Chapter 1: Lunchroom Brawl

(August 8th)

Buffy sat in the corner, munching slowly on her somewhat soggy ham and cheese sandwich. Ok… maybe nibbling was more the right word. She was taking forever just to eat one half of it. That was normal for her, though. She liked to take her time with things. She had no reason to rush.

It wasn’t like she had a social life to get back to. In Sunnydale High, there were five main social groups that people got classified into: 1) Morbid/Suicidal Goths and Punk Rockers/Skaters, 2) Rich/Popular Girls, 3) Jocks/Athletes and Major Hotties, 4) Total Losers/Geeks/Nerds (aka Social Suicide), 5) and last but not least, the Nobodies.

That’s what Buffy was. She was a “nobody”, which meant she was virtually invisible to the rest of the student body. She didn’t mind, though. She was used to living this life, and a part of her liked being a loner. It meant she didn’t have to put up with snobby people and their bullshit high school drama. She had too many problems of her own to worry about someone else’s.

Truth be told, she didn’t really care what other people thought of her. That was one of the reasons why it only took her five minutes to get dressed in the morning. She didn’t spend half an hour searching her closet for the “perfect outfit” and doing her make-up. She just threw on whatever she grabbed first.

Today she was wearing a back, long-sleeved turtleneck and ripped jeans. She knew she needed some new jeans, but she didn’t have the money to buy them at the moment. She knew her father wouldn’t give it to her. He didn’t even give her money to eat lunch. She had to get up early and pack herself a sandwich every morning.

She didn’t usually wear make-up at all, and she didn’t like messing with her hair. She had honey blonde, shoulder-length hair, which she currently had braided. It was just easier on her that way. She had naturally wavy hair and she didn’t feel like taking the time to straighten it every morning. For one, she didn’t have a straightening iron.

The only time she’d ever really felt bad about her physical appearance was the first day of her freshman year. She’d been walking down the hall, minding her own business, when the star quarterback of the football team, Angel O’Connor, had run straight into her and knocked all of her books out of her arms. He’d then proceeded to tease her mercilessly.

“Why don’t you watch where you’re going Betty? Maybe you need some dorky glasses to match your dorky outfit.” Then he’d grinned cruelly and his friends had snickered. He’d gotten in her face and continued his taunting. “Where do you get your clothes? Out of the dumpster? I’ve seen the house you live in, so I know your parents aren’t poor.

Maybe your mommy just doesn’t want to waste her precious money on a piece of trash like you.” His words had cut her deep, like a knife, and it was just by sheer luck that she didn’t burst into tears right then and there. He and his friends had walked off laughing, and she’d picked up her scattered books before running to the bathroom to cry.

She’d stayed in there through all of first and second period, just hiding away from the world. Then she’d managed to get herself together enough to go to the library. She’d found she really liked it there. It was quiet and no one disturbed her. The librarian, Mr. Giles, was incredibly nice. She thought that all the teachers should be as nice as him.

That was the first day she’d ever skipped her classes, and she hadn’t done it since then. Throughout the year, Angel had never spoken another word to her, and she was highly relieved at that. She learned to ignore him and he, in turn, ignored her. The same went for this year. So far… it was only three weeks into her sophomore year.

She looked up from her sandwich when she heard a commotion in the middle of the lunchroom. She couldn’t see what was happening though, because practically all of the students in the room had stood up and formed a circle in the middle. It quickly became clear what was going down when the crowd started chanting, “Fight! Fight! Fight!”

The only thing unclear was who was doing the fighting. After about another minute, the doors to the cafeteria opened and the Nazi weasel, Principal Snyder, strutted into the room. The students that were clumped together immediately scattered and clung to the walls of the cafeteria. The smart ones fled the room.

Buffy just stayed put exactly where she was. Her eyes widened slightly when the two people in the middle of the room became visible. It was none other than Angel O’Connor and his biggest enemy, William ‘Spike’ Giles. Spike was, by reputation, the biggest bad boy at Sunnydale High. By rumor, the school had 911 on speed dial for him.

Buffy knew a lot of rumors about him, from what she’d heard floating around the school in the last year, but she had no idea if they were true. She wasn’t the type of person to get to know people and make friends, but there was something about him that made her want to get to know him. She wanted to know who he was behind his reputation.

As Buffy stared at the middle of the room her eyes widened comically. Spike was standing up, breathing hard, next to a human-shaped lump on the ground, which happened to be Angel. Spike was barely injured. He only had a scratch on his cheek and bloody knuckles. Angel looked like he’d had every inch of his ass thoroughly kicked.

His lower lip was busted open and blood was pouring down his chin. He was already starting to get a nasty black eye, and the left side of his face was swollen up from being used as a punching bag. He was definitely going to look like shit the next day when he came to school. A very small part of Buffy, which she kept under wraps, was happy about that.

For once he would know what it felt like to be looked at like a loser. It would also pay him back in her mind for what he’d said to her the year before. Though she’d never admit it to anyone, she was glad he’d gotten his ass kicked. That just made her want to get to know Spike even more than before.

Snyder stormed to the middle of the room and glared at Spike. “Mr. Giles! You’d better hope you have an excellent explanation for this, or you’re out of here!” Snyder looked down at Angel then back at Spike and said, “Get him to the nurse, and then meet me in my office.”

He turned his beady little eyes around the room on the remaining students, and then he said with apparent disgust, “The rest of you… back to class!” He stormed out of the door and all of the loitering students quickly followed. Buffy stayed sitting there for a moment, not wanting to get squished in the crowd of crazed teenagers.

She glanced toward Spike and was surprised when he looked back at her. She blushed slightly and quickly looked away, but that one little look was enough to leave her skin tingling. He had the most gorgeous blue eyes she’d ever seen, and impossibly sharp cheekbones. She found herself wanting to trace them with her fingertips.

She realized that the doorway had cleared, so she quickly gathered her things and exited the cafeteria. She hurried to her locker to get the books she’d need for the rest of her classes that afternoon. Then she headed off to her third period class, making it in her seat just as the bell rang. She knew she shouldn’t have stayed so long, but his eyes were… breathtaking.

For the first time in a long while, she spaced out during class instead of doing her work. In the meantime, Spike picked the bloody, groaning Angel up off the ground. It seemed the brooding all-muscle no-brain quarterback was going to milk this injury for everything he had. He was acting like he’d been shot, not punched around a bit. Spike knew the pathetic display was just to get attention.

He dragged Angel to the nurse’s office and left him there, rolling his eyes in disgust at how the nurse fretted over him like a worried mother hen. He then made his way toward Snyder’s office, dragging his feet and feeling like he was headed to the gallows. He truly hated that little rodent of a man with ever fiber of his being.

He knew that whatever the punishment was, he definitely wasn’t going to like it. There was no telling what concoction Snyder would think up next to torture him. He was in his junior year, and he and Snyder had hated each other since he’d gotten to Sunnydale High. He knocked on the door and got a gruff “come in” for a reply.

He slowly pushed the door open and walked inside. He immediately knew he was swimming in a puddle of shit, just from the evil glint in Snyder’s eyes. He shifted uncomfortably where he stood. “Sit down, Mr. Giles.” Spike did as he was told and sat down facing Snyder, wishing he could leave already.

Snyder spent a good twenty minutes lecturing Spike on how he’d hurt the school’s football team by injuring the star quarterback. It turned out that Spike had also broken Angel’s nose and wrist. Angel wouldn’t be able to play again for the rest of the season. That filled Spike with utter glee, but he made sure not to let it show on his face.

Spike had almost expected to be expelled, but he wasn’t. Instead, he was suspended for a week and he asked with surprise, “That’s IT?” Snyder smirked and said, “Hardly.” Spike groaned and cursed himself for even asking. “On top of your suspension, you’re going to be tutored by a student of my choosing.

You’ll meet with this student at least three times a week, for at least two hours per session, until you’re passing all of your classes with B’s or better.” Spike felt like shooting himself in the head. This was like a death sentence for him. Snyder dismissed him and he quickly fled the office and went to class. He couldn’t wait for the day to be over, so he could enjoy his week of solitude.

When the bell rang, Spike made a mad dash for his car and drove himself home. Buffy went to her locker and put her books in her book bag, getting ready to walk home. She felt a presence beside her, and she quickly turned her head. She was shocked to find Snyder there, and she immediately wondered if she’d done something wrong. “Summers… I have a job for you.”

Chapter 2: The Girl Next Door

(August 9th)

Buffy stood in the middle of her backyard with her eyes closed and a peaceful look on her face. A light breeze blew through her hair and she sighed softly. She’d worn a long white sun dress that day, and she’d actually left her hair down for once. It felt good to have the wind in her hair again.

She kept her eyes closed and started humming softly to herself. She tilted her head upward, and suddenly lyrics started pouring from her lips. She’d loved to sing as long as she could remember, but she never sang for anyone but herself. She was just too shy to sing in front of other people.

The winter here’s cold, and bitter
It’s chilled us to the bone
We haven’t seen the sun for weeks
Too long too far from home
I feel just like I’m sinking
And I claw for solid ground
I’m pulled down by the undertow
I never thought I could feel so low
Oh darkness I feel like letting go

If all of the strength and all of the courage
Come and lift me from this place
I know I can love you much better than this
Full of grace
Full of grace
My love

Next door, Spike was in his backyard relaxing and trying to finish one of his songs. He’d been working on it for about a month and it still wasn’t finished. He was finding it hard to complete anything artistic at the moment. He didn’t have the inspiration for it. He constantly kept an eye out for things that inspired him, but he mostly came up empty.

Currently he was sitting in a large white plastic chair, under the shade of his back patio. He had his notebook in his lap and his pen in his hand. His notebook was well-covered in scribbles and doodles, and the pen’s upper half had clearly been chewed on quite frequently. To the casual observer it would seem like he was a slob, but it was actually just his ADD kicking in.

He finally looked up from the paper after a brutal five-minute staring contest with it. He tilted his head slightly as he observed his backyard, narrowing his eyes and studying it as if he’d put it under a microscope. He was once again looking for some sort of inspiration.

The large, square pool was centered in the yard with a concrete sidewalk lining it. At one end there was even a waterslide, albeit a relatively small one, and a diving board. Whenever he got bored and was tired of jotting down nonsense, he’d change into his trunks and take a dip.

Of course he’d prefer not wearing anything at all, but after the first incident he’d decided to spare his poor mother from the embarrassing debacle. She was likely to have a heart attack or something. Surrounding the pool was a wide expanse of green, grassy lawn. The yard was enclosed by a tall wooden fence, and it was lined by various trees and bushes.

In one corner of the yard was a medium-sized shed. Since his father had passed away when he was younger, it wasn’t really needed as a work shop or anything. The only family he had left was his mother and his uncle, Rupert, the school librarian. The building would’ve been abandoned, but Spike managed to find a use for it.

He’d turned it into a little mini-condo for himself. He’d set it up with a bed, couch, television set, and a mini-refrigerator. It was pretty much all he needed to keep himself entertained. Sometimes he even spent the night out there instead of in his bedroom. As he sat there bored out of his mind, he contemplated going for a swim then watching a movie.

Just then, the sound of music reached his ears and caught his attention. At first he’d thought the neighbors had their stereo on, and then realized it was a girl singing. He set his pen and notebook on the table beside him then stood up. It was coming from his right, so he walked over to the fence in curiosity.

Sure enough, as he pressed his ear to the wood he heard her singing on the other side. He grabbed the handle on the wooden gate, which separated his property from hers, and he twisted it slowly. He opened the gate enough so that he could peek into the yard. His eyes widened when he saw her and his first thoughts were, ‘Bloody angel…’

At first he didn’t even recognize her. Then, as he stared at her more, he realized she was the shy girl he’d seen at the cafeteria the day before. She’d stayed behind the rest of the crowd like she was afraid of being trampled. He’d seen her around in the halls a few times, but he hadn’t paid her any attention. He certainly hadn’t known that she lived right next to him.

He opened the gate quietly, not wanting to alert her to his presence; fearing she’d stop singing if she knew he was there. He couldn’t believe this was the same shy girl he’d seen in the halls at school. She was… gorgeous. She looked like an angel right now, and he couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed her all along.

This girl had him stunned speechless, and that was difficult to do. He always had some sort of smartass comment to make, but right now he was content to just stand there and watch her. He knew right then it was unavoidable. He had to get to know this girl, and he knew he’d fall for her in the process.

As she neared the end of the song, he walked into the yard quietly, leaving the gate open behind him. As she hummed the last few notes, he made his presence known.

He whispered from where he stood, echoing his earlier thoughts, “Bloody angel…”

Her eyes popped open and she quickly faced him, her surprise and embarrassment written clearly across her face.

She blushed cutely and swallowed hard before saying timidly, “H-hi… I… I didn’t see you there.”

She looked down and her hair fell in a curtain to cover her face. She’d obviously had no idea she hadn’t been alone. He chuckled lightly at her shyness.

“S’all right, love. You were bloody incredible. Got a voice like an angel.”

His blue eyes lit up happily as he stared at her, and she blushed again under his scrutiny. He openly looked her up and down, surprised by her change in wardrobe. Every other time he’d seen her, her hair had been in a tight braid and she’d worn somewhat boyish clothes that were made to cover her.

Right now, though, he could actually make out the delicate curves of her body, and he longed to run his fingers through her silky-looking hair. He took a step closer to her, and she raised her eyes to meet his, looking up at him through thick lashes. She was amazed at just how blue his eyes were. She’d never seen anything like them.

He could tell she was extremely shy, but that drew him in even more. He could tell that there was a strong, confident woman buried in there, and he wanted to pull her out of her shell. He wanted to see the real girl she was hiding. Just then he remembered that he hadn’t introduced himself.

“I’m Spike. It’s nice to meet you.” He extended his hand toward her.

She smiled a bit and looked down at the ground. “I know.” She shook his hand gently then said, “I’m Buffy.”

He was surprised by two things: 1) That she already knew who he was, and 2) That she had such an unusual name.

He gave her a rakish grin and said, “An adorable name for an adorable girl.”

She blushed even further from his compliment and she realized he was still holding her hand. She pulled it back gently and mumbled, “Thanks.”

As he stood there, he wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to do. He wanted to take a swim but he didn’t want to say good bye to Buffy yet. He came up with a compromise and decided to ask her to join him. He was hoping maybe she’d even sing for him again.

“I was just about to take a dip in my pool. Would you care to join me?”

She looked at him with surprise at the offer. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d actually hung out with someone outside of school, or inside of school for that matter.

“Umm… I… I don’t know.”

There she was being shy again. He had to chuckle a little, because it was extremely cute.

“C’mon, love… it’ll be fun.”

She chewed on her lip for a moment as she considered the offer, and then she nodded slowly in agreement.

“Okay. I have to go get changed.”

He nodded and glanced at his watch. He smiled and said, “I’ll meet you in my backyard in ten minutes.”

Spike left her yard and returned to his own house. He told his mother he was going to take a swim, and then he went upstairs to change.

Buffy also went into her house to change, but she was grateful she didn’t have to explain anything to anyone, because her father was still at work.

Spike changed into little black swimming trunks, which left little to the imagination, and then he practically skipped down to the kitchen. He grabbed two cokes out of the fridge and a bowl of assorted fruits, which his mother had made the previous day. Anne came downstairs just then and raised her brows in surprise.

“Do you have company, William?”

He smiled softly at his mother and admitted quietly, “Yeah… the girl next door.”

With another little grin, he went out the back door and sat on the patio as he waited for her.

Chapter 3: Fun in the Sun

(August 9th)

Buffy had a really hard time deciding what she should change into. A part of her wanted to just go in board shorts and a baggy t-shirt, but another part of her wanted to be adventurous. In the end she chose to live on the edge a little. Well… it was living on the edge to her, anyway.

She put on a little white string bikini and looked herself over in the mirror. She couldn’t really complain about her appearance, but she was still terribly shy about showing her body. She had a flat tummy, a firm ass, perky little breasts, and toned legs. She couldn’t believe she was actually going to let Spike see her like this.

She grabbed a large white beach towel and a bottle of sunscreen, and then she headed downstairs and out of the house. She opened the gate between the yards and poked her head around it. She saw that he was waiting, so she walked into his yard and closed the gate behind her.

He looked up from where he was sitting and his mouth went dry. He gulped and tried hard not to stare as he stood up. It was difficult not to, though, when he now knew she had a body like that. He stood there for a minute like a gaping idiot, and then finally he managed to snap out of it.

“Glad you could join me, love.”

She blushed slightly under his scrutiny, knowing he’d been staring at her body. She wrapped her arms around herself and looked up at him. She had to admit that he was really hot; his lean built arms and legs, his washboard abs, his icy blue eyes, his spiky peroxide hair, and his beautifully sculpted cheekbones.

He was like a life-size sculpture that should be stuck in a museum and worshiped. Her eyes briefly flickered down to his lower half before she looked away, blushing a light pink. The trunks he was wearing didn’t hide anything and she could see that he had a rather large… package.

Looking down at the ground, she mumbled, “Thanks” in response to his earlier statement.

He’d noticed where her eyes had gone and he smirked internally. Outwardly, though, he kept his cool and looked nonchalant.

“I brought out some soda and fruit for us to snack on. Is Coke okay with you?”

He raised a questioning brow and she nodded. He handed her one of the cans and opened the other, sipping it then putting it down. She opened hers as well and drank a little, before gingerly plucking some red grapes from the fruit bowl. He chuckled as he watched, and she looked up with wide eyes.

“What?”

He shrugged and said, “You’re just adorable, love.”

Her cheeks tinted a light pink and he chuckled some more, causing her to chuck a grape at him with a shy, playful smile.

He was surprised by her actions, but happy that she seemed to be coming out of her shell. He got an idea just then and grinned from ear to ear. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously then squealed as he threw a handful of grapes at her. She threw one back at him with a giggle, and a grape fight ensued.

When all the grapes were gone, they collapsed on the grass giggling. He looked over at her and smiled softly. She was so beautiful right now, relaxed in the grass with a big smile on her face. He found himself wanting to kiss her. It would be so easy. They were lying fairly close and all he’d have to do…

He shook the thought off and sat up slowly. Now wasn’t the time for that. They barely knew each other and he didn’t want to scare her.

“Ready for a swim, love?”

She blushed at how he kept calling her ‘love’, and she nodded with a small smile.

He stood up and extended his hand toward her, to help her up. She took it and stood up as well. She brushed the grass off the backs of her legs, and then looked up when she heard a loud splash. A loud squeak followed as Spike splashed some of the water on her with a smirk.

She narrowed her eyes and jumped in the pool, intentionally splashing water on him to get revenge. They had a mini splashing contest then Spike called a halt to it, to ask if she wanted to go down the slide. She looked at the slide with wide eyes and chewed on her lower lip.

“I dunno. It looks really high.”
“It’s mean to be that way. It’s part of the fun.”

She looked at the slide like it was a vile poison, so he smiled reassuringly.
“I’ll be right here, love, and I won’t let anything happen to you.”

She relaxed a little and sighed before agreeing.
“Okay.”

She got out of the pool and climbed the ladder on the slide. She gripped the hand rails tightly when she reached the top. It had seemed high before, but now that she was up there… it was terrifying. She probably would’ve chickened out if Spike hadn’t been down there waiting for her.

She sat down on top of the slide and closed her eyes as she pushed off. She squealed loudly as she went down and landed with a big splash. Spike chuckled as she surfaced and she glared at him. Her glare didn’t last long, though. She suddenly grinned from ear to ear and burst into giggles.

“That was so fun! I have to do it again!”

She hopped out of the pool and hurried to the top to go down again.

Spike smiled as he watched her having fun. Before she’d seemed pretty miserable, and now she looked like she was really happy.

After another few rounds she stopped and said, “I have to take a break from all the fun.” She giggled a little and smiled.

He smiled back at her and gulped when she got out of the pool. Her body was covered in little water droplets that sparkled in the sunlight, and they slowly coursed over her skin. Her breasts were barely covered by the bikini top and he could see her nipples through the material.

He groaned inwardly and was forced to stay in the water for a bit to hide his reaction to her. After his anatomy had returned to normal, he climbed out of the pool and joined her on the patio. He sat across from her at the table and raised a brow.

“Are you hungry, pet?”

She smiled at the fact that he was being so nice to her. No one, aside from her mother, had ever been this nice before.

“A little bit I guess.”

He thought it was adorable when she was shy and blushing around him. It made him want to kiss her all over again, but more than that even if made him want to help her open up.

“I could have mum make us some lunch,” he offered.

She ducked her head with another cute blush, and it caused him to chuckle lightly. He stood up slowly and stretched his arms behind his head, and then he walked to the door and turned to face her.

“Would you like to come inside?”

She opened and closed her mouth a few times. Then she reasoned quietly, “But I would get your floor wet.”

He arched a brow at that. “No more than I will, pet. Besides, that’s what towels are for.”

She slowly nodded and got up, walking over to him. “Okay.”

He let her inside then went to the linen closet to get them some dry towels. They’d already used their beach towels to dry off outside, so they wouldn’t do any good. He fetched two large, fluffy towels and brought them to the kitchen.

He noticed her shivering a little, so he wrapped one of the towels around her snugly, before wrapping the other around himself. She gave him a grateful smile and looked around the kitchen, not sure what to do. With perfect timing, Anne entered the kitchen and was surprised to see a girl in her house, especially one she didn’t know.

Spike hurriedly took on the responsibility of introducing them.

“Mother… this is Buffy. She lives next door. Buffy… this is my mum.”

Anne jumped in at that point, with a warm smile, and said, “Please dear… call me Anne.”

She wrapped Buffy in a warm hug then smiled brightly. Buffy froze a little at first, not used to being hugged by strangers, but then she hugged the woman back with a smile. It was nice to be accepted with open arms.

“I’m assuming you two are getting hungry.”

Spike nodded eagerly and Buffy giggled. Anne got to work making each of them a sandwich, served with fresh fruit and soda. They sat on the bar stools at the kitchen counter while they ate, and they managed to keep up a pleasant conversation the whole time.

Buffy actually joined in a bit and Spike was glad to see her talking more. She was starting to realize more and more that she really liked her neighbors.

Chapter 4: Fate

(August 11th)

When Monday rolled around, Buffy was actually looking forward to it. On Friday Snyder had informed her that she’d be tutoring a student who was failing. It wasn’t that she wanted to do it, because she actually dreaded the thought, but curiosity had been driving her crazy all weekend.

Mostly she was wondering whom she’d be tutoring, and if her life was about to become more of a living hell than it already was. She dropped her bag in her locker and gathered up her books. She then headed straight for Snyder’s office, as he’d instructed her on Friday. She was supposed to be meeting the student there.

When she got to his office she bit her lip and hesitantly knocked on the door. A harsh, “Come in” was what she got in response. She went inside and her eyes widened like saucers when she saw who was sitting in front of Snyder’s desk. He turned to look at her and his eyes widened as well.

She’d been expecting some stupid jock, and he’d been expecting one of the school geeks. It was an understatement to say they were both relieved at their fate. Snyder narrowed his eyes and she quickly sat down next to Spike.

“Summers, you’ll be tutoring Giles here until he has all of his grades as B’s or better.”

She frowned a little at that, wondering how bad his grades actually were at the moment.

Snyder continued with, “I’ll expect you two to meet at least three times a week, two hours at a time, until this is accomplished.”

He snickered a little, and it was obvious to both of them that he didn’t think it was even possible. Buffy bit her lip then grudgingly nodded her agreement.

She wouldn’t really mind tutoring Spike, since he was fairly nice, but that was an extra six hours a week she’d be spending on school. She already lived most of her life doing something academic, but now she’d be a loser for sure.

She looked over at Spike and noticed he looked thoroughly pissed with the whole situation. She had no doubt that he hated the prospect of doing homework. From what she’d heard, he had a habit of ditching classes and not doing his homework.

It was as if Snyder had read her mind at that very moment.

“In addition to the tutoring, you’ll be required to attend ALL of your classes, and turn in ALL of your work completed. If you fail to meet any of these conditions, I can expel you because of that fight you had with Mr. O’Connor.”

Spike gulped a little as things just kept going downhill for him. It was going to be really hard for him to follow all of the rules, considering he wasn’t used to following any of them. He decided at the moment it was best to be polite, even though he desperately hated Snyder. He didn’t want to get in any more trouble.

“Yes, sir.”

Snyder got a smug, victorious look on his face, and then he dismissed them from his office with strict instructions to head straight for class. Buffy chewed on her lip as they were walking down the hall, and then she turned her head to look at him.

“How bad are your grades exactly?”

He gave her the ‘Do I have to tell you?’ look, and she nodded with a small smirk. He grumbled to himself then sighed.

“I’ve got a 42 in Spanish, a 67 in Algebra 3, a 71 in Computer Apps., and…”

He hesitated and she raised her brows questioningly. After hearing that he had a 42 in one class, she wouldn’t really be surprised by anything.

“Well… I’ve got a 96 in Creative Writing.”

Her eyes widened and she stopped walking. She’d been wrong. She was surprised.

“That’s great!” Then she frowned and asked curiously, “So if you’re capable of doing that well, then why are you doing so badly in your other classes?”

He coughed and looked down at the ground, blushing slightly as he admitted, “I’m just a good writer, love. Other than that, I’m terrible with academic stuff.”

She raised a brow challengingly and said, “I think you’re just too lazy to find out how smart you are.”

His mouth dropped open and he gave her a mock offended look.

“Now that hurts, love.”

She rolled her eyes and smiled, getting a smile out of him as well. They walked to their first period together, since they were in the same Algebra 3 class. Spike opened the door for her then followed her inside. She went over to the teacher, who was glaring at them, and explained where they’d been.

Spike took his seat with his friends and they all gave him questioning looks He waved his hand and gave them that look that said, ‘Don’t ask.’ Buffy turned to go back to her normal seat, in the back corner of the room, but Spike caught her attention and motioned to the empty seat next to him.

She bit her lip and slowly made her way over to him, sitting down and noticing that the whole class was staring at her like she was a freak.

Spike noticed too and sent a glare to everyone in the room. The other students suddenly found what the teacher was saying to be very interesting. Buffy ducked her head and wrung her hands in her lap. Spike was about to ask her if she was okay, when Faith tossed a note on his desk.

F: What’s up with blondie joining us?

Spike arched a brow and quickly wrote back.

S: Why? Does it matter?

F: She just doesn’t exactly fit in with our group.

S: I don’t care about that. She’s my next door neighbor and she’s fun to be around.

F: So have you fucked her yet?

Spike frowned when he read that. She had a point, though. He normally would’ve at least made an effort to get in her pants. But with Buffy… he hadn’t.

S: I’m not after that.

F: So you’re telling me you DON’T wanna fuck her?

S: I didn’t say that. I’m just… taking it slow. We’re not even dating.

F: Normally that wouldn’t matter to you. What the hell is wrong with you? Did you go and get a personality transplant over the weekend?

S: Something like that, yeah…

Faith rolled her eyes and crumpled the note up after she’d read it, not even bothering to answer.

Buffy looked up and over at Spike, and she noticed he looked upset. She pulled a pen and a piece of paper from her notebook, and she quickly scribbled him a note.

B: Are you okay?

S: Yeah, love. Why do you ask?

B: You just looked upset.

S: I’m all right, love. Promise.

B: Okay. That’s good.

S: So when’s our first tutoring lesson?

B: Are you busy this afternoon?

S: No. You?

B: This afternoon, then. We could also do it Wednesday and Friday.

S: Sounds good to me, love.

They shared a small smile and Buffy tucked the note away in her pocket. They finished off the period by trying to appear as if they were paying attention to the teacher. In reality they just kept sneaking glances at each other, when they thought the other wasn’t looking.

When the bell rang they gathered their things and left, both excited about that afternoon. They saw each other again in their fourth period computer class, and they sat by each other again.

When the last bell of the day rang they met up at Buffy’s locker, and Spike offered to give her a ride home. They got in his car and headed off to his house for their tutoring session.

Chapter 5: If Walls Could Talk

(August 11th)

They stopped at her house to get all of her text books then went to his room to study. The first two hours went great. They went over all of his classes, spending half an hour on each. Then they’d settled on his floor to watch TV. They were comfortable around each other and neither of them wanted it to end yet.

As they were lying on his floor, they somehow managed to get closer together. Neither of them noticed it until Buffy rolled over and came face to face with him. She looked into his eyes and swallowed hard at how close they were. Their lips were only inches apart.

The tension between them built as they stared into each other’s eyes. Finally he closed his eyes and crashed his lips to hers. He threaded his fingers into her hair, holding her mouth to his, and she tentatively brought a hand up to cup his cheek. She slowly melted into the kiss, and before she knew what was happening he’d rolled on top of her.

Alarms went off in her head and she panicked. She broke the kiss and pushed him off of her, crawling away hurriedly. He was completely shocked by her actions, and even more so when she curled up in a little ball, in the middle of the floor, and started crying.

He crawled over to her and gently touched her shoulder. She flinched at his touch and he quickly dropped his hand. He hadn’t meant to scare her, and he didn’t want to scare her any more. He swallowed hard and tried to think of what he should say to her.

“I’m sorry, love. I didn’t mean to scare you… It was just a kiss.” Something he said must’ve caught her attention, because she immediately stopped crying.

She sniffled and looked up, realizing just how pathetic she was being. She quickly got up and said, “I should go now.”

She dashed out of his bedroom then, leaving him sitting on the floor and completely stunned.

Spike debated a lot about whether he should go and check on her. She’d seemed pretty freaked out. It wasn’t normal for a girl to react to a kiss like that. It got him worrying about her and wondering what had made her like that.

Around 9 pm he’d made up his mind that he wanted to check on her. Earlier, when he’d been in her backyard, he’d figured out where her room was, because of the pretty cream-colored curtains that hung just inside. It was luckily on the first floor.

He snuck downstairs and out of his house, and then over into her backyard. He saw the light on in her room, so he figured she was still awake. He went over to the window and looked inside. What he saw made him immediately turn away and throw up into the bushes. Then he slumped onto the ground, sitting frozen in shock. He felt like he couldn’t move, and he couldn’t even breathe for a minute.

As what he’d seen flashed in his head again, he rolled onto his stomach and started puking all over again, continuing until his stomach was empty and the only things left were the painful dry heaves. He laid there long after he stopped, too shocked and horrified to move a muscle.

After what seemed like hours, but was actually only about half an hour, Spike finally dared to get up and peek into the window again. He didn’t throw up this time, but his heart broke at what he saw. Tears slowly streamed down his face as he stared at the scene before him. He now faced the aftermath of what he’d seen earlier.

~30 Minutes Prior~

Hank Summers had gotten home from work and eaten dinner as usual. He’d watched TV for a bit, but then he got bored. He hadn’t seen Buffy since he’d been home, so he figured she was in bed already. He grinned maliciously at the thought and began undressing.

He went to her room and found her curled up on her bed, sleeping. He went back to his room and got a box out of his closet before returning to her. He always made sure to have it in case she decided to disobey him.

He set the box by the bed then crawled onto it. At this point she woke up and looked at him with terror in her eyes, knowing what was to come. She had to bite her lip to keep from crying. Crying would only make her more vulnerable.

He roughly pulled her pajama shorts down and she clamped her thighs shut, moving her hands to cover herself. Hank growled angrily and pulled some rope from the box. She struggled and begged him over and over not to, but he ignored her and tied her ankles and wrists to the bedposts.

“Now… you’re going to be a good little girl and do exactly as daddy tells you.”

He pulled out a pocket knife and Buffy whimpered in fear.

“Be quiet, bitch, or I’ll gag you.”

Buffy closed her eyes and tried to force herself off into a happy place, where she didn’t feel pain and she wasn’t afraid. Hank sliced open her top with the knife and tossed the scrap of tattered cloth to the side.

His eyes landed on her small, perky breasts and he chuckled evilly.

“You have such pretty tits, Buffy. I’m going to make them bloody.”

Buffy started crying and kept her eyes shut tight. This made Hank angry and he grabbed a handkerchief and a roll of duct tape from the box.

“I told you to be quiet, you little whore!”

He slapped her hard across the face, and then he shoved the cloth in her mouth. He taped her mouth closed then and whispered viciously, “Open your eyes and watch me, or I’ll cut up your pretty face.”

Buffy’s eyes flew open at that and she watched miserably as he lowered his head to her breasts. At first he was gentle with them. Then he started biting them and squeezing them roughly. She flinched in pain when he bit down hard enough on her left nipple to draw blood.

He then brought the knife to her right breast and starting cutting little lines here and there. He also cut lines on her stomach and soon her blood was dripping onto the white sheets. He sucked some of the blood up, staining his lips crimson, and then he smeared the rest of it around, making her look like a grotesque work of art.

She kept her eyes open as he’d instructed, but they were empty and hollow now; almost glassy.

She’d finally managed to go away to that little place in her head, where she felt peaceful.

At this point, Hank decided he was done playing around. He grabbed her hips and spread her thighs wide. She didn’t even fight him. Her whole body was limp, like she wasn’t home in her head to control it.

With no warning, he rammed his cock into her hard. Her body flinched from the pain, but there wasn’t even as much as a flicker of consciousness in her eyes.

He thrust into her viciously, over and over again, until he could feel he was close to coming. He made a few cuts on her thighs, smeared the blood, and then dropped the knife to the side on the bed sheets.

He pulled out of her pussy and raised her ass up in the air. He didn’t even bother lubing her up before shoving his cock into the tight hole forcefully.

He started smacking her ass until it was bright red, and he took great satisfaction in knowing that it would be bruised the next day. He thrust himself so hard and fast in and out of her ass that she started bleeding.

That’s what Spike saw when he looked into the window. He saw Buffy gagged and bound to the bed, her body cut up and bloody. He saw that the sheets were stained with her blood and that the knife used to cut her was lying beside her. That wasn’t the worst part, though.

The worst part was the man raping her, pounding into her so hard that she bled from her ass. That combined with the rest of the blood had made his stomach turn.

~Present~

Spike didn’t know if Hank would be coming back soon or not, but he didn’t really care. All he cared about at the moment was Buffy.

She was curled up in a little ball on her bed, crying her eyes out. He knocked gently on her window, but he got no response. He tried opening it and was pleased to find it unlocked. He slipped inside quietly and walked over to the bed.

She flinched when the mattress moved, because she figured Hank had come back for seconds. Confusion flooded her eyes when she looked up to see Spike sitting there, with a pained expression on his face. It took a moment for her brain to register that he was seeing her like this, and then she quickly covered herself with the sheet.

She didn’t want him to see how weak she was, and what had been done to her. She closed her eyes and started crying again, hugging the sheet tightly to her. A single tear slipped down his cheek as he watched her, wishing he had the power to erase everything that had been done to her.

Chapter 6: Clean Up

(August 11th)

After Buffy had calmed down a great deal, she actually let him hold her in his arms. He held her gently, so as not to hurt her anymore, and he brushed a kiss against her hair.

“Love… please let me take you to my house and get you cleaned up. It’s not safe here.”

Fear entered her mind and she clutched him tightly, on the verge of tears again.

“B-but… your mom… she could see me.”

He shook his head slowly and rubbed her arm soothingly, “Mum went to bed a while ago. She’ll be asleep by now.”

Buffy bit her lip hard as she seemed to think about it, and then she looked down at the sheets with a miserable expression on her face. He tilted her chin up with his index finger, so she had to look in his eyes.

“It’ll be all right, love. I promise.”

She swallowed hard and seemed to relax as she stared into his cerulean depths. She slowly nodded her agreement and whispered, “Okay.”

He picked her up in his arms carefully, keeping the sheet wrapped around her. He carried her out through her window then closed it behind him. He carried her out of her back yard and into his, and then into his house. He went up the stairs to his room as quietly as he could, thankful that the floor boards didn’t creak.

He set her down on the edge of his bed and asked quietly, “Do you think you can stand long enough to take a shower?”

She frowned and slowly shook her head in the negative, and he sighed softly.

“I’ll run a warm bath for you, then. Be right back.”

He left the room and went to the bathroom, plugging the drain in the tub and turning the water on so it could warm up. He went to get her as the tub filled up. He picked her up off the bed and carried her into the bathroom, setting her on top of the toilet seat.

He knelt down in front of her and slowly took the sheet from her. He put it on the floor near the door and she covered herself with her hands. He turned the water off when the tub was full, and then he offered her his hand to help her stand up.

She took his hand gratefully and carefully maneuvered herself into the tub with his help. She lay down in the tub and the water slowly turned red as the dried blood washed off of her body. Spike sat down on the toilet seat and turned his head away to give her some privacy. Buffy was grateful that he wasn’t staring at her, and she hesitantly picked up the soap.

She washed herself as best as she could, flinching whenever she scrubbed at her cuts with the soap. When she finished she put the soap up and tried to get up, failing miserably. Spike turned his head as he heard the extra splashing.

“Let me help you, love.”

She nodded and took his hands when he held them out to her. She was still too traumatized to stand on her own. Whenever she tried, her legs shook so hard she fell. She clung to his arms tightly as he helped her up.

“Hold onto the wall, love.”

She nodded and placed her hands on the tile beside her, using it for support. He grabbed a towel off the hook on the all, and she blushed as he started drying her off. He dried her arms, legs, and stomach, and then he handed her the towel, figuring she could handle drying her more intimate parts.

She finished drying hurriedly, still incredibly embarrassed by the situation, and he hung the towel back up to dry. He then scooped her into his arms and carried her back to his bedroom.

He set her on the bed and said quietly, “You can stay here tonight if you’d like. I’ll just go to the restroom to change.”

He grabbed a clean pair of boxers and a loose t-shirt from the dresser then left to get changed. Normally he wouldn’t care about modesty, but after what she’d been through that night, he didn’t want her getting the wrong idea.

He changed quickly then started on cleaning the bathroom up. He balled the bloody sheets and the wet towel up together, planning on running them in the laundry the next day. He unhooked the shower head and turned the water on hot, so he could rinse the remnants of blood from the sides of the tub. When all traces of it were gone, he reattached the shower head and picked up the dirty linens.

He wasn’t going to chance his mother finding them in the morning. When he came back to his room he found her curled up on his bed, wrapped up tight in a blanket. He put the sheets in his laundry basked then fished around in his dresser. He pulled out a pair of baggy drawstring sweatpants, as well as another t-shirt. He walked over to her and handed her the clothes.

“You can wear these for the night.”

He figured she wouldn’t want to return to her house just yet, especially for something as trivial as retrieving her pajamas. He turned away from her to give her privacy while she changed, and he stood there awkwardly.

“Done.”

He turned back around and gave her a soft smile. Then he crawled in the bed with her and pulled the covers over them.

“Can I… hold you?”

She bit her lip and looked hesitant, and then she nodded slowly. “Sure.”

He scooted closer to her and wrapped his arms around her, cradling her close to his chest. She tensed at first, and then slowly relaxed into his arms, resting her cheek against his chest with a content smile.

He rubbed her back softly and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. She slowly drifted to sleep, and he followed soon after.

~The Next Morning~

(August 12th)

Buffy awoke with a start, knowing immediately that she wasn’t in her bed. She swallowed hard and looked around the room with wide eyes, calming down as she remembered she was in Spike’s room, and how she’d gotten there.

She smiled softly as she looked at him sleeping next to her, with his arms still snugly around her. He looked incredibly serene in this state and she found herself shocked by his beauty. She took a moment to just stare and soak in the sight of him.

His skin was pale and smooth like porcelain, with sharp cheekbones sculpted carefully. His loose, messy, platinum locks gave him a cute, rugged look.

The only imperfection on his face was the scar that bisected his left eyebrow. Even that only made him more handsome. Her fingers crept out to trace it gently. He came awake at that and slowly opened his eyes.

“Morning, love.”

She blushed slightly and pulled her fingers off his face. He caught her hand in his and brought it to his lips, slowly kissing each of her fingertips. She blushed even more then and she felt like she was melting inside.

“Morning.”

She glanced at the alarm clock on his nightstand and bit her lip. “I have to go home and get ready for school.”

He nodded. “I know.”

He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and gave her a warm smile.

“Will you come back over when you’re finished and let me drive you to school?”

She looked down at the bed sheets and nodded slowly, her cheeks bright pink. He almost chuckled at how cute she looked when she blushed, but he managed to hold it in.

She got up from the bed and gave him a little wave.

“See you in a bit.”

She snuck downstairs and out of his house. Luckily his mother wasn’t awake yet and she wasn’t seen.

She snuck back into her room through her window and got ready, ignoring the blood-stained sheets that were still on her bed. She could deal with those later. This time she actually made an effort not to look like a rag doll. Instead of wearing her hair braided, like usual, she put it in cute pigtails.

She then put on jeans, sneakers, and a fuzzy white turtle neck. When she was satisfied that no bruises were showing, she went to the kitchen and started making her lunch.

When she had her lunch ready and in a brown paper bag, as usual, she grabbed her backpack and went back to Spike’s house as she’d promised.

He was already ready to go when she got there, in his usual punk, all-black outfit with various metal jewelry and black eyeliner to top it off.

They both hopped in his black Desoto and he sped off toward Sunnydale High. Thus a new day had begun, and hopefully it would be a better one.

Chapter 7: Making Plans

(August 13th-19th)

Spike and Buffy had now happily discovered that they shared the same lunch period. They sat as close to each other as possible, as often as possible, much to his friends’ dismay.

While he accepted Buffy with open arms and already cared for her a great deal, the same didn’t hold true for his social circle. They were much more judgmental and cautious about whom they let into their clique. So, naturally, they still saw her as an outcast.

This didn’t bother Spike a whole lot, as he knew they’d soon grow to love her once they got to know her better. She was truly one of the sweetest people he’d ever met, and it broke his heart to think that some people were carelessly rude to her.

Some changes were made almost immediately, though. For starters, he didn’t let her sit by herself at lunch. He made a place for her right by his side. She found that she was definitely more comfortable there. She was actually bordering on having friends.

Secondly, he no longer let her eat soggy sandwiches out of brown paper bags. She explained to him that her father wouldn’t give her lunch money and that she couldn’t get a job, because she had no transportation. She didn’t own a car and she was terrible at driving. He quickly dismissed the information and said he’d pay for her.

(August 20th)

“Nonsense, love. I can pay for the both of us.”

“But… Spike… I couldn’t possibly accept your money. I have no way of paying you back.”

“Love… I’m not gonna have my girl eatin’ soggy sandwiches out of bleedin’ paper bags.”

Her eyes widened and she gulped a little at his choice of words. She wasn’t sure what to make of them. They’d grown a lot closer recently, but they hadn’t defined themselves.

“Is that what I am? Your girl?”

He looked a little flustered at that and stumbled over his words.
“Well… y’know… if you want to be…”

She couldn’t keep the grin off of her face.
“Really?”

He ducked his head and nodded with a smile.
She reached over and grabbed his hand under the table.
“I’d love to.”

His head snapped up and he had a hopeful look in his eyes.
He repeated her earlier question. “Really?”

She giggled quietly and squeezed his hand.
“Definitely.”

He leaned in and brushed a soft kiss over her lips. All of his friends were staring at the new couple in utter shock.

Buffy started munching on her pizza and squeezed his thigh affectionately. He’d chosen to go with spicy chicken wings for the day, so he started eating those with a smile.

His friends eventually went back to eating their food and acting like nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Really they were all still stunned. Spike wasn’t one to get involved in actual relationships, especially when they didn’t involve sex.

Faith looked up from her food suddenly and asked, “So, B… What are you doing Friday night?”

Buffy looked up in surprise and raised her brows. She was still getting used to Faith calling her ‘B’. It was odd, but sort of cool.

She shrugged and said, “Nothing that I know of.”

Faith smirked and arched a brow. “You should join us at Rave then.”

Buffy scrunched her brows. “At what?”

Spike jumped in to explain. “It’s a club for the goths and punks in town. There’s a stage where heavy metal bands play. There’s usually a mosh pit, depending on the band. But there are a lot of tables set up, and a bar, so everyone can sit if they don’t feel like moshing.”

Buffy was starting to feel a little awkward at this point. She knew she definitely wouldn’t fit in there, and he seemed to be able to read her mind.

“Don’t worry, love. We mostly just sit at the tables and chat, and listen to the music. It’s fairly decent most of the time.”

She bit her lip hard as she contemplated her options. She wanted to fit in with his friends, but she’d never been anywhere like that before, and the prospect was making her a tad nervous.

He squeezed her hand and whispered, “You don’t have to go if you don’t want to, love.”

She forced a smile and said determinedly, “I do want to.”
She nodded to reconfirm her answer. “I’ll be there.”

Then her face fell and she pouted a little.
“I don’t have a car.”

Spike nodded and said, “I’ll get you there, pet. Just be ready at my house by seven.”

She smiled gratefully at him. “Not a problem. I’ll be over that afternoon anyway, remember?”

That got his friends’ attention once more, and they all started assuming things. Buffy and Spike had decided to keep the tutoring a secret from the rest of the student body, for the sake of Spike’s reputation. He still had his “bad boy” image to uphold.

Buffy really didn’t mind keeping his academic problems a secret. It wasn’t like he was keeping HER a secret. Their relationship was all over the school already. Everyone had seen them hugging, kissing, or holding hands at some point.

Spike smirked as he finished up his food, knowing exactly what his friends were thinking, even though it couldn’t be further from the truth. He also understood why they thought what they did.

By reputation Spike was a major womanizer, and he always slept with different girls left and right. He didn’t really expect his friends to understand that it was different this time. He wasn’t sure when he and Buffy would reach that point, but he knew it wouldn’t be for quite a while.

He stood up and picked up his tray, getting ready to go to class. Since Snyder’s punishment, he refused to be tardy or skip.

“You ready, love?”

She nodded and stood up as well, gathering her garbage and walking with him to throw it away. Then she went back to the table to get her books. They walked down the hall together, hand-in-hand, toward her third period class. It had become a habit for him to walk her to class every day now.

They stopped outside the door and she gave him a shy smile before giving him a peck on the lips. The hallway was still deserted, since the bell wouldn’t be ringing to dismiss lunch for another few minutes.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled as they exchanged soft, sweet kisses. He grasped her hips in his hands and pressed her back gently against a locker. Their kiss slowly grew in intensity as it continued.

The tip of his tongue came out to brush against her lips, and she parted them eagerly for him. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, and her tongue massaged his softly. They were really getting into it when the bell rang and the hall flooded with students. They broke apart reluctantly, both breathing a little heavier than usual.

She smiled sheepishly and said, “See you next period.”

He nodded and planted a kiss on her cheek before heading off to his next class. Only one thought kept running through his mind as he discreetly hid his front side with his book bag. He didn’t know how he was going to control himself around this girl.

She excited him like nothing and no one else could, and he was already hard just from kissing her. Friday was definitely going to be difficult for him.

Chapter 8: Tension

(August 22nd)

Friday afternoon came fast and found Buffy at Spike’s house, tutoring him as they’d planned. They cut it an hour short because they finished early, and it wasn’t like Snyder could actually spy on them and time them. When they finished that up they decided to go for a swim.

Buffy ran home and got changed into her bikini. Then she came back to find Spike in his swimming trunks. After the last beating her father had given her, bruises littered her thighs and stomach. She counted herself lucky, though, as that’s all she’d had to put up with in the last week.

Spike had given her a long talk after he’d seen what had happened that night. He’d made her swear to tell him if it happened again. He’d also advised her to tell the police. She’d quickly assured him that she’d report Hank as soon as she turned seventeen. That way she could get emancipated and live on her own, and she’d get the house with him having to pay for it under a court ruling.

Since the night Spike had found her bruised and bloody, she’d mostly been spending the night with him. He’d sneak out and bring her back to his room so they could cuddle in his bed. It was fortunate that his mother wasn’t nosy and she barely came into his room at all. If she did, she always knocked first and waited for a response.

As Spike saw Buffy in her bikini, and the fresh bruises on her body, anger filled him. He’d really love to give Hank Summers one hell of a beating.

Spike looked into her eyes worriedly and asked, “Love… did he?”

She shook her head and said quietly, “No… Just hitting.”

Spike swallowed hard and nodded then wrapped his arms around her. She hugged him back tightly, a lump forming in her throat.

It was amazing to her how Spike could comfort her so much with just a hug. He was the only one she’d ever let into her heart. He was the only one she’d let see her like this. He was the only one that knew the real her.

After a long, silent hug, they got in the pool and started playing around goofily. They splashed water at each other and hit each other with the pool noodles. When they’d worn themselves out, they retreated to the little shed to watch a movie together on the couch.

She cuddled up against him with a towel wrapped around her, to keep the couch dry. She laid her head on his chest and sighed contently as she started watching the movie. They’d both decided on watching The Lake House, since they both liked it and thought it was a cute, romantic movie.

About halfway through she lifted her head and nuzzled his neck affectionately. He smiled down at her then kissed her softly. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him a little deeper, and he was suddenly thankful he had a towel covering his lap.

This time, she was the one to slip her tongue into his mouth. It was a pretty bold move for her considering how shy she’d been to this point. He placed his hand on her side and stroked it softly as he kissed her.

She moaned quietly at the back of her throat, feeling like she was melting into him. One of her hands went to the back of his neck, to toy with the soft hair there, and the other rested lightly on his chest. He had to hold in a groan as she started rubbing his chest. Her fingers brushed over his right pectoral and his body automatically reacted.

He gasped and broke the kiss. He gave her a soft peck on the lips and a smile, and then he just snuggled into her. He wanted the move to seem casual, as he didn’t want to have to explain to her why he’d stopped. Lucky for him, she didn’t question it.

At the end of the movie, Buffy broke down in tears and kissed Spike hard. It was all so sweet and romantic, and it was getting the best of her. She’d always wanted to find a love like that. Spike didn’t know what had gotten into her when she suddenly kissed him like the world was ending.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her close as he kissed her back. His fingers weaved into her hair and she suddenly straddled him, winding her arms around his neck. He groaned quietly and rested his hands on her lower back.

The towel dropped down and her bikini covered breasts brushed against his chest. His cock stirred at that, and it really didn’t help that she was sitting on him. They’d had a very innocent relationship so far, but the passion in this kiss was quickly growing.

Buffy’s eyes popped open and she broke the kiss with a tiny gasp, when she felt the bulge growing under his towel. It was currently pressing into her thigh. She blushed bright red and he looked away in embarrassment. She bit her lip as she contemplated the situation.

He was her first boyfriend and she’d never expected to get him horny just by kissing him. He gave her an apologetic look and a little peck on the lips.

“I’m sorry, love. I can’t help…”

She cut him off with a kiss, and then she pulled back and looked into his eyes.
“It’s okay, Spike. I just… didn’t expect it.”

She gave him a shy smile as her cheeks remained pink. He smiled back and stroked her cheek with his thumb. She swallowed hard and slowly brought his hand up to cup her breast. She turned ten shades redder when she felt his cock twitch in response.

He slowly started squeezing and rubbing her breast, and she shivered at the feel of his fingers touching her so gently. He wasn’t the first one to touch her breasts, but he was the first one to make it feel good. He was the only one that counted in her mind. She bit her lip as his thumb brushed over her hardened nipple.

He kissed her lips softly, and then he kissed down her jaw to her neck. His lips caressed her throat and his tongue came out to taste her skin. She leaned into him, causing her breast to press more firmly against his palm. He took the nipple between his index and thumb and pinched it gently.

Buffy’s eyes fluttered shut as he rolled her nipple slowly. She worried her bottom lip with her teeth and squirmed in his lap. Little jolts of electricity shot down to her sex, arousing her more and more by the second. She couldn’t believe how much this was turning her on.

All he was doing was touching her breast. It shouldn’t be affecting her this greatly. He sucked on her pulse point and her hips ground down against his, before she even realized what she was doing. Slippery fluid flooded her bikini bottom and she gasped quietly. His eyes widened when he felt her buck on top of him.

He groaned against her neck as his cock hardened even further. She opened her eyes and pulled her head back to look in his eyes. Shock reflected in both of their expressions, but there was no regret. She made a decision right then that would change their relationship. She knew she wasn’t ready to have sex with him yet, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t mess around.

She glanced at the clock and bit her lip, knowing it was about time for her to go to her house and get ready. She wanted to have fun with him, but it would have to wait for later. She kissed him softly on the lips, and then she gave him a look that held promise of things to come.

He tilted his head and started to speak but she cut him off by pressing her index finger to his lips.

“Not that…yet. I’m not ready for that yet.”

She lowered her finger and he nodded in understanding.

“I know, sweetheart. I don’t expect that.”

She could tell he was serious about that, and it made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. He had to be the best boyfriend ever. He was never pressuring her for sex, like she knew a lot of guys would have had they been in his place today.

She kissed him again, and then she pulled back and whispered, “I should go get ready.”

He nodded and kissed her cheek.
“I know, love. Me too.”

She gave him another warm smile and a soft kiss, before getting up off his lap and leaving the shed. She hurried home, took a shower, and then she started digging through her closet. Faith had highly suggested that she wear black, so she wouldn’t stick out like a sore thumb.

She grinned as she found the perfect outfit. Then she got dressed and did her make-up, which she’d only started wearing in the last few days, before going back over to Spike’s house. She knew he didn’t care what she looked like, but she’d made a decision that she wanted to look nice for him anyway.

Chapter 9: Rave

(August 22nd)

Spike’s eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw what Buffy was wearing. He also thought he might choke if he tried to speak. She had on black leather pants, black hooker boots, and a black spaghetti-strap top that was completely open in the back, except for the three strings holding it together.

She’d side-parted her hair and left it down, and she’d put on a thin layer of black eyeliner and lip gloss. He was thoroughly enthralled.

She bit her lip lightly and asked shyly, “I take it you like?”

He nodded mutely and stepped toward her slowly. Then he cupped her cheek and brushed a soft kiss across her lips.

She blushed and smiled happily, wrapping her arms around him and laying her head against his chest. You’d think he wouldn’t be able to make her blush so easily all the time, but he still had that effect on her. He was so sweet and charming that she couldn’t help it.

He rubbed her back gently then pulled back and asked, “Are you ready to go, then?”

She nodded and took his hand in hers, leading him toward his front door with a small grin on her face. He’d worn his usual outfit of tight black jeans, tight black T-shirt, and combat boots. The only difference was that he was now wearing a cologne that she found purely intoxicating.

Before they got out of the house, Anne intercepted them near the staircase in the foyer. She gave them a kind smile and looked back and forth between them.

“Hello, dear. It’s good to see you again.”

She patted Buffy’s hand affectionately and her eyes twinkled with warmth and love. Buffy almost felt like she had her mother back at the moment. She mumbled a polite response then looked down at the floor.

Anne turned her attention back to Spike and said, “William… a word?”

He sighed softly and nodded, letting go of Buffy’s hand and following his mother into the study by the stairs. Buffy shifted awkwardly where she stood and wrapped her arms around herself.

Spike shut the door behind him, to give him and his mother some privacy to talk. He already knew what the conversation would be about before it started.

“William… Buffy’s a nice girl. I know you’re taking her to that dreaded club your friends socialize at. Be careful and take care of her.” The tone in her voice clearly stated it wasn’t an option.

She knew full well that the two of them were in a relationship and had deep feelings for each other. She also knew that Buffy had spent the night on more than one occasion, despite their attempt of hiding it.

Spike ducked his head and mumbled, “Yes, mum.” He was a bit embarrassed that his mother was giving him a talking-to.

Anne frowned a little and tilted his chin up so he had to look her in the eye.

“I’m serious, William. She’s a wonderful young woman and I want to you treat her well. I’m well aware of the status of your past relationships, and she doesn’t deserve to be a fling. If you’re not serious about her, you should let her go now.”

Spike swallowed hard at the intensity of his mother’s words. She was right, though. Buffy was more than a fling and she deserved only the best. He nodded in agreement.

“I know. She’s more than that. She’s everything to me.”

Spike smiled sheepishly and chuckled quietly. He was surprised at himself for admitting it, and especially to his mother. He was turning into a sap.

Anne just smiled in response and nodded.
“I know, William. You’re a good boy at heart. You won’t let her get hurt.”

He gave her a nod and a kiss on the cheek, and then he went to get Buffy. He hooked his arm with hers and escorted her out to the car, where he promptly opened the door for her. He kissed her on the lips before going around to his side and getting in.

He drove them to the club and parked the car, helping her out again and paying the bouncer for their entrance. They met up with Spike’s friends at their usual spot by the pool tables.

“Hey, B!”

Faith looked her over and gave her an appreciative whistle. Buffy blushed and Spike wrapped his arms around her possessively. She smiled at that and leaned back into his embrace. They snuggled together for a minute and Faith just snickered at them.

“I’m off to the bar to get a drink. Do you lovebirds want anything?”

Buffy thought for a moment and said, “I’ll just have a coke, please.”

Spike asked for the same and Buffy raised her brows questioningly at him. She knew he was the type that normally drank if given the opportunity.

He noticed the look she was giving him and he quickly explained, “I’ve got to protect my girl. Can’t do that if I’m half-buggered, can I?”

She smiled warmly at him and rewarded him with a kiss. The other group members greeted them then and Faith retreated to the bar.

The song shifted from a fast-paced up-beat one to a slow, heavy, seductive one. Buffy licked her lips and pulled Spike out to the dance floor. When they reached the center of the crowd, Buffy placed herself in front of him and he wound his arms around her.

She moved her body to the beat and laid her head back on his shoulder. He kissed the side of her neck and ran his hands slowly up and down her stomach. She closed her eyes in response and rubbed her body back against his. His eyes fell shut too as his body reacted to the contact.

Faith had returned to the table and was watching the two of them with a grin. She turned to Illyria, a gothic girl with electric blue hair, and she smirked confidently.

“They are SO secretly doing it.”

Illyria watched them carefully for a moment, studying them closely and observing the way they interacted.

“No. They have not yet crossed that bridge in their relationship. I sense there is something holding them back. It will not be long before the walls crumble into a fine dust.” Illyria always had a strange, clinical, slightly insane way of looking at things, but she usually ended up being right.

Faith raised her brows slowly, then shrugged and said, “Oh well. I’m sure they’ll jump in the sack any day now and start doin’ it like bunnies.”

On the dance floor, Buffy’s heart was racing and her breathing was a little ragged. She could feel Spike’s erection rubbing against her bottom and it caused her to moan.

He slid his hands downward and teased her thighs, rubbing and squeezing them through the tight leather of her pants. He brushed one of his hands up over her abdomen, rubbing his fingertips around the creases of her breasts.

She whimpered and ground back against him harder, panting a little as her arousal skyrocketed.

Faith nearly groaned as she watched them. “That’s too fuckin’ hot.” She grabbed Devon up and dragged him to the dance floor.

Buffy turned slowly in Spike’s embrace and looked into his eyes. She kissed him hard and took hold of his hand, moving it up to cover her breast. She moaned into his mouth as he squeezed it gently.

“Spike…” She gasped against his lips. “We should… leave…”

Spike nodded slowly and grabbed her hand in his, waving to his friends and pulling her out of the club.

He drove them back to his house as quickly as he could, then they slipped inside quietly. His mother was already asleep so they went straight up to his room.

As they stepped inside it, Spike locked the door behind them and captured Buffy’s lips in his. She arched her body into his and moaned into his mouth. She wanted to feel his skin on hers, bare and sweaty.

He backed her toward the bed slowly and they flopped down on it together, his body on top of hers. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him passionately. Their tongues battled furiously until they both had to breathe.

When they pulled back, gasping for breath, they stared into each other’s eyes dazedly. He’d stolen her heart… and she’d stolen his.

Chapter 10: Release

(August 22nd)

It all started with a kiss, as most things do, but it quickly progressed past that. Their mouths fused together again and again, and it seemed as if the temperature in the room was rising.

If I don't say this now
I will surely break
As I'm leaving
The one I want to take.
Forgive the urgency,
But hurry up and wait.
My heart has started to separate.

A fire was burning between Buffy’s thighs and she knew she needed release. She wanted this beautiful, kind man on top of her to touch every part of her.

She broke the kiss with a low moan and she whispered against his lips, “How is it that you taste so good?”

That brought a sparkle to his eyes and a chuckle from his throat.

“Dunno, love. How’s it that YOU taste so good?”

She blushed and he grinned wickedly, adding, “Not that I’ve really tasted what I want yet.”

Her eyes widened at his implication and her cheeks flamed.

“You want to… to…”

He smiled and pressed a finger to her lips.

“Shh… Only when you’re ready, love.”

Oh oh oh, oh oh oh, be my baby.
Oh oh oh, I'll look after you.

She nodded and they kissed again. She took his hand and led it slowly down to the hem of her shirt, sliding his fingers under it to show him it was okay.

As they kept kissing, he slid his hand upward to cup her breast gently. Because of the shirt she was wearing she didn’t have on a bra, so he could feel her nipple pressing against his palm.

He rubbed it slowly with the pad of his thumb, causing her to squirm under him. His other hand trailed downward between her thighs. A gasp broke out from her lips as he stroked her sex through the leather.

He let his hand rest over her zipper and he questioned, “May I?”

She bit her lower lip and nodded, wanting to feel his touch. He unbuttoned and unzipped her pants, peeling them down her legs and off her feet. His eyes darkened with desire when he realized she wasn’t wearing panties.

He stroked her thighs and spread them slowly, opening her up to his gaze. They’d seen each other naked before, but he’d never touched that secret part of her yet.

He slipped his fingers up between her slick, swollen lips, rubbing gently at her slit.

“Ohh… Spike…”

There now, steady love.
So few come and don't go.
Will you, won't you
Be the one I always know
When I'm losing my control,
The city spins around
You're the only one who knows,
You slow it down.

Her moan urged him on and he stroked her a little harder, finding her nubbin and pinching it gently. She squealed in surprise and her hips bucked into his hand.

He kissed her hard and sucked on her tongue as he rubbed her heated flesh. She could feel her orgasm building up inside of her and her breathing became ragged.

He rubbed harder and her body trembled as the first wave hit her. Her mouth separated from his and she moaned his name as she panted for breath.

“Oh god. Spike… that was…”

She panted and whimpered quietly, causing him to grin before kissing her cheeks and lips gently.

“You’re amazing, love.”

He stared into her eyes when she opened them. He was surprised when she shook her head in the negative.

“No. You are.”

He looked away and smiled sheepishly, and then he whispered, “We’re both amazing then.”

If ever there was a doubt
My love, she leans into me.
This most assuredly counts
She says most assuredly.

She giggled a little and kissed him happily, and then she gently rolled them over so she was on top and straddling him. She pulled off her shirt and he groaned at the sight of her completely naked.

She kissed his throat and jaw gently, and her hands ran down his sides. She tugged at his shirt and he sat up a little so she could take it off of him. Her lips went right to his chest after that.

He threaded his fingers through her hair and stroked her scalp lightly, and she flicked her tongue over his nipples as a reward.

He groaned at that and laid his head back on the pillow. She smiled and kissed down his abdomen slowly, licking playfully at all of his muscles. She had him squirming by the time she reached the top of his trousers.

She bit her lip in thought, trying to decide how far she was ready to take this. He looked into her eyes and seemed to sense what she was thinking.

He cupped her cheek gently and whispered, “We can stop here if you’re uncomfortable, love.”

She smiled softly at him and unbuttoned his pants. “I want to touch you.” She had them off and on the floor within seconds.

It's always have and never hold.
You've begun to feel like home.
What's mine is yours to leave or take.
What’s mine is yours to make your own.

She wrapped her hand slowly around his erection and he groaned in pleasure. She touched and stroked it gently for a few minutes, just trying to get a feel for him.

She looked up at his face to see he was clearly enjoying what she was doing. She decided to pick up the pace a little and she started pumping him, from base to tip and back again. She squeezed at the base each time and brushed her thumb across the head.

By the time she was done experimenting with different speeds and pressures, he was just about ready to blow.

She smiled impishly and looked deep into his eyes as she kissed the head of his cock affectionately. She then began pumping him quickly and firmly until he moaned out his release.

She giggled a little at the awestruck expression on his face, and then she got up to wash her hands. She brought back some toilet paper to wipe up the rest of the mess.

She cuddled into his arms and kissed his lips slowly and softly.
“Mmm… that was nice.”

He grinned and stroked her hair as he kissed her back.
“Better than nice. That was bloody wonderful.”

She had to smile at his colorful analogy. She was quite proud of herself actually. Sex was a really scary thing for her, and she’d just come one step closer to conquering her fear.

She really cared a great deal for Spike, and she had a strong suspicion that it wouldn’t be long before she was head over heels. When the right time came, she wanted to be able to make love to him with no fears or reservations.

“Goodnight, Spike.”

She kissed again before burying her face in the nook of his neck, and falling asleep quickly right there.

“Night, pet.”

Oh oh oh, oh oh oh, be my baby.
Oh oh oh, I'll look after you.

Chapter 11: Caught

(December 6th)

Christmas was approaching quickly and things between Spike and Buffy were amazing. The past few months had brought them closer and closer, and had made their relationship indescribably stronger.

Buffy felt like Spike was a part of her. If she lost him a little piece of her soul would be gone too.

School would let out in a week and then it was two more weeks until Christmas arrived. Buffy had pretty much moved into Spike’s room and her life had improved drastically.

Without actually being at her house, her father couldn’t hit her or rape her anymore. She knew he probably didn’t even care enough to wonder why she wasn’t there. She’d already done the research she needed and she had her plans set. She’d turn him into the police when she turned 17, in just a little over a month.

It was currently a Saturday morning and Buffy and Spike were sleeping late as usual. Spike woke suddenly when a knock sounded on the bedroom door.

Anne called through the door, “Breakfast in ten, William. Bring Buffy with you.”

Spike’s eyes flew open and he bolted upright in bed. That woke Buffy up and she yawned quietly.

“Oh bugger!”

Buffy saw the look on his face and she frowned.
“What’s wrong?”

She kissed on the side of his neck softly and wrapped her arms around him. He smiled slightly at what she was doing and he sighed softly.

“Mum knows you’re here, luv.”

That got her attention and her mouth dropped open a little in surprise.
“What? How? What?”

Spike chuckled and ran a hand through his hair.
“My thoughts exactly.”

He kissed her gently then said, “We should probably get dressed. Mum wants us in the kitchen for breakfast in ten minutes.”

Another new development in their relationship was that they slept naked together. They didn’t have sex, but they enjoyed the intimacy of their bare bodies touching.

They both got up and got dressed; taking turns with the bathroom to brush their teeth. They had their routine down so well you’d think they’d been living together for years, not just two months.

As they sat down at the kitchen table they were both incredibly nervous. There was no telling what would happen next. Neither of them had a clue as to what Anne was going to say, or how long she’d known.

Anne placed their plates in front of them and joined them at the table. She’d scrambled eggs, made pancakes, and fried sausages. A carton of orange juice was set in the center of the table.

“Eat up both of you. We can talk after breakfast.”

Spike and Buffy both relaxed a little upon seeing that she didn’t appear to be mad. In fact, she seemed completely calm and normal.

The food was great and the meal went smoothly. They put their dishes in the dishwasher afterward and sat back down for “the talk”. Buffy chewed on her lip nervously and Spike held her hand under the table. It calmed her a little.

“Now before you start jumping to make excuses, I want you to know that I’m fully aware of what’s been going on. I know you’ve been dating for a few months now and I know Buffy’s been living here.”

Buffy looked down at the table top in embarrassment and Spike squeezed her hand.

“I’m not quite sure how this started or why, but I’m not angry. I just wish you’d asked me first.”

She gave them both a look that told them she wasn’t impressed by their sneaking around. Then she continued by questioning them. “Are you at least being careful?”

They both looked like lobsters once they caught on to her meaning. Spike coughed and shifted awkwardly on his stool. Buffy had his hand in a death-grip and she gulped a little, not sure what to say at this point. They weren’t having intercourse, but how were they supposed to talk about that with his mother?

Spike came to her rescue so she didn’t have to speak. “We’re not having sex, mum. Well, at least not the way you’re thinking. But we’ll be careful.”

He forced on an awkward smile and Anne looked a little uncomfortable as well. At least they knew what they were getting themselves into.

Buffy wanted to say something. She felt like she had to. She owed it to Anne to tell her why she’d been staying there without permission.

Her lower lip trembled and her eyes watered a little as she spoke quietly, “My father… he… he hits me. Spike was just trying to help me. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you from the start. I was scared.”

Spike couldn’t have been more surprised by her confession. He’d never in a million years thought she’d tell his mother about her father.

Anne wasn’t any less surprised. She put a hand to her chest as a few different emotions ran through her. Mostly anger. She couldn’t believe a girl as sweet as Buffy had to go through something like that.

“I’m so sorry, dear. Have you told the police?”

Buffy took a deep breath and replied confidently, “Actually I’m planning to do that on my 17th birthday. I want to file for emancipation so I can have rights to the house.”

It appeared Buffy had thought this over a great deal. She had a smart, solid plan. Anne smiled warmly at her and felt the need to reassure her somehow.

“You’re welcome to stay here as long as you like, dear.”

Buffy’s eyes widened in shock and Spike’s jaw slacked in disbelief.

“Really? I thought you’d be… upset.”

Anne chuckled a little at that and shook her head.
“I’m only upset there’s not more I can do to help.”

Buffy beamed with happiness and relief, and she couldn’t resist giving Spike a little peck on the lips.

Spike smiled then looked at his mother and asked, “Are we still doing the camping trip in the woods this year?”

Buffy looked at him in confusion so he explained further.

“My uncle owns a cabin up in the mountains and we go up there every Christmas to celebrate. I believe you know ‘im, love. He’s the librarian at Sunnydale High.”

A few things clicked into place and started making sense to her then. She smiled and said, “That sounds really nice.”

Anne cut in then to answer his question. “Yes, we’re still going, William. Would you like to come along with us, Buffy?”

“Really? I’d love to!” She grinned again and kissed Spike happily. She was relieved she wouldn’t have to stay in Sunnydale by herself over the holiday.

He wrapped his arms around her tightly as he kissed her back, so she could cuddle into his side. They both felt relieved that they didn’t have to sneak around anymore. It was easier having the truth out.

It meant a lot to Buffy that she was going to spend Christmas with Spike and his family. It couldn’t have been a more perfect day for her. These were the moments she lived for.

Chapter 12: Winter Wonderland

(December 8th-11th)

The following week at school Buffy felt like she was going to jump out of her skin. She was really excited for winter break to arrive, so she could spend even more time with Spike.

During the week she spent three nights with Willow, and the redhead helped her with her present to Spike. She couldn’t afford much so she decided to make a scrapbook.

She put in pictures they’d taken together, notes they’d passed each other, and ticket stubs from movies they’d seen together. She also wrote him a long letter about their memories and what he meant to her.

(December 12th)

When they final bell rang on Friday afternoon Buffy ran straight to her locker to meet Spike.

When she saw him she wrapped her arms around him with a happy squeal. She kissed his lips with a huge grin and whispered that she loved him. Christmas break had officially started, and neither of them could’ve been happier.

(December 13th)

The next day they went to the beach to chill out for a while. Buffy wore a little black bikini that caused Spike to get all googly-eyed.

It also caused him to get extremely protective. As they were walking along the edge of the water he kept his arm around her tight, showing everyone there that she was clearly his.

He heard a whistle from behind them and he turned to see who it was. It turned out to be Angel and a group of his friends.

“Seems you’ve managed to score yourself a hottie.”

Buffy turned in surprise and Angel’s jaw dropped in disbelief. How could this be the same girl he’d made fun of freshman year?

“Buffy Summers?!?”

She shifted uncomfortably and wrapped her arms around herself.

Spike glared daggers at him and stepped in front of Buffy.

“There’s not a bloody thing you need to say to her. I’d suggest you walk away before I have to kick your pansy arse again.”

Angel narrowed his eyes and said, “This isn’t over, Spike.”

He walked away in silent fury, knowing he was no match for Spike with his arm still healing.

Buffy bit her lip and gently touched Spike’s shoulder. He turned to face her and pulled her into a hug. She buried her face in his neck as he rubbed her back.

“Sorry he bothered you, love.”

She shook her head and kissed his lips.
“It’s okay. He doesn’t scare me. There’s nothing he can say anymore that will hurt me.”

She stroked his cheek with her fingertips and looked deep into his eyes. All she saw was love and protection.

“I have everything I’ve ever wanted right here.”

He was deeply touched by her words and he couldn’t move or speak for a moment. After that he picked her up in his arms and spun her slowly before setting her down.

“I love you, sweetheart.”

She grinned and placed a playful peck on the tip of his nose.
“I love you too, Spike.”

They shared a meaningful kiss before going to splash around in the water. By the evening they were both thoroughly exhausted and covered in sand. It was definitely worth it.

(December 14th-20th)

Another week passed with them enjoying every day of their winter break. They went to the beach, the park, the mall, and the movies. Some afternoons they just stayed home to watch TV.

(December 21st)

For the second week of winter break they packed up their stuff for the trip. They left Sunday afternoon and arrived at the cabin at night.

The first night was a little awkward for Buffy. She’d always known Giles as the librarian and now she was staying in the same house as him. It was also a little awkward when he asked why Anne had put them in the same room. They hesitantly explained their relationship and he went straight to cleaning his glasses afterward.

(December 22nd)

On Monday morning Anne got up early and cooked a nice big breakfast for all of them. The cabin was totally the opposite of Spike’s house in Sunnydale. It was small and very chilly, since it was snowing outside.

Buffy stayed in her fluffy pajamas and she was wrapped up in a blanket when she came downstairs. Spike chuckled when he saw her and she stuck out her tongue at him.

After breakfast they all sat around the fire in the living room while they watched holiday movies. Buffy happily snuggled into Spike on the sofa and she shared her blanket with him.

As the day progressed Buffy and Spike wandered outside to explore the winter wonderland around them. Spike led the way to the frozen pond and sat with her on the bench near it.

He pulled her into his lap and nuzzled her neck affectionately.

“Tomorrow I’m getting you some ice skates in town. Your old ones look like they’re going to fall apart.”

She bit her lip and said quietly, “You don’t have to do that for me.”

He kissed her and whispered, “Haven’t you learned by now, kitten? I want to. I love you and I want to spoil you as often as I can.”

She smiled happily at that and turned so she was straddling him. She kissed all over his face softly before claiming his lips with hers. The kiss heated slowly and left her panting for breath.

“Have I told you today how much I love you?”

He shook his head in the negative with a big grin plastered across his face. She cupped his cheeks and looked into his eyes.

“More than anything.”

This time Spike initiated the kiss. His feelings for her were so strong that he feared his heart would burst out of his chest. He already knew she was the one he wanted to be with always.

As Buffy kissed him back she became certain that every part of her belonged to him. This was the man she was going to marry and love for the rest of her life.

(December 23rd)

The next morning he took her shopping as he’d promised. They spent the afternoon skating on the pond and Anne came out to take pictures of them.

For dinner they had chicken parmesan and spaghetti. Buffy thought she’d died and gone to heaven. Near the end of the meal Anne announced she had an early Christmas surprise for Buffy.

The next afternoon they’d be going in town for an ice show. Spike had told Anne that Buffy loved ice skating and that she hadn’t been to a show since she was little. Anne had immediately ordered tickets for them.

After dinner Buffy and Spike went up to their room for some quality snuggle time, but it quickly progressed from there. They ended up making out and running their hands all over each other, getting hot and bothered in the process.

Eventually Buffy pulled back and slid down his body, so her face was level with his crotch. He watched her with hunger in his eyes, as she unzipped his pants and slowly pulled his dick out. She pumped it gently and smiled as it hardened even further under her touch. She then lowered her mouth and wrapped her lips around the velvety head.

She sucked softly on it, before descending and taking more of his shaft into her warm mouth. He moaned and threaded his fingers through her hair, pure ecstasy flooding his veins as her soft tongue teased him. She bobbed her head up and down, varying the speed and suction every so often.

Her cheeks hollowed as she ascended and only the tip was left in her mouth. She swirled her tongue over the head repeatedly and she tasted his pre-cum in her mouth. She hummed happily and moved back down to take him again. His eyes rolled shut as he felt her sucking him hard, and pumping the base of his cock with her hand.

It wasn’t long before his balls were tightening and his body tensed in release. He warned her in a strangled voice a second before he came, and she kept her mouth firmly around him to collect every last drop. She licked him clean slowly, pleased that she’d swallowed it all down this time. Before she’d had some reservations about swallowing, but she’d discovered that he was actually a tasty treat.

She kissed him softly and cuddled into his arms for a moment, letting him recuperate. Then he flipped her onto her back with a smirk and descended to return the favor. Her moans echoed through the small cabin, despite the fact that she tried to be quiet. When they fell asleep, they were completely sated and knocked out for the rest of the night.

(December 24th)

When two o’clock on Wednesday rolled around, Buffy could barely contain her excitement. She dressed up nice and had a big smile on her face. Spike was mainly excited because of the dress she was wearing.

It was a blood red color with thin spaghetti straps and a slit up the thigh. The hem came to her mid-thigh but the slit almost showed off the black lace of her underwear.

Spike licked his lips as he thought about stripping it off of her. She saw the look in his eyes and smirked. She walked over to him and licked his neck playfully.

“You can play with me later. Down boy.”

She patted his package lightly then walked out of the room to find Anne. Spike followed a few minutes later when the shock wore off.

When they got to the ice show he bought her popcorn and a drink while Anne and Giles went to find their seats. Spike wrapped his arm around her as they walked by all the various stands that were set up.

The show was beautiful and Buffy had tears in her eyes by the end of it. She kissed Spike deeply and passionately, not caring if anyone saw. She loved him and that was that.

Anne had a secretive smile on her face for the whole ride back to the cabin. She didn’t say a word and Buffy was perplexed.

Back at the cabin Anne called Buffy into her room and shut the door. Giles and Spike had already started watching TV downstairs in the living room.

“I have a present for you, dear.”

Buffy bit her lip and frowned in confusion.
“But Christmas is tomorrow.”

Anne smiled and pulled a nicely wrapped box from under her bed.
“Unless I’m mistaken, I think you’ll need this tonight.”

Buffy unwrapped the box slowly and opened it, her cheeks turning pink when she saw what was inside. It was a lacy black corset with a matching thong, garter belt, and thigh-high stockings.

“Oh…"

Chapter 13: Body, Heart, and Soul

(December 24th)

When Spike went up to his room he found the light off and a few candles lit. Buffy was sitting on his bed wearing the big fluffy robe she always used after she showered.

He smiled and walked over to give her a kiss on the lips. She kissed him briefly then tugged him onto the bed with a giggle.

She stood up and untied the robe, letting it fall slowly and pool around her ankles. His jaw dropped when he saw her in her new lingerie.

She smiled at the look on his face and the bulge in his pants. She walked to where he was sitting on the edge of the bed and she placed her knee between his thighs.

She rubbed it slowly and teasingly against his crotch and she delighted in the little groan that escaped his parted lips.

“Just relax, baby.”

She grinned and pushed him back so he was lying flat on the mattress. She unzipped and unbuttoned his slacks, pulling them down his legs and off his feet.

She was pleased to find he wasn’t wearing an undergarment. She kissed the head of his cock lovingly and giggled when it twitched.

She then moved upward and unbuttoned his dress shirt. She raked her nails gently up his chest before pulling his shirt the rest of the way off.

She piled his clothing on the floor and crawled up his body to kiss his lips. Spike was still trying to recover from his state of shock. This was it. This was really happening.

He raised both hands to rub her back then squeeze her ass. He pulled her hips downward so the tip of his cock was pressed against her lace covered mound. She moaned into his mouth as he pressed a little harder.

The middle finger of his right hand slid down between her ass cheeks, to rub her tight hole through the thong. She shuddered in arousal and felt her panties get even wetter.

Her tongue slid out to lightly caress his lower lip, and then he sucked it into his mouth. She moaned eagerly as he sucked on her tongue, rubbed her ass, and pressed against her sex all at the same time.

His left hand reached under her to stroke her clit through the black lace. He used the lace purposefully under his fingertips to create more friction on her sensitive nubbin. He rubbed harder and faster until she arched her back and came with a moan.

He smiled as he watched her in her pleasure. It was such a beautiful thing to witness, and he was proud to be the only person that ever got to see her in this natural beauty.

As she came down from her blissful high she showered little kisses all over his collarbone and neck. Her tongue swept slowly over his jugular and a light shudder ran through him.

She felt out every curve of his chest with her fingertips and traced every muscle. She dipped her head to tease his flat nipples into tightness with her tongue. He watched as she flicked her soft pink organ against him again and again.

Suddenly he grabbed her by the hips and flipped her over on her back. She squeaked in surprise and giggled happily. He bent his head down next to hers and whispered into her ear.

“You are such a bloody cock tease.”

She grinned triumphantly and wrapped her slender legs around his lean waist. She squeezed so he was trapped between the warmth of her thighs and against the soaked material covering her snatch.

He ground his hips down against hers firmly and her breath hitched in her throat for a second. He deftly undid the front of her corset and parted the sides, revealing her ripe round breasts to his heated gaze.

He brought his hands up to massage them and he rolled the little pink nipples between his fingers. She bit her lower lip as a pleasurable shockwave hit down below in response to his actions.

She looked into his eyes and whispered, “I need you inside me. Make love to me.”

He swallowed hard against the lump that was forming in his throat, both from her words and from the intensity of the emotions that were flowing through him. He felt like he was gazing into her soul as he kept eye contact with her.

“There’s nothing I’d love more in this world.”

She placed her hands over his, on her breasts, and she moved them slowly downward. He took off her garter belt and drew her stockings slowly off her legs. He hooked his index fingers in the flimsy elastic sides of her thong and he pulled it down her thighs.

She shuddered in anticipation and excitement, as he got it all the way off of her and tossed it to the floor.

His eyes lingered on her face a moment longer before he glanced down to take in the sight of her spread legs. He bent over between them and nuzzled the apex of her thighs with the tip of his nose.

Her hips rose a little in response to show she wanted more. His tongue came out to tease her delicate folds while his fingers kneaded the flesh of her firm bottom.

As good as his mouth felt on her, it wasn’t what she wanted at the moment. She cupped his cheeks in her hands and gently raised his head so she could look into his eyes. She silently begged him to stop teasing her and take what she knew he desperately wanted.

He released her from his hold and moved up to kiss her lips tenderly. She wrapped her legs around him again and rubbed her body up against his slowly. One of his hands caressed her face as the other headed south to grip his cock.

He guided it to her entrance and nudged the tip inside. She spread her legs further for him and he slowly buried the first inch of his manhood inside her. With gentle thrusts he gradually worked his way to her core.

Pleasure coursed through both of them as he was fully seated inside of her and their pelvises met. Their eyes stayed focused on one another intimately as he started moving his hips slowly.

When he got a steady rhythm going, she rocked her hips with his and started kissing him. The combined friction of his cock inside her and his pubic bone pressing against her clit caused her to moan into his mouth.

He repeated this action again and again, always with a precise slowness that drove her up the wall. As she got more comfortable with his movements she raised one leg over his shoulder to give him better access. The new angle of penetration made her cry out happily as he dove even deeper.

Their hips undulated faster and the ridge of his cock rubbed on her inner pleasure point. It felt sinfully good and shivers raced through all of her nerve endings.

Her walls clenched tightly around his cock and he gasped at the feeling. He could feel his balls tightening already as the veins in his cock pulsated rapidly. At the same time she felt an aching burning building in her abdomen.

Her eyes rolled closed and her mouth latched onto his, her tongue seeking his out eagerly. Their tongues joined and mated sensually, imitating the dance they were doing with their hips.

As the burning reached a fever pitch and pleasure took over her body, Buffy broke from the kiss with a whimpering moan. Her head dropped back and her jaw hung open as ecstasy flooded her senses. Her orgasm was slow and intense, leaving her completely satisfied.

The feel of her strong inner muscles clamped around his shaft sent Spike into oblivion, almost immediately after her. Thick wads of his milky semen streamed into her depths and flooded her core.

Buffy was shocked when that triggered a second orgasm for her. She bit onto his shoulder lightly then whispered his name against his skin.

Both of them were panting breathlessly and covered in a thin sheen of perspiration. Buffy ran her fingers through his sweat-soaked curls and gazed into eyes with all the love her heart possessed.

“I love you so much, Spike. That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever felt.”

Her eyes brimmed with tears as emotion welled up inside of her uncontrollably. She let them roll down her cheeks with a happy smile on her face. Spike couldn’t help but to grin and get a little teary-eyed himself.

“I love you too, pet. I’ll never stop loving you, and I’ll never get tired of telling you.”

No more words were needed at the time, so they kissed gently and held each other close. He maneuvered himself onto his back and pulled her snugly against his side. His arms circled around her and her head rested on his chest.

She closed her eyes and buried her face in the crook of his neck. He kissed the top of her head before closing his eyes as well and letting sleep overtake him.

Chapter 14: Christmas Joy

(December 25th)

Buffy woke up first in the morning and smiled as she cuddled more into Spike. Neither of them had thought to close the curtains the night before, so sunlight was streaming brightly through the window.

She rubbed his chest slowly with a smile on her face, and it caused him to stir from his slumber. She giggled quietly when he stretched and yawned, but then she found herself yawning too.

“Morning, love.”

She grinned and kissed him quickly.

“Merry Christmas, Spike.”

He gave her an affectionate squeeze before looking out the window and sighing.

“We should probably get dressed and head downstairs. Mum will be expecting us so we can eat breakfast and open presents.”

Buffy pouted at the thought of getting up, but she nodded in agreement and kissed his cheek. She sat up and tossed the sheets aside. She stretched her arms above her head slowly before standing up.

Spike admired her bare backside with a grin before following her out of bed. They got dressed quickly then joined Anne and Giles in the kitchen downstairs.

Anne had a little twinkle in her eye when she asked Buffy if she’d slept all right. Buffy blushed and cleared her throat before saying she had.

All through breakfast Buffy held Spike’s hand under the table. When it was time to open presents they all moved into the living room.

Anne and Giles sat on the couch while Buffy and Spike sat on the floor in front of the tree. They passed out the presents until everyone had a little pile in front of them.

Buffy quickly told Spike that he had to open his first, but to save hers for last. He got some CDs and DVDs from Giles and $200 in cash from his mom, so he could buy what he wanted.

Buffy bit her lip nervously when he started unwrapping her present. She felt relieved when he got a big grin on his face as he looked through it.

He hugged her tightly and kissed her lips as he told her that he loved it. It made her feel warm and fuzzy inside, and then she started on her presents.

Giles gave her a gift card to Target, Anne gave her cash and some new clothes that she loved, and finally she was down to Spike’s pile of presents. There were three boxes and they were all the same size.

She gave them a perplexed frown and picked one up. She weighed it in her hand experimentally then opened it slowly. Her eyes widened and she squealed loudly in happiness when she saw what was inside.

It was a cute pink and black cell phone and a pink Ipod Nano. She flung her arms around his neck and squeezed him tight. She’d wanted both of those for quite some time, but she couldn’t afford either of them.

The next box got a less hyper, but more deeply emotional response from her. It was a key chain with a copy of Spike’s house key on it. It was a strong reassurance that both Spike and his mother fully accepted her in the house.

The last box was the one that brought tears to her eyes. She put her hand over her mouth as she stared at the contents of the box. There was a small, heart-shaped locket on a thin, white gold chain.

The heart had emerald gems set in it and she gasped when she opened it. On one side there was a picture of her and Spike kissing. On the other it was engraved: Love always, Spike.

He took the necklace from the box and placed it around her neck carefully. She started crying from happiness and she kissed him passionately. She was certain that if Giles and Anne hadn’t been there, she’d be pinning Spike to the floor and making love to him all over again.

Later in the afternoon Buffy and Spike went ice skating on the lake, followed by a fierce snowball fight. When they were both drenched and exhausted they lay on the ground and made snow angels.

As they were lying there staring at the sky, Buffy got a dreamy smile on her face.

“This is so perfect.” She sighed happily.

Spike turned his head with a grin and reached over to hold her gloved hand. She rolled over and kissed his lips softly and slowly.

“Spike… this is the best Christmas I’ve ever had.”

There was nothing but love and honesty in her eyes as she stared at him. The stare broke when she shuddered suddenly from the cold. Spike chuckled at the funny face she made.

“Cold, love?”

She nodded and he smirked. He pulled her on top of him and whispered, “I can fix that.”

As they cuddled together she rubbed against him to get warmer. In doing so she caused quite a reaction in his pants, which made her burst into a fit of hysterical giggles.

He rolled his eyes and smacked her ass playfully. She squeaked and ground onto him teasingly. He flipped her over and pressed her into the snow. He rubbed his bulge between her thighs and she moaned. He kept at it and she wrapped her legs around him.

“Mmm… meanie.”

He chuckled and wiggled his brows suggestively.
“See, love? It’s not nice to tease.”

She whacked him on the shoulder with the palm of her hand and he laughed. She got an evil glint in her eye and she licked her lips.

“Baby you haven’t seen what teasing is…”

She embraced him fully between her legs and moved against him firmly. He groaned and closed his eyes as his cock twitched in his pants. She started sucking and nipping on the veins in his neck, which caused him to shiver.

When he thought he was about to die, he whispered huskily into her ear, “Buffy… I need you.”

That was exactly what she’d been waiting to hear. She rolled them over so she was straddling him and she nibbled on his ear lobe.

She whispered with a wicked grin, “You’ll have to catch me first.”

She kissed him hard then got up and ran away with a giggle. It took him a moment to register what she’d done. Then he was up on his feet and chasing after her.

She weaved through the trees quickly and giggled when he started cursing, because he couldn’t find her and he couldn’t keep up with her.

She purposely led him back to the cabin and sat on the porch with a grin. He slowed down when he saw her and he playfully gave her a frustrated look.

“That wasn’t nice at all, pet.”

She beamed happily and stuck her tongue out at him. Before she could say anything he bent over and scooped her up. He tossed her over his shoulder in a fireman’s life and spanked her rear.

She squealed in surprise as he carried her into the cabin and up the stairs. He set her down inside the bathroom and she pouted at him.

He tugged lightly on her lower lip and smiled.
“Strip.”

Buffy squirmed at the intensity of lust in his eyes. She slowly peeled her wet clothing off as he undressed and started up a warm shower.

When she was naked she stepped up behind him and pressed her front against his back. She kissed all over his shoulder blades and she soon found herself being spun around and caught in a passionate kiss.

As they stepped into the shower she felt cool tile against her back and warm water raining down on her front.

She hoisted herself up and gasped as she sank onto him. Their kiss heated as their bodies moved together, climbing slowly toward release.

Anne looked up at the ceiling when she heard two loud shouts of pleasure from upstairs. Giles coughed loudly and spilled some tea on him. Anne smirked at him with a chuckle.

“At least they’re enjoying the holiday."

Chapter 15: Freedom at Her Fingertips

(Monday, January 5th)

School started up again as usual and the next month flew by. Sunday, January 18th arrived and Buffy started getting really nervous. The next day was her birthday and she knew what she had to do.

Willow listened to her venting when they went out to eat lunch and Spike held her hand in silent support. It was a difficult day for her, but she made it through with the help of the two people that were closest to her.

(January 19th)

When the bell rang to dismiss them the next day, Spike revealed he had a surprise for her. Xander and Willow got in Oz’s van and followed them to the Cold Stone by the mall. Buffy grinned and kissed Spike on the cheek. She was even more surprised when she went inside to find Anne waiting with a stack of presents.

She gave Anne a hug then turned to face Spike. She narrowed her eyes and wagged her finger at him accusingly.

“You planned all of this, didn’t you?”

He gave her a sheepish look and a big grin split out on her face. She squealed and threw her arms around him.

She hadn’t had an actual birthday party in years. Spike smiled and held her in a tight embrace, thankful that she’d liked his surprise party.

After thanking him and kissing him numerous times, Buffy sat down at the head of the table. Her friends followed suit and she began cutting the large ice cream cake in front of her, passing a piece to each person.

After everyone had their fill of cake it was time to open presents. By the time she’d opened the last present she was convinced it was the best birthday ever, and that it couldn’t get any better.

That was until Spike pulled her aside and took a little box, wrapped in gold paper, from his pocket. She smiled brightly at him as she opened it.

Nestled in the tissue paper was a silver ring with a heart-shaped red gem. He took it out of the box and slipped it on her finger slowly. Buffy just stared at it with surprise and joy.

“It’s a promise ring, pet. My promise that you’re the only one I’ll ever love. I figured it might do until I get the real thing for you.”

Her eyes watered with tears and she tackled him cheerfully. Spike chuckled as he kept her locked in a bear hug. She showered his whole face in kisses and the grin never left her face.

Later in the evening Spike took Buffy dancing at the Bronze and they had a blast. She wore a red dress that hugged her curves and showed off her cleavage.

Spike went to get them drinks after they’d danced a while, and Buffy took the opportunity to sit down and rest her feet. A boy that went to Sunnydale High approached the table with a nervous smile.

She raised her brows questioningly at him and he fidgeted.

“Hi. I’m Jake.”

“Hi…”

She wasn’t sure what he wanted and she eyed him with a curious frown.

“Well I was wondering if maybe you wanted to dance.”

She smiled slightly at that. A few months ago no one would’ve asked her to dance. A few months ago she’d been invisible.

“You seem like a really nice guy, Jake, but I’m actually here with someone.”

He looked crestfallen but nodded in understanding.
“He’s a lucky guy.”

Buffy smiled and Jake turned to walk away. Spike came back seconds later.

“Was that guy bothering you?”

She shook her head and kissed his lips.
“No. He asked me to dance, but I told him I’m taken.”

Spike sat down and pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her middle.
“Good. No one touches my girl.”

She giggled at the possessive tone in his voice. It sent shivers up and down her spine.

At the end of the evening Buffy felt exhausted and ready for bed. She knew she wouldn’t be sleeping for quite a while though, even when they got home.

Anne was still awake when they returned and she was sitting in the kitchen drinking cocoa. She shook her head with a knowing smile as they ran up the stairs giggling. Sometimes she missed being a teenager in love.

(January 20th)

The next day Buffy and Spike didn’t go to school. Instead Anne accompanied them to the courthouse downtown. They got the license they needed and the proper paperwork, and then they went home to fill it out.

They returned later that afternoon and filed the emancipation application. The judge told them he’d look over the file and see them back in a week for the results.

That night Buffy nearly had a mental breakdown. She was afraid of what might happen if she wasn’t granted emancipation. Hank would be sent the papers for the trial in a few days time, and if he wasn’t locked up Buffy knew he’d kill her.

It took a long phone conversation with Willow and a few rounds of love-making with Spike to calm her down.

She fell asleep with a worried frown on her face and it left Spike feeling helpless. The girl he loved was hurting inside and he didn’t know how to help.

(January 24th)

The following week was filled with stressful days and nervous jitters. Three days before the trial she knew Hank had gotten the paperwork, due to the fact that he came out on the front lawn cussing up a storm.

He was drunk as a skunk and madder than hell. Apparently he thought it’d be fun to chuck his empty beer bottles at a car across the street.

Buffy watched in wide-eyed horror from one of the windows in the living room. Spike called the police and reported it as a man came out of the house where the car was parked.

They watched as Hank and the other man started screaming at each other loudly, the swear words and insults ringing clear down the block.

Hank looked like a deer caught in the headlights when the police car pulled up and the officer stepped out.

Buffy watched in sheer joy as he was cuffed and manhandled into the car. The officer took a statement from the owner of the car and Spike went out to step up as a witness.

Buffy stayed inside, out of sight, not wanting Hank to see her. So far she’d managed to keep her whereabouts under wraps and that was the only way she felt safe.

If Hank found out where she was living that meant he could hurt her again. When Spike came back inside she threw herself in his arms.

He held her tight and stroked her back as he whispered soothing words to her. She calmed in his embrace and he sighed in relief.

“You’re safe now, pet.”

She nodded and buried her face in his neck, nuzzling it affectionately. She was beyond relieved that Hank was on his way to jail at that very moment.

(January 27th)

At the trial Buffy was surprised to see Hank sporting a black eye and a slight limp. It seemed his cell mates hadn’t cared for him much.

Buffy had gotten dressed in a white shirt with black dress pants, and she’d pulled her hair up neatly in a bun. She’d been aiming for a more adult look, so the judge would be more prone to take her seriously.

Luckily for her, the trial went off without a hitch. The judge got statements from Buffy, Spike, and Anne on the nature of Hank’s behavior.

Hank pleaded innocent to the abuse and rape charges, but his defense didn’t stick. His statement was sketchy and the judge saw right through it.

The trail was closed, so there was no jury or audience present. The judge ruled Hank guilty and sentenced him 20 to life without parole.

Anne and Spike both hugged Buffy tightly as she cried in relief. She’d been granted the emancipation, so she’d be able to have the life she wanted.

On top of that she was entitled to a hefty monthly payment from Hank’s account. It was enough to support her and give her pretty much anything she wanted. It seemed everything was finally going her way for a change.

The only mistake she made was looking over at Hank as he was being taken away. The look he gave her filled her with terror and her whole body started shaking. Her gut twisted at the thought of what he would do to her if he ever got out.

Chapter 16: I Wanna Grow Old with You

(Thursday, March 20th)

Spike smiled as he listened to the song on the radio. They were lying in his bed enjoying post-coital snuggles.

I wanna grow old with you
I wanna die lying in your arms
I wanna be there for you
Sharing in everything you do
I wanna grow old with you

Buffy looked up into his eyes and bit her lip a little. Her green eyes filled with tears and she stroked his cheek with her fingertips.

“I wanna grow old with you, Spike.”

He smiled and got teary-eyed himself, not caring a bit that the moment was a tad cheesy.
“I wanna grow old with you too, kitten.”

He kissed her deeply and she responded quickly, rolling on top of him with a giggle. When the kiss broke he stopped grinning and became serious.

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you, love.”

She smiled and tilted her head questioningly.
“What is it?”

He smiled and moved her off of him gently. He rolled over and reached into the nightstand, digging to the bottom of the drawer.

It had been almost two months since Hank had been locked up in prison, and he’d been thinking over this constantly. Now on their seven-month anniversary, he figured it was perfect timing.

He produced a small black velvet box from the drawer and held it in the palm of his hand. He popped it open and turned to face her with a tender smile. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw the white gold diamond engagement ring in the box.

“Oh my god…”

She gasped quietly and looked at him with a stunned expression. He swallowed nervously and took a deep breath.

“Buffy… love… kitten…”

He fidgeted a little and looked down briefly at the bedspread, before raising his gaze once more to meet her emerald stare. His heart thudded loudly in his chest as he spoke again.

“I know we’re young and we haven’t even been together a year, but with you it feels like a lifetime. You know me better than I know myself sometimes, and I feel I know you really well too.”

He took a shaky breath and reached out to take her hand gently in his, giving it a loving squeeze.

“It’s not enough, though. I can’t settle for just knowing you well and being your boyfriend. I love you with everything I have and I want to spend the rest of my life showing you that. I want to grow old with you, Buffy Summers.”

A few hot tears rolled down her cheeks and she stared at him intensely.

“I love you so much, Buffy. Will you marry me?”

She sobbed happily and nodded enthusiastically. She wrapped her arms around him tight and whispered, “Of course I’ll marry you. I’d love to be your wife.”

They shared a deep passionate kiss when the hug ended, and it left both of them breathless. He slid the ring slowly onto her finger and they both grinned happily.

“I can’t wait to tell mum. She’s going to be so happy for us.”

Buffy smiled warmly and nodded, cupping his cheeks in her hands.
“I know she will. She loves you and she’s a great mother.”

“She loves you too, kitten. You’re already a part of the family.”

She blushed a little and his words warmed her heart even more. She knew from the look in his eyes and from the way Anne treated her that he was telling the complete truth.

“That means a lot to me, Spike.”

She kissed him slowly and softly, and then they fell back together on the bed for another round of love-making.

That evening they invited Willow, Xander, and Giles over for dinner, so they could make their announcement to the group. Anne had been ecstatic when they’d told her and she’d insisted on celebrating.

Anne cooked a nice big meal consisting of honey glazed ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn on the cob, steamed broccoli and carrots, buttered dinner rolls, and cranberry sauce. Buffy felt like it was Thanksgiving in April.

She greeted her friends with hugs when they arrived and Willow was the first to notice her ring. She grabbed Buffy’s left hand up and stared at it in shock.

“Oh my god…”

Buffy grinned in response and looked over to Xander and Giles, who were both speechless and wearing identical expressions of disbelief.

Buffy walked over to her fiancé and kissed him soundly, really making quite a scene. Then she turned back to the group and giggled.

“Spike and I are getting married!”

After the shock wore off, the happy couple got congratulated by the group, and then they all sat down for dinner.

An hour and a half later the Scoobies were leaving and Willow stopped to hug Buffy at the door. The blonde and redhead embraced tightly and had a short, whispered conversation.

“I’m so happy for you, Buffy. I know you guys are going to have an amazing life together.”

Buffy pulled back a little and smiled warmly.
“Thanks, Wils. You know I love you, right? I spend a lot more time with Spike now than anyone else, but you will always be my best friend.”

Willow nodded and gave her waist a squeeze.
“I know, Buffy, and I understand. I’m really happy for you.”

The best friends said goodnight and Willow hurried to catch up with Xander. Buffy found herself being swept up in Spike’s arms and carried up the stairs.

Spike laid her down on the bed and covered her body with his, kissing his way up her neck slowly. She smiled and ran her hands up and down his back slowly.

“I need you,” she whispered amidst a moan.

His hands deftly undressed her upon her request, and revealed her body to his hungry gaze. He still had the ability to make her blush with the way he looked at her.

His mouth traveled across her body slowly, and she squirmed as every heated kiss produced moisture between her thighs. Then his tongue began a torturous task and she felt she’d surely flood the sheets with her arousal.

She weaved her fingers through his bleached locks and whimpered his name as his tongue delved inside her. He brought her to the edge slowly then sucked on her nubbin. She shuddered in release and murmured his name.

He came up to her mouth and let her taste herself as he entered her. She moaned around his tongue and took him in as far as she could. She wrapped her legs around him and succumbed to the gentle rocking sensation of their hips.

Their hands and tongues and teeth explored while he kept a slow and steady rhythm inside of her. Her orgasm took her by surprise and she clenched around him with a moan of completion.

He watched her face as he spilled himself inside her. They held each other afterward and shared slow kisses in between pillow talk.

She kissed along his jaw with a giggle and whispered, “I have something to tell you.”

He looked down at her, where she had her head resting on his chest, and he smiled warmly.

“Oh yeah? What’s that?”

Her fingers stroked random little patterns on his bicep as she spoke.
“I decided to skip my junior year. So now I’ll be graduating with you.”

Having started kindergarten a year late, she was older than everyone in her class. This would give her the chance to catch up with her age group and graduate a year early. It would also put her on level footing with Spike.

He was elated at the news and exclaimed happily, “That means we’ll be off to college at the same time!”

She readily agreed that that was a good thing. As much as she loved him, it still would’ve been hard to be in high school and dating a guy in college. They were two very different worlds. Now they would get to experience everything together. Things were finally really looking up in Buffy’s life.

Chapter 17: Paradise Lost

(Tuesday)

April 22nd was a bad day for Buffy. She woke up with a bad cold and she thought it was pretty fitting. Her mood was decidedly miserable and not even Spike could cheer her up.

It was the day that her mother had died when she was 14. Joyce had had a tumor in her brain and complications from the surgery had eventually killed her. She and Hank had been separated for a while before that, due to his heavy drinking and quick temper, and Buffy had been living with Joyce in Los Angeles.

After the funeral she’d been forced to move to Sunnydale to live with her father, despite the fact that she didn’t want to. He’d never been there for her when she was growing up, and she’d always hated him for putting alcohol before his family.

The abuse didn’t start until a few months later. She’d caught him looking at her in a sexual way frequently and one night he’d snapped. She’d dealt with the rape for two and a half years before she’d met Spike.

Spike knew about her mother, but he didn’t know much. It was a sore subject and she didn’t like talking about it with anyone. It was one of the few things she hadn’t talked in-depth with him about.

She decided against going to school that day and Spike stayed home with her. Anne cooked them breakfast then Spike offered to drive Buffy up to LA, to visit her mother’s grave. The two-hour drive was made in relative silence and Spike wished there was some way he could help her.

His father had died in a car crash when he was four months old, so he’d never gotten to know the man. There was a sense of disappointment in him, but no great sadness. His uncle Rupert, his mother’s younger brother, had been like a father to him his entire life.

When they reached the cemetery, Spike stood back a little in silent support; just far enough to give her some alone time. When he saw her breaking down he went over to her and pulled her into his arms.

She cried for a while then just stayed wrapped up in his embrace. On the drive home she finally opened up and told him about everything that had happened.

After hearing all that she’d been through Spike was amazed that she’d grown into the wonderful person she was. She very easily could’ve ended up as a head case.

By the time they got back to his house she was sound asleep. He parked the car in his driveway and got out to go open the front door. He then came back to the car and retrieved her from the passenger seat.

He carried her inside and locked everything up behind him. He took her up the stairs to their bedroom and laid her down gently on the bed, careful not to wake her up. It was only mid-afternoon but he knew she was completely exhausted. He lay down next to her and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her forehead then drifted off with her.

He woke again just before six and smiled as he watched Buffy sleeping. When his brain came fully awake he remembered that he was supposed to pick up a package from the post office that evening.

His grandmother had called that afternoon from England to let him know it would be arriving. He rubbed Buffy’s shoulder gently to wake her up and she stirred slowly.

“I’ve got to pick up the package from my grandmother before the post office closes. I’ll be back soon, kitten.”

She mumbled something incoherent in response and went back to sleep. He kissed her forehead then got out of bed and got dressed.

He drove to the post office as quickly as possible and he groaned in frustration at the long line. Apparently everyone and their mother were rushing to get their packages sent out before closing.

After a boring twenty-minute wait he was finally able to pick up his package. He’d kept himself entertained by watching the TV they had set up in the corner. He’d never really been interested in Law & Order before, but it kept him occupied.

Just as he was almost out the door the show cut off, due to an emergency news alert interrupting it. Spike frowned and held his box under his arm as he watched it.

~ News report ~

Just an hour ago there was a mass breakout from Sunnydale Prison, in which five prisoners escaped. All five men have received life sentences and are to be considered extremely dangerous. If anyone has information on the whereabouts of these criminals, please report it immediately. The police are offering a hefty reward to anyone who aids in their capture.

Each prisoner’s name, picture, and crime were shown on the screen and Spike thought he was going to be sick. All of them were down for rape and two were down for murder.

He felt like his heart was going to explode in fear when he saw Hank Summers come up as the 5th escapee. He ran to his car and broke every speed limit in town trying to get home.

In the meantime Buffy had woken up and taken a shower to refresh herself. When she was getting dressed she realized that she’d left the shirt she wanted at her house.

Since Hank had been locked up she’d gotten the house to herself and it was being paid for with his money. She and Spike had started spending the night there a few times a week to be alone. The last time she’d left her favorite tank top there.

She put on a baggy t-shirt with her mini-skirt and flip-flops, so she could run over and get it. She found it easily in her room and changed into it. She headed into the kitchen to get some water and she knew right away that something was off.

The next thing she knew there was a cloth over her nose and the world was going black around her. She collapsed on the kitchen floor and her attacker tied her up, before dragging her to the garage and shoving her in the trunk of a car.

He made sure no one was watching before he drove off as fast as he could. He went to the far side of town and left the car in the junkyard next to the woods.

He carried Buffy into the mass of trees and walked a mile and a half before setting her down. He moved some leaves at the base of a giant oak tree to reveal a trap door. He pulled it open then grabbed Buffy and descended into darkness.

Spike arrived home only to find that Buffy wasn’t there. He asked his mother where she’d gone, but Anne had no idea. He got a huge knot in his stomach and he felt like he was going to be sick again.

He had a terrible feeling inside that he knew exactly what had happened to her. Without hesitation he grabbed up the phone and dialed 911. Everything came out in a frantic rush and the woman on the other end asked him to calm down and repeat himself.

After taking a deep breath he explained the situation as slowly and coherently as he could manage. His mother hovered next to him with a worried expression on her face.

After ten minutes of explaining the urgency of the situation the woman finally agreed to send an officer out to his house. When he hung up the phone he immediately burst into tears and Anne drew him into her arms.

She comforted him as best as she could, but it didn’t really help. He was almost certain that his fiancé had been kidnapped by the most sadistic bastard he’d ever met.

It took the police fifteen minutes to arrive and every minute was a new level of torture for Spike. Luckily the officers seemed just as concerned as he was and it was treated as an emergency.

A report was made and an alert was sent out, but it still didn’t help Spike calm down any. The police figured that Hank had probably stolen a car and they had no idea where he was. He could be anywhere and there was no telling what he was doing to Buffy.

When the police left he put on his coat and got in his car. He was determined to search every square inch of the city until he found her, even if it killed him.

When Buffy woke up everything was blurry and she had a splitting headache. She moved her arms and frowned when she heard a rattling sound. She blinked until her vision slowly started clearing up.

Her ankles and wrists had shackles around them and she was chained to the bed. She could tell she was in some sort of chamber with stone steps heading upward.

The only lighting provided was by candles and the only other furniture in the room was a wooden table and chair in one corner. There was a large metal bucket in the other corner.

Her gaze came to rest on the brunette chained next to her, who was still unconscious. Her jaw dropped in disbelief.

“Faith…”

Chapter 18: Misery Business

(Wednesday, April 23rd)

After being unable to sleep entire night, Buffy decided it was time to try and wake Faith up. She was certain it had to be morning by now and she had no idea where she was.

She shook Faith’s shoulder gently and frowned when she got no response. Next she grabbed both of her shoulders and shook her roughly until she started to stir.

Faith was confused right away as she came to consciousness. She went to punch Buffy and frowned at the shackles on her wrists. Her eyes widened when she realized who she’d almost punched.

“Blondie… What the fuck is going on?”

Buffy relaxed when she realized she wasn’t going to get hit. She shook her head slowly and bit her lip.

“I don’t know. I went home to get changed and then I woke up here.”

Faith frowned and nodded slowly as she thought everything over.

“Pretty much the same happened to me. I was walking home from Starship and some guy knocked me out. I didn’t see his face cause he got me from behind. Next thing I know I’m waking up chained next to you.”

Buffy drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. Her eyes welled up with tears and she felt like a small child. She was scared and helpless, and all she really wanted was for Spike to be holding her.

Her knees and arms were all scratched up, and her clothes were dirty and ripped. It wasn’t hard to figure out that they’d both been drugged and dragged through the dirt.

They heard a noise and they both looked toward the stairs. It sounded like a door had been opened, followed by the sound of footsteps. Buffy felt like screaming when the man fully descended the stairs and revealed his face in the light. This had to be her worst nightmare coming true.

“Morning, ladies. I trust you slept well.”

He laughed sadistically and set a plastic bag down on the table. He pulled out two water bottles, a wrapped sandwich, and a nasty rusted pair of hedge trimmers.

He sat down and started eating while looking over at both of them. Faith looked like she wanted to kill him and Buffy looked like she was about to piss herself.

He didn’t say another word until he’d finished eating. Then he stood and addressed them with a smirk.

“Expect some company soon.”

He turned and left with a maniacal laugh that made Buffy shudder in fear. He was completely out of his mind, and Buffy had no idea what he was planning next.

Faith looked over at her and said, “Really fucked up family you’ve got, B.”

Buffy didn’t reply as she curled up in a little ball and cried.

Spike drove around all night and only went home in the morning, when he was about to pass out from exhaustion. The police kept looking but had no luck in locating Hank. Spike fell asleep face-first on his bed and he didn’t leave his room all day.

By that afternoon Buffy had cried herself to sleep and Faith was just staring blankly at the wall. She jolted awake when Hank came back, and this time he was dragging someone down the steps after him.

Buffy’s eyes widened when she recognized the boy as one of the Sunnydale High football players. He appeared to be unconscious and he had a big gash on his forehead.

Hank left him in the middle of the floor and came back a few minutes later, with a new set of chains and shackles. He chained the boy up on the bed with Faith and Buffy, and then he laughed evilly.

“Things are going to get very interesting when he wakes up.”

He pulled a small aluminum packet out of his pocket and he toyed with it for a minute. He tossed it on the bed in front of Buffy with a malicious grin.

“Don’t forget to take your pills, darlin’. Wouldn’t want you popping out any little ones.”

Buffy nearly choked as she saw the packet of birth control pills he’d thrown in front of her. He’d put her on them years ago, as soon as he’d started raping her. Of course he wouldn’t want any evidence of his dirty deeds to surface.

She swallowed a lump in her throat and grudgingly popped out a new pill. She glared daggers at him as she put it in her mouth and swallowed dry. The water bottle from earlier was sitting on the table and she knew he had it there just to torture them.

He left again then and stayed gone for the time being. Buffy nudged the jock’s shoulder and tried to wake him up, but he was out cold. She gave up after a while and leaned back against the wall.

In the meantime it was reported that two more people had gone missing after Buffy. Three of the escaped prisoners had been caught so far, but two were still at large. Spike insisted that he join the police in searching the city.

They started in the middle of the city and worked their way outward, searching warehouses, abandoned buildings, alleys, dumpsters, parks and other public property. Everywhere they looked they came up empty handed.

Night time arrived and Spike felt discouraged and helpless. They didn’t have any leads to go on and they hadn’t found anything useful. They knew nothing more than they had the previous day.

Hank returned when the sun went down and he sat down at the table to eat again. Buffy frowned and wished her traitorous stomach would be quiet. She hadn’t eaten in a day and a half and she was starting to lose her strength.

Hank smirked knowingly and kept munching away happily on his sandwich. When he finished he looked over at them and grinned smugly.

“I’ll bet you girls are pretty thirsty by now.”

He picked up the bottle of water he’d put on the table earlier, and he tossed it on the bed.

“I don’t want you dying… yet.”

Faith scoffed at that and rolled her eyes.

“I’d rather be dead than be stuck in here with a scum bag like you.”

Hank narrowed his eyes and advanced on her quickly, reaching out one hand and closing it around her throat. He squeezed hard and slammed her head back against the wall.

She hissed in pain and shot daggers at him with her eyes. He undid the buckle of his belt and said maliciously, “I think I’ll have a go with you first.”

She spit in his face and started struggling against him, but he just slammed her head into the wall repeatedly until she stopped.

Buffy wasn’t watching anymore, due to the emotional breakdown she was having. She covered her face with her hands and sobbed quietly.

Faith was near the point of unconsciousness as Hank tore up her clothing and violated her savagely. After a few minutes she did pass out, and that served to anger him further.

Hank got himself off on her unconscious body and grunted in satisfaction as he came. He didn’t care about using protection with her, since he was planning on killing her when he was through with his fun.

He pushed her away from him so he could grab Buffy, and she screamed in protest. He slapped her hard across the face as punishment. She cried harder and he went to slap her again, but he stopped when he heard a muffled groan from the other side of the bed.

Percy West was a handsome, popular, talented jock at Sunnydale High. All the girls loved him and a lot of the guys wanted to be him. So getting knocked out and kidnapped definitely hadn’t been on his agenda.

As he came fully back to reality he was greeted with the sound of crying. He opened his eyes slowly and wished he hadn’t. His stomach turned as he glanced around the room quickly, and then his eyes darted back to the half-naked man staring at him.

As he put the pieces together in his mind he struggled against the chains.
“Let me out of these you sick fuck!”

Hank just laughed and said, “Welcome back. I’d like to introduce you to my daughter, Buffy. You’ll be fucking her soon.”

Percy winced and his mind started racing, wondering what horrible things this creep was capable of.

“You’re a pretty twisted bastard aren’t you? Kidnapping teenagers and doing this stuff to them. To your own daughter. You’re a sick freak!”

Hank narrowed his eyes and reached between Percy’s legs, to grab his dick in a very rough grip. Percy flinched, so Hank squeezed even harder, to the point where tears were almost running out of Percy’s eyes. The boy struggled to get free of Hank’s grip, but he couldn’t do very much with the way he was chained up.

“The next time you piss me off I’ll have her cut it off and shove it up your ass.”

Fear made its way through Percy’s system and it reflected in his eyes. He shut his mouth, a wise decision on his part, and Hank released him. He stepped back from the bed a bit and reached into the side of his leather coat. He pulled out a shotgun and rubbed it affectionately with the palm of his hand.

“Now… You’re all going to do exactly as I say, or it’s going to get really unpleasant in here.”

They were all thinking the same thing. It was already beyond unpleasant, but none of them wanted to die. They watched him closely as he paced back and forth a few times, before coming to a halt and getting that evil grin on his face again.

“First I think I’d like to see some girl-on-girl action. Then all three of you can fuck each other.”

He walked over to the table and grabbed one of the chairs, bringing it to sit right in front of the bed. He crossed his arms, the gun still in his hand, and he waited for them to get started. When none of them moved to do anything, he got pissed off and started yelling again.

“Don’t just lay there! Do you want me to shoot you?”

Buffy and Faith looked at each other with fearful expressions, but they shook their heads in the negative. Faith scooted toward Buffy slowly and the blonde trembled, on the verge of having another breakdown. Faith touched her hand and spoke to her quietly, knowing they had to do this if they wanted to make it out alive.

“Just pretend he’s not there, B. Pretend it’s just you and me messing around and having some experimental fun. We just got back from The Rave and we’re drunk off our asses. Okay?”

Buffy closed her eyes tight then opened them and reluctantly nodded in agreement. She was so uncomfortable with the situation, but she was going to try and pretend it was just a normal night of partying. She’d never done anything with a girl before, so she wasn’t really sure what she was even supposed to do.

They had just enough room in their chains to maneuver themselves into the 69 position. Faith blocked everything out of her head and tried to ignore what she was about to do. She slowly moved Buffy’s skirt up and pulled her panties down. Buffy froze under her and swallowed hard, extremely nervous and tense.

Faith was already naked from when Hank had raped her earlier, so Buffy was faced with the sight of Faith’s bare snatch right in front of her. She felt Faith rubbing her thighs and she closed her eyes, trying to block all of it out. She kept her eyes closed as she felt the first touch of Faith’s tongue on her sex, and she immediately pictured Spike in her mind. If she pretended it was him giving her pleasure, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

She hesitantly took hold of Faith’s hips and ran her tongue up the brunette’s slit. She just imagined as she was licking her that she was giving Spike a blowjob, and it actually helped to distract her for a while. Their bodies reacted naturally to what they were doing to each other, and neither of them fought it as they climbed toward achieving pleasure. Their minds were far away and it was the only escape they’d had since they’d been here.

Hank, in the meantime, had grabbed his erection and had started stroking it. He was still sitting in the chair watching them, and it was slowly getting him off as he saw what they were doing to each other. They were both licking and sucking like pros and he felt a sick sense of satisfaction. He watched them reach their climaxes and their soft moans filled the air. His cock pulsed and spurted in his head, his cum landing on his fingers and thighs.

Faith rolled off of Buffy as soon as they both came, and they couldn’t look at each other for a minute. It was so embarrassing to both of them that they’d just been made to do that, and even worse that they’d let themselves get off on it. Neither one of them wanted sexual satisfaction, but it was better than being tortured or killed.

After a minute they finally looked at each other and a bond formed between them. They were in this together and they had to survive, no matter what they had to do. Faith took Buffy’s hand in hers and gave it a squeeze, a sympathetic look written across her face.

Hank watched the interaction and decided he wasn’t done having fun with them yet. He stood up, zipped his pants, and walked to the bed, watching as all three people on it scooted away from him. They knew they couldn’t go anywhere, but instinct still told them to try and get away. He reached out and rubbed his cum-slathered hand all over Faith’s face.

He smirked and said, “That look really suits you. You should consider doing porn.”

Faith just glared and gritted her teeth, forcing herself not to respond. Buffy held onto her hand still and gave it a squeeze, to remind her that she wasn’t alone in this.

“Unfortunately for you, the fun is just getting started. While you girls did a great job, I think it’s time to add someone else to the mix. Don’t you?”

He smirked as both of the girls looked angry and uncomfortable. He looked over at Percy and the boy started shaking his head.

“No way, dude. That’s sick.”

Hank narrowed his eyes and advanced on him quickly, getting right up in his face.
“Do I have to remind you of what I said earlier?”

Percy swallowed hard and shook his head slowly, at which Hank just grinned.
“Good boy.”

He instructed them on what he wanted them to do, and Buffy looked absolutely horrified at her part in it. She started crying and it earned her a punch in the face. She whimpered and held the side of her jaw as it started throbbing.

“Shut up, you stupid bitch. You’ll do as you’re told or one of your friends will lose a body part.”

She quieted at his threat and forced herself not to cry. She was strong. She could make it through this torment. She watched as Percy reluctantly moved into position over Faith. She knew they were both feeling violated and she hated that her job was to add to it. When they had a good rhythm going she turned her head away, blindly reaching over to stick her fingers in Percy’s ass.

He stopped moving for a second and hissed in pain as she penetrated him. Tears rolled down her cheeks and her body shook with silent sobs. She couldn’t look at either of them, so she stared down at the messy sheets. She didn’t move her hand at all as Percy started moving again, and then she felt the cold metal of the gun barrel against her temple.

She looked up with wide, frightened eyes as Hank stared down at her.

“If you don’t fuck him in the ass right this second, I’ll blow your brains out.”

She clenched her eyes shut and swallowed down her pride as she started moving her fingers in and out, feeling completely nauseous at the knowledge of what she was doing. It was even worse when she felt something squishy and warm surrounding her digits. She felt sick to her stomach and she barely stopped from vomiting on the bed.

Hank lowered the gun from her head when he was satisfied that she would do what she was told. Both Percy and Faith had their eyes closed, not wanting to look at each other and not wanting to think about what they were doing. Percy knew he was going to kill that bastard as soon as he got free.

When they reached the finale once again, they stopped moving and Buffy let her fingers slide out with a disgusted look on her face. They were coated brown and she went to wipe them on the edge of the sheets, not wanting to keep the foul substance on her for any length of time. Hank caught her wrist before she could clean them, and he had that look in his eyes again. She shuddered to think what he might have in mind.

“Nuh uh. You’re not getting off the hook that easy. The boy’s gonna clean up his mess.”

Her eyes widened as she realized what he meant, and she nearly choked on her tongue. Percy had dismounted Faith already at this point, and he was shaking his head rapidly. He didn’t like the sound of this.

Hank saw that they weren’t going to be cooperative without a little persuasion, so he raised the gun once more to Buffy’s head. He glanced over at Percy and said, “If you want her to live, you’ll suck that shit off her hand.”

Percy felt like vomiting as he weighed his options. The thought of eating his own shit was making him sick, but he couldn’t let Buffy die. He took her hand and raised it to his mouth slowly, his stomach turning and knotting as he sucked her fingers into his mouth. Tears continued to run down Buffy’s face and Percy had his eyes closed tight, wincing at the awful taste. This had to be, hands down, the worst thing he’d ever had to do.

When Hank was satisfied that he’d tortured Percy enough, he pulled Buffy’s hand out of his mouth and lowered his gun. Percy looked like he was ready to puke, so Hank went and retrieved the metal bucket from the corner. He brought it back to the bed just in time, as Percy leaned over and emptied the entire contents of his stomach.

Hank pulled the bucket away when he was finished and he set it on the floor next to the bed.

“By the way… This is what you’ll be going to the bathroom in. Enjoy.”

With another smug grin on his face, he turned and walked up the stairs, leaving the three hostages alone together and completely humiliated.

Percy huddled up in the corner of the bed by himself, sniffling and whimpering like a child. He’d been violated today in ways he hadn’t thought were possible. Buffy and Faith were drawn together by instinct, clinging to each other and seeking solace in each other’s arms. It was the only way they could get to sleep.

Chapter 19: April Rain

(Thursday, April 24th)

Buffy and Faith woke up in each other’s arms, and they both flinched as they got flashbacks of the night before. The bed was a wreck at this point. The sheets were tangled and covered in dried sweat and semen. Buffy felt the urge to pee and she glanced over at the bucket with disdain. It was either that or she’d have to piss herself, which she really didn’t want.

She reached out with her foot and caught the handle of the bucket with her toes. She dragged it as close as she could, and then she scooted her bottom half to the edge of the bed. There was no need to undress, since the only thing she had on still was her ripped tank top. Faith was completely naked and Percy only had his t-shirt on. The clothing they’d shed was heaped on the ground near the end of the bed.

She felt completely humiliated as she started pissing in the bucket, and Faith looked away to give her some privacy. Percy was still asleep in the corner of the bed, so neither of the girls made an effort to wake him. He would probably need all the sleep he could get. It was the only break he’d have from the torment Hank was sure to bestow. Buffy had no doubt that her father was just getting started with his sick mind games.

Faith used the bucket after her and then they sat in silence. The only noise in the room was from their rumbling stomachs. It had now been two days since either of them had eaten anything. Buffy knew Hank wouldn’t let them starve, because then he couldn’t have fun torturing them, but she had to wonder how long it would be until they were fed.

She felt like a dog at this point, chained up and waiting for her sick master to come and abuse her some more. The worst part was that she had to rely on him to feed her, or else she’d starve to death.

A few miles away, Hank was waking up and nudging his partner in crime awake as well. They were hiding out in a boat at the harbor. The police had already been through, but they hadn’t found them in their secret compartment. The boat was specially designed to store things on the underside of it, and they’d definitely made use of it.

When both of them were awake they ate breakfast and discussed their plans for the day. Hank was going to drop in on his captives for a while before bringing them back to the boat. He was getting tired of making the trip to the woods, especially while trying not to get caught, and they were planning to leave town anyway. They had the boat and some money that Paul had stolen the previous day. He’d met up with some of his old drug dealer friends and he’d left them for dead, taking both their cash and their drugs.

Hank left the boat and made his way back to the woods, taking about twenty minutes to get there on foot. He was pleased to find that both Buffy and Faith were awake already when he arrived. He walked over to the bed and slapped Percy hard to wake him up as well, and the jock jolted into an upright position. He seemed confused for a moment, and then everything came flooding back to him.

“Sleep well, kids? I hope so, because you’ll need your energy.”

He snickered and quickly removed his shirt, shoes, and pants. Buffy watched as he advanced and fear entered her eyes once again. He was headed straight for her. He grabbed her up and she whimpered quietly, biting her lip so she wouldn’t scream. She already had several bruises on her face from her previous protests.

He pushed her aside roughly so he could get to Faith, and he made haste in adjusting her restraints. He made them tighter and he made the chains shorter, so she couldn’t get in the way or interfere with what he had planned. He grabbed his belt from the floor and ordered Buffy to get on top of Percy. She shut all of her emotions down as she slowly climbed on top of the jock, knowing what Hank was about to do.

She buried her face in Percy’s neck and closed her eyes, so she didn’t have to look at him as she sank down on him. It was bad enough that she had to have sex with him against her will, but that wasn’t the worst part. The worst part was when Hank got behind her and jammed his cock into her ass. She flinched and cried out in pain, but it didn’t end there. As he started fucking her roughly he brought his belt down on her back. Each thrust was accompanied by a hard lash on her tender flesh.

The metal of the belt buckle bit into her skin and soon red welts were forming. She started crying against Percy’s neck, but she didn’t dare stop moving. God only knows what he would do to her if she disobeyed him. Neither Percy nor Buffy were getting off on the experience, but soon enough Hank did.

He pulled out of her and her body shook with sobs as she slid off of Percy. He held her awkwardly and let her cry on him, not sure how to comfort her after what they’d just been through. Neither of them had reached orgasm, and he was actually thankful for that. The humiliation would’ve been ten times worse.

Buffy was starting to calm down a little when she was hauled off of Percy and moved over to where Faith was. Hank tightened her restraints as well before going back over to the traumatized jock. He ordered Percy to suck him off, and before he could protest Hank had grabbed the back of his head roughly.

Hank shoved his head downward then moaned as he felt Percy’s mouth engulf him. He fucked the boy’s mouth roughly for a minute, feeling himself come back to complete hardness. Then he yelped in pain as Percy suddenly bit down hard on the head of his cock. He jumped off the bed immediately and slammed Percy’s head back against the wall.

He clenched his fists and seethed with rage, his cock red and throbbing in pain. He stalked over to the table and grabbed two things off of it, the rusty hedge trimmers and his shiny black shotgun. He came back over to the bed and loosened Faith’s restraints a little. He backed away from the bed and tossed the hedge trimmers in front of her. He made sure he was far enough back that she couldn’t cause him any physical damage.

He raised the gun up so it was pointed at her head, and then he ordered her sternly, “I want you to chop off his dick, or I’m going to blow your brains out.”

Faith looked terrified at the prospect of either, but she picked up the hedge trimmers with shaky hands. She scooted over to Percy and she broke down in tears as she raised the large scissors up to his crotch. She opened her eyes and trembled as she tried to convince herself to do what she’d been told, but she just couldn’t do it.

She dropped the scissors on the bed and started balling, shaking her head vehemently. “I can’t do it, you sick bastard! I won’t!”

His eyes narrowed in anger and he went over to grab her by the back of her head. He clenched her hair in his fist and said menacingly, “I’m only gonna tell you one more time. Cut it off or I shoot.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks and she continued shaking her head, her jaw trembling as she cried. His face hardened and he said unsympathetically, “Very well then.”

He stepped back a little and pulled the trigger, shooting a bullet straight into her brain. Buffy screamed and looked away, breaking down in harsh sobs. Faith slumped down on the bed in a lifeless heap, her blood spilling out and soaking the sheets crimson. Percy started screaming and cursing as it touched his leg.

Hank only chuckled and said, “One down. One to go.”

He dropped the gun and grabbed up the hedge trimmers, saying cockily, “Never send a woman to do a man’s job.”

He advanced on Percy and the teen cowered in the corner, not wanting to end up like Faith. It did him no good trying to escape though, as he was still effectively chained up. Buffy couldn’t even look as she heard a loud ‘snip’ followed by an ear-piercing scream. Percy hollered loud enough to wake the dead as he felt the worst pain of his life.

Hank dropped the bloody scissors and picked up the severed penis between the teen’s legs. Blood spewed from the wound and Hank said cruelly, “I told you what would happen if you pissed me off again.”

With that said he spread Percy’s legs wider, causing more screams to be let out, and he shoved the head of the penis into his ass. He stepped back to survey his handy work and he was extremely pleased. He hadn’t been planning to kill either of them yet, but it was actually working in his favor. That would be two less hostages to worry about and two fewer mouths to feed.

Buffy finally opened her eyes and she screamed as she saw the scene before her. She struggled against her chains and she couldn’t stop staring at the bloody mess. Vomit rose up in her throat and this time she couldn’t stop it. She bent over, as much as she could in her tightened cuffs, and she threw up all over the sheets. Hank just watched and laughed, finding great amusement in the whole thing.

~Twenty Minutes Earlier~

The police had gotten an anonymous call that a man matching Hank’s description had been seen heading toward the woods. They got suited up and grabbed their weapons as fast as they could, before taking three squad cars to the edge of town. They also brought two trained police dogs with them, in hopes that they’d be able to locate the crime scene.

They had one of Hank’s old t-shirts on hand for this very purpose. It had been collected from the house after his first arrest in January. The lead detective pulled the zip-lock bag from his coat and opened it for each of the dogs to sniff. By keeping it in the bag, the scent stayed fresh longer and didn’t get contaminated. Once both of the dogs had a good whiff, he closed the bag up and replaced it in his pocket.

The dogs immediately started sniffing around on the ground, and one of them barked as they caught on to the scent. The dogs led them quickly through the woods, following the trail Hank had unknowingly made. When they came to a spot right by a large oak tree, the dogs stopped and started digging at the ground. Leaves flew up in the air and seconds later a trap door was revealed. They barked loudly and the detectives prepared to bust in.

Just then the sound of dogs barking reached Hank’s ears and the trap door was yanked open. Seconds later he was surrounded by police officers wielding guns, all of them pointing at his head. The gun he’d used to kill Faith and the scissors he’d used to kill Percy were now tangled up in the sheets. He was a few feet away from the bed so he knew he couldn’t get to either. He slowly raised his hands in surrender and two officers rushed forward to cuff him.

Buffy watched with immense satisfaction as they forced him to the floor and restrained him. It served the bastard right. Another officer quickly came forward and released her from the chains and shackles, before working on getting the other two free. Percy had bled to death at this point and the officers winced as they surveyed the crime scene. Hank was escorted up the stairs and through the woods to a police car. The two heavily armed cops drove him straight downtown to the police precinct, butt naked as they’d found him.

The detectives that stayed behind started immediately on making their reports. They took pictures and put things in plastic bags, all of them wearing gloves so they didn’t taint the evidence. Buffy was wrapped up in a blanket and carried up the stairs. Her legs were way too shaky for her to walk on her own. She was taken in another police car straight to the hospital. Once she’d been cleaned up and examined thoroughly, the detectives asked her to explain everything that had happened.

As exhausted and traumatized as she was, she still managed to get the story out. She started with how she’d been abducted in her kitchen, and how she’d woken up next to Faith. She slowly walked the detectives through everything that had happened since then, and they got all of it on tape. When they were finished they thanked her and left her to get some sleep.

Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks as the door closed behind them. She was an emotional wreck inside and all she wanted was Spike. She whimpered and curled up into a little ball on the hospital bed. He was the only one that would make her feel safe again.

Spike was just about to have a cow when the doctor told him he couldn’t go in yet to see his fiancé. He’d gotten a call ten minutes ago letting him know she was in the hospital, so he’d driven like the devil to get there. Now he was in the waiting room cursing up a storm. One of the detectives came out to speak with him and gave him a brief, vague run-down of what had happened. The anger bubbled up in Spike like molten lava, and it was all he could do to contain it. He felt like flying off the handle and punching a hole in the wall. He just wanted to see Buffy and make sure she was all right. He needed to see her.

Buffy looked over at the door and wiped her cheeks as it opened. The nurse was there to check on her IVs again. She was a short brunette in her thirties, with a soft voice and kind eyes. She gave Buffy a sympathetic look and told her that everything would be okay, and then she proceeded to check Buffy’s vitals and record them on the chart she was holding. Buffy sniffled and whispered quietly, “I just wish my boyfriend was here.”

The nurse looked up at her with curiosity and asked, “Is he by any chance British? With bleached hair?” Buffy sat up immediately and looked hopeful. “Yes. Is he here?” The nurse looked remorseful and said, “He is, but they won’t let him in to see you. I heard him making a fuss in the waiting room earlier. He must really care about you.” Buffy nodded and looked down at the sheets, wanting to cry all over again. She was happy that he was here, but she was angry that she couldn’t see him.

The nurse said she’d be back to check on her in an hour and then she left the room, leaving Buffy alone with her troubled thoughts. She looked out the window and noticed that it had started raining. The water droplets hit the glass and bounced off with a steady pitter-patter.

The sky was dark blue and thunder could be heard rolling in the distance. She thought it was absolutely perfect to reflect her mood, but Mother Nature raging and pouring down outside wasn’t enough to wash away her sadness. She tried staying awake for a while, but inevitably sleep took hold of her and she found herself drifting into unconsciousness. It was the most peace she’d gotten in days.

Chapter 20: Rocky Road to Recovery

(Friday, April 25th)

The days following Hank’s arrest and Buffy’s hospitalization were anything but pleasant. While her physical injuries were minor, her mental stability was on the constant verge of cracking. At first she’d been welcoming toward Spike, clinging to him for comfort and letting him hold her.

As the days passed and the hospital kept her for psychiatric evaluations, she began to grow distant and she pushed everyone away. Her friends, Anne, and even Spike weren’t able to get her to open up and deal with any of it. She adamantly refused to mention it and she rejected the idea of therapy.

On the fourth day of her hospitalization she was given an ultimatum. She could either go home with Spike and Anne, on the condition that she saw a therapist three times a week, or she would be institutionalized and forced to see a therapist there daily. She grudgingly went with option number one, deciding right then that she was angry with everyone around her.

They were all concerned for her well-being and they just wanted to help her, but she saw each attempt as a personal attack and she pushed them further away. She just wanted to forget that anything had ever happened and move to the wonderful world of denial.

She took an entire week off of school because she couldn’t bear to face anyone. Everyone knew what had happened by now and she didn’t want to deal with the whispers and the stares. She knew they would all be judging her in one way or another. She didn’t think she could handle any criticism or sympathy at the moment. It would make everything seem too real.

Her teachers e-mailed all of her make-up work to her and Spike helped her to get caught up. That was pretty much the only time she spoke to him after she was released from the hospital. It got so bad that she was unwilling to go outside or talk to anyone else at all. Every time he tried to ask her how she was doing, she replied tersely that she was fine and that he should stop bothering her.

It was only with the looming threat of further hospitalization that she was willing to see her therapist on the mandatory schedule. For the first two weeks there seemed to be no progress at all, and the shrink even complained that Buffy wouldn’t say a word to her in the sessions.

Her reclusive attitude was even beginning to affect her relationship with Spike. He’d been nothing but patient and understanding with her, but she was giving him nothing to work with. He didn’t know how to talk to her anymore and she wouldn’t let him touch her, not even to hold her hand or kiss her forehead.

The stress of uncertainty was putting a lot of strain on him and he wasn’t sure how to cope. He knew he couldn’t lose her though. That wasn’t even an option. They’d been through too much for him to give up on her now, even if the road to recovery was a very long and rocky one.

After the first month there seemed to be minimal progress and Buffy began speaking to people again, though she still avoided the subject of her father like the plague. She decided to sell the house, unable to even step foot in the place, so she enlisted the help of a realtor. A ‘For Sale’ sign was posted in the yard and she put ads out in the local papers.

A few offers were made fairly quickly, but all were below the asking price. Apparently word had gotten around that it had been the home of murderer and rapist Hank Summers. It wasn’t the kind of positive publicity that was conducive to selling the house at a good price.

A month later she gave up on getting a better deal and she sold it to the highest offer. She was glad to be rid of the place that harbored so many of her painful memories. She’d finally started talking to her therapist about her life, but she’d yet to broach the subject of her capture in April. She made a few meager attempts to talk to Spike, but to say they were successful would be giving undue credit.

Things were getting increasingly tense between the two of them, but neither of them was willing to call the issue out. That road led to possible fighting and angst that they weren’t prepared to deal with. Instead they went about their daily routines as usual, sharing a bed at night but never touching. She still wouldn’t let him hold her like he wanted.

He felt helpless as he watched her continue to suffer at a distance. Short of sending her to a mental hospital he didn’t know what more could be done. She was already seeing Dr. Maclay three times a week and she refused to be put on antidepressants. Things were looking decidedly grim at the moment.

(Saturday, July 12th)

Having gotten herself a debit card, using the money the court had granted her during Hank’s second trial, she’d begun to buy her own clothes as well as groceries for the household. At first Anne had refused to accept them, but Buffy had been persistent until the woman gave in. The line was drawn when Buffy tried to pay rent.

Anne insisted that Buffy was part of the family and that her money wouldn’t be accepted. Buffy relented at that and stuck to buying groceries every now and then. She considered it a great accomplishment for herself when she felt comfortable going outside alone again. Granted, she still had to walk or get a ride everywhere she went, since she had no experience with driving, but she was getting out of the house more and more often.

That afternoon she’d walked to the mall to meet up with Willow and the two girls had shopped while eating ice cream. She hadn’t discussed anything about her April experience and the redhead didn’t push for details. Spike had already filled the girl in on the basics, and she knew it had to be a sensitive spot for her best friend.

As they strolled past Victoria’s Secret, slurping on their respective cones from the Dairy Queen in the food court, Buffy felt a sense of longing tugging at her mind. She used to love going in that store and shopping for sexy things. Dressing up in cute outfits for Spike had been one of her favorite parts of their physical relationship.

Thinking of him made her feel incredibly guilty and she had to force her mind off the subject. She knew she was being unfair to him, not talking to him or letting him touch her, but she didn’t know how to deal with the thought of intimacy anymore. Her body had been abused in ways that even she hadn’t thought possible.

The years of abuse from her father paled in comparison to what he’d done in April. Those memories would haunt her as long as she lived and she didn’t know how she was going to get over them. Talking to Tara had helped her relax a little and become comfortable in her own skin again, but she still couldn’t stand the thought of sharing her body with anyone, even Spike.

She loved him no less than she had before, and she wished she could shut her mind up, but sex had become a repulsive subject for her. Her mind had blurred the lines between sex, abuse, and making love, making them indistinguishable to her. How could she make love to Spike when all she could think about was Hank violating her?

She pasted on a fake smile that hurt her face as Willow started talking to her. “Xander and I were talking about going to the Bronze tonight and we were wondering if you wanted to come. Anya and Oz will be there also. Oh! And Spike is more than welcome to join us.” The redhead had an extremely hopeful look on her face and Buffy didn’t want to hurt her feelings, even though she really didn’t feel up to clubbing after the thoughts she’d dredged up.

She reminded herself that this was her best friend and that she’d been antisocial toward everyone lately. She owed it to the group to make an effort, even if it was a small one. She nodded her head slowly and kept the forced smile on. “Sure, Wills. Sounds fun.”

They shopped for another hour before she left the mall and walked home, carrying two bags of new clothes from Dillard’s. Upon her arrival she saw that Anne’s car was gone, but Spike’s was still in the driveway. She let herself in and called out, “Hello?”

Not receiving an answer, she figured Spike must be in his room and she started up the stairs. She opened the door gently, not wanting to startle him, and she was shocked at the sight that greeted her. He was sitting on the end of the bed facing the window, staring out of it aimlessly as tears streamed down his cheeks.

In the months following the incident, she’d only seen him cry when she’d been in the hospital. The sight broke her heart a little and wrenched her gut with further guilt. She had to try and reach out to him. Her behavior was unacceptable and she didn’t know how he’d put up with it for so long. Her cold demeanor was surely taking a toll on him and she didn’t want to hurt him any more. Her issues shouldn’t have to become his as well.

She swallowed hard as she set her bags down by the door. She was sure he’d noticed her presence in the room, even though he hadn’t looked at her. She approached him slowly and sat down next to him on the bed. When he finally looked at her she almost flinched from the pain she saw in his eyes.

She raised her hand slowly and wiped the tears from his cheeks, her own eyes watering up from the sight of him crying. She opened her mouth to speak then closed it again, not quite sure what to say. She knew she had to say something though, anything, to let him know that she wanted to try and work things out.

Finally she managed to choke out an emotional, “I’m sorry.” He was stunned to say the least and he stared at her in silent astonishment. Before he could say anything she pushed forward, practically babbling, “I know I haven’t been fair to you. I’ve been really closed off since…” She stopped and closed her eyes for a second, a tear slipping down the side of her face.

She opened her eyes and met his gaze again, seeing love, sympathy, encouragement, surprise, and confusion in his eyes. She stroked his cheek softly and continued, “… since April. I’m sorry that I’ve pushed you away and that I haven’t talked to you. I just… I don’t know how to deal with it. I haven’t even been able to talk to Tara about it yet.”

She was full-on sobbing now and Spike pulled her into his arms, holding her tight and rubbing her back supportively. He closed his eyes as he cried with her, resting his cheek against the top of her head. They’d both been holding in their emotions for months and they’d reached breaking point.

It was a long time before they pulled back, and Spike was further surprised to see an actual smile on Buffy’s face. “Thank you, Spike. I think I needed to cry. I haven’t since right after it happened.” He took her hands in his and pressed a soft kiss to the top of each.

He squeezed them and said very seriously, “Buffy… love… it means a lot to me that you would apologize, but I’m not mad at you, sweetheart. I couldn’t be. Not after…” He trailed off and clenched his jaw, getting angry just thinking about it.

He was glad the bastard was rotting away in a maximum security prison, waiting for his turn on death row. If he hadn’t been put away, Spike was sure he would’ve personally killed him.

Buffy’s chin trembled a little as she fought off another onslaught of tears, his words making her extremely emotional and reminding her of why she loved him so much. No matter what she did or how coldly she treated him, he was always there when she needed him.

She wondered what she had done to ever deserve a man as wonderful as this. By all rights he shouldn’t even want her, considering she was damaged goods. She knew his love was unconditional, though, and she was immensely thankful for it.

She took a deep breath to steady herself and she put on her brave face. “I want to try something, but you have to promise you won’t be upset if it doesn’t go well.” She pursed her lips in determination as she waited for him to answer.

He looked a little apprehensive but he slowly nodded his agreement. “Okay, kitten. What are you wanting to-” She cut him off as she pressed her lips gently to his. He sat frozen in shock for a moment and then he began kissing her back, slowly and gently so as not to scare her off.

She forced herself to relax as he began kissing her and she weaved her fingers through his bleached locks. When she needed to breathe she pulled away and rested her forehead against his. She kept her eyes closed as a smile curled up her lips. It was the first time she’d kissed him in months and it had felt damn good.

She pressed another quick kiss to his lips before pulling away completely. He stared at her in amazement as he tried to formulate words. “Kitten, you didn’t have-” She cut him off for the second time by pressing her index finger to his lips. “Spike, I wanted to. It’s been too long since we’ve been… affectionate, and it’s my fault. I’m not just doing this for you, either. I feel better now than I have in a long time.”

He seemed to contemplate her words for a moment, weighing them for sincerity, and then he smiled as he decided to accept her statement. He pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. “Thanks, pet. It means a lot that you’re trying.”

She laced her fingers with his after they separated again and she said, “So Willow invited me to come to the Bronze tonight, to spend some time with the gang. I’ve been neglecting them the last few months and I feel bad, so I said yes. She said I could bring you since Anya and Oz will be there also. Do you want to come?”

Her green eyes held so much hope that he wouldn’t have turned her down to save the world. He smiled genuinely and kissed her quickly, mumbling against her lips, “I’d love to, pet.”

They ended up lying down on the bed and just holding each other until it was time for dinner. After a pleasant meal with Anne, in which Buffy apologized profusely and the older woman almost cried, they went back upstairs to shower and get dressed for an evening with her friends. Maybe things weren’t so grim after all.


Interlude: Rinse

She'd do anything to sparkle in his eye
She would suffer, she would fight, and compromise
She's been wishin' on the stars that shine so bright
For answers to the questions that will haunt her tonight

She was under water. She couldn’t breathe. She struggled furiously to swim, but her hands were tied behind her back. Her body forced her to inhale and her lungs burned, suddenly on fire from the invasion of water. She screamed with the little air she had left, but the murky blue depths swallowed the sound from her lips.

She must rinse this all away
She can't hold him this way
She must rinse this all away
She can't love him this way

Suddenly she was being shaken. She tried to cough up the water in her lungs, but it wouldn’t come out. The salt water burned her eyes and she couldn’t even see anymore. Everything was turning black, but she was still being shaken. She felt like she was rising through the water slowly, until the shadows seemed to fade away. Consciousness returned and she found herself breathing erratically, gulping in huge bouts of oxygen to ward off the dream-state drowning.

And if she runs away she fears she won't be followed
What could be the worse than leaving something behind
And as the depth of oceans slowly become shallow
It's loneliness she finds...

As she calmed down to the point where she wasn’t hyperventilating, she seemed shocked to find she wasn’t alone. Suddenly she remembered where she was and who slept beside her every night. Tears sprang to her eyes and her body began to shake uncontrollably. She sobbed harshly and Spike immediately moved to comfort her. He rubbed her back and whispered sweet words in her ear, but she couldn’t hear them through the screaming in her mind. Everything was overwhelming. It was finally getting to her and she couldn’t handle it.

She'd do anything to sparkle in his eye
She would suffer, she would fight, and compromise
She's been wishin' on the stars that shine so bright
For answers to the questions that will haunt her tonight

Spike watched her recede into herself and give into the pain, and he wanted nothing more than to help her. He knew he needed to break through the barrier if he was going to stop her from having a panic attack. He gripped her arms firmly, not enough to hurt her but enough to get her attention, and he said in a steady, reassuring voice, “Kitten, I need you to look at me. Come on, grace me with those pretty green eyes.”

She must rinse him
She must rinse him

She looked at him then with tears running freely down her cheeks, her green orbs glassy and haunted from her inner turmoil. He raised a hand to wipe the tears away, making direct eye contact to command her full attention. He spoke to her slowly and softly, as if to a startled bird, and her chin quivered with the effort of not breaking down again. “Whatever you dreamed, love… it wasn’t real. What’s real is this, right here. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere. I’ll never leave you, pet. I’ll never let anything bad happen to you again. Do you hear me?”

She can't rinse him
She can't rinse him

The tears continued and she stared at him blankly, not seeming to hear his words or comprehend them. He forced himself to be patient, because he knew that frustration wouldn’t help the situation. He decided to try a different tactic so he switched his question. “What happened, pet? What did you see?”

She can't, she won't, she must rinse him
She can't, she won't, she must rinse him

She sniffled and looked down, and then back up into his worried gaze. Finally he was getting through to her. “I… it… it was dark. All around me. Water in my lungs. And… a-and it burned. It hurt. I couldn’t breathe! I couldn’t get out. My hands, they were tired, and…” She started crying again and this time he didn’t try to stop her. He held her close and closed his eyes, mind running a mile a minute. He could only figure that her dream was symbolic, because the subconscious was rarely very straightforward. It didn’t take much to guess what drowning symbolized for her.

She must rinse this all away
She can't hold him this way

When she’d cried all that she could, she curled up against him and stared blankly at the wall. The rising and falling of her chest was even, but inside she was a mess of torrid emotions. Spike stroked her hair gently as he cradled her to his chest, both of them lying back on the bed now instead of sitting up. Finally he spoke in a quiet, serious voice, “I think you know what that dream meant, Buffy. We both do. You really need to talk to Tara, pet.

You have to find a way to wash him out of your mind, or he’s just going to control you for the rest of your life. I know you don’t want that, and neither do I. I want you to be happy, free, and vivacious. I want to see you smile like you used to.” He knew that only time would heal her wounds completely, and he also knew that she was taking great baby steps toward fixing the problem, but if she didn’t manage to overcome her fears then they would overcome her. If she couldn’t get over this, she would never be able to love him the way he deserved, and she would never be able to love herself.

She must rinse this all away
She can't love him this way

Chapter 21: A Season of Change

(Saturday, July 26th)

Buffy woke up snuggled in Spike’s embrace and she couldn’t help feeling peaceful. Since she’d kissed him two weeks earlier, she’d made an effort to let him touch her more often. Sometimes it was a kiss on the cheek or a squeeze of the hand, and more frequently it was letting him hold her at night again.

She’d been sleeping a lot more soundly with his arms around her and she felt stupid for disallowing it in the first place. She glanced at the alarm clock on the night stand and pouted unhappily. She had an hour until she had to be in therapy, which was just about enough time for her to shower, dress, eat something, and have Spike drive her there.

She slid out of his arms reluctantly and padded into the bathroom across the hall. She washed her face and brushed her teeth before hopping into a hot shower. Twenty minutes later she emerged in a towel, hair freshly blown dry and skin moisturized with lotion. She entered Spike’s room quietly, so she wouldn’t wake him, and she began picking out her outfit for the day.

She ended up going for a simple pair of faded blue jeans and a black button-up top, stylishly cut for a woman instead of a man. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and forewent any kind of make up. She looked at Spike still sleeping on the bed and a smile curled up her lips. He always looked adorable when he was unconscious.

She went over to him and shook his shoulder gently, half-kneeling on the mattress beside him. He began to stir, grumbling nonsense as he did so, and she whispered, “Wake up, sleepyhead. You need to get dressed and eat something so you can take me to therapy.” He opened his eyes and frowned a little at having been woken, but it was soon replaced with a smile when he saw her lovely face so close to his.

He surprised her by leaning up and stealing a quick kiss, and then he was out of the bed and headed across to the bathroom. She admired his chest and ass as he walked in front of her, clad in nothing but a tight pair of jeans. Up until April they always used to sleep naked together, but since then he’d started covering himself so he wouldn’t make her uncomfortable. She hated to admit that sometimes she missed feeling his naked body pressed to hers.

With a light flush creeping up her neck to her cheeks, she hurried downstairs and made herself a bowl of cereal. They had about twenty minutes left before they needed to leave the house. She ate quickly and also poured a bowl for him, for which he was grateful when he came down the stairs, dressed in fresh jeans and a black t-shirt. She smiled at him lovingly as she pushed the bowl across the counter.

They ate in comfortable silence then put their bowls in the sink, to be washed later. He grabbed his car keys off the hanging rack in the kitchen and opened the door for her, causing her to smile once again. Even after they’d been together almost a year, he was still a complete gentleman.

They made it to her therapy session just in time and Spike sat in the waiting room, bored out of his mind as he flipped through ancient magazines. He frowned when he noticed the receptionist staring at him every few minutes.

He thought she looked familiar but he couldn’t quite place her in his mind. After the hour was almost up he’d finally figured out who she was: none other than Harmony Kendall, prep extraordinaire and personal lapdog to Cordelia Chase.

He would’ve thought her obvious crush amusing if he didn’t hate her so much. He didn’t know her on a personal basis or anything, but anyone who worshiped the ‘Queen C’ got no respect from him.

Meanwhile in the therapy room, Buffy was on the verge of having a complete breakdown. She’d finally started to open up about what had happened in April and the tears wouldn’t stop coming. She’d opened the floodgates and she wasn’t sure how to close them again. Tara, or Dr. Maclay as she didn’t prefer to be called, had immediately gotten up and moved to comfort her at the first sign of tears.

The woman listened to her intently while offering up a box of tissues and rubbing her back gently. Over the last three months she’d learned that she could confide in Tara without being judged, and today it had seemed right that she should finally face her fears. She’d been making progress with Spike, but she wasn’t feeling any better inside. It was time to remedy that.

When she emerged from the room her eyes were puffy, and she’d obviously been crying. Concern welled up in Spike’s chest and he rose to greet her. She went straight into his arms and clung to him tightly, barely managing not to start crying again. Tara gave them both a warm smile and wished them a good day before going back into her office.

Buffy pulled away enough that she could look at Spike’s face and she bit her lip thoughtfully, wanting to ask him something but somehow afraid of asking at the same time. She knew her request would be a big step toward facing what had happened. She took a deep breath and decided to take the plunge. “Spike… do you think we could… maybe, um…”

He listened patiently and stroked her blonde hair, hoping his silent support would help her to ask whatever she needed. “Could we visit Faith and Percy?” His eyes widened almost comically, as that was the last thing he’d expected. Up to this point she’d refused to talk about either of them and she wouldn’t go anywhere near the cemetery. The only time she’d been there to see them had been at the funeral.

As the shock started to dissipate he felt pride take its place. He knew this couldn’t be easy on her and he was so proud of her strength. He raised her hands to kiss the tops of them and he smiled lovingly at her, answering in a quiet and reassuring voice, “Of course we can, love. I’m sure they’d be happy to have you stop by.”

Tears welled up in her eyes as she nodded, but before she could start crying again she was headed for the main door, clutching his hand tightly in hers. He followed her out and drove her straight from the office to the flower shop near the cemetery, so they could pick up some roses. They got a big bouquet of white ones, supposed to symbolize remembrance, and they proceeded to the grave site.

The gates of Restfield cemetery seemed awfully daunting to Buffy, but she swallowed hard and forced down her inner panic. She needed to do this. She owed it to Faith and Percy, and she owed it to herself. Spike led her to the graves and she could no longer hold back the tidal wave of tears.

She knelt before Faith’s grave and broke down, sobbing like a baby and taking fistfuls of dirt and grass from the earth. Spike watched her with an aching heart, wishing he could somehow take away the pain. He knew, unfortunately, that the only thing that would heal her was time.

They spent almost half an hour mourning her two unfortunate companions, and then Buffy was in Spike’s arms again, begging to be taken home and tucked into bed. He kissed her forehead and eagerly agreed, leaving half of the roses on each grave before walking her out to the car.

(Thursday, August 7th)

Spike had begun writing again in the last few weeks, having taken several months off after the horrific incident. He’d lost his inspiration and had just started getting it back, now that things with Buffy were looking more on the bright side. He was beyond relieved that she seemed to be making progress inside and outside of therapy. Their relationship had taken a turn for the better since she’d started opening up to him.

This morning she’d given him a surprisingly passionate kiss before she left for therapy with Willow. Normally he was the one to drive her, but she’d told him she wanted some girly time with her best friend after her session. Resigned to spending the afternoon alone, he’d sat down at his desk and busied himself with his new project.

He was now well into the third chapter of the fiction novel he was writing, which happened to be loosely based around the tragic events of that April. He’d been very cautious in approaching Buffy for permission, but she’d granted it with very little persuasion. He felt more proud of her each day for the progress she was making. Little steps in the right direction sometimes had the biggest impact on the future.

He was thoroughly engrossed in his writing, pen scribbling madly and papers strewn about, when the bedroom door opened and closed loudly, startling him out of his quiet concentration. He jumped a little in his seat as he whipped around to face the intruder. His shoulders slumped a little and he calmed when he saw that it was only Buffy.

Then his eyes grew comically wide as he got a good look at her. This didn’t look like his Buffy at all. This looked like a supermodel slash goddess standing before him. He gawked a little as he drank in the short blonde hair, with obvious new highlights, that barely brushed her bare shoulders. Her usual jeans had been replaced by a playfully short denim mini, paired with white flip-flops and a flirty pink tube top that had a bow on the front.

Her face was adorned with light make-up in the form of smoky eyeliner and pink lip gloss, just enough to make him drool and want a taste of her. He swallowed hard and willed his vocal cords to function properly. When they finally cooperated, all he managed to get out was, “Hair cut?”

She pouted a little and he immediately felt like an idiot. He fumbled with his words for a minute as he said, “Well I mean, what I meant was… I like the new look, love. You look amazing.” A smile crossed her face then and she came forward to reward him with a kiss. He ran his fingers through her silky short hair and sighed contently against her lips. In a way he would miss her long golden locks, because he’d spent hours playing with them in the last year, but he also loved this new daring fashion statement.

When their lips separated he smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her close so his face was nuzzled against her stomach. She giggled and played with his hair a little, still amazed that it could be so soft after so much bleaching. When he looked up at her he seemed to have a twinkle in his eye. He pressed a kiss to her abdomen then asked good-naturedly, “So what inspired this dramatic change?”

She smiled at him and ruffled his hair as she answered, while moving to sit sideways on his lap, “Well school starts on Monday and I thought it would be nice to have a positive attitude, and a spunky new look, to start off my senior year. I’m glad you like it.” He nodded once again and brought her hand up to his lips, admiring her manicured nails subtly as he pressed a kiss to the back of it. He nearly shivered at the thought of her raking them down his chest, but he fought to suppress any sexual urges. It was still too soon for that.

She leaned in close and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips, an even larger smile blooming on her face. She seemed to truly glow for the first time in months. “I have more good news for you.” He raised his brows inquisitively and nipped at her lower lip before asking, “Oh yeah? What’s that?” She nipped back, catching him by surprise with her playful retaliation, and she responded, “Tara told me earlier that we can reduce our sessions to twice a week.”

He felt her happiness coming off in waves and it was contagious. He cupped her face in his hands and pressed a firm kiss to her lips. Instead of shying away or getting uncomfortable, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back with vigor. It was empowering, amazing, erotic… She felt her body begin to respond to his presence alone, never mind the fact that his tongue was in her mouth.

She allowed herself a small moan before she pulled away, panting slightly to fill her lungs. She loosened her grip on him and bit her lower lip as she opened her eyes. An air of timidity surrounded her then and he wondered if she would flee. She stayed put, however, and offered him a shy smile. It was the first time she’d let herself feel anything in months, and while she wasn’t ready to act on it, it was still incredible.

She laced her fingers with his and looked into his eyes, trying to convey her love and her feelings without words. He knew her well enough to read every expression and every minute change in her body language. He didn’t need her to speak to know what she was thinking. He kissed her forehead reassuringly and hugged her close. ‘Soon’, she promised herself… soon she would be ready to take it further. For now this was enough.

Chapter 22: The Lessons We Learn

(Sunday, September 14th)

“Come on, love. You’re already doing better. It’s not going to be terrible.” He gripped her shoulders and looked into her eyes, trying to convince her that she was worrying for no reason.

She was having none of it. “Are you kidding?!? Yesterday I almost crashed into a lamp post… TWICE! I refuse.” She crossed her arms and frowned, doing her best to look menacing. It didn’t have the desired effect, however, and he burst out laughing at her.

She pouted and said, “You could at least pretend to take me seriously.” He chuckled and responded with, “I’m sorry, love, but you don’t do serious very well. You’re too adorable.” He kissed her softly and reached down to smack her on the bottom. “Now let’s get going. We only have a few hours left until sunset, and I want you ready by then.”

She sighed heavily and her shoulders slumped as she followed him out the front door. This would her third day behind the wheel of his car and she was still terrified. She was a naturally horrible driver but he insisted on teaching her, reasoning that she needed to have her license before she graduated. She couldn’t really argue with him there.

She got in on the driver’s side and he handed her the keys, squeezing her thigh reassuringly as she inserted them in the ignition. They both put on their seatbelts and she went through the procedure he’d taught her: 1) seatbelts – check, 2) rearview mirror aligned – check, 3) side mirrors aligned – check, 4) parking brake released – check, 5) put foot on brake – check, 6) switch gear to reverse – check.

She held her breath as she carefully backed his car out of the driveway, making sure to look left and right several times so she wouldn’t hit anything. Once that was accomplished, she shifted into drive and headed to the park where they’d been practicing. The parking lot was usually abandoned and it provided the perfect place for parking and cone exercises.

She was relieved to find it vacant when they pulled in. He instructed her to park near the entrance, which she did a little less crookedly than the day before, and then he grabbed the cones from the back seat and got out. He set them up on the other side of the lot as a mini obstacle course for her to drive through.

When he gave her the thumbs up she backed out of the parking space, trying to remember everything he’d taught her to do it correctly, and she followed his hand signals to the start of the cones. It was slightly comical to see him running around waving his arms, but she forced herself not to laugh. That could be potentially dangerous while she was operating heavy machinery.

The first time she went through the cones, she knocked half of them down and she felt hopeless. Spike encouraged her to run through it again and she managed to only knock three down, making her a little more optimistic that she was improving. Two more times through the course and she managed to do it without knocking anything over.

She stopped the car and put it in park, as Spike clapped and came over to kiss her through the open window. She kissed him back happily and he mumbled against her lips, “See, kitten? I told you it wasn’t that difficult.” She kissed him harder and mumbled back, “Shut up and kiss me.”

They continued that way for a while, eventually opening the door so she could get out and kiss him properly. She ended up pressed against the driver’s door with her legs around his waist, as he plundered her mouth with his persistent tongue. When they were both extremely worked up he pulled back reluctantly and said, slightly breathlessly, “We should probably head out, love. It’s a long drive to the point.”

She nodded and he kissed her on the tip of the nose, knowing if they started making out again they wouldn’t leave the parking lot for a while. They both got back in the car and he gave her directions to get on the interstate. To say she was nervous would’ve been an understatement. She’d done fairly well in the parking lot practices, but this was actual driving with other cars around.

To give her the credit she was due, she managed to stay between the lines and not hit anyone, and she followed the speed limit (most of the time). After the first hour of driving she managed to relax enough to keep a conversation going, while still keeping her eyes on the road. The second hour of driving brought them off the interstate and onto more secluded roads, some of them dirt, that led them through densely forested land.

This was a trip Buffy would have refused to take by herself, so it was lucky that Spike knew exactly where they were going. After a time they cleared the trees and found themselves on a large plateau, overlooking the forest and the valley. Buffy parked the car and got out, eyes wide in wonder and mouth slightly open in awe. The sun was just beginning to lower in the sky and the colors were stunning.

She turned to Spike with tears in her eyes and she flung herself in his arms, whispering against his neck, “It’s beautiful. I love it here.” He held her tightly with a genuine smile across his face. He’d been hoping that she would enjoy the view, and he thought it would be a nice reward for her after learning to drive.

They settled on the hood of his car, her back pressed to his chest and his arms around her waist, and they watched in silence as the sun slowly sank below the horizon. It wasn’t completely dark yet when he began pressing kisses on the side of her neck. She smiled and closed her eyes, completely relaxed in his arms and enjoying the feel of his lips.

She shivered when he began sucking on her skin and she knew it would leave a mark, which she would gladly wear for all to see. Her relationship with Spike, and her personal history with her father, had already gotten all around school and practically the whole town. She’d had months to cope with everyone knowing and she finally felt okay with it.

She didn’t get angry anymore when she received sympathetic stares, which were coming less often now that people had new gossip to spread. Instead she ignored them and went on with her day, content with the comfortable niche she’d found in her life.

She wasn’t ashamed that she was seventeen and engaged. She wasn’t ashamed that she was completely in love and living with her boyfriend. She wasn’t ashamed that her father had been an abusive bastard, who was now locked away with no hope of getting out. The things that had happened to her hadn’t been in her control, and she’d come to grips with them through talking to Tara and Spike. She’d even finally gotten the guts to talk to her friends about it, which had strengthened her bond with them considerably.

Willow and Oz were going steady still and Xander seemed content dating Anya. She was happy for all of them but mostly she was happy for herself. Four months ago she’d been convinced that she’d never feel joyous again, but luckily she’d been wrong.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when Spike bit down gently, causing her to moan quietly and arch back against him. His hands slid under the front of her shirt to stroke her toned abdomen, and she hummed happily as she tilted her head further. She moved her hands to grip his thighs and she rubbed them teasingly, smiling as she felt him harden against her rear.

She braced her feet and palms on the hood of the car and lifted her bottom slightly, getting enough leverage that she could rub slowly against him. He groaned audibly and whispered in her ear, “Kitten… do you have any idea what you’re doing to me?” She smirked and moved so she was facing him, careful not to scratch the paint. She kicked off her shoes and wrapped her legs around his waist, a wicked smile pasted permanently on her lips.

She kissed him hard and ran her fingers through his hair, pressing her hips firmly against his. He gasped into her mouth and she took the opportunity to murmur, “I think I have an idea, yeah…” His hands gripped her ass and he squeezed the well-muscled cheeks. She moaned and he did it again.

She slid her tongue slowly along his lower lip before he captured it with his front teeth. He gave it a playful nibble then released it so he could kiss her again. He tugged the edge of her shirt up and she broke away so he could pull it over her head. He took a moment to marvel at her beauty before he lowered his lips to her chest, placing open-mouthed kisses down the valley between her breasts. It helped that she wasn’t wearing a bra.

She tilted her head back and moaned as his tongue found one of her rosy peaks, giving it a few good flicks before sucking on it gently. She felt the wetness between her thighs and she knew she couldn’t ignore it any longer. They’d been dancing around the subject of physical intimacy for the last month, and she was tired of leaving them both frustrated.

She tugged gently on his hair so he would raise his head, and he gave her a questioning look. Her breathing was slightly labored from how worked up she was, so she swallowed and said quietly, “I need you to touch me, Spike. I miss feeling you. I miss the things you do to me.” He looked floored for a moment and then he asked gently, “Are you sure, Buffy?”

She nodded silently and kissed him, gently and slowly this time, trying to reassure him that she knew what she was asking. He rolled her over and shrugged off his coat, spreading it out on the hood as a makeshift blanket. He slid onto the ground as she settled herself on the coat, smiling as she looked into his passionate blue eyes. He grabbed her hips and pulled her almost to the edge of the hood, where he could gain better access with less physical strain.

He undid her shorts and tugged them down her thighs, bringing her underwear down with them. The discarded clothing was placed beside her, along with her previously removed shirt. She spread her legs eagerly and rested her feet on the front bumper. He ran his hands up her legs slowly and maintained eye contact as he dipped his head, peppering little kisses along her inner thighs.

The intensity of his gaze shook her to her core, reminding her of how things used to be between them. She wanted that fire back; that raw passion that used to consume them. She forced herself to relax and just feel as his tongue began to explore her folds. One hand gripped the edge of the hood while the other stroked through his hair.

She gasped as he pushed his tongue inside of her, as far as it could go, and her eyes drank in the sight of the stars twinkling above her. The sun had gone down completely now and all of the sky’s diamonds were dazzling radiantly. A feeling bubbled up inside of her and nearly caused her to cry. This whole thing was so romantic and private; just between the two of them. They’d found their own personal getaway spot where they could be together, without the rest of the world interfering, and it was so beautiful and perfect.

She moved her focus to the man between her thighs, worshiping her and licking her into a fine frenzy. He latched onto her tender nubbin and she whimpered uncontrollably. He brought two fingers down below his chin and he traced her entrance almost teasingly. She lifted her hips a little in want and she could feel him grinning against her. The next thing she felt was the slow slide of his fingers inside of her. She shuddered pleasantly and moaned as he curled them upward, ever so slightly.

He continued to stroke her and tease her until he felt her legs begin to tremble. At that point he hooked his fingers inside of her and stroked her hidden pleasure point, while simultaneously sucking on her clit like a piece of candy. She cried out beneath him and her hips bucked sharply, causing him to struggle to keep hold of her.

She felt the telltale euphoria rushing through her veins, as her legs turned to jelly. Her arms felt heavy so she released her grip on the car and his head. He straightened slowly and she looked at him through slightly glassy eyes, a goofy smile playing out on her face. She reached for him with one hand and he eagerly moved to kiss her. It was languid but passionate, and it left him wanting more. He could never get enough of this girl.

When they pulled apart she looked down at his crotch and raised her brows. “Do you want me to…” He cut her off by pressing his finger to her lips. “No, love, tonight was about you…” He kissed her to prevent her from arguing further, and eventually she gave up her struggle, even though she felt guilty about not returning the favor. She would have to find a way to pay him back soon, whether he liked it or not (even though she knew he would).

As she got dressed and got in the passenger’s side of the car, far too uncomfortable still to drive at night, she felt that a lot of the tension between them had been erased. This was only another step of many on her path toward making a full recovery. She knew it wouldn’t be too long before she was back to her regular self, even though ‘regular’ was a severely relative word in her opinion.

She’d not only learned to drive that day, but she’d also learned to trust someone with her body again. She’d learned that she could be confident and strong, but that it was okay to be vulnerable too. She did love Spike and she did want to remember the way things had been. It was truly an evening of joy and enlightenment, and certainly one worth remembering.

Chapter 23: Home Is Where the Heart Is

(Friday, October 31st)

Buffy was nearly crying from the force of her laughter, which apparently wasn’t infectious. Spike was standing there with his hands on his hips and a stern scowl on his face, making him look even more comical, and therefore making Buffy laugh even harder.

“I’m sorry… It’s just…” She started giggling anew and found it a little difficult to breathe. Spike narrowed his eyes on her and tried to remain upset with her outburst. He’d meant for her to swoon and tell him he was sexy in his Halloween costume, but as soon as he’d stepped out of the bathroom she’d been consumed in hysterics.

“It’s not that bloody funny, pet. If you hate it that much I can go as something different.” He sulked a little and she stopped laughing then, wiping her eyes before going over to comfort him. She touched his arm and said, “Hey, no, I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just… c’mon… you have to admit that it’s kind of funny, and extremely ironic considering my costume. I can’t believe we chose these on our own.”

He grinned a little at that and pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. “Well it just goes to show that we’re meant for each other, even if we are rivals meant to fight to the death.” He put on his best scary face and bared the fake fangs he’d put in his mouth, causing her to giggle all over again. “Yeah… and you’d better watch out or I’ll slay you.” She brandished the wooden stake she’d hidden in her waistband and pretended to pierce him in the heart.

He clutched his chest melodramatically and fake-gasped, “Oh no… I’m done for now. You got me right in the heart.” He fell to the floor and pretended to die, while she smirked and put her hands on her hips triumphantly. “See? Good always wins over bad. Ha!” She felt like she was tapping into her inner four-year-old, with the costumes and the role playing, and she found she was actually enjoying this carefree goofiness.

Spike got up off the floor and grabbed her wrists suddenly, pressing her against the wall with her arms above her head. She pretended to whimper helplessly and looked at him with big eyes. “But you died! I killed you.” He smirked and leaned in to whisper in her ear, “I’m William the Bloody, pet. Nothing can kill me.” She had to struggle not to snort at his cheesy line, but she managed to stay in her character.

She put on a defiant frown and said, “Yeah? Well I’m Buffy, the vampire slayer, and I’ll slay you before the night’s over.” He leered at her suggestively as his eyes raked over her body, which was clad in a tight, dark top, a matching mini skirt, and boots that almost went up to her knees. “How about you lay me instead?” He wiggled his brows and she gasped, doing her best to look appalled.

“You’re just a pig. I wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot pole.” She jutted her chin out stubbornly and he laughed. “Is that so, love? Then I bet you wouldn’t let me do… this.” He released one of her wrists, the one that wasn’t in possession of the stake, and he trailed his hand down her front side slowly.

He maintained steady eye contact as he slipped his fingers under the hem of her ridiculously short skirt. She held her breath as she stared into his eyes, made an interesting shade of yellow by the vampire contacts he’d procured. His face was done up with Halloween makeup to give him the appearance of bumpy ridges along his brow line and forehead. Somehow she still found herself impossibly turned on by him. The bad boy persona didn’t extinguish her desire in the least.

She wiggled a little and bit her bottom lip as she waited for him to touch her, but he seemed content with teasing her for the moment, lazily rubbing his fingers on the edges of her thong. She was just about to break down and beg when he slid his digits underneath the elastic to rub her heated flesh.

He pressed his finger to her lips as she started to whimper and he murmured into her ear, “Shhh kitten. Mum’s downstairs, remember?” She nodded and bit on her tongue to try and keep from making sounds. She found it difficult and she panted unevenly, warring against her body’s desire to start humping him like a sex-crazed cat in heat. “Maybe we should… take this to your room.”

He seemed to consider it for a minute, weighing the pros and cons of taking her up against a wall, out in the open while his mother was home, and eventually he nodded his agreement. He pulled his hand out of her panties and she nearly groaned in complaint, already missing the fingers that had been nestled inside of her.

He gripped her arm none too gently, still in his vampire persona, and he practically dragged her into his “crypt”. She kept her stake firmly gripped in her hand, fully intending to use it again during their inevitable role play. When she crossed the threshold of his room, darkened eerily by the thick curtains blocking out the sun, she immersed herself thoroughly in her character.

She halted, feeling a slight jerk as he tried to keep walking, and then she spoke as he turned to face her. “I shouldn’t be here. This is… wrong. You’re a vampire. I kill your kind.” She put on a serious face and he stalked up to her like a predator sizing up its prey. “It is wrong, but that makes it more exciting.” He glanced down at the stake she held and a smirk curved up his lips. He trailed his fingers down her arm slowly until he had a firm grip on the wooden weapon.

“Knowing you could stake me at any moment while I’m pounding your delicious little cunny… makes me harder.” He took her other hand and placed it boldly on the bulge in his tight black jeans. She swallowed hard and her eyes darted down to where her fingers rested. She squeezed him gently and he groaned, pressing himself more firmly against her hand. “Christ, love, don’t you feel it? I know you want me…” His eyes flashed dangerously as he dared her to say otherwise.

She sucked in a sharp breath and shook her head almost indiscernibly, muttering a feeble, “No”, in response. He growled under his breath and gripped her hips, maneuvering her easily onto the bed. He pounced on top of her and crawled up her body like a giant cat, stopping briefly to push her skirt up around her hips and lick her through her drenched thong, causing her to whimper and arch up against him, quiet pleas flowing unrestrained from her kiss-swollen lips.

He found his way back to her mouth and he silenced her with a bruising kiss. His tongue invaded her mouth greedily and she put up a battle of her own, moaning as their flexible organs dueled passionately. She lifted her hips off the bed a little and rubbed her lower body against his, delighted at the feel of his hardness poking her through their clothes.

He pinned her wrists once again and she broke from the kiss gasping. She looked into his eyes, chest heaving with the effort it took to breathe, and she pleaded, “William, please!” He smirked evilly and asked, “Please what? I want to hear you say it. Tell me what you want.” Her gaze hardened defiantly and she bucked her hips firmly against his. He wasn’t expecting the uninhibited words that came out next. “I want you to fuck me.”

His body surged with heightened lust and his cock twitched agreeably. His lips curled up in that devilish smirk and he stated cockily, “Well I can’t find a reason to object to that. I’m gonna make you scream like you’ve never screamed before.” He pressed his erection between her thighs and she was far too aroused to argue with his boast.

When he continued to tease her she glared at him and said crudely, “If you’re going to fuck me then do it already, and stop talking about it and teasing me.” He growled and kissed her again, hard, and he was so in character that he almost ripped her clothes in his haste to get them off. The only thing that stopped him was the nagging inner voice that told him they still had a Halloween party to attend that evening. It would be a shame to ruin their costumes before they could make an appearance…

Party pushed aside momentarily, he got her naked in record time and tossed her clothes to the floor. She trembled and panted as she stared up at him, eyes darting between his face and his concealed crotch. She wanted him. She wanted him more than she’d wanted anything in a really long time. She hadn’t felt his length inside of her in almost six months and she was sick of waiting.

She reached up and tugged roughly on the zipper of his jeans, lowering it before she undid the button at the top. Once that was accomplished she shoved them down his thighs and licked her lips, hungrily eyeing the delicious slab of meat she’d uncovered. She surprised him by leaning in and securing her mouth over the tip of it, using both hands to work the base and fondle his balls. He moaned loudly, before he could catch himself, and he weaved his fingers through her hair.

After she’d thoroughly coated his shaft with her saliva, and driven him nearly insane, she pulled back with a mischievous grin and said, “You can fuck me now. And remember William… I like it hard.” His mouth dropped open a little and he stared at her through slightly glazed eyes. She was a bloody dream come true right now, and she was fulfilling one of his many fantasies.

He pushed her back on the bed and latched his mouth to her pulse point, sucking greedily on the sensitive flesh, and he used his palms to spread her thighs wider apart. He positioned himself at her entrance and only paused for a brief second before sliding home. They groaned in unison and she clutched his shoulders, her nails digging lightly into his skin. He closed his eyes as he relished the feel of her tight, wet heat surrounding him once again.

He gripped her hips firmly and pulled back to look at her face as he started a series of slow, deep thrusts. Her breath hitched in her throat a little each time his cock struck that special spot inside of her. He kept his eyes locked with hers as they silently shared their powerful connection, coasting the waves of intense pleasure and trembling together at the end. It seemed magnified tenfold because of the months they’d gone without real physical intimacy. It felt fantastic to finally be home.

When they showed up at Cordelia’s house later that evening, for the “fabulous” Halloween Ball she was hosting, they were even more cuddly and couple-y than usual. They had a certain glow about them that their friends immediately noticed. Willow grinned from ear to ear as she embraced her blonde best friend. The excited redhead whispered conspiratorially to her, “You guys did it, didn’t you?” Buffy blushed a little as she smiled and nodded.

Willow managed to hold in her squeal of delight, just barely, and the group went inside. Xander gave Spike the thumbs up, for which Anya smacked him on the shoulder, and Spike shook his head with a little grin. Yes, it was definitely good to be home.

(Saturday, November 8th)

Saturday night at the Bronze, only a week after Halloween, turned out to be more eventful than expected. Buffy and her friends had thought that a lot of people wouldn’t show up, still partied out from the week before, but the occupants of Sunnydale would seem to disagree. The place was just as packed and hoppin’ as it’d ever been. After the group had procured a table Buffy had immediately dragged Spike off to dance the night away. It wasn’t long before Willow, Oz, Xander, and Anya had followed their lead.

The current song came to an end and the band stopped playing, as all of the lights suddenly dimmed. A spotlight appeared on the stage and the lead singer stepped up to the microphone with a smile. “Hey everyone. We have a special surprise for you tonight. Buffy Summers is going to be gracing us with her vocal talent this evening. Come on up, dollface.”

Buffy and Spike had stopped dancing momentarily to listen to the announcement, and now Spike was staring at her with shock written all over his face. She smiled coyly and tried not to blush, as most of the audience was now staring at her expectantly. She kissed Spike briefly then giggled to herself as she hurried over to the stage.

She was handed the microphone as she reached the center and she had to take a deep breath to calm herself. She was extremely excited but it was nerve-wracking at the same time. She’d never sung in front of an audience before, and she hoped her performance would go smoothly.

The music started up softly and she closed her eyes, feeling the rhythm running through her body. The spotlight stayed on her and she graced the audience with a smile, as she opened up her eyes again and began to sing, pouring her heart and soul into the lyrics.

I thought I had the whole thing figured out, til I found you
I didn't wanna waste my time just, lookin' for love.
I thought that I was better off alone,
But I was wrong...

I never knew love like this,
I finally opened up my eyes.
I never knew just one kiss,
Could ever wake me up inside.
And I hope it lasts forever, cuz I'd walk a thousand miles
Just to feel like this, I never knew love like this.

Spike watched her in complete amazement, knowing that the song was dedicated to him. He hadn’t expected this in the least; she hadn’t given any indication that she’d be doing this tonight. He grinned up at her as he caught her gaze. Her eyes stayed locked on his as she sang, every word coming straight from the heart. This song put perfectly into words how she felt about him.

Every day is better than the last, when I'm with you.
I don't think I could get much higher
Cuz Baby
Everytime you come and put your head to me,
Things you say to me it just feels so good...

I never knew love like this,
I finally opened up my eyes.
I never knew just one kiss,
Could ever wake me up inside.
And I hope it lasts forever,
Cuz I'd walk a thousand miles
Just to feel like this,
I never knew love like this.

Don't make me wanna lose myself to you
And when you're here there's nothin I can't do
See no one else compares to you

She almost wanted to cry from the strong emotions she was calling forth, but she knew it would cause her voice to crack so she held back. She could cry later when she was in his arms. She felt incredible right now, being able to give him this in front of everyone. It didn’t even come close to everything he’d done for her, but it was a start. This was only the first gift of many she planned to bestow on him in the near future.

I never knew love like this,
I finally opened up my eyes.
I never knew just one kiss,
Could ever wake me up inside.
And I hope it lasts forever, cuz I'd walk a thousand miles
Just to feel like this, I never knew love like this.

Like this, like this,
I never knew love like this
never, never knew love like this
And I hope it lasts forever,
Cuz I'd walk a thousand miles
Just to feel like this
No, no, no, no, no,
Just to feel your kiss
Ohhhh
Just to feel like this
I never knew love like this.

The final notes died down and she blew a kiss to the crowd, which burst out in applause for her. She grinned from ear to ear as she said, “Thank you,” and left the stage. She practically flew into Spike’s waiting arms and found herself being spun around. When he set her down on her feet, she saw that he had tears in his eyes. She cupped his cheek in her hand and stroked it with her thumb. He placed his hand over hers lovingly and said, “That was incredible, love. I’ve never felt so honored in my life.”

He kissed her hand and then he hooked his finger under her chin, tilting her face up so he could kiss her lips. She melted against him and kissed him with every ounce of love and passion that resided within her. His arms wound around her waist and he held her close, wanting to savor this moment that neither of them would ever forget.

Chapter 24: When in Rome…

(Monday, December 22nd)

Spike checked his watch for the third time, in the last five minutes, and he hollered up the stairs, “Buffy, love, if you don’t get your cute little arse down here we’re going to miss our flight!” She appeared at the top of the stairs with a frown and she stated adamantly, “I’m almost ready! Chill for a sec. I just have to pack my toothbrush.”

She disappeared and he rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath, “Bloody women. They never listen. I tell her to check her bags last night and now we’re waiting on a bloody toothbrush.” He turned away from the stairwell just in time to see Anne exiting the kitchen.

She smiled and came over to embrace him, saying quietly, “I hope you’re getting used to it, William. This is just the way of women.” He kissed her cheek and grumbled good-naturedly, “I certainly hope not.” She laughed and patted his back gently before releasing him. He heard footsteps and the clunk-clunk of a suitcase being lugged down the stairs, so he turned and raised his brows at his not-so-punctual fiancée. “Finally ready, pet?”

She mock-glared at him and said, “Yes, Mr. Bossy-Pants.” She propped her luggage against the stairwell long enough to hug Anne and give her a kiss on the cheek. She smiled at the older woman and said, “We’ll miss you. Don’t have too much fun without us.” Anne smiled and winked, while stating playfully, “I wouldn’t dream of it, dear.”

They made it out the door, got the luggage in the backseat, and rushed to the airport with only minimal bickering about the time and their lack thereof. They made it through security without incident and grabbed a bite for lunch before boarding the plane. Buffy was still in a state of amazement when she seated herself in the large reclining chair she was assigned in First Class. She’d never flown anything but coach until this point but Spike had insisted on spoiling her, especially since it was so close to Christmas.

Five hours later she was extremely thankful for the comfortable accommodations, more so even with the knowledge that she had another eight-hour flight ahead of her, after their one-hour layover in Washington, DC. After that they would be transitioning planes again in Frankfurt, Germany. Another hour layover and an hour and a half flight after that they would be landing in Venice, Italy, which she was anxiously anticipating.

She’d always wanted to explore the world and she’d never even been out of the country. She had the money to do so now that her father was locked up in prison, but she still had responsibilities such as school to contend with. Winter break doubled as a nice reprieve from homework and a chance for her to have a relaxing and exciting vacation with her honey.

Throughout the entire flight from Los Angeles to Washington, DC she was a mess of nerves, her excitement getting the better of her and making it impossible to sleep. She occupied herself flipping through magazines and talking Spike’s ear off, affirming his belief that women COULD in fact be evil sometimes.

They grabbed more snacks at IAD before getting on the plane bound for Germany. Luckily for Spike, she calmed down enough to sleep through most of the flight. He managed to get in a few hours as well, seeing as the in-flight movie was a pitiful excuse for entertainment. He only woke when the flight attendant came by with their “meal”, if you could qualify it as food…

The remaining four hours of the flight were spent cuddling for the blonde duo. At one point Buffy even got to feeling frisky and suggested that they might head back to the bathroom together. Unfortunately the stewardess heard them and sent them a death glare that killed the idea. Buffy pouted and thought to herself, ‘Next time I will so ravish him, flight attendants be damned.’

By the time they actually reached Venice, it was a little after two in the afternoon and the jetlag was starting to catch up with both Buffy and Spike. Buffy was excited to see the city that romance movies always talked-up, but she was also incredibly tired and couldn’t summon the energy to show her enthusiasm.

As soon as they left the airport Buffy’s mood dropped another few notches. The amazing, romance novel-worthy city she’d always dreamed of visiting… was a pigeon-infested, sewer-scented dumpster. Quite frankly, she was disheartened and a tad bit miserable. When Spike asked if she’d like to get a hotel room to catch up on her sleep, she adamantly refused on the grounds that she wanted to leave the city as soon as possible.

He insisted that while it was dirty and the pigeon population was overwhelming, there were a few sites that she needed to see. She insisted in response that they take a bus to Milan instead, because it had to be “better than this”. They eventually settled on a compromise: they’d take a bus to Milan and spend the night there, and then they’d return to Venice the following day to do some sight-seeing.

Four hours later they were lugging their suitcases up the stairs, of course the elevators HAD to be out of order upon their arrival, of a nice hotel in the heart of Milan, or ‘Milano’ as the guy at the front desk had pronounced it in his sexy Italian accent.

Spike was, of course, a little jealous at the way she seemingly flirted with him. Or at least, that’s how HE perceived her conversation. She sighed heavily as she opened the door of their room and deposited her luggage in the corner. She turned to face him and insisted with a frown, “Honey, I was NOT flirting with him! You have to let this go…”

He huffed and crossed his arms across his chest, bags forgotten at his feet, and responded, “Easy for you to say. You didn’t have to watch your fiancé practically drooling over the first handsome foreigner to show her some attention.” She gasped and replied in dismay, “I wasn’t drooling! And he wasn’t even that cute! I don’t know what you’re so upset about. I was only TALKING to him. You know… that polite thing people do when they meet other people.”

He glared at her and moved his bags over to one side of the bed. He said over his shoulder as he pulled down the covers, “Maybe we both need to get some rest. It’s bloody well pointless arguing over this.” She repeated his actions and said with slight irritation, “Finally something we agree on.” They both stripped down to their underwear and crawled in the bed, mindless to the fact that it was still light outside. They were far too knackered to do anything but fight for the remainder of the evening.

Morning time found them both in much pleasanter moods. Buffy was the first to wake and she already had mischievous thoughts running through her head, due in large part to the steamy dreams her subconscious had concocted during the night. She rolled onto her side to face Spike, who was still peacefully asleep on his back, and she bit her lip as her gaze travelled down his bare torso to the sheet draped across his hips. She knew he was wearing boxers under the sheets, but the illusion of nudity was enough to get her riled up and rarin’ to go.

She slid her hand beneath the covers and rubbed her palm across his bare abdomen, delighting in the tickle of the soft trail of hair running down from his navel. She dipped her hand lower and under the waistband of his boxers, at which point he started to stir, and she brushed her fingers teasingly against the curls surrounding his shaft.

He peeked an eye open and asked in a sleep-deepened voice, “And what exactly are you doing, kitten?” She shivered a little from the effect his tone had on her. She loved it when his voice was deep and rough like that. She smiled impishly and grabbed hold of his stiffening member, shrugging as she replied in a chipper voice, “Nothing interesting.” He arched a brow and drawled slowly, “Riiiight…”

Her eyes glinted with lust as she whipped the sheet off of him and tugged his boxers down, eager to get at the hidden surprise underneath. She sat herself astride his lower thighs and used both hands to pump him slowly, leaving him groaning as his erection reached its full length and hardness. He stared at her hungrily and reached out to tug on the elastic side of her thong. “Don’t you think you’re a bit… overdressed, love?”

She pretended to contemplate his question for a moment then happily shook her head in the negative. “Nope! I’m perfectly content with what I’m wearing.” He frowned in frustration and tugged at them again, earning him an amused giggle and a swat on the hand. “Be still Mr. Impatient. I promise I’ll get you taken care of.”

He looked a little skeptical but he acquiesced to her request, dropping his hands down to rub her inner thighs. She felt herself getting even wetter as his fingertips brushed closer and closer to the edges of her thong, but she resisted the urge to take it off and fuck him crazy. First she wanted to try a little experiment…

She scooted further up his thighs, until she was hovering just over his shaft, and she pushed her thong aside. She guided the head of his penis to her clitoris and rubbed against it slowly. She angled herself so the underside of his cock would slide up and down between her outer lips, and they both groaned as she built up a steady rhythm. She maneuvered her thong to cover part of the exposed side of his cock and she pressed the fabric lightly against it.

The added friction and the feel of two different textures rubbing against his member made him moan even louder. She felt emboldened by her success and she increased the tempo, working them both into quivering messes on the verge of release. She felt the pleasure pulsing through her veins and her legs began to tremble. She changed her position at the last second and impaled herself on his cock, keening loudly as her orgasm crashed into her.

He followed right behind her as he felt her hot, slick walls clenching his cock in a death grip. His fingers clutched at her waist as his hips bucked of their own volition, stream after stream of hot semen spurting into her waiting depths. She collapsed on top of him moments later and her sweat-slickened skin stuck lightly to his. She got her breathing under control and looked up at him with a sated smile. He smiled in return and rubbed her bare back affectionately. “Morning, love.”

She laughed quietly and leaned up to peck him on the lips, and then she eased herself off of him and rolled onto her side. She planted her cheek on his chest and murmured, “We should probably shower now… I’m all sweaty.” He grinned and reached over to smack her lightly on the bottom. “Well that’s not my fault, pet. I didn’t wake up and ravish myself.” She narrowed her eyes at him playfully and stuck her tongue out. “Is so your fault! You had to look sexy while you were sleeping. You couldn’t just look boring like 90% of the human population.”

She continued to mock-glare at him and he only chuckled in response, kissing her on the tip of the nose and sitting up. He stretched a little and got out of bed, looking at her expectantly and tilting his head toward the bathroom. “Well off we go then, Goldilocks. There’s a hot shower waiting with our names on it.” She grinned and felt herself getting excited again at the prospect of shower sex.

An hour later they finally dragged themselves out of the apartment, fully clothed and ready for a hearty breakfast. Apparently a ‘hearty’ breakfast in Italy consisted of yogurt, sliced bread and cheese, and various fruits, because that’s what the hotel offered up at its complimentary breakfast bar. They filled up on what they could then grabbed a map of the city from the front desk. Instead of getting a ride they decided to walk and take in the local sites.

Half an hour later they reached their first destination of the day: the Pinacoteca di Brera art gallery in Palazzo Brera. While Spike was the more artistic one and he basked in each and every piece of art, Buffy was still enchanted by the impressive sculptures and paintings. When they left an hour later she declared that her favorite piece had been ‘Le Tre Grazie’ by Thorvaldsen. At that Spike raised an intrigued brow and asked jokingly, “Are you trying to tell me something, pet?” She blushed a little and said meekly, “No… I just thought it was very… elegant.” She’d almost said ‘very stimulating’ until she’d realized that that would only further his point and her embarrassment.

They saw a few more sites in the nearby area and she dragged him along for some shopping, and then they returned to the hotel to collect their luggage. They checked out and headed to the bus station to catch another three-hour ride into Venice. Their bags were a nuisance to haul around the crowded cobblestoned city, but they couldn’t find a place to stow them temporarily.

The first stop they made was to ride the gondolas. Buffy had seem them in movies before but it was an entirely different experience to be standing right next to them. They’d never looked this scary on screen… Spike sweet-talked her into getting on one with him, claiming that she never had to ride one again if she hated it.

She did. The padded seats were weird and far too close to the edges for her liking, and the smell increased tenfold since they were closer to the water. She scrunched up her nose and sat stiffly in her spot, eyeing the murky green canals with disdain. She found herself jumping frequently, whenever the water sloshed a little too high and threatened to splash her. By the time they got back to the dock she was vowing to never ride a boat again, much less “one of those torture contraptions”.

Spike apologized and rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand, trying to calm her down so they could enjoy the rest of their day. She ended up relaxing once they picked up their bags from the usher at the entrance, and she actually gave him a light kiss on the lips. They navigated their way through the maze of streets and bridges and quickly became exhausted from carrying the heavy suitcases. Eventually they stopped and hailed a horse-drawn carriage to take them the rest of the way to their second destination: the famed Murano glass factory.

The tour lasted roughly thirty minutes and included a fascinating demonstration of how the glass was molded into sculptures. Buffy was disappointed when a girl in the front called dibs on the glass horse that was the product of the demo. Their guide released them in the gift shop and Buffy’s jaw nearly touched the floor. Surrounding her on every wall were magnificent multi-colored creations in all shapes and sizes.

The pieces ranged from small shot glasses to large vases and animal sculptures. She was immediately enamored with a set of elegantly crafted penguins, which featured two adults and a chick on a patch of ice. She was awed by how much detail and color coordination was put into the pieces. After she glanced at the price tag she reluctantly had to move on.

Spike walked through the shop also and admired the glass art, but he also observed Buffy out of the corner of his eye. He noticed how she stopped at the jewelry section and picked up a few pieces, mostly necklaces. He saw her face fall each time she looked at the price and he decided to pick up an extra Christmas gift while he was here. When he was sure she was distracted by a conversation with the sales girl, he picked out a pretty blue heart necklace and a lone flamingo. The penguins were a little out of his price range even, but he figured a substitute would still serve his purpose.

He grabbed a slender red vase with real gold inlay on his way to the counter, planning to use it as a cover-up for the shopping bag. He also knew that Buffy would like it in addition to his other gifts. He paid for the items and had them wrapped carefully before they were placed in the bag, keeping an eye on Buffy the whole time. He desperately hoped she hadn’t noticed his transaction and that she wouldn’t ask too many questions.

Before they left she grabbed a handful of the glass candies from a bowl in the front, planning to give them to Willow along with the post cards she was going to pick up in Rome. While she was busy paying he hid the two gift items in his suitcase, only keeping the vase in the black plastic bag he was carrying. On the carriage ride from the factory to the train station she questioned him on it, as he’d predicted, and he responded that he would show her on the train. She seemed content with that and snuggled into his side.

Approximately four and a half hours later they arrived in Rome and got a taxi to one of the classier hotels in the city, Hotel Raphael. It had a beautiful ivy-covered entrance and an antique art-filled lobby, which included an impressive Picasso ceramics collection. It also boasted a rooftop garden that overlooked the Piazza Navona, home to the Trevi Fountain. It was where they’d be staying for the remainder of their trip and Spike had a special surprise planned for their room.

He told Buffy to wait by the elevator while he made the room arrangements at the front desk. He’d already made the reservation before their trip, so he was prepared for the hefty price of the suite for their three-night stay. The bellhop relieved them of their luggage and loaded it onto a cart, leaving them to ride up alone in the elevator.

Buffy gasped as soon as she walked inside the suite. It was huge and elegant, decorated in rich red and ochre yellow colors and old-fashioned furniture. She stepped inside and looked around with her jaw a little slack. She ran her hand over the bedding and relished the feel of the fancy fabric. This definitely wasn’t any old two-star hotel room. The room possessed a decent-sized closet, an entertainment center complete with a wide-screen television, a minibar stocked with drinks, a desk with internet connection, and a marvelous king-sized bed.

She wandered into the bathroom and was again surprised to find not only a shower, but also a Jacuzzi style bathtub for two. The floor was done in brilliant white tile and the countertops were white marble. She practically ran out of the room and flew into Spike’s arms, squeezing him tightly and trying not to tear up.

When she pulled back she kissed him and whispered against his lips, “It’s perfect. Thank you.” He grinned and swept her off her feet, heading toward the large bed in the center of the room. He deposited her gently and she giggled as she scooted backwards. He was just about to pounce on her when they heard a knock on the door. It turned out to be the bellhop with their baggage, temporarily putting a hold to their fun.

They decided to grab some dinner at the restaurant on the terrace/roof garden, the Bramante, before it closed. They had plenty of hours afterward in which they could play in their suite. There weren’t many other patrons present when they arrived, so they were able to be seated right near the edge of the terrace, giving them a great view of the city around them.

Dinner was extremely pleasant and Buffy was thrilled to find that she loved the authentic Italian cuisine, which was so different than the Americanized version. An added bonus was that they were both legal in Italy, so they had red wine served with their meal. At first Buffy thought it bitter and hard a hard time getting it down, but after a few swallows she adjusted and found it agreeable.

The end result was two tipsy, blonde, clumsy Americans who were giggling obnoxiously as they stumbled into the elevator. They received several glares along the way and chose to ignore them, instead clinging to each other and making out between their hysterical fits of laughter. When they got inside their room Buffy stopped, swaying slightly and glassy-eyed, and giggled before saying, “When in Rome…”

Spike grinned and asked, “Do as the Romans do?” She shook her head with a coy smile and answered, “Have lots of naughty sex.” She grabbed onto his belt and tugged him toward the bed, crashing her lips to his and mussing his hair with her free hand. As they toppled backward onto the mattress he chuckled and muttered, “Bloody right.”

The following day they woke early, had breakfast at the beautiful Relais Picasso dell’Hotel Raphael, the marble and antique style restaurant on the ground floor, took a cab to the Forum Romanum, the cultural epicenter of ancient Rome, wore themselves out with the lengthy walk to the Colosseum, stopped for lunch at a local café, took another cab to the Spanish steps, where they climbed and counted every single one, and finally they returned to the hotel in mid-afternoon.

Buffy opted to try out the exercise room while Spike occupied himself in the downstairs library. He found several intriguing historical volumes on the local architecture and immersed himself in the information. Buffy got in a good hour-long aerobic workout, while watching the large television provided for entertainment, before she headed up to the room for a shower.

When she came out in one of the fluffy bathrobes provided by the hotel, she found Spike sitting on the bed reading the newspaper. She raised her brows and asked, “You bought a newspaper in Italian?” He looked at her and shrugged, indicating the paper with a tilt of his head. “They’re complimentary in the lobby. Can’t read much of it, but I get the general gist.” He set it aside and got off the bed, walking toward her with a little grin curving up his lips.

He stopped in front of her and toyed with the edges of her robe, leaning in close to smell her freshly shampooed and blow-dried hair. She shivered at his proximity and said quietly, “I thought you wanted to go out exploring more before dinner.” He untied the knot holding the fabric shut as he pulled back to look into her eyes.

He grinned rakishly and said, “I do, but there’s something I want more right now.” His eyes betrayed his desire as he drank in her nude form, bare and soft and smelling like vanilla body wash. He pushed the soft cotton material off of her shoulders and it pooled on the floor, leaving her completely exposed before him. He leaned in and licked at her pulse point gently, causing her to moan and lean in to him.

She threaded her fingers into the soft hair at the nape of his neck, as she tilted her head aside to give him better access. He sucked and nipped at her teasingly before moving his mouth downwards, kissing a steady path over her collarbone and onto her breast. She gasped quietly when he took her nipple into his mouth and began to suck on it in earnest. With each suck there was a corresponding throb between her legs, as her clit swelled and her pussy slickened in anticipation.

She pulled him up suddenly and demanded in a needy voice, “Spike… stop teasing me. I need you.” She pressed her lips to his and murmured into his mouth, “You can tease me later. Right now I need you inside me.” He lifted her up then and carried her a short distance, pressing her against the wall and unzipping his pants.

She clung to him and cried out as he thrust inside her, filling and stretching her in delicious ways. “Yes! Oh god… Spiiiike!” He hadn’t wasted any time building up a rhythm and he was already slamming into her vigorously, drawing out all kinds of pleasured sounds from the back of her throat.

It was with great physical exertion and strain that he fucked her roughly against the wall, until both of them were sweaty and screaming out their release. They came down panting and separated reluctantly, stumbling toward the bed before their limbs gave out on them. Buffy looked at him and pouted suddenly as she tugged on his shirt. “You’re overdressed.” He smirked and tugged off his clothes before pouncing on her again. “Not anymore.”

They didn’t make it out for further sightseeing that evening.

(Thursday, December 25th)

Spike woke extra early and snuck out of bed to arrange the presents he’d gotten for Buffy. He’d even bought a small fake tree with tiny Christmas lights strung around it, which he placed on top of the desk with the presents underneath it. He called room service and ordered up some breakfast of eggs, bacon, and an assortment of fresh fruit and juice.

When the cart arrived he grabbed the food and paid, arranging the plates at the table on the balcony, which gave them an excellent view of the open courtyard and part of the city beyond the hotel. He woke Buffy gently by rubbing her shoulder and whispering in her ear, “Time to wake up, princess.” She opened her eyes and yawned, blinking in confusion a few times. He smiled and pressed a kiss to her lips, and then he exclaimed, “Merry Christmas!”

Her eyes widened and she sat up quickly, suddenly remembering what day it was. She squealed and threw her arms around him happily. “Merry Christmas to you, too! I didn’t even realize at first…” She kissed him again and squeaked in surprise when he picked her up out of bed. She looked at him questioningly and he tilted his head toward the balcony. “I ordered some breakfast for us, kitten.”

She practically swooned as he carried her outside and she saw the set-up he’d prepared. “Have I mentioned you’re the best boyfriend ever and I love you bunches and bunches?” He chuckled and kissed her cheek, setting her down and replying, “Not today, but I certainly don’t mind hearing it again.” He winked and sat down across from her, picking up his fork as he said, “I think you’re the best girlfriend and future wife a man could ask for, and I love doing nice things for you. You deserve every one of them.”

She felt deeply touched by the sincerity and heartfelt emotion that laced his words. She covered one of his hands with hers and gave it a squeeze, while she used the other hand to begin her breakfast. They ate in comfortable silence and admired their view for the next twenty minutes. When they finished they loaded the dirty dishes back onto the cart and called downstairs for someone to collect it.

Spike led her back inside, pushing the cart toward the door, and he said over his shoulder, “Take a look at the desk, kitten. I got you some presents.” Her eyes widened when her gaze landed on the lit-up tree and the little stack of gifts underneath. She’d been so sleepy that she hadn’t even noticed it earlier. She went over to it and asked in awe, “You did all of this for me?”

He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing the side of her neck and replying quietly, “Of course, love. Even though we’re not in America, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t celebrate Christmas properly.” She turned in his arms and kissed him passionately before devoting her attention to the presents.

She was delighted when she unwrapped the first package and found a high-tech, expensive-looking ipod dock that matched the nano he’d gotten her the previous year. After that she discovered her favorite Hollister perfume, So Cal, and a gift card to the store. It was only recently that she’d found her inner beach bunny and had begun dressing in more preppy clothes. The last two presents were the ones he’d purchased at the glass factory in Murano.

She actually started crying as she studied the flamingo and the heart necklace. He moved to embrace her and she clutched him tightly, sniffing and insisting, “You shouldn’t have.” He hugged her tightly and kissed her hair, taking the necklace from her so he could put it around her neck. He fastened the clasp and turned her back to face him, smiling warmly as he cupped her cheeks. “You’re worth every penny, love. I wish I could’ve gotten you the penguins I saw you admiring, but they were a little… out of my range.”

She was torn between scolding him for spending so much money and thanking him, while crying, for caring so much about her. She ended up doing a combination of both, leaving him slightly amused with her antics. When he laughed at her she just swatted him on the chest and narrowed her eyes.

“Well I have something for you, too. Most of your presents are back at your mom’s house because they would’ve taken up too much room in my suitcase, but I brought the most important one.” She went over to her bag and rummaged around underneath her clothes for a moment. When she rose she had a triumphant grin on her face and a brightly wrapped package clutched behind her back.

She presented it to him with a flourish and said, “Ta-da! I hope you enjoy.” She beamed and practically bounced on her toes as she watched him ripping through the paper. She saw him freeze as soon as he got a good look at it. She bit her lip as she awaited his reaction, which turned out to be explosive.

“Bloody hell! How did you get this?!?” Buffy smiled and said, “Well, your mother helped, but I did all the sweet-talking. Turns out a pretty girl can get almost anything if she plays her cards right.” She winked at him as he shook his head in amazement, holding the framed Billy Idol photo, personally signed and addressed to him, like his life depended on it. When he did finally set it down, it was only so he could embrace her and proceed to ravish her with his mouth.

She protested weakly as he pushed her toward the bed, “But… I thought… you wanted… what about… the Pantheon… or… mmmm…” She found herself cut off as his lips left her neck and covered her mouth. He pushed her onto the bed, growled, “Later,” and went back to his previous mission: shag his beautiful, amazing, kind, wonderful, witty, and every-other-positive-adjective fiancé until she couldn’t walk straight.

Three hours later they left the hotel room and explored more of the city, the first stop being the Pantheon, which was conveniently located right near their hotel. After that they walked toward the Piazza Navona and each grabbed a gelato from one of the street-side shops. Buffy found herself speechless when she rounded the corner and came face-to-face with the legendary Trevi Fountain, or Fontana di Trevi as the Romans called it. She nearly let her ice cream melt all over her fingers as she stared at the mammoth piece of art.

Spike smiled as he watched her reaction, also soaking in the sight of the cultural and historical masterpiece. He grabbed her hand and led her through the crowd to get closer to the water, stopping only a few feet away. He smiled over his shoulder at her and said, “Toss a coin over your shoulder, into the fountain, and legend has it that you’ll return to Rome someday.” He dug a couple of Euros out of his pocket and handed her one. He turned fully away from the fountain and tossed the coin over, smiling as he heard the light splash behind him.

She followed his lead and then they stood there for a while, him with his arms around her, as they observed the various statues and he explained the legends behind each of them. She listened intently as she cuddled against him, thinking that this had to be one of the most romantic places on earth.

When they left he treated her to a shopping spree and lunch at an upscale restaurant, where most of the guests were dressed in some sort of business or formal attire. Even the maitre’d was wearing a suit. She felt a little silly and underdressed in her simple sundress, but Spike insisted that she was beautiful and it didn’t matter.

After lunch they toured a few museums around the city and somehow ended up in a piercing parlor. Buffy insisted that she would get a piercing if Spike would, so she got her bellybutton done and he got his eyebrow done. Both were a little swollen and sore afterward, but it was an added experience that they’d shared together. There was nothing like making memories on Christmas in Italy.

Nightfall found them back at the Trevi Fountain to view the Christmas lightshow that was said to take place every year. It was splendid and beautiful, and everything that dreams were made of. Buffy snapped several digital pictures to show to Willow before they went back to their room. She stopped again in the doorway and started mischievously, “When in Rome…” Spike approached her slowly as he answered with a smirk, “Shag until you can’t walk for a week.” She giggled and started stripping slowly, backing away from him and going around the bed. She had a playful grin on her face as she asked, “How about the balcony this time?”

Epilogue: Perfect Imperfection

(August)

Buffy felt worn-down, but still bubbly, after hours of running from one place to the next. She and Spike had arrived in New York five days prior, to settle into their new apartment near NYU. They’d had to get special permission to live off campus during their freshman year. Now it was the big day to register for classes and finalize all of their schedule information.

They’d argued over countless college options through their senior year, from UCLA to Oxford to UCSD, but they’d finally been able to agree on NYU. Buffy had received several scholarships because of her academic merits, and Hank’s money had more than paid for the rest of the cost. She could live a comfortable life without having to work, if she wanted to.

She wasn’t the lazy type though, and she couldn’t stand the thought of sitting around and doing nothing. She already had it set in her mind that she was going to find a part-time job, as soon as she got comfortable with her classes. Spike, on the other hand, planned to devote his extra time to working on his second novel.

He’d finished his first one and had it published shortly before graduation. It had already started to sell surprisingly well, and the profits made it possible for him to afford the university and the apartment he was renting for himself and Buffy. The thought of living in dorms with strangers and being separated from each other every night, after living together for almost two years, was completely unbearable for both of them. This had been the most logical solution.

Anne had treated them to new furniture for their apartment, complete with a comfy queen-sized bed, and they’d had the rest of their belongings shipped via USPS. They’d opted to fly in and Anne had accompanied them to check the place out, as well as to go furniture shopping and ensure that they had everything they needed.

She’d just left yesterday after they spent a few days exploring the city. It had taken massive pep talks from both Buffy and Spike to assure the woman that they would indeed be okay in the big city. Even afterward she was still skeptical and had her reservations about leaving them. It was only natural for her motherly instincts to kick in when she was faced with the separation of those she held dear.

Now it was almost lunch time and Buffy was in a rush to get back to the apartment. She and Spike had had to split up earlier during the registration process, but they’d made plans to meet at a restaurant for lunch. Enjoying the fact that it wasn’t too hot or too cold outside, she waived the option of taking a taxi and instead walked the few blocks to their apartment.

She let herself in and headed straight for the desk in their bedroom, depositing her important paperwork in the file cabinet in her drawer. Instead of bothering with two separate desks they’d decided to share, him taking the left side drawers and her taking the right. The rich oak surface was already covered in Spike’s papers from when he’d sat down to write the previous evening.

She straightened them up for him out of habit before going and turning on her stereo. She hummed softly to herself as she listened to the music, even as she stripped down and went into their bathroom. She hurried through a hot shower to freshen up from her stressful morning, and then she practically bounced back into the bedroom to get dressed, excited about seeing Spike in a short while.

The music changed to a song she was very familiar with; one that never ceased to make her contemplate the last two years. It fit her life and it didn’t at the very same time. She pursed her lips in thought as she made her way over to the walk-in closet. She thumbed through her brightly colored tops as the lyrics swam through her head and swept her away into memories.

Step one you say, "We need to talk."
He walks, you say, "Sit down, it’s just a talk."
He smiles politely back at you,
You stare politely right on through,

Some sort of window to your right.
As he goes left and you stay right,
Between the lines of fear and blame,
You begin to wonder why you came.

How very reminiscent of the one time she’d attempted to visit her father in prison, minus the polite smiles. There had been no politeness between them, just a strained awkwardness that had nearly led to her breaking down. Despite the months of therapy she’d endured, seeing his face again had nearly crushed her to bits inside. She’d only been able to tell him that he deserved what he was getting before she’d had to leave, the guard staring after her with sympathetic eyes.

Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend,
Somewhere along in the bitterness.
And I would have stayed up with you all night,
Had I known how to save a life.

Let him know that you know best,
'Cause after all you do know best.
Try to slip past his defense,
Without granting innocence.
Lay down a list of what is wrong.
The things you’ve told him all along.
Pray to god he hears you.
And I pray to god he hears you and,

She’d promised herself that she would never go back there again. About a month later she’d found out she wouldn’t ever need to, since a few of his cell mates had decided to give him a taste of his own medicine. He’d been found brutally murdered one morning and she couldn’t say she was remorseful in the least. After what he’d done to her and her friends, she honestly didn’t believe he deserved any kind of peace in dying. Lethal injection would’ve been a grossly easy way for him to go.

Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend,
Somewhere along in the bitterness.
And I would have stayed up with you all night,
Had I known how to save a life.

As he begins to raise his voice,
You lower yours and grant him one last choice.
"Drive until you lose the road,
Or break with the ones you’ve followed."
He will do one of two things.
He will admit to everything,
Or he’ll say he’s just not the same,
And you’ll begin to wonder why you came.

Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend,
Somewhere along in the bitterness.
And I would have stayed up with you all night,
Had I known how to save a life.

Truly the worst thing in her opinion is that she HAD lost a friend, though not through any bitterness of hers. She’d lost a friend and an acquaintance through the cruelty of a heartless man, to whom she had the misfortune of being related. Her own bitterness after the fact had done nothing to drive away those who cared about her. She’d been able to cope with her issues and keep a tight circle of friends, who she’d vowed to stay in constant contact with after her move.

Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend,
Somewhere along in the bitterness.
And I would have stayed up with you all night,
Had I known how to save a life.
How to save a life.
How to save a life.

In listening to the song and thinking about the last two years, she decided that hadn’t really gone wrong anywhere. Perhaps she should’ve turned Hank in to the police sooner, but at the time she’d only done what she’d thought was best. There was no way she could’ve known what would happen.

For a long time she’d blamed herself and it was only recently that she’d truly let go of her inner anger. She’d come to terms with everything slowly through the constant support of her loving fiancé, her loyal friends, her future step-mother, and her insightful therapist.

Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend,
Somewhere along in the bitterness.
And I would have stayed up with you all night,
Had I known how to save a life.

She pulled a vibrant pink and orange striped dress, strapless and form-fitting, off its hanger as she thought of all the times Spike had stayed up with her, holding her and whispering words of comfort when she couldn’t sleep. He worked so hard to chase away her nightmares and keep her happy. He was closer to her than anyone ever had been and she trusted him in a way she couldn’t trust anyone else, even Willow.

The bond they had formed superseded everything else in their lives, and they made sure that nothing got in the way of their relationship. If they ever had a disagreement they worked it out civilly and quickly. They never went to bed angry with each other, knowing that life was unpredictable and that any moment could be their last. Their love was a precious thing that needed to be taken care of and kept sacred, and they couldn’t afford to let petty problems get in the way of the fragile happiness they’d finally found.

Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend,
Somewhere along in the bitterness.
And I would have stayed up with you all night,
Had I known how to save a life.

She changed into the dress, feeling chipper and optimistic about the rest of her day, and she grabbed her purse from the table by the door. Leaving the music on behind her, she grabbed her keys and flounced out the doors, an added bounce in her step as she hummed the last verse from memory.

She stepped out of the apartment building and into the afternoon sunshine, a huge smile spread across her face as she walked toward the restaurant down the street. Her diamond engagement ring sparkled brightly as her palm rested on the slight bump in her abdomen.

She knew the future would hold many challenges and that things wouldn’t always go her way, but she was confident that she and Spike could work through anything as long as they were together. In more ways than one, he’d already saved her life.

How to save a life.
How to save a life.