Author's note: I apologize for the long wait. Work gets in the way sometimes and my muse seems to have taken a break.

Chapter #9

He stumbled into the factory just as the sun's first dawning rays became visible. Fatigue made the usually graceful vampire clumsy. Spike was tired, dead tired. He'd been in an emotional roller coaster ever since he first escaped from the Initiative lab and it looked liked he wasn't getting off anytime soon.

Part of him wanted to take Buffy, get the hell out of Sunnydale and never look back. But the Slayer was adamant and determined to face whatever fate had in store for her. And he would be by her side. There was no question about it.

The vampire dropped his heavy leather coat on a rusty folding chair. It smelled of the vodka he consumed to mask Buffy's scent from Dru.

Dru. Now that was another issue he wished he didn't have. Spike still loved her and cherished her as his sire. There was a time when everything he did was to impress her. She'd been proud of her arrogant, ruthless lover/childe. Together they'd engendered chaos and fear. Spike and Drusilla; the blight of Europe. Or so it was until they were attacked by a mob in Prague and Dru was almost killed. She had survived but the damage had been extensive and she was weak. He had taken care of her then, tenderly like a devoted servant and searched for a cure. He found it but Angel had betrayed him to the Initiative.

He hadn't seen her again for fourteen long years. For the first few months she was constantly on his mind and worry for her plagued an already tortured existence. Later, all he could concentrate on was trying to endure. When he finally regained his freedom there was little left of the vampire that loved and was loved by Drusilla.

The Initiative had done their best to break him and succeeded. He was left deeply vulnerable and afraid. Spike no longer felt like a predator and it was this pathetic being that the Slayer found. Buffy took him in and sheltered him. Little by little he regained his strength and confidence but with that came gratefulness and something deeper. He fell in love.

After Buffy had gotten him out of Sunnydale, he'd searched for Dru and found her but his passion for her could not be as easily retrieved. He stayed with her but his mind (or rather his heart) was elsewhere.

Now it was worse. He and Buffy had renewed their relationship and Dru was a liability.

She could also be dangerous. Her madness obscured a cruel streak that went bone deep. Angelus had done a real number on her and she in turn had absorbed her sire's evil. She could be a threat to Buffy but she could also be her salvation and that was the crux of it.

Drusilla was already fast asleep. Her dark, twisted locks were spread across the red satin sheets. Spike sighed deeply as he removed his shirt and heavy boots. He was careful as not to wake her as he got into bed. The vampire tried to clear his mind and sleep eventually came.

He was so weary that he hadn't even noticed that his present was now lying face down on a vat of muddy water.

***

Buffy came awake with the sound of her own screams ringing in her ears. Her bed sheets were twisted and coiled around her legs. It took her a few moments before she could catch her breath. She'd had one of her nightmares.

"A dream," she murmured, "it's just a bad dream"

Buffy thought it ironic that a bad dream could have so much effect on a slayer. Wasn't she supposed to guard everyone from nightmares come to life? She'd met the sandman and cut off his head.

Maybe this prophecy deal had her spooked on a subconscious level. Or maybe they were prophetic dreams just like Angel said. She knew that she ought to go to Giles' but she was reluctant to put more anxiety on her already overburdened Watcher's plate. No, she better stay put today. She would give Willow and Giles a call later on.

With nothing to do but reminisce, Buffy went over last night's activities. Just recalling some of the things they did brought a warm flush to her cheeks. She'd never been overly prudish but she had to admit the Spike brought out her wild, untamed side. She wondered if this was so because he was her natural enemy, her intended prey. She could be just reacting to the allure of the forbidden. Or maybe it was the fact that she knew him. The real him and not just the vampire with the bloodiest reputation around. Whatever it was it touched her on a most intimate level. It spoke to her. It was like he was inside of her at all times.

She loved him and she would never give him up again.

A few minutes later Buffy left the bed. She needed to clean up and a warm shower would relax her. A warm bath could be better but she wanted to steer clear of pooled water. She had dreamt that she was drowning.

***

When an ex-vengeance demon got angry there was always hell to pay.

This fact was driven into Xander Harris for the umpteenth time as his fiancée prattled on about commitments and priorities. It was making his head hurt. He said he was sorry but she just wouldn't let it go.

"Ahn, we could do seating arrangements tomorrow night"

If looks could burn, Xander would have been deep-fried and served at the Doublemeat Palace with the glare he got from Anya.

"Maybe you've forgotten but tomorrow we have to do price comparisons for the flower arrangements and that's going to take all day"

"Why is it going to take all day?" he asked dreading the answer.
Another glare "Because I want Casablanca lilies and Calypso orchids and every florist in this town is charging over sixty dollars per arrangement. We have over 25 tables. You do the math"

Oh god. More than two grand in flowers.

"Maybe we can get something a little more affordable. What about Carnations? They're pretty and cheap. My uncle Rory used them in his 60th birthday party". Even as he finished saying it he knew he'd screwed up.
"Oh yeah and why don't we just pick dandelions and put them in Coke bottles. Xander if you really don't want to do this nobody is forcing you to"

"It not that Anh. It's just that this is really snowballing into something we can't even hope to afford. We had a lot of expenses these past few months with the new apartment and everything. Maybe we should just be a little wiser with the spending," he said soothingly.
"But I want the flowers, Xander and I want the dress and the little silver shells filled with pate and the melon balls. I want all those things" she was on the verge of crying.

He understood now. She wanted all those things because they were what brides, human-born brides, yearned for on their wedding day.
"Okay. We'll get the flowers and the melon balls and pate, but we have to go local for our honeymoon"
She nodded. After a thousand years there was little of the world that she didn't know.

"And we'll do the seating charts when I come back in the morning. It's just a recon so it won't take long"
He gave her a conciliatory hug which she returned. He felt relieved at having avoided another blowout. Anya was at her wits (and patience) end and he really couldn't blame her. This wedding thing was really overwhelming and he was rarely there to help.

He promised himself that he would ask for shorter hours and weekends off. He'd probably get it seeing that his record was really good.

He was really going to do a great job with tonight's assignment and use it as an example of his commitment to the Initiative.

It would be perfect.

TBC. Soon I promise and with the climax.