"Be careful what you set your heart upon – for it surely will be yours."
~ James Baldwin
They easily met up with a vampire nest. There were ten vampires growling and snaring at them, surrounding them. Spike backed up against Buffy and they used the other’s balance as they spun and kicked knocking at least five out of the way. Spike turned around and offered Buffy his hands, which were folded and she put her foot into it and he hoisted her up into the air and she grabbed a branch yanking it down. She broke it off while Spike fought and tossed a broken branch to Spike and kept one for herself.
She immediately swung into action on the five vampires around her. She spun around smiling at Spike as she nailed one with a high kick, which knocked the other two near him down as well. The last two she quickly staked leaving her only three remaining. She turned around for a brief moment to see how Spike was doing and he had only one left. She turned towards her two as one took a kick knocking her into Spike who immediately righted her hissing, “Watch it Slayer before I beat you senseless.”
Buffy turned and kicked the one who kicked her and jumped on top of it dusting him immediately and jumped up to deal with the last one. She panicked recognizing him from the other night. Spike yelled at her, “Stop playing around and dust him away.”
Buffy let the tears fall from her eyes as she felt her life flash before her eyes. Spike pinned the vampire and dusted him within seconds turning to the shaken Slayer, “Buffy…”
She didn’t answer and had a far away look in her eyes so he shook her hard, “Buffy…Slayer..pet..luv? Bloody hell woman answer me.”
She didn’t respond and just about sunk to the ground when he attempted to shake her again. He pulled her again him and did the only thing he could think of to do and kissed her. The taste and smell of her lips on his made him close his eyes. It had been so long since he had kissed her. It had been over 2 years. God he missed her.
He pulled her close feeling her respond to his kiss. He opened his eyes once to look and she had closed them and felt her arms wrap around his neck pulling him closer.
He didn’t fight her and enjoyed the feel of her kiss. It had been too long and he heard her moan and it finally hit him. He backed away whispering, “Oh Buffy. I’m so sorry. I never should have forced that kiss on you.”
Buffy opened her eyes and said, “You forced the kiss on me?”
Spike said, “Yes you weren’t responding and it was the only way I could think of to bring you back to the land of the living.”
Buffy brought her lips up to his in a gentle kiss and whispered after pulling away, “You can’t force the willing Spike. Remember that.”
Spike smiled for a moment then it turned to a frown, “Um what happened back there Buffy?”
Buffy frowned, “He’s the one who killed me. I recognized him but he didn’t recognize me. I panicked I’m sorry.”
Spike didn’t say anything more and took her hand and then paused looking at their joined hands. They had matching scars.
He looked amazed “Can we go back to your little hell hole of a room now? I think I’ve done enough damage for the night and so have you.”
Buffy nodded but didn’t drop her hand from his and they walked hand in hand in, perfectly in sync only pausing once to tell Robin and Faith they were heading back.
Spike sat down on the bed as it was the only furniture in the place and said, “How long have you been in this little room? It can’t be healthy to live in this little space.”
Buffy shrugged just wanting to be near Spike but she vowed to make this time different. She could always talk to him but this time she wanted to really talk to him and enjoy his company. This time their relationship would be healthy and good. If they had sex it would be making love. When they dated it would be good dates where they could be happy and be themselves.
Just then Buffy went over to Spike, “Oh my god. You can go in the sunlight. Do you know what that means?”
Spike blinked, “I won’t dust so easily?”
Buffy rolled her eyes, “Well that plus we can go to the beach together. We can actually take walks in the daylight in the park. The world is ours Spike with no limits. We can’t die!”
Spike looked at her and his eyes got wide realizing what she was saying as he whispered, “I can garden again and I wont have to worry about holding you back from tanning or spending time on a beach or just going to the mall. I can go with you and protect you. We can have a semi-normal life,love. It’s like being human only still being a vampire. It’s amazing.”
He ran over to the mirror and frowned, he still didn’t have a reflection.
Buffy giggled, “You wouldn’t want to see your reflection anyway. Your hair needs to be redone and it might even be time to change your style. The 80s are so over.”
Spike glared at her and picked her up to throw her on the bed and tickled her until she yelled, “Ok I’m sorry. Your hair is perfect and oh so sexy.”
Spike smirked, “Better believe it.”
Then he looked around the room again, “Why are you living in this place?”
Buffy shrugged, “My house was knocked down in the Hellmouth’s collapse. I don’t have the money to go finding another and I wanted to get away from England. I was missing you too badly and they expected me to be normal there. Faith offered me a place here so I accepted. The room and board was free.”
Spike frowned, “So you willing to accept money from my kind of vampire self? It’s legit money as I tried to tell you earlier.”
Buffy looked at him whispering, “How is it legit?”
She moved back on the bed and Spike came to sit next to her. She hesitated but rested her head against his chest and he pulled her to him. She closed her eyes feeling his cool arms surround her.
She had missed him so badly and then his voice broke her thoughts, “I was a gentleman in England you know and I’ve had 120 years to save up dough. Vampires don’t spend money pet.”
Buffy bit her lower lip and said, “If you have money and can now live with sunlight, can we have a normal house? Will you move in there? You don’t need to live in the basement or a crypt. You don’t even have to live in my room if you don’t want to.”
Spike tilted her head up to look at him, “I’ll do whatever you want. You should know that Buffy.”
Buffy nodded, “I’d like to look at houses tomorrow when its daylight and I’d like to live with you. If we are really doing what I want, I’d like to try things with you. You know…have a real relationship or at least try. I suck at them. You know that, I’m sure. They fail and the person leaves. You even left. I never thought you would Spike. Why didn’t you contact me? I was dying inside without you.”
Spike held her while she cried and whispered feeling genuinely sorry, “I just thought you wanted a better normal life. You could do so much better than me. I am a vampire. I drink blood, up until today I couldn’t walk in the sunlight and I can’t offer children. What good am I? I wasn’t any good. You deserved better and Angel had told me that over and over again while I was a ghost. When I’m around Angel I feel second best. Actually, he makes me not even feel best at all. I guess I let it get to me so I didn’t contact you. I was planning to at first you know but I was a bloody ghost and I couldn’t pick up a phone and Angel wouldn’t. I’m sorry love. I won’t ever leave you again. You’re immortal. You realize that means you’re stuck with me for forever? If I really can’t be dusted, good luck getting rid of me.”
Buffy blinked her eyes as she felt his fingertips wipe her tears away as she let his words sink in. Buffy looked into his eyes, “I hope we work out.”
Spike leaned down to kiss the top of her head whispering, “I hope so too. I’m tired pet.”