Title: Initiative
Rating: PG-13 (some things are hinted at)
Summary: In my world Buffy is nice to Spike, Riley doesn't exist and all the Initiative boys aren't complete jerks
Pairing: Buffy/Spike (or at least the start of)
Buffy sighed as she trudged through the cemetery. She turned a corner and suddenly a black blur ran into her. She made and oomph sound as she landed on her butt. She quickly moved to her feet and examined the blur. She realized with disgust that it was Spike. He stumbled to his feet and looked at her, "Slayer?"
Before she could say anything there were three commandos in front of her. Ah, that's why Spike had been running. The commandos froze when they saw her and she concentrated on them, ignoring Spike as he carefully went on the defensive. The front soldier stepped forward and Buffy also took a defensive. The soldier pointed at Spike, "Why are you protecting a hostile?"
Spike's shoulders straightened, "I'm not being protected by some silly bint!"
Buffy was going to protect him, but as Spike spoke she remembered there was no reason she should. She suddenly grabbed his arm, intending to throw him to the soldiers, but as soon as her hand wrapped around his arm she could feel him shaking. She looked at him, taking in how he had put her in between him and the soldiers and she realized despite his bravado he was afraid.
Oh hell, she couldn't let them take him, she had seen first hand the experiments they did, and no one, not even Spike, deserved that. If she had any doubts about whether she should or not, Spike shaking in fear was enough to make up her mind. She wouldn't let them take him but as she looked at him with a smirk she knew she couldn't let him get off totally scot-free.
"You can't have this vampire." She used her hold on his arm to pull him a little closer to her. "He works for me and I'm not losing my best informant." She put her hand at the base of his hair, entwining it in her fingers. He gave her a puzzled look, but since she was the only thing between him and the GIs, he wasn't going to complain, not to mention that it didn't feel half bad. She directed her attention back to the GIs, "Thanks to you guys by the way, that chip you put in his head is better than a collar and leash." He repressed a growl at her words.
The leader shook his head, "He could still be dangerous and I wouldn't feel right leaving him with you."
She laughed low in her throat and it sent shivers through Spike, "Please, you know I can more than handle one neutered vampire." Her hand moved quickly, grabbing the back of Spike's neck and shoving him to the ground. Her hand gripped his hair and she tilted his head back, "I got you under control, don't I Spike?"
His eyes flashed in anger but he ground out a yes. She smiled at the men, "See, no problem."
There were snickers from the men and Spike clenched his fists, a good amount of humiliation finding its way into his system. Buffy smiled, if she knew anything about men it was that they could be played entirely by male pride. The fact that Spike was getting his pride bashed would probably be enough of a compromise to not getting him back.
She almost had them when suddenly the leader shook his head, "As well as you have him under control, we can't leave him here." He took another step forward.
Buffy cursed in her head, trying to decide if Spike was worth fighting over. The commando took another step and she decided to let them have Spike when he suddenly launched to his feet. She expected him to run, but he didn't. He moved to her side and pressed against her sideways, his stomach pressing against her hipbone. He turned so he was more behind her than in front, cowering against her. He was shaking so hard that she could visibly see it now. All she could think was damn. With a sigh she moved her left arm around him, pulling him into a protective embrace.
"Listen Graham," The leader flinched, he hadn't realized that she knew who he was under his green mask, "this vampire is mine, got it? You want to fight me for one measly vampire that can't even bite, you go ahead but you know who will win." He paused and pulled off his mask before nodding. Buffy smiled, easier than she thought, "All right, you or your boys see this vampire, just think, Property of Buffy, we good?"
A tentative smiled crossed Graham's face, "Yeah Yeah, we're good. Gees, can't let us win even once, can you?"
"No, but I'll meet you guys later at the Bronze, tell you what, drinks on me, okay?"
"Sure Buff, we'll be there." Graham turned away and motioned the others to do the same. Some of them protested and Graham offered the opportunity to take Spike by force from her and they quickly declined. Graham shook his head, hell, he didn't care, if the vampire wanted to be the slayer's pet, he could go right ahead and do that. Hell, if he could be that close to her he might agree to that as well. Graham chuckled at the thought and followed the rest of the soldiers.
After they were gone Buffy turned her attention to Spike who was still clinging to her. She cleared her throat and he looked up at her. She raised her eyebrows, "All the baddies are gone Spike, you can let go now." She couldn't help the smirk that crossed her face as realization hit him and he moved back so quickly that he stumbled.
She laughed and turned away from him, continuing her patrol. She felt more than heard him follow her. She stopped and turned to look at him, "Are you following me?"
He snorted indignantly, "Course not, I just happen to be heading this way, you aren't the center of the universe Slayer."
With a mental shrug she changed directions, forget slaying, she was going to head to the Bronze. It took her a second to realize that Spike was still following her. She turned to look at him again.
Damn, how was he gonna explain this? "What? I- I can't change directions if I want?" He glanced around what he hoped was casually, but really he was looking for commandos. "Just cause you go one way I can't?"
Buffy watched him carefully, his eyes were cocky and his words said he was his same old self, but what gave him away was the way his eyes darted from side to side, looking for danger. Her own eyes softened, he was afraid. "You're afraid?"
It was half question and half statement. Spike looked at her, his eyes not giving anything away, his inner self arguing. Self-preservation versus pride. He moved up closer to her, only inches away and trained his eyes on his boots.
Buffy was tempted to force him to admit his fear, but as she watched him stand there, struggling with his pride, she didn't have the heart to. She cleared her throat once again and he looked up at her, the desperation showing clearly now. She caught his eyes for a split second before he looked away. Her voice was quiet, "Want to patrol with me?"
The look he gave her was one of pure amazement. He couldn't believe that she would make it that easy for him. "Sure." He walked beside her as she began to walk again, jumping every time something made a noise. He bit his lip and then before he could have second thoughts about it he grabbed her hand in his own, holding it tight, begging her silently to let him have at least that comfort.
She almost pulled her hand away from his, but then his tightened slightly and she looked up at his eyes, they were wide and held the edges of pleading. She sighed and squeezed his hand back, not able to stop the smile that crossed her face as his entire body relaxed.
They walked in silence for several minutes and then two figures broke through the bushes, dressed in all green.
Spike saw the two and a sound embarrassingly close to a whimper came from him before he turned quickly, huddling against Buffy's side as he had done before.
Buffy took a step back with the force in which Spike pressed against her and she looked at the two teenagers who returned her look of surprise. They blushed and hurried back into the trees. Just two teenagers and Spike was cowering against her, shaking in fear; wow those soldier boys did a good job. The situation got to her and she couldn't hold the giggles in. Soon they turned into full laughs as Spike pulled away from her and looked around just in time to catch a glimpse of the two teenagers leaving.
Embarrassment flushed his features as Buffy continued to laugh. "You should have seen your face." She doubled over with the laughter and he glared at her. When she didn't stop he stalked to her and roughly grabbed her arm causing the implant to go off. He backed away and howled in pain, only triggering more laughter from Buffy.
"Bloody Hell! Stop laughing!"
Between laughs she managed, "Make me!"
He growled, allowing his demon face to show and then he realized where he was, his eyes darted around quickly and then he slid back to his human face. That made Buffy stop laughing, he couldn't even go vamp without fear of the soldiers. On the surface that wasn't a problem, but the action said he was more worried about the GIs than she had thought.
Her voice softened, "Hey Spike why don't we-"
Spike was humiliated. Was there anything else he could do to prove how utterly afraid the initiative had made him? When he heard her voice soften it was too much, he abruptly turned and headed in the opposite direction. He heard her call him once, but continued, hoping to find somewhere to lick his wounds. He wasn't out of her sight for more than 15 minutes when he suddenly realized there were people around him and as they stepped out he knew they weren't teenagers. The tasers hit him in the chest and he cried out, and then the world went dark.
Buffy heard the shout and hurried in that direction. She found three soldier boys trying to hold up an unconscious Spike. They had tied his hands behind his back and Buffy winced. She stepped into the clearing and they looked at her, weapons raised. When they saw her they made a sound of relief. "Gees Slayer, we could have shot you."
She smiled, she had to admit, it was fun working with the initiative sometimes, made her feel not as alone out here. "Graham tell you boys my night to buy drinks at the Bronze tonight?"
"Oh, and what led to you doing that?"
Buffy hoped they would go along as easily as Graham had. "That I could keep my best informant out of the initiative."
They looked confused and then realized she meant the vampire they were holding. "But-"
"Call Graham, he'll give you the go ahead to let me."
The boy nodded and picked up his radio calling the section leader. Buffy heard Graham's voice on the other line and heard him confirm that Spike was hers. The boy nodded and put the radio back on his belt before looking to her and giving her a lopsided smile, "He's yours, but he's out for the count, want us to help you bring him somewhere?"
Buffy moved towards the tied blond and easily picked him up, throwing him over her shoulder. "No problem, see you boys at the Bronze tonight?"
"Sure Buff and oh yeah by the way, he'll be out for hours."
"Thanks."
Buffy started the walk to her dorms, she would leave Spike in her bed when she went out and they deal with him when she got back. She knew he would probably freak when he woke up, the last thing he had seen had been the soldier boys.
