TITLE: Into the Night

AUTHOR: Cindi (Opulence)

PAIRING: Just a bit of Spuffy Fluff.

SETTING: Post Empty Places, the same night.

SPOILERS: I'm pretty much unspoiled for Touched. Promo spoilers for Touched

*are* used in this story...to the fullest extent. :-)

RATING: PG-13

THANK YOU: Elsa Frohman for the LotR reference. She is always there for me

and I thank her!

DISCLAIMER: All of these characters belong to Joss, ME and Fox. Joss said

to write more fanfic, so I did. :-)

**********

Spike exited the mission, Andrew on his heels. Reaching his bike, the vampire turned and gazed

up at the bell tower, its cross silhouetted against the full moon. Despite what he had told Andrew

when they'd first crossed the threshold, he hadn't felt at all out of place in the hallowed halls, and

that revelation gave him serious pause.

"Umm, Spike?" Andrew tugged on Spike's leather sleeve. "We should start back so that you

don't turn into a curly fry at sunrise."

Spike rolled his eyes but couldn't argue with the logic. He handed the cloth sack over to the boy

and swung a leg over the bike, waiting for Andrew to settle in behind him and don his helmet.

"You think you can hold onto that without dropping it?"

Andrew nodded solemnly, clutching the sack to his chest, his eyes glazing over as he realized

that he was being given a chance to do something really important. He sighed, a dreamy smile

on his face. "This is just like when Sam carried the ring in 'Return of the King'!"

Spike turned and regarded his passenger, "When Frodo couldn't do it."

Andrew's expression was incredulous, his eyes huge. "You know about Lord of the Rings? You

are so cool."

"Yeah, but if you tell anyone..."

"Right. You'll bite me."

Spike turned around and revved the engine, grinning broadly. He grudgingly admitted to himself

that having the boy along for the ride hadn't been all that bad, after all.

***

They rode in silence, Andrew clutching Spike's waist tightly with one arm as he hugged the sack

to his chest with the other. Spike was grateful for the lack of conversation, immersed in his own

thoughts. He couldn't get back to Buffy's soon enough, and his aversion for the sunrise was not

the only reason for his unrest.

Ever since leaving Gilroy, Spike had felt that something was amiss in Sunnydale, and he knew

that it involved Buffy. This was the first time he had been away from her since his return from

Africa, so he tried to reason with himself that he was feeling skittish merely because of that. But,

the nagging intuition continued to flood his thoughts. Spike distinctly sensed that Buffy was

terrified and in trouble, and it was driving him crazy.

"Spike, are you okay?" Andrew yelled. "You're very quiet."

Spike leaned back a little. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Do you want to play a road game?"

Spike was lost in his own thoughts again and only vaguely heard the boy's question, but he didn't

reply. Andrew seemed to understand that Spike needed peace and left it at that.

***

Spike was relieved when they entered Sunnydale with a few hours remaining until dawn. They

had made good time. The nagging feeling that Buffy needed him had not left him, but had only

intensified. He couldn't get to Revello Drive fast enough and pushed the speed limit through the

center of the town.

Reaching Buffy's darkened house, the two entered quietly. Andrew was yawning and dragging

his feet.

"Get some rest," Spike said in a low voice. "I've got to talk to Buffy."

Andrew offered the cloth sack to the vampire, and Spike took it from him, setting it carefully

down by the coat tree in the foyer. He started up the stairs as Andrew disappeared into the

darkness of the living room.

"Spike."

Spike halted on the first step and leaned back, squinting into the dining room. Giles sat at the

table in the moonlight from the window, his glasses on the papers spread before him.

"Rupert. Keeping late hours."

"Ah, yes. Did you find anything of interest at the mission?"

"Yeah, plenty."

Giles rose wearily from the table, wiping his glasses. Spike noted that he still wore the gray

turtleneck from the day before. "Well?"

"Well, it's for Buffy's eyes and ears only."

"What?" Giles stared at Spike as if the vampire had suddenly grown a third eye.

"I'll repeat, Watcher. I can only talk to Buffy about this. If she chooses to share it with you later,

fine." Spike started back up the stairs.

"She's not here."

Spike turned slowly and descended the steps until he was standing face-to-face with Giles. All of

his fears about Buffy's welfare surfaced again and he asked, "She's not still on patrol, is she?"

Giles looked pointedly at the sleeping potentials in the living room and motioned Spike into the

kitchen. Spike followed impatiently, close on the his heels. Giles turned on the light over the

sink and leaned back against the counters, rubbing his forehead. Spike stood in the middle of the

room, his arms crossed over his chest. He could feel the panic rising in his chest, and was doing

everything he could not to shake the information out of the older man.

Giles began, "Buffy was asked to leave the house earlier tonight by Dawn."

Spike kept his voice low and even as he leaned forward on the kitchen island, "You want to tell

me what the hell you're talkin' about?"

Giles took a deep breath and sighed. "Buffy wanted to take the girls back to the vineyard tonight.

She is convinced that we've been misdirecting our efforts at the seal in the school basement. She

seems to feel that since Caleb is protecting the vineyard, his source of his power is actually

there."

"Yeah, and who says she's wrong about that?"

"Well, everyone, actually." Giles removed his glasses yet again and nervously wiped them with

his handkerchief.

"Okay, Rupert, I'm confused. And I'm about at the end of my rope, as I've had a feeling that

something was wrong with Buffy all night. So, I'm asking you no, I'm tellin' you explain

yourself to me right now."

There was no mistaking that Giles looked exceedingly uncomfortable. "All the girls, and

Xander...Willow...everyone...they're still reeling from the battle at the vineyard the other night.

We lost Molly, as you know, and other girls. Xander lost...well...you know what he lost. They

girls...everyone...decided that Buffy's judgment is impaired."

Spike was beginning to seethe. "Go on..."

"They are not willing to go back to the vineyard without a plan. It's just too dangerous." Giles

replaced his glasses on his nose and shifted his weight. "Buffy said that she could not remain

here and watch Faith lead them into disaster, so...Dawn asked her to leave."

Spike was incredulous. "Faith! What are you saying? And the Bit? Are you tryin' to tell me

that Faith's in charge now and that there was some sort of bloody mutiny here tonight?"

"Spike, calm down right now. I understand that you and Buffy have some sort of connection, but

that doesn't mean that you can..."

"No, you stupid git, you don't know anything about Buffy and me. What did you send me off

on this mission so that you could all turn on Buffy tonight? Did you just let her go off? Did you

try to stop her, Rupert?"

Giles hung his head and Spike had his answer.

***

The streets were deserted in town with the exception of the occasional looter and straggler van

loaded with possessions heading out of town. His motorcycle was nearly out of petrol, but Spike

pushed on, reaching the rural outskirts of Sunnydale and speeding along the trail to the vineyard.

He had tracked Buffy's scent through the center of town, but had lost it at the edge of the woods.

It filled him with dread to consider that she might have gone off to battle Caleb alone while those

ungrateful bastards remained snug and safe back in her own home.

Spike's anger simmered as he remembered all that Buffy had done since Joyce's death to hold on

to that house and care for Dawn. She had gone out of her way to shelter, feed and train all the

potentials as they converged on Revello drive from the four corners of the earth. //What were her

friends and family thinking? How could they betray her like this?//

Nearing the vineyard, Spike cut his engine and coasted behind a thicket where he left his bike

and set out on foot. Hugging a line of trees, he silently ran next to the trail. The familiar clearing

loomed ahead, the lanterns of the vineyard's main building glowing softly. Spike crouched down

behind some bushes while considering his next move.

Suddenly, Spike picked up Buffy's scent once again on a breeze and his hopes soared because he

couldn't smell her blood with it. Switching into game face, he scanned the woods around him.

Seeing nothing, he stayed low to the ground and move ahead to the next thicket of shrubbery.

"Spike!" Buffy hissed.

Spike whirled to his left and saw her about twenty feet away. "Buffy!" He slipped back into his

human visage and quickly crossed the clearing, grabbing her arm and leading her back into the

woods where it was safer. "What the hell are you doing here all alone?"

"I'm on surveillance. You know, recon...reconna..." She sighed. "A recon-thingy." She held her

chin high as she gazed at him. //Good show, luv, but I already know you must be breaking

inside...//

"What are *you* doing here? she queried. Don't you have any idea what time it is?"

"I'm lookin' for you. Already been aboard the USS Caine."

Buffy's gaze fell to her feet and her shoulders slumped. "Yeah..."

Spike gently touched her arm. "Look, we need to get you away from here...we've got no weapons

and I need to find some shelter...unless you're thinkin' about usin' me to build yourself a

campfire. Spike thought he could see a ghost of a smile reach her lips in the darkness, but he

couldn't be sure.

"My bike's parked just down the lane. Come on."

Buffy nodded and they set off together, careful to stay close to the outline of the woods. Every so

often, Spike caught her looking up at him. In the moonlight, he could see that her eyes were

huge and sad, all puffy and rimmed in pink. Seeing her so desolate made his chest ache.

He found where he'd hidden his bike and rolled it onto the trail.

"God, Spike, I haven't been on one of these in years."

"Don't worry, Slayer. It's one of those things you never forget." He flashed an impish grin at her

and climbed on. She threw her leg over and slid into place behind him. Spike assumed she

would hold onto the back of seat, so when her thin arms wrapped around his chest and held on

for dear life, he was pleasantly surprised and tried to ignore the warmth that suddenly infused his

soul. It beat Andrew's arms around him, that was for certain.

***

By the time they reached the center of town, Buffy's head was resting heavily on Spike's back,

her arms still tightly wrapped around his waist. The telltale sputtering of the engine signaled that

they were finally out of fuel, and Spike pulled over to the curb in front of the old Magic Box.

Buffy didn't move, and although he knew he could have stayed like that with her arms around

him forever, he gently rubbed her hands and turned to look at her.

"Hey, we need to walk from here."

"Yeah. Okay." Buffy slid off the bike and hugged herself, looking at him. "Where is it you

think we're going, Spike?"

"You need to go home, Buffy...reclaim what's yours." He slid off the bike and silently hoped no

one would steal it. He loved that bike.

"I can't go back there. Not now."

"When?"

"I don't know. Maybe never." Her eyes filled with tears that shone in the streetlamp above them.

"I need time."

"Look...come here." Spike motioned her to a furniture showroom that had obviously been

looted, as the display windows were shattered. Spike climbed up into one and held his hand out

for Buffy, who took it while he pulled her into the store with him.

Small pieces of furniture had obviously been lifted from the store and nicknacks lay broken in the

aisles. Spike made his way into the back of the store and into a tiny showroom cubicle set up to

look just like a bedroom. Spike flicked on a bedside lamp and motioned for Buffy to sit down.

He then went in search of the bathroom where he retrieved a cup of water for her. In the sales

office he rummaged through desk drawers until he found a chocolate bar. When Spike returned,

Buffy had removed her leather coat and was sitting down on the emerald green bedspread that

captured the color of her eyes. She accepted the water and sugar transfusion gratefully.

Spike sat down on a chair next to her. "Feel like tellin' me what went on back at the house?"

Buffy looked uncomfortable. "What else? Buffy screwed up...again. I got it into my head that

Caleb must be protecting something important at that vineyard, and I wanted to go in again

tonight and find it." She hung her head. "Everyone looked at me like I had grown two heads."

She looked utterly wounded. "Every single person...the girls...Xander...well, I can't blame him. I

mean, look what Caleb did to him. But even Willow, *Giles*...and Dawn!"

Buffy closed her eyes and huge tears slid down her cheeks. Spike automatically reached out to

catch them.

"Spike, I obviously can't do this...lead. I try to make the tough decisions like Giles said, but I'm

lacking something. I just don't have what it takes."

"Yes, you *do*. You have everything inside of you, Buffy. You are fighting the First Evil...a

force that's been around since the Beginning. This is not going to be easy, but I know you can do

it."

Buffy shook her head. "No, I'm done. They have Faith to lead them now. I thought that was a

bad thing, but maybe it's for the best. When I lead, girls die. People I love get hurt and

lose...body parts. Those girls are just babes and I don't want to be responsible for them

anymore."

"You were their age...younger, than some...when you started fighting evil."

"I know, but I was so full of confidence back then. Everything was easy...so black and white.

Now, I'm filled with doubts...everything's gray. I don't make the right decisions. I'm not sure of

anything anymore." Buffy wrung her hands in her lap.

"Buffy..." Spike knelt in front of her and captured her fidgeting hands in his. "No one has all the

answers. All you can do is your best, and I know that'll be enough. Look, I've lived a hundred

plus years, and there's only one thing I've ever been sure of, and that's you."

Buffy's eyes widened and she swallowed hard, hanging on his every word. If he didn't do it now,

he might never get another chance. He reached up to touch Buffy's face, but she started to turn

her head and he could see the fear in her eyes.

"Buffy, look at me." He gently turned her face so that she could see his eyes. "I *love* you."

Buffy closed her eyes in anguish and the tears flowed again. She whispered, "I'm not worthy of

your love, Spike."

Spike felt tears sting his own eyes as he rose and sat down next to her on the bed. He gathered

her trembling form into his arms and stroked her back and hair.

"Look, the boy and me...we found out some things at the mission in Gilroy. Important things.

We brought something back with us that might help you fight Caleb. It's at the house, so you

have to go back there and get it."

Buffy sniffed loudly and wiped her nose with her sleeve. "What is it?"

"An ancient text. It was in a wall concealed by a stone inscribed in Latin."

"Could you read the inscription?"

"Yeah, it said something about 'it' not being for 'thee', but only for 'her' to wield."

"Wield? Well, a lot of good wielding my power did tonight." Her wry grin was a step in the right

direction, Spike thought. "What's the 'it'?"

"I don't know. The monk made it clear that you need to read the text to find out. I can translate

it. So could Rupert, I'm sure. Whatever 'it' is, it's for you only."

"What about Faith? She's a 'her'."

"Umm, Slayer...Caleb and the First have been playin' with' *you*, not Faith. I think it's a safe bet

you're 'her'."

"God, I'm so tired, Spike. I need to rest before I can figure out what to do."

"Yeah. Look, I'll just catch a few winks over here in this chair."

Buffy looked up at him with pleading eyes, tears still glistening in them. "Will you just hold

me?"

She had made the request so easily and without hesitation. Spike felt his head nod solemnly, but

his ears were ringing and he began trembling as soon as her request registered. How long had he

waited for her to ask him to touch her, never actually believing that she ever would?

Spike walked slowly to the other side of the bed and removed his coat, sitting down slowly and

reclining back against the massive headboard and plush pillows. He held out his arms to the

woman who held his heart, and she moved into them as if she'd never left. For the second time

that night, tears filled his eyes and Spike knew that if his heart could beat, it would burst through

his chest. When he tried to draw her closer to him, Buffy held her hand against his chest so that

she could look up at him.

Spike was drowning in the green of her eyes. //I'm drownin' in you, Summers...// He was falling,

spiraling out of control and didn't know how...didn't *want*...to stop it. //Buffy...Buffy...Love.//

All of the emotions that he had hidden for a year burst through the dam. He knew that she would

be able to see them all in his eyes, but he didn't care anymore. In return, her eyes spoke volumes

to him...of gratitude, admiration, trust, respect...and...love. And he knew as she gazed at him that

someday she would tell him. He could wait.

~Finis~