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Chapter Four
"What the hell is this?" Riley shouted. "Get your filthy hands off of her" he continued as he grabbed a hold of Spike's arm.
Spike emitted a very audible growl at Riley's touch.
"STOP" Buffy yelled as she stepped between the two men placing a hand on each of their chests. "Riley will you please go into the living room and wait for me"
"But what about" Riley started
"Just do it!" Buffy snapped then added in a nicer tone "Please, I'll join you in a second" Riley just nodded and turned on his heel and stomped back to the living room. Buffy turned back to Spike "I have to deal with this" she said to him.
Spike set his jaw "You know what he's been doing" Spike said through gritted teeth.
"I know, but it's partially my fault that he's turned down the path that he's traveling." Buffy said. "The sun will be up in a few minutes, you should head down stairs and get some sleep"
"I'm not leaving you alone with that wanker he's" Spike started.
Buffy interrupted him "Spike, have you forgotten that I am fully capable for taking care of myself" she leaned in and whispered "I'm the slayer"
"I know luv, but I want to be the one that takes care of you" Spike said looking deep into Buffy's eyes.
"Spike, please" Buffy pleaded her eyes dropping to look at her boots "I want to make things right with him"
"As you bloody wish" Spike snapped as he spun around and went down to his room locking the door behind him.
"Damn" Buffy said aloud before heading to the living room.
An annoyed Riley stood as Buffy entered the room. He opened his mouth to speak and Buffy held up her hand to stop him. "Lets go for a walk, so we don't disturb anyone's sleep" Buffy said. She headed for the front door not waiting for Riley to answer.
Once outside Buffy started "So, did you want to talk to me about something or was this just a social visit?"
"I heard that you died" Riley said as he took Buffy's hand in his and stopped and stepped in front of her. "When I heard that I thought my heart shattered into a million pieces. Then yesterday, I was told that you had somehow been brought back so I had to come see if it was true. I still love you so much" Riley said. "Then I got here last night, and the gang told me that you were back but all they would say is that you were out"
"Yeah, well, I uh" Buffy stammered.
"I'm moving back Buffy. We can make this work. I can't live without you." Riley said.
Buffy pulled her hand from his grasp and stepped around his hulking figure and started walking at an accelerated pace, her mind reeling.
"Buffy, wait up" Riley said as he jogged to catch up with her. He finally caught up to her as she turned the corner and grabbed a hold of her arm to stop her. "Buffy?"
Buffy took a big breath "Riley I know what you've been doing"
Riley's eyes squinted "Your pet vampire, been telling lies about me again?"
"I don't have a pet vampire, but if you're referring to Spike, no he didn't tell me anything. Didn't you ever wonder what Spike was doing in Tijuana?"
"I . . . I . . .I" Riley stammered.
"He was there gathering the things needed to perform the ritual to bring me back. We were communicating through his dreams. Anything he knew I knew."
"Oh" Riley said his eyebrows raising in realization "I can explain Buffy"
"There's no need to explain" Buffy said "You are a grown man, and free to do what you wish, but I can't be apart of your life and this downward spiral you seem to be enjoying so much"
"WHAT!" Riley screamed as he grabbed Buffy by her upper arms "You can't do this! Everything I've done is for you, to be the kind of man that you want!"
Buffy was shocked but her shock quickly turned to anger "Get you hands off me NOW!"
"No! You're mine. I won't let that freak have you. You can't do this to me." Riley said as he started to shake Buffy.
"That's it" Buffy said as she quickly twisted her arms up freeing them. She drew her arm back and punched Riley squarely in the jaw using just a fraction of her slayer strength. Riley sailed backward several feet landing flat on his back the wind clearly knocked out of him along with a tooth that landed on the sidewalk beside him. "Go back to your whores, Riley, there's nothing left for you here" Buffy said as she turned to walk back home.
Riley quickly sat up holding his jaw "This isn't over Buffy!" Riley shouted at the retreating slayer's back. "You will be mine again! Tell Spike, I'm coming for him" he ranted.
Buffy never looked back as the tears started to fall.
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Buffy got back to the front door of the house quickly. She couldn't wait to crawl into a bed and sleep. She tried to turn the knob on the front door but it was locked. "What else?" Buffy said to the dawn sky as she wiped her eyes and headed to the back of the house. As she entered the back yard the first thing she saw was Spike's Harley and it brought an immediate smile to her tear streaked face. She ran her hand across the seat as she passed by it and went up on porch to turn the knob on the back door. The back door was also locked. Buffy just growled as she tried repeatedly to open the door. She then got another idea and jogged around to the side yard underneath her bedroom window. She looked up at the window to find it shut. "Dang it" she said frustrated as she stomped her foot. She then looked down to admire her new boots "they are kinda nice" she thought. Then the basement window caught her attention.
"That might work," she said as she knelt down to examine the black painted window. She looked up to see if there would be any direct sunlight this early in the morning but the sun had risen on the other side of the house so it was safe. She quietly pulled the window open and slipped in silently, feet first. She landed at the foot of Spike's bed. She took a moment to look at the sleeping vampire, he looked so peaceful. She then shook her head to clear her thoughts and turned to secure the window. Once she was satisfied that no light would creep through she began to tiptoe towards the door not wanting to wake Spike.
"What not even a good night?" Spike said never opening his eyes.
"AHHHH!" Buffy screamed. "Spike, I thought you were asleep, you scared me"
"How do you think I feel, me all snuggled in my bed and to have someone sneak through my window" Spike said finally opening his eyes and propped himself up on one elbow.
"Sorry, I locked myself out and this was the only way in. I'll just head upstairs now," she said never turning around.
"Buffy luv are you ok?" Spike said alarmed. "What did that pillock do? What are those marks on your arms?" Spike asked even though the pieces were already coming together. "That's it, that bloody bastard is finally going to get his death wish" Spike said hopping from bed and grabbing his leather pants off the floor where he had tossed them only a few minutes ago and started to slide them on over his boxer shorts.
Buffy quick turned around and stopped Spike's progress and pushed him back down on the bed "No Spike, I took care of it. He won't be bothering me again." She said as she sat down on the bed next to him her head falling into her hands, elbows propped on her knees.
"I don't care! How dare he lay a finger on you!" Spike was seething as he examined the marks on her arms.
"Please Spike" Buffy said tears forming again as she looked up at him "I just want to forget about him, please"
Spike's un-beating heart melted and he put his arm around her and she snuggled into him. Spike placed his cheek on the top of Buffy's head and couldn't help but think back to that night only a few short months ago that he comforted her when Joyce had been ill. He still couldn't believe how his life had changed. After a few minutes Buffy's eyes dried and she yawned.
"You'd better get some sleep, it's been a long night." Spike whispered in her hair.
"Don't wanna leave" Buffy said her warm breath ticking Spikes bare chest.
"You don't have to leave to go to sleep" Spike said.
"Yeah I do, I gotta get out of these pants" Buffy sighed.
"Well I can help you out of your pants" Spike said shyly.
"Spike, I thought I told you I wasn't ready for" Buffy began
Spike put his fingers to her lips to silence her "Tsk tsk get your mind out of the gutter Slayer. I meant I have some pajamas you could slip into."
"Oh" Buffy said as her face began to turn red.
Spike kicked his feet out of the leather pants that he had started to put on and got up. He crossed to his chest of drawers and removed a pair of black silk pajamas and handed them to Buffy. Buffy took the pajamas and looked up at Spike with one eyebrow arched in a questioning gaze.
"Dawn made me buy them at the mall yesterday" Spike explained "I'll just step out while you change," he said as he stepped out the door to give Buffy her privacy.
Buffy quickly changed and climbed into bed. "I'm done" Buffy whispered knowing Spikes vampire hearing would pick it up.
Spike opened the door and entered his eyes falling upon Buffy. If he had breath it would have been taken away by her beauty. He crossed slowly to the bed and joined Buffy. He stretched out his arm and Buffy laid her head on it while putting her arm around his waist. He gently squeezed Buffy's shoulder "Sweet dreams pet"
"Thank you Spike" Buffy murmured as she drifted off to sleep with Spike drifting off shortly after.
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Giles came jogging down the stairs as Xander was letting himself in the front door. "Hey G-man" Xander said as he replaced his house keys back into his pocket. "You about ready to motor?"
"Yes, I just want to leave this note for Buffy before I go" Giles said as he sealed the envelope and put it in the mail tray on the desk. "Thank you for driving me to the airport Xander"
"No problem, least I can do considering I get the use of your car in your absence" Xander said as he picked up two of the bags sitting in the foyer.
"Yes, speaking of which. What are the rules?" Giles said has he slipped on his tweed jacket and grabbed the other bags.
"No letting Anya drive, geesh how many times are you going to ask me that?" Xander said as he and Giles headed out the door.
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Buffy awoke several hours later to a rumblings sound. She raised her head and looked around trying to figure out where she was and what that sound was. She looked down and saw the rumbling was actually a purring emitting from Spike's chest. Last nights events soon came back to her. She slowly slipped herself from Spike's embrace and tip toed out the door being careful not to disturb the sleeping vampire. She got to the top of the stairs and put her ear to the door listening. She was hopping to make her way to her own bed without the rest of the house knowing. This would not be the case because she could hear Willow, Tara and Anya chatting away in the kitchen. "Maybe they won't notice" Buffy thought to herself as she slowly opened the door and did her best to sneak out.
"Hey Buffy's awake," Anya said cheerily as Buffy meekly entered the kitchen. "I told you guys she was boinking Spike"
"Anya!" Buffy exclaimed. "I am NOT boinking Spike"
Willow stuck her tongue out at the ex-demon and said "See, I told you so"
"Well if she's not boinking him what was she doing down in the basement all night, and those don't look like her pajamas" Anya argued back at the witch.
"So how was your night Buffy?" Tara asked trying to put an end to the bickering.
"Ooo Oooo" Willow said as she patted the seat next to her "Come sit and dish" she said to Buffy. "Tell us of all the yumminess that is Spike"
Tara furrowed her eyebrows as she looked at Willow "Yumminess?"
"What? You said he cutie just last week" Willow defended herself.
"Oh yeah" Tara said as she wrinkled her nose. "Go ahead Buffy dish away"
Buffy blushed but did as she was told.
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