, dragging her nails across his skin as her orgasm ripped through her.

Thrusting into her, Spike’s body froze as his hips continued to move with hers, feeling as if he exploded inside of her. Gasping for air, he took a few minutes to catch his breath before pulling her closer and rolling them until Buffy was lying on his chest, still breathing heavily.

Brushing the hair away from her forehead, Spike gently kissed her. “Go to sleep,” he said, letting his head fall back on the pillow.

Looking at him with an unreadable expression, Buffy snuggled against his chest, wrapping her arms around him as if she was afraid he was going to disappear. “Will you still be here when I wake up?”

Spike took a deep breath, unsure of whether he would or not. Gently threading his hand through her hair, he continued the movements until he noticed her relaxing against him. “I’m gonna try, baby,” he whispered, feeling her slight nod against his chest as she drifted off to sleep.

 

Chapter 18:

When Buffy woke up later on, she practically felt relief flood through her when she saw Spike’s arms wrapped around her, his face nuzzled into the crook of her neck as he continued to sleep.

‘This feels right,’ she thought. ‘I know it shouldn’t, but being in his arms seems like it’s right, like he and I were supposed to have this chance together. Even if it wasn’t the best situation to begin with.’ She sighed wistfully. ‘I just wish this would have happened under different circumstances. But I’ll take what I can get- that’s all I really can do.’

She ran her hand over his arm and smiled softly when he opened his eyes, letting them lock with hers.

“Hi,” she whispered, and he smirked, kissing her neck before grazing her cheek with his hand.

“Sleep well?” he asked, and she nodded, leaning over a little to kiss him.

“Thank you for staying in here with me,” she said, and he ran his hand down her side slowly, which caused a thrill to go through her. “Spike-”

Before she could continue speaking, someone knocked loudly on the door.

“Sod off!” Spike shouted, glaring at the closed door.

“We need to talk,” Angel said, sounding angry. Spike ran a hand over his face, trying to refrain from becoming frustrated.

“Give me a few minutes,” he replied before hearing Angel scoff and storm off. Spike looked at Buffy apologetically and kissed her temple before sitting up.

“It’s alright- I understand,” she said, and he frowned. “I’m not being sarcastic, Spike. We’ve been in here for a long time, and I’m sure your friends want to work out some more kinks in the plan.”

“What makes you think there are kinks?” he joked, smirking, and she giggled.

“There have to be,” she said, stretching her arms out as she yawned. “You’re a kinky kind of guy.”

“Oh, you have no idea, pet,” he said, getting dressed before returning to the bed and laying down beside her, pulling her close to him and leaning over to kiss her. “Can we talk later?”

“Sure,” she answered. “You know where I’ll be.” He nodded and kissed her one last time before getting out of the bed and leaving the room, smiling at her before shutting the door.

Once he closed the door, he leaned back against it and sighed, knowing that things were only going to get worse from that point on.

* * * * *

“So, why was I interrupted… again?” Spike asked as he walked into the kitchen, seeing Angel and Gunn in there, talking.

“You’re shirking your responsibilities as a leader to go screw the blonde upstairs,” Angel said sharply, crossing his arms. “When we really need to spend time figuring out what the hell we’re going to do now.”

“What did Hank have to say before?” Gunn asked, looking at Spike, who scowled.

“That he won’t pay us any money and that we can keep Buffy,” he answered, noticing the look on Gunn’s face, clearly feeling sorry for Buffy, too.

“So what should we do, then? Just let her go and say screw it to the plan?” Gunn asked after a moment, and Spike shrugged.

“Are you two insane?” Angel asked, his eyes wide. “We’ve come way too far to just give up right now.”

“Do you seriously think we’re going to make any money from this?” Spike asked, becoming annoyed. “Hank’s not going to pay, and honestly, I’m not even that surprised anymore by it- he’s an asshole who doesn’t give a damn about anyone besides himself.”

“But you don’t think Buffy’s going to press charges against us?” Angel asked, and Spike raised an eyebrow. “Just because she’s sleeping with you doesn’t mean she won’t turn you in, too.”

“Then I’ll turn myself in and get it over with,” Spike suggested, and both men looked at him, shocked.

“What?” Gunn asked loudly. “Don’t be stupid, Spike.”

“No, turning myself in would be smart,” he replied. “I’ve done enough stupid things in my life, and this wouldn’t be considered one of them.”

“If you turn yourself in, I’m going to say I had nothing to do with this, then,” Angel said sternly. “I don’t need to be sent to jail again over nothing.”

“Bullshit!” Spike shot back, furious. “You don’t think she’ll press charges against you? You tried assaulting her twice, you pillock!”

“I’m not getting locked up for something I didn’t do,” Angel replied, stepping closer to Spike and looking down at him with fire in his eyes. “This was your plan, so you should take the blame, not me.”

“If you claim that you weren’t involved, I’ll turn you in faster than you can blink,” Spike said in a low tone. “And I’m sure Buffy will completely back me up on that.”

“Yeah, because your Bonnie will stand by her Clyde as soon he lets her go,” Angel said, shoving Spike back. “She doesn’t owe you anything once she’s out of here.” Spike clenched his fists and jaw, rage flowing through him. “Don’t be an idiot, Spike- you don’t think she’s playing you? Sleeping with you so that you’ll be nicer to her, letting her get away with more stuff, ensuring she’ll be safer here? She doesn’t care about you, man! She’s just using you!”

“Don’t talk about stuff you don’t understand,” Spike growled, punching Angel’s left eye, watching as Angel stumbled back, his hands covering his eye as he groaned in agony. “I’m going to do what’s right, and if you two won’t be by my side, believe that I’ll turn you in myself, got me?”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” Gunn said, and Spike looked at him. “I helped, so I’ll take the blame.” He looked at Angel. “And you, out of anyone, deserve a punishment, too.”

“I should never have helped you two,” Angel said, angry, still coddling his eye. “You both had no idea what you were doing in the first place, and I’m not about to serve time for kidnapping her.”

“Whatever you say,” Spike said, grabbing his cell phone out of his pocket and looking at it, taking a deep breath. Preparing to dial the number, his eyes widened when the phone was jerked out of his hand and thrown across the room, breaking against the wall. Looking at Angel with pure rage in his eyes, Spike took a deep breath, restraining himself from giving him a matching set of black eyes. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he growled.

“We’ve come too far to give up now,” Angel said, glaring at the other man. “We’re not going to blow this just because you want to follow whatever conscience you have left.”

“Then what’s your bright idea, Angel?” Gunn asked, looking back and forth between his friends.

“Anything but calling the cops,” he replied. “I’ll think of something, but getting arrested is not an option.”

Spike watched Angel walk into the next room before turning to his friend. “Any ideas?” he asked with a sigh.

“None that make sense,” he said, shaking his head. “We could always let Buffy go without telling Angel.”

“And have him lay the blame on us out of spite,” Spike replied, shaking his head. “Then we’re in worse shape than we are now.”

“We’ll think of something.”

Looking up at the ceiling, Spike nearly closed his eyes, wishing that he’d never brought up getting revenge on Hank Summers in the first place.
 

Chapter 19:

Walking into Buffy’s room an hour later, Spike smiled at the sight of her napping on the bed. His heart ached as he watched her, wanting nothing more than to walk over to her and pretend that they were leading relatively normal lives.

Slowly crossing the room, Spike sat down on the edge of the bed, tenderly running a hand over her hair as he watched her sleep.

‘You deserve more than me,’ he thought, tears burning his eyes. ‘You deserve someone better. Someone who can give you everything you want.’

Lost in thought, Spike never noticed when her eyes opened, jumping slightly when she stretched and gave him a soft smile. “Hi,” she said in a groggy voice, moving to sit up in the bed. “Everything okay?”

“It is now,” he said, hesitantly nodding his head. “There’s, uh… there’s some things that we need to talk about.”

Moving to straddle his waist, Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck, nibbling along his jaw. “Later,” she said with a smile. “Right now, I just want to relax and not have to worry about someone barging in on us.”

Spike didn’t have the willpower to stop her when she pressed her lips against his. Running his hands along her back, he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss until Buffy was rocking her hips against his.

Hearing the sound of the door slamming downstairs, Spike gently pushed Buffy off of his lap until she was standing.

“Buffy,” he said, moving to stand in front of her. “There’s a lot that… I don’t really know…”

“Shhh,” she murmured, putting a finger over his lips before tenderly kissing him, feeling his hands wrap around her back. “There’s plenty of time for everything-”

Jumping at the sound of the wood around her door cracking, Buffy clung to Spike when she saw a group of police officers storm into the room. Her eyes widened when they immediately grabbed Spike, spinning him around and roughly putting a pair of handcuffs on him.

Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. She stared in shock as an officer approached her, holding up his hands as if that was supposed to prove he was a good guy. She could barely make out the words he was saying, staring at his mouth for a moment, long enough to realize he was trying to put her at ease.

White noise seemed to fill every part of her brain as she watched them lead Spike away, his eyes trained on her.

* * * * *

‘This can’t be happening,’ she thought, staring out the window of the police cruiser. ‘It just… can’t. It’s too surreal to be true.’

Closing her eyes, she pressed her head against the glass, trying to will away the headache that was forming.

“Your father is eager to see you.” The officer who was driving the car turned toward her, trying to smile at the young woman in the passenger seat.

“I’ll bet,” she muttered, never looking at him. “Did he pay the ransom?”

“Um… no,” he said after a moment. “There was an anonymous tip that was phoned in. Told us where you were.”

Turning toward him finally, Buffy’s brow furrowed as she tried to understand what he was saying.

Unable to question him anymore, she saw the crowd of reporters huddled around her father as they stopped in front of the jail. Nearly jumping out of the car, Buffy rushed forward, feeling the violent churning in her stomach as her father approached her with a fake smile on his face.

Rushing past him without a second look, Buffy ran into the police station, stopping at the first desk she came to. “William Blake,” she said, looking around the building. “Where is he?”

“You’re…”

“I know who I am,” she replied in an angry tone. “Where is he?”

“Second floor,” the man replied. “But-”

Buffy didn’t stick around to hear anything else. Turning and running up the stairs, she slammed against the doors that led into the main building. Seeing Spike talking to an officer, his hands still cuffed behind his back, she eagerly approached him, watching as he turned toward her and then shamefully looked away.

“Miss Summers, you shouldn’t be-”

“I want to talk to him,” she said, interrupting the policeman who approached. “Alone,” she added when he stayed where he was.

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea-”

“Lucky for you, I don’t care what you think. I want to talk to him… Since you all are too incompetent to really do your jobs, I think I’ve earned that.”

Waiting until the officer walked away, Buffy turned toward Spike with an unreadable expression. “What happened?” she asked, her tone immediately softening as the stress of the situation came back to her.

“You have your freedom back, pet,” he said, wishing that he could reach out and touch her. Hold her.

“Gunn and Angel?”

“They’re somewhere around,” he said, looking around the building.

“Who else knew?” she asked, stepping forward, gently resting her hand against his stomach.

“No one,” Spike mumbled, avoiding her eyes.

“No one knew? But they said… You set this up,” she whispered, blinking back the tears in her eyes when she realized what happened. “I…I can’t believe you would…”

“Buffy, you have to understand, love-”

“No,” she said softly, shaking her head. “I don’t have to understand anything. An ‘anonymous tip’ was phoned in and… God, Spike, how could you? How could you practically turn yourself in?”

“For you,” he whispered, desperation in his voice as Buffy choked back the sobs in her throat.

“I didn’t want this,” she whispered, letting the tears spill down her cheeks. “I wanted to have choices and freedom- I didn’t want you to lose yours!”

Stepping forward, she wrapped her arms around him, feeling the tension in his body, practically sensing how much he hated the handcuffs that bound his wrists.

Spike stayed where he was, closing his eyes at the feel of her body pressed against his. Letting his head fall until his forehead was resting against her shoulder, the sounds of Buffy’s quiet sobs were soon replaced with the sounds of two nearby policemen.

“Stockholm Syndrome,” one of the officers said to his coworker, causing Spike to narrow his eyes as his stomach clenched. “I’ve seen quite a few cases over the years. This is a clear example.”

And just like that, he turned into a completely different person.

Buffy pulled away, seeing a person that she had never met and never knew he possessed.

“What did you expect, pet? A happily ever after? It’s not like we were a match made in heaven.”

His icy tone sent dread spiraling through her body. “What are you saying?”

“It was fun… That’s all it was. You were there, you were available, and I used that to my advantage.”

“No,” she whispered, shaking her head in disbelief. “That’s not true- everything we did, everything you said, I…”

“It was all an act,” he said, his cold eyes looking over her shoulder. “Just a bit of cold comfort when there was no one else around.”

Running her hands through her hair as if it would erase his words, Buffy shook her head, letting the tears spill down her cheeks. “This isn’t you.”

“This has always been me.”

Feeling her chin trembling, she hated herself for showing him this weakness.

And she hated him for causing it.

“That’s it? That’s all it was?” she finally asked after a moment.

“Thanks for the memories, Goldilocks.”

Not bothering to respond, Buffy backed away, nearly knocking a chair over in her hurry to get away from him. She could have sworn that there was a flash of remorse on his face, but she couldn’t be sure. Turning around and pushing her way through the police officers, frantically trying to fight her way through everyone, she stopped when she saw the chief talking to her father.

Pausing in front of them, Buffy ignored her dad when he turned toward her with a bright smile.

“Chief Roberts? The three men you arrested…I only want to press charges against one of them.”

“Miss Summers, I don’t think that’s the wisest decision,” he said, shaking his head.

“I’m over eighteen, and I’m the only one who knows what happened in that house. Gunn and Spike didn’t do anything… Angel was the worst.”

“Buffy-”

Spinning around, Buffy interrupted her father before he could finish the sentence. “Fight me on this and I will make it known exactly what happened to Xander Harris. The true story.”

Seeing his face pale, she nearly allowed a smug smile to form on her face. Glancing over her shoulder, she caught Spike’s eyes as he sat at the desk, an unreadable expression on his face.

Turning around and walking away, Buffy fought the tears in her eyes as she left the police station.

‘Why am I doing this? The man who just brutally shattered every memory I had is now being protected by me, and why?’ she asked herself. ‘Because even if it was a stupid scheme…even if it backfired…even if I had a horrible experience while I was there, he showed me a side of myself that I didn’t know I possessed. A side with more compassion and strength than I ever thought possible. And as unforgivable as his words were, I couldn’t let him suffer for something that was simply a stupid mistake.’

 

Chapter 20:

Spike zoned out as the police officer sitting across from him continued to ask him questions, instead remembering what had happened before the police arrived at the house.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Gunn asked quietly as he handed Spike his cell phone. “There has to be another way to profit from this. Is it really worth it to quit at this point in the game?”

“I think we lost before we even began,” Spike replied, dialing a number he always knew he would have to use. He looked at Gunn as someone answered the phone.

“Hello, Sunnydale Police Department,” a woman said on the other line.

“I know where Buffy Summers is,” Spike said, sighing, proceeding to give her the address of the house. After he hung up, he handed the phone back to Gunn. “Now all we have to do is wait.” He paused. “I’ll be upstairs.”

“How do you think Buffy will take it?” Gunn asked, and Spike looked at him sadly.

“I guess we’ll find out.”

“Mr. Blake, are you paying attention?” the police officer asked, now joined by a fellow colleague. Spike looked at them both with a confused expression. “Just as I suspected. You might want to hear what I’m about to tell you.”

“And what’s that?” Spike asked flippantly, pretending as if he didn’t care.

“After a bit more questioning, you’re free to go,” the officer said, and Spike’s jaw dropped as he stared at the older man.

“What?” he asked, stunned. “What’re you talking about?”

“Miss Summers isn’t pressing charges against either you or Charles Gunn,” the cop said, crossing his arms. “Apparently, she’s placing all of the blame on your other cohort.” Spike looked down, trying to sort through all of the thoughts that were running rampant in his head.

‘She’s not going to press charges?’ he asked himself. ‘Why the hell not? I deserve to be blamed for this, punished. If she’s doing this because of what she and I have… had, then she’s incredibly stupid.’

“Do you have ADD or something, Mr. Blake?” the cop asked, smirking in amusement. “I just said that today really must be your lucky day.”

“Yeah, I’m real lucky,” he mumbled, standing up as both officers led him into a room for more questioning.

* * * * *

“Who told you about what happened to Xander Harris?” Hank asked as he and Buffy entered his house, Buffy still upset over what had transpired at the police station with Spike.

“I was stuck in a house with the three men who witnessed it- you didn’t think one of them would fill me in on all of the details?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “That bit of information would sell for a pretty penny.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” Hank bellowed, instantly becoming angry. “I just saved you from those monsters!”

“You didn’t save me!” she shot back. “All you did was pick me up, which wasn’t heroic, by any means. You wouldn’t pay them the ransom to get me back, Dad! What kind of father does something like that?”

“Honey,” Hank said in a patronizing tone, but she put her hand up, stopping him from continuing.

“The only reason I’m free is because one of my captors had a change of heart, a guilty conscience,” she said, trying not to think too much about Spike, knowing she’d get even more furious. “And one of his friends was just as kind and compassionate. The only one that was a monster was Angelus, and he’s nowhere near as vile as you!” She stormed off, going upstairs and into one of the guest bedrooms, slamming the door behind her and laying down on the bed, beginning to sob into a pillow.

* * * * *

Once they were free, Gunn and Spike left the police station, ignoring several of the reporters who were still milling around outside.

“So, where should we go now?” Spike asked, looking at his friend. “Back to the house?”

“I want to thank your girl first,” Gunn said, and before Spike could tell him what had happened between he and Buffy, his friend continued, “I owe her quite a bit for letting me off, scott-free.”

“I don’t think she wants to see me right now,” Spike said quietly, looking down, but Gunn waved it off.

“We’re free men right now, Spike- the least we can do is pop over to see her and say thanks,” he said. “She’s probably at Hank’s, which isn’t good, but we can spare a few minutes to see her, can’t we?”

“Do you really think she wants to see us?” Spike asked, putting his hands in his pockets. “We kept her locked in a house with us for days- we’re the last people she wants to see right now.”

“Even you?” Gunn asked, and Spike nodded, looking away.

“Especially me.”

“Fine, we’ll give her a day, then,” Gunn said. “I’m going to call a cab and go home. Want to split one with me?”

“I think I’m going to walk around for a while,” Spike answered. “But if you’ll let me crash there later, I’d appreciate it.”

“I’ll leave the back door open,” Gunn said, smiling at his friend. “See you later.” Spike nodded and watched his friend walk away before spotting a telephone booth a block down.

‘Even if she doesn’t want to see me, I need to see her,’ he thought. ‘Right now.’

* * * * *

After finding out where Hank lived by using the phone book in the telephone booth, Spike called himself a cab and took it to Hank’s mansion, hesitantly walking up to the door and ringing the doorbell, grateful that there weren’t any reporters camped out, waiting to interview either Hank or Buffy.

When Hank opened the door, Spike’s eyes widened, surprised to be faced with him instead of a servant. Hank’s expression darkened quickly as he studied the man standing on the other side of the door.

“What are you doing here?” Hank hissed. “Haven’t you caused enough damage, you worthless piece of trash?”

“I should be asking you the same question,” Spike said in a low tone, crossing his arms. “You killed my best friend, and you think that I should have any respect for you? You sent my friends and I to jail for five years- I don’t consider you as anything but a monster.”

“You have that in common with my daughter, then,” Hank replied, tilting his head, and Spike looked past Hank, hoping to see Buffy somewhere. “I’m not going to let you near her again.”

“Why? I thought you said I could keep her?” Spike asked, smirking. “She’s mine, after all.”

“Get away from here before I call the cops and have them cart you off… again,” Hank replied, smiling evilly.

“If you won’t let me see her, then I’m going to meet with every news station and newspaper in town to tell them what happened that night in your office five years ago,” Spike said. “And then, I’ll figure out a way for you to pay damages to Xander Harris’ fiancé, along with having you sent to jail, as well.”

“No one’s going to believe you,” Hank said. “You’re a criminal, Blake- no one respectable will believe your story.” Spike shrugged and looked at the older man with an indifferent expression.

“You’re clearly holding a few more cards than me, but here’s the question- are my cards better?” he asked, and Hank raised an eyebrow. “The information I know about you and what Buffy has told me is enough to help my case whenever I try to screw you over, Hank, and believe me- I will do everything in my power to see you wind up as someone’s bitch in prison.”

“Idle threat,” Hank said, grinning. “Like I said- no one will believe you.”

“Your daughter believes me,” Spike said, shrugging. “And when reporters ask her why we had our motives for kidnapping her, what’s saying she won’t tell them about Xander Harris’ murder?” Hank began to pale a bit, and Spike chuckled, pleased with Hank’s sickened expression. “This isn’t over, Hank- this is just day one. I’ll be here for a very long time, until I see you get exactly what you deserve.” With that, Spike turned and began to walk away, not noticing that Buffy was watching him from an upstairs window, a confused expression on her tear-stained face.
 

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