TBC

“I think this thing,” he sighed, “between you and me is just…hopeless…”

Elizabeth just stood there, stunned, not quite believing that this conversation was occurring. “W-What?” she stammered nervously, her heart sinking in her chest as the implications of his words sunk in.

“I can’t do it anymore,” he repeated in as calm a voice as he could manage considering the circumstances, desperately trying to make this as easy for both of them as possible. “You hanging out with me, but not ever being really with me… It’s eating me apart. So,” he took another deep sigh, “I think we have to just stop seeing each other. For both our sakes.”

Elizabeth could almost see the fractured remains of her world crumble around her. “Why?” she demanded, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. “Why now? Where did this come from?”

“I can’t live a lie anymore,” he responded, perhaps a bit over-dramatically.

“Is it because of her?” Elizabeth nodded her head disdainfully in the direction that the brunette had fled in after Elizabeth’s arrival. The last thing Elizabeth had expected to see when she entered his room was him sitting on the bed with another girl, kissing her softly, gently, the way Elizabeth had always wanted to be kissed...

“She helped me realize that I needed someone who was really here for me, yeah,” he agreed. “But it’s not her fault. We weren’t going anywhere, Elizabeth,” he said softly. “I guess it just wasn’t meant to be…”

Elizabeth let out a strangled little sob. “But I need you,” she whimpered softly.

“You’re strong,” he insisted with a fond smile. “I don’t think I’ve ever met a woman as strong as you. Which is why you have to be strong now – why both of us have to be strong – and let this go…”

She sniffled and managed a weak little nod. “I-I really like you,” she insisted.

His _expression softened. “I like you, too,” he agreed, “but what we’ve got together… I just don’t think it can work?” He left a little question at the end, trying to verify her own opinion on the matter.

“I-I guess you’re right,” she admitted sheepishly, wiping at her tears. “I really wish it could, but…”

“It’ll be all right,” he assured her. “I just need time…and I think you do, too.”

She shakily nodded her head and sniffed a little. “You’re probably right,” she agreed sadly, turning to go.

“Are you going to be all right?” he asked, still worried about her despite the fact that he’d just given up the right to be.

She managed a weak smile and a nod. “I’ll be OK,” she agreed. “I’m really sorry, and…good-bye, Riley.” And, with that, she was gone.

* * *

It was with a weary stretch and a tired sigh that Spike collapsed on the couch in the house lounge and flicked on the TV. There was no doubt in his mind that this was going to be the most miserable Friday night ever.

With the help of many strategic elbow jabs and foot stampings, Spike had finally managed to give Xander the courage – or, at least, the desire to avoid pain – to ask Anya to the Autumn Formal Dance. Personally, Spike had always found dances to be dull as toast, but the capitalistic young woman had immediately declared that it was “wonderful practice for future business engagements,” and Xander had found himself very happily with a date. Lucky bastard.

Oz and Devon had an out of town gig this weekend and had driven out that afternoon. Faith had tagged along – all part of Faith/Devon make-up number ninety-six, so all of them were off elsewhere having fun as well. Well, as long as none of Faith’s really annoying groupie friends were hanging around, that is.

Willow and Tara had reserved this weekend as their ‘special date night’ over a month ago, and were right now doing all sorts of things that caused Spike’s jeans to strain painfully whenever he thought about them too much.

Of course, that particular problem went away instantly as soon as he remembered where Elizabeth was. Off at the dance, on Captain Cardboard’s arm, and – from the occasional female giggles he’d heard around the house – straight into his bed.

God, was he miserable! And he could really use a drink, too…

He mentally slapped himself for that one, digging around in his bag for his cigarettes. He plucked one out and let it dangle between his lips for a minute, studying his lighter intently, before he figured ‘to hell with it!’ and lit up in the lounge anyway. He reached over to open the window a crack, though. Willow would have his head if this place smelled like cigarette smoke when she got back.

It took only a few, quick drags for him to realize that nicotine wasn’t going to be enough to soothe his nerves tonight. And, given that the best thing on television was Star Trek V, it didn’t look like the TV was going to save him tonight, either. Dammit. He really needed a drink.

He began to pace about the room in an agitated manner at that, hoping to burn off some of his excess emotional energy. He had to get out of here, he decided. If he stuck around the dorm, he was just going to get more and more wound up, and that never ended well. And, really, there was only one place he could go when he got in a mood like this.

Decision made, he quickly flicked the television off just as the opening credits read Leonard Nimoy’s name, and that was when he heard it.

He froze for a second, trying to identify the sound. Someone talking down the corridor, perhaps? But the only one who could possibly be here tonight was Jonathan, and the voice had sounded…

Another little whimper, and he turned to face the door to Willow and Elizabeth’s room. Yes, the sound was definitely coming from there, and it really sounded like someone was…crying?

Cautiously, he knocked on the door. “Anyone in there?” he asked, still half-believing that he was hallucinating.

There was nothing for a minute, and he almost thought he was starting to hear things when a ragged “Yeah?” finally broke the silence.

“’Lizabeth, is that you?” he cracked open the door, and what he saw made him want to instantly run over to her and hold her in his arms.

“Oh god,” she groaned, wiping that the mascara trails that ran down her face, “I must look like hell…”

“No,” he assured her quickly, trying for nonchalant as he stood in the doorway and watched her, still curled up in a ball and wearing the white dress she’d chosen for the dance, sobbing softly on the bed. “A-Are you all right, luv?” OK, he knew it was a stupid question, but he had no idea what else to do.

She managed a little smile, acknowledging that, yeah, that was a really stupid question. “Not really,” she finally shrugged with a grimace. She reached over to the nightstand for a Kleenex and quickly blew her nose.

Cautiously, Spike stepped into the room, perching on the corner of Willow’s deck so that he could watch her more comfortably. “Wanna talk about it?” he asked, belatedly realizing that his cigarette was still lit and searching frantically for a place to put it out.

Elizabeth fetched an old bowl she’d stolen from the dinning hall and handed it to him. “Not really,” she repeated with a half-sad, half-amused little smile.

He gave her a grateful one in return and snuffed out his cigarette in the bowl she’d provided. “Right then,” he said, scratching the back of his head. He watched her walk over to the mirror and grimace at the state her make-up was in. His gaze turned to his boots for a second as he debated what to do. “Was plannin’ on going out,” he finally announced, his voice sounding overly loud in the otherwise empty dorm. “You can come with, if you want,” he added almost shyly. “That is, if you don’t ‘ave anythin’ better to do, or…y’know…” He trailed off awkwardly.

Elizabeth didn’t know whether to cry or laugh – it had just been one of those days. So, she just settled for neither. “OK,” she said calmly, wiping at her eyes once again. “I just hafta…y’know…” She gestured to her dress.

“Right,” Spike nodded, “you want me to…”

“Yeah, you’d better,” she agreed. “You’ll be…?”

“In the lounge,” he assured her before giving her a hint of his usual cocky smirk. “Don’ keep me waitin’, luv…” he offered before stepping back out into the hall.

She gave him a bemused little smile and an obligatory roll of the eyes. “You’re so full of yourself,” she couldn’t help but tease before closing the door so that she could change…

* * *

Spike found himself strangely at peace as the two of them wound their way through the narrow, old streets of Shady Glen, both burrowed deep into their jackets to fight off the cold November winds.

Elizabeth had been ready to go in less than five minutes – undeniably the women’s world record in getting prepared for going out. All she’d done was slipped into some old, comfortable jeans and a tight black sweater before washing all of her make-up off.

He hadn’t ever seen her out in public without the make-up before, but he’d always preferred the natural look he saw every morning in the bathroom to the painted mask of perfection she presented to the world. It made her look more real, more human, more beautiful…

They’d exchanged few words during their walk, mostly caught up in their own private thoughts, but it was still…pleasant, Elizabeth decided.

She even managed a little giggle when she hadn’t anticipated turning the corner Spike had intended and he ended up accidentally bumping into her. She bumped right back into him, hands still firmly buried in her jacket pockets, and he got this wicked grin on his face before returning the favor.

Before either of them knew what was happening, all out war had broken out. And, after a particularly skillful shove to his behind, Elizabeth had run from the obvious retaliation, squealing and laughing as she ducked behind bushes and fences, evading his amused/enraged pursuit.

He finally caught her in someone’s backyard, and he grabbed her waist, lifting her up a few inches off the ground before carrying his giggling and squirming load back over to the sidewalk.

“’S not nice to run around in other people’s yards,” he informed her teasingly.

She gave him a little mock-pout. “I was under attack,” she countered. “There were mitigating circumstances.”

“Ah, well, tha’s all right then,” he agreed with false gravity. “But don’t you worry, miss,” he affected an absolutely horrible American accent, “the cavalry’s here now.”

“I think I’d be safer without the cavalry,” she countered with a smile. She still hadn’t moved away from he’d put her down, and she found herself in a loose embrace. “But, mmm,” she savored their closeness, “he sure is hot…”

“Oi! You’re stealin’ my heat!” Spike joked before her words hit him. “ ‘Hot’, you say?”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at her unfortunate choice of words. “Don’t suppose there’s a chance in hell you’ll let me get away with that one easily?”

“Never,” he promised softly before catching her elbow where her hand was still buried in her jacket pocket and pulling her along with him. “Have ta make a quick stop,” he informed her, “drop some stuff off, and then we can head out.”

“Where?” Elizabeth ran up alongside him. “Where on earth are you taking me, William?” she demanded in a goofy, low voice.

“You’ll find out later,” he gave her a little wink. “For now,” he led her through a hole in a nearby hedge and they came out into a large backyard with the expanse of forest preserve that formed Shady Glen’s northern boundary as its only fence, “we’re headed to my house.”

“Luring me over to his place,” Elizabeth shook her head and clucked her tongue. “For shame, for shame.”

“Yeah,” Spike rolled his eyes, “’cause ‘m gonna seduce you in my house while my mum’s there instead of, say, usin’ that nice, private dorm room ‘f mine.”

She flashed with a wide smile. “While your mom’s there?” she teased. “Ooh, very kinky…”

He snorted in annoyance and fiddled with the key-chain he’d produced from his duster pocket before finding the right key and unlocking the door. “After you,” he gestured with a politeness and formality she never would’ve guessed him capable of.

All too eager to escape the cold, she entered the old Victorian house, a smile gracing her lips at the homey kitchen she found inside.

Behind her, Spike let the screen door shut with a bang before shoving the backdoor shut with what looked like a Herculean effort. “It sticks!” he protested to the amused look she gave him. “Well, it does!” he continued to defend himself when her entertained expression didn’t fade. Grumbling under his breath with as much creative British invective as he could come up with, he let his bag drop onto the kitchen table with a loud thump before digging around in it and pulling out the books he’d borrowed for his history paper.

Elizabeth, meanwhile, wandered around the kitchen somewhat aimlessly, observing all the strange little quirks that always stuck out to you when you visited someone else’s home for the first time. The kitchen was neat enough but displayed what Elizabeth could only call a ‘healthy clutter’. Several books were pilled on one corner of the table, together with notebooks, papers… All the shelves were packed to full with various spices, and every bit of free counter space that had been left was covered with houseplants. Elizabeth leaned in to smell the flowers of whatever hanging vine dangled from the hook in the ceiling right above the sink. No scent, but the plant – and all the others, for that matter – looked very well tended to.

“You, uh, want somethin’ to drink?” Spike’s soft-spoken question snapped her attention back to him. “Or, you hungry?”

“I don’t want to be a bother,” Elizabeth brushed aside his offer, nervously studying her fingernails.

“’S no bother,” he insisted, getting up and walking over to the fridge. One of the floorboards creaked under his feet as he did so.

Elizabeth smiled a bit at that. This was so unlike the houses she was used to. All her life she’d lived in new, expensive, suburban homes that had been thrown up overnight. They all felt sterile, plastic, like a tacky billboard that screamed “Wealthy here!” Spike’s house was the exact opposite – old, used, built with beauty and love. It didn’t have the same obsession with maximum space as the houses Elizabeth was used to, but she liked it. It felt warm and snug and safe.

“I like your house,” she said softly, coming over to stand by him as he dug through the fridge.

“Thanks,” he looked up at her with another of those shy smiles. “Mum’s had it since I was five. Spent all my life livin’ here an’ in my da’s place in Cambridge.”

“Your parents are divorced?” Elizabeth asked curiously.

“No,” he shook his head, “jus’ got jobs at different schools. We all get together for the holidays an’ breaks an’ such…” He frowned. “Don’ have much besides milk and orange juice,” he said apologetically. “You want—?”

“William, is that you?” a voice from the stairs interrupted him.

He rolled his eyes. “No, mum, ‘s a burglar.”

Elizabeth giggled slightly, and the laughter from the doorway echoed hers. “I guessed as much by the way you didn’t even bother to announce you were home,” Spike’s mother teased.

He gave her a bemused smile. “Din’t wanna wake you up was all,” he joked back. “After all, ’s seven – way past your bedtime.”

She laughed good-naturedly and gave him a quick hug, which he looked embarrassed at…although more because it was expected of him than he really minded. “Nice to finally have visual confirmation that my son’s not dead in a back-alley somewhere,” she said, mirth in her eyes. “Now what’ve you managed to do to yourself so far this quarter?” She looked him up and down appraisingly and plucked a twig from his otherwise white hair.

He shrugged. “Just around. Brought back the books I borrowed. Brought a friend, too.”

His mother’s attention turned to Elizabeth for the first time, and she quickly noticed the thing which had had Elizabeth stunned ever since she walked in. “Elizabeth!” she exclaimed in delight. “You never told me you knew William!”

“That’s because I really, really had no idea that you were his mother,” Elizabeth explained, still stunned.

Spike looked back and forth between the two of them curiously. “You know each other?” he sounded surprised.

“Elizabeth’s in my Visual Arts class,” Professor Devereux explained.

“Really?” Spike cocked an eyebrow in Elizabeth’s direction. “Din’t know you did art.”

“Neither did I,” Elizabeth agreed, still a little bit shocked and a lot unsure how she should act in this situation.

“Elizabeth’s quite the artist,” Professor Devereux said with a little smile, heading over to the fridge. “And, honestly William, haven’t you offered our guest anything to…?” She looked into the fridge and frowned. “Do you like orange juice?” she asked Elizabeth apologetically.

“I’m OK,” Elizabeth insisted with a nervous little smile.

“Wouldn’t say no to hot chocolate,” Spike hinted none-too-subtly.

Elizabeth perked up at this idea as well. After all, it was cold outside…

Professor Devereux gave Spike a quirky little smile before opening one of the cabinets and fishing around in it for the chocolate. “And you can’t make it yourself, I suppose?” she teased.

“No where near as well as you can, mum,” Spike swore with false sincerity.

“Flattery will get you absolutely nowhere, young man,” she said in that Mom Voice that all women developed once they had kids. There was still a bemused, light-hearted note to her words, however.

Spike gave Elizabeth an embarrassed little grin. “So, yeah, that’s my mum. I would introduce you, but…would be kinda pointless, wouldn’t it?”

“Spike,” Elizabeth couldn’t help but tease, “don’t look now, but your mother’s a teacher.”

Professor Devereux laughed along with them at this. “Sorry, for fundamentally shattering your universe,” she gave Elizabeth a little wink. “So,” she said, stirring the pan on the stove, “what are you kids up to tonight?”

“Just headin’ out to the lake,” Spike shrugged, collapsing in the chair beside Elizabeth.

“It’s a cold night,” Professor Devereux hinted.

“Yeah…” Spike agreed, a hint of dread in his voice.

“So where are your hats and gloves?” she demanded.

“Mum!” Spike exclaimed, obviously mortified, before collapsing onto his arms in mock-tears.

Elizabeth gave his hand an amused little reassuring pat, and he smiled at her.

“I’m required by law to embarrass him with that question in front of all of his friends,” Devereux joked.

Spike moaned in complaint.

Engaging in whatever unearthly ritual it was that allowed People Who Knew How To Cook to determine when something was done, Devereux turned off the stove and poured the hot chocolate into three mugs.

“Thanks, Professor,” Elizabeth said with a smile as she took hers.

Devereux waved her hand in the air in distaste. “Please, call me Joyce,” she insisted. “I’ve never been fond of the whole ‘professor’ thing.”

“Joyce,” Elizabeth tried it out. It was still strange to call a professor by her first name, even if it wasn’t in a class situation.

“William,” Joyce nudged Spike’s elbow and set his mug beside it, “the obligatory Period Of Embarrassment is over. You can get up now.”

He gave her that irascible smirk of his before practically devouring the contents of his mug.

Joyce gave Elizabeth a little grimace. “I tried to teach him manners,” she insisted, taking a sip of her own mug, “really I did.”

Spike gave her an annoyed glance, and Elizabeth laughed. A brief silence followed as they all drank the delectably sweet beverage.

“This is really good,” Elizabeth genuinely complimented Joyce. “All I ever got at home was that stuff out of the packets.”

“Thanks, dear,” Joyce gave her a friendly smile. “I always do my best.” She looked back and forth between her son and his young friend and tried not to notice the raging hormones that seemed to be flashing between them. “So,” she said, making conversation, “how did you and William meet?”

“He lives all of two doors down from me,” Elizabeth answered.

“Oh, so you’re in Westing House, then,” Joyce nodded. “I’ve always loved that old building.”

“It’s really nice,” Elizabeth agreed. “Although, everything seems really nice around here,” she said, gesturing to the room around her.

“The town’s got a nice feel to it,” Joyce agreed, “very old. You feel like secrets of the past are around you at all times.”

“Yeah,” Elizabeth agreed with a smile, “that’s exactly it.”

“So, where are you from?” Joyce asked curiously.

Spike got a worried look on his face when he realized that his mom was doing the whole check-out-the-potential-girlfriend routine.

“Sunnydale, California,” Elizabeth answered, oblivious to Joyce’s sly maternal motives. “It’s near LA. One of those exurbs that pop up overnight. Nothing like this place.”

“Hmm, I bet it’s warm over there,” Joyce said wistfully. “The only thing that gets to me here are the winters.”

“Yeah, it’s freezing outside,” Elizabeth agreed, “and people keep telling me it’s only going to get worse.”

“You should be wearing a hat and gloves,” Joyce returned to what was obviously one of her favorite nagging topics, given that Spike groaned. “You won’t even feel the cold then,” she informed Elizabeth.

“Yeah, I’d better go buy some soon,” she agreed. “It’s getting to be more than I can handle.”

“Do you want to borrow some of mine?” Joyce asked in maternal alarm. “I’ve got plenty of extras, and your ears look a little bit pink, dear…”

Spike groaned inwardly. Apparently, Elizabeth was passing the test. Now came the ‘mother potential girlfriend incessantly’ stage.

“That would be really great,” Elizabeth said with a wide smile. “I mean, I’ll return them and everything, I promise. It’s just I kind of got caught off guard. After all, winter doesn’t really start until after break.”

“It’s starts in September here,” Joyce joked, quickly dashing off to fetch Elizabeth appropriately warm winter-wear. “You know, William,” she called out as she dug through the hall closet, “I’ve got plenty of your old things here, too. No need to freeze your fingers off for fashion’s sake.”

“Mum!” Spike protested, his face turning a bit red. “Mum’s kinda…um…” he tried to explain to Elizabeth, embarrassed beyond belief.

“Sweet,” Elizabeth said with a smile, giving his hand a quick squeeze.

“I was thinkin’ more along the lines of ‘annoyin’ an’ embarrassing’,” Spike countered, finishing off his hot chocolate, “but yeah,” he agreed with a shy little smile.

There was just something about him when he got that bashful look on his face that drew Elizabeth right in. She felt her heart pounding faster to her chest and unconsciously began to lean closer to him, wanting to reassure him with her touch…

“Here you go,” Joyce dropped a black woven hat, scarf, and mitten set onto the table.

“Thanks so much,” Elizabeth said appreciatively. She tried on one of the mittens. “Ooh, warm!”

“You can borrow them as long as you like, Elizabeth,” Joyce insisted, watching the young pair get up to leave. She gave her son an approving little smile at how close the two of them had been together as she’d walked in.

“Thank you so much, Prof—I mean, Joyce,” Elizabeth repeated, adding a little wince to the title she’d habitually used.

“You two have a nice evening,” Joyce called after them.

“Thanks, mum,” Spike gave her a little wave.

“And come back soon!” she mock-ordered.

“Right, mum,” he agreed before practically shoving Elizabeth out the door before him.

Happily bundled into her new warm winter gear, Elizabeth gave him an amused grin. “Afraid she was about to bring out the baby pictures?” she teased.

“Oh god,” Spike groaned, “you ‘ave no idea…”

“Oh, c’mon,” Elizabeth prodded his arm, “she was really cool.”

“She’s not ‘cool’,” Spike gesticulated wildly. “She’s my mum!”

“Trust me,” Elizabeth insisted, linking her arm through his where he stubbornly kept his hands buried in his pockets rather than wearing gloves, “she is by far the nicest mom I’ve ever met. The nicest professor, too.”

“What ‘bout your mum?” Spike countered, desperately trying to hide the smile that indicated that, yeah, he really did like his mom.

“She’s dead,” Elizabeth said softly.

He stopped and looked at her. “Oh, ‘m sorry, luv,” he said apologetically. “I din’t know…”

“That’s OK,” she assured him with a little smile. “There was no way you could.” They resumed walking in silence a bit before Elizabeth let out a little chuckle.

“What?” Spike asked curiously, glad his question hadn’t depressed her.

“If I were the paranoid sort,” Elizabeth explained, “I would think this was all some sort of conspiracy.”

He gave her a confused look.

“Your mom turning out to be my professor,” she shrugged, “trying to trick me by having a different last name…”

He let out a low chuckle at that. “’S an academic thing,” he provided. “She’d already published a bunch of articles before she married my dad an’ din’t want to add to the confusion of academia by changin’ her name on everyone. That, and she likes Devereux better’n Giles,” he added with a sheepish grin.

Elizabeth laughed. “God, if she’d tried that in my parents’ circle of friends, she would’ve been cast out as an ‘uppity woman’.”

“You’re kiddin’ me?” Spike gave her an incredulous look. “People still think like that?”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “You wouldn’t believe how stuffy some of these business types can be. Like, when my dad married my mother? There was this huge scandal because he was, gasp!, new money!”

“You’re serious?” Spike still couldn’t believe it.

“Oh god,” Elizabeth grimaced, “all the women I grew up with…” She shuddered. “They actually go around making family trees of various fortunes and then ‘pairing up’ the heirs in the way that they think would work best to keep all the big families on top. And I always got paired with the really scrawny, inbred-looking guys with asthma.”

Spike laughed. “Aw, poor baby,” he gave her a playful little squeeze.

She shut her eyes and breathed deeply, enjoying the brief feel of his arms around her. “It’s nice to get away from all that,” she finally agreed softly when he’d reestablished an appropriate distance between them.

“’ll bet,” he agreed, dodging off on a path to the side. “This way,” he instructed.

She followed him curiously. They’d taken a path back through the woods behind his house, and it was actually a weird experience for her. She’d never really been in a forest period, let alone one at night. Most of the leaves had fallen already, crunching softly beneath their feet as well as opening up their field of view and thus allowing the street lights from the town to shine through the dark shadows of the tree trunks, like distant stars fallen to earth.

“You’re sure you’re not lost?” she asked, a bit nervously.

“Had this path memorized since I was ten,” Spike reassured her. “Could find my way blind.”

“That’s good, since we pretty much are blind,” she teased.

He gave her an amused little “humph” before dodging over to another small path, this one leading away from the town.

She followed him un-hesitantly. It was strange. If her past experiences had taught her anything, it was that she should be wary of situations like this. But she just couldn’t bring herself to distrust Spike. There was never any doubt in her mind that he would never hurt her, even though she tried to remind herself a few times that she was getting herself into a vulnerable situation. Very strange.

“Close your eyes,” Spike stopped abruptly.

“Why?” she retorted. “I can’t see anything now. Closing my eyes isn’t gonna make a lot of difference.”

He rolled his eyes in that annoyed manner of his. “Jus’ do it?” he requested. “Please?”

“OK,” she agreed in a shier voice than she knew she had, obeying his request.

She felt his hands take hold of hers and smiled, following his lead. It wasn’t far – just around the bend – before he brought her to a halt.

“You can open your eyes now, luv,” he whispered right against her ear so that she could feel his warm breath, even though the hat.

She opened her eyes and her smile widened. “Wow,” she said breathlessly.

They stood on an open little hill that overlooked a small lake. The black depths of the waters below were highlighted by the full moon that hung low in the sky, creating silver ripples on the lake’s surface. The soft moonlight illuminated everything around them now that they were out from under the forest canopy, creating ghostly shadows and shrouding the world around them with an ethereal beauty.

“Used to come here all the time when I was a kid,” Spike was looking down at his boots, playing the bashful role once more like he was afraid she would laugh at him. “My dad an’ I would come out at night. Learned how to swim in that lake an’ everythin’.”

She looked up at him with a shy smile of her own, charmed by his story.

“Anyway,” he shrugged, “’s where I always come when somethin’s botherin’ me, so I figured maybe it’d work for you, too…” He trailed off, embarrassed, and looked down over the water.

“It’s nice,” she agreed with him softly. “It’s really nice.” She rose up on her toes and gave his cheek a quick kiss. “Thank you, Spike.”

He managed to look both embarrassed and goofily ecstatic at once at her response and quickly caught her hand, pulling her after him with a laugh. “C’mon,” he insisted, “gotta show you the rocks – loads ‘f fun.”

She laughed along with him, amazed at the change in her companion. The moonlight had turned him into a silvery specter, his hair glistening and his eyes glinting. The angles and curves of his face were smoothed out in the soft light, making him look like a creature not of this world. Forever young, forever beautiful… She had never seen him look so relaxed, carefree, boyish… And it was contagious.

With a laugh, she leapt out onto the rock in the lake alongside him. It seemed that the lake’s visitors had created a little path in stones that meandered through the waters and the marshlands. Without the slightest care that this probably wasn’t so safe, she chased after him, and they played a little game of tag across the surface of the lake. Nothing else but the game mattered; they were immortal.

Elizabeth let out a little squeak of alarm when the illusion was shattered and Spike tripped on one of the wet stones. Fortunately, he landed on the stone itself, rather than falling into the lake. Instantly, she was at his side, helping him up.

“Are you all right?” she asked with wide, concerned eyes.

Spike shook his hand and let her lead him to shore. “Bugger,” he said, examining the hand he’d landed on.

Elizabeth took it in hers when they were safely on the beach and winced at the deep gouge a jagged edge of the rock had put in it. “Ouch,” she said sympathetically, watching him bring the hand up to his face and suck on the wound.

“Ew!” she exclaimed in mock-disgust.

“What?” he protested. “Need to clean to wound out, don’t I?” He winced a bit at the tenderness of the skin that hadn’t been shredded.

“Nice lake equals water,” she pointed out with a perfect ‘duh’ tone in her voice. “No need to go all vampire on me.”

“Maybe I am a vampire, and I brought you out here to kill you,” he teased, waving the fingers of his uninjured right hand in a typical menacing monster gesture.

“Nice try,” she retorted, unimpressed, “but I’ve seen you out in the sun. That, and I doubt vampires fall flat on their asses like you just did.” She giggled slightly at the memory of the sight now that she knew he was all right.

He pouted at her mockery before catching hold of her. She let out a little squeal and batted halfheartedly at him when he nuzzled her neck.

“Gonna drink your blood,” he teased.

She laughed at the feel of his warm lips on her neck. “God, you are so weird!” she exclaimed fondly. “Plus, if you were a vampire, I would so shoot you with a silver bullet.”

“That’s for werewolves, luv,” he pointed out, pulling back to look at her with a smile. He gently brushed aside the one lock of her hair that persistently escaped her hat and got in her eyes. “Hafta stake vampires to kill ‘em.”

“Whatever,” she shrugged. “I would so kick your ass anyway.”

“’ve no doubt you would,” he agreed softly, that shy little smile that drove her wild coming back onto his face.

The impulse to hold him at that moment was too strong to resist, and she wrapped her arms around him. His breath seemed to catch in his chest as she clung to him, and slowly his arms slipped around her as well.

With a contented murmur, she rested her head on his chest just over his pounding heart and whispered in a soft voice, “Riley dumped me.”

“Yeah,” he murmured against her hair, “I kinda figured something like that.”

“I guess it was obvious,” she sighed. “Hell, I knew we were doomed, but I didn’t have the courage to break it off… I had to wait for him to figure it out.”

“’S not so bad then?” he asked hesitantly. “I mean, you agreed with him?”

“I did,” she agreed, nuzzling the soft leather of his jacket further, “but it still hurts, y’know?”

“Yeah, I think so,” he nodded.

“I just feel so much like a failure,” she confessed. “I mean, I didn’t really want to join Tri Xi or date Riley, but I wasn’t strong enough to say so. I just kind of stood there and waited until they passed me by.”

“That bothers you?” he asked softly.

She pulled back just enough to look at him. “That bothers me a lot,” she agreed. “I like to think that I’m a strong person, that I can make my own decisions and I don’t have to have other people make them for me.”

“You are a strong person,” he insisted. “Jus’ seems like you din’t quite know what you wanted. Din’t realize you wouldn’t miss it ‘till it was gone.”

“That doesn’t make me weak?” she countered.

“No,” he said with a small smile. “It just makes you a bit confused. Like everyone else, luv.”

“You, too?” she asked, biting her lip. “’Cause you seem pretty confident in what you want.” Her lips couldn’t help but quirk into a smile at that.

“You’re the exception that disproves the rule, luv,” he whispered softly, his eyes ducking beneath long lashes. “When ‘m with you ‘s just…clear, y’know?”

She caught his chin in her palm and tilted his head downward to face her. “Yeah, I know,” she agreed softly, resting her forehead against his. A contented hum seemed to vibrate through her body in response to even this most innocent of touches.

Then, she sighed and pulled away, the spell broken for the moment. “We’d better get home and bandage that hand of yours,” she said with a shy little smile, taking his good hand and leading him back along the path…

TBC

Chapter 14

With a contented little murmur, Elizabeth drifted back into consciousness, snuggling deeper into the warm arms that held her. They tightened around her in response, pulling her even more firmly against the strong chest that was spooned against her back.

For a moment, everything was perfect.

And then Elizabeth’s eyes jerked open in alarm. Wait a minute! What warm arms?!

She had a brief panic attack before she noticed that she was, in fact, still dressed, as was the man behind her. The initial fear fading, memories from the night before slowly came back to her. Her and Spike going out to the lake, laughing, talking, having fun, and then finally coming back here so that she could bandage his wounds. The conversation they’d started up about their parents and their futures that had gone on past one, two, three, four, five in the morning. Her yawning and shivering from weariness and both of them jokingly suggesting every so often that she should really go back to her room so that they could both sleep. But then neither of them wanting the evening to end, so they’d stay and talk just a little bit longer…

With a satisfied little smile, she remembered Spike finally pulling her under the blankets with him – just for warmth’s sake, of course – and the two of them lying in his bed, side-by-side as their conversation continued. Fragments of their conversation were coming back to her now…

Spike informing her that he didn’t bother to protest that his parents still called him ‘William’ after his dad’s “I don’t bloody well care if you go about calling yourself the Queen of England, but no parent anywhere will ever be able to address their son as ‘Spike’ without grimacing!” speech.

In a moment of honesty that she’d never even shared with Willow and Tara, she confessed that she was afraid that her father would leave her altogether if she didn’t meet up with his expectations.

And, finally, just as the sun began shinning through the curtains, Spike had lain his head down on the pillow and shut his eyes “just for a quick rest.”

Apparently they’d both fallen asleep…in each other’s arms.

Elizabeth managed to turn on the narrow bed so that she was facing him. He let out the first murmurs of waking as his head found a new pillow in the curve of her neck, his arms still clasping her to him tightly.

“Spike,” she whispered softly, gently stroking his hair. “You awake?”

“Mmm,” he hummed sleepily before letting out an impressive yawn against her throat. “Mmm,” this was murmured with a frown, “what time is it, luv?”

She glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand. “One,” she said with a grimace.

“In the mornin’?” he inquired hopefully.

“Yeah, the sun shines in the middle of the night now,” she teased lightly.

“Humph,” he grumbled, sliding up so that his head lay beside hers on the pillow, his face only inches from hers, “guess who’s grumpy in the mornin’s?”

“Hmm,” she agreed with a little smile, “guess who has bed-hair in the mornings?” Her fingers toyed with the platinum curls that had transformed into a tangled mess over the night.

He groaned. “Not like you’re much better,” he countered with a little smirk.

“Mmm,” she agreed, patting down her hair and sitting up as she did so.

“Goin’ somewhere, luv?” he asked, instantly bereft.

“Yeah,” she agreed, “to do all the homework I was supposed to do today.”

He batted one hand in the air dismissively. “Homework’s overrated,” he insisted. “Come back here. You’re all warm an’ comfortable…” There was a little forlorn tone in his voice.

She gave him an apologetic smile. “I really do have stuff to do,” she insisted. “I shouldn’t have stayed up so late.”

“’S Saturday,” he insisted firmly. “You’ve still got plenty ‘f time for work.” One arm wrapped around her waist, and he pulled her back to him, his cheek gently nuzzling her thigh.

“Yeah,” she said wistfully, stroking his hair a couple more times before snapping to attention. “I mean, no.”

He gave her a pleading little look.

“I have a bitch pre-lab from hell,” she explained, “and Willow’s not going to be around tomorrow to help me with it.”

He let out a weary sigh and sat up as well. “At least let me walk you out then?” he requested with a bemused smile.

“It’s all of, like, five feet,” she laughed.

“’S worth it,” he decided, extricating himself from his blankets and walking over to the door.

She followed him with a nervous little blush, her eyes studiously observing the floor. “I, yeah,” she brushed aside an errant lock of hair as she lingering in the doorway, reluctant to leave. “I had a really good time,” she finally managed to get out before slapping herself in the forehead. “That was idiotic,” she said apologetically. “Sorry.”

He chuckled and leaned back against the other side of the doorframe. “Yeah, well I did ‘ave a good time, so ‘m not complainin’,” he countered with his usual cocky smirk.

She gave him an annoyed eye roll. “You have got to be the most annoying, obnoxious…” she began.

“Guess this isn’t a good time to ask you out tonight then, is it?” he teased.

Her eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed. “Uh, tonight?” she said with a delighted little smile. “Yeah! I mean, sure,” she tried to make the last statement sound cool and disinterested and failed miserably.

“Thought we could maybe catch dinner an’ a movie?” he asked hopefully.

“Great!” she said, smiling up at him.

“Unless, I mean, you jus’ wanna come back here an’ sleep with me again,” he teased, a wicked glint in his eyes.

“Pig,” she batted his arm fondly. “Ooh, and did I mention infuriating and rude and arrogant and…” She leaned in close up against his chest.

“Pet?” he asked with that shy little smile.

“Yeah?” she looked up into those beautiful eyes of his.

“Y-You had a good time?” he asked nervously.

“A really good time,” she insisted before rising up on her toes and, gently, briefly, brushing her lips up against his warm, soft ones.

She pulled away almost immediately, but then he caught her roughly about the waist, spun them around so that her back was pressed to the wall of the hallway, and proceeded to give her the best kiss of her life.

She moaned against his demanding lips, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him in closer… His tongue flicked out to trace the line between her lips, encouraging her to part them for him. She gladly did so, whimpering when his tongue plunged deep inside her mouth, tasting, caressing, making love…

Her own tongue stroked his languidly, savoring the taste of smoke and chocolate and purely masculine Spike. He made a growling sound against her lips in response, pressing her more firmly against the wall, lifting her up…

Her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist, holding him to her, surrounding his body completely as her hands explored the strong lines of his back…

The kiss probably could have gone on forever if breathing hadn’t been an issue. Reluctantly, Spike finally pulled back from the fiery kiss, panting desperately for air.

For a long while, the only sounds in the hallway were his pants together with Elizabeth’s ragged gasps. Slowly, he let her slide back down his body so that she stood on her shaky feet once more.

Lips still swollen from the passion that had just blossomed between them, Elizabeth looked up into the cerulean depths of his eyes and uttered just one word.

“Wow.”

He gave her a smirk, although it was only a shadow of his usual one; the aftereffects of their kiss still had him slightly stunned. “’ll pick you up at six then?” he inquired.

She nodded dumbly, still out of breath. “It’s a date,” she agreed.

He gave her a wide, genuinely happy smile at that. “See you then, luv,” he said, brushing back that one persistently errant lock of her hair before he vanished back into his room.

Elizabeth stared at the closed door for a time, still – unbelievably – panting, before she turned to go down the hall…and quickly noticed that they’d had an audience.

“Way to go, E!” Faith said with a wide grin on her face. “Had a nice, active evening, I see…”

Elizabeth flushed slightly. “Believe it or not,” she confessed, “that was our first kiss.”

Faith laughed. “And you’re not rushing back for seconds right now?” she teased. “Because that was a doozy.”

“It was nice enough,” Elizabeth shrugged, trying to maintain her cool in the situation.

“Uh-huh,” Faith gave her a disbelieving look. “Only ‘nice’?”

Elizabeth didn’t waver from her position.

“If you say so,” Faith shrugged, before a nasty little smile crossed her face. “Oh, and Elizabeth?” she added, right before closing her door again.

“Yeah?” Elizabeth turned from where she’d continued to walk down the hall.

“Your room’s that way,” Faith pointed in the opposite direction Elizabeth had been walking, giggling slightly as she closed the door.

“Oh, yeah,” Elizabeth’s half-zoned mind finally remembered where her room was, and she turned back down the hallway.

Willow looked up at her in relief when she walked in. “Oh, thank the goddess,” she put a hand to her heart. “You didn’t come back last night, and at first I thought you were with Riley, but then I saw…” She gestured the Elizabeth’s bed that still held her discarded white dress, Kleeneces, and chocolate – sure signs of the dumped woman. “A-And I thought… Are you all right?” Willow asked worriedly.

“Better than all right,” Elizabeth said with the beginnings of a giddy little smile on her face. “And you’ll never guess where I spent the night…”

* * *

To say that Elizabeth had had difficulty concentrating that evening would be an understatement. In fact, Willow had had to snap her fingers in front of Elizabeth’s face several times when the ability to do simple multiplication had failed her. Willow didn’t seem to mind, however, giggling and teasing Elizabeth about “sleeping with a guy on the first date.” And, eventually and quite amazingly, the pre-lab had gotten done.

With nothing better to do for the next two hours, Elizabeth had alternated between trying hopelessly to focus on her history book long enough to actually read more than one sentence and rummaging through her wardrobe, reevaluating whether the dress she’d chosen for tonight would be the best one.

When Spike finally knocked on her door at 5:35 – apparently, he couldn’t wait, either – she finally discovered the reason why she’d instinctively liked the azure blue dress she and Anya had found while shopping last weekend.

Spike had made this little gulping motion and had had a rather difficult time keeping his eyes off of her the entire way to the restaurant.

The restaurant itself had turned out to be just a small little Greek place with only half a dozen or so tables. Their little corner table was small enough that their knees brushed beneath it, but neither of them minded. In fact, with a surprising bout of playfulness, Elizabeth had slipped one of her shoes off and run her toe languidly down the back of his calf. He had practically choked to death on his water in response, and she proceeded to thump him on the back and laugh.

But the food had been exquisite, and the company had been even more exquisite.

Elizabeth really had known the name of the movie when they’d entered the campus cinema; she was sure of it. However, halfway through the previews, she’d lost interest when she found something much more fascinating to occupy her time. Really, that soft, pale skin along Spike’s throat had just been calling to her. And who was she to refuse?

Spike bit back a moan when her warm lips descended on his throat. But, with a little smile, he decided to just keep on trying to watch the movie and see what she would do.

Quickly frustrated by the severe lack of kisses she was receiving in response, Elizabeth resorted to dirty tactics, running her hand right up and down his thigh.

Within a minute, Spike was squirming in his seat, trying to find some way to loosen the sudden tightness of his pants. He cast an annoyed look over at Elizabeth, and she responded with a devilish smile.

His face mirrored her _expression, and her eyes widened in alarm when he suddenly pounced upon her, his fingers in her hair and his lips forcefully upon hers.

By the time the movie was over, neither of them had any idea what it was about. In fact, one of the students who helped run the place had to tap Spike on the shoulder and bemusedly inform the startled couple that the movie had ended. Elizabeth knew she should have been embarrassed, but making out with Spike in the dark like a couple of horny high-school students had been so much fun that she didn’t care.

They kept their arms wrapped around each other the entire walk back to the dorm, occasionally stopping to steal a quick kiss. Elizabeth sighed against the crook of his neck and breathed in his musky scent as they reached the top of the staircase. She didn’t think she’d ever been this happy, and she knew she’d never just let herself go and gotten washed up this much in the passion before.

“I get to come in, right?” Elizabeth toyed with the soft white hair at the nape of his neck as he unlocked the door.

“Mmm,” he agreed, giving her a quick, open-mouthed kiss on the lips, “was hopin’ you’d say that…”

What inevitably would’ve become another make-out fest was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Willow and Tara in the hallway. Tara instantly broke out giggling at the sight of the two of them so wrapped up in each other, but Willow raised a demanding eyebrow.

“You haven’t been drinking again, have you?” she demanded of Spike sternly, taking in the slightly glazed look in his eyes.

“No,” he quickly shook his head, _expression turning from lust-filled to downright serious instantly. “Just enjoyin’ natural highs…” he added with a sly wink, gesturing for Elizabeth to enter.

She managed a little blush at getting caught right when they were going back to his room, and Willow and Tara both giggled now that Willow had made sure there was nothing to worry about.

“Be mindful of the thin walls!” Tara couldn’t resist calling after them. “I’m sure Xander can hear everything you do in there!”

Elizabeth and Spike both blushed and closed the door behind them. “What do they think?” Elizabeth demanded, sitting on the edge of his bed and removing her shoes before slipping under the covers. “That we’re just going to leap in bed together?”

Spike couldn’t help but laugh at the irony of the statement given the current position she was in. “Yeah, ‘cause we’re obviously not doin’ that,” he teased, kicking away his own boots before crawling in beside her.

Elizabeth shifted until she was comfortable in his arms before mock-pouting. “I meant the naked, sweaty kind of jumping into bed,” she clarified, “not the cuddly, necking, ‘rapidly running around second base’ kind of jumping into bed.”

“Oh, so necking’s allowed then?” Spike teased, leaning in to taste the soft hollow of her throat.

“Mmm,” she moaned softly, her hands finding his back and slowly tracing the line of his spine up and down. Cautiously, she untucked his t-shirt and let the fingers of one hand slip up beneath it, finally feeling the smooth, muscled expanse that had called to her so often in the past.

He let out a little groan at the feel of his hot little hands on his feverish skin and began slowly petting her in response, his hand trailing up and down her side, just barely missing the swell of her breast on each upstroke. His touch was so light against the soft fabric of her dress that it was almost ephemeral – an electric charge that raced through her nerves without physical form.

“Mmm, Spike…” she whispered against his ear.

He turned from where his teeth were doing absolutely wondrous things to her earlobe in response, looking right into her hazel eyes. He brushed his lips against her kiss-swollen ones once before backing off to look at her again. “Yeah, luv?” he said with a little smile.

“Any chance,” she asked shyly, “that the shirt can go?”

He chuckled at that. “Want to ogle my manliness, huh, pet?” he teased.

“Yup,” she said matter-of-factly, allowing the P to make a popping sound in her mouth as she said it.

His cheeks reddened slightly in response, and he gave her another quick kiss. “’ll do it if you will,” he finally requested.

“Mmm-mmm,” Elizabeth shook her head. “See, that wouldn’t be fair since all I’m wearing is this dress.”

“So?” he gave her a lascivious little smirk.

She rolled her eyes up at him. “So, I would be pretty much completely naked, and you would be only half-naked,” she informed him. “Grossly unfair.”

“Could lose the slacks too, if you wanted,” he teased, rolling his tongue up beneath his teeth.

“Given the goings on in your pants during that movie, I’d say keeping the zipper up is a good idea for tonight,” Elizabeth joked back just as mercilessly.

He sulked for a minute before a sudden light went on behind his eyes. “How ‘bout we stick to my original deal,” he offered, “but you get to flip right over onto your stomach an’ then ‘ll give you a full back massage…”

Elizabeth licked her lips. “Deal,” she agreed instantly, reaching for the hem of her dress.

He stilled her hand. “Can I?”

“Only if I can first,” she decided.

He nodded, and she sat up beside him, her hands quickly moving to the loosened hem of his shirt. She slowly slid her fingers up underneath it, tracing the strong muscular lines as she did so. He let out a sound halfway between a moan and a howl in response, and a purely feminine smile crossed her face at the effect she had on him. And then an even wider one when his shirt fell to the floor, and she finally got to touch that chest she’d been dreaming about for so long.

He hissed at the feel of her tongue on his flesh, its rough caresses causing his own muscles to quiver beneath it. He let his own hands slip beneath her dress, pushing it up to her waist just as her mouth latched onto one flat, male nipple, twisting it gently between her teeth.

His hips thrust up into hers in involuntary response, and they pulled back for a second, both their eyes wide.

“Um, sorry,” he flushed apologetically at the quite obvious bulge her actions had created.

She gave him a smile and a quick kiss. “It’s OK,” she assured him. “Nice to know exactly what I need to do if I ever want instant gratification,” she teased.

“For you, tha’s pretty much anything,” he joked back before pulling her dress up over her head.

Now it was her turn to blush. “Um, yeah…” She quickly lay down on the bed on her stomach, brushing her blond locks all over one shoulder to give him better access to her back.

He scootched over alongside her before slowly kneading into her muscles, starting at the base of her spine just above the waistline of her little black panties.

She let out soft, little murmurs as his skilled hands quickly turned all her bones to Jell-O. A sense of lazy contentment passed over her, making her feel safe and warm, like the world had turned entirely to sweet honey… “God, how do you do that?” she gasped in awe.

“’S a skill,” he said with a wry grin before leaning over to whisper right in her ear. “’ve just got…the touch, luv…”

“Hmm…” she couldn’t help but agree, a very naughty voice in the back of her head wondering what a frontal massage from him would feel like…not to mention an internal one… “Spike?” she whispered lazily, enjoying the easy comfort she had with this man.

“Yeah, pet?” he asked curiously.

“Wanna play a game?” she suggested.

“Sure,” he shrugged. “What is it?”

She turned over onto her back, pulling the blanket over her chest as she did so. “We ask each other questions,” she explained, sitting up so that her back was against the wall. “But you have to answer whatever question the other person asks right after they do. The point is that, well, we both know more about ourselves than the other person knows, so we know what questions they should ask, right?” She was babbling a bit but didn’t really care. After all, she was a bit nervous about what she wanted to tell him.

He didn’t seem mind her babbling, however. He slipped under the blanket as well and sat beside her against the wall. “OK, kitten,” he agreed, planting a gentle kiss on her bare shoulder.

“Great,” she gave him a nervous little smile, “so I’ll go first… Why don’t you drink?”

“I take it these aren’t gonna be easy questions, huh?” he teased before sighing and leaning his head back against the wall. “Last year I got dumped real bad,” he finally began. “Like, ‘cheated on me, fucked with my head every way she could, tried to make me as miserable as possible’ kinda dumped. An’…I din’t really handle it too gracefully. Quickly figured out that alcohol made the problems go away, an’ went straight off the deep end.”

She found his hand beneath the blanket and gave it a reassuring little squeeze.

He gave her a grateful little smile in response. “Turned into somethin’ of a drunk, got myself into all sorts of trouble both academic and otherwise…”

She fingered the scar on his eyebrow curiously.

“Yeah, like that,” he agreed with a sigh. “Eventually, got off the stuff, got my friends and family to keep me off ‘f it – and in a serious way, not in a ‘yeah, keep pesterin’ me to quit smoking’ way.” He gave her a little smile. “Haven’t touched the stuff in over six months now.”

She gave him a quick kiss in response. “I still beat you,” she informed him.

He gave her a curious look. “AA meetin’s or what?”

She winced. “Never drank much,” she explained to him, “just, y’know, casually…at parties.”

He nodded for her to continue.

“So, at our senior prom, my ex manages to sneak in some liquor,” she wrapped her arms around herself as the images of that night played before her mind’s eye. “Well, all the ‘popular’ kids have to drink it, of course, so I just go along with them, accept the glass from my ex without thinking twice…” She took a deep breath and blinked back the tears in her eyes. “It took me about ten minutes to realize that he’d…put something in the drink…”

“Oh, god…” Spike’s face looked white as a sheet when he realized what she was saying.

“Yeah,” she managed something halfway between a sob and a laugh, “one of those date-rape drugs you always hear about. It was pretty scary – I mean, I could see what was happening around me, but it was really fuzzy, y’know? Like I had no control over my body.”

Her grip on his hand was practically bruising by now, but he didn’t even think to let go.

“So, he drags me out into the hallway and forces me down onto my knees and starts to, y’know, unzip, and I can’t do anything about it.” She actually broke into a sob at this point, and instantly his arms were around her, holding her close.

“Shh,” he whispered softly, “you don’t have ta…”

“I want to,” she insisted, rubbing at her eyes. “It gets better after that. Before he could…y’know, the principal walks out of the dance and catches us and…” Another little sob. “God, if he hadn’t been there!” she whimpered at the thought.

Spike felt his own eyes tearing up as well just at the thought of anyone ever hurting this beautiful, powerful, wonderful woman in his arms. “What happened after that?” he ventured to ask once she seemed calmed down again.

“Snyder had us both suspended for underage drinking and ‘lewd behavior’,” she sighed. “He didn’t know what he’d broken up.”

“You din’t have him arrested?!” Spike demanded, furious that this monster was still walking the streets.

“I-I couldn’t,” Elizabeth insisted raggedly. “I couldn’t tell anyone.” She let out a deep breath. “This ex of mine was from a very influential family and…you just didn’t mess with those people. I would’ve been the victim again before it was over.”

“There wasn’t anythin’ you could do?” he whispered into her hair.

“I got enough of a reputation for being frigid just from the way I reacted to him later,” she whispered against his shoulder. “I never told anyone…until I came here. W-Willow and Tara know that something happened, but…” She looked up at him hesitantly. “You’re the first person I’ve wanted to tell the whole story to.”

His thumb slowly traced the curve of her cheek, wiping at her tears. “Wish I could do somethin’ to make it go away, luv,” he finally said apologetically, touched by her admission, “but I don’ know how…”

“You could start by giving me a kiss,” she suggested softly.

He leaned in to brush his lips against hers in response, his lips and tongue caressing her lips in the most tender, gentle touches she’d ever felt. He pulled away slowly after a minute, opening his eyes again to look deep into hers.

“It was a while ago,” she said softly, managing the smallest of smiles. “I don’t know if it will ever go away, but you…you remind me that all men aren’t like that,” she admitted shyly. “So,” she finished lamely, “that’s why I don’t drink anymore. Your question.”

He sat back and sighed, accepting her subject change. “On another light note,” he began wryly, “what’s the worst you’ve ever been dumped?”

Elizabeth grimaced. “You’d better have something really bad…” she began.

“Trust me,” he nodded, “you won’t even believe it.”

“OK,” she sighed. “Uh…I think I’ve got a tie.”

“’S allowed,” he agreed with a pained little smile.

“OK, boyfriend number one,” Elizabeth began. “Same winner I just told you about, went by Angel of all the ironic things he could have picked…”

Spike scoffed. “Bloody pillock.”

She managed a little smile and rested her head on his shoulder. “I have no idea what that means, but if it’s insulting to Angel, then it’s good. So,” she continued her story, “Angel’s the captain of the football team, and I’m the bouncy head cheerleader named Buffy.”

Spike gave her an incredulous look. “Are you kiddin’ me, Summers?”

“Nope,” she winced and shook her head. “I actually went by Buffy till I came here. Are you scared yet?” she joked lightly.

“You’re stickin’ with ‘Lizabeth now though, right?” he teased back.

“Don’t worry,” she reassured him. “I’ve come to my senses. So, anyway, Angel and Buffy do what normal football players and cheerleaders are supposed to do and start dating. Like, dumb, shallow, ‘we’re vapid stereotypes’ type of dating.” She grimaced. “God, what was I thinking?” she shook her head. “So, Angel invites Buffy to the junior prom, as opposed to the senior prom when he tries to assault her. They dance to sappy love songs, make inane conversation, before going home and doing what you’re supposed to do after prom back at Angel’s house because his parents are out of town. The funny thing happens next Monday in school when Angel’s suddenly moved onto his next conquest now that he’s gotten everything he wanted out of Buffy. Turns out that was all he was interested in…”

“I’m going to kill this kid,” Spike announced vehemently.

Elizabeth sighed. “Don’t bother. He knocked up the daughter of the Cartwrights. There was this huge scandal right after I got here. Shotgun wedding and everything. And I can’t think of any worse punishment than being stuck under Daddy Cartwright’s thumb for eternity.” She shivered. “The man is a dictator.”

“’d still approve of an ‘and then everyone beat the shit outta that wanker’ endin’,” Spike insisted, his brow still furrowed.

She hushed him softly, running her fingers over the sharps lines of his face until his _expression relaxed under her caresses. “It’s over,” she insisted. “That girl is gone now. I’m a new person now, with a new life.” She smiled as she took in his handsome features before placing a gentle kiss on his lips. “And I’m really starting to like how this new life is turning out…”

The one kiss multiplied to five, ten, and twenty, and before long they’d fallen back to the mattress again, Elizabeth’s body practically on top of his as she continued to explore his face and chest.

“Cor!” Spike moaned. “You’re so beautiful, luv. So perfect…” His hand reached up to cup one lace-covered breast, and he kneaded it gently in his palm, trying in some way to return the wonderful sensations she was bestowing upon him.

“Mmm,” she eventually came to rest on his chest in lazy contentment, a wide catlike yawn stretching her face. “You’re so cuddly…” She buried her head in his shoulder.

“ ‘Cuddly’?” he repeated, manhood mildly offended. “’ll have you know that ‘m the biggest, badest—”

“Kitty-cat,” she cut him off with a giggle before sliding one hand over his bare chest to find one of his dusty-rose nipples. She traced its soft outlines with her thumbnail as she continued. “All fierce and clawed at first and then all sweet and kittenish once you get your tummy rubbed – absolutely perfect boyfriend material.”

“’m your boyfriend?” Spike couldn’t help but grin despite the series of poofy descriptions she’d just given to him.

“No, I’m half-naked in your bed because I hate you,” she retorted with a sarcastic roll of her eyes.

“Yeah, ‘cause that’s the only other option,” he bit right back. “There is this thing called ‘casual sex’, y’know.”

“There would have to actually be sex for it to be casual,” she couldn’t resist taunting him. “Besides,” she added more softly, “you don’t tell your deepest, darkest secrets to someone who you don’t even want to see the morning after. Believe me, I know…”

“Why do I ‘ave the feelin’ we’re back to the not-so-pleasant past?” Spike asked rhetorically before frowning. “You mind if I have a fag?”

She gave him a dirty little look before sighing. “As long as it keeps you from getting all fidgety and moving,” she finally agreed. “Because I don’t want my pillow to go anywhere.” She wrinkled her brow. “And, as long as that wasn’t some kind of strange hint that you’re actually gay,” she teased.

He rolled his eyes at that. “What part ‘f the beast in my pants did you not feel at the movie?” he countered with a wry grin before his _expression softened. “Here, ‘ll even open the window,” he assured her, reaching over to pull it up a crack before the snatched the cigarettes and matches from the nightstand and lit up.

She looked up at him, watching the little glint of ecstasy in his eyes when he first breathed in the warm smoke, followed by renewed calm as he blew it back out. She’d always thought smoking was a disgusting habit before, but the way Spike did it made it look so sexy, and the taste it left on his tongue was absolutely perfect, completely and utterly Spike…

“Parker Abrahms was the tie,” she finally finished answering his question. “Him college boy, me high-school girl just recently dumped and trying to prove she was over Angel. Casual sex occurred. I didn’t know it was casual until the morning after…mostly because Parker forgot to mention it at the time.” She laughed a bit harshly. “So, after that, I guess you can see why Riley looked like such a delightful prospect…”

“Hell, I’d date him now,” Spike teased, tapping off the ash that had formed at the end of his cigarette into the tray before bringing the smoke back to his lips.

“You’re sure you’re not gay?” she teased lightly.

He let out a low growl and quickly stamped the cigarette out before catching her about the waist with both hands and twisting her beneath him.

She moaned when his hard, strong body covered hers, pressing her down into the soft mattress, and he took advantage of the opportunity to plunge his tongue deep into her mouth possessively. His hands caressed her fevered flesh in the most wonderful ways imaginable while his hips slowly undulated against hers, the zipper of his jeans grinding against the cotton of her panties, stimulating little cries of pleasure from her.

He let her get nice and wound up and breathless before he abruptly stopped, his own erection throbbing in need as he rolled off of her. Point proven, though. “Convinced ‘f my manhood now, luv?” he asked with a sly little smirk.

She just gulped, her body still flushed and her panties quite soaked at how perfect it had felt to have him on top of her, grinding into her… Woah, calm down, her rational mind insisted. You’ve been together with this guy, what? All of two days? Definitely not a good idea to go all the way yet…

“Yeah,” she finally managed to say with a husky exhale, “I’m convinced.”

He was smiling at her when she rolled onto her side to face him, his own face red from the intensity of what they’d just done. “My turn now?” he asked simply.

“Turn?” she was still a little bit dazed.

“To answer my question,” he clarified.

“Oh, yeah…right,” she remembered. “Yeah, go on,” she agreed. “What’s the worst you’ve even been dumped?”

He let his head flop down to the pillow with a sigh and closed his eyes. “You heard ‘f Dru?” he finally asked, eyes still shut tight.

“I’ve heard her mentioned,” Elizabeth agreed. “She used to live here or something. And I kinda got the impression that you and she had this thing…”

“A ‘thing’,” he repeated with a wry chuckle. “Nice way ‘f puttin’ it.” The lines of his face hardened as he began. “Drusilla Claremont was a senior my first year. Got one good look at me, the innocent young freshman, and decided that I was the one for her. See, she was a creative writing major – really sick, dark stuff – an’ constantly needed to have a ‘muse’ to keep her goin’.”

Elizabeth’s brow furrowed. “This really sounds like the plot of some bad movie,” she informed him.

He let out a little snort of laughter and blinked open his eyes for a second to look at her before closing them again. “Wouldn’t surprise me,” he agreed. “Dru was a little…unstable. Brilliant, but most fickle thing ‘ve ever encountered. And, of course, I was fool enough to think that this was all hopelessly romantic at the time.”

“Here comes the nasty ‘but’, am I right?” Elizabeth winced slightly, stroking his chest softly throughout the tale.

“Was just li’l hints at first,” Spike sighed, eyes squeezed shut tight as if he were seeing his story transpire on the backs of his eyelids. “She’d show me the stuff she’d written, all depressin’, angsty, dark stuff, with me her ‘pristine, white angel’. And then she started puttin’ little details in her stories, really craftily done, makin’ me wonder if she was cheatin’ on me or if I was just gettin’ paranoid. I didn’t wanna believe it, of course, so I just figured I was readin’ it wrong. So, then she starts askin’ me about all the suspicious passages, tryin’ to get a response.” He let out a weary sigh. “God, I was so naïve… Well, the just of all ‘f this was that she wanted to completely devastate me…for art’s sake, of course. She finally resorted to gettin’ your own dear ex drunk off his ass at a frat party, draggin’ him back here to my room while I was out, and…”

“Oh, god, Spike…” Elizabeth put a hand to her mouth in horror. How anyone could have such persistent, cruel maliciousness was beyond her.

“Fed Cap’n Cardboard some cock’n’bull story ‘bout how I was stalkin’ her, stirred up this huge fuss. That was before she threatened to call the police an’ say I’d raped her. And then, when that one got old, she decided to hint to me that she’d managed to pass a particularly nasty, deadly, an’ incurable form of VD to me.”

Elizabeth froze at that one, stunned. It would explain a few things, though. Like, why her little joke about syphilis hadn’t been taken in the good-humor she’d meant it as.

“Worst week of my life was the one I spent waitin’ for those hospital tests to come back,” he shivered even under the blankets and with the warmth of her body surrounding him. “’Course, I s’pose I should’ve known that it’d just be another of her mind fucks.” A little sob choked through him, then. “Guess I was a good muse, though, since her accounts ‘f my personal agony were enough to get her a job at some S&M magazine in France. She actually had the nerve to send me a copy of her first issue this summer. Mum an’ dad and I had a nice little bonfire party with it.” A tear rolled down his cheek.

She stopped its descent with her lips, tasting the salt of his pain. “Spike…” she whispered softly against his hair before gently peppering his face with light kisses. She had never felt like this before, never had such an overwhelming desire to just hold someone forever and make everything better…

His lips found hers, and they shared several sweet kisses. “Two people with the most emotional baggage in the world end up together,” he joked lightly. “What’re the odds?”

She managed a little laugh. “I’m sure there are worse. But, god…” She still didn’t know what to say.

Which was all right because he still hadn’t figured out what to say to her stories, either. “Will you stay with me tonight?” he finally asked softly, shyly.

“Yeah,” she agreed, burying her head in his chest and holding him close. “I don’t think I want to be alone tonight, either…”

TBC