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STAKE YOUR CLAIM


Chapter 6: Part I, ‘Let’s Make A Deal’

Buffy glanced around the huge table as everyone, including herself, drank coffee and ate pie.

‘I thought only we Southerners ate pie every day, day and night,’ she pondered as she sipped her coffee and her gaze fell on Lord and Lady Rhys-Smythe. Spike’s older sister, his only sister and full blooded sibling, Drusilla, was beautiful and apparently quite intelligent. Her husband, Lord Wesley seemed to be her equal in every way, looks, personality and a keen wit. At this moment, Drusilla was talking quietly with Jennifer and Cordelia Rayne, about the latest fashions in Europe no doubt. Buffy was rather set off from the other females, positioned right between Spike on her left and Connor on her right.

‘I’m sure someone had a hand in that little arrangement’ she surmised to herself.

“Buffy, dear,” Jenny Giles beamed at her, “perhaps you can tell us the story of the Train robbery. I’ve told it so many times, I’m sure I’ve lost sight of the real truth quite by accident, of course, and I want Wesley and Dru to hear it exactly as it happened.”

Spike chuckled softly next to her, “yes, do tell us exactly what happened, Miss Buffy, dear,” he seconded his Stepmother’s request in his rather sarcastic tone.

“Oh, do, Buffy,” Drusilla hopped in excitedly, “nothing ever happens to me that exciting!”

“I,” Buffy began, blushing again, “I would like to but…”

Spike stood up quickly, interrupting the course of the conversation.

“I was going to show Miss Buffy her new mare right now, Jennifer, Dru. Can she possibly relay the story later?”

The women nodded quickly, exchanging knowing smiles between them.

“Of course, William,” Jennifer concurred, “you take Buffy out and show her Cloud. I’m sure she’ll be quite impressed.”

Buffy noticed the three other women smiled giddily at each other, including Cordelia Rayne. Rupert Giles and Ethan Rayne beamed at Spike.

‘Did Rupert Giles just wink at his oldest son?’ Buffy wondered as she took Spike’s outreached hand and allowed him to escort her out of the back door to the rather large corral close behind the house. There, right next to the wooden fence stood two of the most beautiful horses Buffy had ever laid eyes on. They were as different as night and day, in looks that is; the black stallion was huge, dark as night and literally dwarfed the gorgeous pale Palomino beside him.

‘That must be Demon,’ Buffy realized as the two horses stood side by side, quietly nuzzling each other. Of course, the Palimino was Cloud, that was obvious.

“Oh, Spike,” Buffy gasped in awe as she hurried to the fence to stroke the two horses necks. “They’re beautiful, especially Cloud! We can’t separate them, look how close they are!”

Spike joined her by the fence and reached out to pet Cloud’s lovely mane, “well, they are close Buffy,” he concurred, “but I think this is the perfect horse for you. Besides, I have every intention of bringing Demon to visit her as much as possible. If you permit that is.”

He was rewarded by a bright red blush on fair Buffy’s pretty face and long silky neck.

“I see,” she whispered, her gaze still focused on the horses. “I am not sure, Spike,” Buffy stammered wistfully as she stroked the Palomino’s silky mane, “it seems a shame to separate them at all.”

Spike reached down the neck of the mare and accidently, on purpose, touched Buffy’s hand with his, sending an electric shock wave through both of them. She looked up at him, finally, with those huge green eyes that just melted him. That’s when he noticed moisture in them and wondered what he’d done to make her tear up.

‘What the bloody hell did I say now?’ he stared at her, puzzled.

“I just hate to see these two broken hearted, Spike,” she sighed softly with a wistful voice. “It doesn’t seem right to separate them, take them away from each other. Look how they care for each other. I don’t think I could bear to see either of them unhappy.”

She buried her head in the Palimino’s neck and sighed deeply, “that and I am not sure that a single woman should accept such a fine gift from a single man. What would the good people of Cheyenne say?”

Spike grinned, lifted her little chin up so that she met his gaze and tucked a lock of her hair behind her right ear, “they’ll say, the men at least, damn but Spike Giles is a smart bloke. Wish I’d thought of giving that lovely little new school teacher a horse, at least!”

Buffy burst out in laughter, wiping her eyes gently, “oh, so that’s it. Getting in good with the teacher, huh?” she continued to giggle, which she couldn’t help; she just hated it when she giggled too much.

“Hope it helps my cause,” he added with a wink, something Buffy should have been upset about, but just couldn’t be. ‘This is a handsome, intelligent man,’ she sighed to herself in resignation, ‘but I still cannot just accept this magnificent horse.’

Spike watched Buffy scrunch up her face in thought as she chewed on her luscious bottom lip gently.

‘I’d like to be the one chewing that lip,’ he fantasized silently, ‘only a matter of time, of coure, but…’

“Could we make a deal, Spike?” Buffy suddenly piped up, bringing him out of his fantasy.

“Huh? A deal?” She nodded with determination, but smiled warmly.

“What do you say? We will trade something for the horse? I could do something for you, or your family, a service or something?”

Spike couldn’t help but let his baser nature rise at that little offer. His blue eyes must have just danced with merriment as he gazed into her huge green ones, a smirk on his face.

“Well,” he leaned closer to her, stopping just a few inches from her face, “now that’s an interesting proposition, Miss Buffy Summers. And, actually there is a lot of something you could do for me.”

He finished in a near whisper and felt proud and hopeful when Buffy looked up from her half closed eyes, her golden lashes fluttering.

“No!” she suddenly cried, red-faced, “I mean, no. What I meant was….” Buffy was so flustered that her whole face was bright red from embarrassment. “Ohhhh,” she growled at him with a frown, “why do you have to be so darn crude!”

Spike began to laugh and when Buffy tried to push past him, he reached out and grabbed her gently, “don’t run off, Buffy. I’m sorry, really and I’ll try to be good, I promise. Just stay here with me for a while and we’ll talk more. In my defense though,” and he tried to look his most remorseful as he gazed into the fiery green orbs that glared back at him; “in my defense, Miss Buffy Summers, you do bring out the demon in me that way. Can’t help it, you’re such a delightful little thing. But, I’ll be good,” he sighed his promise.

Buffy was torn between pulling away from Spike, slapping him or just scolding him like a school boy in class. She opted for nodding her head and staying put, saying nothing more about his latest innuendo. However, she noticed that Spike Gile’s did not let go of her arm right away either, which somehow excited her, even as it annoyed her.

“Hmmm,” Buffy murmered as she gently pulled away from Spike, “you, good? We’ll see William Giles.” Her mouth was twisted in a little smirk. With a toss of head, Buffy went back to petting Cloud lovingly. “We still need to figure out a compromise, Spike, I mean about this wonderful gift of yours? Is there any way to settle this?”

Spike settled his back against the fence as he watched his future wife (okay, in his own mind anyway) stroke her new horse lovingly

‘Wish she’d stroke me like that,’ he thought longingly, ‘someday she will, though.’ He finally hit upon an idea he thought might be ageeable to both of them.

“I’ll tell you what, Miss Buffy,” he began, staring her down, “what do you say to this? When the time comes, I’ll bring Demon around to mate with Cloud. If it takes and there’s a foal? I’ll claim it as mine. Does that sound reasonable?”

He watched Buffy blush in at least six shades of pink to red, but then she nodded firmly, “yes, Spike. That sounds like a fine idea.”

When Buffy stuck out her hand to his, indicating a shake of the deal, Spike had to stifle a laugh.

He somberly took her hand and shook it, but inwardly he thought, ‘that’s the ticket, Buffy dear. By the time I mate these horses, you and I will be married with a little brat of our own on the way!’


A/N: Oooooh, another shortie chapter from me! What a novelty! Please read and review, if nothing else let me know if I should continue this tale of the Western Range! (And I don’t mean Whirlpool or Amana!). Oh, Chapter 6, Part II will be longer. Spike will find out for sure that he has a rival(s) for Buffy’s affections! Thank you for your support! Luv, Spuf





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