Playing Around With Love
By: Pattyanne
None of the BtVS characters
belong to me.
Set in an alternative season 6, in
which Buffy didn't take the big swan
dive.
****************************************8
Part 1
Buffy meandered through the park, scuffing the soles of her shoes
along the ground, and crunching dead leaves into dust. The November
night was chilly, with a dazzling full moon and a sky full of stars putting
on a lovely light show.
She'd already been through her route, but demon activity was at an
all time low tonight, and the stakes in her tote bag had not been used.
As she passed the playground, she was suddenly seized with a fit of
childish nostalgia. Memories of other playgrounds washed over her, of
long sunny afternoons with her mother and father, back when everything
was still good between them and her future stretched out in front of her
with a promise of endless love and happiness.
A tiny smile appeared on her lips as she stepped off the side-
walk and into the soft sand. She briefly considered removing her
shoes and digging her toes into the cool grit, but decided against it. A
slayer never knew when she might have to take off running in a big damn
hurry.
Glancing around to make sure there were no witnesses, she
dropped her bag and ran for the slide. She ignored the ladder and
vaulted directly onto the slide itself. Landing with both feet, she
ran up it. The heels of her shoes pounded into the metal, and the
clamor they made echoed through the park.
When she reached the top, she turned and dropped down
onto her bottom, then pushed off.
The ride was surprisingly short. "Seemed a lot longer when I
was seven," she said, as her feet thudded into the hollow at
the base of the slide.
Buffy spent the next fifteen minutes revisiting her childhood. She
rode the slide again, climbed up and down the monkey bars,
and walked an imaginary tightrope on the metal pipe that the
rings dangled from.
Although she wasn't really thirsty, she stood at the drinking
fountain and gulped cold water, enjoying it all the more without
some kid prodding her to give someone else a turn.
Wiping the back of her hand across her mouth, she turned
and headed for her very favorite playground activity of her
youth....the swing set.
"Five swings...no waiting." She chose a swing and plopped
her butt down on it.
This was a childhood dream come true. She could pick any
swing, and she could stay on it for as long as she wanted
to, without having to share or to get off just when she was really
getting good altitude. There was no whiny little brat tattling
on her to a cranky teacher, prompting a lecture on playground
rules and selfish behavior.
"Mine, mine, all mine," she chanted, sticking out her tongue
at an imaginary playmate.
She placed her feet firmly on the ground, and was about to
push off when she realized that she had an audience.
Spike was standing on the other side of the playground, hands
jammed into the front pockets of his jeans, watching her with an
amused look on his face.
Blushing slightly, she waved to him. "Hi!"
"Hi yourself, Cutie," he said as he approached her. "You having
fun?"
"You bet I am," she replied with a sassy smile. "Now stop staring
and make yourself useful."
Knowing what she wanted him to do, he stepped behind her and
took hold of both sides of the swing. Pulling her back, he said, "Hang
on tight, little girl."
Buffy wrapped her fingers around the chains of the swing as Spike
launched her with one hard push, sending her up so high that
her fanny briefly lost contact with the seat.
She laughed at the butterfly sensation in her stomach as she
descended. "Higher!" she demanded.
"Any higher and you're gonna go right over the top, luv." Spike
placed his hands on her lower back and pushed gently.
"Oh, pooh," she scoffed as she went back up.
At the apex of the swings's arc, she let go of the chains and
jumped, landing on her feet, about ten yards away from the
swing set.
She turned to face him with a dazzling smile. "Can you come out
and play?"
Buffy ran and Spike chased her all over the playground. Clat-
tering up the slide again, she turned and saw him standing at
the end of it. She sat down and pushed off, sliding down the
cold metal and right into his arms.
"Gotcha!" he said softly in her ear as he pulled her firmly
against him.
"Yeah?" She smiled at him flirtatiously. "What are you gonna do
with me?"
His dark blue eyes flashed with heat. "Anything you'll let me
get away with."
Before he could tighten his grip, she ducked out of his arms
and took off running with him in hot pursuit.
She ran across the playground and into a grassy field, smiling
and laughing, taunting him for his inability to catch her.
Buffy was having a grand time. It had been so long since she had
run and played, and had fun..just for the sake of having it.
Four months had passed since her stand off with Glory, the
stand off that had almost gotten her and everyone she loved
killed. The whole horrible experience had refused to fade from
her mind, replaying itself on an endless loop, until she had begun
to think that she'd never get over it.
The love and attention she'd been given by her friends and
sister had helped, but it was Spike who had really gotten her
through it. Having suffered at Glory's hands himself, he was
the one Buffy had poured her fears out to, the one in whose arms
she had cried more than once.
Spike didn't give her any forced pep talks, telling her that it
was all over now, and she'd be all right, she should forget about it,
and get on with her life.
He had said none of those things. He'd only sat with her for
hours on end, doing the one thing the others hadn't...listening
to her, and not offering opinions as to what she should do next.
Her friends had been well meaning, and they cared, but they had
been operating under the misguided theory that she didn't want
to talk about it; not realizing that she needed to talk about it.
There was no twelve step program for recovery from "Near Death
by Hell God" syndrome. All she could do was muddle through
it as best as she was able.
But, at least she wasn't muddling through it alone.
~~~~~
Dropping down into a thicket of sweet smelling clover, Buffy
lay on her back and stared up at the cold November stars.
"It's a beautiful night," she said, turning her head to smile at
Spike as she sank down beside her.
"It is that, luv," he replied, smiling back at her. "Nice and clear,
millions of stars."
"Mm-hmm. I like the fall." She turned on her side to face him,
propping her head on her arm. "I mean...summer is nice, and I
love Christmas and all, but...fall is special."
"Why?" he asked, stretching out next to her, copying her
position.
"Oh, I like it when the trees change colors. The air gets cold
and you can really enjoy sitting in front of a big old fire. I even
like it when it rains. The days get shorter, the sun goes down
a little earlier every day..."
"Yeah, I like that, too," he agreed, giving her his "bad boy" smile.
"I'll just bet you do," Buffy said, shaking her head. "Anyway...I
like...well I DID like Halloween."
Spike made a face. "I spoiled it for you, didn't I?"
"Well...not JUST you." She pulled a handful of clover out of
the ground and tossed it at him. "I haven't had a decent Halloween
since I landed on the Hell Mouth. Or a decent birthday, come to
think of it. Still," she added. "I loved it when I was a kid."
"I imagine most people did, luv."
"Yeah. Oh!" A new thought occured to her. "Guess what I dressed
up as when I was seven?"
"I couldn't possibly."
"Come on...try!" She nudged him playfully.
He gave in. "Um...a ballerina?"
"Nope."
"A witch?"
Buffy shook her head. "Try again."
"Fairy princess?"
"No!" she said, exasperated. "Spike! Come on...it's so obvious. How
can you not know?"
"Maybe because you haven't told me!" he replied, flicking the tip
of her nose with his finger.
Buffy just sighed.
"Give me a hint," he prompted.
She thought for a moment. "Okay...if you could see yourself in a
mirror, the answer would be staring you right in the face."
After a short pause, Spike laughed. "Don't tell me...a vampire,"
he said, snapping his teeth at her teasingly.
"I was a cute vampire," she corrected him.
He gazed into her eyes with heart melting tenderness. "I'm
sure you were adorable, sweetheart."
"Yes, I was," she said with a smirk. "My mother made me this long
black cape thing that dragged on the ground because I was so
short. By the time I got home, I was hauling an entire treeful of dead
leaves along with me."
"What else?"
"She covered my face with some kind of sticky white make up, and
she used a bright red lipstick on my mouth. And I had this wig with
long black hair, and...don't roll your eyes at me. That's how we
thought vampires looked back then."
"Like Snow White on a bad hair day?" he asked.
"Uh-huh. But the best part was the teeth. You know, those plastic
things you get in a costume shop. Well, they only came in one
size so they were way too big for my mouth. Nobody could under-
stand a word I was saying." She paused for a moment. "How do you
manage to talk so clearly with yours?"
"Years of practice."
"Every time I said "trick or treat" they fell out of my mouth. It
was so embarrassing,"
Spike smiled, picturing a tiny seven year old slayer with long
blonde pigtails, big green eyes, and a knock out smile.
"God," he said softly. "I wish I could have seen you."
Buffy felt her heart beat speed up at the expression on his
face. "Well...I've got pictures."
"Will you show them to me?"
"Sure." Tearing her gaze from his, Buffy sat up. "I guess I
should be getting home. Late, doncha know?"
It was a half hearted announcement. She was enjoying this time
with Spike and she was in no hurry to put an end to it.
Spike climbed to his feet and extended his hand to her.
She hardly needed help standing up, but she placed her hand
in his anyway, allowing him to pull her onto her feet.
Keeping hold of his hand, she looked up into his eyes. "Walk
me home?" she asked, hoping to prolong their time together.
Spike chuckled. "Scared to walk home alone, Slayer?"
"Not scared," she replied, tilting her head a little. "I just want
you to walk me home."
Spike hesitated. "How about I ride you home, instead?"
Buffy's eyes widened. "S'cuse ME?"
~~~~~
"Go faster!" she shouted, wrapping her arms more firmly around
his waist. "You're driving like a big sissy!"
He glanced back at her and smiled. "You got it, baby."
Gunning the throttle of the motorcycle, Spike peeled away from
the red light with a scream of tires.
Buffy was laughing like a child on Christmas morning. She had
never been on a motorcycle before, and she loved the speed and
the feeling of freedom.
Sooner than she would have liked, Spike pulled up to the curb
in front of her house. Without killing the engine, he turned to look
at her, and was rewarded with her smile.
"Well?" he asked.
Buffy only hesitated for an instant. "Go!"
Spike grinned. "That's my girl."
With another scream of rubber, they took off into the night.
~~~~~
"There's no one coming. Just go!" Buffy urged, nudging his
back.
"The light's red."
"Yeah, but there's no one as far as the eye can see. Go!"
"Calm down, speed racer." Spike grabbed the hand she was
poking him in the side with, returning it to it's place around his
waist.
Buffy sighed. "Since when are you such a scaredy-cat?"
He turned to look at her. "What are you talking about?"
"I mean...you're not usually a "follow the rules" kind of guy,"
she said. "You've got this whole "wild child" thing going for
you."
Spike shrugged. "So?"
"So.." she copied him. "It just seems...out of character for the
"Big Bad" to stop for a red light. I kind of picture you running
right through them like a bat out of hell."
He gave her his most charming smile. "I usually do."
"Usually?" she asked. "So, what's stopping you?"
"You're with me," he said simply. "And I don't take any chances. Not
with you, sweetheart."
Buffy felt a glow of pleasure at the protective tone in his voice. She
liked that he felt this way about her. It was nice to be the "protected"
for once, instead of the "protector."
She always felt safe with Spike, knowing that he wouldn't let any-
thing happen to her.
Which was kind of ironic when she remembered how their relation-
ship had once consisted solely of their efforts to kill one another.
Tightening her hold around him, she pressed her cheek against
the soft leather of his jacket.
Spike closed his eyes briefly, immersing himself in the feel of her
arms around him.
A moment later, Buffy sat up a little more and rested her chin
on his shoulder. She smiled when she saw the look on his face,
knowing what he was doing.
"Light's green," she said in his ear.
Spike opened his eyes. He stared at the traffic light as he slipped
one hand around the back of her neck. Pulling her forward a little,
he turned his head and kissed her cheek.
"So," he murmured, nuzzling her like a friendly puppy. "Is there
anyplace particular you'd like to go, Slayer?"
"You mean I get to choose?" Buffy asked.
"You get to choose," he agreed indulgently.
Buffy thought for a moment. "Umm...the beach?"
"The beach it is."
"Yay!" A little girl again, she clapped her hands in delight.
"Hang on, baby, cause we're gonna fly."
~~~~~
"Think we'll be able to find a parking place?" Buffy asked,
looking out at a sea of parking meters with not a car in sight.
Spike pulled into the space nearest the pier. "Let's go for a walk,"
he suggested, killing the engine and lowering the kickstand.
He climbed off the bike and held out his hand to her. She accepted
it, then surprised him by not releasing it when her feet hit the
ground.
They were twenty feet away when Buffy stopped suddenly. "Wait
a second." Walking back to their parking place, she dug into the
front pocket of her jeans.
"What are you doing?" Spike asked.
"Looking for...ah! Got it!" She stuck a quarter in the meter and
waited for the machine to reset itself. "We have half an hour," she
reported, trotting back to him and reclaiming his hand.
Spike stared down into her bright eyes, his heart melting with an
amalgamation of amusement and wonder, and a tenderness he'd
never felt for anyone but her.
"Good idea, sweetheart," he praised her. "Wouldn't want a parking
ticket, would we?"
Buffy shook her head, a cheeky grin on her face. "No, we
would not!" she said, lacing her fingers with his.
"What happened to my "wild child?" he asked, squeezing
her hand. "The one who breaks the rules?"
"This is different," she said, shrugging her shoulders.
"Why?" he inquired, his smile becoming wider.
"Because it's me." Buffy began walking, pulling him along
like an impatient child trying to make a parent walk faster towards
a Merry-go-Round. "Come on...let's go out on the pier."
"Anything baby wants, baby gets," Spike promised, giving her
hand another gentle squeeze as they walked.
~~~~~
"When's your birthday?"
Spike glanced down at her, surprised by the question.
"January," he answered.
"January the what?"
"The tenth."
They had walked out to the end of the pier, where Buffy had
spotted a bench. She sat, not facing forward, but straddling
the bench, her feet on either side of it. Spike had followed, and
assumed the same position, slightly behind her.
"So, how old are you anyway?" she asked.
"Very, very," he replied.
"No, really...how many years?"
Buffy pulled her feet up and crossed her legs on the bench,
sitting Indian style.
"Actually or technically?"
"Actually."
"Well...let me think. Actually," he said, "I'm 127 years old last
January."
"January?!" She leaned her head back against his chest to look at
him. "You got turned in January?"
"That's right," he nodded. Right before I turned 28."
"Geez....happy birthday to you," she muttered.
Spike smiled and placed his hands on her shoulders, tugging her
back gently until she was reclining in his arms. "It wasn't such
a bad deal, luv. If it hadn't happened...I never would have met you."
Buffy grinned. "That's a positive attitude, considering how many times
I've tried to kill you."
"But...you're not trying to kill me now, are you?" He lifted one
hand and caressed her cheek.
"Not as long as you're nice," she said, looking up into his eyes.
"I promise to keep being nice," he said, " if you'll kiss me."
Buffy slipped one hand behind his neck and tugged him down. "Then
I'll kiss you," she whispered, parting her lips and moistening them
with her tongue.
"Buffy.." he captured her mouth beneath his.
As the kiss lengthened and deepened, she turned on the bench
and slid her arms around his neck. Feeling the tentative touch of
his tongue, she moaned softly and met it with hers.
Breaking away to draw breath, Buffy looked up into the dark eyes
of her once sworn enemy, a slow smile appearing on her face.
"Nice is good." Her voice was soft and dreamy. "We like nice."
Spike's own voice was deep with desire for her. "I can be very nice,
sweetheart."
"Mmm...more nice, please," she requested, pulling him down into
another kiss.
The embrace caught fire, and was soon raging out of control.
Never breaking contact with her lips, Spike maneuvered Buffy until
she was straddling his lap. She whimpered when she felt the hard
proof of his desire.
Leaning closer, she molded her upper body against his. He groaned
at the feel of her breasts pressing against him. Taking a firm hold
onher bottom, he ground his erection against her.
Buffy tore her mouth away. "Spike..." she gasped.
"I know, baby," he whispered. "Me, too." He buried his face against
her throat, kissing her soft skin.
She was struggling to speak. "Let's...let's go...now."
Spike stood up, bringing her with him, then picked her up and
carried her off the pier.
TBC.....
Feedback is so nice!
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