Chapter 15: Save Me From These Evil Deeds

Buffy awoke with a nasty taste in her mouth. She remembered she had fallen asleep without brushing her teeth the night before, and the leftover beer taste was none to pleasant. She tried to move but felt something obstructing her. Buffy reached behind her and discovered that a large cushion from the couch had fallen out of place, trapping her where she lay. She let out a large groan and yanked as hard as she could, trying to free herself. 'Shit,' she thought as she heard a huge ripping noise coming from beneath her. She sat up to see that she had torn the cushion by the seams, thus detaching it from its permanent place on the couch. 'Angel's going to kill me,' she thought, worry crossing her face. 'Well, it's his own damn fault. If he had given up his bed for me, like a proper gentleman, his couch would still be in one piece.' She rose from the couch and tucked the cushion back in where it belonged. Smiling to herself she thought that it looked pretty good. 'He'll never even notice.'

Stretching her body, she felt her back crack in a dozen different places. 'Now would be a good time for Spike's masseur skills.' She froze mid-stretch, remembering her sloppy smoochy-session with Angel the night before. Things didn't get too far. And the kissing, if one could call it that, only lasted for about ten or fifteen minutes tops. Sitting back down on the couch, Buffy put her face in her hands. "What am I doing?" she asked herself quietly.

"Morning sleepyhead." Buffy looked up to see Xander walking towards her from the long hallway. "Slept like a baby again, I hope," he said looking at the girl warily.

"Not so much. This couch may look pretty, but as far as comfort-factor goes - it rates a big fat zero," she said, rubbing a sore spot in her neck, breathing a sigh of relief when it popped back into place.

Xander joined her on the couch and helped her work out one of the knots in her shoulder. "Did you sleep with Cordy in the guestroom?" Buffy asked, after realizing what direction Xander had entered from.

Xander sputtered out a few 'errs' and 'uhhs' before finally admitting that yes he had.

"Wow," Buffy said shocked. "This is a new development. Where have I been?"

"Well snuggling with Angel for one. . ." the brunette said sharply, continuing his massage.

Buffy froze, "Yah, well . . . you and Cordy had the couch . . . so, Angel sat with me. There wasn't a lot of space on that thing." She said trying to cover her ass. She hoped he bought her story, but realized he wasn't going to let her off that quickly when she felt him turn her shoulders until she faced him.

"What's going on Buffy?" he asked, voice calm, yet stern at the same time.

The girl shrugged. "Nothing. . ." Off his skeptical look she huffed. "Fine. Angel and I kissed a few times last night. No big deal." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Satisfied?"

"Not really . . . are you?" Buffy blushed at his question and looked away. She really couldn't handle any judgments right now. Especially from someone who just spent the night with Cordelia.

"Is this what you really want Buffy?" He asked softly, placing one hand on her knee. "Because if it is. . . I'll drop the subject. . .never bring it up again." Buffy remained silent. "But if it isn't. . .I would suggest you stop whatever it is you're doing - pronto - before things get to a point where you can't go back."

Buffy digested his words for a few moments. Her chosen response was sharp and cold. "What I do with my life is none of your business Xander." The boy felt stung as he watched her rise from the couch and walk to her baggage.

'What am I doing? What am I doing? What am I doing?' a voice in her head said frantically as she pulled a towel from her suitcase. She tried to calm down as she passed Xander again in the hallway. Looking down at her feet, she wasn't prepared to bump into Angel in front of the bathroom door. Glancing around nervously, she caught Xander staring at them. Trying to prove him wrong she tilted her head up to the tall man, and said sweetly, "Good morning," before leaning in for a wake-up kiss.

"Sorry Buff," he said backing away with a chuckle. "You might want to brush your teeth first. I'm not big with the morning breath." Buffy gaped at him. "And you might want to check out a mirror, you got some sort of black gunk . . . ." he added, pointed to a clump of mascara that had accumulated in the corner of her right eye. Buffy gulped, and nodded weakly at Angel. She pointed at the bathroom asking if he wanted to use it first. After he declined, she walked in, locking the door behind her.

Xander watched the scene, embarrassed for his friend. 'Why are girls always so stupid when it comes to relationships? It's like they all are masochists and want to be treated like dirt.' Interupting his train of thought, Cordelia exited the guest bedroom, already showered and dressed in her staff t-shirt and shorts. "Out of my way Harris," she said, as she roughly shoved past him. 'What was that about dirt?' he thought glumly.

Buffy leaned against the bathroom door and let out a huge sigh. She walked toward the sink, and examined herself in the mirror. "I don't look that bad," she muttered, wiping the tiny speck from her eye. "And my breath does not . . ." She breathed into her cupped hand and lifted it to her nose. "Ok. He was right on that one."

She shrugged off her clothes and stepped into the large tub. Turning the knob to scald, she stood there for a few moments, enjoying the feel of the hot water against her aching body.

As she stood underneath the spray, she couldn't help but remember a conversation she had the day before - although it seemed like weeks ago:

"You don't think we just snap our fingers and look perfect do you? Without all the extra junk, as you call it, we look like I do now. . .pale and yucky."
"I think you look beautiful."

Running the shampoo through her hair she imagined Spike's fingers massaging her scalp as they had yesterday afternoon. His soothing voice filled her head once again.

"I want to just hold you and talk. Feel out the situation . . .Let it be about us for awhile."

Buffy ran the bar of soap over her body, pausing briefly as she passed over the back of her hand, remembering the way he drew little circles on it, while walking her to the car. She pictured watching him fade away as Angel drove further and further away from camp.

"Suddenly, three years ago, they just stopped coming. Nothing since then."
"He's a fool."

She was scrubbing her body roughly now, causing red marks to appear on her delicate skin.

"In our last few. . . encounters, I've felt more than I ever 'ave before. The things you do to me. . .It burns."

Salty tears spilled from her eyes as she allowed the water to wash the soap from her body.

"I wish that just once someone would ask about my plans. Ask me what I want."
"And what's that, luv?"
"Funny thing is, I really don't know. . .Stupid right?"

Buffy slumped down to the floor of the tub, choking on the sobs that ripped through her body.

"It's not stupid to not know what you want. You're twenty-years old. You don't have a bleedin' road map telling you which path is best."

The water began to run cold as she rocked herself back and forth, waiting for the guilt to wash away.

"Stay as long as you like."
"How does forever sound?"

Chapter 16: New Arrivals

Joyce was busy organizing papers at the bus station when she looked up to see the four counselors, decked out in Sunny-D attire, approach her table. "Right on time guys." She said with a sigh of relief. "Xander . . .Angel . . . you two take the table on the right to sign in the boys." The two young men smiled and took their seats, pens ready. "Buffy . . .Cordy, I need you on my left to register the girls."

"Sure mom," Buffy said, giving her mother a weak smile, as she and Cordelia took their places next to Joyce.

"As you'll see, each table has two lists of names. Please be sure to check the box next to the corresponding name when each child checks in." The four young people nodded, as Joyce continued. "Also, I need you to collect any money the parents might want to leave for their children. . . for any extra trips or just for emergencies. Please collect medications as well; making a note of them along side the child's name." She lifted Cordelia's clipboard and indicated the proper space on the list. "Place the containers in these little plastic bags," she said, shaking a Ziploc bag, "Then, put it in this large box next to me." Joyce looked at each of them. "Any questions?" Off of their silence, "Good. I have to go greet parents and do all that fun Camp Director stuff." Joyce rolled her eyes, put on a brilliant, albeit, fake smile, and walked towards the front door.

Five minutes later, the two tables were hit with a mad rush of young campers and their parents.

"Name please," Buffy said, without looking at the girl standing before of her.

"Dawn Green."

Buffy scanned her list and placed a checkmark next to the girl's name. "Looks like you're going to be in my cabin this year."

"Lucky for me," the girl said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

The blonde was taken aback by the cold response. She looked the tall teenager over. She was pretty. Kind of gangly . . . like she still hadn't completely grown into her body yet. Her long, straight brown hair hung loosely down her back. "How long have you been taking ballet?" Buffy asked, noting the way Dawn was standing.

The girl looked surprised. "How did you know?"

"You're standing in fifth." Buffy said, pointing at the girl's feet. "Plus your posture's really good. I could've spotted it a mile away."

Dawn was impressed. "About seven years now." She looked the older girl over with a critical eye. "You one of the dance teacher's?"

Buffy stood up and extended her hand, "I'm Buffy. I'm head of the dance department at Sunny-D; and your new counselor, as you know." Dawn shook it limply, finally allowing a small smile to form on her face. "Every summer I have a couple of the teenagers help me out with the younger classes. Give them some experience with teaching and even let them do a little choreography." Seeing the look of excitement cross the girl's face, she continued. "I usually reserve that for the returning campers, but I could make an exception. You interested?"

Dawn looked to her mother and father and then nodded quickly at Buffy.

"Good. We can talk about it on the bus ride up." Buffy sat down again as she watched the girl skip off happily with her parents. She made a note of the $40 they gave her, and placed it in the lock box.

"Next!"

"Janice Voight."

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"Conner Stevens," the young man said to the young man smugly. "But I think you already know that."

Angel glared at the sixteen-year old, eyes filled with ire. "Conner my boy. Good to have you back."

Conner didn't flinch. "Well, I had a talk with Miss Summers and she assured me that this summer would be MUCH better than last year."

Angel frowned and shook his head. "I'll bet."

"Well, my parents already turned in my extra money to Joyce-" he said with a big smile, "-so if it's ok with you, I'll just make my way over to my bus." He started walking away, then turned back to Angel once again, "But then again. . .I don't really need your permission anymore, do I?"

Angel's face turned colder, and began to speak, but realized that he couldn't do anything with all the parents standing around. Conner laughed and ran out of the building.

---------------------------

Buffy sat on the bus, listening to Dawn yap about her dance training. She zoned out, and went over the morning's events in her head. Angel and her hadn't really talked much since the night before. After she got out of the shower, Buffyhad blocked out all guilty thoughts from her mind. She quickly got dressed and blow-dried her hair, so Angel wouldn't tell her she looked like a 'drowned rat' or make any other biting remarks. Before the four of them left for the buses, he had kissed her in the hallway again. The kisses were getting better, but they still didn't come close to matching the intensity of those she shared with Spike.

"So, any hotties I should know about?"

"Huh?" Buffy said, snapping to attention.

"Guys? Boyfriends?" Dawn asked. "I want to know which of the counselor cuties you're macking on," she said.

Buffy sighed, and looked out the window at the passing cars. "Dawn, we're really not supposed to talk to the campers about our personal lives. It makes things all crazy when you guys know who's dating who."

"I don't care about 'who's dating who,'" Dawn said with a whine. "I want the REAL dirt. Like which of the counselors has the best six-pack . . .who gives the best smoochies. . . who's boning. . .who should be? You know - the fun stuff."

Buffy smiled, she couldn't help but sympathize with the girl. When she was a camper she wanted to know everything too. "I'm sorry Dawn; I really can't. You'll just have to figure it out." She watched Dawn pout, and draw back into herself. "But, I can say, without a doubt, that we do have a mighty fine selection of eye-candy this year."

Dawn squealed and started grilling Buffy with questions, trying to pry any info she could get out of her.

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Spike inspected himself in the mirror. 'I am a handsome devil. Though these staff shirts could use a bit of color,' he thought as he eyed the white polo shirt. 'Or atleast be black with white writing instead.'

He nervously stole a glance at his watch. '15 more minutes and she'll be here.' He couldn't wait to see Buffy again. The last twenty hours had been absolute agony. He had gone to The Bronze with Willow and Oz the night before, but seeing the two together was too much; so he had left after only two pints.

He glanced around the room, trying to remember if he had forgotten anything. The signs were completed, as were his lesson plans. After he unpacked his things, he had taken some time to decorate his room a bit. A few photos lined the mirror; one of him with his kid sister, one with Clem, and a few of his other university chums. He had stripped the flannel blankets from the bed and replaced them with a large black comforter and sheets made of soft t-shirt material. It had taken up a lot of room in his suitcase but it was worth it. He couldn't sleep on anything else. He grinned at the white envelope and flowers that sat on the dresser, and exited the room, leaving the small token for later that evening.

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Spike stood in front of the camp gates, waiting anxiously for the buses. He was definitely excited to see Buffy, but at the same time scared out of his wits to face all the kids who would be arriving with her.

"Nervous?" piped a sweet voice from behind him. He turned to see Willow standing with Oz. "Don't be. The little girls will LOVE you. The older ones will WANT you. And the boys will want to BE you."

Spike laughed. "Just a little scary. First time doin' this and all."

Willow gave him a quick pat on the back, and gave him her resolve face. "Trust your instincts and show no fear."

Oz smiled weakly at Spike; he was also a little uneasy about the prospect of 200 screaming kids interrupting their peaceful campus.

Just then the buses turned the corner onto the main street. The returning counselors began clapping and singing some song about Sunny-D. Spike looked at Willow oddly and she indicated that he should join in. Soon he found himself clapping and smiling like an idiot, chanting something along the lines of, 'Campers, campers, campers . . . aren't you glad to be . . . fina'ly with your counselor's . . . here at Sunny-D. We're so glad you've made it . . . gonna have a time . . . let's start the whole thing over . . . cause nothing really rhymes.' Of course, there were a lot of words that rhymed with time, but the counselors got a kick out of saying the short chant over and over, speeding up and voices rising with each repeat.

Willow had Spike and Oz help her up onto a large brick post and began jumping up and down excitedly, screaming the chant at the top of her lungs. Her excitement was infectious and the entire staff was now screaming and clapping - the bobbing mass of white polo shirts blinding to the average passer-by.

The buses finally pulled to a stop in front of the singing staff members. Spike stood on his toes trying to get a glimpse of Buffy. The doors of Bus 1 opened, and Xander emerged, with fifty or so young boys pushing to get past him. "Leave your bags here and go straight to the theater!" Spike heard the brunette yell after the group of kids.

Spike turned his attention to Bus 2. Out stepped Cordelia followed by lots of giggling girls, approximately the same age as the boys on Xander's bus.

Bus 3 held Angel and the older boys. Spike saw a tall teenager push his way past Angel, and guessed that had to be Conner.

Finally, he turned his attention to Bus 4. Of course, it had to be the one farthest away from where he was standing. He saw the top of her head emerge from the door. She was surrounded by teenage girls who were scrambling to find their friends and favorite counselors to hug them hello. All he could see of Buffy were her waving arms, directing the young women to the theater.

Willow saw Spike start to try to make his way over to Buffy's bus. She jumped down from the post, grabbed his arm, and pulled him back. "Nuh uh, Mister. You'll see her later. Right now we have to get all this luggage over to the front of the theater and do the welcome song for the kids."

"Welcome song - I completely forgot. Wait . . . did you say MORE luggage?" Spike asked, gaping at the redhead.

"Yup. This is all the stuff the kids didn't send ahead of time," she said, indicating the mountains of bags lying on the grass in front of them. "Plus the extra crap they wanted with them for the bus ride."

Spike turned and caught a glimpse of Buffy's swaying backside heading towards the theater, bags in hand. He let out a deep sigh and collected a few suitcases from the grass.

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"AAANNNND NOOOOW. PLEASE WELCOME. . . YOUR 2002 SUNNY-D COUNSELING STAFF!"

Spike felt his heart pounding in his chest as he ran onto the stage. He looked out at the audience and saw hundreds of seated kids staring directly at him. Of course, they weren't all staring at him, but that's what it felt like to Spike. As the music began he felt his body start to move instinctively, like Willow told him it would. He soon relaxed and got into the groove.

Before he knew it, they were on the third song in the medley - the YMCA spoof. Spike and the rest of the male counselors formed a row in front of the seats and started forming the letters S-U-N-N-Y-D, with their arms and legs. The kids were screaming and jumping on the chairs, just as he had seen in the video. He noticed a group of teenage girls giggling and pointing at the male counselors.

The music to "Last Dance" started and the men made their way into the crowd to shake hands. Spike, unable to resist the opportunity, headed straight for the group of girls. They paled when they saw him approaching. "Hey there sweet bits, I'm Spike." The four faces in front of him turned bright red, as they each shook his hand in turn. As he walked away he heard the brunette speak excitedly, "Oh my god! He is soooo cute." Spike's grinned widened, Willow was right again! "But, did you check out his ass?!" As he heard one of the other girls speak, he turned around to check out his backside, making sure there was nothing on his white shorts. "I know!" The brunette shrieked, "Couldn't you just . . ." Spike looked at her out of the corner of his eye and watched as she made a squeezing motion to her friends. The man blushed and made his way around the room to shake more hands. 'Although. . . my bum is quite nice.'

His gaze moved to the stage as he watched the female counselors dance and sing happily. There was Buffy, front and center as always, doing some sort of pivot turn, hip shaking motion. He had seen her do it in rehearsal, but this was different. The live crowd made her come to life. She looked absolutely beautiful.

The song ended and the counselors took a seat. Buffy looked around and her stomach fluttered when she finally spotted Spike on the other side of the stage. He was more gorgeous than she had remembered. The white uniform showed off the tan that was starting to appear on his body. She gulped as she saw him stretch his legs out in front of him, thighs tightening. He then leaned back on his arms, and she saw the muscles there flex as well. As she lifted her eyes from his body she was met with his piercing gaze.

Spike rested back on his arms and turned his head in Buffy's direction. He finally found her, and drank in the sight of her looking over his body. When he caught her eyes he mouthed the words: 'Missed you.' Buffy blushed and turned her focus back to her mother, who was now dividing the campers into their cabins. Spike laughed and stood up to go meet his new charges.

Chapter 17: Laying Down The Law

Revello

The twenty teenagers congregated in Buffy and Anya's room in Revello - some sat on the floor, while the others sprawled on the two double beds.

Buffy spoke from the front of the room, Anya by her side. "Welcome to Revello. I know a lot of you have been to Sunny-D before, so I'm going to try to keep this meeting short." The girls whooped, as they had hoped they might get out of there quickly to go mingle with the boys. "I'm Buffy." A few of her returning campers cheered. "And this is Anya." The other counselor smiled brilliantly, and the girls waved hello and clapped warmly. "The rules for Revello are pretty simple. The most important being - 'respect us. . . we will respect you.' You're not little kids any more, so we're not going to treat you that way." Buffy continued, as she looked over the excited faces, giving a little wave to Dawn. "There are rules set for Sunny-D that are for the safety of the campers. Rules that should NEVER, under ANY circumstances, be broken. For example, there will be no drinking, smoking, or drugs of any kind on this campus." The girls nodded, but a couple did look disappointed at the news. "We find cigarettes . . . we'll confiscate them. There are plenty of counselors who would happily take them off your hands." She smiled thinking of Spike's little addiction.

"And then there are other rules that Anya and myself will be a little more lenient about - such as wake-up time. If you want to sleep until the last possible minute before you can make it to breakfast on-time, then be my guest. But #1-Good luck sleeping through Jonathan's endless morning chatter. And #2 - You better be sitting at the table when the clock hits 9 o'clock."

"What about you?" Anya said interrupting her co-counselor.

"What ABOUT me?"

"I mean, I've heard stories about your notorious sleeping habits. . ."

Buffy blushed brightly at Anya's remarks. "I will be awake and at breakfast at the same time as you," she said looking at the giggling girls, then directing a dirty look at Anya. "If you have to be there, so do we. Anything else you'd like to add?"

"No . . . you're doing great . . . continue," Anya said, reaching for a bag of popcorn she had stored on her desk. She perched on top of the counter and started munching happily.

"There's also a little thing called in-time." The returning campers groaned at the mention of those two hated words. "You will be in this cabin at 10 p.m. Some nights we will let you stay out a little later, but if we ask you to get inside, please don't whine or complain - just get your butts inside. Capiche?" The girls nodded.

"Ah yes, my favorite rule. The cabins at Sunny-D are NOT co-ed." Off the girls' whining, she continued. "I know . . . it sucks. But you are not allowed in the boys' cabins, and they are not allowed in here." Anya waved her hand rapidly at Buffy. "Yes Anya?" the blonde sighed.

"What about us?"

"Huh?" Buffy asked, confused.

"I mean, what if I want to bring a nice boy-toy over after a night out. That's allowed right?" she asked, as if it were very simple.

"No. The male counselors are not allowed in the girls' cabins except in emergency situations. If something . . ."

Before Buffy could finish, Anya interrupted once again. "What if I'm really really horny. . . that counts as an emergency doesn't it?"

The girls laughed and Buffy rolled her eyes, choosing to ignore the question. Anya muttered under her breath, 'Perfectly legitimate question.'

"If one of us happens to find you in one of the boys' cabins and tells you to get out. . .then move it. Or, if we find one of the boys here, the same holds true, get them out." Buffy smiled mischievously at the girls. "But if we decide to walk the other way - then just quiet down, and continue on with your business." The girls cheered, Buffy shushed them. "That doesn't mean that the next time we're going to be cool about it - understand? If the next night we catch you again, and this time we tell you to get going - then just do it." The girls nodded, not wanting to press their luck.

"I have been a counselor here for many years now, and a camper here for much longer - so anything you're going to try, I've probably already done. So the main lesson here is: DON'T BE STUPID! If you're dumb enough to get caught in the first place, then we're gonna bust you."

"Finally, this is the hardest part. You guys are here for three weeks - some of you for six. I know it's tempting to get involved with the boys - start little summer flings going. But please remember, that camp relationships change over night in this place. Look around you. The next boy you kiss, will probably end up making out with the girl next to you before the summer is through." A bunch of ewwws passed through the room. "And, if you're considering having sex with your new camp boyfriend, please come talk to myself or Anya, or, if that's too uncomfortable, remember what I just said about the kissing." More 'ewwws' and 'yucks' were heard.

"But if you do, USE CONDOMS!" Anya shouted, happy to finally be able to contribute.

"Anya!" Buffy said, shocked at the girl next to her.

"Seriously! I have lots of condoms. If you need 'em, I'll give them to you. Who am I to stand . . ."

"But DON'T!" Buffy shouted over the laughing teenagers.

"What? Don't use condoms?" Anya asked, giving Buffy a confused look.

"No. . .I mean. . .YES! Use condoms!" Buffy struggled to spit out, considering how flustered she had become. "But don't have sex!" The girls were now rolling around the room in laughter, as Anya looked on, still happily chomping on her popcorn. "Okay, get out of here. Go do . . .something. . .the boys . . ." the girls were now howling, "No. . .don't DO the boys. Arrrgh!" Buffy shouted in exasperation, and shooed them away. "Just go elsewhere." Buffy groaned and shook her head as the teenagers left the room, still laughing uncontrollably. "Be back here by ten!" she shouted after them.

After the last girl exited the room, Anya turned to the blonde. "I think that went well . . . don't you?"

Buffy started to lecture her co-counselor, but couldn't take it anymore, and slumped to her bed, laughter finally getting the better of her.

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The Crypt

"Well, that being said - I think you lot are old enough to go find something to keep yourselves busy." Spike smiled at the group of young men who were sitting in his room. When none of them moved, he spoke again. "What? Did I forget something?"

"No -" one of the teenagers said. "It's just that . . .you're so. . .Cool!" Spike smiled at the comment. "Angel was such a prick last year. Wouldn't let us do anything!"

Spike grinned at the shocked faces in front of him. "Well, I'm not Angel. So however things went last year with Angel in charge, expect a few changes." A splattering of 'yah's,' and 'great's' were shouted. "Good, then. Don't leave those lovely ladies waiting too long." Spike rose from his chair and shouted to the young man who was exiting the room, "Oy! Conner! Hold up a minute!"

Conner shuffled over to his new counselor. "Yah?"

"I just wanted to let you know, that I heard about what happened last year . . ." Spike started, only the have the younger man jump in.

"Look, I'd appreciate if you didn't get on my case already. If you're one of Angel's buddies . . ."

"Calm down boy! I am NOT, nor have I EVER been, one of Angel's cronies." Conner relaxed. "I just wanted to let you know, that whatever happened with you and Angel . . . you have a clean slate with me."

"Really?" he asked, perking up a bit.

"Really. Plus, I wanted to thank you for the sweet set-up." Spike added, indicating his room.

Conner laughed. "My pleasure." The boy walked around the room, eyeing the photos Spike had taped to the mirror. "These your CDs?" he asked, looking at the small case on Spike's desk.

"No one else's." Spike said as he lay down on his bed, arms folded behind his head. "Take a look if you like."

Conner flipped through the pages. "The Ramones. . .Sex Pistols. . .White Stripes - not bad."

"Glad you approve." The blonde said with a smirk, pleased at the boy's response.

"'Puddle of Mudd - Come Clean.' I've been meaning to get this one."

"Yah - it's pretty good. Couple of songs helped me get through my last break-up. Better that than destroy my apartment . . . know what I mean?"

Conner laughed, as he had a temper himself. "Exactly." He went back to flipping through the CD book. "Tom Waits. . .Bruce Springsteen . . ." he paused for a moment, and held up the case so Spike could see. "Sarah MacLachlan?"

Spike bolted up from the bed and snatched the booklet from the boy's hands. "How did that get in there?" He said, trying to cover for his addiction to chick-music, and giggled nervously. Conner quirked an eyebrow at his counselor. Spike took a deep breath and tried to look tough. "My ex must have put it in there." He looked over to the tall brown-haired boy and said with a shrug- "Women."

Conner chuckled, and nodded, not wanting to embarrass his new friend. "Women."

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Revello - Midnight

Buffy closed the back door to Revello, smoothed her skirt, and walked into the night. After refusing to get into their rooms for over an hour, the girls had finally quieted down. She walked down the steps and soon found herself pressed against a tree in the woods behind the cabin. Before she could speak, a mouth covered her own, tongue finding its way quickly inside. Buffy moaned and clung to the body pressed against her. She didn't mind the hard wood digging into her back, all she could think about was the kiss never ending. The body pulled away, and the moonlight shining through the trees finally illuminated the handsome face of her captor.

"Hi," Spike whispered, as he leaned towards Buffy, resting his forehead to hers.

Buffy couldn't tear her eyes away from the blue one's that were now gazing intently into her own. "Hi," she breathed, just before he claimed her mouth again.

Spike gently pulled her lower lip into his mouth, and then resumed kissing her with even more fervor. He moved his assault to her neck, and whispered softly in her ear, "God, I've missed you," before nipping at the flesh of her earlobe.

'This is wrong . . . ahhh tinglies . . .bad . . .' Buffy's thoughts were scattered, as she moaned at Spike's talented manipulations. 'Must stop . . .right there . . .ears good . . .' She found herself running her hands up his strong back, and into his soft curly locks. Pulling his head from her neck, she stared deeply into his eyes. Quickly, she yanked him back to her and attacked his lips, forcing them open to allow her tongue access. 'He tastes so good.'

Spike pushed her harder against the tree, lifting one of her legs and placing it around his waist. He moved his pelvis slowly against her soaked panties, allowing the slow grind to gradually fuel the fires within them. Buffy gasped at the feel of him, which only made him move more deeply and deliberately.

Buffy tore her lips away from his, holding him tightly. "I need to tell you something." She panted in his ear, struggling to get the words out.

"What's that luv?" He groaned and twisted his hips sharply against her, causing a small scream to escape her lips.

She could barely speak. "Uuuuh . . . I . . . ahhh . . .wanted . . .uuuahhh-" their pants and moans had increased as their hips began circling together in time, "I . . . need . . . ooohh. . ." She jumped up and wrapped her legs around him, looking deeply in his eyes as she spoke. "Less talk. More kissing."

Spike's face broke into a huge grin, as he dove towards her mouth again.

Buffy ran her hands down his back, and squeezed his ass gently, coaxing him to resume his movements. Without thinking, she dropped one hand between them and quickly undid his fly. She grasped his throbbing erection in her small hand and brought him to her center.

Before he could react, Buffy pulled her panties aside, and thrust, impaling herself on his cock.

Spike raised his head to hers, a look of complete and utter shock crossed his features. He was not prepared for this to happen so soon. Their make-out sessions in the past had spiraled out of control, but never in his wildest dreams did he think they would get this far this quickly. Spike dropped his head to her shoulder, and trembled as he felt her warm, tight passage envelope him like a glove. He needed to control his breathing, or it would be over before it had even really begun. He felt her arms and legs wrap around his body tightly, trapping him against her.

Buffy shook violently as she felt him fill her to the hilt. They were both frozen, clinging to each other, amazed at what had just transpired. Buffy moaned, and slowly began circling her hips, testing the feel of him inside of her.

Spike moved his hands down, stilling her for a moment. Buffy mewled, and thrashed against him. "Shhhhh," he said, voice trembling. "I need to calm down a bit." She halted her movements and moved her head to his shoulder, nipping lightly at his exposed skin.

He clutched her tightly, and buried his head in the crook of her neck, still not moving from his place inside her. He closed his eyes tightly, and finally felt his breathing slow. He pulled out of her slowly and pushed back in, twisting his hips when he was fully sheathed in her warmth.

Buffy gasped as he entered her again, and felt the heat in her belly begin at the first thrust.

Spike pulled out once more, and slid in more quickly this time, pushing her against the tree roughly.

Soon the two found their own rhythm, and began rocking against each other slowly, clutching desperately to one another. Buffy buried her face in his shoulder, to stifle the moans that were coming faster and louder, as he thrust even more deeply inside of her. His thrusts became more and more shallow until they halted completely. She felt him push himself inside her one final time; but instead of reaching climax, he held still within her, and then started grinding as they had before.

Buffy couldn't tell where her body ended and his began. It was like they were a part of one another. She circled her hips in time with his, careful not to allow him to slip from her body. The sensations at being joined this way were unbelievable. He was pressed firmly to her clitoris, stimulating it constantly as they ground together. She alternated her movements and murmured unintelligibly when she felt that place deep inside of her awaken. She held him tighter than she thought was humanly possible and let out a low scream into his shoulder.

Feeling her muscles flutter around him, Spike allowed himself to pull out slightly, and thrust into her again, causing shudders to rack through her body once again. His body was shaking as he pulled out one final time and thrust as far as her body would allow. They grunted together as he spilled himself deeply inside of her.

They were both panting and shaking and clinging to each other for what felt like hours, before Buffy finally felt him lower her feet to the ground. They both groaned at the loss of contact as he slipped out of her. She held onto him as he tucked himself back into his jeans, needing to stay connected for a little while longer. She lifted her eyes to his, still not fully comprehending what had happened minutes before.

He smiled and placed a light kiss to her lips. "Welcome back luv."

She laughed and placed a small kiss to his cheek. "Good welcome home surprise."

"Actually . . ." he walked over to a patch of grass, and quickly hid his gift behind his back. "Let me get you back to your cabin first." Not twenty paces later they were standing outside her back door.

"Did you have something else you wanted to show me?" Buffy asked flirtatiously, trying to steal a glimpse of what he was hiding.

"I don't know if you've earned it," he said, sighing, and shaking his head at the girl.

Buffy mocked offense, and smacked him lightly upside his head. She tried to maneuver herself around him, to get a hold of whatever he was hiding away. Soon they were both laughing, completely involved in their little game of keep-away.

"Buff . . ." a loud whisper came from the other side of the building.

'Shit.' Buffy thought, as her body stiffened, heart pounding. Amidst all the kissing and . . . other activities, she had completely forgotten that she had told Angel to meet her at midnight.

"Sorry I'm late, I got held . . . bleach boy." He said, pausing when he saw the young man standing with Buffy on the steps.

"Angel." He said, jaw tightening.

"You ready?" Angel asked, looking at Buffy expectantly. "Movie night?"

She turned her gaze to Spike, whose face was plastered with confusion. Her heart sank as she looked into his pained blue eyes. She turned to Angel, and took a deep breath, and spoke softly.

"Give me a second."

She ran into her room and tore away her clothing, pulling on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. She looked herself over in the mirror, and removed a few stray leaves and pieces of bark from her hair. The flush on her cheeks was highly visible. She took out her bottle of Evian, poured some into her cupped palm, and splashed it on her face. Giving herself another look, she pressed her fingers to her swollen lips. Sighing, she ran from the room, switching out the light.

"I don't think I . . ." she started to say as she opened the door - only to find the steps empty except for a crumpled envelope and three semi-squished flowers. She bent down to pick up the items, and walked back into Revello, closing the door on the empty night behind her.

Chapter 18: Words

A/N: Thanks for the great reviews. I'm sorry to drag on the angst, but like I've said - 7 weeks is a long time!! (I'll try not to keep them apart for too long. And I promise to keep it interesting in the meantime) Enjoy and keep giving me feedback!
Special thanks to Lady Anne for being a great temporary beta while Flames is away! Also, to Silver for running one of the best sites on the net!

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