Chapter 15

Buffy woke up with a huge headache. She looked around and saw that she was on a bed that appeared to be in a hotel room. She rubbed her head and tried to get her eyes to adjust better. She didn’t know where she was, when she heard a familiar voice. “Sleeping beauty finally awakes.” Buffy stared daggers at Parker, who just decided to grace her with his presence. “Has anyone told you that you’re cute when you’re sleeping?” He said with a smile and Buffy wanted to smack it off of his face. She couldn’t believe she actually slept with that guy.

“Has anyone told you that you’re an asshole?” She spat and Parker touched his chest.

“You wound me, Summers. You always were feisty, that’s what I love about you.” He moved closer to her and sat on the bed. “We’re going to have some fun.” He whispered as he put his hand under her shirt and cupped her breast. Buffy then grabbed his hand and twisted it as she moved it off of her.

“I bet you’re wishing you would have tied me up, huh?” Parker only laughed as he pulled his hand away from her.

“Don’t worry about it. That will come later.” He stated as he caressed her cheek and she turned away from him. He then grew angry and grabbed her face hard, so she was looking back at him. “Don’t look away from me. I’m gonna show you what you’ve been missing.” Buffy was about to say something else, when another man walked into the room. She didn’t recognize him and figured he was the one that knocked her out.

“Good, I see she’s awake.” Parker turned to look at the man, with a smile on his face.

“Yeah, nothing can keep my girl out for long. What took you so long, Lindsey?” The man she now knew as Lindsey shrugged his shoulders. Who would name their son that anyway?

“Had to make sure this place was safe.” He said as he walked closer to Buffy and looked her up and down. “She sure is a pretty one. Have to admire you for your taste, Abrams.” Parker smiled at the comment. Lindsey’s eyes then turned cold as he looked at Buffy. He smacked her hard across the face and she was shocked as she touched her stinging cheek. Parker looked surprised also and Lindsey didn’t seem to care. “You have your perfect brother to thank for that, sweetheart. This would be my little revenge.” Buffy removed her hand from her cheek and stared at him, trying not to show that she was afraid.

“You know Angel?” She wondered and Lindsey laughed at her question.

“Yeah, you could say that. That bastard has taken everything from me, including my girl. Everyone thinks Angel is so perfect. Well, not anymore. Darla was mine and he took her from me.” He spat as he grabbed Buffy roughly by the shoulders and it was harder for her not to show fear. He just gave her a smile. “You’re mine now, baby. We’ll see what Angel thinks when I screw your brains out and then leave your dead body on his doorstep.” Buffy started to feel tears form in her eyes and she didn’t know what to do. Parker put his hand on the angry man’s arm and pulled him away from her.

“Dude, you didn’t say anything about killing her.” Lindsey turned a hard gaze on Parker.

“Change of plans. I’ll make Angel pay in the worst way possible.” He stated and then looked back at Buffy. “That would be you, honey.” He told her in a low voice as he got in her face. “Angel loves his little sister, doesn’t he? It would kill him if anything was to happen to her.” Lindsey brushed the hair out of her face and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Let the games begin.” He said as he stood up and looked at Parker. “Take her clothes off. I’ll get the rope to tie her up with.” Parker nodded as he walked over to Buffy, who tried to get away from him.

“This will hurt less if you don’t struggle.” He told her and Buffy didn’t know what else to do, when she suddenly let out a scream and hoped that someone would hear her. Parker panicked and put his hand over her mouth. “You shouldn’t have done that.” Buffy then had an idea and bit him hard on the hand. Parker yelled in pain as he pulled his hand away. Buffy used the distraction to her advantage and kicked him hard in the abdomen, knocking him away from her. He fell to the floor and she got off of the bed. She let her anger and fear take control as she continued to kick him, when something hard ran into her and pulled her away. She looked up to notice that she was face to face with a very angry Lindsey.

“You’re gonna regret that, you little bitch.” He claimed as he punched her hard in the face and she fell against the wall. Lindsey moved closer to her. “I have no problem hitting little girls.” Buffy glared at him as she stood up.

“That’s probably why your girlfriend left you. My brother is a better man than you could ever be.” Lindsey grew angrier as he grabbed her by the shirt and pulled her closer to him.

“We’ll see about that.” He said as he pulled a knife out of his pocket and held it towards her. “You’re really starting to annoy me. I may just go straight to the killing part.” Buffy winced as he traced the sharp blade down her cheek. “Let’s see if you’re a screamer.” He was too strong and Buffy couldn’t get away. She then heard a noise and saw something crash over Lindsey’s head. He looked stunned and then fell to the floor. Buffy was just as surprised as she looked up at her rescuer and it was the last person she ever expected to see.

“Riley?” She said and he turned his gaze on her after he made sure Lindsey was unconscious.

“Are you okay?” Riley asked her with concern in his voice and Buffy nodded. She found her voice after a few seconds.

“How did you know where I was?” She wondered and he gave her a small smile.

“I followed after I saw them take you. I made a call before I got here.” Buffy was about to say something else, when a dark haired woman walked into the hotel room followed by a few other men. The men grabbed Lindsey and Parker and put handcuffs on them as they took them out of the room. The woman walked over to Buffy and Riley.

“Don’t worry about them, Buffy. They’ll be taken care of.” She told her and Buffy wondered how she knew her name, but she didn’t have to wonder for long.

“This is my wife, Sam. I told her about you.” Riley said and Buffy nodded as she smiled at the woman.

“It’s nice to meet you.” She said and Sam nodded also. Buffy didn’t know much about Riley’s wife. She only knew that the other woman was a police officer and Buffy was very grateful to them both right now. Sam turned her attention back on her husband.

“I should head back, get this taken care of. Why don’t you take Buffy home?” Riley agreed and Sam looked back at Buffy. “When you feel up to it, I may need you to come down to the station to answer a few questions.” Sam said and Buffy nodded.

“Yeah, I can do that.” Sam gave Buffy one more smile and kissed her husband. She then left to head back to the station. Riley looked back at Buffy.

“Come on; let’s get you out of here.” He told her as they both walked out of the hotel room and headed to his car. Buffy looked at Riley when they got in.

“That self defense class really paid off.” She told him and he smiled at her.

“Glad to hear it.” He replied as he started the car and drove away.
 

Chapter 16

Joyce and the others were relieved when Buffy was brought home safely. Joyce thanked Riley a few times and gave him a hug, which took him by surprise. They were all grateful to him. He left a little while later and told Buffy that he would see her at the next class. Buffy explained to everyone about what happened when Riley was gone. Angel was angry when he found out about Lindsey’s part in it and was just glad that Buffy didn’t get really hurt. Spike hugged Buffy like he never wanted to let her go and knew that he should have done more damage to Parker. He was just glad that the ponce was taken away. They were upstairs in Buffy’s room lying on her bed later that night, both not saying anything. Buffy noticed the angry expression on Spike’s face. “Are you okay?” She asked and he looked back at her. He touched her cheek, where there was a bruise and shook his head.

“I hate this.” He stated in a low voice. “I hate any bloke that thinks he can beat on a woman. They give all of us a bad name.” Buffy took his hand off of her cheek and held it in hers.

“You’re one of the good ones, William. I’m so glad I found you.” Spike was touched as he leaned closer to her and placed a kiss on her lips. He pulled away and touched his head to hers.

“What did I ever do without you? I mean that, Buffy. I was nothing before you. I love you so much.” He whispered and it was Buffy’s turn to feel touched.

“I love you, too. I always have.” He kissed her again, when there was a knock on the door. He pulled away as Joyce walked into the room, with a smile on her face.

“I just wanted to let you two know that I will be going to bed now. Your father already left, William. I suppose you’ll be staying over tonight?” She asked and Spike felt embarrassed as he nodded.

“If that would be alright? I could just sleep on the couch.” He said and was about to get up, until Joyce spoke again.

“That won’t be necessary. You can stay in here as long as you both promise that nothing will happen.” She said in her best motherly voice and Buffy nodded.

“We’ll be good, mom.” Joyce accepted her daughter’s answer as she walked over to her and gave her another hug.

“I’m so glad you’re okay, Buffy. Don’t worry me like that again.” Joyce told her.

“I won’t.” She replied and Joyce pulled away. She gave her daughter one more smile and then Spike.

“I’ll let you two sleep now. Goodnight.” She told them and they said it back as Joyce walked out of the room and closed the door behind her. They were both quiet after that, when Spike suddenly hugged her again and Buffy wrapped her arms around him also.

“I think this is the most anyone has ever hugged me.” She said and he pulled away.

“You better get used to it, love. You had us all bloody worried.” Buffy shrugged.

“I wasn’t gone that long. I did manage to keep my cool and even got a few kicks in. I don’t think Parker will ever be able to have children. That guy Lindsey was really scary though. I could tell that Parker didn’t want to kill me, but the other guy had no problem with it. Just because my brother took his girlfriend from him. He has serious issues.” Spike agreed and again felt relieved to have her back. He could have lost her and he didn’t know what he would do if that happened. He couldn’t even think about it. “So, enough about that. Tell me about this girl that you’re tutoring.” She said suddenly and tried not to sound jealous.

“How did you know it was a girl?” He wondered and Buffy shrugged.

“Willow told me, but that’s all she told me. So, who is she?” Spike could tell that she seemed a little jealous, but she had no reason to be. He was flattered by it though.

“Her name is Dawn and she’s a freshmen, so you have no reason to be jealous.” Buffy rolled her eyes.

“I’m not jealous, I was just wondering. It’s nice that you’re still tutoring the younger kids.” She said and Spike smiled at her.

“Yeah, I’ve always loved doing it. She’s a nice girl. I think she has a crush on me.” Buffy smacked him lightly on the leg.

“I’m sure she does, but just know that you’re mine. Make sure she knows that, too.” Spike loved when she got all possessive.

“There’s no competition, pet.” He said as he leaned towards her ear. “I’ve always been yours.” He whispered and it caused her to shiver. Buffy gave him a kiss when he moved away.

“Likewise,” she replied and Spike suddenly looked nervous. Buffy wondered what was wrong, but she didn’t have to wonder for long.

“I wanted to give you this. I figured now was a good enough time.” He said as he handed something to her and Buffy saw that it was a ring. She took it from him and was surprised that he would give her something so beautiful. It also looked really expensive. She looked back up at him and he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s not a proposal, Buffy. Not yet anyway. We’ll call this a promise ring. It belonged to my mum and I really think you should have it.” Buffy had tears in her eyes at the thought of him giving her his mother’s ring. She put it on her finger to find that it was a perfect fit. She looked back at him, with a smile on her face.

“I’ll always treasure it, William.” She said and then gave him another kiss on the lips. “I love you.” She whispered and Spike caressed her cheek. He felt tears in his eyes now, knowing that he finally found the woman he would spend the rest of his life with.

“I love you, too. So bloody much.” He replied in a quiet voice. Buffy smiled and looked at the ring one more time.

“We should get some sleep.” She said as she looked back at him. Spike agreed and lay down on the bed. Buffy did the same and rested her head on his chest. It didn’t take them long to fall asleep.
 

Chapter 17

Buffy woke up in the morning and looked at Spike, who was still sound asleep. She smiled at how adorable he looked and placed a kiss on his forehead. She then got out of bed and headed downstairs. She walked into the kitchen to see that Angel was there drinking a cup of coffee. He looked up at her and gave her a small smile. She smiled back as she sat down across from him. They were both quiet, until Angel spoke up. “How are you doing?” Buffy shrugged at his question.

“I’m good, could have been worse.” Angel agreed and felt angry again when he thought about what could have happened to her.

“I’ll kill him for this.” He stated in a low tone and Buffy looked at him with concern.

“No, you won’t. That’s not you, Angel. I’m sure Lindsey will get what’s coming to him. What’s the deal with you two anyway?” She wondered and Angel took a deep breath before he answered her.

“He blamed me for taking his girlfriend. Darla was with him for a few months, when he started to hit her. We were friends and she came to me for help. I promised that I would protect her and she told me that she would leave him. I wanted to go with her, but she said she could do it herself. She came back to me hours after that, with bruises and cuts on her face. The bastard beat on her when she tried to end things with him. Lindsey must have caught us together. He has always had something against me. I swear, I had no idea he would come after you. I’m so sorry, Buffy.” He finished in a quiet voice and Buffy placed her hand over his.

“It wasn’t your fault, Angel. You couldn’t have known.” Angel nodded and had tears in his eyes as he gave her hand a squeeze.

“I love you, kid.” He said and Buffy gave him a smile.

“I love you, too.” She replied as she hugged him. “You’re the best guy I know, Angel. I couldn’t have asked for a better brother.” She whispered and that made Angel hold on to her tighter. His little sister was his whole world. He couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to her. They pulled apart after a few seconds and Buffy gave him another smile. “So, are you and Darla dating? You never mentioned her before.” She said changing the subject and Angel smiled as he wiped his eyes.

“Yeah, we’ve been seeing each other for a few weeks now. Who knew the whole thing with Lindsey would have brought us closer.” Buffy shrugged and was happy that her brother found someone.

“You should bring her by some time. I’m sure mom would love to meet her and I would love to meet the girl that’s crazy enough to date you.” She said in a teasing tone and Angel ruffled her hair.

“If there’s hope for you, then there’s hope for anyone.” He stated and she smacked him lightly on the arm. “I would love to bring her here though. She has been saying that she wanted to meet my family. She saw your picture in my room and she thinks you’re very pretty.” Buffy smiled at that.

“I like her already.” Angel rolled his eyes.

“I’m sure you do, but you’ll end up liking her even more after you meet.” He told her and Buffy agreed.

“I bet I will.” They were both quiet after that. Spike then walked into the kitchen, wiping the sleep out of his eyes.

“Hey, it’s no fun for a bloke to wake up alone.” He said when he noticed Angel there. “Not that we did anything, just sleeping.” Spike commented and Buffy laughed at the look on his face.

“It’s okay, Will. He gets it.” Spike sighed in relief and Angel smiled.

“I’m just surprised you survived in the same bed with this one.” Angel said as he pointed at Buffy. “She’s a kicker.” Buffy smacked him on the head.

“I’m so not, buddy. You have me confused with someone else.” Spike smiled at the banter between the two siblings.

“Now that you mention it. I do wonder how I ended up on the floor in the middle of the night.” Spike stated in a teasing tone and Buffy turned her gaze on him.

“Great, so now you’re both ganging up on me. I’m really feeling the love right now.” She said with a pout and both men rolled their eyes. Angel then stood up.

“I’ll be heading back to school soon. I think I could at least spare a few days though, just to make sure that everything’s okay. I have to pick up some stuff, be back in a couple of hours.” He said as he placed a kiss on the top of Buffy’s head. “Be careful, alright?” He told her.

“You know me.” She replied.

“Yeah, that’s what worries me.” Angel commented as Buffy rolled her eyes this time. He walked over to Spike and patted him on the back. “It was nice to meet you, man. Take care of her.” He stated and Spike nodded.

“You don’t have to worry about that.” Angel saw the look in Spike’s eyes and knew that his sister was in good hands. He gave Buffy one more smile before he walked away. Spike then walked over to Buffy and sat down next to her. “Your brother seems like a decent bloke.” He said and Buffy smiled.

“Yeah, he’s the best.” Spike could tell how close Buffy was with Angel. He always wanted a brother or sister of his own. He was very lonely being an only child. All he had was his little cousin in England, but it wasn’t the same. He doesn’t even get to see her much. He lost his parents in a car accident years ago and felt even more alone when he had to move to a strange place to live with his uncle. He looked at Buffy, who was sitting next to him and drinking her coffee. He then had a smile on his face as he realized that moving to Sunnydale was the best thing that ever happened to him. He wouldn’t change it for the world.
 

Chapter 18

Buffy was back in school a few days later and she told the others about what happened. They were surprised and also glad she was okay. “That’s so cool, Buffy!” Xander exclaimed which got him an elbow in the stomach from Willow.

“Xander, she could have been killed.” Willow stated and Xander looked ashamed.

“I didn’t mean it like that. I mean it’s cool that you were able to defend yourself. Not that I think you can’t defend yourself or anything. As far as girls go, you’re one of the strongest ones I know.” He said trying to lighten the mood and Buffy gave him a smile.

“It’s okay, Xander. I get what you mean.” Xander sighed in relief and Buffy continued to tell them about her visit to the police station. They had enough information and were able to put Lindsey and Parker away, hopefully for a long time if Buffy had anything to say about it. Angel went with her, so he could tell them what he knew about Lindsey. Buffy was glad it was all over as she sat at the cafeteria with her friends. Spike with his arm around her.

“Your brother is so hot, Buffy.” Cordelia suddenly said as she remembered the gorgeous man that dropped Buffy off at school. Buffy shook her head.

“Sorry, Cordy. He already has someone.” She stated which caused a frown to form on the cheerleader’s beautiful face.

“Yeah, so do you.” Xander said as he looked at his girlfriend and Cordelia rolled her eyes.

“Lighten up, Harris. I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m allowed to look at attractive guys, just like you’re allowed to look at attractive girls. There’s no harm in it.” She commented and Xander smiled at her.

“Sure, that’s fair.” He replied as he then gave Buffy a look. She raised her eyebrows at his staring. Spike pulled her even closer to him and glared at Xander.

“There will be harm if you look at my girlfriend like that, mate.” He almost growled and Xander actually looked afraid. He sometimes missed the bookish nerd that Spike used to be. Xander held up his hands in surrender.

“Alright, I won’t look at her. I was only kidding anyway.” He mumbled as he looked away from Spike’s gaze.

“Don’t you just love it when he gets all possessive like that? It’s definitely sexy.” Cordelia said as she looked at Buffy and Spike. Spike blushed and looked away from her.

“He got possessive with you?” Buffy wondered and Cordelia nodded.

“Are you kidding me? He wouldn’t let any guy look at me in the wrong way. When they did, he would grab me tighter like he just did with you. It was very sweet. I’m not used to guys being like that with me. I’m almost sorry that I let him go.” She said when she noticed the strange looks she was getting. “I said almost. I’m totally cool with it. You guys are better together anyway. You have that real love going for you. All we really did was make out constantly. You can’t build a real relationship on that.” Xander shook his head and then stood up.

“We should get to class now, Cordy.” He said as he grabbed his girlfriend’s arm.

“What did I say?” She asked as Xander pulled her away. Willow looked at Buffy and Spike, who were sitting in silence and she stood up also.

“I think I’m gonna find Oz. See you guys later.” She said as she left the table, leaving Buffy and Spike alone. They both remained quiet, until Buffy decided to speak up.

“So, you guys made out a lot?” Spike sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair.

“It wasn’t a lot. Not as much as with you.” Buffy nodded as she looked away from him.

“At least you didn’t sleep with her.” Spike then put his finger under her chin and brought her gaze back on his.

“I couldn’t do that, Buffy. I was waiting for you. I would have waited forever if I had to. I wanted you to be my first; no one else would have been good enough.” Buffy smiled and gave him a soft kiss on the lips.

“That’s good to know.” She whispered and rested her head on his shoulder. They were like that for a few seconds, when the bell rang signaling that lunch was over. They pulled apart from each other and Spike grabbed her hand as they both stood up and headed to their next class.


* * * * *


Buffy was walking to her locker after school, when she saw this young girl walk by with her books clutched to her chest. She then saw some jock knock the books out of the girl’s hand. The girl looked embarrassed as she bent down to pick them up, while the guy laughed with his friends. That made Buffy angry as she walked over to them. She helped the girl with her books and she gave her a shy smile. Buffy then turned cold eyes on the familiar jock. “What’s your problem, Ben? You have to pick on kids half your size now? That’s just really pathetic.” He glared at her.

“What do you care, Summers? I’m just having some fun, but I guess you would know all about that.” He told her with a smirk and his friends laughed again. Buffy had enough.

“You know what? I’ve forgotten about our little time together. It really wasn’t that memorable. I’ve had better in the 6th grade.” She said and that made Ben angry.

“Yeah, we’ll see about that. I can give you a go right now.” He stated and Buffy rolled her eyes.

“Sorry, but I would rather not catch anything. By the way, I’m really sorry to hear about your syphilis. I hope all your conquests know about that.” She stated as she then looked behind Ben to see two girls staring at them, with disgusted looks on their faces. “Oh, I’m sorry. You guys didn’t sleep with him, did you? You probably wanna get that checked out. Better safe than sorry is my motto.” Buffy said to the girls and Ben turned around and noticed them standing there also. They gave him a look and then turned and walked away. Ben took off after them.

“Wait, she was only kidding!” He yelled and Buffy laughed as she watched him go. His friends followed after him and Buffy then turned back to the girl, who was just standing there in silence.

“You okay?” She asked her and the girl nodded.

“Yeah, that was pretty great.” She replied and Buffy gave her a smile.

“It was nothing; you just need to know how to handle guys like that. I’m Buffy by the way.” She said as she introduced herself.

“I’m Dawn; it’s nice to meet you.” The girl stated and Buffy figured that this was the girl that Spike was tutoring. She only gave her a smile.

“It’s nice to meet you, too. Let’s go for a walk. I may know of something that can help you against bullies like that.” Dawn nodded as she followed Buffy out of the school.
 

Chapter 19

Another week went by and Buffy headed to Spike’s locker after school. She saw him talking to a girl and walked over to them, with a smile on her face. “Hey, how’s it going?” Spike smiled at her also and Buffy turned her attention on the girl. “How’ve you been, Dawn?” She asked and the girl gave her a big smile.

“Things are good. I’m going to self defense class after school today. Thanks again for recommending it. It really comes in handy when anyone decides to pick on me. They would so regret it. It took me a while to convince my mom to take me though. She eventually caved.” Buffy nodded at the girl’s excitement. Dawn admired Buffy for being able to fight back and she wanted to learn some moves of her own, incase she would need them. So, Buffy talked to Riley and he agreed to give her some lessons. Dawn has been happier ever since. “It’s really great. Riley is so hot. Have you seen his arms? Those are good arms to have.” Buffy smiled and wondered if Riley was the only thing the girl was really interested in.

“Well, I’m glad you’re having fun.” Dawn nodded as she looked at both of them.

“Yeah, I gotta go now. See you guys later.” She said as she ran off and Buffy watched her go as she looked back at Spike.

“I think someone has a crush on her instructor, but at least it’s not you.” She stated.

“I miss all the attention.” He said with a pout and Buffy put her arm around him.

“Poor, Spike. I’ll give you attention.” She said and he smiled at her.

“I think that’s the first time you’ve called me Spike.” Buffy shrugged.

“It’s an honest mistake. Don’t get used to it.” She told him as she grabbed his hand and they walked out of the school together.


* * * * *


Angel showed up at the house later that night with Darla. She came over for dinner and to meet the family that Angel spoke so much about. Buffy was there to greet them. Angel made the introductions and they got along pretty fast. He went into the kitchen to help his mother, while the girls talked. “Angel told me what happened with Lindsey. I’m sorry about that. I hope he didn’t hurt you.” Darla said with concern in her voice and Buffy shook her head.

“Nothing I couldn’t handle. It wasn’t your fault, I’m just glad the jerk won’t be causing anymore problems.” Darla agreed as they both sat on the couch and continued their conversation.

“Angel talks about you all the time.” Darla said and Buffy smiled at that.

“Well, I am pretty important. If I do say so myself.” She replied and Darla laughed. She knew she would like this girl.

“You remind me so much of my little sister. I really miss her sometimes.” Darla said with a sad expression suddenly.

“Where is your sister? If you don’t mind me asking.” Buffy wondered and Darla shook her head.

“She lives in New York with my parents. It was really hard for me to move far away to go to college, but I needed some time to myself. I’m really grateful that I met your brother. He has always been there for me, ever since the whole thing with Lindsey. He’s truly one of the good ones.” She claimed and Buffy nodded.

“Yeah, I always knew that.” She said with a smile as they both then sat there in silence.


* * * * *


Angel and Darla left hours later and Buffy grabbed her brother’s arm before he walked out of the house. “I like her, Angel. Hold on to that one.” Angel smiled at his sister and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“I’ll keep that in mind. Take care, brat.” He said as he walked out of the house.

“Same to you, loser.” She called after him and he gave her another smile as he got in his car and drove off. Buffy watched him go for a few seconds. She then felt a sudden pain in her stomach. She has been feeling pains for the last few days, but she just shook it off and figured it was nothing as she walked back in the house.


* * * * *


Buffy was working on some new moves in self defense class the next day, but for some reason she wasn’t that into it. She stopped what she was doing and took a deep breath. She grabbed her bottle of water and took a long drink from it. She then poured some of the water over her head. She was suddenly feeling very hot. She put the bottle of water down and wiped her face with a towel. Riley noticed this and went to her side. He knew she never got tired that easily. “Are you feeling okay, Buffy?” Buffy looked at him and nodded as she took another deep breath.

“Yeah, I’m sure it’s nothing. Just feeling a little drained, it’ll pass. I just didn’t get that much sleep last night.” She told him and Riley wasn’t convinced.

“Are you sure? We could stop if you’re not feeling up to it.” Buffy shook her head.

“I’ll be fine. We still have another hour.” Riley nodded and Buffy continued to throw kicks and punches. She stopped again suddenly when she felt another sharp pain in her stomach. This one was stronger than the others. She yelled as she grabbed her side and Riley caught her when she passed out. He didn’t know what was wrong, so he grabbed his cell phone and dialed 911. He hung up after he told them the situation and gave the address. He then looked at the girl in his arms. She was unconscious and she looked too pale for his liking.

“It’ll be okay, Buffy. The ambulance is on the way.” He told her and he wasn’t even sure if she heard him. He really hoped that she would be okay and that the ambulance would get there in time.


* * * * *

 

Chapter 20

Joyce and Spike were in the hospital waiting room after Riley called Joyce to tell her that Buffy was brought in. She called Giles and he wasn’t there, so she told Spike what happened and he left to the hospital immediately after that. It was hours later and they still didn’t know what was wrong with Buffy. They only knew that she was taken into the operating room for surgery. Joyce couldn’t sit around any longer without knowing if her daughter was alright, when the doctor finally came out. Joyce stood up and walked over to him. “Is Buffy okay?” The doctor saw how concerned she was and nodded.

“Your daughter’s going to be fine. She had appendicitis and we had to operate immediately. It’s a good thing she was brought in when she was. Her appendix was about to burst. She’s unconscious right now, but she should be awake soon.” The doctor explained and Joyce sighed in relief.

“Can we see her?” She asked and the doctor nodded again.

“Yes, she’s in room 214.” Joyce gave him a grateful smile.

“Thank you, doctor.” He smiled back at her before walking away. Joyce then had tears in her eyes as she looked at the two men standing behind her. She approached Riley and gave him a hug. “That’s the second time you’ve saved my baby.” She said as she pulled out of the hug and Riley gave her a shy smile.

“I didn’t really do anything. I only called the ambulance.” Joyce shook her head.

“If you weren’t with her, I don’t even want to know what could have happened. I’m very grateful to you.” Riley nodded and accepted her gratitude.

“I’m just glad she’s okay. She’s a special girl.” He said and Joyce agreed.

“Yes, she is.” Joyce then looked at Spike and wondered why he was so quiet. “Are you alright, William?” Spike looked at her when she spoke.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just hate these close calls.” Joyce nodded in understanding.

“Let’s go see how she’s doing.” She said as they all headed to Buffy’s room.


* * * * *


Buffy woke up feeling groggy as she tried to focus her eyes on her surroundings. She didn’t know where she was, until her eyes landed on her mother. “Hey, sleepy head. You finally decided to come back to us.” Joyce said as she brushed the hair out of Buffy’s face.

“Mom, where am I?” She wondered.

“You’re in the hospital, sweetie.” Buffy’s eyes grew big as she sat up with a start.

“No, I can’t be in the hospital.” Joyce pushed Buffy gently back on the bed and tried to calm her.

“Honey, you need to lie down.” Buffy shook her head.

“I don’t like it here. I wanna go home.” She said in a frightened voice and Joyce felt for her daughter. She knew how much Buffy hated hospitals.

“I know you do, but you’re going to have to stay here for a bit longer. You just had surgery, Buffy. You need to rest.” Buffy sighed as she lay back on the bed. It was then that she noticed the two men in the room. She saw Riley first and suddenly remembered what happened. She smiled at him and held out her hand. He looked confused for a moment as he took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze.

“You always seem to be saving me.” She whispered and Riley felt touched again as he looked at her.

“I’m just glad I was there.” Buffy agreed as her eyes finally rested on Spike. He walked closer to her and Riley let her hand go. Spike kneeled down by her side and placed a kiss on her forehead.

“How do you feel?” He asked her.

“I’ve been better. I’m glad you’re here.” She said and Spike nodded.

“Where else would I be?” He stated as he then placed a soft kiss on her lips. He pulled away with tears in his eyes. “You have to stop doing this to me, Buffy. I don’t think I can take anymore.” She caressed his cheek and gave him a smile.

“I’ll try to be more careful.” He smiled back and gave her another kiss.

“We should go now. Buffy needs her rest.” Joyce told them and Riley nodded.

“Yeah, I’m sure Sam is wondering where I am by now. Take care of yourself, Buffy. I don’t want to see you in class for at least a few weeks, okay? You need to take it easy.” Buffy sighed and nodded without argument. Riley gave everyone one more look before he walked out of the room. Joyce gave Buffy a kiss on the cheek and then grabbed Spike’s arm.

“We’ll be back to see you tomorrow, Buffy.” She nodded again as Joyce and Spike walked out of the room. Buffy then closed her eyes and tried to get more sleep.


* * * * *


Spike got back to his empty house and walked up to his room. He lay on his bed and realized that he couldn’t fall asleep. He then moved to his desk and grabbed the picture that was sitting there. It was a picture of him and Buffy that was taken two years ago, a few months after they met. They were outside in his backyard when the picture was taken. Spike smiled at the memory. Buffy just woke up and she was complaining that she didn’t want any pictures taken because her hair was a mess. Spike just told her that she always looked beautiful and she gave him the sweetest smile that anyone has ever graced him with. He knew that he loved her. He tried to hide his feelings because he figured that she would never see him as anything more than a friend. Then he developed a crush on Cordelia. She was the only cheerleader that never treated him like a freak. His feelings for Buffy never went away though. He loved her from the first second he saw her. There was no one but her. She has taken him to places that he never would have dreamed of. Spike smiled again as he placed the picture back on his desk. He lay back down on his bed and knew that he would finally be able to fall asleep, with dreams of Buffy in his head.
 

Chapter 21

Buffy was released from the hospital days later and she couldn’t be happier about that. She was in her room lying in bed with Spike and they were kissing. Spike could tell that Buffy wanted to do more than that though as he pulled away from her. “Buffy, I don’t think we should go any further right now. I don’t want to hurt you.” Buffy shook her head.

“I feel fine. We can go slow.” She whispered in his ear and he looked at her with raised eyebrows.

“I don’t think you know how to go slow, pet. I loved our first time. It was very special, but it was hardly slow.” He told her and Buffy knew he was right.

“Okay, well I can try slow. I’m up for new things.” Spike smiled and shook his head.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea. Why don’t you come over to my house tomorrow night? Rupert will be out with Joyce and we can have the place to ourselves.” Buffy smiled at that suggestion and kissed him tenderly on the lips.

“Sounds like a plan.” She whispered as she kissed him again and they continued to do that, until they both fell asleep.


* * * * *


Buffy walked into self defense class the next day and smiled when she saw Riley teaching Dawn some new moves. “Hey, getting pretty good.” She said and they stopped when they noticed her there. Dawn gave her a smile.

“Yeah, Riley’s a great teacher.” The girl said as she grabbed a towel and wiped herself off. “I gotta get home now.” Dawn told them as she hugged Riley and then ran out of the building, without saying anything else. Buffy smiled as she watched Dawn and then looked back at Riley.

“You do know she has a crush on you, right?” Riley nodded and smiled at her also.

“Yeah, I think I noticed. That’s why I decided to introduce her to my brother, Connor. I think they would get along great.” Buffy agreed.

“That sounds like a good idea.” Riley then grabbed his towel and wiped his face as he looked at her.

“What did I tell you, Buffy? I don’t want to see you in here until you’re good and healed.” He told her.

“I know that, I just wanted to thank you again. It seems you’re always there when I need you. Like a guardian angel or something.” Riley smiled and blushed a little at her comment.

“I’m no angel; I just do what’s right. Having a cop for a wife could do that to you.” He said.

“Well, tell her that she’s pretty lucky.” Riley looked embarrassed now as he thought of what to say.

“I think I’m the lucky one.” Buffy smiled at his answer and nodded.

“I’ll see you later, Riley.” He nodded also as she walked away and headed to Spike’s house.


* * * * *


“God, William. That feels so good. Oh, that’s the spot. Don’t stop.” Buffy moaned as Spike continued to rub her shoulders.

“You like that, pet?” Buffy nodded and closed her eyes.

“I love your hands.” Spike smiled as he moved his hands lower and decided to massage other parts of her body.

“I just want you to feel nice and relaxed. I’m fixing a bath for you later. I think you should have a nice soak.” Buffy opened her eyes to look at him.

“Will I be having this soak alone?” She said seductively and Spike rolled his eyes.

“I think it would be for the best. Maybe I’ll join you if you’re good.” He said with a wink and Buffy smiled.

“I’m always good. I’m as good as they come, baby.” She said with a wink of her own and Spike leaned down to kiss her lips.

“I have no doubts.” He whispered to her. Buffy suddenly grew serious as she looked at him.

“Thank you for this. You’re the best boyfriend ever. It feels so good to say that.” She told him and he kissed her on the nose this time.

“It’s also really great to hear.” Spike then grabbed her hand and pulled her off of his bed and into the bathroom. He turned the water on for her and tried to get it to the right temperature. When he turned back to her, Buffy already had all her clothes off and he gulped at the sight of her. It was something he still wasn’t used to. He then noticed the scar on her right side and lightly traced his fingers over it. He looked into her eyes and saw nothing but love there. He kissed her on the lips again and rested his head on hers when he ended the kiss. “You know, I’m suddenly feeling dirty. Maybe it would be best if I took a bath, too.” He told her and Buffy had to smile at his suggestion.

“Yeah, good idea.” She stated as she kissed him this time, slipping her tongue into his mouth. They both found themselves lost in the kiss. Spike realized that he left the door to the bathroom open, but he couldn’t seem to care as he continued to kiss Buffy. He moved her over to the tub and decided that he couldn’t wait anymore. Making love to her in the bathtub would be something new that they could try; he was always up for something new. He was only a man after all. He was helpless when it came to Buffy. He lowered her into the tub and started to undress himself. He then got in after her and they continued their make out session. Neither one of them noticed that the front door of the house opened as Joyce and Giles walked in. Well, wouldn’t that be interesting?

The End


Yes, it’s so good to be evil. I’ll leave this to your imaginations. I’m sure ya’ll could guess what would happen. I was just seriously out of ideas for this, but I think it turned out pretty well. Thanks for the reviews=)