A/N – Thanks to Marsters' Girl for beta'ing this fiction!
Chapter Nine
Once Buffy and Spike had fed, and found the motivation to get out of bed, they began heading back to Sunnydale.
It was almost 11 O'clock when they pulled up near Giles'. Buffy looked up at the house then back at Spike.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" She asked him, for the thousandth time. Spike sighed and took her hand.
"Buffy, I want to be with you and if you have to be here then I'll be here." he said truthfully, leaning forward and pressing his lips to hers. She sighed against his lips and moved her hands around his neck, as he gently massaged her mouth open, slipping his tongue inside to sweep with hers.
After a few minutes, Spike pulled back and said, "Come on, love, lets do it."
"Okay, lets do it!" Buffy responded with a mischievous gleam in her eyes, anxious to be doing anything but this.
Catching the look, Spike leaned over and opened the door saying, "Later, we better go meet your watcher now, he'll be worried, as will your friends."
It was the last part of the sentence that won Buffy over. "You're right...and I never thought I'd say that to you!"
Spike rolled his eyes, but let it slide.
Hand in hand, the bottle blond couple walked up to Giles' door, Buffy looked up at Spike then back at the wooden door and knocked three times. It was opened by Giles, but Buffy could see Xander and Willow in the background.
"Hi guys! Miss me?" At their happy faces and Willows happy squeal of her name Buffy laughed, asking her watcher
"Miss me?" Spike asked sardonically, as they pretty much ignored him, concentrating solely on the slayer.
"Look dead-boy Jnr-" Xander began.
"So guys what's up on the research front? Find any new good stuff about me?" she tactfully changed the subject.
Willow smiled at her friend, "Yeah, I just read something that confirmed that you have slayer and Vampire strength combined, so you're fundamentally twice as strong! It'll show through you emotionally - like when you really need it." She explained happily.
Eyeing Spike warily, who was still holding Buffy's hand, Willow crossed the room to Buffy. The slayer enveloped the Hacker in a hug. "I'm so happy you're okay Buffy." Willow finished wide-eyed, nodding her head in approval.
Buffy pulled back, and smiling at the hacker, moved into Spike's waiting arms.
After a moment of silence Xander spoke. "Okay, I gotta ask, is anyone else wigging about the fact that we're looking at Spike hugging Buffy?"
At the groups exasperated looks and Spike's low warning growl, Xander finished "I was only asking, its like I'm watching reruns of Will's 'I will it so' spell!"
--- --- ---
A few hours later after Buffy and Spike had finished telling the gang of the passing weeks, and had caught up themselves on "all the juicy bits of dirt" as Willow had said. Giles sat at his desk, various texts surrounding him.
Willow and Xander sat on the couch, a similar amount of "musty, old books" as Buffy had called them, encircling them. Reminiscent of Willow's 'I will it so' spell- Spike and Buffy sat together on a chair, Buffy flicking through one of the watchers diaries, not really reading it, while Spike nuzzled the mark on her neck, his arms wrapped protectively around her waist, holding her to him.
No one had commented on the bite marks visible on both Spike's and Buffy's necks. They had also
noted, without comment, that Spike hadn't let Buffy out of his sight since their arrival, barely out of his arms.
Not that she'd exactly tried.
Giles was researching into Spikes protective attitude, though not actually telling Buffy about that - he didn't think that she would mind, but he didn't want to risk offending her. So far he hadn't said anything about Spike to Buffy for two reasons, firstly he wished her to stay and secondly like Spike was protective of her, she was protective of him, although so far it didn't appear to be in the same quantities.
However, Giles hypothesized that this could be because there were no females interested in Spike at the present. Earlier when Xander had gone to hug Buffy, Spike had growled him away from the slayer, not allowing anyone but him to be close to her. And though Buffy had shushed Spike, the watcher could see that his ward was delighted by Spike's reaction.
From what he had read, the fact that they had both marked the other with their bite meant that they had claimed one another in the vampiric world. Vampire claims were very strong and powerful; the power of their relationship only enhanced by the sire/childe bond, which was another thing Giles was researching into.
Eventually Buffy broke the silence, "Willow, do you want to come patrolling with me? I figure I can get a quick sweep before the sun comes up." She asked the hacker.
Willow smiled appreciatively at her friend, "Yeah, thanks Buffy."
Buffy turned to Spike, and whispered quietly - so the others wouldn't hear. "I just need to talk to her alone, will you stay here and keep researching?" She asked, pleading with him.
Spike frowned slightly, before allowing it to dissolve into a smile of understanding "Sure, love."
"Thank you." She said just before his lips claimed hers. Spike pulled her as close as two people with clothing could get, and Buffy wound her fingers in his short hair, as their tongues battled for dominance. Spikes won and moved into her mouth, licking the inside of her mouth.
Buffy moaned throatily from the sensation, uncaring that they were no longer alone. Before it got too much and he took her right there, Spike pulled back resting his forehead against hers. "Just hurry back, pet." Giving him one quick kiss Buffy got off his lap, "I will - don't eat my friends." she said with a smile.
"I won't." Spike assured her, and watched as his mate and the witch left the apartment. Spike took a deep unneeded breath and looked over at the whelp and the watcher, it was going to be a long night.
*** *** ***
Buffy took a deep unneeded breath and looked over at the silent witch next to her, it was going to be a long night.
"Will-"
"Buff-" They both began, stopping then laughing.
"You first Will."
"I...I just wanted to make sure that you know...and have always known that...you being a vampire - it doesn't matter to me. I'll admit that I was a little wigged a first, but you're my best friend Buffy. I love you for who you are, not what you are."
"Thanks, Wills." Buffy said, a tear in her eye.
"But now everything's perfect, right...I mean, well, not in the typically perfect sense, because you'd have to be alive and happy for everything to be perfect. Not that you're not happy. I mean you're happy with Spike. You are happy with Spike aren't you?" Willow babbled.
Buffy giggled slightly. "Will, its okay. I know what you mean." They continued to walk through the cemetery. "I am happy you know. It's weird...don't say it isn't because, heck, even I think it is! But I love him...God, how scary is that?"
Willow smiled, "Very. But then not so."
"What do you mean?" Buffy frowned.
"Come on, Buffy, all those late night patrols - even pre-turnage, all the verbal sparing and sexual innuendoes all adds up to some major UST!"
"That's not true!"
Willow laughed at the look on the slayer's face, "Okay...so it's totally true!" Buffy conceded.
"Sooo.....what's he like."
"Willow!"
"Come on, Buffy! Happy lesbian now but....he's gotta be hiding some major salty goodness beneath that coat, am I right?"
"Wills, you bad girl." Buffy tisked, then smiled secretively, "Very yummy salty goodness...though, its kinda more sweet then salty."
"Buffy!" Willow laughed at the far off look on her friend's face. "Maybe it's from all the blood..."
"Huh?"
"You know, blood sugar.." They laughed together.
Both friends continued their journey in silence for the following minutes, happy that their friendship had not been lost.
*** *** ***
Spike looked up from the text in his lap moments before Buffy and Willow returned from patrolling. They'd been gone an hour and Spike was beyond bored. They entered giggling, the sound abnormally loud in the previously silent room.
Buffy passed her coat to Willow, who hung it up along with hers, then crossed the room to Spike who hauled her into his lap kissing her soundly. Seeing that his ward would probably not come up for air anytime soon - as she now needed none - Giles addressed Willow. "How was patrol?"
"There were a few vamps but with Super-Buffy it took all of three seconds to kill them all, and then it was poof no more bad guys, but there was mochas!" Willow finished with a smile.
The watcher returned the smile before turning to the still kissing couple. Coughing loudly he attempted to get their attention, eventually when it was evident that neither noticed, Giles spoke, "Umm...Buffy?" a beat then, "Buffy if you can just tell me of the vampires you fought, we can all go home."
As Giles' words penetrated her pleasure filled brain, Buffy broke away from Spike's lips, and evading his attempt to recapture her lips in another kiss, she answered her Watcher.
"Sorry Giles, umm nothing great about the vamps - they were just regular run-of-the-graveyard bloodsuckers. I don't know if they were really weak or something though 'coz they were really, really easy to take down."
"That's probably due to your extra vampire strength, love and the fact that you have been fighting..." *One way or another* he added with a mental smirk. "...for the past few weeks without much rest. You know better resilience and what not."
Putting Buffy on her feet, he stood up, and taking her hand said, "If you don't need us anymore watcher I think we'll go home." anxious to get Buffy back to their comfortable bedroom, and more welcoming bed.
"Yes, of course." He watched as the couple walked to the door before adding, "Home?"
"Yeah, we're living at the Mansion for the time being. I spoke to my mom earlier, so don't worry - she knows. See you tomorrow guys."
"Bye Buffy."
"Bye Buffster, peroxide boy!" Xander said, from his position on the couch.
Giles nodded his goodbye, and the couple left for the mansion. They had left their belongings there after going to Buffy's house to get her things. Joyce had actually been very supportive and had told Buffy she was always welcome, Spike too.
Buffy had burst in to tears, and the two had embraced. Buffy had left the number for the Mansion with Joyce, before travelling to Giles'.
*** *** ***
The three sat in silence for a few minutes before Xander finally spoke. "So, what's up with dead boy junior? He was way possessive, did you guys see the way he wigged out when I went to hug Buffy?"
"Yeah..." Willow added, "Why was he like that, he wasn't like that during my spell."
Giles removed his glasses and rubbed the lenses before replacing them, speaking as he did so.
"I believe he and Buffy have claimed each other as mates, you both saw the bite marks - my research indicates that vampires do this to mark their territory as it were. I believe Buffy would have acted similarly if there had been a female interested in Spike."
"Oh, you mean kinda like wolves - pack behaviour?" The hacker asked, catching Giles' drift of thought.
"Or a hickey?" Xander put in, Giles frowned at the boy then figured it was as close as he was getting anyway,
"Yes, exactly. Vampires are very possessive and protective of their mates and very loyal, they will do anything for them or to keep them. Witness Spike not killing us. I also believe that their bond is cemented by their Sire and Childe relationship. Unfortunately my information is limited, normally I would ask Angel, but given the circumstances...." Giles trailed off leaving the sentence unfinished but obvious.
The other two nodded their understanding.
Part Ten!
Call Of The WildA/N – Thanks to Marsters' Girl for beta'ing this fiction!
Chapter Ten
Note - I've not taken into account what has been happening in Angel and consequently some things may not match what happens in the series. In this world Wesley is never out of the gang, Cordy still has visions, and Fred doesn't exist.
Cordelia woke up early in the evening; her head pounding from the OD of sleeping tablets she'd accidentally taken the night before.
She looked around her bedroom before rising and attempting to look presentable. She reached the agency just as the sun set to find Gunn and Wesley waiting for her, with morose looks upon their faces.
"What?" she asked quietly, her usual bravado gone.
"Angel." That one word brought her world crashing once again to the floor. She bit back her tears, taking a few
calming breaths before asking, "What happened?"
Gunn indicated the mess of the agency, which Cordelia hadn't noticed, while Wesley spoke again.
"We received word through one of the under-ground vampires that Angel is still in contact with who has informed us of some recent changes in Sunnydale."
"What...has something happened to Buffy?" She asked, knowing that only that could make Angel loose control this way.
"It would appear that she has been turned..."
"What?" Cordy gasped.
"...And her sire is none other than William the Bloody." He finished.
"We arrived back to find, the place like this. We think he's downstairs, there's no ashes up here."
"Has anyone checked to see if he's down there?" Cordelia questioned, slightly angered.
"Cordy, if Angel is down there I think he wants to be left..." Gunn began, his eyes focusing on something behind Cordelia. She turned and was about to speak when pain shook her body, and she dropped to the floor.
Angel rushed forward catching her before she hit the ground and manoeuvred her convulsing body to a near-by chair.
Gradually Cordelia came out of it and shakily spoke "Twenty-first and sixth.....there's a....little boy with a.....
...star, no a pentagram, tattooed on his head....there is something looking for him.....he's scared, so very........scared." She finished, taking in a deep breath.
"I guess it's back to work." Angel said, slightly too non-chalently.
"Angel..." Wesley began, concerned for the souled vampire.
"No Wesley, I'll feel better once we've killed the demon." he replied, *Spike's* he added silently. And they were
on their way.
*** *** ***
The black DeSoto pulled up at the mansion and the two vampires got out and walked up to the house.
*** *** ***
A couple of hours earlier....
Spike slowed the car, pausing in front of the Summers' house, keeping the engine running. "You sure you don't want some company?"
"Nah..." She leaned over to kiss him, "...I'll just be an hour or so - I know mom and Dawn won't go to bed unless I show them I'm still here and fine."
"Okay, love, I'll get us some supplies. Anything special?"
"Oooh! Double chocolate chip cookies and a microwave."
Spike grinned and kissed her again, whispering against her lips, "Your wish is my command."
"Mmmm......I'm gone!" She quickly got out of the car before she could let him change her mind. "Come back soon, yeah?" Buffy clarified, as she leaned back into the car.
"In a heart-beat, pet."
"Ha, funny." Spike smirked at her, and with a roar of the engine disappeared down the previously silent street.
Buffy straightened her clothes and walked up the drive.
The door opened before she even got there, and Dawn and Joyce both barreled out to meet the vamped vampire slayer.
"Hi honey, you wanna come in. I bought some of those cookies you like." Joyce smiled as they walked into the kitchen.
"Thanks, mom." Buffy smiled back as she accepted the mug of warm blood from Dawn.
"Where's Spike?" The youngest (or oldest depending on how you looked at it) Summers asked.
"He went to set up the house."
"Y-you're not staying here tonight?" Joyce set the cookies down on the table.
"We just thought that maybe it would be easier...I'm still learning how to control the demon and it's getting better...but I'm not too good with an audience." Buffy smiled at the two, her smile dropping at the knowing look on both their faces. "Whaaaat?"
"You just wanna be alone so you can have sex!" Dawn explained, with a grin that was far to similar to Spike's.
"Dawny!" Buffy looked to her mother. "Mom, aren't you gonna say anything?"
"It's okay, honey, sex is an important part of a relationship and…"
"Mom!"
*** *** ***
Having already 'settled in' they simply fell into the bed they had deemed their own and worshipped each other's bodies until dawn. They then slipped into a contented sleep, Spike's body protectively curled around Buffy's, his arms hugging him to her possessively, his fangs in her neck, a proprietary gesture, - not drinking just allowing the strong blood to drip into his mouth.
Buffy awoke first and carefully removed herself from Spikes fangy embrace. She ventured, still naked, over to the well stocked fridge and pulled out a couple of blood bags and a jelly cream filled donut.
Quickly downing the blood she walked over to the couch and sat down donut in hand. After a few minutes of attempting to set up the TV she managed to angle it correctly and started to flick through the channels.
Noting the time, she decided to give her mom and Dawn a quick ring. She hopped off the couch and made her way over to the phone. Without thinking, she reached for the phone across a stream of light. It didn't burn.
Remembering Spike's earlier words when she had teased him for being burnt by the sunlight, "It doesn't hurt immediately" he had defended himself, so she waited…and waited… and waited. After 10 minutes she concluded that she'd waited enough and happily called Spike.
Spike woke to the sound of Buffy excitedly shouting his name. Grabbing a pair of boxers just in case they had company, he left their bedroom and crossed over to where she was. At the sight of her, naked, bathed in sunlight Spike's eyes almost popped out of his head.
Buffy grinned at her lover, who had gone none-verbal and said, "Looky what I found!"
She walked over to him hips swinging, "Guess that's one thing I can still do!" she told him with a cheeky smile, before forcing his lips open with her own and plundering his mouth with her tongue. Feeling him poking her through his boxers she moved her hips forward in a circular motion and rubbed her tongue along his rapidly sharpening canines.
Spike sucked on the cut, grabbing her hips to keep her flush against his erection. Buffy moaned throatily, and Spike walked them back to the closest wall, carefully avoiding the sunlight. He moved his hands from her hips to her ass, pulling her up.
Buffy responded by wrapping her legs around his waist, using her feet to push down his boxers. Spike slammed her against the wall, thrusting into her.
He continued driving into her, both grunting and moaning with each thrust bringing them closer to the edge, their eyes never leaving one another. Suddenly, knowing both were so close they growled the same word, before sinking their fangs into the other's neck. "MINE."
The most powerful orgasm either had ever known rushed through their bodies, Spike struggling to keep them upright.
Eventually giving up, he removed Buffy from the wall and turned with her still wrapped around his body and slid down the wall, neither breaking away from the other's necks. Both were making a loud purring noise from deep within them, their borrowed blood flowing in and out of their bodies making the orgasm a never-ending assault on the senses.
Their demons sated, they just sat, connected in the most intimate of ways.
An eternity passed before either found the energy to move. They both extracted their fangs, licking and sucking the wounds to help them heal. As Buffy got off Spike, both their purring dissipated as the owners of the sound groaned at the loss of contact.
Spike stayed against the wall and watched as his mate walked towards the bathroom, her knees still shaky from the intensity of the orgasm. Buffy quickly showered and dressed and returned to find Spike in the same position as she'd left him in.
She walked over to him and crouched by his side, "Are you okay, honey?" she inquired, concerned for her silent vampire.
The slayer put her hand on his shoulder, when he turned his head and gave her a dazed, loving look, she smiled and asked, "You in there? Or did I blow your mind away?"
Spike came to his senses and chuckled, "That you did, love." Noticing her state of dress, he asked with a slight frown,
"Going somewhere, pet?"
"The sun's almost down I was gonna go see my mom and Dawny then find Will and Xander and patrol." Spikes frown deepened at the mention of the whelp.
"What's wrong?" Buffy asked, noticing the frown, "You don't have to come if you don't want - extra vamp strength is making for one strong Buffy!" she told him misinterpreting his upset.
When her sire only smiled woodenly Buffy caught on, "He doesn't have to come with me if you don't want." She told him sympathetically.
Spike sighed, wanting nothing more than to tell her not to go with Xander, but he knew there would be some women's lib thing that would get him into trouble later, so instead he replied, "No love, its okay you go have fun - I'll go to the watcher and see if he knows anything more, and I'll tell him about your sunny experience." he finished with a genuine smile.
Buffy smiled in return, "Okay I'll see you there after patrol." she leaned forward to kiss him, squealing as Spike pulled her on top of him, kissing her passionately.
Nearly 20 minutes later Buffy broke off the kiss, saying "The sun's really set now, I'll see you later, sweety." Pressing her lips to his briefly, she gracefully rose and patting his head affectionately, before leaving him to stare wistfully at her.
*** *** ***
"We have to go to the beach!" Dawn said excitedly. "I saw this amazing swim suit the other day...oh and we can go shopping!" She leaped forward and hugged her sister. "This is so great!"
Buffy looked up to her mother hopefully, "I'm really happy for you, honey....and yes, I'll buy you a new suit too."
Part Eleven!
