Chapter 5
A whole week and a half had passed since he’d seen Captain Cardboard anywhere near the Summers’ residence. Hell, he hadn’t seen him or sensed him anywhere in Sunnydale. It looked like the git was gone for good. Yup he was out of the picture and what did Spike do? He kept to a bloody irritatin’ routine of hanging round his crypt all day, stalkin’ the Slayer on patrol and finishin’ off the night under her bedroom window while she slept. Alone.
Spike trailed his thumb around the rim of his glass full of cold pig’s blood mixed with a shot of bourbon, not paying attention to the television while he contemplated his current position in the life of one Buffy Summers, or rather his lack thereof. A whole soddin’ week and a half and nothing had changed. No wait, plenty had changed, the most notable being the blessed absence of Finn and the less than pleasant role Spike had slipped into as watcher from afar.
He was back to keeping his distance while observing the Slayer. Something he hadn’t done since he first came to Sunny D with the intention of killing her. It had been a long while since he’d given any of the Scoobies a breather from his persistent evil presence and it made absolutely no sense now that nothing was standing in his way. No more soldier boy meant no more interruptions from his banter with the Slayer on patrol. No Harmony was also a welcome improvement that allowed him to relax if Buffy were to barrel into his crypt like she used to.
The perky blonde vamp had whined incessantly about his obsession with the girl he was doomed to never have and she was constantly making not so subtle suggestions that they leave town for somewhere more her style. Thankfully she didn’t mention sodding France again although he bet that’s what she’d had in mind, clearly having learned something from the time he’d staked her. Her constant complaints that he didn’t want to spend any time with her and several desperate attempts to seduce him had finally grated on his last nerve until he grabbed her by the throat and tossed her out the door, quickly followed by her stuff and ignoring the outraged cries and pleas, slammed the crypt door closed daring her to enter again.
So he was a free man. And Buffy was without an unnecessary egotistical bodyguard getting in his way. So what the bloody hell was stopping him from getting her alone and talkin’ to her?
Spike sighed and took a large gulp of his drink before flinging his head back against the headrest of his easy-chair staring at the ceiling.
In a word he was scared. After the kiss, while she hadn’t completely panicked or gone psycho on him which was an unexpectedly pleasant turn of events, he wasn’t so sure what her reaction would be to him now she’d had time to think. After she’d caught him in the basement stealing photos of her she’d acted normal to him and then was even friendly, accepting his offer of help. Course then all hell broke loose when the army invaded and he’d had to get the hell outta there. He’d given her time to deal with her Mum and was delighted to know Joyce was better but he continued to stay away, giving her space to work things out in her life and he’d taken an interest in Finn’s disappearance, deciding to keep an eye on the situation.
Staying away from her and keeping his distance was proving rather difficult as the days wore on and he knew he couldn’t hold out much longer. He had to talk to her soon. Lord knows how she would react when he brought up the kiss but he knew now, whatever she felt then, regardless of what she was dealing with, she’d felt something, something for him. For a moment she’d wanted him and he was going to bloody well call her on it.
Spike finished off his drink and made his decision. Tonight. He’d talk to her on patrol tonight and finally get it out in the open.
***
Buffy was dealing with some seriously conflicting emotions the past week. She hadn’t seen any sign of Riley which hurt but was a relief. After his behaviour that night she’d decided she really didn’t know him that well at all, and he wasn’t the only one.
There had been absolutely no sign of Spike lately either although she felt his presence lurking in the area. She’d gotten a lot of practice with her Slayer senses helping her to identify certain vamps and their strength levels and had discovered that Spike had a very easy signal to trace. She guessed she’d spent so much time around him that identifying him had become almost second nature to her. Which to be honest weirded her out.
Angel’s vamp vibe hadn’t been as clear as Spike’s even though she’d spent a great deal of time with him. Then again she wasn’t as well practiced back then and he’d been all Mr. Mysterious keeping his distance. Not like Spike.
Damn it I’m doing it again. I have got to stop comparing those two. They’re completely different!
Buffy couldn’t help herself noting the differences and similarities between the two vamps she hadn’t staked and it was getting on her nerves. There was absolutely no reason to compare them at all.
Especially not the differences in their kissing techniques.
Buffy’s eyes went wide and she shook her head madly as she tried to remove the images flashing in her head of soft, luscious lips and silky tounge, black leather and husky British voice, not to mention a solid and well defined physique pressed against her.
No! No more kissing Spike thoughts. Those thoughts bad, bad Buffy!
Clearing her head of the memories from the night Spike had kissed her and pushing all thoughts of the bleached wonder away Buffy took deep breaths and continued making her way to the magic shop. The gang had decided to meet up to discuss their situation with Glory. Willow had been working on some new spell or something they were hoping would give them a fighting chance.
The familiar tinkle of the bell above the entrance to the magic shop announced her arrival to the gang. Anya was too busy counting her money to bother looking up and Giles was surprise, surprise, reading. Willow and Tara were huddled in a corner discussing ingredients for the spell but looked up to give Buffy a quick wave before turning back to the shelves. Xander looked up from their usual spot at the table where he was pretending to research and gave her a big grin.
“Hey Buff, how’s it going?”
Buffy shrugged and walked over to lean against the counter where Anya continued to ignore her, staring instead at all the lovely green money in her hands.
“It’s going. Been pretty quiet lately. Any word on Glory? And before you ask, yes Mom is fine. She’s been itching to get back to work, all the pampering is getting to her.”
“Ah yes, understandable really. There’s nothing worse than having your routine taken away from you. It drives one mad sometimes,” Giles put down the book and turned to Buffy as he spoke.
Surprised he’d been paying attention with his nose buried in the ancient pages of one of his assortment of Demonology books Buffy raised an eyebrow at him.
“I guess you’d know what that’s like with all the recovery time you’ve had to do after our epic battles. Heck we’ve all been there.”
“Yeah well personally I find all the recuperation time very relaxing. There’s nothing better than sitting at home with your feet up.” Xander added.
“Except all the amazing orgasms we get to have while we’re…recuperating,” Anya added cheerfully.
“Anya!” Xander yelped.
“Why don’t you go back to counting your money, hmm Anya?” Giles suggested, rubbing his glasses vigorously.
Anya smiled and did just that, ignoring the look of horror on Xander’s face. Buffy really thought he should get used to those kinds of outbursts.
“Getting back to my original question,” Buffy began, “what’s the word on Glory?”
Recovering from his mild shock, Xander snapped the book he’d barely been skimming through shut.
“I got nada, zip and zilch here Buff. No word on this Glory chick.”
“Alas I have to agree with Xander. I can’t find any additional information to what we already know unfortunately,” Giles added, placing his glasses back in their proper place.
“Not what I wanted to hear. Willow? Anything?” Buffy turned to the two wiccans hopefully.
Willow gave her best friend a half-smile before answering.
“Well in theory it should work. It’s gonna take me another day or two to get everything I need for the spell so we won’t know how it goes until we try it out. It’s looking promising though,” she added with a larger reassuring grin. Buffy resigned herself to more waiting around and stretched her muscles. As interested in hunting down weaknesses to her new enemy as she was, research was not her thing and she needed to work out some major tension. Since that vamp had staked her she’d avoided going on the hunt late at night and patrolling had been kept to a minimum while she tended to her Mom. It was a much better idea for her to get back into Slayer mode and do some training.
“Alright, well you guys keep working on it. I’m gonna go hit stuff for a while.”
She made her way to the training room and was busy stretching when she noticed Giles had followed her in.
“Something up or are you gonna join in?”
Giles gave her a small smile before walking over to the bench and taking a seat.
“I was hoping I could have a word with you?”
“Well this sounds ominous. What is it?”
He motioned for her to join him on the bench and Buffy felt a slight panic as she sat beside him.
This can’t be good.
“Buffy, we have rather limited resources here and none of them are helping our situation with Glory. Perhaps it’s time we turned elsewhere for information?”
Buffy studied him. Oh she hoped he wasn’t suggesting what she thought he was. His mention of their resources reminded her of Riley’s argument and her mood dropped considerably.
“What resource were you thinking of?”
Giles sighed wearily. He knew this was going to take some convincing.
“I thought it might be beneficial for me to take a trip to England and speak to the Council. I know quite well what you think of them and believe me the thought of conversing with Travers is not in any way appealing to me either. However, I do believe that the fate of the world is more important than our mutual distaste of them and vice versa. Their information could be vital to turning the tables on Glory and after much consideration this seems like our only option.”
“Giles, you’re right.”
He looked up in surprise but Buffy cut him off before he could open his mouth.
“I don’t trust them and I never will. Isn’t there any other way? Besides I don’t like the thought of you leaving. It’s dangerous here with Glory after Dawn and I need you to help me.”
“Trust me Buffy I’ve observed our situation from every angle and I believe this is the right decision. I’m of no real use to you here. It’s far better I try to make an arrangement with the Council. I know why you’re anxious but we know what they’re like and we can be prepared for any unreasonable demands they might make.”
Buffy crossed her arms and huffed before standing up and pacing around the training room.
“Oh they’ll make demands alright. They want to get control of the Slayer and you’re kidding yourself if you think they won’t try. How can we be ready for them? You said it yourself, they have better resources than we ever will.”
“As I said Buffy, the fate of the world comes first. Even they aren’t blind enough not to see that. We can handle it Buffy. You’re all they’ve got, remember?”
Buffy stopped pacing and stared at the floor while she mulled things over. After what seemed like an eternity she looked back at Giles waiting expectantly for her answer.
“Fine. I’m not happy about it but if you insist that it’s our best option…I’ll just have to go with it.”
Giles smiled and rose up off the bench and patted her on the shoulder.
“You’ve made the right decision Buffy I promise.”
“Yeah, yeah. So when do you leave?”
Giles put his hands in his pockets and suddenly took great interest in the floor.
“I was thinking first thing tomorrow, actually.”
Buffy frowned.
“That soon?”
“Yes, the sooner the better don’t you think?”
“I guess.”
Buffy briefly wondered if he’d made arrangements before hearing her answer. Whether he’d planned on going with or without her consent. She decided not to ask as the last thing she needed was another argument right now and he had convinced her after all.
Giles nodded his head and went back to the shop to check on the others, leaving Buffy with yet more stuff to think about. Her head was going to explode if any more worrying problems occurred.
Great. Now she really needed to hit something.
***
Buffy grumbled quietly to herself as she picked her way through the Graveyard, twirling her stake absentmindedly. She hadn’t felt any vamps in hours and that included the special signature of the irritating thorn in her side.
Normally she would have sensed him as soon as she headed out on patrol. Tonight however, everything was pretty much…well…dead. Which was too bad because she really needed a fight. The training earlier hadn’t come close to getting rid of her frustration and she’d been hoping for something to be on the prowl. Preferably something large with a tough hide so she could vent before killing it.
She was determined to avoid Restfield Cemetary, home of her currently absent stalker. The gang had wondered if perhaps Spike had heard anything in the demon world lately that could help them. They were aware of his sudden disappearance and Xander had suggested he might have taken the hint at last that he wasn’t wanted and taken off.
Buffy told them it was unlikely as Spike seemed to have taken up a permanent residence in her town since acquiring the chip and he enjoyed annoying her far too much to leave. She decided not to tell them how easily she could sense him as it would no doubt weird them out more than her. She’d refused the suggestion to go see him and find out if he knew anything, adamant that demons wouldn’t tell him anything since he started fighting them and that she had no desire to go see him.
Which wasn’t entirely true. She was beginning to worry about his odd behaviour and wondered if maybe he was plotting something as he appeared to have reverted back to his old habits of observing her, just like he had when he’d first arrived. She was also expecting him to question her about that kiss, which she was fully prepared to explain herself for even if she didn’t quite understand it herself.
Kicking a gravestone irratibly Buffy then sat down on it, studying her stake intently. Tonight was a bust in every sense of the word and a missing Spike, she hated to admit, was souring her mood. She’d gotten used to the familiarity of his presence and it was sorely missed, especially considering everything she had to deal with at the moment.
Getting up, she was just tucking her stake behind her back when a noise grabbed her attention. She whirled to see a large greenish demon seemingly appear out of nowhere behind her and had just processed this fact when she was sent flying through the air and straight into a tree.
She hit the ground with a thud and momentarily had the wind knocked out of her.
Note to self, pay more attention on patrol. This is no place for mulling things over. Especially really distracting things.
She managed to raise herself off the ground and get into a defensive stance as the demon came flying at her. It was a good seven feet tall and her only weapon was the wooden stake. Wonderful. Then again this was exactly what she’d been hoping for right? Something that could give her a real fight.
“Okay big guy. Kudos on getting the jump on me but you are so going down.”
The demon snarled and aimed another swing at her head with its arm which she dodged, ducking and rolling to come up behind it where she aimed a solid kick at its back. The force knocked her back a bit but she was pleased to see it had caused the demon to stumble slightly as well.
Well at least I know I can do some damage.
She executed a perfect backflip when the demon spun and lunged at her, neatly catching its jaw with her feet. The demon reeled back and roared angrily.
Buffy quickly went on the offensive while it was caught off guard, aiming a flurry of kicks and punches at it, pushing it back against a mausoleum.
After a powerful kick to its mid-section which made it bend over in pain, she jumped off of a nearby gravestone and landed on top of it, her legs straddling its neck.
Sensing the danger the demon flew upright attempting to grab at her but she was prepared.
Swiftly she locked her legs around its neck and as it charged around trying to throw her off, put all her Slayer strength into flipping backwards sending the demon soaring over her, sharply twisting her legs until she heard a satisfying crack and letting it go.
It landed loudly in the dirt, completely still.
Buffy stood over the body, brushing herself off and giving it one swift kick to make sure it was most definitely dead.
After several seconds she noticed with satisfaction that the hulking mass of demon flesh and bones were dissolving away. She loved it when they did that.
“Nothing like a self-cleaning demon. I was not about to clear up that mess by myself.”
Easing out her muscles, she relaxed in the feeling of a good workout before she noticed her Slayer sense going haywire.
“’Lo Summers. Long time no see.”
She whirled around at the sound of his voice and yep, there he was, sitting comfortably atop a mausoleum, looking down at her with that trademark smirk of his. No doubt highly pleased with himself for catching her off guard.
First the demon jumps me and now Spike gets the drop on me. What is wrong with me tonight?
Admittedly she’d been too caught up in the fight to notice but that shouldn’t have happened. She should be aware of anything sneaking up on her and hadn’t she just prided herself on how easily she could sense Spike?
She scowled at him, miffed at him for the way he’d disappeared for so long and then shown up out of the blue grinning at her and miffed at herself for the happy feeling at seeing he was okay and had finally shown himself again.
“That was some fight luv. A little off your game not knowing I was here though.”
“What are you doing here? You keep your distance for over a week and then just show up like you’d never been gone?”
Spike hopped off his perch and stalked towards her. She stubbornly resisted the urge to back away as he got so close he was only inches away from her.
She looked up into his impossibly blue eyes as they sparkled down at her, swallowing back her nerves at his close proximity and held her frown.
Spike stared at her a minute, inhaling her scent, so sweet, just like he remembered. He lifted his right hand, trailing it down her long golden hair as she continued to stare up at him.
“What’s the matter luv? Worried about me were you?”
Honestly? Yes she had been, Riley’s threats wringing in her ears when he didn’t turn up. But there was no way in hell she was gonna let him know that.
“No. I thought maybe you were up to something. Plotting something evil again.”
She suddenly became aware of his hand running through her hair and slapped it away, stepping back to give herself some breathing room.
Spike smirked when she moved away. He knew he was getting to her. She had yet to threaten him with a staking so he was making progress. He needed to bring up that kiss but asking her straight out would result in rapid excuses she probably had all planned out and memorised over the last week. He needed to catch her off guard.
“No need to worry pet, still got the chip, an’ you know how unpopular I’ve become in the demon world lately. If I’d been plottin’ against you I would’ve done it long ago, yeah? Say back when I was respected by those lowlifes.”
Buffy folded her arms and rolled her eyes.
“So then what did keep you away? Was it something I did? I want to know so I can keep doing it.”
He scowled briefly before circling her. She remained rooted to the ground, tracking his movements with her senses until he was back in front of her again.
They stared each other down and his behaviour was beginning to get to her, putting her nerves on edge. She felt a slight thrill at his dangerous demeanour and pushed the feeling away quickly. Spike was not going to give her thrills. Not now he was harmless.
She fidgeted slightly about to ask what he thought he was doing when he shrugged his shoulders and slipped back into casual mode.
“Oh nothing really. Just thought I’d give you space what with Joyce an’ all. Plus there hasn’t been much action from the nasties lately so you din’t need any help.”
He searched his pockets for his cigarettes and lighter and proceeded to light one up. He continued to speak as he puffed away.
“Checked out a few demon bars, worked on the crypt…”
Buffy cut him off.
“Wait, working on the crypt?”
“Yeah. Fixin’ my place up so it’s more accommodatin’, y’know? I’m not some two-bit minion livin’ in squalor Slayer. Got taste y’know.”
Buffy snorted.
“Could have fooled me.”
He ignored her except for a quick un-amused glance and carried on.
“As I was saying, fixin’ up the crypt, watchin’ the telly and oh yeah…”
Flicking his cigarette to the ground suddenly he moved forward into her personal space again so fast Buffy barely had time to blink.
“…wonderin’ all about that kiss in your kitchen the other night and what exactly it meant?”
Crap!
Buffy stuttered and stumbled, backing away as fast as she could to generate some space between them but he kept moving forward purposefully. She didn’t think to push him away. She couldn’t think. His sudden movements had thrown her until her only thought was to flee. Back away from him.
He had no intention of letting her get away and kept pressing forward until her back hit something cold and solid. He’d managed to pin her against the mausoleum she’d backed the demon into.
Quickly he pressed both hands either side of her head against the solid wall, his arms trapping her. Her brain was in meltdown with his unexpected behaviour and when she tried to speak all that came out of her mouth was a hoarse squeak.
He moved in closer so his face was so close to hers they were almost touching.
“Well?”
Buffy’s mind spun wildly. Well? Well what? Oh! The kiss…think Buffy think…crap.
“Um…uh..well…i.i.it was just…I was upset and…you were being all nice and…I was vulnerable…”
“Rot. You wanted that kiss, Buffy. You wanted me. Vampire, remember? Hard to hide it.”
Buffy gaped at him.
What? What does he? Oh. Oh eww, that’s so gross.
“You wanted it Buffy.”
“No Spike. I…I just…”
“You wanted me.”
Okay now he was pissing her off.
“No. I…mmph.”
Buffy found her ability to speak impaired by Spike’s mouth on hers, kissing her demandingly and God help her after she got over her initial surprise she was kissing him back.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Okay chapter 5 is up, now to post the next one. Hope you are all enjoying this story and thanks to those of you who have added it to their favorites. Much appreciated.