Chapter Five
They spent the next day inside. It was raining and the wind blew the trees from side to side.
"Ew," Dawn said looking out the window. "It's gross out there."
"I like it," Spike said.
"Of course you do, the clouds cover the sun," Buffy told him.
"Well, yeah," he said smirking.
The gang played board games and watched movies. They played LIFE and Monopoly, both of which Anya won. Buffy and Dawn sat on the floor, their backs to the couch, and Willow and Tara sat across from them, with Anya and Xander on either side.
Buffy reached up and rubbed the back of her neck. "I should've brought that massager you gave me Willow," she said.
Spike sat behind her on the couch and started rubbing her achy neck, "Nothin' better than the real thing though, pet."
She leaned back, it felt good. She closed her eyes, the hard but tender pressure as he kneaded his fingers around her shoulders and down her spine. His touch was cold but warm as he massaged her back. Buffy opened her eyes, catching a glimpse of Xander's scowling face and Willow's raised eyebrows. She shrugged Spike off and got up to sit in a chair. She didn't look back at Spike, who scoffed and sat back on the couch. Dawn broke the tension by saying it was movie time.
Spike and Xander both objected to anything chick-flick-y and Disney. Spike complained that all the color in the Disney movies made his head hurt and he'd rather just hit someone and deal with that pain. Unfortunately, the only movies in the house, were chick-flicks. They settled on "Practical Magic", since it was kind of dark and Xander thought Nicole Kidman was hot stuff. Dawn settled her head on Spike's shoulder while Buffy watched, curled on her chair. When Sandra and Nicole's characters started doing magic, Willow made a funny noise and nervously started playing with her hands. Tara reached over and patted her hands.
"That's not what you guys did to me, was it?" Buffy asked when the witches on the TV tried to bring an ex-boyfriend back from the dead.
A round of uneasy glances were traded while Dawn and Spike looked on with raised eyebrows. They had failed to notice Buffy's joking tone.
"Uh, no," Xander said finally. "There were snakes involved."
"Snakes?"
"Never mind."
They all went back to watching the movie. At the end, when Sandra and the detective shared a passionate kiss. Anya and Xander snuggled against each other and Spike threw Buffy a Look. Dawn popped the movie out of the VCR and sighed. "That was a good movie."
"Yeah, not half bad," Spike agreed, stretching out. He looked outside. "Rain still hasn't let up, but I need a smoke." He got up, tousled Dawn's hair and went outside on the deck.
"Another movie?" Dawn asked.
"Let's watch the one about the man who's daughter is getting married," Anya said happily and Dawn popped that one into the VCR.
Buffy rose from her chair. "Where are you going?" Dawn asked.
"Outside. I think I need some fresh air," She said smiling at her sister. Buffy opened the sliding glass door and stepped out onto the deck. She breathed in the air. It smelled good. It was only sprinkling now and the clouds moved, letting a starry sky peak out. She looked across the wet deck, and out at the lake. She walked towards the edge and leaned on the railing.
"It's beautiful," Spike said emerging from the shadows.
She sighed. "What is?"
"You." He said it low.
Buffy shook her head. "Shut up Spike."
He stood next to her, leaning on the rail. "What? Are you telling me you're not?" He rubbed her shoulder with his finger and ran it up her arm and around her neck, brushing aside her short hair.
"Stop it," she shivered.
"Make me."
She almost let him. Keep going! Her mind screamed. They can't see you. Just let him in. "No, quit." She shrugged him off.
He scoffed. "What is it with you? Huh? Earlier, you couldn't get enough. And now, nothing."
"I just don't feel like it right now."
"When will you feel like it? Everything's on your schedule. When Buffy wants to go patrol. When Buffy wants to have a go in the sack. When Buffy wants a little touch. Buffy! Buffy! Buffy!" He kicked a chair with with boot.
"You done, Jan Brady?" She asked him.
"I'm serious, Buffy. It's always been your way or no way. Well, not anymore," he crossed his arms over his chest and stuck his bottom lip out sullenly.
A smile played at the corners of her mouth. She tried to hide it, but when she looked at his pouty, child-like expression, she couldn't help but grin. "Are you saying that you're cutting me off?"
He nodded, "Yep. No more Spike, the soddin' sex slave. I will not give into you anymore, Buffy. I've had it. I told you, if I can't have all of you, then I don't want any of you. So, if you want any, you'll have to go find yourself a new doggie."
"Spike," she tried turning him to face her, but he wouldn't. He just spun back around with his head in the air. "Spike!" She exclaimed. "Come on, look at me."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Is that what our wedding's going to be like?" Xander asked as he watched a harried Steve Martin run around trying to get his daughter's wedding in order.
"I'm sure it'll be less... hectic," Willow assured him.
"Oh yeah, 'cause Anya's demons and my family aren't the least bit nuts," Xander sarcastically replied.
"Hey!" Anya protested. "They're not nuts. Just different. Not like yours..." she grumbled.
"I know my family's... insane," he said for lack of a better word. "At least they won't eat each other."
"You're right. They'd rather just drink till they pass out," she shot back.
"Hey, guys," Dawn spoke up. "We're watching a happy movie."
"How happy are we going to be Xander? Our kids are going to suffer from alcoholism, thanks to you!" Anya asked.
"At least they have support groups for that. Unlike what you'll contribute to them. A vengeful spirit and a scary face," he retorted.
"Uh!" She got up and huffed to the kitchen.
"Where are you going?" He asked.
"To get some chips!" She yelled.
He ran after her, "Wait, you'll eat them all."
Willow, Dawn and Tara just looked at each other.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Look at me."
"No."
"Why?"
He looked down at her, "I want to hear you say it."
"Say what?" She asked, eyes wide. Oh God, he's not going to ask me how I feel about him, is he? What am I gonna say? I don't love him. God no, I don't love him. He's Spike. He's evil, soulless, Spike. He's a neutered vamp who's in love with me. Oh God, he is going to ask!
He sighed. "That you're sorry."
"What?"
"That you're sorry. Contrary to what you say, love, I do have feelings. So say it," he said.
She was very confused, but smiled at him, "I'm sorry," she said, though she didn't know what she was sorry about.
He eyed her. "Right then." He took out another cigarette and stuck it in his mouth.
"Ew," she grabbed it out of his mouth. "I told you to stop."
"And I don't care," he said, grabbing it out of her hand. She grabbed it and dug her hands in the pocket of his leather duster. "Hey!" She nabbed his pack of Marlboros and took off running. She raced down the stairs and he caught up to her with his vampire speed. Her only escape was the deck that led out to the lake. She ran out and threw the cigarettes into the dark water.
"That was my only pack!" He exclaimed. She shrugged.
"Don't you dare, Spike," she warned him as he smirked at her, realizing that she was trapped. He took off his duster. "Spike, no," she told him as he crept forward. She took a step back, there was only about a foot and a half of deck left and he kept moving towards her. "Spike, I swear to God I'll..."
"You'll what?" he asked. "Stake me good and proper?" He shook his head, "I don't think so, slayer. I've got you cornered and if your li'l Scooby friends hear you scream, they'll wonder why you're out here with me."
"Spike, please..." she said.
"Fine, then," he shrugged and backed off. She let her guard down.
"Thank you." Then he charged at her, but she was quicker. She ducked down as he sailed overhead into the lake.
"Ow!" He cried, jumping up, holding his head in pain.
She smiled smugly, "That's what you get, dummy." He just rubbed the side and she laughed. When she looked back at him, he was gone. "Spike?" She searched the water. The moon reflected off the water a eerie, white glow, but the water itself was black. "This isn't funny," she said. "Come up, now." Nothing. "I'm not coming in after you. If you drowned, that's just too damn bad." Suddenly, she saw a body with bleach blonde hair float up, face down. "Spike!" She shouted, but he didn't move. "Damnit Spike." She shed off her sweat jacket and dove in, she swam over to him. She turned his body over, his eyes were closed. She shook him. "Spike!"
His eyes flashed open and his lips curled into his smirk. "Thought you lost me there, did you? love?"
"Augh!" She pushed him away and he laughed. "You idiot! I thought you drowned!"
"Vampire, pet. Can't drown if I don't breathe," he said.
Duh! She felt stupid. "I... forgot," she said.
He frowned at her, but shook it off. "Well," he leaned back. "It's a nice enough night. What say we shed these clothes and have ourselves a little fun?"
"Are you crazy? You nearly gave me a heart attack and now you expect... ah!" She yelped going under.
"Buffy!" He swam frantically to where she had been. "Buffy!" He splashed the water around, like he could see her through the water. He dove under. She wasn't there. "Buffy!" He hollered. Where was she? He was beginning to panic. What the hell was he thinking? Coming out here in the middle of the night, playing little games with her... And after that demon squirrel attack, he should've been more cautious. "Buffy!" He yelled for her one more time.
"Jeez, what are you shouting about?"
He looked up to see Buffy, swinging her legs over the edge of the deck, wet, and smiling at him. "Stupid bint," he cursed under his breath. "What the bloody hell was that about?"
She smiled sweetly, "Oh well."
"Oh well? Oh well? Bloody show you 'oh well'," he reached up and caught her leg, pulling her into the water with him again. He kissed her on the mouth, not hard, but more sensual. Pouring into her everything he had experienced in that last minute. He thought he had lost her, again.
Buffy kissed him back, savoring his kiss. She thought, just for a moment, she had lost him. Weirdest sensation, too. She was terrified when she saw his body float up. And she had forgotten that he didn't need to breathe. All she thought was, Oh no! Why are you taking him away from me too. Haven't I lost enough? It was selfish, she knew, but the thought of Spike not being there for her anymore, frightened her more than dying, again. She then realized just how much he had grown on her. How much he was there for her and in a moment, it could all be taken away.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Dawn closed the vertical blinds. She was shy to look up at the blond couple making out in the lake. She made sure the sliding glass door was unlocked and took the stairs two at a time up to her room where Tara and Willow were waiting. She was so excited she wanted to burst. Buffy and Spike. Together. It was forbidden love at it's finest moment. She shook her head, she had been reading too many sappy, romance novels. Still, she couldn't help but be overjoyed. She slept soundly that night, dreaming of a white wedding, a blushing bride in a gorgeous dress, the groom all dressed up looking nervous but confident, family and friends sitting in rows waiting for the ceremony to commence, and the cutest little cake topper, of a blond man with fangs and a blond woman with a wooden stake holding hands.
( This will be the last chapter for a while. I wanted to leave it on a lighter note. I'm going out of town for a week, but I'll try to write in pen then transfer it. I always revise it anyway. What new plan could the Nerd Herd be devising? Will Buffy give in to her emotions? Is Dawn going to tell the Scoobies about the slayer and the vampire? Willow and Tara, together again? Will Xander and Anya reveal their wedding worries to each other? Are the every going to find out that their tires are slashed? Tune in next week for (swell of violins) Buffy, the Vampire Slayer: The Vacation.) (Okay, lame I know. But I'm in a good mood, so sue me.)
