I think its pretty much been decided that as long as you guys keep up with the feedback, I'll keep writing. My mind's pretty twisted, I'm positive I'll keep it interesting. And there will be plenty of Spuffy-goodness to come, I promise.
I just wanted to say thank you to all of you for all the amazing feedback. It seems like the more I know you guys love reading this, the more inspired I am to write more and get the updates done fast. So thank you all !
As much as Buffy begged for sleep, her mind wouldn't grant her plea. Every time she closed her eyes she was haunted by Emerald's face, followed by the memory of what he'd done to her.
She knew she was safe from him now. He was nothing more than a bit of dust drifting in the wind thanks to her very own stake. But sadly she couldn't stake the memory of him raping her.
Even with Spike sleeping there with her, his arms holding her loosely as he slept couldn't shake the memory. She stroked his arm softly and mindlessly for hours it seemed, waiting patiently for sleep to consume her.
It never came though. She assumed it was around 4 a.m. when she crawled out of bed and made her way downstairs. The cool night air chilling her bare legs made her rethink her choice of a long flannel shirt that hid her shorts completely. Going back to change would risk waking Spike and making him worry so she decided against it.
Reluctantly Buffy flipped on the kitchen lights as she entered. Quietly as she could, she tiptoed around the kitchen to get herself a glass of water and an apple. It must have been a day or so since she remembered having anything to eat really. Maybe with some food in her stomach she'd be able to sleep, at least she hoped so. The past two days seemed like a lifetime, maybe longer. She just wanted to sleep and forget what happened to her and move on. Surely some apocalypse would be on its way soon to help her forget, Tuesday was always just a couple days away after all.
Spike trudged into the kitchen still partially asleep and only partially dressed, wearing nothing but his black jeans. He woke up not long after Buffy left, feeling her warmth missing, and followed her downstairs worried she wasn't okay.
"Couldn't sleep?" Spike yawned as he opened the fridge before quickly realizing there wouldn't be blood in it like his.
"What gave it again?" Buffy tiredly laughed.
"I figured you'd be exhausted after that fight tonight," Spike pointed out as he sat on the bar stool next to her.
"I am," Buffy sighed.
"Then what's the matter, love?" Spike slid his hand into her on the counter and stroked the back of her soft hand.
"Its . . . its nothing," Buffy lied. She knew she could tell Spike anything but this just made her feel like she was weak, and that wasn't something she wanted anyone to know.
"Come on now pet, we aren't keeping secrets now are we?"
"I don't really want to get into now. Talking about it would make it more present in my head, ya know? And I'd actually like to sleep at some point," Buffy explained.
"Well then," Spike smirked as he walked behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and stroked her arms softly. "How about I help you fall asleep, and you tell me in the morning?" He whispered in her ear.
"How do you plan on doing that?" She asked just as he playfully nipped at the base of her neck sending chills all the way down her spine. "Here? With everyone in the house?" She whispered, unable to grip her full voice.
"You've got a bedroom," he said, turning her around so he was standing in-between her legs. "Which I'm pretty certain has a door with a working lock on it." He didn't give her a chance to say anything back though. He trapped her lips with his, kissing her with a hunger and fire she immediately returned.
Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck as he picked her up by her legs and put them around his waist. They kissed passionately as Spike carefully maneuvered through the kitchen and to the base of the stairs. There he reluctantly broke the kiss so he could see his way up the stairs quietly. Buffy went to work kissing and biting his neck, increasing his need for her even more. The second he got to the top of the stairs their mouths connected again with an urgent desire for each other.
As they passed Willow's room however, Buffy pulled away from the kiss because she heard voices coming from the room.
"Did you hear that?" she whispered to him.
"Voices from Willow's room, she could be talking to someone. Not our business," Spike muttered between kisses on Buffy's neck.
"Was that Giles?" Buffy whispered, completely weirded out and trying to focus on the voices but Spike was making it insanely hard to think at all.
"I thought she was swinging the other way now, but whatever tickles their fancy," Spike shrugged off. He nibbled on the perfect spot of Buffy's neck and she let out a little moan. There were so many things he'd rather be doing than eavesdropping on whatever was going on with Giles and Willow. "Wait," he stopped when he heard a third voice. "Was that Xander?"
There was a bit of a pause, Spike put Buffy down from their embrace, and they both listened closer to the door to see what they could hear.
"And Anya?" Buffy kept listening, as did Spike.
"And Angel? Gross! I knew you guys were all close but," Spike made a disgusted face.
Buffy punched him softly but with still enough power to push him back a tiny bit. "Not everyone is trying to do each other in this house."
"Sorry if that's where my mind is, but I think you should understand, love." He drifted his hand up and down Buffy's torso so softly it was almost like he commanded the air to do it. Buffy grabbed his hand, laced her fingers with his and held it by her side. He was distracting her from eavesdropping.
"They're talking about us!" Spike whispered like he was insulted. He'd heard Angel, who was the loudest quiet voice in the room, mention both of their names.
Buffy sighed, trying not to feel betrayed until she knew if this secret meeting was really secret or not, and opened the door.
"Morning guys," She greeted in an obviously fake cheery voice. "Did you get lost trying to find my room?"
"Buffy! No, no we just . . . uhm . . . we didn't you know, want to . . . interrupt," Willow said awkwardly, fidgeting on the bed.
"You did anyway," Spike muttered quietly to himself.
"That's what knocking is for," she informed them, letting her tone of voice show them all she was irritated to be left out.
"We're sorry, Buffy," Giles apologized from his chair in one of the corners of the room. "You've had a long few days, we thought it would be best for you to get some sleep."
"Well I couldn't sleep, so fill me in." Buffy sat down on the floor and pulled Spike down with her.
"Fill you in?" Giles questioned, not following her thought train.
"On the big bad, obviously something unnatural must be going on if you guys are having a meeting so late at night," Buffy said innocently.
"We're trying to figure out Drusilla's next move," Anya blurted out after a brief period of silence. Nobody in the room wanted to worry Buffy with anything else tonight.
"And asking me never crossed your minds?" Spike asked, yet again feeling insulted.
"Did you not hear Willow when she said we didn't want to interrupt any . . . spell induced activities," Xander shot at Spike. Even though he'd convinced himself this whole ordeal was a spell, Xander still didn't feel all warm and fuzzy towards Spike.
"Yes, what is this spell Xander keeps referencing?" Giles asked as he polished his glasses.
"Well . . . you see . . .," Buffy started, looking around at all her friends feeling afraid of what they were going to say to her. How badly they were going to disapprove was not what she needed right now.
"Buffy and I are to—" Spike started to say but Buffy cut him off.
"Where's Dawn?!" Buffy asked, feeling the warmth of panic start to creep up on her.
"She's at Janice's," Willow answered quickly, wanting to get to the part where Spike confirms what she already suspected.
"No . . . Janice and her family are on vacation in Florida . . . ." Buffy said slowly, starting to feel more and more panicked.
"Well she left a note saying that's where she was," Anya said.
"Where's the note?" Buffy jumped up from the floor. She had this bad feeling in her gut that something was off.
"In the living room," Giles answered, getting that same feeling Buffy had.
Buffy ran down into the living room, her feet barely touching the ground she was moving so far. When she picked up the note she knew something was wrong.
"This isn't her handwriting," she stated in cold fear to the group who'd followed her down the stairs.
"You think . . . you think this could be . . . Dru?" Xander asked sheepishly.
"No . . . she wouldn't," Angel muttered.
"Are you mad?!" Spike yelled at Angel. "Do you even know the girl? Of course she would. Come on Slayer, we'll find the little bit, I remember some places she used to . . . I know where she might be."
"Everyone grab weapons and your coats, we're going with you. The sun's coming up soon, Spike, you wont be able to assist for long," Giles said as he frantically grabbed the weapons they'd left in the living room from earlier and handed them out.
"How would she even get in?" Anya asked, she stood contemplating in place.
"That doesn't matter now," Buffy said harshly. "We're gonna have to split up. Spike and I will take some of her old hangouts. You guys search everyone abandoned building, dark alley, anywhere you can think of. Now." She grabbed Spike's hand and started rushing out the door. There was only one thing on her mind: save Dawn.
"This is like finding a needle in a haystack," Anya whispered to herself but Buffy still heard it.
"It doesn't matter. This is Dawn we're talking about. Anything it takes to find her," Buffy turned around to say to Anya, and all of them, before they all left.