Chapter 7
Quentin sat at his desk on the wintry Monday morning. Things were falling into place nicely. He had the slayer and the vampire just where he wanted them. Laid before him, on his desk were his top secret plans for the both of them. In one hand, he held project "Rebirth" and in the other, he held the plans for the removal of Spike's chip. According to the top council scientists that were working on them, they would both have very satisfactory outcomes.
There was a hesitant knock at his office door, a few moments later his protégée entered the room. Lavinia Davis was a young woman of about twenty- five years. Dressed in a practical brown skirt suit; her blonde hair was scraped into a bun, and finished off with unattractive thick-rimmed half spectacles.
Quentin closed the files he had been perusing, and got up from his seat to open a wall safe. Placing the documents inside, he turned to offer her a seat.
"So, do you have anything of interest to report about their movements last night?" asked Quentin, as he sat down behind his desk
Lavinia shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
"Well, after their meeting with you last night, they went back to their hotel room for about ten minutes. Then around 10'oclock precisely they left in a taxi. I lost sight of them after that. Where they went is unknown, but they did return at midnight. I think Miss Summers may have been unwell, as, er.. William, I mean the vampire, had to carry her."
Quentin thumped his hand on the desk, making Lavinia jump.
"If this surveillance job is beyond your capabilities, I can always ask someone else more suited to the task," said Quentin.
"Nnn-o, that won't be necessary Sir, it won't happen again," she stammered.
"This is a top secret operation, you know what your non compliance will mean?" he asked warningly.
She nodded, and hastily exited Quentin's office, sighing heavily as she leaned against the closed door. Lavinia knew all too well what her "non- compliance" would mean, immediate expulsion from the council. It was hard enough for women at the Watcher's council, without the defection of Gwendolyn Post the previous year to make matters worse. She had to stay focused, if she had any chance of advancement within the male-dominated- ranks of the council.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Buffy awoke, at first a little disorientated in her surroundings, thinking herself to be in her dorm room, back home. She tried to stretch out. Frowning, she opened her eyes. A pale arm was flung across her shoulders, restricting her movements. A feeling of dread started to build within her chest to match the pounding of her head. Buffy turned her head slowly, to look into the sleepy blue eyes of her nemesis. Spike gazed back at her, a lazy smile on his lips.
"Never thought you'd be one to sleep with the enemy love," he drawled.
Buffy threw his arm off her and punched Spike on the nose. She quickly scrabbled out of bed, only to realise she was in her bra and panties. Spike held his nose in pain, pausing as she stood there in her state of undress. Buffy grabbed her wrap off the chair and hastily covered herself.
"A bit late to be coy now wouldn't you say? Especially after all we shared last night," he asked, licking his lips suggestively.
"We didn't share anything," she said defiantly
"Are you sure of that? Think hard pet," he encouraged.
Buffy sat down in the bedside chair. Her brow furrowed with concentration as she recalled the copious amounts of tequila she had consumed.
"Oh my, I sang! Yes I remember I sang.Oh my god, Britney!" she said.
"And the rest," he prompted.
"I remember that we went home in a taxi and I." she trailed off, blushing at the memory.
"And you gave me the touchy feely. And when we got back to our room well, you literally begged me for it," he finished.
"Don't say another word," she warned.
"Oh, but you were so good baby," he purred, blowing her a kiss.
Buffy shot up out of her seat, Spike sat up warily.
"I have to make a call, and in private," she said, before walking out into the living area, and slamming the bedroom door, hard.
Spike chuckled to himself as he got up out of bed, still wearing his black trousers of the night before. Picking up a towel, he made his way to the bathroom.
"Silly bint, if we'd really done the dirty, wouldn't we have been just a little more naked?" he said quietly under his breath.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Buffy sat down in one of the comfortable chairs in the living room, she picked up the phone and stared at it for several minutes, almost as if it contained all the answers to her current predicament. Sighing heavily, she dialled the number to the phone in her dorm, back home. It rang several times before being answered by a sleepy voice.
"Who ever you are, do you know what time it is?" groaned Willow, as she yawned.
"Hello, Willow?" asked Buffy.
Buffy looked at the clock on the wall.
"Buffy?" Willow asked.
"And in answer to your earlier question, it's almost noon," said Buffy.
"Yeah, in England maybe, take about eight hours off that time for Cali, then what do you get?" asked Willow.
"Oops, so it's 4am there right now?" asked Buffy.
"You got it, but I'm awake now so no big. Are you okay? You sound a little funny," said Willow.
Buffy paused for a moment.
"Buff?" prompted Willow.
"You know that Will spell, you did a few weeks back?" asked Buffy.
"How could I forget? Nearly ruined the lives of all my friends, but at least my cookie making skills improved," said Willow.
"Willow, I need to know, is there any chance that there could be any lingering after effects from it?" asked Buffy.
"What? My cookies?" Willow laughed uneasily.
"No, the spell. And be serious, this is important," Buffy replied.
"What's happened?" asked Willow.
"You know how we are best friends and can tell each other anything, knowing the other will understand?" asked Buffy.
"Buffy, you're scaring me," said Willow.
"Last night.I got very drunk," said Buffy.
"Way to go Buffy, guess the Watcher's council aren't such stiff upper lip types after all," said Willow.
"I wasn't with any members of the council at the time, I was with Spike, we went out together last night," Buffy admitted.
"Like on a date?" asked Willow.
"No! Absolutely not on a date, it was just a thing," said Buffy.
"Well then why are you so worried about it?" asked Willow.
Buffy paused for a moment and took a deep breath before speaking.
"Because when I woke up around ten minutes ago, I was in bed...with..Spike," she finished in a rush.
There was a continued silence at the other end of the line, apart from the almost inaudible sound of Willow's breathing.
"Willow? You still there?" asked Buffy.
"I-I don't know what to say Buffy. Did you guys, you know, do it?" said Willow.
"I remember kissing him on the way home in the taxi, after that everything was a blank," Buffy replied.
"What did Spike have to say on the matter?" asked Willow.
"He says we had a wonderful um, time," finished Buffy quickly.
"It's not because of that spell. Once a will spell is broken, there are no side effects. It's final Buffy, anything you've done since that day has been of your own accord," said Willow.
Buffy groaned. It was not what she had hoped to hear.
"Thanks Willow, I think I need to go and die now," said Buffy.
"Buffy are you okay?" She asked.
"Fine, talk to you soon Willow," Buffy replied emotionlessly.
"Buffy..I." Willow said to the dead phone line.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Buffy lay on the sofa, curled up into a defensive little ball. She stared at the floral wallpaper, as if her life depended upon it. Spike entered the room; she could smell the spicy aroma coming off his recently showered skin. Buffy hated her new awareness of him, she groaned inwardly. **I am such a slut** she thought to herself. **I've only been here twenty-four hours and I've already jumped the bones of the guy I should hate the most!**
Spike sat down in the chair opposite her. Buffy glanced at him quickly then averted her gaze. He started whistling softly, some unknown tune. It started to grate on her nerves.
"Spike, do you have to do that?" she snapped.
Buffy could have almost cried with relief, when there was a knock on their room door, she shot up off the sofa to answer it. A young boy, maybe no more than sixteen years old, stood there with an envelope on a silver tray.
"Miss Summers?" asked the boy.
She nodded and took the envelope from him. The boy continued to stare hopefully at her. He had already heard how the couple in room 210, were a little slow on the uptake, when it came to tipping. Spike dipped his hand in the pocket of his trousers, looking for cash. He walked over to where Buffy stood. Spike then wrapped his arms around her; she stiffened as he kissed her neck. She felt his smirk rather than saw it. Buffy was fuming inside, but she continued to smile sweetly at the boy. Spike leaned in closer to her as he reached past her to hand the boy his tip.
"Bye, have a nice day now," said Buffy, with saccharine sweetness.
She let the door fly, almost slamming it in the boy's face.
Spike backed off the moment the door shut. It was too late. Buffy kicked his legs out from under him, so that he fell onto the carpet and his back. While he was for a moment, stunned, Buffy snapped the leg off the nearby coffee table and jumped on him. Pinning him to the floor, with her superior strength.
"You're not gonna go all Johnny Depp on me, and trash our nice room are you love?" he asked nervously.
"That depends on you," Buffy said, as she rested the point of her makeshift stake against his chest.
"You know you're not going to use that, why do you keep playing these little games. How about we have another round of hide the stake? You seemed to like it well enough last night," Spike replied.
"There will be no hiding of any 'stakes' anywhere, unless it's of the wooden variety and it's me sticking it in you," she snapped.
"Didn't know that you went in for that kind of thing. Hidden depths there slayer. As much as I enjoy you're being on top, hadn't we better see what that letter was all about? I'm not risking my two million quid for a cheap thrill," he mocked her.
"You pig," Buffy swore as she grabbed the envelope, from where it had fallen on the carpet.
She tore open the envelope and read the contents, her face falling still further. Buffy got up off Spike.
"Bad news?" he asked, as he sat up.
"You mean worse than waking up in your arms this morning?" she replied.
Spike ignored her barbs. Growing a little weary of her attitude, he decided that he'd better come clean about the night before if he was to get any peace.
"Look, about last night." he began.
"I don't want to hear another word on the subject, it happened, there's nothing I can do to change that. I just wanna forget the whole thing, not that I remember much any way," said Buffy.
"But that's the point, the reason why you don't remember any thing is because."
Buffy cut him off.
"Not another word," she said warningly.
Spike swore.
"Bleeding hell, you are one stubborn bit.er girl. Have it your way then, but you'll be sorry," he snapped at her.
"I doubt that, by the way, Quentin is sending a limo to pick us up at 4:30, it should be dark enough for you to venture out by then," Buffy said as she picked up a magazine and pretended to read it.
"I never knew you cared," he replied.
Spike walked over to the mini fridge in the corner, opening the door. He raised his brows in surprise as he saw several blood bags resting inside. Feeling a little peckish, he tore the corner off one of them and drained the contents into a glass. He raised it to his lips and took a huge gulp.
"It's better warm, but beggars can't be choosers," he shrugged.
"Eww, that was a little more information than I needed," said Buffy.
Spike frowned, smacking his lips lightly.
"Is it just me, or does this blood taste funny? Here try a bit," he said, thrusting the glass under her nose.
"And again I say eww!" she replied as she flinched away from the coppery smell.
"Probably just me then," Spike said, as he swallowed down the rest of the blood.
Spike clutched his head as a wave of dizziness came over him. The glass he was holding, fell to the carpet. Buffy looked up at him.
"Spike! What is it?" She asked.
"I don't feel so good," he groaned as he sank to the floor.
TBC
Quentin sat at his desk on the wintry Monday morning. Things were falling into place nicely. He had the slayer and the vampire just where he wanted them. Laid before him, on his desk were his top secret plans for the both of them. In one hand, he held project "Rebirth" and in the other, he held the plans for the removal of Spike's chip. According to the top council scientists that were working on them, they would both have very satisfactory outcomes.
There was a hesitant knock at his office door, a few moments later his protégée entered the room. Lavinia Davis was a young woman of about twenty- five years. Dressed in a practical brown skirt suit; her blonde hair was scraped into a bun, and finished off with unattractive thick-rimmed half spectacles.
Quentin closed the files he had been perusing, and got up from his seat to open a wall safe. Placing the documents inside, he turned to offer her a seat.
"So, do you have anything of interest to report about their movements last night?" asked Quentin, as he sat down behind his desk
Lavinia shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
"Well, after their meeting with you last night, they went back to their hotel room for about ten minutes. Then around 10'oclock precisely they left in a taxi. I lost sight of them after that. Where they went is unknown, but they did return at midnight. I think Miss Summers may have been unwell, as, er.. William, I mean the vampire, had to carry her."
Quentin thumped his hand on the desk, making Lavinia jump.
"If this surveillance job is beyond your capabilities, I can always ask someone else more suited to the task," said Quentin.
"Nnn-o, that won't be necessary Sir, it won't happen again," she stammered.
"This is a top secret operation, you know what your non compliance will mean?" he asked warningly.
She nodded, and hastily exited Quentin's office, sighing heavily as she leaned against the closed door. Lavinia knew all too well what her "non- compliance" would mean, immediate expulsion from the council. It was hard enough for women at the Watcher's council, without the defection of Gwendolyn Post the previous year to make matters worse. She had to stay focused, if she had any chance of advancement within the male-dominated- ranks of the council.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Buffy awoke, at first a little disorientated in her surroundings, thinking herself to be in her dorm room, back home. She tried to stretch out. Frowning, she opened her eyes. A pale arm was flung across her shoulders, restricting her movements. A feeling of dread started to build within her chest to match the pounding of her head. Buffy turned her head slowly, to look into the sleepy blue eyes of her nemesis. Spike gazed back at her, a lazy smile on his lips.
"Never thought you'd be one to sleep with the enemy love," he drawled.
Buffy threw his arm off her and punched Spike on the nose. She quickly scrabbled out of bed, only to realise she was in her bra and panties. Spike held his nose in pain, pausing as she stood there in her state of undress. Buffy grabbed her wrap off the chair and hastily covered herself.
"A bit late to be coy now wouldn't you say? Especially after all we shared last night," he asked, licking his lips suggestively.
"We didn't share anything," she said defiantly
"Are you sure of that? Think hard pet," he encouraged.
Buffy sat down in the bedside chair. Her brow furrowed with concentration as she recalled the copious amounts of tequila she had consumed.
"Oh my, I sang! Yes I remember I sang.Oh my god, Britney!" she said.
"And the rest," he prompted.
"I remember that we went home in a taxi and I." she trailed off, blushing at the memory.
"And you gave me the touchy feely. And when we got back to our room well, you literally begged me for it," he finished.
"Don't say another word," she warned.
"Oh, but you were so good baby," he purred, blowing her a kiss.
Buffy shot up out of her seat, Spike sat up warily.
"I have to make a call, and in private," she said, before walking out into the living area, and slamming the bedroom door, hard.
Spike chuckled to himself as he got up out of bed, still wearing his black trousers of the night before. Picking up a towel, he made his way to the bathroom.
"Silly bint, if we'd really done the dirty, wouldn't we have been just a little more naked?" he said quietly under his breath.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Buffy sat down in one of the comfortable chairs in the living room, she picked up the phone and stared at it for several minutes, almost as if it contained all the answers to her current predicament. Sighing heavily, she dialled the number to the phone in her dorm, back home. It rang several times before being answered by a sleepy voice.
"Who ever you are, do you know what time it is?" groaned Willow, as she yawned.
"Hello, Willow?" asked Buffy.
Buffy looked at the clock on the wall.
"Buffy?" Willow asked.
"And in answer to your earlier question, it's almost noon," said Buffy.
"Yeah, in England maybe, take about eight hours off that time for Cali, then what do you get?" asked Willow.
"Oops, so it's 4am there right now?" asked Buffy.
"You got it, but I'm awake now so no big. Are you okay? You sound a little funny," said Willow.
Buffy paused for a moment.
"Buff?" prompted Willow.
"You know that Will spell, you did a few weeks back?" asked Buffy.
"How could I forget? Nearly ruined the lives of all my friends, but at least my cookie making skills improved," said Willow.
"Willow, I need to know, is there any chance that there could be any lingering after effects from it?" asked Buffy.
"What? My cookies?" Willow laughed uneasily.
"No, the spell. And be serious, this is important," Buffy replied.
"What's happened?" asked Willow.
"You know how we are best friends and can tell each other anything, knowing the other will understand?" asked Buffy.
"Buffy, you're scaring me," said Willow.
"Last night.I got very drunk," said Buffy.
"Way to go Buffy, guess the Watcher's council aren't such stiff upper lip types after all," said Willow.
"I wasn't with any members of the council at the time, I was with Spike, we went out together last night," Buffy admitted.
"Like on a date?" asked Willow.
"No! Absolutely not on a date, it was just a thing," said Buffy.
"Well then why are you so worried about it?" asked Willow.
Buffy paused for a moment and took a deep breath before speaking.
"Because when I woke up around ten minutes ago, I was in bed...with..Spike," she finished in a rush.
There was a continued silence at the other end of the line, apart from the almost inaudible sound of Willow's breathing.
"Willow? You still there?" asked Buffy.
"I-I don't know what to say Buffy. Did you guys, you know, do it?" said Willow.
"I remember kissing him on the way home in the taxi, after that everything was a blank," Buffy replied.
"What did Spike have to say on the matter?" asked Willow.
"He says we had a wonderful um, time," finished Buffy quickly.
"It's not because of that spell. Once a will spell is broken, there are no side effects. It's final Buffy, anything you've done since that day has been of your own accord," said Willow.
Buffy groaned. It was not what she had hoped to hear.
"Thanks Willow, I think I need to go and die now," said Buffy.
"Buffy are you okay?" She asked.
"Fine, talk to you soon Willow," Buffy replied emotionlessly.
"Buffy..I." Willow said to the dead phone line.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Buffy lay on the sofa, curled up into a defensive little ball. She stared at the floral wallpaper, as if her life depended upon it. Spike entered the room; she could smell the spicy aroma coming off his recently showered skin. Buffy hated her new awareness of him, she groaned inwardly. **I am such a slut** she thought to herself. **I've only been here twenty-four hours and I've already jumped the bones of the guy I should hate the most!**
Spike sat down in the chair opposite her. Buffy glanced at him quickly then averted her gaze. He started whistling softly, some unknown tune. It started to grate on her nerves.
"Spike, do you have to do that?" she snapped.
Buffy could have almost cried with relief, when there was a knock on their room door, she shot up off the sofa to answer it. A young boy, maybe no more than sixteen years old, stood there with an envelope on a silver tray.
"Miss Summers?" asked the boy.
She nodded and took the envelope from him. The boy continued to stare hopefully at her. He had already heard how the couple in room 210, were a little slow on the uptake, when it came to tipping. Spike dipped his hand in the pocket of his trousers, looking for cash. He walked over to where Buffy stood. Spike then wrapped his arms around her; she stiffened as he kissed her neck. She felt his smirk rather than saw it. Buffy was fuming inside, but she continued to smile sweetly at the boy. Spike leaned in closer to her as he reached past her to hand the boy his tip.
"Bye, have a nice day now," said Buffy, with saccharine sweetness.
She let the door fly, almost slamming it in the boy's face.
Spike backed off the moment the door shut. It was too late. Buffy kicked his legs out from under him, so that he fell onto the carpet and his back. While he was for a moment, stunned, Buffy snapped the leg off the nearby coffee table and jumped on him. Pinning him to the floor, with her superior strength.
"You're not gonna go all Johnny Depp on me, and trash our nice room are you love?" he asked nervously.
"That depends on you," Buffy said, as she rested the point of her makeshift stake against his chest.
"You know you're not going to use that, why do you keep playing these little games. How about we have another round of hide the stake? You seemed to like it well enough last night," Spike replied.
"There will be no hiding of any 'stakes' anywhere, unless it's of the wooden variety and it's me sticking it in you," she snapped.
"Didn't know that you went in for that kind of thing. Hidden depths there slayer. As much as I enjoy you're being on top, hadn't we better see what that letter was all about? I'm not risking my two million quid for a cheap thrill," he mocked her.
"You pig," Buffy swore as she grabbed the envelope, from where it had fallen on the carpet.
She tore open the envelope and read the contents, her face falling still further. Buffy got up off Spike.
"Bad news?" he asked, as he sat up.
"You mean worse than waking up in your arms this morning?" she replied.
Spike ignored her barbs. Growing a little weary of her attitude, he decided that he'd better come clean about the night before if he was to get any peace.
"Look, about last night." he began.
"I don't want to hear another word on the subject, it happened, there's nothing I can do to change that. I just wanna forget the whole thing, not that I remember much any way," said Buffy.
"But that's the point, the reason why you don't remember any thing is because."
Buffy cut him off.
"Not another word," she said warningly.
Spike swore.
"Bleeding hell, you are one stubborn bit.er girl. Have it your way then, but you'll be sorry," he snapped at her.
"I doubt that, by the way, Quentin is sending a limo to pick us up at 4:30, it should be dark enough for you to venture out by then," Buffy said as she picked up a magazine and pretended to read it.
"I never knew you cared," he replied.
Spike walked over to the mini fridge in the corner, opening the door. He raised his brows in surprise as he saw several blood bags resting inside. Feeling a little peckish, he tore the corner off one of them and drained the contents into a glass. He raised it to his lips and took a huge gulp.
"It's better warm, but beggars can't be choosers," he shrugged.
"Eww, that was a little more information than I needed," said Buffy.
Spike frowned, smacking his lips lightly.
"Is it just me, or does this blood taste funny? Here try a bit," he said, thrusting the glass under her nose.
"And again I say eww!" she replied as she flinched away from the coppery smell.
"Probably just me then," Spike said, as he swallowed down the rest of the blood.
Spike clutched his head as a wave of dizziness came over him. The glass he was holding, fell to the carpet. Buffy looked up at him.
"Spike! What is it?" She asked.
"I don't feel so good," he groaned as he sank to the floor.
TBC