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Author's Chapter Notes:
I know all of my WIP updates have been lacking. If you haven't been to my Livejournal, then you haven't heard the news that I'm pregnant! Right now, I'm exhausted all the time and going to bed five hours earlier (at 9 pm instead of 2 am) which cuts down on all of my writing time. I'm trying to get caught up on everything, but it may take me a few weeks. Thanks for being so patient! Enjoy the chapter (this one is kind of filler-ish, so I'll try to have another one soon!)
Chapter 11 – For the Love of…


Buffy wrapped her arms around her shivering body as she paced back and forth through her home. She knew that she should’ve gone straight to the hotel after her revelation – and probably should’ve confided the entire story to Cordelia and asked for help.

But she didn’t want help.

At least not from Cordy. And the one person she would have accepted help from happened to be the one person who seemed intent on ignoring her.

Staring at the phone for what felt like the millionth time in an hour, Buffy worried her bottom lip, as if by sheer force of will, she could make Spike pick up the phone and call her. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t have had to even think it – if he had been more in tune to what she wanted and needed, he would’ve known that she’d been bitten tonight, and that fact alone probably would’ve drawn him back to Sunnydale faster than anything else.

But as the minutes turned into hours and the hours continued to tick by, Buffy was left with the realization that she really was alone. She knew she could’ve just as easily picked up the phone and confided in her mate, but her pride wouldn’t let her. Some stupid part of her brain kept holding her back every time she reached for the phone. A small part always telling her that if he’d just been honest with her, they wouldn’t be in this predicament to start with.

Feeling petty and selfish and more than a little irritated, Buffy angrily ran her hands through her hair. Finally turning away from the tempting sight of the telephone, she sighed heavily.

“What do I do?” she murmured, staring at the floor, hoping that an answer would jump out at her. And in a sense, it did.

Looking at her weapons bag that lay near the front door, Buffy took a hesitant step toward it. She was practically the Los Angeles Slayer, after all – taking after her father, in that respect. It was up to her to keep the vampire population down. But did she dare to go out and take another risk of getting bitten?

“You take that risk every night you patrol,” she muttered, grabbing a stake and tucking it into her waistband, ignoring the more risky possibility that any pair of fangs she came across tonight might very well look too tempting to ignore.

She contemplated taking an axe or a sword – possibly the entire bag - but decided against it. Until she knew more about what was going on with herself, she wasn’t going to take the risk of straying too far from home. One or two stakes would serve the purpose and make her feel better about being able to do something.

With one last glance at the phone, Buffy walked out the door, nearly shaking her head at how naïve she still felt in the dark of night. And in the harsh light of day as well, since she knew – without question – that she would be sitting on the couch all day tomorrow, waiting in vain for that phone to ring.

Nearly slamming the door as she left the house, Buffy walked in the direction of the park that was located a few blocks away. Her father had told her when she and Spike were still looking for a place of their own within the city that the park was frequently a vamp hangout. She remembered having given him a strange look, wondering why they would bother to mill around a nearly deserted park when there was no shortage of bars in the area. Angel had merely shrugged, mentioning something about the hunt but not elaborating on it. Buffy had easily taken the hint - Angelus loved to hunt. And he wasn’t alone in the apparent thrill of it.

That seemed to make a moderate amount of sense to Buffy. After all, everyone who dared to venture out in this city after the sunset was some form of hunter or predator. Survival of the fittest, and at night, it seemed that the phrase was really put to the test, whether it be vampire, demon, immortal, or human or a would-be vampire Slayer who really wasn‘t a Slayer at all, but the daughter of a prophecy.

Skirting around the perimeter of the park, Buffy deftly slipped around trees, staying to the shadows, not wanting to give up her advantage. She was strong, but she wasn’t stupid. One vampire would easily meet her stake - any more than that, and she knew she could handle what was thrown her way, but that didn’t mean she relished the thought of being turned into a snack because a pack of them happened to stumble across her.

Seeing a vampire in the distance, Buffy broke into a jog, knowing that the vamp had targeted a young couple that was walking through the trails hand-in-hand. Nearly rolling her eyes at the way the vamp was tormenting its prey, Buffy pulled the stake from her waistband. “Didn’t your mommy ever tell you not to play with your food before you eat it?”

Smiling when the vamp turned around with a growl, she shrugged. “I know they say the liquid diet gets boring, but really, you oughtta vary up the routine sometimes. Ever tried any veggies?”

Easily ducking when the vamp lunged toward her, Buffy popped up on the other side of him, glancing back at the cowering people behind her. “You run.” Turning to face her opponent, she made a point of idly rotating her arms, stretching the muscles. “You can make this easier on both of us and run into the tree branch over there,” she said, gesturing toward the protruding limb. “But we both know that you don’t have much of a brain to speak of, considering the look you’re giving me now, so I guess we’ll be doing it the hard way.”

Slamming her foot into his knee, Buffy nearly smiled at the cracking sound, her eyes widening when she felt the vamp grab a chunk of her hair, pulling her viciously toward him until she was in a firm chokehold. “Okay,” she gasped, thrashing out. “That’s cheating.”

Struggling against the choking grip that her captor had on her, Buffy gasped as a shock seemed to run through her, feeling Spike’s presence through the claim.

“Oh, for the love of…” Buffy muttered, doing what she could to free herself. “You wanna fight like a girl, I’m all for that.” Digging her nails into the vamp’s arm, she nearly smiled at the cry of pain that sounded through the park. Smashing her head into the vampire’s nose and spinning around to face him, she clenched her jaw at Spike‘s obvious worry. “Of all the times for him to check up on me,” she said, nearly smiling at the confused look on the vamp’s face before she slammed her stake into his heart.

Tucking it into her back pocket and wiping the dust from her hands, Buffy allowed a smug smile to play on her lips as she surveyed her handiwork - or lack thereof. “There. That’ll teach you to mess with-”

Trailing off with a choked gasp, Buffy felt herself being lifted into the air, the hand at the back of her neck unrelenting as she desperately squirmed against her captor, knowing that at any moment, her neck could be snapped in the prone position. “You talk too much, Slayer,” a deep voice growled in her ear.

Buffy’s eyes widened in shock as she let out a startled cry, feeling the fangs of the new vampire sink into her neck. Already feeling lightheaded at the amount of blood she was rapidly loosing, she weakly struggled in his grasp. Feeling Spike’s panic through the claim, Buffy willed herself to focus, knowing that he wouldn’t be riding to the rescue for this one.

Painfully twisting her body until she was nearly able to dislodge the fangs, Buffy wrapped her arm around the neck of the vamp behind her, groaning at the overextended muscles. Struggling with him for a moment, she finally heard the satisfying crack from behind her, dropping the dead weight to the ground.

Breathing heavily, she clenched her jaw, studying the vampire for a moment, feeling the all-too-familiar pain and pleasure that threaded through her at the familiarity of the fangs. “I’m not the Slayer,“ she gasped, staking the vamp.

“That’s enough excitement for one night,” she murmured, running a hand through her hair, grimacing at the sticky-coated ends of her hair that had been swept through the blood trail on her neck.

She could still feel Spike’s anxiety through their connection. Knowing that he would be frantic with worry, Buffy couldn’t make herself feel remorseful for going out alone. After all, if he had been more open to the claim in the first place, he would know what was going on with her.

Sighing softly to herself, Buffy closed her eyes, doing what she could to calm him. “It’s more than you deserve,” she muttered with a smile, wishing that he could hear her. “But at least you won’t worry so much.” Looking through the darkened alleys of Los Angeles, Buffy hesitantly ran a finger over the damaged skin of her throat. “I wish I could say the same.”







Thanks so much to: kim, spuffette, Brunettepet, Stephanie, Whitelighter354, Brittany, McChick, Cordykitten, baby spuffy, PhotographyNut, shelly, BuffyandSpikeForever, Franchesca, Mali, Kimber, spikes sweety, Wikka Tara and soulboyjr for reviewing!





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