True Nature
Chapter 6
Buffy strode past the desk and into the elevator. The three men had to hurry to keep up with her, despite the fact that all three had much longer strides. She punched the button for Spike’s floor and stood staring silently at the door with her arms crossed.
They followed her off the elevator and Wesley hurried in front of her to unlock the doors. Since all of them had been on the receiving end of this Slayer’s wrath, all of them remained silent and sat down on the sofa, waiting for an indication of what she expected of them.
She began pacing across the living room, her arms swinging violently. “Arrgh, was he always like this?”
“Like what, luv?”
“You know. All, ‘I‘ve had a bicentennial, so I know everything, and I’m superior to all other demons because my curse makes me all guilt-ridden and broody, so I’m always right, even if I change my mind six thousand times, so everybody listen to me because I always know what’s best for everyone’?” She crossed her arms and collapsed into the chair behind her.
She glared at Spike as she saw him trying to cover a smirk. “Don’t laugh.”
“I’m not. It’s just that, well, you’ve pretty much got ol’ Peaches pegged.”
She sat up. “Okay, I understand, sixteen, first love, tall, dark, handsome, mysterious. You don’t really see the flaws. But, how did I not see this later.” She paused. “Well, that’s pretty easy, too. Kind of hard to see the flaws when the flaws aren’t around to be seen.”
She stood up and started pacing again. “I did sort of start seeing it, you know. When he came back the last time. I started seeing some of the stuff he pulled. The way he was acting like a twelve year old over Spike having a soul, and the way he has a tendency to go all Dawson on me every time I have a man in my life. But, still...the way I went on and on about him for...God, for years. You know, Riley only met him once, but he got him right away. Called him ‘Mr. Billowy Coat King of Pain.’ And he was right.” She turned to look at them when she heard a strangled sound and realized that all three of them had their hands over their mouths, attempting to smother laughter. She rolled her eyes. “Why didn’t somebody slap me?” They couldn’t stop themselves then; the laughter came pouring out of them. She flopped back into the chair again, sulking as she listened to them laugh.
Spike was the first to stop. He moved over to the chair and crouched down. “Sorry, luv. It’s just that we’ve all been waitin’ for you to come to your senses about the poof, and it’s about bloody time. Besides, we’ve all made mistakes. Mine was Dru, and I see your seven years and raise you a century. From what I hear Rupert’s got a few skeletons in his closet from his misspent youth. And ol’ Wes has some ditzy deb and a little flirtation with Cordelia in his past.” Spike chose not to mention Lilah, he knew Wesley was still sensitive on that subject.
Buffy smiled and blushed. She turned her head toward Spike and buried her face in his neck, until she heard the surprised gasps from the other men in the room and realized that Spike had become corporeal again for a brief time. She looked up into his stunned blue eyes. He shrugged, indicating he still had no idea how he was able to touch her.
She smiled at him and her eyelids fluttered, sleepily. He smiled softly at her. He gestured for her to get up and then turned to Wesley and Giles. “Oi, up, you gits, let the lady lay down. She’s had a helluva day.” The two men scrambled up off the couch and Buffy lay down at Spike’s urging. Within minutes, she was sound asleep.
Wesley turned on the television, with the sound down low. They watched Spike’s tape of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, as they struggled to keep their laughter low.
*********************
By the time the final credits rolled, Buffy was rousing. She stretched and yawned and sat up. “Thanks. I feel so much better. So, what’s on the agenda?”
Giles cleared his throat. “Well, I unfortunately, have to leave. I have a ticket for a flight back to Cleveland that leaves in about three hours. So, I should be getting my things together so that I can head back to the airport.”
“Oh that’s right. I forgot you weren’t staying.”
Wesley stood up. “Well, if you’re going to be leaving, come with me. I’d like to give you that copy of the Devandrine Codex that came into our possession.”
“Yes, yes. Please. We could certainly use that. Thank you.”
They left to head to the library to retrieve the Codex, leaving Buffy and Spike alone.
Spike turned to Buffy. “Pet, I have to ask, what the bloody hell are you doing living on top of another Hellmouth? After Willow’s spell, you could have gone anywhere, done anything. Why would you go to another Hellmouth?”
Buffy smiled sadly. “Giles wanted to go there. He thought it would be a good place to train the new Slayers. You know, give them all a place with plenty of action, and also have plenty of Slayers on hand to keep the locals safe, prevent future apocalypses, you know the drill. And, I didn’t really have anywhere else to go.
“When you sealed the Hellmouth, you really sealed it. All of Sunnydale collapsed on top of it. So, no school, no house, no job, nothing. Dawn and I didn’t have anywhere to go; neither did Xander or Andrew. Willow was going with Kennedy and Kennedy was going to the Hellmouth. So, we decided to stick together.”
“But, Angel said something about Europe.”
“Yeah, we visited Europe to pick up some Potentials, and pay a short visit to my dad and his girlfriend/secretary in Spain. But that was only for a few weeks. We’ve been living in Cleveland most of the time.”
“So, you’re just going to keep on with the hero gig until it finally kills you?” Spike couldn’t keep the bitterness out of his voice.
“Spike...”
“No, you deserve a chance at a little bit of peace, a little bit of happiness in this life, before you go back to Heaven. You’ve earned it.”
Buffy smiled at him as a tear slid down her cheek. “I meant what I said, you know. Before, back on the Hellmouth. I do love you.”
Spike smiled softly. “Yeah, I know. I mean, I know you care about me, but I also knew that it wasn’t the kind of love I was talking about.”
Buffy’s lower lip trembled as she shook her head. “No, you’re wrong. I finally figured it out. Like I was telling Angel, you were the one. The one who understood me, and could be my equal. The one I could be happy with. I just figured it out too late.”
She leaned closer to Spike and touched her lips to his. They were both too far gone to care that he was corporeal enough for their lips to make contact. The kiss was soft and gentle, and never deepened. But, when they pulled back, they realized that they had taken a very important step in their relationship.
A minute later the door opened and Wesley and Giles walked in. Giles carried the Codex and they were discussing the various texts in the firm’s library. Wesley paused as he noticed the change in the atmosphere in the room. One look at their faces told him that something important had passed between Buffy and Spike. Giles finally noticed it as well, and was relieved to see Buffy looking so relaxed, and happy.
“Well, I believe I have everything that I need. I just have to call a taxi and I’ll be on my way.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll drive you to the airport. It’s not that far. And Angel doesn’t need me right now.” Wesley gestured toward the door.
“Wait, I’ll go with you. I want to see you off.” Buffy stood up. “I just want you to know how grateful I am to both of you for getting me here.”
Both men smiled and looked sheepishly at the floor. Spike stood up and joined Buffy. “I’ll come, too. Haven’t seen the airport, yet.”
Buffy looked confused. “I thought you couldn’t leave. Bound to Wolfram and Hart, and all that.”
“No, luv. I can leave the building. Just can’t leave LA. Something to do with the amulet being the property of Wolfram and Hart, and I’m bound to the amulet, so...”
“Oh, okay. Well, let’s go.”
***********************
A few hours later, Wesley, Spike, and Buffy returned to Wolfram and Hart after seeing Giles off at the airport. Buffy had hugged him and told him to tell everyone that she was fine and that she’d call them soon. And to bring them up to speed on what was going on.
Once they returned, though, Buffy didn’t feel like sitting around. She felt the need to go out and do something active. The events of the day had her wound up. First, finding out Spike was back from the bottom of the crater that used to be Sunnydale. Then, getting into it with Angel, not once, but twice, over his interference in her life. Not to mention her emotional admission to Spike. And finally, sending Giles back to Cleveland. Now, she needed to patrol.
“I’m going to go patrol.” She announced as they entered Spike’s rooms again.
Both men stared at her as if she had just announced that she planned to dance naked atop Harmony’s desk in the lobby.
“What?”
“Buffy, you have only been here for a few hours. And, this is LA, not Sunnydale, or Cleveland. You are not familiar with...”
“Wes, in case you’ve forgotten my background, I was called in LA. I grew up here. I know LA. I’ll be fine.”
Spike looked unconvinced. “I don’t know, luv. I know you used to live here, but that was a while back. Things change, places, people you thought you knew. I’d feel better if...” He changed tactics when he saw the look on her face. “If I went with you. I’ve been out and about a few times since I’ve been here. Been out with Wes a few times, and Angel a bit, know my way around. May not be much help in the slaying department anymore, but I can make sure you don’t get lost on the way.”
Buffy started to shake her head, but then realized that she did want Spike with her, and she had no real reason to tell him no. So, she smiled and nodded. “Fine, you can come with.”
Wesley cleared his throat. The other two turned to look at him. “You need a lozenge, Wes?” Spike quirked an eyebrow at him.
“Well, I’d like to go as well. Unless, you two are planning on more snogging than slaying?”
Buffy blushed as Spike smirked. “Good plan, mate. But I think the Slayer was planning on actually doing some slaying tonight.”
“You can come, too, Wes.” Buffy finally managed. She deliberately ignored the wink Wesley sent in Spike’s direction.
She followed them to the elevator and then into Wes’ office where they gathered weapons and then headed out into the warm night.
*********************
The first three cemeteries yielded neither fledglings, nor older vampires looking for a meal. The fourth cemetery, however, yielded a group of vampires looking for a fight.
Spike growled as he stood helplessly by watching his friend and the woman he loved fighting for their lives. They had already taken out three vampires and now Buffy held off two vampires. Wes staked one vampire and moved toward one of the vampires Buffy was fighting. Suddenly, Spike saw another vampire move out of the shadows from behind Buffy. She was engaged with her opponent, Wes was struggling against a much tougher enemy and neither could stop the vampire sneaking up behind Buffy. Without thinking, Spike launched himself at the other vampire and knocked him away from Buffy.
As he did, she staked her opponent, then spun and staked the vampire Spike had knocked to the ground. At the same time, Wes finally dispatched the vampire he’d been fighting. They turned to look at Spike, who was lying on the ground, staring dazedly at the pile of dust that had been a vampire a moment before.
“How the bloody hell do I keep doing that?”
Wes shook his head. “I’m not sure. Maybe it is unconscious as Buffy has suggested, but perhaps it also has to do with desire. So far, it has all been related to Buffy, but it has also been related to desire; a desire to touch her, to protect her, to comfort her. But, it has all arisen from a strong, albeit, unconscious desire to do so.”
They thought about it. “So, do you think that if I think want it badly enough, I can touch someone?”
“Perhaps.”
“Worth a try.”
Spike moved closer to Buffy and focused his mind on touching her. He reached out and placed his hand on her cheek. At first, his fingers passed through her skin, then he pulled back and tried again. This time, he was able to gently stroke her cheek. They smiled softly at each other, until Wesley coughed lightly.
“That’s very good, Spike. Now, can you touch anything else?”
Spike moved closer to Wesley and reached out to touch his shoulder. His hand passed through him. He tried again. Again, his hand passed through. He walked over to Buffy again and stroked her cheek with no difficulty.
He scowled and walked over to a tombstone. He concentrated and kicked at it. His foot passed through it with no resistance. He focused and tried again. This time, his foot made solid contact. “Ow! Bloody Hell! That hurt!”
When he heard laughter, he turned and glared at his two companions. “What the sodding hell is so funny?”
Buffy stifled her giggles long enough to ask, “Did you have to kick it to test your abilities?”
“Ha bloody ha, Slayer.” He scowled at Wesley. “Et tu, Brute?” Wesley didn’t even bother to answer.
Spike turned and stalked away indignantly, attempting to salvage his pride. Buffy and Wes looked at each other, let out one more burst of laughter, then hurried after him.
“Spike, come on. I’m sorry. We both are. Please stop.” Buffy caught up to him and raced in front of him. “Please. We’re sorry. Besides, weren’t you the one laughing at my expense just a few hours ago?”
Spike looked a bit sheepish at that and stopped. “I guess I did look like a bit of a prat.” He admitted.
Buffy glanced over his shoulder at Wesley who nodded. “Yeah, kind of.” She said.
Spike smiled. “You have no idea what I just said do you?”
“Yes, I do. You said you looked like a prat.”
“And a prat is...”
“Uh,...”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. I caught that little peek at Wesley. So, what? He give you the thumb’s up?”
Buffy blushed and nodded. “Sort of. So, what is a prat?”
“A pillock.” Wesley replied.
“And a pillock is...”
“A git.” Spike supplied.
“Okay, I’m going to hit someone soon, and since Spike is non-corporeal...” She sent a pointed look at Wes. He and Spike both snickered.
“Relax, luv. All those words mean basically mean ‘idiot‘.” Spike told her.
“Oh. Then, yes, you did look like a prat. And a pillock. And a git.” She smiled sweetly at him.
“Is that right?” Spike focused and suddenly attacked. He tickled her mercilessly until she collapsed on the ground in giggles.
“Stop, please. I give up.” Buffy begged.
“Never thought you were the begging kind, Slayer.” Spike purred in her ear as he helped her up.
“So, you are clearly gaining more control over your ability to become corporeal.” Wesley observed.
“Looks like.” Spike replied. He walked over to Wesley and reached out to touch his shoulder again. This time, his hand made contact.
“Well, look at that.” Spike said with wonder. He looked at Wesley, his eyes shining. “I’ll be buggered.” He threw his arms around Wes and gave him a big hug, which Wesley returned. “Thanks, mate. I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”
As they pulled apart, Wes smiled. “I think I have a pretty good idea.”
They all looked at each other. Wes took note of the looks the Slayer and vampire were exchanging and yawned. “Well, I think that’s enough patrolling for tonight. It’s been pretty quiet, considering. So, perhaps we should head back, now.”
Spike and Buffy nodded and they climbed in Wes’ car and drove back to Wolfram and Hart. Wes didn’t even bother to ask if Buffy needed a ride somewhere. He knew from his conversations with Spike that he and Buffy had been sleeping together before his death, and given the looks they’d been exchanging, Wes was pretty sure that she’d be staying with him tonight.
“Well, I’ll see you in the morning. We can do some more research on the amulet. Maybe now that Spike can affect material objects, he can be of some assistance.”
Buffy and Spike both groaned but agreed, then climbed out of the car and entered the building.
When they reached the door of Spike’s suite, they were surprised to find Angel standing there.
Spike instinctively moved in front of Buffy. “What is it now, Peaches?”
Angel shuffled nervously. “I wanted to...apologize. What Buffy said, what everybody said, was right. I was jealous, and hurt, and angry. I should have given you more of a chance. And, I’m sorry.”
He looked at Buffy. “And, you were right about me making decisions for you without consulting you. It’s your life, not mine, and you deserve to make your own choices. I’m sorry.”
Buffy and Spike looked at each other, then at Angel. “Okay, forgiven.” They said.
“This doesn’t mean I think you two belong together. That’s still just...not right.” Angel cringed at the thought. Buffy and Spike rolled their eyes.
“So, Buffy, can I offer you a room? I have a spare bedroom. Or, I can put you up at a hotel?” Angel offered politely.
“No thanks. I’m fine staying with Spike.”
“Spike?”
“Yeah. We have a lot of catching up to do. And besides, what are you worried about, Spike’s all non-corporeal, remember?”
“Yeah, right.” Angel looked uncomfortable, but turned and walked to the elevator.
As the doors closed, Spike looked at Buffy. “Non-corporeal, pet?”
Buffy smirked at Spike. “Well, do we really want him hanging around trying to figure out some way to keep interrupting us to make sure we aren’t doing anything he’s afraid we might be doing?”
“Not quite sure I followed you ‘round that bend, luv.”
“I just meant, that since you can touch me, now. And since we are all alone and we can go in here and do some talking and maybe some touching. I didn’t want to give him any reason to suspect that we might be...touching. He would probably try to find some way to interrupt us. And, I really want some alone time. Don’t you?”
Spike couldn’t do anything but nod as she took the key from her purse and opened the door.
TBC
Chapter 7
As they walked through the door, Spike began to feel nervous.
“Buffy, luv, I don’t know how...solid, I can uh...”
Buffy smiled at his sudden shyness. Then rushed to comfort him when she saw
the hurt in his eyes.
“I wasn’t laughing at you, Spike. It’s just...you’re so...”
“If you say cute, I’m out of here.” Spike glared at her.
Buffy bit her lip to try to hide her smile; cute was exactly what she wanted to say. “I was going to say sexy.”
“Yeah, sure you were.” Spike looked unconvinced, but he allowed Buffy to steer him toward the couch.
“Spike, I’m not expecting you to perform miracles.” She told him as they sat down. I’ve just missed you. I’ve missed being close to you, touching you, feeling you next to me” She put her hand against his cheek. “I just want to experiment tonight, find out how much we can touch each other.”
Spike reached up and gently caressed her cheek. “I’ve missed you, too. I was so worried when I first came back, but Angel assured me you were fine. Wouldn’t let me talk to you, poncy bugger, but promised me you were okay.”
Buffy frowned at first, then rolled her eyes good-naturedly at Spike’s reference to Angel. She leaned against the back of the couch next to him. “I hated leaving you there. You know that, right?”
Spike nodded. He remembered seeing her broken body lying atop a pile of debris, under a tower built for a Hellgod and he knew just how she felt “I know, luv. I’m sorry you had to go through that. But, you know I had to do it, right. Just like I understand now why you jumped off that bloody tower. It wasn’t a choice. It had to be done.” She nodded. “But, I’m back now, so you don’t have to miss me anymore.”
She smiled, but looked at him, a question in her eyes. “But, what about those trips into Hell you said you’ve been taking?”
Spike looked surprised. “Know what? I haven’t had one of those little trips since...” He paused to think. “Since Wesley read me that bloody book that Rupert wrote.” He looked genuinely confused. “Wonder why?”
Buffy, on the other hand looked pleased. “That’s great. Hey, don’t go looking for trouble. This is us, remember? It will find us soon enough. Besides, alone time, remember?”
Spike smiled and scooted closer. “So, what should we do with our alone time?”
Buffy leaned up and kissed him. This time the kiss slowly deepened, gently, but passionately. They opened their mouths and allowed their tongues to dance. Spike’s hands came up to slide into Buffy’s hair. Buffy slid her hands up Spike’s back, gently caressing him.
Spike broke the kiss first; sliding his lips down Buffy’s cheek to her neck, gently nibbling until he found the spot below her ear that he knew drove her crazy. He nibbled on that spot, sliding one hand down to cup her breast through her blouse, rubbing the nipple underneath, until she was whimpering and writhing under his ministrations.
He moved one hand to her blouse, but realized that he would not be able to manipulate the buttons.
“Buffy, luv, the buttons...”
Buffy came out of her lust-induced fog long enough to realize that he needed her help to get her blouse off. She unbuttoned her blouse as he watched. She loved his eyes. She could see so much in them. Right now, they were full of love and desire. They followed her every move as she undid each button and then slid the blouse off of her arms and dropped it to the floor. Then they watched as she unhooked her bra, slid the straps down, and sent it to join her blouse. Then she couldn’t see his eyes anymore.
As soon as Buffy got her clothing out of the way, Spike moved in. He hadn’t tasted her in far too long. He latched his mouth onto one rosy nipple and began teasing it with his teeth and tongue. His hand came up to tease the other one. Buffy simply lay back and enjoyed the sensations. It wasn’t quite the same as before. For one thing, Spike was being much gentler, probably because she was letting him. But, also, it was almost ethereal. She couldn’t describe it; it was nothing she’d ever experienced. He wasn’t cold, or warm, he felt just wonderful. She moaned and arched into his touch.
Spike switched sides and gave the same treatment to the other breast. Buffy moaned and sighed, as she softly ran her fingers through his hair. She smiled at the feeling of his hair. Soft, but almost insubstantial, like if she tugged it too hard, it would just fall to nothing in her hands. So, she tried to restrain herself, no matter how much pleasure he was bringing her.
Spike was in heaven. He never thought he’d ever be able to touch Buffy like this. Not, again, because they’d never really been together like this. It had usually been fast, hard, and rough. There had only been a few exceptions. And even then, she usually had not allowed much foreplay. For her, foreplay had been a bit of rough and tumble, or a round of Kick the Spike, no snogging allowed. This was what he had always wanted and he was in heaven.
Buffy slipped out of the rest of her clothes and returned to the couch. Spike continued to torment her with his hands and mouth until she screamed his name in pleasure.
“Wow.” She breathed out. “That was... I mean it was.. you know you got the job done before, but that was...wow.”
Spike chuckled. “Well, what can I say, luv? I was inspired.”
Buffy giggled and slapped his arm. Of course her slap went right through him, which made both of them laugh harder. “Okay, I think we’re both way too tired. Do you have a bed in this place?”
“Oh, uh, yeah. This way.” Spike waited as Buffy picked up her clothes and led her to his bedroom.
She gasped when she walked in. The room was nothing like his crypt, nothing like she’d expected. Of course, she should have learned by now. Nothing about Spike was ever what she expected. The room was done in oak with dark blues and greens with a queen-size bed, dresser, and (‘okay, not a surprise‘) small entertainment center.
Spike watched Buffy get ready for bed and was amazed to discover that his love for her apparently knew no bounds. Who knew that watching her brush her teeth at his sink and climb into his bed, even when he knew it was just to sleep, could be so sexy?
As she snuggled down under the blanket next to him, she sighed. “We need to get you fully corporeal again. I want to be able to return the favor.” She kissed him gently, then drifted off to sleep.
Spike had a little more trouble finding sleep that night, his imagination kept running over just how she could return the favor.
*******************
The next morning, Wesley knocked on the door to Spike’s suite, apparently not remotely disturbed to find Buffy answering the door, looking like she had just gotten out of bed, or possibly been out of bed and then been enticed back into it.
He smiled. “Good morning, Buffy. I need to speak with you and Spike.”
Buffy stepped back and allowed Wes to enter the living room. Spike was lounging on the couch, with a very pleased look on his face. Wesley just shook his head and smiled at the smirk on Spike’s face.
“Well, I’m glad that you two had a pleasant evening, but we really do need to get to work on finding out what if going on with the amulet and see if we can’t find a way to re-corporealize you, Spike. So, Angel has called a meeting in his office. Apparently, the remarks made in there yesterday made an impact on him and he has decided to back us up in our efforts, and has called a meeting to organize the efforts.”
Buffy and Spike rolled their eyes. Wes looked at them, “What?” He asked in an irritated voice.
“Nothing, Wes. It’s just that, yeah, Angel’s on the bandwagon, now, big yay, but now that he is, all of a sudden he’s in charge. You and Spike and Fred have been doing this for months, but now Angel’s going to take charge. Doesn’t that ever just...”
“Chafe your willy?” Spike asked. Buffy nodded.
Wesley sighed. “Sometimes. But, in this case we can use his help. He is the head of the firm and with his full backing we can use all of the firm’s resources.”
Buffy and Spike sighed, but agreed with Wesley’s assessment.
“Fine, I’ll go take a shower.” Buffy left to go freshen up.
After she left, Wesley looked at Spike. “You do realize Angel may very well stake you if we do get you fully corporeal again?”
Spike nodded as he looked in the direction of the bathroom. “Yeah, but trust me mate, she’s worth the risk.”
*************************
Half an hour later, Spike, Wesley, and Buffy walked through the door of Angel’s office. As they sat down, a strange look passed over Angel’s face. He could tell that Buffy had recently showered, but under it he could smell her arousal. He knew Spike was still non-corporeal, and unable to touch anything, but apparently something had happened. And, since Spike was still not flesh, he had no scent, and Angel couldn’t detect Buffy’s scent on Spike, either.
He shook it off and cleared his throat. He looked at everyone. “Okay, first, I want to apologize. Gunn, Lorne, and Fred, I’m sorry that I accused you of turning on me. You’ve all been very loyal. Wesley, I’m sorry for everything I said about you being a traitor and defending Spike, even when he was evil. I know you wouldn’t do that. And, I have already apologized to Spike and Buffy for what I’ve done to them.”
He took a deep breath. “Now that I’ve got that out of the way, I agree with Wesley that Spike would be an asset to the firm if were fully corporeal again. So, I am putting all of the firm’s resources at his disposal. He is also released from any non-life-threatening cases to work on this. And, the rest of us will work on it when we can. Is that okay with everyone?”
Everyone looked at each other and nodded. Buffy smiled at Spike who returned her smile.
“Okay, now that that’s settled, we’ve got work to do, so Wesley, you, Buffy and Spike can use the library or your office. Do you need anyone else today?”
Wesley shook his head. Angel nodded. “Good. Okay, that’s it. You can go.”
Everyone nodded and left the office. As they moved out of the office, Fred pulled Buffy and Spike aside. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad that you managed to get through to him. I’m glad someone finally did. So, what can I do to help?”
They smiled at her as Wesley walked over. “Fred wants to know what she can to help.”
“Yes, well, we need you to analyze the amulet, again. See if you can find anything physical, any flaw, or any detail that we might have missed before, that we could use to help us re-corporealize Spike.”
“Okay, where is it?”
“In my office.”
The four of them headed to Wesley’s office. “So, where did you hide it? Angel had this place turned inside out.” Fred asked.
Spike chuckled and walked over to Wesley’s Chelsea Football Club mug. He picked it up and placed it on the desk.
Fred gasped. “You, you can...”
“Yeah, neat isn’t it?”
“How?”
“I can touch and move things if I really want to and especially if I focus on it.”
“That’s great.”
“Look in the mug, pet.”
“What? Oh.” Fred looked into the mug and found the amulet. “Oh, but why didn’t Angel look in there?”
“Why would someone like Wes put a priceless, mystical amulet in a souvenir coffee mug?” Spike asked.
“Ah, good point.” Fred conceded. “So, any idea what I’m looking for?”
“Not really.” Wesley admitted. “I just think there must be something that we’re missing. There may be something on the amulet that I missed before. We’re going to search the library, again, but could you put the amulet through a full spectral analysis?”
“Sure.”
“Thanks.”
Fred smiled and said good bye as Buffy, Spike, and Wesley settled down with the books from the Wolfram and Hart library. Wesley wasn’t sure if the information they needed might be found in any of the various codices, prophecies, or simple historical texts. Therefore, they utilized all of them.
******************
Over the next few weeks, they fell into a comfortable routine. Buffy kept in close touch with her friends and family in Cleveland. Everything was going well. Dawn was fine under Giles’ and Willow’s supervision. She was doing well in her classes and helping with the Slayer training. Giles was preparing her for the new Watcher Academy he was planning as his next project.
Spike, Wesley, and Buffy spent most of their days researching his current state, unfortunately with little success. He had not made much more progress in his ability to manipulate his environment.
They also spent alot of time hanging out in Spike’s living room watching football matches, Passions, and movies. They patrolled together at night. Buffy was impressed with Wesley’s skill at demon fighting and Wesley was impressed at Buffy’s maturity in her technique. They fought well together and enjoyed spending time together with Spike.
Spike was glad they got along so well. It made it easier to spend time with them, and he felt better about them patrolling when he knew they were watching each other’s backs.
Every night after patrol, Wesley dropped them off and Spike and Buffy spent the night talking, snogging, and testing the limits of Spike’s ability to touch Buffy. They got to know each other better than they ever had and fell more in love. But more than that, they learned that they really liked each other.
*******************
About three weeks after Buffy arrived in LA, she, Spike, and Wesley were in the lab with Fred discussing the latest test results, which were just as disappointing as usual.
“Are you sure you haven’t discovered anything new?”
“I’m sorry Wesley, but there’s nothing.”
The door opened and Angel walked in, followed by Gunn and Lorne. “Well, have you found anything new?”
Wesley sighed. “No, nothing.”
Angel shook his head. “You know, I hate to say it, but maybe it’s time to give up.”
Buffy jumped off the stool she was sitting on, ready to tear into Angel. But, she knocked her coffee cup off of the lab table. She tried to catch it, but even with her Slayer reflexes she wasn’t fast enough and the cup shattered on the lab floor.
“Oh, bloody hell.”
“What?” Spike and Wes simultaneously as they burst into laughter.
Buffy looked up as she bent down to pick up the shards. “What?” She paused, then realized what she’d said. “Oh, right, well what do you expect? I spend all my time with you two. I’m lucky I’m not walking around saying ‘bollocks’ and ‘knickers’ and ‘sodding’ all the time.”
Everybody laughed at that. Buffy returned to her task and picked up the broken shards from the floor. But, just as she started to toss them into the trash bin, one of them sliced into her palm.
“Ouch.”
Spike jumped to his feet and hurried to her. “What’s the matter, luv?”
“Oh, nothing. I just cut myself with one of those stupid coffee cup pieces.”
“Oh, poor baby.” Spike purred as he bent to kiss Buffy’s palm. As his lips swept over the cut on her palm, her blood coated his lips. Suddenly, the skin on his face took on a warmer hue, his lips turned slightly warmer, and felt firmer. Buffy gasped as she noticed the changes. She looked up at him with shining eyes. She reached up to stroke his hair and found she could actually feel his hair. She ran her fingers through his locks, pulling a few strands free of their carefully slicked back style, allowing them to curl just the way she liked. After a moment, he again became non-corporeal.
A collective gasp rose behind them. “Did you see that?” “What happened?” “How did they do that?” “What is going on?”
They turned and looked at everyone, the surprise on their faces mirrored by everyone else in the room. Finally, Wesley stepped forward. He indicated the faint traces of blood on both Buffy’s palm and Spike’s lips. “Was it her blood? Is that what precipitated the change?”
Buffy looked at Spike, her eyes wide, as she realized the implications of Wesley’s question. “I-I think so. When he kissed my hand, the-the cut, he got solid.” She looked back at Wesley. “You were watching, was he solid all over, or...?”
“No, it was just his face and head.”
“Oh.”
Spike had not taken his eyes off of Buffy since hearing Wesley’s words. He understood the implications. ‘Because it’s always got to be blood.’
“Okay, so we know that Buffy’s blood can make him corporeal, is it only her blood?” Fred asked.
“I don’t know.” Wes replied. He shrugged and picked up a small scalpel off of a nearby tray and cut his finger. When he tried to raise his finger to Spike’s mouth, though, Spike recoiled in disgust.
“I’m not tasting your blood, Wes.” He backed up. Wes shrugged, but then attempted to smear a small amount of blood on Spike’s hand. His hand passed right through.
“Guess that answers that question.” Wesley announced.
“Okay, so only Buffy’s blood works. Now, what?” Gunn asked.
“Now, nothing.” Spike announced. “I’m not using her blood. Not now, not ever. Not for anything.”
“But, Spike...”
“No, Buffy. I know you want to help me, but you know I will not take your blood.”
He turned and stalked out of the lab, not even bothering with the door. He just walked right through the wall.
Wesley turned to Buffy. “I realize that he doesn’t want to hurt you, but he may not require that much blood. We haven’t been able to find anything else. This may be the only solution. I know that you’ve been in a similar situation before. Perhaps, if you did whatever it was that you did to convince Angel to feed from you...”
“It wouldn’t work.” Buffy responded quietly.
“Buffy, if you would just try...”
“No, she’s right, Wes. It wouldn’t work. She had to hit me until my demon emerged and I bit her. She couldn’t do that with Spike, because she can’t hit him.” Angel informed him.
“Well, what if she just got some blood on him, you know, enough to just get him solid enough to hit him, then she could...” Buffy cut Gunn off before he could finish.
“You guys don’t get it. It wouldn’t work because he’s not Angel. He wouldn’t let his demon loose to bite me, no matter what I did. Even when things were really bad, even when I beat him to a bloody pulp, he never tried to bite me. The only time he ever vamped out on me in the past few years was to get a reaction out of me, not to hurt me or defend himself against me.” She paused. “Well except when he was triggered. Then, he managed to fight off the effects of the trigger once he tasted my blood.”
She turned away. “So, you see, it wouldn’t work. Spike wouldn’t bite me unless he wanted to. And I can’t force him to.”
Wes stepped forward and gathered her into his arms. She sighed and put her head on his chest as she let the tears slide down her cheeks.
TBC
Chapter 8
Wesley gently steered Buffy up the steps into Fred’s office and guided her into the chair. She sat staring blankly at the desk. He understood how she felt. He had come to understand how much she and Spike meant to each other, and they had each had to watch the other sacrifice themselves to save the world. Now, she had the means to bring him back, but he refused it, and she knew why and respected his choice. But, it hurt her to be unable to help him.
He remembered feeling just as helpless because he was unable to help someone he cared for not so long ago. And his feelings for Lilah had not been nearly as deep as Buffy’s for Spike.
He returned to the lab and realized immediately that he needed to get Angel out of there before Buffy or Spike returned. Angel had that ‘kicked puppy’ look in his eyes and Wesley realized that he’d been hurt by her comparison of him to Spike. The last thing Buffy and Spike needed to have to deal with right now was Angel’s wounded pride.
He cleared his throat. “Angel, perhaps, you, Gunn, and Lorne should go. We’re not going to get anything more done today.”
“But, I should talk to...” Angel gestured to the office.
Fred stepped closer to Angel. “I really don’t think that’s a good idea right now. She’s really upset, and you know how things get when you guys get upset. I mean I’ve only seen it once, but I’ve heard about you two. You both say things and feelings get hurt, and is that really what you want?”
Angel glowered at her before looking up at the office windows. He realized she was right. He and Buffy had a knack for hurting each other’s feelings, and would probably do it again if he went up there right now. He sighed heavily and moved to the door.
“Fine, I’ll go. Gunn, Lorne, you coming?”
“Yeah, I’ve got some contracts to go over.” Gunn met him at the door.
Lorne looked around. “I think I’m going to stay here.” He picked up his phone and called his assistant to let him know that he would be unavailable for a while. He had a feeling his other talents would be needed today.
Angel and Gunn shrugged and said goodbye, then left the lab.
Lorne looked at Wesley and Fred then tilted his head toward the office. Wesley looked up at the windows, then sighed.
“Yes, go ahead. But don’t push her. If she’s not ready to talk just let it go.”
“Of course, Wes. You know me.”
Wesley just arched his brow. Lorne just shook his head and went up the stairs.
********************
After Spike stalked out of the lab, he went to his suite. But, he kept thinking about the first night she’d been here. ‘We need to get you fully corporeal again. I want to be able to return the favor.’
Now, he had the chance to be corporeal again, but at what price. He couldn’t risk it. He knew what had happened with Angel. He had heard some of the story during his time with the Scoobies, but Buffy had told him the whole story recently. He wouldn’t do that to her. He couldn’t risk hurting her, just to save his own miserable hide. He’d lost her once; he couldn’t do it again. He was fine just the way he was.
He closed his eyes as he thought about the pained look in her eyes. He knew he’d hurt her with his refusal. She wanted to help him; she was willing. But, he also knew that she understood why he refused. He’d seen the understanding mixed with the pain in her eyes. He knew she’d respect his decision and not try to force the issue.
He rubbed his hand over his face. He couldn’t stay here. He had to go.
********************
Wesley and Fred looked at each other, then looked at the windows of the office. Fred had spent enough time around them during the past few weeks to realize how hard this was on all of them. She wished she could do something to help them. She picked up the amulet and started fiddling with it.
“May I?” Wesley reached for the amulet. Fred handed it to him. “If only this bloody piece of jewelry would yield some sort of...” He paused as he rubbed his thumb over the surface of the stone. He peered closely at the stone. “Fred, do you have any dye?”
Fred looked at him curiously, but hurried over to her equipment cabinet and retrieved a bottle of dye. She returned and handed him the bottle. Wes laid the amulet down on a nearby tray and gently squeezed a small amount of dye onto the stone. As he did, the dye settled into the scratches on the surface of the stone.
“That’s strange.” Fred commented. “We took those for scratches that occurred naturally, since it was probably very old, and had been buried under Sunnydale. But, they look too regular to be accidental, don’t they?”
“Yes. They do.” Wesley responded. “Could you get me something to magnify these markings?”
Fred returned to her equipment cabinet and returned with the strongest lens she had. Wesley nodded his thanks as he took the lens and studied the markings. “They appear to be some sort of ancient script, but they seem familiar. Here, you hold the lens; I’ll write them down.” He moved over as Fred took the lens from him.
He retrieved a pencil and paper from another table and returned. He wrote the symbols down as he looked through the lens, his brain working to try to decipher the meaning even as he wrote.
“Do you recognize them?” Fred asked when he’d finished.
“Not quite. They seem familiar, but I can’t quite place them. I need to get something from my office.” He turned to go, but stopped and turned back and went up the stairs.
He gestured to Lorne and held a brief whispered conversation with him on the stairs before he hurried out of the lab.
*******************
As soon as Wesley entered his office, he saw Spike sitting on the sofa holding the picture of Buffy and Giles.
“Spike.”
Spike sat up straighter and sniffed, running a hand over his face, apparently trying to discreetly wipe away the tears.
“Hey, Wes. How’s the Slayer?”
“She’s upset, naturally, but she will respect your wishes.”
“S’pose Peaches is right chuffed about me being stuck this way.”
“Actually he was being a stroppy prat and I sent him away.”
“What? Why?”
“Apparently, Buffy hurt his feelings when she let everyone know that you’d never let your demon loose to bite her the way he did.”
Spike shook his head. “Typical. Always gotta watch that fragile ego.” He said disgustedly. “But, that’s why I won’t take her blood. As much as he loved her, he nearly killed her, just to save his own sorry skin. Maybe he was too weak to control the demon, I’m not. I won’t do that. I buried her once. I won’t do it again. At least not just so that I can open a door by myself.”
Wesley nodded. “I understand. And I respect your choice. I couldn’t save Lilah, but if I ever find a way to break her contract and release her, I will. I understand wanting to protect someone you care about from further suffering. I will support whatever choice you make.”
He moved over to the table near the desk and picked up the text he had come to retrieve. “However, there may be some new information.” He said, holding up the text. “Would you care to come back with me and find out?”
Spike sighed and stood up, placing the photo of Buffy and Giles back on the shelf. As they turned to go back out of the office, Wesley turned back to Spike. He studied Spike carefully before speaking.
“You know, I’m not sure why you told Angel that you changed your nature to be with Buffy. It seems to me that you primarily changed your feeding habits. It seems to be your nature to love deeply and to protect those you love with everything in you. You apparently haven’t been ‘evil’ for quite some time. Even before you fell in love with Buffy, you were helping the good guys more often than you were aiding the other side.”
Spike ducked his head shyly, and shrugged.
Wesley tilted his head slightly. “I guess you made a good point about Angel, though. Angel or Angelus, he has some control issues, doesn’t he?”
Spike smirked. “Too right, mate. Bloody control freak, he is.”
Wesley chuckled and led Spike back out of the office.
******************
When they arrived back in the lab, Spike immediately went up to the office to check on Buffy. As soon as he arrived in the office, Lorne left.
When he got back to the main floor of the lab, he moved over to Wesley. “You’re right.” He told Wesley. “She’s supposed to restore him.”
Wesley nodded. Now, he just had to figure out how to make it work.
Wesley sat down with the text and his transcribed notes and began to look for the translation to the symbols he’d found. Fred continued with her work for Wolfram and Hart. Lorne came and went as he went about his daily business and checked back in periodically. Buffy and Spike sat in Fred’s office talking quietly, making plans for what they would do if they were unable to re-corporealize Spike.
A few hours later, Wesley shouted out. “Bloody hell! That’s it! I’ve got it!”
Buffy and Spike ran down the steps from the office. Fred came over from the experiment she’d been conducting. Even Lorne, who’d been down the hall, told the director on the other end of the phone that he’d call back and ran to the lab.
“What is it, mate?”
“Okay, I finally found the translation. It’s a corruption of the demon language...”
“Wesley!” Spike interrupted.
“Oh, right. Sorry. It basically says that the blood of the Chosen will restore the Champion. There are a few other words, I can‘t quite decipher.”
“Well, that’s it.” Spike said. “If Buffy’s blood is the only way to restore me, then I’m stayin’ the way I am.”
“Spike, it’s fairly obscure, but I believe that because of the way it’s written, on the stone, and because your essence is trapped within the amulet, I think it’s possible, that we may only need a few drops of Buffy’s blood placed directly on the stone.”
“What?” Buffy moved closer to Wesley.
“I’m not positive, but alot of this is symbolic. The way that Spike’s essence is trapped within the amulet, and the writing scratched into the face of the stone, and the message about your blood,”
“Well, let’s try it. If you’re right, it will work, and if you’re wrong, it won’t hurt anything, will it?”
“I don’t think so.”
Spike stepped closer to Buffy. “Luv, are you sure? I don’t want you to...”
“Spike, I want to try. Okay?”
Spike smiled and nodded.
Buffy stepped up to the lab table where Wesley was standing. He placed the amulet on one of the trays. Fred got a small scalpel from her equipment cabinet and handed it to Wesley. Wesley made a small cut in Buffy’s left index finger. She held her finger over the amulet and let a few drops fall onto the stone.
As the drops hit the surface, they began to glow with a golden light. The light began to swirl up and around creating a swirling vortex that moved up and in the direction of Spike. Spike stood his ground as the swirling, golden light enveloped him. Suddenly, he screamed and fell to the floor. The light disappeared and the room was thrust into semi-darkness.
Buffy dropped to the floor. “Spike? Are you okay? Come on, say something.”
Spike raised his head and blinked painfully at her. He tried to rise, but couldn’t seem to get his legs to work. She tugged him to his feet. As she did, she realized the same thing everyone else in the room did, at the same time.
Spike was fully corporeal again.
TBC