Part 17: Safe Passage

Wow. Talk about the little update that could. I've been meaning to start MLIT 5 for the past two weeks. I've been meaning to finish AOI 18 for the past two weeks. I've been wanting to shoot myself in the head and start over for the past three weeks. Tonight I am devoting to writing, so hopefully SOMETHING will get done. There might be a craptastic ficlet going up at some point and I am working on Birthday!smut for Magz (yay for being the best beta ever! *smooches*) which is only coming up on three months late. Spangel has been getting my attention for the past couple of days. But tonight I'm all about the Spuffy. Promise.

Long story short: update. Woot!

Buffy went to sleep that night with the smell of lilies all around her, still reeling from the day's events. Just when she had thought that Angel had broken her Spike brought her back from the darkest place. He didn't expect anything in return and had done it all to make her happy. Which she was, which surprised her after the day's assault on her self-esteem.

She had walked through the whole room for over an hour, just looking at and smelling the flowers and debating on whether she should call Willow to tell her. She figured that it could wait until tomorrow and let herself enjoy her happiness. In her exploration, she had found one more thing that made her weak in the knees for Spike - a bouquet of roses. A dozen simple red roses settled amongst the lilies, and the only flowers with a card.

Just so you don't forget me, read the card and she had almost swooned, although given his grand gesture she knew that she would never in all of her life ever forget this night and the special man who had given it to her.

She'd stared at the card for a while before she went to sleep, studying it over and over until the words glowed bright in her mind far after she fell into a deep sleep.



"Sleep well?" asked a rough voice. She shivered and turned to face the man she'd dreamed of all night. Holding her coffee in one hand so as not to spill on him she allowed her other to wrap around the nape of his neck so she could bring him down to kiss her uncaring that she was in the middle of the hotel lobby.

Spike responded eagerly, but gently, before pulling away and resting his forehead on hers. "I'll take that as a yes."

Buffy gave him a big smile and pulled back as she tipped her sunglasses up to rest on top of her head. Her eyes twinkled at him and he couldn't help but grin back.

"I went to sleep with the smell of flowers and I woke up to them- all beautiful and from a very sexy man! What more could a girl want?"

"Hmmm. Very sexy man, eh? Do I need to get jealous? Maybe rough someone up, luv?"

"I think you should be quite jealous. This man is tall and very well built, has the most gorgeous eyes and has swept me off my feet. Oh yes, you should be very jealous," Buffy told him, very seriously.

"I should take you away then. Far away from this man who has captured your attention, to a remote and isolated area where it's only you and I and I can win you back," Spike told her, just as serious. "Come! We must go now, before you are lost to me forever!"

Buffy giggled. "I don't suppose this 'remote isolated area' would happen to be a crowded, surrounded studio, would it?"

"Damn. You found me out. Guess I'll have to find another place to surprise you with," He laughed with her. He found her hand and began to lead her outside to their waiting car. "So you did have a good night, luv?"

"Wonderful! The flowers are so pretty. I just don't know what I'm going to do with them all! Usually a girl would press a flower from a bouquet she gets, but I don't think I'll be doing that with the hundreds of flowers there are up there."

"I guess I'm not up to date in proper flower preservation techniques. Maybe we could vacuum seal them?" Spike asked as they got into the car.

Buffy laughed. "Something tells me that wouldn't work. I couldn't believe it when I got into the thick of them and found the roses though. I thought that was a sweet addition."

"Sorry?" Spike cocked his head at her as the car set out for the studio. "What roses, luv?"

"The ones you sent with the lilies. They were in the center of the room, kind of hidden. The ones with the card?" Buffy told him, waiting for him to clue in.

"I didn't send any roses, luv. I decided not to because I figured they were a bit old-hat. And I didn't send any cards either. I knew you'd know who they were from. What did it say?"

"'Just so you don't forget me'. I don't get it though, if you didn't send them, who did? And on the same day? Maybe the florist screwed up?"

"I don't know. Did the roses come from the same one?"

"The card had a Cashman's stamp on it. Was that the florist you used?"

"No, I used Moore's. So you got a bouquet of roses on the same day as I sent you the lilies. No idea who it's from, luv?"

"Absolutely no clue. The card wasn't signed so I figured it was from you."

"'Just so you don't forget me', huh?" Spike thought for a moment and then asked hesitantly, "There hasn't been… anyone you've met lately, luv? Like, someone- er. Maybe you met someone and they wanted to say hello?"

Buffy looked at Spike, confused, "I don't follow."

"I mean have you met someone else lately? Someone who would want to give you flowers? Like a- another ma-person?" Spike stumbled over his question and then gave up. "Ah, bugger it. Is there another guy somewhere who's sending you flowers, luv?"

Buffy burst out laughing. "No! You're too funny! All jealous and worried, poor baby."

"Not jealous! Not a 'poor baby'." Spike told her, defensively. "Just… wanted… to- uh- know if there was someone coming to try to take me out for touching their woman."

"You're priceless, do you know that?" Buffy asked, sliding across the seat toward him. She let her hand wind in the hair at his neck and smiled at him. "There isn't anyone else. You're it and have been the only one for quite awhile." She laughed again. "You're so cute."

"Great, I've gone from 'poor baby' to 'so cute' in under five seconds. You enjoy belittling my manhood, don't you pet?" Spike complained. Buffy got an evil glint in her eye and laughed yet again.

"You walked right into that one, Spike. Belittle and your manhood?" Spike just frowned and shook his head, a hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth. "But instead," her voice dropped down low so only he could hear. "I think I'll just say that I don't think there's anything little about you Spike."

Spike made a noise in the back of his throat that sounded suspiciously like a growl and leaned in to kiss her. The flowers and card from the mystery sender fell away from their minds as they spent the rest of the ride to the studio making out and whispering sweet nothings to each other.

Buffy and Spike arrived on set, ready to work but found things delayed and confusing. Security was everywhere on set and production assistants were running back and forth on the lot between actors, directors and studio heads. They looked at each other, concerned, before searching for Wesley. When they found him at craft services Cordelia and Tara were both there as well, wondering what was going on.

"Here you two are. Shooting is going to be delayed, obviously," Wesley told them as they approached.

"What's going on?" Buffy asked, watching a security guard rush by, mumbling into his walkie-talkie.

"Seems as though someone broke in last night," Wesley told them with a sigh. "Doesn't look like anything was taken, but the whole lot has to be searched. Cops have been here already and will be around for the rest of the day to make sure nothing happens. There weren't any threats phoned in and no one has found anything that could be dangerous, but it never hurts to be sure."

Buffy and Spike nodded as Snyder came up to them with a sour look on his face. "Pryce, come on. I need you to handle some reporters," the man snapped before hurrying on. Wes rolled his eyes and set out after him. Tara and Cordelia turned to Buffy and Spike and gestured to a nearby table.

"So the lot was broken into, huh?" Buffy asked as they sat down. Spike pushed her chair in for her, which did not go unnoticed by the other two women.

"Guess so. Wes didn't have all the details, but from what we've been hearing, it was a completely random thing. It doesn't look like anything was taken, but the studio heads want every possible explanation looked into. There's been everything from a rival studio looking for scripts to punk kids suggested," Cordelia explained. "I think they should just send us home. I mean, I could be sleeping or getting my nails done right now!"

Buffy and Tara giggled at Cordy's complaining as Xander approached them. Spike greeted him with a wave. "What's going on?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Xander responded sitting beside Cordy who gave him a small smile. Xander blushed a little before turning back to the others. "So I hear that they're checking out our trailers too, seems like there was some evidence of someone being over in that area."

"This sucks. And it's weird," Buffy complained, rubbing her arms. The whole situation felt funny to her. She was eager to get back to work and forget all about this.

"Yeah, but it doesn't look like it was anything too important so it's ok. We'll be back under slave-driver Snyder in no time," Xander quipped. The gang laughed and sat talking until Wesley hurried over to them and ordered them on set.

"We're starting now people, got the all clear." As they started to leave the table Wes called out to her, "Buffy, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Spike gave her a smile as he started off to his trailer to get changed for the day. Buffy clapped her hands and rubbed them eagerly, grinning at Wes as she approached him but her face fell when she saw the look on his. "Wes? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, Buffy, nothing like that. I was informed just now that there's evidence that someone tried to force their way into your trailer. They didn't succeed, thankfully as I'm not sure what you keep in there for valuables but I thought you might like to know," Wes told her quietly. Buffy gaped at him for a moment before shaking her head.

"You must be wrong. Why would they try for my trailer? Maybe they thought there was money in there or something? I don't have any but maybe they were just looking for something to steal or… take? I don't know," Buffy ran her hand through her hair, her uneasy feeling increasing.

"Security is going to look at the surveillance tapes from last night but they don't expect to find much as this lot is all shadows after dark. I don't want you to worry, because you're perfectly safe on set, but I wanted to let you know right away so nothing would be kept from you. We're also increasing security during filming, just to be on the safe side. Are you ok?" Wes asked, concerned at the pale look on Buffy's face.

She nodded and gave him a weak smile. "I'm fine, this is just weird, you know?" Wes nodded as well. Buffy sighed and started off towards her trailer to get ready, wondering how she always got stuck with the nut jobs.

"So guys, what are you all doing Friday night? Since we have Saturday off Cordy and I were thinking of hitting the clubs downtown, checking out the night scene. You up for it?" Xander jogged up behind Buffy and Spike as they walked off set, done for the day. It was a week after the attempted break-in and Buffy had not told anyone else about her trailer being the one they tried to burgle, not even Spike.

November had drifted into December and filming was on schedule, despite the time they lost because of the break in. These past couple of weeks with Spike, filming every day on set and then heading back to the hotel for dinner and making out while watching a movie or TV or just sitting around and reading or talking had been great. She felt so comfortable with him and how they were progressing. She didn't want to ruin anything by telling him that her trailer had been a possible target from the people who broke onto the lot, even though she really didn't think that. It was just a fluke, in her mind.

Spike turned to Buffy and raised an eyebrow. "What do you say pet? Want to go out and not be boring old fuddy-duddies for a night?"

Buffy shrugged, the thought of going out for once very appealing even though she knew she would be exhausted come Friday night. She was getting bored of staying in all the time and she was sure Spike was as well. "Why not?"

"Great, I'll go tell Cordy." Xander rushed off leaving Buffy and Spike smiling in his wake.

"Which one am I?" Buffy asked with mock annoyance. "The fuddy or the duddy?"

"You, my dear," Spike told her, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Can be fuddy or duddy because either way you make it unbelievably sexy."

Buffy laughed and shoved at him lightly. "You could charm your way into heaven, couldn't you?"

"I've already kissed your lips, can't get any more heavenly than that," Spike told her seriously. Buffy blushed and bit her lip, smiling. That was the cheesiest line she'd ever heard. And it made her deliriously happy.

"Come on, luv, everyone's waitin' on us!" Spike called to Buffy from the entryway to the suite. He could hear Buffy's heals clicking on the floor in the bathroom as she rushed to get ready.

"I'm almost done!" She called out. She checked her hair and makeup one last time before stepping through a spray of her favorite perfume and turning off the light. She grabbed her small clutch purse and walked out of her room. Spike was looking at his watch and jiggling his foot impatiently when she stepped out but when he looked up at her his whole world stopped.

Buffy grinned at his reaction and twirled as she approached him. His mouth dropped open as he took in her black halter-style jumpsuit that had no back and plunged nearly to her navel in the front. He opened his mouth to say something but it only came out in a croak as he felt his cock strain against his tight jeans.

"You like?" She asked, taking his hands and standing on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. He turned his head and caught her mouth in a searing kiss, his tongue possessively searching her mouth as one of his hands wrapped around her back, rubbing the smooth skin there.

He broke away with a ragged gasp. "I don't think we're leaving this room tonight, Buffy." She just laughed and led him to the door.

"Come on, it's going to be a lot of fun. And just think everyone in the bar will be jealous that you're the only one who gets to hold me, dance with me, touch me- all night long," She told him in a seductive tone as he followed her in a trance. In his mind, he groaned.

"That's what I'm afraid of, luv. I think someone is going to try to give me a run for my money tonight."

A sexy night out on the town. How will that work out? Check it out in Part 18.

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