CHAPTER 7


“Hey bleached wonder! You’re not dancing?”

Spike raised his head and smiled at Xander. “I just did, with your aunt Edna. But she kept grabbing my ass so I pretended my feet hurt.”

“You must be indulgent with her…she’s been a widow for 15 years…she grabs every chance she gets, if you let her.”

Xander sat down next to Spike and took his glass. “Must be a change for you from the fancy Hollywood parties, huh?”

“Believe me, I wouldn’t trade my place here for ten Hollywood parties. They are boring and full of uninteresting people. But they are a necessary evil in the business, I guess.”

Spike’s attention was suddenly attracted by a clear laugh. Buffy was dancing a few feet away with Willow’s father. Her long blonde hair was cascading down her back and she was wearing a long deep blue satin gown with straps. Xander followed his gaze and put his hand on Spike’s shoulder. “Spike, buddy…you’re my best friend. But so is Buffy. If you hurt her, I’ll have to rip your throat out.”

“Don’t worry Xand, I’ll do it myself if it happens.”

And I should, he thought bitterly, because he knew he had hurt her already. And although he was doing his best to avoid any further involvement and complications, there was a force he couldn’t control that was always pushing him back to her. He had spent more time with Darla, and as a result he felt guilty, both towards Darla and Buffy. And to make matters worse, when he kissed Darla, he felt like he was cheating on Buffy, and not the other way around as it should be.

The situation was slowly but surely becoming inextricable.

He couldn’t break up with Darla. But could he marry her while being madly in love with another woman? That would be highly unfair for the young actress. No, he had to talk to her…she was in Canada for two weeks, but when she got back he would talk to her.

Of course there was also the issue of Rupert’s reaction, as well as the fact that he had lie to thousands of people by pretending the pictures of Buffy and him were false…

He pinched his nose, feeling a headache coming on. Buffy had stopped dancing and was chatting with another bridesmaid. God, he needed to touch her, to feel her soft skin under his hands, her hot mouth under his lips…

He got up and went to invite Willow to dance.

“You look beautiful, Red,” he told her with a tender smile while taking her to the dance floor. To think she was barely 9 when he had met her…it felt weird to see her in her wedding dress. But he was sincere, she looked amazing.

She blushed. “Thank you. You look great too. I don’t often see you in a tux…except on E! at those premiere parties,” she added jokingly.

“He’d better make you happy,” Spike said, gesturing to Xander, “Or I’ll come kick his ass.”

Willow giggled. “Don’t worry. I’ll do it myself if he doesn’t treat me right! But he’s great. And I’m tremendously happy.” Her face became serious. “You, on the other hand…”

He sighed. “I know. I’m sorry. It’s…things are getting a little bit out of control.”

“So I noticed. Spike, please…try to control them before she gets hurt too bad.”

He closed his eyes for a second. “Willow, do you think I want to hurt her? It tears my heart out every time I see her. I’m trying to find a bloody solution, but whatever option I choose, it won’t be pretty. Someone will get hurt. That’s inevitable. I don’t give a damn about me, but Buffy and Darla…they don’t deserve the shit I put them through. Sorry about my language, pet.”

She smiled. “It’s ok. I know you love Buffy, and that you care a lot about Darla. I also know it’s a complicated situation. But you’ll have to make a choice.” She rolled her eyes. “Ugh, could I sound any more patronizing? And I guess this is all a big duh! To you…what I just said.”

He kissed her. “Thank you, Willow,” he simply said.

The song came to an end.

“You should ask Buffy to dance,” Willow suggested. “You haven’t asked her yet.”

“I didn’t want to put her under any scrutinizing gazes.”

“Well it will be weird if you avoid each other all night. And I think Buffy can handle some stares. Go ask her to dance.”

“I will. And I know I just said it, but thank you. If there’s anything I can do…”

“Spike, stop it. Buffy and you are my friends. I want to see you happy. And at the moment you are not, so neither am I. I mean, I’m happy because this is my wedding day and the most wonderful day of my life, but I’m not happy to see my friends unhappy.” She smiled wickedly. “Now, if you really want to do something to thank me…did you by any chance ever meet that cute guitarist from Dingoes Ate My Baby?”

§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§


When Spike took Buffy’s hand and led her on the dance floor, they attracted a lot of stares.

Mostly curious or envious ones, because they made such a beautiful couple. And also because as much as they wanted to hide it, the love they had for each other was radiating from their eyes. And it was definitely not the platonic kind. You could almost see the electricity crackling above their heads.

Buffy repressed a sob when she slipped into Spike’s arm. He had arrived early this morning and they had barely had the time to talk during the day. She had been busy with her bridesmaid duties, and she suspected that Spike had stayed away to spare her the same curious looks they were receiving now.

But now she needed to be near him, to touch him. And she didn’t care if people were looking at them.

She pressed herself against his body and felt the evidence of his desire for her. He raised an eyebrow and she blushed. The pressure of his hand on her back tightened slightly and he felt a shiver running down her spine. She raised her face to look at him while he lowered his. Their lips were mere inches from each other.

She fixed her eyes on his. “If I don’t kiss you now, I’ll die,” she whispered.
They were both breathing rapidly. For one crazy moment he was tempted to kiss her there, in front of everyone. And that would probably be the safest option for them both. Because if they escaped and found themselves alone in a room…

“Let’s get the hell out of here.”

At the end of the dance, she left first. The wedding was taking place at Xander’s uncle’s house, and the wedding party was hosted outside.

Spike waited a few minutes before sneaking off discreetly.

He found her upstairs, in the dark hallway. He took her hand and opened the door to what seemed to be a little salon.

The door was barely closed when she literally jumped on him. He took her mouth in a kiss so hungry, a moan rose from her throat. His hands were everywhere, cupping her bottom through the satin of her dress, pressing her against that part of him that throbbed between them.

She arched her head back, giving access to his devouring lips. “Oh Spike…Oh God, yes…”

Locked passionately together, they kissed each other with a feverish intensity for several long moments, all the love repressed deep inside them only deepening their need for close contact.

His hand fumbled with her long skirt, raising it, finding their way to the soft velvet of her thighs. He knew he had reached his goal when he heard her gasp in pleasure.

“Buffy….” He whispered against her skin in a raspy voice. “I need you so much…”

“I’m all yours, Spike…all yours.”

Locking her gaze with his, she slipped her hand between them to unzip his pants and when she touched him, he growled against her throat, sending delicious shivers through her whole body.

Buffy had often imagined her first time with Spike, and it had always included a nice comfy bed, candles, soft music and lots of foreplay. Not this primitive, passionate coupling against the wall of a stranger’s house.

But now she wouldn’t have it any other way.

She wrapped her legs around him and guided him to her entrance. He buried himself in her softness, reaching deep. “You’re so hot,” he breathed, and when he saw her eyes widen and her mouth open he captured her cry with his mouth.

Once again they gazed at each other, stunned by the pleasure that was already engulfing them. Then Spike moved, thrusting deeply, urgently into her again and again. Buffy was lost in bliss, meeting every thrust, soft moans of ecstasy coming from deep in her throat every time his shaft drove into her.

He suddenly felt her inner walls tighten around him before waves of exquisite pleasure exploded through her body. He found his release a few seconds after her.

Still holding her, he laid her down on the nearby couch, not breaking their embrace. Savoring the aftermaths of her orgasm, Buffy welcomed the warm, heavy weight of Spike’s body, his mouth now gently nuzzling her neck and collarbone. She enjoyed it, knowing that at that moment he was totally hers.

He raised his head. “Are you ok?”

She smiled - the smile of a very satisfied woman. “Never been better,” she replied huskily.

Spike waited for the first wave of guilt to crash, but it never did. He had never felt so happy in his entire life. Once again his mouth found hers, now taking the time to kiss her slowly. He just couldn’t get enough of it.

“We should go back,” she finally said, caressing his cheek. She knew they needed to have a conversation. Most of all, she needed to know where they were going from here. But she didn’t want to bring that up now, and certainly not throw the name of Darla into their unexpected intimacy.

He got up reluctantly, adjusting himself, before helping her find her panties - he had ripped them out during their quick and intense lovemaking.

“If Willow knew what I just did at her wedding party, she would have my head.”

“And if Xander finds out, he’ll have my head. At least we’ll die together.”

“That’s really romantic,” she chuckled, before smoothing her dress with her hands and checking her hair. “Ok. I’m ready.”

“You go back first. I’ll join you in a few minutes.”

“Do you really think people didn’t notice our absence?”

He shrugged. “Most of them are probably sloshed or busy with their own hunnies…does it really matter?”

She smiled and prepared to leave but he held her back, placing a last tender kiss on her mouth.

And he didn’t want to say it, not as long as things were not clear and certain, but he couldn’t help himself.

“I love you.”

He whole face brightened. “I love you too.”

“Now go.”

He opened the door and checked the corridor before ushering her out and closing the door behind her. He leaned against it and closed his eyes, waiting for his heartbeat to regain a steady rhythm.

They had crossed the line. There was no way back now. And it had never felt so good.

§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§


Hidden behind the corner in the corridor, Riley watched Buffy leave the room. He knew Spike was still inside, and the noise he had heard a few minutes ago were a pretty clear giveaway to what had occurred in it.

That filthy whore. He wouldn’t let her humiliate him like that. He had warned her, but she wouldn’t listen.

Just like Tara.

And like Tara, she would pay.

Silently, he made his way out before anyone could see him.

§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§


Spike followed Buffy silently inside their house, locking the front door behind them.

They had been the last to leave, staying with Xander and Willow the rest of the night. And the newlyweds were apparently oblivious to what had happened between their best friends. Then again, they had been oblivious to everything except themselves.

Buffy climbed the first two steps of the stairs before turning back to him. She didn’t have anything to lose after all.

“Can I sleep with you?” she whispered. She wasn’t pleading. It was just the request of a woman who didn’t want to be separated from the man she loved and with whom she had just shared intense moments for the first time.

Spike smiled. How could he refuse her? He was as helpless as she was. And he was already lost in the green depths of her eyes.

He switched off the lights, took her hand and led the way.

§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§

Bath, England

“Oh, Rupert, look. They have some American magazines there.”

Jenny pulled Giles to a newsstand nearby. “It’s mostly tabloids, honey.”

She shrugged. “Yeah, well, I want some news from home, even if it’s trashy gossip.”

He smiled. “You can have news from home by watching CNN, dear.”

She gave him a glare before heading to the newsstand to make her choice.
Chuckling, Giles followed her and waited patiently.

Then he heard her squeal.

CHAPTER 9

Buffy picked up the receiver before placing it back. She hesitated, pondering if maybe it would be better to do it with Spike by her side. She would feel more secure.

Then she remembered that Spike had no idea she had this number, and if he found out she had had it for several days without using it, he would be furious.

Buffy was seriously starting to wonder if she should have called when Willow had given it to her. Maybe she had been a bit careless on that one.

Taking a deep breath, she dialed the number.

"Hello?"

"Hi, I'm sorry to bother you. My name is Buffy Giles. Is this Mrs Maclay?"

"Yes, this is Janet Maclay speaking."

"I'm calling you from California. I need to ask you some information's about Riley Finn."

There was a silence on the other side of the line, and then Mrs McLay asked, "What did you say your name was?"

"Buffy Giles. I know it may sound weird, but I really need to have those information's."

"What do you want to know?" The tone was still suspicious.

"I dated him for a few months, and we broke up recently. His behaviour has changed, lately. He got violent for no valid reason, and yesterday evening I'm sure I saw him standing outside of my house."

Mrs Maclay sighed. "Oh God.I knew something like that was bound to happen."

Buffy felt a twist in her stomach and clutched the receiver. "Mrs Maclay, my friend Willow called Iowa University, and they gave her your number. They also said Riley was dangerous. Please, you have to tell me what happened."

"Riley Finn is indeed very dangerous, mostly because he's smart. My.my daughter is in a coma now, because of him."

"What?" "Tara used to date Riley, two years ago. She was head over heels in love with him. We liked him too. He was so handsome, polite, sweet.the perfect boyfriend."

"That's how he was when I met him," Buffy agreed.

"One day Tara came back with a bruise. She said she had fallen. We didn't insist on it, but a few weeks later she had another one. She pretended it was her fault, that she was just clumsy. I started to have suspicions. But Riley was always so nice and attentive.even my husband dismissed my concern when I told him. But time passed, and I was pretty sure that Riley was beating up our daughter."

"Did she press any charges?"

"No, and that's the problem. She loved him so much, she was blind. She was sure that somehow she had deserved that beating, because she had said or done something stupid and made him angry."

"Did she tell you that?"

"Yes, one night finally she confessed. She had taken some sleeping pills, and didn't realize exactly what she was saying. After that, I tried to convince her to go to the police, that if Riley was hitting her he didn't love her. That he could end up hurting other girls. But she didn't want to listen. Her father and I, we.we even threatened her to.we were desperate."

"I'm sorry to make you go through that again, Mrs Maclay. I can call back later if you want."

"No, it's fine. You need to hear this. You have to be very careful. Where was I? Yes.After many discussions, we finally convinced her to at least break up with him. I hoped that after some time she would see things differently and agree to press charges. She told us she would see Riley at the university the day after and would break up with him. That morning, she was really smiling for the first time in.she looked so much better. She told me I was right, that she had thought about it and breaking up with Riley was the best thing to do. And she left. That was the last time I spoke to her.

The police came a few hours later. They told us there had been an accident.Tara had fallen down some stairs and her condition was critical." "Oh God. Do you know what happened?"

"We don't know exactly, and we probably never will. But this is what I think happened. Tara came to see Riley and broke up with him. He probably didn't accept it and they fought.I know Tara didn't fall down those stairs on her own. I'm sure he's responsible."

"Weren't there any witnesses?"

"Unfortunately, no. It happened at Riley's frat house on the campus, in the afternoon. Most of the people were in classes, or in their room. It happened very fast. Apparently nobody saw anything.

"Or didn't want to get involved."

"Probably. But what really convinced me on Riley's guilt was that he lied to the police. He was the last person to have seen Tara, so they interrogated him. And he made up some story where he said he had told her he wanted to end things between them, that she had lost her mind, ran away crying from his room, and she had tripped and fallen. He played the guilty devastated boyfriend really well. We tried to tell the police that it was Tara who had wanted to break things up, that he had beaten her up in the past. But Tara had never pressed any charges, so there was absolutely no proof. And I know, deep in my guts, that it's his fault. I'm sure he pushed her."

"What did Riley do after that?"

"A few weeks after the accident he left. People are not blind, and some of Tara's friends had guessed what had been going on. People started to talk. I guess it was becoming uncomfortable for him here."

Buffy was now sitting down on the floor, her legs unable to sustain her. She had no idea it had been something so dramatic. "How is Tara now?"

"She's still in a coma. She had severe head injuries.the doctors don't give us much hope. Even if she would wake up now, she wouldn't really be.herself anymore."

Buffy could hear Mrs Maclay crying softly. "I'm terribly sorry," was all she managed to say.

"You know, it helped me to talk about it. I'm glad that you called. Maybe Riley won't be able to make another victim this time."

Buffy could only imagine the frustration and helplessness at knowing who the responsible was and not being able to do anything about it. To know he was outside somewhere living his life while his victim was lying in a hospital bed, and probably indefinitely.

She promised to stay in touch and hung up the phone. Her hand was shaking. She wanted to call Spike, but her voice would betray immediately that something was wrong. And this week they were shooting the last episode, so it was better not to disturb him. Willow and Xander were on their honeymoon and her father was in England.

She was alone.

That night, she stayed by her window, Spike's baseball bat ready in her hand.

But Riley didn't show up.

§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§

Spike was about to call Buffy when the phone rang. "Hello?"

"Hey Spike. It's me."

He took a deep breath. "Darla. Hey.how are you doing?"

"I'm good. The shooting is going well. I might be able to come back earlier than I thought."

"That's good news, love."

"Yes, and I.I wanted to talk to you about the wedding."

"Sure. Actually, I wanted to talk about it as well. Don't want to tell me over the phone?"

"No.it's too important. I'll let you know when I come back. Will you come pick me up at the airport?"

"Of course. Call me, and I'll be there."

"Ok. Take care of you, Spike."

"You too, sweetheart. Bye."

He placed the receiver back, sighing. She wanted to talk about the wedding. Did she want to set a date? They had planned to do it in September, but had yet to decide on a date.

He put his head in his hands. This was going to be even harder than he thought. How was he going to break the news to Darla? How bad would she take it? And he had to tell her as soon as possible. After what had happened with Buffy, he couldn't delay things any longer. He couldn't sleep with Buffy while remaining engaged to Darla. He was not a jerk. Even if he felt like one.

Maybe he shouldn't have gone so fast with Buffy. But this weekend had been so wonderful.just thinking about it - and her - brought a blissful smile to his face.

He would do it again in a heartbeat.

He just regretted deeply that it would take hurting Darla for him and Buffy to be happy.

He was not sure he could live with that.

§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§

How am I going to tell him?

Darla was sitting on her bed, in the hotel's room, resting her chin on her hands. She couldn't tell Spike over the phone. But when she had said she wanted to talk about the wedding, she hadn't expected him to say he did too.

Oh God. What if he wanted to set a date?

She knew he had felt guilty after the magazine incident, and had tried to make it up to her. They had been spending more time together. Then the last few days they hadn't seen each other much because of work and socials obligations. So what if he wanted to set a date to confirm his intention of marrying her?

She couldn't think of any other reason. And she had no idea how she was going to break the news to him.

She was already feeling horribly guilty about what had happened with David. She didn't regret it, not for one second. But maybe they had gone a little too fast.a smile crept to her lips and she shivered while thinking about David's strong arms around her. Who cared about fast, really?

But hurting Spike was really the last thing on earth she wanted.

§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§

The phone rang and Buffy woke up brutally, almost falling from her chair by the window. She got up and cried out in pain when stretching her sore muscles. Sleeping while sitting in a chair was now at the top of her things-not-to-do list.

Damn you Riley. I'll make you regret this, I swear.

"Hello?" she said, picking up the phone.

"Hey baby. How are you?"

She closed her eyes. It felt so good to hear Spike's voice.but there was no way he wouldn't noticed something was wrong.

"I'm ok," she said in the most neutral voice possible."

"Buffy.what's going on?"

She sighed. The inconvenience of having someone who knows you better than you do. "I'm fine. I'm just tired. I didn't sleep well."

"Listen, tonight is our last shooting. Then tomorrow we have some voice editing to do and that kind of stuff. So I think I should be able to come home by Friday. How does that sound?"

"That sounds great," she said, unable to stop the sadness from tainting her voice. She needed to see him so much. She had thought for a moment of taking her car and going to L.A, but he had to work so she would probably bother him. Besides, she was too tired and driving for two hours was not really the most reasonable option now.

"Come on, sweetheart, don't cry. It's only two days, and I'll be there. Just the two of us. Isn't that the title of one of those cheesy songs you like?"

She laughed despite her melancholy. "It's not cheesy. And I'm ok. I just miss you, that's all. I wish.I wish we didn't have to worry about anything.or anyone."

"I know. And I miss you too. Things will get better, I promise." He didn't dare to tell her about Darla's phone call and his impressions. No need to upset her even more. And once again he had to lie, or hide things. He hated this situation.

"I've got to go. I'll see you on Friday, ok?"

She sniffed. "Ok. I love you, Spike."

"I love you too, pet. Take care of you, huh?"

"Yeah. Bye."

She put the receiver back, letting tears run freely down her cheeks. She just wanted to have a nice, normal life with the man she loved. But to get that it would take hurting a very nice woman who didn't deserve it, dealing with a father that probably had mixed feelings about it, letting the world know that yes, Spike Atherton had indeed kissed that blonde girl who was not his fiancée, and oh, by the way she was his stepsister. And to top everything, she now had an ex-boyfriend stalking her, who apparently was just waiting for the right moment to strike. Preferably in a lethal way.

She had always thought that if she was with Spike nothing else would matter. But it wasn't that easy.

Maybe them getting together wasn't such a right idea after all.

CHAPTER 10


If Riley showed up the next night, Buffy didn’t see him since she was in her bed by 7 pm. After her almost sleepless night, and spending the day going through a turmoil of emotions, doubts, and questions without answers, she was feeling like her head was going to explode at any moment.

She locked all the doors and windows and buried herself in her bed.

§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§

Unfortunately, he was back the next night. And once again, she noticed him when closing the curtains.

Anger boiled inside her and she marched towards the front door, intending to give him a piece of her mind. But just before opening it, the memory of her conversation with Mrs Maclay came back to her and she took two steps backwards.

She forced herself to think reasonably. This was Riley. Prince Boring. Her ex-boyfriend. She had spent countless hours with him. Surely he wasn’t waiting for her to come out so he could shoot her in the head?

Probably not.

Then again, a girl was in a coma, allegedly because of him. And Buffy remembered all too well the way he had lost his nerves during their driving incident, and how he had seemed to take pleasure in slapping and insulting her.

So maybe it would be safer to stay inside. And grab her new best friend, Spike’s baseball bat.

But there was nothing on this earth that would make her spend another night on a chair, scared and exhausted. She dialed 911. The operator told her they would send a patrol as soon as possible.

Buffy turned on the TV and waited. She flipped through the channels absentmindedly, until she found a rerun of Spike’s show. She let it on. He wasn’t there physically, but at least she was hearing his voice. Even through the television, it was comforting.
The doorbell rang and she jumped, dropping the remote control. Oh, Buffy, you so need to calm down. A quick glance through the window revealed a police car parked in front of the house. She opened the door.

“Miss Buffy Giles?”

“Yes. Please come in.”

The officer walked in, followed by his colleague, a blond guy with a dorky look.

“I’m officer Meers, this is officer Wells. You called to report a stalking?”

“Yes, it’s my ex-boyfriend, Riley Finn. He’s been standing in front of my house for the last two or three nights. He just stands there, watching. I don’t know if it really qualifies as stalking, but it’s creeping me out.”

Officer Meers made a head gesture towards his colleague who opened the front door and went out. He came back a few minutes later.

“No one in sight.”

“Well, he probably vanished when he saw the police car,” Buffy said, restraining the big ‘Duh!’ that was following.

You know, that might scare him for good. Maybe he won’t bother you anymore.”

I seriously doubt that, she thought.

“The thing is, I found out lately that he has sort of a…heavy past. His former girlfriend is in a coma right now because of him. So I must admit I’m a little worried.”

“Has he been arrested?”

“No…I know it may seem weird, but no one pressed charges.”

“So he has no criminal record?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Well then, Miss Giles, I’m afraid we can’t do much for now. Unless we catch him in the act…”

“Oh, so you mean I have to wait for him to slit my throat to be taken in consideration?”

“Of course not. But we can’t arrest him just because he was standing in front of your house. We can patrol around here the next few nights. If he sees a police car passing by several times, that might discourage him.”

Buffy didn’t believe it for a minute, but knew better than to argue.

“Is there anyone who could come and stay with you?” Officer Meers asked.

She shook her head. “My father is in England until next week. My best friends are on their honeymoon. And my…my stepbrother lives in LA.”

She saw them glimpse at the TV screen before exchanging a glance. Oh, great.

“Your stepbrother is Spike Atherton, right?” Officer Meers asked in a casual tone.

“Yes.” Her tone was defensive.

“I’m sure he would come running if you called him,” Officer Wells said with a knowing smirk.

Buffy tried to control herself. “What is that supposed to mean?” she asked in a calm voice, looking at the younger officer with disdain.

“What my colleague means, of course, is that we are sure that Mr Atherton is very concerned about your safety and would consider it his family duty to come and help you as soon as he can,” Officer Meers intervened, smiling, before casting a warning glance at his partner.

Buffy sighed. In any other circumstance she would have reacted, but now she was too tired and upset to care.

The two officers took their leave. Buffy closed the door and leaned against it for a few minutes. She was so fed up with all this. And she really needed to hear Spike tell her they were not making a big mistake. She needed to hear his voice. But if she called him and told him about Riley, he would come running, exactly like that stupid officer had said. And she didn’t want that. She was a big girl, and she would handle this herself.

Buffy heard a noise in the kitchen and froze.

Had she locked the back door correctly? Were all the windows closed?

Holding her breath, she turned off the TV. She got her baseball bat and made her way to the kitchen. The lights were still on. She checked the door; it was locked. Same for the windows. Everything was quiet. She must have dreamed it.
She walked back to the living room, rubbing her eyes.

Suddenly, someone grabbed her from behind, encircling her neck in a vicious grip. She tried to scream but a gloved hand muffled her attempt.

“You stupid bitch,” a voice whispered in her ear, “You’re going to pay. Soon.”

Then he pushed her and she fell, her head brutally hitting one of the small table’s legs. She wasn’t totally knocked out, though, and she heard the back door slam.

Silence fell back on the house, except for the frantic beating of her heart. For some time she stayed on the ground, unable to move. Her head was starting to throb painfully. She raised her hand to it and met the sticky feel of blood.

Grimacing, she tried to get up but realized immediately that she wouldn’t be able to stand on her legs. Slowly, she made her way on all fours to the coffee table and picked up the phone. For the second time that night, she dialed 911. Then she called the family doctor, who lived nearby.

Her whole body suddenly started to shake and a sob escaped her. She tried to dial Spike’s number but her hands were shaking too violently, so she let the phone drop beside her. She would ask the officer to call him.

She positioned herself in a foetal position and waited for the first person that would ring the doorbell.


§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
Spike looked at the sign mentioning that Sunnydale was only ten miles away and smiled.

The editing work and the rest had gone faster than he expected, so he had decided at the last minute to go to Sunnydale tonight instead of waiting for tomorrow. But he hadn’t warned Buffy, wanting to surprise her. He had pushed Darla’s impending return and the inevitable discussion that would follow to the back of his mind.

He just wanted to enjoy a few days of happiness with Buffy before reality hit them back in the face.

His cell phone rang and their home number appeared on the small screen. He chuckled. Could she have felt he was on the way back home?

“Evening, pet.”

“Mr Atherton?”

Spike frowned. “Yes. Who is this?”

“Mr Atherton, I’m officer Meers. I’m calling you on behalf of your stepsister who’s been attacked.”

Spike lost the control of his car for a second and deviated dangerously. A furious horn shook him out of his shock.

“What happened? Is she hurt?”

“She’s ok. The doctor is with her. She asked me to call you.”

Spike was sure the officer could hear the loud thumping of his heart. He closed his eyes before remembering where he was. “Listen, I’m on my way to Sunnydale, actually. I should be home in about 15 minutes.”

“I’m sure Miss Giles will be glad to hear that.”

Spike put the phone back on the passenger seat. Another horn made him realize he was now driving across two traffic lanes. He cursed under his breath and focused on the road, trying to respect the speed limit despite a strong will to step on the gas.

So help him, whoever had laid his hands on Buffy would regret it for the rest of his life.

§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§

Once he arrived, Spike almost burst into the house. The officer was still there, as well as the doctor who was done tending to Buffy. Spike ran to her and took her in his arms.

“My God, sweetheart, are you alright?” he whispered into her hair.

She nodded, holding onto him tightly and thanking the Powers for his presence. She tried not to break down in front of the officer and the doctor. It had been enough of a show for tonight already.

Still holding her, Spike turned to the doctor. “Thanks for coming, John. Will she be ok?”

The doctor smiled reassuringly. “She'll be fine. I didn’t even have to put on stitches. Those little stripe bandages will do,” he said, showing a small box. “And I gave her painkillers. She might feel a little groggy tomorrow.”

“Thank you, John”, Buffy said in a little voice.

The doctor patted her on the shoulder. “Give my regards to your dad, ok? William, take care of her.”

“I will,” Spike said, kissing the other side of her forehead.

The doctor said his goodbyes to the officer and left. Spike then realized the officer was still there and that he hadn’t even acknowledged him.

“I’m sorry,” he said, “I was so worried…I’m Spike Atherton.”

“Officer Meers. I’m the one who called you earlier. Your stepsister had already called us tonight to report the stalking.”

Spike frowned. “The what?”
“Miss Giles told us her ex-boyfriend had been stalking her for the last few days. Miss Giles, do you think he was the one who attacked you tonight?”

“I’m not sure, I didn’t see anything,” she said, avoiding Spike’s interrogative glance. “I think he came through my bedroom window. I always leave it open. And he jumped on me on my way from the kitchen to the living room, so I guess he was coming from upstairs. Oh, and he was wearing gloves.”

The officer nodded and took some notes. Spike crossed his arms with a not very pleased look on his face. Buffy bit her lips. Looked like it was time for some revelations. And it wasn’t going to be pretty.

“Did he say anything?” Officer Meers inquired again.

“Something like, ‘you’re going to pay, bitch.’ He was whispering, so I’m not sure I recognized his voice. I was in a bit of a shock.”

“Sounds like Finn to me,” Spike intervened in a neutral tone, but Buffy could feel the anger boiling beneath the surface.

Officer Meers closed his little notebook. “Well, Miss Giles, I’ll send someone tomorrow to ask that Riley Finn some questions. Just so he knows we have an eye on him. And I’ll ask my colleague to investigate about that girlfriend of his who’s in a coma. But if he has no criminal record like you said, I’m afraid it won’t help very much.”

Buffy heard Spike’s gasp and met his disbelieving look. She sighed. Definitely not pretty. And she was the only one to blame. “This is Janet Maclay’s phone number,” she said, handing the officer the piece of paper where it was written. But please don’t call her if it’s not necessary. I told you everything she told me, so I would prefer for her not to be bothered.”

The officer nodded. “Alright. Have a good evening, then, Miss Giles. Mr Atherton…”

“Bye, Officer.”

Spike closed the door behind him and turned back to Buffy. This time the anger was clear on his face.

She tried to look repentant and miserable, hoping the bandage on her forehead would help. But she knew very well it wouldn’t work.

“So, Finn is stalking you? His ex-girlfriend is in a coma? And you knew about this?”

She nodded, swallowing painfully.

“Buffy…” he said calmly, before suddenly raising his tone, “What THE HELL is going on here??”

CHAPTER 11

When they were younger, Buffy had often had fights and quarrels with Spike. But never, ever had he looked at her with such anger.

“I’m sorry,” she said in a trembling voice.

“I didn’t ask you to apologize. I want an explanation,” he replied coldly.

She didn’t dare to look at him, couldn’t bear to see him look at her that way.

“Willow told me you had asked her to do some research on Riley. So she called his former university in Iowa. And they gave her a phone number.”

“Did they say anything else?”

Buffy sighed. Why had she hidden all this from him? That was probably the stupidest thing she had ever done. “The woman on the phone told Willow to stay away from Riley. That he was dangerous. And to call the number if we wanted more information.”

Spike’s nostrils flared. “Dangerous, huh? And since when did you know this?”

“A few days before Will and Xander’s wedding.”

“You knew this at the wedding?” he asked, unable to conceal the hurt from his eyes.

“Yes. Spike, I’m sorry…”

“I don’t care, Buffy. You lied to me. You knew Riley was dangerous and you didn’t tell me!”

His voice had risen again and he tried to calm down. But he was furious. She had deliberately hidden the truth from him, and therefore had put herself in danger. “Did you call that number then?”

She shook her head. “Not immediately. I know now it was stupid, but I didn’t give what the woman said much credit. I wanted to put Riley behind me, and I preferred to ignore it. I thought I could handle him if need be.”

He laughed ironically. “Handle him? Buffy, look at you for God’s sake!” He exclaimed, referring to the bandages on her head.

“I know!” she exclaimed, anger rising as well. “And shouting at me won’t make it better. I’m the one with the bump in the forehead remember? I’m the only one to blame.”

He passed his hand through his hair and lowered his tone. “So when did you call that number?”

“When Riley started stalking me. Two or three days ago.”

She told him about her phone call to Janet Maclay and what had presumably happened with Tara. By the end of her story, Spike was chalk white.

“And you didn’t think that the fact that your ex-boyfriend was dangerous and almost killed a girl was serious enough for you to call me?” he finally asked quietly.

“I…I didn’t want to bother you. And until two days ago, I hadn’t realize how serious it was, I swear.”

He simply looked at her, at the white gauze covering her forehead, her pale face, her green eyes holding back tears. She tried to reason him.

“Spike, even if I had told you, what difference would it have made? You couldn’t come, you had to work. I couldn’t ask you to come here and baby-sit me 24/7, right? I wanted to call you, I did…but I honestly thought I could take care of it.”

He sat on the table in front of her. He didn’t look angry anymore, but he had a morose face that Buffy didn’t like much more.

He sighed. “You’re right, I wouldn’t probably have made a difference. In fact, none of this would have happened if we hadn’t gotten involved with each other in the first place.”

Buffy felt an icy claw grasping her heart. “Spike, no. We couldn’t…”

“Buffy, face it. What did you gain by being with me? Nothing, except getting hurt. That’s it.”

“That’s not true!” she protested vehemently, taking his hand in hers. “I don’t regret one single moment we had together. It’s worth it, remember?”

“Well, look what good it did to you,” he said in a weary voice, pointing at her wound. “I told your dad I would take care of you. I did a bloody grand job of it, didn’t I?”

“Spike, please, don’t talk this way. What happened with Riley is not your fault. He probably would have lost it one day or another.”

She was feeling sick to her stomach. She had never seen him look so somber and like he was ready to give up. She realized now that he probably had had his own doubts about the whole situation, and unfortunately, what had happened tonight seemed to have reinforced them.

He got up. “You should go to bed. It’s getting late, and you have to rest. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Her heart fell in her chest. “Spike, please, don’t let this separate us. Please.”

He gave her a look of slight surprise. “I never said that. But you’ve been through a lot tonight, and it would be reasonable for you to get some rest.”

She nodded, swallowing her tears. She walked to him and kissed him on the cheek. He kissed her back absentmindedly.

Trying very hard not to burst into sobs, Buffy made her way to the stairs.

“Buffy…” Spike said. She turned back to him, hopeful. “Your painkillers,” he reminded her, handing her the box.

“Oh…Thank you,” she managed to say in a high-pitched voice.

This was turning into a nightmare. And she’d rather have Riley stalking her for the rest of her life than have Spike behaving almost like a stranger to her. Of course she had acted foolishly by lying to him and he had every right to be mad at her. But she would never let Riley, or any doubts, come between them.

All her own doubts had vanished as soon as he had entered the house tonight. She loved him, and she knew he loved her. They had a chance at being happy together, and she would fight for that with every fiber of her being.

§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§

One hour later, she was still tossing and turning in her bed. There was no way she could sleep, knowing Spike was in the house and with that sudden emotional distance between them. Not after the love, passion and tenderness they had share only a few days ago.

The painkillers the doctor had given her were strong ones, and she was feeling dizzy and light-headed. At least her forehead wasn’t hurting anymore.

The door to his room was open, and the soft sound of the television revealed that he was still downstairs. She carefully descended the stairs, stopping before entering the living room.

Despite the situation, she smiled. There was an air of déjà vu, what with Spike lying on the couch and herself standing there, watching him. It reminded her of that night three years ago. The night of his mom’s funeral, and the first time they had kissed.

At times like this, she really missed Joyce’s presence more than ever. She always knew how to make things right. But Buffy wasn’t a little girl anymore, and Joyce was gone. And she had a stalking ex-boyfriend and a stepbrother turned lover to deal with.

She walked to the couch and he raised his head. “I thought I told you to get some sleep. You’ll never heal properly if you stay up all night,” he scolded her.

“I can’t sleep if you’re mad at me. I can’t be alone in my bed if I know you’re only a few feet away,” she said calmly, showing that she had every intention to stay and clear things out.

Spike closed his eyes for a second. “I can’t sleep either”, he finally admitted, and reached for her hand. “Come here.”

Repressing a sigh of relief, she slipped into his open arms. They kissed fervently, holding each other tightly. Then he pulled away and looked into her eyes. “I was so scared when that police officer called me,” he said, his voice shaking slightly, either by the kiss or the reminiscence of that phone call. Or possibly both. “I can’t lose you, Buffy. I can’t.”

“And you won’t. I’m here, and I love you. Always,” she assured him, putting soft kisses on his cheeks and jaw before reaching his lips for another searing kiss.

“I’m sorry for not telling you about Riley.”

“I know. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you better.”

She took his face in her hands. “Spike, listen to me. For the last time, it’s not your fault. It’s not mine. We can’t go against our feelings, and we certainly couldn’t guess that Riley was a psycho. Things have not been easy for us, and if we have a single chance to find happiness, I won’t let this come between us. You’re everything to me, and I won’t let you walk away so easily.”

“I have no intention of going away, ever,” he affirmed her, kissing her forehead near her wound. “But I admit I had doubts. I asked myself a lot of questions. But when I got that awful phone call, all the doubts were gone. Then I heard you had lied to me about Finn, and they peeked their ugly heads again. But it didn’t last. And I never doubted my love for you. Never,” he finished softly.

She smiled. “Neither did I. That part was very clear in my head.”

She rested said head on his chest and they entangled their legs, making themselves comfortable. Spike put his arm around her waist and pressed her tightly against him, as if he was afraid she might disappear. His hand moved in a soothing motion on her back, and sleep finally took her over, now that she was finally safe and at peace in his arms.

He watched over her tenderly for a moment before succumbing to sleep as well.

§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§

Riley walked into his office and put his bag on the chair. The door slammed violently behind him and he jumped. Turning back, he found Spike standing in front of him, looking like he was about to rip somebody’s guts. Most likely his.

Riley raised his hands. “The police already came this morning, and I told them I had nothing to do with it. So leave me alone, ok?”

Spike grabbed him by the collar, his eyes blazing fire. “I don’t give a shit about what you told the police, you pathetic wanker. If you ever go near Buffy again, if you touch a single hair on her head, I’ll personally take care of you. Am I making myself clear?”

Riley nodded frantically. “Yes! Let me go! You have nothing against me!”

Spike pushed him away with a disgusted look. “Just one single hair,” he repeated before leaving.

Riley caught his breath and straightened his shirt. He had expected to see the police, but not Atherton. Well, not so soon. He knew he had to be careful now, but if he had gotten away with things so easily the first time, there was no reason it wouldn’t work this time as well. And he hadn’t been able to resist playing with Buffy’s nerves a little bit.

Now all he had to do was wait for the right moment.

§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§

When Buffy woke up, she was alone in her bed. At some point last night, Spike had probably brought her here, but she didn’t know if he had stayed with her or not.

She wasn’t feeling her best. The hit on her head and emotions of yesterday were taking their toll. She was looking for her painkillers when the door opened and Spike walked in, holding an orange juice.

“Hey there, sleepyhead,” he said, smiling. He came to sit beside her. “How are you feeling?”

“Not my usually brilliant self,” she admitted. “Is this fresh orange juice?”

“Specially squeezed for the invalid,” he joked, handing it to her, as well as a painkiller.

“Thanks.” She took it and drank. Once finished, Spike placed the glass on the nightstand and then caressed her hair tenderly.

“Why don’t you stay in bed today and rest? I already called the school and told them you wouldn’t go.”

“Thank you,” she repeated, taking his hand and putting it on her cheek, savouring the feel of it. “I think I’ll do just that. Will you stay with me for a bit?” she asked with puppy eyes.

He smiled, took off his shoes and sat against the headboard, putting his arms around her. With a sigh of pleasure, she rested her head in the crook of his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head.

“What time is it, by the way?”

“11.30. I bought some stuff for lunch, if you feel hungry later.”

“You went out?”

He hesitated. “Yes…did some grocery shopping…and went to see a bloke who needed a good warning.”

There was a silence then Buffy got up on her elbow and watched him. “You went to see Riley?”

“Yeah…I really wanted to give him the thrashing of his life, but it would have put me in a problematic situation…I just threatened him not to come near you again.”

“Wow…what did he say?”

“Just that the police had already asked him some questions, and that he had nothing to do with it.”

“Liar,” Buffy muttered. “He’s a sick freak. I’m sure he just wanted to play with my nerves, last night. Maybe he’ll understand, now that he knows both the police and you have an eye on him. Thank you. You’re my knight in shining armour,” she said, kissing his jaw.

Spike smiled. “I won’t let anyone hurt my girl,” he said, stroking her arm tenderly.

But a disturbing thought was creeping in his mind. He was so furious that he had come to see Riley without thinking about anything else but the fact that he had touched Buffy. But as she had said, he was a sick, dangerous freak.

What if instead of scaring him, he had pissed off the bastard even more?

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