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Coming Through

Chapter Forty Eight – Bother

The fork clattered noisily to the plate as Buffy whispered, "He dies, doesn't he?"

"Don't know, luv. Dru wasn't all that clear."

"But you think he does, don't you?"

Spike shrugged then nodded slightly. "It's possible."

Buffy set the plate back on the tray and turned to face Spike. "Well, it's not gonna happen. I'm not gonna let him die for me, Spike."

Spike gripped her arms tightly and growled, "Yes you will, Buffy, if it comes to that. I know he's family, but if I have to choose between you and him, I choose you."

Spike's slightly fangy version of the resolve face clearly told Buffy that there was no way she was going to argue him out of this and her shoulders slumped in resignation. "Fine." She looked up hopefully. "Can you talk to Dru again? Maybe see if she can tell you anything else?"

Spike nodded. "I can try, pet, but there's no guarantee that she's even seen what happens to him, and until we know more, he sticks with you."

Buffy leaned into Spike and wrapped her arms around him. "Ok, I guess." She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed. "So how long am I stuck inside? How long will it take his leg to heal?"

Spike shrugged, "Few days… a week at most. We'll know more when he wakes."

Buffy sat up, her eyes wide and worried. "He's still asleep? Is that normal?"

Spike nodded. "Yeah. When a vamp's hurt badly enough, they go into a coma-like state until they've healed. That's most likely what Billy's done."

Buffy's brow furrowed. "He broke his leg. That's it. You were hurt way worse and you didn't go all coma-boy."

"I wasn't half-starved to start with, luv, and as young as he is, it doesn't take much to overwhelm his system. Don't worry though, Kt'lid will stuff him full of blood and he'll be tip-top in a few days."

Buffy nodded miserably. "Right. Get him all healed up so he can go out and get dusted. Perfect."

Spike lifted his hand and ran his fingers gently down Buffy's cheek. "Don't know that for sure, pet. Whatever's after you is out to kill a human, so whatever hit he's meant to take for you most likely won't dust him."

Buffy leaned close and laid her head on his shoulder again. "I hope so, Spike."

Spike squeezed her in a quick hug then nodded toward the tray. "Eat your dinner, Slayer. Need to keep your strength up."

She let him go and turned back to the tray then picked up her plate and dug in with another loud moan. "God, this is so good." She nodded toward the smaller plate and the teapot. "I think those are yours, though. Wings don't really go with what I'm eating, and I don't drink tea."

Spike leaned forward and picked up his plate of wings and cup of tea with a smile. "Wings go with anything, pet, but yeah, Kt'lid brought these for me." He expertly stripped a wing and dropped the naked bone back onto the plate then took a sip of tea.

Buffy mumbled around a mouthful of food, "Did everyone else get here ok? I didn't hear anybody come in."

Spike nodded. "Yeah, they're here." He tilted his head, listening intently, then smiled and gave her a rundown. "Niblet and the witches are in the kitchen, Dru and Thomas are asleep in the room across from Billy's, and the Harris clan is in their room. Anya's feedin' baby Will."

Buffy smiled, "I can't wait to see him, bet he's just the cutest thing."

"He was a bit of a mess last I saw him, but I imagine he's cleaned up nice since then."

Buffy grinned. "What about Angel and Giles?"

Spike listened again and smirked. "Peaches is in his room just down the hall, probably mopin' and broodin' about, knowin' him." He sniffed deeply and growled. "Bloody bog-trottin' mick wanker! He's drinkin' my 15-year-old Glenfiddich!" His tea cup hit the tray with a loud clatter as he started to stand.

Buffy reached out and laid her hand on his arm. "You can yell at him for that later, Spike. Where's Giles?"

Spike wrestled his anger under control then relaxed into the cushions, straightening the plate on his knee before he picked up another wing. He listened again then shrugged as he stripped the wing, mumbling around the sauce covered lump of meat in his mouth. "Don't know, pet. He's not here."

Buffy's eyes went wide. "He's not? Why?"

Spike shrugged and dropped another naked bone onto his plate. "No idea. Might be at the shop researchin' or some such. Have to talk to Glinda, she probably knows."

"Is he safe there?"

Spike nodded. "Yeah. Shop's warded, as is his flat, if he's there."

Buffy nodded. "Ok." She scooped up the last of the food on her plate then put the plate on the tray and turned to Spike. "You about done with those? You need to get cleaned up."

Spike winked as he stripped another wing. "Just can't wait to get me starkers, can you, luv?" He dropped the bone and picked up another wing. "You'll just have to be patient, pet. These are some bloody good wings."

Buffy smiled as her hand went to the zipper of her jacket and pulled it down a few inches. "Those do look good… yeah, you go ahead and keep eating, Spike. I'll just start without you."

Spike's wing plate clattered onto the tray next to his teacup and he stood up, pulling Buffy up with him. "You most certainly will not." He led her around the couch to the doors that Kt'lid had disappeared through earlier, stopping just outside. "I'm going to cover your eyes, luv. Don't want you seein' this room 'til we've time to enjoy it properly."

Buffy smiled. "And we don't have time now?"

Spike shook his head with a grin. "No. Glinda's gettin' antsy, wantin' to speak to me 'bout last night, and your sis wants to talk to you, so I figure we've got 'bout an hour 'fore somebody decides to roust us out."

Buffy smirked as she looked at the doors leading out of the suite. "Should we lock the doors? You know how the Scoobies… and especially Dawnie… are with the whole not knocking and just barging in thing."

Spike laughed, "No need, kitten. Nobody can enter my rooms 'less I invite 'em in personally. 'Cept Kt'lid and his mate, of course, but like I said… they just know, so they won't be disturbing us."

Buffy blushed slightly and turned to face the doors, resting her hands on the handles. "Ok, Spike, cover my eyes before I work myself up to being really embarrassed over the fact that the household help knows everything we're doing in here."

Spike laughed and lifted his hands, laying them lightly over Buffy's eyes. "Ok, pet. I'll guide you, but the loo's pretty much straight on from this door, so just keep walkin' 'till you run out of carpet."

Buffy nodded under his hands and opened the doors, pushing them wide. She took a few steps, her feet sinking down into the thick carpet, then Spike pressed on the left side of her head just a tiny bit, so she angled slightly toward the right and walked confidently through the room, stopping when the carpet turned to cool stone. Spike nudged her forward a few more steps then uncovered her eyes, reaching behind him to push the doors shut. "All right, pet. You can open them now."

Buffy's gasp echoed around a bathroom that was larger than her bedroom at home. Just to her right was a long stone-topped cabinet that held two black polished granite vessel sinks – the kind that sit on top of the counter instead of being embedded in it – with gracefully curving faucets that reminded her of a swan's neck. The toilet and matching bidet were inside their own little cubicle across from the sinks – and why a vampire needed a toilet… or a bidet – she shook her head and continued looking over the room, placing that in the 'demons weird' column of her mental tally.

The corner to the right of the toilet cubby held a tub – shaped like a shiny black teardrop – that looked large enough to hold several people. The large picture windows that took up most of the wall space above it were bathing the entire room in the last dying rays of the sun. Buffy turned and smiled at Spike as he followed her over to the edge of the tub, the bright orange and red hues dancing across his face. She nodded at the windows. "Vamp-safe?"

He nodded back with an amused grin. "Yeah. Had to be specially made 'cause of the odd sized windows. Whole mansion's full of odd-sized windows… and they've all got vamp-safe glass." He chuckled. "Got another apoplectic call from Sir Forehead over that bill."

Buffy chuckled then looked at him curiously. "Hold on a minute. Why is Angel freaking out about how you spend your money? Why do you even tell him?"

Spike smirked. "'Cause it's fun. Hired his firm to manage my finances then asked for Peaches to be personally assigned to my portfolio." He shrugged. "I could do it myself… got the brains and the knowhow… and there's always Red… but…"

Buffy smiled. "But then you wouldn't get to torment Angel."

Spike touched the end of his nose with his fingertip. "Got it in one, luv. Poof always was a soddin' skinflint… wanker could squeeze a coin 'til it screamed… but he does know what he's doin.' The Aurelian fortune wouldn't be near what it is today if the broody bastard hadn't taken it over."

Buffy smirked and turned away from the tub to continue looking over the bathroom. The corner opposite the tub had a glass-walled walk-in shower that was tiled in polished black granite to match the sinks. Buffy moved closer, intrigued by the oddly shaped shower heads… all four of them. They each had a small circular center piece with several curved arms extending from it that made them look like how a child would draw the sun – round center with squiggly rays.

She stepped into the shower stall, still looking up at the shower heads, and her leg brushed against something near the center of the large space. She looked down in surprise at the black granite bench then turned to look back at Spike. "A bench, Spike? Do you stand in here so long that you get tired and have to sit down?"

Spike chuckled warmly as he moved across the room, pulling her out of the stall before he reached in and turned on the water. "I've only used this shower once or twice, luv, but the bench isn't for sittin' – it's for more… recreational activities."

Buffy eyed the bench as the water cascaded down over it then looked up at Spike, his lust-filled eyes telling her exactly what his plans were for the bench. She smiled seductively and stepped up in front of him, her fingertips trailing over the top button of his duster before she slid it free. "I'd better get you out of this then. Wouldn't want to ruin the leather."

As Buffy opened the buttons of his coat he was busy sliding down the zipper of hers. It fell open, exposing her breasts to the cool air of the room and he slid his hands under the coat, pulling her close then leaning down to capture her lips in a kiss. She pushed the duster off his shoulders, letting it fall to a heap around his feet then slid out of her own coat. She stepped back, unbuttoning her jeans, and her breath caught in her throat as she took in the dark maroon swaths of dried blood that were smeared over almost every square inch of Spike's pale skin. She took another step back, eyeing him from head to toe, and her eyes suddenly filled with tears as she whispered, "God, Spike… are you ok?"

His head tilted then he looked down at himself for a moment before he raised his eyes back to hers. "Fine, pet. Tip-top. 'S just blood."

Her jeans forgotten, she stepped forward and raised her fingers to his chest, lightly tracing them over a long stripe of blood that indicated where he'd been cut. The gash had run from just under his left pectoral then down across his ribs to end in the hollow next to his hip bone. Another one curled around his right pectoral and continued under his arm to end in the middle of his back. Spike stood still, shivering slightly at her feather light touches as she examined damage that was no longer present. Her fingers traced the criss-crossed lines of dried blood on his back that had most likely come from a whip, then he heard her gasp as her fingers slid lightly across his backside and came to rest on the large patches of dried blood on his inner thighs.

Suddenly she was in front of him again, sliding her jeans quickly down her legs then kicking them aside. She grabbed his hand and pulled him into the shower stall, a look of fury on her face as she tugged him beneath the gently falling water. She turned to the stone shelf mounted on the wall at chest height and took a washcloth off the stack, wetting it under the spray and then soaping it thoroughly. She tugged him forward just enough to be mostly out of the water then laid the washcloth gently on his chest.

Spike reached up and covered her hand with his own. "I can do it, kitten, if it's botherin' you."

She lifted her eyes to his, fury and sadness warring for dominance on her features, then tightened her grip on the washcloth and whispered. "Yeah… it bothers me. What they did to you bothers me. I just… how can you be so calm about it? If that had happened to me… if Riley had made good on his threat…"

Spike's sudden growl reverberated around the stall. "What threat, Buffy? What'd that pillock do to you?"

Buffy shrugged, "Nothing much really. He slammed me around and punched me a couple of times." Her voice dropped to a whisper so low that Spike had to strain to hear her over the noise of the water. "And he threatened to rape me. He did rape the girl in the cell across from mine… the one Woozlag took care of." She closed her eyes and squeezed the washcloth so hard that a rivulet of soap suds poured out of it and tracked slowly down Spike's stomach. "It hurt her, Spike… God, so much… she was screaming… and there was so much blood… and you… they did that to you… and…" She looked up at him with eyes full of pain. "Are you ok, Spike?"

Spike pulled her close, tucking her head beneath his chin as he rubbed soothing circles on her back. "I'm fine, Buffy. I was out cold the whole time… didn't even realize it'd happened 'til I'd gathered my wits 'bout me and started takin' stock."

Buffy whispered against his chest. "But that's happened to you before? You said…"

Spike nodded. "Yeah, luv. Been 'round a long time."

She stood back and looked up at him and he knew what question was coming next. He waited while she debated with herself about asking it… she clearly wanted to know but at the same time wasn't sure she could handle the answer. He watched as she steeled herself and took a deep breath. "Have you ever raped anyone?"