Title: In the Harsh Light of Beer.

Summary: Tainted Beer makes both Buffy and Spike step out of denial, bringing to light the feelings they’ve suppressed since their first meeting. Takes place in season four, but quickly goes AU around “The Harsh Light of Day.”

Pairings: Buffy/Spike.

Rated: NC-17.

Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all characters are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and Fox. I own nothing, but I wish Spike was MINE.

Authors Note:  Sorry for the long break between updates, at the moment it's hard to find time to write between work and school, especially with a spastic muse. This chapter is un-beta'd at the moment, please let me know if you see any substantial problems. I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 7

"Is the intel in Graham?" Agent Finn asked as he assembled his weapons.

"The latest scans indicate that there are three confirmed HST's in the housing unit. Scans show multiple humans are also in the structure."

"Have all available team set up a perimeter around the structure with Alpha team preparing for entry."

"Yes, Sir.," Graham said before he began to give orders over the radio.

Riley turned around and assessed the array of weapons laid out on the bed of his truck. He was taking no chance with the sub - t's. They were dangerous and would be taken care of one way or the other. He just hoped he would catch them before his coffee date with Buffy.

Neither soldier noticed the loose – skinned demon as he observed them. By the looks of it, whoever they were going after was formidable. As he walked away, he wondered if the strange new demonic power that had suddenly showed up in the middle of town earlier in the night had anything to do with the "HST's" these men were going after. Shrugging he headed off in the direction he could sense the source of power. It couldn't hurt to warn whoever it was.

***

"No one hurts my mate!" Buffy yelled as her demon took over and emphasized each word with a punch to Giles's face, knocking him out before she set the last word. Spike winced in pain as he pulled her kicking and screaming off of her watcher before she seriously injured him. Trying to calm her down, he wrapped his arms tightly around his slayer.

"Buffy, what's going on? Why did you punch Giles?" Willow asked, confused by her best friend's actions.

"He has her under thrall or a spell." Xander groaned from the table.

"I don't use thrall it's cheating, and I don't like magic," Spike said defending himself. He inwardly smiled when he saw Oz place himself between them and the others, appearing to be acting as a buffer between the two groups, but was actually protecting his new family consciously or not. "Buffy, sweetheart, please calm down," he whispered into the still struggling slayers ear. He could feel her demon's need for revenge and her drive to protect her mate.

"And why should we believe you? You're an evil soulless demon!" Xander spat as his strength returned to him.

Buffy growled and fought harder to get free when she heard Xander's threatening words.

"What do you mean you don't like magic? You almost ruined Xander's and my life for a stupid love spell to get Drusilla back!"

"I didn't go through with it now did I, and I was –" Spike grunted when Buffy nudged the crossbow bolt with one of her flailing arms. "Oi! Dogboy just pull it the bloody hell out already." He growled through his teeth.

Turning, Oz ripped the bolt from his chest without batting an eye, and turned right back around, ready to defend his alphas.

"Like I was saying, I was three sheets to the bloody wind the whole time except for when I was having hot chocolate with the slayers mum."

"I don't care what you say, you’re a demon, which means your evil and can't be trusted. There is nothing good in you." Xander boldly moved towards Spike, completely missing the hurt look on his girlfriends face as he tried to intimidate the vampire. "The second that the gem comes off, I'll be there, and you'll be nothing but dust!"

The slayer roared and lunged at her friend, completely overcome by a primal need to protect her mate. Spike felt her intentions through the link a split second before she moved and tightened his hold. Together they fell to the ground in a heap of writhing limbs.

 Everyone watched in stunned silence as the two supernatural creatures wrestled. Spike quickly straddled Buffy and pinned her flailing arms above her head. He vamped out and growled at his struggling lover before sinking his fangs into his mark, instantly calming down his distraught mate.

"Buffy!" Willow screened and moved towards the slayer thinking her best friend was being drained by a vampire. Oz held her back trying to convince her that everything was okay without revealing the claim between the two. He saw Xander approaching the couple and growled a warning to him making Xander jump.

"What was that for, can't you see he's killing her?"

Buffy moaned in pleasure then bit into Spike's neck with her very own fangs, making Willow and Xander both gasp in surprise.

"Does it look like he's hurting her?" Anya asked her still clueless boyfriend. "In fact I think he has the potential to give her many mind blowing orgasms multiple times a day unlike some men in this room."

"Shut up Ahn. This has nothing to do with you." The teen yelled at his girlfriend.

"Ewww!" Willow screeched when Spike ripped Buffy's T-shirt open and immediately palmed her exposed breasts.

"Spike," Buffy said, gasping for breath as his expert fingers played with her nipples.

"How can they do that with all of us watching?" Willow asked, trying to look away from the site of her friends chest. "Buffy! Earth to Buffy!" The redhead yelled.

The slayer slowly opened her eyes and looked around the room. "Oh my God! Spike!" Buffy screamed and slapped her vampire to get his attention. "Spike!"

"What!" He growled in frustration.

'We were about to have sex in front of everyone.' She informed him, talking only in his mind.

'Huh?' He raised his head and looked around. His eyes widened as he realized where they were. "Oh!"

He removed his hands from her chest and quickly fixed her ripped T-shirt to cover her breasts. Reluctantly he left his mate's arms and stood up.

"What happened," the slayer asked as Spike pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her.

Xander and Willow just stared at Buffy as she relaxed into her mortal enemies embrace and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek.

"Giles tried to dust Spike, then you lost it and attacked Giles." Anya said as she studied the blonde couple intently. Buffy cringed at the ex-vengeance demon's words.

"Oops!"

"Oops! Oops! You attacked Giles for staking a soulless evil vampire, who has tried to kill you multiple times. Not to mention kidnapping Xander and me last year. He almost killed Xander and do I need to remind you about the whole bottle in the face thing." Willow said finally finding words.

A knock at the door stopped the impending argument. The slayer left her vampire's side and opened the door to the apartment.

"Slayer!" A loose – skinned demon that reminded her of a Shar-Pei, squeaked.

'I know that voice.' Spikes thought floated through Buffy's mind. She smiled when she felt him wrapped his arms around her waist as he looked out the door.

"Clem?"

The demon stared at the two people in front of him. If he wasn't mistaken, they were the source of the strange new powerful energy in Sunnydale. He smiled when he realized things were going to start changing on the Hellmouth, changing for the better of all its peaceful residents.

"Spike! Hey, how've you been?"

The vampire smiled at his friend. "Better than ever, Clem. I'd like you to meet Buffy Summers, the slayer. Buffy this is Clem." as he spoke he moved her hair away from the side of her neck to display his claim mark. Clem's eyes bulged when he realized what the bite meant.

"Congratulations! Her skin's a little tight for my taste, but if that's what you want I'm happy for you," he said as he enthusiastically shook Buffy's hand.

'He is harmless, luv.' Spike told Buffy when he felt her tense in his arms. 'Unless you're a tasty little kitten.'

"It's nice to meet you Clem." She said smiling brightly at him, she was relieved that she wouldn't have to slay one of Spike's friends.

"How did you know I was here, mate? " Spike asked the loose – skinned demon. Clem's smile faded slightly as he remembered why he was there.

"I didn't. I overheard a couple of those military guys that kidnapped my cousin, talking about taking down some demons. They are planning a pretty massive attack, I figured it had to do with the power I sensed here."

"Shit!" Spike said.

"Thanks for telling us, Clem, we owe you one," Buffy told him.

"Well, nice meeting you. Good luck." Clem waved in farewell as he left the apartment.

Closing the door, Buffy looked at the others in the room and instantly went into slayer mode.

 "Spike put some pants on then load up on weapons. Willow wake Giles. Anya help Xander walk. Oz get the trank gun and grab all the darts you can. We need to move people!" She ordered.

"Buffy I'm not leaving until he explains to me what you're doing with him!" Xander said pointing at Spike.

"Xander did you not hear what Clem said?"

"No." Her friend answered sheepishly. "Willow and I were trying to figure out what Spike has done to you."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Xander, those men who attacked us earlier are headed our way. You can bitch and moan about my relationship with Spike all you want once we're safe and rested. However, right now we need to get out of here."

"Fine," Xander agreed while glaring at Spike. "But I'm not happy about it."

"I think we'll be okay once we get out of here. I doubt they can track us now that Oz flushed their tracer thing, but it couldn't hurt to lay low for a day just to be sure." Willow said as she waved smelling salts under the watchers nose.

Giles julted back into consciousness, "Dear Lord! What happened?" He groaned as he carefully felt his damaged face.

"We could hide at my house," Xander suggested, thinking he could separate Buffy and Spike by refusing to invite the vampire in.

"Sounds good to me," Buffy said as she searched Giles's weapons chest for something she could use against humans with out killing them. After looking through all the options, she settled on a pair of Tomahawks, she could use like nightsticks but still have a lethal option in case of an emergency. Quickly she scanned the room, Oz had finished loading the dart gun and was now looking out the window, Willow was quietly explaining to Giles why he was on the floor, Anya was helping Xander into a pair of Giles's pajama bottoms, and Spike was trying to slip a full bottle of scotch into one of the deep inner pockets of his duster. Attempting to hide her smile at her mate's antics, she turned around and walked to the door, calling over her shoulder to the others. "Let's move."

Silently they followed the slayer and carefully made their way to the apartment's small parking lot across the street. The group came to a halt in front of Giles's Citroen. Buffy tilted her head to the right as she looked at his old beat up car. "Ah, Giles, somehow I don't think we'll all fit in there."

"My van is just over there." Oz said pointing to the left. Quickly, they got into the van and had just pulled out of the lot when they notice several black clad commandos stealthily surrounding Giles's home. All of them breathed easier as they realized that none of the commandos were following the van.

They were halfway there when Oz noticed flashing red and blue lights behind them. He was about to pull over when the police car sped past them. Sighing in relief, he stepped on the gas and continued driving to Xander's house.

Five minutes later, Oz slowed down as they neared the Harris's. Xander groaned when he spotted the patrol car that had passed them parked outside his home, and his drunken parents yelling at each other while the officers tried their best to separate the fighting couple.

"Shit! Sorry guys," Xander said trying not to show how embarrassed he was by his parents. "I guess my place is a no go for laying low.

"Right, any other suggestions," Oz asked as he turned the van around, trying not to draw the attention of the police.

"I have a cave in the Northwoods about 40 meters past the overpass construction. It should be big enough for all of us." Spike suggested.

"No way am I staying in his evil lair. Who knows how many minions he has hiding there in wait, ready to kill us the moment we step inside." Xander screeched.

"I don't have any bloody minions," Spike said, "I dusted them all after I found the gem of Amara."

"And we believe you why?"

"Xander Harris, I'm tired, besides, Spike would never harm his – Ow!" Anya screamed when Buffy pinched her hard on the leg. "What was that for?"

Buffy tilted her head slightly in the direction of her watcher who was in the front with Oz.

"Oh! Right," Anya said with a nervous laugh.

"I think your cave sounds like the best idea, baby. Oz, pull into the next convenience store so we can buy some supplies." Buffy ordered.

20 minutes later Oz turned onto a barely visible road.

"You can go ahead and drive right in just don't hit my car." Spike said as they reach the large cave entrance.

Once inside the vampire quickly jumped out and disappeared into the darkness. Before Xander could open his mouth to gloat about being right, light filled the cavern.

Buffy walked over to Spike and wrapped her arms around him. Standing on her tip toes, she began nibbling on his lower lip then sucked it into her mouth.

'Let's go to bed, baby.' she told him silently. They continued to kiss forgetting they weren't alone. After long minutes, Buffy pulled away in desperate need for air.

"What you say, luv,"  Spike asked as he rested his forehead against hers.

'Bed. Now.'

"Right." Turning, he looked at the others, "There are beds through there and there." As he spoke, he pointed out each opening. "Make yourselves at home." Smirking, he kissed Buffy on the cheek before spontaneously picking her up and slinging her over his shoulder making her squeale in surprise. Raising her head, she waved at her friends. "Sweet dreams everyone." Winking at them, she pushed aside Spike's duster and pinched his ass.

"Oi, watch it slayer." Spike growled as he rubbed his abused bum.

"Buffy, where are you sleeping?" Willow asked.

"With Spike."

"You're sleeping with Spike," Xander exclaimed.

"I think they're planning to do a lot more than that." Anya stated smiling at the blonde couple.

"Giles, do something, she can't be left alone with him. It's not safe." Xander whined.

Sensing the beginning of another fight that she was too tired to deal with, Buffy spoke up. "Guys we'll talk more after we've all had some rest and calmed down. Goodnight." Spike was on the move before she finished talking. Quickly they disappeared into a dark opening on the other side of the cave.