She set a half-full mug of blood on the coffee table, and a full glass of
juice beside it. Two days later and she was still vehemently pissed off.
She set the glasses down and turned to walk back out of the room.
Spike was thoroughly confused. She had barely spoken to him in two days. He was scared, upset, hurt, slightly mad, and still not completely over the flu! He picked up the juice, and took a sip, trying to sort out what was going on.
Dawn went to walk into the room, and almost got frostbite when Buffy swept by. She sat on the couch next to Spike. "Man. What'd you say?"
He shook his head. "I wish I knew! She's been like this for two days, and it's getting worse." He paused to cough a bit. "I just don't know. I wasn't even conscious that day! What the bleedin' hell did I do!?!"
Dawn shrugged, passed it off for the moment. "Dunno."
-========================================================================= ===========
That night, for dinner, Buffy again dropped Spike's mug of blood on the coffee table with an audible thump, handed Dawn a tray of stir-fry and rice, and grabbed her coat. "Patrolling."
Spike held back a tear that was threatening him. "Bye... luv."
And that was it. The reigning Princess of Bitchiness had gone too far. Dawn stood as the door closed, said, "I'll be back. If I'm not... look for the body."
Spike wasn't even really listening, anyway.
She stormed out as per her sister, and caught up to Buffy in three long strides. "What the HECK is your problem??" Dawn yelled at her sister as she yanked her around by her arm.
The reigning Princess of Bitchiness was feeling frosty. "Nothing is my problem. Go back inside, and eat your dinner. I worked hard on it."
"Shut *up*! What you're working hard on is ruining what you've BEEN working so hard on to GET!"
Buffy was exhausted. "You have no idea what you're talking about. Please go back inside."
"Yes, I do! You're breaking Spike's heart, for NO APPARENT REASON, YOU PSYCHO-BITCH, and it's MEAN and I'm not gonna let you!"
Buffy grabbed her sister's arm. "Wanna know what's MEAN, Dawnie? Mean, is hearing the man you let claim you mutter to another woman in his fevered sleep that he still loves her. Didn't mean a thing he ever said to me."
Dawn's brow wrinkled. "I don't... You're mad at Spike for something he said while he was sick?"
Buffy nodded. "Started talking to Dru. She had to know that he wasn't serious. That he loved her, still. So much."
As her sister's eyes filled with tears, Dawn tried to unsuccessfully hide a twitch of her lips, followed by a giggle.
"*What* is funny, Dawn?"
Dawn finally laughed. "You. God, Buffy. You're acting like he said the wrong name during sex. He was *hallucinating*. It could have been anybody."
"It was Dru."
Dawn shrugged, in a 'who-cares' manner. "So? It could have been a cabana boy for all Spike meant it."
Buffy gave her sister a measured look and pointed to the house. "Your dinner will get cold."
Chuckling, Dawn walked back to the house, calling over her shoulder, "Good slaying!"
As she reentered the house, there was a muffled sniffing, and then the sound of a loud nose blow. Spike was sniffling into a Kleenex, a few tears making their way down his cheeks.
Dawn sighed and sat down on the couch. Picked up her plate and took a bite of the stir-fry. "You two are so retarded."
Spike sniffed, and looked at her. "Huh?"
"You two are so retarded," she enunciated carefully. "Ask her why she's pissed at you."
He sniffed again, and wiped at a tear. "I don't want to. I get the feeling that she hates me all of the sudden. And I don't think I could take it if she yelled at me right now."
Dawn frowned and shoved a forkful of stirfry in her mouth. Around it, she mumbled, "Grow some."
"*What* did you say?"
She gave him a level look. "I *said*, grow some, soul boy."
He growled at her. "THAT was uncalled for, Dawn. And not needed, at that."
She snorted. "Whatever. My opinion stands. She's treating you like shit, and you're not even mad. You're letting her whip you, which is so... not Spike-like. So I say again, grow some."
"For your information, I am mad. And she has not 'whipped' me. And if you say that one more time, you are going to regret it."
She stood with her now-empty plate. "All right. We'll say it in British. I think that's how you said it anyway. Grow some wrinklies, Spike, and either put up, or shut up."
Spike growled. "Dawn. You. Are. Making. Me. Mad," he enunciated slowly.
She rolled her eyes. "It's about time someone did."
"I am this close to pouncing you. Quit while you're ahead."
"First of all, never been afraid of you. Second, I could have you pinned in three seconds, which we're not even gonna bother with, cuz Buffy'll kick both our butts later, cuz you're still weak."
"I am NOT weak!", he said standing up quickly, and instantly regretting it as the room spun. "Oohhhhh." He sat down quickly. It was either that, or puke his juice.
"Now, are you done being stupid with the wrong person?" Dawn reprimanded sternly.
His eyes were closed as he fought off the sudden wave of nausea. A slow nod.
She gave a great huff. "Good, cuz Dawson's on in ten minutes, and quite frankly, I didn't want that hanging over me, ruining my enjoyment."
Quiet chuckle.
========================================================================== ===========
Buffy came in the door quietly, knowing the house should be asleep by now. She was upset. Patrolling had been a waste of her time. An ill Chihuahua could have taken on the two vamps she had dusted that night. Frustration was brewing, and she slid off her coat to hang on the rack.
Spike was stretched out, sound asleep, on the couch. He was wearing the pair of glasses that Willow had brought from his crypt earlier, and there was a copy of Gone With The Wind lying open on his stomach. He had obviously fallen asleep while reading.
Buffy fought the over-whelming urge to sigh and smile, reminding herself that she was indeed furious with that individual. She moved the book quietly, placed it on the table. Reached carefully for his face, pulling the glasses off gently.
Spike twitched a little, recognized her scent, and relaxed, even letting out a quiet purr.
Her eyes narrowed. Oh... he *would* purr in his sleep at her. She turned to go upstairs to sleep for work in the morning.
'Don't go...', the thought plea entered her mind.
She sighed, and turned around. "Don't play in my mind."
"I didn't know how far you'd gotten, and I wanted you to hear me."
"I'm hearing."
He gave her a tentative smile. "Stay down here with me?" His eyes were still sunken from the flu, and he coughed after the words got out.
Made her feel like she was kicking a puppy. "A few minutes. I've got work tomorrow."
Smile got bigger. "Whatever you can spare. I was getting lonely."
Her patience was wearing thin. "Didn't Dawn stay with you?"
"Yeah. But she went to bed awhile ago, and I've been all alone." He motioned to the book. "Just me, Rhett, and Scarlett here."
She nodded. "That Rhett's a bastard."
"Tell me about it. Luv? Can I ask you something?"
"I suppose."
"Why are you mad at me? I... I thought.. we were doing so well, and... I just... I don't understand."
She scoffed. "I thought so, too. Funny, isn't it."
He flinched at her tone. "Please, Buffy. I want to fix it. But I can't, if I don't know what I did."
Her eyes were burning. Anger and hurt were hers, her soul burned with it. "And you don't even know."
He felt the anger, the pain that was coming off her in waves, tried to block it, but the feelings were too strong. A tear slid down his cheek. "No. I- I don't."
Tears were threatening her own eyes, and only pride kept them at bay. "If you don't know, there's no point in telling you."
He was panting from the onslaught of her emotions. "Luv...please..."
"No, Spike. I'm just... I need... I'll be back later."
"SLAYER! Tell me, damnit! I can't even help if you don't tell me!" He growled, standing up slowly, fighting her emotions with his own. "What the HELL is wrong with you, huh? I sleep all day. I wake up, and you suddenly hate me? What the bleedin' HELL did I DO!!!" He took a step toward her, shaky, but standing.
She stood as well, facing off. "Sleep is damned revealing, don't you think? Dreams- things you see tell you a whole hell of a lot, don't they, Spike?"
"What are you TALKING about? I had a fever! I didn't dream! I was too busy trying not to die!"
Her voice was suddenly quiet, calm, and very wrathful. "I would *never* have let you claim me, if I'd known then-"
"What!? Known what?"
Her voice broke in a shout. "That you still love her!!"
"WHO!?"
She threw up her hands. "I'm leaving. I've got to... I've got to go. Leave. I'll be... doesn't matter where. I'll be back in a few days maybe." She went to walk past him.
He moved as fast as he could, grabbing her arm and spinning her around. "Oh no you don't. You are not leaving until you tell me what the HELL is going on here. I gather that I said something while I was asleep. I don't know what. But if you tell me, I can probably set it right. If you don't want to, well, the only way you're getting out of this house is to stake me and walk through my dust!"
"Druscilla," her mouth formed the name, open ire in her tone. "Let me leave."
His eyes grew wide, but he didn't release her arm. "What? I do NOT love Dru."
"YES you DO! I WILL NOT *SHARE* my feelings, MY claim with that WHORE. I won't play second fiddle, not for you, not for anyone." Her voice was a calm rage. "Let. Me. Go."
"You are not sharing with anyone, Buffy. I. Love. You. Only you. What do I have to do to prove it to you? Anything."
Her eyes were hurt, and she almost whimpered, "You said it, Spike. 'Gotta believe me, Dru... You know I do. You know I love you.' You said it."
He suddenly remembered the dream. "Luv. Did I say something else, along the lines of 'Don't hurt her'?"
Her bottom lip was trembling. "I think... I don't know. Spike." Her voice was weary, sad. "Please. Let me go." She couldn't not cry for very much longer. She had to get out... to see Giles. Giles would make it better.
He released her arm. Sat back down. Said quietly, "I dreamed that Dru captured you. She was going to kill you, unless I said that I loved her. It was a nightmare. She didn't believe me. And she... killed you. Right in front of me.." He sniffed. Grabbed a Kleenex, wiped away the tears.
Buffy was still unsettled. Had no idea what to say. So she said nothing, torn between her desire to believe him, and run to the door for safety.
He had an idea. "Let me prove it."
Her heart was in her throat, still biting back her own tears. "What?" Her voice was getting hoarse, tight.
"Let me reaffirm our claim. And then we can go in my mind, and you can see how I feel about Dru. And you."
She sat slowly, tentatively, on the edge of the couch opposite him.
"Will you do it? Or do you still want to... leave." Last word said really quietly.
He needed to understand. She needed to make him see. "You tore my heart out."
"I know how it feels."
"You weren't even conscious, and I was watching you, praying to God you would wake up." One tear won a battle against her. "And... in your sleep, when you are the purest form of who you are, you mutter that you love her." She swiped bitterly at the liquid on her cheek. "I couldn't even move."
He sniffed. "It was a nightmare, luv. I didn't even mean it in the dream."
They fell, hot, fast now. She didn't even bother to wipe them away. "I didn't-couldn't know that. And it just... hurt, and hurt, and I didn't know who to stake, you or her."
Spike started crying right along with her, wanting desperately to hold her, to comfort eachother, but worrying that she'd hit him. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry..", he kept muttering. "I want to stake myself if it would make you feel better."
She rubbed harshly at her eyes. "Let's... let's do it, and if I still- If I don't... I'll go to- I'll go."
He nodded, offering her a Kleenex and taking one for himself. "I'm.. I'm gonna have to bite you again, luv. Okay?"
She nodded, just crumbling the tissue in her hand. She knew he'd never get around the turtleneck she wore. "I'm- I'm gonna-" she mimed pulling off her top. "That doesn't mean anything."
He swallowed. "Uh, okay?"
As she pulled it off, she mumbled, "It's a turtle-neck, and you couldn't bite around it." Setting it on the floor, she waited.
He swallowed, closed his eyes, and vamped. Keeping his eyes closed the whole time, doing his best not to embarrass her. He scooted closer, placed his hands on her shoulders. "*Me in you...*"
She sighed, somewhat petulantly, "You in me..." She felt the sorrow in him, in his demon.
"*Always.*"
Her own hurt rose. "*Forever.*"
He let out a purring growl, and bit her, as gently as he could. 'Latch onto me, Slayer. While I'm biting..', he thought at her.
Her hands came to rest lightly, flutteringly, on his shoulders. Her mind reached out. 'Mind or teeth?'
'Teeth. If you latch on, and we suck at the same time, I should be able to pull you in.'
She hissed out a sharp breath as he bit her, the pleasure pulling at her. She tentatively sank her teeth into his neck.
Spike fought the intense waves of pleasure that coursed through him, focused on pulling her in. 'Suck. Now.'
She drew on his neck, sucking, licking at the blood. Spike did the same, very glad his eyes were closed, otherwise they might have crossed. On instinct, he slid his arms around her, rubbing at her back as he licked up the blood from the shallow cut on her neck. 'You okay?'
A small moan met his words. 'You?'
For an instant, he paused his sucking and planted a kiss on her bare shoulder. 'That answer your question?'
She shuddered and moved closer to him.
'I'm gonna pull you in, now. Start searching for a thought that isn't yours.'
She did, weeding through all sorts of her own, pleasure, pain, random things.
'Tell me when you're in...'
She searched. 'Trying....' She stopped searching as she heard Dawn say, "You two are so retarded." Then, "Grow some..." 'Got it...'
Spike gave a mental shake of his head. 'Still can't believe she said... oh, never mind. Find Dru. In the back, somewhere. I'll be waiting...'
Buffy looked around uncertainly. Things had been shuffled since the last time she had been in there. She shut her eyes, bringing a picture of the insane beauty to the fore. A low growl echoed through the area around Dru's image. Spike was pissed at her now. Her aura was dark, with a thread of gold in one place, but it was barely noticeable. Suddenly, Spike appeared as if he was standing next to Buffy. 'Now what?', he asked her.
'I don't... I don't know, Spike... You brought us here.' Buffy stomach turned looking at her. Her heart ached.
Spike stomach turned, and it wasn't the flu. He tried to figure out something to do. Then it hit him. 'Need a box. Be right back...' The image of Spike vanished momentarily.
She was slightly panicked. Looked at Dru. 'I really hate you.'
No answer from the insane vampiress. Spike reappeared, holding a small box, about the size of a cooler. 'I'm gonna fix this. Once and for all.'
Buffy was unsure of what was happening. But she stood, quietly, as he did what he needed to do.
He stared at the image of Dru. 'Too big.' A few well placed thoughts made it small enough to fit in the box. He stuffed it in, then looked around. 'Now what?', he said, more to himself than her. 'Ah!' He vanished again. A moment later, he reappears, carrying a bunch of chains and a huge padlock. 'This'll hold her.' He wraps the chains around the box, locking it with the padlock, then stood up, and handed the key to Buffy. 'Here.'
She looked at the key.
'Take it.'
She took it. 'What- what do I do with it?'
He shook his head. 'I dunno. Just keep it. Destroy it, that's better. Destroy it.' He looked around. 'I could probably find a stick of dynamite around here somewhere. We could blow up the whole box.'
She shook her head, and ran a hand down his arm, till their fingers touched. 'Thank you.'
He was confused. 'You.. don't want to destroy her?'
She shook her head slowly. 'Dru... as much as I hate her, was a big part of you. Destroying her would mean a part of you is missing.'
A tear rolled down his cheek. 'Not a part that I want anything to do with.'
'There were good times. There're allowed to be- supposed to be good times. You had fun, you... loved her. You can remember the good.' She pressed the key back in his hands.
He handed it back. 'Keep it. I don't want it. It... hurts.'
She nodded, and looked down at the key till it disappeared.
'If you ever need- or want- to remember, you'll find the key. It'll be waiting for you.'
He sighed, feeling as if a huge weight had just flown off his shoulders. He took her hand. 'Come on. We'd better stop this. It wouldn't be a good thing if Bit came home and found us biting eachother and you without a shirt, now would it?'
She grinned. 'I think we'd have some answering to do.'
He grinned back. 'Let's go home. You know how.'
She latched onto a thought all her own, and pulled into her own body. Spike did the same, pulling his fangs out of her neck and collapsing backwards, keeping his eyes closed. "Tell me when you've got your shirt back on, luv."
She rubbed at her neck, knowing they'd both have huge hickeys the next morning. Her eyes lit, and she crawled very slowly up Spike's torso.
"Uh, luv..", he said, feeling her on him. "What're you doing?"
She relaxed slowly, letting him feel her whole body against his. "Keeping a promise."
He swallowed, and tentatively laid a hand on her side. "What promise?"
She let her lips hang just over his, not quite touching. "Well... I'm pretty sure you're not dying now," she whispered.
He swallowed, kept his eyes closed. "Yeah?"
"Yeah." She let her lips graze his on the word.
He wanted to kiss her, GOD he wanted to kiss her, but she might have been teasing. That happened a lot lately, and he didn't want to push it. "And..?"
She let her lips rest on his, just rest, not move, not rub, not graze. Just rest. Then she pulled back. "I love you."
Spike's whole body relaxed, and he slowly opened one eye, focusing on her face. He ran the hand that was resting on her side up and around to rub her back gently. "I love you, too, Buffy...", he said, feeling choked up for some strange reason.
She feathered a kiss across both his eyelids. He purred loudly, and pulled her down to claim her mouth as he had her neck, gently nibbling at her lip. Sighing, she let him, her hands moving over his torso, kissing him. Spike maneuvered around, trailing kisses and nibbling down her neck. 'God, has it really been a week?', he thought absently.
'In three hours...' 'Then why are you letting me kiss you now?', he asked, nibbling under an ear playfully.
Her breath shuddered out across his neck. "That's why," she said hoarsely.
He purred, and continued his nibbling, interspersed with licking. Then he sucked lightly on her earlobe, using his blunt teeth to nibble at the same time. 'You do realize you're not wearing a shirt, right, luv?'
She ducked her head, bit lightly on his collarbone. "Do you?"
'That I knew,' he said playfully, choosing to respond mentally rather than quit his nibbling. 'When's Dawn due home?'
She gave a small laugh, sucked on the flesh. 'You know Dawn's upstairs asleep.'
He moaned. 'Well, how convenient...' Nibbled down her neck to play around her shoulder.
She found one of his hands, began rubbing his palm while she bit softly across his collarbone.
Spike had to pause to pant slightly. "Oh," he muttered. "Not fair..."
She nipped at his throat, then sucked it softly. "You're complaining?"
'Hell no...', he said mentally, duplicating her actions across her own collarbone.
"Mmm..." Her hands streaked across his abs, moved to his arms.
He continued along her collarbone, his hands sliding around her ribs and back. Feeling playful, he ran a finger lightly up her spine.
She shivered, pressed down against him. He purred, working his way up the other side of her collarbone, to pay attention to the other shoulder. His hands continued to roam on her back.
She ducked her head, tried to capture his lips.
'I'm busy right now, please leave a message after the purr..', he said playfully, followed by a long, deep purr.
'You're... bad...' she said.
He chuckled. 'Don't you know it.' Started nibbling on the other earlobe.
Her hands ran through his hair, kneading gently at the base of his neck.
His eyes crossed again, and he moaned. 'Ahh. Now you're being bad..'
'Leave a message...' She teased, then, just because she could, she rolled her hips, sucking gently at his throat.
'How about.. You're killing me!', he said happily, followed by another moaning purr.
She spread her knees, now on either side of his thighs, and eased him into a sitting position with her.
He pulled back slightly, wanting to talk with his voice. "What're you doing, luv?"
She shrugged. "I can reach your back better this way." Proving it, she leaned close again, her hands pressing softly as she nipped at his collarbone.
He suddenly felt as if his whole body had turned to jell-o. He moaned happily, and quickly began to nibble her neck again, pressing his back into her hands at the same time.
She tilted her head, whispered softly. "I love you."
Oh, that did it. He went limp, overcome by emotions and sensations. "*I love you.. so much..*", he purred.
She leaned back slowly. For the first time, said it in his tongue. "*I love you.*"
Spike nearly passed out at that. No one... NO ONE had ever said that to him in vampiric. He was in heaven. His mouth moved, but nothing came out, he felt like he was going to collapse.
She looked in his eyes, slightly fearful. "I said it wrong, didn't I?"
"*No. Perfect....*" The door opened.
Buffy scrambled for her shirt, unseating Spike in the process.
Giles strode into the living room holding a book. "Buffy! I found...." He paused, taking in the scene of the two panting people, of Buffy straightening her shirt, and of Spike, sitting on the floor for some reason, with a very annoyed expression on his face. "Did I.. uh, interrupt something?"
"No! No. We were just talking over some things that have been bothering us all week. What's up?" Tried to control the heat rising in her face.
Giles stared at them. Spike was pulling himself off the floor, his annoyed look pointed alternately at Buffy and Giles. "Um. I found something that will make sure that Spike never catches the flu again." Then he figured it out. Eyed them suspiciously. "Were you two... making out, as it were?"
"No." The denial was vehement. "We were fighting." She cast a desperate glance at Spike.
Spike snorted. "Yeah. Fighting." He blew his nose. "Sorry, bout the snort."
Giles removed his glasses, cleaning them on his shirt. "Ah, yes. Fighting. And that's why Spike has a bite mark surrounded by a hicky on his neck, am I right?"
Spike blanched and started looking for his shirt.
Buffy flushed, and pulled Spike's shirt out from under her, handed it to him without making eye contact.
Spike accepted his shirt, slipping it on quickly, and planting himself back on the couch. 'Bloody embarrassing. It's like getting caught by both our dads at once!', the agitated vampire thought to her.
Mournfully, she answered, 'I know... I feel like I'm gonna get grounded and you'll get yelled at....' She looked at Giles shyly.
Giles stared at the couple on the couch, struggling to keep a straight face. He was losing. The looks on both of them... priceless. Giles started laughing, dropping his book on the floor and grabbing the wall for support.
Spike stared at Buffy, then at Giles, obviously wanting her to tell him what to do.
Discombobulated. That's what the whole situation was. And WHAT was wrong with Giles?? She shrugged at Spike worriedly.
"Oh, God," Giles chuckled, still far from regaining control. "You two... the looks you gave me... Deer in the headlights... so funny!" He started laughing again.
Spike rumbled low in his throat, but it was high pitched. A play growl. "Quit it, Rupert."
Buffy started to giggle, then realized she was being laughed at. Reached across the couch to hold Spike's hand. "Can you imagine... what if that had been Xander?"
Spike snorted. "We'd have had to call an ambulance." He looked at the stricken Watcher. "You know, I've about had enough of this. I owe him." He flashed her a playful, devilish grin. "Wanna help?"
She shook her head. "This one's all you."
He grinned at her. "Come on, luv. Don't you have somethin' you wanna get him for?" Through all this, the Watcher continued to laugh, unaware of the plot hatching three feet away.
Buffy smiled. Nodded. 'Not long... he's kinda.... not young.'
"Deal. Oh, Ruuuupeeerrrtt!", Spike called. Giles looked up, still chuckling. Noticed the gleam in the couple's eyes.
"Buffy, Spike, what are you doing?" He started backing up, not noticing the recliner directly behind him.
Buffy smiled. "Um.. I dunno why, but I really feel like doing this." She started to tickle her Watcher.
Spike likewise pounced, together, they pinned Giles to the chair. Spike went right for the spot on his back that Buffy had shown him before. Giles laughed, uncontrollably, trying to fight back, but the two were too fast.
Buffy tickled at his neck. "What should we make him do?"
Spike grinned. "I'm happy now. You think of something. You're good at this."
"Bufffffy! Spiiiiikke! Stooopp!", Giles laughed, squirming.
She pondered. "Hmmmm... Giles..? What do I want from you?"
"AAAnnnnyytttthhhiiinnnggg!!"
"HA!", Spike laughed. "How do you like it, huh? Not so fun on the receiving end, is it?" He looked at Buffy. 'Not that I'll tell HIM that I have fun, you understand.'
She smiled. "You can't ever- under any circumstances- ever, tell any of the Scoobies what we were- um... fighting about."
"OOooookkk! Stooop!"
Spike chuckled. "He agrees too easily. Where's the sport in this?"
She laughed, relaxed her hands on Giles. "Come on, Mr. Big Bad. He agreed."
Spike laughed. "Oh, alright." He relaxed and scratched for a moment to help alleviate the itching that he knew he caused. Then he walked over and flopped back on the couch, grinning happily. "Good to be on the giving side for once."
Giles just lay there, panting.
Buffy smiled, followed him back to the couch, sat very near his lap. "So... What's this about a cure?"
"One... moment... please..", Giles panted. "Never... do that... again."
Spike just chuckled.
Giles took a couple of deep breaths. Relaxed. "Ok. Willow found something that will not only take away the last of the symptoms, but will prevent you from ever catching it again. There's a catch, though. It's a shot."
Spike's eyes got wide. "Shot? As in needles, shot?"
Buffy's hand found Spike's. "What- what catch?"
"That's it. The catch is that it's a shot. And I know Spike's scared of needles."
"I am not. They just... make me mildly nervous. That's all."
Buffy thought to him for a moment. 'I'll kiss you the whole time they're giving you the shot. Will that make you feel better?'
Spike thought for a moment. "Can I have a request, luv?"
She was slightly nervous that he was talking aloud. "Ok."
"I wish you two wouldn't do that. It's very disconcerting for those of us without a mental link," Giles said, cleaning his glasses again.
Spike leaned over and whispered to Buffy, "After the shot, kiss the place the needle went in, ok? Make it hurt less."
She swung her eyes to Giles. "On the arm, right? The shot?"
Giles chuckled. "Yes. In the bicep."
Spike flinched, and a minor shiver went through him.
Buffy was relieved. "Done deal, tough guy."
Spike grinned, then stared at her. "I thought I told you not to patronize me."
She smiled. "Sorry."
He laughed and hugged her, nearly falling off the couch with her. "I was kidding, luv."
She snuggled into him. "I'm sorry, about... everything." She had completely forgotten Giles sitting, watching them.
He kissed the top of her head gently, then glanced at Giles. Decided to say it differently. "*It's okay, luv. I love you.*"
She smiled contentedly. 'Are we putting on a show, now?'
He nuzzled her. "*I'm not.*"
Giles just smiled at them, enjoying seeing both of them so happy.
She bit his earlobe gently, whispered, "*I love you, William.*"
Spike's eyes crossed, and he hugged her so tight that, had she been a normal human, he would have broken a rib. "God, Slayer," he said quietly. "Quit pressin' the buttons. Rupert's still here."
"Dad?"
"Yes, Buffy?"
"I just told Spike that I loved him in vampiric. We had a huge fight, and we yelled, and screamed, and we reaffirmed the claim."
Giles nodded. "I noticed the bite marks. But I'm guessing the two of you are okay now, right?"
Spike nodded, then looked to Buffy. "I am if you are, luv."
She nodded. "Much better." She licked her lips, leaned forward on the couch, her hand still tangled with Spike's. "If... either of us... wear the marks, or if we've got another cut, or bruise by it, please, never worry."
Giles chuckled. "You're forgetting who did their senior thesis on vampiric habits and patterns, Buffy. I won't worry. Just as long as the two of you are happy. I love you both, you know."
Spike's eyes got big, and a little watery. He looked at Buffy, as if to ask if he'd heard Giles correctly.
She gave a small smile. 'We all love you.'
One tear fell from each eye.
Giles stood up. "Is he alright?"
Buffy gave a slightly watery smile herself. "He's perfect."
He squeezed her tightly again, burying his face in her hair, trying to stop crying. Giles sat on the arm of the couch and placed a hand on the vampire's trembling shoulder. "Sometimes I feel sorry for him. He's been so long without a family. Without anyone who really cares. This must be overwhelming for you, Spike."
Spike nodded, his face still hiding in her hair.
Buffy turned, letting him rest his head on her shoulder. Rocked back and forth gently, her hand resting on his back.
Giles rubbed Spike's shoulder. "It's ok, Spike. It's ok.."
Spike sniffed. "I know..", he said, his voice muffled by the Slayer's shirt. "I'm just... happy."
She kissed his shoulder, not moving him. "Me, too."
Spike cocked his head sideways, looking at Giles. "You... love me?"
Giles nodded. "Like a son."
Spike snuffled and nuzzled back into Buffy's shoulder again. He was worried that he was falling asleep, but didn't want this wonderful moment to end.
Buffy smiled, leaned forward, forcing Spike to lie down. "Go to sleep."
"Don't wanna..."
Giles chuckled. "And I thought you were stubborn."
She kissed him softly on the mouth. "It'll still be here when you wake up."
He yawned. "Promise?"
She gently sucked his bottom lip in her mouth, her head tilted so Giles wouldn't see it. She nipped it softly, then let him go. "*I swear.*"
Giles shook his head and chuckled.
Spike purred. "*Okay... love you...*"
She said it in English, knowing Giles would understand why she needed him to hear. "I love you, too." She ran a hand over his eyes, closing them. "Sleep."
Giles smiled. "Do you want to stay with him? Or do you need some help getting to bed?"
She stood, hooked her arm through his. "Why don't you help me?"
Giles smiled, and helped his surrogate daughter to bed, even tucking her and Mr. Gordo in.
She set a half-full mug of blood on the coffee table, and a full glass of juice beside it. Two days later and she was still vehemently pissed off. She set the glasses down and turned to walk back out of the room.
Spike was thoroughly confused. She had barely spoken to him in two days. He was scared, upset, hurt, slightly mad, and still not completely over the flu! He picked up the juice, and took a sip, trying to sort out what was going on.
Dawn went to walk into the room, and almost got frostbite when Buffy swept by. She sat on the couch next to Spike. "Man. What'd you say?"
He shook his head. "I wish I knew! She's been like this for two days, and it's getting worse." He paused to cough a bit. "I just don't know. I wasn't even conscious that day! What the bleedin' hell did I do!?!"
Dawn shrugged, passed it off for the moment. "Dunno."
-========================================================================= ===========
That night, for dinner, Buffy again dropped Spike's mug of blood on the coffee table with an audible thump, handed Dawn a tray of stir-fry and rice, and grabbed her coat. "Patrolling."
Spike held back a tear that was threatening him. "Bye... luv."
And that was it. The reigning Princess of Bitchiness had gone too far. Dawn stood as the door closed, said, "I'll be back. If I'm not... look for the body."
Spike wasn't even really listening, anyway.
She stormed out as per her sister, and caught up to Buffy in three long strides. "What the HECK is your problem??" Dawn yelled at her sister as she yanked her around by her arm.
The reigning Princess of Bitchiness was feeling frosty. "Nothing is my problem. Go back inside, and eat your dinner. I worked hard on it."
"Shut *up*! What you're working hard on is ruining what you've BEEN working so hard on to GET!"
Buffy was exhausted. "You have no idea what you're talking about. Please go back inside."
"Yes, I do! You're breaking Spike's heart, for NO APPARENT REASON, YOU PSYCHO-BITCH, and it's MEAN and I'm not gonna let you!"
Buffy grabbed her sister's arm. "Wanna know what's MEAN, Dawnie? Mean, is hearing the man you let claim you mutter to another woman in his fevered sleep that he still loves her. Didn't mean a thing he ever said to me."
Dawn's brow wrinkled. "I don't... You're mad at Spike for something he said while he was sick?"
Buffy nodded. "Started talking to Dru. She had to know that he wasn't serious. That he loved her, still. So much."
As her sister's eyes filled with tears, Dawn tried to unsuccessfully hide a twitch of her lips, followed by a giggle.
"*What* is funny, Dawn?"
Dawn finally laughed. "You. God, Buffy. You're acting like he said the wrong name during sex. He was *hallucinating*. It could have been anybody."
"It was Dru."
Dawn shrugged, in a 'who-cares' manner. "So? It could have been a cabana boy for all Spike meant it."
Buffy gave her sister a measured look and pointed to the house. "Your dinner will get cold."
Chuckling, Dawn walked back to the house, calling over her shoulder, "Good slaying!"
As she reentered the house, there was a muffled sniffing, and then the sound of a loud nose blow. Spike was sniffling into a Kleenex, a few tears making their way down his cheeks.
Dawn sighed and sat down on the couch. Picked up her plate and took a bite of the stir-fry. "You two are so retarded."
Spike sniffed, and looked at her. "Huh?"
"You two are so retarded," she enunciated carefully. "Ask her why she's pissed at you."
He sniffed again, and wiped at a tear. "I don't want to. I get the feeling that she hates me all of the sudden. And I don't think I could take it if she yelled at me right now."
Dawn frowned and shoved a forkful of stirfry in her mouth. Around it, she mumbled, "Grow some."
"*What* did you say?"
She gave him a level look. "I *said*, grow some, soul boy."
He growled at her. "THAT was uncalled for, Dawn. And not needed, at that."
She snorted. "Whatever. My opinion stands. She's treating you like shit, and you're not even mad. You're letting her whip you, which is so... not Spike-like. So I say again, grow some."
"For your information, I am mad. And she has not 'whipped' me. And if you say that one more time, you are going to regret it."
She stood with her now-empty plate. "All right. We'll say it in British. I think that's how you said it anyway. Grow some wrinklies, Spike, and either put up, or shut up."
Spike growled. "Dawn. You. Are. Making. Me. Mad," he enunciated slowly.
She rolled her eyes. "It's about time someone did."
"I am this close to pouncing you. Quit while you're ahead."
"First of all, never been afraid of you. Second, I could have you pinned in three seconds, which we're not even gonna bother with, cuz Buffy'll kick both our butts later, cuz you're still weak."
"I am NOT weak!", he said standing up quickly, and instantly regretting it as the room spun. "Oohhhhh." He sat down quickly. It was either that, or puke his juice.
"Now, are you done being stupid with the wrong person?" Dawn reprimanded sternly.
His eyes were closed as he fought off the sudden wave of nausea. A slow nod.
She gave a great huff. "Good, cuz Dawson's on in ten minutes, and quite frankly, I didn't want that hanging over me, ruining my enjoyment."
Quiet chuckle.
========================================================================== ===========
Buffy came in the door quietly, knowing the house should be asleep by now. She was upset. Patrolling had been a waste of her time. An ill Chihuahua could have taken on the two vamps she had dusted that night. Frustration was brewing, and she slid off her coat to hang on the rack.
Spike was stretched out, sound asleep, on the couch. He was wearing the pair of glasses that Willow had brought from his crypt earlier, and there was a copy of Gone With The Wind lying open on his stomach. He had obviously fallen asleep while reading.
Buffy fought the over-whelming urge to sigh and smile, reminding herself that she was indeed furious with that individual. She moved the book quietly, placed it on the table. Reached carefully for his face, pulling the glasses off gently.
Spike twitched a little, recognized her scent, and relaxed, even letting out a quiet purr.
Her eyes narrowed. Oh... he *would* purr in his sleep at her. She turned to go upstairs to sleep for work in the morning.
'Don't go...', the thought plea entered her mind.
She sighed, and turned around. "Don't play in my mind."
"I didn't know how far you'd gotten, and I wanted you to hear me."
"I'm hearing."
He gave her a tentative smile. "Stay down here with me?" His eyes were still sunken from the flu, and he coughed after the words got out.
Made her feel like she was kicking a puppy. "A few minutes. I've got work tomorrow."
Smile got bigger. "Whatever you can spare. I was getting lonely."
Her patience was wearing thin. "Didn't Dawn stay with you?"
"Yeah. But she went to bed awhile ago, and I've been all alone." He motioned to the book. "Just me, Rhett, and Scarlett here."
She nodded. "That Rhett's a bastard."
"Tell me about it. Luv? Can I ask you something?"
"I suppose."
"Why are you mad at me? I... I thought.. we were doing so well, and... I just... I don't understand."
She scoffed. "I thought so, too. Funny, isn't it."
He flinched at her tone. "Please, Buffy. I want to fix it. But I can't, if I don't know what I did."
Her eyes were burning. Anger and hurt were hers, her soul burned with it. "And you don't even know."
He felt the anger, the pain that was coming off her in waves, tried to block it, but the feelings were too strong. A tear slid down his cheek. "No. I- I don't."
Tears were threatening her own eyes, and only pride kept them at bay. "If you don't know, there's no point in telling you."
He was panting from the onslaught of her emotions. "Luv...please..."
"No, Spike. I'm just... I need... I'll be back later."
"SLAYER! Tell me, damnit! I can't even help if you don't tell me!" He growled, standing up slowly, fighting her emotions with his own. "What the HELL is wrong with you, huh? I sleep all day. I wake up, and you suddenly hate me? What the bleedin' HELL did I DO!!!" He took a step toward her, shaky, but standing.
She stood as well, facing off. "Sleep is damned revealing, don't you think? Dreams- things you see tell you a whole hell of a lot, don't they, Spike?"
"What are you TALKING about? I had a fever! I didn't dream! I was too busy trying not to die!"
Her voice was suddenly quiet, calm, and very wrathful. "I would *never* have let you claim me, if I'd known then-"
"What!? Known what?"
Her voice broke in a shout. "That you still love her!!"
"WHO!?"
She threw up her hands. "I'm leaving. I've got to... I've got to go. Leave. I'll be... doesn't matter where. I'll be back in a few days maybe." She went to walk past him.
He moved as fast as he could, grabbing her arm and spinning her around. "Oh no you don't. You are not leaving until you tell me what the HELL is going on here. I gather that I said something while I was asleep. I don't know what. But if you tell me, I can probably set it right. If you don't want to, well, the only way you're getting out of this house is to stake me and walk through my dust!"
"Druscilla," her mouth formed the name, open ire in her tone. "Let me leave."
His eyes grew wide, but he didn't release her arm. "What? I do NOT love Dru."
"YES you DO! I WILL NOT *SHARE* my feelings, MY claim with that WHORE. I won't play second fiddle, not for you, not for anyone." Her voice was a calm rage. "Let. Me. Go."
"You are not sharing with anyone, Buffy. I. Love. You. Only you. What do I have to do to prove it to you? Anything."
Her eyes were hurt, and she almost whimpered, "You said it, Spike. 'Gotta believe me, Dru... You know I do. You know I love you.' You said it."
He suddenly remembered the dream. "Luv. Did I say something else, along the lines of 'Don't hurt her'?"
Her bottom lip was trembling. "I think... I don't know. Spike." Her voice was weary, sad. "Please. Let me go." She couldn't not cry for very much longer. She had to get out... to see Giles. Giles would make it better.
He released her arm. Sat back down. Said quietly, "I dreamed that Dru captured you. She was going to kill you, unless I said that I loved her. It was a nightmare. She didn't believe me. And she... killed you. Right in front of me.." He sniffed. Grabbed a Kleenex, wiped away the tears.
Buffy was still unsettled. Had no idea what to say. So she said nothing, torn between her desire to believe him, and run to the door for safety.
He had an idea. "Let me prove it."
Her heart was in her throat, still biting back her own tears. "What?" Her voice was getting hoarse, tight.
"Let me reaffirm our claim. And then we can go in my mind, and you can see how I feel about Dru. And you."
She sat slowly, tentatively, on the edge of the couch opposite him.
"Will you do it? Or do you still want to... leave." Last word said really quietly.
He needed to understand. She needed to make him see. "You tore my heart out."
"I know how it feels."
"You weren't even conscious, and I was watching you, praying to God you would wake up." One tear won a battle against her. "And... in your sleep, when you are the purest form of who you are, you mutter that you love her." She swiped bitterly at the liquid on her cheek. "I couldn't even move."
He sniffed. "It was a nightmare, luv. I didn't even mean it in the dream."
They fell, hot, fast now. She didn't even bother to wipe them away. "I didn't-couldn't know that. And it just... hurt, and hurt, and I didn't know who to stake, you or her."
Spike started crying right along with her, wanting desperately to hold her, to comfort eachother, but worrying that she'd hit him. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry..", he kept muttering. "I want to stake myself if it would make you feel better."
She rubbed harshly at her eyes. "Let's... let's do it, and if I still- If I don't... I'll go to- I'll go."
He nodded, offering her a Kleenex and taking one for himself. "I'm.. I'm gonna have to bite you again, luv. Okay?"
She nodded, just crumbling the tissue in her hand. She knew he'd never get around the turtleneck she wore. "I'm- I'm gonna-" she mimed pulling off her top. "That doesn't mean anything."
He swallowed. "Uh, okay?"
As she pulled it off, she mumbled, "It's a turtle-neck, and you couldn't bite around it." Setting it on the floor, she waited.
He swallowed, closed his eyes, and vamped. Keeping his eyes closed the whole time, doing his best not to embarrass her. He scooted closer, placed his hands on her shoulders. "*Me in you...*"
She sighed, somewhat petulantly, "You in me..." She felt the sorrow in him, in his demon.
"*Always.*"
Her own hurt rose. "*Forever.*"
He let out a purring growl, and bit her, as gently as he could. 'Latch onto me, Slayer. While I'm biting..', he thought at her.
Her hands came to rest lightly, flutteringly, on his shoulders. Her mind reached out. 'Mind or teeth?'
'Teeth. If you latch on, and we suck at the same time, I should be able to pull you in.'
She hissed out a sharp breath as he bit her, the pleasure pulling at her. She tentatively sank her teeth into his neck.
Spike fought the intense waves of pleasure that coursed through him, focused on pulling her in. 'Suck. Now.'
She drew on his neck, sucking, licking at the blood. Spike did the same, very glad his eyes were closed, otherwise they might have crossed. On instinct, he slid his arms around her, rubbing at her back as he licked up the blood from the shallow cut on her neck. 'You okay?'
A small moan met his words. 'You?'
For an instant, he paused his sucking and planted a kiss on her bare shoulder. 'That answer your question?'
She shuddered and moved closer to him.
'I'm gonna pull you in, now. Start searching for a thought that isn't yours.'
She did, weeding through all sorts of her own, pleasure, pain, random things.
'Tell me when you're in...'
She searched. 'Trying....' She stopped searching as she heard Dawn say, "You two are so retarded." Then, "Grow some..." 'Got it...'
Spike gave a mental shake of his head. 'Still can't believe she said... oh, never mind. Find Dru. In the back, somewhere. I'll be waiting...'
Buffy looked around uncertainly. Things had been shuffled since the last time she had been in there. She shut her eyes, bringing a picture of the insane beauty to the fore. A low growl echoed through the area around Dru's image. Spike was pissed at her now. Her aura was dark, with a thread of gold in one place, but it was barely noticeable. Suddenly, Spike appeared as if he was standing next to Buffy. 'Now what?', he asked her.
'I don't... I don't know, Spike... You brought us here.' Buffy stomach turned looking at her. Her heart ached.
Spike stomach turned, and it wasn't the flu. He tried to figure out something to do. Then it hit him. 'Need a box. Be right back...' The image of Spike vanished momentarily.
She was slightly panicked. Looked at Dru. 'I really hate you.'
No answer from the insane vampiress. Spike reappeared, holding a small box, about the size of a cooler. 'I'm gonna fix this. Once and for all.'
Buffy was unsure of what was happening. But she stood, quietly, as he did what he needed to do.
He stared at the image of Dru. 'Too big.' A few well placed thoughts made it small enough to fit in the box. He stuffed it in, then looked around. 'Now what?', he said, more to himself than her. 'Ah!' He vanished again. A moment later, he reappears, carrying a bunch of chains and a huge padlock. 'This'll hold her.' He wraps the chains around the box, locking it with the padlock, then stood up, and handed the key to Buffy. 'Here.'
She looked at the key.
'Take it.'
She took it. 'What- what do I do with it?'
He shook his head. 'I dunno. Just keep it. Destroy it, that's better. Destroy it.' He looked around. 'I could probably find a stick of dynamite around here somewhere. We could blow up the whole box.'
She shook her head, and ran a hand down his arm, till their fingers touched. 'Thank you.'
He was confused. 'You.. don't want to destroy her?'
She shook her head slowly. 'Dru... as much as I hate her, was a big part of you. Destroying her would mean a part of you is missing.'
A tear rolled down his cheek. 'Not a part that I want anything to do with.'
'There were good times. There're allowed to be- supposed to be good times. You had fun, you... loved her. You can remember the good.' She pressed the key back in his hands.
He handed it back. 'Keep it. I don't want it. It... hurts.'
She nodded, and looked down at the key till it disappeared.
'If you ever need- or want- to remember, you'll find the key. It'll be waiting for you.'
He sighed, feeling as if a huge weight had just flown off his shoulders. He took her hand. 'Come on. We'd better stop this. It wouldn't be a good thing if Bit came home and found us biting eachother and you without a shirt, now would it?'
She grinned. 'I think we'd have some answering to do.'
He grinned back. 'Let's go home. You know how.'
She latched onto a thought all her own, and pulled into her own body. Spike did the same, pulling his fangs out of her neck and collapsing backwards, keeping his eyes closed. "Tell me when you've got your shirt back on, luv."
She rubbed at her neck, knowing they'd both have huge hickeys the next morning. Her eyes lit, and she crawled very slowly up Spike's torso.
"Uh, luv..", he said, feeling her on him. "What're you doing?"
She relaxed slowly, letting him feel her whole body against his. "Keeping a promise."
He swallowed, and tentatively laid a hand on her side. "What promise?"
She let her lips hang just over his, not quite touching. "Well... I'm pretty sure you're not dying now," she whispered.
He swallowed, kept his eyes closed. "Yeah?"
"Yeah." She let her lips graze his on the word.
He wanted to kiss her, GOD he wanted to kiss her, but she might have been teasing. That happened a lot lately, and he didn't want to push it. "And..?"
She let her lips rest on his, just rest, not move, not rub, not graze. Just rest. Then she pulled back. "I love you."
Spike's whole body relaxed, and he slowly opened one eye, focusing on her face. He ran the hand that was resting on her side up and around to rub her back gently. "I love you, too, Buffy...", he said, feeling choked up for some strange reason.
She feathered a kiss across both his eyelids. He purred loudly, and pulled her down to claim her mouth as he had her neck, gently nibbling at her lip. Sighing, she let him, her hands moving over his torso, kissing him. Spike maneuvered around, trailing kisses and nibbling down her neck. 'God, has it really been a week?', he thought absently.
'In three hours...' 'Then why are you letting me kiss you now?', he asked, nibbling under an ear playfully.
Her breath shuddered out across his neck. "That's why," she said hoarsely.
He purred, and continued his nibbling, interspersed with licking. Then he sucked lightly on her earlobe, using his blunt teeth to nibble at the same time. 'You do realize you're not wearing a shirt, right, luv?'
She ducked her head, bit lightly on his collarbone. "Do you?"
'That I knew,' he said playfully, choosing to respond mentally rather than quit his nibbling. 'When's Dawn due home?'
She gave a small laugh, sucked on the flesh. 'You know Dawn's upstairs asleep.'
He moaned. 'Well, how convenient...' Nibbled down her neck to play around her shoulder.
She found one of his hands, began rubbing his palm while she bit softly across his collarbone.
Spike had to pause to pant slightly. "Oh," he muttered. "Not fair..."
She nipped at his throat, then sucked it softly. "You're complaining?"
'Hell no...', he said mentally, duplicating her actions across her own collarbone.
"Mmm..." Her hands streaked across his abs, moved to his arms.
He continued along her collarbone, his hands sliding around her ribs and back. Feeling playful, he ran a finger lightly up her spine.
She shivered, pressed down against him. He purred, working his way up the other side of her collarbone, to pay attention to the other shoulder. His hands continued to roam on her back.
She ducked her head, tried to capture his lips.
'I'm busy right now, please leave a message after the purr..', he said playfully, followed by a long, deep purr.
'You're... bad...' she said.
He chuckled. 'Don't you know it.' Started nibbling on the other earlobe.
Her hands ran through his hair, kneading gently at the base of his neck.
His eyes crossed again, and he moaned. 'Ahh. Now you're being bad..'
'Leave a message...' She teased, then, just because she could, she rolled her hips, sucking gently at his throat.
'How about.. You're killing me!', he said happily, followed by another moaning purr.
She spread her knees, now on either side of his thighs, and eased him into a sitting position with her.
He pulled back slightly, wanting to talk with his voice. "What're you doing, luv?"
She shrugged. "I can reach your back better this way." Proving it, she leaned close again, her hands pressing softly as she nipped at his collarbone.
He suddenly felt as if his whole body had turned to jell-o. He moaned happily, and quickly began to nibble her neck again, pressing his back into her hands at the same time.
She tilted her head, whispered softly. "I love you."
Oh, that did it. He went limp, overcome by emotions and sensations. "*I love you.. so much..*", he purred.
She leaned back slowly. For the first time, said it in his tongue. "*I love you.*"
Spike nearly passed out at that. No one... NO ONE had ever said that to him in vampiric. He was in heaven. His mouth moved, but nothing came out, he felt like he was going to collapse.
She looked in his eyes, slightly fearful. "I said it wrong, didn't I?"
"*No. Perfect....*" The door opened.
Buffy scrambled for her shirt, unseating Spike in the process.
Giles strode into the living room holding a book. "Buffy! I found...." He paused, taking in the scene of the two panting people, of Buffy straightening her shirt, and of Spike, sitting on the floor for some reason, with a very annoyed expression on his face. "Did I.. uh, interrupt something?"
"No! No. We were just talking over some things that have been bothering us all week. What's up?" Tried to control the heat rising in her face.
Giles stared at them. Spike was pulling himself off the floor, his annoyed look pointed alternately at Buffy and Giles. "Um. I found something that will make sure that Spike never catches the flu again." Then he figured it out. Eyed them suspiciously. "Were you two... making out, as it were?"
"No." The denial was vehement. "We were fighting." She cast a desperate glance at Spike.
Spike snorted. "Yeah. Fighting." He blew his nose. "Sorry, bout the snort."
Giles removed his glasses, cleaning them on his shirt. "Ah, yes. Fighting. And that's why Spike has a bite mark surrounded by a hicky on his neck, am I right?"
Spike blanched and started looking for his shirt.
Buffy flushed, and pulled Spike's shirt out from under her, handed it to him without making eye contact.
Spike accepted his shirt, slipping it on quickly, and planting himself back on the couch. 'Bloody embarrassing. It's like getting caught by both our dads at once!', the agitated vampire thought to her.
Mournfully, she answered, 'I know... I feel like I'm gonna get grounded and you'll get yelled at....' She looked at Giles shyly.
Giles stared at the couple on the couch, struggling to keep a straight face. He was losing. The looks on both of them... priceless. Giles started laughing, dropping his book on the floor and grabbing the wall for support.
Spike stared at Buffy, then at Giles, obviously wanting her to tell him what to do.
Discombobulated. That's what the whole situation was. And WHAT was wrong with Giles?? She shrugged at Spike worriedly.
"Oh, God," Giles chuckled, still far from regaining control. "You two... the looks you gave me... Deer in the headlights... so funny!" He started laughing again.
Spike rumbled low in his throat, but it was high pitched. A play growl. "Quit it, Rupert."
Buffy started to giggle, then realized she was being laughed at. Reached across the couch to hold Spike's hand. "Can you imagine... what if that had been Xander?"
Spike snorted. "We'd have had to call an ambulance." He looked at the stricken Watcher. "You know, I've about had enough of this. I owe him." He flashed her a playful, devilish grin. "Wanna help?"
She shook her head. "This one's all you."
He grinned at her. "Come on, luv. Don't you have somethin' you wanna get him for?" Through all this, the Watcher continued to laugh, unaware of the plot hatching three feet away.
Buffy smiled. Nodded. 'Not long... he's kinda.... not young.'
"Deal. Oh, Ruuuupeeerrrtt!", Spike called. Giles looked up, still chuckling. Noticed the gleam in the couple's eyes.
"Buffy, Spike, what are you doing?" He started backing up, not noticing the recliner directly behind him.
Buffy smiled. "Um.. I dunno why, but I really feel like doing this." She started to tickle her Watcher.
Spike likewise pounced, together, they pinned Giles to the chair. Spike went right for the spot on his back that Buffy had shown him before. Giles laughed, uncontrollably, trying to fight back, but the two were too fast.
Buffy tickled at his neck. "What should we make him do?"
Spike grinned. "I'm happy now. You think of something. You're good at this."
"Bufffffy! Spiiiiikke! Stooopp!", Giles laughed, squirming.
She pondered. "Hmmmm... Giles..? What do I want from you?"
"AAAnnnnyytttthhhiiinnnggg!!"
"HA!", Spike laughed. "How do you like it, huh? Not so fun on the receiving end, is it?" He looked at Buffy. 'Not that I'll tell HIM that I have fun, you understand.'
She smiled. "You can't ever- under any circumstances- ever, tell any of the Scoobies what we were- um... fighting about."
"OOooookkk! Stooop!"
Spike chuckled. "He agrees too easily. Where's the sport in this?"
She laughed, relaxed her hands on Giles. "Come on, Mr. Big Bad. He agreed."
Spike laughed. "Oh, alright." He relaxed and scratched for a moment to help alleviate the itching that he knew he caused. Then he walked over and flopped back on the couch, grinning happily. "Good to be on the giving side for once."
Giles just lay there, panting.
Buffy smiled, followed him back to the couch, sat very near his lap. "So... What's this about a cure?"
"One... moment... please..", Giles panted. "Never... do that... again."
Spike just chuckled.
Giles took a couple of deep breaths. Relaxed. "Ok. Willow found something that will not only take away the last of the symptoms, but will prevent you from ever catching it again. There's a catch, though. It's a shot."
Spike's eyes got wide. "Shot? As in needles, shot?"
Buffy's hand found Spike's. "What- what catch?"
"That's it. The catch is that it's a shot. And I know Spike's scared of needles."
"I am not. They just... make me mildly nervous. That's all."
Buffy thought to him for a moment. 'I'll kiss you the whole time they're giving you the shot. Will that make you feel better?'
Spike thought for a moment. "Can I have a request, luv?"
She was slightly nervous that he was talking aloud. "Ok."
"I wish you two wouldn't do that. It's very disconcerting for those of us without a mental link," Giles said, cleaning his glasses again.
Spike leaned over and whispered to Buffy, "After the shot, kiss the place the needle went in, ok? Make it hurt less."
She swung her eyes to Giles. "On the arm, right? The shot?"
Giles chuckled. "Yes. In the bicep."
Spike flinched, and a minor shiver went through him.
Buffy was relieved. "Done deal, tough guy."
Spike grinned, then stared at her. "I thought I told you not to patronize me."
She smiled. "Sorry."
He laughed and hugged her, nearly falling off the couch with her. "I was kidding, luv."
She snuggled into him. "I'm sorry, about... everything." She had completely forgotten Giles sitting, watching them.
He kissed the top of her head gently, then glanced at Giles. Decided to say it differently. "*It's okay, luv. I love you.*"
She smiled contentedly. 'Are we putting on a show, now?'
He nuzzled her. "*I'm not.*"
Giles just smiled at them, enjoying seeing both of them so happy.
She bit his earlobe gently, whispered, "*I love you, William.*"
Spike's eyes crossed, and he hugged her so tight that, had she been a normal human, he would have broken a rib. "God, Slayer," he said quietly. "Quit pressin' the buttons. Rupert's still here."
"Dad?"
"Yes, Buffy?"
"I just told Spike that I loved him in vampiric. We had a huge fight, and we yelled, and screamed, and we reaffirmed the claim."
Giles nodded. "I noticed the bite marks. But I'm guessing the two of you are okay now, right?"
Spike nodded, then looked to Buffy. "I am if you are, luv."
She nodded. "Much better." She licked her lips, leaned forward on the couch, her hand still tangled with Spike's. "If... either of us... wear the marks, or if we've got another cut, or bruise by it, please, never worry."
Giles chuckled. "You're forgetting who did their senior thesis on vampiric habits and patterns, Buffy. I won't worry. Just as long as the two of you are happy. I love you both, you know."
Spike's eyes got big, and a little watery. He looked at Buffy, as if to ask if he'd heard Giles correctly.
She gave a small smile. 'We all love you.'
One tear fell from each eye.
Giles stood up. "Is he alright?"
Buffy gave a slightly watery smile herself. "He's perfect."
He squeezed her tightly again, burying his face in her hair, trying to stop crying. Giles sat on the arm of the couch and placed a hand on the vampire's trembling shoulder. "Sometimes I feel sorry for him. He's been so long without a family. Without anyone who really cares. This must be overwhelming for you, Spike."
Spike nodded, his face still hiding in her hair.
Buffy turned, letting him rest his head on her shoulder. Rocked back and forth gently, her hand resting on his back.
Giles rubbed Spike's shoulder. "It's ok, Spike. It's ok.."
Spike sniffed. "I know..", he said, his voice muffled by the Slayer's shirt. "I'm just... happy."
She kissed his shoulder, not moving him. "Me, too."
Spike cocked his head sideways, looking at Giles. "You... love me?"
Giles nodded. "Like a son."
Spike snuffled and nuzzled back into Buffy's shoulder again. He was worried that he was falling asleep, but didn't want this wonderful moment to end.
Buffy smiled, leaned forward, forcing Spike to lie down. "Go to sleep."
"Don't wanna..."
Giles chuckled. "And I thought you were stubborn."
She kissed him softly on the mouth. "It'll still be here when you wake up."
He yawned. "Promise?"
She gently sucked his bottom lip in her mouth, her head tilted so Giles wouldn't see it. She nipped it softly, then let him go. "*I swear.*"
Giles shook his head and chuckled.
Spike purred. "*Okay... love you...*"
She said it in English, knowing Giles would understand why she needed him to hear. "I love you, too." She ran a hand over his eyes, closing them. "Sleep."
Giles smiled. "Do you want to stay with him? Or do you need some help getting to bed?"
She stood, hooked her arm through his. "Why don't you help me?"
Giles smiled, and helped his surrogate daughter to bed, even tucking her and Mr. Gordo in.
Spike was thoroughly confused. She had barely spoken to him in two days. He was scared, upset, hurt, slightly mad, and still not completely over the flu! He picked up the juice, and took a sip, trying to sort out what was going on.
Dawn went to walk into the room, and almost got frostbite when Buffy swept by. She sat on the couch next to Spike. "Man. What'd you say?"
He shook his head. "I wish I knew! She's been like this for two days, and it's getting worse." He paused to cough a bit. "I just don't know. I wasn't even conscious that day! What the bleedin' hell did I do!?!"
Dawn shrugged, passed it off for the moment. "Dunno."
-========================================================================= ===========
That night, for dinner, Buffy again dropped Spike's mug of blood on the coffee table with an audible thump, handed Dawn a tray of stir-fry and rice, and grabbed her coat. "Patrolling."
Spike held back a tear that was threatening him. "Bye... luv."
And that was it. The reigning Princess of Bitchiness had gone too far. Dawn stood as the door closed, said, "I'll be back. If I'm not... look for the body."
Spike wasn't even really listening, anyway.
She stormed out as per her sister, and caught up to Buffy in three long strides. "What the HECK is your problem??" Dawn yelled at her sister as she yanked her around by her arm.
The reigning Princess of Bitchiness was feeling frosty. "Nothing is my problem. Go back inside, and eat your dinner. I worked hard on it."
"Shut *up*! What you're working hard on is ruining what you've BEEN working so hard on to GET!"
Buffy was exhausted. "You have no idea what you're talking about. Please go back inside."
"Yes, I do! You're breaking Spike's heart, for NO APPARENT REASON, YOU PSYCHO-BITCH, and it's MEAN and I'm not gonna let you!"
Buffy grabbed her sister's arm. "Wanna know what's MEAN, Dawnie? Mean, is hearing the man you let claim you mutter to another woman in his fevered sleep that he still loves her. Didn't mean a thing he ever said to me."
Dawn's brow wrinkled. "I don't... You're mad at Spike for something he said while he was sick?"
Buffy nodded. "Started talking to Dru. She had to know that he wasn't serious. That he loved her, still. So much."
As her sister's eyes filled with tears, Dawn tried to unsuccessfully hide a twitch of her lips, followed by a giggle.
"*What* is funny, Dawn?"
Dawn finally laughed. "You. God, Buffy. You're acting like he said the wrong name during sex. He was *hallucinating*. It could have been anybody."
"It was Dru."
Dawn shrugged, in a 'who-cares' manner. "So? It could have been a cabana boy for all Spike meant it."
Buffy gave her sister a measured look and pointed to the house. "Your dinner will get cold."
Chuckling, Dawn walked back to the house, calling over her shoulder, "Good slaying!"
As she reentered the house, there was a muffled sniffing, and then the sound of a loud nose blow. Spike was sniffling into a Kleenex, a few tears making their way down his cheeks.
Dawn sighed and sat down on the couch. Picked up her plate and took a bite of the stir-fry. "You two are so retarded."
Spike sniffed, and looked at her. "Huh?"
"You two are so retarded," she enunciated carefully. "Ask her why she's pissed at you."
He sniffed again, and wiped at a tear. "I don't want to. I get the feeling that she hates me all of the sudden. And I don't think I could take it if she yelled at me right now."
Dawn frowned and shoved a forkful of stirfry in her mouth. Around it, she mumbled, "Grow some."
"*What* did you say?"
She gave him a level look. "I *said*, grow some, soul boy."
He growled at her. "THAT was uncalled for, Dawn. And not needed, at that."
She snorted. "Whatever. My opinion stands. She's treating you like shit, and you're not even mad. You're letting her whip you, which is so... not Spike-like. So I say again, grow some."
"For your information, I am mad. And she has not 'whipped' me. And if you say that one more time, you are going to regret it."
She stood with her now-empty plate. "All right. We'll say it in British. I think that's how you said it anyway. Grow some wrinklies, Spike, and either put up, or shut up."
Spike growled. "Dawn. You. Are. Making. Me. Mad," he enunciated slowly.
She rolled her eyes. "It's about time someone did."
"I am this close to pouncing you. Quit while you're ahead."
"First of all, never been afraid of you. Second, I could have you pinned in three seconds, which we're not even gonna bother with, cuz Buffy'll kick both our butts later, cuz you're still weak."
"I am NOT weak!", he said standing up quickly, and instantly regretting it as the room spun. "Oohhhhh." He sat down quickly. It was either that, or puke his juice.
"Now, are you done being stupid with the wrong person?" Dawn reprimanded sternly.
His eyes were closed as he fought off the sudden wave of nausea. A slow nod.
She gave a great huff. "Good, cuz Dawson's on in ten minutes, and quite frankly, I didn't want that hanging over me, ruining my enjoyment."
Quiet chuckle.
========================================================================== ===========
Buffy came in the door quietly, knowing the house should be asleep by now. She was upset. Patrolling had been a waste of her time. An ill Chihuahua could have taken on the two vamps she had dusted that night. Frustration was brewing, and she slid off her coat to hang on the rack.
Spike was stretched out, sound asleep, on the couch. He was wearing the pair of glasses that Willow had brought from his crypt earlier, and there was a copy of Gone With The Wind lying open on his stomach. He had obviously fallen asleep while reading.
Buffy fought the over-whelming urge to sigh and smile, reminding herself that she was indeed furious with that individual. She moved the book quietly, placed it on the table. Reached carefully for his face, pulling the glasses off gently.
Spike twitched a little, recognized her scent, and relaxed, even letting out a quiet purr.
Her eyes narrowed. Oh... he *would* purr in his sleep at her. She turned to go upstairs to sleep for work in the morning.
'Don't go...', the thought plea entered her mind.
She sighed, and turned around. "Don't play in my mind."
"I didn't know how far you'd gotten, and I wanted you to hear me."
"I'm hearing."
He gave her a tentative smile. "Stay down here with me?" His eyes were still sunken from the flu, and he coughed after the words got out.
Made her feel like she was kicking a puppy. "A few minutes. I've got work tomorrow."
Smile got bigger. "Whatever you can spare. I was getting lonely."
Her patience was wearing thin. "Didn't Dawn stay with you?"
"Yeah. But she went to bed awhile ago, and I've been all alone." He motioned to the book. "Just me, Rhett, and Scarlett here."
She nodded. "That Rhett's a bastard."
"Tell me about it. Luv? Can I ask you something?"
"I suppose."
"Why are you mad at me? I... I thought.. we were doing so well, and... I just... I don't understand."
She scoffed. "I thought so, too. Funny, isn't it."
He flinched at her tone. "Please, Buffy. I want to fix it. But I can't, if I don't know what I did."
Her eyes were burning. Anger and hurt were hers, her soul burned with it. "And you don't even know."
He felt the anger, the pain that was coming off her in waves, tried to block it, but the feelings were too strong. A tear slid down his cheek. "No. I- I don't."
Tears were threatening her own eyes, and only pride kept them at bay. "If you don't know, there's no point in telling you."
He was panting from the onslaught of her emotions. "Luv...please..."
"No, Spike. I'm just... I need... I'll be back later."
"SLAYER! Tell me, damnit! I can't even help if you don't tell me!" He growled, standing up slowly, fighting her emotions with his own. "What the HELL is wrong with you, huh? I sleep all day. I wake up, and you suddenly hate me? What the bleedin' HELL did I DO!!!" He took a step toward her, shaky, but standing.
She stood as well, facing off. "Sleep is damned revealing, don't you think? Dreams- things you see tell you a whole hell of a lot, don't they, Spike?"
"What are you TALKING about? I had a fever! I didn't dream! I was too busy trying not to die!"
Her voice was suddenly quiet, calm, and very wrathful. "I would *never* have let you claim me, if I'd known then-"
"What!? Known what?"
Her voice broke in a shout. "That you still love her!!"
"WHO!?"
She threw up her hands. "I'm leaving. I've got to... I've got to go. Leave. I'll be... doesn't matter where. I'll be back in a few days maybe." She went to walk past him.
He moved as fast as he could, grabbing her arm and spinning her around. "Oh no you don't. You are not leaving until you tell me what the HELL is going on here. I gather that I said something while I was asleep. I don't know what. But if you tell me, I can probably set it right. If you don't want to, well, the only way you're getting out of this house is to stake me and walk through my dust!"
"Druscilla," her mouth formed the name, open ire in her tone. "Let me leave."
His eyes grew wide, but he didn't release her arm. "What? I do NOT love Dru."
"YES you DO! I WILL NOT *SHARE* my feelings, MY claim with that WHORE. I won't play second fiddle, not for you, not for anyone." Her voice was a calm rage. "Let. Me. Go."
"You are not sharing with anyone, Buffy. I. Love. You. Only you. What do I have to do to prove it to you? Anything."
Her eyes were hurt, and she almost whimpered, "You said it, Spike. 'Gotta believe me, Dru... You know I do. You know I love you.' You said it."
He suddenly remembered the dream. "Luv. Did I say something else, along the lines of 'Don't hurt her'?"
Her bottom lip was trembling. "I think... I don't know. Spike." Her voice was weary, sad. "Please. Let me go." She couldn't not cry for very much longer. She had to get out... to see Giles. Giles would make it better.
He released her arm. Sat back down. Said quietly, "I dreamed that Dru captured you. She was going to kill you, unless I said that I loved her. It was a nightmare. She didn't believe me. And she... killed you. Right in front of me.." He sniffed. Grabbed a Kleenex, wiped away the tears.
Buffy was still unsettled. Had no idea what to say. So she said nothing, torn between her desire to believe him, and run to the door for safety.
He had an idea. "Let me prove it."
Her heart was in her throat, still biting back her own tears. "What?" Her voice was getting hoarse, tight.
"Let me reaffirm our claim. And then we can go in my mind, and you can see how I feel about Dru. And you."
She sat slowly, tentatively, on the edge of the couch opposite him.
"Will you do it? Or do you still want to... leave." Last word said really quietly.
He needed to understand. She needed to make him see. "You tore my heart out."
"I know how it feels."
"You weren't even conscious, and I was watching you, praying to God you would wake up." One tear won a battle against her. "And... in your sleep, when you are the purest form of who you are, you mutter that you love her." She swiped bitterly at the liquid on her cheek. "I couldn't even move."
He sniffed. "It was a nightmare, luv. I didn't even mean it in the dream."
They fell, hot, fast now. She didn't even bother to wipe them away. "I didn't-couldn't know that. And it just... hurt, and hurt, and I didn't know who to stake, you or her."
Spike started crying right along with her, wanting desperately to hold her, to comfort eachother, but worrying that she'd hit him. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry..", he kept muttering. "I want to stake myself if it would make you feel better."
She rubbed harshly at her eyes. "Let's... let's do it, and if I still- If I don't... I'll go to- I'll go."
He nodded, offering her a Kleenex and taking one for himself. "I'm.. I'm gonna have to bite you again, luv. Okay?"
She nodded, just crumbling the tissue in her hand. She knew he'd never get around the turtleneck she wore. "I'm- I'm gonna-" she mimed pulling off her top. "That doesn't mean anything."
He swallowed. "Uh, okay?"
As she pulled it off, she mumbled, "It's a turtle-neck, and you couldn't bite around it." Setting it on the floor, she waited.
He swallowed, closed his eyes, and vamped. Keeping his eyes closed the whole time, doing his best not to embarrass her. He scooted closer, placed his hands on her shoulders. "*Me in you...*"
She sighed, somewhat petulantly, "You in me..." She felt the sorrow in him, in his demon.
"*Always.*"
Her own hurt rose. "*Forever.*"
He let out a purring growl, and bit her, as gently as he could. 'Latch onto me, Slayer. While I'm biting..', he thought at her.
Her hands came to rest lightly, flutteringly, on his shoulders. Her mind reached out. 'Mind or teeth?'
'Teeth. If you latch on, and we suck at the same time, I should be able to pull you in.'
She hissed out a sharp breath as he bit her, the pleasure pulling at her. She tentatively sank her teeth into his neck.
Spike fought the intense waves of pleasure that coursed through him, focused on pulling her in. 'Suck. Now.'
She drew on his neck, sucking, licking at the blood. Spike did the same, very glad his eyes were closed, otherwise they might have crossed. On instinct, he slid his arms around her, rubbing at her back as he licked up the blood from the shallow cut on her neck. 'You okay?'
A small moan met his words. 'You?'
For an instant, he paused his sucking and planted a kiss on her bare shoulder. 'That answer your question?'
She shuddered and moved closer to him.
'I'm gonna pull you in, now. Start searching for a thought that isn't yours.'
She did, weeding through all sorts of her own, pleasure, pain, random things.
'Tell me when you're in...'
She searched. 'Trying....' She stopped searching as she heard Dawn say, "You two are so retarded." Then, "Grow some..." 'Got it...'
Spike gave a mental shake of his head. 'Still can't believe she said... oh, never mind. Find Dru. In the back, somewhere. I'll be waiting...'
Buffy looked around uncertainly. Things had been shuffled since the last time she had been in there. She shut her eyes, bringing a picture of the insane beauty to the fore. A low growl echoed through the area around Dru's image. Spike was pissed at her now. Her aura was dark, with a thread of gold in one place, but it was barely noticeable. Suddenly, Spike appeared as if he was standing next to Buffy. 'Now what?', he asked her.
'I don't... I don't know, Spike... You brought us here.' Buffy stomach turned looking at her. Her heart ached.
Spike stomach turned, and it wasn't the flu. He tried to figure out something to do. Then it hit him. 'Need a box. Be right back...' The image of Spike vanished momentarily.
She was slightly panicked. Looked at Dru. 'I really hate you.'
No answer from the insane vampiress. Spike reappeared, holding a small box, about the size of a cooler. 'I'm gonna fix this. Once and for all.'
Buffy was unsure of what was happening. But she stood, quietly, as he did what he needed to do.
He stared at the image of Dru. 'Too big.' A few well placed thoughts made it small enough to fit in the box. He stuffed it in, then looked around. 'Now what?', he said, more to himself than her. 'Ah!' He vanished again. A moment later, he reappears, carrying a bunch of chains and a huge padlock. 'This'll hold her.' He wraps the chains around the box, locking it with the padlock, then stood up, and handed the key to Buffy. 'Here.'
She looked at the key.
'Take it.'
She took it. 'What- what do I do with it?'
He shook his head. 'I dunno. Just keep it. Destroy it, that's better. Destroy it.' He looked around. 'I could probably find a stick of dynamite around here somewhere. We could blow up the whole box.'
She shook her head, and ran a hand down his arm, till their fingers touched. 'Thank you.'
He was confused. 'You.. don't want to destroy her?'
She shook her head slowly. 'Dru... as much as I hate her, was a big part of you. Destroying her would mean a part of you is missing.'
A tear rolled down his cheek. 'Not a part that I want anything to do with.'
'There were good times. There're allowed to be- supposed to be good times. You had fun, you... loved her. You can remember the good.' She pressed the key back in his hands.
He handed it back. 'Keep it. I don't want it. It... hurts.'
She nodded, and looked down at the key till it disappeared.
'If you ever need- or want- to remember, you'll find the key. It'll be waiting for you.'
He sighed, feeling as if a huge weight had just flown off his shoulders. He took her hand. 'Come on. We'd better stop this. It wouldn't be a good thing if Bit came home and found us biting eachother and you without a shirt, now would it?'
She grinned. 'I think we'd have some answering to do.'
He grinned back. 'Let's go home. You know how.'
She latched onto a thought all her own, and pulled into her own body. Spike did the same, pulling his fangs out of her neck and collapsing backwards, keeping his eyes closed. "Tell me when you've got your shirt back on, luv."
She rubbed at her neck, knowing they'd both have huge hickeys the next morning. Her eyes lit, and she crawled very slowly up Spike's torso.
"Uh, luv..", he said, feeling her on him. "What're you doing?"
She relaxed slowly, letting him feel her whole body against his. "Keeping a promise."
He swallowed, and tentatively laid a hand on her side. "What promise?"
She let her lips hang just over his, not quite touching. "Well... I'm pretty sure you're not dying now," she whispered.
He swallowed, kept his eyes closed. "Yeah?"
"Yeah." She let her lips graze his on the word.
He wanted to kiss her, GOD he wanted to kiss her, but she might have been teasing. That happened a lot lately, and he didn't want to push it. "And..?"
She let her lips rest on his, just rest, not move, not rub, not graze. Just rest. Then she pulled back. "I love you."
Spike's whole body relaxed, and he slowly opened one eye, focusing on her face. He ran the hand that was resting on her side up and around to rub her back gently. "I love you, too, Buffy...", he said, feeling choked up for some strange reason.
She feathered a kiss across both his eyelids. He purred loudly, and pulled her down to claim her mouth as he had her neck, gently nibbling at her lip. Sighing, she let him, her hands moving over his torso, kissing him. Spike maneuvered around, trailing kisses and nibbling down her neck. 'God, has it really been a week?', he thought absently.
'In three hours...' 'Then why are you letting me kiss you now?', he asked, nibbling under an ear playfully.
Her breath shuddered out across his neck. "That's why," she said hoarsely.
He purred, and continued his nibbling, interspersed with licking. Then he sucked lightly on her earlobe, using his blunt teeth to nibble at the same time. 'You do realize you're not wearing a shirt, right, luv?'
She ducked her head, bit lightly on his collarbone. "Do you?"
'That I knew,' he said playfully, choosing to respond mentally rather than quit his nibbling. 'When's Dawn due home?'
She gave a small laugh, sucked on the flesh. 'You know Dawn's upstairs asleep.'
He moaned. 'Well, how convenient...' Nibbled down her neck to play around her shoulder.
She found one of his hands, began rubbing his palm while she bit softly across his collarbone.
Spike had to pause to pant slightly. "Oh," he muttered. "Not fair..."
She nipped at his throat, then sucked it softly. "You're complaining?"
'Hell no...', he said mentally, duplicating her actions across her own collarbone.
"Mmm..." Her hands streaked across his abs, moved to his arms.
He continued along her collarbone, his hands sliding around her ribs and back. Feeling playful, he ran a finger lightly up her spine.
She shivered, pressed down against him. He purred, working his way up the other side of her collarbone, to pay attention to the other shoulder. His hands continued to roam on her back.
She ducked her head, tried to capture his lips.
'I'm busy right now, please leave a message after the purr..', he said playfully, followed by a long, deep purr.
'You're... bad...' she said.
He chuckled. 'Don't you know it.' Started nibbling on the other earlobe.
Her hands ran through his hair, kneading gently at the base of his neck.
His eyes crossed again, and he moaned. 'Ahh. Now you're being bad..'
'Leave a message...' She teased, then, just because she could, she rolled her hips, sucking gently at his throat.
'How about.. You're killing me!', he said happily, followed by another moaning purr.
She spread her knees, now on either side of his thighs, and eased him into a sitting position with her.
He pulled back slightly, wanting to talk with his voice. "What're you doing, luv?"
She shrugged. "I can reach your back better this way." Proving it, she leaned close again, her hands pressing softly as she nipped at his collarbone.
He suddenly felt as if his whole body had turned to jell-o. He moaned happily, and quickly began to nibble her neck again, pressing his back into her hands at the same time.
She tilted her head, whispered softly. "I love you."
Oh, that did it. He went limp, overcome by emotions and sensations. "*I love you.. so much..*", he purred.
She leaned back slowly. For the first time, said it in his tongue. "*I love you.*"
Spike nearly passed out at that. No one... NO ONE had ever said that to him in vampiric. He was in heaven. His mouth moved, but nothing came out, he felt like he was going to collapse.
She looked in his eyes, slightly fearful. "I said it wrong, didn't I?"
"*No. Perfect....*" The door opened.
Buffy scrambled for her shirt, unseating Spike in the process.
Giles strode into the living room holding a book. "Buffy! I found...." He paused, taking in the scene of the two panting people, of Buffy straightening her shirt, and of Spike, sitting on the floor for some reason, with a very annoyed expression on his face. "Did I.. uh, interrupt something?"
"No! No. We were just talking over some things that have been bothering us all week. What's up?" Tried to control the heat rising in her face.
Giles stared at them. Spike was pulling himself off the floor, his annoyed look pointed alternately at Buffy and Giles. "Um. I found something that will make sure that Spike never catches the flu again." Then he figured it out. Eyed them suspiciously. "Were you two... making out, as it were?"
"No." The denial was vehement. "We were fighting." She cast a desperate glance at Spike.
Spike snorted. "Yeah. Fighting." He blew his nose. "Sorry, bout the snort."
Giles removed his glasses, cleaning them on his shirt. "Ah, yes. Fighting. And that's why Spike has a bite mark surrounded by a hicky on his neck, am I right?"
Spike blanched and started looking for his shirt.
Buffy flushed, and pulled Spike's shirt out from under her, handed it to him without making eye contact.
Spike accepted his shirt, slipping it on quickly, and planting himself back on the couch. 'Bloody embarrassing. It's like getting caught by both our dads at once!', the agitated vampire thought to her.
Mournfully, she answered, 'I know... I feel like I'm gonna get grounded and you'll get yelled at....' She looked at Giles shyly.
Giles stared at the couple on the couch, struggling to keep a straight face. He was losing. The looks on both of them... priceless. Giles started laughing, dropping his book on the floor and grabbing the wall for support.
Spike stared at Buffy, then at Giles, obviously wanting her to tell him what to do.
Discombobulated. That's what the whole situation was. And WHAT was wrong with Giles?? She shrugged at Spike worriedly.
"Oh, God," Giles chuckled, still far from regaining control. "You two... the looks you gave me... Deer in the headlights... so funny!" He started laughing again.
Spike rumbled low in his throat, but it was high pitched. A play growl. "Quit it, Rupert."
Buffy started to giggle, then realized she was being laughed at. Reached across the couch to hold Spike's hand. "Can you imagine... what if that had been Xander?"
Spike snorted. "We'd have had to call an ambulance." He looked at the stricken Watcher. "You know, I've about had enough of this. I owe him." He flashed her a playful, devilish grin. "Wanna help?"
She shook her head. "This one's all you."
He grinned at her. "Come on, luv. Don't you have somethin' you wanna get him for?" Through all this, the Watcher continued to laugh, unaware of the plot hatching three feet away.
Buffy smiled. Nodded. 'Not long... he's kinda.... not young.'
"Deal. Oh, Ruuuupeeerrrtt!", Spike called. Giles looked up, still chuckling. Noticed the gleam in the couple's eyes.
"Buffy, Spike, what are you doing?" He started backing up, not noticing the recliner directly behind him.
Buffy smiled. "Um.. I dunno why, but I really feel like doing this." She started to tickle her Watcher.
Spike likewise pounced, together, they pinned Giles to the chair. Spike went right for the spot on his back that Buffy had shown him before. Giles laughed, uncontrollably, trying to fight back, but the two were too fast.
Buffy tickled at his neck. "What should we make him do?"
Spike grinned. "I'm happy now. You think of something. You're good at this."
"Bufffffy! Spiiiiikke! Stooopp!", Giles laughed, squirming.
She pondered. "Hmmmm... Giles..? What do I want from you?"
"AAAnnnnyytttthhhiiinnnggg!!"
"HA!", Spike laughed. "How do you like it, huh? Not so fun on the receiving end, is it?" He looked at Buffy. 'Not that I'll tell HIM that I have fun, you understand.'
She smiled. "You can't ever- under any circumstances- ever, tell any of the Scoobies what we were- um... fighting about."
"OOooookkk! Stooop!"
Spike chuckled. "He agrees too easily. Where's the sport in this?"
She laughed, relaxed her hands on Giles. "Come on, Mr. Big Bad. He agreed."
Spike laughed. "Oh, alright." He relaxed and scratched for a moment to help alleviate the itching that he knew he caused. Then he walked over and flopped back on the couch, grinning happily. "Good to be on the giving side for once."
Giles just lay there, panting.
Buffy smiled, followed him back to the couch, sat very near his lap. "So... What's this about a cure?"
"One... moment... please..", Giles panted. "Never... do that... again."
Spike just chuckled.
Giles took a couple of deep breaths. Relaxed. "Ok. Willow found something that will not only take away the last of the symptoms, but will prevent you from ever catching it again. There's a catch, though. It's a shot."
Spike's eyes got wide. "Shot? As in needles, shot?"
Buffy's hand found Spike's. "What- what catch?"
"That's it. The catch is that it's a shot. And I know Spike's scared of needles."
"I am not. They just... make me mildly nervous. That's all."
Buffy thought to him for a moment. 'I'll kiss you the whole time they're giving you the shot. Will that make you feel better?'
Spike thought for a moment. "Can I have a request, luv?"
She was slightly nervous that he was talking aloud. "Ok."
"I wish you two wouldn't do that. It's very disconcerting for those of us without a mental link," Giles said, cleaning his glasses again.
Spike leaned over and whispered to Buffy, "After the shot, kiss the place the needle went in, ok? Make it hurt less."
She swung her eyes to Giles. "On the arm, right? The shot?"
Giles chuckled. "Yes. In the bicep."
Spike flinched, and a minor shiver went through him.
Buffy was relieved. "Done deal, tough guy."
Spike grinned, then stared at her. "I thought I told you not to patronize me."
She smiled. "Sorry."
He laughed and hugged her, nearly falling off the couch with her. "I was kidding, luv."
She snuggled into him. "I'm sorry, about... everything." She had completely forgotten Giles sitting, watching them.
He kissed the top of her head gently, then glanced at Giles. Decided to say it differently. "*It's okay, luv. I love you.*"
She smiled contentedly. 'Are we putting on a show, now?'
He nuzzled her. "*I'm not.*"
Giles just smiled at them, enjoying seeing both of them so happy.
She bit his earlobe gently, whispered, "*I love you, William.*"
Spike's eyes crossed, and he hugged her so tight that, had she been a normal human, he would have broken a rib. "God, Slayer," he said quietly. "Quit pressin' the buttons. Rupert's still here."
"Dad?"
"Yes, Buffy?"
"I just told Spike that I loved him in vampiric. We had a huge fight, and we yelled, and screamed, and we reaffirmed the claim."
Giles nodded. "I noticed the bite marks. But I'm guessing the two of you are okay now, right?"
Spike nodded, then looked to Buffy. "I am if you are, luv."
She nodded. "Much better." She licked her lips, leaned forward on the couch, her hand still tangled with Spike's. "If... either of us... wear the marks, or if we've got another cut, or bruise by it, please, never worry."
Giles chuckled. "You're forgetting who did their senior thesis on vampiric habits and patterns, Buffy. I won't worry. Just as long as the two of you are happy. I love you both, you know."
Spike's eyes got big, and a little watery. He looked at Buffy, as if to ask if he'd heard Giles correctly.
She gave a small smile. 'We all love you.'
One tear fell from each eye.
Giles stood up. "Is he alright?"
Buffy gave a slightly watery smile herself. "He's perfect."
He squeezed her tightly again, burying his face in her hair, trying to stop crying. Giles sat on the arm of the couch and placed a hand on the vampire's trembling shoulder. "Sometimes I feel sorry for him. He's been so long without a family. Without anyone who really cares. This must be overwhelming for you, Spike."
Spike nodded, his face still hiding in her hair.
Buffy turned, letting him rest his head on her shoulder. Rocked back and forth gently, her hand resting on his back.
Giles rubbed Spike's shoulder. "It's ok, Spike. It's ok.."
Spike sniffed. "I know..", he said, his voice muffled by the Slayer's shirt. "I'm just... happy."
She kissed his shoulder, not moving him. "Me, too."
Spike cocked his head sideways, looking at Giles. "You... love me?"
Giles nodded. "Like a son."
Spike snuffled and nuzzled back into Buffy's shoulder again. He was worried that he was falling asleep, but didn't want this wonderful moment to end.
Buffy smiled, leaned forward, forcing Spike to lie down. "Go to sleep."
"Don't wanna..."
Giles chuckled. "And I thought you were stubborn."
She kissed him softly on the mouth. "It'll still be here when you wake up."
He yawned. "Promise?"
She gently sucked his bottom lip in her mouth, her head tilted so Giles wouldn't see it. She nipped it softly, then let him go. "*I swear.*"
Giles shook his head and chuckled.
Spike purred. "*Okay... love you...*"
She said it in English, knowing Giles would understand why she needed him to hear. "I love you, too." She ran a hand over his eyes, closing them. "Sleep."
Giles smiled. "Do you want to stay with him? Or do you need some help getting to bed?"
She stood, hooked her arm through his. "Why don't you help me?"
Giles smiled, and helped his surrogate daughter to bed, even tucking her and Mr. Gordo in.
She set a half-full mug of blood on the coffee table, and a full glass of juice beside it. Two days later and she was still vehemently pissed off. She set the glasses down and turned to walk back out of the room.
Spike was thoroughly confused. She had barely spoken to him in two days. He was scared, upset, hurt, slightly mad, and still not completely over the flu! He picked up the juice, and took a sip, trying to sort out what was going on.
Dawn went to walk into the room, and almost got frostbite when Buffy swept by. She sat on the couch next to Spike. "Man. What'd you say?"
He shook his head. "I wish I knew! She's been like this for two days, and it's getting worse." He paused to cough a bit. "I just don't know. I wasn't even conscious that day! What the bleedin' hell did I do!?!"
Dawn shrugged, passed it off for the moment. "Dunno."
-========================================================================= ===========
That night, for dinner, Buffy again dropped Spike's mug of blood on the coffee table with an audible thump, handed Dawn a tray of stir-fry and rice, and grabbed her coat. "Patrolling."
Spike held back a tear that was threatening him. "Bye... luv."
And that was it. The reigning Princess of Bitchiness had gone too far. Dawn stood as the door closed, said, "I'll be back. If I'm not... look for the body."
Spike wasn't even really listening, anyway.
She stormed out as per her sister, and caught up to Buffy in three long strides. "What the HECK is your problem??" Dawn yelled at her sister as she yanked her around by her arm.
The reigning Princess of Bitchiness was feeling frosty. "Nothing is my problem. Go back inside, and eat your dinner. I worked hard on it."
"Shut *up*! What you're working hard on is ruining what you've BEEN working so hard on to GET!"
Buffy was exhausted. "You have no idea what you're talking about. Please go back inside."
"Yes, I do! You're breaking Spike's heart, for NO APPARENT REASON, YOU PSYCHO-BITCH, and it's MEAN and I'm not gonna let you!"
Buffy grabbed her sister's arm. "Wanna know what's MEAN, Dawnie? Mean, is hearing the man you let claim you mutter to another woman in his fevered sleep that he still loves her. Didn't mean a thing he ever said to me."
Dawn's brow wrinkled. "I don't... You're mad at Spike for something he said while he was sick?"
Buffy nodded. "Started talking to Dru. She had to know that he wasn't serious. That he loved her, still. So much."
As her sister's eyes filled with tears, Dawn tried to unsuccessfully hide a twitch of her lips, followed by a giggle.
"*What* is funny, Dawn?"
Dawn finally laughed. "You. God, Buffy. You're acting like he said the wrong name during sex. He was *hallucinating*. It could have been anybody."
"It was Dru."
Dawn shrugged, in a 'who-cares' manner. "So? It could have been a cabana boy for all Spike meant it."
Buffy gave her sister a measured look and pointed to the house. "Your dinner will get cold."
Chuckling, Dawn walked back to the house, calling over her shoulder, "Good slaying!"
As she reentered the house, there was a muffled sniffing, and then the sound of a loud nose blow. Spike was sniffling into a Kleenex, a few tears making their way down his cheeks.
Dawn sighed and sat down on the couch. Picked up her plate and took a bite of the stir-fry. "You two are so retarded."
Spike sniffed, and looked at her. "Huh?"
"You two are so retarded," she enunciated carefully. "Ask her why she's pissed at you."
He sniffed again, and wiped at a tear. "I don't want to. I get the feeling that she hates me all of the sudden. And I don't think I could take it if she yelled at me right now."
Dawn frowned and shoved a forkful of stirfry in her mouth. Around it, she mumbled, "Grow some."
"*What* did you say?"
She gave him a level look. "I *said*, grow some, soul boy."
He growled at her. "THAT was uncalled for, Dawn. And not needed, at that."
She snorted. "Whatever. My opinion stands. She's treating you like shit, and you're not even mad. You're letting her whip you, which is so... not Spike-like. So I say again, grow some."
"For your information, I am mad. And she has not 'whipped' me. And if you say that one more time, you are going to regret it."
She stood with her now-empty plate. "All right. We'll say it in British. I think that's how you said it anyway. Grow some wrinklies, Spike, and either put up, or shut up."
Spike growled. "Dawn. You. Are. Making. Me. Mad," he enunciated slowly.
She rolled her eyes. "It's about time someone did."
"I am this close to pouncing you. Quit while you're ahead."
"First of all, never been afraid of you. Second, I could have you pinned in three seconds, which we're not even gonna bother with, cuz Buffy'll kick both our butts later, cuz you're still weak."
"I am NOT weak!", he said standing up quickly, and instantly regretting it as the room spun. "Oohhhhh." He sat down quickly. It was either that, or puke his juice.
"Now, are you done being stupid with the wrong person?" Dawn reprimanded sternly.
His eyes were closed as he fought off the sudden wave of nausea. A slow nod.
She gave a great huff. "Good, cuz Dawson's on in ten minutes, and quite frankly, I didn't want that hanging over me, ruining my enjoyment."
Quiet chuckle.
========================================================================== ===========
Buffy came in the door quietly, knowing the house should be asleep by now. She was upset. Patrolling had been a waste of her time. An ill Chihuahua could have taken on the two vamps she had dusted that night. Frustration was brewing, and she slid off her coat to hang on the rack.
Spike was stretched out, sound asleep, on the couch. He was wearing the pair of glasses that Willow had brought from his crypt earlier, and there was a copy of Gone With The Wind lying open on his stomach. He had obviously fallen asleep while reading.
Buffy fought the over-whelming urge to sigh and smile, reminding herself that she was indeed furious with that individual. She moved the book quietly, placed it on the table. Reached carefully for his face, pulling the glasses off gently.
Spike twitched a little, recognized her scent, and relaxed, even letting out a quiet purr.
Her eyes narrowed. Oh... he *would* purr in his sleep at her. She turned to go upstairs to sleep for work in the morning.
'Don't go...', the thought plea entered her mind.
She sighed, and turned around. "Don't play in my mind."
"I didn't know how far you'd gotten, and I wanted you to hear me."
"I'm hearing."
He gave her a tentative smile. "Stay down here with me?" His eyes were still sunken from the flu, and he coughed after the words got out.
Made her feel like she was kicking a puppy. "A few minutes. I've got work tomorrow."
Smile got bigger. "Whatever you can spare. I was getting lonely."
Her patience was wearing thin. "Didn't Dawn stay with you?"
"Yeah. But she went to bed awhile ago, and I've been all alone." He motioned to the book. "Just me, Rhett, and Scarlett here."
She nodded. "That Rhett's a bastard."
"Tell me about it. Luv? Can I ask you something?"
"I suppose."
"Why are you mad at me? I... I thought.. we were doing so well, and... I just... I don't understand."
She scoffed. "I thought so, too. Funny, isn't it."
He flinched at her tone. "Please, Buffy. I want to fix it. But I can't, if I don't know what I did."
Her eyes were burning. Anger and hurt were hers, her soul burned with it. "And you don't even know."
He felt the anger, the pain that was coming off her in waves, tried to block it, but the feelings were too strong. A tear slid down his cheek. "No. I- I don't."
Tears were threatening her own eyes, and only pride kept them at bay. "If you don't know, there's no point in telling you."
He was panting from the onslaught of her emotions. "Luv...please..."
"No, Spike. I'm just... I need... I'll be back later."
"SLAYER! Tell me, damnit! I can't even help if you don't tell me!" He growled, standing up slowly, fighting her emotions with his own. "What the HELL is wrong with you, huh? I sleep all day. I wake up, and you suddenly hate me? What the bleedin' HELL did I DO!!!" He took a step toward her, shaky, but standing.
She stood as well, facing off. "Sleep is damned revealing, don't you think? Dreams- things you see tell you a whole hell of a lot, don't they, Spike?"
"What are you TALKING about? I had a fever! I didn't dream! I was too busy trying not to die!"
Her voice was suddenly quiet, calm, and very wrathful. "I would *never* have let you claim me, if I'd known then-"
"What!? Known what?"
Her voice broke in a shout. "That you still love her!!"
"WHO!?"
She threw up her hands. "I'm leaving. I've got to... I've got to go. Leave. I'll be... doesn't matter where. I'll be back in a few days maybe." She went to walk past him.
He moved as fast as he could, grabbing her arm and spinning her around. "Oh no you don't. You are not leaving until you tell me what the HELL is going on here. I gather that I said something while I was asleep. I don't know what. But if you tell me, I can probably set it right. If you don't want to, well, the only way you're getting out of this house is to stake me and walk through my dust!"
"Druscilla," her mouth formed the name, open ire in her tone. "Let me leave."
His eyes grew wide, but he didn't release her arm. "What? I do NOT love Dru."
"YES you DO! I WILL NOT *SHARE* my feelings, MY claim with that WHORE. I won't play second fiddle, not for you, not for anyone." Her voice was a calm rage. "Let. Me. Go."
"You are not sharing with anyone, Buffy. I. Love. You. Only you. What do I have to do to prove it to you? Anything."
Her eyes were hurt, and she almost whimpered, "You said it, Spike. 'Gotta believe me, Dru... You know I do. You know I love you.' You said it."
He suddenly remembered the dream. "Luv. Did I say something else, along the lines of 'Don't hurt her'?"
Her bottom lip was trembling. "I think... I don't know. Spike." Her voice was weary, sad. "Please. Let me go." She couldn't not cry for very much longer. She had to get out... to see Giles. Giles would make it better.
He released her arm. Sat back down. Said quietly, "I dreamed that Dru captured you. She was going to kill you, unless I said that I loved her. It was a nightmare. She didn't believe me. And she... killed you. Right in front of me.." He sniffed. Grabbed a Kleenex, wiped away the tears.
Buffy was still unsettled. Had no idea what to say. So she said nothing, torn between her desire to believe him, and run to the door for safety.
He had an idea. "Let me prove it."
Her heart was in her throat, still biting back her own tears. "What?" Her voice was getting hoarse, tight.
"Let me reaffirm our claim. And then we can go in my mind, and you can see how I feel about Dru. And you."
She sat slowly, tentatively, on the edge of the couch opposite him.
"Will you do it? Or do you still want to... leave." Last word said really quietly.
He needed to understand. She needed to make him see. "You tore my heart out."
"I know how it feels."
"You weren't even conscious, and I was watching you, praying to God you would wake up." One tear won a battle against her. "And... in your sleep, when you are the purest form of who you are, you mutter that you love her." She swiped bitterly at the liquid on her cheek. "I couldn't even move."
He sniffed. "It was a nightmare, luv. I didn't even mean it in the dream."
They fell, hot, fast now. She didn't even bother to wipe them away. "I didn't-couldn't know that. And it just... hurt, and hurt, and I didn't know who to stake, you or her."
Spike started crying right along with her, wanting desperately to hold her, to comfort eachother, but worrying that she'd hit him. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry..", he kept muttering. "I want to stake myself if it would make you feel better."
She rubbed harshly at her eyes. "Let's... let's do it, and if I still- If I don't... I'll go to- I'll go."
He nodded, offering her a Kleenex and taking one for himself. "I'm.. I'm gonna have to bite you again, luv. Okay?"
She nodded, just crumbling the tissue in her hand. She knew he'd never get around the turtleneck she wore. "I'm- I'm gonna-" she mimed pulling off her top. "That doesn't mean anything."
He swallowed. "Uh, okay?"
As she pulled it off, she mumbled, "It's a turtle-neck, and you couldn't bite around it." Setting it on the floor, she waited.
He swallowed, closed his eyes, and vamped. Keeping his eyes closed the whole time, doing his best not to embarrass her. He scooted closer, placed his hands on her shoulders. "*Me in you...*"
She sighed, somewhat petulantly, "You in me..." She felt the sorrow in him, in his demon.
"*Always.*"
Her own hurt rose. "*Forever.*"
He let out a purring growl, and bit her, as gently as he could. 'Latch onto me, Slayer. While I'm biting..', he thought at her.
Her hands came to rest lightly, flutteringly, on his shoulders. Her mind reached out. 'Mind or teeth?'
'Teeth. If you latch on, and we suck at the same time, I should be able to pull you in.'
She hissed out a sharp breath as he bit her, the pleasure pulling at her. She tentatively sank her teeth into his neck.
Spike fought the intense waves of pleasure that coursed through him, focused on pulling her in. 'Suck. Now.'
She drew on his neck, sucking, licking at the blood. Spike did the same, very glad his eyes were closed, otherwise they might have crossed. On instinct, he slid his arms around her, rubbing at her back as he licked up the blood from the shallow cut on her neck. 'You okay?'
A small moan met his words. 'You?'
For an instant, he paused his sucking and planted a kiss on her bare shoulder. 'That answer your question?'
She shuddered and moved closer to him.
'I'm gonna pull you in, now. Start searching for a thought that isn't yours.'
She did, weeding through all sorts of her own, pleasure, pain, random things.
'Tell me when you're in...'
She searched. 'Trying....' She stopped searching as she heard Dawn say, "You two are so retarded." Then, "Grow some..." 'Got it...'
Spike gave a mental shake of his head. 'Still can't believe she said... oh, never mind. Find Dru. In the back, somewhere. I'll be waiting...'
Buffy looked around uncertainly. Things had been shuffled since the last time she had been in there. She shut her eyes, bringing a picture of the insane beauty to the fore. A low growl echoed through the area around Dru's image. Spike was pissed at her now. Her aura was dark, with a thread of gold in one place, but it was barely noticeable. Suddenly, Spike appeared as if he was standing next to Buffy. 'Now what?', he asked her.
'I don't... I don't know, Spike... You brought us here.' Buffy stomach turned looking at her. Her heart ached.
Spike stomach turned, and it wasn't the flu. He tried to figure out something to do. Then it hit him. 'Need a box. Be right back...' The image of Spike vanished momentarily.
She was slightly panicked. Looked at Dru. 'I really hate you.'
No answer from the insane vampiress. Spike reappeared, holding a small box, about the size of a cooler. 'I'm gonna fix this. Once and for all.'
Buffy was unsure of what was happening. But she stood, quietly, as he did what he needed to do.
He stared at the image of Dru. 'Too big.' A few well placed thoughts made it small enough to fit in the box. He stuffed it in, then looked around. 'Now what?', he said, more to himself than her. 'Ah!' He vanished again. A moment later, he reappears, carrying a bunch of chains and a huge padlock. 'This'll hold her.' He wraps the chains around the box, locking it with the padlock, then stood up, and handed the key to Buffy. 'Here.'
She looked at the key.
'Take it.'
She took it. 'What- what do I do with it?'
He shook his head. 'I dunno. Just keep it. Destroy it, that's better. Destroy it.' He looked around. 'I could probably find a stick of dynamite around here somewhere. We could blow up the whole box.'
She shook her head, and ran a hand down his arm, till their fingers touched. 'Thank you.'
He was confused. 'You.. don't want to destroy her?'
She shook her head slowly. 'Dru... as much as I hate her, was a big part of you. Destroying her would mean a part of you is missing.'
A tear rolled down his cheek. 'Not a part that I want anything to do with.'
'There were good times. There're allowed to be- supposed to be good times. You had fun, you... loved her. You can remember the good.' She pressed the key back in his hands.
He handed it back. 'Keep it. I don't want it. It... hurts.'
She nodded, and looked down at the key till it disappeared.
'If you ever need- or want- to remember, you'll find the key. It'll be waiting for you.'
He sighed, feeling as if a huge weight had just flown off his shoulders. He took her hand. 'Come on. We'd better stop this. It wouldn't be a good thing if Bit came home and found us biting eachother and you without a shirt, now would it?'
She grinned. 'I think we'd have some answering to do.'
He grinned back. 'Let's go home. You know how.'
She latched onto a thought all her own, and pulled into her own body. Spike did the same, pulling his fangs out of her neck and collapsing backwards, keeping his eyes closed. "Tell me when you've got your shirt back on, luv."
She rubbed at her neck, knowing they'd both have huge hickeys the next morning. Her eyes lit, and she crawled very slowly up Spike's torso.
"Uh, luv..", he said, feeling her on him. "What're you doing?"
She relaxed slowly, letting him feel her whole body against his. "Keeping a promise."
He swallowed, and tentatively laid a hand on her side. "What promise?"
She let her lips hang just over his, not quite touching. "Well... I'm pretty sure you're not dying now," she whispered.
He swallowed, kept his eyes closed. "Yeah?"
"Yeah." She let her lips graze his on the word.
He wanted to kiss her, GOD he wanted to kiss her, but she might have been teasing. That happened a lot lately, and he didn't want to push it. "And..?"
She let her lips rest on his, just rest, not move, not rub, not graze. Just rest. Then she pulled back. "I love you."
Spike's whole body relaxed, and he slowly opened one eye, focusing on her face. He ran the hand that was resting on her side up and around to rub her back gently. "I love you, too, Buffy...", he said, feeling choked up for some strange reason.
She feathered a kiss across both his eyelids. He purred loudly, and pulled her down to claim her mouth as he had her neck, gently nibbling at her lip. Sighing, she let him, her hands moving over his torso, kissing him. Spike maneuvered around, trailing kisses and nibbling down her neck. 'God, has it really been a week?', he thought absently.
'In three hours...' 'Then why are you letting me kiss you now?', he asked, nibbling under an ear playfully.
Her breath shuddered out across his neck. "That's why," she said hoarsely.
He purred, and continued his nibbling, interspersed with licking. Then he sucked lightly on her earlobe, using his blunt teeth to nibble at the same time. 'You do realize you're not wearing a shirt, right, luv?'
She ducked her head, bit lightly on his collarbone. "Do you?"
'That I knew,' he said playfully, choosing to respond mentally rather than quit his nibbling. 'When's Dawn due home?'
She gave a small laugh, sucked on the flesh. 'You know Dawn's upstairs asleep.'
He moaned. 'Well, how convenient...' Nibbled down her neck to play around her shoulder.
She found one of his hands, began rubbing his palm while she bit softly across his collarbone.
Spike had to pause to pant slightly. "Oh," he muttered. "Not fair..."
She nipped at his throat, then sucked it softly. "You're complaining?"
'Hell no...', he said mentally, duplicating her actions across her own collarbone.
"Mmm..." Her hands streaked across his abs, moved to his arms.
He continued along her collarbone, his hands sliding around her ribs and back. Feeling playful, he ran a finger lightly up her spine.
She shivered, pressed down against him. He purred, working his way up the other side of her collarbone, to pay attention to the other shoulder. His hands continued to roam on her back.
She ducked her head, tried to capture his lips.
'I'm busy right now, please leave a message after the purr..', he said playfully, followed by a long, deep purr.
'You're... bad...' she said.
He chuckled. 'Don't you know it.' Started nibbling on the other earlobe.
Her hands ran through his hair, kneading gently at the base of his neck.
His eyes crossed again, and he moaned. 'Ahh. Now you're being bad..'
'Leave a message...' She teased, then, just because she could, she rolled her hips, sucking gently at his throat.
'How about.. You're killing me!', he said happily, followed by another moaning purr.
She spread her knees, now on either side of his thighs, and eased him into a sitting position with her.
He pulled back slightly, wanting to talk with his voice. "What're you doing, luv?"
She shrugged. "I can reach your back better this way." Proving it, she leaned close again, her hands pressing softly as she nipped at his collarbone.
He suddenly felt as if his whole body had turned to jell-o. He moaned happily, and quickly began to nibble her neck again, pressing his back into her hands at the same time.
She tilted her head, whispered softly. "I love you."
Oh, that did it. He went limp, overcome by emotions and sensations. "*I love you.. so much..*", he purred.
She leaned back slowly. For the first time, said it in his tongue. "*I love you.*"
Spike nearly passed out at that. No one... NO ONE had ever said that to him in vampiric. He was in heaven. His mouth moved, but nothing came out, he felt like he was going to collapse.
She looked in his eyes, slightly fearful. "I said it wrong, didn't I?"
"*No. Perfect....*" The door opened.
Buffy scrambled for her shirt, unseating Spike in the process.
Giles strode into the living room holding a book. "Buffy! I found...." He paused, taking in the scene of the two panting people, of Buffy straightening her shirt, and of Spike, sitting on the floor for some reason, with a very annoyed expression on his face. "Did I.. uh, interrupt something?"
"No! No. We were just talking over some things that have been bothering us all week. What's up?" Tried to control the heat rising in her face.
Giles stared at them. Spike was pulling himself off the floor, his annoyed look pointed alternately at Buffy and Giles. "Um. I found something that will make sure that Spike never catches the flu again." Then he figured it out. Eyed them suspiciously. "Were you two... making out, as it were?"
"No." The denial was vehement. "We were fighting." She cast a desperate glance at Spike.
Spike snorted. "Yeah. Fighting." He blew his nose. "Sorry, bout the snort."
Giles removed his glasses, cleaning them on his shirt. "Ah, yes. Fighting. And that's why Spike has a bite mark surrounded by a hicky on his neck, am I right?"
Spike blanched and started looking for his shirt.
Buffy flushed, and pulled Spike's shirt out from under her, handed it to him without making eye contact.
Spike accepted his shirt, slipping it on quickly, and planting himself back on the couch. 'Bloody embarrassing. It's like getting caught by both our dads at once!', the agitated vampire thought to her.
Mournfully, she answered, 'I know... I feel like I'm gonna get grounded and you'll get yelled at....' She looked at Giles shyly.
Giles stared at the couple on the couch, struggling to keep a straight face. He was losing. The looks on both of them... priceless. Giles started laughing, dropping his book on the floor and grabbing the wall for support.
Spike stared at Buffy, then at Giles, obviously wanting her to tell him what to do.
Discombobulated. That's what the whole situation was. And WHAT was wrong with Giles?? She shrugged at Spike worriedly.
"Oh, God," Giles chuckled, still far from regaining control. "You two... the looks you gave me... Deer in the headlights... so funny!" He started laughing again.
Spike rumbled low in his throat, but it was high pitched. A play growl. "Quit it, Rupert."
Buffy started to giggle, then realized she was being laughed at. Reached across the couch to hold Spike's hand. "Can you imagine... what if that had been Xander?"
Spike snorted. "We'd have had to call an ambulance." He looked at the stricken Watcher. "You know, I've about had enough of this. I owe him." He flashed her a playful, devilish grin. "Wanna help?"
She shook her head. "This one's all you."
He grinned at her. "Come on, luv. Don't you have somethin' you wanna get him for?" Through all this, the Watcher continued to laugh, unaware of the plot hatching three feet away.
Buffy smiled. Nodded. 'Not long... he's kinda.... not young.'
"Deal. Oh, Ruuuupeeerrrtt!", Spike called. Giles looked up, still chuckling. Noticed the gleam in the couple's eyes.
"Buffy, Spike, what are you doing?" He started backing up, not noticing the recliner directly behind him.
Buffy smiled. "Um.. I dunno why, but I really feel like doing this." She started to tickle her Watcher.
Spike likewise pounced, together, they pinned Giles to the chair. Spike went right for the spot on his back that Buffy had shown him before. Giles laughed, uncontrollably, trying to fight back, but the two were too fast.
Buffy tickled at his neck. "What should we make him do?"
Spike grinned. "I'm happy now. You think of something. You're good at this."
"Bufffffy! Spiiiiikke! Stooopp!", Giles laughed, squirming.
She pondered. "Hmmmm... Giles..? What do I want from you?"
"AAAnnnnyytttthhhiiinnnggg!!"
"HA!", Spike laughed. "How do you like it, huh? Not so fun on the receiving end, is it?" He looked at Buffy. 'Not that I'll tell HIM that I have fun, you understand.'
She smiled. "You can't ever- under any circumstances- ever, tell any of the Scoobies what we were- um... fighting about."
"OOooookkk! Stooop!"
Spike chuckled. "He agrees too easily. Where's the sport in this?"
She laughed, relaxed her hands on Giles. "Come on, Mr. Big Bad. He agreed."
Spike laughed. "Oh, alright." He relaxed and scratched for a moment to help alleviate the itching that he knew he caused. Then he walked over and flopped back on the couch, grinning happily. "Good to be on the giving side for once."
Giles just lay there, panting.
Buffy smiled, followed him back to the couch, sat very near his lap. "So... What's this about a cure?"
"One... moment... please..", Giles panted. "Never... do that... again."
Spike just chuckled.
Giles took a couple of deep breaths. Relaxed. "Ok. Willow found something that will not only take away the last of the symptoms, but will prevent you from ever catching it again. There's a catch, though. It's a shot."
Spike's eyes got wide. "Shot? As in needles, shot?"
Buffy's hand found Spike's. "What- what catch?"
"That's it. The catch is that it's a shot. And I know Spike's scared of needles."
"I am not. They just... make me mildly nervous. That's all."
Buffy thought to him for a moment. 'I'll kiss you the whole time they're giving you the shot. Will that make you feel better?'
Spike thought for a moment. "Can I have a request, luv?"
She was slightly nervous that he was talking aloud. "Ok."
"I wish you two wouldn't do that. It's very disconcerting for those of us without a mental link," Giles said, cleaning his glasses again.
Spike leaned over and whispered to Buffy, "After the shot, kiss the place the needle went in, ok? Make it hurt less."
She swung her eyes to Giles. "On the arm, right? The shot?"
Giles chuckled. "Yes. In the bicep."
Spike flinched, and a minor shiver went through him.
Buffy was relieved. "Done deal, tough guy."
Spike grinned, then stared at her. "I thought I told you not to patronize me."
She smiled. "Sorry."
He laughed and hugged her, nearly falling off the couch with her. "I was kidding, luv."
She snuggled into him. "I'm sorry, about... everything." She had completely forgotten Giles sitting, watching them.
He kissed the top of her head gently, then glanced at Giles. Decided to say it differently. "*It's okay, luv. I love you.*"
She smiled contentedly. 'Are we putting on a show, now?'
He nuzzled her. "*I'm not.*"
Giles just smiled at them, enjoying seeing both of them so happy.
She bit his earlobe gently, whispered, "*I love you, William.*"
Spike's eyes crossed, and he hugged her so tight that, had she been a normal human, he would have broken a rib. "God, Slayer," he said quietly. "Quit pressin' the buttons. Rupert's still here."
"Dad?"
"Yes, Buffy?"
"I just told Spike that I loved him in vampiric. We had a huge fight, and we yelled, and screamed, and we reaffirmed the claim."
Giles nodded. "I noticed the bite marks. But I'm guessing the two of you are okay now, right?"
Spike nodded, then looked to Buffy. "I am if you are, luv."
She nodded. "Much better." She licked her lips, leaned forward on the couch, her hand still tangled with Spike's. "If... either of us... wear the marks, or if we've got another cut, or bruise by it, please, never worry."
Giles chuckled. "You're forgetting who did their senior thesis on vampiric habits and patterns, Buffy. I won't worry. Just as long as the two of you are happy. I love you both, you know."
Spike's eyes got big, and a little watery. He looked at Buffy, as if to ask if he'd heard Giles correctly.
She gave a small smile. 'We all love you.'
One tear fell from each eye.
Giles stood up. "Is he alright?"
Buffy gave a slightly watery smile herself. "He's perfect."
He squeezed her tightly again, burying his face in her hair, trying to stop crying. Giles sat on the arm of the couch and placed a hand on the vampire's trembling shoulder. "Sometimes I feel sorry for him. He's been so long without a family. Without anyone who really cares. This must be overwhelming for you, Spike."
Spike nodded, his face still hiding in her hair.
Buffy turned, letting him rest his head on her shoulder. Rocked back and forth gently, her hand resting on his back.
Giles rubbed Spike's shoulder. "It's ok, Spike. It's ok.."
Spike sniffed. "I know..", he said, his voice muffled by the Slayer's shirt. "I'm just... happy."
She kissed his shoulder, not moving him. "Me, too."
Spike cocked his head sideways, looking at Giles. "You... love me?"
Giles nodded. "Like a son."
Spike snuffled and nuzzled back into Buffy's shoulder again. He was worried that he was falling asleep, but didn't want this wonderful moment to end.
Buffy smiled, leaned forward, forcing Spike to lie down. "Go to sleep."
"Don't wanna..."
Giles chuckled. "And I thought you were stubborn."
She kissed him softly on the mouth. "It'll still be here when you wake up."
He yawned. "Promise?"
She gently sucked his bottom lip in her mouth, her head tilted so Giles wouldn't see it. She nipped it softly, then let him go. "*I swear.*"
Giles shook his head and chuckled.
Spike purred. "*Okay... love you...*"
She said it in English, knowing Giles would understand why she needed him to hear. "I love you, too." She ran a hand over his eyes, closing them. "Sleep."
Giles smiled. "Do you want to stay with him? Or do you need some help getting to bed?"
She stood, hooked her arm through his. "Why don't you help me?"
Giles smiled, and helped his surrogate daughter to bed, even tucking her and Mr. Gordo in.