Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, I just borrow them for some fun

Notes: Thanks to my betas kelticbanshee and Ron. Title is part of a Spike quote, from when Dru had left him - again.

Written for the SpankedSpikeFicathon on whichclothes livejournal, prompt was: Dru/Spike - Dru knows how to keep her boy in line

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Spike stumbled through the door of the house they were occupying at the moment, just minutes before dawn. He was still buzzing with energy. What a night. Most of his hair had escaped the band that held it back, the curls were all tangled around his face. His clothes were dirty, slightly torn, blood stained. He had gotten into a fight with a bunch of guys, he wasn't even sure how many. It had been so much fun, he had even pulled his punches to make it last longer. When he got bored of the fight, he had picked one of them, dragged him into a dark alley and drained him. It was a nice surprise that the man had been drunk, now Spike had a slight buzz as well.

That's probably why he didn't notice Angelus until he was grabbed at the collar and pushed into a wall.

"Where have you been, William?" Angelus growled into Spike's face, he was vamped out and loomed over Spike.

Spike grinned back defiantly. "Name's Spike, and what does it matter where I was? Had some fun." Angelus shook him hard enough that his head hit the wall, but Spike just couldn't resist riling him up even more. He was so tired of Angelus pushing him around, of telling him what he should or should not do. "Do you even know what fun is?" Spike raised an eyebrow in challenge, the effect of it slightly spoiled by the fact that Angelus pushed him up the wall by his neck and actually lifted him off the floor. Spike unsuccessfully grabbed at his hand and tried to remove it from his neck.

"Oh, I know what fun is, will have some fun with you, teach you some manners." Angelus growled and emphasized his words with a few slaps to Spike's face. They were more playful than anything else, but Spike felt humiliated at being treated like a misbehaving puppy. Not that he could do anything about it, he still hadn't managed to ease Angelus' grip on his neck. And as his airways were cut off, he couldn't even verbally retaliate. Good thing he didn't need to breathe any more.

Dru chose this moment to come down the stairs, she looked slightly confused. Spike shot her a pleading look, he knew his princess didn't like it when Angelus hurt him - and Spike himself wasn't too fond of it either. Angelus had far too much fun torturing him.

"Someone was naughty again, bad boy." Drusilla came closer and tapped Spike on the nose. Strangely he didn't mind at all when it was her who treated him like a puppy, not Angelus. "Just look at your clothes." She tutted.

"Yes, he was. That's why I'm going to teach him a lesson." Angelus growled and shook Spike some more.

Dru gasped. "But Daddy, he's mine, you promised. You can't hurt him." She looked up at Angelus, seemingly all innocent and vulnerable. "I promise I'll make him behave in future." Tears welled up in her eyes, Spike wasn't quite sure if they were real or not. "Please, don't take him away from me." Her voice was quiet now, almost inaudible. She put a hand on Angelus arm that was still holding Spike up and looked from one to the other, fighting back tears.

Angelus sighed, his face shifted back to human. Obviously he still couldn't resist Dru when she was like this. When the grip on his neck loosened a bit, Spike gasped in some air, just in case he needed to talk. For now he watched Dru and Angelus closely and tried to figure out what would happen next.

"You obviously can't control him, Dru. He will have to stay out of trouble in future or I'm going to beat some sense into him, is that clear?" Angelus looked from Dru to Spike at the last words. Spike just nodded, did for once decide that it would be wiser to shut up. He'd been at the receiving end of Angelus' lessons before and didn't want to repeat the experience any time soon.

"I'll punish my naughty boy and he will be good. Won't you, Spike?"

"Yes, princess, I'm sorry, didn't want to upset you." Spike really meant it. He wasn't sorry about what he had done that night, but he didn't want to upset Dru, his dark princess. He loved her. He wanted to make her happy.

Angelus suddenly pulled him away from the wall and pushed him down in front of Dru. Spike just barely got his hands down in time to avoid ending up sprawled on the floor. As it was he was kneeling in front of her, her hand wandered to the back of his head, pulled on his hair until he looked up at her. Spike could see the disappointment in her eyes. He had after all promised her not to anger Angelus any more. He barely noticed Angelus stomp off, he was so focussed on his princess. She had given him this new life. She had seen something special in him - and he hated to see her hurt or disappointed. She might be a bit barmy, but he didn't care, she was his dark princess and he would always be there for her.

"Such a bad boy." Drusilla sighed and pulled him out of his thoughts. "What should I do with you?"

"Whatever you want." Spike didn't have to think about his answer, he'd do anything for her, would let her do anything to him, if it just made her happy again.

Dru didn't answer, but gave him a strange smile. She dragged him to his feet, her hand still tightly wound into his hair. She kept pulling when she walked off, up the stairs, into her bedroom. Spike got slightly dragged behind her, but he didn't say a word, just followed her. In her room, Dru walked to a high backed chair, sat down on it and pulled Spike over her lap.

"Naughty boys will get spanked." She stated in a high pitched voice, then let go of his hair. Spike didn't move, even if she didn't hold him down any more. He had meant it when he told her she could do anything she wanted to him, he would not fight her. Especially not when he had already disappointed her, he wanted Dru to forgive him.

"Yes Dru." His voice sounded small, even to himself.

"What were you thinking? You know how upset Daddy gets when you get into trouble. And I hate when Daddy is upset with you." Dru sounded as if she was close to tears herself.

"I'm really sorry Dru, it won't happen again." Right this moment he meant it, he didn't want to upset her again. But at the same time he knew that it would happen again, that he'd forget about his promise in the heat of the moment.

Without any warning his trousers were yanked down, an arm tightened around his waist to hold him in place and Dru's other hand smacked his now bare bottom. Spike gasped, but more in surprise than in pain. It stung, yes, but he didn't really mind the pain. She'd hit him harder before, and he had thoroughly enjoyed it. But not today. He knew that he had disappointed her. Her hand kept falling on his skin, the sound of it loud in the otherwise empty room.

The world seemed to vanish, there were just Dru and him. He hurt, felt humiliated, was sorry, wanted to make it all better for her. Tears started to run over his face, not so much from the pain, but because she still didn't say a word. Spike wanted... needed... to hear her say that she did forgive him, he couldn't bear the thought that she would stop loving him, caring for him.

After some time, he didn't know how long, she stopped hitting him, rested her hand on his lower back. The small gesture reassured him, but he still couldn't stop crying.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered in between sobs. "Please, forgive me, princess."

Dru pulled him up, until he was sitting on her lap, still bare bottomed, trousers tangled around his legs. She gently wiped away his tears and held him until he had calmed down. He felt safe and loved in her embrace and leaned into it.

"Of course, I do forgive you." She whispered into his ear. "But I won't always be there to protect you from yourself or from Angelus. Promise me you'll be more careful in future?" She sounded completely earnest now, none of her usual playfulness in her voice. She was right here, with him, not talking to stars or anything else. Spike felt as if he was the only thing that mattered to her right now.

"I promise." He whispered back, face buried in her neck.

They stayed like this for a while, just holding each other, then went to bed. Spike could see the sun shine around the curtains, but he knew that their bed was far out of reach of any stray rays that might find their way into the room. He curled up under the heavy duvet with his princess in his arms, the pain of the spanking already forgotten.

But he hadn't forgotten the pain in her eyes when she thought Angelus would punish him. He didn't want to see that again any time soon, so he reminded himself to be a lot more careful in future and stay out of trouble if possible. As much as he liked to annoy Angelus by doing the exact opposite of what he was supposed to, as much did he hate to hurt his princess. For her he would do almost anything, even do as Angelus told him.