I Think I Could

Disclaimer: Not mine, just playing with them. Right now more fun than pocket lint.

Summary: Oh just read it. You know you want to.

Reviews: Oh yes please. (On my knees begging) Muse works so much better with reviews in the inbox. Thanks to ALL reviewers. Readers rock but reviewers RULE!

A/N: Raiining, where are you? Seriously missed your unique commentary on the last two chapters. Hope I haven't lost you as a reader. Angeloholic, thank you so much. I feel the love. Sibling Creature, you ROCK! And to everyone else I can't remember the names of right now: THANK YOU!!

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Fred and Spike sat in the hanging porch swing that was hidden in the shadows. Spike kept the swing moving lazily by giving the floor a halfhearted kick every so often. He leaned against the arm of the swing while Fred reclined against his chest.

"Think they're still mad?" She asked quietly.

"Do you care?" He countered softly.

She shook her head. She shivered as his hand stroked her long dark hair. She turned in his arms to face him. Her face tilted up to his and she pressed a soft kiss on his surprised mouth. He recovered quickly and returned the caress. She pulled back slightly and gazed into his sapphire eyes. He traced her delicate features with a gentle hand.

"Are you sure, Sweetling?" He questioned with a whisper. She nodded and caught his mouth in a deeper kiss. He gasped as he opened his lips to allow her exploration. She slid a slender hand around his neck and held him in place while she continued the kiss. He backed up slightly and broke the contact.

"I think this should be your line, but… this is kind of sudden don't you think?" He whispered as he stroked a finger along her lips.

She took his hand in hers and nibbled his fingertip then kissed the tiny injury. He bit his lower lip and closed his eyes as sensation suffused his entire body. She had an overwhelming urge to taste that lip herself. Following the impulse she captured his full lower lip and nibbled it as she had his finger. He deepened the contact before breaking away panting for unneeded breath.

"I've wanted to do this since we danced the other night. There's something about you that I identify with." She told him, tracing his lean face with her slender fingers. Marveling at his sculpted cheekbones and beautiful blue eyes.

He smiled at her, shaking his platinum head. "But you don't love me." He stated surely.

"I think I could." She surprised him again. "Very easily." She caught his mouth again. "Besides, we're only kissing." She teased before continuing with the mind numbing kisses she was treating him to. Her warm fingers ran along his sensitive neck and reached around to play with the tiny curls at the back of his head. He shivered at the contact. She shifted so that her slender body slanted across Spike's muscled torso allowing her to sit on his lap. Her head rested on his shoulder. She found her lips close to his sensitive neck and kissed it, smiling at the tremor that ran along his lean body. A low growl sounded deep in his chest.

"Keep that up and it'll be more than kissing." He warned shakily. She giggled and snuggled closer. She took the hint and lessened her teasing of the sexy vampire. He heaved an exaggerated sigh of relief. Fred placed her hand on his chest over the spot where his unbeating heart rested. He anchored it there with his own cool hand. She giggled again.

"Now I'm funny?" He mock complained, glaring down at the small female in his arms.

She shook her head. "I just realized that I've never necked with a vampire before." She admitted.

Spike grinned. "You know what they say. Once you go vamp, you never go back."

She laughed in his face. "That's the silliest thing I've heard in a long time." She told him.

His lower lip poked out in a pout, providing an almost irresistible temptation for Fred. She captured the inviting lip between her white teeth and tortured them both by nibbling on it again. His moan matched hers as he deepened the kiss, making them both dizzy. He pulled away as they panted for breath.

"Ah, we're going to have to deal with… um… a cramp if we don't slow down." He gasped.

She rested against his chest. "I know. It's a little too soon for… um… cramps." She smiled at his analogy. He returned her smile and rested his forehead against hers.

"I never expected this you know." He said softly, placing a chaste kiss on the end of her nose.

She pressed a similar kiss on his chin. "Neither did I." She admitted. "I wish I didn't have to go back to LA."

He pulled her close again. "Don't go. Stay with me." He whispered.

Fred looped an arm around Spike's neck and buried her face. "I have to go." She said against his cool skin, making him shiver. "Besides, you're going back to England." She reminded him.

"Right, I sort of forgot about that." Spike rested his head on hers. "Can we open a link?"

She pulled back and looked up at him, puzzled. He explained. "I can form mental links with people so I can talk to them at any time from any distance…"

"Like with Xander and Dawn?" She finally got it. "Why do you have a link with Xander?"

"Damned if I know." He chuckled. "Something about 'guy time'. We'd have to ask Niblet." He hesitated. "Can we? Open a link between us? I won't do it without your permission."

She nodded shyly. "I don't know how though." She gazed up at him solemnly. He closed his eyes and concentrated.

'Sweetling?' He sent.

She jumped as his voice echoed in her head. 'Spike?' She asked silently.

He grinned. 'See how easy that was?'

'Wow.' Was all she sent back. He closed the link and opened his eyes.

"You can say that again." He murmured, kissing her once more. She was breathless again when they stopped.

He raised his head as he sensed someone approaching the kitchen door. Xander eased the door open with one hand covering his eyes. The grin on his face told the couple that everyone pretty much knew what they'd been doing the whole time they'd been gone.

"Fred? Are you done molesting Spike yet?" Xander teased.

Fred shifted her position. She no longer sat in Spike's lap but continued to lean against his shoulder. "I'll have you know that the molesting was mutual." She answered sassily. They shared a smile.

"Harris, go away and get your own girl." The blond vampire grumbled.

Xander lowered his hand and peeked, breathing a sigh of relief that it was safe to look. "I would but they're all taken, except for Dawnie of course and I don't think I want you killing me just yet." He hastened to add as he heard Spike growl at the mention of Dawn in that context. "Besides, don't much go in for dating little sisters."

"Nice save. Why are you bothering us?" Spike asked in frustration, missing the kisses already.

Xander wandered a little closer. "Angel wanted to know if Fred was going back to the motel with the rest of them. Or if she was going to stay with you. And I just went into a whole new level of denial by asking something so personal. And no, he did not ask me to ask you that close enough for Gunn, Wes or Buffy to hear."

The no-longer-evil blood-sucking fiend glared at his friend, then ruined the effect by yawning.

"Tell Peaches you succeeded in ruining a perfectly good snogging session and we'll be there in a minute." Spike waved a hand in dismissal, turning back to the pretty scientist snuggled up to him. Xander took the hint and retreated back into the house.

"Spike? What's snogging?" Fred asked curiously.

Spike kissed her. "Kissing."

He hugged her close. "Cuddling."

He placed a cool kiss on her long slender neck. "Necking."

He kissed her nose. "Making out. All the good stuff that leads to… cramps." He smiled at the look on her face.

"I like it." She told him seriously despite the sparkle in her brown eyes.

"Hmmm. Me too." He murmured against her lips.

She pushed him away with regret. "It's late. We need our sleep. I think the gang wants to go back to LA tomorrow."

Spike frowned. "So soon?"

Fred nodded sadly. "We've been away for a while. We have to get back."

"Can I transport there and visit?" Spike asked hesitantly.

"Yes. Now will you two hurry up and come on? People need their sleep." Angel interrupted from the doorway. "And we're not leaving tomorrow. At least not all of us. Willow wants to talk to me before we go. You two can see each other later. Wes and Gunn have already left for the motel. Rupert went with them. I got him a room there. Buffy got mad and went to bed. So it's safe to come in and say goodnight to Dawn. Fred, Xander is giving you and Cordy a ride. Spike, I suggest you sleep in your crypt tonight, with the protection barrier in place. I'm walking you back." He held the door open and waited for them to enter before following them and locking up behind them.

Dawn hugged Spike tightly. "I love you, regardless of what you choose to do." She whispered.

Spike looked at her in confusion. "I love you too Bit." He watched as she raced up the stairs to her room.

Willow and Tara both hugged Spike before going up to their room. Xander used his key to lock the front door after he, Angel, Spike, Fred and Cordy left the house. They walked out to his sedan waiting by the curb.

Spike and Fred hung back a little. He pulled her into his arms and gave her a lingering kiss good night. Cordy put a hand under Fred's elbow and gently pushed her into the car. Angel snagged Spike by the back of the neck, turned him away from the curb and began walking with him up the sidewalk. Xander exchanged amused looks with Cordy as they watched Fred twist in her seat to watch Angel and Spike's retreating forms.

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"Siiire! What? Ow! Let go!" Spike wrenched himself out of his Sire's iron grasp.

Angel glared in exasperation at his wayward Childe. "Didn't you just this afternoon ask Buffy if she'd wait for you while you were in England? And didn't you also promise to come back to her?" Angel asked angrily.

Spike stopped in his tracks and looked at Angel in horror. "Bloody Buggering Hell!" He swore more, fluently, in at least three demonic languages.

Angel tried to stay angry with the younger vampire. "Will. Do you love Buffy?" The question came out quieter than the last ones.

Spike stared at the sidewalk. "Yes." He answered softly, a world of pain in the one word.

The elder vampire nodded. "Are you still in love with her?"

The dark blue eyes flashed up at his Sire in surprise. He hadn't thought about it that way before. He knew he loved Buffy but he wasn't sure anymore that he was in love with her. She'd done more damage to his heart than anyone knew. Just two days ago she wasn't even sure she loved him. He still had a hard time accepting the declaration she'd made earlier. He'd just been so happy to finally hear the words he'd been waiting for that he'd made promises he wasn't sure he still wanted to keep.

Angel nodded his understanding of Spike's silence. "Do you love Fred?" He asked, shocking his Childe again.

Spike smiled involuntarily. "I think I could. Very easily." The glow in his sapphire eyes told Angel more than any words could have. The admission was more telling than the blond knew. Angel grasped Spike's arm and guided him down the sidewalk toward the crypt.

"You need to get into your crypt and stay there. I don't think Wesley will try to harm you but Gunn is definitely out for your head. Buffy isn't any too happy with you either." Angel advised.

"How did I manage to bollocks things up this time?" Spike asked in disgust.

"Well, I'd say going out to the back porch with Fred was not one of your brighter ideas." The elder vampire noted.

"Was her idea." Spike said defensively. "Always make the lady happy, I say." He fell silent for a moment remembering the feel of Fred's lips on his. Angel noticed with amusement that Spike's attention was no longer with him. From the dreamy look on the blond's face, Angel knew exactly what the distraction was.

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Cordelia sat sideways in her front seat and watched Fred as she strained to keep the two handsome vampires in sight. They faded into the darkness just as she saw Spike stop and look at Angel with horror. The expression on Spike's face scared her.

"Is Angel angry with Spike?" She asked her companions nervously.

Xander shook his head. "He just needed to remind Spike of something he said earlier today." He explained.

Cordy nodded. "It's not anything you did. Personally I think you and Spike could be very good for each other."

Fred smiled dreamily. "He's so sweet." She sighed.

Cordy laughed. "I never thought I'd hear that word to describe Spike, but I think maybe he can be."

"He's changed a lot, Cor. You have no clue what he's been through." Xander said quietly.

"There were a few visions I didn't share with anyone because there wasn't anything they could do. It was pretty frustrating to see it happening and not be able to help. So yeah, I do have a clue. It was pretty bad. I was thinking earlier that I might stake Spike myself if he goes back to Buffy." Cordy lowered her voice so Fred wouldn't hear.

Xander laughed. "Stand in line." What she'd just said sunk in. "Why would you get visions if there wasn't anything you could do about it? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of the visions? Wish I'd known what was happening." He finished soberly.

"You couldn't have helped either. It was something they both had to go through. We just need to be here for them now." Cordy patted his arm.

They looked into the back seat when they heard Fred squeak. A perfect red rose had appeared on her lap with a note attached. 'I think I could. Very easily.' It read in beautiful old-fashioned script. A happy smile lit her lovely face as she sniffed the delicate fragrance.

Cordy melted at the completely romantic gesture. Xander just shook his head with a smile. His buddy sure knew how to impress the ladies.