Chapter 9
Buffy tossed and turned in the huge seemingly empty bed. The red glowing numbers of the bedside clock seemed to glare at her mockingly. It was 2:30am, Spike was still up or at least she assumed he was. Buffy could hear the noise of the TV coming from the other room.
Her body felt as if it was on fire, beneath the cool cotton sheets. Buffy's mind kept replaying those moments in the taxi, the night before, when she had fused her lips to his. Was it wrong to feel this way? She reasoned with herself. Buffy remembered how hot she had been for Spike while under the influence of Willow's spell. She hadn't been able to stop kissing and touching him, he'd been the same. There had also been that need of his to try to protect her, even though she was the slayer and he was a defenceless chipped vampire.
They had already slept together once; even if she did seem to be suffering from amnesia, where that encounter was concerned. One more time couldn't hurt surely? She could chalk it up to holiday fling, swear him to secrecy and go back to Sunnydale when their two weeks were up and pretend it never happened. He would probably clear out when they got back anyway as he would have his money. Why else would he want to stick around? Buffy wanted him, she realised in a flash of revelation, so why couldn't she have him? Because it's wrong! Her inner voice, screamed at her.
"Shut up!" She said aloud.
Faith had taken what she had wanted, with no thought to the consequences, especially where guys were concerned. Want, Take, Have, hadn't that been the other girl's motto? Maybe she should find a guy who wouldn't make demands in her emotionally, like Riley or cheat on her like Parker. If she set the rules, then she could stay in the drivers seat. It was obvious Spike wanted her too, ever since they had been "In Love" it had seemed that every time they had met, that there was some unfinished business between them.
Buffy sat up in bed, and began to swing her legs over the side. She froze, hearing the click of the TV being switched off. And then the ensuing silence. Buffy started as the door swung open and the room was flooded with bright light from the lounge. She squinted in the sudden brilliance.
Spike stood in the doorway and tilted his head to one side. He studied her in the gloom. Buffy was sure her heart was beating so loud that he could hear it.
"What is it slayer? Having trouble sleeping?" Spike asked, softly.
Buffy responded to the timbre of his voice. It sounded so much nicer when it wasn't being used in sarcasm. Oh, and that accent. There were several million others in this strange country who talked as he, but only one with the power to make her melt internally.
"I.er.yes, I think it must be you know sleeping in a strange bed. And there is the time differences, it would only be somewhere around six-thirty in the evening in Sunnydale," Buffy replied in a rush, realising that she was starting to babble.
Spike walked slowly over to the bed and reached across her, to switch on a bedside lamp. Buffy sucked in her breath at his nearness.
Spike heard the tiny sound and smiled to himself. He sat down on the bed and regarded her in the soft glow. It was his undoing; Buffy looked beautiful in the muted lighting. Her pyjama top had slipped off one shoulder, to reveal her smooth white skin and the faint curve of her breast.
Spike stared at it for a moment, before dragging his gaze away from the exposed flesh.
"I have just the remedy for sleeplessness," He purred.
"Oh, yeah, what's that?" She asked in anticipation.
"Warm milk of course, I can phone room service to send you some up," Said Spike.
"Oh, thanks but no thanks," She replied, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice.
Buffy sighed; she had been hoping that he was going to make the first move. She wanted him so much, that she could almost taste it, and it was driving her crazy.
"Any other suggestions?" She asked expectantly.
"No, you?" He smiled at her.
He started to get up from the bed, reaching for the comforter and spare pillows. A few more seconds and he would be gone, Buffy knew she had to make her move now, or it would be too late. She reached out and put a hand on his arm.
"What is it, love?" he asked.
"You don't have to sleep on the sofa," She said quietly.
Spike looked at her as if she had grown two heads. He put the bedding down and got on his hands and knees on the floor and looked under the bed.
"Spike, what are you doing?" she asked in confusion.
Spike poked his head back up.
"Checking," He replied.
"For what?" She asked.
As he knelt back down.
"For that secret stash of alcohol that you must have been drinking, to make you say that in the first place," He said.
Buffy pulled him up by his shirt collar, to face her. They looked at each other for a moment, as Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Spike reared back in shock.
"What are you doing?" He asked her.
Buffy looked back at him shyly.
"Stay? I don't want to be alone," She sighed. The words were out there, she couldn't take them back now.
"If you're just looking for someone to warm your bed, you've come to the wrong person. And apart from the fact that I'm room temperature," said Spike.
She looked at him, the need evident in her eyes. He wanted to turn her down, it would be the ultimate revenge, but if Spike was honest with himself, he'd been waiting for this moment for as long as he could remember.
"Please?" She pleaded.
He touched her face tenderly. Spike sighed, before giving Buffy her answer in return of her kiss. With a fiery one of his own, that left her breathless and wanting more.
She lay back on the bed as he covered her body with his own.
"Are you gonna regret this in the morning Buffy?" He asked her.
"It already is the morning," Buffy said, as she pulled his head back down to hers.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
SUNNYDALE (EVENING)
Giles was working in the kitchen area of his apartment, emptying packets of potato chips and other various snacks, into bowls. It was Monday night, the night when he and Willow and Xander and Anya met up on a weekly basis to discuss anything otherworldly or demony. Alternatively, just time to hang out as friends. It had become even more important since Willow and Buffy had started at UC Sunnydale. The fried snack foods always guaranteed Xander's return.
A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. Wiping his hands on a nearby towel, he went to answer it. He opened the door, expecting it to be either Willow or Xander and Anya. Giles was surprised when it revealed a mailman with a clipboard and a padded envelope tucked under his arm.
"Delivery for a Mr Giles," said the mailman.
Giles showed him some ID from his wallet and signed for it. After closing the door, He ripped open the package. Giles drew away from the smell that emitted from it. Holding the blood bag up to the light, he examined the congealed reddish brown dregs, at its bottom.
At that moment, Willow chose to arrive.
"Hi, Giles. What you got there?" she asked curiously.
"A little something Buffy sent me from England," said Giles.
"If that's the kinda gifts we can expect from her when she gets back, then I sure hope she forgets mine," said Willow.
"No, Buffy called me. Something happened in London, she wanted me to check it out," He explained.
"Was it to do with her and Spike?" asked Willow.
"Yes, so she told you about Spike's blood being drugged, and possibly by the council?" asked Giles.
Willow looked flustered for a moment.
"Oh, er yes that's what she called me about, duh! Why else would Buffy be calling me," said Willow, more to herself than Giles.
Buffy obviously hadn't shared about what had possibly happened with Spike the night before.
"Well you know what to do, dig out the microscope, its behind that pile of books on my study table," said Giles.
Willow walked over to the table to retrieve the microscope.
"What exactly are we looking for?" she asked.
"Traces of narcotics, demon blood, spells, any thing unusual," said Giles.
She found the microscope and held it up.
"We're not gonna find it all with this, there maybe some magic needed to find all the answers you're looking for," said Willow.
Anya opened the front door, catching the tail end of Willow sentence. She put her hand on Xander's arm.
"What is it honey?" he asked.
"They're gonna be doing scientific experiments and casting spells, why don't we just go home and do something else? We could have more sex," asked Anya, hopefully.
Giles looked at the couple.
"I have ruffles potato chips and M&M's and milk duds," said Giles.
"That's sealed the deal, sorry hun, but we're staying," said Xander.
He grabbed the bowl of chips off the counter and sat down on the sofa.
Anya pouted and sat down next to him.
"Switch the TV on please. It's still hard to get used to the fact that Giles is as easily seduced by the power of TV like all us other mortals," said Xander.
"And how others are as easily seduced by the promise of free food," grumbled Anya, as she switched on the TV.
Xander settled down to watch the screen. Anya absentmindedly popped a potato chip in her mouth, deciding that if you couldn't beat em' then join em'
Giles and Willow worked over the different slides as they placed them under the microscope.
"Nothing, nada, zilch, looks like a spell is in order," said Willow, as they looked at the last one.
Giles sighed.
"I was hoping to avoid that, but it looks like darker forces are at work here," he replied.
Giles and Willow moved their operation to the kitchen. Giles ferreted out several noxious looking packets from the cupboards and put them down on the counter.
SEVERAL MINUTES LATER
"There that should do it," said Giles, as he added the scrapings of the blood bag to the granite bowl.
Willow looked at the book they had been using for the spell.
"It's not doing anything," she said.
"Give it a moment, ah look it's turning purple. What does that mean? Check the book," said Giles.
"Purple, purple, yes purple suggests the presence of the blood of demons such as a Mohra demon, or the Lazarus demon. Heard of any of those?" asked Willow.
Giles took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead tiredly.
"They are demons whose blood has regenerative powers, but why the council would want to feed it to Spike is beyond me. It would make him human, after a fashion," said Giles.
"Maybe that's the councils new plan, make all the vamps human. You know, to save on staking time," suggested Willow.
"No, they want him in a human state or at least a semi human state for a reason. If he was infected with the blood of the Lazarus then the effects will only be for no longer than a few hours. It will have little, or no effect on his vampiric powers or nature," Giles explained.
"So it would make him capable of all the things that a live male could do?" asked Willow.
"Yes, why all the sudden interest in Spike's bodily functions?" asked Giles.
Oh, nothing' inquiring young minds and all," said Willow innocently.
Willow's mind was furiously doing the math from the time of Buffy's phone call. Buffy hadn't mentioned that anything had happened to Spike's blood when she had called, so it must have happened later in the day. She breathed a sigh of relief; Buffy and Spike had slept together before the infection. Maybe Giles would never need to find out about what had occurred while Buffy and Spike had been away together in London.
Giles walked out of the kitchen to use the phone.
"Who are you calling?" asked Willow.
"A friend, a watcher friend. Someone who I can trust, his name is Robson. We go back along way," said Giles.
"As long as it not a friend in the Ethan Rayne kinda way," said Willow.
Giles shook his head.
"Trouble at the fort?" asked Xander, looking up from his bowl of potato chips.
"There may be, the watchers council are up to something and I am worried about Buffy, all alone and thousands of miles away, she may need help," said Giles.
"She has Spike," said Anya.
"And strangely I am not reassured," said Giles, as he dialled the number.
"Is some one going to fill me in on what's happening?" asked Xander.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Spike sat up in bed and watched Buffy as she lay sleeping. Something had changed between them last night. More that just the joining of two bodies. After they had made love, Spike had noticed a tear on her cheek. Had it been regret for what had passed between them? He knew he had not hurt her; otherwise, he would have suffered an instant migraine.
Buffy turned over in bed and opened her eyes, they widened with remembrance of the night they had spent together. Spike had been an unbelievably tender lover; Buffy had been expecting almost rough animalistic sex, given his vampiric nature. It was not something she had bargained on. In fact, it had been so beautiful, she had cried. This was not working out the way she had thought at all. What if you did the, want, take, have, thing and then discovered somewhere along the line that you wanted to keep?
Spike looked at her expectantly. She returned his look shyly.
"Spike, I er about last night," she began.
"Yes?" he prompted.
There was a loud urgent sounding knock at the door of their hotel room.
"Dammit! I'd better get that," said Spike, as he got up to answer it.
Spike rose up from the bed, naked. He quickly shrugged into his jeans.
"Back in a minute, don't go away," he said, as he exited the room.
Buffy thumped her pillow in frustration.
A much stronger word than dammit, springs to mind," she said angrily.
TBC
A/N Robson in the story, is the watcher that Giles went to see in series 7, when he was in London. I thought it better to use an already known character, than bringing in another new one.
Buffy tossed and turned in the huge seemingly empty bed. The red glowing numbers of the bedside clock seemed to glare at her mockingly. It was 2:30am, Spike was still up or at least she assumed he was. Buffy could hear the noise of the TV coming from the other room.
Her body felt as if it was on fire, beneath the cool cotton sheets. Buffy's mind kept replaying those moments in the taxi, the night before, when she had fused her lips to his. Was it wrong to feel this way? She reasoned with herself. Buffy remembered how hot she had been for Spike while under the influence of Willow's spell. She hadn't been able to stop kissing and touching him, he'd been the same. There had also been that need of his to try to protect her, even though she was the slayer and he was a defenceless chipped vampire.
They had already slept together once; even if she did seem to be suffering from amnesia, where that encounter was concerned. One more time couldn't hurt surely? She could chalk it up to holiday fling, swear him to secrecy and go back to Sunnydale when their two weeks were up and pretend it never happened. He would probably clear out when they got back anyway as he would have his money. Why else would he want to stick around? Buffy wanted him, she realised in a flash of revelation, so why couldn't she have him? Because it's wrong! Her inner voice, screamed at her.
"Shut up!" She said aloud.
Faith had taken what she had wanted, with no thought to the consequences, especially where guys were concerned. Want, Take, Have, hadn't that been the other girl's motto? Maybe she should find a guy who wouldn't make demands in her emotionally, like Riley or cheat on her like Parker. If she set the rules, then she could stay in the drivers seat. It was obvious Spike wanted her too, ever since they had been "In Love" it had seemed that every time they had met, that there was some unfinished business between them.
Buffy sat up in bed, and began to swing her legs over the side. She froze, hearing the click of the TV being switched off. And then the ensuing silence. Buffy started as the door swung open and the room was flooded with bright light from the lounge. She squinted in the sudden brilliance.
Spike stood in the doorway and tilted his head to one side. He studied her in the gloom. Buffy was sure her heart was beating so loud that he could hear it.
"What is it slayer? Having trouble sleeping?" Spike asked, softly.
Buffy responded to the timbre of his voice. It sounded so much nicer when it wasn't being used in sarcasm. Oh, and that accent. There were several million others in this strange country who talked as he, but only one with the power to make her melt internally.
"I.er.yes, I think it must be you know sleeping in a strange bed. And there is the time differences, it would only be somewhere around six-thirty in the evening in Sunnydale," Buffy replied in a rush, realising that she was starting to babble.
Spike walked slowly over to the bed and reached across her, to switch on a bedside lamp. Buffy sucked in her breath at his nearness.
Spike heard the tiny sound and smiled to himself. He sat down on the bed and regarded her in the soft glow. It was his undoing; Buffy looked beautiful in the muted lighting. Her pyjama top had slipped off one shoulder, to reveal her smooth white skin and the faint curve of her breast.
Spike stared at it for a moment, before dragging his gaze away from the exposed flesh.
"I have just the remedy for sleeplessness," He purred.
"Oh, yeah, what's that?" She asked in anticipation.
"Warm milk of course, I can phone room service to send you some up," Said Spike.
"Oh, thanks but no thanks," She replied, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice.
Buffy sighed; she had been hoping that he was going to make the first move. She wanted him so much, that she could almost taste it, and it was driving her crazy.
"Any other suggestions?" She asked expectantly.
"No, you?" He smiled at her.
He started to get up from the bed, reaching for the comforter and spare pillows. A few more seconds and he would be gone, Buffy knew she had to make her move now, or it would be too late. She reached out and put a hand on his arm.
"What is it, love?" he asked.
"You don't have to sleep on the sofa," She said quietly.
Spike looked at her as if she had grown two heads. He put the bedding down and got on his hands and knees on the floor and looked under the bed.
"Spike, what are you doing?" she asked in confusion.
Spike poked his head back up.
"Checking," He replied.
"For what?" She asked.
As he knelt back down.
"For that secret stash of alcohol that you must have been drinking, to make you say that in the first place," He said.
Buffy pulled him up by his shirt collar, to face her. They looked at each other for a moment, as Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Spike reared back in shock.
"What are you doing?" He asked her.
Buffy looked back at him shyly.
"Stay? I don't want to be alone," She sighed. The words were out there, she couldn't take them back now.
"If you're just looking for someone to warm your bed, you've come to the wrong person. And apart from the fact that I'm room temperature," said Spike.
She looked at him, the need evident in her eyes. He wanted to turn her down, it would be the ultimate revenge, but if Spike was honest with himself, he'd been waiting for this moment for as long as he could remember.
"Please?" She pleaded.
He touched her face tenderly. Spike sighed, before giving Buffy her answer in return of her kiss. With a fiery one of his own, that left her breathless and wanting more.
She lay back on the bed as he covered her body with his own.
"Are you gonna regret this in the morning Buffy?" He asked her.
"It already is the morning," Buffy said, as she pulled his head back down to hers.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
SUNNYDALE (EVENING)
Giles was working in the kitchen area of his apartment, emptying packets of potato chips and other various snacks, into bowls. It was Monday night, the night when he and Willow and Xander and Anya met up on a weekly basis to discuss anything otherworldly or demony. Alternatively, just time to hang out as friends. It had become even more important since Willow and Buffy had started at UC Sunnydale. The fried snack foods always guaranteed Xander's return.
A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. Wiping his hands on a nearby towel, he went to answer it. He opened the door, expecting it to be either Willow or Xander and Anya. Giles was surprised when it revealed a mailman with a clipboard and a padded envelope tucked under his arm.
"Delivery for a Mr Giles," said the mailman.
Giles showed him some ID from his wallet and signed for it. After closing the door, He ripped open the package. Giles drew away from the smell that emitted from it. Holding the blood bag up to the light, he examined the congealed reddish brown dregs, at its bottom.
At that moment, Willow chose to arrive.
"Hi, Giles. What you got there?" she asked curiously.
"A little something Buffy sent me from England," said Giles.
"If that's the kinda gifts we can expect from her when she gets back, then I sure hope she forgets mine," said Willow.
"No, Buffy called me. Something happened in London, she wanted me to check it out," He explained.
"Was it to do with her and Spike?" asked Willow.
"Yes, so she told you about Spike's blood being drugged, and possibly by the council?" asked Giles.
Willow looked flustered for a moment.
"Oh, er yes that's what she called me about, duh! Why else would Buffy be calling me," said Willow, more to herself than Giles.
Buffy obviously hadn't shared about what had possibly happened with Spike the night before.
"Well you know what to do, dig out the microscope, its behind that pile of books on my study table," said Giles.
Willow walked over to the table to retrieve the microscope.
"What exactly are we looking for?" she asked.
"Traces of narcotics, demon blood, spells, any thing unusual," said Giles.
She found the microscope and held it up.
"We're not gonna find it all with this, there maybe some magic needed to find all the answers you're looking for," said Willow.
Anya opened the front door, catching the tail end of Willow sentence. She put her hand on Xander's arm.
"What is it honey?" he asked.
"They're gonna be doing scientific experiments and casting spells, why don't we just go home and do something else? We could have more sex," asked Anya, hopefully.
Giles looked at the couple.
"I have ruffles potato chips and M&M's and milk duds," said Giles.
"That's sealed the deal, sorry hun, but we're staying," said Xander.
He grabbed the bowl of chips off the counter and sat down on the sofa.
Anya pouted and sat down next to him.
"Switch the TV on please. It's still hard to get used to the fact that Giles is as easily seduced by the power of TV like all us other mortals," said Xander.
"And how others are as easily seduced by the promise of free food," grumbled Anya, as she switched on the TV.
Xander settled down to watch the screen. Anya absentmindedly popped a potato chip in her mouth, deciding that if you couldn't beat em' then join em'
Giles and Willow worked over the different slides as they placed them under the microscope.
"Nothing, nada, zilch, looks like a spell is in order," said Willow, as they looked at the last one.
Giles sighed.
"I was hoping to avoid that, but it looks like darker forces are at work here," he replied.
Giles and Willow moved their operation to the kitchen. Giles ferreted out several noxious looking packets from the cupboards and put them down on the counter.
SEVERAL MINUTES LATER
"There that should do it," said Giles, as he added the scrapings of the blood bag to the granite bowl.
Willow looked at the book they had been using for the spell.
"It's not doing anything," she said.
"Give it a moment, ah look it's turning purple. What does that mean? Check the book," said Giles.
"Purple, purple, yes purple suggests the presence of the blood of demons such as a Mohra demon, or the Lazarus demon. Heard of any of those?" asked Willow.
Giles took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead tiredly.
"They are demons whose blood has regenerative powers, but why the council would want to feed it to Spike is beyond me. It would make him human, after a fashion," said Giles.
"Maybe that's the councils new plan, make all the vamps human. You know, to save on staking time," suggested Willow.
"No, they want him in a human state or at least a semi human state for a reason. If he was infected with the blood of the Lazarus then the effects will only be for no longer than a few hours. It will have little, or no effect on his vampiric powers or nature," Giles explained.
"So it would make him capable of all the things that a live male could do?" asked Willow.
"Yes, why all the sudden interest in Spike's bodily functions?" asked Giles.
Oh, nothing' inquiring young minds and all," said Willow innocently.
Willow's mind was furiously doing the math from the time of Buffy's phone call. Buffy hadn't mentioned that anything had happened to Spike's blood when she had called, so it must have happened later in the day. She breathed a sigh of relief; Buffy and Spike had slept together before the infection. Maybe Giles would never need to find out about what had occurred while Buffy and Spike had been away together in London.
Giles walked out of the kitchen to use the phone.
"Who are you calling?" asked Willow.
"A friend, a watcher friend. Someone who I can trust, his name is Robson. We go back along way," said Giles.
"As long as it not a friend in the Ethan Rayne kinda way," said Willow.
Giles shook his head.
"Trouble at the fort?" asked Xander, looking up from his bowl of potato chips.
"There may be, the watchers council are up to something and I am worried about Buffy, all alone and thousands of miles away, she may need help," said Giles.
"She has Spike," said Anya.
"And strangely I am not reassured," said Giles, as he dialled the number.
"Is some one going to fill me in on what's happening?" asked Xander.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Spike sat up in bed and watched Buffy as she lay sleeping. Something had changed between them last night. More that just the joining of two bodies. After they had made love, Spike had noticed a tear on her cheek. Had it been regret for what had passed between them? He knew he had not hurt her; otherwise, he would have suffered an instant migraine.
Buffy turned over in bed and opened her eyes, they widened with remembrance of the night they had spent together. Spike had been an unbelievably tender lover; Buffy had been expecting almost rough animalistic sex, given his vampiric nature. It was not something she had bargained on. In fact, it had been so beautiful, she had cried. This was not working out the way she had thought at all. What if you did the, want, take, have, thing and then discovered somewhere along the line that you wanted to keep?
Spike looked at her expectantly. She returned his look shyly.
"Spike, I er about last night," she began.
"Yes?" he prompted.
There was a loud urgent sounding knock at the door of their hotel room.
"Dammit! I'd better get that," said Spike, as he got up to answer it.
Spike rose up from the bed, naked. He quickly shrugged into his jeans.
"Back in a minute, don't go away," he said, as he exited the room.
Buffy thumped her pillow in frustration.
A much stronger word than dammit, springs to mind," she said angrily.
TBC
A/N Robson in the story, is the watcher that Giles went to see in series 7, when he was in London. I thought it better to use an already known character, than bringing in another new one.