'Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters relating to Buffy or Angel. I do not make any profit either. I do this purely for amusement. All rights belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy etc.

Bound

Chapter 1 Domesticated

The night had been slow and the weather was turning nasty. The wind was whipping at her legs and hair. She pulled her jacket round her and had put the collar up to protect her neck. Dark clouds billowed in the sky and threatened to spill their cold wet cargo. Flashes of lightning lit the darkness and a low rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance.

Buffy put her stake back in her pocket and turned towards the graveyard exit.Another rumble of thunder caught her unaware and she shrieked. ' What the hells gotten into you Summers, it's just a storm'. She chastised herself for being so edgy. She was the Slayer, nothing should phase her.She walked in through the front door of her home and shrugged off her jacket . She saw that nobody was in or up. The T.V was on but the light was off.

"Dawn?"

No answer.

"I forget the times I've told her to shut the T.V off before going to bed" She mumbled to herself.

"Wasn't Niblets fault " a voice said from the kitchen " I was just trying to catch the footy hi-lights"

"Wasn't on a sports channel Spike. You were watching Passions again weren't you?"

"No!" than a pause "Okay I was but you best not take the piss , Slayer"

"What episode is it?" She slumped on the couch and accepted the mug of cocoa

"The one that I missed cos Dawn had to watch a video for her school project"

Buffy just raised her brows and sighed.She propped her feet up onto the coffee table and groaned

"Tough day pet?"

"Yeah , seems everyone developed a taste for Doublemeat medleys today.My feet are killing me. Good news was there were no nasties lurking on patrol tonight."

Spike sat next to her and drew her feet onto his lap and rubbed at her aching feet

"Mmm feels good"

"Don't go expecting this all the time slayer"

If she heard him she didn't show it, she was in her own world , relaxing into his asault on her tired aching feet.

After a while Spike stopped tending to her feet and she opened her eyes , moaning at the loss of contact.

"I have tomorrow to myself , looks like I'll be doing laundry and chores all day. Lucky me !"

"S'done. We did it today. Red and Dawn helped. You get the day to relax pet"

"How?" Since when did Dawn do chores?"

"I had to promise to take her to see a movie at the weekend while you worked . Not that I mind but I can't say I'm looking forward to watching another teen romance flick"

"What the Big Bad not into that then?"

"No!"

"And yet you watch Passions" Buffy giggled as a pillow hit her in the face

"Watch it slayer"

"What time is it?"

"Time you got in a bath and rested luv"

"Sounds like heaven to me , but ... urgh ... means I have to climb stairs" she pouted

Spike grabbed her up into his arms and carried her up to her room . He dropped her onto her bed and left her without saying a word. She sat there wondering what had bought that on and heard the bath water being drawn and a hint of vanilla wafted to her nose.After sitting there for a while she was aware of a quiet rap at her door and his husky voice .

"Baths there waiting Slayer , don't let it go cold"

And then his heavy boot clad footsteps went downstairs.

"Domestic bliss with Spike? Okay ... what bizarro world did I just walk into?"

Buffy had to admit , the bath was perfect. She had soaked her aching muscles and felt more relaxed than she had in a while. After getting dressed in a tank top and shorts, she went downstairs to see Spike sprawled on the couch in just his jeans and drinking a mug of cocoa again.

"There's one out there for you luv"

"Thanks" She was so confused .

Spike was usually full of innuendo and snide remarks , he was never this nice or thoughtful. What the hell was going on?

Buffy snugged up on the end of the couch . Spike swung his legs back over the edge of the couch and sat again.The silence seemed strained now, both were deep in thought.

"Do you have to talk to Rupert tomorrow?"

"Um ... yeah. After last week and now there's nothing, I should. Quiet period on the Hellmouth usually adds up to a new Big Bad heading my way"

Spike just looked down into his mug , suddenly thinking that the melted marshmallows were fascinating "Right "A pause " I'll come with you if you don't mind slayer, got something I need to have a little chat with him about"

"K" A pause "Anything I should know about?"

A sigh

Spike got up and put his mug in the kitchen and returned , shrugging his duster on.He stopped at the front door

"I have my soul "

He left and disappeared into the night before Buffy could say anything.

' What the hell just happened here?' she asked herself as she sat there with her mouth gapped open.

' Good one you ponce! Now your behaving just like the Poof! Carrying her upstairs , running her bath and rubbing her feet. Like you could keep your mouth shut after tonight? Acting just like the soddin' poet. Get a grip of yourself William you pansy' He stormed off to his crypt. He kicked the door open and slammed it shut. He jumped down to the lower level and threw his duster into a corner. Running his hands through his hair , he started calming down. ' So the Slayer knows now, you expecting her to go to mush over you? ' he said to himself.

Buffy stood in shock.

'He did just say what I thought he said , didn't he?' She thought to herself. Buffy went to the front door and quickly shrugged on her coat and ran out into the dark. Her destination , his crypt.

The crypt was in darkness. Either Spike was in the lower level or he had headed out to Willy's bar.

He rarely patrolled without her now word had gotten round the demon community. His name as the 'Big Bad' had been changed to the 'Big Sad' and he was now the Slayers current lapdog.At least Angelus had a soul he could blame for his alliance with Buffy. Well , now Spike had one, but his wasn't a curse. Nope, Spike had sort out a demon and had requested the thing himself. Bloody ponce that he was!

Spike sat in the lower level with a bottle of JD , swigging it from the bottle and growling at the burning sensation eminating from his throat as it slid down. He heard the crypt door squeak open and tiny footsteps. Bloody hell she was here. Was there any peace from the bint? He sighed .

"What ya want Slayer?"

"I want to talk to you, can I come down?"

Spike rolled his eyes up at heaven , well maybe the ceiling , like it made a blind bit of difference , she would still come down if he said no.

"Whatever " came his reply, as he raised the bottle back to his lips.

He watched as firstly her feet appeared on the ladder and then her pert ass , followed by the rest. Flicking her wet hair over her shoulder and tucking her stake into her waistband ,she approached the bed and sat down next to Spike.

"Why did you run out the house?"

"No reason" sarcasm laced his voice ' Just admitted getting my bloody soul you stupid bint!' he thought.

"I thought we had got past this Spike, next we'll be thumping each other and shouting death threats again"

"Just sod off Buffy"

She raised her brows and stood up, snatching the bottle of JD and taking a big swig.

"Urgh that's disgusting"

"Wasn't exactly asking you if you cared to share ,was I Slayer?" he snatched it back

"No" she snatched it back and took another mouthful " Didn't ask you to either"

He rolled his eyes , stood up, went to the shelf on the other side of the crypt and retrieved two glasses.

"Seen as I don't have a choice " He held the glasses up.

Buffy poured the JD into them and put the bottle down between them

"So, you gonna tell me how and why, you now have a soul?"

"What's to tell , I went on vacation and got myself all souled up and came back , and no , it's nothing like Peaches curse"

Buffy put her empty glass down and he refilled their glasses.

"Why are you being so... ansty"

"Cos you infuriate me Slayer , can't do sod all right , can I"

Confused by his outburst , she stood up and went to him, Spike stood in the dark corner with his back to her.He stiffened as he felt her hand slide round his waist

"I don't know what I did to set you off , but I'm sorry. Can we talk about it like adults now?"

He gave her a look of disbelief " You asking me to talk to you in an adult fashion " he laughed " That's rich"

"Okay maybe I deserve that, look I just don't see much of a change in you and find it hard to believe"

"Well , as I recall , Angelus was a different person once he had his soul shoved up his ass , but then he was a total wanker before hand anyway. Hope your not going to compare us"

The mention of Angel or rather Angelus took her back and made her cringe.

"No , of course not , you have never been anything like him, even before the chip "

He smiled " The rest of your bunch will though , and I'm sure the Watcher will and I have no doubt as to the experiments he will want to do"

"Why tell him , them , why tell me come to that?"

"Cos"

Buffy huffed and poured another drink for them " Well?"

"I did it for you"