Disclaimer, Summary, ect.: See chap 1.
Author's Notes 1, Tigerwolf: Ok, so I don't really have any notes. Made ya look. lol. j/k.
Madison scrunched up her face and laughed. "'Kinda evil'. Oh my gosh. Too good. Undead creature of the night is only.... kinda evil."
Spike growled, trying to snatch the magazine. "That can *not* be what it says. I wanna take it again!"
She laughed. "It's gonna be the same, no matter what. Kinda evil, Puppy. That's what it says."
He rolled on his back, putting his hands over his face. "Damnit. And stop calling me 'Puppy'! Do I look like I want you to scratch my stomach or give me a treat or something?"
She patted his arm. "Don't pout. It doesn't flatter you."
Growl. "I'm not pouting. I'm trying to figure out what would be the best way to kill the inventors of that stupid test."
"Disembowelment."
"Naw. Too messy. I prefer decapitation."
She gave an acquiescing shrug. "Yeah... that only sprays blood about what? Four feet, give or take?"
"Depends on the weapon. Long sword... Two feet. Guillotine, not much at all."
Gave him a measured look. "Morbid and freaky."
He grinned. "See? And more than 'kinda evil'."
"No.. just freaky."
Snort. "Whatever. I am secure in my evilness. I don't listen to some stupid test thought up by humans who don't even know what they're talking about."
"Uh huh. Of course you are."
He gave her a look that could most likely melt steel. Low, dangerous growl, eye flash.
She just arched her brow at him from her spot on his shoulder, and scolded. "Don't look at me like that. I am not a steak."
Licked his lips. "No. Not steak. More like a slim fast shake. All ready and waiting."
Thumped a hand on his stomach. "Puppy, stop it."
He gave her a sheepish grin. "Don't whack me. That hurt."
"So did saying I'm a slim-fast shake! What? I'm fat?" She was curvy, yes, but her stomach wasn't fat. Just... a bitty belly. The not too fat, but not anorexic kind.
He chuckled and gave her a sideways squeeze with the arm that was around her shoulders. "Not at all. I meant that females don't have as much blood as males. And you're kind of small, so.. snack. Not meal."
She gave him a soft punch. "I was gonna be your first meal in a long time, and I was a *snack*?"
He chuckled. "You're cute. I like meals that are visually pleasing."
She blushed but rolled her eyes. "Besides, have you ever HAD a slim-fast shake? They sit like lead in your stomach."
"And no. Well, once. I like chocolate. And it's good if you put ice cream in it."
Madison laughed at him. "Kind of defeats the purpose, don't you think? I almost cried when I did the slim-fast thing. It was so awful. I dropped the diet, and fasted for five days instead."
"Remember what I said about vampires and weightloss? I wanted chocolate. It was all I could find." Cocked his head at her. "Why? You're beautiful. You don't need to lose anything."
She rolled her eyes, serious this time. "Blah blah blah. Thanks so much, though."
"I'm serious!" And his tone said that he was. "You're beautiful, Madison." Mimicked her words from earlier. "And I'm going to keep saying it until you believe it."
Another eye roll. "Madre de Dios," she muttered. "I believe you, then. It's just hard to not be a size four in high school."
He sighed. "Your peers can be cruel about things that they don't really know about. People tease other people about the stupidest things, just to get a reaction. Don't listen to them."
Rolled her head to the side to glance at him. "Just as long as you don't, either."
He made a snorting sound. "I try not to, anymore. It's what got me into this mess. I let people in, and they get to me, and it hurts, and then bad things happen. Story of my life and unlife."
Gave him a small smile. "You let me in. No bad things."
He chuckled. "Yeah. It.. hasn't been so bad, lately. You, Dawn. Neither of you have done anything to me. I just have to stop giving my heart away so easily. I mean, look at us. I just met you, and by the time we got to your house, I already cared more about you than half the people I'm traveling with."
"Because I reminded you of Dawn."
"No. That's not all. I mean. It did help... But... You... cared about me. That's what did it." He sighed. "I'm a sucker for people who seem to care about me. That's what gets me in trouble."
"Has Bitchy Buffy ever done something to show she cares?"
He sighed. "I was hurt. Bad. She.. came back. Fixed me up. Then did it again." Chuckled. "She brought me candy, too. Trying to make me feel better." He rolled up his shirt slightly, revealing a lump on his otherwise smooth side. "See this? It's a rib that healed wrong. All of them were broken, save the bottom two on this side. I had a hole in a lung, and I know my face could not have been pretty."
She frowned softly, petted around it a moment, a concerned pout on her lips. "Who hurt you?" Her tone was dangerous.
"A hell god by the name of Glory. She wanted the Key, which is Dawn. I wouldn't tell her who it was. So she decided to spend the day torturing me. I never told her, though." Took a deep breath. "She's the reason we ran away. The Key had to be used at a certain time, which passed about four days ago, so now, Dawn's safe. And we just decided to continue the vacation for awhile. Since she'd already missed the last month and a half of school. She's been out since Joyce died."
She was quiet, reflective, but still vibrating with the wish to kill that Glory girl. "Who's Joyce?"
"Buffy and Dawn's mum."
Grief swept through her for the two girls. Even if she hated Buffy... No one should lose their mother.
A single tear ran down Spike's cheek. He didn't seem to notice it. "Joyce was the first person in their group to trust me. She invited me over for cocoa when Buffy wasn't around, and let me play with Dawn. She trusted me. Liked me. She had a brain tumor. The doctors removed it, and we thought she'd be fine, but she had an aneurysm, and Buffy found her dead on the couch one day." Took a deep breath.
"Oh, God..."
"Course, I'm talking from second hand information on this. No one told me. I didn't even get to go to the funeral because I didn't know about it." Sigh. "I found out from a newspaper that I found in a garbage can. Two days afterwards. It was all I could do to get back to my crypt that night."
She hugged to his side. "Why didn't she tell you??"
"Dawn needed her. Besides, she still was looking at me as a punching bag that she might occasionally need information from at the time. Probably didn't even occur to her. Or any of them, for that matter."
"I'm sorry."
Chuckled, but there was no humor in it. "No reason for you to be. It was a couple of months ago, anyway. And, right after that, the thing with the Hell Bitch and her Key started. Buffy was focused on protecting Dawn. The only family she had left. I don't blame her. Or any of them, for not thinking of me. Joyce and Dawn were the only ones who would have, and Dawn was so upset about being the Key that she didn't think of me either. And Joyce was already gone. So. It's not their faults."
She gave a small frown, but did see his point. "I feel a little bad for being so mean about Buffy. But not too bad."
A true chuckle, this time. "I just can't feel mad at her about anything for too long, you know? I try. Believe me. I try. But it never works. Such is the doomed destiny of a hopeless romantic."
She snorted. "NOT a problem I have concerning her. I'd still take her out. Grr. Argh."
He gave a small laugh. "I bet. Madison, Buffy can pick up a small car and chuck it at you with little or no problem. I've personally seen her lift up a steel beam and throw it at a demon."
Grinned at him. "You think I couldn't?? Did you buy tickets?"
"To what?"
She curled her arm and made a very respectable muscle. "To the gun show!"
He chuckled, feeling her muscle playfully. "Whoa. No wonder it hurt when you whacked me earlier. I thought you just hit a soft spot."
"That's right. I'm one tough chica. I have to be to beat up Will."
He laughed. "Your poor brother. Don't get me confused with him, I don't want to be on the receiving end of one of your punches."
She laughed. "I'm not really big and bad. I box, though. I have no idea why I didn't try to beat you up."
He vamped, and gave a play growl. "This, maybe?"
She poked him in the nose.
He managed to keep himself from sneezing. "Don't do that!" Chuckled. "Dawn likes to mess with me too. She's always tugging on my fangs or poking at my forehead or something."
Madison grinned. "No fear, huh?"
Chuckled again. "None at all. She loves me. Even when I'm like this."
She smiled into his golden eyes and kissed his bumpy forehead. "Me, too."
He lost it, changed back the moment she touched him, glanced away embarrassedly. "There you go again. I told you to stop making me feel better."
She shrugged. "Sorry. Just kinda falls outta me."
He chuckled. "So. You love me, huh? Even though we've known each other less than a month? Even though I introduced myself by trying to eat you?"
She smiled. "You didn't eat me, you saved me from a butt-ugly green thing that WOULD have. AND you walked me to my door. Guys I date don't even do that. And you're really nice. So yeah."
Another embarrassed look. "Why can't Buffy see what you see?"
She shrugged. "Because she's got a few more suitcases of emotional baggage than I have, she's got more to lose, and she's a blind bitch?"
He laughed. "I'm going to agree with you on the first two." He yawned. "What time is it, anyway?"
She looked at the clock. "Ugnnnn... 2:27 AM."
He yawned, then looked annoyed at himself. "I've been hanging around humans too long. I'm starting to feel like I need to sleep at night!"
She rolled her eyes. "Oh, the humanity!"
Nod. "Exactly."
Small laugh, then a yawn.
"Uh oh. Looks like it's getting you, too. I'd better go back to my room. Let you get some sleep." He started to roll out from under her arm.
She pouted. "You aren't gonna stay and protect me from the monsters who can come in without an invitation?"
He stopped. Rolled back. "You want me to sleep here?"
She shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"
He grinned and snuggled back down onto the bed, putting his arm back around her. "Ok, then. Can't ignore the request of a lady."
She nodded, rested her head on his shoulder again. "Where's a lady?"
Squeezed her to him. "You, as if you didn't know that."
Half smile. "Yeah. I'm such a lady. When I hear that I think big poofy dresses, and snobby girls."
He half faked a shudder. "No. Never again, thank you."
She laughed, and closed her eyes. "Talk to me till I fall asleep."
"Like what? A bedtime story?"
She shrugged. "Anything you want to."
"Uh.. Ok. Oh! How about a song or something?"
Sleepy smile. "Mm-kay."
Spike thought for a moment. Need a quiet song. Ah. "Do you like the Sound Of Music?"
Curled her nose. "Hate it with a passion that exceeds words."
"Ok. Nevermind then. I got to think of another song."
"You can just hum something if you want to." She looked up at him. "Ever heard Witchy Woman by the Eagles?"
He laughed. "Of course. I have been around awhile, you know."
She made a face at him. "Ok. That one."
He chuckled. "Ok. Get comfortable."
And she did, lamenting her choice to lay with her head at the foot of the bed. She'd get a blanket later. In the mean time, she just moved closer and closed her eyes.
Spike sighed, closed his eyes, and remembered the song, began humming it quietly. Then, a surprise, he started a low, gentle purr. A friendship purr, that carried under the humming, giving it a nice reverberated quality.
A few 'stanzas' into the humming, and she gave a soft sigh, and was asleep, one hand clutching softly at the material of his shirt.
Spike didn't even manage to finish the song, before he too had dozed off, his cheek resting on her head, and his arm around her.
========================================================================== =========
Madison stirred slowly, stretch, but she was hindered by a hand tangled in her hair. Who was tangled in her hair?? Where was- Oh. Heh. Spike. No big. She lifted her head as much as his arm would allow with his fingers in her long hair. Looked at him. His hair was as tousled as she must look, because they had both moved around some during the night. Instead of being gelled down, it looked curly, like he had been running his fingers through it. His clothes were rumpled, and she noticed with a smile that he was still making that rumbling noise in his chest. She wanted to 'awww' at him. Wondered at how Buffy could have him, and wouldn't take him. If he hadn't been, well, Spike, she would have stolen him from her. Ungrateful bitch. That's what SHOULD happen. She smiled when she realized sometime during the night, he had toed off his socks.
Spike moved around a little, when he sensed that she'd moved, tried to cuddle closer again. His fingers had tightened in her hair a tiny bit. She laid back down, then said gently, "Spike? Puppy, it's morning."
"..mrrrmns.."
Tired grin. "Just about. C'mon."
"..nuh-uh.. warm..."
She started to scratch gently in his hair. "I know..."
His head pressed into her hand. The rumbling got louder. She scritched a bit harder. "C'mon, Puppy... Time to wake up."
"Don't wanna... Feels good here."
She smiled, because it appeared that all guys were like her little brother in the morning. If the bed was warm, and people were being nice, there was no moving him.
Quiet, still pressing to her hand. "I like that.."
She kept up her hair-mussing scratching. "Yeah?"
"Yeah.."
Madison checked the clock. Ugh... 9:42. Her uncle was picking her up for breakfast and shopping at 10:30. She stopped scratching to pet for a minute, then picked up the scratching again.
He opened one eye, glancing up at her with a contented look on his face. "Hi."
A gentle smile curved her lips. "Hey there."
He yawned a little. "Can you come with us when we leave? I wanna wake up like this everyday."
She smiled. "I think Mom might freak a little bit. And I wouldn't get my degree, so you'd be stuck with me forever, until you had to.. sire? sire me, to keep me young, cuz I don't wanna get creepy and wrinkly."
Shook his head very slightly, not enough to throw off her rhythm. "No. It wouldn't be you. It'd be a demon in your body, and you'd be gone. I couldn't do that to you. I care about you too much."
She kept her scratching up. "I know you have a demon. But, I don't think that's all there is. I know that's not all there is."
"It's supposed to be." Sighed happily. "This feels so good. No one's ever done this before."
"No one's ever scritched you??" She laughed. "Will and I usually get along really well, so I try to not be mean when I wake him up. It makes his Monday mornings better if I wake him up like this. Ya know, sans sleeping with him."
"Nuh-uh." Another sigh, and his eyes closed for a moment, then reopened at half mast. "I knew that vampires were sensitive to gentle touches, like cats, but no one'd ever tried it on me before. Well, I knew I like having my back scratched, but that's mostly from rubbing on a convenient corner of a wall or something."
She grinned. He had purred for her all night. "Lose the shirt and roll over."
"Huh?"
"Come on. Do it."
He cocked his head, but did as he was asked, laying on his stomach across the bed. "Now what?"
She started to scratch gently at his back.
"Oh.." Deep sigh and his back arched against her hand. "Ooh. Ok."
She grinned, sitting up to kneel, and scratched a little more vigorously from his shoulders to his waist and back again.
Spike rumbled happily, and even let out a quiet moan of pleasure. "Wow.. I.. wow.." Apparently, talking was not an option at the moment.
She laughed and moved one hand to start 'scritching' at his scalp at the same time.
That did it. He went limp, nothing but the deep purring to even suggest that he was awake. That, and the fact that his eyes were open halfway and watching her as best he could. Deep breath. "If Buffy ever decides to try something with me, would you teach her this?"
Another laugh. "Nothing sexy or big about it. Just... scritching."
"I know. But it's incredible..." Deep, relaxed sigh.
She laughed, then happened to glance at the clock. 10:08. Shit. She still needed to shower. "I'm sorry, Puppy. I promise to continue later, but I gotta get ready for breakfast with Uncle Josh."
He made a disappointed noise. "Ok." Sat up slightly and shook his head to clear it, then yawned. "We've still got the rest of today and tonight, though. The Ohana's pulling out tomorrow, I think."
She smiled, and stood. "Ok. We'll hang out later, when I get back after breakfast and shopping, with NO heathen mongrels."
He chuckled and headed for the door, totally forgetting his shirt, socks and shoes. "I'm gonna go take a shower. Come knock when you get back, ok?"
She nodded. "Ok."
He opened the door and stepped into the hall, stretching as the door shut behind him. Totally missing the person who had just gotten out of the elevator.
As Buffy walked toward him, some girl opened the door across the hall from Spike's room. Madison grabbed his arm. "You forgot some stuff." Handed him his shirt, socks, and shoes.
He grinned. "Thanks. But I could have gotten them later when I.." Trailed off as he noticed Buffy out of the corner of his eye.
She just smiled and bussed his cheek. "No big, Puppy. I'll call you tonight." Went back in her room to start changing from pajamas. She'd have to forgo the shower.
Spike was left frozen in the hallway, and there was no way he could miss the look on Buffy's face. Mad. Very. "Buffy, mornin'. I just-"
Buffy just stared at Spike, a foolish jolt of hurt hitting her system. "Shut up, Spike." She backed up half a step, her hands in the air. "Just shut up." She turned and walked back to the elevator.
As the elevator doors closed, Spike stared at them. Then cocked his head, turned around, and knocked on Madison's door.
She opened the door, wearing her shirt for the day and her satin jamma pants. "Hey."
He licked his lips. How best to voice this? Opened his mouth and said, "Madison, I think I just *really* screwed up."
Author's Notes 1, Tigerwolf: Ok, so I don't really have any notes. Made ya look. lol. j/k.
Madison scrunched up her face and laughed. "'Kinda evil'. Oh my gosh. Too good. Undead creature of the night is only.... kinda evil."
Spike growled, trying to snatch the magazine. "That can *not* be what it says. I wanna take it again!"
She laughed. "It's gonna be the same, no matter what. Kinda evil, Puppy. That's what it says."
He rolled on his back, putting his hands over his face. "Damnit. And stop calling me 'Puppy'! Do I look like I want you to scratch my stomach or give me a treat or something?"
She patted his arm. "Don't pout. It doesn't flatter you."
Growl. "I'm not pouting. I'm trying to figure out what would be the best way to kill the inventors of that stupid test."
"Disembowelment."
"Naw. Too messy. I prefer decapitation."
She gave an acquiescing shrug. "Yeah... that only sprays blood about what? Four feet, give or take?"
"Depends on the weapon. Long sword... Two feet. Guillotine, not much at all."
Gave him a measured look. "Morbid and freaky."
He grinned. "See? And more than 'kinda evil'."
"No.. just freaky."
Snort. "Whatever. I am secure in my evilness. I don't listen to some stupid test thought up by humans who don't even know what they're talking about."
"Uh huh. Of course you are."
He gave her a look that could most likely melt steel. Low, dangerous growl, eye flash.
She just arched her brow at him from her spot on his shoulder, and scolded. "Don't look at me like that. I am not a steak."
Licked his lips. "No. Not steak. More like a slim fast shake. All ready and waiting."
Thumped a hand on his stomach. "Puppy, stop it."
He gave her a sheepish grin. "Don't whack me. That hurt."
"So did saying I'm a slim-fast shake! What? I'm fat?" She was curvy, yes, but her stomach wasn't fat. Just... a bitty belly. The not too fat, but not anorexic kind.
He chuckled and gave her a sideways squeeze with the arm that was around her shoulders. "Not at all. I meant that females don't have as much blood as males. And you're kind of small, so.. snack. Not meal."
She gave him a soft punch. "I was gonna be your first meal in a long time, and I was a *snack*?"
He chuckled. "You're cute. I like meals that are visually pleasing."
She blushed but rolled her eyes. "Besides, have you ever HAD a slim-fast shake? They sit like lead in your stomach."
"And no. Well, once. I like chocolate. And it's good if you put ice cream in it."
Madison laughed at him. "Kind of defeats the purpose, don't you think? I almost cried when I did the slim-fast thing. It was so awful. I dropped the diet, and fasted for five days instead."
"Remember what I said about vampires and weightloss? I wanted chocolate. It was all I could find." Cocked his head at her. "Why? You're beautiful. You don't need to lose anything."
She rolled her eyes, serious this time. "Blah blah blah. Thanks so much, though."
"I'm serious!" And his tone said that he was. "You're beautiful, Madison." Mimicked her words from earlier. "And I'm going to keep saying it until you believe it."
Another eye roll. "Madre de Dios," she muttered. "I believe you, then. It's just hard to not be a size four in high school."
He sighed. "Your peers can be cruel about things that they don't really know about. People tease other people about the stupidest things, just to get a reaction. Don't listen to them."
Rolled her head to the side to glance at him. "Just as long as you don't, either."
He made a snorting sound. "I try not to, anymore. It's what got me into this mess. I let people in, and they get to me, and it hurts, and then bad things happen. Story of my life and unlife."
Gave him a small smile. "You let me in. No bad things."
He chuckled. "Yeah. It.. hasn't been so bad, lately. You, Dawn. Neither of you have done anything to me. I just have to stop giving my heart away so easily. I mean, look at us. I just met you, and by the time we got to your house, I already cared more about you than half the people I'm traveling with."
"Because I reminded you of Dawn."
"No. That's not all. I mean. It did help... But... You... cared about me. That's what did it." He sighed. "I'm a sucker for people who seem to care about me. That's what gets me in trouble."
"Has Bitchy Buffy ever done something to show she cares?"
He sighed. "I was hurt. Bad. She.. came back. Fixed me up. Then did it again." Chuckled. "She brought me candy, too. Trying to make me feel better." He rolled up his shirt slightly, revealing a lump on his otherwise smooth side. "See this? It's a rib that healed wrong. All of them were broken, save the bottom two on this side. I had a hole in a lung, and I know my face could not have been pretty."
She frowned softly, petted around it a moment, a concerned pout on her lips. "Who hurt you?" Her tone was dangerous.
"A hell god by the name of Glory. She wanted the Key, which is Dawn. I wouldn't tell her who it was. So she decided to spend the day torturing me. I never told her, though." Took a deep breath. "She's the reason we ran away. The Key had to be used at a certain time, which passed about four days ago, so now, Dawn's safe. And we just decided to continue the vacation for awhile. Since she'd already missed the last month and a half of school. She's been out since Joyce died."
She was quiet, reflective, but still vibrating with the wish to kill that Glory girl. "Who's Joyce?"
"Buffy and Dawn's mum."
Grief swept through her for the two girls. Even if she hated Buffy... No one should lose their mother.
A single tear ran down Spike's cheek. He didn't seem to notice it. "Joyce was the first person in their group to trust me. She invited me over for cocoa when Buffy wasn't around, and let me play with Dawn. She trusted me. Liked me. She had a brain tumor. The doctors removed it, and we thought she'd be fine, but she had an aneurysm, and Buffy found her dead on the couch one day." Took a deep breath.
"Oh, God..."
"Course, I'm talking from second hand information on this. No one told me. I didn't even get to go to the funeral because I didn't know about it." Sigh. "I found out from a newspaper that I found in a garbage can. Two days afterwards. It was all I could do to get back to my crypt that night."
She hugged to his side. "Why didn't she tell you??"
"Dawn needed her. Besides, she still was looking at me as a punching bag that she might occasionally need information from at the time. Probably didn't even occur to her. Or any of them, for that matter."
"I'm sorry."
Chuckled, but there was no humor in it. "No reason for you to be. It was a couple of months ago, anyway. And, right after that, the thing with the Hell Bitch and her Key started. Buffy was focused on protecting Dawn. The only family she had left. I don't blame her. Or any of them, for not thinking of me. Joyce and Dawn were the only ones who would have, and Dawn was so upset about being the Key that she didn't think of me either. And Joyce was already gone. So. It's not their faults."
She gave a small frown, but did see his point. "I feel a little bad for being so mean about Buffy. But not too bad."
A true chuckle, this time. "I just can't feel mad at her about anything for too long, you know? I try. Believe me. I try. But it never works. Such is the doomed destiny of a hopeless romantic."
She snorted. "NOT a problem I have concerning her. I'd still take her out. Grr. Argh."
He gave a small laugh. "I bet. Madison, Buffy can pick up a small car and chuck it at you with little or no problem. I've personally seen her lift up a steel beam and throw it at a demon."
Grinned at him. "You think I couldn't?? Did you buy tickets?"
"To what?"
She curled her arm and made a very respectable muscle. "To the gun show!"
He chuckled, feeling her muscle playfully. "Whoa. No wonder it hurt when you whacked me earlier. I thought you just hit a soft spot."
"That's right. I'm one tough chica. I have to be to beat up Will."
He laughed. "Your poor brother. Don't get me confused with him, I don't want to be on the receiving end of one of your punches."
She laughed. "I'm not really big and bad. I box, though. I have no idea why I didn't try to beat you up."
He vamped, and gave a play growl. "This, maybe?"
She poked him in the nose.
He managed to keep himself from sneezing. "Don't do that!" Chuckled. "Dawn likes to mess with me too. She's always tugging on my fangs or poking at my forehead or something."
Madison grinned. "No fear, huh?"
Chuckled again. "None at all. She loves me. Even when I'm like this."
She smiled into his golden eyes and kissed his bumpy forehead. "Me, too."
He lost it, changed back the moment she touched him, glanced away embarrassedly. "There you go again. I told you to stop making me feel better."
She shrugged. "Sorry. Just kinda falls outta me."
He chuckled. "So. You love me, huh? Even though we've known each other less than a month? Even though I introduced myself by trying to eat you?"
She smiled. "You didn't eat me, you saved me from a butt-ugly green thing that WOULD have. AND you walked me to my door. Guys I date don't even do that. And you're really nice. So yeah."
Another embarrassed look. "Why can't Buffy see what you see?"
She shrugged. "Because she's got a few more suitcases of emotional baggage than I have, she's got more to lose, and she's a blind bitch?"
He laughed. "I'm going to agree with you on the first two." He yawned. "What time is it, anyway?"
She looked at the clock. "Ugnnnn... 2:27 AM."
He yawned, then looked annoyed at himself. "I've been hanging around humans too long. I'm starting to feel like I need to sleep at night!"
She rolled her eyes. "Oh, the humanity!"
Nod. "Exactly."
Small laugh, then a yawn.
"Uh oh. Looks like it's getting you, too. I'd better go back to my room. Let you get some sleep." He started to roll out from under her arm.
She pouted. "You aren't gonna stay and protect me from the monsters who can come in without an invitation?"
He stopped. Rolled back. "You want me to sleep here?"
She shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"
He grinned and snuggled back down onto the bed, putting his arm back around her. "Ok, then. Can't ignore the request of a lady."
She nodded, rested her head on his shoulder again. "Where's a lady?"
Squeezed her to him. "You, as if you didn't know that."
Half smile. "Yeah. I'm such a lady. When I hear that I think big poofy dresses, and snobby girls."
He half faked a shudder. "No. Never again, thank you."
She laughed, and closed her eyes. "Talk to me till I fall asleep."
"Like what? A bedtime story?"
She shrugged. "Anything you want to."
"Uh.. Ok. Oh! How about a song or something?"
Sleepy smile. "Mm-kay."
Spike thought for a moment. Need a quiet song. Ah. "Do you like the Sound Of Music?"
Curled her nose. "Hate it with a passion that exceeds words."
"Ok. Nevermind then. I got to think of another song."
"You can just hum something if you want to." She looked up at him. "Ever heard Witchy Woman by the Eagles?"
He laughed. "Of course. I have been around awhile, you know."
She made a face at him. "Ok. That one."
He chuckled. "Ok. Get comfortable."
And she did, lamenting her choice to lay with her head at the foot of the bed. She'd get a blanket later. In the mean time, she just moved closer and closed her eyes.
Spike sighed, closed his eyes, and remembered the song, began humming it quietly. Then, a surprise, he started a low, gentle purr. A friendship purr, that carried under the humming, giving it a nice reverberated quality.
A few 'stanzas' into the humming, and she gave a soft sigh, and was asleep, one hand clutching softly at the material of his shirt.
Spike didn't even manage to finish the song, before he too had dozed off, his cheek resting on her head, and his arm around her.
========================================================================== =========
Madison stirred slowly, stretch, but she was hindered by a hand tangled in her hair. Who was tangled in her hair?? Where was- Oh. Heh. Spike. No big. She lifted her head as much as his arm would allow with his fingers in her long hair. Looked at him. His hair was as tousled as she must look, because they had both moved around some during the night. Instead of being gelled down, it looked curly, like he had been running his fingers through it. His clothes were rumpled, and she noticed with a smile that he was still making that rumbling noise in his chest. She wanted to 'awww' at him. Wondered at how Buffy could have him, and wouldn't take him. If he hadn't been, well, Spike, she would have stolen him from her. Ungrateful bitch. That's what SHOULD happen. She smiled when she realized sometime during the night, he had toed off his socks.
Spike moved around a little, when he sensed that she'd moved, tried to cuddle closer again. His fingers had tightened in her hair a tiny bit. She laid back down, then said gently, "Spike? Puppy, it's morning."
"..mrrrmns.."
Tired grin. "Just about. C'mon."
"..nuh-uh.. warm..."
She started to scratch gently in his hair. "I know..."
His head pressed into her hand. The rumbling got louder. She scritched a bit harder. "C'mon, Puppy... Time to wake up."
"Don't wanna... Feels good here."
She smiled, because it appeared that all guys were like her little brother in the morning. If the bed was warm, and people were being nice, there was no moving him.
Quiet, still pressing to her hand. "I like that.."
She kept up her hair-mussing scratching. "Yeah?"
"Yeah.."
Madison checked the clock. Ugh... 9:42. Her uncle was picking her up for breakfast and shopping at 10:30. She stopped scratching to pet for a minute, then picked up the scratching again.
He opened one eye, glancing up at her with a contented look on his face. "Hi."
A gentle smile curved her lips. "Hey there."
He yawned a little. "Can you come with us when we leave? I wanna wake up like this everyday."
She smiled. "I think Mom might freak a little bit. And I wouldn't get my degree, so you'd be stuck with me forever, until you had to.. sire? sire me, to keep me young, cuz I don't wanna get creepy and wrinkly."
Shook his head very slightly, not enough to throw off her rhythm. "No. It wouldn't be you. It'd be a demon in your body, and you'd be gone. I couldn't do that to you. I care about you too much."
She kept her scratching up. "I know you have a demon. But, I don't think that's all there is. I know that's not all there is."
"It's supposed to be." Sighed happily. "This feels so good. No one's ever done this before."
"No one's ever scritched you??" She laughed. "Will and I usually get along really well, so I try to not be mean when I wake him up. It makes his Monday mornings better if I wake him up like this. Ya know, sans sleeping with him."
"Nuh-uh." Another sigh, and his eyes closed for a moment, then reopened at half mast. "I knew that vampires were sensitive to gentle touches, like cats, but no one'd ever tried it on me before. Well, I knew I like having my back scratched, but that's mostly from rubbing on a convenient corner of a wall or something."
She grinned. He had purred for her all night. "Lose the shirt and roll over."
"Huh?"
"Come on. Do it."
He cocked his head, but did as he was asked, laying on his stomach across the bed. "Now what?"
She started to scratch gently at his back.
"Oh.." Deep sigh and his back arched against her hand. "Ooh. Ok."
She grinned, sitting up to kneel, and scratched a little more vigorously from his shoulders to his waist and back again.
Spike rumbled happily, and even let out a quiet moan of pleasure. "Wow.. I.. wow.." Apparently, talking was not an option at the moment.
She laughed and moved one hand to start 'scritching' at his scalp at the same time.
That did it. He went limp, nothing but the deep purring to even suggest that he was awake. That, and the fact that his eyes were open halfway and watching her as best he could. Deep breath. "If Buffy ever decides to try something with me, would you teach her this?"
Another laugh. "Nothing sexy or big about it. Just... scritching."
"I know. But it's incredible..." Deep, relaxed sigh.
She laughed, then happened to glance at the clock. 10:08. Shit. She still needed to shower. "I'm sorry, Puppy. I promise to continue later, but I gotta get ready for breakfast with Uncle Josh."
He made a disappointed noise. "Ok." Sat up slightly and shook his head to clear it, then yawned. "We've still got the rest of today and tonight, though. The Ohana's pulling out tomorrow, I think."
She smiled, and stood. "Ok. We'll hang out later, when I get back after breakfast and shopping, with NO heathen mongrels."
He chuckled and headed for the door, totally forgetting his shirt, socks and shoes. "I'm gonna go take a shower. Come knock when you get back, ok?"
She nodded. "Ok."
He opened the door and stepped into the hall, stretching as the door shut behind him. Totally missing the person who had just gotten out of the elevator.
As Buffy walked toward him, some girl opened the door across the hall from Spike's room. Madison grabbed his arm. "You forgot some stuff." Handed him his shirt, socks, and shoes.
He grinned. "Thanks. But I could have gotten them later when I.." Trailed off as he noticed Buffy out of the corner of his eye.
She just smiled and bussed his cheek. "No big, Puppy. I'll call you tonight." Went back in her room to start changing from pajamas. She'd have to forgo the shower.
Spike was left frozen in the hallway, and there was no way he could miss the look on Buffy's face. Mad. Very. "Buffy, mornin'. I just-"
Buffy just stared at Spike, a foolish jolt of hurt hitting her system. "Shut up, Spike." She backed up half a step, her hands in the air. "Just shut up." She turned and walked back to the elevator.
As the elevator doors closed, Spike stared at them. Then cocked his head, turned around, and knocked on Madison's door.
She opened the door, wearing her shirt for the day and her satin jamma pants. "Hey."
He licked his lips. How best to voice this? Opened his mouth and said, "Madison, I think I just *really* screwed up."