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Chapter 5

"I get insanity, torment, guilt, brainwashed and tortured by the First Evil and she gets entrepreneurial skills!" Spike whinged, sitting lowly on the stairs, shoulders slumped and face buried in his hands. Buffy had saddled up next to him and was lovingly stroking his hair. The scene had gone down in a rare and rapid fury. After shouts of "SOUL!?!" from the Slayer and Xander, the vampiress' confirmation of her undead, but redeemed status and a call for a temporary truce, Spike had let the profundity of the situation overcome him and he'd sunk to the ground in shock.

"I'm sure you have great entrepreneurial skills too, baby, you've just never applied yourself," Buffy tried to sooth. By now the other ladies of the night employed under Madame Harmony Kendall had joined them in the foyer. The lady in question had disappeared for a moment, but returned with a glass of water, shoving it under Spike's nose. He took it gratefully and had three large gulps before returning to brooding.

"Buffy, you're looking the same as ever. You know there are products that can help with that," Harmony snarked, her long blond curls shining in the soft amber lights that lit up the bordello's entrance hall.

"I'm still the one with the stake here," Buffy shot back, inching closer to Spike until their bodies were touching as she continued to pet him.

"And you're the one trespassing on private property!"

"It's a brothel Harmony! Last I checked prostitution was illegal in California, not to mention the fact that it's just tacky."

"It's a gentleman's club, thank you very much and we aren't doing anything wrong and it's not prostitution!"

"Yeah, the teddies and nighties were a dead give away."

"Undead. We provide a lonely fella with the company of a lady for a short while. In return he pays a tidy sum."

"How many of these fellas have been drained dry?"

"Not one I'll have you know, I have a reputation to uphold."

"That the same rep you had in high school? 'Cause running a whore house? Not really improving it."

"Bitch!"

"Cow!"

"Okay ladies, back in your corners!" Spike ordered, rousing himself from his moment of self-pity and getting in between the two women. He turned to Buffy,"I think it's best that we go," Then he looked to his ex-girlfriend,"But we'll be back." Then to Xander, only there was no Xander,"Where'd Harris go?" The last third of the raiding party was found in the lounge after a few minutes of searching, he was not alone."Let the boy go, Viv."

***

"Soul my ass," Buffy grumbled as she stomped back to the car,"Who's soul did she get? Charles Manson's?!"

"Charlie still lives, pet," Spike corrected, following behind with Xander, who seemed mildly happy and soporific after his private encounter with Vivienne.

"Whatever!"

"You shouldn't let her get to you, love, she has a soul, but she's still the same old Harm. She knows how to push buttons - it's her gift."

"Well, death is my gift and I'm gonna deal her some."

"Shouldn't we go about this a little less psychotically? Find out how on god's green earth she got her soul back? And more importantly why?"

"She probably annoyed a band of gypsies." Spike chuckled to himself."Harmony! Of all people! Woah..." The Slayer stopped walking, swayed a little, then swooned. Luckily Spike was there in a split second, catching her before she hit the sidewalk, scooping her up into his arms.

"See now look what you've done! You've worked yourself up and gone all corset-wearing on me. You're sick, Buffy, you should be in bed." As gormless as a sack of flour, she went heavy in his arms, snuggling up close to him."Are you trying to burrow inside, love?"

"I think I'm going to throw up."

***

After pausing briefly to detail the night's events to the younger Summers, Spike set about caring for his depleted fiancé. He spoon fed her tomato soup and aspirin, brushed out her hair and tucked her into bed. All the while she mumbled to herself about Harmony, how immoral brothels were, how crappy she felt. But towards the end, as he wrapped her up in blankets, she began the quietly sniffle and whimper as she went into full on sicky Buffy mode, just as Dawn had predicted.

"You've mummified me," she complained. There was serious pout being worked. She couldn't move any of her limbs, not that she had the strength to do much beyond blink. He turned off the lights and sighed, then went about getting ready for bed. Buffy watched with half interest as his sleak, pale body was slowly unveiled as each article of clothing was removed. She cursed being too sick to make a serious go for him, there was nothing more perfect in the world than a naked, well hung, bleached blond vampire. Her body ached with both desire and a deficient immunity from cold and fever. Her muscles were sore and body stiff, and a migraine threatened to present itself if she moved from her cocoon. Spike slipped in between the sheets and lay down next to her, face snuggled at her side."I can't sleep."

"You haven't tried."

"I'm too hot."

"Because you have a fever."

"I want comfort sex."

"You're too sick for sex - we'll both hate it, and despite what you might think, that snorty phlegmy sound you're making in your throat isn't turning me on."

"Are you thinking about her?"

"Hmm?"

"Harmony, your vampire ex-girlfriend who just happens to be the third vampire in history to get a soul."

"No, I'm not thinking about her. I want to get a few hours of sleep in before I go on patrol later, you need your rest. All I want is a quiet lie next to you." She closed her eyes and frowned. Spike on the other hand couldn't have been farther from sleep if he was in the mosh pit at a concert. The second he'd seen his former flame he'd know she wasn't the same vampire who'd left him with an arrow in his back. She was radiant, she glowed with it. She was like him, a vampire with a soul.

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