Chapter 1

A/N This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction so please be gentle. Also a very special thank you to my awesome Beta, Allison, who is super fast.


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Buffy Summers sat in the hotel bar surveying her surroundings. She had been waiting for her friend for over twenty minutes when she felt someone sit down beside her. Spinning on her stool, a smile lit up her face. When she met the eyes of the person sitting next to her, a shocked and confused look over took her features.

"I think I liked the first look better, luv."

'This is what going into shock must feel like,' Buffy thought. She stared into the brilliant blue eyes of the man who was currently the biggest action star of the decade.

Spike Hawthorne sat staring at the blonde in amusement. He had seen her sitting alone when he arrived at the bar ten minutes before, and it had taken that long for him to get up the nerve and walk over to talk to her. He was a movie star, for crying out loud- he had women flocking to him by the hour. Even more so now that his paycheck had been raised to ten million dollars a movie. The only problem with his so-called loyal fans was that the women who wanted him, more often than not, wanted the characters he played. Either that, or the money. He had yet to meet a woman that just wanted to get to know him. When he spotted the blonde, he had been floored. He barely even caught a glimpse of her face, and he couldn't keep his eyes off her. She was wearing an elegant black dress that fell almost to her knees. The long sleeves angled out a little to partially cover her hands, and with the amount of skin that wasn't shown, it was more than made up for with the neckline. The slightly off-the-shoulder deep V-shape in both the front and the back had his heart racing. The brilliant smile that he was briefly flashed made him want to keep that look on her face permanently.

"You know, pet, it's impolite to stare," he said with a smirk.

She seemed to snap out of it then, shaking her head slowly as if she was trying to shake the images out of it.

"You're not my friend."

Spike smiled and glanced down almost sheepishly. "Well, not yet, but I was kinda hoping we'd see where the evening takes us."

"No, I-I'm sorry. What I mean is, I'm meeting someone, and you're not them.but I guess you already figured that out, what with knowing who you are and all." Buffy closed her eyes, mortified by her babbling.

Spike smiled, absolutely amazed with this woman.

"You wanna get out of here, pet?"

That got her attention. Her eyes snapped up to his face, and she felt her body relax for the first time since he sat down. Over his shoulder, she noticed her friend sitting down at a table and giving her a look, obviously wanting all the details of what was happening. Buffy then met Spike's eyes again before responding in a very calm voice. "The name's not 'pet', it's Buffy." She began gathering her purse and standing. She saw the way Spike's eyes lit up when she stood, obviously thinking she was accepting his offer.

Leaning over him, Spike thought he would pass out at the extraordinary look at her cleavage, and then he felt her breath on his ear.

"And I'm not a groupie," she whispered before turning and walking away. Spike watched her backside sway gently and was in shock. No woman had shot him down, and that just made him want her that much more. He noticed her sit down at a table with a pretty red head and glance up at him. Spike shook off his feelings and raised his glass at her in a salute. He smiled at the pretty flush that tinted her skin and took a sip of his drink.

"Man, that was just sad."

Swiveling on his stool, he saw the owner of the voice.

"Give me time, Xand," he said, turning his attention back to Buffy. "This one is definitely worth the effort."

* * * * *

"Okay, missy, I want all the details. Why were you having a conversation with Spike Hawthorne, and more importantly, why are you not still over there?"

Buffy smiled at Willow's train of thought but didn't respond immediately since she was lost in her own. Willow studied her friend for a minute, looking at Buffy's slightly tilted head as she stared at her fingertips tracing patterns on the tablecloth.

"Come on, Buffy, at least tell me what you were talking about."

Buffy sighed. "It was nothing, Wills. He was just flirting a little, and he asked if I wanted to leave, and I told him I wasn't some groupie and then came over here to meet you." Buffy finally raised her eyes to meet her friend's. Willow smiled halfheartedly at her friend.

"Buffy, I know you don't wanna hear this, but."

"You're right, I don't, so let's just drop it, okay?"

"Buffy, you need to get back out there and start dating."

"No, Willow, I'm not getting into this conversation tonight. I just want to relax and have fun with my best friend, okay?"

"Okay, sweetie."

* * * * *

"So, Spike, what do you wanna do tonight?"

Xander noticed his friend's gaze still fixed on the blonde and couldn't help but smile. He had been friends with Spike since high school and couldn't remember ever seeing him so fixated on a girl. Well, except maybe Drusilla, but that relationship was just a train wreck waiting to happen.

"Actually, Xand, I was thinking of following those two lovely ladies wherever they're heading out to."

"Okay.Spike, I'm your friend, which is why I'm saying this with complete respect, but that's called stalking!"

"Look, mate, I know what it sounds like, but I just want to get her last name, okay?"

"Well, why didn't you just say so?" Xander said while hopping off of his stool, starting to head in the direction of the women. Behind him, he heard the frantic tones of his friend's whispers, trying to get him to come back.

"Excuse me, ladies, but I was just wondering if I could have a moment of your time. You see, my friend over there at the bar seems to have quite a hang-up on you," he said, gesturing to Buffy. "And I would really like to be able to go out and do something tonight, and I don't think he's going to be coherent enough to leave this bar until he gets your last name."

Buffy looked up at him with a stunned look. She was about to tell him exactly what he could tell his friend when Willow cut her off.

"It's Summers. Buffy Anne Summers."

"Willow!"

"What? It's not like he's some serial killer. We've seen all his movies, and I don't think he would be nearly as popular if he went around killing all his fans."

Buffy's head immediately fell into her hands, mortified.

Xander smiled and extended his hand to the redhead.

"Thank you, Miss.?"

"Rosenberg, but call me Willow," she said, taking his hand.

"Thank you, Willow."

And with a nod of his head to Buffy, he turned to start walking back to the bar and had to suppress his laughter when he saw Spike trying to subtly bang his head against the mahogany surface.

"Hey, man, the last name's Summers, and if you're real nice to me the rest of the night, I'll even give you her middle name."

Spike stopped the banging to stare up at Xander incredulously.

"She just gave you her full name?"

"Well, no, but the cute little red-head did, so you've still got it either way."

This time Xander did laugh as his friend dropped his head back to the bar surface.

Chapter 2

"Just a second, Wills," Buffy yelled from her hotel room the next night as she finished putting her earrings in. She stepped away from the mirror and critiqued her reflection. She was wearing a black skirt that fell to her knees that had two slits on each side of her thighs and a white halter that draped low in the front and had a spaghetti strap acting as the halter. Satisfied with what she saw, she slipped on her high-heeled, black sandals and ran for the door just as the knocking resumed.

"Sorry, I took so long."

"That's alright, luv. You're most definitely worth the wait."

"Wh-what're you doing here?" she asked with disbelief evident in her voice.

Spike smiled and glanced at the floor before meeting her eyes again.

"I think we got off on the wrong foot last night, luv."

"I didn't know we got off at all, Mr. Hawthorne."

Buffy's hands flew up to cover her face as she realized what she just said. Spike smiled and took one of her hands to pry it away.

"I really just said that, didn't I?" she asked, mortified.

"Don't worry about it, pet. And the name's Spike. Mr. Hawthorne's a little too stuffy for me."

She smiled and relaxed a little bit. Looking down, she realized their hands were still joined and leaving her with a tingly feeling shooting through her body. She swallowed hard before pulling her hand out of his and looking up into his eyes. After he and his friend left the bar last night, Buffy fully expected to never see him again, and now he was standing here, practically in her hotel room.

"Look, Spike, I don't know what you want from me, but I'm leaving town tomorrow, and I can honestly say I don't have a lot to offer a big movie star."

Spike maintained eye contact and reached up to tuck a piece of long golden hair behind one ear.

"Don't sell yourself short, luv," he said in a low seductive voice.

Buffy tore her eyes away from his and looked down, chewing on her lower lip.

"Miss Summers, I just want to get to know you a little better."

Buffy graced him with a slight smile before nodding.

"Okay, I can accept that, but the name's Buffy. Miss Summers is my mom."

Spike opened his mouth to say something when he heard a gasp behind him. Turning, he noticed the cute redhead from the bar and turned all the way around to offer his hand.

"Miss. Rosenberg, is it?"

Willow offered a little squeak in response and took his hand.

"My friend, Xander, told me your name."

That seemed to snap Willow out of her shock. She smiled at Spike before veering off around him and grabbing Buffy's arm.

"Excuse us for one minute," she said, shutting the door in Spike's face. He had to smile at that and looked down at the floor, shaking his head.

Once safely closed on the other side of the door, Willow spun around to Buffy.

"What happened to not wanting to talk about it and just relaxing while you're here?"

Buffy glanced at the door before replying, "I don't know, Wills, it was just like all resolve flew out the window when I saw him standing there. I mean, he actually went to the trouble of finding me and coming back to talk."

Willow smiled at her friend. "Buffy, I'm all for it if you want to pursue this, but you do realize it would be a fling, right?"

Buffy looked back at the door and nodded. "Maybe that's what I need right now. Not a relationship, just something special, but meaningless."

"Honey, you know I'll support whatever you decide, but it's been six months, and maybe you should be looking for a relationship."

"Wills, you know what I think about that. There's just too many factors to consider before I let myself get involved with anyone else. It's not worth it to get somebody else hurt."

"Buffy."

"No, Willow. It's not worth it."

"Okay.and for the record, it was sweet that he went to the trouble of finding you, but you are staying in the same hotel he saw you in last night," Willow said with a smile.

Buffy smiled and shoved her shoulder lightly. "It's the thought that counts."

"Yeah, I know. So are you going to go out there and ask him to go with us, or should I?"

* * * * *

After picking up Xander in the lobby, the four were now sitting around a table at one of the local clubs.

"So, where are you ladies from?" Xander asked.

"Well, Willow's from here, and I'm from a little town about two hours away from L.A. I've just been here this week visiting my mom and Wills."

"And what town would that be, pet?"

Buffy smiled at him and shook her head. "A town which you don't need to know."

"Ooooh," Xander said. "Shot down!"

Spike glared at him over the table before turning his attention back to Buffy. "Would you like to dance?"

Buffy smiled and took his offered hand, letting him help her off of her stool. She noticed the jealous looks of the other women in the club as Spike pulled her body flush up against his. Her arms wound around his neck as his tightened around her waist. She stared up into his eyes as the song started.

I was counting down the minutes
I was wishin' on the stars
I was praying for a sign
And trying to beat the odds
I was dreaming of you
Love before I saw your face
And there you were
Waiting for that day
Then you reached through the hurricane
When you, baby, you called my name

Buffy's head fell to Spike's chest as tears filled her eyes. She wanted this. She wanted happiness and love and passion. She wanted safety from the story of her life and she couldn't have it.

You broke through the storm
And you turned back the night
Baby, you are the fire
Burnin' the midnight sky
And your love
Keeps taking me higher
Just when all hope was gone
Where the hero belongs.
There you were

Spike's hands separated, pulling Buffy even closer to him, one caressing her lower back while the other slid higher until it was met with the bare skin of her back.

Must have broken into heaven
Just to roll back the clouds
Were you on a mission
Were you seekin' me out
Was I that one in a million
Was I that one sacred kiss
That you couldn't chance
That you just couldn't miss
Then you whisper through the silent tears
When you swept away all my fears

Buffy raised her head to look into the brilliant blue of Spike's eyes. His expression turned worried when he saw the tears shimmering in her hazel ones. He brought one hand up to caress her cheek while the other wound further around her back, nearly encircling her waist.

And you broke through the storm
And you turned back the night
Baby, you are the fire
Burnin' the midnight sky
And your love
Keeps takin' me higher
Just when all hope was gone
Where the hero belongs.
There you were

Spike pressed his forehead to Buffy's as he enjoyed the fact that nobody had ever felt this right in his arms. It felt like he was complete.

Standin' in the middle of nowhere
With your arms wide open and you,
You were the reason when there was no reason
In my life
You're the reason in my life

You broke through the storm
And you turned back the night
Baby, you are the fire
Burnin' the midnight sky
And your love
Keeps takin' me higher
Just when all hope was gone
Where the hero belongs.
There you were

Spike slowly lowered his head to capture her lips with his. The smooth caress of her lips gliding over his nearly made his knees buckle. He had never been this affected by a woman, and he realized he never wanted to let her go.

Like the light in the eye of the storm
Tellin' me not to cry anymore
Where I watched my whole world fall apart
Shinin' through like an angel from afar

You broke through the storm
And you turned back the night
Baby, you are the fire
Burnin' the midnight sky
And your love
Keeps takin' me higher
Just when all hope was gone
Where the hero belongs
There you were

Buffy broke the kiss with a gasp for air as Spike heatedly moved from her jaw to her ear. "Do you wanna get outta here?" he asked in a husky voice.

Buffy didn't trust her own voice, so she just nodded. They headed back to their table where Buffy spoke briefly to Willow who nodded and gave her friend a hug. Spike came around the table and put his hand on the small of her back to lead her out of the club.

Chapter 3

Spike and Buffy barely made it through the front door of his house before lunging at each other. Spike's keys fell to the floor as he kicked the door shut and pivoted, holding on to Buffy while his lips ravaged hers. He pinned her against the door and hurriedly pulled her jacket off. Their lips never breaking contact, they each let their hands roam over the other's body. Buffy ripped open Spike's shirt and ran her nails down the smooth, hard planes of his chest and then planted her hands flat against it and pushed until he was backed into the wall of the foyer. Attacking his lips again, she jumped up and wrapped her legs around him. His hands came up to hold her in place as she reached between their bodies and unzipped him. Pulling his raging erection from the confining material of his pants, she quickly thrust herself onto him.

Spike pulled away to stare up at her in amazement of being sheathed inside her. She stared back at him as they both tried to catch their breath. Getting his bearings, Spike spun them around and pushed her into the wall, moving inside her at a furious pace, almost afraid that she would leave if he didn't. Buffy threw her head back and reached behind her head to get some leverage as she ground herself onto him again and again. The blinding pleasure shooting through both of them was almost enough to make them dizzy. After several minutes of moving together, Spike changed angles to better grind himself against her. Buffy gasped, feeling the tell-tale burning in the pit of her stomach. She pushed herself down onto him again and again, needing to seek out her release. Spike, feeling her body change, slid his hand in between them to circle her clit. When he couldn't hold off his own climax anymore, he pinched it lightly, sending her screaming into oblivion. Satisfied that she was sated, Spike reached around, grabbing her to steady himself and pounded quickly into her, finding his own release just seconds later, spilling himself within her welcoming body.

When the blinding pleasure subsided a minute later, he raised his head from where it was pillowed on her breast and looked at her. Buffy exhaled slowly and then ran her fingers along the sharp contours of his cheekbones before leaning forward and placing a soft kiss on his lips. Suddenly, Spike's eyes snapped up to hers, and his breath caught.

"Oh God, Buffy, I'm sorry.we didn't.I didn't use anything.it all happened so." he stopped when he felt the pressure of her fingertips against his lips.

"Spike, I'm on the pill. It's okay as long as you're." she trailed off, not knowing what to say.

Spike breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm clean, Buffy." And then with a smile he added, "I don't go around. What was it that you said? Oh yes, picking up groupies."

Buffy blushed and buried her head in his shoulder before letting out a gasp. She raised up to meet his eyes and said, "Oh my God, that's me.I-I'm a.groupie!"

Spike let out a loud chuckle before replying, "Trust me, luv, you are anything but that."

Buffy seemed to breathe a little easier at that.

"I'm sorry, it's just that you asked if I wanted to go somewhere, and you didn't even know my name, and."

"It's okay, pet, but for the record, I just wanted to get to know you better."

"Okay, but for your information, you are really hot, so this would have been the outcome of tonight, even if you weren't famous," she said with a bright smile.

"Thanks ever so."

She smiled again, and when she realized that he was still imbedded inside, she felt a blush creeping into her cheeks before straightening her legs to the floor. They separated from each other, both surprised that they already missed being in intimate contact with each other.

"So, would you like to see my bedroom, luv?" Spike asked with a devilish twinkle in his eye. Buffy smiled and took his hand.

"I can't think of anything I'd rather do more."

"Well, I don't know about that. I can think of a few." he cut himself off with a smile as he felt her lightly smack his shoulder.

* * * * *

Spike woke up later than usual the next morning and reached for the warm body he fell asleep next to earlier in the morning. He briefly smiled as the memory of the vigorous night of love-making came back to him, but the smile was gone in an instant when his hand encountered nothing but cold sheets against his fingertips.

"Bloody hell!"

He jumped out of bed and grabbed the closest jeans he could find. Running out of his room and trying to pull a t-shirt over his head, he did a quick search of the house, calling Buffy's name to see if she was still there. Not able to find her, he went searching for his car keys and found them under a plant in the foyer five minutes later. He grabbed his cell phone and ran out of the house.

* * * * *

"'Lo."

"Xander, wake up, it's me."

"Spike? Hey, buddy, what're you doing calling me this early?"

"It's after two, Xand. Listen, I need your help. Did you by any chance get Red's number last night?"

"Willow? Yeah, I've got it around here somewhere, why?"

"I need you to call her and find out where Buffy lives."

"What? Spike, what are you talking about?"

"Xand, I woke up this morning, and she wasn't there. I just left the hotel she was staying at, and all they would tell me was she checked out this morning. They won't tell me where she was going or give out any personal information."

"Alright, man, I'll see what I can do. Give me ten minutes, and I'll call you back."

"Thanks, mate."

Forty-five minutes later, the phone finally rang.

"It's about soddin' time!" he yelled into the phone.

"Chill out, man. It took a little more persuading than I thought to get her to tell me. Anyway, the Buffster lives in a little town called Sunnydale."

"Sunnydale. Okay, man, I think I know where that is. Thank you, and tell Red you owe her a kiss for me."

"How did you.?"

"Xander, you asked for the chit's phone number- that never happens. I knew there had to be something there. Tell her thank you, and thanks again, mate."

* * * * *

Buffy sighed as she watched the sink fill with soapy water to do the dishes later that night. She knew she shouldn't miss him. It was just a fling, a one night stand, and that was it. She pulled her long hair in a high ponytail before starting the dishes. Then why did she feel so miserable?

Hearing the doorbell ring a few minutes later, Buffy sighed again. Looking down at her white spaghetti strap tank top and hip-hugging jeans, she grabbed a dish towel and wiped the excess water off of her hands on the way to the door.

She pulled open the door and gasped at seeing the object of her thoughts on the other side.

Spike stood there in black dress pants and a royal blue dress shirt that made his eyes seem electric. His trademark duster was in place, and he looked at her almost sheepishly before giving her a shy smile.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, swallowing hard.

At that, his smile brightened. "Is that all you ever say when you see me?"

"Well, I'm trying to remember the last time I opened a door and you weren't there, but you didn't answer my question."

Spike frowned slightly at the tone of her voice before pulling a hand out from behind his back and presenting her with a beautiful red rose.

"I missed you."

Buffy gulped again before reaching out and accepting the flower. Instead of releasing it to her, Spike stepped forward with her movement and pressed his lips to hers. Each enjoyed the feel of the other's body too much to let go right away. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her even closer to him. Upon hearing a movement behind the woman in his arms, Spike slowly pulled away and looked over her shoulder. He felt Buffy tense up as he looked back at her in confusion before he glanced over her shoulder again. Buffy turned and walked further into the house to crouch down next to the little girl with blond hair and chocolate brown eyes.

Taking a deep breath, she said, "Spike, I'd like you to meet Caitlyn.my daughter."


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A/N The song is "There You Were" performed by Jessica Simpson and Mark Anthony

Chapter 4


Spike stood frozen in the doorway. Daughter? Buffy has a daughter? After
a minute, he remembered where he was and entered the house, closing the door
behind him. Crouching down in front of the little girl, he smiled and was
pleased when she returned the smile around the thumb she was sucking.

“Hello, Nibblet, my name’s Spike.”

Caitlyn smiled again before walking over to him and giving him a hug. Spike
glanced over at Buffy and saw the shocked look on her face.

“Caitlyn, honey, why don’t you go get your milk out of the fridge.”

“Okay, mommy,” she said, padding her way into the kitchen as both Buffy and
Spike straightened to their natural height.

Spike raised an eyebrow at Buffy. “You’ve got a lot of explaining to do.”

“I know, Spike, and that’s why I didn’t tell you in L.A. I mean, you
weren’t supposed to just show up out of the blue, on my front porch like
some knight in shining armor. It was just supposed to be one night. Just a
nice memory to look back on, and that was all,” she said with a heavy sigh.

“I don’t want just one night, Buffy,” he said, taking a step closer to her
and wrapping his arms around her waist.

“Spike, don’t. There’s things you don’t know and you don’t need to and…”
she trailed off as her daughter walked back into the room, a cup with a
built-in straw clutched between both hands.

Before anyone else could say anything, a loud knocking started at the door.
Buffy froze for a split second before crouching down in front of her
daughter.

“Honey, why don’t you take Spike upstairs and show him your room and all
your toys, okay?”

Caitlyn nodded and reached for Spike’s hand. He took her tiny hand in his
and looked at Buffy with a bewildered expression.

“Spike, please, just give me ten minutes.”

Spike’s expression changed to anger as he looked at the door where the
incessant banging hadn’t stopped.

“Is that him?” he asked with a livid expression.

“Spike, I will explain everything. Just give me a few minutes, okay?”

Spike nodded slightly before allowing himself to be led up the stairs.

Buffy took a long breath before opening the door and nearly fell over with
the force that it flew open.

* * * * *

Spike wandered around Caitlyn’s room as she gave him a running commentary of
all of her toys. It was a typical little girl’s room with a whitewashed
bed, chest, and toy box. A tiny whitewashed desk sat in the corner with
coloring books piled high. The lavender walls complimented the lavender
comforter with hints of pale pink in it. Pink accents also decorated a few
surfaces in the remainder of the room. Spike smiled at the little girl on
the floor telling him all of her dolls' names as she pulled them out of her
toy box, one by one. She was able to relax him with her innocent
explanations, even though it was driving him crazy not being downstairs and
sizing up his competition.

He turned his attention back to Caitlyn. It occurred to Spike that he had
never been a kid-friendly person, but this little girl was a delight. Maybe it
was because she was an extension of Buffy. Whatever the reason, he was a
little surprised by their mutual accepting of each other.

“So, Little Bit, how old are you?”

“Four, next month.”

Spike smiled at the enthusiasm in her voice as he stared at a picture on top
of the chest. Picking it up, he looked at the smiling faces of a younger
Buffy, baby Caitlyn, and a man who was holding her with. He had spiked brown hair and the same brown eyes as the girl sitting at his feet.

“This your daddy, Nibblet?”

Caitlyn stood up from her position on the floor and walked over to Spike.
She stared at the picture for a minute before nodding solemnly.

Chapter 5



Buffy gasped as she jumped away from the door before it cracked her in the
head. She stared up at the large, angry man standing there and gave him a
glare of her own.

“What do you want, Riley?”

“What do you think, Buff?” She cringed at the smell of alcohol rolling off
of him in waves.

She took a step back as he advanced on her, and her lips tightened as he
grabbed both of her arms in his brawny hands. The grip was bruising, and
Buffy felt the tears flood to her eyes but refused to let them fall. This
man had made her cry too much already- she would not give him the
satisfaction of letting him see it. Clenching her teeth together, she looked
up and kept a level gaze with his eyes.

“Where’s Caitlyn, baby?” Buffy shuddered as his mouth descended closer to
her own.

“Why do you care?”

“I just wanted to know if she was in bed before I have my way with her
mother.”

“No!” Buffy ground out as she planted her hands on his chest and shoved.
In his inebriated state, she was able to get a little leverage, and he
stumbled back slightly, falling into the banister.

“You bitch!” Riley punched her, the blow hitting her square in the left
cheekbone and sending her falling against the door. Buffy moaned slightly but
quickly straightened, panting heavily as she felt her arms being pinned
again, and her body crushed and held to the door. She squirmed under his
grasp as he smiled down at her.

“Oh yeah, baby,” he said, bending low to grind his crotch into hers. “Just
like that, don’t stop.”

Buffy managed to get an arm free and clenched her fist before sending it
crashing into his nose.

“Aaagh!” Riley’s hands immediately flew up to his face to the flow of blood
that now fell from it.

“Get out of here, Riley, NOW!”

Riley straightened and his gaze hardened as he stared at her. Buffy felt a
trickle of fear before smashing it down. She would not let him get to her
again. Even as she was putting on a brave front, she felt the crushing
back-handed smack that split open her lip on one side and sent her crashing
into the door once again.

“Get…out,” she said, fixing her eyes on his. Her lips tightened again as
Riley’s descended to meet hers in a kiss.

“Tell my girl I stopped by.”

“She’s not your girl, Riley, and neither am I. If you have a problem with
that, maybe I’ll just call the police, and you can straighten it out with
them." She trembled slightly as his hand came up to touch her damaged cheek.

“You will always be mine, baby,” he said before turning, much to Buffy’s relief, and stumbling out the door.

Buffy felt all of her energy drain out of her as she locked the deadbolt
behind him. She slowly slumped to the floor and looked down at her arms.
There were already irritated, red handprints where he had grabbed her both
times. She saw the evidence of the black and blue marks they would be in a
few hours. Curling her legs up to her body, Buffy gently laid her forehead
on her knees and let the tears fall.

* * * * *

“So, Bit, does your daddy live here?”

“No,” Caitlyn said, before returning her attention back to her dolls.

Spike decided to drop the subject. No use asking a three year old questions
that might be upsetting when Buffy told him she would explain everything.
After a few minutes of listening to Caitlyn tell him about her favorite
bedtime story, Spike glanced at his watch. It had been longer than ten
minutes, and Buffy still hadn’t come up. He’d heard something a few minutes
before that sounded like the door slamming.

“I’m going to go see what’s keeping your mum, Bit.”

“Okie dokie.”

Spike smiled at the phrase he hadn’t heard since he was a boy before
turning and making his way down the hall.

Chapter 6


Spike entered the kitchen and felt a smile pulling on his lips at what he
saw. Buffy stood over the kitchen sink, apparently finishing the dishes.
Her long golden hair had been taken down from its ponytail and now fell in
a silky curtain to the middle of her back. She had pulled on a thick,
hooded black sweater that fell down to her calves but still followed the
curves of her body. His smile was quickly replaced by a frown when he heard
a sniffle.

“Luv…” He pushed off from the doorway and made his way to the sink.

“Spike!” She didn’t turn to look at him. “I’m sorry, I was just on my way
upstairs, but I wanted to get these finished.”

“’S’alright, luv. Is somethin’ wrong?”

“Nope,” she replied vigorously, shaking her head. “What would be wrong?”

“Look at me, pet.”

“I-I have to go tuck Caitlyn in,” she said, taking off for the opposite
doorway.

“Buffy!”

“Spike, please,” she whispered, pausing in the doorway. “I’ll be right
back, just…just wait for me in the living room, okay?”

Before he could respond, she was gone.

* * * * *

Buffy smiled softly at her daughter as she tucked her in.

“Was it him, mommy?” she asked quietly.

“Yes, baby, it was, but there is nothing to be scared of. Mommy pinkie
swore nobody would hurt you, remember?”

Caitlyn smiled before hugging her mother’s stuffed pig Mr. Gordo to her
chest and closing her eyes. Buffy stood up and made her way to the door.

“Mommy?”

“Yes, sweetheart.”

“I like Spike. He’s fun, and he calls me silly names.”

Buffy smiled. “I’m glad, Punkin. Good night.”

Buffy walked into the hall bathroom to survey her reflection. Her left
cheekbone was swelling and tinged a purple shade, and the right side of her
bottom lip was split open. She gingerly touched her cheek and winced at the
immediate pain that flared up. Sighing, Buffy ran a brush through her hair
and headed downstairs.

* * * * *

Buffy slowly walked into the living room with her eyes downcast. She had
seen Spike from the stairs, sitting on the couch, and she knew she wasn’t
ready for this, but she bit the bullet and walked over to sit down next to
him.

“God, Buffy! What happened to you?” Spike practically yelled as he pulled
her hair back from her face to get a look at her.

“Spike, there’s some things we need to talk about.”

“Yeah, like what the hell happened to your face!”

“Look,” she said jumping up, her nerves frazzled . “If you're just going to
run a commentary on my appearance, then we’re wasting our time, and you can
just leave!”

“Buffy, I’m sorry,” he said, grabbing her arm before she could reach the
door. He froze when he heard the soft cry of pain at his touch.
Tentatively, he took a step closer and carefully shed the sweater off one
arm. His expression darkened at the handprint that remained. Turning his
attention to her other arm, he repeated the action, his expression turning to
one of pure rage.

“Who did this to you?” he ground out between clenched teeth.

“It’s not important right now…”

“The hell it isn’t!” he yelled. “Did this just happen?”

“Spike, I-“

“Tell me.”

“Yes, but-“

“Bloody hell, why didn’t you come get me?!” he demanded as he began pacing
around the living room. “Buffy, I was in the house. I wouldn’t have let this happen. Why didn’t you-“

“Spike! First of all, I can take care of myself. Secondly,” she continued,
ignoring the scoff he sent her way. “Please, just sit down and let me
explain.”

“Oh yeah, pet, you can clearly take care of yourself,” he said, his voice
edged in sarcasm.

“Spike…”

“Alright, I’m listening.”

Chapter 7

Buffy pulled her sweater over her arms again as Spike resumed his earlier position on the couch.

"Okay," she began, sitting next to him. "It all started when I was sixteen." At Spike's confused look, she continued. "Just trust me, it will all come together. When I was sixteen, I met this guy. He was funny, and strong, and mysterious." Spike hated him already. "My mom wasn't too happy. He was.older, and more experienced in everything, and I was just some dumb kid with a crush. We tried to stay away from each other, but things never work out the way you expect them to," she said with a breathy smile, staring into Spike's eyes. He gave a small smile at the double-meaning and leaned forward to caress her uninjured cheek.

"Anyway, we started spending more and more time together, and eventually emotions started to get the better of us. I loved him, and I wanted him to be my first." She paused, trying to get her thoughts in order. "So, on my seventeenth birthday, he took me out to dinner, and later we went back to his place. Eventually, one thing led to another, and I got my wish," she said with a shrug. "However, I ended up getting pregnant. You see, I was on the Pill, but I was also taking another medicine at the time, and, surprise surprise, the effects of that cancelled out the birth control. So, I found myself pregnant at seventeen and shockingly enough, everyone was okay with it. Even my mom, though she was disappointed in me at first, but I'm her baby, so she got over it. I worked hard and graduated a year early, which had been my plan all along, and Angel asked me to marry him. I accepted the proposal, but I told him I didn't want to get married because of the baby, and I'd like to get my life together. He was very understanding, and we agreed the wedding should be after I graduated college. I went for a half semester before Caitlyn was born in October, and then I started full-time the following January. I moved in with Angel and everything was great. He was a wonderful father and was very attentive to anything either of us ever needed."

Buffy paused, her eyes watering a little, and Spike laced his fingers through hers, holding tightly to her. She looked at him with a grateful smile and squeezed his hand.

"I asked Angel to run out to the store one night to get a few things we were missing. And h-he.he never came home," she trailed off as a sob took over. Spike wrapped her in his arms and held her while she cried. Unsure of how he felt about her crying over another man, he just slowly rocked her back and forth.

"I killed him," she whispered, clutching at his arms.

"What?!"

"He never would have been out if it wasn't for me. Th-there was a drunk driver and.and h-he." she trailed off with another sob. "I sent him out that night. I told him I loved him.and I kissed him.and I killed him."

"Oh, luv," he said, pulling away from her slightly to cup her face in his hands. "It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known, and you didn't tell the other bloke to drive that night. Don't blame yourself."

Spike planted a soft kiss on her lips, carefully avoiding her injury.

"What else?" he asked, gently pulling her hair away from her face to look at the bruising. Where does all this come in to play?"

Buffy took a deep breath before continuing. "After the funeral, I went into a deep depression. I started thinking of all the things Angel would be missing and how he only heard Caitlyn say da-da once and she was learning to crawl. It never occurred to me that I was missing out on so much while I was busy being miserable. My mom moved in with me for a while and took care of Caity. I snapped out of it a little when school started again and slowly went through the motions. Mom watched Caitlyn for me, and I took summer and night classes to get my Associates Degree even faster. A few months after Angel died, mom told me she was moving back to L.A. She had an opportunity to start an art gallery that was a lot bigger than the one she had here. The opportunity was just too great to ignore, so she made all the arrangements. She appointed me the manager of the gallery in town, and I got my degree and am slowly working on buying it from her.

"Around the time of Caitlyn's first birthday, while I was still in school, one of Angel's friends started coming around a lot. He said he wanted to check up on us and that Angel told him to watch out for us if anything ever happened to him. A few months went by, and Riley and I started casually dating. A few more months, and he pretty much took it upon himself to move in. I wasn't really sure how I felt about that, but he was comforting...for a while.

"Slowly, I noticed how he was alienating me from everyone. My friends, my family- he was monopolizing all of my time to where it was just me and him. He even wanted Caitlyn to start calling him daddy. I said no, that she already had a father and I would not put the idea in her head that Riley was him and Angel never existed. One night, after we'd had yet another fight about him in the role of Caitlyn's father, he lost his temper. He told me I was overreacting to something so meaningless and that he was the one raising her. I informed him that I was the one who was raising her and if he had a problem with that, then he knew where the door was. That pushed him over the edge and things got out of hand, and he hit me."

Spike sucked in his breath sharply at that.

"The abuse continued for a long time. I-it was only me, though, so I figured that it was my fault, that I was somehow asking for it or egging him on.I don't know. I never left him alone with Caity, and he started resenting me for that. One night six months ago, I was fixing supper and heard her crying. I ran upstairs, thinking Riley was in the shower, only to find him yelling at her for not picking up her toys. He raised his hand to hit her, and I snapped. I kicked him out after a huge fight and told him to never come back. He always does, though, and if I don't want to let him, which I never do, he just breaks a window to get in the house.

"I've tried to get a restraining order, but all that does is get him put in jail for a night where he can sit and plot how he's going to punish me for having him incarcerated. Eventually, I just stopped reporting him, knowing that the beatings I get are a lot easier the first time around rather than dreading him showing up the next night and giving a repeat performance.

"So, there you have it.my dysfunctional life in a nutshell. So, now you know why I was in Los Angeles this past week. Caitlyn was staying with my mom in her apartment, and Mom paid for me to stay in the hotel so it could be like a real vacation and I could have some privacy for a while. She knew how much I needed a break from the hell that is usually my life."

Buffy finished the story with a huge exhale of air and turned to face Spike. He sat there, almost in a daze.

"I-I'll understand if.i-if you don't want to stay," she said softly.

Buffy nearly cried when she saw him stand up.

"I need some time, luv," he said, putting his jacket on and heading for the door.

"I understand," she whispered as she followed him. He turned around when he reached the door and saw her staring down at the floor.

"Buffy," he said, putting a finger under her chin and lifting her face up to his. "I'm not leaving town. I'm here for a while. I just need a night to think about this." He paused, seeming to consider something. "Will he come back tonight?"

"No," she whispered. "He's probably already passed out somewhere by now."

"Okay, luv." He pressed a small card into her hand. "Here's my cell number. Call me if you need anything at all. And Buffy.I want you to be able to trust me when I say, I will be back."

With that, he pressed his mouth to hers. Moaning, she wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss, injured lip be damned. His mouth parted, and their tongues met and embraced as his arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her body against his. He thrilled in the feel of her soft curves molding to his body and the breathy whimpers coming from her lips. Breaking apart, panting, a few moments later, Spike pressed another gentle kiss on her forehead.

"I'll see you soon, luv, I promise," he whispered before turning and walking out the door.

Once he was safely in his car, he whipped his cell phone out of his pocket.

"Gunn...yeah, it's me...listen, I need a big favor."

Chapter 8


Spike stood outside Buffy’s front door a few days later, holding two large
pizzas and a two liter of cola. He heard the thud of little footsteps
running through the house and saw the living room curtains flutter.

“Mommy! It’s for you!” Caitlyn’s muffled voice shouted from inside the
house. A minute later, a flushed-looking Buffy answered the door. Spike
took in her loose-fitting white cotton pants and her long-sleeved black
shirt. Frowning, Spike raised an eyebrow at her shocked face.

“You came back,” she murmured.

“Told you I would. I also come bearing pepperoni and cheese…may I come in?”

“Oh, of course,” she said, stepping out of his way. Spike was then assaulted
by a blur of blonde hair and bouncing movements.

“Uncle Spike! Uncle Spike! You’re back, and you brought pizza!”

Spike laughed at the rambunctious child and handed the pizzas to Buffy.
“That’s right, Little Bit,” he said, bending down to her level. “And guess
what? If you’re a good girl and mommy says it’s okay, we’ll go out for ice
cream later.”

“YAY!!”

As Caitlyn took off for the kitchen, her mother and Spike followed at a
slower pace.

“What can I say? The girl loves her ice cream.”

“Apparently,” Spike agreed with a smirk.

Buffy quickly fixed her daughter a plate of the gooey substance and settled
her in the dining room before rejoining Spike in the kitchen.

“You didn’t have to come back, Spike,” she said quietly. “I would have
understood. Truth be told, I didn’t really expect to see you again.”

“Told you I’d be back, didn’t I? Besides, I didn’t get a chance to get to
know the Little Bit the other night, and I thought tonight would be just as
good as any.”

“Thank you.”

“For what, luv?”

“For making an effort. For letting Caitlyn know that she’s important to
someone other than me.”

“That’s because she is important, just like her mommy is. Now…I don’t seem
to recall getting any kind of welcoming kiss,” he finished with a smirk.

“Well, since you requested one so subtly, I guess that can be arranged,”
Buffy replied with a smile of her own. Leaning forward, Buffy lightly
brushed her lips to his in a teasing peck.

Spike reached out, wrapping his arms around her waist and dragging her
forward until she was pressed against his chest. “Now, you can do better
than that, luv.”

Sealing his lips to hers, an electric current almost seemed to buzz through
them as they got reacquainted with the sensation of the other.

“Eeeeeeww!”

Buffy and Spike broke apart to turn and stare at the smiling little girl in
the doorway.

“Can we help you?” asked Spike in a teasing tone.

“I’m thirsty.”

Buffy extracted herself from her lover and went to get a glass of milk for
her daughter. After returning to the kitchen to collect her own plate,
Buffy caught Spike’s glance across the island. “The price of dating a single
mother.”

Spike simply smiled and nodded before accepting a plate and heading into
the dining room.

* * * * *

Spike sat in Buffy’s living room later that night, waiting for her to finish
with Caitlyn’s nighttime routine. It had been an eventful night after
taking them both for ice cream- Caitlyn had proceeded to bounce all the way
home from the sugar rush. It had already taken Buffy nearly an hour to get
her to go to sleep, and Spike had been patiently waiting for her to return to
him.

“Sorry,” a soft voice said from the doorway. Spike turned to the voice and
smiled at the vision in front of him. Physically, she looked no different
than she had all night, but on the trip downstairs, she seemed to switch from
‘Mommy-mode’ to ‘Woman-mode.’

“Spike, I think we need to talk.”

“Well, no good conversation ever starts with that phrase,” he said as Buffy
made her way to the couch. Spike flipped off the TV and turned to face her.

“Look, Spike, I think it’s only fair that if you’re going to leave, it
should be now.”

“What do you mean, luv?” he asked with a confused look on his face.

“I mean, I don’t want Caitlyn to be getting more attached than she is
already if you’re not going to be there.”

“Buffy, have I given you any indication that I don’t want to be here?”

“Not yet,” she said softly.

“Buffy.” He turned her chin up to look at him. “What are you worried
about?”

“I’m worried that I’m going to get too attached, and one day, you won’t be
here. I can get over it- I’ve been there before- but you didn’t know what
you were getting yourself into when you came to find me. How did you find
me anyway?”

“That’s for me to know,” he said with a playful smile.

“Willow blabbed,” she said with a nod.

“Hey! That was my informant. You weren’t supposed to guess her that quick,”
he said indignantly.

Buffy laughed at the look on his face. “I’m sorry, but unless you were able
to track down my mom, that pretty much left only one option.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Buffy’s expression suddenly turned serious. “It was just a fling, Spike. It
wasn’t supposed to mean anything.”

“It did, though.”

“I know. I’ve been trying to deny it, but I can’t. Spike, you need to know
that first and foremost my daughter is my number one priority. If you can’t
handle that, then I’ll understand. I know there aren’t too many guys who
would want to be in that kind of relationship.”

“Buffy, I’m not most guys.”

Buffy smiled at the admission. “I’ve learned that much already. At least
you’ve been honest with me so far.”

Spike sighed. “In that case, I think now would be a good time to let you
know something.”

“This doesn’t sound good,” she said with a nervous little half-smile.

“It’s not bad. It’s just you may not like the idea at first.”

“So tell me.”

“I have a friend in L.A. Known him my whole life, and I gave him a call
after I left the other night. I asked him to come here and keep an eye on
you when I can’t.”

“Keep an eye on me? Spike, I don’t need a baby-sitter.”

“I disagree, luv.”

“Disagree all you want to! This is my life, Spike. I can take care of
myself.”

“Why are you wearing those pants, Buffy?”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“I have a right to wear whatever I want.”

“Buffy, what did he do?”

Buffy leveled her gaze to his, giving Spike an icy look. “I can take care of
myself.”

“Damn it, Buffy!” he yelled, jumping off the couch. “Someone’s got to put
that ponce in his place. Now what did he do to you?”

“I gave as good as I got. I don’t need to be pampered and overprotected.”

“What about Caitlyn?” he asked angrily, gesturing up to the next floor.
“What happens when he’s had enough of you and decides to finish you off and
take her with him?” Softening his voice, Spike sat down next to her and
took her hand in his, “Buffy, I just met you, and already, I can’t bear the
thought of losing you or her. Let me do this for you, please.”

“What do you want to do?” she asked in a resigned voice.

Chapter 9


Spike spent the next hour explaining everything that was going to change.
Gunn would watch the house whenever Spike wasn’t around. He was instructed
to take Buffy and Caitlyn anywhere they wanted to go as long as they were
never alone. What Spike didn’t tell her was Charles Gunn would also be
doing some research into Riley Finn and building up a nice solid case for
Spike to hand over to his lawyer.

Spike walked up to his hotel room with a heavy sigh. He bypassed his own
suite to knock on the door next to his and gave the man a nod as it swung
open.

“What’s up, man?”

“I’ve got the information, Gunn.”

“Come on in.”

Spike walked through the hotel room and sat down on the couch, glancing
through the papers Gunn had spread out on the coffee table. He picked up a
black and white surveillance photo of Buffy playing with Caitlyn in their
front yard. Judging from the clothes they were wearing, the picture was
taken just a few hours before Spike arrived.

“Just took a couple of shots, had to get familiar with the area and the
people,” Gunn said, tidying up the space a little bit.

“Yeah, I know…what’d you find out about Finn?”

“Unfortunately, not a lot. The guy isn’t exactly a model citizen from what
I hear, but I never even got close enough to see what he looks like, and in a
small town like this, I begin asking questions, and it will get back to him.”

“There were no pictures of his in the house, and Buffy’s a small woman, so
this guy could be any size.”

“My thoughts exactly, but here’s the kicker of the situation- the guy has
been detained more than once for various reasons- violating the restraining
order, domestic violence, disturbing the peace, and the list keeps going,
but guess where Prince Charming is employed?”

“Do I even want to know?”

“Riley Finn,” Gunn continued, pulling a paper from the stack and reading
from it. “Age 28-graduated top of his class at Sunnydale High-full
scholarship to UC Sunnydale-the average nice guy based on his looks and
sober personality. According to my informant, currently employed as football
coach and part-time Phys. Ed. teacher at Sunnydale High School.”

“You’re kidding me? They let this guy work around kids?”

“According to my informant at the police station, the principal at the
school is a first class Nazi. Finn was his prized student the entire four
years, and he judges his arrest record as trumped up charges created by a
former student who was a bit of a troublemaker…namely Buffy Summers.”

“So this guy ignores everything the police tell him, including physical
evidence that his employee is beating up a woman and continues to let him
work with no reprimand of any kind?”

“Oh, but the plot thickens. Apparently, Finn disappeared a few years ago
and was gone for a year. Nobody has any idea where he was, and he hasn’t
told a soul.”

“So where does this leave us?” Spike asked.

“Well, next week, the coach of the Sunnydale High Razorbacks is going to be
getting a visit from a concerned uncle. Said uncle is expecting his star
quarterback nephew to be moving in with him before the end of the school
year and is concerned that he will be receiving the best coaching possible
if Sunnydale is the place he attends.”

Spike let a slow smile overtake his face as he realized what Gunn was
telling him. “What happens if he wants the fictitious quarterback to start
before the end of the current season?”

“Well, my friend,” Gunn said with a smile. “That would be impossible since
he lives across the country and his parents are going through a messy
divorce, in which case he is needed there for the proceedings.”

“Chucky, you almost have me convinced, and I know there is no nephew,” Spike
said with a smile.

“What can I say? I missed my calling as an actor. And don’t call me Chucky-
makes me sound like some homicidal toy. So what do you have for me?”

“Well, as of right now, Finn seems to be coming after Buffy exclusively.
She did mention he wants Caitlyn to think of him as her father, so eventually,
I think he might try and make that little bit of his imagination a reality.”

“Okay, so what’s the plan? You want me to keep an eye on Buffy for now?”

“No. I don’t think he’ll come after Buffy during the day. Nobody’s ever
witnessed the amount of abuse he’s inflicted on her as he was doing it, so
right now, it’s just town gossip. I don’t think he’d be willing to risk his
reputation just to pick a fight with her. ‘Sides, she seems convinced that
she can take care of herself.”

“And you don’t agree?”

“If it was just her, I’d say she could defend herself, for the most part.
Throw a kid into the mix, and she gets more preoccupied with protecting her
daughter, which any mother would in her right mind. From what I’ve seen,
this guy doesn’t hold back when it comes to claiming what he thinks is
his.”

“Yeah, I noticed evidence of that when I was observing them earlier,” Gunn
said with a grim expression.

“Yeah, I wish I could show him how it feels to be the one terrorized for a
while.”

“Man, you’ve got it bad,” Gunn said with a smile.

“What?”

“Look at you, Spike. How long have you known this girl? A few days? You
follow her to town, find out about a shady past and immediately call me to keep
an eye on her. I’ve never seen you this overprotective of someone who’s not
a family member. Especially not a girl with a kid.”

“She’s special, Gunn.”

“Yeah, I get that.”

“Speaking of which, Caitlyn goes to a daycare center called Once Upon a
Time, it’s over on Elm Street. Buffy drops her off at 7:30 Monday through
Thursday and picks her up at 5:30.”

“From what I hear, Riley’s hours at the school are 10:00 until 6:00 with an
hour off for lunch. You want me to keep an eye on him, or Caitlyn?”

“Caitlyn. I don’t know enough about Riley to trust that he doesn’t have
friends who would help him out. Buffy said you have to be authorized to
sign a child out of the center, but what can a few teachers do if a man
comes in with the intention of taking the child?”

“You’re really worried he’s going to try and take her?”

“Judging from what I’ve heard, I think he would do anything to get control
of Buffy’s life.”

* * * * *

Buffy lay on her couch with a mug of hot chocolate later that night. After
Spike had left with a promise to come back on Saturday and take them out to
a movie, she had changed into a pair of loose cotton shorts. Now, as she was
sitting there, staring at the damage to her legs, she said a silent prayer of
thanks that Spike had forgotten to question her anymore about the events of
the other night. When she agreed to let his friend keep an eye on
them, he seemed so relieved he hadn’t pushed the subject of the latest Riley
thrashing.

She hadn’t been lying when she said she gave as good as she got. Caitlyn
had been spending the night with a friend from daycare, and Buffy hadn’t
hesitated to swing a lamp into Riley’s face to get him away from her.
However, she hadn’t been quick enough to escape without several angry marks
to her upper legs. With a heavy sigh, Buffy stood up to rinse out her mug
and head to bed, her thoughts plagued with the next round of abuse she was
set to endure.

Chapter 10


Spike led both Caitlyn and Buffy out of the crowded theater the next night
to the street outside. Caitlyn had a firm hold on his hand while his other
arm was securely wrapped around Buffy’s waist. They had a great time
watching the movie and throwing pieces of popcorn at each other. Spike made
sure to buy Caitlyn anything her little heart desired, much to the
exasperation of her mother. Both simply ignored Buffy’s looks as she filled
her little tummy with as many sugary and gooey substances as she could
handle. Buffy made empty threats that when she woke up sick in the middle
of the night, she would be calling Spike to come over and take care of her.
Spike had simply smiled and nodded in agreement to pacify the woman whom he
was growing more and more attached to.

Spike stopped in the middle of the sidewalk as he felt Caitlyn’s hand grab
his in a tiny, forceful grip. Looking down at the little girl, he saw a look
of terror on her face before he followed her line of vision. Standing five
yards away was a bulky, fuming man with his hands clenched into fists.
Spike shot a look to Buffy and saw her mouth set in a tight line. “Riley.”

Understanding dawned on Spike as he leveled his eyes back to the man. Spike
quickly sized up Riley Finn and found him sorely lacking. Yes, he was big
and broad, but he clearly spent all his time pumping weights and no time
actually working out. Cautiously, Spike tugged on Caitlyn’s hand and pulled
the frightened little girl behind him, shielding her from the man who was
slowly advancing on them.

“So, what’s this?” he asked, directing his question to Buffy, never
leaving Spike’s watchful stare. “One big, happy family out for a night on
the town? Gotta hand it to ya, Buff. I never thought you’d land anyone
famous, but then, you always did have your talents in the bedroom.”

That did it. Spike took two long strides to the man in front of him before
letting his fist fly to land squarely in his gut. Relishing the grunt of
pain as Riley doubled over; Spike grabbed the back of the man’s hair and
jerked his head up to look him in the eye and spoke in a low, menacing
voice. “Keep the hell away from MY girls.”

Bringing his knee up to Riley’s face, Spike let him drop to the ground,
delighting in the fact that the man hadn’t even managed to get a swing in.
Turning back to Buffy and Caitlyn, he watched as Buffy was crouched in front
of her daughter, gently soothing her fears. Walking over, he swiftly bent
down to scoop the little girl into his arms. “Everything’s okay, Little
Bit.”

Caitlyn smiled at his soothing tone and wrapped her little arms around his
neck. Ignoring the growing crowd of people surrounding them, Spike grasped
Buffy’s hand in his and led them away from the curled up form of Riley Finn.

* * * * *

Later that night, after Caitlyn was tucked safely into her bed, Buffy
carefully applied an icepack to Spike’s bruised knuckles.

“You shouldn’t have hit him, you know,” she stated.

“Maybe not, but I wasn’t going to let him get away with talking to you like
that.”

“Spike-“

“No, Buffy, I already did it, and I’d do it again, so don’t tell me I
shouldn’t have.”

“I was going to say thank you,” she said quietly. Spike looked at her for a
long moment before pulling her closer and sliding his lips over hers.

Buffy gasped at the sudden kiss but eagerly wrapped her arms around his
neck and deepened it. Spike dropped the icepack and enveloped her in his
embrace. Breaking away after a few minutes, Spike looked deep into her
eyes. “We shouldn’t do this tonight.”

“I know,” she whispered.

Giving her one last kiss, Spike pulled away and stood up with Buffy
following him. Holding her hand, he turned around to face her when he
reached the door. "I’ve got to go to L.A. for a few days and finish up some
voiceover work on my latest movie. I’ll be back by Wednesday. Will you go
out to dinner with me?”

“Like a date?” she asked with a smile.

“I figured it’s long past,” he replied.

“It’s a date,” she said with a bright smile. Spike brought her hand up to
his lips for a gentle kiss.

“I’ll see you in a few days, luv.”

* * * * *

Spike gave Gunn a call on his way home a few days later.

“’Lo?” Gunn said with a yawn.

“Hey, man, how’s everything going?”

“Actually, Spike, it’s a little unusual. Buffy dropped her daughter off
with a friend of hers last night. A woman named Winifred Burkle, goes by
the name Fred. Anyway, Fred owns the daycare center Caitlyn goes to, and she
also has a daughter that’s about a year older, but the strange thing was,
Caitlyn spent the night last night, went to the center with Fred, and then
went back home with Fred later today. I’m outside the house right now.”

“Where’s Buffy?”

“I gave her a call, introduced myself, and asked her if everything was okay.
She said she was just not feeling well today. I asked her if Riley was
there with her and told her to just give me a yes or no answer. She said he
wasn’t, so I’ve been keeping an eye on the kid. I think there was something
wrong, though, Spike.”

“I’m on my way over there,” he said, disconnecting the phone.

Knocking on Buffy’s door a few minutes later, Spike waited impatiently on
the other side. When she didn’t answer the door, he tried the doorbell.

“Buffy, it’s me!”

He saw the living room curtains move and then the sound of locks turning.
When the door was flung open, Spike had to grab the doorframe to keep
upright. Buffy hurled herself into his arms with fresh tears streaming
down her wounded face. Spike took a moment to comfort her before leading
her into the house and shutting the door behind them. Away from prying
eyes, Spike pulled away and gently touched her battered cheeks.

“Luv, what did he do?” he asked softly.

Buffy simply shook her head, trying to turn away from him. Spike wrapped
his arms around her waist and stiffened at the sharp cry. Tentatively,
Spike pulled off the extra-large sweatshirt she was wearing, revealing inch
after inch of formerly tanned skin. The bronze color was now tinted a dark
purple, cuts in various places on her back. The discoloration only stood out more against the stark white contrast of her bra. Turning her around, Spike tasted the bile in his mouth at the bruises that covered her stomach and the discolored skin of her chest. Upon closer examination, Spike noticed what he assumed were teeth indentations in the soft skin of her breasts. Swallowing hard as he looked back to her face, he tried
to pull Buffy’s hands away from her crying eyes.

“Buffy, luv, tell me,” he whispered comfortingly.

When she didn’t respond after a few moments, Spike cautiously hooked his
fingers on each side of her baggy cotton pants. Slowly, he began to drag
them downward to inspect the rest of the damage done to her, but froze
when he felt Buffy’s body go rigid against his touch. Seconds later, she
shoved Spike hard against the front door and curled herself into a fetal
position, burying her face in her knees and wrapping her arms protectively around
herself. “NO! No, don’t touch me…I don’t want you to touch me!”

Spike stayed where he was for a few minutes, his heart aching for the
distressed woman before him.

“Luv, please tell me,” he said softly, slowly inching his way toward her
cowering form. With a soft caress, he gently stroked her hair, “Please.”

Buffy looked into Spike’s eyes, seeming to remember who he was, and for
the second time that night, launched herself into his waiting arms. Spike
lightly held her, not wanting to harm her anymore, and planted tender kisses
along her shoulder and neck as she cried.

“H-he r-raped me,” she whispered quietly.

Spike felt anger cloud his vision as images of Riley Finn’s broken body
entered his thoughts.

“That son of a bitch! I’m gonna kill him!” he yelled, jumping to his feet and heading for the door.

Chapter 11


As Spike reached the front door, he heard her soft voice. “Please, no.
Please don’t leave me.”

Turning back to the woman on the floor, Spike seemed to remember what
he needed to do. Dropping to his knees, he gathered Buffy into his arms
and stood up, heading upstairs to her bedroom. Entering the room, he
carefully deposited her on the bed before walking to the bathroom and quickly
filling up the tub with steaming water and bubbles. Upon re-entering the room,
Spike felt his heart break at the muffled sobs coming from the bed. Carefully
approaching her, he slowly ran a hand down her back, only to pull it away when he saw her flinch.

“Pet, I’ve got you a bath all ready to go. Come on, baby, you need to get up.”

Buffy allowed Spike to help her into the bathroom, cringing as he stripped away
her remaining clothes. He noticed as she covered her body,
ashamed of the damage that had been inflicted to it.

“Don’t, sweetheart. You did nothing wrong,” he said, taking a hand and
helping her into the tub. Buffy seemed to relax as she became immersed
in the bubbles, slowly leaning back and closing her eyes.

“I’ll be right back, pet.”

Buffy’s eyes snapped open in panic. “Don’t leave.”

“I’m not going to leave, baby. I’ve just gotta make a phone call.”

Buffy nodded and watched with some trepidation as Spike left the room.

Safely out of hearing distance, Spike whipped out his cell phone and
dialed Gunn’s number.

“Hey, man, everything okay?”

“No,” he ground out.

Gunn immediately sat up straighter at the tone of voice. “What happened?”

“He raped her, Gunn.”

“What!?! That bastard!”

“I need you to call your friend at the Sunnydale PD and tell them they
need to get a warrant ready to arrest Riley Finn. And they better hope to
find him before I do.”

“Alright, man, I’ll call right now, but you do know you’ll have to get
her to a hospital so they can evaluate her, right?”

“I’ll get her there.”

“Spike, how’s she doing?”

“Not too good, mate. Flinches at every move I make…nearly took my head
off when I was checking her over. She’s a strong woman, but this is bad.”

“Yeah, I’ll call in a few favors and keep an eye on Caitlyn. Tell
Buffy she’s in safe hands.”

“I will. Thanks, Gunn.”

Spike entered the bathroom again and was pleased to see a soft smile
grace her lips when she saw him.

“Baby, I’ll need to take you to a hospital, let them check you out.”

Before the full sentence was out of his mouth, Buffy began vigorously
shaking her head. “No, I-I don’t wanna go.”

“Buffy, pet, I know you don’t want to, but you’re going to have to report this. That wanker can’t get away with doing something like this, and if the police don’t get him, then I’m going to have to go after him.”

Buffy seemed to study him long and hard, realizing he was serious. She gave a slight nod. “Okay.”

Spike went to lay out some clean clothes for her as she got out of the
tub. He jumped a little when he felt a pair of small arms wrap around his
waist. Spike smiled as he felt her lay her head down on his back and relax.
Bringing his own hands up to carefully rub her arms, he turned around slowly and embraced her. Spike planted gentle kisses on top of her head as she held onto him and didn’t dare move until she was ready.

“Thank you for being here,” he heard her whisper.

“Wish I was here when I was needed,” he murmured, unconsciously
gripping her a little tighter.

“You’re needed now.”

“I know, pet, but you know what I mean.”

“It would have happened anyway. There’s nothing you could have done.”

“Oh, there’s plenty I could have done, luv,” he said with hatred evident in his voice.

“You know what I mean.”

“Yeah,” he said, giving her head another kiss. “You should probably get dressed.”

Spike stopped before leaving the room. “Gunn said to tell you Caitlyn’s safe. He’s keeping an eye on things.”

“Tell him thank you the next time you talk to him.”

“I will,” Spike said, turning again to leave the room, only to stop when she softly called his name.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what, pet?”

“For everything. For not trusting you enough in the beginning. For not
listening when you first told me about Gunn. Most of all, for not having the
strength to do anything about Riley.”

“Buffy, you have nothing to be sorry about. You did nothing wrong,” he
said compassionately. “Now, get dressed. I’ll be here.” He gestured toward
the hallway and left the room.

* * * * *

Spike held Buffy’s hand through the entire examination. As the police
officers asked her questions regarding her relationship with Riley, Spike
felt himself tense slightly at hearing a detailed description of the rape,
upset at himself for leaving her alone. As Buffy was led into a different
room for her injuries to be photographed and catalogued, Spike made his
way over to a group of police officers, discreetly listening in on their
conversation. Smiling after a moment when he heard that Riley had been
picked up and was arrested, the smile broadened when he heard that he
was in rough shape.

“The girl looks bad, but from what I hear, she inflicted a helluva lot on
the guy,” said one of the officers.

“Yeah, I heard he had a broken nose, sprained wrist, and an array of
bruises of his own,” said another. “She’s definitely a survivor.”

Spike turned and headed back to wait for Buffy. He was proud of her
despite the horrible circumstances.

While he was waiting, Spike grabbed Buffy’s bag and looked through it until
he located her cell phone. Scrolling through the phone book, he found an
L.A. number for Joyce Summers and dialed it.

“Hello?”

“Mrs. Summers?”

“Yes, who is this?”

“My name is Will Hawthorne,” he said, deciding it was better to use his
given name. “I’m a friend of Buffy’s.”

“Will Hawthorne? Aren’t you an actor?”

“Yes, I usually go by Spike. I met your daughter when she made her recent
trip to L.A.”

“Why are you calling? Is something wrong with Buffy?”

“First and foremost, Buffy is just in the next room, but we are in a
hospital. Joyce…I’m afraid your daughter has been raped.”

Spike listened to her sharp intake of breath as she tried to come to
terms with it. “My baby girl! How is she?”

“She’s strong, Joyce. The doctors just examined her, and a policeman is
with her right now. I thought she would want you to know.”

“Of course, I’ll be there as soon as I can. Who did….Riley.”

“Yes. I just heard that he was arrested a few minutes ago."

“I knew something like this was going to happen. I should have said
something.”

“There’s nothing you could have done, but I understand how you feel.”

“What about Caitlyn?” she asked with fear in her voice.

“She’s fine. She’s been staying with her daycare teacher. I have a friend
of mine watching the house to make sure she stays safe.”

“Thank you, Mr. Hawthorne.”

“It’s Spike,” he said, and then as an afterthought, “or Will.”

“Thank you, Spike. I’m glad my daughter has a friend like you. Will
you tell Buffy I’ll be there in a few hours?”

“Of course. I’ll see you soon.”

Spike hung up the phone as the door swung open, revealing a slightly
more relaxed Buffy.

“Ready to go, luv?”

She nodded and reached for him. Spike immediately drew her into his
arms, wrapping his coat around her shivering body. He smiled at the
sympathetic hospital staff and officers who were watching the touching display, and led
her out of the hospital.

Chapter 12


Around midnight, Spike tucked Buffy into the bed in his hotel room.
Buffy had talked to Joyce for a few minutes, and it was decided that she
would go pick up Caitlyn while Spike took Buffy to rest in the hotel. Nobody
wanted the little girl to see her mother in such a terrible condition. Spike
had called Gunn, who, surprisingly, was watching a movie with Fred and the
two little girls and let him know what was going on. He found out Buffy
had called Fred and told her about the arrangement, so Fred, being the
sweet individual that she was, had walked outside and promptly introduced
herself to him. The two hit it off and had been enjoying the two girls
re-enact “The Little Mermaid” as it was playing on the VCR.

“I’ll check on you soon, luv,“ Spike said as he stared at the blonde
woman in his bed and tenderly kissed her forehead before turning and heading
to the living room of the suite. Spike looked up a few minutes later at the
soft knock on the door. Checking the peephole before opening, he greeted
Gunn, standing on the other side.

“You done for the night?” Spike asked, rubbing his eyes.

“Nah, just stopped by for a change of clothes, wanted to check on her.
How is she?”

“She’s dealing. Did you meet Joyce?”

“Yeah, nice lady. Told me I’m not allowed to sleep in the car. She’s got
the couch all made up for me. These are some hospitable people in this
town.”

Spike smiled. “I’ll say. Especially since you hit it off with the daycare teacher.”

“Yeah, I guess any friend of Buffy’s friend is their friend.” Both men
stopped to think about what Gunn said before each shrugged.

“Gunn, can you do me a favor and stay with her for a while?”

“Sure thing, I’ll see-“

Spike looked at Gunn, confused at his abrupt stop, before he heard a soft
voice. “Spike?”

Whirling around, he saw Buffy standing in the doorway, her blue satin
pajamas barely protecting her from the drafty room. She stood hugging her arms
to her chest and staring at the two men by the front door.

“You shouldn’t be up, pet,” he said, walking toward her.

“I heard voices. Not in the weird way, though. I heard you talking to
someone.”

Spike smiled. For a moment, the Buffy he’d first met had emerged.

“Sorry about that,” Gunn said. “Didn’t mean to wake you, I just wanted
to check and see how you were doing.”

Buffy looked at him puzzled for a moment before turning her gaze on Spike.

“Oh, sorry. Buffy, this is Charles Gunn.”

Understanding dawned on her as she stepped forward, offering her hand.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“That’s alright,” he replied, shaking her hand. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be of
more help to you.”

“You’re making sure my baby is safe. You couldn’t possibly be doing
anything more important than that.”

“Speaking of that, luv, Gunn is going to stay with you for a little bit.”

Buffy looked at Spike in confusion. “Where are you going?”

“Just have to run out for a few minutes, pet. I’ll be back before you know
it,” he said. With a quick kiss to her forehead, Spike grabbed his coat.
“You’re in safe hands, Buffy.”

Buffy nodded, hugging her arms around her frail body as she watched him go.

“If you don’t feel comfortable, I can wait outside,” Gunn said, looking
uneasy.

Buffy gave him a reassuring smile and shook her head. “That’s really not
necessary. Spike trusts you, so there’s no reason I shouldn’t. I am kind of
tired, though. I’m gonna head back to bed. Feel free to watch TV or
something.”

“Okay,” Gunn said with a nod and a friendly smile. “I’ll be quiet.”

Buffy smiled and headed back to the bedroom, gently shutting the door behind
her.

* * * * *

Spike leaned against the wall in an observation room of the Sunnydale police
station, watching for the door to open. It was amazing the things that
could be accomplished when you threw money at the right people. Spike
watched as the door swung open, and two uniformed officers tossed in a
hand-cuffed offender.

“Riley Finn,” Spike said with deadly intent in his voice.

Riley glared at the man in front of him. “What the hell do you want?”

“I seem to remember telling you something at our last meeting,” Spike said,
pushing away from the wall. “And that was for you to stay the hell away
from my girls. And guess what?” he asked, standing toe to toe with the
larger man. “You didn’t listen.”

The last word was barely out of Spike’s mouth as he let his fist fly,
connecting solidly with Finn’s nose. Not being able to properly defend
himself, Riley tried to fend off the attack, but Spike continued pummeling
him. As Spike’s punches began to diminish, his knee came up to firmly
connect with Riley’s groin. Spike watched with a satisfied look as Riley
groaned, clutching himself as he slid to the floor.

Spike stepped away from the injured man as he lit a cigarette. Staring up
at the ceiling for a few moments, Spike fixed his gaze on the bleeding man
on the floor. Crouching down on one knee, Spike leaned close to him.

“Now, you pillock,” he whispered in a menacing voice. “There would be
nothing that would give me more pleasure on this earth than for you to know
exactly how you made her feel. Unfortunately, I can’t, but rest assured,
you’ll find a nice boyfriend in prison who will remind you daily of what you
did to be there.”

Spike dropped the lit cigarette on top of Riley as he strolled to the door.
“Don’t mess with me and mine again, Finn. You’ll regret it.”

Spike noticed the smiles of the officers working as he left the station. He
knew that, had any of them been in his place, any one of them would have
gladly shown Finn what it feels like to be a victim. As the night air hit
his face, Spike made his way back to the hotel.


A/N Most of this chapter, originally, didn't exist. It was added for the people who wanted a confrontation. Hope you liked it!

Chapter 13


As Spike walked in the hotel room he gave a nod to Gunn, letting him know it was okay to leave. Heading for the bedroom, Spike slowly opened the door and checked on Buffy. Seeing her laying on the bed, he turned to head back to the couch for the night.

“Spike?”

Spike turned to at the softly spoken word, but she spoke before he could. “Will you stay with me?”

“I’m here, luv.”

“No…I mean, just hold me tonight.”

Spike nodded in understanding and led her back to bed. Slowly, so as not to
startle her, Spike took off his shoes and shirt before lying down on the bed. Buffy immediately curled up into him.

“Is this okay?” he asked.

Buffy nodded. “Much better. You make me feel safe just being close by.”

Spike gently ran his fingers through her silky hair as she traced erratic patterns on his chest.

“You’re not going back to work are you, luv?”

“No, I’ve got my friend Anya running everything. She pretty much
figured out what happened and told me to take as long as I needed.”

“That’s good,” he said as they lapsed into another comfortable silence.

“Thank you for staying with me, Spike,” she said a minute later.

“Wouldn’t dream of being anywhere else, Buffy.”

Softly kissing her forehead, they both drifted off to sleep, content in each other’s arms.

* * * * *

The next morning, Buffy was feeling more like her old self. She went
about her usual activities of preparing for the day, trying to avoid the huge
mirror in the bathroom. When she finally looked in it, she realized she was
starting to recognize the woman again. Right after the rape, Buffy felt like it wasn’t even her who was living in her own body. Now, as some of the bruises began to fade to a harsh yellow and the swelling had receded, Buffy was slowly looking like she used to.

“This won’t happen again,” she said softly to the mirror.

“Glad to hear that, luv.”

Buffy spun around to the doorway and saw Spike leaning against it,
watching her, before continuing. “Although, I heard you gave Mr. Finn a good
thrashing yourself.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t take getting raped lightly.”

Spike had to suppress a smile at the strong tone of her voice. If it wasn’t
for the dire circumstances, he would thoroughly enjoy this side of Buffy.

“The carnival’s in town. I thought maybe we’d take Caitlyn tonight, if
you’re feeling up to it.”

Buffy nodded. “Yeah, I want to put this past me, and I miss Caity.”

“Okay. I’ve got to call my agent and rearrange a few things, and then I
thought we could grab some breakfast. Do you want to order in?”

Buffy looked at her reflection for a long time before turning back from
Spike. “I think that would be best. I’ll spend the day getting better.”

Spike walked over and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. “I’ll be finished with my work in no time, pet.”

“I’m not keeping you from anything, am I?”

Spike turned back to her with a smile. “No, nothing important.”

“Spike,” she said with a warning tone. “You can’t drop everything to stay
here with me. You have a job. A job which pays a lot of money, and you
shouldn’t miss it.”

“Buffy,” he said soothingly. “I’m not missing work. Just some interviews
and press junkets. You are more important than some reporters. I’m already
taking some time off until the beginning of next year. I need a break, so
don’t worry about what I might be missing.”

Buffy nodded with a heavy sigh as Spike turned and headed out the door.

* * * * *

Later that night, Buffy dressed in her favorite jeans and a black
V-neck fleece sweater. She applied some foundation over the fading bruises
and a heavy lip gloss to cover her split lip. When she was finished, Buffy
stared at her reflection. She was wearing more make-up than she usually did,
but it didn’t appear to be caked on, so she gave a shrug and ran a brush through
her already smooth hair. She was starting to feel better, though she
refused to talk to a counselor. Just telling the police officers the details had been painful, but she felt better letting someone else know.

Spike stood in the doorway, watching Buffy, as she finished putting on
her shoes. She did look better. He knew the darkest bruises were layered
on her body, but her face didn’t look nearly as bad. Since the make-up she was
wearing was covering the worst of it, Buffy looked almost like her old self.
He knew going out at night would camouflage her injuries even more.

“Ready to go, luv?”

“Yeah. Did you call my mom?”

“Yep, she’s going to have Caitlyn ready.”

“Did she want to go?”

“She said she’d meet us there.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

A few minutes later, Spike’s Navigator was pulling into Buffy’s driveway. Spike saw Gunn loading some things into his car and went over to talk to him while Buffy rounded up her daughter.

“Hey, man,” Gunn said, turning to face his friend. “Anything you need me to
do tonight?”

“Actually, that’s why I came over. You’ve been working hard since you
got here, and I think you should have the night off.”

“Hey, sounds good to me.”

“Okay,” Spike said, turning to face the house. “Looks like my girls are ready to go.”

Gunn tried to hide his smile at the possessive quality in Spike’s voice. “Yeah, have fun tonight. You all deserve it.”

* * * * *

Spike was dragged from the parking lot to the fairgrounds by a skipping
little girl who had a death grip on his hand.

“Come on, Uncle Spike, come on!” she said urgently.

Spike laughed at the frantic tone of her voice and turned to see Buffy.
He was met with a bright smile at the display they were making. Once they
had paid the admission and entered the fair, Caitlyn froze. She stood
still for a full minute, taking in the lights and sounds of the area. Spike had
to smile at the look of wonderment on her face before scooping her up and
leading her to the first of many booths.

An hour later, Caitlyn was still going strong as a result of the cotton
candy and frozen lemonade that she had consumed. Buffy was holding on
to the goldfish, teddy bear, and stuffed Winnie the Pooh that Caitlyn and Spike
had won through a few team efforts.

“Uncle Spike, will you take me on the carousel?”

Spike got a panicked look on his face as he glanced at Buffy. “I think
maybe your mommy would rather take you on that one, Little Bit.”

“No, that’s okay, you’re more than welcome to take her,” Buffy said,
trying to suppress a laugh at the horrified expression on his face. Caitlyn
was tugging him toward the ride, and Buffy couldn’t hold back a laugh
anymore as she heard mumbled expressions of “poofters” and “silly spinning
horses.”

Looking around, Buffy searched for an available bench or picnic table to
deposit the prizes while she took a much needed rest. The night was
wearing her out more than she dared to admit. After wandering for a minute,
Buffy found a bench on the edge of the fair, close enough to the carousel to
see when the ride had ended. Sitting her daughter’s treasures on the cold
wood, Buffy gingerly lowered herself to a sitting position.

* * * * *

Spike looked up from his position on one of the benches as a chill ran
down his spine. He had convinced Caitlyn to not make him ride one of the
horses and instead kept an eye on her as she giggled and kicked her legs
playfully against each side of the horse in front of him. Spike spotted Joyce in
the crowd and waved to her as the ride started. Catching his eye, she
smiled in relief at finding them and waved back.

Spike was exploring the grounds, trying to find where Buffy had headed
off to, when his cell phone rang.

“Hello.”

“Spike, it’s Gunn. Listen, I just got some bad news. It seems Finn made
bail earlier today, and nobody knows where he is.”

Spike felt his blood run cold, and he stood up from his seat as he frantically searched the area he last spotted Buffy. He could see Joyce waiting for them at the exit but had no idea where Buffy was.

“Spike? Are you there? Did you hear me?”

“Yeah, mate, I heard you, and I can’t find Buffy.”

“What do you mean you can’t find her?”

“I mean what it sounds like. Caitlyn and I left her standing at the
entrance of a ride, and now I can’t find her,” he said quietly so as not
to alert Caitlyn to his conversation. The ride slowly came to a stop just
as Spike saw it. An empty bench with Caitlyn’s prizes sitting on it.
Without thinking, Spike hung up the phone and grabbed the little girl. As he
ran from the ride, he quickly handed her to her grandmother as he passed a
worried-looking Joyce.

“Spike, what’s going on?”

Spike ignored her and took off for the bench. Quickly scanning the
surrounding area, he didn’t see her anywhere.

Chapter 14


Buffy slowly shook her head as her eyes tried to focus. Looking around,
she saw that she was in a heavily wooded area, propped up against a tree.
As she tried to move her arms, she quickly realized they were tied behind
her back. Trying to open her mouth to yell for help, she realized that it, too, had something tied in it to gag her.

“Well, there she is.”

Buffy turned her wide eyes to face Riley Finn, and immediately, hatred
seemed to fill her body.

“I didn’t mean to knock you out, but it was just a little tap. You were
only out for about a minute, which really served to help me out since I
didn’t have to deal with your temper while I tied you up.”

‘He really is insane,’ she thought as he circled her.

“You know,” he continued. “I would have thought you’d learned your
lesson after the last time. I mean, at first, I thought I was too rough on
you, but at least I was kind enough to give you a little treat to remember our
time together.”

Buffy visibly had to stop herself from heaving as she felt her stomach
revolt against his words.

“It wasn’t quite as good as when we were together, but I’ll give you
points for effort. You know, maybe your new guy just isn’t the man that I am.”

This time, Buffy didn’t stop the gag that overtook her.

“You know, I could let you talk, but I have to tell you, if you scream...” He pulled out a sharp hunting knife. “...I’ll be forced to silence you.”

Buffy gulped as he drew closer to her, discreetly trying to work on untying her hands. As he drew nearer to her, she shrank away from his touch as the knife got closer to her face.

“Stop moving, we wouldn’t want an accident, now would we?” he asked as
he removed the gag. Buffy worked her jaw, trying to get the soreness out
of it before fixing him with a cold glare.

“You really are psychotic, you know that?”

“Now, Buff, name-calling isn’t nice. You wouldn’t want me to lose my temper
and go find my daughter and take her away somewhere, would you?”

“You son of a bitch,” she ground out between clenched teeth. “You are
NOT her father. Angel is, and you were his friend. What would he say if he
could see you now?”

“Oh, I think he’d be proud with how I watched out for his family. More
so than your actor who’s been using you.”

“Caitlyn’s happier with Spike than she ever was with you, so don’t try
and play the doting father act. It’s not becoming to you, Riley.”

This seemed to anger him as she watched his hand grip the knife a little tighter.

“You little bitch. You think you’re a good mother? Get knocked up at 17 and
can’t even keep the father of your child alive? Yeah, I know you blame
yourself for Angel’s death, and guess what? I do, too. But guess what?
It wasn’t you. I feel comfortable telling you this since you won’t be
alive much longer- you remember when I left for a while a few years ago?”

Buffy raised an eyebrow. “To tell you the truth, Riley, I couldn’t have cared
less about you, so my answer is no. I don’t remember you at all.”

Riley drew back and backhanded Buffy for her insolence. Taking a deep
breath, she smiled against the pain and turned back to stare him in the
eye.

“You know, I think I’m going to miss that about you the most, Buff. The way
that no matter how much you’re punished, you always manage to put on a
brave face.”

Buffy didn’t say anything as she felt a give in the ropes and began
speeding up her attempts at freeing herself.

“You see, Angel always had everything I wanted. Growing up, he had all
the better toys, all the better clothes, and the older we got, all the better
girlfriends,” he said, looking at Buffy. “I began to resent him for that,
and after a while, I just got fed up, so I left town. Didn’t really know why
at the time- just up and left. Eventually, I realized what was wrong with my
own life. It wasn’t me, it was him. So I started discreetly asking around.
Anyway, to make a long story short, Angel’s accident was no accident that
night.”

Buffy froze as she looked up into Riley’s wild eyes.

“Yeah, you see, I had this guy, and he was more than happy to help me.
Plowed into your fiancée’s car, going about 60 miles an hour, and left
the scene. Didn’t you ever wonder why they never caught the guy, Buff?
Why they just ruled it out as a drunk driver and shut the case?”

Buffy felt the tears pooling in her eyes as she tried to comprehend what he
was telling her.

“After that, it was easy to find myself a place in your life. The grieving
lover who needed a father for her daughter. It was perfect. I gave you a
few months so it wouldn’t look intentional and then found myself calmly
imbedded in your life. The only problem with this little scenario, Buffy,
was that you never fully embraced me. You never loved me the way I
loved you. Too busy grieving over your poor boyfriend to give me much of a
thought. Eventually, I just got fed up with you, and by the time you
told me I couldn’t be Caitlyn’s father, well, let’s just say you got everything you
ever deserved.”

Buffy cringed at the sound of his voice. Her mind rapidly recalling all of
the beatings that she had to deal with, and she felt anger fill her.

“So, Riley, what you’re telling me is you’re a pathetic nobody, who couldn’t
even get a girlfriend, so he felt it easier to pay to have his best friend
killed and then worm into the lives of a grieving family? Yeah, you’re a real man.”

Buffy felt the rope pull free as he stared at her in shock for
disrespecting him in such a way. Buffy quickly lashed out with a strong
kick to his knee and felt a brief sense of satisfaction at the crack and
resounding cry it brought out of him. Jumping to her feet, Buffy tried
to look for any light coming through the thick trees and gasped as she was
tackled to the ground. Rolling over in the leaves, she felt herself pinned
down by the larger man, and the memories of the other night came back to
her as panic seized her body.

“You wanna play again, Buff?” he asked, thrusting the bulge in his
pants against her body.

“That’s it,” she said, lashing out with a hand and clawing at his face.
Riley screamed out in pain as he pulled back to hit her. Buffy quickly
rolled out of his way just as his hand connected with the hard earth.
Rapidly trying to get away from him on her hands and knees, she pushed
herself to her feet as she heard him stand behind her.

“Oh, Buffy,” he said.

She glanced over her shoulder and felt the blinding pain of a knife splitting the skin on her upper arm. Her left hand flew up to the injury as Riley pulled back to thrust the knife into her. Spinning away, she kicked out with her foot and watched as he fell to the ground. Buffy backed away and watched him for a moment. When he didn’t move, she felt herself getting closer to him of her own volition. Nudging him lightly with the toe
of her shoe, she took a step back when he didn’t move. She paused when she saw
the pool of blood, spreading and staining the dry leaves on the ground. Stepping forward, she froze, this time at hearing her name. Still holding her arm, she spun and looked through the shadows of the woods.

“Buffy!”

“I’m here!”

A few seconds later, Spike broke into the small clearing and ran over
to grab her in his arms. “I was so worried.”

“I’m okay,” she whispered, burying her head in his shoulder, enjoying
the warmth he brought her as she melted into his body.

Spike looked over her shoulder and saw Riley lying on the ground.
Slowly pulling Buffy protectively behind him, Spike edged closer to the man
and roughly kicked him over. Buffy gasped as he rolled, seeing the knife
sticking at an angle out of his rib cage. Spike quickly moved to cover her
eyes and led her away before returning and checking his pulse.

“Damn,” he said softly, so Buffy couldn’t hear. “I was almost hoping you
were alive so I could have a go, you pillock.”

Standing, Spike called Gunn, briefly telling him what happened, before
turning and leading Buffy out of the clearing.

* * * * *

When Spike and Buffy emerged from the woods, she saw her mother and
daughter running over to them. Buffy pulled Joyce away and told her what
happened, asking her to take Caitlyn home. Joyce nodded, hugging her daughter,
before taking the little girl by the hand and leading her away. Buffy felt
the shock begin to settle in as Spike slowly rolled up her sleeve to examine her cut.

After a few minutes, Buffy heard sirens in the distance and saw the swarm of
police officers heading toward her.

“Miss Summers?” Buffy turned to face an attractive brunette with a
friendly smile. “I’m Cordelia Chase. I work for the Sunnydale PD and was
wondering if I could ask you a few questions?”

Buffy nodded solemnly and began telling Cordelia everything that had
transpired in the last hour as a medical technician began bandaging
her arm. A few minutes later, the officer was called away to talk to one
of her co-workers before returning.

“Miss Summers, they found the body, and it’s clear that it was self-defense,
so you don’t have to worry about anything, okay?”

Buffy nodded as Cordelia turned to Spike. “Spike Hawthorne, right?”
Spike nodded and shook her hand as she continued. “Tell your friend Charles
Gunn thanks for the call.”

Realization dawned on Spike’s face as he stared at the other woman.
“You’re the friend inside the police department.”

“Yep, that’s me. I’ve been trying to get a solid case against this guy
ever since the first complaint came in.” Turning back to Buffy, she offered
her another smile. “Go home and get some rest. I’ll be in touch if I need
anything else.”

“Thank you,” she said softly.

Cordelia turned to Spike and spoke in a soft voice. “She’s been through
a lot- make sure she’s okay.”

Spike nodded and wrapped an arm around Buffy to lead her to his car.

“I killed him, Spike.”

“I know that, pet.”

“He was going to kill me.”

“I know that, too.”

“He killed Angel.”

Spike stayed silent as she seemed to be absorbing the information for
the first time. Leading her to his car, he helped her in and began the
drive home. Once they were safely in the Summers’ driveway, Spike turned to
face her. “Well, I gotta hand it to you, Goldilocks. You most definitely
know how to take care of yourself.”

Buffy gave him a soft smile and allowed herself to be led into the
house.



A/N Well, there's the chapter most of you have been waiting for. I know a lot of you wanted Spike to come to the rescue, but ultimately Buffy is a strong woman and I wanted to show that. Hope everyone liked it.

A/N This is the newest chapter since the site misbehaved. Another update tomorrow!

Chapter 15


The weeks passed, and life slowly returned to normal. Spike had thrown
Caitlyn a wonderful birthday party at the local pizza place and invited all of
her friends from the center. Gunn had also shown up, though he was there
as more of Fred’s date than Spike’s friend. Willow and Xander had also
showed up, even though they had decided they were better as friends. Willow
had gone on a few dates with a musician in a band, and Buffy introduced
Xander to Anya at the party. The two had immediately hit it off, though Anya
seemed to scare him a little at her frequent mention of a woman’s right to the
perfect orgasm.

It was now a few days after the party, and Spike was getting ready to
leave for the night as Buffy caught his hand.

“Stay,” she whispered.

“You sure, Buffy?”

“I’m sure, just stay with me. We’ve waited so long, and with everything
that’s happened…I’m ready to put the past behind me.”

Not giving him a chance to reply, Buffy softly kissed him. Spike’s
hands went up to her silky hair and threaded his fingers through it as he
deepened the kiss. They had waited a long time, Buffy feeling uncomfortable
with intimacy and Spike scared that he would hurt her. Now, as their tongues
met, tangling with each other, Spike lifted her into his arms and carried her up to her
bedroom, his mouth never leaving hers.

Shutting the door softly behind them, he laid Buffy down on the bed and
slowly began undressing her as she worked on the buttons of his shirt.

“I’ve missed you, Spike,” she whispered, trailing kisses down his muscled chest.

Spike felt his breath catch in his throat as he focused on her gentle
touches. “I’ve missed you, too, baby.”

Both successfully undressed, Spike edged up the length of her body, leaving
teasing kisses on her soft skin in his path. Reaching her lips, he became
more frantic and demanding, wondering how he had lived without the feel
of this woman for so long.

“Spike…stop,” she whispered.

The second the request was processed in his brain, Spike was off of
her. “Did I hurt you?”

“No,” she said with a gentle smile. “Can I be on top? It’s just…I’ll
feel better with more control.”

Spike smiled, grabbing her hips and pulling her to him as she giggled.
“Your wish is my command.”

Buffy giggled again as she leaned forward to give him a searing
kiss. Before Spike knew what was happening, he moaned as he felt himself
penetrate her hot passage. Buffy gave an answering moan as she began
moving slowly on top of him. Spike grabbed her hips, trying to think of
anything to keep his mind off the climax that was building. He felt like a
schoolboy again as Buffy’s pace picked up.

“Something wrong?” she whispered, never stopping her movements.

“No…just trying to hold off, is all.”

Buffy smiled as Spike opened his eyes. “And I think you’re enjoying my
problem a little too much.”

Buffy didn’t respond, just slid up the length of his shaft and arched her body
back onto it, throwing her head back with a moan. Spike felt his eyes roll
back at the vision before using her hips as leverage and pulling himself up
into a sitting position. Buffy gasped at the new angle and met his eyes,
leaning forward and kissing him frantically as her movements became more
irregular.

Spike pulled her to him roughly until he was fully sheathed inside of her again. Holding her in
place, he began to move as he kissed a trail down her jaw. Buffy
gasped as he released one hand and traced it upward until he was gently outlining
her nipple. As the kisses drew lower to the valley between her breasts, Spike used his other hand to extend
over her back, pulling her firmly against him as his lips found the other
nipple. Buffy frantically began to move her hips up and down as he quickened
his ministrations.

“Spike…I need you…I need…please…”

Spike abandoned his work to latch onto her hips again. “I know what you
need, luv. You need me…filling you.”

Buffy tossed her head back as she felt the tightening in her body begin
to unravel. “Spike!” The word was so frantic, Spike knew she was almost
there. Quickening his pace even more, he pulled her onto him even harder as
he thrust up to meet her. Reaching a hand up to cover her mouth a second
before she screamed her release as her body felt like she was exploding, Spike felt his own pleasure overtake
him as he pulsed deep inside of her.

Releasing his hold on her mouth, Spike moved a few more times, each time
enjoying the blissful aftershocks of their orgasms. Buffy slowly moved to his
side, collapsing against the pillows as Spike lay down next to her.

“That was…”

She trailed off as Spike watched her, a smile playing on his lips as his
hand snaked down to her legs.

“What’re you doing?”

“Well, since I didn’t even get a response, I figured I’d do this,” he
said, circling the little bundle of nerve endings and gently flicking it with
a finger.

“I can’t…it’s…it’s too much…” she whispered frantically.

“Just let it go, pet,” he whispered, nibbling seductively on her neck.
Buffy gasped as a long finger slipped inside her folds, arching her back at
the new sensations.

“Spike-“

“Let it go, baby.” Fusing his lips to hers, he smiled as she once again
began bucking wildly against his hand.

Breaking away after a moment, Spike looked at her expectantly.

“It was okay,” she said breathlessly with a little shrug. Spike raised
one eyebrow at her. “Well,” she said, grabbing onto his hardening
erection. “I just figured you can do even better the next time.”

With a smile, Spike rotated until he was on top of her, swiftly entering again.

“I think it’s going to be a long night, pet,” he said, moving with deep
thrusts and smiling as the woman beneath him visibly began to lose
control again.

Chapter 16


“I’ll call you when it’s over, okay?”

“Okay,” Buffy said from the other end of the phone. It had been a week
since that first night of reconnecting. A week of nights spent making
love and waking up satisfied and happy. Now Spike was back in L.A. for the
premiere of his new movie. Initially, he’d wanted Buffy to attend with
him and then decided against it when he realized the paparazzi would start
stalking her house. It would happen eventually, but Spike felt it best to hold
off for a while.

“I’ve gotta go, I’m almost there, but I’ll talk to you soon, okay?”

“Okay.”

After they hung up, Buffy began making dinner. An hour later, she was
sitting at the island in the kitchen, reading a magazine, waiting for
her casserole to finish baking when she heard Caitlyn.

“Mommy, mommy! Uncle Spike’s on TV!”

Buffy ran into the living room and smiled at the man on the screen. He
was dressed in an expensive tux and waving to his adoring fans from his
position on the red carpet. Buffy turned up the volume to hear the reporter’s
commentary and felt the smile drop from her lips as she went to sit
next to her daughter.

“It seems that after a self-imposed hiatus, Spike Hawthorne is once
again mainstream news as it looks like he and co-star Drusilla Bennett are
getting hot and heavy both on and off the screen.”

Buffy watched in shock as a beautiful, tall brunette came into focus,
standing next to Spike, and he snaked an arm around her slender waist,
pulling her closer to his body. Buffy listened as the reporter kept talking.

“Ms. Bennett has always enjoyed a flirtation with her sexy co-star and
recently told me that she would love to take things to the next level,
if he was willing and able. It looks like they are.”

Buffy felt tears flood to her eyes as Spike whispered something softly in her ear, and the brunette laughed before turning and giving him a passionate kiss. Her stomach clenched, and Buffy took several deep breaths to calm her nerves.

“Mommy, why is he kissing that lady?”

“I don’t know, Caity, I think he’s just saying hello to a friend. Go
wash your hands for dinner.”

Buffy turned off the TV and headed for the kitchen as the phone rang.
Wiping away tears as she ran for it, Buffy snatched up the receiver.

“Hello.”

“Buffy, it’s Anya. We have a big problem. The guy that was supposed
to do the show at the gallery this weekend just called and said he can’t
leave New York until Friday night.”

“We have to set everything up by Saturday morning.”

“I know. He said he would send someone else with all the work, but all
his people are working on other things, and he refuses to ship it without
someone else accompanying.”

“Wonderful,” Buffy said sarcastically. “Let me call my mom and see
what I can work out. Can you work the rest of the week?”

“Sure.”

“Okay, I’ll get back to you.”

Buffy quickly hung up and fixed Caitlyn a plate for supper before grabbing the cordless and dialing her mother’s number. Explaining the situation as she ran through the house gathering clothes and bags, she arranged to drop Caitlyn off on her way to the airport. Quickly packing for herself and her daughter, Buffy called information and had them connect her to ticket sales. Booking a flight for eleven o’clock that night, she ran back
downstairs.

“Okay, Caity, you’re going to go visit Grandma while mommy goes to get
some
things for work.”

“Yay!”

“Go make sure mommy got everything, and then we need to leave.”

Buffy quickly cleaned the kitchen, made sure all the appliances were
turned off, and headed for the front door. Grabbing her cell phone, she
realized the battery was going to die and grabbed the charger for it.

‘Oh well,’ she thought. ‘Guess I won’t be talking to Spike after all.
I’m not sure I want to after that lovely show he put on with his co-star.’

Switching off the phone, Buffy threw it in her purse and grabbed her keys.
Making a quick run out to the car to load their luggage, Buffy went back in
the house.

“Come on, Caity,” she called as her daughter appeared at the top of the
stairs, clutching the teddy bear Spike had won for her at the fair.

“Who’s going to feed Goldie?”

Sighing, Buffy jogged up the stairs to get the goldfish. Coming back
down, she quickly ushered her daughter out to the car, careful not to spill
the water. She instructed Caitlyn to get in the car as she walked next door.
After making quick arrangements for her neighbor to feed the fish for
the remainder of the week, Buffy crossed the yard and hopped into the car.

“We all ready to go, baby?”

“Yep,” she said, still hanging on to the bear.


* * * * *

Buffy barely made it to the plane before take off. Now as she was
sitting in her cramped seat, sipping her coffee, she let her mind wander. The
kiss Spike had shared with his co-star had looked so adoring. She knew that
he cared for her, but what if Buffy was the other woman in the scenario?
The thought had never entered her mind since Spike stayed in Sunnydale for
so long, but now that she thought about it, it started to make more sense.
Her heart felt heavy as she ran the same situation through her mind until
she fell into a troubled sleep.


* * * * *


Buffy made her way through JFK airport after collecting her bags. She
didn’t feel one hundred percent safe at this late hour in a strange
city, but she didn’t dwell on it. After catching a cab, Buffy gave the
driver directions to the hotel her mother always stayed in. Joyce had been
kind enough to call and make a reservation for her while Buffy was making
the drive from Sunnydale to Los Angeles.

As the cab pulled up in front of the large hotel, Buffy stepped from
the car. Once she paid and gathered her luggage, she quickly made it
through the check-in process and was shown to her suite. It was a beautiful
room with a living room and kitchenette. A bedroom door was off to the left,
and straight ahead was a wall of windows, complete with a sliding door and
a huge balcony.

Buffy made her way out to the balcony and stood there, staring at the
city. She felt drained from her long night, and aside from her calm exterior,
she was an emotional wreck from seeing the man that she was falling in love
with kissing another woman. A woman Buffy felt inferior to in every way.

Buffy decided to head to her bedroom and not worry about it for the
rest of the night, even though that was easier said than done. Closing the
balcony door, she grabbed her purse and pulled out the cell phone and charger.
Once it was plugged in, Buffy decided she didn’t want it turned on. She had
enough to deal with tonight without listening to Spike’s excuses. She had
briefly told her mom what had happened, but it had been no help since
she had to run and catch her flight.

* * * * *

Spike was getting worried. He had been trying Buffy’s house and cell
for the past few hours, and there was no answer on either. Finally, he
dialed Joyce’s number and was relieved to at least hear her voice.

“Joyce, it’s Spike. Listen, I’m in town, and I told Buffy I’d call her
tonight, but I can’t get her on either phone.”

“That’s because she’s not there, Spike.”

“Well, where is she?”

“She had an emergency at work.”

“So I should try her at the gallery?”

“No, she’s not there.”

“Joyce, why won’t you tell me where she is?”

“Because, William, you hurt my baby girl.”

“And how on earth did I manage that from a different city?”

“Have you ever heard of this thing called a television? It transfers
all these pretty pictures from one place to another, and when something big
happens in the entertainment industry, it’s big news. Like for
instance, two co-stars making out in front of the cameras.”

“Bloody hell,” Spike muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Joyce,
tell me she didn’t see that.”

“Now, Spike, my daughter’s not stupid. She took what she saw at face
value, had a work emergency, and dropped Caitlyn off with me.”

“So she didn’t care?”

“Now, did I say that? No. What I said was, she took it at face value.”

“But you said Caitlyn’s with you, so she’s here.”

“Spike, I don’t think she wants you to know where she is right now,”
Joyce said with a heavy sigh.

“Joyce, please. What you saw…it-it wasn’t what it looked like. Please
tell me where she is so I can explain.”

“She’s in New York.”

“New York! What the bloody hell is she doing in New York?”

“I told you, she had a-“

“A work emergency, right,” he said, cutting her off.

“That’s right. Good night, Spike.”

Disconnecting the phone, Spike put his head in his hands. “You really
bollocksed this up, you wanker.”

Chapter 17


Buffy woke up the next morning, feeling worse than the night before.
It had finally sunk in that she wasn’t good enough for Spike. All she had to
do now was except it. Rolling out of bed, she sighed. She would be here
until Thursday- might as well make the most of the few days she had on her
own.

After a long shower, Buffy dressed in a pair of off-white dress pants
and a long-sleeved, silky V-neck top. Drying her hair until it fell straight
and shiny, Buffy pulled on her shoes and grabbed her small cell phone to
slip into her pocket. She was going to finish her business before she took
in any of the sights or started a short shopping spree.

* * * * *

Spike nearly threw his phone against the wall in irritation. Buffy
still wasn’t answering her phone, and he couldn’t figure out where she was
staying. Suddenly an idea hit him as he picked up the phone and quickly dialed
a new number.

* * * * *

Buffy rolled her head around on her shoulders after the long day. She had
been dealing with the irate artist and his representation for the past seven
hours, and she thought her head was going to explode. As if it was her fault
that he was too much of a jerk to ship his work to her. And God forbid that
he didn’t know she was a woman. Would a woman be able to make sure all his
art got across the country safely? Buffy nearly told him where he could
shove his sexist views and his art, but she bit her tongue. She needed this
commission, and she couldn’t let him get to her.

Walking out of the building, Buffy looked up at the sky and saw the rain
clouds rolling in.

“Great,” she muttered. “It’s a beautiful day until I set one foot outside.”

Walking into the first restaurant she saw, Buffy headed over to the
bar. Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she saw several new voicemails
from Spike and decided to listen to them later. She saw that Anya had
called and quickly returned her call, telling her about the day she had and
promising to be back with the items for the show. Hanging up, Buffy ordered
a drink from the bartender and was surprised to hear a male voice speaking
to her.

“Pretty girl like you, drinking all alone? Something must be wrong.”

Buffy turned to face the man and gave him a small smile. “Rough day.”

“I hear that,” he said with a slightly Midwestern accent. “I’m Lindsey, by
the way. Lindsey McDonald.”

“Buffy Summers,” she said, shaking his offered hand.

“So, what’s a girl like you doing here without anybody? Let me guess, you
and the boyfriend have a fight?”

“Something like that.”

“Aah yes, and let me guess, he hasn’t called.”

“Actually he has…I just haven’t talked to him.”

“I thought that’s what girls did. Sit by the phone, waiting for it to ring.”

“I’m not most girls,” she replied, arching an eyebrow at him. “I just fly
across the country to get away from him and then ignore him for a while.”

“You’re serious?” he asked incredulously.

“Somewhat. I did fly across the country, but it was for business, and I am
ignoring him for the time being. Besides, he never said he was my boyfriend.”

“I’m thinking the guy’s an idiot then. So, where’d you fly from?”

“California.”

“Really? Know any stars out that way?”

Buffy laughed. “Actually, yeah. Just one.”

“Impressive.”

Buffy looked at Lindsey as his eyes widened slightly. “It’s not by any
chance Spike Hawthorne, is it?”

Buffy froze. “How did you-“

“Not good to go to a strange city alone, pet,” a seductive voice whispered
in her ear.

Buffy whirled around and faced a dripping wet Spike.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“Now, now, luv. Aren’t you gonna introduce me to your friend?” he asked,
staring daggers at Lindsey.

“Honestly, it hadn’t crossed my mind. What are you doing here?” she repeated.

“Finding you.”

“Yeah, now that you mentioned it, how did you do that?”

“A lot of effort, luv.”

“Such as…”

“Such as flying out early this morning after your mum told me you were here.
Putting in a call to Anya while I searched for you, waiting at your hotel
a few blocks away since you were out, and finally getting a phone call from
Anya a few minutes ago, telling me she just talked to you and you were
here.”

Buffy stared at him incredulously as he finished his story before she
snapped out of her daze. “Well, sorry you made the trip for nothing. See you
around.”

Buffy hopped off the barstool and turned to Lindsey with a bright smile.
“Nice meeting you.”

Leaving a ten on the bar for her drink, Buffy evaded Spike’s move to grab
her arm and headed out the door. Groaning as the rain fell from the sky,
she heard Spike approaching from behind and headed out into the storm.
Walking toward her hotel, she heard Spike jogging to catch up with her.

“Buffy…Buffy…wait up, pet.”

“Why?” she asked, spinning around and facing him. “Why should I wait for
you? It’s obvious that you don’t need me.”

“Buffy, the kiss-“

“Opened my eyes. Spike, I told you months ago that I didn’t have anything
to offer a movie star. You should have believed me then.”

“And I told you not to sell yourself short, luv.”

“Then why did you go and make out with another woman on national
television?”

“I’m sorry. It was for publicity.”

“Yeah, her tongue in your mouth was really public,” she spat back at him
before turning and heading down the street.

“It wasn’t like that, Buffy. The director wanted us to do it for the
cameras. I didn’t want to, but that’s what I’m paid a lot of money to do,”
he said, trailing her as the water pelted down on them. “I promise, if I’d
known how much it would hurt you, I wouldn’t have done it, and I’ll never do
it again. I don’t give a damn about Dru.”

Buffy stopped but didn’t turn to face him. “Then why come after me?”

“Because I’m in love with you.”

Buffy spun around to see him. His eyes looked so open, as if he was a
little boy, terrified of rejection. “You love me?”

“I’ve loved you since the night I came to your house. The night I met
Caity,” he said softly. “I knew I couldn’t live without you. Without
either of you,” he continued, slowly advancing on her. “When I heard what
you’d been through, what you were going through, I couldn’t help but want
to protect you. Everything you do, the way you are with your daughter…I
fall in love with you all over again every time I see you.”

Buffy pushed the wet hair out of her eyes as she stared up at Spike. “I love
you, too.” It was spoken so softly, Spike only stared at her for a minute
before a brilliant smile lit up his face. Buffy smiled in return as he
picked her up and swung her wildly around in circles before setting her down
in the middle of a puddle. Neither noticed as his lips met hers in an
intense kiss. Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck, holding onto him as
Spike, once again, lifted her off the ground. This time, it was for better
access to her lips. As they slowly broke apart, both looked up as they were
drenched by the rain.

“Let’s get outta here,” Buffy said. Spike put her back on the ground, and
she grabbed his hand as they ran through the streets, back to her hotel.



A/N Hope everyone liked this chapter! Oh, and VamptasticA-I expect my sexy Spike pics-lol :-)

Chapter 18


Spike and Buffy barely made it through the door of her hotel room before his
lips were on hers again. Frantically pulling at her shirt and unzipping her
pants, Buffy worked equally as hard to unbutton his shirt. Finally
revealing the solid muscles of his torso, Buffy scratched her nails along
the exposed skin as Spike succeeded in peeling off her pants from her soaked
body. Giggling, Buffy grabbed his hand and gave it a jerk toward the
bedroom.

Spike walked a few steps behind her, enjoying the view that the white lace
thong was allowing him of her toned backside. Instead of heading to the
bed, Buffy veered off to the bathroom. Spike followed and watched
appreciatively as Buffy leaned into the shower stall and started the water.

Turning around, Buffy eagerly licked her lips at his exposed upper body
before motioning for him to come over to her. Spike arched one eyebrow and
smirked at her as he shed the rest of his clothes. By the time he was
finished, Buffy was already in the shower, letting the stream of water slide
down her body. Spike felt his erection grow even harder as he watched her
tilt her head back to soak her hair. Looking over at him, she smiled. “What?”

“Just wondering how you can look so adorable when rain is pouring over you
but unbelievably sexy when it’s a shower.”

“Maybe because I’m naked,” she said with a playful smile.

“Maybe,” he agreed, jumping into the shower and shutting the door behind him.
Pinning her against the wall, Spike trailed hot kisses down her neck and
back up until he reached her lips again. One hand slid around to the swell
of her butt as the other glided upward to gently squeeze her breast.
Breaking away from her lips, Spike looked down at her. “You know, after my
heartfelt profession of love, this isn’t exactly the location I pictured for this happening.”

“Oh come on, it’s a tradition,” she said, kissing his throat.

“Tradition?”

“Yep,” she said, jumping up to allow him to grab her thighs and pin her to
the side of the shower. “Every time something big happens, you end
up taking me against a wall.”

Spike smiled at the memory of his first time and then moaned as he felt
himself slip inside her warm depths. “You know, luv, you could give me a
little warning before you do that.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” she asked, moving in a slow rhythm.

“Won’t be much fun if it’s over before it starts,” he said breathlessly.

Buffy moaned as Spike began grinding against her, rapidly picking up the
pace. Holding onto his shoulders for leverage, Buffy pushed against him and
began to move more rapidly as he held onto her hips. After several long
minutes, Spike felt his climax approaching and frantically began pumping
himself into her body. Buffy felt as if she was shattering as she let out a
scream that sent Spike over the edge as well.

Coming down from their respective climaxes, Spike tightened his arms around
Buffy’s waist and held her against the wall with his forehead against her
shoulder.

“I love you, baby,” he whispered.

“I love you, too.”

Later that night, as they were lying in bed together, Spike was lazily
tracing patterns on her skin.

“You know, luv, you didn’t have to leave the state and try and get away from
me.”

Buffy laughed. “If that was my intention, it wouldn’t have worked. You
obviously would have found me anyway.”

Spike pulled her up to give her a soft kiss before pressing his forehead to
hers. “If I was blind, I’d see you.”

Buffy kissed him again and straddled his waist. “Up for round two?”

“You know it, baby,” he replied, arching an eyebrow.

Chapter 19


Eighteen Months Later


Buffy sat in front of the vanity, staring at her reflection as her mother
placed the veil on her head. Smiling at the happy woman she saw there,
Buffy got up and looked out the window at the small crowd milling around the
grass.

Willow and her boyfriend Oz were engaged, and Buffy had arranged for Oz and
his band to play at the reception later that day. The stage was set off to
the side of the pool at the country club, giving plenty of room for dancing.
Spike had firmly vetoed nearly all of Buffy’s ideas for the wedding. She
always thought it was the woman’s job to do the planning, but Spike clearly
disagreed. He had wanted a big, flashy ordeal, which was met with a
resounding ‘No’ from Buffy.

After many long talks and lots of compromises, it was decided they would get
married at the Sunnydale Country Club with fresh arrangements of spring
flowers on every surface. White folding chairs lined the lawn, facing a
brilliant floral archway that Spike and Buffy were to be married under.
Both the bride and groom had decided to forego the numerous attendants.
Instead, Caitlyn was to walk down the aisle with her variety of brightly
colored flowers and stand next to her parents. It was decided that they
would live in Sunnydale with Spike commuting to L.A. to do one movie a
year. He was a millionaire and didn’t need the money, but he enjoyed the
work. Buffy and Caitlyn would travel with him in the summer to any shoots
he may have to do.

Buffy smiled as she remembered Christmas Eve. It was their second Christmas
together, and everything had been mostly smooth sailing for the couple,
excluding a few minor disagreements they had over inconsequential things.
They had all been staying up, watching the twinkling lights of the Christmas
tree, when Caitlyn had turned to Spike and asked him if she could call him
her daddy. Spike had immediately pulled the little girl into his arms with
tears in his eyes and told her he would love to be her daddy. After a few
minutes, he had whispered something to Caitlyn, and she had gone to get a
present from under the tree. Sitting the box in front of Buffy, she had
resumed her seat on her new daddy’s lap.

Buffy had looked at them both quizzically before she unwrapped the present
to reveal another slightly smaller wrapped box inside the larger one.
Opening that one, there had been another smaller box, and another, and another,
until Buffy was finally left with a tiny box, wrapped in silver with a white
ribbon. When she opened it, she nearly fainted at the large emerald cut
diamond set in platinum that was displayed on the black velvet. Spike had
immediately knelt on one knee, asking her to marry him, and she had jumped
into his arms in response, giving him a thorough kiss with Caitlyn giggling
in the background.

The biggest shock of that Christmas wasn’t Spike and Buffy’s engagement,
which was inevitable, but the fact that they had later found out Xander and
Anya had run off to Las Vegas the day after Christmas and gotten married at
an all-night chapel.

Now, several months later, Buffy stood in the doorway in her elegant silk
strapless dress, taking deep breaths as her mother walked up to tell her it
was time. Making her way to the outdoor ceremony, Buffy smiled as she saw
Spike fidgeting at the end of the aisle. Noticing Buffy being escorted by
her mother, Spike visibly relaxed as the woman he loved seemed to float
toward him. As Joyce gave her daughter away, Spike took Buffy’s hand, giving
it a loving kiss before they turned to face the minister.

When the vows were exchanged and the cake was cut, Buffy stepped up on the
makeshift stage to address the crowd.

“A lot of you don’t know this, but when Spike first approached me, I wanted
nothing to do with him. Or at least that’s what I told him,” she said with
a smile as the crowd laughed softly. “Looking back, that was the night that
changed my life. I fell in love with a man who was more compassionate than
I first gave him credit for. And now, I trust him with my life, but more
importantly, I trust him with the life of my daughter. Caitlyn and I had a
long talk, and now, she has a little gift for you.”

Spike looked down at the little girl tugging on his coat and holding out an
envelope. Smiling at her, he bent down to her level and opened it. Staring
at it for a minute, he looked from Caitlyn to Buffy disbelievingly. “Adoption papers?”

The crowd buzzed as Buffy smiled at him. “You’re already her daddy. I
figured you might want to be her father.”

Spike looked at Caitlyn, who was smiling brightly at him, looking like a
mini-replica of her mother. Spike planted a gentle kiss on the top of her
head and looked into her eyes. “I love you, Little Bit. You know that,
right?”

Caitlyn smiled at him. “Of course I know that, Daddy. You’re silly. Go tell
Mommy.”

Spike smiled and took off for his new bride, grabbing her around the waist
and pulling her from the stage to give her an adoring kiss as the crowd
cheered for the family. Pulling away, Spike spent a minute looking deeply
into Buffy’s eyes.

“You’re sure, luv?”

“Well, I figured since you’re about to be a new daddy, you should officially
be Caity’s.”

Spike stared at her as confusion, shock, and finally excitement flashed
across his features. “But, you were…”

“Yeah, I know. Seems like when I had the stomach flu a few months ago, the
pills didn’t want to stay in my system.”

“We’re going to have a baby?” he asked in disbelief.

Buffy nodded as he smiled. “We’re going to have a baby!”

Pulling her close to him again, Spike kissed her lovingly. Pulling away
after a minute to Caity once again tugging on his coat, Spike swung her up
in his arms.

“I love my girls.”

“We love you, too, daddy,” Caitlyn said, planting a kiss on his cheek as
Buffy watched with tears in her eyes before nodding.

“Yes, we do.”



THE END


A/N Okay, another huge thank you to my beta, Allison! If she hadn’t liked this story, it probably would have never been posted, so thank you so much for the support! Also, thank you to all the reviewers and readers-I’m glad you liked it. Please read my other stories!