^^^^^^^^

It was a hot July night in southern California, and Buffy was wrung out. Her friends were coupled up, and her man was on the other side of the continent. Debriefing, they called it, even though he’d quit the Initiative a few weeks ago. But he owed the government an explanation, and as one of the only operatives to survive the Initiative’s demise, he felt obligated to share his thoughts. Then he was going to stop by Iowa for a visit with his family before returning to Sunnydale.

“It’s only for a few weeks, Buffy,” he’d said. “I won’t be able to call you from Quantico, but as soon as I get to Iowa I’ll call every night.” He explained that he’d be quarantined while he was with the government and would have no contact with the outside world. Buffy was suspicious and a little scared for her boyfriend, but he assured her it was all according to protocol and he’d be safe.

“The worst thing will be being away from you,” he’d whispered, stroking her hair one last time before boarding his plane. So here she was now, patrolling alone in the stifling heat while her friends were out with their significant others, enjoying air-conditioned restaurants and theaters. Her Watcher was back in England, tending to some of his affairs there, knowing that his young charges would be able to handle things here in his absence. It was always rainy and dreary in England, or so she’d heard, mildly cursing Giles for not being overheated, too.

Sunnydale summers were usually calm, especially after they’d vanquished some big evil. That was currently the case, but as she’d had no desire to stay in, either alone, with her mom, or as a third wheel to her friends, she opted to patrol, even though pickings were fairly slim.

And of course, with that thought, a trio of rampaging vampires entered her field of vision, and she had to kick up her skills a couple of notches in order to dispatch them before they found their way to some unsuspecting victims. It was a tough fight, but she was the victor, as usual. So here she was, hot, lonely, and exhausted after her exertions, and a drink sounded good about now.

She was not to far from a convenience store and headed there to buy some Gatorade. Her musings on which flavor to buy were interrupted when she saw a small gaggle of girls outside the store, surrounding an English vampire wearing a black leather duster. Spike’s back was to her and as she snuck towards the group she listened to clues to his latest nefarious scheme.

“You see, ladies, there’s a trick to breaking these; you have to follow the spine and line it up correctly on the edge of a hard surface…”

The girls tittered and giggled and Buffy edged closer.

“Then the rest is all about how tightly you grab either side.” When Buffy saw Spike raise his arms she pounced. Barreling through the ring of girls surrounding him, she knocked Spike down and looked for the innocent victim he was just about to break in half. When a glance around showed her nothing, she looked at Spike’s hands splayed above his head and saw a wrinkled plastic wrapper with some red goo inside. Carefully pinching one corner between her fingers, she brought the object up for closer inspection.

Icy, red flakes dripped from a tear in the package and she spotted two telltale wooden sticks.

“A popsicle?” she sputtered. “You were breaking a popsicle?”

“What did you expect, Slayer? Can’t exactly go ‘round breaking young girls anymore, can I?” he said with a leer and tongue roll towards his female admirers, who had figured the excitement was over and were now wandering away from the weird girl who was sitting atop the cool punk guy with the sexy accent.

Scrambling off him when the teenagers looked back at her and laughed, she threw the cool treat on the ground and brushed gravel off her jeans.

“Thank goodness for that,” she muttered, wondering how she could walk away without embarrassing herself further.

“Ooohhh, someone’s all hot and bothered,” he purred, popping off the ground and sniffing the air around her. “You’ve been busy tonight; I can see the vamp dust in your hair.” His hand rose, moving as if to flick some of the dust out of her hair, but she batted it away.

“Don’t touch me if you want to keep those hands,” she growled.

He held out his hands in a placating gesture and backed away. “Just trying to help a girl.” He cocked his head and his forehead crinkled. “When was the last time you had a popsicle, Slayer?”

“Huh?” she answered, inelegantly.

“You’re covered in vamp dust, you’re sweaty, and it’s about 100 degrees out here. You look like you could use one of these.” He swept his hand toward the edge of the planter where he’d been about to break the popsicle and she saw a bright yellow box. “There’s a few left in there, and I’m happy to share.” He picked up the box and reached inside. “I’m partial to cherry myself, but I bet you’re a lime kind of girl.”

“Lime?” she repeated.

“Goes with your sour disposition,” he quipped, and with that last volley, he strode off into the night, clutching his box of popsicles, leaving her bewildered in the parking lot. And with a craving for a popsicle. Finally finding her voice she hollered after him.

“I hope they all melt before you get home!”

Without turning around, he waved her off and kept going. Buffy cringed inside. Her wit had totally deserted her and she was off her game to let Spike get her like that. Barging into the store, she bought 2 bottles of Gatorade thinking she must really be depleted or he’d never have gotten the best of her. She chugged both her drinks before arriving home and went straight to bed to get a good night’s sleep. Spike had just shown her that she needed to be alert and ready at all times, even in the lazy days of summer.

^^^^^^^^

A couple days later she was patrolling again, vigilant and well-rested, even a bit happy. Riley had called earlier that evening and was en route to his parents’ house. He’d be there for 10 days and would then be coming back to Sunnydale. She could do 10 days. Her happy thoughts stopped when she saw her least favorite vampire lounging against a headstone, wooden stick poking out of his mouth. They were still in the throes of a heat wave and it looked like Spike was still on his popsicle kick.

Buffy strode confidently toward him; she’d been practicing her quips and retorts and had several lined up to deliver when she saw him next. But her verbal skills fled when she actually saw what he was doing to his cool treat.

He was making love to it. His tongue, that wicked thing, was sliding up and down the shaft of the ice, curling around it before releasing it with a “plop.” She closed her eyes as she was transported back in time to the previous year, when she got to know that tongue intimately. They had spent so much time kissing under Willow’s spell. They were so in love and she couldn’t get enough of his kisses. Her mind had to continually remind her that it was only a spell, but her heart remembered the feelings. And the lust. Which was now making a comeback and Spike knew it.

“Oh my. Seems like someone’s a little excited. Fancy one of these for yourself, Slayer?” His emphasized his double entendre by removing his popsicle and waving it down his body before wrapping his lips around it once more.

Buffy thought a moment. She could run away, she could insult him, or she could surprise the hell out of him. She felt like the latter, because he’d be expecting one of the other two.

“Sure. You still got that lime-flavored one?”

The look on his face was priceless. Stunned for a moment, he finally shook his head and turned to go inside his crypt. Buffy followed, hoping she had enough guts to turn the tables on the snarky vamp and get some of her own back. She nearly lost her train of thought as she walked through the darkened doorway.

It was cool inside. Very cool. And it felt wonderful. She took a look around while Spike was getting her treat and noticed that he’d really fixed the place up. He was over in one corner, opening the door to a little fridge. And he had furniture, too. A battered armchair sat in front of the TV and she could just make out the outlines of a bed in another corner. She quickly looked away from that part of the crypt and realized Spike was coming toward her, a green popsicle held in one outstretched hand.

“Thanks. It’s really hot out there tonight.” Spike sputtered a reply as she broke her prize down the middle, took the wrapper off, and started in on one half.

She did her best Meg Ryan as Sally impression while Spike could only gawk at her. There were lots of “mmmms” and “ooohhhhhs” while she moved it in and out of her mouth slowly, giving the best blowjob of her life to something that wouldn’t even appreciate her efforts. Peeking out from behind her closed eyes, she could see that Spike certainly seemed to be enjoying her performance, if the bulge in his jeans was any indication.

The vindictive girl inside of her gave a little dance of joy when she saw that she’d accomplished her mission. Reaching the end of her treat, she gave a great shudder and drew the stick out of her mouth with a great sigh. She flicked the wooden stick at him, touched the top of the other half to her bottom lip and said, “Thanks. I really needed that.” She had to stifle a giggle as she sashayed out of his crypt into the hot, sticky night.

^^^^^^^^
When she settled into bed that night she finally took some time to think about what had happened. He’d turned her on, and she’d done the same to him. And she hadn’t been grossed out. She wondered if he’d ever grossed her out, or if she’d just been reacting the way she’d been conditioned. And she thought about his place in her life.

She knew that Giles had approached him about helping out the Scoobies, and that Spike had basically laughed in his face. Then he’d deliberately driven a rift between them to help Adam out with his demon army plot. When that hadn’t worked out, Spike had protected her friends while they recovered from the SuperSlayer spell. Why had he done that? Could it be that he knew that they always triumphed, and he just wanted to side with the winning team? More likely it was to save his own skin.

For whatever reason, he’d decided to stay in Sunnydale and she was going to be running into him. And now she was basically flirting with him, and allowing him to do the same.
And her mind kept thinking on these things until she finally entered into a restless sleep filled with dreams of a platinum-haired vampire, and not one thought of her actual boyfriend.

^^^^^^^^

The heat wave continued the next day. Buffy finally relented to the pleas of her friends and they went to the beach. She wondered why she’d been so stubborn when she realized she was having a good time, even without a significant other to slather sunscreen on her back. But as the day drew to a close and they asked if she wanted help patrolling that night, she turned them down. The heat had not abated with the coming of darkness, and she knew of a place that was cool and inviting, even though it was filled with dead things.

Nightfall found her walking to Spike’s crypt, clad in short shorts and a tank top. “Because of the heat,” she told herself, but she really wanted to see Spike’s reaction to her. To know if the previous night had been a fluke or if he was really attracted to her.
She stood in front of his door, trying to decide if she was going to knock, pound, or barge on in, when the vampire himself swung open the door and leered at her.

“Is that a new slaying strategy, then?” he asked her.

“What?”

“Flashing your goodies to stun the vamps, then going in for the kill,” he whispered, eyes raking up and down her body.

“Just trying to stay cool, is all,” she said flippantly, shrugging her shoulders. She walked on by him, headed to his armchair and flopped into it, sighing with relief at the cool air within.

Spike cleared his throat. “Something I can help you with, Slayer?” he asked, sounding peeved. “I was sitting there, you know, just minding my own business and watching some telly.”

“Nope, I’m good,” she replied. “Although I wouldn’t say no to another popsicle if you have some left.”

Spike remembered the little show she’d put on while eating one the previous night, and he rushed to the fridge to get another. Retrieving the treat, he moved toward her and stopped suddenly. “What’s going on here?” he asked suspiciously.

“We don’t have A/C, I have to patrol even though it’s hotter than heck out there, and your cemetery is the last on my rounds, and it’s cool in here; ergo, it makes a good place for the last stop of the night,” she explained a little too glibly, rising from the chair to step forward and plucking the orange popsicle from his hand. She’d gotten it unwrapped and inside her delectable mouth when he decided to call her on it.

“That’s bollocks,” he snorted. “What are you really doing here?”

Buffy met his piercing gaze and began performing on her frozen ice like she’d done the night before. She fellated the thing for a few moments, watching his body tense up and the front of his jeans draw tight and simply replied, “You’re a smart guy, Spike. Figure it out.”

She’d barely put the popsicle back in her mouth before he was in her personal space, his tongue darting out to catch a taste of her treat.

“I bet I could find a million other ways to help you cool off,” he growled, licking the shell of her ear with his popsicle-cooled tongue.

Even though he was supposed to be cooling her off, she instantly melted under the erotic tickling of his wicked tongue. She turned to him and captured his delicious mouth with hers, letting herself get lost in the passion he induced in her. She wound her hands around his neck, still clutching her snack, and enjoyed the feel of his soft but demanding lips. Without warning, he bent her slightly backwards and wrapped an arm around her knees. She was lifted, without their lips ever leaving each other, and walked to the bed in the corner.

Spike pried the popsicle from her fingers, laid it on the table beside the bed, and stretched out beside her. Buffy let him have his way with her, accepting the kisses and caresses as he explored her upper body. She didn’t even flinch when he pulled off her tank top and his hands went immediately to her braless breasts. He was attentive to each one; licking, suckling, and tweaking her nipples as she twisted beneath him, overcome by the sensations.

She caught her breath when he pulled away momentarily, reaching out to the table and grabbing the neglected popsicle. Leering down at her, he spoke for the first time since their make-out session started. “You still hot?” he asked in a voice deep and soft.

She nodded. “And getting hotter,” she whispered back.

“Let’s see what we can do about that.” He circled her lips with the orange-flavored ice, her tongue darting out to gratefully retrieve some of the cool juice. He drew it down under her chin, across her chest, and circled each nipple several times before resting the tip on the rosy bud of one aching breast while he followed the sticky trail with his mouth.
He then switched sides momentarily until he lifted his head and moved the icy instrument of erotic torture further down her body.

He let it rest in her belly button while he slid her shorts and panties down her smooth legs. Buffy helped by lifting her hips; the action jolting her out of her sexual stupor long enough for her to realize that she was encouraging this encounter, and she was glad about it. Riley wasn’t even present in her mind; it was all about how good it felt to have Spike playing with her body like this.

She giggled as the magic tongue followed the popsicle to her belly button and cleaned up all the sugary goodness. But her giggles were cut short when she felt the icy burn on her nether lips. Surely he wasn’t going to…

“Oh my God! Spike!” she screamed as her midnight snack was slowly pushed into her body. Their eyes met as he deliberately fucked her with the popsicle. His baby blues were burning with lust and she couldn’t maintain eye contact for long. She’d never had anything up there that wasn’t attached to a man or a string, but this didn’t feel wrong. He had stoked her to an inferno, both inside and out, and to have that coolness sliding in and out of her was divine.

Her head rolled back and her body arched, silently asking for more. Then the cold was gone from inside, but stayed on her pussy lips. Spike was rubbing it along her slit again, coating her all over. She could stand it no more and clutched his shoulders.

“Spike, please! I need you, now!”

She had no time to catch her breath as apparently she’d uttered the magic words to send Spike into hyperdrive. The remains of the popsicle were thrown over the side of the bed, and his mouth latched onto her pussy with a ferocity she’d never experienced before. He licked her, suckled her clit, fucked her with his tongue and brought her to the precipice several times before slowing to whisper naughty things at her before starting over again.

“You beg so lovely, Slayer, I couldn’t say no to you, could I?”

“Look at this beautiful quim. So pink and fragile, with a delicious citrus tang!”

“God, Buffy, you should see yourself. Such pert, rosy nipples, begging for attention.”

That one was her undoing, for he unwrapped his arms from her thighs, and while keeping his mouth on her pussy, he reached up and fondled her breasts. She bucked wildly, grabbed his head, and rode out the most incredible orgasm she’d ever had. When she came down and released her hold on him, he sat up, grinning like a madman.

“Wonder what that would taste like in cherry?”

There might have been more, but she hauled him up for another kiss and angled her hips so his pelvis was cradled in hers. It was only then she realized he was still fully dressed and she found her voice to order his clothes off. Spike wasted no time in complying, and his cock was soon nestled against her wiry curls, sliding back and forth to create a lovely friction.

“You ready for this Buffy?” he asked, giving her one last chance to come to her senses and flee. She slid her hands down to his perfectly muscled ass and grabbed hold, pushing
slightly for him to get the idea.

“I’ve been ready forever,” she said, voice husky with desire, and once more he lost control as his every wet fantasy about her came to life. Plunging in and out of her with abandon, she could only hold on as he gave it to her good. The poor bed beneath them creaked and groaned as Buffy pumped her hips to meet his thrusts. Her nails scratched lightly across his back and he slid an arm behind her waist, trying to get deeper inside the glorious warmth hidden inside her body.

They gasped and kissed, licked and sucked wherever their mouths could reach. And when Spike could hold off no longer, he rubbed his pubic bone over her just so and she saw stars as she climaxed once again, trying to get him closer as he emptied into her.

Hips still moving, albeit slowly, they shared a more intimate kiss and pulled apart to search each other’s faces. Spike hardened within her almost immediately when he realized she was not repulsed, angry, or confused. Her gaze was hungry and she wanted more. So he complied, but not with the fury of their previous coupling. Somehow tonight, they’d reached an understanding, without even talking about it. She wanted him, and he wanted her, and it probably wasn’t going to be a one-time thing.

She was letting him set the pace so he decided to go slow and deliberate this round. He found her hands and laced their fingers together, resting on either side of her head, and kissed her neck and ears, and nose, getting a mega-watt smile in return. He touched his forehead to hers and closed his eyes, letting his other senses take charge for a moment.
Inhaled deeply and memorized the scent of their passion combined with her essence; beauty products which left her smelling of tropical islands and exotic locales and her own, earthy musk. Released his hold on one of her hands so he could trail long fingers up and down her body, learning which spots caused gasps and moans and where there might be ticklish areas. Listened hard with sensitive vampire ears; the increase in her heartbeat as he drove her closer to the edge, the beautiful noises she made as he mapped her body with his hand, the slap of their naked bodies devouring one another. And lowering his mouth to hers, his tongue traced her lips, slipped inside and made love to her mouth, stealing her breath away.

Buffy had to work to stay compliant under Spike’s intent exploration of her body. She wanted so badly to flip him over and ride him to oblivion, but knew there would be another time for that. She imagined all the things they could do together, things she’d wanted to try but hadn’t had the right partner . Her fantasies would now become reality and her body climaxed from the vivid anticipation of this realization. Spike continued to move deliberately inside her while she clutched at him and tried to pull him closer, seizing up and holding him in a death grip. Her display of raw strength brought him to his own climax and they finally settled onto the bed, Spike flopping onto his back and draping Buffy half over him.

Both were uncharacteristically silent, a haze of pleasure blurring their senses, but also the heavy knowledge that things had changed between them. They basked in the afterglow for some time before Buffy finally moved out of Spike’s loose embrace. Spike stiffened when her body left his and Buffy placed a soothing hand on his chest.

“I have to go. Mom will be worried if I’m gone all night.”

Spike grunted something unintelligible but seemed appeased.

She found her clothes strewn about and dressed, wondering what to say next. As she was tying her shoes she decided to just be direct.

“Do you want to patrol with me tonight?” He looked at her in confusion, his brows knit together in a look that plainly said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding.’ So she babbled a bit. “I mean, you’ve helped me before, and we usually pay you, but I just thought you might be bored and you don’t have to kill any of your cousins or anything but you could just go on the rounds with me, and I can’t really pay you but maybe we could get something to drink later on, and…”

“Breathe, Slayer,” he chuckled. “I get what you’re sayin’. You’re asking me out, right? With women’s lib and all that, the girls can do the asking for dates now.”

“Date? I didn’t say date!” she huffed, arms crossing and cheeks flaming red. “It’s just that we’re both out at night, so why not together? But if you’d rather stay here and miss out on some primo violence, then be my guest.” She turned on her heel and was halfway to the door before a very naked and aroused vampire caught her arm and twisted her around to face him.

“Now, now, Buffy, I was just teasing.” He pulled her close and placed a tender kiss on her temple. “Why don’t you meet me here at sundown and we’ll see what kind of trouble we can get into?” He slid his lips down her cheek until they met hers. The kiss was soft and sweet, a perfect counterpoint to the hard penis that was poking her in the stomach. Spike grudgingly pulled away and turned her back to face the door, patting her on the butt. “I’ll be waiting, Slayer,” he said, his voice thick with passion, and she craned her neck around until she saw him retreating to his bed, throwing himself face down and rubbing his erection in the sheets.

She ran out before she could ravish him one more time, and didn’t stop until she reached her front door. She’d felt light and carefree while she sprinted home, tired and sore from her sexual aerobics, but liberated with the knowledge that she’d found a worthy bedmate.

Reality hit her when she entered the kitchen and went to the fridge to find something to drink. There was a note on the fridge for her, written in her mother’s precise hand.

Riley called – he said he’ll try again in the morning

Shit. She hadn’t spared a thought for her boyfriend during the last couple days of Spike-induced lust. She pulled a bottled water out of the fridge and gulped half of it since her mouth had suddenly gone dry.

She loved Riley, but there was obviously something missing if she was sleeping with Spike. And it wasn’t going to be a one-time thing. She’d actually asked him to spend the next evening with her, and they both knew where they would end up. She didn’t really want to think about this. When Riley came back to Sunnydale, she’d deal with it. Until then, she was going to experiment with the chemistry she shared with Spike.

As it was, she got lucky the next day. She didn’t get up until after her mom had left for the gallery, and he called when she was in the shower. She left the house without checking the message machine and headed for Sunnydale U to pick up a class schedule for Fall term. She met Willow and Tara on campus and they spent the afternoon together, lunching and choosing their next classes.

When her friends took off to go practice some spells, she headed to the mall for a little retail therapy. She spent a happy few hours looking for outfits that were patrol-worthy but sexy, and just happened to wander into Victoria’s Secret and bought several ensembles in black and red.

It was nearly dark by the time she returned home. Her mother had come and gone apparently, reminding Buffy that it was her book club night and there was a casserole in the fridge she could heat up for dinner. Studiously ignoring the blinking red light on the answering machine, she ran upstairs to pick her outfit and undergarments for the evening. It didn’t take too long since she already knew what she wanted to wear. She changed, fixed her hair and make-up, and dabbed a tiny bit of perfume on her wrists before flying out the front door once more.

When Buffy arrived at Spike’s crypt, she timidly knocked on his door. She was pleased when he opened it and raked his eyes up and down her body. “Well, Slayer, you look bloody wonderful for our patrol-not-a-date.”

“You, too,” she smirked in return, taking note of his deep purple shirt. “Is that not-black that you’re wearing?”

“I’ll have you know that I do own a few things that aren’t black, but they are tastefully dark-hued.” He sniffed and she had to stifle a giggle. “Just don’t have much reason to wear them, do I?”

Buffy smiled and stepped into him. “Then I guess I’ll have to give you some,” she said, and brushed her lips against his. She sagged against him as he kissed her so intensely her knees buckled. When he let her come up for air she stepped back and reminded him they needed to patrol.

“Bugger patrol,” he started to say, but she grabbed his hand and pulled him off his doorstep. He quickly shut the door and followed her into the night. They spent as much time talking as they did kissing, and Buffy enjoyed getting to know the non-snarky version of Spike. He was actually fun to talk to and she enjoyed listening to stories he told from his time as one part of the Scourge of Europe.

The vamps were few and far between, and Spike just hung back and let her do the dusting. He had her back, of course, but she needed no help. And Buffy was only too happy to put on a show for him. They never got to go for drinks; by the time Buffy called patrol over, they were vibrating with sexual tension. They nearly ran back to Spike’s crypt, and clothes were torn off as they vaulted to the bed.

Their first coupling was fast and furious, just a little something to take off the edge. Spike placed Buffy on all fours and made sure she was nice and wet before ramming into her from behind. Buffy had never been in this position before and it was over before she could enjoy it. Spike had grabbed her hips and held her still while he took his pleasure, but he did not neglect his girl. He would slow down briefly and touch her wherever he could reach, leaning over to massage her tits, stroking his hand down her spine, and playfully slapping her ass a few times. When he finally made it to her clit and rubbed it a few times, she bucked and wailed like a banshee as he held her tighter, spilling into her clenching body.

After she caught her breath and her body stopped vibrating, Spike lay on his back and urged her to climb aboard. He got to feel her up some more, and she got to set the pace. She went agonizingly slow for both of them, but she wanted it to last. She didn’t have to think when she was intimate with him; she only had to feel. After what seemed like ages she brought them both off and they lay silently together, Buffy exploring the nooks and crannies of his body, and Spike indulging her.

She felt talked out, worn out, and fucked out, and was pleased that Spike let her be quiet. He seemed to never shut up, but right now she just needed quiet, and he was giving her that. All too soon she felt the nudge to get home to her mother, and bade him goodnight. They made plans to meet up again the following night, and once again, Buffy returned home to a message from Riley.

As her eyes fluttered shut, sleep claiming her rather quickly, she vowed to speak with him in the morning, but she was out before she could think of what she’d say to him.

^^^^^^^^

When she finally figured out what to say to Riley and dialed the number he’d left on his message, she thanked her lucky stars that he was out in the fields, helping with the harvest. His grandmother had answered the phone, and went on and on about her “big boy,” extolling his many virtues and grilling Buffy about everything from her schooling to her desire for children. Buffy finally ended the conversation by saying she had to get to a job interview and Grandma promised to pass along the message that she’d called.

It was a long day and Buffy was getting anxious for sundown. Her mother came home well before sunset and they actually had a nice dinner together. When her mother inquired about Riley she said she had called that morning but he wasn’t in. Joyce asked a few more questions, probing about their relationship, and Buffy was relieved when she saw the darkening sky outside. She kissed her mother on the cheek to take the sting out of leaving and went to get ready for patrol.

While she was gathering a few stakes together she realized she probably didn’t have to wait for nightfall anymore. She was sure that Spike would greet her with open arms no matter what time of day it was. Thinking of him spurned her to get a move on but her luck ran out when the phone rang and she was still upstairs.

“Buffy!” her mother called. “It’s Riley!”

Buffy just wanted to jump out her window and avoid talking to him, but instead she took a deep breath and grabbed her extension.

“Got it Mom!” she hollered downstairs. She heard the click of the kitchen phone hanging up and put a smile on her face.

“Hey Riley!”

“Buffy! It’s so good to hear your voice! You wouldn’t believe how much I missed you.”

Buffy swallowed and tried to sound perky and loving, even though she didn’t feel it. He talked about what he was doing on the farm and how good it was to see all his relatives. He asked about her and what she’d been doing and she told him she was patrolling an awful lot. She finally told him that she was just on her way out to patrol and needed to get going. He accepted that and told her he couldn’t wait to see her in couple of weeks, and told her he loved her.

A pause, then, “I love you, too, Riley.” She tried not to acknowledge the pit of guilt roiling in her stomach as she said that. It was true, she did love him, but she didn’t think she was IN love with him any longer. Nor was she in love with Spike, of this she was certain. Sure, they had great chemistry, but she was just starting to get to know him. They hadn’t spoken about what was going on between them, so she didn’t know what he wanted from her, other than hot sex. She’d never thought she’d find herself in this place; getting groiny with Spike, and not caring if love was present or not. But something felt right, and that’s all she needed for now.

^^^^^^^^

It was a routine patrol; the only thing staving off boredom was the company of her new lover. He was funny, passionate about his “footy” and TV shows, and offered tips on her fighting when they did cross paths with the occasional baddie.

Then they met a Kurlosh demon. He would not go down easy, and threw Buffy against the side of a mausoleum. Spike rushed to her side, but she got up, mad as hell, and finished him off by running him through with a fallen branch.

Spike reached the Kurlosh and prodded him with his boot.

“Tough bugger. You alright, Slayer?” Concern was heavy in his eyes, and even though she was sore and exhausted, a happy tremor flew through her body at the though that he was worried about her.

“Yeah, I’m a tough bugger, too.” Spike chuckled, and reached a hand up to the back of her head to check for bleeding. He felt the hot stickiness, then smelled it, and showed her his hand.

“There’s a wound, but it doesn’t seem to be gushing.” Buffy watched as his nostrils flared, and he closed his eyes, inhaling the scent of her Slayer blood.

“Umm, you’re not gonna lick me or anything, are you?” she giggled, feeling a bit giddy from the fight and her injury.

“I just might. Why let it go to waste?” he grumbled. “We gonna call it a night or you want to keep going?” Buffy was pleased that he didn’t coddle her, even though it was pretty obvious that she was done in.

“Let’s go. Do you have something in your crypt that I can put on this?” she asked, gesturing toward that back of her head.

“Sure. Been beaten on enough to know that it’s good to keep a few things around.”
He didn’t look happy to be admitting that, that before she could ask about it, they were surrounded by vamps.

“Bollocks,” Spike growled.

“Where the hell did these guys come from?” Buffy asked rhetorically, scanning around to assess their situation.

“Your bloody head, most likely,” Spike supplied. “And I mean that literally.”

There was no way she could fight them all off, not in her present condition. “Spike, I normally wouldn’t ask you to do this, but…could I get some help with these guys?”

Her answer was a black blur tackling a vamp who decided it was time to munch on the Slayer. They worked in tandem to dispatch the entire lot, so engrossed in the battle that neither saw one vamp that slipped into the darkness, deciding he wasn’t ready to be dust quite yet.

When at last they stood back to back, no other enemies in sight, Buffy collapsed to the ground with a soft thud. Spike scooped her up and ran to his crypt. Laying her carefully on the bed, he patched her head wound the best he could and brought her some bottled water. As she drank, he started undoing buckles and buttons, peeling off what clothing he could.

“Spike?”

“Hmmm?”

“I don’t think I’m in any shape to…”

“Hush, Slayer. Not trying to get fresh with you. I’m looking for injuries.”

“Oh,” she whispered, her voice trembly. “I’m sorry…I thought…”

“S’okay. Wouldn’t say no to a bit of slap and tickle, but you had it rough tonight. Now turn over and let me see your back.”

She obeyed, and when he was satisfied he told her to stay put. She could hear him rustling around his makeshift kitchen, door to the fridge opening and closing. She gasped when something icy was placed on her head and neck, and she reached around and felt two wrapped popsicles cooling her injuries.

“Just relax now, Buffy. I’m going to give you a bit of a massage and I don’t want you to move. Spike’ll take care of you now, yeah?”

She murmured an assent and nearly died when his strong hands set to work on her stiff body. His fingers danced on her muscles and dug firmly where they found knots. His palms stroked over the planes of her back and legs and it wasn’t long before she drifted off, secure in the knowledge that she was safe and being taken care of.
^^^^^^^^
When she woke it was still dark outside and Spike was lying beside her, fully clothed. He’d been a gentleman, and he’d tended to her. Remembering their fight against the vamps, she also realized he’d killed his own kind for her. She squinted in the darkness to see his face. Lips parted slightly, the severe lines of his face relaxed in slumber, she leaned to kiss him, and kept kissing until he woke.

“Hey,” she said softly, brushing a hand across his cheek.

“How you feeling, Goldilocks?” he said with a smirk.

“Better, thanks to you. I…I really appreciate you taking care of me tonight. You didn’t have to do any of it, especially dusting those vamps, and…”

“Shhh, Buffy, it’s alright.” He captured her hand in his and kissed it. “You ‘n me, well, we haven’t really talked about it, but…” and words failed him for once, but she understood.

“I know.”

She rose from the bed, looking for her clothes, while she heard a metallic snick behind her and realized Spike was lighting a few candles so she could see. She saw the wrappers and sticks of the melted popsicles in two brightly colored puddles on the nightstand and reached around to feel her head. There was a lump, but it barely hurt. Hooray for Slayer healing and ice.

“What about soldier boy?” She looked at Spike who was now reclining against the headboard. She sighed and answered the best she could.

“I’m going to break up with him, but I won’t do it over the phone. He’ll be home in a couple of weeks, and then…” she couldn’t answer since there was a vampire attached to her lips, crushing her body into his.

“Good enough,” he panted, releasing her so she could breathe. “See you tonight?” he asked.

“Tonight,” she echoed, and kissed him once more, before dressing and heading into the early morning dark.

Giles called mid-morning, and asked her to call a Scooby meeting in order to unearth some information regarding some demons of unknown origin who were rumored to be interested in setting up a Hellmouth worshipping organization. So Buffy called the gang and they met on Xander’s lunchbreak at a greasy spoon he’d discovered near his worksite.

“So, Buffster, heard from Riley lately?” The familiar pang of guilt made an appearance as she looked at the faces of her friends.

“Yeah, just yesterday. He’s playing farmer at his parents’ house. He’ll be back in a couple of weeks.”

“Oooh! I wonder if he gets to drive one of those big tractors. Did he say Buffy?” Xander’s eyes were bright at the thought of heavy machinery.

“Um…I’m not sure. He mentioned something about corn, though…”

“Bet you can’t wait for him to get back, huh Buffy?” Willow asked with a big grin on her face. “You’ll run into each other’s arms and there’ll be smoochies and touches, and you’ll go off to…” the rambling red-head stopped when she saw the group staring at her.
“Okay, shutting up now, TMI, huh?”

“Well, it’s finally nice to see someone other than me speaking their mind about sex,” Anya jumped in. That got a laugh from her friends, but the little pang of guilt was now clawing around her insides. She couldn’t possibly tell her friends she was cheating on him, and with whom. They’d whisk her away to the funny farm and put her in a straitjacket. She didn’t think she was ashamed of Spike, but as she looked at the familiar faces of her friends, she knew there would be mass disapproval and scoldings. It wouldn’t change her mind about breaking up with Riley, but could she go public with Spike?

They made small talk and ordered their lunches, then Buffy pulled herself together and got down to the topic of their meeting. The Scoobies roared with laughter when they heard about the latest threat.

“Worshipping the Hellmouth?” crowed Xander. “Wouldn’t that be a good thing? Unless they want to open it or throw virgins into it. Then that would make it a bad thing.”

Even though she was rather new to the group, Buffy appreciated Tara’s calm demeanor, and she asked the kinds of questions that helped them focus. Giles’ information had been sketchy, so Buffy didn’t have very many answers. She absently wondered if Spike knew anything about this and thought about enlisting his help.

They finally made a rudimentary plan, which consisted of Buffy and Xander going to Willy’s to see if they could beat some info out of the slimy little pub owner. Xander was to pick her up in his new Xandermobile in case they needed to make a fast getaway. Later that night, when they pulled up to the bar, it looked like there was a fight in progress, with 3 large, porcupine-y demons beating on some poor schlub.

“Oh man,” Xander commented, “that guy’s really getting the smackdown. Wonder what he did to piss those spiny demons off?” Just then, one of the demons moved and a flash of platinum and black on the ground revealed the victim.

“And it’s Spike! How great is that!” Xander laughed, but slammed on the brakes when his friend threw open the door. “Buffy? What the hell are you doing?”

The Slayer didn’t hear him as she leapt into the fray. One of the porcupines was about to bash Spike’s skull in with a metal pipe, and she wrenched it away from him and bashed it into his head instead. He went down with an “oomph” and she turned to the others. They were both coming toward her, arms outstretched, and then one stumbled and fell to the ground. Spike had managed to grab its ankle and Buffy wasted no time in launching the pipe at the torso of the last standing demon. It skewered him through, and he crumpled over, clutching at the offending object protruding from his chest. Giving one last gasp, he too, met his maker, and the remaining spiny guy scrambled to his feet and tried to make a getaway, but Buffy would not be denied. She kicked and punched until it was not moving, and then she fell to her feet and tried to assess Spike’s injuries. He was bruised and bloody, but appeared to be in one piece. However, one of his legs was bent funny, and he was lying in a large pool of blood.

Buffy called to Xander, who had exited his car and was watching in bewilderment.

“Xander! Get Spike in the car! I’m going to get some blood for him inside!”

“But, Buffy, why the hell are we helping Spike?”

“I don’t have time to explain now!” she practically yelled, pulling Spike by the lapels of his duster towards the car. “Just help, me, please!”

“Okay, okay. Sheesh.” He opened the back door of the sedan and lifted Spike into it, the vampire’s leg dangling as if by a thread. He went around to the other side to pull Spike all the way in, and had to shudder at the damage he saw. They must have used the pipe to beat his leg, breaking it and bringing him down, then they clipped his ear. The bleeding was from his head behind the ear, and the leg wound. He shut both doors and hopped in the driver’s seat, starting the engine and hoping Buffy wouldn’t be long.

Inside the bar, Buffy had Willy by the lapels of his loud Hawaiian print shirt. He’d already given her the 10 packets of human blood she’d demanded, and she was now pressing him for the information she had originally come here for.

“Geez, Slayer, I don’t know nuthin’. No one tells me anything on account of they think I’m gonna snitch to you when you come around. Kinda like now.”

“Listen Willy. I’m in a bit of a hurry here. So I’ll just beat your head on the bar once really hard instead of several times softly until you tell me what I want to hear.” She moved her hands to either side of his head and he surrendered.

“Okay! Stop already!” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “They’re Gorack demons, and they’re building a church in the basement of the high school. You know, the one you blew up. They got pews and an altar and everything. They pray for the Hellmouth to open and deliver them from humans.”

“Gorack demons?” she clarified. Willy nodded and she released him, picking up the sack full of blood bags, and turning to leave.

“Hey, Slayer,” he called, “how’s about some payment for services and good rendered?”

Buffy grabbed his shirt in her fist and pulled him close. “I didn’t break your nose this time, did I?” With that she dropped her hand and hurried out the door to her injured vampire.

Xander had the car running and much to his surprise, she hopped into the back with Spike instead of the passenger side.

“Get us to Mom’s house, and fast,” she said to Xander, before turning to Spike. She stroked his face and tried to speak with him.

“Spike? Are you with us?”

One bloodshot eye cracked open and he smiled. “Hey, luv. Bloody good timing you had there. Thought I was a goner for sure that time.”

“What did you do to piss those guys off?”

“Fought with you,” he choked out, then hacked up some blood in a coughing fit.

“Okay, just rest and we’ll get you fixed up soon.” She turned to face the front and folded her hands on the headrest behind Xander, pleased to see that they were only a few blocks from Revello Drive.

“Buffy?” Xander asked. “Can you explain now why we’re taking Captain Peroxide to your house, after you rescued him from a beating he got because he was probably trying to cheat them at pool?”

“He saved my life last night,” she explained bluntly. “Now I’m saving his.”

“That’s it?” When there was nothing but silence behind him, he pushed on. “And exactly why did your life need saving last night?”

Buffy sighed and told the story. “I was patrolling and got hit badly, which wasn’t the problem; it was my bleeding that attracted a gang of vamps. Spike helped dust them. And for that he got beat up tonight. So here we are.”

“Why didn’t you call us if you were patrolling?”

“It’s always slow after a big bad goes down, you know that. And it seems like you’re all busy with dates and stuff.” He tried to interrupt, but she shushed him. “No, it’s okay. You guys all deserve to have some together time, and I can usually handle patrol by myself.”

“But the question remains why Spike saved you instead of laughing while you went down.”

Buffy looked up and was relieved to see her mother’s house in the headlights. “Guess you’ll have to ask him. Will you help me get him inside?”

Xander turned the engine off and sighed. “Might as well. We’ve come this far, but as soon as he’s better he’s gonna be scrubbing his blood and guts off of my upholstery!” Buffy ignored his comment and they got on either side of him, wrapping his arms around their shoulders, and they got him inside the house.

“You never revoked his invite?” Xander asked, incredulous, and Buffy just shrugged her shoulders. She herself never knew why she hadn’t had it done, and couldn’t explain it to anyone else. They settled the unconscious vampire on the couch and she asked her friend to go back and get the blood from his car. She was surprised when he did it without making any more comments, but her thoughts were disrupted when her mother came down the stairs in her bathrobe.

“Buffy? What’s going on? Did I hear Xander?” when she turned the corner into the living room she gasped. “Is that Spike?” What happened to him?”

“He got ambushed by some demons who didn’t want to play fair,” she replied, easing Spike’s duster from his unmoving body. “Is it okay that we brought him here? I didn’t want anyone coming after him in his crypt, and I thought we could take care of him here.”

“It’s fine, honey. What can I do?”

Buffy sent her mom for some first aid supplies, and set her to work cleaning his wounds while she warmed up two bags of blood that Xander brought in. She also had him help her set Spike’s broken leg, and then woke him enough to drink his blood, after which he promptly passed out again.

“I still don’t know why you’re doing this, Buff.”

“And I already told you I’m paying him back. Can you please just drop it now?” Xander stared at her, as if he was trying to read her mind, then he shrugged and stepped towards the front door.

“I guess I just don’t get you sometimes, but I usually trust you. I hope this doesn’t come back to bite you on the ass.” Saying his piece, he left the house, leaving Buffy to answer her mother’s questions.

They moved into the kitchen to let Spike rest, and Joyce made up some hot cocoa. Buffy told her about patrolling with Spike and getting to know him, and how he’d helped her the night before. Joyce sat quietly and listened, and when Buffy finished, she looked at her daughter intently before speaking.

“Is your new friendship with Spike the reason you’ve been avoiding Riley’s phone calls? One of which, in fact, came tonight. He’ll be home in a few days.”

Buffy recoiled in shock from her comment. “I…I haven’t been avoiding him. It’s just timing.”

“Please don’t lie to me, Buffy. If I can sit here and listen to you talk about almost getting killed, then I deserve the truth about this.”

Buffy wrapped her hands around the body of her mug of hot cocoa, and let the warmth seep through. “How did you know?” she asked, sighing in resignation.

“After two years of listening to you come in late from patrols, I can tell that you’ve been coming in later, and going out every night, which just started a few days ago. At about the same time I had to start taking messages from Riley.” She gestured to the other room. “And now I have a badly injured vampire on my couch. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together.”

“It’s not like I planned it,” Buffy sulked a little. “It just kind of happened. We were flirting, then ‘bang!’” She looked at her mom’s expression and backpedaled. “Not that there was a literal ‘bang,’ it was more like the…” she trailed off when her mother’s hand covered hers.

“I don’t need to know the details, sweetie. But I do think we need to talk about why you’re getting involved with Spike when I assume Riley is still your boyfriend, or at least he thinks he is.”

Buffy drank some hot cocoa, sighed, and tried to clarify her thoughts. “I can’t break up with him over the phone. That’s just…cliché and cruel.”

“But you are going to break things off with him? When he gets back?” Joyce queried.

“Yeah, I guess I am. I realized that if I was capable of being with Spike then there was something missing with Riley.” Buffy wasn’t prepared for the hurt that was creeping into her heart, and tears swam in her eyes.

“Oh honey, what’s wrong?” Joyce scooted closer to her daughter and gathered her up in her arms.

“I really wanted things to work out with Riley, you know?” she sobbed, hugging her mother closer. “And now I’ve turned into this slut, sleeping with another guy while my boyfriend’s halfway across the country!”

“Hey now, Buffy, don’t say that,” Joyce soothed, stroking Buffy’s hair. “You’re young and trying to find love, and going to school, and living away from home. You’re becoming an adult and figuring out what you want out of life besides slaying. If you and Riley were engaged or married, then what you are doing would be very wrong.” She pulled away from Buffy and cupped her chin with her hand. “It isn’t right, though, to be with Spike until you break up with Riley. Do you think you and he can keep it platonic until Riley gets back?”

“I suppose so. It’s not like we ever talk about this stuff.”

“Well, you should. If you intend to keep seeing Spike you’re going to need to be able to communicate with him. Especially considering that you seemed to have gone from being enemies to lovers fairly quick.” Buffy’s face reddened when she heard her mother refer to her and Spike as lovers. She couldn’t believe they were even having this talk.

“I’m going to check on him and go to bed. Are you really okay with him being here?”

“It’s fine, honey. Go on; I’ll clean up in here.” Buffy got up to leave the room, but her mother called to her one last time. “Buffy? It was really nice to talk with you.”

“I know,” she replied, and went to see how Spike was doing.

He was still out, but they’d done all they could for now, so she covered him with the blanket from the back of the couch, made sure the window curtains were shut tight, and placed a kiss on his forehead.

“You’re safe now,” she whispered. “Just get better and I’ll see you in the morning.”

Joyce heard Buffy trudge up the stairs and listened to the sounds of her nightly rituals. She finished cleaning the kitchen and went to see her unlikely visitor. His head was turned from where it had been and she suspected he wasn’t quite asleep.

“Spike? I know you’re awake.”

“Can’t fool you one bit, can I Joyce?” Spike opened his eyes slowly, as if it hurt to do so, and gave her a watery smirk. She smiled back, and placed a hand on his forehead in the universal sign of a mother soothing her sick child.

“How are you feeling?”

“A bit like 3 Dralosh demons were beatin’ the crap out of me.”

“Is it because you saved Buffy?”

“It’s been going on a bit longer than that. Probably goes all the way back to when I made that first truce with Buffy. Turning on your sire is frowned upon in the demon community, and I had the balls to defy him. Then after the Initiative scrambled my brain and I started helping the white hats every so often, it was made clear to me that I was no longer welcome in their circles.”

She stroked her hand on his head, mussing his hair and petting him.

“Well I, for one, am glad you were there for her. Anytime she comes home at night is a reason to give thanks, and I should extend that to you, too. So thank you for saving my daughter, Spike.”

Spike grunted something that sounded like, “You’re welcome.”

“Is there anything more I can do for you?”

“I’m alright. I do appreciate you letting me stay and mend up here.”

“Did you hear everything?”

“I did.”

“And I would ask you, then, what your intentions are toward my daughter.” The comforting hand was removed and arms were crossed.

“I enjoy her company. She’s a hell of a girl Joyce. Gives the Slayer gig her all, making the world safe for puppies and Christmas and all that. She puts out this light, and one can’t help but be attracted to that, like…” he left off when he realized he was getting poetic. But Joyce had heard enough.

“Can I trust you to keep your hands off of her until she breaks up with Riley?”

“If you’re gonna threaten to hit me with an axe, I’d best say ‘yes,’” he chuckled.

“Just so we’re clear,” she added, grasping his hand lightly, as if sealing the deal.

“Crystal,” he responded, squeezing back.

“Get some rest, and we’ll try to be quiet in the morning. You’re free to stay as long as you need to, alright?”

“You’re a gem of a lady, Joyce. Just like your daughter.”

“Then you’d better stay on my good side, hadn’t you?”

That elicited another chuckle and she bade him goodnight as she made sure the front door was locked and turned off the lights. Life as a Slayer’s mother was certainly never boring, and she was relieved to see her daughter safely tucked in for the night, silently thanking the vampire again for that blessing.

True to her word, Joyce was silent as a wraith as she completed her morning routines. Both Spike and Buffy were still asleep when she left for work and she hoped they’d keep their promises and play nicely while she was away.

Buffy woke from a dreamless sleep and glanced at her clock. Eleven a.m., so her mother was gone already. The voices downstairs must be her vampire watching TV. She made her way downstairs and plopped next to Spike on the couch. He was sitting up, his broken leg propped on the coffee table.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hey,” he responded.

“Can I fix you some blood?”

“Sure, luv. That’d be good.” She got up and he watched her sweet little ass sway as she walked into the kitchen. He sighed and willed his erection to go away. After all, he’d made a promise to Joyce. The object of his affection returned with a tray laden with 2 mugs and a bowl of cereal. She handed him one of the mugs and asked if he wanted cereal, too.

“Have any Weetabix?”

“Uh…I don’t think so. Will Special K do?”

“No thanks, then. Nothing adds texture like Weetabix.”

“I’m not even going to ask what you mean by that because it sounds gross.”

They shared a brief laugh and things got quiet. Neither knew quite how to begin the conversation that they needed to have. Finally Buffy cleared her throat.

“I, uh, had a talk with my mom last night.”

“Yeah, me, too.” A look of surprise flashed across her face as she turned to face him.

“When?” she asked.

“Heard most of what you said last night. Your mum knew I was awake and made me promise to keep my hands to myself. I think she’s still got that axe somewhere, and she’s not afraid to use it.” He was pleased to see a smile on Buffy’s face.

“She can be pretty scary, can’t she?” Spike nodded. “So do you think we can do this for a few days? Be platonic?” she asked.

Spike looked at her seriously. “Don’t want to, but I don’t want to disrespect you or Joyce, so I’ll be a good boy.” He was thrown against the back of the couch when Buffy threw her arms around him.

“Thank you,” she whispered, and placed an innocent kiss on his cheek.

Talk then turned to his blood supply. He’d already gone through half the supply from Willy’s and still wasn’t completely healed. He thought the rest of the human blood would be adequate for him, but would only last through one more night, so Buffy showered and went to the butcher’s while Spike napped some more.

When he woke again Buffy had been home for awhile and they proceeded to spend pleasant afternoon together, playing cards and watching TV.

Her mother was not yet home from work when the Scooby phone began ringing, Xander having told the tale of their previous evening’s adventure as soon as he was home from work. Buffy invited the gang over so she’d only have to answer all the questions at once.

And when they were all assembled, she was bombarded.

“What is he still doing here?”
“Have you forgotten that he was going to betray us to Adam?”
“You let him stay here all night?”
“Why are you even helping him?”

“Enough!” she shouted, banging her fist on the coffee table. She got an admiring look from Spike when the rest her friends flinched and closed their mouths. “We made another truce, we patrolled together, he saved me, then I saved him. Why can’t you guys get that?”

“Obviously, none of us trust Spike quite like you do, and I cannot fathom why you continue to make truces with him, knowing he will only betray you again.” Giles voice was stern and grim, trying to get his point across.

“You do realize, Giles, that you’re only alive because of the first truce I made with him?”

Willow’s gasp was the only sound in the quiet room after Buffy dropped that bombshell.

“What could you possibly mean by that?” asked the Watcher.

“It was part of our deal, Rupert,” Spike decided it was time to speak up. “I just wanted to take Dru and leave this sodding town, and the Slayer would only cooperate if I made sure you stayed alive.”

“Yes, well…I seem to remember that it was your idea to have Drusilla put me in thrall, after which I inadvertently gave Angelus the means to open Acathla.”

“Would you rather have let him use the chainsaw on you?” Spike growled.

Giles had no response to this, so changed the subject slightly. “But you agreed to stay away, yet you came back and tried to kill Buffy again.”

“And I’m still suffering the consequences of that, ain’t I?” he spat out, pointing to the back of his head where the chip was implanted.

“But you didn’t learn, bleach boy,” Xander interjected. “You tried to rip us apart so Adam could defeat Buffy, since you couldn’t do it yourself.”

Spike had a retort on his lips when the front door opened and Joyce walked in.

“Oh my!” she exclaimed, her hand flying to her chest. “What’s going on here?”

“We’re just trying to talk some sense into your daughter,” Xander said with his usual bluntness. “We can’t figure out why she keeps making deals with Deadboy Junior over here.”

Joyce shocked everyone, including Spike, when she walked over to him and kneeled at his side. “How are you feeling today, Spike?”

“Uh, much better, Joyce, thanks for asking.” The concern he felt from Buffy’s mother was a welcome relief from the thrashing he was taking from her friends.

Joyce stood and put her hand on his shoulder and turned to the rest of the group. “I know that Spike has not always been on our side, but if he’s watching out for Buffy, that’s all that matters now.”

“How could you be so naïve, Joyce?” Giles sputtered. “Are you telling me you’re okay with allowing this…this restrained killer into your home?”

“Then you might as well ask what you are doing here as well, Rupert. Night after night you send my daughter to fight the monsters. How often are you there to make sure she gets back home?” The older man’s face turned red as he was confronted with the hypocrisy of his position. “For whatever reason, Spike saved Buffy the other night, and for that, I am grateful to him. He may stay here as long as he needs to, and is welcome as long as he behaves himself.” She gave his shoulder a squeeze and would have headed for the kitchen, but found her hand grasped by cooler one.

“Give a bloke a hand, will ya? I need a smoke,” Spike asked. She helped him to his feet and let him put his arm around her shoulder so she could walk him out to the porch.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, luv. It was getting a bit thick in there,” he commented, patting down his jeans for his cigs and lighter.

“I know they mean well,” Joyce sighed, “but sometimes they seem so narrow-minded. It probably doesn’t help that you can’t explain your feelings for each other, does it?”

Spike snorted. “Trust me, it’d be even worse if they knew. I’d be a pile of ash on your sofa right about now, no questions asked.

Their quiet interlude was interrupted by the ringing of the phone, so Joyce went into the kitchen to answer it. Spike enjoyed a leisurely puff, inhaling the acrid smoke into his dead lungs, savoring the calming effect it had on him, but what he heard next was the last straw.

“Buffy! Phone! It’s Riley!”

Spike could hear the hubbub of her friends’ voices, Xander’s chief among them, asking if she was going to tell Riley about her houseguest. Add to that the strain of having to listen to her talk to her “boyfriend” while he was being roasted over the coals by her friends, and he was done.

He looked about the porch for something to use as a crutch and saw a broom. Rising from the deck chair and grabbing the broom handle, he slowly made his way down the deck stairs and began the long trek back to his crypt. His duster was still inside the house, but he figured he could come back for it later. His skin itched with the need to be away from this house right now.

But Joyce had other ideas.

“Spike!” she called from the doorway, and the screen banged as she flung it open. It did not take her even a few seconds to intercept him on the lawn. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Have to get out of here. It’s bad enough, having to deal with the lot of her friends, but listening to her talk to Captain Cardboard takes the sodding cake. Thanks for your hospitality, but I’ll be off now.” He tried to move forward, but she blocked his path.

“She doesn’t love him, you know.”

“Yeah, but she’s not telling him about me, either.”

“Would you want to hear about something like that over the phone?”

“Got it flaunted in my face more than once. Might have preferred it by the phone once in a while.”

“She’s just being polite. Okay?” Spike grunted, not moving forward or back, until Joyce took his arm and led him back to the deck.

“I don’t know how serious the two of you are about each other, and to be honest, you wouldn’t be my first choice for her.” Spike felt momentary hurt when Joyce said this, but realized she was indeed being honest. “But she and I have finally come to an understanding about what it means to be the Slayer and the Slayer’s mother. We both know how fragile her life is, and we need to be realistic about what she can accomplish with that hanging over her head. And even in ‘normal’ families, parents and children don’t always see eye-to-eye about what’s best for them.”

She paused for a moment, then continued. “Already I have seen a difference in her, since she became involved with you.” She smiled at Spike’s look of surprise. “She has been more carefree and happy. Riley may seem like a good choice on paper, but she didn’t even introduce me to him until the end of the school year. I know part of that is living on campus and dealing with her calling, but she didn’t feel the need to involve me in that part of her life, which is not a good sign for the relationship. You move her, Spike, and she can let down her hair when she’s with you, which is not something she does easily.”

“You’re just sayin’ that,” he groused, but they both smiled.

“Please stay. We both want you here.”

That almost melted his heart, but he’d never let on. “You just want to make sure we’re not getting out of line.”

“Right. Like playing chaperone to a vampire and a Slayer is how I wanted to spend the next few nights. I guess you’ll just have to realize that we like you and enjoy your company. Now let’s get back inside and fix dinner for the ingrates inside.”

Spike walked with her assistance, but kept his head down. He was the Big Bad and he’d be damned if he let her see the water pooling in his eyes.

^^^^^^^^

Buffy wanted to stop Spike when he left to get a smoke, but she realized that maybe she had a chance at stopping the inquisition if he were absent. She watched him leave with Joyce, casting a keen eye on the progress of his broken leg. She didn’t know much about vampire healing, but if his was anything like hers, the leg would be vastly improved by the next day.

She was just drawing a breath to further address the concerns of her friends when the phone rang. She knew it was probably Riley and she felt like fleeing to the porch to be with Spike, feeling bombarded and pressured from all sides but his. She rose to take the call in the kitchen and she heard Xander asking if she was going to tell Riley about her houseguest and she had to restrain herself from throttling him. Steeling herself, she took the phone from her mother, who gave her a sympathetic smile.

“Hey Riley.”

“Buffy! What’s going on? Sounds like you’re having a party or something over there!”

“Just a Scooby meeting. The gang says ‘hi’ by the way.” Figuring they would have, if there hadn’t been a more important topic of discussion on the table. “What are you up to?”

“Did your mom tell you I’ll be home soon?”

“Yes, she did. It’ll…it’ll be good to see you, Riley.” She cringed when she said that, knowing it would be anything but good.

They chatted about inconsequential matters for a few more minutes before making plans for his arrival. Buffy knew she should meet him at the airport, and since she didn’t want her mother there and she still didn’t have a license, she said she’d take a cab there, and they could catch one back to his place. He said he’d try to call once more before he came home, but left all his flight information just in case they didn’t speak until then.

“I can’t wait to be home, Buffy. It will be so good to see you.”

“Yeah, I can’t wait either.” Liar, she thought to herself.

“Love you, Buff.”

“Me, too.”

She hung up and looked out the kitchen window. Her mom and Spike were walking toward the porch, Spike limping with a broom in his hand. She went outside and took the broom, putting his arm around her shoulder, and they got him back onto the deck. Joyce went back inside to see who wanted to stay for supper, and Buffy and Spike spent a silent moment together.

“So how’s Captain Corn-fed doing?” Spike finally asked.

“He’ll be home in a few days,” she answered quietly. “I’m going to meet him at the airport.”

“And then…?” he prodded.

“And then I break up with him.”

“Sure you’re not going to change your mind when you see his chiseled good looks and hulking muscular body?” he smirked.

“Why? Do you want to date him?” she said slyly.

“Cheeky bint, aren’t you?”

“Okay, listen up, Mr. Pouty.” She had to smile when he affirmed her nickname with his lower lip sticking out. “I want to be with you. Clear enough for you?” She was left breathless a moment later when his pouty features transformed into a look of naked longing and passion.

He answered in a voice heavy with feeling. “Very clear, luv.” Their heads drew closer as each longed for the feel of lips meeting…until a throat-clearing sounded behind them. Joyce stood in the doorway, arms crossed and foot tapping.

“Look, Joyce,” Spike said calmly, “I’m not using my hands. You didn’t say anything about lips.”

Amid Buffy’s giggles, Joyce tried to contain a smile and found her no-nonsense voice. “Nice try, Romeo.” She leveled her gaze at her daughter. “Now get in here and deal with your guests while I fix dinner.”

Slayer and vampire shared a look of frustration before she offered him a hand up and shoulder to lean on. They made their way back to the living room and remained standing while Buffy tried one last time to defend her decision to let Spike recuperate at her house.

“Spike’s here until he’s better. Half the demons in Sunnydale are gunning for him because he helped me, and no, I don’t think he’s playing on my sympathy. I trust him, my mom trusts him, and I ask that you all respect that. Now let me tell you what I found out about the Gorack demons.”

There was brief silence as her friends considered this and they grudgingly agreed to let up. The tension was alleviated somewhat when Joyce served dinner, but Buffy and Spike both breathed a sigh of relief when the last of the Scoobies went home. They’d discussed the Hellmouth worshipping demons and Giles was going to consult his books to look for weaknesses. When it was just the Summers women and Spike, Joyce suggested they watch some movies together, much to the consternation of the thwarted lovers who felt liked they were being chaperoned. Which, in a way, was true.

^^^^^^^^

Spike only took another day to heal up, but Buffy and Joyce convinced him to stay with them a bit longer. The three of them were actually having fun just being together; playing games, watching movies and TV, and visiting. Joyce felt like she was bonding with her daughter for the first time since the divorce. Before it had been all about Buffy sneaking around and wanting to spend time with her friends, then once she found out her daughter was the Slayer, it was nights spent worrying while she was out, and then Buffy went to college.

And she got the impression that Buffy and Spike were grateful for her presence. Buffy felt guilt over Riley, and Spike wanted to be a gentleman, but was so impulsive he’d probably have broken his word by now if Joyce wasn’t around. And they all discovered that they liked each other.

The Scoobies had met once more to make a plan for eliminating the Goracks. If they were surprised to find Spike still with Buffy, they didn’t let on. It seemed the Goracks were afraid of their reflections so the battle would be ridiculously easy. By the following night, several mirrors had been obtained and the group, including Spike, set out for the old high school.

While the rest of the Scoobies held the mirrors in front of them, Buffy ran to the altar and destroyed the Goracks’ sacred relics. Panicked and grief-stricken, the roughly two dozen demons threw themselves into the fissure and that was that. While no one thanked Spike, he was at least included in the post-fight celebration and even had a civil word or two with Giles. Anya also spoke with him, much to Xander’s disdain, and Tara would have been largely ignored except for a conversation Spike struck up with her regarding their favorite authors.

Buffy knew she would still get grief when she told her friends that she and Spike were together, but there seemed to be a grudging acceptance happening at that moment.

^^^^^^^^
It was all too soon when Riley was due to arrive back in Sunnydale and Spike moved back to the crypt. Buffy walked him to the cemetery and tried to reassure him.

“It’ll be done by tomorrow night, Spike. I’ll be a free woman, and then…” Heat infused her body when she thought about the two of them alone, and with no restrictions between them. Spike sensed the change in her body and brought her hand to his lips, lightly kissing her knuckles.

“I’ll be waiting, Buffy,” he said, voice cracking in anticipation. They entered his crypt and found that he’d had some unpleasant visitors during his recuperation. Buffy worked with him to right the furniture that had been knocked over, picked up the shards of broken things that were all over the floor, and gathered the dirty linen from his bed. Something unidentifiable, slimy, and stinky was all over the sheets, and she volunteered to wash them.

Spike had to tell her several times that he’d be okay, and showed her his weapons cache. He placed two of his deadliest and heaviest knives within arm’s reach of his bed, and showed her his fighting form, sparring with her a bit. She had to leave before they got worked up, though, and they clasped hands before she left to do a quick patrol. A couple of surly fledges were all she encountered, so she was still a bit wound up when she arrived home.

She lay in her bed, trying to imagine how she was going to tell Riley she no longer wanted to be with him. She finally let sleep claim her, figuring she’d make it up as she went along.

The next afternoon Buffy found herself standing in the airport, heart pounding and nerves shot as she waited for Riley to disembark from the plane. There were smiling people all around her, happy shouts of loved ones being reunited, and the lump in her throat grew bigger and bigger.

Then he was there. He’d spotted her and was dodging bodies trying to get to her. She was clasped in a tight hug and he was tipping her face up to meet his. Panicking, she gave him a peck on the lips and wriggled out of his grasp.

“Riley! You’re back!” she said lamely, stating the obvious but not knowing what else to say.

“It’s so good to see you, Buffy,” he said, bending over her and hugging her again. He pulled back and looked at her longingly. “I missed you so much.” He stroked her hair and bent to kiss her again. She offered her cheek and linked their arms together, moving them toward the baggage claim.

“Me, too,” she replied. “How many bags did you check?”

Riley picked up his carry-on from where he’d dropped it by his feet and moved with her. “Just my duffle. So how is everyone?” She thanked lady luck that he was making neutral conversation and babbled like she’d never babbled before, going into great length about her friends’ relationships. She kept talking about this and that, asked him questions about his visit home, and soon they were headed to the taxi stand.

The ride to his apartment seemed to drag. He was pressed close to her, holding her hand in his lap. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him, even though she felt his stare. When they finally arrived at his place she was taut and nervous, knowing that the time had come.

Riley had arranged for his new apartment before leaving Sunnydale at the beginning of summer. Most of his things had already been moved in, including his bed, which he appeared to be anxious to get into. With Buffy. When they got out of the cab she noticed a convenience store next door and told him she’d be right back. He tried to tell her that he had condoms, but she literally ran like a speeding bullet, so he went inside to make sure everything was in order.

Buffy entered the store and headed for the frozen treats section. Not knowing what came over her, she grabbed a familiar yellow box, paid for them, and walked back to Riley’s apartment. He was waiting for her and opened the door as she approached.

“I have condoms, Buff.”

She felt her face redden and pulled the box out of the sack. “I thought I’d get you a housewarming gift, since you probably have an empty fridge.”

“Popsicles? Why would you get those?”

“Well, it’s a hot day today, and they make things fun, don’t you think?” She was scrutinizing him how, waiting to see what his reaction would be.

“Actually, I’ve never liked those things. They get all over your hands and clothes, they fall off the stick when you’re almost done, and they leave a horrible taste in your mouth.”

Buffy almost laughed when she heard that. It gave her the impetus to begin her conversation.

“That just goes to show you how different we are.”

“Different? What do you mean by that?”

“Well, for one, I like popsicles and you don’t.”

“And why is that such a big deal?”

“It’s not, i…it’s just that I’ve been doing a lot of thinking this summer…”

“Oh God…” Riley moaned, putting his head in his hands. “This isn’t going to end well for me, is it?”

“No, probably not.”

“Why, Buffy? I thought we had something really good going here. I thought we loved each other.”

“And I do, I mean I care about you a lot, but…I think something is missing from our relationship.”

“And how would you know something is missing?”

“Well…because I fnd myself attracted to other men.”

Riley gave a little laugh of relief. “That doesn’t mean something is missing between us. Being attracted to other people is normal in a relationship. You know, like a grass-is-always-greener scenario.” He took the box from her hands and wove their fingers together. “It’s only if you act on your attraction that there’s a problem.” When Buffy looked at the floor, he dropped her hands. “You acted, didn’t you?”

Nodding, she sat on his sofa and tried to hold back the tears. Riley plunked himself down on the other end and sighed heavily.

“I never thought you would do something like that,” he said dejectedly.

“I didn’t either.”

“Was it a one time thing, or…”

“Do you really want to know?”

“What I want to know is if we can move past this, or if it’s totally over.” He turned to her, and took her hand again. “I really love you, Buffy, and I think we make a great team. If you think I need to do something more, or change something, I’ll do it, to make it work. I’ve never met anyone like you, and I won’t ever again. I can help with the slaying and I’m a good man. Tell me what I can do.” He tried to keep the pleading note out of his voice.

“All of that is true. You are a good man, and I didn’t want to hurt you. That’s why we stopped…I mean, I couldn’t do this over the phone. I thought you deserved an explanation, in person.”

“So you’ve been cheating on me and you want to break up with me so you can feel okay about being with your new man.” He stood up and began pacing around the room, trying hard not to lose it and kill the furniture.

“I know it sucks, okay? And I’m sorry Riley. It’s not like I planned this, or went looking for someone else. God knows Spike is the last person I ever thought…” Ooops, flittered through her mind as she prepared for the eruption.

“Spike? You’re leaving me for Spike?” The kitchen table didn’t stand a chance as he brought his fist clear through it and roared. Grabbing a large wooden shard, he straightened up. “I’m going to dust that bastard.”

Buffy stood in front of him. “Don’t, Riley. I was the one who started it.”

He fell to his knees amidst the wreckage and hung his head. “God, Buffy, that’s just…I don’t have the words.” He looked at her, hard, and shook his head. “I feel like I don’t even know who you are.” A tentative smile appeared on his face. “Has Willow been playing with spells again?”

“No, this isn’t a spell.” The little smile disappeared from his face and he shook his head again.

Buffy stood and moved next to him. “I’ve been in denial about who I am for the last 4 years. I never wanted to be the Slayer, and tried to run away from it more than once. I tried hard to do normal things along with my slaying, and that included dating normal guys. Which never worked out. This thing with Spike; I think it’s been brewing for a while. We were never able to kill each other, and then when Willow did her spell last year and we were engaged, I saw a side to him that no one ever gets to see. He’s not just an evil vampire or a soulless demon, much as he wants everyone to think he is.” She carefully sank down on her knees next to him.

“I don’t regret being with you, and things were good. But what I feel for Spike is…well, I just know that I want to be with him. And I’m sorry if I’m hurting you.”

Riley gave her another hard look. “Aren’t you worried that this is going to come back and haunt you?”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It’s Spike, Buffy. He’s a vampire. He’s inherently evil and he’s a monster. He’ll hurt you sooner or later.”

“I don’t think he will, but thanks for the warning,” she scoffed, and stood up, brushing table debris from her jeans.

Riley stood with her. “I am hurt. And upset and disappointed and angry. The woman I love, who I thought I could spend the rest of my life with, has dumped me for a vampire she slept with while I was away for a few weeks. And said vampire has been nothing but trouble since I’ve known him. So I’m going to let you know that I think you’re making a terrible mistake, but at least I won’t be around to see the train wreck when it happens.”

“What train wreck? And where will you be?”

He moved away from the rubble of the table and sat down on the edge of the bed, looking at the floor. “When I was in Quantico they asked me to come back to Special Ops. They’ve formed a unit of former Initiative men to hunt demons in South America.”

“I can’t believe they want to start that up again,” she groaned.

“This is strictly a search and destroy mission. No capturing, no experiments. I turned them down, but they left the offer on the table.” He looked up, and clasped his hands between his knees. “There’s nothing here for me if we’re not together, so I’m going to go.” He laughed ruefully and gestured towards his duffel. “At least I won’t have to pack again.”

Buffy went to him again and touched his shoulder gently. “I’m sorry.”

Riley placed his hand on top of hers. “I know, Buffy. I’m not happy about this, but thank you for being honest with me.”

She started for the door, knowing that she’d done what she needed to do. “When will you be going?”

“Tomorrow, I guess. I’ll need to call them and make arrangements.”

“Oh. Then I guess…well, I guess this is where I say goodbye.”

“Yeah,” Riley agreed, “I guess it is.”

“I hope you stay safe in South America.”

“And I hope you stay safe on the Hellmouth.”

She opened the door and took a step outside but turned to face him one last time. “Just remember Riley, not all demons are bad or evil.”

He nodded. “Goodbye, Buffy.” She shut the door behind her and breathed a sigh of relief. Then she ran like hell to the graveyard.

^^^^^^^^

Spike was pacing. And smoking. A lot. Thank goodness he’d stashed a carton of smokes in his hidey hole before the attack. He’d already gone through three packs since awaking earlier, not having gotten much sleep due to his anxiety over Buffy and Private Joker. He wanted to believe she’d choose him, and she’d said as much. But his luck in love was not…lucky. He’d been led on and dumped before, but his head kept telling him that Buffy wasn’t like the others. She’d come to his aid, invited him into her home, and cared for him. She’d been honest from the get-go and so he should have nothing to worry about. But he couldn’t help it.

And of course his TV had fallen victim to the vandals that trashed his place, so he had nothing but his thoughts and books to keep him company. He’d read everything three times over at least, and couldn’t concentrate on the page anyway, so he paced. And smoked.

Just as he was getting ready to pull his hair out, she arrived on his doorstep. Winded and red-faced from running, she still looked beautiful as she walked into his crypt. He was afraid to ask her what had happened, and he was afraid to move. When she jumped into his arms he staggered backwards in relief, bracing his back against the wall. He was getting ready to kiss her when his senses told him something was off. He then felt her trembling and heard the snuffles. She was crying!

“Here now, what’s this?” he said, finding his voice at last.

“I did it,” she managed to croak. “I broke up with Riley!”

“Why the tears, luv?” he asked carefully.

“I thought it would be easy, but it wasn’t,” she sobbed, burrowing into his chest. Spike didn’t know what to do or say, so he just held her and stroked her hair. After a few awkward moments she pulled away, wiping her tears on her sleeves.

“I know you probably don’t want to hear about this, but I need to say it, okay?”

He nodded dumbly, wanting to be good for her. Needing to be the best he could be so she wouldn’t regret her choice.

“There was really nothing wrong with our relationship. For him, this came out of the blue, and to make it worse, I told him who I’d been with.”

Spike hissed and drew back. “So when can I expect the pitchforks and torches?”

“He’s not going to come after you. He’s leaving for South America to rejoin the military.”

“He hates me, luv. How do you know he won’t leave you a parting gift of my ashes?”

“I think he just wants to get out of here as fast as possible. I told him the truth; that I wanted to be with you, and that I initiated the affair. You can’t get more blunt than that.”

Spike felt some of the tension ease, but there was still something he needed to know.
“But why do you want to be with me, Slayer? We’ve been dancing around this for days. You dumped a perfectly good man, and I’m pretty sure it’s not just for the great sex.”

“The sex is pretty great, isn’t it?” she said with a blush. “But I’ll tell you what I told him. Since a weird old man wearing tweed came to me when I was 15 and told me about vampires and my destiny to slay them, I’ve tried to stay as normal as I could. I tried twice to run away from my calling but I couldn’t. And I involved my friends and family, went dancing at the Bronze, enrolled in college, and tried to date regular guys. Breaking up with Riley is like me shutting the door on that part of my life.

“When we did that spell to defeat Adam, we called upon the essence of the First Slayer. She invaded our dreams that night, and no one knows, but you now, that she keeps popping up in mine. I get visions on a regular basis of running naked into a field, rolling in the mud, and hunting down monsters. It’s very primal.”

Spike wanted to make a joke, but she was being so serious and telling him so much, so instead he replied, “Like a predator.”

“Exactly. And I think I’m ready to explore that side of me. Which I could never do with Riley, or any other human.”

“You need someone who’s as strong as you are.”

“And Riley kind of was, but it was artificial. He fought demons, but wasn’t born to that world. And you and I? We’re…”

“We’re what, luv?”

“We’re otherworldly. I…I think we fit together. And also, I think this thing between us is something that has been building for a while. All those fights we had and we’re both still here, Willow’s spell…”

“What about that spell?”

“I didn’t want to admit it, but I realized there was more to you than being an evil bloodsucker.”

“An evil bloodsucker? You wound me, Slayer,” he said with a smirk.

She tapped him lightly on the chest, then led them over to the bed and drew him down to sit with her. “Well, it’s true. Anyway, all of a sudden we were in love and I could feel how powerful your love was. You’d been with Dru for a century and were only apart because of her. That love was given to me during the spell and it made me feel like I could stand up against anything, because you were by my side.”

She flopped down on the bed, clearly spent. “And I’ve been talking for way too long now.” She gestured towards him. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re right on all counts.”

“I spill my guts and Mr. Talky guy who usually can’t shut up just tells me I’m right?”

“Can think of better things to do with my mouth than talk.”

“Show me,” she said, her voice husky as she leaned up on her elbows.

And he did.

^^^^^^^^

The following days were not easy. They correctly anticipated the reactions of the Scooby Gang, which were negative on the parts of Giles and Xander, and to some extent Willow, who knew she would be either vamped or dead if not for the chip in Spike’s head. But she also saw how happy her friend was, and being in an unconventional relationship herself, had some sympathy for the new couple.

Anya, of course, wished them happy orgasms, and talked at length about vampire stamina and strength, knowing Buffy and Spike were well-matched.

Tara was the surprise. The quiet witch, with her ability to read auras, told the group quietly that Buffy and Spike were simply suited for each other, and left it at that. What she did not mention was that she’d seen Spike’s aura change over the past few weeks. At the height of the Adam debacle, it was dark and murky, indicating his evil intent to cause them harm. It was much lighter now; clearly he was happy with Buffy and wanted to please her.

On the other hand, Buffy’s was darkening slightly. When Buffy had told them that she and Spike were a couple, she had also mentioned her desire to explore the origins of her power, and disclosed the visions she’d been having of the First Slayer. Though it had never been discussed amongst them, Tara suspected that the source of the Slayer power was demonic in nature. The darkening of Buffy’s aura supported that theory, but it was neither evil nor depressing. It was simply the nature of a being who hunts and kills others, even if it was for the good of humanity.

Eventually the entire group did see the positive effect the Slayer and vampire had on each other. Buffy was efficient in the field and happy at home. Spike was mostly tolerable, but they were beginning to see his prickliness was just a shield.

And on hot summer nights, when popsicles were passed around as a post-slaying treat, Buffy and Spike would share a secret smile and disappear faster than the dust particles of a staked vampire.