Chapter 3

It didn’t take long for Buffy and Spike to remember the way to the small ranch home belonging to Warren Mears’ parents. After the fight, they slipped out the front without a word to Willy about the mess in the back, or the fact he had lost two more customers.

Before setting off, Spike spoke of what he remembered of the house, and that they should check out the basement. He avoided discussing the details of his knowledge of the geeky man child, but Buffy knew his encounters involved the bot.

The thought of the robot designed in her likeness still freaked her out, and she very much did not want intimate details of its exploits. Still she had known then he had feelings for her, as crazy and obsessive as they seemed, and the bot was a reflection of that. But now after spending so much time with him, she could see that he had changed.

And it confused her. He confused her.

There were so many layers to him. Before, she thought she knew everything she needed to know about him. Evil, manipulative, impatient and a hell of a fighter were some the words she would have used to describe him. But now, she knew there was more. He would say something or do something out of character, unveiling a new part of himself without realizing. It intrigued her, but scared her at the same time. She didn’t know why she was so interested. She knew she shouldn’t be. But yet, there was this pull to know more, to find out what else he had kept from her. It was as if she didn’t really know him at all.

But she did.

She didn’t even need to ask at the bar if he wanted to investigate this new lead with Warren. She knew he would do anything she asked of him. Wouldn’t question her motives or tell her to wait till tomorrow because of her obviously intoxicated state. He just asked her if she was okay enough to hang on and not fall off the back of the bike.

She had no trouble holding onto Spike as he drove, ending up on the street over from Warren’s house, parking by an old garage, covered with shrubbery, and shadowed from the street lamps. He thought it was a good idea to hide the bike, and sneak up on the house in case Warren was ready for them with a few tricks up his sleeve.

Her body felt light and slightly off balanced as she got off, almost losing her footing. Spike immediately grabbed her by the elbow, steadying her.

She couldn’t help but giggle as she leaned into him, holding onto the lapels of his duster.

“Easy there, luv. Take a deep breath, and get your bearing, yeah?” He waited patiently as she followed his directive. “Do you think it wise to confront Warren when you can barely stand? Maybe you should leave this to me.”

Buffy glared, not at all happy with the suggestion that she was less than capable of handling this situation. “Absolutely not, I’m fiine. The ground has already stopped moving. Just give me a second to keep my cookies down.” Her voice was louder than normal, almost shouting.

He laughed a smirk forming on his face. “You might think about lowering your voice. Don’t want to alert the entire neighborhood that we’re here.”

She gave him a look that told him that she didn’t appreciate his amusement. God knew he was getting a kick out of this. And didn’t it piss her off. But she didn’t have time for that right now. There were bigger things to worry about.

She took a few more deep breaths, and calmed her stomach to a quiet growl. She smiled, completely forgetting that she was still holding tightly onto him.

“Luv, as much as I want you this close and looking at me like that, you might want to take a step back. I only have so much control.” His jaw clenched, his blue eyes seemed to glow bright with emotions she was too well aware of.

She glanced down at the pavement and took a step back, Spike’s gaze still lingering on her.

Her heart raced as a picture formed in her head of what could have transpired if he had taken advantage of the situation. His cool lips on hers, tasting, caressing, devouring. His hands stroking her face as he rubbed his body against hers. The thought made her quiver, a tingle forming between her legs that made her wet with anticipation.

And that was the scary part, wasn’t it?

She wanted him.

As much as she wanted to deny what was happening and blame it on the alcohol, she knew better. God, what was a matter with her? Clearly, she was attracted to him, her body humming from just being near him. But she needed to get a grip before she had anymore bouts of insanity and actually gave into the desire.

Spike stepped toward her, and laid a hand on her shoulder. Before he could say anything, she pushed his hand away and stepped around him heading toward Warren’s house.

Her steps were still a bit wobbly but that wasn’t going to stop her from running from the situation.

“What are you waiting for? Let’s see what our old friend Warren is up to,” she said without turning around.

She felt him pause for a second then his booted stride was right behind her.

They found the house dark with no tell-tell signs of a television flickering in the window or a lamp left on to keep any would be burglars at bay. Even the driveway sat bare, though there appeared to be a garage in the back.

Keeping to the shadows, they ran across the road to the yard next to the house, staying as close as they could away from any visible outdoor lights in case they were motion sensor activated. Buffy crept closer to the house after she was satisfied nothing would trigger an alarm.

Once she rounded the corner of the house, she stopped and stared.

Sitting by the garage was a black 70s model van with a paint job that shouted spray paint and cheap aftermarket rims. All it needed was those weird brown curtains to hang from the windows. But that wasn’t what threw her. She had seen this van before.

“What is it?” Spike asked, looking at her curiously.

“That van…. I saw it earlier today at the jobsite. The horn blared right after I took out those demons.”

Spike scowled, and approached the van.

Buffy followed, walking around the van as the vague memory of the nerd sounding horn filtered her mind. Sure she had taken notice of the noise, but never thought that it had meant something.

Now it wasn’t just a coincidence. Something was up.

“This has to be connected in some way. I mean why else would Clem say Warren had backed that M’Fashniky demon then I see this van after an attack,” she said, trying to keep her voice to barely a whisper.

“It seems Clem was right, pet. But we still need proof. Look there.” Spike pointed to a lit basement window near the corner of the house. “It seems someone might be home after all.”

Buffy quietly walked over to the edge of the window, lying down on her hands and knees to peek in. Spike stayed back as lookout.

The window was layered with dirt and grass clippings but she was still able to get a good look inside. It was a typical basement with storage shelves and random furniture. However, there was a computer area on the opposite side of the room with several monitors hanging from the wall and keyboards on a desk. It looked really high tech. But she didn’t see anyone around.

She scanned the rest of the room, seeing a seating area lifted up from the floor with three gamer chairs. Soda cans, wrappers and something green littered the platform. She lightly rubbed the window to get a better look. But it didn’t help.

If she didn’t know better, the green littering the floor had to be money. But without breaking and entering right now, there was no way to find out for sure.

Right as she pushed up from the ground to fill in Spike, voices filtered through as heavy footsteps echoed off the wooden stairs.

She dropped back down, and huddled at the edge of the glass as she caught a glimpse of Nike sneakers and badly faded jeans. Buffy recognized Warren immediately as he reached the landing, walking over to the gamer chairs, taking a seat in the middle. A boy she didn’t know followed as well as a short guy wearing an oversized striped t-shirt.

He looked very familiar, but she couldn’t immediately place him. She fumbled through memories trying desperately to identify him, but kept coming up empty. It was like cramming for an exam and completely going blank the moment the test touched your desk. She knew the answer, she just couldn’t think.

Her mind was full of cotton, slowing down her thought process, but she kept trying to remember while she kept her post.

The guys weren’t doing any interesting that would lead her to believe they had been behind the attacks. They appeared to be typical nerds, turning the television on and grabbing controllers and headsets. This led to a weak scuffled between Warren and the striped shirt guy, both of them with their hands on a controller trying to tug it away from the other. Warren pushed the much smaller guy away into a concrete wall, and laughed. The little guy looked upset and raised his voice as he approached Warren.

She heard his voice loud and clear, and immediately placed where she had heard it before.

Sunnydale High.

Jonathan.

But what was he doing here? What was he doing with Warren, and what the hell did she have to do with whatever they were up to? Something wasn’t right. There was definitely more going on here than she knew.

Slowly, she sat up from her spot in the grass, leaning on the edge of the house until her vision was under control. Then crept over to Spike where he stood the shadows, perched against a tree.

“He’s here, but he’s not alone. He’s with Jonathan, and some other guy I don’t recognize.” Buffy paused. “I don’t know for sure, but I think the stolen money is there.”

Spike nodded. “What do you want to do? Go in guns a blazin’ or sneak in? You know I’m limited with this sodding chip.”

Buffy’s heart sank not realizing until now that Spike was right. With that chip in his head, he wouldn’t be able to do much if the guys fought back. Not that she thought they could give her much of a fight, but she couldn’t hurt them. And it would be easy for one of them to slip away while she dealt with the other two. What could she do to keep this from escalating but still find out if these were her guys?

“We call the police. They come here and find them with the cash, and arrest them for the bank robbery. Surely the money can be traced as stolen.”

“Coppers? You really trust them enough not to flub this one up? One wrong mistake and they’re back to making your life hell.”

Buffy stood, silent, with her hands clenched as her mind whirled at the thought of them getting away with it.

“You’re right.”

“I’m what?”

“You’re right. We need a game plan. This isn’t just a patrol and stake. These are humans.” Her stomach was starting to roll again, so she leaned against the tree for support. “We need to think about this and come back tomorrow.”

“Are you sure, luv? Just because they’re human doesn’t mean they aren’t capable of more than just a demon brawl and a good robbery.”

He had a point. She was well aware, but they were human.

They couldn’t just go in and attack like they normally would if this was a bunch of vampires or demons. This was new territory, and she needed to think.

Unfortunately, it was a little difficult right now.

Before she was willing to make a call, she quietly walked back to the basement window to see what they were up to, making sure they didn’t look like they were leaving any time soon. Unfortunately because of the state she was in, she was less than graceful and tripped over her own feet, hitting her head against the side of the house, hard.

She clutched her head, and prayed they hadn’t heard the noise.

Spike appeared, immediately pulling her to her feet. He gently rubbed her forehead as he checked her for any injuries.

“I can hear them scrambling in there. We need to get out of here before they come out and see us standing here. No fun if we lose the element of surprise,” Spike said as he grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the window, back toward the driveway.

“Fine, but we come back tomorrow. I’m not letting them get away with this.”

A wicked grin lit Spike’s face. “And neither am I, luv.”

Satisfied, they took off back to the bike.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Thud!

Warren looked toward the back of the basement where the noise came from, ignoring Jonathan and Andrew. They were completely oblivious, still arguing over whether Halo 3 or Call of Duty Black Ops was the superior shooter game.

“Did you guys hear that?” Warren asked. He walked over to their security center, checking the wall of monitors for anything that seemed out of the ordinary. But nothing seemed out of place.

Grabbing a seat, he quickly keyed an access code to change the view of all six monitors to show one enlarged view of the backyard. Then he rewound the video back a few minutes, pressed play and waited.

A blur popped up near the garage stumbling toward the left side of the house. The image was too dark, shadows blocking any defining features, so he changed the view to the camera mounted on the garage. With a few clicks of the mouse, he adjusted the lighting, hoping to get a better look at their trespasser. The image was clear but still too far away to get a good look. He zoomed in.

Blonde hair flashed across the screen as a head made contact with the side of the house. Immediately, a flash of black and blonde appeared, lifting the now visible woman to her feet. It wasn’t until the black clad man lifted the woman’s head did he finally get a good glimpse at her face.

“No. No. No. Shit not yet!” Warren watched as the Slayer and the now recognizable vampire Spike ran off toward the driveway. He changed half of the monitors to the driveway view and the other to the front of the house. He watched them run across the street into his neighbor’s yard, disappearing into darkness.

For a moment, he panicked not having a clue of what to do. This wasn’t a part of the plan! They were careful hiring the M’Fashniki demon, inquiring in the demon underground, a place they were sure the Slayer did not frequent. They even used fake names.

But somehow the Slayer was still able to track them. He didn’t know how she managed to do it, but they needed a new plan quick if they wanted to keep the Slayer in the dark about their plans to take over Sunnydale.

“Guys, get over here.”

They ignored him.

“Shut up and get over here! We have a situation.”

Jonathan and Andrew looked unsure as they walked over to the surveillance equipment, standing behind Warren as he backed up the video. Both boys stood silent as the video replayed, showing the unsuspecting trio they had been found out.

“Who’s that dark gleam of peroxide blond?” Andrew asked, staring intently.

“That’s Spike. He’s a vampire.” Warren answered as he rewound the footage again trying to make sure he didn’t miss anything. “But that’s not the point, the Slayer was here.”

“How come the alarms we set didn’t go off?” Jonathan asked, looking sheepish.

“I don’t know, still looking into it.” Warren had several different windows opened, his hands shaking as he looked into the security measures they had set up weeks ago. The technology was state of the art and should have triggered an alarm the moment anyone stepped onto the property.

He couldn’t understand what happened. He set everything up himself, with a little help from the others. Certainly nothing he had done would have caused such as massive slip up. He tested everything several times, so it had to be something either Jonathan or Andrew had done. There was no way he was responsible for this. But right now he had to fix a couple of things to get things back online just in case they decided to come back.

“Gentlemen everything has been reset.” He stood up from his seat as he addressed the guys, standing to his full height so he could tower over both of them. When it came down to business, he knew this let them know who was in charge. “Now what are we going to do about the Slayer?”

Andrew was chewing on his fingers, looking thoughtful. Jonathon had a look on his face Warren couldn’t place.

“Well the invisibility ray is almost ready. We could just shoot her with it, and let the radiation take care of it,” Andrew said.

“We are still waiting on a few parts and it will be another two weeks before they arrive. We need to think of something before then,” Warren said, clearly irritated.

Jonathan sighed with a concerned look on his face. “Guys, we don’t want to hurt Buffy, we just need to redirect her attention is all. Maybe setup another incident and have it look like someone else did it.”

They all stood in silence, deep in thought.

Warren walked over to a table full of building plans, equipment diagrams and books, pulling an ancient looking text he had acquired after a drunken evening in front of the computer a few months back. He thumbed through it hoping to find inspiration.

The guys were still bickering with each other about various plans they thought would work and keep Buffy relatively safe. He had no such concerns, thinking it would only be to their benefit if they could eliminate her all together. Now to find something that could do just that without a trace back to them.

He continued looking at spells and various demon species, all coming up short for their purposes until the word consume popped from the page. It instantly set his mind in motion as he read down the page, absorbing the information until he came across a picture. The demon had a human’s torso with tentacle hands and legs, but that wasn’t what got his attention. Tentacles wrapped around the edges of the demon’s head, a wide mouth with sharp teeth layered in the middle.

A smile spread across his face, as his heart speed up continuing to read more about how they could summon it. He knew this was what they needed to finally get rid of Buffy. Then there would be no way for her friends to screw things up and bring her back. The tough part now was to get the guys on board without giving too much away.

“Guys, I’ve got it. I know how we’re going to handle the Slayer.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The quick sprint back to the bike was enough to have her stomach in shreds and her gag reflex reeling. Spike held onto her upper arm the entire run back after she nearly tripped over her own feet before they left the driveway. He released her once they reached the alley after she tried to pull free more than once.

She didn’t make it very far before she fell to her knees and spilled the contents of her stomach. Her throat burned and her stomach gurgled as the evening’s fun came hurling onto the pavement. Instantly, Spike was right behind her, pulling her loose hair out of her face, and rubbed her back with his free hand as her body shook.

“It’s alright, luv. Let it all out,” he said, waiting patiently as she continued to struggle.

She gasped for air in between bursts, finally catching her breath before the next round started. This went on for what felt like forever until she finally had nothing left. Tears streamed down her face, as she slowed her breathing, praying it was the last of it. In the back of her mind, she kept repeating never again, over and over. If this didn’t prove that she wasn’t a drinker, she didn’t know what would.

Once he realized the worst of it was over, Spike slowly pulled her toward him, his eyes full of concern as he wiped the tears from her face, and caressed her cheek as he continued to murmur reassurances to her. She leaned into him, allowing him hold her as she begged her vision to rid itself of the black spots that seemed to pulse with her heartbeat. The night just kept get better and better as it went.

“God, I’m never drinking again.” She sniffled. “I should have known better. Buffy and drinking not so mixy.”

“It will be alright, pet. Just need to figure out when to stop is all. ‘Sides you’ll be fine tomorrow. That Slayer healing will have you all fixed up, yeah?”

“I guess so.” She snuggled closer, knowing he was right, but it wasn’t very comforting for the here and now. She was out of sorts and the only thing keeping her together was Spike. If not for him, she would probably be laying the ditch, praying for it all to stop. But instead she was in his arms as he continued to gently rub her back.

It was quite comforting.

They stayed like this for a while, until Buffy thought she might fall asleep. As much as she would love to fall asleep right now, it wasn’t the place. She pulled away, and slowly stood. Her vision blackened for a second before focusing. Spike stood right behind her, ready to catch her.

She started off toward the bike, realizing she should ask him for a ride home instead of going to the cemetery. Not thinking, she quickly whipped her head around and asked, “Do you think you can give me a ride to…” The movement was too fast and her vision faded before she finished the sentence and her body went limp.

Her last memory was hoping Spike would catch her before she hit the pavement.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

‘Oh bloody hell.’

Spike caught her before her face had the opportunity to greet the pavement. He had kept a close watch knowing that she was on the verge of passing out, but knew she would refuse if he tried to carry her to the bike. She was so stubborn never listening, especially if the suggestion came from him.

He looked down at the stunning face that lay cradled against his chest, making soft snoring sounds. He leaned his head against hers and laughed to himself. She was out for the count, and any attempts at trying to wake her would be unsuccessful. Deciding to just let her be, he sat right where he was as he stroked her beautiful blond tresses.

A sense of peace came over him as he held her like this with her completely vulnerable. He knew she didn’t truly trust him, couldn’t see him beyond the fists and fangs, but tonight she did. How else could he explain what was happening now?

It was beyond his wildest dreams to actually be able to hold her like this, to take care of her like he knew he could. Something special was happening between them. He could feel it. Had been for weeks, but tonight was different. For the first time, he knew she felt it too and he was too selfish to just let it be.

This meant everything.

Of course, he wasn’t completely oblivious to the fact it had taken a lot of alcohol to get her there. A couple of shots of the good stuff and the stick up her ass had disappeared almost immediately. He couldn’t remember how long it been since she had smiled, certainly it was before all the shit with Glory went down.

An odd sensation of warmth covered him earlier when she smiled at him, it radiated over him in waves as he realized it wasn’t about her pretending to enjoy the hand of cards. He couldn’t help himself when he reached over and touched her hand. He just needed to feel her at that moment, and let her know that he was with her. There was no way she could know exactly how much of an affect she had on him. A smile and a brief caress directed his way was more than he had bargained for, sending his stomach fluttering like a twelve year old schoolgirl. And he didn’t care.

He was going to prove to her how right they were for each other, that he could be just what she needed. If only she would give them a chance. But that was a thought for another time. As much as he would like to freeze this moment caring and protecting her, he needed to get her back to Revello Drive.

He kissed the top of her head and easily lifted up, carrying her light weight over to the motorcycle, where he sat down with her in front leaning against his chest. Turning the ignition over, the engine roared to life, his arms on the handlebars locking her in.

Now to get them to her place in one piece and everyone be asleep so he could sneak them into the house without anyone giving him shit about the Slayer’s state. Her house wasn’t too far from here and at this time of night few people were on the road. Deciding to take it slow as to not disturb her, he enjoyed what was left of his time alone with her, choosing to not worry about anything else.

The light in the living room was on when he pulled up the curb, and he cursed his luck. He knew exactly what he would be up against stepping foot in the house. He just hoped to keep his temper in check and keep it civil, for Buffy’s sake as well as his own.

Sitting the bike on its stand, he gathered Buffy up holding her close as he walked to the house taking a deep breath, wafting in her scent. He secretly hoped his shirt would retain her unique smell mixed lavender and vanilla so he could sleep with it imagining her smile tonight. Only dreams of her would fill his head tonight. Not that it was different from any other.

His gaited boot steps were the only thing sturring as he walked up the porch steps, and opened the door. The house was quiet, the dining room dark, only the foyer and living room lights on as he shut the door behind him. With his supernatural hearing, he could hear the light turning of pages as he headed toward the stairs.

Giles sat on a flowery sheet covered couch, gazing at a book in front of him. He glanced up, eyes wide with surprise.

“Dear Lord, what has happened? Is she alright?” He rushed over, looking her over for injuries.

A low growl emitted from the center of his chest. His jaw clenched as he reigned in his emotions. “No, Watcher. Just a bit too much fun tonight is all. I need to get her upstairs to her room.”

Giles clearly didn’t believe him and continued to look for injuries, oblivious to Spike’s eye roll.

“I said she’s fine, Watcher. Just needs a good night’s rest and will be good as new. Let me get her upstairs, and I’ll be off.”

Giles’ jaw clenched as he realized the state his Slayer was in and with whom. He tore his glasses off of his face, pinching his nose. “I can’t bloody well believe this is happening. As if things weren’t bad enough without her getting drunk and passing out. Doesn’t she know the vulnerable position she’s put herself in?”

Spike raised his eyebrow at the mention of things being bad, listening to the Watchers rant. It didn’t surprise him she wouldn’t get any sympathy from him. The life of the Chosen one was one of perfection in the eyes of her peers. If he only knew how much their support would help her right now. But he was too blind for that. Fucking pompous bastard.

“She’s dealing. What do you lot expect from her? Come back and be the nice and proper Slayer she used to be?” Spike snorted. “She’s seen things you daft wankers couldn’t begin to imagine, and now you have the bloody gall to be surprised when she wants to tie one on, and dance with the dark side. Get bent, Watcher.

Giles sputtered. “But she has her calling, a responsibility, you idiotic fool. She can’t go off and get drunk and patrol. That’s incredibly irresponsible. She could have been killed.”

Spike’s lip curled. “Well we weren’t on patrol. Just finding a spot of violence is all. Besides, she’s fine. I was with her the entire time. Wouldn’t let anything happen to her.”

“Oh, that makes me feel so much better. The fact she dropped her guard and allowed herself to be vulnerable to you. I’ll never understand, chip or no chip.” Giles face was red, his anger reaching the surface.

Spike could feel himself losing the narrow grip he had on his temper, his demon crawling its way to the surface to put the Watcher in his place. But he knew better, was smart enough to know it would only make things worse. The best he could do was to outsmart the Watcher.

“Oh so it was okay for me to patrol with you and yours all summer, but it’s not okay to watch over her when she returns. Oh, I see how it is.” He laughed to himself.

Giles stammered. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

“Look. I’m only going to say this once, and you can believe me or not. It’s not like I care.” He paused to make sure he understood loud and clear. “I’m not going to hurt her, chip or no chip. As far as patrol goes, I’ve got her back, Watcher. Unlike you, I can see it clearly. She’s going through something and I’m not going to let her go about it alone and get herself killed because you think she should just move on or whatever else you think. She’s got me, no matter how much it twists your knickers.”

“Oh well that’s reassuring. It’s no surprise that you are right here at the ready to jump in. She may have forgotten, but I remember your obsession. If you think I’m going to stand by while you manipulate her, you’re sadly mistaken.”

Spike huffed, shaking his head. “Think what you want about me and my intentions, I don’t care. None of you lot matter except for Nibblet and the Slayer. If there is anything you can count on, it’s I won’t abandon them. Not now, not ever.”

He wanted to add that they needed him now more than ever, but thought better of it. The Watcher was blinded by deep rooted prejudice from the Council’s teachings, and he knew there was no way he was going to change his mind. It didn’t really matter to him what he thought, as long as the two most important people in his life thought differently.

He looked down at Buffy. She was completely still, deep in sleep. He was glad she wasn’t awake to listen to this idiotic exchange. It was pointless. The Slayer was suffering and no one seemed to really notice, unless she was doing something they didn’t like. It was time for her to be free of it all, and start living the life she wanted.

Giles eyes narrowed. “We would all be better off if you left town.”

“Well that’s not happening, so the argument is void.” His senses were tingling, letting him know it wasn’t far off from sunrise. He needed to stop this nonsense and get out of here. “She needs some rest. I’ll just put her in her room and be off.”

“You most certainly will not. I will not allow you in her room with her unconscious.”

“Fine. I’ll wake her then by passing her off to you. Not a problem. It’s not like she needs the rest.” He paused, waiting for a response, all the while laughing to himself. “Yeah, didn’t think so. Follow up then if you’re so worried.”

It amazed him the stupidity of this. If he was going to do anything, he would have certainly done it already. It wasn’t like he was known for his patience after all.

The stairs creaked as he walked up, the Watcher on his heels. Spike made sure not to hit her head or feet, not wanting to break the peaceful sleep she seemed to be in. Once he entered her room, he gave her a quick kiss on her forehead, shielding his actions from the Watcher. She stirred, leaning closer into his embrace. The movement went straight through him, his skin tingling from the contact.

Holding her still, he pulled her comforter down and gently laid her on the bed. He moved to remove her shoes, but Giles stopped him.

“I’ll take care of the rest. I think you have done enough for one night.”

Spike’s jaw clenched making his cheekbones even more prominent. Without another word, he left the room, flying down the stairs and out of the house. He was angry, but he wasn’t going to let it get to him. Not this time.

No, this time things were different. He just knew it.