A/N: I think I have a problem with writing big chapters, what do you think?


Chapter 14: Sweet Serenity


Spike sensed a shift in the air. Through his hazy mind he noted a slight weight settling into the mattress beside him. He smelled cigarettes...spice...

"And everything nice," Spike thought. Which meant a woman. The female stretched out beside him, draping one slim thigh on top of his own.

His eyes popped open as the scent of sex filled his nose. He was greeted by vibrant eyes and luscious dark lips curled in a seductive smile.

"I was wondering when you would wake up. You really do sleep like a dead."

"If you don't start talking soon, you will be too," he ground out.

Leila looked taken aback. "Don't be like that, Spike," she said, her voice small and...hurt?

Spike sat up in bed and stared at the woman beside him, definitely not the one he wanted to wake up to. "You've got stones, Leila. Entering a vampire's bedroom while he's sleeping, especially this vampire's room."

His steely gaze, full of irritation and disappointment drove into her. She scrambled up and sat in front of Spike, her feet tucked underneath her. Her hands were tugging at the material of her skirt. She looked insecure, like she lost the nerve she came in there with. Must be quite inconvenient trying to be the Big Bad when one can rarely rely on one's mental state. "I...I..." she stammered.

"I don't think I've seen you speechless before, love," he said with a smirk. "You should try it more often, looks good on you." Spike was shocked to see the young thing blush and reduce herself to twiddling her fingers.

"I wouldn't get used it," she warned him. His gaze was softer now, which pleased her somewhat. She chewed the corner of her mouth as she looked at him. "You keep a nice room here," she commented. "Nice bed."

"I've been told so." Visions of Buffy crawling up his bed, sleeping in those very sheets filled his mind. He shook them away before the evidence of their affect on him became evident. "Now that we've been through the niceties, why don't we get on with this? Why did you decide to break into my home?"

The return of his business tone disappointed her; she wanted to keep talking, but she supposed the incident with O'Malley was still too fresh. She was never one for patience. "Well, how else was I going to see you?" she ventured, turning her violet eyes to him.

"To be perfectly honest, I'm not to keen on seeing you at all, pet. Now, if there's nothing else..."

Spike moved to get off of the bed, but Leila was on him immediately, shoving him back into the mattress. She quickly straddled him, holding him in place with her thighs and pinning his hands to his sides. "Is that any way to treat a guest, love?" she asked with a smile.

He was shocked when she flung herself on top of him; her transformations were sometimes sudden. One look into those wicked eyes, he knew that little girl he saw only seconds ago was gone, leaving the bint before him. "One is not a guest when she breaks in. So, if you would kindly get the Hell off of me." Spike tried to buck her off of him, but her iron clad hold on his legs didn't budge. Spike tried once more, much to Leila's amusement. Her bubbles of laughter only aggravated him all the more.

"Truthfully, love, I'd sit still if I were you." Leila produced a stake, placing it directly over Spike's unbeating heart. He felt the coarse wood as he sharply inhaled.

"Don't do that again, Spike," he thought to himself. "Not unless you want to be dust under this bint's fingernails."

"Bloody hell, woman. What do you think you are doing?"

Her small pink tongue darted out, slowly licking her upper lip as she contemplated the question. "What am I doing or what do I want to be doing?" she purred.

Leila bent over, inching her way to Spike's ear. She made sure the tops of her ample breasts were visible in her form fitting black camisole.

Spike took in the sight she offered as well as the rest of her. Pert, ivory breasts pressed against the thin lacy material, rosy nipples barely visible, just waiting for someone to pluck them free. The garment stopped at her belly button. Riding dangerously low on her hips was a long black skirt with slits running up the sides to mid thigh. Her perfectly toned legs were visible as she continued to grip Spike. Strangely, she was bare foot.

Pale and yet dark. He preferred golden and glowing.

There was no mistaking this woman's intentions. Either she wanted a good kill then shag. Or she wanted a good shag then kill.

Leila's tongue appeared once more and languidly traced his earlobe before closing her lips over it. "It would make my job a lot easier if you stayed out of my way," she whispered.

Spike smirked. If this was how she wanted to play the scene, he was ready. "Now, love, you know I do things the hard way."

A delighted giggle fell out of the woman. "And I'm glad for it!"

Spike felt her slight shudder along his body. Bad boy, Spike. Remember who this is. Think unsexy thoughts.

Of course, this whole fiasco was morbidly sexy. He was a man and waking up to a ready woman straddling him was not a horrible thing. This girl here was ready for him; he knew she wasn't wearing anything under that skirt. He felt her heat through his pajama pants. Hell, her scent woke him up! And he was a vampire, highly susceptible to those around him. Sometimes, being a man and a vampire had its disadvantages.

Unsexy thoughts...Tony Blair playing polo topless...Prince Charles playing polo topless...Rupert playing polo topless...

The last image almost had him laughing and he regained his wits. "Why don't you do what you came here to do, already? Spike suggested.

Leila looked into Spike's eyes now dark with swirls of emotions. She trailed her fingertips down his throat over his pecs and circled one of his nipples. Spike hissed slightly as she gave it a twist.

"Why rush, William? We can be slow...and soft...and sweaty. I can be gentle, if you let me. I can love every inch of you until you're shaking beneath me." She bent down and placed open mouth kisses along his shoulder, up his neck and along his jaw. He tasted so good. She relished his smooth cool skin as she sucked it into her mouth. She wanted nothing more than to be in his arms, to have him flip her over and bury himself in her heat, right up to the hilt.

Even with her almost dizzying need, she was still aware of his every movement. He was relaxed, trying to think of a way out of this situation. "Let him think," she told herself. "I want to have fun. May never get another chance to be this close to him."

She made her way to his cheekbones and finally to his full lips.

"I'm guessing someone lost a few things once she got out," Spike said between her kisses. Again, he felt her body shudder with giggles when she understood his innuendo. She didn't say anything just reclaimed his lips which responded after some coaxing. Leila moaned as her tongue slipped into his mouth, the coolness a stark contrast to her heat.

His hands reached out for her thighs. He needed out of this situation. Despite her attention to the recesses of his mouth, he knew her reflexes were strong and fully in tune to every move of his muscles, just as he was to hers. It was how they fought, pure as nature.

He ran his fingers lazily along her heated skin. She felt good, he admitted to himself. There was a time he would have taken her hard and unrelenting, reveling in her screams of pleasure. Leila was definitely a screamer. This scenario wasn't even an option now. Despite the deep seeded regret he would feel in the morning, he was in love with someone else, nothing more to say on the matter. His plan was therefore simple; get her to drop that bleeding stake!

As his fingers rose, so did her intensity. She fisted her free hand into his platinum locks as he moved under the camisole.

Further, further, her mind screamed.

It didn't enter into her mind that he was indifferent to her, that his kisses lacked the fervor hers held. But, he was beneath her, his hands were on her body, caressing the muscles in her back, easing her down to his chest. That's all she needed to know.

Leila pulled away from him, gasping for oxygen. She stared at the vampire as she regained her breath. Her eyes were deep purple, deep as dusk.

Spike watched the rise and fall of her chest as his hands moved to her waist. She smiled as his movements tickled her. "She's just a girl," Spike mused. "A misguide young thing trying to be an adult." He felt like such shit. "Leila?"

"Yes?" she asked in a throaty whisper.

"Give us the stake, love."

Lust immediately turned to rage. "You right bastard!" she cried. Gone was the woman who wanted the vampire seconds ago. In her place was a powerful creature, blood in her eyes.

"Leila, give me the stake and let me help you."

"You are the one who needs help, Spike. I gave you a chance, but now you're going to die."

"And so will you if you stay with him." Leila paused, her eyes widened. "He will kill you, Leila, after the spell."

"I don't believe you. All you want to do is hurt me."

"Tell me who he is. I'll take care of it. I can help you, Leila."

"No! You hurt - you hurt everyone - you hurt me," Leila sputtered. Her head was pounding and she could barely hear her own thoughts. "He doesn't hurt me. He wants me."

"He wants your power, love. Tell me his name." Spike could see her reserve breaking. He reached out to touch her arm.

"Stop! Stop talking. I... No more. No more." Leila raised the stake with her shaky hand. Spike called her bluff and waited for impact.

"I would think twice before doing that, Leila."

Violet eyes turned to the Slayer. Buffy almost fell backwards at their power, just like in her dream.

Leila cocked her head to one side and took in the woman before her, who so rudely interrupted her kill...if indeed she could have gone through with it. "The Slayer?" she asked. She looked at the man beneath her for the answer. She laughed, finding it in the worry he tried to hide. "No wonder." She smashed her lips to Spike's, giving him a bruising kiss. "Later, lover."

She threw the stake at Buffy and jumped off the bed. Buffy easily dodged the object, but the delay enabled Leila to exit through the open window. She watched as the girl ran like the wind away from the townhouse. She was so fast!

Buffy turned back to Spike. He just looked at her calmly, propped up on his elbows. How could he be so relaxed? Oh, yes. She tried to blink away the image of that little girl straddling her vampire. Yes, her vampire. Not Leila's, not Druscilla's, hers! She never wanted to be witness to that sight ever again.

She met Spike's gaze once more. He was waiting for her to say something. She didn't. She just made her way to the door.

"Buffy?" he called to her.

She stopped moving, but continued to stare at the door, her way out. It hurt in here, it hurt more in her room. She couldn't win.

"How much longer were you going to wait outside the door?"

"It sounded like you had things under control," she grumbled. She wanted to sound indifferent about the moans of pleasure that emanated from the room. She stood with her ear pressed to the wood, jealousy flooding her body. She wanted to cry pure tears of sadness, nothing mixed in, no anger, just unadulterated sadness. The tears stung her red eyes, still swollen from her dream.

"Bloody hell. Didn't you hear me mention the stake pressed to my chest?"

"I'm sorry, it was hard to make out. Pardon my pun." She spun on her heels and faced him. He was sitting up, feet planted on the carpet.

"You're impossible, you know that, right?"

"I'm impossible?! I'm not the one who's humping the enemy."

"I'm not- Jesus, Buffy, you don't even know what happened here."

"Enlighten me." She took a seat on the bed, tucking her knees beneath her chin.

"I woke up to her in my bed and she pressed a stake to my heart. If I moved, I was dust. So, I opted for another way out."

"So, you planned to give her another activity to occupy her hands."

"Damn it, woman! Do you listen at all? Did you want me to die?"

She glared at him from under her lids. "How can you ask me that question?" Her voice low with seriousness.

"How can I not? You didn't care about my well being, just with what you saw, which was her."

"Yes, I saw her. I don't think I've ever felt so sick in my life."

Spike cocked his head to the side. "Sick?"

She threw her hands up in the air. God, he could be so dense! "Yes, sick. Seeing her on top of you made me sick. You happy?"

"Not exactly," he admitted, shaking his head. A brief silence passed between them, both agreeing this incident wasn't worth yelling about.
Spike tentatively raised his hand to brush Buffy's red cheeks. "What happened, love?"

"Dream," she whispered. "No, it was a nightmare." She gently leaned into his touch, the coolness relieving the flush of her face.

"Do you want to tell me, love?"

Buffy just slid into his arms, resting her head in the crook of his neck. She took several breaths and waited for him to close the embrace. When she felt his hand trail softly up and down her arm, she chose to speak. "Not really. Is that okay?"

"Whatever you want, Buffy. That bad, huh?"

She nodded and turned into his chest, holding him close. She didn't want to think about the dream. It just made her remember what she was going to lose. How could she have been so stupid and so harsh to him earlier? Sometimes, he just seemed like the same old cocky vampire she tried to dismiss. But, right now, he was so gentle and loving, saying nothing, just being. She didn't want to move. If they just stayed put, holding each other, feeling nothing but this sweet serenity then tomorrow wouldn't come. The sun would come and go, but there would be no tomorrow. Tomorrow wouldn't begin until they left the safety of that room, when reality broke down the door and dragged her away from him.

"We really need to stop having these fights," she sighed, snuggling further into him.

Spike rested his chin in her head, inhaling her scent. "I'm open for suggestions."

"Well, did you really mean what you said before about doing this side by side?"

"'Course, pet."

"Then I think we have some things to say to each other. You go first," she insisted.

"Very well." He thought for a minute, concentrating on the circles he was drawing along Buffy's arm. "The thing with Leila...I made a decision, Buffy. If you don't like it, that's fine, but you weren't the one who had to make it."

"I know," she admitted. "I wasn't in the best state when I came in here. I was still reeling from my dream. It's not an excuse; I'm just telling you what happened."

"I'm sorry," he said before kissing her hair. "Is there anything else, pet?"

Buffy swallowed hard. He was fishing and she didn't know if she wanted to bite, maybe nibble. "Spike...I keep flying off the handle."

"Want to tell me why?"

Buffy pushed away from Spike, but remained in his arms. "Jesus, Spike, I'm not a child. Stop the patronizing."

"Buffy, calm down. Didn't mean to sound patronizing. Just tell me."

She slumped her shoulders and huffed. "I don't want you to kiss Leila. I don't want to see it, hear it or even know if it's happening. I flipped because...it's stupid...I guess I was scared."

"Of?"

"That you changed your mind." Buffy breathed deeply. She got this far, where was she going to go from here? She closed her eyes and pressed forward. "I don't want you to kiss Leila because I only want you to kiss me."

She waited for a response. He was so quiet, his mimicked breathing ceased. She opened her eyes and met his gaze. Still nothing. He just stared at her, into her was more accurate. "Say something, damn it," she whispered. It sounded more like a plea.

"What would you have me say, Buffy? Thank you for the honesty?"

"Only if you want a swift punch in the nose. You could say kissing her was like kissing your grandmother."

Spike shuddered. "You never saw my grandmum, not the prettiest woman in England." They both shared a giggle over that, but Buffy's smile quickly faded.

"You could always tell me I'm better?"

"'S not even comparable." Spike looked at Buffy. She was shaking, probably too much honesty for her at once. She looked expectant as she bit her lower lip, a nervous habit. "She wants me to kiss her," he thought. She was still so close to him, still encircled by his arms. He could feel her body pulsating.

When he made no move, she spoke his name. "Spike?"

"No," he whispered.

"No what?"

"I-I'm not going to kiss you." He released her from his hold, but she remained close.

"I don't understand. I thought...I thought- Okay, let's go with why?" she stammered, her mind running ahead of her mouth.

"You want me, to keep me from someone else. You want to kiss me in hopes I won't kiss her."

"Spike, I-"

"I'm trying to be honest here, Buffy."

She scowled at him. She tried to fight back the tears and thankfully she was winning. "As am I. Why are you doing this? You wanted honesty, I gave it to you. I told why I did what I did."

"I know," he said. He was now staring at his hands. He couldn't look at Buffy's face, her green eyes full of rival emotions.

She grabbed his hands and placed them in her lap, wanting to change his focus. He wasn't going to get rid of her so easily. She would not be dismissed, not now, not ever. "Then what is wrong?"

"I told you," he responded, his eyes meeting hers.

"You don't think I mean it."

"I think you mean it. I just need more."



Giles carefully walked down the hall. A raucous woke him up and immediately he reached for his stake. After several moments, he heard nothing and decided to investigate. It couldn't have been a vampire because no one had an invitation inside. Unless...a certain someone didn't need an invitation. He stepped quietly towards Spike's bedroom door, but stopped when he heard garbled words.

"Why are we fighting about this?"

It was Buffy, he realized, fighting with Spike. He couldn't hear Spike's response, but he heard Buffy's.

"I don't have forever, Spike, and neither do you. What happened to, 'I want you by my side' and no fighting and... all of that stuff? Were you lying to me?"

Again, Spike's response was too quiet to hear, if indeed he made one.

"You say I can't make up my mind, neither can you and I'm tired of it."

This time Spike's answer rang clear through the halls.

"I did make up my mind!" There was silence.

Giles felt guilty eavesdropping on this very private conversation, but something rooted him to the spot. Maybe it was the father in him, hearing his distressed daughter fighting with a man she cared deeply for prevented him from leaving. There were several more words spoken, but nothing Giles could make out. And then there was nothing.

"Good night, Buffy," he heard Spike say.

Buffy eased herself out into the hallway, tears streaming down her face. She leaned against the wall, not even noticing she wasn't alone. A smile broke her face followed by a deep sob.

Giles looked at her. He wanted to run to her, comfort her, but then he noticed something. She wasn't upset; that was a real smile on her face. What happened? "Buffy?"

She looked up at the man and released a laugh, her hand covering her mouth. Giles looked down at himself. His physical appearance was rather comical, bed head, a flannel robe and fuzzy slippers.

"Buffy, is everything alright? I heard a disturbance." The Slayer just nodded, still chuckling behind her hand, her cheeks shimmered with glee. "Did you have another dream?" he inquired, hoping that's what led her to Spike's room.

At the mention of the dream, Buffy's face fell. She nodded vehemently as she glanced back at the vampire behind the barrier. So much was going on with them and her dreams were killing her. She wanted to run back into his bedroom and throw herself into his arms again.

"Please tell me, Buffy, what is the matter?"

"Giles, I'm in trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

She gave him a crooked smile, her eyes glittered. "The biggest," she replied as she opened Spike's door and slipped back inside, leaving a dumbfounded Watcher alone with his fuzzy slippers.

He walked back to his room, not wanting to hear the smacking of his daughter's lips and her vampire's. He wasn't a supporter of this renewal of their relationship, considering Buffy's traumatic dreams and Spike's possible role in them. What if they did come true and Spike lost the battle? What would Buffy do then?

The Watcher shook his head. He wouldn't allow himself to think such negative thoughts. At first, he thought Buffy would drive Spike to distraction. If anything though, having Buffy back again might strengthen Spike's chances. He would fight harder to stay on this Earth, stay with her. He wouldn't leave her again, not even the Devil himself could drag him into Hell. Hopefully.



~Alrighty everyone. What did you think???~