Buffy breezed through the door and dumped her duffle bag in the middle of the foyer. "Dawn? Spike? Will? Tara? I'm home!" She was rewarded with the sound of feet thundering down the stairs. A smile flickered across her face when Dawn came into view.
"Buffy! You're back!" The younger Summers flew down the remaining steps and launched herself into Buffy's waiting arms.
Buffy held her sister for several moments, basking in the warmth of Dawn's love. The daily phone calls weren't enough to keep her from missing her sister and the rest of her friends.
"I knew you wouldn't be gone too long. Vorcus was no match for you, was he? Bloody wanker," Dawn gushed, guiding her sister towards the couch.
Depsite her feelings of failure, Buffy couldn't help but grin at Dawn's 'Spike-ism.' "Speaking of bloody wankers, where's your guardian? He didn't leave you alone did he?"
Dawn rolled her eyes at Buffy's over-protectiveness. "He's helping Anya with inventory. She's restocking the shelves and needed his muscle. Xander was offended that she didn't ask him for help so she told him that she didn't want him straining any 'important' muscles."
Buffy leaned back against the cushions and closed her eyes. It was nice to see that some people never changed. "What else is new on the hellmouth?"
The two girls talked for hours about Dawn's classes and Willow and Tara's reunion but somehow managed to keep the conversation off Buffy's quest. They were interrupted by the door swinging open and a blanket-covered Spike dashing through the door.
"Didn't I tell you to lock the door, Bit? Anyone could have come in here and just snatched you up. Then you'd have big sis back to playing kick the Spike and..." he stopped abruptly upon realizing that Dawn was not alone in the living room.
"Hi," Buffy waved, smiling at the shocked expression on the vampire's face.
Spike shook off the surprise and casually joined his two girls. "That was pretty quick. Guess all those rumors about Vorcus weren't exactly true, eh?"
The smile slid off Buffy's face and she focused her attention on the seam of the couch cushion, plucking at a few loose threads. "I didn't find him," she murmured softly.
Spike's heart went out to the disappointed blonde sitting across from him. He resisted the urge to gather her in his arms, choosing instead to awkwardly pat her on the shoulder.
"So you're just going to give up?" Dawn was confused by this revelation. Buffy had come back but did this mean she was leaving again?
The slayer shook her head slowly. "No, I'm not going to give up. A demon I ran into a couple days ago gave me a tip. I'm going to follow up in a few days."
Dawn's heart broke as she realized that her sister was indeed leaving once again. Why was it that people were always walking in and out of her life? Was there a revolving door somewhere that she didn't know about?
Seeing the look on the brunette's face, Buffy pulled the girl in for a hard embrace. "I'm so sorry Dawnie, but I can't just leave Vorcus out there roaming the streets. Who knows when he's going to come after us next?"
Dawn sniffled and tried to blink back the tears gathering in her eyes. "I know, it's just that I miss you so much."
Buffy tucked a lock of the girl's hair behind her ear and gently stroked the side of her cheek. "I know, I miss you, too."
Swallowing the lump in his throat, Spike stood and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Did you finish your homework, Bit?"
The teen crossly muttered something about pushy vampires as she made her way back up the stairs to her room to finish her homework, leaving Buffy and Spike alone in the living room.
"You hungry, pet? I'm not a gourmet, but I could whip you up a sandwich," Spike suggested, sauntering into the kitchen.
Buffy hadn't eaten since before she'd left San Francisco so she followed closely behind Spike, sitting on a barstool while he made her sandwich.
"How are you doing... financially?" Spike queried hesitantly after setting down a mouth-watering sandwich in front of the slayer.
Buffy shrugged her shoulders as she bit into the delicious creation. "Still got a bit left. Don't really need much, just bus tickets and cheap motel rooms."
"When are you heading back out?" He kicked himself for even asking the question. Putting a number on the hours would only taint what little time he had left to spend with her.
Buffy finished the sandwich and wiped her hands on a napkin. "Two days. It's all the time I can spare. Even staying that long risks losing my chance to find Vorcus."
Spike sighed heavily and began putting away the leftover sandwich ingredients. A small hand around his wrist had him looking down into the unreadable eyes of the slayer. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a deep, passionate kiss.
After two months of no physical contact with his lover, it took little encouragement to get Spike to join Buffy in her bed after turning up the stereo to keep Dawn from hearing them. He knew he was being used again, but this time was different. She still needed to feel, but this time she needed to feel loved. That was something she could handle.
An hour later he glanced over at the sleeping woman curled against his side. It would be hard to tell who would be more heartbroken when Buffy left again, him or Dawn. Selfishly he hoped it would be Dawn.
A far-too familiar tingle on the back of his neck had Spike spinning around and scanning the dark cemetery for a flash of blonde hair. Finally he spotted Buffy leaning against a mausoleum a few feet away.
"Oi, Slayer, when did you get back?" Spike called out as he made his way to where Buffy was.
The blonde pushed away from the building and smiled at the vampire. "Few minutes ago. Looked at the clock and realized it was patrol time so I thought I'd come looking for you."
Spike had no time to respond before Buffy's warm lips fused themselves to his. From the urgency of her kiss and the quick way her hands were unbuckling his belt, he could only guess that she would soon be leaving Sunnydale once again. This was only another brief stop in her never-ending search for justice. He should push her away, tell her that he wasn't her personal play toy. He should make her see that this was as destructive and painful as the way she'd abused and beaten him months before. Then she slipped her hand inside his pants and all thinking stopped.
"Hello gorgeous," Buffy greeted huskily as she slid onto the barstool.
Spike's stomach lurched when he noticed the woman before him. This last absence had been her longest to date. The phone calls had been few and far between. He'd alternated between anger at her for not keeping in touch and anger at himself for caring too much. Unfortunately Dawn was also upset by her sister's lack of communication. Buffy's last two disappearing acts had hurt the girl deeply.
"Well, aren't you going to say hello?" Buffy demanded, stung by Spike's silence.
Spike shook his head and wiped the bar with a damp rag. "Can I get you a drink?"
Buffy rolled her eyes and reached into her back pocket for her wallet. "Just give me a diet anything." She laid a twenty on the counter and watched as Spike reached under the bar then set a can in front of her. The twenty remained untouched.
Sensing that the vampire wasn't going to start the conversation, Buffy took the initiative. "When do you go on break?" she asked, the look in her eye giving every indication of what she really meant.
"Fifteen minutes," Spike responded before realizing exactly what he was doing. For the sake of his sanity he needed to forget about the slayer and all the feelings she evoked, not meet her in the alley for a quick shag.
Buffy nodded and sipped at the soda. She checked her watch every five minutes and when it was time quietly exited the bar. Spike followed several minutes later.
He gathered what was left of his willpower and held her at arm's length when she moved to press herself against him. "Is this another break or are you home for good?"
Buffy's eyes clouded with confusion. Why was he asking questions now? There was plenty of time for talking later. She needed him to wipe away the feelings of disappointment and frustration. He made her feel loved, special and invincible. "I can't stay for good. I still have to -"
"Find soddin' Vorcus. I've heard this song and dance before," Spike finished for her. "How are you doing for money?"
"Doing all right. Picked up a few side jobs as a demon bounty hunter. Don't know why I didn't think of it before, it pays pretty good," Buffy responded, still confused. She tried to move closer to Spike but his grip was firm. "What's wrong... don't you want..."
Spike sucked in a deep, unnecessary breath. It was now or never. "Does the Bit know you're here?"
"No, I came straight to see you, why?"
He released her arms and stepped back. "It'd be best if she didn't know about your visit. It'll only get her hopes up then send them crashing down when you leave again. You should just go now."
Buffy's eyes flashed with anger and her nostrils flared. "How dare you tell me when I can and can't see my sister!"
Spike eyed the small fists balled up at her sides. If making her angry was the only way to get her to leave then so be it. "Seeing as I'm the only bloody parent she'd had the past year, I'd say I have every right do what's best for her. If you're going to use those," he gestured towards her fists, "I suggest you be quick about it. I've got a job to do and my break's almost over."
Buffy sent a fist crashing into Spike's face, smirking in satisfaction as the sound of bone breaking. She turned on her heel and disappeared into the darkness. Spike dropped to his knees in the alley and hung his head. As much as he loved her, part of him hoped this time she'd just stay gone.