Buffy poked her head through the bathroom doorway, the door still shielding her body from the neck down. She scanned her bedroom to make sure Spike wasn’t in there, having possibly come in while she had been changing.
She walked into her room barefoot, her golden tan body only being covered by a black bikini set. Picking up the silk shawl she had tossed on her bed, earlier she wrapped it around her waist to cover her lower half before heading towards her closet. Buffy rustled through her countless pairs of shoes she had, until she spotted her black flip-flops.
The three of them had arrived back at the Giles’ Estate around two after eating and Dawn had chosen to go into the large swimming pool quickly after she had set her eyes on it. Buffy agreed to join her little sister since Spike claimed he needed to get work done. However, the minute Spike heard that his blonde Goddess was going into the pool with possibly simply a little bikini the man had sputtered up some excuse that he could chuck off work for a while. Buffy had to practically ignore Spike as they had arrived at the door of her room and leaving her to slam the door in his face to get him to stop looking at her lustfully and produce suggestions that he could help with her swimsuit.
However, Buffy couldn’t help but smile at his earlier antics. It was Spike, granted he was acting like a horn dog but it was what Spike was. Most of the time.
During lunch she had watched happily as the big Mafia king didn’t act one when he came back from his phone call and entertained her little sister. Buffy could tell that Dawn wasn’t harboring possible murders scenarios on this man. She had laughed at the things he told her, truthfully having fun. It showed Buffy another side of Spike, one that she liked.
“Buffy?”
“In here Dawn.” Buffy called as she heard her sister come into her room. Buffy pushed her feet into the flip-flops and grabbed a pair of sunglasses from her drawer of accessories, before walking back out into her room.
Dawn sat on the edge of her bed in a simple red one-piece swim suit and jean shorts.
“Ready to go?”
Dawn nodded and the sisters left the room together, heading downstairs.
When they came downstairs and began to head towards the backdoor, they heard Spike call out for Spike, “Oh Kitten lookie’ what I found.”
Buffy looked towards the French doors that lead to the huge back yard and pool. Spike stood in the doorway with Wesley, a wiggling eager puppy in his arms.
“SPIKE!” Buffy exclaimed in glee as she saw her puppy. The black lab jumped out of Spike’s arms and came bounding towards his happy female blonde owner who picked him up instantly.
“I told you she’d be excited to see me.” Spike joked elbowing Wesley’s side.
Buffy rolled her eyes. “I was more excited to see him.” Buffy nodded her head in the direction of the dog in her arms. Spike’s smile instantly turned to a frown, his brows furrowing together.
“See this is why I don’t like the mongrel being named after me.”
Little Spike growled at the derogatory name Big Spike had called him by.
“He’s so cute!” Dawn gushed ruffling the dog behind his ears.
Buffy had come home to finally hear that Spike had left the puppy to roam the back outside grounds unsupervised. Before she had gone into her room to change she ordered Spike to find her dog or she wouldn’t talk to him ever again.
“Afternoon Wesley.” Buffy greeted with a smile. The four of them walked out of the house towards the pool to find Anya, Gunn, Xander, Andrew, and Faith all decked out in their own swim gear as well. “Hey everyone.”
“Hey Buffy.”
“We decided to join you and the kid.” Faith declared. Buffy quickly made a round of introductions to her sister and Spike’s employees. Without wasting time Gunn and Xander threw Andrew in before jumping in themselves, while the rest of the girls except Buffy chose to take the steps.
Both Spike and Buffy stood by the lounge chairs, Buffy looked up at Spike.
“Are you going to go to work now?”
Spike nodded his head. “I have to figure out some things with one of the shipments We have to go down to the docks later because a shipment is coming in and we have some late drivers.” His eyes slowly traveled down her body, his tongue instinctively licking his lips. Buffy chose to ignore the wonder of what his shipment contained. “However I think you should give me a quick peak at you fully in what looks to be the most bloody delicious swim suit ever.”
Buffy’s body heated under his gaze and she looked around to make sure no one was looking. Wesley had retreated back into the house and the others were so enrapt in their swimming. Her body only being shielded by his own. Buffy’s fingers fumbled with the knot of her silk and it didn’t help when Spike stepped closer to her. Seeing her shyness and shaky hands, he chuckled and placed his over hers, using his own hands to untie the little silk shawl.
When he opened it up revealing her body to him Buffy gasped at the lustful look she saw in his eyes. The silk fell from his fingers onto the ground before he ran his index finger across her bare shoulder. His touch instantly burned into her and Buffy felt weak in the knees. Last time this happened Summers you had your first orgasm. Buffy thought. She didn’t stop him when his fingers swept across her neck and downwards. Her eyes widened. If her mother saw her in this situation she’d be having Buffy saying the Rosary by now.
“I have to say, pet…you make my favorite color look good.”
Buffy looked down at the swimsuit she wore before looking back up at Spike with a raised peculiar eyebrow. “Black isn’t a color.”
“Actually I beg to differ.” Spike said as he pulled her close and nuzzled her neck. “Black is made up of all colors.” His hands wrapped around her waist to slip across the bare part of her back. Light kisses peppered the top of her shoulder.
He was becoming like a drug to her. Each kiss he left on her, each second his fingers were pressed into her skin made her begin to like him more. They had only known each other for only a week, and half the time she despised his guts. Now…it seemed as if she was beginning to accept him. It scared her.
Here she was being affected by a man who did worse than what her father did. The big four that practically ran this town were well known for hiding behind good charity deeds to keep from being run out of the city. They were constantly talked about like celebrities, especially O’Connor and Giles. Though like celebrities, there were some bad sides. Articles in newspapers constantly hinted that these four families were not all that good. Buffy always remembered reading those articles, even when her father told her not to. She knew what William Giles, a.k.a. Spike was suspected of and she knew probably 85 percent was true.
Buffy shook her head. Tried to push the thoughts out of her mind. Because if she tried not to think about his dirty jobs, maybe she could bear his touches and even allow herself to like him without the feeling that she was going against her morals.
“Hey lovergirl! You coming in or are just going to continue groping Spike over there?”
Buffy looked over her shoulder to see Dawn hanging onto the edge of the pool with laughter clearly in her eyes. Looking down at her hands Buffy noticed how she gripped onto Spike’s arms as he himself was the only thing holding her up.
“You better go. Wesley is waiting for you to work.” Buffy told him pulling away. She ducked away holding her blushing embaressment.
“All work no bloody play.” Spike continued to stare at her, gaining a mischievous grin on his face. “You know kitten, if I’m a good boy and I work real hard I should get a treat.” He pulled her back to him ignoring the fact that Dawn had basically just called both of them out on his hanky panky with her.
“Hey it’s your choice to work, Spike.” His lips clearly formed into a pout and Buffy found it absolutely adorable. He spun around on his heels and stomped back into the house.
It took a few minutes for Buffy to relax and hush her humming skin. Breathe. He’s just a manipulative bastard. Buffy was taken aback by her harsh description of Spike. It wasn’t like her to be so mean to a person, even if they weren’t the angels of the universe. Buffy had to admit things were better. It was obvious Spike wasn’t trying to involve Buffy in his world of crime. That had to be gaining him brownie points, right?
Buffy sat on her bed running the towel through her hair, trying to dry it. The television was turned on to a re-run episode of Friends. It was her favorite episode. The One with Rachel’s Crush. Things were normal with the gang of six friends as they sat in the coffee shop discussing who knew what. Buffy wasn’t even really paying attention. She just longed to have that. The normalcy of where you could just sit at a coffee shop discussing what ever. Not worrying in the back of your mind if your father had been one step closer to getting arrested.
Her hands eagerly went through her hair with towel before it began to drip too much. They had swam so much, two hours worth, that Buffy still felt that chlorine was covering her even after she had just showered.
“Monica I’m quitting! I just helped a eight-year-old woman put on a thong and she didn’t even buy it.”
A knock on her door brought Buffy out of her thoughts. Continuing to dry her hair, she walked to it and opened to reveal Spike. He was leaning against the doorway in jeans and a white t-shirt and his hair had been mussed up to his natural curls. Buffy spotted him holding a beer in his hand. He looked completely relaxed and completely sexy. The way his eyes watched her brought up a sudden feeling of arousal. She ignored the feeling, knowing it was just the affect he always had. She desperately trying to hide her vulnerability because the only garment she was wearing was her robe.
Without a word, Spike walked inside and with each step he took he left Buffy to take a step back. Why was he looking at her like that? It was almost as if he wanted to devour her. Out of nowhere, his foot kicked the door shut and before she knew it, he pulled her close to his body and kissed her.
The intensity and barbaric nature of how he was acting with her was leaving her frightened and sharing but still feeling the arousal that he was giving off. She didn’t even react as the towel that had once been drying her hair was now forced from her hand to drop to the ground in a puddle of soft white cotton.
His kisses trailed down her neck, Buffy took in heavy breaths trying to calm her racing heart. Her mind was on autopilot and all she could think of was More, please more and possibilities of how to get it.
Gasping she found them toppling over, leaving them in a pile on top of the bed. Limbs became tangled together as their kisses deepened. Spike’s lips hadn’t left her skin and she surely didn’t have any intention of stopping them. Buffy was throwing out her inhibitions, only due to the too good of feeling he was creating within. The hands that were sending her skin on fire with each second they were on her, parted her robe and dived further.
“Buffy…” A harsh whisper of her name escaped from his lips that just seemed to drive Buffy crazy, and further from reality. Their eyes met and she saw gentleness. “Are you sure you’re ready?” She felt safe.
“Shhh…” She couldn’t help but run her fingers against his face. She wanted to prove that the hard and sharp appearance was just simply a façade. “Don’t worry about it.” His hand came to touch her shoulder and instantly, Buffy’s body jolted.
Her eyes snapped open and she slowly came to find that the moments she had just been going through were fuzzy, making her wonder if it was a dream or reality. She laid on her side in her bed, alone, her robe back intact, and her towel on the bed next to her rather than where she had dropped it a few feet away on the ground.
The feelings of sleep were still fresh around her.
“Monica I’m quitting! I just helped a eight-year-old woman put on a thong and she didn’t even buy it.”
Buffy’s head snapped to the television to see the same scene of Friends playing as it had in her dream. Freaky Summers...
“Pet? You okay?”
Her head snapped, not expecting to see Spike. His hand placed gently on her shoulder. It was all too weird that she had just been dreaming about him. But that wasn’t the only weird thing, the fact that he was wearing the exact same thing and holding an identical beer as to the one he had in her dream. Okay now that’s freaky. She didn’t say anything, instead sat up more.
Did it really occur and I had just fallen asleep afterwards?
“What happened?” Buffy asked him, rubbing the light sleep from her eyes.
“What do you mean?” Spike asked looking at Buffy curiously. He knelt down next to the bed and stared at her eye level.
Buffy bit her lip then spoke again: “How long have I been asleep?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know; you were out cold when I came in.”
Buffy sighed. She may have been dreaming but she was completely unaware of it at the time. It felt extraordinarily real. All the touches had been tangible, all gasps and soft words of captivating lust were almost unimaginable. As she sat there, Buffy could feel Spike’s amused stare on her while she tried to sort through her diaphanously nap haze.
Suddenly she felt her cheeks flame just as it suddenly dawned on her that she had been dreaming. Though not just dreaming; dreaming of Spike...a sex dream. On the verge of a sex dream. Buffy’s thoughts argued.
Spike not conscious of Buffy’s back-and-forth thoughts, picked up the remote ad began to flip through the channels Dawn had always told her she was a sleep talker. Nothing would be more embarrassing if Spike had heard her borderline sex dream.
Just play it cool. Buffy thought as she got up from the bed, and going to the bathroom to get fully dressed.
“Pet!”
Buffy jumped and nearly dropped the hairbrush in her hand onto the counter. “Yes?”
“I’m letting the dog out into the hall, I don’t like the way it’s bloody staring at me.” She heard Spike call from the adjoining room.
“Okay.”
Looking over herself in the mirror, Buffy couldn’t help but miss how flushed her skin was. Her normal glowing complexion now held a glowing pink as well. It spread from her cheeks all the way to below the collar of her robe. She touched her cheeks, and leant over the counter to the mirror, to get a closer look. Good God! It was just a dream. Butffy thought. It was only a stupid dream. Yes it did involve close to sex with someone who is a little scrumptious but-
“Luv, are you going to be okay, while I and the others are out?”
Buffy instantly pulled away from the mirror, as if she had been caught the second she heard Spike’s voice.
“Yeah.” She stepped out of the bathroom and walked to her closet, trying to not look him in the eye as she stepped past him. She feared that if he looked her in the eye, he would see straight into her mind and know that she had a naughty-naughty dream about him. If he knew, Buffy had a hefty hunch that he wouldn’t allow her to live it down.
She closed the door to her closet and got dressed quickly, changing into some black pants, and oversized-but fitting-turtleneck sweater.
When she came out, she sat at her vanity desk and while she brushed her hair up into a neat ponytail, Buffy fought her urges to look at Spike through the mirror. He rested his back against her headboard, and causally flipped through the channels on the television. His attention seemed to focus purely on seeking out the perfect thing to watch. Occasionally he sipped his beer. It was so calm. Buffy for a second forgot that they were not a normal situation of romantically involved.
Before Buffy could look away, Spike’s eyes darted to meet hers in the mirror. His lips instantly turned into a smirk, obviously taking pride in the fact that he had just caught her ‘checking him out’. If that’s the case, he has a big ego...even if I really was.
“Liking what you see, pet?” Spike questioned, as he waggled his eyebrows at her.
Buffy’s cheeks flamed a brighter pink then earlier and she instantly turned away. “Humph. Hardly!” snubbed Buffy.
She continued to finish her ponytail and tuck back any stray hairs behind her ears, when suddenly she saw Spike right behind her in the reflection of the vanity mirror. He was a lot closer, almost standing over her back as he caught her eyes through the mirror. Buffy watched as his hand stroked her hair in the ponytail before trekking down to her shoulder.
“Don’t deny it. I know it’s true.”
Buffy rolled her eyes. “You have a really big ego.” Buffy said explaining exactly what she had just been thinking.”
Spike pouted. “Why do you fight me Buffy?” Both his hands came to grasp her upper arms gently. She felt it even through the fabric of her sweater.
“I’m not fighting you-“
“Yes you are. Buffy I’m not asking you to open your dimple knees to me, but why are you denying the bloody truth.” Buffy closed her eyes, cutting off his mesmerizing stare. There was no truth, what truth was there to be found? He only wanted her for the alliance and using that alliance to get sex, Didn’t he? “I’m just asking you to recognize something. That you are attracted to me.” Spike bent down so he was equal level with Buffy. Together they stared at their reflection in the mirror. “I’m attracted to you, a whole fucking lot. Just look at us, we look good together.”
The thing that she hated most to admit was he was right, on all counts. They looked like they belonged together. She was attracted to him. And if he guessed it, if he continued to speak to her in that soft, charming voice, she would surely ‘part her dimple knees’. If he guessed that, Buffy could never deny that he was right.
He let go of one of her arms suddenly to reach into his back pocket. “I know this is rather sudden, and if you don’t like it, just tell me.” Spike produced a small jewelry box that covered his whole palm. Buffy looked back at him over her shoulder now, her eyes darting from the box to his face.
Slowly Buffy opened the top, and her eyes went wide. “Spike…”
In the box, on the plush velvet lay a necklace with a small pendant charm on the end of it. A silver charm, in the form of two Pointe ballet shoes, with the ribbons tied loosely at the ankle, small diamonds were at the end of each one. It wasn’t gaudy, instead tasteful and very elegant. Buffy surely liked it.
“It’s beautiful.” Her voice was soft and light as she admired the necklace that Spike was presenting to her.
“You like it?”
Buffy nodded her head. Her fingers traced the outline of the slippers running them over the small diamonds. “Spike why did you get this for me?”
“Well I had gone out the day you arrived, and I saw it, and well I was going to give it to you the first night after I took you out to the dinner.” Spike pulled the box away only to begin pulling the necklace out. Unlatching the end of the necklace he motioned for her to pull her hair up. “But we both know that wasn’t going to happen after our little tiff.
Buffy looked back to the mirror and watched as Spike placed the necklace around her neck. His eyes watched hers as he latched he necklace and Buffy couldn’t help but feel a little more chained down to him.
Spike stood solidly in the wide, open space of one of his biggest warehouses. Crates, boxes, and carriers held most the family’s illegal stolen or laundered merchandise.
Faith, Gunn, Xander, Wesley, as well as a few others stood around him in a circle, leaving Spike himself in the center. His feet stood apart while his arms rested in front of him clasped together in a manner that made him appear to be thinking.
The locks of his hair were loose, leaving the dim light to be bouncing off his wavy peroxide curls.
Before he had left, he had been locked in a moment with Buffy that he regretted ending. She had been standing on the foot of the stairs in a simple manner. She had just come down from changing after dinner and had replaced her sweater with a white t-shirt, one that she obviously wore in a very casual manner. It had some dance company’s logo on it. She was natural, but looked evermore stunning than when she had make-up on. Spike had stood in the entrance foyer, staring at her with great awe. The fact that his employees were waiting for him in the limo had left his mind. Let them wait.
”I probably won’t be back until late, pet.”
She looked into his eyes shyly, her usual blush seeping into her cheeks. “Are you going to sleep in my bed?” Her cheeks flared an even deeper red.
Spike’s smile turned to a playful dirty smirk. “Do you want me to?”Buffy shrugged.
“You kept me warm.”It was all she said. She neither needed to or bother to say more.
“Okay then. But, don’t wait up for me.”
She nodded before beckoning him to step closer and he gladly obeyed. He hadn’t been expecting her soft kiss to his lips. She pressed herself closer to him. Her hands slid up his chest, around his neck and up to his hair, mussing it up lightly.
Spike hadn’t wanted to leave, that was one thing he was sure of. He feared that her outgoing streak would be over after he got back, and she’d be back to their close but strained relationship.
The mafia leader just wanted to get their bullshit over with, get back to the estate, and pull her into his arms. Sleeping or not.
”I like you hair all messed up.” She said with a soft giggle.
Spike would have told her that he had gelled it back for a reason. His slicked back hair and hard expression was just another thing that always instilled fear in those that needed to be reminded. Though, he didn’t object to her.
Focus mate, focus. Spike thought to himself. He had been repeating it to himself at random times ever since he had left Buffy’s side at the estate. It had been over and hour since they had left. The truck that had been disobeying deliverers on it was soon to arrive. Two of his guys were at the front, where the large garage door was to open. They would open the door and close it after they got in, locking them with William Giles and his crew.
It was Spike’s main philosophy that if you hurt the family in anyway, whether it be money, members, or even a little sliver of betrayal, you’d be rightly punished.
Spike heard the loud clanking of the rising door and filled his head. The puttering engines of the truck echoed throughout most of the warehouse until finally the engine was cut.
“Show time boys and girls.” Spike said pushing Buffy from his mind. His azure eyes sparked and his lips curved into a malicious smirk.
“More like playtime.” Faith announced. She reached into her red leather jacket and pulled out her favorite choice weapon. She twirled it by the axle on her index finger. The brunette loved the gleam of the lighting showed off.
Voices were heard and they traveled closer as the men lead the truck delivery men to the circular clearing that Spike and the others waited.
“Boss is pissed. Where have you been? One of the set-up men questioned.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing important.” They stepped into the area, stopping suddenly when they saw Spike’s top employees. Faith and Gunn stepped aside revealing he devilish Spike to the truck drivers.
“I beg to differ, mates. If you cost me money, that hurting the business. And, I say that’s pretty important.” Spike said. He took pride in seeing the two-delivery men eye’s widening.
“Mr. Giles.” The driver of the truck said. He looked to his colleague before looking back at Spike. “We’re sorry.”
Spike laughed. Almost, like a maniac. “Oh! Now you’re sorry.” Spike stepped closer. “I don’t think you really are…”
Both Gunn and Faith grabbed the arms of the two and forced them down to their knees, where Spike walked up to them. Standing tall and very scary to them. They reeked of fear, that and the odor of not showering for a few days. “Now tell me, truthfully and honestly, because I just might not hurt you much if you tell the truth. Why on bloody Earth did it take you so long to arrive?”
They both looked at each other, as if trying to communicate with each other as to what they should say. Spike wasn’t dumb; he was quick to catch up on it. Grabbing the truck driver by the collar of the shirt, Spike connected this fist the right eye. Faith, holding the other man slammed the end of the handle on her blade on the top of his head. The two groaned in unison at the blows they received with un-open arms.
Spike’s anger was starting to rise, and his patience was diminishing. “Son of bitch. I don’t like questioning the trust I have in my men. Even though it’s a very ballsy thing to do, with those that aren’t actually family. Now fucking tell me why you were delayed.” The guy tried to look the other in the eye, but Spike forced his eyes to look into his. “Look me in the eye. Spike pulled out the gun in his side holster with his other hand and put the barrel against the man’s head, right between the eyes.
“We…wee…were-“ The one with Faith was holding began to stutter. She shook him hard from her position behind him like that would force out the stutter, as if it were a cough. “We were delayed in traffic.”
“BULLSHIT!” roared Spike. He let go of the man’s head with such force that it caused the man’s head to whip around violently. Walking away, Spike motioned for the others to step in. Both Faith and Gunn pushed them down to the ground while the others circled around them like they were pieces of meat. And like animals, they tore at them. Kicking and punching them worse than a boxer on a punching bag. The occasional tearing of the skin was brought on. All that filled Spike’s ears were the music of groans that the drivers emitted from the beating they took on from the group.
Gone was Buffy from Spike’s mind. Instead Spike almost took on an alternate personality. He no longer worried about what the little blonde girl would think and instead took on the personality that had instilled fear so many times. The dangerous man of the real Spike was emerging. He was a mafia king. And a great one at that.
A whimper came from one of them, and then a surrendering hand shot out from beneath the legs that kicked at him and his partner. “Alright!” He said with such desperate force.
“Okay, you animals.”
The pack stopped the malicious behavior at Spike’s orders and took a few steps back. The two, lay beaten and exhausted on the ground, a few bruises already forming. Cuts bled crimson blood onto their skin. They looked like death already. The one that Faith had held tried to pull himself up but his arms were so heavily beaten, he could only lay on his stomach. Spike came to stand in front of him, so that his eyes looked directly onto Spike’s shoes.
“Are you ready to talk?”
He nodded his head weakly.
“Like I said, just tell the truth and you won’t be put through anymore pain”
The man gasped, feeling as if lung had been punctured from one the fatal kicks he had received. “We were propositioned…by” A gulp of air met his lips and he drank it before continue speaking. “Propositioned…”
“By who!!!” demanded Spike.
“By the Finn clan.” He fell fully to the ground, not even having the strength to look at Spike’s shoes.
Spike’s jaw clicked, filled with tension. He should have known. Wesley had been right. Finn’s warehouse was only in the same marina as theirs. Not only that, but Finn the family was the ones that sought out the Giles’ money the most. Taking whatever they could.
“Did you take them up on his proposition?” Wesley spoke up.
The driver spoke this time. “Yes. We’re sorry Mr. Giles. They offered us just so much money.”
“Wait they offered money for merchandise that would make them more money? That’s odd. What else did they want?”
“They just wanted information.”
Spike chuckled again. ‘Just wanted information? Ha! Now what kind of information?”
“Information that we didn’t have, sir. Things about your trade with Hank Summers. Wanted to know what you have building in your house. He thinks its uh-can’t remember what he thought it was, but that it had something to do with the coming war between the families.”
“Bleeding Americans. Of course they think every choice I make has to do with wasting my time of going against them.” Spike paced for a few seconds before bringing back his attention back. “What did you tell them?”
“Nothing.” They both said it in such quick unison that it automatically raised the eyebrows of everyone else around.
“Right.” Gunn sneered. He slammed his fist against the driver’s head.
Neither of the two bothered to say anything, exhausted from the beating, and knowing their placement. They waited, not expectantly because that was stupid, but quietly. Hoping to God in their minds that their boss would have some mercy on them.
“You know, I can’t risk having anything getting out about our affairs, you know that, right?” Spike looked from both faces, waiting for the reply. They both numbly nodded. Though Spike cocked the gun, pointing it between their faces. “You should have known better. Money over family. Psh! Bloody pillocks.” Pointing it to the man that had confessed first, Spike pulled the trigger. The sound of the gunshot was loud and crackled with a continuous echo in the hollowness of the warehouse. The bullet, cleanly entered the man’s forehead, right between the eyes, with very little blood seeping out of his now dead body.
The driver protested, straining himself to try and stand. “You said that you wouldn’t hurt us anymore if we told you the truth.”
As if noticing that he was there still, Spike had a hard sneering expression on his face as he stared the driver into the eyes. “Who said it was going to hurt?” Spike asked as he cocked the gun again. “Punishment of betrayal is never withheld.” A few seconds later, Spike pulled the trigger, getting almost the exact same spot he had in the other man. Though this time, blood splattered onto the front of Spike’s shirt and some on his hand that held the gun.
Both Gunn and Faith dropped the bodies so that they fell face down again, not caring about what had just happened. None of the rest cared either. No last words were said over the corpse except for Spike’s orders to do the usual. Weigh down the body and then dump it in water. Spike tossed the gun on one of the conveyer belts after putting the safety lock in place. His back was turned to his employees as they prepared the body for dumping, him using a rag towel to wipe what blood had splattered on him. Wesley stood next to him, overlooking it all.
“What do you think they gave Finn?” Spike’s cousin asked calmly.
“Don’t rightly care, mate. Probably just some merchandise. Have a few do some inventory and then tell them to send you the report ASAP.”
“I’m more worried about what information they could have spoken of.”
Turning around to look over what Wesley watched, Spike didn’t say anything for almost two minutes. “There’s not much to tell. I have yet to contact da’ about most of the details, so there is no way those pillocks could really spill anything.”
Wesley appeared uneasy to Spike, but he waited for his cousin to give his next thought: “Angelus knows. What are you going to do about that?”
“I’ve already taken care of that. I’ve got Xander on security detail with her.”
Spike walked into the darkness of his bedroom. No lights were on, and when he finally flicked them on, his eyes blinked furiously at the sudden change in light.
He was going to sleep in Buffy’s room, in her bed with her in his arms but first he needed to shower. No blood was on his skin but he feared that if she woke she would easily read and be able to tell what he had done earlier. Spike almost felt like he had cheated on her and needed to wash the scent of the other woman off of him. For once he cared that a woman would be troubled by that knowledge. Usually Spike didn’t give a flying fuck as to what the women he was sleeping with knew about his dirty of the business. Then again most of the women that ‘threw themselves’ at him, were women that knew him through his work. Escorts, women in the business, etc. It was rare for Buffy to see a gun.
What would she do if he found out what he done? Probably kick him out of the bed, look at him as he had just killed her puppy and put that strained barrier between them again. Yeah, best to just travel all the safe roads.
After showering quickly and thoroughly, Spike changed into some sweat bottoms and walked across the hall. When he entered Buffy’s room, he saw the television on, playing some late night TV-Land. Buffy laid in bed sound asleep, the remote in her hand.
As if she had felt him watching her, Buffy turned from her side to look over her shoulder at Spike. Her eyes were almost half closed, sleepiness well evident in her eyes. Spike wished to reach out and simply touch her skin, the strands of her hair, anything to put him in contact with her.
“You’re back?” Her voice was raspy, but still angelic to his ears. Spike nodded his head, and watched as she scooted her body over, pulling back the covers and looking up at him. “Are you going to sleep or are you going to just stand there for the rest of the night?”
Nothing needed to urge Spike on, or tell him twice. As Spike laid on the warm side she had just occupied, her scent heavily pressed into the pillow that Spike was now resting upon, Buffy adjusted herself to fit her body against his. Spike closed his eyes and breathed in her scent.
“Night.”
Nothing else was said, and the only sound that met their ears were the volume down sounds of the television. Spike’s body hummed as his arms wrapped around Buffy instinctively, to bring her close to him.
And, in those few seconds before he himself fell asleep, Spike allowed himself that Buffy was in his house originally on his own and not because he practically forced her to be.
“The weather is going to be almost perfect today, starting out in the mid-70’s and then by noon the temperature should rise up to low 80’s.”
Buffy walked out of the bathroom, trying to pull her hair up into a high ponytail, smoothing down any bumps or bunched up hair. The TV was set to seven o’clock news, where Spike sat in her bed going over the newspaper that Tara had delivered while Buffy had been in the bathroom.
She couldn’t help but giggle at him. He was sitting against the headboard, half listening to the news while reading, actually wearing his reading glasses.
It was a very domestic feeling between them. Comfortable.
Reaching into one of the bathroom drawers, Buffy pulled out a handful of bobby pins and twisted her hair up into a bun, placing the pins in the spots needed.
“Pet, what do you think about going to get some lunch today. I have a meeting but it should be done by the time you get out of rehearsal.”
Buffy walked out into the bedroom and looked at Spike. “Yeah, that’s fine. I have to drop off Dawn at school, and then I’m going to go back to the theater because Lorne’s going to want to have a look at the costumes that are arriving and we’re meeting with the guy whose doing sound, but I should be done by 11.”
Spike stood up folding the paper. “Then I’ll come pick you up at the theater at 11:10, eh?” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled him to her tightly.
“Down Mr. Touchy. I still have to change.”
Buffy pulled herself away and walked to the closet, not being able to hold back the smile. She heard Spike go into her bathroom and start the shower. Grabbing a leotard and a pair of footless tights, Buffy dressed quickly before putting her gauzy dance skirt on. By the time she sat down on the bed to put on her shoes the news had switched to Recent News.
“Only two hours ago were the bodies of a two currently unidentifiable men pulled up by a shipping boat that was docking in Los Angeles Docks. Mika Stone is at the scene.”
Buffy’s interest perked up as she watched the TV switch from the News Cast room to a woman who was standing on a dock where a whole big investigating scene was going,
“You’re right Mark. Two hours ago, about about 5:10 AM Coast Guard’s dispatch received a Radio alert from a docking Imports Ship that their anchor had pulled up on two deceased bodies in the water. Police have yet to be able to make Identification on the bodies, but the Coroner declared onsite that the bodies have been dead only less than ten hours. Both Caucasian males received gun shot wounds to the head and the homicide agency suspect execution style. They are investigating the Giles and Finn families who both own warehouses in this close vicinity of where the bodies were found.”
We have to go down to the docks later because a shipment is coming in and we have some late drivers.
Spike’s words from the day before instantly rang in Buffy’s ears as she remembered when they had stood by the pool. He comes back from the docks and there are now two dead bodies in that area. Buffy thought. She didn’t believe in coincidences.
He had come back and slept in her bed with her after he had done that? As if nothing had been the matter. Buffy felt sick. What had her father gotten her into? Here she was playing domestic life, forgetting the fact that the man she had just slept innocently with was a Mafia King. He ordered deaths, sometimes killed people himself. How could she forget that?
Buffy clasped her hands around the necklace charm he had given her the night before. Why did I ever agree to this?