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Buffy straightened up around the small shelter that was apparently going to be their new home, while Spike searched the surrounding area for food and water. The inside of the shelter was fairly well-kept, complete with a bed made from leaves that was surprisingly comfortable and undisturbed by nature. She couldn't even find any bugs or other little creatures living in it. It was also big enough for two, despite the fact that Mr. Bones seemed to have been living alone. All very convenient.

As was the fact that she wasn't all that hungry even though she hadn't eaten in well over a day. She also felt clean despite her current lack of bathing, and she didn't stink. Nor did Spike, even with his current pirate status. Neither one of them had bad breath, and her hair managed to be, at worst, a bit tousled. And now that she thought about it, she hadn't had to go to the bathroom once since she'd woken up on the ship.

Buffy supposed those were the perks of living in a work of fiction.

If it weren't for the fact that she periodically lost her free will and felt the desire to jump her mortal enemy coupled with her "trapped" status, this wouldn't really be so bad. Sort of like a tropical vacation. A tropical vacation with Spike, which was turning out to be surprisingly not so bad.

Buffy shook her head. That must be Elizabeth invading her thoughts again. Buffy only tolerated Spike because she had to, not because she enjoyed his company.

Spike walked into the shelter, and Buffy jumped. He smirked when he realized he'd startled her, and Buffy decided that was something else she missed about her slayerness—being able to tell when someone was trying to sneak up on her. "Spike! I thought you were looking around."

"I was. Found some nice, sparkly water. Thought you might want to see it."

"Oh. Well, um, lead the way then."

Buffy's cheeks were slightly flushed as she followed Spike into the woods. While common sense told him it was simply her embarrassment from him being able to startle her, he couldn't help but hope that maybe he was affecting her like she was him. That had been quite a kiss after all, and even if someone else had been doing the thinking, it had still been Buffy's body. She had to have reacted to it physically, didn't she?

When Spike pushed away the low-hanging branches in front of them, Buffy gasped. It was one of the most beautiful places she'd ever seen: a crystal-blue spring set in a tropical paradise. Birds sang from their perches high in the branches of trees that hung heavy with fruit. Vibrantly colored flowers accentuated the landscape, and she longed to feel the rush from the small waterfall on the other side of the pool.

"Oh, William, it's lovely," Elizabeth said as she turned to face him.

"You like it, sweet?"

"Oh, yes! I dare say I shan't ever see a place more beautiful than this, even if I live to be a hundred!"

"I can think of only one thing I have ever seen that rivals it in beauty." William's intense stare made his meaning apparent to Elizabeth, and she blushed and turned her head away.

"William, you flatter me too much."

"I think I do not flatter you enough. You are the loveliest creature I have ever had the fortune of gazing upon. Every inch of you radiates beauty. You're…effulgent."

Elizabeth looked up at his face again, this time with tears shimmering in her bright green eyes. "You are not the course scoundrel I believed you to be when we first met, William. You speak to me with the heart of a poet."

"I merely utter the words that spring to my lips when I gaze upon your beauty." William cupped her cheek, his heart swelling for her. He wanted to touch her, but felt unworthy to do so. She was such a pure creature—what right did he have to taint her? He dropped his hand. "You must be thirsty. Come, the water is fine to drink."

Elizabeth felt disappointment flood her. She had been certain that William was going to kiss her again, and she had already begun to long for the delicious feelings his touch stirred inside of her. As he pulled away, she wanted to initiate a kiss with him, but was embarrassed by even the mere thought of being such a brazen woman. Instead, she let him lead her to the water's edge. Suddenly, she tripped over a root, reaching out and grabbing William as she fell, pulling them both into the water.

"Bloody hell, Buffy!" Spike shook his head, trying to get the dripping white-blond strands of hair out of his eyes. "Are you trying to drown me now?"

Buffy sputtered. "It wasn't me! It was Elizabeth!"

"Well isn't she a right clumsy chit, then?" Spike snapped. He found himself quickly tiring of those schizophrenic moments, especially since Captain William was starting to remind him a bit too much of his pre-vampire self. Had he actually used the word "effulgent?"

"Yeah, well, for all I know, William knocked me in!" Buffy retorted.

"Now you're just being argumentative."

Buffy gave him a dirty look, and Spike then realized that the water had made the clothes she was wearing almost see-through. The wet fabric clung to her skin, and he couldn't manage to do anything but stare. She looked so deliciously indignant, and with her every curve highlighted in such a manner, Spike couldn't hold himself back. He made his way over to her quickly and grabbed her, kissing her roughly.

Buffy's eyes widened. Was this Spike or William? She certainly wasn't Elizabeth, which would lead her to believe that the man kissing her now was not William. But why would Spike do this? He wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her flush against him. Buffy could feel him so easily through their wet clothes, and she moaned. Even if her mind was confused by this turn of events, her body knew how to respond. She wondered if the book was controlling only their actions now, instead of their thoughts and speech, too, as it had earlier. That had to be it. She couldn't come up with any other reason for kissing Spike.

She gripped his shoulders, not trusting her footing on the uneven ground of the lakebed. This kiss was different that the one before when they'd been in character. The kiss was bruising, and even at his most passionate, William had never been this rough. She realized then that this was wholly Spike. He kissed her the same way he fought, with violence and passion mingling together as he poured everything he was into a single physical act.

When they broke apart, her whispered her name, tangling soft reverence and rough need in the sound. Buffy's fingers dug into his arms as their eyes met, surprise echoed between them. It seemed he'd been almost as unprepared for that as she had been. He dipped his face towards her again, and Buffy moved to meet him. She wanted to give into the fire that had been stirring in her since the first kiss they'd shared on this island.

Suddenly, Spike lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her back to land. He laid her out on the grass, moving to cover her body with his. He tore himself away from her lips, trailing his mouth across her jaw line. "I want you, Buffy," he whispered in her ear, his voice rough with need. "I was you so much."

"Spike," Buffy said softly, barely managing anything more than a whimper. She thrust her hips up, craving contact and moaned at the bulge she felt pressing into her. "I want you, too." And god, she did. Whether it was the book making her feel this way or not, she didn't care. She just needed more of this.

Spike stiffened on top of her, his ministrations ceasing. Buffy frowned. Why was he stopping? He wasn't supposed to stop now. "Spike?"

"Shh." His eyes widened, and he stood up, pulling her with him, then pushing her behind him.

"What's…" She stopped when she saw a large boar only a few feet away from them.

"Elizabeth, go back into the water."

"William, it will surely harm you!"

"Do as I say, Elizabeth, please!" William entreated her as he drew a knife from his belt.

Elizabeth slipped back into the water, wrapping her arms defensively around herself as she watched William. What would she do if something were to happen to him? In such a short time he had gone from her most hated enemy to someone she felt she would die without. She gazed upon the scene with bated breath, her heart clenching as she feared the worst.

William struck as soon as the boar came for him, pushing the creature to the ground as he plunged the knife into it. The beast began to squeal horribly, and William continued to stab it until the sound was no more. He let out a sigh of relief as he looked down at the boar's carcass.

Elizabeth ran from the water and threw her arms around William, seemingly unaffected by the blood that now stained his clothes. "I was so afraid something would happen to you, William!"

"Wouldn't have let that happen," William replied as he dropped the knife and embraced her. "I had to protect you." He looked at her face and saw the tears rolling down her porcelain-smooth cheeks. "Don't cry, lamb. Everything is fine now. We're both safe."

"But…but what if we hadn't been?"

"Wasn't going to happen. I would never allow harm to befall you." William pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead. "Come, darling. Let's get you back to the shelter."

He picked her up, cradling her trembling body in his arms as her carried her away from the spring.

*** *** ***

"Found it!"

The group in the Magic Box turned to see Anya standing behind the counter, triumphantly holding up the book. "Are they all right?" Willow asked. "Is there anyway you can find that out?"

Anya rolled her eyes. "Well, yeah, read the book."

"You mean the book is telling the story of what's happening to Spike and Buffy?" Tara asked.

"Yes. Once the person enters the story, the pages become blank, only to be written on as the story unfolds." Anya flipped through to the last written on page. "William just killed a boar."

"William?" Xander asked.

"It's what the book says. And that's Spike's real name, isn't it?" Anya replied. "William the Bloody?" She frowned. "You know, a friend of mine knew a guy that everyone called William the Bloody, but he wasn't anything like Spike, at least from what she said. And that was way back in my vengeance demon days, so that guy would be…"

"Anya, that's great, hon, but it's not relevant to Buffy or Spike," Xander said. "What's going on in the story? Are we too late?"

"Too late? They're both fine, and…" Anya trailed off with a sigh. "Oh. You mean have they had sex." She flipped though the pages for a moment before looking up and announcing, "Nope. There's still just lots of unresolved sexual tension."

"Well, that's good, I think," Giles said with frown. "Anya, would you mind keeping an eye on Spike and Buffy's progress through the book while we work on a way to bring them back to this world?"

"No problem," Anya replied. "This looks like a juicy read." She walked over to the table and sat down in one of the chairs, propping up her feet. "If you want to deprive Buffy of great orgasms, you better hurry," she said after a moment. "These two are about to pop. You should read this scene in the water. Damn."

"Anya!" Xander said, unable to handle what his girlfriend was saying.

"What? Giles told me to read the book, so I'm reading the book."

"Anya," Giles said as he furiously cleaned his glasses. "It may be best to keep the occurrences in the novel to yourself unless Buffy and Spike are in grave danger. For all our sanity."

Anya shrugged. "Whatever." She turned her attention back to the novel.

"I'm gonna head out and get some coffee," Xander said. "This looks like it's going to be a long night."

As Xander left, Giles, Willow, and Tara gather together to start discussing how exactly they were going to save Buffy.

*** *** ***

Sorry for the lack of updates. I had a paper to write, a couple of exams to study for, and a very tired muse.

Thanks again to all my reviewers. Your words of encouragement have been very much appreciated.





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