A\N: All of this came to me in my lunch break and I managed to find the time to type it up this evening.


Buffy had gotten up early to witness the sunrise. She hadn't planned on it but couldn't sleep either. She was aware that Spike would be in the next room but didn't seem to care as she unlocked the door with a click. Strangely, he was nowhere to be seen. It crossed her mind that he may have gone out but if she knew him correctly, he wouldn't have left her on her own? Would he? It didn't matter now anyway. If the Miyrids wanted to find her, they would right? Pilllars of orange sun burst through the window and stopped a few centimetres away from the wall. She wanted to step into the warm beams but something held her back. Not physically but mentally. That's when she felt a pair of cool arms snake around her waist, pulling her closer into a hard chest. Oh. That's why. She leant into the sensation, suddenly feeling safe and protected again, and swivelled her head to the side to face the being behind her.

"Not long now love", a husky British accent breathed, sending tingles down her spine. Buffy was confused.

"Not long until what?", she whispered with no sense of displeasure in her voice at all.

"Sshh." He ran a teasing thumb over both of her lips before devouring her mouth, like he had done 2 nights ago. His passion was breathtaking as he put his...Well heart, mind and soul couldn't really apply to him since he only possessed a third of those things, his mind not really a strong point anway. He immediately slipped his tounge between her barely parted lips, not bothering to let her make the first move, and massaged her own. Her hands trailed up the leather sleeves of his duster, tracing the faintly noticeable curves of his biceps through the fabric. Her head shifted when he began paying close attention to the sensitive flesh from her jaw bone to her ear. His surprisingly warm tounge ran small patterns up and down, up and down repeated times. When his talented lips met her ear for the umpteenth time he stopped, leaving her craving more.

"Buffy", he began.

"Buffy, Buffy, Buffy, Bu -"

Suddenly, Buffy jolted awake. She was still in the bedroom, still entangled in a sea of sheets. She was shocked to find herself highly aroused. Then she homed in on Spike's voice on the other side of the door.

"Buffy? Buffy? Are you awake?" His voice must've entered her dream when he started calling her name. Oh god. The dream. She'd dreamt of him. Spike. William the Bloody. This was getting ridiculous. She tried to put it down to stress, greif, being alone but she knew deep down that pure lust was beginning to build in her system and if she didn't push him away now, it would all bubble to the surface. She couldn't let that happen.

"Yes", she grumbled, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

"Why? I thought I made it clear last night that I wanted to be on my own."

"Your mum's on the line." Before he could utter another word, Buffy was hurtling towards the door, unlocking it in seconds. She slipped past the vampire, without even acknowledging his presence, and ran to the phone.

"Mom?"

"Buffy. Thank god you're okay. We were all so worried about you yesterday." Buffy threw a glance at Spike.

"Why? What made you think I was in trouble?"

"Spike called. He said you were hurt."

"He did, did he?" Her gaze on the disgraced vamp narrowed. Joyce could sense the anger in her daughter's voice.

"Honey, don't be mad at him. He was only trying to help you." Buffy quickly tried to change the subject.

"How is everyone? Dawn behaving herself?"

"She's been as good as gold. Obviously a bit fragile at times. She's missing you." Buffy felt her heart break for her sister. Dawn had no idea how much she was missing her too.

"And..Willow?"

"She's better. She's made a new friend, Tara. She's really helping her through." Mrs Summers didn't realise how much her comment stung her eldest. Buffy knew it was good that Willow had found someone who would help her get past the heartache whilst she was away but couldn't help but feel pushed out and abandoned.

"Bit exhausted from the spell I will say."

"Spell? What spell?"

"The protection spell. The one that Spike asked Willow to perform on your house." Not only had he worried her family but now he'd asked her best friend to perform magic that she wasn't physically or emotionally ready for yet.

"He had no right to put Willow under that sort of pressure."

"Buffy don't worry, Tara helped her with it." There was her name again. Tara. It was like someone repeatedly poking her with a sharp stick in the ribs. She knew she was being selfish but didn't seem to care.

"That's not the point." Joyce's tone changed.

"Are you sure you're not trying to find an excuse to be mad at Spike?" Buffy gulped. That's exactly what it was. How did her mother know her so well?

"He's done a lot of things to look after you. Even risked his own life."

She desperately wanted to tell her mother about what he'd done to make her feel awful about herself but that would involved mentioning a certain night that they'd shared. She couldn't risk anyone getting wind of that.

"I-I know", she forced herself to admit.

"Just hang in there sweetheart. You'll be home soon."

"Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you too Buffy." Buffy stared in disbelief at the phone once she'd placed the receiver down.

"What the hell is your problem?", she demanded angrily. Both hers and Spike's eyes met at the same time.

"What?", he responded innocently.

"You contact my family, scare them half to death making it sound like I'm dying or something and then you have the nerve to put Willow on the spot like that and make her perform a huge spell. She has enough on her plate without worrying about us. They all have!"

"Well I'm sorry for trying to get the nasties off of our tail! Couldn't take the risk of them finding us."

"You had no right involving them!"

"You know what you're problem is?", he snapped.

"You need to learn to be more grateful. I saved your skinny helpless ass out there, stitched you up and you still haven't thanked me. Not the first time."

"Why should I thank you?! I didn't want any of this! I was happy to stay at home and fight these things off but no, you had to drag me out here where ever...here is!" Spike strode up to her, inches away from her face.

"We both know that if you stayed, you and your precious Scoobies would've all been dead by now." They were both panting quietly from all the shouting. If Buffy didn't get him away from her now, she knew she'd do something with him she'd wake up and regret in a few hours. She planted her hands on his chest, being careful not to leave them there for too long, and shoved him backwards.

"We're done. Pull a stunt like this again and I swear to God I will stake you." She began to walk away, not that there was anywhere else to go except the bathroom or the bedroom and she didn't feel like being cooped up in either of those all day, but Spike want finished.

"Oh that's it. You try and walk away. In case you haven't noticed slayer, there isn't really anywhere else you can hide. You can either agree to sort this out or we can do it the old fashioned way." He clenched his fists as Buffy stopped in her tracks.

"You've got no chance against me with your chip."

"That's where you're wrong. If I want somethin' hard enough, I can work through the pain and I want more than anything to knock some gratefulness into you." Buffy was facing him now, arms locked at her sides.

"Oh you don't know what you've gotten yourself into William." She wasn't sure why she'd used his name in this instance and felt slightly embarrassed about it but Spike didn't seem to notice.

"Why don't you show me slayer?" In her head, Buffy found this conversation becoming more and more erotic by the second and started to like the feeling she got from it but she could only see raw anger in her opponent's eyes. Angry at herself for feeling such things, she launched herself at the scowling vamp and landed a spectacular first punch to his stomach.

"Do your worst!", she taunted. Expecting him to throw a measly punch, not just because of his chip but because of his apparent affection for her, she was surprised when he clocked her cheek with a firm force. Spike clenched his teeth as shocks of pain erupted through his head. Buffy took advantage of the distraction and shoved him backwards into a table which, as a result, shattered into smallish pieces of wood, perfect for staking. He jumped too his feet, brushing the largest chunks of wood aside, and growled as he landed another punch to Buffy's face. He didn't react as badly to the chip firing this time and managed to block the next of Buffy's attacks. He grabbed her throwing arm and twisted it behind her back. They both let out a yelp of pain and she tried to spin free but he had her in a firm hold. With his free hand, Spike yanked her loose hair back, causing her head to rest on his shoulder. He really was conquering the pain now.

"Had enough yet?", he spat through gritted teeth. She smiled.

"You really don't know me at all do you?"

She kneed him in the groin, causing him to automatically release her arm, and headbutted him into the wall. Blood was now trickling from his nose and forehead and from her nose and cheek.

"I think you've proved your point now Spike. Leave me alone before I decide to bust your ass all the way." She relinquished her grip on his duster, a big mistake, as Spike swung her onto the couch. She was temporarily incapacitated and struggled to regain her footing as he walked towards her.

"I don't wanna hurt you love."

"Really?", she gasped as she clutched her aching ribs.

"Maybe you should've thought about that before starting a fight? Not that your stupid attempts to hurt me have worked."

"You sure about that?", he asked staring at her arm. She couldn't bring herself to take it away from her chest in fear of falling over.

"Will you talk to me now?", he asked again.

"I'll think about it", she muttered. Spike was sick of arguing. He walked over to the kitchen and let his duster fall to the floor followed by his shirt, not really caring that Buffy was watching. He had newly formed bruises across his chest and back as well as on his face. He didn't realise that his semi nakedness was affecting Buffy nearly as much as it was. He did have a beautiful build. She disappeared into the bathroom for a shower and slammed the door behind her. Why was she thinking of him like this?

Evil, skanky, soulless, heartless, bloodthirsty vampire. Not sexy. Not hot okay?


Can you feel that sexual tension building? I sure as hell can!