Chapter Eighteen
They woke up to make achingly sweet love one more time before getting up to prepare for the return to their lives in the future Sunnydale, California. No words were exchanged, but there was now another aspect to the sex that left them both feeling satisfied on more than a physical level. It was also tinged with a trace of sadness about their uncertain future.
When Buffy got downstairs, she was surprised not to find Mrs. Barstow there, but she went about getting herself breakfast in the kitchen she was now comfortable finding her way around. She took Spike’s blood from the delivery boy, thanking him warmly and taking it right to the study where she found Spike scribbling notes, his glasses perched on his nose.
“Why do you wear those when you don’t need them anymore?” she asked idly, handing him a mug full of blood.
“Goes with the look, pet.”
She cocked her head to the side in an unconscious imitation of him.
“You know, maybe you should bring them back with you. I think they’re kind of sexy – in an intellectual kind of way.”
“If you think I’m gonna let the whelp see me like this....”
She giggled and climbed onto his lap, pushing the chair away from the desk as she did so.
“You could wear them when he’s not around...” she murmured, running her fingers up to play with his shirt collar. “We could play Mr and Mrs Sinclair...”
“If it’s games you want, pet, I can come up with lots more interesting ones than that.” He leered at her suggestively.
“I like this one,” she said softly, all teasing gone from her tone. “We’ve been happy here – mostly, anyway,” she added, suddenly remembering Molly.
“That we have, love,” he agreed, pulling her against his chest. “You don’t think we can be happy back in Sunnyhell?” he asked carefully, trying to hide the fear that filled him.
“I think it’s going to be a lot harder, don’t you?” She looked up at him quickly enough to see the pain in his eyes.
Before he could answer her, they heard the kitchen door open and Buffy jumped up, closely followed by Spike. Instead of Mrs. Barstow, they saw George. The look on his face told them he knew something about Molly.
He gave a half-bow in their direction and then launched into his explanation for his Grandmother’s absence. He explained that while they had not found Molly, they had found the body of her friend with her throat torn out and covered with too much blood to be all hers. They feared the worst, and Mrs. Barstow was staying with Molly’s mother until they knew something for sure.
Buffy and Spike exchanged looks, knowing there was nothing they could say to give the family answers without revealing too much. Buffy’s obvious distress didn’t register on George as anything other than the same fear his relatives were feeling. He was grateful for the tears in her eyes, as he knew Molly was very fond of her mistress and he felt somewhat comforted, knowing it was reciprocated.
Spike went back to the study and returned with several of the notes he’d been writing, telling George to assure Mrs. Barstow that she wasn’t needed and was to stay as long as she needed to. He gave him a note to her, explaining that he expected to be leaving again that night and she was to follow up on his instructions from earlier in the week.
He ran through the same instructions for George, asking him to take the other notes to the bank and to Mr. Saint-John’s office telling them the same thing. He assured Mr. Saint-John that it was his wish that the house remain in Buffy’s name, although in the event of her death it was to revert to him. He asked Buffy to sign that section of the note, and she looked at him oddly before doing as he asked.
With many thanks for the way his family had made them comfortable during their visit, and false assurances that Molly would be found alive and well, they bade the young man good day and Buffy closed the door against the rays of the sun slanting into the room.
When she followed Spike back into the study, Buffy spotted the velvet box that the jewels had been in and flinched as she realized she was still wearing the rings and earrings. She said, “I forgot to take these off. Let me just go get the locket and you can put them away...” She turned to go up stairs.
“Buffy.” His voice stopped her and he stepped up behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders. “I want you to keep them, love. They aren’t doing anyone any good locked up in a drawer. Go get the locket and put it on.”
She looked back over her shoulder at him, twisting the rings on her fingers.
“But, Spike, I can’t...we aren’t really...”
She winced at the pained look that crossed his face and turned all the way around to wrap her arms around his waist and press her face into his chest.
“Except for the nightmares and Molly, this has been, like, the perfect vacation. A nice house, good food, lots of pampering, unlimited shopping, a little slaying…” She raised her head and looked into his downcast eyes. “…and a wonderful man to share it with.” She willed him to understand what she was trying to say. “But we both know it’s coming to an end. We aren’t really married, and when we get back to Sunnydale—“
“So, you’re kicking me to the curb then?” His face shuttered as he hid what he was feeling behind the cold mask of a dead man.
“No!” She shook him hard, startling him out of his self-induced pain. “I’m not saying that at all! I’m just saying it’s going to be different there. There are going to be complications – friends to explain things to, boyfriends to break up with, a Watcher to calm down. We can’t just show up and say, “Hi everybody! Guess what, we’re back and we’re in love.”
“We’re in what?”
Buffy’s eyes took on the trapped look of a deer caught in a poacher’s searchlight as she realized what she’d said. She started shaking her head rapidly, trying to back away from the suddenly predatory vampire stalking her around the desk.
“Nothing. I didn’t say that. I didn’t mean—mmmph!”
The vampire in question captured her mouth in a bone-melting kiss, effectively cutting off her denials. He continued the kiss until she gave in and responded, curling her arms around his neck and allowing him to support her body as it molded itself to his. When she was about to pass out from sheer lust as well as the lack of air, he raised his head and looked at her with awe and gratitude.
“You’re not going to take that back now, are you?” he asked with some trepidation.
“Like you did, you mean?” she teased.
“Didn’t want to scare you off,” he muttered. “Was too soon – just barely knew it myself then.”
“Hey, news flash, vampire. I’m the Slayer. I don’t scare that easily.”
“I guess not,” he grinned happily, picking her up and squeezing hard enough to injury a normal girl. “Lucky me.”
He tilted his head at her and asked seriously, “So what’s the plan then, love? Tell me how you want to play it and I’ll follow your lead.”
“I don’t know. We’ll just have to see what the sitch is when we get home. Who’s there, what’s gone on while we were away. The most important thing is to give Giles our notes and try to figure out these dreams...”
“You already know what the common theme is, pet. Don’t try to pretend you don’t. You have to be ready to deal with Angelus if that’s what we’re coming home to.”
She sighed and nodded her head. “I know. That’s the obvious message – well, that and that you’ll do anything to protect me.” She flashed him a grateful smile and he responded, “Always,” before she went on. “But then there’s the whole Darla thing – why would a pile of dust be in it? And Dru with her cryptic little warnings and scoldings about telling you...oh my god! Do you think that’s what she wants me to tell you?”
“What?” he asked, doing his best to look innocent.
“You know,” she said, twisting her fingers nervously. “What I said – almost said – whatever.”
“I know,” he grinned. “Just want to hear you say it again.”
“Don’t push your luck, vampire.” She tried to look intimidating but only managed embarrassed and annoyed.
“Feeling pretty lucky today, pet,” he said softly, moving closer again. “And newsflash for you, Slayer. In spite of what Dru said? I will always come for you. Wouldn’t matter if you loved me or not – I’ll dust ten times over if it will keep you alive and away from Angelus.”
She studied him for a minute, then asked lightly, “You don’t have to answer this, but...which is more important – alive or away from Angel?” She deliberately used her souled ex’s name, noticing the slight flinch that Spike gave at hearing it. To her surprise he answered her with complete honesty.
“To the demon, keeping you away from the great poofter is the most important thing. He doesn’t care if you’re alive or undead, as long as you’re his...” He looked at her with a certain amount of shame, but she nodded encouragingly and he went on, “But me, the part of me that’s still a man, wants you alive and breathing, even if it means...” He couldn’t finish the sentence, wanting to tell her he was fine with it even if she wasn’t with him, but he couldn’t choke out the lie.
“Well, I’m going to vote for alive AND yours, if that’s ok with you and your demon,” she said briskly. “Now let’s get ourselves ready to catch that portal when it gets here.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Giles walked toward the waiting vampire, the key to the chains in one hand and the taser in the other. Behind him Willow and Tara looked at Spike sympathetically. He cocked his head at the watcher and then at the two witches.
“What’s this, then? The tooth rattler isn’t enough, you want to mojo me too? I told you I want to go back. What makes you think you need any of that?”
He managed to look disgruntled and innocent at the same time, causing the girls to smile.
“I do not think it is in anyone’s best interest for you to have any memories of us or this place. Willow and Tara will make sure that doesn’t happen.”
“They’re going to interfere with my mind?” The vampire rose to his feet, snarling and causing the witches to flinch away.
“W—we—we’re really sorry, Spike,” Tara stammered. “I hate this, I really do. But if we let you go back, knowing—“
“We can’t take a chance on your knowledge of the future doing any—“ Giles began pedantically.
“I could change it,” he interrupted with a resigned sigh. “I get that, Watcher. I’m not stupid, you know.”
“Yes, I know,” the man answered. “If there were another way...”
“Alright, fine. Let’s get it over with. Let me get back to my unlife and you’ll have your precious slayer back.”
He stood up and held out his hands. “If you hold off the mojo till I’m in the time machine there, you won’t need that thing. I’ll go willingly and I promise not to eat anybody on the way there.”
Just then, Riley and Xander came into view, obviously arguing about something and the vampire stiffened. “Never mind,” he growled, “I can’t keep that promise.”
“You could if you wanted to,” Willow scolded.
“Don’t want to,” he muttered, glaring at the approaching ex-commando. “I don’t know why I dislike that oafish git so much, but I would eat him in a second if I had a chance.”
“Your honesty is commendable, William. Unfortunately, you realize it leaves me no choice?”
“Yeah, yeah, just get on with it, Watcher. I want out of this place. Need to get back to my ripe wicked plum and the rest of my bloody family .”
He presented his muscular back to the other Englishman and waited to be zapped. Making a small face of discomfort, Giles quickly pressed the taser against the surface presented and held it until the convulsing vampire fell to the floor unconscious. He knelt quickly and unlocked the manacles, nodding to Xander and Riley to pick up the surprisingly small body.
The two young men grabbed the vampire’s shoulders and feet, carrying him to the room and tossing him in the door. Riley watched dispassionately as the unconscious man slid down onto the center pad. He moved to one side as Tara and Willow stepped to the door, preparing to do their spell wiping all memories of his time with them. At a nod from Giles, they cast some powder toward the vampire who was just beginning to stir and began their chant.
Spike managed to wink at them just before the spell took hold and all trace of recognition left his now-demonic face. As soon as they finished the chant, they stepped back and Xander slammed the door, wincing when he heard the lock click shut.
“At least this time I did it on purpose,” he muttered, stepping away so that Riley and Willow could set the controls the way they needed to.
Once again, a humming sound filled the space and the room began to glow green. They could hear the vampire snarling inside as he reacted to the feeling of his atoms being separated and put back together for the second time.
Outside the small room, a tense group waited anxiously for the humming to stop and the door to open. As the green glow faded and the door tumblers could be heard falling into place, there was a collective intake of breath from the small group of humans. Tara and Willow clutched each other’s hands tightly as they waited to see what they would find behind the slowly opening door.
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