Coming in from a double shift at Rosey’s Diner all Buffy wanted to do was collapse but she knew that wasn’t going to be possible. Not with the lazy ass husband she was married to. No, Riley couldn’t even pick up his own beer bottles he left scattered all over the dinky one bedroom they rented in one of the worse neighborhoods in town, let alone do anything else.

Dropping her key on the kitchen table she proceeded to sort though the mounds of bills- electric, phone, cable, credit cards... ‘The usual,’ she thought, shifting through the mail until she came to a letter from her old high school.

Opening it she discovered her class was having their ten year reunion. Included in the letter was a little survey Willow wanted her to fill out and send back ASAP so she could put together a booklet for the reunion itself.

“Yeah, right like everyone wants to know about my crumby life.” She snorted softly. Putting the letting away and tossing it and the rest of the mail back on the table before heading in to the living room- where Riley was thankfully passed out on the couch.

Continuing on into the bedroom she grabbed her pj’s and headed for a much needed shower. While in there her mind started wondering back to the letter and her best friend from high school that wrote it.

Will- Willow, she hadn’t heard or seen here in over eight years. Since she transferred to some college in Florida in her junior year.

Just seeing her name brought back old memories- good old memories. Back to a time where she was popular, she had a life and a future. When she had a guy that treated her like she was meant to be- loved, cherished and above all else respected.

Life was so different back then Spike treated her like a princess. And now all Riley ever did was threaten and abuse her. Oh how she wished she could go back and do things over.

Spike was the one man she would always love. Even now just thinking about him gave her that tingly feeling you get deep in your heart when you’re madly in love.

She wished she’d gone to New York with him when she had a chance instead of attempting to follow her non-existent acting/modeling career in LA. Who knows what would have happened if she had.

But instead she followed her dream and wound up marrying Riley when she became pregnant by mistake.

God knows his mother and father wouldn’t let their son disgrace them by having a child out of wedlock. After all they were the Finn’s, one of the biggest and most influential names in the modeling scene on the west coast, or so they thought…

So her one night mistake at a party turned in to a hellish marriage with a drunk, abusive, ex-marine husband with no love and no children.

All thanks to the prick himself for pushing her down a flight of stairs when she was in her second trimester. Ever since that day she hated him. But she was too afraid to get away too. The one and only attempt she ever tried ended with her in the hospital with a concussion for close to a week. That was her second miscarriage. And of course he hadn’t even gotten a slap on the wrist for it.

Closing her eyes Buffy leaned into the warm pulsating water and tried to forget her life as it was like. And tried to imagine what life would have been like if she’d gone with Spike.

He’d always joked about them having a dozen kids, half boys and half girls. How their first boy would be named William and their first girl would be named Elizabeth.

Standing in the shower she began to cry. How desperately she wanted that life to be real. She would give anything to go back and do things differently.

Sinking to the floor of the shower she curled up in to a tiny ball and wept for her children that would never be.

It happened less and less, but some days- like today, were too much for Buffy. For today would have been her daughter’s sixth birthday had she not lost her from the abuse she suffered at Riley’s hands. That along with the little blonde girl just about the age that Emma would have been that she saw in the diner tonight. Combined with Will’s letter bringing up all the memories was too much for her to take.

Huddles in on herself she wept and wept for what seemed like hours. The warm soothing massage had turned to fridge little missiles of ice, and yet she still didn’t care. She didn’t want to get out and have to face the horrific world in which she lived.

If it weren’t for Riley continues pounding on the door she most likely would have never gotten out, but Riley being his usual self couldn’t leave her alone once he discovered she was home. To him she was only there to service him in any way he saw fit.

“You’ve been in there long enough, bitch,” his growly drunken voice bellowed over the water. “This place needs cleaning; it’s a friggin’ pig sty. And it’s Monday night, you know what that mean.”

“I….I’ll be right out,” she stammered as she stood on shaky legs. “Ju… just spilled some gravy on me at the diner tonight.” Turning off the faucet she grabbed a towel from the rack, wiping her face and dried off.

As she dressed she caught a good look at herself in the mirror, something she tried to avoid if at all possible in the last few years. She was pale- very pale in fact, and so thin she looked like a skeleton. Her hair was thinning too, it was starting to show signs of gray here and there and it lacked the luster and shine it once held also.

With another bang on the door, she turned away from the mirror and began to dress as quickly as possible, not wanting to anger Riley any more. For one thing the angrier he got the more she’d have to endure later. She wasn’t really up for some of his more sadistic games he liked to play.

Opening the door Riley grabbed her by a fist full of damp hair and yanked her out, repeatedly slapping her across the face. When he finally stopped her face was numb, which she figured was a good thing since the first few blows alone stung like a son of a bitch. ‘Yeah, not feeling things right now were a really good idea,’ she thought as he dragged her into the living room by her hair.

“See this?” he yelled in her face, “Do you? Didn’t I tell you before that this was to be picked up before you did anything else after work?”

Buffy gasped in pain trying to grab a hold of the back of her head before he pulled it out as he shook her around like a rag doll. “Please, Riley you’re hurting me…” she begged, struggling trying to free herself.

His eyes were wild, pupils dilated to the point where she couldn’t even see any color save black. She could tell he had done more than just drink tonight. By the way he was acting she was guessing some coke or maybe a little heroin.

“Didn’t I??” he screamed again giving her head a hard jerk backwards so that her head was bend in a very painful, awkward angle.

“Y…y….ye…yes,” she stammered trying to talk around the lump in her throat. “I’m s..sorry…you we..were sleeping and I didn’t ww…want to wake y…you.”

“That is NO excuse!” he shrieked backhanding her again. This time slitting open her lip sending a bright crimson spray across the pale tan carpet.

TBC…

“Good evening, Mr. Hawthorn.”

Spike chuckled at the older front door’s man, “It’s Will, William or Spike, Manny, please? We’ve known each other for how many years now?”

“I believe it would be five, sir.”

“Yeah something like that, mate. Long enough for you ta call me by my first name.”

“Yes, sir…” Manny said before he caught and corrected himself, “I mean yes, William.”

Spike smiled and nodded, “That’s better. Now you have a good night, Manny.” He said already heading through the lobby of his penthouse apartment on the upper east side.

Business and life had been good to him, well mostly good. He was one of the best know PI’s in New York. Even the police had hired him from time to time. Especially when it came to cases that weighed heavily on the out of the ordinary or supernatural, even if they wouldn’t openly admit there was such a thing.

Yes, William Hawthorn was sorta an expert in that field, more a detective of things that go bump in the night, than a true private eye. In his six years of working with the police he’d solved over two hundred cases.

Some said he had a six sense, others said he wasn’t quite human. But whatever they might say he was still the one they called in on “special” cases. Even Spike himself couldn’t explain the how’s of what he did, all he knew was he could and wanted to help out others in some way.

The only thing he missed was a companion- a long term love of his life. One night stands, and here a month gone the next girlfriends got really old after a little while. He wanted someone to come home to, to love, to grow old with… and above all else have a child with. He knew most guys his age wanted just the opposite.

Most guys wanted to be out partying all night long, bring home lots of beautiful women a night that wanted no commitment, but not him. He just wanted to have a home with a wife and children. That’s all he had ever wanted.

“Oh William, sir, a parcel came for you today. I signed for it and left it in your front entry way, I hope that is alright?”

Spike chuckled again, “Course it is, thanks.” He called back entering the elevator.

Stepping in he punched in the code for the penthouse then sagged against the interior of the compartment on the way up.

Stepping out of the elevator he spotted the small package the door’s man mentioned. Spike smirked reading the name of the sender- Angelus and Drucilla Mac Masters.

He had to chuckle every time he saw their names on something. In high school the two of them were always fighting and breaking up at least three or four times a week. No one thought they’d last, let alone marry and have one of the most amazing relationships out of all of them.

The happy couple were going on their eighth year of marriage and had two gorgeous children, a son who was six and a daughter that was almost three. Both had their mother’s dark hair and long eye lashes. They were his god children and the closet Spike had come to having children of his own.

Walking through the spacious living room to the kitchen he set the package down on the table before taking off his long leather coat, laying it over the back of a chair then returned to the box. Opening it he found a drawing that little Sarah had done for him, another one that David had done of the beach and a cell phone with a sticky note attached to it.

“I’ve called and left messages for you for more
than a week, bud. So I decided to take drastic
measures and sent you the phone to call me with.
Angel.
PS. You don’t even have to stop and look up the
number just hit 2 and send. ”

He shook his head at how impatient his best friend could be sometimes.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to call Angel because he did; he just hadn’t gotten home before one AM any night in the last week and a half. He’d been working on one of those “special” cases for the police.

Turning on the phone he hit the number two then send, and waited for Angel to pick up.

“Hew-low?” a sweet, innocent voice chimed on the other end.

Spike smiled hearing his little princess. “Well hello sunshine, is Mommy or Daddy right there, it’s Uncle Spike.”

“Uncle Spikey- uncle Spikey did you get picture?” the toddler babbled. “Me draw you pretty with dumby brudder. He not help no matter what he or Daddy say. ”

“Sure did little luv, got it right here. Gonna put it up on my frig so everyone can see what you did. Now is Mommy or Daddy right there, princess?” he chuckled.

“Ummm…humm…boof”.

“Right luv, can I talk to Daddy then?”

“Yup,” the toddler said making her ‘p’ pop before screeching for her father.

Spike switched ears for the phone and tried to regain his hearing while waiting for Angel.

“Spike?”

“Yeah, it’s me, bloke… damn that girl’s got a set of lungs on her,” he said still trying to clear the ringing in his ear.

Angel laughed, “You don’t know the half of it, bud, but that’s nothing new,” he laughed again before continuing. “I see you got our little present, huh?”

“Just did. Sorry I didn’t call you back sooner, but didn’t think ya or Dru wanted a two AM wake-up call.”

“Ah, working on another big case, huh?”

“Always working on something you should know that by now, mate. The one I just finished however was particularly nasty. Fourteen hour days for most of it. Ended up being the husband killed his wife thinking she fooled around on him and the baby wasn’t his.” He sighed letting his voice show just how disgusted he really was.

“Turns out, it was the husband that was fucking around with anything he could get his hands on. Stinking bastard didn’t deserve either of them.” He growled still frustrated that the jerk got to live and the lady and child were gone.

“Damn… Spike you should really stop taking those kinds of cases. You know how much they bother you.”

“Would luv to, but you know I can’t when there’s a chance they might be found.”

“Yeah, I know you’re soft in the head as well as the heart.” Angel joked trying to lighten the mood.

He hated to see his best friend so upset and unhappy when he had a great life. He only wished that some day that he too would find the perfect woman and settle down.

“Ha ha ha…very funny you, git. Now you didn’t call me twenty times a day ta hear my sad story, so what’s up?”

“Got that right, man.” He said glad for the change in subject. “Willow called me to see if you had gotten the letter about our class reunion next month. She sent it out over a month ago and you were one of the few she didn’t get back. Well yours and Buffy’s, but she’s tracking that one down herself.

“I guess she left you a few messages and you didn’t return her calls. So she called Dru and asked if we could find out and let her know.”

Spike thought back on the past few weeks to a month and at first couldn’t remember seeing anything like that then it hit him. Walking over to his mess of a computer desk he started to shift though the stack of unopened mail. Finally coming to the letter Angel was referring to he opened it and quickly scanning it.

“Oh bloody hell,” he murmured. “Tell Red I’m sorry and that’ll I’ll be there. I’ll even do that sheet she attached and fax it to her tomorrow.”

“I swear if it weren’t for electric transfer and auto- bill pay I’d be the richest bloke living on the street.” Spike sighed at himself and the lack of memory he had sometimes when it came to things like this.

“Most likely, Spike. You know what you need?”

“A good stiff drink, a maid and a soft comfy bed right about now.” He sighed looking around the kitchen.

Angel laughed, “Naw… what you need is a maid, an accountant and answering machine that you know how to use.”

“Very funny, Angel, very funny. I hate to do this but I’ve gotta go, mate. Give my luv ta Dru and the little ones. Don’t forget ta tell Will I’m sorry. I’ll call you in a few days when I’ve had sleep. Night, mate.”

“Night. Go get some sleep and I’ll tell them. Talk to you soon, bud.”

Spike was so tired all he wanted to do was go to bed, but a promise was a promise so he flopped down in to the computer chair, cleared just enough space to write and filled out the survey that Willow had sent. When he was all finished he faxed it to the number that she hand wrote on the bottom of his.

After making sure it went Spike headed for the bedroom for some much deserved rest.

TBC…

“Thanks, Dru. I got the fax right here.” Willow said typing away on the keyboard as she chatted with her friend.

She nodded still typing up the last of the booklet while listening to the brunette talk away about some nonsense that had nothing at all to do with the reunion, the message that Spike had put on the bottom of the paper, or anything else relative to the conversation. She loved Drusilla like a sister but for the life of her she could never quite follow her.

“Umm…humm… that’s nice sweetie, but I really have to go. Gotta try and see if I can track down Buffy with this number Xander gave me. Give my love to Angel and the kids will ya? See you soon.” She said before hanging up.

Tara giggled hearing the end of the call. “Dru, I assume?” she asked wrapping her arms around her love’s shoulders from behind.

The petite red head relaxed into her lover’s arms and smiled up at her. “How’d you ever guess?”

They both laughed before the taller blonde answered, “Oh I don’t know, maybe every time she calls I have to have her hand the phone over to little Sara?” Tara said with a smirk.

She was as close to Dru as Willow was. But unlike Will, Tara couldn’t ever understand her over the phone. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how the woman could teach kindergarten.

Giggling a little she pattered her hands, “It’s okay baby. It took me years to understand her, you’ll eventually get Dru.”

Giggling she leaned forward and kissed her loves forehead gently, “You keep saying that,” she said softly against it before pulling back. “I know you’ve got stuff to finish so I’ll go, just wanted to check in and see if you needed anything?”

Will thought for a minute before shaking her head, “Nope, not right now. I’ve gotta try and call that number Xander gave me that he thinks is Buffy’s one more time. Finish adding in Spike’s info, then I’m all your, okay?”

Tara brushed a stray hair from her face and smiled gently at her wife. “Take your time, Will. I know how important this is to you.” Giving her one last kiss she left Willow to her tasks.

Willow took a moment to just relax after she heard the soft click of the door closing behind her. She couldn’t even begin to imagine having a more perfect partner. Tara was her everything- the sun and the moon to her and she was just the same to Tara.

It had been fate that had put the two of them in the same advanced chem. class. From that day on they had been as close as two people could be. First as lab partners and friends then lovers and now a happily married couple, no matter if the marriage was legal in Florida or not.

Tara said they were distain to be soul mate, the whole two halves of the same whole thing. She didn’t know if there was such a thing or not but she was more than grateful for whatever cosmic forces had brought them together.

With a small sigh of containment she picked up the phone and dialed the number her friend had hunted down. This was attempt number five at trying to reach someone at this one.

Over the last six months Willow had had several numbers that she’d been given or found that might be her best friend’s from high school. All of them had turned out to be duds and she was really hoping this one was a good one.

She couldn’t think of high school without thinking about Buffy and she really didn’t want to have a reunion without her. For one thing she wanted her wife to meet her. She knew they would get along wonderfully. Besides it just wouldn’t seem the same without the whole gang there.

The phone rang and rang. Just when Willow was about to hang up a very groggy female voice answered, “Hello?”

“Hi, this is Willow McClay- er… Willow Rosenberg- McClay, I’m looking for Buffy Summers? We went to high school together.”

There was a pause on the other end of the phone then she heard the person on the other end move on what sounded like a bed. “Umm… hi Willow. It’s Dawn.” The woman on the other end of the line said sounding a bit more awake now. “Buffy doesn’t live here. She hasn’t in over seven years.”

“Dawnie it’s so good to hear your voice again. I’m so sorry about your mom. I was doing a semester in England when she died. If I could’ve flown home I would have. And when I got back you guys had moved already and I couldn’t find a phone number or address.”

“We know you would have.” She said letting a long slow breath escape. Thinking back on those days always made her sad, still to this day.

“We got your flowers and the card, its okay. And well, the moving… well…” Taking a deep breath, not too sure how to or if she really wanted to explain everything that had happened. “Had to downsize after that. Then Buffy got married not too long after that too so…”

“What? Wait Buffy got married? To who?” The red head inquired in complete awe. The only person she ever thought Buffy would marry was William “Spike” Hawthorn and she knew for a fact that he was still single; she had his info right in front of her.

“Riley Finn,” the younger woman sighed totally unhappy with how her sister’s life had turned out.

She had tried repeatedly to help her over the last seven years but with no luck whatsoever. It seemed that Riley had control over everything that her sister did and she knew for a fact that Buffy hated him and her life. She was just unable to get out of the situation she was in. The Finn’s were just too powerful and influential of a family in LA.

“Riley Finn? As in Finn Modeling Agency?” Even though Willow wasn’t that much in to fashion trends and whatnot she had heard of the west coast firm from Anya and Cordy at least a million times.

“That would be the one,” she groaned.

“So she’s like some super model now?” the red head babbled thinking that her friend had finally made it big and she hadn’t noticed.

“Umm… no. She’s a waitress at some diner.”

“Huh? I thought she was married to a Finn?”

“She is, but she’s not a model. Riley won’t allow her to show off her body like that, no matter how great a model she’d be.”

Willow was quiet for a moment digesting all the things she’d said and didn’t say. She suddenly felt sad for her long time friend. She didn’t quiet know everything but she could tell from Dawn’s attitude that things hadn’t gone well for Buffy.

She really wanted to ask more about what had happened to them after their mother died but didn’t feel right invading their privacy, especially over the phone.

“Ah Dawnie, I’d really like to get a hold of Buffy. Do you have her number? We have a reunion coming up and I’d really like to see if she’s coming.”

“Yeah, but I’m not sure she’ll go. Hang on while I get the number.” Dawn said as she got out of bed and made her way to her address book. After giving it to her, Willow gave her hers. They said their goodbyes- promising to keep in touch more now they knew the numbers.

Bound and determined to get a hold of Buffy Willow set about dialing the new number that Dawn had given her. It rang twice before someone answered.

“Yeah what you want?” a grumpy male voice slurred.

Willow knew instantly that it had to be Buffy’s husband and by the sound of it he was even worse than she’d thought. “Umm… hi, I’m Willow Rosenberg- McClay. I’m looking for Buffy Summers? We went to high school together.”

“It ain’t Summers any more it’s Finn. She’s working, call back after ten tonight. She might be home.” Riley barked before hanging up on her before she could say another word.

Willow blinked at the buzzing sound of the phone. She couldn’t believe how rude a man Riley Finn was.

TBC…

Willow finally got a hold of Buffy just one day before she left for Sunnydale. It took some convincing but in the end she’d gotten her to agree to come to the reunion; that is if she could find a way to get out of the house without Riley going buzerk on her that was.

All Buffy had been thinking about had been seeing her friends again since she’d gotten the letter to begin with. She didn’t even care if Riley had found it the next day and she’d gotten beaten again for it. To her it didn’t matter anymore, if he was going to hit her he’d find a reason that’s just the way he was.

Her goal right at the moment was to get though the next two days without having him leave any visible marks that would show for the reunion. That, find a dress she could afford that looked good and convincing Gwen to cover for her. The last part was easy, the brunette was one of the only close friends she had these days. If it hadn’t been for her and Faith she didn’t know how she would have survived the last few years. She knew Gwen would cover for her.

Applying the final touch up over her slightly yellow bruise on jaw line she said a silent prayer that Riley would still be passed out after last nights drinking binge.

Walking though the door she thanked the powers that be for answering her and headed out for work. It was a short drive to work granted but it was a peaceful one. She’d gotten out of the house without a fight, or even waking him. In fact when she pulled in to the diner she even had a few minutes to spare. Most days she was lucky if she even got there relatively close to on time, without at least one new bruise.

‘It must be my lucky day,’ she thought walking though the front door of the diner. Smiling and waving to all the regular customers, that were more like family than anything else to her, she headed back to hang up her things and punch in.

Momma Rose, the owner and surrogate mother of all that worked there was in back whipping up some of her famous Texas Chili. “Honey child, slow down. Nothing’s on fire, is it?”

Buffy smiled at the woman in her mid- fifties, “No, Rosey, everything’s fine.”

“Then got right over her and give Momma a hug, girl. I haven’t seen you in over a week,” the short, slightly over weight woman said holding out her arms to her.

Buffy hung up her coat then give her a hug. It was good to see Momma again. She swore the woman could make a bad day good in no time. She didn’t know how she did it but somehow, someway she did.

Pulling back from the bear hug Momma frowned. Reaching up she turn Buffy’s face to her so she get a better look of Buffy’s healing face. “That bastard hit you again, didn’t he?” she cursed.

The petite blond pulled back slightly, shaking her head, “Um… no… no.. it wasn’t his fault. I forgot to take out the garbage. It was late when I remembered and I fell down the stair.” Buffy said automatically falling into the usual lies she told to cover up what really happened in the Finn household.

If anyone really knew what happened there it would all be over for Riley. And for her, because he wouldn’t let her live if anyone found out the sick twisted games he used her for.

The elder women arched her brow at her, “Ya honestly think I’m gonna fall for that one? It’s the oldest one in the book for battered wives. I’ve used it a few times myself, back in the day.”

Buffy sighed knowing she shouldn’t have tried to hide anything for her. Momma was a master of seeing though the smoke and mirrors. “Oh alright. Yes, he hit me, but I did forget to take out the trash like I said.”

Rosey shook her head, “There isn’t a good enough excuse in the world for him to lay a hand on you, child. And you know it. Seriously, I think you should really consider getting out of there. The last time he was this bad for something ridicules like the trash you almost ended up in the hospital.”

Buffy lowered her head with a soft sigh, “I remember. But I can’t leave. I don’t have any money to get myself a place. Beside even if I did he’d just hunt me down. Then what?” she sighed again. “The last time I tried to leave he promised that I wouldn’t have to worry about being in the hospital next time. I’d be dead. And he means it, Rosey. He truly does.” She said nibbling on her lower lip in worry.

Rosey shook her head in discuss, Riley Finn had to be the world worst asshole, even compared to her own miserable ex-husband and that was quiet a feet considering how bad he was. She vowed to herself that she’d find a way to get Buffy out of there, she just had to.

It was killing her to see the young girl she’d grown to love like a daughter be so violently abused all the time. Buffy never told her all that her husband did to her but she didn’t need to. The look in her eyes was the same one she’d seen many times before in her own when she looked in the mirror years before.

Pulling her in for one last tight hug before letting her go, Rosey tried to sooth her, “Don’t even think about it, child. We won’t let that happen. I promise you that.”

“Thanks…”Giving the older woman a weak smile she stepped way and started getting ready for work. Glancing at the clock she added, “Guess I better get out there before Giles has a cow.”

That made her laugh, for one thing the short order cook was ever patient with Buffy and all the girl, no matter how much noise he made. Like Rosey, Giles had in a way adopted all the poor souls that had made there was to their diner.

~*~

For the most part the evening had been as it always was- Her usual customers coming in for dinner, and the teenagers coming after school on their way home.

She’d even seen the little girl that reminded her so much of herself when she was younger again- the one that made her heart ache every time she saw her. But Buffy couldn’t think about her any more she told herself, she had work to do as she cleared the table they’d been sitting at.

Out of the corner of her eyes she saw another customer take a booth on the opposite side just a few away. “I’ll be right with you,” she said as the gentleman sat facing away from her.

“Mmmm…mmm...mmmm,” Gwen commented checking out the new guy that was sitting her in friends section.

Faith craned her neck trying to get a better look at his long, lean legs incased in black denim, “Damn… why can’t we ever get ones that looked like that?”

“Cuz they can tell you’d jump their bones in a heart beat?” Buffy smirked as she set the dirty dishes in the dish pan.

“Very funny, B. But honestly why is it you always get the hotties? It’s not like you even appreciate what’s in front of you.” The tall brunette pouted leaning against the counter with her arms crossed over her chest.

She shrugged. She really didn’t know why she always seemed to get the cute guys in her section no matter where she was working. It wasn’t like she was going out of her way or anything. And most of the time she didn’t even dare look at them for fear Riley or one of his friends would come in and say she was flirting with him.

That was the last thing that Buffy needed was Riley to think that she was interested in someone else. He’d kill her for sure, she just knew it.

“You know Buff, if you want to take a break I’ll take this one for you?” the other brunette said still eyeing the blonde.

Shaking her head Buffy headed back toward her section, “Thanks, Gwen but I think I can handle it. Besides wouldn’t want either of you doing something to embarrassing yourself now would we?” With that she headed off to wait on him.

All she could see of the guy the girls were drooling over was his blonde head with his dark root. The rest of his face was hidden behind the menu.

“Welcome to Rosey’s Diner, I’m Buf….” She trailed off as he lowered the menu and she got a good look at him for the first time. Blinking she tried to make her brain register who she was seeing. It couldn’t be….

“Spike?” she whispered still not believing her eyes.

At the same time he stared at her, disbelief clearly written on his face as well, “Buffy?” he questioned.

TBC…

Seconds seemed like hours to the two of them as they stared at one another. It’d been eight long years since they’d seen each other but neither of them had changed much.

Sure Buffy looked a bit thinner, paler and held an over all air of sadness to her. But other than that she looked like the girl he’d left in LA to follow her dreams while he went off to New York.

“You work here?” he finally said, trying to puzzle out all the feeling that assaulted his senses- surprised, confusion, nervous, longing and joy to see his former lover once again.

“I… ahh…” she stammered before taking a breath and letting it out slowly. “Yeah, I do.” Buffy said softly, feeling her cheeks heat.

Of all people to have show up in her diner! Oh how she wanted to crawl under the nearest table and just hide. But yet at the same time she couldn’t stop staring at him.

To her, he hadn’t changes a bit since she saw him last. In fact if anything he’d become even more attractive. Yet that wasn’t what held her attention. No, what did that was the lost look in his eyes. It was the same one she saw on him the day she’d drove him to the airport.

“Can I get you something to drink?” she said realizing she’d been silent too long. ‘Stay focused, concentrate on work. Don’t think about how much you want to jump in his arms and stay there forever,’ she chided herself.

Like she wanted to do on the day he’d left. If only she’d spoken her mind and told him she couldn’t live without him. But she didn’t and he left and… For all she knew he had a girlfriend. Hell, he could have a wife and kids by now for all she knew…

That thought lanced the deepest part of her heart. Did he have a wife and kids…? Did he have their life; the one they’d always joked about with someone else?

Gods she hoped not. She knew it was unfair of her to think that was but she did. She couldn’t bare it if he did. She knew she’d married Riley but that was different, she never wanted to. She’d been practically forced in to it by his parents- his mother.

She’d give anything to be able to go back and change things. She’d had gone off with Spike and never even met Riley Finn in the first place.

“Coffee, luv,” he said still staring a bit wide eyes at her.

“Oh, yeah. Right. Coffee, coming right up.” She said coming out of her trance realizing he’d said something. With a deep breath she turned and headed to the counter.

Buffy’s hands shook as she poured the coffee, as the two brunettes descended on her. “So what’s the scoop on him, huh?” Faith prodded. “Didn’t see no wedding band or anything?”

“Not like that would’ve stopped you if there was,” Gwen snorted and muttered teasingly, looking pointedly at the other brunette.

Buffy pasted on a not so convincing smile. “Don’t know. Didn’t get all the goods with the beverage order,” she snarked, trying not to let them see how much an affect he’d had on her with that little bit of contact.

Gods how was she suppose to make it though the rest of his order if just that little bit of conversation had her heart racing and her mind spinning?

Not to mention what would happen if Riley found out that she’d seen him here. She knew that he wouldn’t care anything about the truth. No he’d just use it as another excuse to hit her, like he always did.

“Damn B, you’re shaking,” Faith commented helping her return the pot without spilling. She and her lover exchanged a look then glances over at the male in question.

Without a word Gwen pick up the cup brimming with its stemming hot liquid and brought it to him. “One of us will be right over to take the rest of your order,” she said politely, checking him out more. Not the checking out a ‘good looking guy’ way like she had earlier but really studying him this time. What was it about this man that had her sister in law so spooked?

“Thanks, pet.” Spike nodded going back to concentrating on the menu. He wasn’t really interested in what was on it. Rather he wanted to get away from the blazing blue eyes of the waitress. He swore she was trying to see deep in to his soul, that one.

That was the last thing he wanted in that moment. There was no way he wanted anyone to know just how much he wanted to gather his high school love up in his arms and run away with her.

He’d figured he’d see her again at the reunion in a couple of days. He knew it would be difficult, especially if she was married or involved with something but this was even worse than he thought it would be. His feelings for her had never died, but he never expected to have this kind of reaction. Nor did he expect to see her here.

His heart ached as he glanced over to the counter where the three of them where huddled. Taking a sip of his coffee he closed his eyes trying to figure out what he was going to say to her when she came back.


Faith rubbed Buffy’s back while she stared at the wall, her head hanging down as she tried to catch her breath. “You mean that’s him?” Faith asked softly not wanting to upset her friend anymore.

“Him, who? Who is he, Buffy?” Gwen asked joining them.

“Oh God, please- please don’t tell Riley. He’ll kill me.” She babbled as the first sob broke.

Gwen growled, she’d like to kill her brother for even thinking about laying a hand on Buffy. “Don’t worry about it. He won’t touch you, I promise.” She told her rubbing her back also.

Buffy just cried harder, her shoulders shaking as she buried her head in her hands, but never make a peep.

Gwen looked to Faith hoping Buffy had told her something while she was gone. “Spike,” her lover mouth continuing to rub the blonde’s back. Gwen’s eyes widened a bit in surprise as everything started making sense. Looking back at the booth she studied him for a minute, trying to remember him.

‘Damn! she thought mentally kicking herself for not realizing it sooner. Even though Gwen was a few years older they’d still gone to the same high school.

Unlike her half brother- Riley, who was sent to a private school. The older brunette was so grateful she lived with her mother and not her father and his wife. Even if it meant she almost never saw him. It was way better than living with that bitch- Julie Finn. God how that woman was the wicked witch of the west… and east… and north… Hell, she was just the world’s biggest witch. That woman would make the Pope rethink the death penalty.

“Do you want me to take the table, sweetie?” Gwen asked gently.

Buffy shock her head wiping her eyes. “No, it’s my table. I’ll get it.” with slightly red rimmed eyes she collected herself. The other two exchanged look that clearly said they didn’t think it was a good idea.

“Why don’t you let Gwen take the order while you go freshen up? It’ll still be your table and all.”

“Yeah, go splash some water on your face and all that. I’ll just grab his order.” She nodded, wanting to have a serous talk with the guy now that she knew who he was.

After a moment Buffy sighed knowing she looked like hell, “You don’t mind?”

Gwen hugged her quickly then pushed her gently toward the back. “Not at all, now go,” She shoed the petite blond off.

Once she was gone Gwen turned to Faith. “What in the hell is he doing here? My Gods, if Riley walked in and saw him…” she sighed knowing that her brother would do just what Buffy said he would.

The little prick was the king of all assholes. She couldn’t even begin to count how many times she and Faith had bandaged her up from his abuse. Not to mention the numerous times they’d tried to convince her to press charges or just flat out leave his ass.

“I know, what are we gonna do?”

“First of all I’m going to go over there and find out just exactly why he’s here. Take his order and then we’ll go from there.” With that Gwen headed back to the table.


Faith watched from afar as Gwen did exactly what she said. She had to hand it to her lover, the girl knew how to make a man squirm. The poor guys couldn’t sit still as he blinked up at her. Gwen on the hand had her hands on her hips, her toe a tapping and she could tell she was telling him just how it was. Until Spike held up his hands in the universal sign of ‘I’m harmless.’

Stopping for a moment she crosses her arms over her chest waiting for him to explain himself. As the seconds ticked by Faith saw Gwen’s body relax a little by little until her shoulders slump slightly, and her looks turned more friendly. Several more minutes passed before Gwen returned to the counter.

After hanging his order she joined Faith. “So?”

“So…” Gwen signed, “Spike just came in here to get something to eat. He didn’t know Buffy worked here. He even offered to go if it would help,” she sighed again, slumping against the counter. “I told him no. It was fine he could stay. But if, if Riley showed up for some reason he was my customer and he’s not to know Buffy at all.”

“And?” Faith prodded knowing there was more she wasn’t telling her.

“He didn’t come right out say it, but I could tell he was happy to see Buffy. No, more than happy to see her…” pausing for a moment Gwen closed her eyes and shook her head. “And I know Buffy well enough to know she’s never gotten over him. She told me once that her biggest regret was not going with him when she had the chance.”

Opening her eyes she turned to look at her lover, letting her see just how worried she was about their friend. “I just hope for all our sakes the asshole doesn’t decide to show up in one of his drunken rages.”

Buffy tried slapping water on her face but it didn’t work worth a damn. All it did was wash away most of her makeup, making her red, blotchy face look even worse. She knew she couldn’t go back out there and face him like that, so instead she went out back, grabbed her bag, and reapplied her make up before heading back the way she came.

“I can do this. He’s only a customer,” she muttered to herself leaving the bathroom.

‘Yeah right!’ her subconscious snorted, ‘Hello, it’s Spike! Love of your life, Spike! You remember him, run away live in a cabin in the woods and have a dozen kids- SPIKE!’

Oh yeah she remembered all too well. The fact was she was having a hard enough time to keep herself from just running out there and throwing herself at him and begging him to forgive her for being the world’s biggest fool for letting him leave in the first place.

Not paying attention to what she was doing Buffy ran straight into someone. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t…” She started to apologize but her voice caught in her throat as she looked up and her heart stopped when she saw who it was.

“It’s okay, luv,” Spike said reaching out to touch her arms as she took a step back.

Seeing her this distraught was killing him.

“Look yer friend over there already let me have it for being here. If you want me to go, I’ll go.” He told her despite the fact he didn’t really want to leave not just yet.

He really wanted to talk to her for a little while first. It’d been eight long years. For most of the time he just wished he’d had the balls to find her and tell her just how much he needed her.

Shaking her head she took a big breath before answering him, “No, you came here to get something to eat. It’s not your fault that…” shaking her head again she sighed. “Look, I just….didn’t expect to see you like this.” She laughed nervously looking down at her waitress outfit.

’Yeah, not really the best impression you could have given him,’ her subconscious snorted.

Spike chuckled realizing she was worried about what she looked like. He’d been so relieved to see her again he hadn’t even noticed what she was wearing.

“Luv… Buffy,” he said reaching up to tuck a wayward strand of hair behind her ear, “It doesn’t matter…think I’ve seen you at yer worse before. This…” pausing to give her a once over, “This isn’t even close to it.” He chuckles again smiling softly at her.

Buffy blushed remembering what she’d looked like the first time she ever met him. It had been at Dru’s sleepover for her thirteenth birthday. They’d all thought they were so hip and cool. Dru’s older sister, Darla, had been given them all facials and was doing Cordy’s when the doorbell rang. They all assumed it was the pizza delivery so Dru and Buffy answered it, hair up, mud faced and all. To their surprise it wasn’t the delivery boy at all but Dru’s next door neighbor and least favorite pest at the time, Angel. But with him was the new kid, Spike. She’d been so mortified that she ran back in to the other room, leaving Dru standing there all by herself.

Laughing nervously she answered, “Well nothing’s ever come close to that day.”

Spike nodded, letting a ghostly finger brush her cheek, “Thought ya were beautiful even then.” He confessed before he realized what he was doing. Then lowered his lips to brush them over hers, giving her a soft enchanting kiss.

All Buffy could do was stare up at him as his lips drew closer and closer. She knew should pull away if not walk away all together but she couldn’t. After all this time he could still turn her in a big pile of mush with a few simple words. And when their lips met it was like she’s been reborn. He awakened in her something that she thought died so very long ago.

Wrapping his arms around her he pulled her close, just wanting to hold her like he’d wanted to do since the day he left for New York. To his relief she didn’t pull away but instead wrapped her arms around his waist and melted into him and their kiss.

Holding him tight again felt like heaven on earth to her, and his kiss… god how she could savor it for all eternity. But no sooner has those thoughts crossed her mind reality came crashing back down around her. She couldn’t have him, and she dare not even think him. If Riley even found out he’d kill her.

If he ever found them like this, kissing…. ‘Oh god, oh god…’ she thought panicking as she pushed and struggled to get free.

As she run into another room marked ‘Employees Only’ he heard her say, “I can’t do this. He’ll kill me if he ever finds out.”

As he watched her go his heart clenched, and a lump lodged in his throat. “Buffy…”he whispered. “I’ve missed ya so much…” leaning back against the wall he closed his eyes.

Whatever had possessed him to kiss her like that? He was a fool, a certifiable fool for thinking for one minute she’d still love him, want him the way he wanted her after all this time.

“He’ll kill me if he ever finds out,” her words finally registered. Who? Who’s the asshole that would ever think of hurting him Buffy? a primal part of him growled wanting heads to roll for anyone stupid enough to even think of harming her.

Grinding his teeth he stood up and headed back to the front counter where the brunettes were working. “Who!?” he demanded, “Who she so afraid of?”

Gwen turned and met Spike icy glare with one of her own. She crossed her arms over her chest before answering, “None of your damn business, William Hawthorn.”

Without warning Spike grabbed her arms pulling her to him over the counter giving her a little shake, “WHO?” he growled in her face. “It’s that Riley guy you were warning me about wasn’t it.”

From the furious look on his face she knew better than to lie to him. “Yeah, it is. He’s….” shaking her head she sighed, “He’s her husband.”

Spike couldn’t have been more surprised if she had slapped him. Letting go of her he stared dumb founded, “Her what?”

“Her husband,” Gwen restated letting a long sigh before she started telling Spike all that had happened to Buffy since he left for New York.

How she’s met Riley, how she was forced in to marrying him because of the baby that she lost soon after the wedding at the hands of Riley himself with his ‘accidental’ fall she had down a flight and half of steps.

She went on to tell him about the abuse she suffered at the hands of her half brother and of how often her and Faith had fixed her up or brought her to the hospital urging her to press charges again the bastard, and how she would start to until Riley showed up. Then all their hard work would be throw out the window and she’d leave, going home with him once again.

By the time she was done Spike was seeing red for all she’d been through, but worst of all was she went though it all practically alone.

Sure she had Faith and Gwen and even her sister- Dawn. But she didn’t have anyone to hold her at night and tell her everything was going to be alright. And he could kill Riley for everything he’d done to her. How in the world could anyone treat another person like he treated her?

“How do we get her away from him?”

Faith snorted coming back from refilling a couple of customers’ coffees. “Good luck with that one, cutie. We’ve been trying for years. Every time we think she’s gonna leave him for good something happens and he’s got his fangs right back in to her. He’s worse than a rabid pit bull.”

Cocking him head to the side he stared at her, “Yeah, well ya ain’t me luv. And ya better believe me when I say I will get her away from him.” Silently he added. “I love ‘er too much not too.”

Tbc….

Spike paced back and forth the confined of his hotel room replaying their whole far too short encounter over and over in his head along with what the two brunettes, Faith and Gwen, had told him. Her life had turned out horrible. Not at all like he’d imagined or hoped.

Leaving her had been the hardest thing he’d ever done. He knew if he’d stayed she’d give her dream up of becoming a supermodel and they would have gotten married. But he couldn’t do that to her. She deserved better than that he told himself as he boarded the plane to New York that fateful day eight long years ago.

Coming back to the bed he growled in frustration throwing himself back onto it. How could he have been so bloody stupid?

‘Hind sight is always twenty-twenty, ya bloody wanker’ his subconscious snorted at him.

“Ain’t that the bleeding truth?” he sighed rubbing his hand down his face.

As he laid there with his eyes closed, images of Buffy flashed before him. Some old happy ones with her laughing and that smile that could stop a train. And others of today with that sad, lonely, lost, frightened look.

But worst of all was the hopelessness her heard in her voice and the words she spoke as she ran out on him today. “I can’t do this. He’ll kill me if he ever finds out.” The image of her wide panic-stricken eyes.

And the not-so-well covered yellow-ish bruise the size a man’s handprint that took up most of the left side of her face as she fled from the hallway.

That scene had played over and over in his head since he left the diner more than five hours ago. But this time was different or maybe he just hadn’t noticed it, he didn’t know. Didn’t care to know really.

All that mattered was the evidence he had seen, that along with what the other two had told him was more than enough to bring charges against Riley. He knew that. Hell he’d had cases in the past where they didn’t even have than much and he’d won it.

Course they didn’t have ties to a promenade family like this one did but still. Besides this one had meaning to it… meaning to him. He wasn’t about to let this bastard get away with this for one minute longer.

He was going to get Buffy out of there. Away from her abusive husband, safely. ‘And back with me where you belong, love.’ He added silently sending a prayer up to whatever gods might listen to him in his hour of need.

With that thought in mind he got up off the bed and grabbed his laptop. Within minutes he’d connected into the hotels DSL and was using what little he knew about Riley Finn to find out just what he was up against.



Hours of research and Spike still didn’t know much more about Riley Finn than when he started. And what little he did find was either locked or sealed by the US government.

All he knew for sure was that he’d been a Special Op agent for the military for several years. The length of time he served and everything else about his career was sealed tighter than tight. Not even his special clearance agreement with the military allowed him access to Riley’s file. He knew whatever the boy had done had to be top secret, hence him assuming the Special Op agent theory.

As for what he’d found out about the Finn family hadn’t surprised him in the least. Just as he expected the Finn’s had political ties to many California government offices. That’s how Riley had gotten away with what he’d done for so long.

If Spike had to wager he’d say that the family was a deep pocket to more than one high ranking official. Not just here in little ol’ Sunnydale, or Los Angels but even as far as a senator or two. He’d seen it before more than once in his years as a PI. And this family just screamed corrupt.

With that thought in mind he picked up his cell phone and dialed a very old friend of his.

“Hello?” a very groggy male groaned.

“Hey, Lins, you know that favor you own me?”

“Spike?” Lindsey yawned getting up as to not disturb the sleeping form next to him. “Couldn’t you have waited a few more hours man? Damn, I just got to sleep.”

The blond chuckled half heartedly at his former partner, “Sorry, mate, didn’t rightly look before I called. Been up all bleeding night.” He sighed wearily dropping into the chair. “Look, just take the information now and call me back when you find something, okay?”

“Important case?” the brunette asked sounding more awake.

Closing his eyes he saw Buffy again and his heart clenched. “You could say that.”

Opening them again Spike went on to tell the LA Special Crimes Detective what he knew and suspected about Riley and his family. After saying their goodbyes Spike made one more call, hoping he could tell him something that would help.

This one was to Lt. Gunn. He’d met him a few years back when investigating the mysterious disappearance of Gunn’s little sister. Turned out she’d fallen in with a very bad group of teens that though nothing of experimenting with black magicks and voodoo.

On the night he’d found her she was going to be “offered up” to some high demon the punks though would give them eternal life. From that day one they’d become friends. Gunn owed him a lot and it was about time he called that favor in.

Leaving a message on his voice mail to call him back, Spike headed out to the diner where she worked. Maybe some one there would or could tell him more about Buffy and her abusive husband.

Husband that word made him flinch. He was a fool, an absolute fool, for ever leaving her in the first place.

It wasn’t bad enough that she was with someone else. But to allow him to treat her the way he did for all these years and get away with it was not something Spike was going to allow. He would get her away from him even if it killed him, he vowed, heading out of the hotel lobby.




For the rest of that night and the next morning all Buffy could think about was how nice it felt to be back in Spike’s arms again, if even for a moment. She could swear she could still feel his lips on hers.

Her mind whirled and her emotions churned, as she replayed their all too brief encounter over and over again. How was she ever to get through the reunion feeling like she did? Maybe she shouldn’t try to sneak off and go? Maybe it would be better if she never saw him again.

‘Yeah right!’ her subconscious snorted. ‘And maybe demons, vampires and werewolves called Sunnydale their home. it added rather sarcastically.

“How you doing today, honey?” Sara, one of the breakfast waitresses asked as Buffy came in.

She smiled at her, “Oh I’m fine. How about you?” she lied knowing she was anything but fine.

But Buffy had learned a long time ago never let anyone know about her personal life. ‘Cause for some strange reason it always seemed to get back to Riley and in the end it would only hurt her more.

“I’m great. I have an interview for a movie this afternoon and a photo shoot after that. I’m telling you Buff, I’m gonna be a star one day, real soon too. I just know it,” the blond beamed.

Buffy smiled at the enthusiastic twenty year old that had her whole life a head of her. If only she could go back and redo her life she’d do everything differently, she promised herself.

‘Stop it! You can’t so just forget about it and stop thinking about him and his damn soft lips of his,’ she chided herself for what seemed like the millionth time since last night.

She couldn’t help that all she could think about was Spike. What little sleep she’d gotten the night before had been riddled with dreams of their past and the future they’d always talked about. Even now if she closed her eyes she could see Spike holding their child. Shaking that image off she headed back to get ready for her shift.

She hadn’t gotten far when Sara told her something that stopped her dead in her tracks. “Oh by the way there was a real hottie in here asking questions about you first thing this morning.”

“A…a what?” Buffy asked feeling her pulse quicken. It couldn’t be? He wouldn’t come here again and ask questions. Questions that would get her seriously beat if Riley ever found out.

The younger waitress didn’t even notice the look on her face as she rambled on and on about how good looking this guy was. “He wanted to know when Gwen, Faith or you were working again too. So you might want to expect him back later. Man I’m telling you if one of you doesn’t snatch that yummy Grade A Prime hunk up I’m for sure gonna. Damn he was fine!” She practically foamed at the mouth as she spoke about him.

Buffy had to admit Spike, if that’s really who it was that came to the diner, was defiantly something to look at. And she was sure Sara would make a move on him if no one else did, but that was the least of her concerns right at that moment. No, she was more worried about what would happen if wind of this got back to her husband.

Turning back around Buffy asked her fellow co-worker to not breathe a word of this to anyone else, that was, after she made sure no one else was in there at the time he had been.

According to the twenty year old, no one other than herself, Momma, and Giles had been in there. It wasn’t even five in the morning when he’d came in. Buffy breathed a sigh of relief knowing the couple that owned the restaurant wouldn’t say anything to anyone, least of all Riley since they both had been trying to get her to leave him for years.

Feeling relatively sure that it wouldn’t get back to Riley she headed once more into the back of the cafe to hang up her things and start work.

Tbc….

From time to time I might be putting in little clips of songs that have some meaning or connection to this story. This one I'm going to add in here has a big signifigance to me. Nickelback is one of the bands that I've found that has helped me over the last ten months. I dearly love thier music. This song fits and I listened to it a lot while writing this chapter.

Well you can dig me up a grave
And try and stick me in the ground
Well you can tie me to the bed
And try and beat me half to death
But you can never keep me down
Well you can stick me in a hole
And you can pray all day for rain
You can shoot me in the leg
Just to try to make me beg
And you can leave me there for days
~Follow You Home- Nickelback

~*~
Banner also made by the lovely and wickedly talented VamptasticA

Spike had been so caught up in trying to find out more about Riley and his family that he’d lost track of time. When he finally did notice it was almost too late and he’d promised Angel and Dru that he’d pick them up at the airport.

As he ran through an even more crowded than usual LAX, William narrowly missed being run over by an elderly woman with far more luggage than anyone needed.

Skidding to a halt at the baggage claim he panted looking around for his friends.

Thankfully he’d made in time. Angel was just coming though the wide archeway with his arm wrapped around Dru’s waist.

After greeting the couple and gathering the luggage the three of them headed out to the parking garage where Spike’s rental was. Along the way they chatted about how the children weren’t happy they couldn’t come see “Uncle Spike” too, but were happy to be staying with Dru’s sister Darla and her two children for a few days.

As happy as he was to see the couple, his mind was still back in the hotel room trying to find a way to get Buffy out of the situation she was in and seeing them made it even more difficult to not have her by his side. So he plastered on the most sincere, cheery smile he could muster, not wanting them to know quite yet what was going on.

The truth was he planned on talking to Angel about helping him but first he wanted to know about Riley.

If there was something even the least bit paranormal about him or his family he wasn’t sure he was going to involve his best friend. He just wouldn't risk him getting hurt.

No, if this was more than just the normal abuse case, Spike would call in Lindsey or someone else that had worked on these types of cases with him before. Although Spike hoped and prayed that it wasn’t, his gut was telling him it was.

And it was bad, and his gut was saying it was something even he hadn’t seen before.

***************************

Buffy was on edge all day long.

Every time the front door would chime announcing someone was entering or leaving the restaurant she just about jumped out of her skin. She didn’t know who or what to expect especially after all that had happened in the last twenty-four hours.

Was Spike going to come back looking for her like Sara said?

Was Riley going to show up in one of his drunken rages he was prone to? Or worse had he found out that she’d decided to go to the reunion anyways? Could he have found out about the dress that she and Gwen had bought earlier that day and stashed at Faith and Gwen’s place. Did he know that his sister and Faith were helping her? And what if he did? What would he do to them? Let alone herself?

He’d been way too calm lately. Oddly so.

She knew it wasn’t going to last, the only question was when was he going to lose it and where.

She hoped it wasn’t here at the diner and she really hoped she wasn’t around when he did.

Normally the longer he went between violent episodes the more volatile they would be when he finally did explode.

She shuddered just thinking about the last time he went so long between rages. It had ended with him repeatedly raping her to the point that she had a hard time moving for days. He’d bruised parts of her that she didn’t even know could be and she knew for sure they shouldn’t be.

Closing her eyes she shuddered again as she tried to shove that memory out of her head forever.

It had to be one of her worse to date.

****************


Sara collapsed back on the bed of the luxury penthouse apartment panting heavily beside Riley, sweat glistened all over her bare skin. “That was a-fucking-mazing, baby,” she purred rolling over and into his waiting arms.

He smirked pulling her closer so she rested half on top of him. “Always is," he said even as he was already growing harder again.

“Mmm… true enough.” She sighed in contentment basking in the after glow of their all day marathon sexcapades.

She’d originally come to the Finns’ Los Angels Office to tell Riley about the guy that had been in earlier asking about Buffy. But instead she ended up in his bed with him in his penthouse on the top floor of the agency like she always did.

She could never resist him for some reason.

No matter how hard she tried.

There was just something about him that had her eating out of his hand the moment she laid eyes on him. And once she got a taste of him she just couldn’t stop. She was like an addict needing her next fix.

She hated being like this. Hated feeling like she was betraying herself and her friend in every way but ...she just couldn't control herself. Here she was, Buffy’s friend and yet she couldn’t keep her hands off her husband, nor could she stop herself from telling him any and all things that went on at work.

“So you said you had something to tell me when you showed up this afternoon. What was it?” he inquired, running his hand down his favorite toys spine.

“God that feels good…” Sara shuddered, moaning softly as her body began to tighten in anticipation of the next round. “There was a guy that came in early this morning asking questions about Buffy. He said he was an old friend from high school.”

Riley froze staring down at the woman in his arms. His inner demon growled and snarled thinking any man was even near what was his.

Sara held her breath as she saw his eyes turn blazing red. Licking her lips she started rising off of him and the bed only to have him grab her so fast she couldn’t even blink. “Riley?” she whispered as her throat felt like it was on fire.

“Who?” he roared tightening his hold on her. “Who was it?”

Sara panicked. She’d never seen him like this. She struggled trying desperately to break free, but it was no use Riley just wouldn’t let go. The harder she pulled the less her body would comply. She tried to scream but her vocal cords wouldn’t work either.

It was like her body had a mind of its own.

He cupped the side of her face with clawed fingers as he drew her closer, his eyes burning with bright fire and his skin had turned ashen, “Who?” he demanded again staring in to her eyes.

Sara tried to fight it but as she opened her mouth again to scream she heard herself telling him all that she knew, “William… he said his name was William.”

His inner demon roared as he hurled her across the bed. Getting up he stalked to the closet, grabbed a couple pairs of handcuffs and a gag before returning to the bed and chaining her to it. Then he turned grabbing the phone intent on calling and checking in on his wife.

Riley paced waiting for someone to pick up. “Rosey’s Diner, how may I help you?” a young male voice cracked.

He smirked at his luck, the new dishwasher hadn’t been there enough to befriend or lie for Buffy like so many others there would. “Yes, this is Riley Finn, Buffy’s husband. May I have a word with her?” he asked in his sweetest most innocent voice.

“Umm… I’m sorry Mr. Finn but we’re kinda swamped here right now. She’s with a customer. Can I give her a message and have her call you back?”

Riley smirk grew as he thought to himself, Oh I have a message for my wife alright but I'm going to deliver it in person… out loud he said, “No, that’s fine. I’ll tell her when I see her later. Do me a favor? Don’t even mention I called.” He added giving his final words a push to make the teen do his bidding.

“Okay, Mr. Finn if that’s what you want. Have a good night.”

“You too, and remember don’t tell anyone I called.” Hanging up the phone he laughed. What a weak minded fool the boy was.

He turned his attention back to the bed, he’d deal with Buffy later but for now he had other matters to attend to.

Sara’s eyes grew wider and wider as she watched her lover, now turned demon, draw closer and closer to the bed. She fought against the restraints with all her strength but it was no use.

“Shh… lover,” he whispered in her ear as he trailed one of his claws down the front of her body. “I’m not going to hurt you…” tilting his head to the side he grinned showing a whole mouth full of jagged teeth. “Well, not yet anyways.”

Lightly stroking his talon back and forth over her lower abdomen he added, “If I do I’ll lose another one. Almost a shame though, I finally found someone weak-willed enough to carry my offspring but still lovely enough to make it worth my while.”

She shook in sheer terror, it wasn't possible…she couldn’t possibly be hearing what she thought she was hearing could she?

He inhaled deeply drinking in her fear. Sex was always so much better with strong emotions mixed in, but fear, that was his personal favorite.

The incubus laughed evilly reading her mind like an open book. “Oh yes, lover. You heard right, you’re carrying my child.”

Riley pushed a pulse of magick into her stomach making it glow an eerie shade of red, revealing a tiny form that began to grow before her very eyes. “Course I could always help it along some.” He said in a low growl before thrusting himself deep inside her.

Sara screamed in pain but it was lost to the gag Riley had tied around her head.


*********************************************

I told you this chapter was going to be violent. Hopefully none of you hate me or this story now because of it. The next chapter will have some disturbing stuff in it as well but hopefully not as much as this one did.

Tbc…

So is anyone still with me? Hope so…

For those of you who chose not to read the last chapter, do to its graphic nature, here’s what happened.

-Spike picked up Angel and Dru up from the airport. He wants to tell Angel about what’s going on with Buffy, but has a gut feeling that there’s more to it than just a simple battered wife case and doesn’t want to involve his best friend and in danger his life, just in case he’s right.
- While at working a double, Buffy can’t concentrate on what she’s doing because she’s too worried that Spike will show back up. She’s also scared about what Riley will do if he finds out about her going to the reunion and Spike.
-Meanwhile Sara, Buffy’s coworker and friend, has found herself in the middle of something she didn’t bargain for in the form of one Riley Finn being an incubus. Oh yeah and she spilled the beans about Spike looking for information about Buffy to him too. Which only got her chained to the bed of one very pissed off demon. And did I mention- she’s pregnant with his demon spawn?

*LOL* The things my mind comes up with late at night…. Anyways here’s the next part. Also there is no violence in this part just the barest mention of it. (a flash back from a previous chapter)

~*~*~


After dropping Dru and Angel at their hotel room Spike went to make some more phone calls back in his room. First he checked in with LT. Gunn unfortunately he wasn’t available so he left another message on his voice mail to call him back.

The next call was to Lindsay. He hoped he’d gotten more information on Riley and his family than he himself had found earlier.

“Anything?” Spike asked eagerly as the man on the other end of the line shut his office door for privacy.

“Yeah, I did. But I’m not too sure you’re going to want to hear it.” Signing Lindsay sat on his desk and looked out the window at the city skyline. “Are you’re really sure you want to get involved with this case, Spike?”

Spike’s face grew grim at the tone he heard in his former partner’s voice. They’d been though thick and thin together.

They’d made a wonderful team, one of the best in the country. It was one of the reasons why Lindsay had gotten the promotion to Head of the Paranormal Investigations in Los Angels. He’d been asked to come and build a team from the ground up based on several of the cases they’d solved together.

He’d asked Spike to come and be his second in command when Lindsay first found out, but he wouldn’t go. No, rather he couldn’t go. He felt he couldn’t leave New York without a paranormal expert.

He knew that tone well, it meant he was about to tell him something bad, really bad. “I really don’t have a choice, mate. Already told ya this is important to me.” He’d told him just about everything about this case, except who Buffy was.

“I know, I know…” the brunette detective sighed before plowing head first in to what he found. “First of all the Finn family is loaded, seriously loaded, which I assume you already know.”

After Spike confirmed that his suspicions, Lindsay continued. “Old money too, Riley’s great- great grandfather was part of the railroads as they expanded westward from what I can find. So it’s not surprising that they back some government officials.”

“Yeah, mate not telling me anything I don’t already know about. Get to the good stuff already.” Spike couldn’t sit still, he knew just from how much Lindsay was stalling that it was something big.

There was a long pause as he considered withholding the information. If what he found out got back to the wrong people it would be the end of his career, if not his life. But at the same time he felt like Spike did, he’d do just about anything to save the victim.

“Fine, but know this could get us both killed. On the surface the Finn family looks like an everyday next door neighbor, but their not. Over the last ten years there have been multiple missing person cases with ties to the Finn Modeling Agency. Both male and female alike, most of them in the last five to six years, strange but not alarming considering its Hollywood after all. Lot of actors, actresses and models come up missing around here.”

“Then there’s Riley himself. I can’t put my finger on it but something’s off here. First of all he’s the Vice President of the agency, and has been for the last eight years. But almost never comes in to work from what I gather. He’s supposedly “away” a lot in search of new models.”

“When I dug a little farther in to Riley’s past I found before he starting working for his parents’ company he was in the military for nine years. But that doesn’t make since if you compare that to his age, and how long he’s been working for the company and married to Buffy. It makes him at least thirty-three almost thirty-four, if not older. But definitely not twenty-nine like all the documents say he is.”

“Wait he can’t be that old. It would make him older than his half sister Gwen, she’s only thirty.”

“Right, so either Daddy Finn was playing around before Gwen’s mother left him or Riley isn’t a Finn. Take your pick, either way you look at it, it just doesn’t add up.”

“Right,” Spike said jotting down a few quick notes.

“I was a bit curious about this so I started digging in to Riley’s mother’s background. Seems as how this wasn’t her first marriage. It was her seventh. Want to take a guess what happened to the other six?”

“They all came up missing?” Spike asked as a horrible idea accrued to him.

“Not all, but must though. The others died of mysterious causes or at least they were suspicious. Julie Finn had even been interviewed on a few of them.”

“Black Widow?” Spike inquired referring to a case they’d worked on back in the day, where the wife was a serial killer who preyed on rich, powerful men and then killed them.

“I can’t say for sure, but if that’s the case she’s broken pattern. She’s been married to Richard Finn for the last twenty-nine years. All her other marriages lasted less than ten.”


~*~*~

Buffy was so nervous and distracted by the time the dinner rush started she didn’t know what to do. Let along what she was supposed to be doing. All day long she’s messed up orders but now it was getting so bad that customers were complaining. For the most part she regulars didn’t mind because they knew she wasn’t normal for the petite blond to be this way.

Normally Buffy could handle anything. Hell she’d even run the whole diner full of customers one night when they were in a pinch.

The door sounded again and Buffy did in fact jump this time, spilling the tray she was holding down the front of her on to the floor. Cursing under her breath she apologized to Lorne, one of the regulars then bent down to start cleaning up the mess.

She couldn’t live like this, no she told her self she was going to stop pretending and just not go to the reunion. It would be safer for all of them if she didn’t. Then that way Riley wouldn’t find out about Spike and he couldn’t hit her.

‘Yeah, like that’s gonna stop him? Oh please?’ her subconscious snorted at her as she placed the broken pieces of coffee mugs on her tray.

Returning to the counter she sighed. She knew that was true. Riley didn’t need an excuse to beat her. He did it just for fun when he wanted to.

‘We really need to find a way to get out of this…mess. He’s gonna end up killing you,’ her inner voice chided.

And just how am I going to do that? Last time I tried he nearly killed me…. And killed our unborn child. her heart clinched every time she though of it.

It had been more than four years since he’d thrown her down three flights of stairs at their old apartment in downtown Los Angels. It wasn’t long after that that Riley had forced her to move in to the grungy one bedroom apartment that they now lived in.

‘Well you could ask Spike for help, along with the others? You know Faith and Gwen want you out of there. Momma would most likely help as well as Giles.’


She considered that for a moment. She knew for a fact that the two brunettes would defiantly help. And so would the older couple that owned the restaurant. She knew how they both felt about Riley and how he treated her.

The Question was would Spike? Could she even ask him for help after all these years. Her thoughts drifted back to the night before when he’d shown up unexpected. He seemed to be the same Spike she remembered for the most part.

The only thing that was different was his eyes, they seemed lonely, lost if it were. The only exception to that was when they’d ran in to one another in the hall. There when they kissed she saw something else in his eyes- longing, love and hope.

It was why she had to run away, well that and she was terrified that Riley would find out.


Spike stood just inside the doorway watching Buffy, who seemed absorbed in thought, as she bustled around the packed diner. After all that Lindsay had told him about Riley, he was worried that something was going to happen to her.

And that was one thing he wasn’t going to allow.

He needed to concentrate on the facts of the case and not be consumed with fear over her safety if he was going to find a way to stop Riley and get her away from him for good.

Even seeing her didn’t loosen that knot in his stomach. He’d hoped the nagging feeling that something bad was going to happen would ease some if he knew she was safe- even if it was just for the moment.

But still his gut was telling him something bad was going to happen and soon by the tightness. So that meant he had to work fast.

After another moment of just observing her he slipped out, bound and determined to find Riley and put an end to the whole thing.

Turning back one last time to look at her he whispered, “Not gonna let anything happen to you, never again.” With that he headed out in to the growing dark of night.

Tbc.

Spike hadn’t gotten far when his cell phone rang. Answering it he was soon reminded that he had forgotten once again about Angel and Dru. This time he was supposed to have met them for dinner half an hour earlier, but with everything he’d been doing he’d forgotten… again.

That was so unlike him. He never forgot important things. And never a dinner date with his best friends, not even when he was working on a case. It might take him a few days to get back to them if he was ass deep in alligators but he never forgot.

Starting his car he apologized to Angel, promising to be right there. Knowing that Dru would worry he added “Tell her not to worry.” Then he headed straight for the restaurant.

Fifteen minutes later, Spike was sitting having dinner with the happy couple. At first they sat idly catching up on everything but Spike was so tense he couldn’t enjoy anything. He was waiting for one if not both of them to ask about where he’d been and what he’d been doing when Angel called.

Then just as he started to relax, it came, “Why are your bees buzzing so, love? I thought you told them no more, time for Spike to rest?” Dru asked as she sipped her chardonnay.

The blond swallowed his draft and tried to figure out something to tell them. He had a feeling that Dru, more than Angel, would be the one to catch on things.

She had a strange sixth sense about people. Most of the time he was grateful for it, but others, like tonight, he cursed it because she not only knew he was distracted but she also knew his mind was on a case rather than there with them. Damn it all.

Nodding he decided to tell them a partial truth, only leaving out the who and what of it. “Yeah, I should be relaxing. Had planned on not working while I was out here but this big case came up and needed my attention. Working with my old partner on it, don’t want anything to happen to the girl. Shouldn’t take too long with both of us on it.” Shrugging Spike went back to his meal, trying his best to act like the case meant nothing to him.

“Anything I can help you with?” Angel inquired pausing to take a drink.

“Nah we’ve got it pretty much solved, mate, thanks. Wouldn’t want you working on your holiday, especially when you and Dru are alone for the first time since the lil’ bits were born. ‘Sides think I’m ready for another God child,” he added winking teasingly.

He hoped if he got them on the subject of having another one and off of the subject of the case they’d forget about it.

Angel laughed reaching over to take Dru’s hand giving it a light squeeze before he told him that they were in fact trying to get pregnant with a third child for the last few months. Spike beamed at his best friend.

As the two men sat and chatted about the two they already had and the potential third, Dru watched them. She’d decided not to press any more about whatever seemed to be distressing Spike so. He didn’t want to talk about it. She sensed that.

So she watched Spike- studied him in fact. He seemed different. Since they’d arrived in California he’d had this dark aura around him. One that spoke of danger and it seemed to grow darker and larger every time she saw him.

That worried her. Even when he’d been back in New York deep in some of his worst cases he didn’t seem this bad. She knew there was more that Spike wasn’t telling them.

‘Protecting us’. Those words floated though her mind’s eye as she observed. Yes, she thought, that’s what he’s doing. He’s trying to protect us from whatever evil he’s dealing with.

For the rest of the dinner Dru remained fairly quiet, content to let the boys catch up and tease one another. She rather enjoyed them poking one another like they used to when they’d all spent more time together. It was nice to see her husband’s playful side come out again. He didn’t have nearly enough fun time with her and the children anymore now that he’d made detective.

But aside from wishing her Angel had more time with his friends, this opportunity let Spike relax so that she could read him better.

She couldn’t get much but what she did worried her. She saw horrible images of twisted and mangled bodies, witches, demons, werewolves, all sorts of creatures that Spike had dealt with over the past several months. Nightmarish things. In among all the terrible images she saw a flashback to Buffy’s last miscarriage.

“The demon’s rage kills the tiniest of victims,” she whispered in horror.

Both the men fell silent and turned to look at her for a moment. Waiting for her to say more. When it became apparent that she wasn’t Spike said, “Come again, pet?”

Dru turned sorrowful eyes on him, “Buffy…” she said trying to swallow the lump in her throat.

“Oh, god no…” Spike whispered as he flew from the table; then the restaurant.

Angel sat blinking at the sudden turn of events. One minute they’d been reminiscing about the good ol’ days; the next it was like someone dropped a lead blanket over them.

“Dru, honey, what was all that about?”

“Danger’s all around them. It clings to them like satin gloves.” Dru ran her hand down her arms as if she really were trying to get some invisible thing off of them while staring off into the dim dining room filled with people.

He knew that look all to well. It meant she was having a vision, and a frightening one at that. Reaching over, he pulled her to him and held her tight. “Who, Dru? Who’s the danger around?” the brunette detective murmured, trying to sooth his wife.

Clinging to him as if he were her only hope, she whispered into his shoulder, confirming what he’d already suspected. “Buffy and Spike.”

~*~

Buffy was so glad when the last of the dinner time crowd cleared out and she could finally collapse on one of the stools at the end of the counter. She’d thought the day would never end.

Thankfully it had and without any major catastrophe happening, to boot. Spike never showed up, Riley didn’t show up. Other than that one small mishap with Lorne, the afternoon hadn’t gone too badly.

“Sweetie, go home and get some rest. You look exhausted and that’s one thing we do not want for tomorrow night.” Gwen smiled at the petite blond as she plopped down beside her. “We want you to look like a glam movie star for the reunion.”

“Umm… about that,” biting her lip, Buffy replied worriedly. “I don’t think I’m gonna go.”

Blue eyes blinked. “What?”

“I think it’s really great of you and Faith to try and help me- cover for me like this- but….” Buffy sighed, looking at the counter. “I think I better not. What if he finds out?”

“First of all, you should go…. Secondly, he won’t find out. I can promise you that. I told him myself earlier in the week that you were coming out with me and Faith to celebrate her birthday,” Gwen said, ticking off the reasons why she should go on her fingers. “Third, Riley knows better than to piss me off by trying to stop you. And finally, he also knows I can and would kick his ass if he ever got the balls to try and stop me from taking you out once in a while.”

Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself from the rant about her step brother from hell. When she spoke again her voice was softer. “You deserve a night out with your friends once in a while. You need to see other people that care about you, besides just me and Faith.”

“But what if he finds out somehow? What if he shows up there?”

“He won’t. We have it all planned out. You get dressed up as if we were going out. We pick you up. You change into your dress at our place, then we drop you off at the reunion. When you’re ready to go home, you call us. We’ll pick you up, you change back and then we take you home. He’ll never know. Promise.”

Buffy’s worries eased. It was a good plan, one that Riley wouldn’t expect. “Okay… I’ll go.”

The perky brunette grinned, hugging her. “Yay! Now go get some sleep and if Riley even thinks about making you do anything tonight, him to take it up with me!” She smirked, giving the blond a sharp nod. She was just itching to kick his ass for something. She’d had enough of his shit to last ten life times. The only reason she didn’t was she knew he’d only hurt Buffy more then. He was a sick, sadistic bastard like that.

After saying good bye to Gwen, Buffy headed home expecting the worst, but to her surprise the apartment was totally dark and quiet. But most shocking of all was that Riley was nowhere to be found.

~*~

As day had turned into night Riley had gotten Sara to tell him everything she had seen and heard over the last few weeks. One morning earlier in the week, she’d overheard Gwen and Faith discussing how they could get Buffy to the reunion without Riley finding out. She’d also found out that Gwen had helped Buffy buy a dress for the event, too.

Riley paced back and forth as his demon growled and snarled. How dare she even think of doing something he’d told her she couldn’t do!

His little bitch of a wife was going to pay for ever thinking she could do what she wanted to. HE was the boss, and by God she was going to obey!

Sara, still chained to the bed, had passed out from all the abuse he’d given her over the last few hours. Her stomach, which had been flat only hours ago, was now raised, showing that she was, in fact, carrying his demon spawn. He’d used his magicks to make the fetus grow almost three months worth in less than a day.

Striding back over to the bed, he caressed her stomach with his clawed hand. “Soon, my child, soon…”

Laughing evilly, Riley grinned, showing bloodstained teeth as he came up with the mother of all plans to finally rid himself of his wife once and for all. “Let the little whore think she’s gotten away with it… she’ll get it in the end.”

Tbc…

Spike couldn’t drive fast enough as he raced back across town to where he’d last seen Buffy. He’d barely turned off the car before he was out and running towards the front door. Panting he stopped dead just inside the door.

Searching, scanning the diner for her. “Buffy?” he called, moving toward the back of the restaurant.

No answer came and Spike’s paranoia grew into an almost chocking fear. He’d left her here only a few hours ago.

She was safe. Unharmed.

Nothing could’ve happened to her in that short a time, could it?

Please god, no… his inner voice cried.

She had to be safe. He couldn’t lose her again.

And not like this.

He had so much he wanted to tell her still. So much he wanted to show her... do with her.

“Spike?” Gwen questioned, spotting him as she rounded the corner by the kitchen.

As he whirled about she saw the terror in his eyes. The strong man that was ready to take on the world for the woman he loved, whom she’d met yesterday was no longer there. In his place was a man who looked like his whole world was crashing down around him.

“Where is she? She was here, safe. I know she was. I saw her…” he choked, fighting to get the words out.

“Spike, what’s going on?” she questioned, as she too started to worry.

What did he know that she didn’t? What had happened?

“Tell me she’s still here. Still safe?” he pleaded, as tears shown in his bright blue eyes.

Gwen shook her head, coming to stand in front of the blonde. “Calm down, please. Buffy’s fine.” The more he worried he got, the worse her own fears became.

“She left work a little while again. She probably just got home. Now tell me what’s going on?”

He visibly relaxed for a moment, knowing she’d just left and was fine, but that soon vanished as he thought about all the things that Riley could be doing to her at that moment.

“Buffy’s in danger. I know she is. We need to get her out of there. Now! Before he hurts her again. Tell me where she lives, please. I need to get her away from him.” The last was whispered in a pain filled plea. There were tears glistening in the corners of his eyes, threatening to spill at any moment.

The brunette stared at him for moment. She also knew that Buffy needed to get away from Riley, and sooner rather than later. She’d had this overwhelming sense of impending doom ever since last night.

She’d been racking her brain ever since they’d talked, trying to find a way to Buffy away from Riley safely. She knew she could go in there and take everything her sister in law owned and force her to leave.

But that wouldn’t solve anything. Most likely she’d be back with him within a few days at best. Besides she didn’t want to practically kidnap her either. No, it had to be Buffy’s choice to leave or she wouldn’t stick with it.

‘This might be the solution you’ve been praying for. Spike still loves her… you know she loves him, and he wants to help,’ she told herself.

“Give me a minute to punch out and I’ll do you one better. I’ll take you there.” With that Gwen raced off to the kitchen to tell Faith and Giles where she was going.

Both of them were relieved that with any luck the petite blonde would be away from Riley but they were also worried for both the girls’ safety. With a promise to call or come back after they had Buffy safe, the fiery brunette headed out to once and for all get Buffy out of the evil clutches of her step brother...

~*~

Following Gwen to Buffy’s place seemed to take forever even though in reality it was only a few minutes. He pulled up in the driveway beside the run down apartment building right next to her Jeep, then got out.

Gwen was standing beside her black Wrangler looking up at the building. “Well, she’s home. That’s her Civic right there,” she told him, not even glancing his way.

Looking around again she added, “And it looks like she’s alone…”

“You sure, pet?”

“Not a hundred percent, no… but his car’s not here,” with a shrug she made her way up the front steps, through the old weather door and up the narrow rickety stairway.

“No one should have to live like this,” she muttered under her breath, shivering as she saw something scurry across the floor on the landing above them.

Spike shuddered thinking this was where she lived. This place was beneath her… beneath a rat even, truth be told. The place should be condemned. His temper flared with every step. How dare the bastard treat her like this?

Coming to a stop at the second door on the right on the third floor Gwen knocked.

After a few moments with no reply she knocked again. “Buffy…? Sweetie, are you in there?”

As the seconds ticked slowly by his worry was back, growing and growing until it overpowered his rage. Reaching around Gwen, he pounded on the door. “Buffy! Open the door!”

Gwen winced. If Riley was in there, god only knew what he’d do.

Jiggling the handle hoping it was unlocked she reached in her purse, while Spike continued to bang on the door. Digging for the spare keys Buffy had given her not long after they moved in. She only hoped it was still the same locks.



Buffy was enjoying the quiet bliss of a hot shower. It’d been so wonderful to come home and not find him there. And bonus… the apartment was still relatively clean.

No beer cans sprawled from one end of the apartment to the other. The only mess she could find were the remains of yesterday’s clothes in a pile beside the bed where he’d passed out. There weren’t even any dishes in the sink, which meant he hadn’t been home all day.

Hey, maybe I can get a good night’s sleep for once if he passed out somewhere else?

Her heart filled with excitement, hoping that was true. It hadn’t happened often… or rather often enough, but it had happened a few times over the course of her imprisonment, um… their marriage.

God, what she wouldn’t give for this to be a normal, every day thing. To come home and just relax after a long day’s work. To be able to take a shower and not have to worry about the asshole banging on the door, or worse breaking it down to get her cause she wasn’t fast enough.

That would be blissful… simply glorious.



Gwen fumbled with the last lock, finally getting it open. Spike shoved it wide and yelled Buffy’s name again as the two of them started searching the dinky apartment.

Just as Gwen had hoped, Riley wasn’t there. In fact the whole place looked empty. The only thing that made her think otherwise was the sound of running water coming from the one and only bathroom in the apartment.

Rushing down the hall, she banged on the door, “Buffy, are you in there?” she yelled, trying to be heard over the shower.


Spike soon joined her in the effort to make the petite blond hear them. “Luv, you need to come out here now. It’s not safe for ya.”


Buffy groaned at the sound of someone banging. Just her luck the jerk hadn’t passed out somewhere.

‘Oh friggin’ great. He’s probably drunker than drunk and higher than a kite,’ she mused, rinsing the last of the conditioner out of her hair. With a sigh she called out, “I’ll be right out.”

To her relief that pounding stopped, ‘Okay… that’s strange.’ Turning off the water, she grabbed her towels and started drying off.

Outside she could hear voices… not just one but at least two. ‘What the hell? Do NOT tell me he brought his friends home to …. “share”.’ She shuddered at the thought.

The prick had done it a few times in the past and it never ended well for her. Besides, the thought of being with him alone made her sick; to even think about being with him and his friends was beyond disgusting.



Spike paced the cramped hallway waiting for Buffy to come out. Until he saw for himself that she was unharmed, he couldn’t stop. She had to be safe. She just had to be.

And once he knew she was okay, he was bound and determined to wrap her up in his arms and take her away from here forever. The drive over here was slow torture, not knowing how she was.

He wasn’t quite sure how he was going to do it yet, but he had to. Just seeing where she lived was enough to solidify it in his mind. He was going to keep her safe, no matter what.


‘Okay, Buffy, you can do this…’ she told herself, donning her tank top. ‘Just keep telling yourself it doesn’t matter what he does to you any more. You’re nothing. Think of nothing…. Be nothing.’ she kept chanting to herself over and over as she mentally prepared herself for what was to come.

Taking a deep breath and blowing it out she opened the door, but she wasn’t prepared for what she saw. Instead of Riley and his dirty disgusting friends, her sister in law and best friend was standing there with Spike beside her, concern clearly written on their faces.

“What….” Was all she could get out before Spike rushed to her, pulling her tiny body into his arms and kissing her deeply. She stiffened for a moment then slowly she relaxed into his arms, opening to him and then responding as she kissed him back.

But all too soon she pulled back, question clearly written in her eyes.

“Thank bloody hell you’re alright,” he sighed, resting his forehead against hers and taking the first full breath he’d taken since Dru’s vision.

“What’s going on? Why are you here….?” She asked as panic took over. “You can’t be here. What if he comes home? He’ll kill you!”

She’d been so thrilled and relieved to discover it was her former lover instead of Riley that it didn’t occur to her that they might be in serious danger if he did come home.

Spike caressed his finger down her cheek and across her lips in an effort to calm her. “Shhh… princess. Its fine… everything’s fine. I’m here now; not gonna let that bastard hurt you any more. I promise.”

“I promise.” He whispered raining tender kisses all over her face. Each word he punctuated with another kiss, repeating it over and over until she was once again leaning her tiny frame into his larger one.


Gwen leaned against the wall watching the tender exchange between the couple. In that moment she knew she’d made the right decision by bringing Spike here. Not once in all her years of marriage to Riley had Buffy ever looked so calm and in love. Not even on their wedding day.

She was truly in love with Spike and he was more than clearly in love with her. Her heart ached just watching the two of them. After a moment she turned and headed to the bedroom and started gathering a few things she knew Buffy would want to take with her.


Buffy let herself relax for a few minutes in his arms. It felt so good to feel so loved, so cherished. She’d been craving this for years. Gods, how she missed it. Missed him.

Spike spoke softly still cradling her petite body to his own, “Luv, we have to get you out of here. You’re in serious danger.”

She sighed resting her head against his chest. “Spike, I’m always in danger here. That’s what my life is.”

Pulling back he looked deep in to her hazel eyes, “No, real peril. More than ever, we have to get you away from him. Now. Before it’s too late. There’s things you don’t know about him. Come with me and I’ll tell you everything. Okay?”

Buffy studied him for a moment. He was truly terrified for her. What on earth could possibly be so bad? Yeah, Riley beat her regularly but that was something that happened to millions of women, children and even men across the country every day. Granted it wasn’t too high on her to-do list, but it wasn’t the end of the world. Right?

“Spike, tell me what’s going on. Please?”

“Not here. When we get you some place safe I will. Promise,” Spike stoked her hair and cheekbones trying to memorize every last line. How was he ever foolish enough to let her go in the first place?

“Okay you’re starting to really scare me, William. What’s going on?” she knew Spike well enough to know if he was this worried and not telling her, it was bad.

Like the time he came and got her when her cat got hit by a car, that day he wouldn’t tell her anything. Just made her come with him until she was away for the rest of the world before he told her. Her heart clenched, thinking about the poor tabby. She missed her to this day.

Looking down at the floor, Spike weighed his options. What would… what could he tell her to get her out of this place without telling her everything he knew? He knew the longer they stayed there, the greater chance there was of Riley coming home and hurting both the girls. And that was something he didn’t want.

“Dru had a vision…and you were in it,” he told her, his eyes pleading with her to understand.


TBC…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It wasn’t until Buffy was back at Spike’s hotel room that the reality of the situation hit her. Sure she remembered Gwen helping her pack up everything she wanted to take with her, the clothes, her journal, and the tiny keep-sake box she kept way in the back of the closet where Riley couldn’t find it and then exchanging her cell phone with her sister in law’s so Riley had no way of finding or contacting her.

But it all seemed so surreal until that very moment when she was changing back into her pajama bottoms and tank top getting ready for bed and folding her jeans and t-shirt and laying them on top of what remained of her life.

What was she going to do….where was she going to go?

She couldn’t go back to the diner. That’s the first place he’d look after he found out she’d left, well there, and probably Gwen and Faith’s place.

She winced thinking what he’d do to his step sister and her lover. He’d kill them for sure if he thought they had anything to do with her escaping. Panicking she grabbed at her clothes again desperately needing to get back before Riley found out, she just couldn’t put them in danger like that.

Just as she was pulling her shirt on Spike knocked on the bedroom door, “Luv, food’s here.”

“I’ll be right there.” She called out, sighing deeply, she dropped the garment back where it was. She knew it was futile and probably fatal if she ever did return back to her old apartment.

Spike had told her a little about what he’d found out about Riley on their way to the hotel. That along with Dru’s vision and what she knew about her husband and his violent rages was enough to make her think better of returning.

Still, she couldn’t help worry about the two women that were like sisters to her. How could she keep them from getting hurt?

Opening the door the aroma of hot food assaulted her, making her realize just how hungry she was. Buffy was so used to not eating or eating so very little on any given day, that she didn't even notice that she hadn't eaten all day.

In fact she hadn't even felt all that hungry when Spike had heard her stomach grumble on the drive over. She insisted she was fine, but he wouldn’t listen, so the minute they got to the hotel he’d called the pizza place just down the street and ordered them food.

And at that very moment she was grateful he had.

“God, it smells wonderful. What did you order?” she asked joining him on the couch in the living room of his suite.

Spike gave her a sheepish smile pulling out assorted sized white containers from the bags in front of him. “Well, I wasn’t too sure what ya ate anymore so…” glancing down he pulled out napkins and forks, “kinda of ordered one of everything.” He blushed slightly, knowing he ordered enough food to feed an army.

“I already put the soda in the mini frig, so...go ahead," He said motioning to the spread in front of them, "and help yourself.”

Buffy blinked taking in all the food, surely he wasn’t expecting her to eat it all, and especially not all by herself ...was he?

Biting her lip she started opening the containers to see just what there was to choose from while he folded a bag, got up and sat it on the end table before moving to the mini fridge to grab them both drinks.

“What ya fancy, pet? Didn’t know what to get so I got Coke, Pepsi, Diet, Spirit, bottled water, beer, ya name it. We’ve got it all. Could even get something a little harder if ya wanted it,” he asked motioning to the stocked mini bar in the far corner of the room.

“No, that’s fine. Thanks. I’ll just take a diet, please.”

Grabbing a soda for the both of them he returned to the couch. Sitting down beside her as she simply sat there staring at all the food.

“Ummm… you are going to help me eat all this right?” she questioned giving him a pleading look.

He chuckled, even though he’d already eaten a few hours ago with Angel and Dru and he really wasn’t that hungry he couldn’t say no to her. She just looked helpless and so adorable that he couldn’t help but agree.

The petite blond beamed leaning over to hug him and give him a quick kiss on the cheek before letting him go. It was a simple, even friendly gesture really, but it was one that warmed his heart more than he could say.

It was the first time since he’d seen her at the diner the night before that she actually reached out for him… and she’s smiling his subconscious added.

No, not smiling, beaming. She was actually smiling from ear to ear all because he'd said he’d eat something with her. Something so simple… and so common and it made her smile.

‘Good lord, what did that wanker do to her to make such a simple thing mean so much to her?’

‘Best not think about it right now,’ he thought to himself, ‘cause if he did he knew he’d do something terrible foolish. Like run off and kill the fucker before made sure she was safely tucked out of harms way.

And that was something he wasn’t willing to allow.

‘No, first thing’s first. Make sure his girl was safe, find out just what he was dealing with and then go after the bastard,’ he reminded himself as he watched her put little bits of food on her plate.

Filling his own Styrofoam plate he smiled as she took a bite out of a fried mozzarella stick. She moaned letting the warm gooey cheese stretch out as she pulled it away.

Spike’s cock jumped to life at the sound. Shifting to try and hide his reaction to her, he took a drink of his Coke and willed his erection down. Unfortunately, his body wouldn’t listen, nor could he keep his eyes off her as she made eating the cheese stick look and sounds sinful.

‘Maybe I should’ve taken the beer instead,’ he thought trying to force himself to concentrate on what he was eating. But no matter how hard he tried, the spicy chicken wings and anti-pasta salad just didn’t seem as appealing as the blond next to him.

For the next few minute they ate relative silence, Spike trying to find a way to tell her all that he’d found out about…Riley.

He couldn’t even bring himself to think about the fact that he was Buffy’s husband. No, that bastard didn’t deserve her. He had no right being married to the woman he himself loved.

And yes, he really still loved her. Just as much as he did before he left for New York City, if not more. He’d never stopped loving her, and probably never would even if after all this was over with she decided to move on to a new life without him.

He’d still love her.

While Buffy ate she tried figure out a way to tell Spike how grateful she was, she found that there were no words to describe how truly thankful she was for him coming to her rescue.

And yet she had this sinking feeling it wasn’t over yet.

No, she knew it wasn’t. Riley wasn’t the kinda man to just let this go. He’d follow them to the ends of the earth and back just to punish her for ever leaving him. She knew it.

He wouldn’t care who he hurt along the way, who had to suffer for it. But she did. She cared. And she didn’t want all the people she loved and cared about to suffer because of her.

Setting her plate aside she turned towards Spike, “Will, this isn’t over. You know that right? He’ll keep coming after me until he kills… me,” she whispered the last part as tears welled up in her eyes. Damnit, she didn’t want to die. She wanted to live… Wanted to do so many things still…

Before she could blink Spike was pulling her in to his arms, murmuring sweet nothings against her hair and trying desperately to sooth her. It broke his heart to see her like this.

“Shhh…. It’ll be alright, luv. I promise. Not gonna let him hurt you. Not now, not ever.” He told her peppering her with tiny butterfly kisses.

Shaking her head she pulled back to look up at him. “You can’t promise that. You don’t know what he’s like. He won’t stop, he won’t. He’ll go after everyone I care about… everyone I know until he can get to me. He’s not above killing either.” She swallowed hard trying to clear her throat, God...just thinking about it made her sick.

“He’ll go after Gwen and Faith first. I know it…” she trailed off as the tears started flowing unchecked down her pale face.

“Buffy. Luv please don’t cry,” his finger brushing away the salty drops as they continued to fall.

“I can’t lose them, I just can’t…. they’re all I have. All I've had for so long….please, please help them.” She begged burying her head against his chest and wept.


~*~

After watching Spike drive off with Buffy, Gwen called Faith and let her know everything was alright and she’d meet her back at the apartment in a few hours, she had something she needed to take care of first.

And she did.

She needed to make sure that Riley was out of Buffy’s life for good. She wasn’t about to stand by and see her go back to him again… this time there was a very real chance he’d kill her. And that was something Gwen was NOT going to allow.


Forty-five minutes later she was pulling into the parking lot of Wesley Windom-Price’s office; the Finn family and Finn Modeling Agency Inc.’s attorney. She hated having anything to do with her family or their businesses now but it was the only person that she knew that could do what she needed done as fast as she needed it. And the fact that he wouldn’t ask too many questions was just a bonus.

Getting out and locking her jeep she made her way to the office. It was late enough that the receptionist and the rest of the office had gone for the night and for that she was thankful. The last thing she needed was for one of them to call her father, or gods forbid her brother, and tell them she was there.

She was actually trying to involve as few people as possible in this, for everyones’ sake. If possible she was hoping that she could even keep Wes’s part a secret.

Knocking once, she didn’t wait for a response and just walked in. “Hey, Wes, I need you to do something for me.”

The shocked English man looked up and blinked. “Miss Finn, to what do I owe the honor?”

“First of all it’s not Finn, you should know that by now. Second, well let’s just say you’re about to do one huge honking ass favor for me. And you’re not going to tell a single soul about it.” Gwen smirked.

“Umm… why yes, Ms. Raiden, it would be my pleasure to serve you.”

“Cut the crap Wes, I know you don’t really like me since I don’t play by daddy’s rule.”

The refined Englishman straightened his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose as he blow out a long slow breath. “Very well, Gwyneth what would you have me do?”

The fiery brunette grinned devilishly knowing she’d get her way yet. “Let’s start with drawing up divorce papers. The standard ones will do, but add in if Riley goes within a thousand feet of Buffy, she gets triple the amount.”

Hopping up on the corner of his desk she beamed. ‘Oh yeah… this is gonna be fun…’ she thought as she started coming up with things to add to the agreement.

~*~

Spike held her for a long time after her crying had ceased. She lay so still at one point he thought she’d fallen asleep, if it weren’t for the occasional brush of her hand on his exposed skin around his waist.

And God didn’t it feel good to have her back in his arms. He could only pray that she’d stay here forever, but all too soon she pushed herself away and looking up at him with a face that was red and blotchy, and her eyes puffy and swollen from crying.

“Thank you, Will,” she whispered as if she didn’t want to break the silence but felt the need to express her gratitude.

“Shh… princess,” he murmured back, tracing her bottom lip with his thumb. “Don’t need to thank me. I’m just sorry that you had to go though any of this.”

Slowly he closed the distance between them, never once looking away from her pale hazel eyes. He wanted her see just how much he meant those words. It was killing him to know all that she’d been though.

Her rosy petal soft lips beckoned him, and while he knew he probably shouldn’t, he just had to. He had to show her she was loved, cherished.

And if that ass couldn’t see the amazing woman Buffy was then he was even a bigger fool than he thought he was.

The woman in his arms was more precious to him than anything, she always had been and she always would be.

He’d do anything for her.

The kiss was soft and gentle, no more than a brush of lips at first, but slowly she relaxed against him and started kissing him back.

His tongue ran across her full bottom lip begging for entrance, he just had to taste her... And to his amazement she let him, opening to him like she’d always had, her tongue stroking and caressing his.

She tasted like heaven, pure, light and oh so sweet.

She stirred emotions in him that he thought were long dead. No one he’d ever kissed could do what she was doing to him.

He was hard as a rock from just being close to her and when she kissed him, he thought he would explode right there.

The world seemed to slip away, until there was nothing else in the world but her and Spike. She’d never felt as cherished as she did in his arms. Here she could see a future… a life that didn’t involve drugs, alcohol and violence. She saw her long dead dream of a house filled with children. A husband that would grow old with her, and hold her hand as they took a walk in a park somewhere.

Reluctantly he pulled back and waited for her reaction while at the same time holding his breath and hoping she wouldn’t run like last time they kissed. “I’m sorry…. Didn’t mean to….” He trailed off as she started shaking her head.

“Don’t be. I… I wanted to. I needed to. I don’t know how to explain…”she sighed looking deep into his sapphire eyes, and hoping against hope he’d understand. ‘Cause quite frankly she didn’t know how to tell him everything she was feeling at that very moment.

When he looked into her face he saw no disgust or remorse whatsoever. He only saw love, hope, and he saw something else he hadn’t seen on her face in a very long time... peace.

Spike knew what would happen if he didn’t stop, the question was did he want to? If he was totally honest with himself then no he didn’t it to stop, he wanted to scoop her up in his arms and carry her into the bedroom and make love to her all night.

But the rational part of his brain told him it was too soon that she’d been through too much to take her like that. His first priority was to make sure she was safe, and after he knew Riley was no longer going to come after her, then he could be with her.

But only if she wanted him…

‘Yeah, ya git, like she doesn’t want ya right now,’ his subconscious snorted rather sarcastically.

But he ignored it.

He had to, now wasn’t the time or place for it, it was too much too soon and he could wait because in the end he knew they had a lifetime together.

Groaning inwardly he suggested that she go call and check on Gwen and Faith and then call her sister to let her know what was going on and warn her about Riley. While she was doing that he’d pick up the leftovers and then the talk.

There was still some things he hadn't told Buffy about himself or Riley. Tough things, bizarre things and those were best spoke about away from others.

Tbc….

~*~*~
A/N- to everyone that is also reading Come Back to Me- Thank you! I am currently working on part 3 and will hopefully have it up by the end of next week. Just try and bear with me, please.

---

“Got it all, Wes?” Gwen asked, leaning over to look at the notes he’d jotted down on the notepad.

“Yes, I believe I have it all. But I assure you, Mr. Finn will not sign the document after it’s been drawn up. In fact I fear you will just anger him more.”

Hopping down off the desk, she grinned. “You let me worry ‘bout getting him to sign it. You just make sure it’s ready first thing in the morning for me.”

Sauntering over, she boldly took his face in between her hands and promptly kissed his forehead, leaving a bright red lipstick mark, and then headed home.

It wasn’t often she used her influence over anyone, but right that moment it felt good… no, more than good, it felt great.

With the divorce papers, Buffy would be free from him and she could start a new life. It was something Gwen had wanted for her friend for years now and with a little luck and a few pictures, she was sure she could finally give it to her.

Getting in her jeep she called Faith and headed for home feeling better than she’d felt in a very long time.

~*~*~*~

Spike had no more than started to clean up when his phone rang. Answering it, he was relieved to hear Lieutenant Gunn’s voice on the other end.

“It’s about bleeding time ya called, mate. I was starting to think you’d fallen off the face of the earth.”

“Sorry about that, Spike. I was away on leave for a few days. You sounded desperate in that last message so I called as soon as I got in. What you need?”

Leaving the stack of containers on the coffee table Will made his way over to the table and chair in the far corner of the room where he’d left all his notes and other stuff related to the case.

“Yeah, I am. I need you to do a background check on a Riley Finn for me. I did one myself but I couldn’t get much. From what I could tell he seems to have been in Special Ops. But that’s all I can tell. I need to know where he served and if there is anything out of the ordinary that he might have been involved in during that time.”

“Special Ops, huh?” the man on the other end of the phone said as he started running a search of the army’s data base.

“Not sure but I think so, couldn’t get much on him.”

A few minutes passed and neither of them talked while Gunn searched for information on Riley and William went back to picking up the remains of his and Buffy’s late dinner.

“Spike, I can’t find anything on him. I searched the dates you gave me for his service time and there’s nothing. Do you happen to have his social security number or his dog tag number?”

“Yeah, hold on a minute, got them right here.” He told his friend shoving the last of the food in the compact fridge. Returning to the table where he’d left all the information, he read off both numbers to him.

~*~*~*~

Buffy’s first thought was to call Dawn and let her know what was going on and warn her about Riley, but unfortunately she couldn’t. She didn’t have her number. The one and only place she’d ever had it was in her phone, which was now with Gwen. So instead, she called her friend.

It rang twice before Gwen picked up. “Hey sweetie, how’s it going?” the bright chipper voice on the other end of the phone asked.

Buffy smiled hearing her, Gwen had an uncanny way of always making her feel better, no matter what was happening. “Hi Gwen, I’m… I’m okay. I just wanted to call and make sure you’re alright.”

“I’m right as rain, hun. But I have a feeling you aren’t as good as you’re trying to pretend. What’s wrong?” Pausing for a moment, she continued. “Spike isn’t forcing you to do anything or hurting you is he? Cause if he is just tell me and I’ll come over there and kick his lily white ass,” the brunette fumed, so help him if he was even thinking about hurting Buffy.

She wasn’t about to allow it. The poor girl had been through so much in the last eight years, she deserved to have some peace just once in her life.

Buffy laughed at the thread of heat she heard in her sister in law’s voice. It was the ‘take no prisoners’ tone she used when she was just itching for a fight. “No, no… it’s not like that at all. Spike’s been nothing but a gentleman with me, honest.” She sighed, gathering her thoughts before trying to convey them to her.

“That’s sorta the problem, too. I’ve never felt so happy… so alive in my life as I did the minute he pulled me into his arms earlier. God, Gwen, I love him so much and I’d forgotten it. Blocked all these feeling out for so long and now…. Now they’re back and I don’t know what to do or say anymore.”

Taking a quick breath, she plunged onward, needing to tell her everything; needing to get it all out and see if someone else could make sense of her jumbled emotions better than she could.

“But at the same time I feel guilty ‘cause I’m not free to love him, guilty for marrying Riley to begin with. And yet I know I don’t love him and I do love Spike and… and….” Buffy said, feeling like she was going to hyperventilate.

“Calm down, Buffy. It’s going to be alright. Just hold out a day or so and you won’t have to worry about Riley anymore; I promise. ”

That calmed the blond more than anything. Not having to worry about Riley would be a blessing but at the same time she was very curious at what the other female had in mind. “Gwen, what are you going to do?”

~*~*~*~

Spike paced the living room area waiting for Gunn to call him back with something, anything. He’d told him things didn’t seem to match up so he was going to go cross reference the information he’d gotten with the larger, more complete data base in another part of the building but he couldn’t do that with Spike on the phone. Others would get suspicious and it would call attention to him. He’d have to call him back once he had all the information.

Twenty minutes had passed since then and Spike was about to jump out of his skin. Things just weren’t adding up. The more they dug in to Riley’s past, the weirder things were getting.

A little while after he and Gunn had gotten off the phone, he’d gone to check on Buffy. But he’d didn’t knock when he heard her talking on the phone with someone; he was pretty sure it was Gwen but not a hundred percent, but that wasn’t what had stopped him. No, what had him listening outside the door was what she was talking about…

He couldn’t hear everything but what he could hear made his heart soar. His name was said several times along with words like ‘love’, ‘wanting to be with him’ and ‘a future together’. It was only bits and pieces but it gave him hope, real hope that she wanted to be with him just as much as he wanted to be with her.

For that he was truly grateful. He wanted so badly for this all to be over and to just be able to take her away from all of this forever. But, he reminded himself, they were getting closer to finding out just who Riley Finn was and after they knew that he’d find a way to get him out of the picture. He knew they’d find more than enough evidence to put him away for something; they just had to.

As he heard Buffy say goodbye to whoever was on the other end of the phone, he made his way back out into the living room, not wanting her to know he’d been listening to her conversation and that’s where he’d been ever since. Pacing.

~*~

Buffy felt so much better after talking to Gwen. Her friend had soothed her fears of Riley coming after them and her. And most amazing of all, she’d told her she’d be free of him forever in a few days. She wouldn’t tell her just how, but Gwen had promised she would just as soon as she could. After that she’d given her Dawn’s number from her phone directory.

Taking a big, deep breath, Buffy called her sister and told her about everything that had been going on.

It had been hard to tell her all that Riley had done but in the end it had felt so much better to get it off her chest. Besides, her sister needed to know just how dangerous Riley could be for her own safety.

She also told her that Will was back, that he and Gwen had convinced her to leave Riley for good and that she was staying in Spike’s hotel room for the time being.

Buffy also asked Dawn to go and stay with one of her friends or her boyfriend. Even thought Riley didn’t have her new address, Buffy feared he’d hunt her sister down if he thought that she might be there.

Dawn reluctantly agreed to go stay with her boyfriend, Connor Mac Masters- Angel’s younger brother. Even thought the couple had been going out since their senior year of high school and most of the time slept over at one another places, neither Dawn nor Connor wanted to give up their freedom or their own place.

After making sure her sister was safe for the moment, Buffy promised to call in a day or two to keep her up to date. Then gave her the number she could be reached at in case of an emergency before saying good bye to her as well.

Closing the phone Buffy could hear Spike talking to someone in the other room, her heart stopped. All she think could was that somehow Riley had found them, but the more she listened she realized that he was on the phone with someone. Setting the phone on the end stand beside the queen sized bed, she quietly made her way to the living room.

When she got there, Spike was just telling who ever was on the other end that he’d talk to them later; then he hung up.



Writing down the last of what Gunn had told him, Spike closed his eyes and tried to think of how he was going to tell Buffy all this.

None of what he’d found out made any sense. Ages, dates, names… none of it matched what he already knew, but somehow the profile and the crimes he committed fit to a tee. They were also congruent with what he knew about Riley. Not to mention the social security number and his dog tag number also matched what he’d gotten himself. It had to be Riley, but how…?

How could a man with the same id numbers serve in the army twice, twenty years apart and be the same age both times? How was that even possible?

“Is everything okay?” Buffy’s sweet voice was music to his ears.

Lifting his head, he opened his eyes and smiled at seeing her leaning against the wall just inside the room. “Fine,” he told her, getting up and making his way to her, pulling her to him the minute she was within reach.

He couldn’t help it; he just had to hold her. It was this like there was an indescribable need for him gather her in his arms just to make sure she was real and safe; especially now, with all that he’d learned about Riley.

They just held one another for a long moment, needing to feel their connection.

“Luv, we need to talk. There’s some things that I need to tell you. Not all of them are gonna be pretty but you need to know. But first I need you to tell me everything you know about your hus… about Riley Finn; about everything he’s ever done to you.” Spike murmured against her hair.


Tbc….

---

A/N- okay please don't kill me for leaving you hanging like this. I will try and update this again before next Sunday, but I can't promise anything okay?
Also know I'm really working on trying to get another chapter of 'Come Back to Me' done as well.

---

Buffy was nervous, afraid of what Spike would think of her after he knew all the things Riley had done to her…. what she’d allowed him to do to stay alive. They were vile, disgusting and just wrong.

Curling up on the opposite end of the couch, Buffy tucked her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms tightly around her legs and then rested her chin on top of her knees and looked at Spike. “I don’t even know where to begin,” she told him in a small voice, her teeth worrying at her bottom lip.

William let out a long sigh. “Luv, I hate having you relive any of this, but I need to know what I’m dealing with here.”

He knew this had to be hard on her, and that was one thing he didn’t want. He wanted to make this all go away so she could move on and live her life, but he knew that until he knew everything he could about Riley, that wasn’t about to happen.

“I know,” she said softly, giving him the tiniest hint of a smile before it disappeared, only to be replaced by the lost look she’d been wearing since they’d sat down to talk.

“It’s just…”she sighed again. “There’s so much you need to know. I just don’t know where to start.”

Spike nodded in understanding. “How about ya start at the beginning? Tell me how ya met him in the first place, then go from there.”

“Alright…” she paused for a moment and then began. “It all started after you left for New York. I headed to Los Angeles like I’d planned. I got an apartment. Nothing big or fancy, but it was in an okay neighborhood and it was clean; that’s all that mattered and I could afford it.

“I went to all the modeling agencies I could find and put in my portfolio and waited. While I waited I took a job at a popular café in downtown LA. At first the jobs I got called for weren’t that great and they were few and far between.

“I was just about to give up and come back to Sunnydale when I got a call from The Finn Modeling Agency. I felt like I’d just hit the big time. I went the next day and met with the VP, in charge of hiring new talent. Gwen was so nice; we hit it off immediately.

“My first job for them wasn’t great but it was way better than all the other jobs I’d done before. A few days later she called me back into her office and said that the client loved me, and there were a few fashion shows coming up for local designers. She wanted me to be in one of them.”

Spike’s scared brow rose, “Wait a minute. Are you telling me, Gwen… the same Gwen I met last night and who helped find you today… is a vice president at Finn Modeling?”

“She was back then, but not now. I’ll get to all that in a minute.” Buffy said before getting back to how she met Riley.

“So anyway, I did several fashion shows and started getting more and more modeling jobs, thanks to Gwen, and was able to quiet working at the café all together.

“I moved out of my dinky, one bedroom apartment into a much bigger three bedroom one that I shared with two others models from the agency who I’d become close friends with- Faith and Fred. Gwen had found us a really nice place that we could afford. Life was really pretty good for all of us.

“And then one day while I was doing a photo shoot, this guy approached me.”

‘Oh boy here we go,”Spike thought, thinking the guy was Riley, but to his surprise it wasn’t.

“He said he was from Victoria’s Secret and wanted to know if I’d be interested in having an interview with their personnel office and maybe have a few proofs done, too. I almost died! This was it, the big break I’d been hoping for. As soon as I finished that day, I ran home and called Gwen. She was so happy for me and she knew I’d get the contract.”

“The following week I went to my appointment and the photo shoot for them and waited. They said they’d make a decision in a few weeks or so. Every time the phone rang I held my breath, hoping and praying it was them, and at the same time that it wasn’t because I was so sure I wouldn’t get it.”

“Finally they called while I was out; Faith took the message. In big bold print she wrote ‘Buffy Summers- Victoria’s Secret’s next Angel!’”

Spike smiled, hearing how excited she was at telling this part of the story. She still had that spark she’d always had, and that was a good thing. It was something she was going to need to get thought what was ahead of them. Especially now with what he’d already learned… this wasn’t over and he knew it; the bastard she’d married was ruthless and didn’t care about others’ lives.

“Come to find out a few of us had gotten modeling contracts through the Finn Agency. And Faith got a really big one with Calvin Klein a few days after.”

“So then Gwen decided to throw this huge party for all of her “stars” as she called us, at the Finn mansion. Everyone was who was anyone was there. All the top super models, agents and tons of VP’s throughout the modeling industry.”

“That’s nice luv, but you still haven’t told me a thing about Riley.” Spike interrupted. Even though he loved watching her face light up at how happy she’d been then, he still felt a bit jealous of others seeing her in next to nothing. He knew he had no right to be but he was, and for that he felt guilty.

“Will you wait a minute? Geez! I’m getting to that part,” she said in a mocking tone and huffed, even as she smiled, letting him know she was just joking.

“Anyways…. The party was fabulous- or at least it started out that way. There were tons of people like I said, and food and drinks, and more drinks and even more drinks. A few people had drugs and were off getting high but I ignored them all, ‘cause I was on a natural high already.

“As the night went on I started to get really drunk, and Gwen and Faith had both disappeared leaving me all by myself to mingle. That’s when this guy came up to me and introduced himself as Gwen’s brother Riley. He seemed nice enough, so we went off to chat. We both had a few more drinks and then next thing I know he’s wanting me to go for a walk with him- wants to show me around the rest of the house and grounds since I hadn’t had a proper tour.” She said trying to imitate Riley’s voice, then snorted.

“Being the fool that I was, I went with him.” She sighed, shaking her head.

“We got as far as the guest house before he started getting all touchy feely. At first it was really nothing and I was even enjoying a little male attention for once. I hadn’t been with anyone since you left and, well… it was nice at first. Then things started getting more serious. He started saying he knew I wanted him and how good it would feel.

“Then he started to put his hand up my skirt and that’s when I told him ‘No’; I didn’t want to. But he didn’t listen; instead he just got more aggressive and angry with me, telling me I was his and he owned me. He could do anything he wanted and no one would do anything about it.”

Buffy’s face scrunched up in disgust, just remembering that night. Pulling her knees to her even more, she went on. “When I tried to get away, he pushed me up against the wall and covered my mouth so no one could hear me scream as he raped me over and over. Every time he came, I hoped and prayed he was done with me but he wasn’t.”

“And he was brutal, banging my head against the wall as he shoved his way into me. His thrusts were so hard it felt like he was going right though me. He left bruises on my hips and thighs; my arms. He ripped my dress to shreds along with my underwear, leaving me with nothing.”

Spike’s nostrils flared, and he clenched and unclenched his fists as he sat listening to what that bastard did to her. How he’d treated her from the moment he’d met her. When he got his hands on Riley Finn, Spike was going to make him pay and pay dearly.

“At one point I must’ve passed out, because when I woke up I was in the bedroom he’d showed me earlier and…”Buffy’s voice broke as tears glistened in her eyes.

“And he was still there raping me, but he wasn’t the same. He was hideous, a monster. His skin was grayish, he had blazing red eyes that looked like they had fire dancing in them and his teeth were sharp and jagged,” Buffy shuddered, curling in on herself even more.

Spike started to move towards her, wanting to comfort her until he saw her eyes grow larger as she started to panic. It was killing him to see her so upset. He felt like the world’s biggest heel for making her tell him all of this.

“Buffy, luv, that’s enough. You don’t need to tell me any more.” He said softly, reaching his hand out to try and touch her, sooth her, but then he thought better of it and let it fall to his side.

She shook her head, refusing to stop. Spike had said he needed to know what he was up against. She had to tell him; she couldn’t let him down. Not after he’d rescued her from the living hell she’d been trapped in ever since the night of that party.

He needed to know what Riley was like when he was angry; especially if he came after her… after them. And he would, she just knew it. If Spike knew what he was up against, then maybe, just maybe, they’d live though it.

“No, there’s more… things you need to know about… about him,” she whispered. She desperately wanted Spike to hold her; she needed to feel safe as she told him the rest but she was afraid. Afraid that he’d look at her differently after he knew everything.

Inching her way a little closer to him, she forced herself to go on. “I don’t remember much after that. I was sorta in and out of it for the rest of the night. But I did see this strange hazy red light that seemed to fill the room. I also heard him speaking to someone else in this weird language I’ve never head before.

“When I woke up it was morning. The sun was right in my eyes, and at first I thought maybe I’d had a nightmare… until I realized I was still in the guest house and my clothes from the night before were nothing more than shreds. I had nothing and I was trapped on the Finn’s property and I didn’t know what to do. Riley was nowhere to be found, thankfully, but I still couldn’t leave and I was terrified that he’d come back at any minute and the whole thing would start over again.

“So I found a phone and called Gwen. Luckily, she was at my apartment with Faith. The two of them grabbed me some clothes and came right over. They were so mad when they heard what happened. Gwen blamed herself; she said if she’d been around he wouldn’t have tried anything.

“After I was dressed, they took me back to the apartment and Faith stayed with me while Gwen went to confront him… I told her not to but she didn’t listen and she was out the door before I could even get off the couch to stop her. I knew he’d hurt her too, but there was nothing I could do. It was too late and I knew it. Somehow I just did.

“A few hours later she called and asked Faith to come and get her; she sounded horrible. When they came back it was worse than I feared, her face was nothing but once big bruise and the rest of her body wasn’t much better. He’d broken her arm and a rib. Riley said that the next time she interfered she wouldn’t be alive when he was done with her. That I was his and he’d never let me go…” Buffy buried her face in her hands and started sobbing.

Spike’s heart shattered completely at the pain he heard in her voice. She’d been though so many years of abuse like what she’d just described. It wasn’t fair; she didn’t deserve any of this. None of them did.

Reaching out, he took a chance and pulled her into his lap. He didn’t want to traumatize her any more than she already was, but he couldn’t sit there and not try to comfort her. To his relief, she let him. She curled up on his lap, making herself as small as she could, and clung to him as she cried.

Will just sat there holding and rocking her, murmuring words of love and compassion and telling her that she didn’t deserve any of the things that happened to her. That she was safe now and he would never let Riley hurt her again.

After some time, Buffy calmed and sat quietly in his lap, not wanting to tell him the rest but knowing she needed to.

When she spoke again, her voice was hoarse from crying; it was no more than the barest whisper. “I knew he meant every word he said. He wasn’t going to let me go… every time I turned around he was there, watching me. At photo shoots, at fashion shows, at the agency, at my apartment. I couldn’t get away from him. No matter where I went, he was always there.

“Then I… missed my period. At first I couldn’t believe it. I was on the pill, I never went off it even after you left. But when the morning sickness kicked into full swing, I couldn’t deny it any longer. Faith went to the drug store for me and got a test—several, in fact—and I took them. They all said the same thing… I was pregnant.

“I didn’t want to be. I couldn’t stomach the thought of carrying that monster’s child; not after what he’d done to me. I’d never thought I would ever consider an abortion until that moment. Gwen and Faith said they’d go with me and I made the appointment. But I never got that far… he found out somehow.”

“The next thing I knew, I was being forced by his mother to marry him. She had to save face, and... my life turned in to a living hell over night. Riley ripped me out of the apartment I shared with the girls, forced me to give up my modeling contracts and made me live with him where he wanted. I was his prisoner, even if he justified it by saying he wanted to make sure nothing happened to me or the baby. But something did happen to me. Every time I did even the littlest thing to anger him, he hit me. Both Gwen and Faith tried to help over and over, but it was useless. He wouldn’t let them.

“After a while I became numb. Nothing mattered anymore; my life was over. I was no more than a human incubator for his child. Anything and everything he wanted, he got. When he wanted sex, he’d force himself on me over and over until he was through, and then he’d beat me for not enjoying it. But he was always very careful not to leave marks when he knew I had a doctor’s appointment.

“He went to every one of those with me too; never left the room so I couldn’t say anything about what was happening. I just wanted to die… until I felt the baby kick for the first time.

“Something happened then. I don’t know quite how to describe it, but it did. It was like the baby made me want to live… for it and for myself. Riley noticed I was less depressed in the days that followed, and for some strange reason he must have thought it was alright because he started leaving me alone every once in a while at the apartment. I was still locked in, but at least he wasn’t there all the time. So I was able to call Gwen and Faith sometimes; they even snuck over a few times to see me.

“Things were better for a while. As long as I didn’t make him mad or refuse him, he wouldn’t hit me. He was still controlling and all that, but I could mange it. I had to for both me and the baby.

“Then one afternoon we’d just come back from my doctor’s appointment where I had an ultrasound. I remember I was so happy that day, I had just found out it was a girl and we got to see her.” She sighed, remembering it as if it had happened just yesterday.

“She was so perfect, Spike. She had all ten fingers and toes. Her heartbeat was steady and strong…” she breathed sadly, burying her head in the crock of his neck. “That’s when it happened. He turned around on the stairs and his face was just like I remembered seeing it the night he raped me- ugly, twisted with rage. He said that it was all my fault the baby was wrong, but he could take care of that and then he threw me down the stairs. I tried to protect her as I bounced down the concrete, but it was no use. She… she died.” She was utterly still in Spike’s arms, tears sliding silently down her cheeks and soaking his shirt while she grieved for the loss of her daughter.


Tbc…

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Quick summary for those of you who want to know what’s going on in this chapter and don’t want to wait until the next one.

- Spike comforts Buffy while she tells him about what has happened to her since he left. How she moved to LA and started her modeling career. How she’d met Gwen, her sister in law when she went for an interview at the Finn Modeling Agency, she was VP in charge of hiring new talent at the time. The two of them became good friends. Buffy’s career started taking off and she moved in to a new apartment with friends from the agency- Faith and Fred. Buffy got a contract with Victoria’s Secret and Faith got one with Calvin Klein, so Gwen decided to throw them and the other models that had made it big a party at the Finn’s mansion.
- They partied and when Gwen and Faith went off leaving Buffy by herself Riley showed up. At first he was charming but it didn’t last long as soon as he got her alone, he raped her repeatedly. The next morning Buffy called Gwen and Faith; they came, brought cloths and then took her home. Gwen went after Riley for what he did to Buffy but got badly beaten herself.
- Riley stalked Buffy after that. Buffy found out she was pregnant with his child even thought she was on birth control at the time. For the first time in her life she was going to do something she never dreamed of doing- she was going to get an abortion. But somehow Riley found out before she could and stopped her.
- Riley’s mother, Julie Finn, forced Buffy in to marrying Riley to save the family name. He abused her almost daily, made her quit her job as a model and locked her away in an apartment allowing no one to speak to her. Only letting her out for Dr’s appointments.
- After seeing the ultrasound of their daughter, Riley pushed Buffy down a flight of stairs causing her to have a miscarriage.
- Spike’s heart breaks hearing all that she’s been thought and wishes he’d never left, so none of it would have happened to begin with.

See, I told you it wasn’t pretty this chapter. Hopefully there’s someone still reading this. I didn’t mean for it to be so horrible but somehow it did, sorry about that. I promise the next chapter won’t be like that. It’s fluffy. Promise! ^_^

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Okay, here’s a recap for all of you who didn’t want to read the last chapter due to its graphic details.

- Spike comforts Buffy while she tells him about what has happened to her since he left. How she moved to LA and started her modeling career. How she’d met Gwen, her sister in law when she went for an interview at the Finn Modeling Agency, she was VP in charge of hiring new talent at the time. The two of them became good friends. Buffy’s career started taking off and she moved in to a new apartment with friends from the agency- Faith and Fred. Buffy got a contract with Victoria Secrets and Faith got one with Calvin Klein so Gwen decided to throw them and the other models that had made it big a party at the Finn’s mansion.
- They partied and when Gwen and Faith went off leaving Buffy by herself Riley showed up. At first he was charming but it didn’t last long as soon as he got her alone, he raped her repeatedly. The next morning Buffy called Gwen and Faith, they came, brought cloths and then took her home. Gwen went after Riley for what he did to Buffy but got badly beaten herself.
- Riley stalked Buffy after that. Buffy found out she was pregnant with his child even thought she was on birth control at the time. For the first time in her life she was going to do something she never dreamed of doing- she was going to get an abortion. But somehow Riley found out before she could and stopped her.
- Riley’s mother, Julie Finn forced Buffy in to marrying Riley to save the family name. He abused her almost daily, made her quit her job as a model and locked her away in an apartment allowing no one to speak to her. Only letting her out for Dr’s appointments.
- After seeing the ultrasound of their daughter, Riley pushed Buffy down a flight of stairs causing her to have a miscarriage.
- Spike’s heart breaks at all that she’s been through and he wishes he’d never left so none of it would have happened to begin with.

See, I told you it wasn’t pretty last chapter, hopefully there’s someone reading this, I didn’t mean for it to be so horrible but somehow it was, sorry about that. I promise this next chapter won’t be like that. It’s fluffy. ^_^

---

Spike ached for her, she’d been though so much in just a few years. The things she’d described that Riley had done to her were unimaginable. How could she have been though all that and still be as strong as he knew she was? He couldn’t even fathom it.

Most people would be so broken that they’d have given up by now, but not his Buffy. No, she was still so strong. She left that man for good; even admitting that the bastard would come after them, she’d left, wanting to start over again.

How could he tell her even more nightmarish things about her abuser after all she’d told him. He couldn’t bring himself to do it, at least not tonight. Maybe tomorrow or the day after that he would, but she’d been though enough just reliving the loss of losing not one, but two children at the hands of the wanker.

Spike tried to convince her to stop after she told him about the first one but she didn’t seem to hear him, that or her need to tell him everything was too great. Either way, she told him everything the prick had done to her over their almost seven years of marriage.

She’d cried most of the time. Held on to him like he was the only anchor keeping her from slipping back into that dark ugly world she’d just escaped from.

Several times during her terrifying tale he’d cried as well, wishing he’d never left her to begin with and feeling guilty that she’d had to suffer so needlessly. Thinking if he had been here with her this never would have happened.

It was close to midnight and they had both been though a lot, Buffy more than him but still the late hour and stress of the day were taking their toll on him.

“Luv,” he said softly his cheek resting on top of her silly hair. “There’s things I need to tell you, but they can wait till later… well, most of them can anyways. Just know I won’t let him hurt you, never again.”

Buffy lifted her head from where it rested on Spike’s chest, “You can’t promise that, especially not now that you know what he’s capable of.”

“Yes, Buffy I can. Do you remember why I left for New York in the first place?” he asked gently, tracing the curves of her tear stained face. Even now, as badly as she looked and felt, she was the most beautiful woman in the world to him.

She nodded, leaning in to his touch. “You said you had a calling to help people. People that were lost or missing.”

Will nodded and smiled back at her. “Yeah, princess. I did… do. I went to the police academy in Albany when I first left, didn’t know why at first, but I felt I had to. There I met a bloke by the name of Lindsey MacDonald. We became mates after a while, when we got out we both got assigned to the city doing grunt work for the forensic lab down there because we were good at finding and gathering clues.

“After a bit of time they started noticing we had a knack for putting the pieces together faster and better than most of the top teams in the lab, particularly when things were a bit off. Gave us right shit for it too, I might add. Calling us freaks and whatnot... didn’t bother us though, but the higher ups stepped in and put a stop to that right quick they did, especially when they needed us.

“They sent us for more training and whatnot, then soon we were the team ta call when things were… unusual. We solved hundreds of cases, most of them deal with the paranormal and the supernatural.” Spike held his breath waiting for her to tell him that stuff wasn’t real or that he was crazy, like most women did. But she didn’t she just laid there on top of him her head resting on his chest waiting for him to continue.

Letting out a sigh of relief, he went on. “Then Lindsey got a call from the LAPD wanting him to come out and set up a special crimes unit dealing with “special cases” as they called it. He accepted it, wanted me to go with him but I just couldn’t. I didn’t feel right leaving New York unprotected when all the spooks were still running around, so I stayed.”

He sighed, thinking now that maybe he should have taken the job offer. Maybe if he had he could have stopped Riley from hurting Buffy.

She looked up and smiled up at him. “That sounds like you. Always thinking with your heart, not your head,” she teased, running her hand over his heart.

In school he’d gotten into more trouble that way. It was good to know that her Spike was still react first, think later kinda person. If she’d had any doubt about it, today proved it most of all.

He chuckled, loving to see her smile again, it warmed his heart. “Well, what can I say? Never was one for thinking things through, now was I?”

“Nope, and that’s one of the things I love about you.” Leaning up, she gave him a gentle kiss.

Spike’s heart seemed to stop beating. He couldn’t believe his ears. Had she just said ‘that was one thing she loves him,’ present tense, not past? Oh dear god, please let it be true, his heart screamed.

But the logical part of his brain took over before his heart could tell her the million and one feelings that were racing thought him at that very moment.

So instead of proclaiming his undying love for her like he wanted to, he leaned down and kissed her forehead before continuing on with that he’d been saying. He’d have time to tell her all the rest later, but for now he wanted to tell her the basics of who and what he’d become after he left; then they could turn in for the night.

“Anyways, after he left I got partnered with another bloke. Went though several of them as a matter of fact. None of them were as good as Lindsey.

“One night about five years ago, my partner, Doyle, and I were tracing down a few leads. We were getting close too, when the perp shot him right in the back of the head. I didn’t know what to do. I wanted ta stay with him, but I knew he was already dead by the time he hit the ground. So I took off after the punk, he shot me in the leg and got away.”

“Oh, Will I’m so sorry…” she whispered, hugging him tightly.

He was amazed that after all she’d been though she was comforting him over losing his partner and getting a flesh wound. ‘This woman was bleeding amazing…’

“I was fine in a few weeks, but telling Doyle’s wife was hard. They’d only been married a couple of years. After that, though, I left the force. Couldn’t stomach having a partner after that, but I couldn’t just give up everything, either. I’d seen too much, knew about things that most others didn’t. I didn’t feel right leaving all those innocent people out there unprotected, so I started a detective agency.

“It was small in the beginning. I was the one and only employee, but I took freelance work for the NYPD especially if it was paranormal or suspected to be. As the business grew I hired a few others, a secretary first and then two other detectives who were former cops. The others take the more normal cases, leaving me to deal with the ones that are a bit off, but I don’t mind. It’s a good living and I get ta help others.”

“I’m glad things worked out so well for you, Spike. You deserve so much,” she said, trying to hide her yawn.

But it was no use; he saw it. “Well you deserve just as much, luv, but for right now I think it’s about time we turned in for the night, it’s getting late… later,” he said, glancing at his watch which read one-thirty. “You take the bed and I’ll just sleep out here on the couch.”


Buffy bit her bottom lip as she looked up at him. She didn’t know how to tell him she didn’t want to sleep in there all alone. She’d actually been hoping she’d fall asleep right where they were, stretched out on the couch laying side by side as she curled up against him. It reminded her so much of the way they used to be… she’d hoped that maybe things could be like that again.

But maybe she was reading too much into things; maybe he’d only rescued her because it was his job, his calling in life. Maybe he didn’t still love her the way she loved him…
Or maybe he did still love her and he wanted to take things slow… she didn’t know.

All she knew was she didn’t want to be alone tonight but she didn’t dare ask. Instead she merely nodded before whispering her thanks and gave him a goodnight kiss on his soft, sensual lips before heading into the bedroom.


Spike laid there totally at a loss after she left. The look of longing he’d seen on her face gripped his heart. And the kiss… god, it set his body on fire. He wanted so badly to go in there and just gather his little broken princess up in his arms and keep her there forever. The only thing that stopped him was fear—the fear of unknowingly hurting her.

Tbc…

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Spike had listened to Buffy toss and turn for a long time. When she finally had settled and he started to doze off himself, her nightmares started. She whimpered in her sleep several times, but every time he went to check on her she was sound a sleep.

So he’d tiptoed back out to the couch and once again tried to get some sleep. It must have happened half a dozen times over the next hour or two. The last time Buffy had actually cried out so loud she’d woken herself up. When Spike had gone in that time he’d ended up staying, she’d finally admitted to him she needed him to stay with her. That had been hours ago…

He’d soothed her to sleep murmuring words of comfort, as he held her closely in his arms. He was beyond tired himself, but he just couldn’t bring himself to drift off, not quiet yet. He wanted to hold her a little while longer while she slept.

Afraid that if he closed his eyes, she’d be nothing but a dream and when he woke she’d be gone… she’d slip though his fingers and be lost forever. He couldn’t let that happen… not now, not ever. He had to find a way to keep her right here in his arms forever- where she belonged.

William’s eyes started to droop as the last forty-eight plus hours with little or no sleep finally caught up with him. Unable to fight any longer, he pulled his sleeping girl even closer, tucking her head under his chin and whispered, “Love you, princess. Never gonna let anything else happen to you, promise ya that.” Then drifted off for this first good nights sound sleep in a very long time.

~*~*~*~*~*~

“Gwen, baby?” a very sleepy Faith asked tying her robe tightly around her waist as she made her way out into living room of their apartment. “What are you doing up so early?”

Gwen pulled her in and gave her a quiet kiss before answering. “I’m sorry love didn’t mean to wake you up. I had a few things to do today.”

Rubbing her eyes Faith finally got a good look at what her partner was doing on the laptop. As Gwen worked Faith watched as she attached file after file to an email addressed to her father, the LAPD, Sunnydale PD, as well the California state troopers, “Umm baby, what are you doing?”

The slightly older female stopped and turned to younger one and sighed, “You know I have a meeting with Wes again this morning right? Well, what I didn’t tell you was what it’s about….Last night I went to his office and had him draw up divorce papers for Buffy and before I give them to her I’m going to have Riley sign them.”

Faith gasped, “What? Are you crazy, he’ll never sign them! He’s more likely to kill you on the spot for even suggesting that. Good God, Gwen what are you thinking?” She was truly terrified.

She remembered the day she’d gone to get Gwen after Riley had raped Buffy. Her lover had been so beaten up that she didn’t think she’d make it, and now… now she wanted to do something even more stupid?

Gwen saw the look in her girlfriend’s eyes, taking her hands in her she stood before pulling her in to a tight embraces. “Baby, I’ll be alright. I promise. He won’t hurt me, won’t even touch me with what I have on him.”

Pulling back she motioned to the laptop sitting on top of the coffee table. “I’ve taken pictures of everything he’s done to Buffy over the years. Every bruise, bump, scrap, broken bone- everything. It’s all on that computer. I even took them of me the day he attacked me. I wanted proof so that bastard couldn’t do it again.

“I started putting it all together the last time she was in the hospital. I’d taken a few pictures in the beginning hoping that it would be enough, but I’d forgot about them until I was going though one boxes when we moved here. Some are only Polaroids, but some aren’t. I even got a hold of the detective that first handled her case in Los Angeles and convinced him to email me copies of the photos of the first “accidents” she had. With all I’ve got here. Riley wouldn’t dare not sign the divorce papers.”

“How are you so sure he’ll sign them and not just hurt you… or try to kill you like he promised?”

“Because this is my insurance policy. I tell him if I’m not back in an hour, unharmed, then you’ll send these emails out with the same photos that are on the disk he’ll have. I’ve already got a copy of all the photos on a disk for him to prove I’m not bluffing when I say it too. Gonna print out a copy of the draft email even.”

“I don’t know about this, Gwen…” Faith said worrying her lower lip.

“Don’t worry baby, I’ll be fine.” pulling her lover against once again, she kissed her softly before giving her a gentle shove towards the bedroom. “Give me a minute to finish up here and I’ll be right in, okay?” she said giving her a soft seductive smile and wiggled her brow.

Faith couldn’t help but smile back at her, even though she wanted to tell Gwen the million and one reasons why she shouldn’t go she made her way back to their bedroom. She knew her lover well enough to know she wasn’t about to change her mind, especially when it came to something she’d set her mind to.

And saving Buffy was defiantly something Gwen had set her mind too a long time ago. Faith’s only hope now was convincing her to take someone along with her just incase things didn’t go the way she’d planned.

~*~*~*~

Riley paced back and forth in the small confines of the apartment living room like a wild animal. He’d returned home just after midnight expecting Buffy to be home sound asleep in the bed but she wasn’t. In fact she was nowhere to be found. The apartment was completely empty; most of her things were gone as well.

He snarled pushing the send button on his cell phone trying once again to get a hold of her; he knew it was futile but his demon refused to let her get away. He would get her back and when he did she’d play dearly for it.

Just like all the other times he’d tried thought the night, the phone rang and rang only to go to voice mail once again. He growled deeply wanting to kill something, his beast was too close to the surface; he couldn’t control himself when he got like this. It was a good thing he’d left Sara and the penthouse before he’d gone in search of his sleazy little tramp of a wife, if he hadn’t who knows what he would have done to her or his child.

It was the first time in over twenty years he’d actually successfully produced a worthy offspring, he wasn’t about to let anything happen to him. That was why right now he had someone guarding Sara and his son while he took care of something he should have a long time ago.

Reaching the far end of the room again he snarled, “Where are you, you little whore? You can’t hide from me forever, bitch. I will find you!”

Just then his phone rang, glancing down at the display he smirked. ‘Ahh… so you finally decided return my calls?’ he thought.

“Where the fuck are you?” Riley barked answering it.

“Well if you must know I’m laying here in my bed with Faith, we just had the most….” Gwen’s sweet and oh so sarcastic remark was cut off by an ungodly ear piercing scream on the other end of the phone.

When Riley spoke again it was more an animalistic growl that anything else, “Where. Is. She?”

Gwen swallowed, maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to bait and cage such a wild beast. But it was too late now, she, along with Spike and Buffy had already set things in motion, it was too late to stop now.

“She left, for good this time. Don’t bother looking for her, you won’t find her.” Taking a deep breath for courage then proceeded onward telling him when and where to meet him to sign the divorce papers.

She wanted to meet in a very public place if anything happened she had a better chance of surviving with others around, besides Riley was more likely to control his beast in public.

“I need you to meet me at the café down the block and across the street from the agency at ten-thirty to sign a few things. Know this, if you don’t I’ll send all the proof the authorities need to arrest you for domestic abuse. And before you get cocky and think I won’t go check your email, I’ve already sent you a sample of what I’ve got.” With that Gwen clicked her phone shut and tossed it on the table beside the bed.

Getting up she went to take a shower and head out to see Wes, it was going to a very long and nerve racking day for all of them.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Buffy woke to the feeling of a pair of strong arms wrapped tightly around her from behind; she tensed forgetting where she was or who she was with for a moment. That was until the room came in to focus more and her sleep addled brain remembered all that had happened the night before.

Spike had been so sweet, he’d held her and told her everything would be alright even if she knew differently, it was nice every once in a while to believe in happily ever after. Even if it was for only a little while she wanted it to be true. She wanted for them to be together safe far away from Riley, where he’d never find them.

She had no idea what lay ahead of them, where they’d go or what they’d have to do to get away from Riley. Spike said he’d take care of her, but would he? Could he? He might think he knew what her husband was like but he didn’t. Even with his paranormal background she doubted he’d ever come across anything like what Riley was… whatever that might be.

But she wasn’t going to think about that right now… No, right then at that very moment she was going to let herself believe in the fairytale, even if it was for only a little while. After all didn’t she deserve a little happiness? She thought so….

Closing her eyes Buffy pulled the warm, loving arms that encased her, a little closer to her as she snuggled back against his welcoming body that she seemed to fit so perfectly against. Then she hugged his arms to her, idly running her fingers over the tiny hairs and let herself dream….

Dreaming of a future where she saw herself smiling and laughing as the two of them walked hand in hand. Spike pulled her close and kissed her passionately every few steps and when he’d pull back he’d tell her how happy he was. How much he loved her. How beautiful she was… and then he’d place his hand on her descended belly and say the same to their child.

God, what she wouldn’t give for her dream to come true. That’s all she’d ever wanted in her whole life….



Spike lay quietly, spooning Buffy as she drew random pattern on his forearm. He’d woken the moment she’d started to stir but once she relaxed and snuggled back against him he wasn’t about to move, even if it killed him the way her bottom was wiggling against his very hard cock. He’d endure it a million times over if it meant he could have her in his arms like this forever.

Taking a deep breath he inhaled her scent trying to commit to memory everything about her once again. The softness of her skin, the way her hair looked in the morning, the feel of her tiny hands on him. All of it, everything… he wanted to make this moment last for all eternity. He wanted to shut out the rest of world forever.
He was so lost in thought that he almost missed her whispered words, “I wish….” Then she shook her head as if to dispel what ever thought she had, “No, if it’s meant to be it’ll happen.” She said with a soft sigh.

William debated with himself for a moment on if he should ask or not but in the end his curiosity got the better of him. “What ya wish for, luv?” he murmured placing a gentle kiss against the back of her head.

“Oh… I didn’t. I didn’t mean to wake you.” She said softly, “I was just thinking out loud really…”

“It’s alright, been up for a bit, just didn’t want to let you go quiet yet.” He told as she turned in his arm slightly so she could see him better. Brushing a strand out of her face he tried again, “Now what was that wish, princess?”

Buffy closed her eyes and leaned in to his touch as his fingers tucked the wayward strand behind her ear. “It’s nothing, really. I was just daydreaming about….the future.”

When she didn’t embellish any father he asked gently hoping she’d feel safe enough to confide in him, “And what exactly were they about?”

Buffy was quiet for a few moments unsure what she should tell him. In her heart she wanted to tell him everything- all her hope and dreams for a future for the two of them, but her head was telling her it was too soon. That she didn’t know if he still felt the same way about her that she felt about him. If she told him would he be happy or would he run as fast as he could in the opposite direction?

So instead of telling him she decided to ask a question of her own, “Did you mean what you said last night…? Would you do anything to keep me safe?” She paused for a moment to take a breath and gather her courage before saying the last part. When she asked it came out no more than the barest whisper, “Do you still love me?”

Spike stared at her for a few seconds; he thought she’d been asleep when he’d told her that. Nodding, “I do, Buffy. I meant every word. I’ve never stopped loving you, not for a second.”

They stared in to each others eyes as Spike lowered his lips to hers, giving her a soft yet passionate kiss. Pulling back he cupped her face in his hand, his thumb lightly stroking up and down against her cheek. “Ya have no idea how hard it was for me ta leave ya that day,” he whispered. “If I could do it all over again, I wouldn’t have left… would have taken ya with me- something.

“God Buffy, when I saw you the other day my heart stopped. All I’ve been able to think since then is you.”

Crushing her to him he hugged her and kissed her again. With his eyes closed he pressed his lips to her forehead and whispered the next part, even though he didn’t want to hear it if she didn’t but he had to give her a choice. “Tell me if ya don’t still feel the same way I do… I’ll still help ya get away but….I need ta know, pet.”

Watery hazel eyes met sparking blue ones as Buffy’s lower lip started to tremble, “Oh god, I love you, Will. Love you so much… I was worried you didn’t love me. That you were doing this just because you felt you needed to… I thought was reading more into this then there was…. that you didn’t want a future for us and that’s what I was daydreaming about- us. Our future. A house far away from here and I was pregnant and we were happy and… and,” her hysterical babble was cut off by Spike’s lips crushing hers.

His heart soared knowing Buffy wanted him just as much as he wanted her and she’d wanted a family with him.

Tbc….

Gwen had been on edge ever since her phone call with her half brother, but it was too late to back down now. She had the papers in her hand and she was less than a block away from the outdoor café where she was to meet Riley in only a matter of minutes.

Stopping just outside the café she pulled the cell that belonged to Buffy and called Faith. The conversation was brief, only telling her lover she was there and for her to start the clock.

She’d meant what she said if Faith didn’t see her in the flesh within an hour and a half or heard from her within an hour. She wanted Faith to send the emails out, and also she wanted her to call the cops and tell them just where she was. She didn’t trust Riley one bit.

Snapping the phone shut, she slipped it into her pocket and took a deep breath and prepared herself for the fight she knew was to come. Clutching her briefcase in her hand she marched into the café and straight to where Riley was already seated.

He looked positively pissed, and that gave her a little joy to see such a slime ball look so irritated. It was about time he didn’t get everything he wanted, and he was about to get something he really wouldn’t want .

“Where is she?” he growled in a low disgusted tone as he stared at her with eyes not quite their normal shade of blue eyes.

“Already told you, don’t know. Wouldn’t tell you if I did,” Gwen smirked sitting across from him.

Pausing she pulled out the papers and slid them over the table to him, setting a pen on top. “Now, if you’d just sign beside the X, we’ll both be able to go about our business.”

Riley grabbed her forearm as she set the pen down and squeezed,hard, “What. The. Fuck. Is. This?” he ground out through clenched teeth, after glancing down at the divorce papers.

Good god she was scared, but she knew she couldn’t let him see it, or sense it even, because if she did she was dead. He was even more of a caged animal this morning than normal. Was it just the fact that she was so nervous that he seemed more intense? Or was there something else going on?

Was the fact that Buffy had really left him bothering him that much? She knew for a fact he didn’t give a rat’s ass about her. Hell, she even knew for a fact that Riley had been screwing around behind Buffy’s back with every tramp he could find.

But even taking all that away he was acting like a man… possessed? ‘Must just be he hates having his things taken away from him, like he always did as a kid,’ her subconscious reasoned it away.

Yeah that had to be it, she acknowledged, it had to be. Riley just didn’t like not winning and that’s how he’d see it.

Telling herself to stay calm and not pull away from his iron clad grip even as it tightened even more around her arm, to the point where he could quiet possibly break something. She stated evenly, “I told you already, Buffy’s gone, for good this time. This is a just formality. I want to make sure you can’t touch her again.”

Riley’s grip tightened even more and she thought for sure she heard something pop as pain raced up her limb. The only sound she allowed herself was a mere whimper that escaped before she caught herself.

“What makes you think that I'm going to allow that? Or that I’m going to let either of you livvveee?” he snarled. “I know you had something to do with her escaping, that’s so like you, always the good little bitch.”

She swallowed her pain and fear as she watched his eyes turn red and something swirled where his pupils were just moments ago, and his hand transformed into something she’s only seen on the SciFi channel. It was a cross between a human hand and a misshapened animal’s claw with long sharp talons that grew out of the tips. His whole hand had become this ashen, pale-grey color, while the rest of him stayed the same color it had always been.

“You won’t kill me,” she said licking her suddenly dry lips, as she tried to speak as if she wasn’t being consumed by a terrible throbbing sensation that felt as if it were trying to engulf her. “I’ve got too much on you and if Faith doesn’t see me in less than an hour she’ll send out emails to Father, the local and state police not to mention a few people that might be very interested in this case.”

“You don’t have shit!” he spat out, glaring at her.

Very slowly and carefully she leaned over just enough to retrieve the disk out of her brief case and slid the CD over to him with her free hand. “I have more than enough to put you away for a very long time, Riley. Just take a look.”

Riley sat there for several moments looking from her, to the disc, to the wrist he still held in his tight grip. Emotions flew across his face so fast that Gwen couldn’t read them all but one thing was for sure she’d surprised him. He didn’t know what to do and that’s what she wanted. Keep him on his toes and on guard and she was pretty sure she’d live to see tomorrow.

“Well go ahead take a look at them, you know you want to.” she offered sweetly, taunting him just a bit. When he made no movement she added, “Oh wait you left your laptop at home. Well, why don’t you let go of my hand and I’ll let you use mine.”

And to her amazement he did. Resisting the urge to assess the amount of damage done, she carefully pulled her arms towards her and retrieved her laptop from the bag beside her, using mostly the non- injured hand in the process.

Opening it, she booted it up before popping in the disc and told the computer to make the images into a slide show of horror. Then she turned the screen to him just as the first picture was popping up on the screen. Photograph after photograph flashed on the screen in thirty second intervals.

Through the next five minutes Riley sat there motionless, but Gwen knew the longer the photos went on the more irritated he was becoming. His nostrils flared and his eyes grew eerier and eerier as he watched the computer screen.

“The clock is ticking, Riley. You only have twenty minutes left before everyone who’s anyone sees these pictures and they come looking for you. If I were you, I’d sign the divorce papers, and leave the country before it’s too late.” She told him, cradling her injured arm against her.

His eyes flicked from her to the slide show in front of him and back again. Then he hit a button stopping it before closing down the laptop. Giving her his full attention once again, which she wasn’t too sure she wanted since he now looked more like a monster than ever before. Not even the time he’d beat the crap out of her after raping Buffy had she ever seen him look like this.

When he spoke his voice sounded more like an animal’s than a man’s. “If I sign thisss…” he said slurring his ‘S’s’ “You’ll destroy thessse photographs and all copiesss?”

Gwen shook her head, she wasn’t about to get rid of the evidence. No quite the contrary, she was saving them as a guarantee that he wouldn’t try anything funny like try and come back and kill any of them.

“No, I won’t destroy them, but if you sign them and promise to leave Buffy, Faith and myself alone, I won’t send them. If you so much as contact or attempt to contact any of us I’ll send them. In a heartbeat.”

He just sat there staring at her and at the same time through her for several more heartbeats, then to her amazement he picked up the pen and signed before tossing both the pens and papers at her. In a blink of an eye he was back to being Riley again not the monster she’d just been dealing with.

Getting up he smoothed his suit, ran his hand though his hair straightening it and then turned to leave as if they’d just had a normal everyday business meeting.

Looking over his shoulder at her he added, “Tell the cunt she can rot in hell when you see her again,” he smiled showing just the glimpse of jagged teeth. “And she was the worst lay I ever, had.”

With that he walked away leaving Gwen thoroughly and truly stunned.



A thin willowy young woman approached the table Gwen was still sitting at several minutes after Riley left. After she made sure the coast was clear, Fred pulled off her baseball hat and sunglasses before fluffing out her hair and taking a seat.

She frowned looking at her old friend, “How bad’s the arm?” she asked gently.

Gwen shook her head, returning to reality upon hearing Fred’s voice. “It’s pretty bad, but I need to get this to Buffy first then I’ll get it checked out.” Pausing for a moment she readjusted the position of the injured arm.

“Could you get anything from him?” she asked starting to gather all her belongings.

Fred nodded helping her pack the computer back into its bag, “Yeah I did. He’s evil, Gwen. Worse than anything I’ve ever seen.”

Gwen sighed, “I could have told you that. Do you know what he is? Can you tell me anything about him that I don’t know about?”

She paused for moment to think over what she’s ‘seen’ and felt coming off the man. “Well he’s defiantly not human that’s for sure. I’m thinking some type of hybrid demon by the look of him.” Fred said staring out in to small café but not really seeing it at all.

“He’s killed before and he’s not above doing it again, especially to get what he wants or feels that he deserves. And he desperately wants something right now, but I couldn’t tell what.” Shaking her head the petite brunette sighed, she felt useless. She hadn’t really been able to tell Gwen anything about Riley that might help her, Buffy or any of them.

“The only other thing I could pick up is he’s got a thing for blondes, oh and… He’s worried about something back at the penthouse. That’s why he left in such a hurry.”

Gwen’s face lit up, so Riley had a secret hidden away at his penthouse huh? She might just have to check that out…. Later after she had her arm looked at and maybe after she called someone, maybe Spike, she mused.

“No, sweetie you did great. I sorta figured he wasn’t human with the super human strength, glowing- swirling eyes and claws, the rest was new but at least it confirmed my suspiscions.” Gwen said offering a reassuring smile to the other woman.

Getting the last of her things together,Gwen told Fred thanks again, and she’d talk to her later. They said their goodbyes and the two of them left the café. Once outside, Gwen called Faith on her way to her car, filling her in on everything that had happened at her meeting with her half brother. Faith wanted to send the files anyways but her lover convinced her it was better to hold off and wait, for now.

By the time she got off the phone with Faith, Gwen was already heading back towards Sunnydale. All she had to do now was call Buffy tell her the good news and drop off the papers to her then she’d meet her girlfriend back at their apartment so she could drive her to the hospital…. Good god she hoped Buffy answered on the first ring and she was close by, her wrist was really starting to hurt like a mother fucker….


Tbc…

---

They laid there intimately intertwined and thoroughly replete after hours of making love for the first time in more than eight long years. It had been slow and sweet, both of them taking their time as if it were the first time once again and Spike had made sure he showed her in every way possible just how much he still loved her.

In fact, he'd shown her several times over again.

Even now he couldn’t believe how lucky he was. All though the night and into the early morning hours they’d told one another how much they loved each other, as well as showing it through touch and feel.

He could actually see a future, for himself, for them both, for the first time in a very long time. And he was doubly lucky in that the woman he saw in his future, that he loved more than life itself, was currently lying on top of him idly drawing patterns on his chest as he held her tightly.

They could do this.

He’d find a way to make sure Riley couldn’t touch her ever again.

It wasn't a question of if he would, he just had to.

He thought about telling her what he had found out about Riley, but didn’t want to ruin the afterglow, so he settled on just being content enjoying the feeling of her naked body against his.

‘Such a hardship,’ he thought to himself as his hands mapped out every far too angular curve of her body. ‘Gotta make sure she starts eating more. She’s far too thin.’

Actually, he’d like to see her with a lot more curves, with much softer ones too. He could envision his Buffy glowing and heavy with his child; her earlier babbling had gotten his imagination going into over time. But he could wait a little while for that. Right now, it was just good having her in his arms again.

Buffy bit her lower lip nervously as she looked up at him, he looked so far away, like he was thinking about something, “Will?”

Coming back to the present, he shoved the one final image of their future together away and met her worried hazel eyes with his bright blue ones, “What’s wrong, luv?” he asked getting a bit nervous himself.

Maybe he was getting ahead of himself, maybe she was starting to have second thoughts about them. ‘Good god, don’t tell me she wants to go back? Back to him?’ his mind screamed in silent fear, as he pulled her just a little closer, the need to keep her safe overpowering.

She glanced down and concentrated on the pattern she was drawing in his bare chest as she worried her lip a little more. “Um…where… I mean, what are we going to do now?" Her voice becoming smaller and smaller as she spoke, until it was no more than a whisper in the early morning quiet.

A slow seductive smile slowly spread across his features as his eyes twinkled down at her, “Well, was thinkin’ we’d rest up a bit then see about a couple more rounds, then maybe take a nice long soak or somethin’?” He teased her wiggling his brow even though he knew full well that wasn’t what she’d meant.

She blushed brightly and laughed as she slapped his chest playfully, “Spike! That’s not what I meant, and you know it,” she giggled.

Her eyes sparkled at him, and her smile lit her face as she smiled at him. She looks so damn beautiful when she smiles like that, Will thought .Giving her his best innocent smile he shrugged, “Well ya asked, luv. Didn’t specify what next ya were talkin’ about now did ya?” he winked at her before getting serious.

He had wanted to wait until later in the day or maybe tomorrow before they started talking about their future, or what he hoped would be their future, but since she brought it up he was hoping that meant she wanted to move on and forget her old life here. Maybe she would be more willing to move away than he thought.

And once again, he was really over thinking this, he sighed.

“Right, future, what next right?” he asked.

“Well, we’ve gotta decide if we’re still going to the reunion tonight or not, for one thing? Doesn’t matter to me either way really, just not gonna go if ya don’t want to I guess.” He babbled; he hated when he babbled. But when he got really nervous the old, unsure, pre-teen-nerd-who-wrote-bloody-awful-poetry and wore glasses-William found his way out of the little box he kept him in.

Sighing, he closed his eyes and murmured, “Bloody hell.”

Buffy on the other hand, thought it was just the cutest thing to see Will like this. She’d always loved the softer, more unsure side of him though she’d never tell him that. Buffy’d found out that he detested that side of himself not long after they’d first met when they were young children.

Biting her lip to keep from giggling, she smiled at him softly, “I’d like to still go to the reunion if that’s alright?” She asked hopefully, “I’d love to see everyone again, it’s been a while.”

Silently Spike let out a sigh of relief, he’d been hoping she still wanted to go. “Right,” he nodded.

Buffy beamed up at him before leaning forward and kissing him softly, “Thank you,” she whispered before she kissed him again, this time deeper.

Pulling back Will could see the twinkle of mischief in her eyes once again and he knew exactly what his little vixen was thinking about and it was confirmed a second later when she wiggled on top of him. He groaned as their bodies that were still joined moved deliciously together and made him start to harden again almost instantly.

Batting her eyelashes at him she purred, “Now what was that about another few rounds?” Her tiny hand was already teasing his flat nipple making it taut while the other one skimmed down along his side with the barest touch.

Spike moaned, arching into her, loving the feel of her fingers on his skin. Running his hands down over her hips, he gently pulled her thighs upwards to wrap around his waist so she straddled him and changing the angle of the slow thrusts he’d started into her depths.

“Think I would be more than happy ta just do this all day, baby,” he told her cupping her breasts in his hands as she leaned back exposing more of her tiny but still perfect body to his hungry gaze. Brushing his thumbs back and forth over her already taut nipples made them tighten and pucker more.

Buffy moaned, arching herself into his touch even more, her lower body grinding and thrusting in time with his in a slow sensual dance that was as old as time. “I think….” She panted, getting lost in the moment as his thrusts picked up, “I think... that... is a ... great... plan.”

“Sounds bloody well perfect ta me,” he growled in a husky voice as he sat up changing the angle and depth of his thrusts. His strokes brushed over her g spot with each and every thrust as Spike wrapped his arms around her back holding her close.

When he took her nipple into his mouth, rolled the overly sensitive bud between his teeth and sucked. Buffy screamed as she came again for what seemed like the millionth time in the last few hours but at the same time it felt like it had been forever since the last.

In that moment there was no past and no future, there was only here and now with the man she knew she was meant to be with forever. She’d never in a billion years love anyone as much as she loved Will.

She never had, and never would. He was her world and always would be.

She’d known that from the moment she saw him standing on Dru’s front porch when they were thirteen. Her heart cried out even then at its young age that they were soul mates, destined to be together.

Spike rolled his eyes upward, still suckling her breast, watching her face as she climaxed. Her inner walls constricting around him deliciously as he continued their rhythm, he loved seeing her in the throws of passion, she glowed, effulgent. Her cries of pleasure were music to his ears and he could listen to them for the rest of his life, in fact he was rather hoping he would be.

Her body had tightened to a vice grip of velvet and heat around him and Spike knew he wasn’t going to last too much longer as her inner muscles quaked and spasmed around his throbbing cock. Just as Buffy was starting to come down, Spike leaned back releasing one breast and then captured the other, reached down between them he flicked her overly sensitive clit a few times, and sent her over the edge once again, his name tumbling from her lips. With one last deep thrust he came calling out Buffy’s name and following her into sublime bliss.

Coming back down from yet another amazing orgasm, Buffy slumped against Spike’s chest feeling like a limp rag doll. A very happy and sated rag doll, but a rag doll just the same.

She couldn’t remember ever feeling so… alive in years.

Closing her eyes she laid her head over his heart and listened to the soothing rhythm of the slowly decreasing beat. ‘This is heaven,’ she thought.

Spike ran his hand gently up and down her slightly damp back, as he watched her wondering what she was thinking. This last time they’d made love she’d been quieter. Seeming to be more lost in her own thoughts he mused, but at the same time he knew she was with him, even more so than she’d been before.

He didn’t know how to put it into words but there was something this last time, something magickal that hadn’t happened before. They’d made love a thousand times over the years they’d been together, hundreds of different ways, but nothing could compare to what they’d just shared.

There was a peace now, some unknown, indescribable force that had been keeping them apart was suddenly gone and he knew it was gone for good.

Unwilling to break this moment, Spike was content to lay there just holding her, leaning down to kiss the top of her head every once in awhile. Buffy felt the same way, she was just too content to move, that was until their bodies cooled so much that Buffy shivered. Then and only then, did he reach down and pull the covers over them.

Buffy’s eyes grew heavier and heavier as the soothing caress of his hand and the steady beat of his heart lulled her into slumber once again, “I love you, Will Hawthorn,” she whispered before letting sleep consume her.

“I love you too, Elizabeth Summers,” he whispered back, with a grin on his face and one last kiss on top of her head then he let sleep take him as well.

They’d have to talk about what they’d do after the reunion later.


***************



Just after noon Spike was woken by the sound of the ringing phone on the bedside table. Not wanting to wake Buffy he reached over and answered it groggily, “’ello?”

There was a long pause on the other end, “Good afternoon, Mr. Hawthorn. I’m sorry to disturb you but I have a lady down here insisting she has to talk to you.”

Spike sighed, there were only a handful of people who knew where he was, and even fewer were women and considering one was staying in the hotel only a few doors down with her husband, and another one was currently in his arms, that only left one- Gwen.

His mind raced, he’d told her where they were staying in case of an emergency and she’d promised not to bother them unless it was bad. So what was wrong? And how bad was it? he mused.

“Did the lady give ya a name or say what she had ta talk ta me about?” he asked wanting to make sure it was Gwen before just let her up.

Another pause where he could hear just the faintest bit of the conversation before the concierge came back on the line. “The lady says her name is Gwen Sullivan, however she says the rest she will only tell you or Ms. Summers."

“Right then, send her up.” Spike said before returning the phone to the cradle.

“How’d Gwen know where we were staying?” Buffy asked sleepily.

Leaning down he kisses her gently before answering, “Told her last night where we were in case she needed ta find ya.”

Spike frowned, “But she said wouldn’t say what she wants, wasn’t supposed ta come unless something was wrong either,” he murmured the last part hoping she wouldn’t hear it since she was already climbing out of bed and searching for her robe.

Tbc….