It was funny how easily you could forget the very worst of memories when you were given exactly the right incentive. Tearing along the highway with the wind in her hair, her ambiguous lover at her side and a brand new little pet kitty on her shoulder, were exactly the very things Buffy needed to push her emotionally desperate year behind her and get ready for a continuation of what had so far been the ride of her life.
Feeling surer of said new lover’s intentions was also worlds of good. It was uncanny how the abrupt eradication of his past too-long-lived love of his life made the transition as smooth as honey. Seeing Dru flutter to the dirt driveway had done her shaky confidence in catching the guy a boatload of good and Buffy honestly felt like she was buzzing now with health, humour and happiness. If the sight of Angel on her front lawn petting his bloodied behind didn’t kill the mood, then she felt really positive about how she was going to cope with the no doubt touchy reception she and Spike were about to receive. If anything, seeing the palmful of blood made Buffy want to giggle insanely. Served him right for trying to storm his way back into her life—even if she hadn’t been there to notice.
A sideways glance showed her a casual, yet beaming Xander as he tried hard to control his snickering recapture of Beauty. The most difficult hurdle had already been jumped and Xander—if not best drinking buddies yet, then surely close enough to it—seemed okay with her being with Spike. With her falling in love with Spike. As long as he got to howl with laughter at Angel’s sad predicament, she was willing to bet he was fine with all sorts of ‘her and Spike’ things.
The comfort and security she felt in sharing at least some of her break away with the transition of her friend to the reality of her new boyfriend was a welcome relief. Xander might snark and make out he hated Spike’s ever-undead guts, but Buffy knew the truth, and it made her feel warm and giddy with the happy.
Okay, so it was time to face the music, but knowing she had both Spike and Xander at her back, and the very sharp teeth of Beauty ready to go to bat for her, was enough for Buffy to alight from the car, thrust her enthusiastically mewing kitty into Spike’s shaking hands, and run forth to embrace her mother.
“MOM! It’s so good to see you. And look, I brought pets!”
Joyce gasped and coughed against Buffy’s attempts to squeeze her in half, and patted her daughter weakly on the back.
“Th-that’s wonderful, Buffy.” Two seconds more and she’d have to appeal to Rupert before she passed out from lack of breath, but Buffy was letting her go and looking toward her watcher with an expression of meek faux-apology on her face.
“Sorry for the impromptu holiday, Giles. I just had some things I needed to sort out.” A great shiver passed through her body as Spike plastered himself to her back, an arm curling around her belly while his hand almost tossed the kitten at Giles. The startled cat spat and hissed as it grasped hold with the power of four sets of claws, needle sharp as they penetrated his regulation tweed and drew blood on his chest and shoulder. Giles squawked as he tried to peel the feline off without pulling several threads, and she hissed again in his face.
“G-good kitty,” he stammered, trying to calm the ball of fluff before he became a bloodied treat for the resident evil accumulating on Joyce’s front lawn.
“Brought you a playmate,” Spike drawled and Buffy heard the clink of his lighter as he lit up in defiance of the supposed authority figures facing him down.
“Hey,” she started in objection before Spike squeezed her closer to his hard body.
“Sorry, Pet. I know how much you wanted to present the…adorable little…animal to your watcher. Guess I buggered the big moment up completely.” His voice was full of apology, but Buffy knew that wasn’t the real Spike. The real Spike would be underhanded and evil in his motives, and thinking such meant she easily uncovered the real truth of his handing her kitty over in such a manner. Poor baby thought he was competing against the pets for her. Silly vamp should have known those monsters wouldn’t get in the way of her showing him all the love she had to give and that Angel had rejected.
And boy, now that she’d had the chance to step back and see what the world had to offer, she was super glad that he had done that. She was ever grateful that Spike had been bent on getting Dru back and had kidnapped her out of a looming depression over Angel’s departure. Had taken her away from a summer promising nothing but ice-cream and heartache. Yeah, he’d earned her love now, and as much as the cute kitty and Beauty stirred the tender feelings, she so wasn’t taking them to bed at night.
Not that her front yard was really the place for her to be having such potentially steamy thoughts, because just one second’s suggestion of Spike in her bed had her eyes glazing over and her lower regions twitching in aching hunger. And Angel knew it. His narrowed eyes blackened at her and Buffy shrunk automatically away, bumping further against Spike’s hard body.
“Buffy, erm…can you please explain what Spike is doing here?” Giles requested, his gaze stunned as his jaw hung slackly.
Grateful for the chance to look away from Angel, Buffy sighed and turned to Giles…and her words caught in her throat. What was she supposed to say? That Spike kidnapped her, got her well and truly off on the hood of his car before involving her in the craziest road race against demon mafia that had possibly ever occurred?
A light bulb flashed in her head and Buffy beamed in relief. “Spike needed my help…with Drusilla.”
The only reaction was silence and three sets of eyes stared at her for something more—something that could explain the complete fleeing of her senses.
Giles opened his mouth to speak, seemed to lose the momentum with a click of his teeth, before trying valiantly one more time. “Spike, a vicious murderous vampire, just casually dropped by and asked for your help?”
Before Buffy could say a word, Spike huffed indignantly. “Oi! Bloody evil, here. Didn’t bleeding well ask the Slayer. Made her, didn’ I.”
Xander choked down a laugh and nearly bent in half to hide his escalating snickers from Buffy’s irritated glare.
“What the hell were you doing allowing Spike to make you do anything? There should have been nothing to do but stake him.” The assumed insult weighed heavily in his wounded expression and Buffy could see that Angel was as close to heartbroken as she’d ever seen him. Only she had the feeling it had more to do with the fact that she did another thing—and willingly—with Spike, rather than being hurt that she’d apparently fallen for someone other than him. That it was another vampire, and one of his own family, had relatively little importance in the equation. Angel was hurt that she’d disappeared immediately his grand departure and that she wasn’t at home wallowing over his loss; instead, she was screaming along the highway of life and finding out why Drusilla had stayed with Spike for a hundred years when she could have skipped out long before. The girl had had some measure of sense, even if reuniting with Angelus had finally robbed her of the final remnants of it.
“Well, Slayer’s quick on the decision-making when there’s a demon mafia out for blood and it’s of no concern if it’s of the human or demon variety.” Spike smirked, letting his hand spread and lower on Buffy’s abdomen. He knew he wasn’t the only one who could sense how hot she was becoming, and he felt confident for the first time in his existence that the girl wasn’t gushing over a moment with his grandsire. She was getting wet because of him and her need for the way he made her feel.
Buffy looked up into Spike’s face and saw the leftover shadow of his vulnerability and was glad that he was sure of her. She’d have to beat him senseless if she had to waste precious time making him see reason. Angel had left her and she’d moved on. She was sad about her past, sad that Angel had slipped away in her heart, but it was a necessary part of growing up, and she truly had. She’d allowed other experiences to infiltrate her rigid façade and she’d gained because of it. She’d gained Spike, and he was reward enough. He was truly a golden moment that had brought light and shade evenly to her life and she was forever grateful for it.
Affection made her whole body tingle and her heart squeeze excitedly and Buffy knew it was finally time. She was back—and with Spike—and it was really nobodies business but hers. Well, okay, maybe she owed Giles a teeny explanation why an evil soulless vampire was her new love slave…and perhaps she should do a bit more than flash her chunk of salty goodness in her mother’s direction before they disappeared on an impromptu patrol, but really, so wasn’t in the mood right now.
She was back in Sunnydale; that was all that mattered. Any demons who had the thought of corrupting the Hellmouth further would find their plans suddenly thwarted by her presence. Any strange army outfit would find out that they didn’t rule in the place where evil festered and schemed. This was her town and she was going to make sure it stayed that way—with a little bit of help from Spike, if she could twist his arm. And she was more than sure she could. Last time she’d almost dislocated it and that was kind of painful—for both of them!
Nope, all prospects looked peachy and Buffy felt a shiver of anticipation for the many nights ahead of her. She was all College Girl now, with the books and the learning and the progression toward a working profession. But most of all, she was the Slayer and her lover was her equal in strength and emotion and right now she wanted to find a nice, nostalgic place to screw his brains out and relieve him with words of acceptance.
“Angel, you really should do something about all that blood gushing from your ass.” Xander’s comic timing was always perfect and Buffy couldn’t hold back the giggle, even as Angel’s hurt brown eyes flashed flickering amber at her.
He looked longingly at her front door until Joyce stepped forward and glared her refusal to present him with an invitation. He looked about to push the point, perhaps enough to beg, when Beauty jumped forward and growled menacingly, teeth bared and eyes almost glowing red in the dark.
Giles jumped, looking warily at the bloodthirsty animal and stepped cautiously toward his car. “P-perhaps you should come with me, Angel. A-and Buffy, first thing in the morning I’ll expect a-an explanation?”
“Sure thing, Giles,” she agreed, waving happily and more grateful than she should be at bringing Beauty home with her. She had a feeling the little dog would be just the thing to have around the house to protect them from overly-curious friends and enemies.
“Can I drive the penis-mobile home, Buff? I’m not sure Spike’s old clunker will even start up again.” Xander jumped back as Spike turned and snarled furiously at the brunette.
“What’d you bloody do to my car, Whelp?”
“Drove it, fangface. Not my fault the Buffster put some dainty holes in it first.” His giggle sounded girlish as he almost danced forward, plucked the keys out of Buffy’s loose fist and ran like a teenager to the fancy sports car on the curb. He was out of there with an exaggerated roar and a squeal of rubber and Buffy found herself alone with a half amused, half angry mother.
“Not the Slayer’s fault, Joyce.” Spike was the first to jump in and do damage control. He wasn’t so long dead and clueless that he could recognise that an irate mother might be a stumbling block if he planned to continue shagging Buffy into exhaustion on a regular basis.
“I didn’t think so, Spike. And believe it or not, I’m not sure I’m really ready for the details.” She smiled and there was much releasing of breath as one worry bit the dust. Buffy hopped happily before springing at her mother once again, encompassing her in a warm, relieved hug.
“Details are so over-rated,” the Slayer agreed before seizing Spike’s hand and slowly tugging him away from the house. “Giles said there were weird Hellmouthy things happening with some government group. Maybe Spike and I should go out for a quick patrol and see what’s the what. We could swing by the Bronze and see if Willow is there with Oz. Oh, and you don’t mind if Spike stays with us do you?” Refusing to hear a possible denial, Buffy sprung away down the street, dragging Spike behind her. She had one thing on her mind and her whole body itched to get there before she lost her nerve. It was one thing to be all free with lovin’ when they were isolated from the majority of the world, but now she was home Buffy was almost desperate to establish their relationship in familiar surroundings, making sure that wherever they were, whatever situation they found themselves in, they’d always be together.
She knew just the place. It was perfect for her to show him how much he meant to her and how much she wanted him—and would always want him. It wasn’t long before she came to a stop in the alley outside the Bronze, a heady laugh escaping her lips as she ran in and staked one of the inconsequential monsters of the night preying on an innocent girl. It was just like when they’d met and Buffy almost squealed for joy as Spike clapped his hands in memory behind her.
“Honey?” Buffy called, her voice all breathless and laden with desire as she stared at the back door of the Bronze and waited for Spike’s next move.
She gasped as she suddenly felt him connect with her back, his hands splayed on her hips as he dragged her back and stabbed her ass with his erection.
“Yes, Pet?” His low, gravely voice sent sparks of desire exploding at pleasure points throughout her body and Buffy felt like she was melting into his embrace. Fusing to his skin. She could hear the music pumping in the club, could hear the laughter and shouting from the patrons both inside and some out, and she could feel the throbbing spidey presence of a vamp in the area—and one that wasn’t now cupping her breast through the thin fabric of her summer top.
“What do you think of celebrating our return with something special? Something we’ll remember forever?”
Spike chuckled in her ear and the coolness of his breath made her heart flutter precariously.
“Baby, you read my mind.”
Before she could blink, Spike was dragging her further away from the entrance, hiding her in the shadowed darkness where he’d been that first eventful night they’d met. The one when he’d announced the most momentous Saturday that had never happened.
He crushed her against a brick wall and claimed her lips in the first kiss they’d shared in Sunnydale. He delivered passion in the very first caress. Caused her heart to thump desperately with the first curl of his tongue against hers. And then he brought her the moon, the stars and the universe with a gentle hand on her cheek. The kiss ended on a sweet note and Buffy saw the exact thing in his eyes that she’d been hoping for, and with a deep breath, finally blurted the truth that had been hidden in her heart these past weeks at least.
“Spike?” She trembled in his arms, the light air barely touching her skin but the warm eagerness in his eyes searing her soul. His nod was all the go she was waiting for and Buffy sighed happily before pressing a soft kiss on his cheek and then moving in toward his ear. “I love you.”
It was craziness; a slayer falling in love with a soulless vampire should have been too wrong for the fates to allow, and yet here they were, embracing each other tightly, a sense of permanence holding their hearts captive.
His smile was brilliant and Buffy knew everything would be okay. It didn’t matter if her watcher or remaining friends approved, it didn’t matter if her mother forbid her to date another vampire. What mattered was what she had right here and now, even if it was rather obscene. Spike slipped his zipper down and hiked up her skirt before lifting her up to straddle his hips, the bulging head of his cock rubbing insistently against her opening.
“Buffy,” he whispered, awed as he slid inside her and moaned at her familiar warmth. Then he caught his tongue between his teeth and peered at her, brimming with cocky confidence. “What’s not to love?”
It took a moment, but the words finally broke through the haze building from the pleasure of his cock rubbing against her walls, and Buffy gawped. “You pig!”
Spike chuckled, good humour reverberating through him as he jiggled her roughly and sent her cross-eyed. “You know, Buffy. You already know I love you. Wouldn’t have started such a harebrained scheme to get you all alone if I didn’t already have feelings for you. I just thought they were doomed and you’d stake me.”
He set up a steady rhythm and watched her, driving her toward bliss even as she considered his words and found the sadness in them to be heartbreaking. But he’d risked his existence and they’d pushed beyond the impossible, the sometimes ridiculous, and Xander, and they’d found each other. They’d found a love that was abiding and deep.
And as dark, sad eyes watched them fuck against a wall, Angel could admit that was really what he’d wanted for her all along.
And it was really time to go home.
The End.
A/N My greatest apologies to the readers for taking so long to finish this fic off. It’s been a crazy ride from that very first chapter and many of you have spurred on Tami and I along the way. We are so very grateful to all those who have offered encouragement, graphics, reviews and an audience. Without you we’d not have come this far. Our greatest love and thank you’s to Bloodshedbaby, without whose birthday this puppy would never have been born, and to schehrezade for issuing the challenge of a road trip in the first place. I hope you’ve enjoyed the ride to the last and that you’ll be with us along any other ventures we might take together. God bless.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
This is the final chapter. This fic is DONE! Tami and I thank all the wonderful people that read our fic and give a virtual hug to everyone that reviewed as well. It's such a boost to hear what you think of what we're writing. I hope you enjoy the final chapter, and we look forward to seeing you on our next collaboration.