Whistler picked up on Buffy’s reaction, and quickly pulled himself from his comfy chair to face the hidden sewer entrance. He couldn’t see anything, but he trusted the Slayer’s instincts. “Slayer? What’s the matter?”
She tried to swallow, but her mouth had gone dry. “There’s a Master closing in...I can feel him getting closer.”
“Is it him? Is it your guy?”
“I’m not...” She paused to lick her lips and send a pleading glance toward Whistler. “He’s still a little too far away to be sure, but I think so.” She rose up from the bed, and ran to stand in the hidden passage.
A few minutes more, and a shadow appeared in the distance. Its forward movement slowed as the silhouette drew closer. Tears clouded the Slayer’s vision, until the only thing she could see was a pair of beautiful, sky-blue eyes. Stumbling forward, arms raised like a child seeking comfort from a parent, Buffy was blind to any other threat as she moved the last few feet toward her vampire.
For Spike, those few feet were passed in moments that seemed to encompass an eternity. Eyes locked on the mate of his heart, the blonde vampire knew he was finally coming home. He’d had a hard time believing the Powers when they’d told him he needed to return to Sunnydale, the place that was the site of so much happiness, but even more sorrow. Just to see the Slayer again was the fulfillment of his every dream. He moved forward and then stopped in front of her, closing his eyes when he felt her warm hand on his cool cheek. He covered her hand with one of his own, hoping that his shaking limb might steady hers. This was a miracle, to feel Buffy’s warm skin against his face once more. Spike closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment...it had been too long since he had been touched at all.
Buffy’s other hand moved forward, taking a powerful grip on the front of his coat to help her remain standing. Spike heard the small sounds of leather stretching under the pressure of her strong fingers, but didn’t care as he backed the Slayer through the entrance to his crypt.
It took more than one try before either of them was able to speak. Finally, Buffy was successful. “Don’t ever leave me again,” she begged, unable to hold her tears back any longer.
Spike was having just as much difficulty controlling his emotions, though he was marginally more successful at controlling his tears. William might have been a sissy so long ago, but Spike was not, and it was Spike that had earned the love of the Slayer. Reaching his hand up, he tried to dry the tears that ran down Buffy’s cheeks, but soon gave up. Moving his arms around her waist instead, he pulled her close. Standing just inside his crypt, forehead to forehead, Spike didn’t think things could possibly get any better...until he felt her arms wrap around his waist, under his heavy coat. Sighing in contentment, the master vampire closed his eyes. “Missed you, Buffy...missed you so bloody much.”
It was unclear who made the first move but, hesitantly, their lips met, barely brushing against each other. The couple stared deep into each others’ eyes, both finding what they were looking for: love. A soft smile was exchanged before their lips met again. Tasting and probing, their tongues played, one following when the other retreated. It was only when Buffy was gasping for breath that the kiss ended. Drawing back marginally, both Spike and Buffy saw minute changes in their partner. Spike noticed with concern that Buffy appeared exhausted, and Buffy realized that she’d never seen Spike’s cheekbones so prominent before. Her vampire had lost weight while he’d been gone.
Clearing his throat rather loudly, Whistler managed to draw the attention of the two blondes.
They turned their heads as one, finding him in the dim light of the bedroom. Buffy had completely forgotten he was there, and Spike had been so focused on his love that he’d missed the frumpy demon all together. Rather than separating to face possible danger, the couple turned with their arms locked around each other, not daring to tempt fate by letting go and taking a risk that the other would vanish.
“Yeah...sorry about the awkward interruption folks, but before I go I’ve got to make sure you know what to do to stop the First Evil.” Whistler looked from Spike to Buffy.
Spike frowned and shook his head. “Not a clue, mate. Didn’t care to ask at the time...just wanted to get back to my girl here.” Suddenly, the vampire’s eyes began to bleed gold. “And what are you doing here, in my bedroom, with the Slayer?” He turned to Buffy and asked, “This your replacement lover?” With that, he pulled his arms from around the Slayer’s shoulders and tried to move away.
“No!” Buffy held on desperately to Spike, not letting him move away from her at all. She buried her head against his chest, and refused to let him go.
The vampire stopped moving when it was clear that the Slayer’s grip would break his ribs if he continued his escape attempt. Gritting his teeth, he waited desperately for an explanation for why Buffy would be alone in his old crypt with another demon, preferably one that didn’t include his Slayer with a new lover of any kind. In full gameface now, he turned back to the rumpled demon standing beside the bed that had clearly been very recently occupied.
“That’s Whistler. He works for the Powers That Be...and he’s not my lover. I don’t have a lover. There’s nobody...how could you even think for one minute that I could...” Buffy’s voice broke off. “He came to ask why I hadn’t stopped the First Evil yet, that’s all.”
“If that’s all, why’s he still here?” Spike wanted to believe Buffy, but years of experience with Drusilla just couldn’t be dismissed.
Whistler couldn’t help a small laugh at the vampire’s obvious jealousy. “Well, I stayed to protect your girl until you got here, and now that you’ve arrived, I’m waiting for someone to answer my question.”
“I know, Whistler...you can leave now...I know what has to be done,” Buffy mumbled from her place against Spike’s chest. She turned her head to send an embarrassed look toward the amused demon.
“Fair enough...Are you ready, willing, and able to do it? Is this what you want, Slayer?”
“Yes. With all my heart, yes.” With a big smile, Buffy finally pulled back far enough to look at Spike.
Whistler turned back to the master vampire and waited for Spike to answer.
“What?” Spike was still feeling a little belligerent, but his fears had been greatly soothed by his Slayer. Now he just wanted the smelly demon to leave, so he could move his love the last few feet across the room to his bed.
“Do you know why you’ve been brought here, Mr The Bloody?”
Spike shook his head. “A couple of days ago, I had a really strong urge to return to Buffy...but that’s nothing new. I’ve been fighting that same urge every day since I left Sunnyhell. I ignored it, like I always did.” A look of resigned sorrow came over the vampire’s features. “There was just something about the feeling though...an urgency that was so hard to resist. The next day, while I was sleeping, I dreamt of my mother. She was happy, and told me she loved me and that she forgave me my sins against her. Then she said she knew where my heart’s home was, and that I should return to Sunnydale as fast as possible. She told me that I would have a chance to claim what was dear to me, and would find happiness and a deep and abiding love that would last me to the end of my days if I returned.” Embarrassed, he looked down and shrugged. “So, here I am. Knew my mum wouldn’t steer me wrong.” While he spoke, his arms had worked their way up and around his Slayer’s waist again, holding her tight. Spike felt how Buffy’s warmth was seeping into his skin through the layers of clothing they wore. At that moment, he made a wish that he would never again be without his golden girl.
“Really? That was enough to get you moving? Nobody spilled the beans and told you why you were really being brought here?” Whistler’s expression was a combination of awe and scepticism.
“No, nobody has told me anything, but you’d better start talking fast, because I’m here now and I want to know what the Hell is going on and I want to know right bloody quick.” Spike was nervous, and the best way he knew to hide that was to be angry.
Whistler scrubbed his hands together in anticipation. “It’s like this, Kiddo.” He ignored Spike’s horrified response at being addressed that way and continued talking. “There’s this thing called the First Evil that Miss Summers has to fight, but the only way she can win is with your help. You...William the Bloody, Slayer of Slayers, Love’s Bitch, and the love of her life.” Whistler continued talking, but at that comment Spike lost all interest in the grubby little demon and instead turned his focus to the woman in his arms.
Answering his unvoiced question, Buffy gave him a nod and a soft smile. They met in a gentle kiss that began as a tender expression of their love, but quickly evolved into a passionate lip-lock that had both of them gasping for air.
Realizing he had lost his audience, Whistler cleared his throat, and even when so far as to cough loudly when he saw hands beginning to wander. When his best efforts yielded no results, the hat wearing guide tried tapping Spike on the shoulder. Probably not his best idea, as he quickly found himself on the receiving end of an enraged snarl when the fully vamped out master vampire grabbed him by the throat and held him suspended a foot off the floor.
“Hey there, big guy...”
Spike turned golden eyes to Buffy.
“Easy now...He didn’t mean any harm, and if you break him, it will just take him longer to say what he needs to say and get gone,” she said with a gentle smile, cupping his ridged cheek with her hand.
Spike tilted his head and looked at her for a few seconds before turning back to look at his captive. Whistler had started to gasp for air, and was desperately grabbing at Spike’s wrists with both hands. Spike closed his eyes, pushing his cheek into Buffy’s touch and exhaling deeply as he lowered Whistler to the ground and lost his bumpies at the same time. Releasing the gasping demon when he finally found his footing, Spike turned once again to Buffy, burying his face in her hair and breathing deeply.
As the worst of Whistler’s wheezing seemed to pass, Spike sent the unfortunate demon a sheepish look and said, “Sorry, mate. Just instinct...nothing personal.”
Whistler held up his hands in surrender. “Hey, no harm, no foul. I should have known better than to touch you when you were holding the woman you think of as your mate in your arms. Bad move on my part.” Massaging his abused throat, he coughed again. “Tell ya what, why don’t we just get this part over with, and then I’ll get out of your hair.” Feeling exhausted, Whistler moved back to the easy chair near the bed and collapsed.
The only other place to sit was the bed, and Buffy and Spike moved as one to seat themselves across from Whistler, settling close together with their hands clasped and fingers entwined.
Whistler reached over to the bedside table, and liberated a bottle of fruit juice, which he quickly drained. Appearing a bit more comfortable finally, he spoke up again. “It’s not that long of a tale, really. Miss Summers here can fill you in on all of the details, but basically, when she was brought back from Heaven, it allowed the First Evil to enter this realm. It’s a balance thing, ya know? She was an extra good guy, so the other side got to pull in an extra bad guy.”
The blondes both nodded their understanding.
A thought occurred to Spike, and he began to growl, pulling Buffy onto his lamp and wrapping his arms protectively around her. “I’m not killing her,” he said. “I don’t care if the world goes to Hell in a hand basket...I’ll be dust before I see her dead again.”
Holding out his hands in a show of submission, Whistler shook his head. “Don’t worry...we wouldn’t ask you to off your honey. Wouldn’t’ help in this situation anyway. The Powers have watched you both suffer through your separation, and now believe they have found a loophole in the system that can be worked to your advantage.” After a short pause for that last bit of juice in the bottle, Whistler looked Spike right in the eye. “Do you love Miss Summers?”
There was no hesitation at all when Spike responded, “I do...She is my soul and I love her with all my heart.”
“Yeah, but do you love her enough to make her your mate?”
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Betaed by Flight Of Fancy.