Title - Shades of Grey
Pairing - Buffy/Spike
Rating - Adults only kiddies
Spoilers - A/you
Disclaimer - I own nothing
A/N - this is my first ever fan-fic
Feed back - jos_spuffyfics@hotmail.co.uk
Summary - Joyce and Giles are married, Dawn is their daughter. Spike is Giles’ son from a previous marriage, his mum died during childbirth. Spike is also the Slayer, Wes is his Watcher. Xander and Willow are his best friends. Dru was the vamp cursed with a soul, swap the Buffy/Angel(us) relationship for Spike/Dru. Buffy takes Spike’s place, a chipped vampire.

One - Escape

Buffy ducked behind the dumpster at the back of the Bronze, praying they hadn’t seen her.

She watched as they moved closer, their night vision goggles giving them better eyesight in the dark than even she had.

“Are you sure it came this way?”

Buffy held in her growl when she recognised his voice.

“No Forrest, I’m not sure, but I figure we’d better look anyway. Walsh wants it back, you know how much those chips cost.”

Buffy pressed her back tighter against the wall, making her frame as small as she possibly could.

“Fine, whatever.”

She heard them pause and froze herself. Had they seen her?

“This is a bust man. Lets call it a night. Its not like the thing can feed now, right? We can hunt it down later and drag it back.”

Their leader, Riley Finn, lowered his rifle and straightened his back, relaxing his stance.

“Right, come on then, maybe if we hurry we can make it to the Delta party.”

Buffy waited five minutes after they had left, her senses sharp. She didn’t want to risk getting caught again.

The things they had done to her… even Dru at her worst didn’t scare Buffy like those humans did.

Dru she could defend herself against. Thanks to the piece of metal they had shoved into her skull, she was helpless against pulsers.

There was only one place she could go, and she knew her arrival wasn’t going to be met with open arms.

~~~~~~~~~~

Spike laughed as Xander finished the Snoopy dance for the third time.

“That never gets old mate.”

His friend grinned and flopped down onto the couch.

“Don’t tell Will, she’ll make me do it all the time.”

Spike grinned before looking up when his Watcher appeared.

“So Wes, any word on those solider boys I keep seeing about town?”

Wes shook his head no, his nose still buried in his book when the phone rang.

Xander, being closest, grabbed it up.

“Hello?”

“Xand? Its Dawn, is Spike still there?”

Xander nodded even though she couldn’t see him and handed the phone to his friend, mouthing Dawn at him.

“Hey pet, what’s up?”

Xander watched as fear then anger crossed his friends face.

“Why the bloody hell did you let her in?”

Wes looked up, hearing the fear in his slayers voice.

“I’m on my way.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy winced as Joyce ran a hot cloth over the cut on her forehead, her demon appearing briefly on her face.

“Sorry.”

Buffy shrugged, avoiding the other woman’s eyes.

“S’ok.”

Dawn burst back into the room, a scowl on her face.

“I called Spike, he’s on his way.”

Buffy nodded her head and closed her eyes, letting Joyce take care of her wounds.

“What happened?”

The soft, cultured tone set Buffy on edge. She knew what this man could do.

“I really only wanna tell this story once Ripper, so lets just wait on your eldest.”

He tilted his head, wondering what the demon before him was playing at.

“Fine, but as soon as you’ve told it I want you out of my house.”

“Rupert!”

“Dad!”

Giles shook his head.

“She is a vampire, and you may have forgotten but it was she who very nearly killed William.”

Buffy just tuned them out. She was hungry, her demon demanded blood.

It voiced its displeasure by growling loudly.

All three humans paused in their argument and fixed their eyes to the blonde vampire.

Buffy’s eyes opened when she noticed the silence to see Joyce and Dawn staring at her with worry in their eyes.

Giles looked like he was about to reach for a stake any second.

The slamming of the front door jarred them all and Spike could be heard bellowing for his family.

“We’re up here.”

Heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs and Buffy had a moment of doubt.

Why would he help her?

“What the bloody hell are you playing at Buffy?”

Buffy looked up and met his angry eyes before dropping a cold mask over her own.

“Got some info you might be after.”

Spike waited, his fists clenched with the urge to attack racing through him.

“Then why didn’t you go to the watchers place?”

Buffy painfully stood, not showing how much effort it took to keep from voicing that pain.

“Look, I’m here now and I need to talk to you. We had a truce once remember, can we just pretend its still going on for the next hour?”

Giles threw a sharp look at his son.

“Truce?”

Spike looked sheepish before he scowled again.

Buffy shook her head, it didn’t surprise her that he had kept that from his family.

“Who do you think helped him stop Dru from ending the world?”

Giles yanked his glasses off.

“I see.”

“You three stay up here.”

Spike grabbed Buffy by the arm, ignoring her flinch as he did so. He pulled her down the stairs and into the basement, where he proceeded to tie her to the water pipes that ran along one wall.

He wondered why she didn’t fight him at all, but his anger wouldn’t let him think about it for too long.

Buffy watched him pace back a few steps.

“Right. Tell me.”

So she did. She told him about being captured, about the solders, about the chip they put in her head. She refused to tell him what they did to her though, she just told him they ran experiments on her.

Spike watched her, knowing she was keeping something from him.

“Do you know where the base is?”

Buffy nodded.

“I know where I came out, it was on the university grounds.”

Spike scowled. A Helmouth in high school and secret labs in college.

“How do you know you can’t feed?”

Buffy looked up and met his gaze.

“I tried to bite one of them… couldn’t do it.”

Spike frowned.

“You think its whatever they put inside you?”

Buffy nodded her head.

He stalked over to her and released her from the rope he had tied her up with.

“Show me.”

Buffy looked at him.

“Huh?”

Spike took off his coat and walked to stand in front of her.

“Prove it. Attack me.”

Buffy growled and took a step back.

“Slayer, the pain… no.”

Spike shrugged and punched her, full force, sending her crashing back into the wall.

Buffy couldn’t hold in her gasp of pain and her demon rushed to the fore.

Spike grinned and walked closer.

“Attack me.”

Buffy growled as he came closer. Her demon had had enough of being pushed around by humans.

She flew at him, her fangs bared.

He had never heard a sound like it. She collapsed in on herself, curling into a ball as she wrapped her arms around her head.

A picture of a wounded lioness entered his head before he took a cautious step closer.

“Spike?”

“Its okay Da!” He called back, hoping his father would do as he asked and stayed away.

Spike crouched down and reached out to move Buffy’s arms so he could see her face.

“Ok, so I believe you.”

Buffy snorted and struggled to sit up.

“Why did you come to me?”

Buffy tried to hide the fact that she was wiping tears from her eyes.

“I can’t fight, can’t feed… I need help.”

Spikes look of disbelief didn’t shock her.

“And you thought of me?”

Buffy shrugged.

“We did have that truce.”

Spike scowled.

“Which you broke. You were supposed to take that bleeding wanker Angelus and never come back.”

Buffy shrugged.

“Well I did come back, and look what it got me.”

Spike did look at her. She looked bad, paler than usual, and she was shaking.

“When was the last time you fed?”

Buffy shrugged again.

“What day is it?”

“Friday.”

Her hazel eyes widened. No wonder her demon was hungry.

“A full seven days then. I had myself a meal before I was caught.”

Spike scowled, the Slayer inside wanting nothing more than to dust the vampire before him.

Buffy saw his look and snorted.

“Evil vampire here blondie, that’s just what I do… or did.”

Spike grabbed her arm, pulling her up the stairs behind him.

“Where are we going?”

“To Wes. We need information about these solders so you aren’t going anywhere, but I don’t trust you here with my family.”

Buffy refrained from pointing out that not only hadn’t he revoked her invitation to his home, but that she had actually saved his little sisters life on two occasions.

“And what happens to me when you get all this info you need?”

Spike threw her a look before shrugged.

“You are a vamp that can’t hunt, I’d say that your pretty much neutered right now, wouldn’t you?”

Buffy growled at him, but he was right.

She vowed to herself though that those humans would never get their hands on her again.

She would help the Slayer, he would bring them down.

After that? She just didn’t know.

tbc...

Two - Vampires!

Spike knocked on his watchers door instead of marching on in. He looked at the blonde vampire from the corner of his eye. She hadn’t spoken the entire trip across town. It wasn’t usual. Everytime they had crossed paths, Spike took comfort in the fact that he knew how she would behave.

Not once had Buffy ever been quiet.

He looked away before she could catch him staring.

“Spike?”

Wes looked from Spike to Buffy, a question on his face.

“Seems Buffy here has some info we need on the solder boys. Need you to invite her in.”

Wes opened his mouth to protest, but the look in Spike’s eyes stopped him.

He trusted his Slayer. If he believed Buffy had information they needed, then fine, but if the vampire turned out to be lying to them, well, it wasn’t like they couldn’t just get rid of her.

“Fine. Come in Buffy.”

Buffy stepped over the threshold and went to sit down before a yank on her arm reminded her that she wasn’t exactly a guest here.

“What?”

Spike pulled her in the direction of the bathroom.

“Told you, don’t trust you.”

He yelled for Wes to gather his chains and forced Buffy into the bath tub.

Buffy threw him a look so filled with loathing Spike was actually glad she couldn’t attack him.

“If you think I’m staying chained up in a fucking bath tub you got another thing coming Slayer.”

Buffy’s demon was showing in her eyes, and Spike caught himself wondering how she managed to have that much control as her face never changed.

She didn look beautiful all riled up like she was.

He frowned at himself and shook his head a little before concentrating on the annoying vampire glaring at him from the bath tub.

“What exactly are you planning to do to get yourself out of there then?”

Buffy growled, knowing full well she didn’t have a lot of options here. She turned her head away, unwilling to let him see her weak.

“Fine, now can I please have some blood?”

They had stopped at Willy’s on the way over. Spike had left her in the alley and gone in. He had gotten a funny look when he had asked for a few pints of blood, and Willy had spluttered before handing him over the good stuff, free of charge.

He had been surprised Buffy was still where he left her, more so because she looked to be trying to blend into the brick wall, and nervously looking around her.

“No. Not until we go through everything again for Wes’ benefit.”

Buffy’s eyes closed. She could feel the hunger clawing at her insides.

Fucking slayers.

Her hearing picked up the front door opening and she recognised the scents of the slayers friends.

Great, now her condition was going to be cannon fodder to these people.

“Yo Spike, what was that all about earlier?”

Spike ducked his head out of the bathroom.

“Buffy turned up.”

He saw Xander’s eyes darken. It was no secret Xander hated the blonde vamp, and Spike wasn’t too sure it was a good idea to have him there right then.

“Please tell me you dusted her finally?”

Buffy smirked and leant back, closing her eyes and letting her mind drift.

Spike sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“Its not that simple mate, she had info we need on the solder boys.”

Xander scoffed.

“So, she just happens to turn up with the very info we need?”

Spike shrugged.

“She’s playing you man!”

Spike looked back to see Buffy with her head resting on the edge of he tub, her eyes closed.

He found it strange she was taking deep breaths.

He left and moved into the living room, taking the chains from Wes before addressing Xander.

He didn’t notice when Willow left them.

“They did something to her. She can’t hurt us.”

Xander shook his head.

“You mean like she has in the past? That leech is bad news.” He knew by the look on Spike’s face that he wasn’t getting anywhere.

“Fine, but once she gives you this info, then what?”

Spike shrugged and looked up at his Watcher.

“Wes?”

Wes rubbed the back of his neck and sighed.

“Lets just hear what she has to say first.”

Spike nodded and stood up.

“I’ve already heard some of it, and its not good.”

Wes and Xander followed him into the bathroom to find Willow already in there.

“Will?”

Willow turned to her friends and shrugged.

“She was hungry, and I figured it would be better to not have a hungry vampire under the roof.”

Buffy opened her eyes and smirked at the look on Spike’s face as she drank down her meal.

“Right, well now that you’ve been fed, how about telling us what we need to know.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Even after the three pints of blood she was still hungry but she couldn’t do anything about it. She was chained to the flipping bath tub, the Slayer had gone home, taking his little friends with him, and the Watcher was in bed sleeping.

She had told them what they needed to know.

Labs under the campus, evil human doctors experimenting on demons, chips in innocent vampire’s heads, torture of said innocent vamps, but she had kept silent about what Forrest and his friends had done to her.

At best, the Slayer would be disgusted on her behalf, at worst, he wouldn’t care.

Sighing, she tried to shift, groaning as she couldn’t get comfortable in the cold, hard tub.

A noise outside the window made her head jerk up as she froze, a whine coming from the back of her throat.

She wrapped her hands tight around the chain and yanked. If it was the solders, there was no way she was letting them take her.

The pipe the chain was wrapped around gave a loud groan, but that was all.

Buffy froze and listened, all her senses focused on the bathroom window.

Hearing nothing more, she let herself relax. Something needed to be done. Eyeing the chains, the vampire took an un-needed breath and being pulling at the loose link she found.

~~~~~~~~~~

Wes stopped when he saw the blonde lying on his couch. He knew she had been chained up. He hated to think what shape his bathroom was in.

He was about to roughly shake her awake when he saw she was looking at him with fear in her eyes before she plastered a cold look on her face.

“Morning.”

Wes tilted his head and studied her.

“I seem to recall you were tied up last night.”

Buffy shrugged and made her way into the kitchen to heat up the last of her blood.

“I’ve had enough of that lately Watcher.”

Wes looked at her, trying to read between the lines. If it was anyone, anything, else, he would have thought she was scared.

“If you want to go back to sleep, there is a fold out bed in the basement.”

Buffy kept her shock hidden and nodded once, downing her blood before making her way to said basement.

“Wake me up when the Slayer gets here.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy lay on the cot bed and let her mind wonder. It ended up where it usually did when she allowed that.

The night she first met the Slayer.

On first seeing him, she had been sure her info was wrong. This was the Slayer? This skinny, brown curly haired guy was the Slayer?

But when she saw him fight, saw him slay, he changed before her eyes. Something settled inside her that she didn’t know about at the time. It grew slowly, festered, until finally, the last time she had seen him she had known.

But to admit it was something else entirely, so, she had mocked him over some slut he had slept with. Cut him where she knew it would hurt.

Those few moments with him in the sunlight had meant more to her than she could put into words.

If only she had reacted better to the knowledge that she was in love with him.

~~~~~~~~~~

Spike groaned as he saw Harmony walking towards him. Ever since he had cut, styled and dyed his hair, she had taken a liking to him.

“Blondie Bear!”

He cringed.

“I’m busy Harm, go annoy someone else.”

She pouted, which he figured she had meant to be alluring, but on her it just looked pathetic, not like Buffy’s…

His mind veered off topic for a few seconds before he gave himself a shake.

“Sorry Harm, stuff to do.”

He walked off before she could say anything and made his way to the first cemetery of the night.

~~~~~~~~~~

She knew the second he entered the house, could feel it inside, even before she heard him ranting about something or other. Swinging her legs off the bed, Buffy made her way upstairs, slipping on her shirt as she walked.

“Why the bleedin’ hell isn’t she locked up?”

The anger in his voice gave her pause before she smirked and made her way to the kitchen, avoiding Wes’ looks as she poured herself a glass of his best Scotch.

“What part of not-being-able-to-hurt-people don’t you get Blondie?”

Spike scowled and moved to grab her arm but she evaded his grasp and plonked herself down on the couch.

Why didn’t he mind when she called him Blondie, but when Harmony did it annoyed the hell out of him?

Wes looked between the fuming Slayer and the smirking vampire and rolled his eyes.

“We need to decide what we’re going to do with her.”

Buffy’s head jerked up and she stood as if to defend herself.

“You aren’t doing anything to me.”

Spike smirked and took a step closer, intending to put her in her place once and for all.

“And you would stop us how? Way I see it Buff, you don’t have any say in what we do to you.”

Buffy fumed and forced her body to take a step back. She had come to him for help.

He could see the anger on her face. Spike stalked forward until he had her pinned to the wall even though he wasn’t touching her.

A stake appeared in his hands as if by magic and Buffy’s eyes flickered down to it before rising to the slayers.

“So your just gonna stake me? Doesn’t seem fair that now does it? Can‘t even fight back.”

Spike shrugged and shared a look with his Watcher.

“We don’t know how long that thing in your head will last. What’s to stop you from attacking us if you suddenly find yourself free from the pain?”

Buffy rolled her eyes, trying to hide her panic.

“I guess you wouldn’t just believe me if I said I wouldn’t hurt any of you?”

Spike snorted and raised the stake, pressing it gently against the exposed skin when her shirt gaped. He couldn’t help but glimpse a little of her navy bra as he looked at her.

Buffy could see it in his eyes. He meant to kill her. The Slayer wouldn’t risk his family, never again. He had let a demon close once and she had almost broken him.

This was never how she thought she’d go out. Not helpless.

“Wait Spike.”

Both Spike and Buffy turned to look at the Watcher, both strangely with relief in their eyes.

“She can help us find out who these people are. If the lab is under the university then odds are the faculty or students are involved. We can go through pictures, see who Buffy recognises.”

Spike stepped back and put his stake in his pocket.

“Okay then.”

Buffy let out a relieved breath sank down into the couch again.

“I’ll call Will over, she can hack into the college database for us.”

Spike went to do just that, leaving Wes with Buffy.

“He really would have killed you there.”

Buffy opened one eyes and gazed at him.

“And you didn’t even try to fight back.”

Buffy snorted.

“You try having your brain electrocuted and then see if your so fast to attack or defend.”

She closed her eyes, her demon protesting that it was hungry again.

“Any chance of being fed again?”

Spike threw her a dirty look and ignored her to talk to his Watcher.

Buffy sighed and closed her eyes. It hurt her every time he looked at her like she was nothing.

“Change of plans. We have to go to Will’s.”

Buffy just nodded and stood up.

“You got a hoodie or something I can borrow?”

Wes shook his head no causing Buffy to look at Spike.

“What about you? I can’t walk around town like this, if they see me they’ll know who I am.”

Spike grabbed up a bag he kept at his watchers for emergencies and pulled out a dark SHS hoodie he had in it.

“That would solve my problems though, I find out who the solders are and they take you off my hands.”

Buffy froze, the hoodie gripped tightly in her hands.

“No… Slayer… Spike… please… no… stake me if you want, but don’t give me back to them… please…”

Both men were shocked to see tears forming in the vampire’s eyes.

Spike took a step forward, something compelling him to try and repair the damage he had just caused.

Buffy whimpered and moved back.

“Please… know you hate me… but please don’t send me back there.”

He reached out and rested a hand on her shoulder.

“Buffy… I was only joking… bad taste obviously.”

Buffy pulled the hoodie on and avoided his eyes.

Spike reached out and cupped her chain, forcing her to look up at him.

“Promise you… I won’t let them take you.”

She gave a shaky smile and nodded.

Wes looked between the two, not liking the closeness he could see. The scars of Drusilla were still fresh in his mind.


tbc

Three - A Night Together

Buffy kept the hood up, covering most of her face. She didn’t want to run the risk of running into any of the soldiers.

She could feel Spike throwing looks at her, but she really didn’t want to talk about what happened.

“You were terrified back there.”

Buffy rolled her eyes. So much for not wanting to talk about it.

Spike grabbed her arm and jerked her to a stop in the middle of the Campus square.

Buffy growled and fixed her hood before looking up at him.

“You were going to dust me, I kinda wanna stick around for a few more years yet Blondie.”

Spike shook her head and didn’t realise as his hands moved to her shoulders.

“No, when I said I’d give you back… you were terrified.” He paused, and she just knew he was going to ask.

“What did they do that scared you so much?”

Buffy flinched as the memories flooded her system and didn’t notice the forms that were walking towards them.

Spike did though, and cursed under his breath at the interruption.

“Hey! Spike, man what ya doing standing in the middle of the street?”

Buffy froze her eyes going wide with terror as they bled to gold, her demon taking control.

It only took a second for Spike to realise what was happening before he pulled Buffy close and wrapped his arms around her, letting her hide her face in his chest.

It never even occurred to him that he held a demon so close to his heart.

Buffy though could hear his heart beating, even through the fear she felt trying to choke her, and she concentrated on the thump-thump, letting it sooth her demon enough for her human mask to fall into place.

“Hey, Forrest mate, just getting some alone time with my girl.”

Buffy hadn’t relaxed fully and he could feel her trembling against him. Whatever Forrest had done to her, she wasn’t forgetting it in a hurry.

Forrest shared a look with his three buddies before smirking back at Spike.

“We’ll just leave you two lovebirds to it them.”

He gave Spike the thumbs up before laughing as he left with his friends.

Spike waited until he could no longer see them before he stepped back from Buffy.

He tried not to think about how nice it was to have her pressed against him.

“So, its safe to say Forrest is one of the solder boys then.”

Buffy nodded sharply and let Spike pull her on to Willow dorm.

“Yeah. He’s one of them.”

Spike watched as Buffy huddled in on herself and wondered just what the other man had done to reduce this once fierce demon to this.

His mind could come up with only one thing. And he prayed he was wrong.

Looking at the vampire by his side again, he decided to hold his tongue for now. She hadn’t told them for a reason, and he would respect that.

For now.

~~~~~~~~~~

Willow invited Buffy inside with no fanfare, causing the blonde to roll her eyes.

These people were far too trusting for their own good.

“Okay, so I pulled up the employee database and the student one too, everyone that goes to this college are in those two files, from the janitors up.”

Spike smiled and kicked off his boots before lying down on Will’s bed.

“Thanks Will.”

Buffy took Willow’s seat at the computer and opened the file marked Employees.

Willow showed Buffy how to print out the ID’s of the people involved before picking up her book bag.

“I’m off, I’m meeting Tara to go over a few spells.”

Spike looked up from where he was flicking through a magazine, trying not to look like he had been reading ‘101 ways to satisfy your lover’.

“Okay Will’s, we’ll probably be here still when you get back.”

Willow gave him a kiss on the cheek before saying goodbye to Buffy.

Buffy looked up and gave the redhead a half smile before turning her attention back to the ID’s.

~~~~~~~~~~

The vampire sighed and rolled her neck, the muscles having cramped from sitting at the computer so long.

Her head turned to see Spike passed out on the bed, making little grumbly noises every now and then.

Smothering a smile, Buffy turned back to the printouts and flicked through them.

Eighteen so far, and all of them employees.

Standing, she stretched before eyeing the bed and its occupant.

She could really do with stretching her legs, but knew that if the Slayer woke up and she was gone, she’d be chained up again for sure.

Plus, they were on campus, and she didn’t want to run the risk of bumping into Forrest.

Sighing, she turned her attention back to the computer screen and opened the file marked students.

~~~~~~~~~~

Spike rolled over, wondering where he was, until he saw the blonde hunched over the computer screen.

Rolling his head, he spotted the clock, and wasn’t surprised to see it was after three in the morning.

He was surprised Willow hadn’t returned, but figured that she had crashed at Tara’s.

Silently, he got off the bed and made his way over to Buffy, casting his eyes over the printouts.

Looked like she had been busy.

He reached a hand out to nudge her shoulder hand found himself flung to the other side of the room.

He jumped to his feet, ready to retaliate, when he spotted Buffy, crouched on the floor, rocking backwards and forth, holding onto her head, her demon on show once more.

Spike sighed and dropped his fighting stance and made his way over to the downed vamp.

“Easy Buff, its just me.”

Buffy sat up straighter as the pain ebbed away and cursed a blue streak.

Spike had to bite back a smile as she went off on one and only then noticed who she had been looking at on screen.

Forrest Gates.

No wonder she was touchy.

Buffy followed his gaze before lowering her own and hitting print on the computer.

Spike watched his face come out of the printer and felt a strong urge to find Gates and teach him a lesson.

He took the page out of the printer and added it to the others Buffy had printed out before giving his full attention to the blonde vampire.

“What made you come back to town after the fiasco with the Gem anyhow?”

Buffy shrugged and kept looking through the pictures.

“Went to L.A, figured that you’d send the ring to Dru, but she didn’t know what I was talking about. Caught up with a few old friends and found myself heading back to Sunnydale.”

She didn’t think he’d wanna know that she hadn’t been able to get him outta her mind.

Spike snorted.

“Thought about giving the ring to Dru, but I figured that if she ever lost her soul again, well, it wouldn’t have been a smart move on my part.”

Buffy threw a look at him, wondering why he had decided to share.

“Makes sense, but way I figure it, took her a hundred and fifty years to find perfect happiness, what’s the chances of that happening again?”

Spike looked away,. He always felt like Buffy was looking into him rather than at him.

“So, what did you do with the ring?”

Spike looked back to see Buffy staring at him and smirked.

“Wouldn’t you like to know.”

Buffy grinned before turning back to the screen and freezing when she spotted another of the soldiers.

“Riley Finn, I know him too.”

Buffy pressed print and Spike added him to the ever growing pile.

“Where do you think they got the funding for this?”

Buffy shrugged but she had some idea.

By the time all the ID’s had been looked at, they had a pile of over fifty people.

Buffy eased back from the computer and sighed before standing up and looking at Spike.

“I’m done, can we go for a walk or something?”

He seemed to get that she was antsy and nodded, putting his boots and jacket on, watching as Buffy pulled on the borrowed hoodie.

~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy grinned as she watched Spike take on three vamps and sat on a grave stone to enjoy the show.

The Slayer seemed to get better every time she saw him fight. The way his body moved… Buffy shivered feeling a bolt of lust hit her as she watched Spike pick up the biggest of the three and throw him into a nearby crypt wall ten feet away.

It didn’t take long for him to dust all three, and she clapped, just like she had the first time she saw him kill.

Spike turned and bowed before stepping up to her, feeling the aftermath of the fight flow threw him.

Buffy’s eyes widened as she took in the expression on his face. He looked like he wanted to devour her.

Without her intent, her legs opened and he filled the space between then, his hands cupping her hips.

Buffy’s mouth opened and her tongue came out to wet her lips, causing Spike to groan as he followed her tongue with his eyes.

She swore he was going to kiss her and for one second, she thought she felt her heart start beating.

“Jesus Spike, just get a room already!”

Buffy froze and fumbled with her hood, which had somehow fallen down.

He were behind her though, so all he could see was her hair.

Spike growled, causing Buffy’s eyebrow to rise even as her body trembled.

“Forrest man, what the hell are you doing in a graveyard at five in the morning?”

Buffy looked up to see Spike had his jaw locked, a sure sign he was angry.

Over what she didn’t know.

Was it because they had been interrupted?

Or because he had been tempted to kiss her in the first place?

“Coming back from a party, figured this was a quicker way.”

Spike had to give him credit, he could lie well.

“Why are you guys here at this time?”

Spike smirked and pushed his body in harder against Buffy’s causing Buffy’s eyes to widen as she felt every inch of him.

“What does it look like mate?”

Forrest frowned before he shrugged and headed on. He still had a little vampire to find and it was nearly going home time.

“Later.”

Spike just nodded, not trusting himself to speak again.

Buffy let out a breath and eased back, looking up at Spike. The rage on his face made her wonder just who it was directed at.

Jerking away from Buffy, he missed the look on her face as she jumped down from the gravestone.

“Suns near up.”

Buffy nodded, she knew that better than he did.

“I’ll walk you back to Wes’ place.”

He wasn’t going to mention it. Was going to pretend he hadn’t nearly kissed her, or that she hadn’t felt his hard cock digging into her.

Buffy scowled.

~~~~~~~~~~

Spike cursed himself the whole walk back to his house. How the hell could he nearly kiss Buffy? He’d learnt his lesson with Dru, vampires equalled badness.

Got he hoped she hadn’t felt how much he wanted her. He supposed if she brought it up he could blame it on the fight.

He knew better though.

~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy finished her blood and cleaned out her mug before heading down to the basement for some sleep.

Between looking at all those pictures and trying to figure out what was going on with the Slayer, she was exhausted.

Still though, as she lay on her cot and closed her eyes, all she could see was the blue of Spike’s, and how dark they got when he was aroused.

Groaning, she rolled over and buried her face in her pillow, trying to think of anything but how big he had felt pressed against her.

~~~~~~~~~~

He knew what he had to do. And what he had to not do.

Getting involved with Buffy was a big no-no, no matter how much his body wanted hers.

They had the info now, there was no need for her to hang around.

As soon as he had gotten some sleep, he was heading over to Wes’ and telling Buffy to get out of town.

Why would she want to stay in Sunnydale anyway?

tbc

Four - Pleasure

Wes threw his book down and marched over to his drinks cabinet to pour himself a large scotch.

“Trouble in the land of Books?”

He rolled his eyes, she was just what he didn’t need right then. How he had ended up babysitting a vampire he didn’t know, but he was sure Spike was to blame.

“Just a chapter I can’t translate.”

Buffy raised an eyebrow and walked over to the discarded book, skimming over the page he had been looking at, staring intently at the words.

Wes’ eyes lit up.

“Can you read it?”

Buffy kept her gaze locked on the words before her before setting the book down and smirking up at the hopeful Watcher.

“Nope.”

He scowled and downed the rest of his drink.

“Bloody useless, you’d think a vampire that’s been around for two hundred years would at least learn a few languages.”

Buffy scowled and flopped down onto the couch.

“A hundred and fifty years Watcher, don’t age me. And I know plenty of languages thank you very much.”

Wes rolled his eyes.

“I thought age on a vampire indicated strength?”

Buffy nodded her head and stood up, feeling the need for a shower.

“It does, but I’ve earned my rep the hard way, not about to lie about something as simple as years am I?”

She headed towards the bathroom, shouting over her shoulder that she was going for a shower.

~~~~~~~~~~

Spike, Wes and Xander all looked up when the bathroom door opened to let out a billow of steam. All three mouths dropped open as they saw Buffy emerge, wrapped only in one of Wes’ red fluffy towels.

Willow rolled her eyes at the boys and cleared her throat, drawing Buffy’s attention to the fact she had an audience.

She tightened the towel, making sure all her injuries were covered before smirking at the humans.

Xander snapped his mouth closed and his face formed a sneer, giving the impression he didn’t think she was the most beautiful thing he had seen. When he knew she really was. That didn’t sit right with him.

Wes blushed and stood up, turning his back on the blonde vampire.

The Slayer though, Buffy watched as he ran his eyes from her feet up and over all her curves before meeting her gaze.

His eyes were stormy blue and she knew he was fighting his attraction to her. Girls always know when a guy is interested, even just a little.

She saw him give a little head shake before a scowl settled on his handsome face.

“As soon as you get dressed, we need to talk.”

Buffy frowned, wondering what she had done for him to sound so off with her.

Willow looked at the blonde in askance. Standing there, wrapped in a towel, she didn’t look like the same demon that had kidnapped her and Xander.

“”Fine.”

Buffy made her way down to the basement and quickly dried herself off before re-dressing in her old clothes. They would have to do, it wasn’t like she had a spare set around here.

She grabbed up the hoodie the Slayer had lent her the night before and pulled it on over her bra. The top she had been wearing was smelling just a little too ripe after days of use.

Jeans and the hoodie would have to do.

As she made her way back up to the Slayer and his friends, she paused when she heard her name mentioned.

“- can’t be trusted Spike.”

It was Xander. Buffy rolled her eyes and moved closed to the door.

“Xander, I’ve seen what happens when she tries okay, just trust me here.”

“Well what are you planning on doing with her?”

That was Willow, but Buffy didn’t detect any malice in her tone and wondered at that.

“Don’t know. It doesn’t feel right, staking her when she can’t fight back, but letting her go seems wrong as well. I had planned on telling her to leave town, but the more I thought about it… what happens if that thing stops working? Then I’ve let a vampire walk free to…”

“So stake her then! Get her out of our hair once and for all.”

Buffy heard Willow tell Xander to calm down and edged closer, opening the door a crack so she could see as well as hear them.

Xander sulked as he turned away from Willow to look up at Spike.

“So, you can’t kill her, or let her go. What is she now, your new pet vamp? Will you feed her and take her out for walks?”

Spike scowled and turned his back on his friend, and locked gazes with his Watcher.

Buffy growled at being referred to as a dog.

“What do you think Wes?”

Buffy held her breath. Whatever the Watcher decided, she knew the Slayer would do. She was just glad there had been no mention of giving her back to the soldiers.

“Why don’t we ask her what she wants to do.”

Wes turned, and Buffy knew that he had seen her through the crack in the doorway.

She made her way out to the living room, and stopped close to the Watcher, eyeing the Slayer nervously.

Why did she always fall for the ones she could never have?

“Why is she wearing your clothes now?”

Xander jumped off the couch and stepped up to Spike. He couldn’t believe that he was actually helping the same vampire who had tried to kill them so many times, the same one who had nearly succeeded more than once.

“Xand, calm down mate before you bust something. She needed it for the walk to Will’s last night.”

Xander looked at her and Buffy swore if looks could dust, she’d be dead.

Her demon was trying to emerge. How dare this little twerp talk to her this way.

Buffy held it in through sheer will. She really didn’t think vamping out and growling at his friends was a way to get Spike on her side.

Wes pulled her attention of the teenager and demanded it himself.

“So Buffy, what are we to do with you?”

Buffy looked up at him. He really looked like he was trying to help her. Which was strange.

She didn’t want to tell them that she was scared to leave here. Out there, she had no protection. She couldn’t fight to defend herself, couldn’t feed to live. She’d be picked off as soon as she got to main street, if she was lucky. Sure, she had money, loads of it, but she would need to make a trip to L.A to get it, and doubted anyone in this room would play bodyguard.

For the first time in decades, Buffy felt truly alone.

“I don’t care.” It was true. She didn’t care anymore.

Spike frowned. He didn’t like her looking so defeated. He knew though one thing she cared about.

She didn’t want to go back to the ones who did this to her, and she wanted to see them pay.

“What about the soldier boys?”

Buffy’s head whipped around to his, thinking he was suggesting again that they give her to them.

Xander jumped up, a smile on his face.

“Yeah! That’s the answer, we can give her back to them! Its their fault she’s like this, so they should have to deal with her.” He looked quite proud of himself for finding a workable solution.

Willow jumped back as Buffy’s fangs burst through her gums and she began growling… loudly… at Xander.

Spike stepped in front of his friends, but instead of going on the defensive, he reached out to her, resting gentle hands on her upper arms.

“Promised you didn’t I? Won’t send you back.”

It took a few moments for his words to sink in, but when they did, Buffy stopped growling and lowered her head, forcing the demon back.

When she raised her head again, even Xander could see the relief in her eyes.

“Right.”

Spike stepped back and let go of her arms and turned to face Xander.

“We aren’t giving her back to those people.”

Xander just nodded, not taking his eyes off Buffy for a second. He had seen the fear in her eyes when he was talking, but hadn’t paid any attention to it.

He had seen the same look of fear in his mom’s eyes when his dad was drinking.

It made no sense.

She was a vampire. Evil. What did he care if she was scared or not.

~~~~~~~~~~

The discussion on what to do with Buffy had been put on hold then. The vampire in question had retreated into herself.

Spike had decided a walk would do her good, so now they were all in the old part of town, near the ruins of the high school, doing an impromptu patrol.

Buffy trailed at the back, watching the humans in front of her, keeping her senses on the night around them. She may not be able to fight, but she still had all of her other attributes to bring to the party.

She heard them before Spike did, her hearing was better after all and called out a warning.

The Slayer paused and raised his stake, looking in the direction Buffy had told him to.

Sure enough, six vamps appeared before them, looking shocked to see the Slayer and his friends.

When they saw Buffy, lurking at the back, they smiled. They knew her rep.

They charged as one and the fight was on.

Buffy watched as Spike dealt with three of them no problem, but the other three appeared to actually be able to fight well.

Wes, Xander and Willow were tag teaming one of them, leaving two for the Slayer.

Buffy kept an eye on Spike’s fight, figuring the three humans would look after each other.

She saw him take a rather vicious kick to the head that sent him down. One vamp pinned him while the other dived for his neck.

Buffy attacked, bracing herself for the pain to come. She body slammed the demon diving for the jugular into the ground, and when the pain didn’t come, she punched him full force, causing his jaw to break.

A slow, evil grin took over her features as she realised what this meant.

Picking up the fallen stake, Buffy threw it and dusted the vampire the others were fighting before twisting the head off the one she had hurt and then turned her attention to the one Spike was fending off.

The Slayer was swaying on his feet, a concussion from the blow to his head no doubt.

Buffy pulled the vampire back by the scruff of his neck and sent a smirk at Spike.

“Easy Slayer, I got this one.”

The Scoobies gathered around Spike, each asking if he was okay before turning their attention to the vampire that was slowly starting to look like pulverised meat.

Buffy took all her anger, her fear and her hurt out of the demon before her, sparing him no mercy.

His face suddenly changed to the one she saw in her nightmares and her attack turned more vicious, if that was at all possible considering the state of the vamp lying at her feet.

When he turned to dust, she turned accusing eyes to the Slayer before the look on his face brought her up short.

“What. The. Hell. Was that?”

She knew he was angry, it wasn’t hard to miss. She didn’t know why though.

“That was me saving your ass Blondie.”

Spike took a step forward, shaking his head to clear his gaze.

“Thought you couldn’t hurt anything?” He posed it as a question, and it was. Had she been lying to them all along?

Buffy smiled then and let her demon fall away.

“Turns out, I can hurt demons!”

Spike’s lips twitched at the pleasure he could see on her face.

“Man Buff, you really wailed on that guy.”

Buffy shrugged at shocked Xander and moved closer to Spike.

Xander was suddenly thankful that Buffy had never treated them the way she had the vamp.

He kinda liked breathing.

“You okay?” She looked up at Spike, her eyes locked to his.

He nodded.

“Thanks though… for the save.”

Buffy just grinned. She could still hurt demons. Suddenly life didn’t look so bad.

Wes looked thoughtfully at the demon before him. An idea was forming in his mind but she shook it off.

Surely not?

Spike looked back at his friends and half smiled.

“So much for a relaxing patrol eh? How about we call it a night?”

“No! Come on Slayer, evils lurking.” Buffy actually pouted at the thought of having to go back inside. She wanted to hunt, needed to. Her demon was screaming for violence and she intended to sate herself.

Spike through a look at Buffy, making her feel like he knew what was going on inside her head.

“Tough. Home time.”

Buffy shook her head and before he could react, had sprinted off. He made to go after her but shook his head.

“Bloody vampires.”

They watched to see if she would return, but after a few minutes Spike called it a night.

“What if she runs into the soldiers?”

Everyone turned to look at Xander, surprised that he had asked what they were all thinking.

Spike looked off in the direction Buffy had run and sighed.

“Hopefully she won’t, but if she does, I’m sure she’s smart enough to avoid them catching her again.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy was having a blast. She had worked out her anger issues on seven vamps, all of which were killed after a severe beating, and three demons.

To finish off a relaxing night, she had perched herself onto a stool at Willy’s and had downed half a bottle of tequila.

She hadn’t once thought about the soldiers, which was a refreshing break for her.

“Hey Buffy.”

Buffy’s head twisted to see Clem take the seat beside her.

“Hey Clem, how’s things?”

~~~~~~~~~~

Spike rolled over in bed, wondering why it was shaking.

One blue eye opened to see a beautiful blonde standing in front of him before it closed again.

Buffy waited a beat before both of Spike’s eyes snapped open and he bolted upright in bed.

She couldn’t help but be drawn to the muscles that were clearly on show, and her mind went to the gutter.

“Are you naked?”

Spike scowled and tightened his grip on his bed cover.

“Yes, I happen to be in bloody bed, what the fuck are you doing in my room?”

Buffy licked her lips and took a few steps back, taking her eyes off his body and shifting, trying to ease the ache that had started between her thighs.

“Right… why I’m here…” Buffy trailed off, once more getting lost on the slayers body, imagining him pinning her to the bed with those muscles-

“Buffy?”

She looked up and met his eyes. He didn’t appear happy with her being in his bedroom.

“Soldiers… they call themselves the Initiative. Bumped into a demon tonight, Clem, peaceful sort. They took his little sister, so he followed them, overheard a few talking.”

Spike sat up straighter and ran a hand through his hair.

“Your point?”

Buffy scowled at him.

“Its not just innocent vamps they are lifting, they are going after the good and the bad, and everything in-be-bloody-tween.”

Spike frowned. This wasn’t good news.

“What else did you find out?”

“They’re building a demon.”

Spike’s gaze shot to hers.

“Turn around.”

Buffy frowned, not getting what he meant.

“I want to get dressed without you perving on me.”

Buffy scowled and took a step closer to the bed.

“Who was it that was hard for me recently? Oh yeah… you.”

Spike gulped. He didn’t want to talk about this.

“Yeah right, that what you think? Sorry to burst your bubble pet, but that had nothing to do with you.”

Buffy turned away before he could see the pain on her features.

Spike didn’t notice and took the opportunity to get dressed as she had her back turned.

Buffy schooled her features as she heard him get dressed. She knew he was lying. He’d been hot for her, but she also knew he’d never admit it, was embarrassed by it, and that hurt.

“Were are you going?”

Spike looked up from putting his boots on to scowl at her.

“Where do you think? Going over to tell Wes this. He sent feelers out to a few contacts, hopefully with this added info we’ll get more hits.”

Buffy followed him out the window, but not before snagging a black tee that he had worn but not washed. She stuffed it into the pocket of the hoodie before he could see.

Spike ignored her pretty much the whole way to Wes’ house, which was fine with Buffy. She was still hurt and not that pleased with him.

She bit her tongue to keep from giving him a piece of her mind, and almost made it the entire way before she burst.

“Liar.”

Spike froze. He knew what she was talking about. He turned to face her and suddenly she was in front of him, gripping the lapels of his jacket and pulling his face down to hers.

His eyes closed as their lips met, hot on cool, and his cock got hard at the feel of her pressing against him.

Buffy groaned as she tasted him for the first time. She had meant to pull away at the last minute, but she couldn’t have if her like depended on it.

He tasted just as sweet as she thought he would as his tongue tangled with her own, and she took a step forward until her chest was pressed against his.

Feeling his hard cock resting against her again, Buffy whimpered, twisting her hips so she could feel it where she needed to.

Spike froze when he heard her whimper and pulled back, pushing Buffy violently away from him.

He ignored the look on her face and spun on his heel.

Buffy stared after him, her lips still tingling from their kiss.

A smile spread over her face.

He wanted her, even if he hated it.

tbc

A/N - little of Spike/Other in this chap and take heed of the title, violence abounds in this one

Five - Violence

A week had passed since they kissed, and Buffy hadn’t seen Spike once. She had been a busy vamp though. Knowing that she could defend herself from demons, the first thing Buffy did was find her own place; a nice little basement apartment just off main street. Nothing fancy, but it had a shower room, a kitchen and a bed, that was all she needed. Plus, she had a demon come by and ward it against entry. It worked like the vamp invite rule, only it was for humans. She was safe there if the soldiers did happen to find her, but she doubted they’d be looking in apartments.

The blonde vampire had even scoped out the hospital and worked out a deal with a doctor there. She gets the expired blood for free, and the hospital don’t have the cost of disposing it to deal with.

All in all, life was looking up for her, well, compared to how she was a week ago anyway.

Buffy missed Spike though. She looked for him when she patrolled, but he always managed to evade her.

Tonight was going to be different.. The Watcher had rang her new cell and told her there was going to be a meeting, and that she had to be there.

Meeting meant Slayer. Of course she was going.

~~~~~~~~~~

It had been a week since he had kissed her, and Spike hadn’t stopped thinking about Buffy once. They way she smelled, how soft her lips were, the feel of her body pressing into his. How well they seemed to fit against each other.

It was mental, he knew that. He couldn’t… he wouldn’t have another relationship with a vampire.

He may have loved Dru, but she taught him some harsh lessons and he wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice.

Not that he was in love with Buffy.

~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy got there first and snagged the comfy seat by the fire.

“I take it you heard something back about our friendly neighbours?”

Wes nodded his head but didn’t look up from the book he was flipping through.

“I’ll go through everything once Spike and the others get here.”

Buffy grumbled about having to wait. She never had been the patient type.

She heard them before they burst through the front door.

Spike spotted her first and straightened, causing Willow to bump into him.

“What is she doing here?”

Buffy frowned. She got that he was upset about the kiss, but why did he sound so annoyed?

“I asked her to be here. If everyone will sit down, I can get on with why I called you all here.”

Spike scowled at her before looking away. Buffy sighed and rested back into the chair, wishing for a stiff drink.

Why the hell were men such pricks?

“I heard back from a source, high up in the US Military. The Initiative is being funded by the American government.”

Buffy rolled her eyes. She hated it when she was right. She had been having flashbacks to that Sub in the 40’s. Trust her to get locked in a sardine can miles beneath the surface of the ocean, with Dru of all people.

She hated governments.

Spike leant back against the wall and crossed his arms.

“And just how in the hell are we supposed to do anything about it then?”

Buffy had some ideas, but they all involved C4 and she doubted her plans would get the go ahead. Maybe it was something she would have to arrange without the others finding out. She doubted her chip would react to just setting a few explosives.

Buffy winced and grabbed her head. Apparently it would react to intend as well as deed.

Spike through her a look, having seen the wince, and Buffy hated the mistrust of his face.

She ignored the rest of what Wes was saying and concentrated on the Slayer. She took deep breaths, taking in his scent. She loved his smell. At night, she would curl up and hold his tee shirt that she had stolen to her nose, breathing him in.

“Buffy?”

Buffy snapped out of it to see Spike looking at her. Again.

“Yeah?”

He looked uncomfortable with everyone staring at him.

“I need you to patrol tomorrow night.”

Buffy noticed that he wasn’t really giving her a choice, but if this was his way of asking for a favour, she wasn’t about to turn him down.

“Sure.”

She didn’t bother mentioning that she had been patrolling every night until sunrise since she found out she could hurt her own kind.

He blinked, he didn’t think it would be that easy.

“Great.”

Spike offered no explanation, and Buffy didn’t ask for one. He was glad for that. He figured if she knew what he was doing, she wouldn’t have been so quick to say yes.

“Well we’re gonna head out.”

Wes looked at the three of them, his head tilted.

“Patrol?”

Spike shook his head no.

“Just gonna relax at the Bronze. I’ll patrol later.”

It was clear by Spike and Xander’s body language that she wasn’t invited. Buffy swallowed and looked away.

Wes told Spike to be careful if he ran into any soldiers and then they were gone, leaving the Watcher alone with the vampire.

~~~~~~~~~~

Spike was actually having fun. He had only agreed to go on this date to get his mind off Buffy, but he found that Amy and he had a lot in common.

Willow knew her from her Wicca group and had set them up. At first Spike wasn’t sure it was a good idea. After Dru and then Faith, both one night stands, he just didn’t want all of the baggage that went with dating. One girlfriend goes evil, the other just used him for sex.

But then he had kissed Buffy, or rather, she had kissed him. And he had liked it. A lot.

So, freaked, he agreed to the date. He even had the night off of patrol because he had Buffy doing it for him.

He felt a little guilty over that.

“Do you want to dance?” Amy looked up at him and bit her lip as she asked.

Spike gave her a sexy little smile and stood up, holding his hand out to her, his eyes moving over her curves quickly.

“Sure love.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Patrol had been a bust, so Buffy decided to scope out the Bronze, see if there were any vamps hiding in the shadows of the club like usual.

As soon as she stepped inside she knew he was there. That warning her demon gave her when ever there was a predator around was screaming at her. Strangely though, her demon only acknowledged the presence of the Slayer before revelling in it.

She wondered why he had wanted her to patrol just so he could go to the Bronze like usual.

Circling around the bar, Buffy spotted a vamp leading a teenager outside and grinned.

She didn’t particularly care about the human, if she was stupid enough to be lead outside by a vamp, more power to it, but Buffy wanted some violence, and the vampire would provide that for her. Saving the human was just a side effect of having some fun.

She followed them out, and only when they left the club did Buffy’s senses tell her who the teenager was.

“Dawn?”

Rage flashed through Buffy. So much for a faceless human. This vamp had picked one of the very few people Buffy actually cared about.

Dawn was hers, and this vamp was going to discover the penalty of touching a Master Vampires property without permission.

Dawn turned from her date to see Buffy standing in front of the door they had just left through and couldn’t help flinching from the anger she could see on the blonde vampires face. She had never seen her look that mad.

“Hey Buffy.”

Buffy growled as she saw the vampire go into game face and stalked forward.

“You are in so much trouble kid.”

Dawn winced.

“He’s just a guy I know from school, please don’t tell Spike.”

Buffy snorted. If only that was all Dawn had to worry about… teenage boys.

The boy in question growled, causing Dawn to spin around and face him.

“Mathew?”

Buffy reached Dawn’s side and pulled her gently to the side.

“Do you know how long I had to sit listening to her whine in there, I’m so hungry I almost didn’t make it outside.”

Dawn was crying by now but Buffy ignored her so she could deal with the vampire. She did reached out and stroke her hand down Dawn’s back to try and settle her down.

“So you brought her out here to eat?”

Mathew grinned. He could tell the blonde was like him and nodded his head towards Dawn.

“Eat and fuck. I’ll even share her with ya.”

Buffy growled and took a step closer. Her demon wanted rid of Dawn so it could begin its fun. Even it didn’t wish for the teenager to witness what was about to happen.

“Dawn, Spike is in there somewhere, go get him to take you home.”

Dawn wiped her eyes and nodded her head before leaving Buffy to her prey.

The vampire growled and tried to step around Buffy to stop Dawn, but he didn’t anticipate the blonde vampire’s reaction to that.

~~~~~~~~~~

Spike turned when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder and scowled when he saw Dawn.

“I thought you told the folks you were staying at Kit’s house.”

Dawn shrugged and wiped her eyes, bringing his attention to her tears.

“Dawn… what happened?”

She looked at the girl he was dancing with before leaning in and whispering in his ear what had happened.

Spike straightened up and told Dawn to stay with Amy before taking off.

~~~~~~~~~~

He got outside just as Buffy staked the bloodied vamp.

Buffy grinned as she made her kill, the demon inside cooing. When she saw Spike, the grin dropped to a soft smile.

Maybe now they would be able to talk about their kiss.

“I told Dawn to get you to take her home, not leave her inside and rush out here.” She was pleased he had though, she soaked up his presence as he stood before her.

Her demon was on a high and she doubted anything could bring her down. What she really wanted was to grab the Slayer and pin him to the wall, but figured that wouldn’t be happening just yet. He had his serious face on.

Spike shrugged and walked closer to her, his senses alive. She had saved Dawn’s life tonight. If Buffy hadn’t of been in the club, his little sister would have been drained, or god forbid, turned.

And it would have been his fault. He should have been keeping an eye on what was going on in the club, he was the Slayer for fuck sake. There was no excuse.

His little sister could have been killed, and it was his fault.

That pissed him off, and the only one there he could take his anger out on was Buffy.

He didn’t even feel the rage creeping up on him until it was there, in control and then he was forming a fist.

Buffy didn’t see the punch coming. Her head whipped to the side with the force of his blow, and when she turned back, her demon was on display.

Golden eyes locked onto his.

“What the fuck?”

Spike gave his own imitation of a growl and stalked closer.

Buffy backed away.

“Spike… come on… its me here… Buffy… remember… non human hurting vamp here… I didn’t do anything…”

Spike wasn’t listening. It wasn’t Buffy in front of him, it was the vampire she had been beating on.

The one that had nearly killed Dawn because the Slayer was too busy on a date to notice his little sister was even in the club.

Too busy to notice her leaving with a demon.

Buffy never stood a chance, even she had been able to fight back, his attack was too violent.

She tried talking to him, screaming his name, his title, she even tried begging, but he was seeing in tunnel vision and nothing was getting through.

Buffy’s eyes closed as her demon retreated, resigned to letting this play out. There was nothing she could do to stop him. Already she could feel one eye swelling shut. Her jaw was broken, her cheekbone and three ribs were cracked and her shoulder was dislocated. She wasn’t stupid, she knew he wasn’t seeing her, knew he was in too much of a rage to know what he was doing.

She was a vampire, violence was 90% of her life, and usually she was all for it, but this was something else. At the minute, she wasn’t a vampire getting beat on by the Slayer, she was just a girl, getting beat on by the man she was in love with.

She opened her one good eye, that was swelling itself, and saw that his pupils were almost black with rage and knew he wasn’t about to stop or slow down.

She wondered if he would feel guilty when he snapped out of it, then shook the thought from her mind.

Buffy fully expected to dust before he was done, but she needed to tell him, just once.

Her mouth worked a few times, her body jerking as his kicks landed against her already hurt torso and her head cracked off the wall she had been kicked into.

Finally the words tumbled out but she knew it was too late. His booted foot was heading for her face, and she knew this was it.

Sure enough, her world went black.

~~~~~~~~~~

All he knew was the rage. As his hits landed, he was happy to see the vampire being beaten down. One less for the Slayer to worry about.

Dawn’s face kept flashing through his mind and his attack became fiercer, more viscous.

Never again would this vampire hurt his little sister. Hurt anyone. He would make sure of it.

He pulled back and kicked at its face, planning to knock it out before finally staking it.

“… lo…v…e…..y….yo..you….”

His foot connected as her words reached his ears and the haze started to lift.

It took a few seconds, but when his mind cleared and he looked to see Buffy lying broken at his feet, Spike fell to his knees and vomited as he realised what he had done.

He reached a shaking hand out and brushed some hair from Buffy’s face, leaving streaks of blood mixed through with the blonde.

What the hell had he done?

He heard the club door open, and knew Dawn was there. He couldn’t let her see this.

He stood and spun in her direction, noticing Amy, Xander and Willow were there also.

Willow spotted Buffy and covered Dawn’s eyes as best she could.

“I’ll take her home.” She didn’t ask what had happened, figuring that her friend would tell her once she made sure his sister was home safe.

Dawn was protesting the entire way, wanting to find Buffy and thank her for saving her life. She hadn’t seen that it was Buffy lying behind Spike.

Her words were like a knife to her brother.

“Jesus man…. What happened?” Xander looked like he was about to throw up himself at the sight of Buffy.

When his eyes reached her elbow and he saw bone, he did throw up.

Amy took her bag off her shoulders and knelt by Buffy’s side.

“We need to get her to a hospital, she’s loosing too much blood.

Spike shook his head no.

“They can’t do anything for her.”

Amy looked up at him before looking at Buffy.

“Is she dead?”

Spike nodded before meeting her eyes.

“Manner of speaking. Vampire.”

Amy nodded, not know why then they were worried about her. Only that they were. She stood a grabbed her bag.

“Okay then.”

Xander wiped his mouth again and stepped up beside Spike.

“Was it the soldiers? Can‘t image Buffy taking a beating like this if she could’ve fought back.”

Spike felt the bile rise in his throat. She couldn’t fight back, but it hadn’t been the soldiers who had hurt her.

“Lets get her to Wes’ house, and we can see about fixing her.”

Xander looked at his friend, sure he was missing something before nodding.

“I brought the car, its over on main, I’ll run and get it.”

Spike nodded, watching him do just that, trying to keep his gaze off the broken girl lying on the ground. He’d hurt her so bad.

“How do you know this vampire?”

Amy wasn’t stupid. She could see it in his eyes… the guilt. When he didn’t answer, she stepped closer and rested an arm on his.

Spike shrugged her off and took off his duster. He needed to wrap Buffy up in it to avoid getting blood all over Xander’s car.

As he looked at her lying there, he knew he had to fix a few of those breaks so they would heal right.

Taking a deep breath, he did just that, and even though she was unconscious, Buffy still moaned in pain.

By the time Xander stopped in front of them Spike had her safely wrapped in his coat and held in his arms.

“We need to stop at a butchers on the way. She needs blood to heal.”

Xander nodded, he had thought of that already.

“Hopefully when she wakes up she’ll be able to tell us what happened.”

Spike ignored that and was about to climb into the car before he realised he’d left Amy standing there.

“Sorry Pet, wanna come?” He prayed she would say no.

“Could you maybe drop me off at the dorms?”

It was out of their way, but Xander nodded his head.

Spike climbed in the back and rested Buffy’s head on his thigh, his fingers running through her hair.

He dreaded when she woke up. Everyone would know then… what he had done.

He was no better than Xander’s dad… beating on a woman who couldn’t defend herself.

As he looked down on her he swore to himself that he would make it right… somehow.

tbc...

Six - Recovery

Buffy held in her groan of pain as she woke up. They liked it when she voiced her hurt. She refused to add to their pleasure. Her eyes stayed closed, not because she wanted them too, but because they were too swollen to open.

Forrest had really done a number on her this time. It was strange though, that she felt no pain between her thighs. Had he only beaten her? It wasn’t like him to pass up a chance at sticking his cock inside her.

As her senses sharpened, Buffy was confused. She didn’t smell the sterile environment of the cells she had been trapped in, nor did she hear the screams of the others.

What was going on?

Her body stiffened as she felt someone enter her cell. She wasn’t up to more tests right now.

She hadn’t realised she said that out loud until she heard the in-drawn breath of the human before her.

Breathing deeply through her nose, Buffy stiffened as the Slayer’s scent overwhelmed her. Was he here? Had they took him too?

Pain or no pain, she would kill them all if they hurt him. Her demon flashed quickly with the thought of killing the bastards who had de-fanged her.

Buffy tried to move, worried about what they were doing to him when a warm hand brushed the hair back from her face, and she felt it was the Slayer.

As her mind finally woke up, Buffy remembered what had happened.

It wasn’t Forrest who had hurt her.

It was Spike.

~~~~~~~~~~

He flinched when she stiffened before he drew back. She didn’t want him to touch her, so he wouldn’t.

“Buffy?”

Her head turned in the direction his voice had come from.

Her jaw worked, and he winced when he thought of her cry when he had to break it again. It had set wrong, her healing had kicked in, so he was forced to break it to let it heal properly.

She had still been knocked out at the time, but it hadn’t made him feel any better.

This was the first time she had woke up in over a day. Most of the smaller cuts had healed, but she needed to feed to heal the rest.

He placed a straw at her lips and felt her weakly suck up the blood before the demon appeared. She gulped up as much as she could, not even caring it was pigs blood.

Spike watched her feed, her throat muscles swallowing the red liquid she needed so badly.

When the mug was done, he replaced it with another, and then another until she had passed out on him again.

~~~~~~~~~~

It was another twenty four hours before Buffy woke up again, her body having shut down to heal.

She cracked open one eye to see she was back in Wes’s basement. Unlike the last time, there was no confusion when she woke, she remembered exactly what had happened.

“Damn he can sure pack a punch.”

Growling, Buffy rolled off the cot and hit the floor, her arms taking the brunt of the fall, causing her to cry out.

The sound of the basement door opening caused her head to jerk up and she spotted Wes there.

When he saw her on the floor, Wes rushed down to help her up, ignoring the fact that all she was dressed in was a pair of panties and that her breasts were on show.

He walked over to the dryer and retrieved a clean tee shirt, silently handing it to her.

Buffy scrunched up her nose at wearing a Watcher smelling piece of clothing, but swallow down the desire to chuck it away and slipped it over her head, her muscles protesting the movements.

“Why don’t you take a hot bath, relax those muscles?”

Buffy wondered why he was being so nice to her. Maybe he felt bad for what Spike had done.

“Sure… I guess.”

He helped her up the stairs before a thought it Buffy.

“Where is the Slayer?”

Had he really beat the shit out of her only to bring her to his watchers house? It made no sense. Unless… Buffy shook that thought off. Spike was nothing like Forrest.

“Patrolling. Buffy… can you remember what happened?”

Buffy nodded and took a deep breath before she sat on the closed toilet seat, watching as Wes started the bath for her.

“Yeah, I remember everything sadly enough. Wish I didn’t.”

He had never heard her sound so beaten, not even when she had first appeared to them just over a week ago.

He sensed though, that she didn’t want to talk about it and stayed silent as the bath filled.

“Do you have any bubbles?”

Wes looked at her, an eyebrow arched.

“Why would I have bubbles?”

Buffy shrugged but gave him a faint smirk.

Wes reached for the shower gel and poured some into the running water.

“That’s the best I can do.”

Buffy smiled her thanks and watched as he turned the taps off before laying out towels for her.

“Why are you being so nice to me?”

He spun to face her so quickly Buffy flinched back. When Wes saw her reaction he paused before holding a hand out and helping her to stand.

“I don’t know really. Maybe its payback for helping when Dru had me.”

Buffy met his eyes before looking away.

“That wasn’t to help you Watcher, I did it because Spike made me promise to get you out… alive and in one piece. That wouldn’t have happened if she had resorted to the chain saw.”

He gave her a look before leaving her to her bath, telling her he knew there was more to it than that.

When he was gone, Buffy eased the tee off and pulled down her panties. The heat of the water scalded her as she eased down, but it was a good heat, it warmed her the whole way through.

~~~~~~~~~~

Spike hung up his cell and made an about turn to head back to Wes’ house.

“Buffy’s awake.” Was all he said to both Xander and Willow.

~~~~~~~~~~

She knew the second he entered the house. Her demon stood to attention as he neared the bathroom.

The knock on the bathroom door made her jump.

“Buffy?”

It was him. She wasn’t ready to see him, but she couldn’t let him know how much he shook her.

“Yeah?”

She forced her voice to come out evenly, giving nothing away.

“… you okay?”

Buffy snorted and sank deeper into the warm water.

“Peachy. Trying to take a bath in peace here though Slayer. You mind leaving me to it?”

She heard him mutter as he walked away, but it was too faint for her to make out the words.

Her demon retreated once more and hazel eyes locked on the doorway, making sure no-one was about to come bursting through it.

~~~~~~~~~~

Spike entered the kitchen to see Willow and Xander talking with Wes.

“She’s fine, having a bath still.”

She did sound fine, which confused Spike. Shouldn’t she be screaming bloody murder at him? The darker side of his nature whispered to him that she was a vamp, they liked the violence. He shoved that side of him away. Never again would he raise his hand to her in anger.

~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy walked into the living room like she owned the house and claimed the seat by the fire, letting the heat dry her wet hair.

She avoided looking at Spike and kept her focus on the Watcher.

“Any blood left?”

Wes nodded and moved to get her some food.

Xander leant forward in his seat.

“Damn, gotta love that vamp healing huh?”

It was true, all of the cuts were gone, just the large wounds around her eyes were still visible on her face. Her insides though still hurt like a bitch.

Not that she was going to tell Xander that. She kept her front on, acting like nothing was hurting or bothering her.

Spike opened his mouth but Buffy cut him off before he could speak.

“Dawn alright?”

Both Xander and Willow threw her startled looks, both surprised she would be asking after the teenager.

Spike nodded as Wes handed her her blood. Neither of them were surprised she had asked about Dawn.

“She’s been bugging me to let her see you.”

Buffy half smiled.

“Sure, why not.”

Spike went to speak again, but Willow got there first.

“What happened?”

Buffy frowned and sipped her blood.

“Huh?”

Willow rolled her eyes at the vampire and leant forward in her seat.

“Who did that too you? You were beat pretty bad, was it the soldiers, did they find you?”

Buffy’s eyes shot to Spike for the first time but he couldn’t meet her gaze.

So… he hadn’t told them? They had no clue what had happened?

Good. She didn’t want them to know, to think badly of him, if they even would.

Buffy shook her head and finished her meal.

“I don’t remember.”

Both Spike and Wes looked at her, each knowing she was lying, but only one willing to call her on it.

“Early, you told me you remembered everything.”

Buffy shrugged and set her empty mug on the coffee table, ignoring Xander’s disgusted look.

“I’m a demon, I lie.”

Wes scowled and rested a hand on her shoulder.

“Buffy, we can’t help you if we don’t know who did this.”

Buffy shook him off and stood up.

“Look, thanks or whatever for fixing me up, but I’m better now and I have things to be doing.”

She made her way to the basement and pulled on her dirty jeans and boots.

She was quickly gathering a collection of men’s tee shirts. She doubted though that this one would hold the same appeal as Spike’s.

She wasn’t a fool, she had seen the guilt he tried to hide as well as the worry that she would confess just who had hurt her.

And despite everything, she still wanted to protect him, still loved him.

But that didn’t mean she liked him very much at the minute.

Nobody had moved when Buffy made it back to the living room.

Spike looked up at her and met her eyes, wondering why she hadn’t told them. Her words came back to him, but he brushed them off. If Dru had taught him one thing, it was that you can’t love without a soul.

So what was her game? Did she expect she could hold this over his head, blackmail him?

His eyes hardened and as he noticed her reaction, he calmed himself down.

Buffy flinched when she saw that look enter his eyes as he stared at her. She back up a few paces and watched as he took a deep breath before calming down.

She left out her own un-needed breath and walked towards the door.

“See… I told you it was those soldier guys, she’s just too embarrassed to say she got beat by a human.”

Buffy spun around and growled at Xander, her eyes shifting to gold as her fangs dropped down.

Wes had never see anything like it.

Spike stood up and blocked everyone’s view to Buffy as he stepped towards her. He couldn’t stop from noticing how beautiful she looked, how deadly in her anger.

“I’ll walk you back to wherever you’ve been staying.”

Buffy shook her head no.

“Really not wanting company right now Slayer.”

Willow stood up and grabbed her coat.

“Well, we were in the middle of patrol, how about we walk you as far as main street?”

Buffy turned her scowl on the redhead before rolling her eyes.

“Look, I got beat up, its happened before and its gonna happen again so would you all stop being so fucking nice and leave me the hell alone!”

She stormed out and slammed the door behind her.

Spike stared at the closed door for a full minute before grabbing his jacket.

“I’m gonna follow her, make sure nothing happens.”

No-one stopped him, and he could hear Xander muttering about how rude and ungrateful Buffy had been.

He caught sight of her at the end of the block but stayed far enough back so she couldn’t sense him.

~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy cursed as her sore body protested every move she made. Storming out and marching home was not what she needed. What she needed was some warm human blood and a bed.

She had a seconds warning before she was surrounded by soldiers.

Spike cursed as he saw them corner her into an alley and put on some speed, a plan running through his mind.

Buffy held in her whimper as she scented Forrest. Sure enough, the one in front of her whipped off his mask and smirked as he took a step closer.

“Hey baby, miss me?”

Buffy spat at him and attempted to run, but he lashed out and hit her with his weapon, knowing her down.

Her already sore body screamed, but she kept her pain inside.

“There a problem here?”

Buffy could have wept with joy as she heard his voice. No matter what, she trusted he wouldn’t let her get taken again.

Forrest spun to see Spike leaning against the wall at the front of the alley.

“Hey man, why don’t you just head on home.”

Spike smirked and walked closer. He had to be careful here. There were five of them and they had guns, and the only one who’s face he could see was Forrest.

“You look like your about to have some fun.” he put enough sleaze into his voice to sound convincing, and let his thumbs hook into his jeans, cupping his own crotch and he saw when Forrest’s stance changed.

Bingo.

“I am yeah… you like… fun?”

Spike curled his tongue and looked down at Buffy, hoping his eyes were saying what his mouth could not.

“Pretty little thing she is.”

Forrest puffed up and reached down, fisting a handful of Buffy’s hair.

“That’s my girl.”

Spike held in his growl as he saw Buffy’s reaction to Forrest’s grip but when he yanked her head forward and thrust his crotch in her face, Spike saw red.

He moved before anyone was aware of it and soon all soldiers were knocked out and lying on the ground.

Spike picked Buffy up and swung her into his arms.

“Where to pet?”

Buffy gave him directions and buried her face in his neck, exhausted.

Spike didn’t flinch even though he had a Master Vamp at his throat. Buffy wondered if it was because she couldn’t hurt him, or that he knew she wouldn’t if she could.

She hoped for the latter.

~~~~~~~~~~

Spike set Buffy on her feet so she could open her front door. When he tried to follow her inside he was knocked back by some force.

“What the… Buffy?”

Buffy looked up, glad her barrier spell worked.

“Vamp invite in reverse.”

When he realised what she meant he smiled and leant against thin air.

“Smart love, soldier boys can’t get in to hurt you then.”

Buffy looked away.

“No-one can get in to hurt me.” He was the implied no-one and he leant both hands against the barrier.

“Buffy…. I’m so sorry for what happened…. It was like this rage… covered me… didn’t realise it was you Pet…”

Buffy looked up and met his eyes.

“I get that Spike. I saw how out of it you were.”

Spike nodded, glad she understood that.

“But I tried to get you to stop… tried yelling, I even fucking tried begging Slayer, and you just kept on hurting me.”

Spike flinched and wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans.

Buffy took a step towards him.

“I want to thank you though, for tonight. Getting me away from him. For not letting him hurt me.”

Spike tried to reach out to touch her, even though he knew he shouldn’t, but he was stopped by the barrier.

“Promised you Pet, won’t let him get you again. Won’t let anyone hurt you again.”

Buffy half smiled and rested a hand on the doorframe.

“I believe you.”

He didn’t want to leave, but knew he had to.

“I had better get back there, pretend I was knocked out too.”

Buffy didn’t like the idea of that. What if they took him.

“Wait, Spike what if-”

He shook his head, cutting her off.

“Have too, they saw me, they know me. I can’t have them looking into who I am, what I am.”

He was gone before she could say another word.

Buffy sighed and closed her door. Food then sleep. That was her plan.

She just had to hope Spike could handle the situation convincingly.

tbc...

Seven - What we are

Spike hit the ground just in time. Forrest and his friends were all waking up as his blonde head rested against the cold stone.

“What the fuck was that?”

No one had an answer for Forrest… no one but the person responsible.

Spike could feel them all staring at him and kept his body still.

“What about him?”

“We better make sure he’s breathing at least. Man… I wish that little bitch had been knocked out too… I had plans for us later.”

Spike bit his tongue to keep his thoughts on that to himself.

“Parker, check on blondie over there, I’m gonna see if I can find my little whore.”

Spike smothered a growl and moaned, rolling onto his back as he did so. He was able to fool the soldiers, claiming he hadn’t seen anything, nor could he remember what they had been doing in the alley.

He wondered how none of them found that strange, considering he had given them the impression he’d been all but ready to help them rape Buffy.

Still, he wasn’t about to question his luck and made a dash for Buffy’s once he was sure the soldiers were gone for the night.

----------

Buffy swore when she heard the knock on the door. She had just fallen into bed after taking a shower.

“I’m sleeping.”

“Buffy?”

On hearing his voice, Buffy growled and rolled out of bed. He wouldn’t take no for an answer, and she did want to know what had happened with Forrest.

She opened the door and let her eyes run over him, making sure he wasn’t hurt before she met his gaze.

“Thought’d you’d like to know, they bought it. Probably reckon you had something to do with it, but they’re clueless about me.”

Buffy half smiled and rested her head against the frame, her eyes lowering as he raised his hand, watching him freeze mid-air.

Spike froze for a second before reaching out and cupping her cheek, or well, he cupped the air around her cheek.

Bloody spell.

“And I wanted to make sure you were okay.” He couldn’t stand the thought of her being hurt again.

Buffy looked up and met his gaze again. She wished she could feel his hands touching her without anger or hate behind the motivation.

It was on the tip of her tongue to invite him in, but he opened his mouth before she could.

“Nifty spell you got here, smart that… but it won’t help outside…” he trailed off and she wondered where he was going with this.

“I know you’ve been patrolling at night… don’t want you out there alone.”

Buffy smiled up at him before reaching through the barrier and giving his shoulder a light push.

“You worried about me?”

Spike caught her hand and looked down, staring at how small it was. Hard to believe that those same hands were responsible for so many deaths.

He had to keep that in his head or he’d go soft. He couldn’t afford to go soft, not for another vampire.

“Hardly. Just, the way I figure it, you may as well patrol with me.”

Buffy smirked and pulled her hand from his, able to tell he was lying.

“Pick me up tonight then before you start.”

Spike grinned even as the door was closed in his face.

----------

“I don’t know what happened Parker, but God I had her, right in front of me… then Spike shows up and then something else showed up and she was gone.”

Parker groaned as he adjusted his cell.

“Well, you found her once, we’ll find her again, then its party time bro.”

Forrest heard the groaning coming from the other end of the phone and guessed what was happening.

“Is it the blonde or brunette this time?”

Parker grinned and wrapped his hand through the blonde’s hair, forcing her mouth down harder against his cock.

“The blonde.”

Said blonde glanced up at him and redoubled her efforts to get him off. He she got him off, he might be a gentleman and return the favour for once.

Forrest laughed and wished his friend well before hanging up and resting back on his bed, his hand reaching down to free his hard on.

“Soon baby, you’ll be back where you belong.”

----------

“I need to go to L.A.”

Spike staked the vamp he was fighting before turning his attention to Buffy.

“Okay… what for?”

She jumped down from the grave stone she had been sitting on and continued their shared patrol.

“Money. Its all tied up in L.A, I need to go free it up.”

Spike nodded that he understood, but Buffy could see the look in his eyes. As soon as she had mentioned L.A, his mind went to Dru.

“Wanna come with me?”

He stopped and waited until she had stopped a few feet in front and turned to face him.

“You want me to go to L.A with you?”

Buffy nodded and folder her arms, not realising the move caused Spike’s eyes to focus on her breasts.

“Sure, why not, you can make sure I behave.”

Spike frowned. It wasn’t like she could hurt anyone… except for…

Buffy sighed when a hard look entered his eyes and took a few steps back, tensing for an attack.

Spike forced himself to calm down and took a step towards her.

“Can’t exactly hurt humans up there now can you.” There was a challenge in his tone.

Buffy threw him a look.

“You aren’t worried I’d go after Dru?” She could read him like a book sometimes, and he didn’t know which pissed him off more, that or the fact he couldn’t always read her.

Spike shrugged, but she could sense his accelerated heartbeat. He was worried but not for the reasons she was thinking.

“If I asked you to stay away from her, would you?”

Buffy paused and tilted her head, staring at him.

“Are you asking?” It was a favourite past-time of hers, annoying her ass of a Sire. She would hate to give that up.

Spike held her gaze before nodding.

Buffy sighed and scratched the back of her neck.

“”I supposed pissing off my bodyguard wouldn’t be very smart of me now would it.”

He half smiled and tried not to check out said body.

Buffy rolled her eyes and turned around to continue the hunt.

“Fine, seeing as how we’re friends now, I’ll leave my bitch of a sire alone.”

Spike froze mid step.

“We aren’t friends.”

Buffy turned and threw him a look.

“Well what the fuck are we then?”

Spike caught up to her and watched as a demon jumped her, or tried to. Buffy growled as she swung her fist, catching the demon on the lower jaw.

The Slayer was grossed out as said lower jaw detached itself from the upper three. What needed two mouths?

“A little help here.” Buffy grunted as she took a hit to the head and her demon rushed forwards.

The ensuing fight only lasted a few moments after that.

Spike watched as Buffy wrapped her arms around the demons head and twisted. She was panting by the time her feet touched ground again.

He found that strange. He had never seen another vampire simulate the act of breathing without being aware of doing so.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he finally noticed golden eyes staring at him.

They definitely weren’t friends.

She hunted his kind, he killed hers.

Buffy let her demon slip away and licked the blood off her knuckles. Her own blood, not the demons though. Vamps didn’t get sick as a rule, but she wouldn’t risk infecting herself with anything just in case.

“Co-workers then?”

Spike blinked and shook his head to clear his thoughts.

“Sure, that’ll do.”

Buffy hid her scowl and followed after him. She’d get him to change his mind one way or another.

----------

“Can’t believe she’s still hanging around.”

Spike sighed and banged his head off the table. Buffy had been patrolling with him for three weeks now, and Xander still couldn’t wrap his head around it.

“Xander… I get that you hate her… but for the love of God would you shut the bloody hell up about it already mate. She’s here, she’s not going anywhere and she’s helping me patrol. End. Of. Bloody. Story.”

Xander glared and turned his head away. It erked him that Buffy was still around. She was cutting into time he would usually be spending with Spike. Patrol time. The brunette stayed away not that he knew the vampire was a common fixture most nights. Xander had blocked out that there was a time he actually felt sorry for her. She was just a demon. He didn’t care what happened to her.

“When do you leave?”

His head whipped back around to look at Spike when he heard Willow’s question.

“Leave? Where you going?”

Spike ran a hand through his short hair. This was going to go down like a lead balloon.

“Los Angeles.”

Xander’s head hit the table.

“Don’t tell me your going to visit Dru!”

Spike shook his head no and picked at the label on his beer bottle.

“Buffy needs to close a few accounts up there, I’m going to make sure she behaves.

Xander sat up slowly and his eyes narrowed on his best friend.

“Are you crazy?”

Spike sighed. It was going to be a long night.

----------

Buffy finished her meal and threw the last of what she needed into her grip bag. Her demon was antsy. It hated and loved Dru with equal passion, and there was no telling just what sort of reception she was going to get. There was no doubt in her head that Dru would know when she arrived. Demons loved to gossip, and the fact that she was travelling with the Slayer would reach Dru’s ears before the engine had cooled in the car.

She wondered if Spike anticipated a meeting with her sire. She hoped not, she would hate to break her word and actually attack Dru.

Her demon was a possessive chick, and she had her sights set on the Slayer for herself.

What she was most looking forward to though, despite the time she got to spend with Spike, was not having to look over her shoulder all the time. There were no soldiers in L.A… well, at least not ones that would be hunting her down.

The sharp knock on her front door broke Buffy from her thoughts as she grabbed her bag and checked her pockets to make sure she had what she needed.

Everything in place, Buffy opened the door and gulped.

Who knew the Slayer even owned leather pants?

tbc...

Eight - California lovin’

Buffy couldn’t keep her eyes from roaming along the slayers leather encased legs to finally rest at his crotch. Spike never noticed her staring as he motioned her to get into his car.

“We should be in L.A in a few hours, how long will it take you to do whatever it is you need to do?”

Buffy pulled her gaze up to meet his from where it had fell to watch his pants stretch as he leant in to place her bag in the trunk next to his.

“We should be able to get everything done tonight.”

Spike nodded.

“That’s what I figured but I brought spare clothes just in case.”

This time, Spike noticed her narrowed eyes and wondered what she was thinking.

----------

Buffy burst from the car and stalked to the trunk to grab her bag. That had been the worst two and a half hours of her very long life, and she had endured some very shitty times. Especially of late.

Spike had seemed fine on setting off, but she noticed the closer he got to L.A, the more snappy he became. She had tried talking to him, tried to make him laugh, even tried to make him mad so he would forget what was upsetting him.

Nothing worked. He just sat there in silence, occasionally scowling at something or other.

She hated that Dru still had such a grasp on him.

“I’ll get the room sorted.”

Spike grunted.

Buffy rolled her eyes and went to make sure they had somewhere to sleep the sun away tomorrow. Sure, what she had to do could be finished tonight, but then that meant travelling back to Sunnydale during the day, and she didn’t fancy being stuffed into the trunk for the drive. Luckily, Spike hadn’t thought of that idea or she figured that’s what would be happening.

----------

He hated L.A. His mother lived here for one thing. To say they didn’t get on would be an understatement. He wondered what his father had ever seen in her. She and Joyce were complete opposites. All he could remember about his mother, was that she liked to drink and got violent when she did. As far as he was concerned, Joyce was his mother and she had raised him like her own.

That brought him to problem number two. Dru was in L.A. He could remember every little detail of the last few seconds they had stared at each other before she turned and walked out of his life. He hated that she had given up on them, even as he understood why she had.

The sooner they left L.A the better he would feel.

----------

Buffy watched him pace. He was muttering to himself, which she supposed was an improvement on the silence.

But, they had things to do.

“Slayer?”

Spike paused and tilted his head, staring at her before she saw him mumble something she couldn’t quite make out. She was glad for that, there was no-way it would have been flattering.

“Ready to go then?”

She nodded and motioned for him to get back into the car.

It only took fifteen minutes to get to the club. She saw Spike look from her to the entrance and shake his head.

“Buffy, we came here for a reason. Going to clubs wasn’t part of it.”

Buffy growled and pushed past him, ignoring him calling after her, either he followed or he didn’t.

Spike grabbed her arm and spun her to face him, his grip tight on her arm.

“We’re leaving, I’m not wasting time here.”

Buffy was about to put him straight when she was grabbed from behind.

“Elizabeth Summers! Why didn’t you tell me you were coming down?”

Spike had been about to attack the demon holding Buffy three feet off the ground until it had started talking.

Buffy giggled and kissed her friend on the cheek.

“Hey Lorne.”

Spike looked from his vampire companion to the green horned demon before throwing his hands up and stalking over to the bar. He tried not to let her giggle affect him.

Lorne followed him with his eyes before turning back to Buffy.

“Not that I mind sweetie, but why did you bring the Slayer to my club?”

Buffy grinned and followed Spike to the bar, pulling Lorne along with her.

When they got there, Spike was squaring up against a vamp that looked familiar to the blonde. When it clicked who she was, Buffy beamed and let go of Lorne before throwing her arms around the vampire.

“Victoria!”

Spike growled and turned back to the bar. Did she know everyone in the fucking place.

“Buffy!”

Lorne sat down beside the Slayer and nodded to his bar tender for a drink.

“Did Buffy not explain the rules of this club sugarplum?

Spike looked at the demon from the corner of her eye.

“Rules?”

Lorne smiled and accepted his drink.

“No violence, by anyone. The building is protected by magic, so you can be assure no-one is hunting in here.”

Spike let out a breath, glad for that at least.

He turned to look at Buffy and saw her in an animated conversation with the other vamp.

Lorne followed his eyes and smiled before turning his gaze back to Spike.

“So, a Slayer and another vampire huh?”

Spike glared and took a drink of his beer.

“Its a long story.”

Lorne laughed.

“Sweetie, with Buffy it usually is.”

Spike couldn’t help but smile at the friendly demon.

“Still, I know your ex, so I guess you hooking up with another vamp is to be expected.”

Spike froze before he turned his Slayer glare on the green demon.

“I’m not with Buffy. This is strictly a business relationship.”

Lorne frowned and looked between him and Buffy, who was finally heading back their way, Victoria in tow.

Spike sighed and stood up, thinking they were done.

He was disappointed when Buffy took a seat at the bar.

“So little lady, what can I do for you?”

Buffy looked at Spike and sighed, seeing that he still seemed tense.

“I’m here to pick up my things.”

Lorne nodded and stood.

“I’ll bring it out to you.”

Buffy smiled and turned her attention back to the Slayer to see Spike was glaring at Victoria.

She rested a hand on his leg, unable to stop herself from squeezing it a little.

Spike jumped before looking down at her pale hand against his black pants.

He gripped her wrist, rather tightly judging by her wince, and pushed her hand away.

Buffy lowered her eyes and turned back to her friend.

“Victoria, meet Spike. Slayer, meet Victoria.”

Spike scowled.

Victoria laughed and nudged Buffy.

“Still picking up after our sire?”

Spike’s head whipped around.

“She belongs to Dru?”

Buffy nodded her head, a scowl on her face at the thought of Dru having had Spike first.

“Where is our darling Sire? Last I heard she was playing lapdog to your Slayer here.”

Spike knocked his seat back and stood up, a stake in his hand.

“I’m. Not. Hers.”

Buffy flinched back from the look in his eyes more-so than the tone of his voice.

Victoria looked from her ‘sister’ to the Slayer before smirking.

“Whatever you say.”

Spike scowled before looking at Buffy. He frowned at the look on her face before shaking his head.

“I’ve had enough of this already.”

Buffy forced a smirk to her face and shrugged.

That was the last straw for him. The Slayer stormed passed them, bumping his shoulder into Buffy on the way.

“I’ll be back in a hour. Do not leave here.”

Buffy watched his back retreating and turned back to her ‘sister’.

“Men.”

----------

Spike rolled his neck, trying to ease some of the tension there before he picked a route to take. He let his Slayer sense guide him in the direction of something he could kill, and happened across a vamp trying to feed.

Trying and failing as there was an armed gang beating the fanged wonder back.

Crossing his arms, Spike leant against the wall and watched what was happening, noting that the guys knew how to look after themselves, even with their crudely made weapons.

When the vamp finally dusted, he couldn’t help himself and began clapping.

That might not have been the best thing to do as he suddenly found those homemade weapons pointed at him and all he had on him was a stake.

----------

Buffy had given Spike a ten minute head start before following him. She had told Lorne to hold her things for a couple more hours.

She couldn’t let him go stalking off on his own. Couldn’t risk that some nasty might get their hands on him.

It didn’t take her long to track his scent and her acute hearing picked up the sounds of the fight from a block away.

Breaking into a run, Buffy rounded the corner in time to see the Slayer outnumbered and weapon-less against six humans.

She watched as the leader took a step forward and raised his axe higher as if to swing.

Buffy ran towards them even as Spike held his hands up in a friendly gesture.

“No!”

Buffy leapt in front of Spike and growled at the human, her face changing as she did so.

Spike sighed, knowing she had just made things worse.

He wrapped his arms around her and spun them so he was between the humans and her, shoving her back a little as he did.

“Now mate, you really don’t want to get into it, not with me. I clapped because I was impressed by the way you lot took out that vampire.”

“We ain’t mates English Bob, so back the fuck off from me ‘less you want this here axe through that bright head of yours.”

Buffy growled and took a step forward, but Spike reached behind him and shoved her back.

“Aww not ain’t that cute boys, English Bob here protecting that piece of trash vermin.”

Buffy froze as she picked up on something else, and raised her eyes upwards to have her fears confirmed.

She hadn’t been the only one to hear the fight.

“Slayer… look up.”

Spike did so and cursed, pulling a stake from his pocket and handing one to Buffy as well.

“Damn, is she another freak that kills her own kind?”

Neither Buffy nor Spike took any heed of the leaders words, though both registered them on some level. Their full attention was on the six vampires currently standing on the roof above them.

“I’ll take the three ugly ones.” Buffy started forward, adding action to her words.

“Damnit Buffy, they are all ugly. The fangy look is out so I‘ve heard.”

Buffy tried not to take offence to that and simply glared at Spike.

The humans meanwhile had finally sensed the danger they were in and all but three ran. Spike was pleased to see the ones who stayed where ones he had been impressed with during the fight.

“Tell you what boys, we survive this, we’ll go share a beer.”

The leader grunted as he took a kick to the stomach.

“Sorry Bob, I don’t socialise with vamps generally as a rule.”

Buffy punched her vamp in the head and elbowed another in the neck, snapping bones as she did so.

“People are so judgemental these days.”

The leader of the group paused and turned his attention away from the fight, a move that would have seen him dead if not for Spike stepping in to deflect the blow that was meant for his head.

“Little less talking people, you know, just until we deal with the cast of Fright Night here.”

Buffy was about to stake the last of her three when she felt it, so much so that it threw her off her game. She felt fangs tearing through the skin on her shoulder, ripping open a wide gash.

Cursing, she staked the vampire before he knew what had hit him and pulled her shirt off to press on the wound. She may not bleed to death, but why waste blood?

Spike staked his demon before staking the vampire the human group had been fighting.

“Your slipping Buff.”

Buffy ignored him and growled into the darkness at the end of the alley.

Spike frowned, wondering what she was doing when he finally felt it.

Buffy took a step back and looked over to see if he knew yet. Judging by the look on his face, he did.

“Dru.” His voice still held that breathy quality when he spoke her name. She stepped out of the shadows and glided towards them. Spike was taken aback by how beautiful she still was.

Buffy saw the look in his eyes when he looked at her sire and lowered her own. First Angelus and then Spike. Why did she fall for men who were in love with her sire?

Pressing on her wound, she turned away from the drama and focused on the humans. They didn’t see concerned by Dru, which made sense after hearing their comment about freaky vamps.

There was no way she wanted to watch Spike moon over his ex. She was tried, hurt and needed to feed.

Buffy pocketed her stake and made to leave the alley, only to have the three remaining humans block the exit.

Typical. Looking up, she spotted the fire escape and leapt, grabbing the end of it with her good arm and hoisting herself up. She had almost made it when a hand grabbed her foot and dragged her back down.

“Where are you going?”

Buffy glared at him and backed away slightly as Dru moved closer. She wasn’t exactly at one hundred pre cent and didn’t really fancy a duel with her maker.

“I’m hungry.”

“What are you doing in L.A Liz?”

Buffy growled and had to stop herself from pouncing. She hated that name, and Dru knew it.

Buffy looked from Spike to her sire.

“I have business here.”

Spike finally noticed that Buffy was hurt and took her shirt away to see the wound.

Buffy hissed as he pressed gently on the skin around the gash, her demon flaring for a brief moment.

“Its fine Slayer, nothing a little blood won’t fix.”

Spike was about to respond when Dru pulled him away from Buffy by the arm.

“What the hell is going on? Are you two here… together?”

Buffy’s eyes flashed golden. Nothing would give her more pleasure than to let Dru think they were… but she knew Spike wouldn’t want that.

Spike’s eyes flashed as he looked from one vampire to the other. He thought he saw something that resembled defeat in Buffy’s eyes but she shook it off before he could examine it too closely.

“Like Buffy said, she has stuff to do here, then we’ll; be on our way.”

Buffy had enough. Forcefully pushing past her sire, ignoring the pain in her shoulder as she did so, she made her way back to the club to collect her things.

She really didn’t want to stay for the love story about to unfold.

Her demon growled at leaving him there, but even it understood the way things were.

He didn’t belong to her, he belonged to Dru, even had the mark on his neck to prove it.

----------

Spike stared after Buffy, torn between chasing her and staying with Dru.

“How have you been?”

Spike slowly turned his head to face his ex.

“Can we not do this with an audience Dru?”

Dru looked to the humans before nodding at the leader.

“Its okay Gunn.”

Spike raised a brow, certain things making sense now. He watched as the humans all left, and thought he heard them talking about Buffy, but Dru took his attention again.

“Wanna tell me why you’re here with my childe?”

----------

Buffy groaned as she closed the hotel door behind her. Throwing the bags Lorne had given her to the floor, she stripped her boots and jeans off before ripping her tank top off. The shirt she had been using to stop the blood was completely soaked, but the bleeding had finally slowed to a crawl.

Opening the fridge, she took out three blood bags from her stash and downed one cold before heating the other two.

While they were heating in the microwave, Buffy went into the bathroom to start the shower. Hearing the ping, she grabbed her blood before stripping her panties off and stepping into the hot water, groaning as it washed over her wound. Lifting the first of the bags, she drained it quickly before throwing the empty package onto the bathroom floor and sipped at her last.

She wondered what they were doing. If they had…. reconnected yet.

Her demon burst forward with that thought and growled its displeasure.

Buffy twisted her head to see the bite and was satisfied it was healing well enough.

Done with her shower she made her way back into the bedroom. Slipping a fresh tank and panties on, Buffy crawled beneath the covers and snuggled into one of the frumpy pillows, trying to keep her mind off what Spike was doing with Dru.


tbc...

Part nine - Closer to the edge
Warning - Spike/Dru

Spike sighed as he finished his beer and began picking at the label. The clock on the wall read three am and he was dog tired. But Dru had asked him to go back with her to her office building, so he had gone like a faithful little puppy.

He had wondered how he would feel when they crossed paths again, and it had been just as he had feared. He still loved her, with everything inside him and the pain he felt at being so close to her and unable to touch her… well, in that moment he was glad she had left.

He jumped when she reached out to touch him hand.

“Where’d you go?”

Spike shook his head and stood up, walking a few paces away.

“This is too hard Dru. I can’t be around you and not want you. I’m going to find Buffy and then we’re leaving, heading back to Sunnydale.”

Dru stood up and matched his backwards steps with forward ones.

“From what you’ve told me, are you sure you don’t want me to come help?”

“No luv, we’ll get it done, just like always.”

Dru scoffed and moved forwards another step.

“You can’t trust her Spike. You know what’s she’s like. That chip isn’t a soul, the demon will find ways around it.”

Spike nodded. He knew all that. And yet. There was still something about Buffy. He had noticed it years before, when Drusilla had taken Dawn captive. It had been Buffy who had seen the child back home safe, had claimed to have done it just to see her sire get angry, but there had been a look in her eyes that night she couldn’t have hid. She had been worried for Dawn. She knew exactly what Drusilla would have done to harm the child, so she had gotten her free.

Buffy was more than she let on. More than just a demon hiding out in human form. He didn’t know what, but there was something she refused to let others know.

As he looked at Dru, he struggled to see past his love for her, to really look at the being in front of him without the guise of first love standing in the way.

When one startling fact hit him, he was nearly knocked off his feet.

Dru with her soul was the most caring and selfless person he had met, but Drusilla, the demon inside lacked all humanity.

Buffy somehow had retained enough of herself to not let the demon overpower her. True, she had no soul… had murdered countless people, for food, for fun… but Drusilla had been the one to teach Buffy those things. To enjoy the hunt, to thrive on the kill.

Did he trust the blonde? No, but the scarier part was, he could, given enough time.

He looked up and met Dru’s eyes.

“I don’t trust her, but until she gives me a reason I won’t harm her.” He thought of how he had hurt her, how he had beaten her down in an alley and almost threw up. Never again. Unless he caught her in the act of killing, should she ever find a way around the chip in her head, he would never hurt her.

Dru heard something in his voice that she didn’t like, but in the end what she could she do? He was stubborn. She knew he wasn’t stupid. Buffy would always be dangerous, but she trusted in him at least.

“Okay. But if you ever need me, just call.”

Spike pulled her closed for a hug before it got to be too much and he pulled back.

Dru met his lips with her own cool ones and soon they were lost in the other.

It wasn’t a kiss of passion, but more of the goodbye they had never had.

“I’ll always love you, you know that right?”

She nodded and rested a hand against his cheek.

“And I you my Prince.”

Spike kissed her one last time before it was his turn to walk away.

“Be careful William.”

He held a hand up to let her know he had heard her before he disappeared from her sight.

Dru’s gaze hardened as she followed him out and jumped into her car. Listening to the bond she shared with her childe, she made her way to Buffy.

She had a few words for the blonde vampire.

----------

Buffy knew she was being stared at. And by the feeling, she knew who was doing the staring.

“What do you want Drusilla?” She rolled over in bed and glared at her sure.

Dru growled, yanked Buffy from the bed and pinned her to the wall.

“Dru. If I had lost my soul do you really think you’d still be alive?”

Buffy growled and pushed Dru away from her with such force her sire fell into the chair and broke it.

“Whatever you call yourself, you and I both know the truth don’t we? There’s entirely too much of Drusilla in Dru and not enough the other way around.”

Dru growled and picked herself up from the floor.

“I didn’t come here to fight.”

Buffy snorted and retook her place on the bed, looking for all the world like she was unconcerned with her sire, when really, she was wondering where Spike was.

“Then why are you here?”

Dru lost her demon face and leant against the wall by the door.

“I want to know what’s going on with you and Spike.”

Buffy smirked and stretched out on the bed, her tank riding up a little.

“What did he tell you when you asked that?”

Dru took a step closer, unaware she had done so, her eyes trained on her childe, remembering past times between them. First Spike and now Buffy, she wished cold showers actually helped her.

“He told me you two work together now.”

Buffy sighed and sat up straighter, tugging her tank down. She had seen where Dru’s eyes went and she wasn’t looking to revisit the past any time soon.

“Then that’s what we are.”

“Buffy, I know you. This isn’t just about taking down the people who did this to you. What game are you really playing?”

Buffy rolled her eyes, but Dru carried on.

“You’ve always had a thing for slayers, and right from the start you’ve been… different with William. Why is that?”

Buffy got out of bed and went to the fridge, taking out some blood to heat.

“Look, I don’t know what you think is-”

“I think that you have something planned for him, I’m just not sure what that is yet.”

Buffy snorted and turned her back on her sire.

“Where is the Slayer anyway?”

Dru shrugged.

“On his way here.”

Buffy turned and caught Dru’s eyes.

“Why are you here?”

Dru’s eyes flashed golden as her face changed.

“I’m here to remind you that he belongs to me. Its my mark he wears on his neck.”

Buffy took a step closer to her sire.

“True… your mark… but I noticed that it isn’t a claim, what happened? Too much for you to handle?”

Her head rocked back with the force of the blow, but Buffy came back swinging. Her demon had finally had enough and it cracked. Enough of being pushed around, enough of being written off and enough of being second best to its sire.

With a snarl, Buffy attacked.

----------

Spike cursed as he left the club. He should have known Buffy wasn’t there, should have figured she’d head back to the hotel.

He jumped into his car and sped off, making the six blocks in record time.

He had just locked the car door when he heard it. Bursting through the door to their room he froze at what he saw.

Buffy was there alright. But so was Dru.

And they were both covered in cuts.

“What the bloody hell is going on?”

Both vampires paused when they finally realised the Slayer was in the room.

Slowly, they each let go of the other. Dru removed her hands from Buffy’s hair and Buffy let go of Dru’s throat.

Buffy looked from her sire to the Slayer and tried to smile as she lost her demon face.

“Its not what it looks like.”

Spike threw her a glare letting her know he didn’t believe that for a second.

Spike turned his glare on his ex, something with gave Buffy pause considering just how mad he looked.

“What the hell is going on? We left things on good terms, but I come here to find you two fighting? You can see where I’m a little confused here Dru.”

Dru wiped the blood dripping from a cut above her eye and turned a glare on Buffy.

“She started it.”

Buffy opened her mouth to object but Spike beat her to it.

“I happen to know for a fact that you aren’t six years old Dru! The ‘she started it’ excuse won’t fly with me… and considering the fact that you had to come to her and not the other way around tells me she wasn’t the only one at fault here.”

Buffy smirked at her sire but wiped it from her face when Spike turned his glare on her.

“And you… I warned you… told you not to-”

Buffy raised a hand, and surprisingly Spike stopped talking.

“I agreed not to go looking for trouble with my sire, but trouble came looking for me and I’ve had enough of being pushed around by people.”

The glare she threw him reminded him that he was one of those people and he was able to only just hide his wince.

Dru growled and tried to take a step towards Buffy, but Spike blocked her path.

“Dru… go home.”

Both Buffy and Dru turned wide eyes to him, neither one believing their ears.

Spike ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

“Its late, I’m tired. In a few hours we will be gone and you can go back to whatever life you were leading here in L.A. I’ve listened to what you had to say, now you listen to me. I’m the Slayer. I’m not going to forget who or what Buffy is-”

Buffy held her head high. She was not ashamed of who, or what, she was. The only shame she felt was over the whole ‘being neutered’ thing. She did turn her attention to the mess of the room, and stooped to pick up a broken piece of bed side cabinet.

“- and if she ever gives me a reason too, I will dust her and she knows it… but for right now, she has my protection.”

Buffy dropped the drawer she had just picked up, and Spike ignored the sound of it crashing to the floor, and the livid expression on Dru’s face.

Dru shook her head sadly and reached out to cup Spike’s cheek.

“You are too good William, and I fear it will be your downfall.”

She turned and left without another word, but Buffy knew, from the look she was given, that Dru would be keeping an eye on the goings on in Sunnydale.

Spike sighed and rolled his neck before turning to his room-mate.

“The next time you need to come up to L.A, count me out.”

Buffy gave him a slight smile before bending down to pick up the pieces of shattered mirror.

Spike took his coat off and looked at the mess of the room. All he wanted to do was to crawl into bed and sleep, but it didn’t look like that was going to happen any time soon.

Buffy didn’t expect him to help her clean up, so when he knelt beside her and did just that, she paused in what she had been doing to study him.

He knew what she was doing and it was making him nervous, though he didn’t understand why.

As he met her gaze, he reached for a piece of mirrored glass, not realising that the edge was jagged until it cut deep into the skin on his fingers.

Buffy’s demon came to the fore as the smell hit her senses before she even realised what had happened.

Spike reached for the stake he always kept on him when he saw the fangs, but what she did next shocked him.

Buffy’s eyes dropped to take in the blood pouring from the two cuts on the slayers fingers and knew it had to be deep.

Shaking off her demon, she stood up and pulled him with her, not even seeing the stake he had gripped in his good hand. She pushed him into the bathroom and turned on the water tap, letting it run for a second until the water wasn’t just as gross.

Spike winced when she pulled his injured hand under the running water.

“Don’t be such a baby.”

Spike watched as she wiped the blood away with a hand towel before putting it back under the tap and repeating the gesture a few more times to make sure there was no glass in the wound.

Buffy left him alone for a moment to retrieve the first aid kit. When she got back, he had the hand towel wrapped around his fingers, keeping the pressure on until the bleeding stopped.

Buffy gently pried the towel free, pleased to see the bleeding had nearly stopped. She rubbed an anti-bacterial lotion into the skin before wrapping some gauze around his index and middle fingers, using tape to hold it in place.

“It should be all good by morning.”

Spike finally met her eyes, wonder in his own, and Buffy finally noticed the stake.

Her eyes widened a little before she back away.

Spike followed her gaze before throwing the stake into the bedroom.

“Sorry, just, at first… with the vamping-”

Buffy held up and hand to stop him.

“Its okay. I get it.”

She went to leave him to it when his hand reached out and wrapped around her arm.

“Buffy… thank you.”

She looked up and met his gaze.

“Your welcome.”

----------

Spike was glad to see the back of Los Angeles. Buffy still hadn’t told him just what she had picked up when she was there, beside money, and he didn’t want to pry by searching through her things when she was in the shower.

She had told him only that it wasn’t anything evil, so he had no choice but to trust her.

Speaking of, his gaze once more moved to his travel companion. Buffy seemed to tense up the closer they got to home.

“Are you ready to talk about it yet?”

Her head turned so she could meet his gaze. As he looked at her, all he could think of was the kiss they had shared outside Wes’ place.

His eyes darted back to the road before they met her hazel ones again.

He could still remember what she had said to him, as she lay broken on that alley floor.

They hadn’t talked about it, he wasn’t even sure if she remembered telling him, but he did.

Buffy was in love with him. Or so she claimed.

It boggled his mind. He knew first hand that a demon couldn’t love, but as he thought of times he had seen her with Angelus… he couldn’t help but wonder.

Buffy turned back to looking out the window, ignoring what he was asking her.

“Buffy?”

She growled and pinned him with golden eyes.

Spike backed off, getting the message. She didn’t want to talk about it.

“We’ll stop by the butchers before I take you home.”

Buffy nodded that she was listening.

Spike sighted and turned his full attention to the road. Traffic was busy considering that it was after ten pm. They had slept the day away, which surprised the Slayer. He usually had problems sleeping and thought it would be next to impossible to sleep with a vampire so near, but he was out like a light, only waking twice through the night to use the loo.

“I put a few things in motion before we left, hopefully we’ll have some more info on the soldier boys and their Doc’s when we get back.”

Spike turned his head and looked at her, wondering just who she had asked to help.

Buffy could tell what he was thinking and gave him a small smile.

“I asked Clem and a few others to keep an eye out.”

He had heard of Clem, though he hadn’t met the demon yet. He had thought it was simple in the beginning. He was a Slayer. The Slayer hunted and killed demons.

No-one bloody mentioned working with them or falling in love with one.

As his eyes took in Buffy’s profile, Spike winced. He had to add falling in lust to that list now as well.


tbc...