Hey, Guys! This is Tequila. I just want to say thanks for all
the encouraging notes, and to let one of you down, this will not become
an NC-17. R, perhaps, and probably. I'd also like to tell you that as
of today, the 9th of August, we have 31 chapters of this story archived,
and don't intend to change them. The story tends to get more serious,
but there are still light moments, because hey! Isn't that just how Joss
does it? (ya know, with the exception that he's JOSS, and has buck-o
bucks, and has a contract saying James has to do what he says. *sighs at
the thought of THAT one.* Nummy.*licks lips*) Anyway, here we go.
Thanks for keeping on with us. We appreciate it! Dawnie, your chap is
29. Wait for it. LOVE YOU FOR THE HELP!!!!
Always. Tequila Sunrise.
Buffy swung into the Magic Box, and smiled at Anya, working the counter. Three days into the kissless week, and he hadn't cracked. "Hey Anya."
"Buffy. Hi!" She smiled quickly, then glanced over her shoulder at the backroom.
Buffy followed her glance, hearing grunts from behind the door. "So... What's going on?"
Anya shrugged, smiled worriedly, "I dunno... Giles is stocking the stock room." She frowned. "If I can't find something, I'll be very angry." Her eyes shot sparks. "And it's not like I have someone to have sex with now. We all know what happened last time I didn't have sex for so many years."
Buffy's eyes were rounded, but she nodded slowly.
"Spike basically knows where everything goes, though, so... It shouldn't be too hard for me to tidy up after them, after they fail at doing it productively."
"Spike's in there?"
"Well, yes, he and Giles-"
"Did anyone get hurt yet?"
They were interrupted by a sudden crash and a loud cry of, "BUGGER!!" From the stock room. Giles' voice.
Buffy gave Anya a startled glance, and shot after the noise, striding quickly to the door.
From inside, she could hear Spike. "You okay, Rupe?"
"Fine. Bloody stupid..."
"Must just be your old bones, then."
There was a pause, then, "Spike, come over here."
"Why? What... AHH! Rupert! Leggo!!"
Buffy cracked the door cautiously, praying not to find a pile of dust, and an indignant Watcher.
Instead, she found Giles, holding Spike in a headlock with one hand, tickling his ribs with the other. The vampire was squirming, and alternately cursing and laughing. "Rupert! Bloody! Stop it! Geroff!"
Buffy giggled quietly from the doorway.
Spike finally managed to wiggle free, and promptly fell on his butt, still laughing. Giles took a step toward him, and he tried to scramble backwards, only to smack into a large box. Giles lunged, and Spike couldn't dodge, but he managed to curl into a ball, protecting his stomach and one side. He must have noticed Buffy then. "Slayer! Help!"
"Call me old, will you?", Giles said playfully. "Hello, Buffy," he called over his shoulder.
Buffy stood, leaning casually against the jamb, Anya peeking in over the Slayer's shoulder saying only, "You break it you bought it."
"I dunno, Spike. He's kinda ferocious." She made a sweet face at her Watcher. "Hey, Giles."
Spike was in hysterics, trying repeatedly to get his feet under him, but Giles kept thwarting his every attempt. "Come on, Slayer!" He turned his attention to the Watcher. "Rupe! Stop!"
Giles looked at Buffy. "Think he's had enough?"
Buffy thought for a long moment, then slowly nodded. "Yeah, I guess."
Giles nodded, and released his giggling captive, backing away slowly.
"Bloody...", was the only thing the vampire said, unable to get up right then.
Buffy gave a small sigh, and walked to him to extend her hand.
He took it, and pulled her onto the floor with him. "Why didn't you help me?"
On a graceless heap on the floor, she gave him a look. "Because it was funny."
Giles chuckled, and went back to sorting the pile of books he had dropped.
Spike tickled her ribs quickly and released her. "Not for me."
She gave a quick shudder and wiggle, and stood, dusted herself off and pointedly refused to help Spike up. She placed a hand on Giles' arm. "Whatcha got?"
"Just some books. We're almost done."
"Been stocking," Spike said, sitting up.
Giles chuckled. "All day. Since five thirty this morning."
"Wow. Go you with the initiative."
Spike snorted, scratching at his now terribly itchy ribs. "And that's the third time he's pulled that."
"That's the third time you've insulted me."
She laughed. "Do I need to put you in corners?"
Giles gave a playful shrug. "That depends on a certain vampire who doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut." He looked at Spike. "Learned your lesson yet?"
Spike grinned, and shook his head.
Giles gave a fake sigh. "Oh well. I suppose I'll just have to keep doing that till you do learn."
"Oh no. Please. Anything but that," Spike deadpanned.
She rolled her eyes. "All right. Buffy brought lunch."
Giles smiled. "And what's for lunch, then?"
"Please tell me there's hotwings," Spike added.
She pointed to the front of the store. "Deli sandwich for you," she moved her hand to point at Giles. "And yes. Special stop to get hotwings."
Spike rubbed his hands together. "Oh boy."
Giles sighed. "What am I going to do with you?"
Spike grinned. "Who me?"
"No, the other incredibly annoying vampire that my Slayer is dating at the moment."
Buffy shushed him. "Giles! I was going to break it to him easy!"
Spike actually looked freaked out for a moment, then he laughed. "Almost had me there, luv."
She arched her brow sadly. "I'm... sorry, Spike."
He stared at her. "What?"
She shrugged, touched his shoulder softly. "I'm sorry."
Giles looked at Buffy, looked at the stricken expression on Spike's face, and burst out laughing.
She swatted at Giles. "Come on! We almost had him."
Giles wiped a tear from his eye. "Sorry, it's just... That look!" He started laughing again. "Like a lost puppy..."
Spike snorted, grabbed his wings, and sat on a box with his back to them.
Buffy and Giles exchanged a look. She walked behind him, said softly, "Come on, Spike. We were kidding."
Spike said nothing.
Giles came up and put a hand on Spike's shoulder. "Come on, Spike. It was a joke."
Spike's shoulders started to shake.
Giles looked at Buffy, shocked.
She ran a hand down the back of his neck, stroking the hair at his nape, concerned. "Spike... we're- we were just kidding."
There was a low sound coming from the vampire, and his shoulders continued to shake, harder now. Finally, he let it out... and burst out laughing. "Ha! Who got who!?"
Giles looked at Buffy, then at Spike, then back at Buffy. Two words. "Get him."
Giles held Spike down while Buffy tickled unmercifully.
"Slayer! Rupert! Stop!", Spike said, giggling helplessly.
She arched her eyebrows at him, tickling with abandon. "Who got who, Spike?"
Spike was shaking, laughing hysterically, desperately trying to wriggle out of Giles grasp. "Stop.. i- it!", he choked out in between laughing fits.
"Switch!", Giles yelled. "I can't hold him!"
She switched, pinning her boyfriend down. "Got him."
Giles went for Spike's stomach with one hand and ribs with the other. Now that he didn't have to hold him still, this was a lot easier. "Come on, Spike. All you have to do is say that we won."
"Nonono!", the vampire giggled out. Giles responded by wiggling his fingers in the vampire's armpit. "AAHH!"
Anya swept into the room. "What are you people doing??"
Giles glanced up. "Torturing Spike."
She tilted her head to one side, a reminiscent look crossing her face. "I wish you the best of luck. Don't break the Elathipian jars. Those herbs are expensive."
"AANNYYAA!!", Spike yelled, helpless in the Slayer's grasp. "HELP!"
She walked back out, closing the door to keep them from disturbing her lovely, paying customers.
'Some helpful store manager,' Spike thought. Outwardly, he was too busy laughing hysterically to say much of anything.
Buffy grinned, her face close to Spike's, her hair falling over her cheek. "Awwww... how's it feel?"
"Y-you're g- gonna..." Bout of laughter. "K- kill me!!" Giles sat on his legs to keep him from kicking so much.
"Just say it already, Spike. And we'll stop. Right, Buffy?"
She pondered. "Maybe."
Giles nodded. "Good answer. After all, this is rather fun. Don't you think, Spike?"
'Yeah,' he thought. "N-nooo!", he practically screamed when Giles poked his belly button.
Buffy leaned forward again. "Come on, Spike... two words.."
Spike squirmed, trying to get a hand free, but they were pinned beneath him. "N-no way!"
Giles chuckled. "Wrong words." Both hands on the belly button now.
"Aaaiiiieeeee!"
Buffy's hair was tickling his cheek. "Come on. You're a smart vamp, most times."
Spike let out something that sounded suspiciously like a squeal. "No... Ahhh! RUPERT!!"
Giles meanwhile, had rolled Spike's shirt up slightly, to allow better access. "Buffy, sit on him. Four hands are better than two!"
She could only follow orders. She sat on his chest, and tickled his stomach.
Spike howled at the worsening onslaught. "OK!! OK!! You bloody win!!"
Giles looked at his Slayer. "Good enough for you?"
She gave a nod of acquiesce. "Yeah. You?"
Giles sat back thoughtfully. "I'm still a little mad at him for calling me old... I don't know.." He kept up his torturing as he spoke. Spike had tears running out of his eyes, and was hiccuping slightly between laughs.
She nodded understandingly. "Did he say anything mean about me?"
Giles thought, his fingers still going like mad up and down the vampire's ribs. "Just that it really annoyed him that you told me that he was ticklish. Oh, and something about you being a bint who won't even let him kiss you."
"Hmm..." She reached over, still sitting on Spike to grab the Styrofoam container holding his hot wings. He hadn't even got to open it. She popped it open, started munching a wing.
"Hey!", called the giggling vampire indignantly. "M- mine!" Talking wasn't working, so he called along the claim bond, 'Do I eat your lunch?'
Giles was now running his fingers up and down between the vampire's ribs, practically driving Spike up the wall. That is, if he had been able to move. "You know what?", the Watcher asked. "I never knew that this could be so much fun."
In her mind, Buffy said sarcastically, 'Do I ever *have one?*' She laughed at Giles. "Me and Dawn figured it out a while back. I took a special trip just for this lunch, and he's talking about me behind my back. It hurts." She tore the meat off the wing viciously. "Really."
"I'm sorrrrryyyy!", Spike wailed. His whole body was twitching, almost like he was having a seizure. But most of the fight was gone. He was tiring out.
Giles chuckled. "I don't think he has much left in him. Should I stop, you think? Or find a new area to tickle?" He glanced at the vampire's feet, wearing socks only, at the ends of legs that were pinned beneath Giles' weight.
Buffy shook her head. "I think that's enough."
Giles gave a sigh. "Very well. Maybe I'll finish him later." He released the shaking vampire, and walked over to eat his sandwich. Spike couldn't even move, and he had a horrible case of the hiccups. Not to mention that he hadn't quite stopped giggling yet.
"Off.." -hic!- "Me, Slay*hic*er"
She stood spryly, leaving the box of wings low on his stomach. Buffy moved to sit on the ground by Giles, picking off his sandwich.
Spike rolled onto his side, placing the wings on the floor in front of him. "You *hic* two are so *hic* mean."
Buffy and Giles smiled at eachother, Buffy rested her head on his knee, chewed at the corner she had stolen and nodded. "Basically."
"Not *hic* bloody fa*hic*ir. Fair." The vampire continued his mutterings interspersed liberally with hiccups.
Giles reached down and gave Buffy a lopsided hug. "Thanks for the help. And the tip. I don't know how else to get him to leave me alone."
She smiled, returned the hug. "Anytime."
"Yeah, right. *hic* Help him. I don't even think *hic* that Rupert's ticklish. I can't *hic* fight back."
Giles chuckled and exchanged a knowing look with Buffy. "You just don't know how, that's all. Buffy knows."
Buffy nodded, emphatically. "I know."
"Oh? *hic* Don't suppose you'd *hic* share?"
Giles nodded. "Very well. He deserves a chance to defend himself. Show him, Buffy." The Watcher tensed.
Buffy lightly poked the side of his neck, then scratched at the middle of his back.
Giles let out a loud laugh, and nearly dropped his sandwich. "Ok! Stop now," he giggled.
Spike nodded. "Thanks, *hic*."
She dropped her hands, and pulled a small piece of meat off his sandwich. "Yup."
Spike's hiccups were subsiding as his body relaxed. He slid over closer to them, sat up, leaned against a box, and ate a hotwing. "Well. This is just cozy."
Giles reached a hand up and scratched his neck. "Yes. Quite."
Spike offered Buffy a hotwing.
She shook her head. 'I'm fine.'
"Suit yourself. Rupert?"
"No. Thank you, though." Giles broke another part of his sandwich off and handed it to Buffy to keep her from pulling the rest of the meat out of his part.
She smiled, munched contentedly for a minute, then grabbed his part. She put the meat from hers back on his sandwich, and handed it back.
He smiled. "Thank you."
Spike chuckled. "One big happy family."
Buffy smiled. "Giles looks too thin. I'm fixing it."
The Watcher looked at her indignantly. "I am not too thin. I am exactly the weight that I want to be, thank you."
Spike chuckled, started to say something smart, then closed his mouth quickly.
Giles grinned triumphantly. "Ah. See? All he needs is the right lesson, and we can teach him to do anything. Like a trained dog."
Spike chewed a wing. "Arf."
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I could still kick your butt in training... as in, I have and you haven't."
Giles chuckled. "Yes. Very good." He gently dislodged the Slayer from his lap. "I need to take a trip to the little Watcher's room." He grinned at the Slayer. "Make sure Spike behaves."
She nodded. "Ok."
Giles walked back out into the main shop.
" "Make sure Spike behaves.." ", Spike mimicked the Watcher. He snorted. "Can't make me do anything. I do what I want to, when I want to."
"Of course you do." She took a bite of Giles' sandwich, hoping he wouldn't notice.
"I'll tell."
"No you wont." "Yes I will."
She nodded. "Ok. Go ahead."
He snorted. "Probably wouldn't do any good." He leered at her. "Watcher's pet."
She sniffed. "Why don't you go tell Giles how boring the next *two* weeks are gonna be for you?"
"TWO! It was ONE. And it's almost half over. Haven't I suffered enough today?"
She looked at him confusedly. "We tickled you."
"And that doesn't count as suffering? It's bleedin' torture!"
She shook her head. "Not the kind two weeks will induce."
He stared at her. "Slayer. Please? I'm having a really bad day. Cleaning and stocking is no fun. Especially with a psychotic Watcher who is determined to tickle me to death!"
She smiled. "You had a fun day. Admit it. I promise not to tell Giles."
He huffed. "I did not." Looked at his wings. "Maybe just a little. I'm still new at this 'having friends' thing. But that doesn't mean that I like being tickled to death."
She gave a sigh. "We'll let up."
He looked at her. "You don't have to. I mean, it's fun for you, Niblet, and Rupert. That's good enough for me."
She gave a small head shake. "No, we've been getting on you a lot. We'll let up a little. Not a lot. But a little."
He nodded. "Okay. Whatever you want." He caught a stray thought of hers. "I do *not* like being tickled!"
"Yes, you do. It's like... being attacked without the violence. Friend- fighting, and you love it."
"I love violence! I do not love tickling. Why would I love something that makes my whole body itch, and drives me nuts?!"
She reached a hand out and wiped away a smudge of hotwing sauce. "Because it's our way of being friends and not.... icky-sweet about it."
He considered. "Well, maybe you're right. And what if I do? I'm not weird. Uh, well. I am weird. But not like that."
She hid a smile at his defensiveness. "It's ok. You're not weird. Everyone likes it."
He thought a moment. "Then why do we always want it to stop? And then jump at the next chance to make them do it again? Emotions are confusing."
She nodded. "Yes, they are. But they're what makes us real."
He nodded back. Accepting. "Yeah. Real." He chuckled. "All I know is, I always feel calmer, more relaxed after you, Bit, or Rupert is done. Must be a chemical release or something."
She shrugged. "I have no idea." Picked at the lettuce on Giles' sandwich.
"I'll have to look it up."
Giles returned, catching Buffy picking at his sandwich. "Buffy! Maybe I should have told Spike to make *you* behave." He sat next to her, poking her ribs.
She gave a small snort. "Sorry." Innocent smile.
Giles rolled his eyes and looked to Spike, who shrugged and finished his last hotwing, then laid on his back next to Buffy. Giles picked up his sandwich. "Ah, well, Anya needs my help out in the store, so I suppose Spike is free to go. Except that it's still a time until sunset. Perhaps you two can get some training in?"
Buffy nodded. "No DoubleMeat today. But Spike might want to sleep a little."
Spike nodded. "Yeah. For some strange reason, I'm feeling completely exhausted. I wonder why?"
Giles chuckled. "Alright. Do whatever you want. If either of you need anything, I'll be right out there." He turned and walked back the way he came, taking his sandwich with him.
Buffy gave a small pout at her snack disappearing.
Spike grinned at her, and held up part of the sandwich that he had hidden in his hotwing container.
Her eyes widened. "You thief!"
"Meat stealer. Do you want it or not?"
She nodded. She reached out a hand to take it from him.
He pulled it back, waved it in the air, the chuckled and handed it over.
She bit into it, smiled in thanks.
He grinned. Laid back, pillowing his hands under his head. "So, what do we do now?"
She shrugged. "You can sleep, and I'll whoop on a bag."
He cracked an eye and looked at her. "And when I wake up, you'll whoop on me, am I right?"
"If you want."
He smiled, closing his eyes. "I guess so." Opened them and shook a finger at her. "Only no ticking allowed during sparring. That last time was not fair. I was winning."
"Ok." She sighed. "I need to seriously start working out again. I'm slower. I'll have to make more time to train."
"Slow? You? Like a jet plane."
She laughed. "Thanks. My reaction time is slower in a fight. I need to work on it. Giles will help me with techniques."
"And I'll help by giving you a real, unlive, scary master vampire to try them on."
"Cool. It's been awhile since we've fought." She tried to contain a smile at the thought. "It's gonna be great."
He grinned up at her. "Yeah. But we both fight fair. We'll have to make some rules for that sometime. So we know when someone's cheating."
She smiled. "We never had to cheat, we were too busy trying not to die."
"Yeah. Well now you cheat. And I want to know when."
She frowned. "How do I cheat?"
He grinned. "Three things. One: You fake me out, acting like you're gonna kick and then punching me in the nose. Two: You hit too hard for sparring. I had bruises from the last time. And Three: Every time you get me pinned, you bloody torture me. That's cheating."
She whined, "I only tickled you once. And, hello? I'm supposed to feint punches and kicks."
"Twice. And I know, but you don't have to do it all the time! Let *me* think I'm winning for once."
She gave a half grin. "Ok. And I'll be softer."
"Also, my nose is very sensitive, and it really hurts when you hit it, so please don't."
"Ok."
He leaned back and closed his eyes again. "Thanks. Wake me when you're ready for a challenge. Or in three hours, whichever comes first."
She smiled, and ran a finger down his cheek.
He grinned and opened an eye. "Yes?"
She shrugged. "Just felt like it." Ran a hand over his hair once and walked out to the training room.
========================================================================== ========
Buffy walked into the backroom, looking at Spike curled on the floor. She had changed into a sports bra and warm-ups. She tapped his shoulder. "Spike."
"Mmph."
She tapped again. "Spike."
The vampire cracked one eye. "Huh?", he said sleepily.
She tried to dim the wattage of her smile. "Fight time."
The other eye popped open and both blue orbs gleamed with excitement. "Why didn't you say so?!" He practically hopped up off the floor, then paused to stretch. "Let's go!"
Her wrists and knuckles were already taped. Buffy made the way to the back room. Spike followed, barely able to contain his excitement. "So, how do we start?"
She shrugged. "I dunno." She swung her left fist lightly. "Probably with a punch."
Spike hopped from foot to foot like an excited puppy. "You start. Oh, hang on.." He vamped out. "Realism. Now go."
She shook her head, the adrenaline dizzying her. "Just a minute."
He nodded, relaxed slightly. Waiting.
She jerked her head to each shoulder sharply. She still felt things that were his once in a while, and him vamping always did it. "Ok."
He snarled excitedly and readied himself for her attack.
Buffy cleared her vision and psyched herself up. Left jab.
Spike half blocked, half dodged and threw a right hook. Let out another excited snarl.
Blocked, feinted a left hook, ended it with a counter-clockwise roundhouse.
As always, the feint got him. Spike staggered slightly, out of practice in taking Slayer hits. He shook his head and snarled, dropping down and using a leg to swipe the Slayer's legs out from under her.
She landed on her back, bounced back quickly in a fighters' stance.
He let out a laugh. Threw a straight jab. "I'd forgotten how much fun this is!"
Buffy took it in the side, gave a slight wince. But the joy of a battle fired her eyes. She gave him a right jab to the stomach, using his slight forward pitch to tap his left cheek, then his right, letting him know she could have creamed him.
He snorted, and barreled into her stomach like a football player, throwing them both to the ground and trying to get her in a position that he would have been able to use his fangs, if he'd wanted to.
She shoved one hand under his chin, the other gripped in his hair. One snap, they both knew...
He froze. Then growled, shook her off, and stood, offering her a hand. "Fine. You win."
She took it, allowed herself to be tossed to her feet. "Yeah. You were close."
A snort. "Don't patronize me." Sat on a box, sulking. "I just can't win at anything with you."
She tossed him a one of the two bottled waters she had in the room. She twisted the lid off hers and took a deep drink. "I think you let me win sometimes."
"I wish I did."
She smiled, chugged again.
He snorted, took a drink. "Well. I guess it's a good thing I don't win. If I did, then any vamp could."
Buffy allowed herself to drop into a sitting position on the adjacent wall to him, knees up. "Very true." Using the back of her taped wrist, she wiped at the sweat streaming from her.
Spike took another drink and likewise wiped his brow. "Well, at least I know you have to work for it."
"Hmph. You're getting out of shape."
"Am not."
"You used to just growl and hop around after we got this far in a fight." She made bunny ears out of her fingers. "Like a demented little bunny."
He snorted. "One: I don't hop. And two: I am not out of shape. You looked tired, so I stopped, too."
She wiped at the sweat again, irritated with it. "Yeah, what's up with that? And you do hop." Her bunny ears bounced up and down. "Hop, hop."
He growled. "I'm gonna hop *you* in a minute. And you've already been training while I was sleeping. You're tired. I'm not."
She shrugged. "All right." Capped her water bottle. "Ready for two?"
He stood up, stretched his back. "Always ready to dance with you, luv."
She took her stance. Stopped. Turned her back. "Attack."
"With your back turned?"
She turned back, rolled her eyes. "You're right. Because the vampires are gonna be nice, and tap me on the shoulder and give me time to warm up before I stake them. Or stand in line and wait to go one on one with me, as opposed to jumping me..."
He grinned. "Ok, turn around. But I'm not gonna warn you, or attack right away. It'll be a surprise."
She turned with a nod, not expecting anything less.
Spike stood for a moment. Growled, moved right, growled again, moved left, growled again. Then he was quiet, slinking up behind the Slayer, then he pounced, hitting her square in the back. All of his movements and sounds must have confused her. She didn't even seem ready for him, right away, that is.
As soon as she got her bearings, she ducked into a side-roll, displacing him as she ran her elbow into him while they rolled. She jumped to her feet.
Spike "Oof"ed, when the elbow went into his side, and hopped up as fast as he could. The snarling vampire threw a series of punches and kicks, using all his speed and skill.
She blocked, deflected, throwing her own punches as quickly as she could. She made to slap him on the side of the head with a fist, the momentum considerable. She waited for the block, the leverage him grabbing her fist would give her. He did. She swung a leg square into his chest, pushing him back, using the arm he held to make her kick a flip, and landed on her feet, fists up.
Spike hit the ground hard on his back, and something popped. "Ow!" He sat up, rubbing his lower back, no longer vamped. "Bloody... landed on a rock or somethin'."
She stopped, dropping her pose. Knelt beside him. "Let me see."
He pulled his hand away from the sore muscle on his back. "Pulled something, I think."
She moved behind him, pulled at his damp shirt, sticking to his back.
He turned his head around as far as he could. "Sorry. I'm sweaty."
She ignored his apologies to stare fixedly at his back. "Where?"
He motioned to his lower spine, just above his waist. "There."
She frowned, felt around it. The muscle was knotted, and she knew he had hurt it when he missed the corner of the mat. "This is going to hurt for a second."
He nodded, gritted his teeth.
She dug her thumbs into the middle of the knot, and smoothed outwards. After her initial brutality, she was gentle, kneading softly.
He winced at first, then began to purr happily at the unexpected massage.
Buffy was intently focused on the abused muscle. She ran her fingers over it horizontally, then vertically. She used her thumbs to rub small circles on it.
Spike closed his eyes and purred louder.
When she was finished, she ran her hand over it, feeling for tension or a knot. None. "Do you feel any better?"
He nodded. "*I love you,*" he purred to her.
The words came more slowly to her lips, with less ease and grace than his. "I love you, too."
He smiled at her, knowing it still wasn't easy. "I know." He leaned back, laying on the mat. "Can we maybe stop for tonight, luv? I'm tired, and liable to really hurt myself the next time you flip me."
Buffy nodded. "I was gonna say the same."
He chuckled. "Cept that I didn't flip you."
She smirked slightly. "Yeah.... you didn't."
He looked up at her. "I could've, but I didn't. Didn't feel like it, you know."
She was serious. "You could've broken my wrist."
He closed his eyes. "I know. I'm sorry. Got a bit... carried away."
She shrugged. "You didn't. But you could have."
"I know..", he said quietly. "And that scares me."
She shook her head, crawled to get her water bottle. Leaned against a wall. "No. You could have broken my wrist. Opportunity written all over that stupid move, and you didn't."
He looked at her. "Yeah. You're right. Want to lay out sparring rules, now? Since the relationship rules have gone so well."
From behind him she gave an eyeroll. Because so many were abided by. "Sure."
"Ok. Uh, how about no flipping if we're close to the edge of the mat?"
She moved into his line of sight. "Ok."
"Your rule."
She shrugged. "I can basically take it all."
"Come on, luv. There's got to be something."
She thought, and hard. "Well, be careful tossing me around by my shoulders, they get enough abuse as is."
He nodded. "Agreed. Hey, how are you feeling right now?"
She took a large swig of water. "Dehydrated and gross. Yourself?"
"I share the dehydrated part." Picked up his water and took a long drink. "But I'm also feelin' pretty good. Happy. Content. But that's probably from you rubbing my back."
She gave a slow smile.
"You got any achy muscles? So I can return the favor?"
"One?"
"Yeah. Anything."
She pulled off her shoes, and rolled the warm-up pants to her knee on her left leg. Pointed at her calf. "It pulled when I turned the flip."
He smiled and crawled over to her, holding her leg in his lap and kneading the muscle gently, finding the pull and working it out with slow, rhythmic rubbing.
She laid flat on her back, her leg in his lap, and she winced as he rubbed the right spot. She was going over the move in her head. Too uncalculated, too risky. She'd have to work on it.
He worked the pull out, testing the surrounding muscle to see if there were any other pulls. Finding none, he lay down next to her, purring contentedly. "Better?"
"Mmm..." There was a frown line between her eyebrows, she was thinking.
"What's on your mind, luv?"
"That move was stupid. I needed... more leverage. I couldn't pull that in a cemetery. I can't count on them being strong enough to give me the leverage, or dumb enough to let go at the right time."
"Hey!", the vampire said indignantly.
She sighed. "You know what I mean. If they were smart, they'd hold on for dear unlife and snap the Slayer's wrist in half."
He smiled at her. "But letting go is a reflex. You want to be able to catch yourself when you fall. But you're right. Promise me you won't try that on patrol, ok?"
She gave an affirmative nod. "I don't want Dawn to try it out."
"We'll give her some extra instructions the next time she trains with us." He grinned. "You know what, though? Aside from severely needing a shower, I'm feeling really good right now."
She felt like someone had taken the cotton they stuff in aspirin bottles and shoved a hundred of them in her brain. "Good."
He yawned. "Tired, though. You?"
"Fuzzy. Drained."
He chuckled. "Drained. Good word to use when you're laying next to a vampire." He reached over, stroked her hair gently. "Wanna take a nap? I'll stay with you."
She smiled, loving the thought. "I wonder if Anya or Giles needs help finishing up."
He smiled back at her. "Probably not. If they needed us, they could find us." Stroked her hair again, snuggled against her, slipping an arm around her waist. "Go to sleep."
Her eyes fell shut with his words, and she could almost feel herself leaving consciousness behind. Behind her eyes burned, and she felt dry. She ignored the woozy feeling, and did as Spike said. Slept.
========================================================================== ==========
Spike lay quietly, watching his Slayer sleep. He was worried about her. It wasn't like her to be so tired. And he had noticed her lack of eating much lately. And drinking. Of course, he hadn't been feeding much either, but that didn't worry him. She worried him. He stroked her hair gently.
Buffy stirred slowly under his hands. Her vision was blurred, which she counted off to her dozing, and she sighed. Her speech was rough from her slumber. "How long?"
He glanced at the clock. "Three hours, nearly. Giles is still here, but Anya went home an hour ago."
She dragged herself to a sitting position, gave Spike a small smile where he still lay and stretched.
He yawned hugely, and wiped his brow. 'When the hell did I start sweating in my sleep?', he wondered.
Buffy stood, looking at her still-taped hands. "Never done that before."
He sat up. "Must be hot in here. Sometimes it's a pain being mostly cold- blooded." Stretched and yawned again. Rubbed at his eyes to get rid of the post sleep fuzziness.
She stretched her arms quickly, said, "Do you feel like sparring?"
He grinned up at her and climbed to his feet. "When don't I?"
She gave an appreciative laugh and took her stance.
He started to vamp out, but some instinct said no, so he decided to lash out with a kick instead.
She dodged to the right, using her arm to deflect what her body couldn't move. She swung into a left hook.
He grabbed her fist, throwing her off balance, and landed a quick jab to her stomach.
Her body jerked forward, a natural reaction, but she planted a fist on his ribs in a reverse punch while he lifted her hand.
He vamped on reflex, snarling at her, and went into a series of quick hi/low punches.
Her head swam as his eyes flashed and his demon came forward. She wobbled to her left as Spike landed a high punch on her right shoulder.
Spike paused, looking at her. She seemed shaky. "You okay, luv?"
She planted her feet, locked her knees. "Fine." Swung at him again.
Missed completely. Spike hadn't even dodged. His stomach felt kind of weird, and he wondered if it was coming from her. "You sure?"
Maybe locking her knees wasn't the best of ideas. She stumbled again and they gave out. She landed on them on the mats, everything moving too fast, while she was helplessly slow. She weaved left and right, looked up at Spike.
He was back in human form, and he dropped to his knees next to her. "I'm going to get Rupert."
Her eyes were glazed, and she blinked once, confusedly, before passing out.
========================================================================== =========
Her head spun, eyes burned, and there was horrible dryness in the back of her throat. She cracked her eyes open slowly to look around. The Magic Box. Black couch... She strained herself to make out an out-of-focus Spike and Giles whispering quietly.
"I tell you, Rupert, I didn't even touch her. Barely touched her shoulder, she weaved. She threw a punch, completely missed, fell down, and passed out."
"I know, Spike. I was watching the surveillance monitors. Look, I think she's waking up.."
Buffy looked at them focusing on their faces intently, ignored the waves of nausea. She was sure she looked confused.
Spike ran a hand over her hair. "Hey, luv. You scared us for a minute. Almost started my heart beating. How you feel?"
She made her drinking face.
He chuckled. "I know. Me too."
Giles touched her hand. "What happened, Buffy? Do you remember?"
She tried to swallow what saliva she could muster then said, "We took a nap. And when we woke up, we were gonna spar."
"I know. Spike told me, and I was watching on the surveillance monitors. You just... fainted."
That rankled. And it showed on her mulish expression.
Spike looked at her. "Are you sick, luv? You haven't been eating much lately."
She shrugged. "Kinda... hot. Fuzzy. Haven't been hungry."
Giles placed a hand on her forehead. "Maybe you're coming down with the flu."
Spike's eyes grew wide, and he wiped his sweat-soaked curls out of his eyes. "I'll go get the thermometer." He didn't even wait for the response, practically running to the bathroom.
She looked at Giles, perfectly miserable. "I don't get sick."
Giles smiled. "Once every three years isn't never. Everyone gets sick, Buffy. Even me, even you."
She frowned. She had never not had her mother to take care of her. "Will you sit with me?"
Giles nodded. "I'll stay as long as you need me."
She took his hand and pulled him to sit on the couch.
He gently tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "Want to talk about anything?"
She put a pillow on his lap, rested her head on it. "I've never felt that weak. It was odd, too, because, even when I feel sick, and I'm in the middle of a fight, my adrenaline pumps anyway, ya know? I don't feel sick till the end."
Giles nodded. "Yes. I know. Perhaps it's a virus."
"But today, Spike and I were so into the fight, right in the middle, where all the heat is, I just felt like dropping."
"And you did, apparently," Giles said with a quiet laugh. "You scared Spike pretty bad. He thought he did it. I've never seen a vampire sweat like that."
She gave a half laugh. "First time I've ever seen him sweat was tonight." Her look turned thoughtful. "Giles?"
"Yes?"
"Do we *have* a thermometer?"
"Yes. It's in the bathroom, with the aspirin and ice packs."
"Oh." She sat up slowly, the blood rushing from her head. "He should be back by now."
"Maybe he couldn't find it." He looked at her. "Can you still feel him?"
"I can always feel him.." She trailed off, standing shakily.
Giles gripped her arm gently. "I'll go get him. You should lie back down..."
At that moment, the door opened, and Spike walked in, holding the doorjamb and panting slightly. "Rupert? Buffy? I... don't feel so good.." He took one step through the door, and passed out.
She unsteadily made her way to the entrance, dropped on her knees beside him. Buffy lifted her eyes to Giles', holding Spike against her. "He's burning up."
"Bloody hell," Giles cursed, hurrying over to the vampire and Slayer. "Buffy, are you sure that the feelings of weakness were from you?"
She calmed herself, knowing panic wouldn't help Spike. "I... I don't know... I mean, when-" her eyes lit up. "I felt so horrible when he changed, when his demon came to the fore..."
Giles knelt beside them, his hand on Spike's forehead. "See if you can block it. If it is him." He pried the thermometer out of Spike's hand, and stuck it in his mouth. "This will take a moment."
Buffy had to sit, eyes closed for three minutes before she could do it successfully. "All right.. I... I blocked him."
Giles took the thermometer out of Spike's mouth, looked at it, and cursed. "100.4." He looked at Buffy. "Normal for a vampire is a little higher than room temperature. That means that Spike has a twenty seven degree fever. That's higher than Angel's after Faith poisoned him."
Her eyes snapped. She was back. She was the Slayer. "What do I do? Who do I kill?"
Giles shook his head. "No one. It looks like a vampiric flu. I knew it was going around, but I didn't think of it. Spike must have inhaled the dust of an infected vampire. That's how it's spread. It has no effect on humans, and isn't fatal to vampires, but it causes all the same symptoms as the human flu." Giles cursed again. "And I had a vamp flu shot for him, and forgot about it. Bloody hell."
She made a frustrated noise. "Give it to him!"
"It wouldn't help now. He's already infected. The only thing we can to is make him comfortable, and try to get the fever to break."
"But-" She reigned in her fear. "Will the fever peaking dust him?"
Giles shook his head. "It would have to get above 120 to do that. He's far from it. I'm going to pull the air conditioner down low. Make it as cold in here as possible, that might help. Get him on the couch, and get his shirt off. Then get some of the ice packs and rub him with them. Try to get him to wake up, I need to know when he staked the infected vamp to see how far the infection has progressed."
She nodded, and set out to do what he said. "Giles?"
"Yes?"
"At nightfall, can we move him to my house? He- he sleeps better there." She avoided his eyes as she pulled Spike's cotton shirt off.
Giles nodded. "Good idea. I'll drive. I'm worried about him too, Buffy. He's... grown on me. Kind of like mold on bread."
She gave a soft laugh. "Yeah... he does that."
"You noticed?", Giles said with a chuckle. "I'm going to call around, see what I can come up with. Until then, if he wakes up, try and get him to drink water. Dehydration is a big problem with this. They barely even feel hungry."
"Blood or water?"
"Water for right now. He may get nauseous, and it's better for him to throw up water than blood. Maybe some orange or apple juice. Get some vitamins into him."
She nodded. Walked quickly to get icepacks and started placing them on his chest. "Spike??"
Spike stirred and shivered. "Cold..", he muttered, not opening his eyes.
She ran a hand over his face, used her mental link. 'I know it's cold, but pay close attention. When did you stake a sick vamp?'
'When it's not me...', the reply floated back.
She wanted to shake him. 'Spike... don't play right now. Pay attention. Tell me.'
'Sorry, luv. Tired. One of the one's with the Tralfgar was actin weird. Made me sneeze...'
'Ok... I have... water here, and you need to drink some, ok?'
He opened an eye. 'Ok. My tummy hurts...' Even his thoughts sounded sick. Like a sick little boy. Scared, too.
She ran a hand over his damp curls, helped him drink. "It'll be ok," she spoke quietly. "We'll take care of you. I promise."
Always. Tequila Sunrise.
Buffy swung into the Magic Box, and smiled at Anya, working the counter. Three days into the kissless week, and he hadn't cracked. "Hey Anya."
"Buffy. Hi!" She smiled quickly, then glanced over her shoulder at the backroom.
Buffy followed her glance, hearing grunts from behind the door. "So... What's going on?"
Anya shrugged, smiled worriedly, "I dunno... Giles is stocking the stock room." She frowned. "If I can't find something, I'll be very angry." Her eyes shot sparks. "And it's not like I have someone to have sex with now. We all know what happened last time I didn't have sex for so many years."
Buffy's eyes were rounded, but she nodded slowly.
"Spike basically knows where everything goes, though, so... It shouldn't be too hard for me to tidy up after them, after they fail at doing it productively."
"Spike's in there?"
"Well, yes, he and Giles-"
"Did anyone get hurt yet?"
They were interrupted by a sudden crash and a loud cry of, "BUGGER!!" From the stock room. Giles' voice.
Buffy gave Anya a startled glance, and shot after the noise, striding quickly to the door.
From inside, she could hear Spike. "You okay, Rupe?"
"Fine. Bloody stupid..."
"Must just be your old bones, then."
There was a pause, then, "Spike, come over here."
"Why? What... AHH! Rupert! Leggo!!"
Buffy cracked the door cautiously, praying not to find a pile of dust, and an indignant Watcher.
Instead, she found Giles, holding Spike in a headlock with one hand, tickling his ribs with the other. The vampire was squirming, and alternately cursing and laughing. "Rupert! Bloody! Stop it! Geroff!"
Buffy giggled quietly from the doorway.
Spike finally managed to wiggle free, and promptly fell on his butt, still laughing. Giles took a step toward him, and he tried to scramble backwards, only to smack into a large box. Giles lunged, and Spike couldn't dodge, but he managed to curl into a ball, protecting his stomach and one side. He must have noticed Buffy then. "Slayer! Help!"
"Call me old, will you?", Giles said playfully. "Hello, Buffy," he called over his shoulder.
Buffy stood, leaning casually against the jamb, Anya peeking in over the Slayer's shoulder saying only, "You break it you bought it."
"I dunno, Spike. He's kinda ferocious." She made a sweet face at her Watcher. "Hey, Giles."
Spike was in hysterics, trying repeatedly to get his feet under him, but Giles kept thwarting his every attempt. "Come on, Slayer!" He turned his attention to the Watcher. "Rupe! Stop!"
Giles looked at Buffy. "Think he's had enough?"
Buffy thought for a long moment, then slowly nodded. "Yeah, I guess."
Giles nodded, and released his giggling captive, backing away slowly.
"Bloody...", was the only thing the vampire said, unable to get up right then.
Buffy gave a small sigh, and walked to him to extend her hand.
He took it, and pulled her onto the floor with him. "Why didn't you help me?"
On a graceless heap on the floor, she gave him a look. "Because it was funny."
Giles chuckled, and went back to sorting the pile of books he had dropped.
Spike tickled her ribs quickly and released her. "Not for me."
She gave a quick shudder and wiggle, and stood, dusted herself off and pointedly refused to help Spike up. She placed a hand on Giles' arm. "Whatcha got?"
"Just some books. We're almost done."
"Been stocking," Spike said, sitting up.
Giles chuckled. "All day. Since five thirty this morning."
"Wow. Go you with the initiative."
Spike snorted, scratching at his now terribly itchy ribs. "And that's the third time he's pulled that."
"That's the third time you've insulted me."
She laughed. "Do I need to put you in corners?"
Giles gave a playful shrug. "That depends on a certain vampire who doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut." He looked at Spike. "Learned your lesson yet?"
Spike grinned, and shook his head.
Giles gave a fake sigh. "Oh well. I suppose I'll just have to keep doing that till you do learn."
"Oh no. Please. Anything but that," Spike deadpanned.
She rolled her eyes. "All right. Buffy brought lunch."
Giles smiled. "And what's for lunch, then?"
"Please tell me there's hotwings," Spike added.
She pointed to the front of the store. "Deli sandwich for you," she moved her hand to point at Giles. "And yes. Special stop to get hotwings."
Spike rubbed his hands together. "Oh boy."
Giles sighed. "What am I going to do with you?"
Spike grinned. "Who me?"
"No, the other incredibly annoying vampire that my Slayer is dating at the moment."
Buffy shushed him. "Giles! I was going to break it to him easy!"
Spike actually looked freaked out for a moment, then he laughed. "Almost had me there, luv."
She arched her brow sadly. "I'm... sorry, Spike."
He stared at her. "What?"
She shrugged, touched his shoulder softly. "I'm sorry."
Giles looked at Buffy, looked at the stricken expression on Spike's face, and burst out laughing.
She swatted at Giles. "Come on! We almost had him."
Giles wiped a tear from his eye. "Sorry, it's just... That look!" He started laughing again. "Like a lost puppy..."
Spike snorted, grabbed his wings, and sat on a box with his back to them.
Buffy and Giles exchanged a look. She walked behind him, said softly, "Come on, Spike. We were kidding."
Spike said nothing.
Giles came up and put a hand on Spike's shoulder. "Come on, Spike. It was a joke."
Spike's shoulders started to shake.
Giles looked at Buffy, shocked.
She ran a hand down the back of his neck, stroking the hair at his nape, concerned. "Spike... we're- we were just kidding."
There was a low sound coming from the vampire, and his shoulders continued to shake, harder now. Finally, he let it out... and burst out laughing. "Ha! Who got who!?"
Giles looked at Buffy, then at Spike, then back at Buffy. Two words. "Get him."
Giles held Spike down while Buffy tickled unmercifully.
"Slayer! Rupert! Stop!", Spike said, giggling helplessly.
She arched her eyebrows at him, tickling with abandon. "Who got who, Spike?"
Spike was shaking, laughing hysterically, desperately trying to wriggle out of Giles grasp. "Stop.. i- it!", he choked out in between laughing fits.
"Switch!", Giles yelled. "I can't hold him!"
She switched, pinning her boyfriend down. "Got him."
Giles went for Spike's stomach with one hand and ribs with the other. Now that he didn't have to hold him still, this was a lot easier. "Come on, Spike. All you have to do is say that we won."
"Nonono!", the vampire giggled out. Giles responded by wiggling his fingers in the vampire's armpit. "AAHH!"
Anya swept into the room. "What are you people doing??"
Giles glanced up. "Torturing Spike."
She tilted her head to one side, a reminiscent look crossing her face. "I wish you the best of luck. Don't break the Elathipian jars. Those herbs are expensive."
"AANNYYAA!!", Spike yelled, helpless in the Slayer's grasp. "HELP!"
She walked back out, closing the door to keep them from disturbing her lovely, paying customers.
'Some helpful store manager,' Spike thought. Outwardly, he was too busy laughing hysterically to say much of anything.
Buffy grinned, her face close to Spike's, her hair falling over her cheek. "Awwww... how's it feel?"
"Y-you're g- gonna..." Bout of laughter. "K- kill me!!" Giles sat on his legs to keep him from kicking so much.
"Just say it already, Spike. And we'll stop. Right, Buffy?"
She pondered. "Maybe."
Giles nodded. "Good answer. After all, this is rather fun. Don't you think, Spike?"
'Yeah,' he thought. "N-nooo!", he practically screamed when Giles poked his belly button.
Buffy leaned forward again. "Come on, Spike... two words.."
Spike squirmed, trying to get a hand free, but they were pinned beneath him. "N-no way!"
Giles chuckled. "Wrong words." Both hands on the belly button now.
"Aaaiiiieeeee!"
Buffy's hair was tickling his cheek. "Come on. You're a smart vamp, most times."
Spike let out something that sounded suspiciously like a squeal. "No... Ahhh! RUPERT!!"
Giles meanwhile, had rolled Spike's shirt up slightly, to allow better access. "Buffy, sit on him. Four hands are better than two!"
She could only follow orders. She sat on his chest, and tickled his stomach.
Spike howled at the worsening onslaught. "OK!! OK!! You bloody win!!"
Giles looked at his Slayer. "Good enough for you?"
She gave a nod of acquiesce. "Yeah. You?"
Giles sat back thoughtfully. "I'm still a little mad at him for calling me old... I don't know.." He kept up his torturing as he spoke. Spike had tears running out of his eyes, and was hiccuping slightly between laughs.
She nodded understandingly. "Did he say anything mean about me?"
Giles thought, his fingers still going like mad up and down the vampire's ribs. "Just that it really annoyed him that you told me that he was ticklish. Oh, and something about you being a bint who won't even let him kiss you."
"Hmm..." She reached over, still sitting on Spike to grab the Styrofoam container holding his hot wings. He hadn't even got to open it. She popped it open, started munching a wing.
"Hey!", called the giggling vampire indignantly. "M- mine!" Talking wasn't working, so he called along the claim bond, 'Do I eat your lunch?'
Giles was now running his fingers up and down between the vampire's ribs, practically driving Spike up the wall. That is, if he had been able to move. "You know what?", the Watcher asked. "I never knew that this could be so much fun."
In her mind, Buffy said sarcastically, 'Do I ever *have one?*' She laughed at Giles. "Me and Dawn figured it out a while back. I took a special trip just for this lunch, and he's talking about me behind my back. It hurts." She tore the meat off the wing viciously. "Really."
"I'm sorrrrryyyy!", Spike wailed. His whole body was twitching, almost like he was having a seizure. But most of the fight was gone. He was tiring out.
Giles chuckled. "I don't think he has much left in him. Should I stop, you think? Or find a new area to tickle?" He glanced at the vampire's feet, wearing socks only, at the ends of legs that were pinned beneath Giles' weight.
Buffy shook her head. "I think that's enough."
Giles gave a sigh. "Very well. Maybe I'll finish him later." He released the shaking vampire, and walked over to eat his sandwich. Spike couldn't even move, and he had a horrible case of the hiccups. Not to mention that he hadn't quite stopped giggling yet.
"Off.." -hic!- "Me, Slay*hic*er"
She stood spryly, leaving the box of wings low on his stomach. Buffy moved to sit on the ground by Giles, picking off his sandwich.
Spike rolled onto his side, placing the wings on the floor in front of him. "You *hic* two are so *hic* mean."
Buffy and Giles smiled at eachother, Buffy rested her head on his knee, chewed at the corner she had stolen and nodded. "Basically."
"Not *hic* bloody fa*hic*ir. Fair." The vampire continued his mutterings interspersed liberally with hiccups.
Giles reached down and gave Buffy a lopsided hug. "Thanks for the help. And the tip. I don't know how else to get him to leave me alone."
She smiled, returned the hug. "Anytime."
"Yeah, right. *hic* Help him. I don't even think *hic* that Rupert's ticklish. I can't *hic* fight back."
Giles chuckled and exchanged a knowing look with Buffy. "You just don't know how, that's all. Buffy knows."
Buffy nodded, emphatically. "I know."
"Oh? *hic* Don't suppose you'd *hic* share?"
Giles nodded. "Very well. He deserves a chance to defend himself. Show him, Buffy." The Watcher tensed.
Buffy lightly poked the side of his neck, then scratched at the middle of his back.
Giles let out a loud laugh, and nearly dropped his sandwich. "Ok! Stop now," he giggled.
Spike nodded. "Thanks, *hic*."
She dropped her hands, and pulled a small piece of meat off his sandwich. "Yup."
Spike's hiccups were subsiding as his body relaxed. He slid over closer to them, sat up, leaned against a box, and ate a hotwing. "Well. This is just cozy."
Giles reached a hand up and scratched his neck. "Yes. Quite."
Spike offered Buffy a hotwing.
She shook her head. 'I'm fine.'
"Suit yourself. Rupert?"
"No. Thank you, though." Giles broke another part of his sandwich off and handed it to Buffy to keep her from pulling the rest of the meat out of his part.
She smiled, munched contentedly for a minute, then grabbed his part. She put the meat from hers back on his sandwich, and handed it back.
He smiled. "Thank you."
Spike chuckled. "One big happy family."
Buffy smiled. "Giles looks too thin. I'm fixing it."
The Watcher looked at her indignantly. "I am not too thin. I am exactly the weight that I want to be, thank you."
Spike chuckled, started to say something smart, then closed his mouth quickly.
Giles grinned triumphantly. "Ah. See? All he needs is the right lesson, and we can teach him to do anything. Like a trained dog."
Spike chewed a wing. "Arf."
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I could still kick your butt in training... as in, I have and you haven't."
Giles chuckled. "Yes. Very good." He gently dislodged the Slayer from his lap. "I need to take a trip to the little Watcher's room." He grinned at the Slayer. "Make sure Spike behaves."
She nodded. "Ok."
Giles walked back out into the main shop.
" "Make sure Spike behaves.." ", Spike mimicked the Watcher. He snorted. "Can't make me do anything. I do what I want to, when I want to."
"Of course you do." She took a bite of Giles' sandwich, hoping he wouldn't notice.
"I'll tell."
"No you wont." "Yes I will."
She nodded. "Ok. Go ahead."
He snorted. "Probably wouldn't do any good." He leered at her. "Watcher's pet."
She sniffed. "Why don't you go tell Giles how boring the next *two* weeks are gonna be for you?"
"TWO! It was ONE. And it's almost half over. Haven't I suffered enough today?"
She looked at him confusedly. "We tickled you."
"And that doesn't count as suffering? It's bleedin' torture!"
She shook her head. "Not the kind two weeks will induce."
He stared at her. "Slayer. Please? I'm having a really bad day. Cleaning and stocking is no fun. Especially with a psychotic Watcher who is determined to tickle me to death!"
She smiled. "You had a fun day. Admit it. I promise not to tell Giles."
He huffed. "I did not." Looked at his wings. "Maybe just a little. I'm still new at this 'having friends' thing. But that doesn't mean that I like being tickled to death."
She gave a sigh. "We'll let up."
He looked at her. "You don't have to. I mean, it's fun for you, Niblet, and Rupert. That's good enough for me."
She gave a small head shake. "No, we've been getting on you a lot. We'll let up a little. Not a lot. But a little."
He nodded. "Okay. Whatever you want." He caught a stray thought of hers. "I do *not* like being tickled!"
"Yes, you do. It's like... being attacked without the violence. Friend- fighting, and you love it."
"I love violence! I do not love tickling. Why would I love something that makes my whole body itch, and drives me nuts?!"
She reached a hand out and wiped away a smudge of hotwing sauce. "Because it's our way of being friends and not.... icky-sweet about it."
He considered. "Well, maybe you're right. And what if I do? I'm not weird. Uh, well. I am weird. But not like that."
She hid a smile at his defensiveness. "It's ok. You're not weird. Everyone likes it."
He thought a moment. "Then why do we always want it to stop? And then jump at the next chance to make them do it again? Emotions are confusing."
She nodded. "Yes, they are. But they're what makes us real."
He nodded back. Accepting. "Yeah. Real." He chuckled. "All I know is, I always feel calmer, more relaxed after you, Bit, or Rupert is done. Must be a chemical release or something."
She shrugged. "I have no idea." Picked at the lettuce on Giles' sandwich.
"I'll have to look it up."
Giles returned, catching Buffy picking at his sandwich. "Buffy! Maybe I should have told Spike to make *you* behave." He sat next to her, poking her ribs.
She gave a small snort. "Sorry." Innocent smile.
Giles rolled his eyes and looked to Spike, who shrugged and finished his last hotwing, then laid on his back next to Buffy. Giles picked up his sandwich. "Ah, well, Anya needs my help out in the store, so I suppose Spike is free to go. Except that it's still a time until sunset. Perhaps you two can get some training in?"
Buffy nodded. "No DoubleMeat today. But Spike might want to sleep a little."
Spike nodded. "Yeah. For some strange reason, I'm feeling completely exhausted. I wonder why?"
Giles chuckled. "Alright. Do whatever you want. If either of you need anything, I'll be right out there." He turned and walked back the way he came, taking his sandwich with him.
Buffy gave a small pout at her snack disappearing.
Spike grinned at her, and held up part of the sandwich that he had hidden in his hotwing container.
Her eyes widened. "You thief!"
"Meat stealer. Do you want it or not?"
She nodded. She reached out a hand to take it from him.
He pulled it back, waved it in the air, the chuckled and handed it over.
She bit into it, smiled in thanks.
He grinned. Laid back, pillowing his hands under his head. "So, what do we do now?"
She shrugged. "You can sleep, and I'll whoop on a bag."
He cracked an eye and looked at her. "And when I wake up, you'll whoop on me, am I right?"
"If you want."
He smiled, closing his eyes. "I guess so." Opened them and shook a finger at her. "Only no ticking allowed during sparring. That last time was not fair. I was winning."
"Ok." She sighed. "I need to seriously start working out again. I'm slower. I'll have to make more time to train."
"Slow? You? Like a jet plane."
She laughed. "Thanks. My reaction time is slower in a fight. I need to work on it. Giles will help me with techniques."
"And I'll help by giving you a real, unlive, scary master vampire to try them on."
"Cool. It's been awhile since we've fought." She tried to contain a smile at the thought. "It's gonna be great."
He grinned up at her. "Yeah. But we both fight fair. We'll have to make some rules for that sometime. So we know when someone's cheating."
She smiled. "We never had to cheat, we were too busy trying not to die."
"Yeah. Well now you cheat. And I want to know when."
She frowned. "How do I cheat?"
He grinned. "Three things. One: You fake me out, acting like you're gonna kick and then punching me in the nose. Two: You hit too hard for sparring. I had bruises from the last time. And Three: Every time you get me pinned, you bloody torture me. That's cheating."
She whined, "I only tickled you once. And, hello? I'm supposed to feint punches and kicks."
"Twice. And I know, but you don't have to do it all the time! Let *me* think I'm winning for once."
She gave a half grin. "Ok. And I'll be softer."
"Also, my nose is very sensitive, and it really hurts when you hit it, so please don't."
"Ok."
He leaned back and closed his eyes again. "Thanks. Wake me when you're ready for a challenge. Or in three hours, whichever comes first."
She smiled, and ran a finger down his cheek.
He grinned and opened an eye. "Yes?"
She shrugged. "Just felt like it." Ran a hand over his hair once and walked out to the training room.
========================================================================== ========
Buffy walked into the backroom, looking at Spike curled on the floor. She had changed into a sports bra and warm-ups. She tapped his shoulder. "Spike."
"Mmph."
She tapped again. "Spike."
The vampire cracked one eye. "Huh?", he said sleepily.
She tried to dim the wattage of her smile. "Fight time."
The other eye popped open and both blue orbs gleamed with excitement. "Why didn't you say so?!" He practically hopped up off the floor, then paused to stretch. "Let's go!"
Her wrists and knuckles were already taped. Buffy made the way to the back room. Spike followed, barely able to contain his excitement. "So, how do we start?"
She shrugged. "I dunno." She swung her left fist lightly. "Probably with a punch."
Spike hopped from foot to foot like an excited puppy. "You start. Oh, hang on.." He vamped out. "Realism. Now go."
She shook her head, the adrenaline dizzying her. "Just a minute."
He nodded, relaxed slightly. Waiting.
She jerked her head to each shoulder sharply. She still felt things that were his once in a while, and him vamping always did it. "Ok."
He snarled excitedly and readied himself for her attack.
Buffy cleared her vision and psyched herself up. Left jab.
Spike half blocked, half dodged and threw a right hook. Let out another excited snarl.
Blocked, feinted a left hook, ended it with a counter-clockwise roundhouse.
As always, the feint got him. Spike staggered slightly, out of practice in taking Slayer hits. He shook his head and snarled, dropping down and using a leg to swipe the Slayer's legs out from under her.
She landed on her back, bounced back quickly in a fighters' stance.
He let out a laugh. Threw a straight jab. "I'd forgotten how much fun this is!"
Buffy took it in the side, gave a slight wince. But the joy of a battle fired her eyes. She gave him a right jab to the stomach, using his slight forward pitch to tap his left cheek, then his right, letting him know she could have creamed him.
He snorted, and barreled into her stomach like a football player, throwing them both to the ground and trying to get her in a position that he would have been able to use his fangs, if he'd wanted to.
She shoved one hand under his chin, the other gripped in his hair. One snap, they both knew...
He froze. Then growled, shook her off, and stood, offering her a hand. "Fine. You win."
She took it, allowed herself to be tossed to her feet. "Yeah. You were close."
A snort. "Don't patronize me." Sat on a box, sulking. "I just can't win at anything with you."
She tossed him a one of the two bottled waters she had in the room. She twisted the lid off hers and took a deep drink. "I think you let me win sometimes."
"I wish I did."
She smiled, chugged again.
He snorted, took a drink. "Well. I guess it's a good thing I don't win. If I did, then any vamp could."
Buffy allowed herself to drop into a sitting position on the adjacent wall to him, knees up. "Very true." Using the back of her taped wrist, she wiped at the sweat streaming from her.
Spike took another drink and likewise wiped his brow. "Well, at least I know you have to work for it."
"Hmph. You're getting out of shape."
"Am not."
"You used to just growl and hop around after we got this far in a fight." She made bunny ears out of her fingers. "Like a demented little bunny."
He snorted. "One: I don't hop. And two: I am not out of shape. You looked tired, so I stopped, too."
She wiped at the sweat again, irritated with it. "Yeah, what's up with that? And you do hop." Her bunny ears bounced up and down. "Hop, hop."
He growled. "I'm gonna hop *you* in a minute. And you've already been training while I was sleeping. You're tired. I'm not."
She shrugged. "All right." Capped her water bottle. "Ready for two?"
He stood up, stretched his back. "Always ready to dance with you, luv."
She took her stance. Stopped. Turned her back. "Attack."
"With your back turned?"
She turned back, rolled her eyes. "You're right. Because the vampires are gonna be nice, and tap me on the shoulder and give me time to warm up before I stake them. Or stand in line and wait to go one on one with me, as opposed to jumping me..."
He grinned. "Ok, turn around. But I'm not gonna warn you, or attack right away. It'll be a surprise."
She turned with a nod, not expecting anything less.
Spike stood for a moment. Growled, moved right, growled again, moved left, growled again. Then he was quiet, slinking up behind the Slayer, then he pounced, hitting her square in the back. All of his movements and sounds must have confused her. She didn't even seem ready for him, right away, that is.
As soon as she got her bearings, she ducked into a side-roll, displacing him as she ran her elbow into him while they rolled. She jumped to her feet.
Spike "Oof"ed, when the elbow went into his side, and hopped up as fast as he could. The snarling vampire threw a series of punches and kicks, using all his speed and skill.
She blocked, deflected, throwing her own punches as quickly as she could. She made to slap him on the side of the head with a fist, the momentum considerable. She waited for the block, the leverage him grabbing her fist would give her. He did. She swung a leg square into his chest, pushing him back, using the arm he held to make her kick a flip, and landed on her feet, fists up.
Spike hit the ground hard on his back, and something popped. "Ow!" He sat up, rubbing his lower back, no longer vamped. "Bloody... landed on a rock or somethin'."
She stopped, dropping her pose. Knelt beside him. "Let me see."
He pulled his hand away from the sore muscle on his back. "Pulled something, I think."
She moved behind him, pulled at his damp shirt, sticking to his back.
He turned his head around as far as he could. "Sorry. I'm sweaty."
She ignored his apologies to stare fixedly at his back. "Where?"
He motioned to his lower spine, just above his waist. "There."
She frowned, felt around it. The muscle was knotted, and she knew he had hurt it when he missed the corner of the mat. "This is going to hurt for a second."
He nodded, gritted his teeth.
She dug her thumbs into the middle of the knot, and smoothed outwards. After her initial brutality, she was gentle, kneading softly.
He winced at first, then began to purr happily at the unexpected massage.
Buffy was intently focused on the abused muscle. She ran her fingers over it horizontally, then vertically. She used her thumbs to rub small circles on it.
Spike closed his eyes and purred louder.
When she was finished, she ran her hand over it, feeling for tension or a knot. None. "Do you feel any better?"
He nodded. "*I love you,*" he purred to her.
The words came more slowly to her lips, with less ease and grace than his. "I love you, too."
He smiled at her, knowing it still wasn't easy. "I know." He leaned back, laying on the mat. "Can we maybe stop for tonight, luv? I'm tired, and liable to really hurt myself the next time you flip me."
Buffy nodded. "I was gonna say the same."
He chuckled. "Cept that I didn't flip you."
She smirked slightly. "Yeah.... you didn't."
He looked up at her. "I could've, but I didn't. Didn't feel like it, you know."
She was serious. "You could've broken my wrist."
He closed his eyes. "I know. I'm sorry. Got a bit... carried away."
She shrugged. "You didn't. But you could have."
"I know..", he said quietly. "And that scares me."
She shook her head, crawled to get her water bottle. Leaned against a wall. "No. You could have broken my wrist. Opportunity written all over that stupid move, and you didn't."
He looked at her. "Yeah. You're right. Want to lay out sparring rules, now? Since the relationship rules have gone so well."
From behind him she gave an eyeroll. Because so many were abided by. "Sure."
"Ok. Uh, how about no flipping if we're close to the edge of the mat?"
She moved into his line of sight. "Ok."
"Your rule."
She shrugged. "I can basically take it all."
"Come on, luv. There's got to be something."
She thought, and hard. "Well, be careful tossing me around by my shoulders, they get enough abuse as is."
He nodded. "Agreed. Hey, how are you feeling right now?"
She took a large swig of water. "Dehydrated and gross. Yourself?"
"I share the dehydrated part." Picked up his water and took a long drink. "But I'm also feelin' pretty good. Happy. Content. But that's probably from you rubbing my back."
She gave a slow smile.
"You got any achy muscles? So I can return the favor?"
"One?"
"Yeah. Anything."
She pulled off her shoes, and rolled the warm-up pants to her knee on her left leg. Pointed at her calf. "It pulled when I turned the flip."
He smiled and crawled over to her, holding her leg in his lap and kneading the muscle gently, finding the pull and working it out with slow, rhythmic rubbing.
She laid flat on her back, her leg in his lap, and she winced as he rubbed the right spot. She was going over the move in her head. Too uncalculated, too risky. She'd have to work on it.
He worked the pull out, testing the surrounding muscle to see if there were any other pulls. Finding none, he lay down next to her, purring contentedly. "Better?"
"Mmm..." There was a frown line between her eyebrows, she was thinking.
"What's on your mind, luv?"
"That move was stupid. I needed... more leverage. I couldn't pull that in a cemetery. I can't count on them being strong enough to give me the leverage, or dumb enough to let go at the right time."
"Hey!", the vampire said indignantly.
She sighed. "You know what I mean. If they were smart, they'd hold on for dear unlife and snap the Slayer's wrist in half."
He smiled at her. "But letting go is a reflex. You want to be able to catch yourself when you fall. But you're right. Promise me you won't try that on patrol, ok?"
She gave an affirmative nod. "I don't want Dawn to try it out."
"We'll give her some extra instructions the next time she trains with us." He grinned. "You know what, though? Aside from severely needing a shower, I'm feeling really good right now."
She felt like someone had taken the cotton they stuff in aspirin bottles and shoved a hundred of them in her brain. "Good."
He yawned. "Tired, though. You?"
"Fuzzy. Drained."
He chuckled. "Drained. Good word to use when you're laying next to a vampire." He reached over, stroked her hair gently. "Wanna take a nap? I'll stay with you."
She smiled, loving the thought. "I wonder if Anya or Giles needs help finishing up."
He smiled back at her. "Probably not. If they needed us, they could find us." Stroked her hair again, snuggled against her, slipping an arm around her waist. "Go to sleep."
Her eyes fell shut with his words, and she could almost feel herself leaving consciousness behind. Behind her eyes burned, and she felt dry. She ignored the woozy feeling, and did as Spike said. Slept.
========================================================================== ==========
Spike lay quietly, watching his Slayer sleep. He was worried about her. It wasn't like her to be so tired. And he had noticed her lack of eating much lately. And drinking. Of course, he hadn't been feeding much either, but that didn't worry him. She worried him. He stroked her hair gently.
Buffy stirred slowly under his hands. Her vision was blurred, which she counted off to her dozing, and she sighed. Her speech was rough from her slumber. "How long?"
He glanced at the clock. "Three hours, nearly. Giles is still here, but Anya went home an hour ago."
She dragged herself to a sitting position, gave Spike a small smile where he still lay and stretched.
He yawned hugely, and wiped his brow. 'When the hell did I start sweating in my sleep?', he wondered.
Buffy stood, looking at her still-taped hands. "Never done that before."
He sat up. "Must be hot in here. Sometimes it's a pain being mostly cold- blooded." Stretched and yawned again. Rubbed at his eyes to get rid of the post sleep fuzziness.
She stretched her arms quickly, said, "Do you feel like sparring?"
He grinned up at her and climbed to his feet. "When don't I?"
She gave an appreciative laugh and took her stance.
He started to vamp out, but some instinct said no, so he decided to lash out with a kick instead.
She dodged to the right, using her arm to deflect what her body couldn't move. She swung into a left hook.
He grabbed her fist, throwing her off balance, and landed a quick jab to her stomach.
Her body jerked forward, a natural reaction, but she planted a fist on his ribs in a reverse punch while he lifted her hand.
He vamped on reflex, snarling at her, and went into a series of quick hi/low punches.
Her head swam as his eyes flashed and his demon came forward. She wobbled to her left as Spike landed a high punch on her right shoulder.
Spike paused, looking at her. She seemed shaky. "You okay, luv?"
She planted her feet, locked her knees. "Fine." Swung at him again.
Missed completely. Spike hadn't even dodged. His stomach felt kind of weird, and he wondered if it was coming from her. "You sure?"
Maybe locking her knees wasn't the best of ideas. She stumbled again and they gave out. She landed on them on the mats, everything moving too fast, while she was helplessly slow. She weaved left and right, looked up at Spike.
He was back in human form, and he dropped to his knees next to her. "I'm going to get Rupert."
Her eyes were glazed, and she blinked once, confusedly, before passing out.
========================================================================== =========
Her head spun, eyes burned, and there was horrible dryness in the back of her throat. She cracked her eyes open slowly to look around. The Magic Box. Black couch... She strained herself to make out an out-of-focus Spike and Giles whispering quietly.
"I tell you, Rupert, I didn't even touch her. Barely touched her shoulder, she weaved. She threw a punch, completely missed, fell down, and passed out."
"I know, Spike. I was watching the surveillance monitors. Look, I think she's waking up.."
Buffy looked at them focusing on their faces intently, ignored the waves of nausea. She was sure she looked confused.
Spike ran a hand over her hair. "Hey, luv. You scared us for a minute. Almost started my heart beating. How you feel?"
She made her drinking face.
He chuckled. "I know. Me too."
Giles touched her hand. "What happened, Buffy? Do you remember?"
She tried to swallow what saliva she could muster then said, "We took a nap. And when we woke up, we were gonna spar."
"I know. Spike told me, and I was watching on the surveillance monitors. You just... fainted."
That rankled. And it showed on her mulish expression.
Spike looked at her. "Are you sick, luv? You haven't been eating much lately."
She shrugged. "Kinda... hot. Fuzzy. Haven't been hungry."
Giles placed a hand on her forehead. "Maybe you're coming down with the flu."
Spike's eyes grew wide, and he wiped his sweat-soaked curls out of his eyes. "I'll go get the thermometer." He didn't even wait for the response, practically running to the bathroom.
She looked at Giles, perfectly miserable. "I don't get sick."
Giles smiled. "Once every three years isn't never. Everyone gets sick, Buffy. Even me, even you."
She frowned. She had never not had her mother to take care of her. "Will you sit with me?"
Giles nodded. "I'll stay as long as you need me."
She took his hand and pulled him to sit on the couch.
He gently tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "Want to talk about anything?"
She put a pillow on his lap, rested her head on it. "I've never felt that weak. It was odd, too, because, even when I feel sick, and I'm in the middle of a fight, my adrenaline pumps anyway, ya know? I don't feel sick till the end."
Giles nodded. "Yes. I know. Perhaps it's a virus."
"But today, Spike and I were so into the fight, right in the middle, where all the heat is, I just felt like dropping."
"And you did, apparently," Giles said with a quiet laugh. "You scared Spike pretty bad. He thought he did it. I've never seen a vampire sweat like that."
She gave a half laugh. "First time I've ever seen him sweat was tonight." Her look turned thoughtful. "Giles?"
"Yes?"
"Do we *have* a thermometer?"
"Yes. It's in the bathroom, with the aspirin and ice packs."
"Oh." She sat up slowly, the blood rushing from her head. "He should be back by now."
"Maybe he couldn't find it." He looked at her. "Can you still feel him?"
"I can always feel him.." She trailed off, standing shakily.
Giles gripped her arm gently. "I'll go get him. You should lie back down..."
At that moment, the door opened, and Spike walked in, holding the doorjamb and panting slightly. "Rupert? Buffy? I... don't feel so good.." He took one step through the door, and passed out.
She unsteadily made her way to the entrance, dropped on her knees beside him. Buffy lifted her eyes to Giles', holding Spike against her. "He's burning up."
"Bloody hell," Giles cursed, hurrying over to the vampire and Slayer. "Buffy, are you sure that the feelings of weakness were from you?"
She calmed herself, knowing panic wouldn't help Spike. "I... I don't know... I mean, when-" her eyes lit up. "I felt so horrible when he changed, when his demon came to the fore..."
Giles knelt beside them, his hand on Spike's forehead. "See if you can block it. If it is him." He pried the thermometer out of Spike's hand, and stuck it in his mouth. "This will take a moment."
Buffy had to sit, eyes closed for three minutes before she could do it successfully. "All right.. I... I blocked him."
Giles took the thermometer out of Spike's mouth, looked at it, and cursed. "100.4." He looked at Buffy. "Normal for a vampire is a little higher than room temperature. That means that Spike has a twenty seven degree fever. That's higher than Angel's after Faith poisoned him."
Her eyes snapped. She was back. She was the Slayer. "What do I do? Who do I kill?"
Giles shook his head. "No one. It looks like a vampiric flu. I knew it was going around, but I didn't think of it. Spike must have inhaled the dust of an infected vampire. That's how it's spread. It has no effect on humans, and isn't fatal to vampires, but it causes all the same symptoms as the human flu." Giles cursed again. "And I had a vamp flu shot for him, and forgot about it. Bloody hell."
She made a frustrated noise. "Give it to him!"
"It wouldn't help now. He's already infected. The only thing we can to is make him comfortable, and try to get the fever to break."
"But-" She reigned in her fear. "Will the fever peaking dust him?"
Giles shook his head. "It would have to get above 120 to do that. He's far from it. I'm going to pull the air conditioner down low. Make it as cold in here as possible, that might help. Get him on the couch, and get his shirt off. Then get some of the ice packs and rub him with them. Try to get him to wake up, I need to know when he staked the infected vamp to see how far the infection has progressed."
She nodded, and set out to do what he said. "Giles?"
"Yes?"
"At nightfall, can we move him to my house? He- he sleeps better there." She avoided his eyes as she pulled Spike's cotton shirt off.
Giles nodded. "Good idea. I'll drive. I'm worried about him too, Buffy. He's... grown on me. Kind of like mold on bread."
She gave a soft laugh. "Yeah... he does that."
"You noticed?", Giles said with a chuckle. "I'm going to call around, see what I can come up with. Until then, if he wakes up, try and get him to drink water. Dehydration is a big problem with this. They barely even feel hungry."
"Blood or water?"
"Water for right now. He may get nauseous, and it's better for him to throw up water than blood. Maybe some orange or apple juice. Get some vitamins into him."
She nodded. Walked quickly to get icepacks and started placing them on his chest. "Spike??"
Spike stirred and shivered. "Cold..", he muttered, not opening his eyes.
She ran a hand over his face, used her mental link. 'I know it's cold, but pay close attention. When did you stake a sick vamp?'
'When it's not me...', the reply floated back.
She wanted to shake him. 'Spike... don't play right now. Pay attention. Tell me.'
'Sorry, luv. Tired. One of the one's with the Tralfgar was actin weird. Made me sneeze...'
'Ok... I have... water here, and you need to drink some, ok?'
He opened an eye. 'Ok. My tummy hurts...' Even his thoughts sounded sick. Like a sick little boy. Scared, too.
She ran a hand over his damp curls, helped him drink. "It'll be ok," she spoke quietly. "We'll take care of you. I promise."