Don't worry! My story is far from over! Thank you for all your kind words.
It's what keeps me writing!
Chapter Forty-Two: Together Again
Dawn stepped away from Spike, looked at him for minute and then reached out and slapped him, hard, across the face.
"Ow," Spike said. "Bloody hell, bit, what was that for?"
Dawn stared at him, tears streaming down her cheeks, "Don't you ever do that again! I thought you were going to die and leave us all."
"Hey," Spike said, pulling Dawn back into his arms. "Listen to me. I'm not going anywhere." He stepped back and looked at her, "I will never leave you," He raised his eyes to meet Buffy's, "Or your sister."
"Promise?" Dawn's voice and Buffy's eyes asked.
"I promise," Spike said.
"Good," Dawn said. She looked at Buffy, "How did you get his memory back?"
"A spell," Buffy told her. "Willow found the spell that was needed and Tara cast it."
"So everything's okay?" Dawn asked. "Right?"
"Almost," Buffy said, thinking of Jonathan down in the basement and Drusilla still running free with the remaining members of the Nerd trio. She looked at Spike, "Your insane ex has been busy."
"I know," Spike said. "She filled me in on her plan while we were down in my crypt."
"Everything?" Buffy asked.
Spike nodded, "Her plans to vamp those idiots, get me to leave town with her while her new childes opened the Hellmouth, yeah she filled me in."
"She must have missed the part about her new vampires wanting to take over the world too."
"What?" Spike laughed. "Those idiots want to take over the world? That I'd like to see."
"No you don't," Buffy said. "Because if they do."
"I know," Spike said, knowing that any attempt to open the Hellmouth and take over the world that was made by those idiots would bring disaster on all of them. "So how do we stop them?"
"I haven't figured that out yet," Buffy admitted. "But we could start by asking our friend in the basement."
"You have friends in the basement now," Spike said, his face lighting up. "Like on 'Passions?"
"No," Buffy said, exasperated. "I mean, Jonathan. He's still tied up down there, remember?"
"Oh yeah," Spike said, sounding disappointed. He had been hoping that evil spirits had taken up residence in the basement. "So what are we going to do with him?"
"I don't know," Buffy admitted. "I think we might have gotten all the information we're going to get out of him but if we turn him lose then they're going to figure out that we're on to them."
"How about a memory spell," Spike suggested. "There's been enough mojo going around here, a little more won't hurt."
"That might work." Buffy said. "If we can convince Tara to do the spell."
"Would she?" Spike asked. He knew how Tara felt about spells involving people's minds. He wasn't sure that she would agree to modify Jonathan's memory.
"It wouldn't hurt to ask," Buffy said. But just in case. "Could you hypnotize him? I know Drusilla was able to do that. Hypnotize him so that he can't remember anything."
Spike shook his head, "Sorry, luv, messing with people's minds was more Dru and Angel's style. I preferred a straight out fight."
"How about we send him back as he is," Dawn suggested.
"What?" Buffy asked. "And let him tell them that we know everything?"
"Sure," Dawn said. "What are they going to do? If they know that we know then it might force them out into the open, they might make their move."
"Wouldn't work," Spike said. "They can only open the Hellmouth when the stars are in the right position and that's not for a few more months."
"How do you know this?" Buffy asked.
"Dru told me the whole plan," Spike reminded her.
"So how long do we have?" Buffy asked.
"About four months," Spike said. "Have to check the star charts to find the exact date."
Buffy stared at him, "So you're saying that we're going to have to face the Hellmouth being open and possibly fight a demon battle around my due date?"
"Unless we can stop them," Dawn said. "If we stop them before they can open the Hellmouth then we don't have to worry."
"Great, we just have to stop an insane vampire, three nerds and an army of demons, and we have to do it all before they get a chance to open the Hellmouth," Buffy said.
"It can be done," Dawn said. "If we can get rid of Drusilla and the Nerd trio then the demon army will scatter. Problem solved."
"She has a point," Spike said.
"So you'd agree to a plan that will involve the staking of your insane ex?" Buffy asked.
"We don't have to stake Dru," Spike said. "Just run her out of town."
"We have to stake her," Buffy insisted. "If we don't she'll come back and who knows what she'll do. What if she decides to go after our baby? You know she will."
Spike didn't argue with her. If Drusilla got anywhere near Buffy or the baby she'd kill them both. Dru had always had a taste for both pregnant women and then babies too. "She will," Spike agreed. "Babies and pregnant women are a delicacy for her."
"So we go after Drusilla and those guys before they can open the Hellmouth," Buffy said. "And we don't stop until Drusilla's staked and those guys are behind bars."
"Sounds good," Spike said. "Things have been a little dull around here. A good spot of violence is just what we need." He looked at Buffy, seriously, "But you're staying out of it."
Buffy started to argue but then realized that this was one of the few times he was right. She hadn't patrolled in months and she hadn't trained for awhile either. She wasn't in the shape that was needed for a fight with an insane vampire. "Fine, but we have to stop them soon, before their demons army can get too big," And, she thought, so we don't have deal with the Hellmouth opening when the baby's due. Buffy also noticed that Spike hadn't exactly agreed to the staking of Drusilla but he hadn't completely rejected that it had to be done.
"We will," Spike said. "But before that, we can keep ourselves..occupied." He ignored Dawn's presence in the room and walked over and pulled her into his arms and into a sizzling kiss.
"Spike," Buffy gasped, trying to pull away.
"Don't tell me you didn't miss this," Spike said, kissing her again. He lowered his voice and looked into her eyes, "How about we kick your mates out of your room and use it for its original purpose?"
"Spike," Buffy protested.
"Don't tell me you don't want to," Spike said, grinning at her.
Buffy cursed her hormones. He was right, that was exactly what her body wanted. "I think I liked you better when you were unconscious." Spike looked at her, not believing her. Buffy cast a quick glance at Dawn, who was taking an interest in their conversation and then upstairs, "We have a house full of people, including Angel who will stake you if he."
"Fine," Spike said, grabbing his blanket with one hand and Buffy with the other. "We'll go some place more private." He opened the door, and pulled Buffy out the door, "Cover for us, will you Niblet?" He called, before closing the door behind them
Chapter Forty-Two: Together Again
Dawn stepped away from Spike, looked at him for minute and then reached out and slapped him, hard, across the face.
"Ow," Spike said. "Bloody hell, bit, what was that for?"
Dawn stared at him, tears streaming down her cheeks, "Don't you ever do that again! I thought you were going to die and leave us all."
"Hey," Spike said, pulling Dawn back into his arms. "Listen to me. I'm not going anywhere." He stepped back and looked at her, "I will never leave you," He raised his eyes to meet Buffy's, "Or your sister."
"Promise?" Dawn's voice and Buffy's eyes asked.
"I promise," Spike said.
"Good," Dawn said. She looked at Buffy, "How did you get his memory back?"
"A spell," Buffy told her. "Willow found the spell that was needed and Tara cast it."
"So everything's okay?" Dawn asked. "Right?"
"Almost," Buffy said, thinking of Jonathan down in the basement and Drusilla still running free with the remaining members of the Nerd trio. She looked at Spike, "Your insane ex has been busy."
"I know," Spike said. "She filled me in on her plan while we were down in my crypt."
"Everything?" Buffy asked.
Spike nodded, "Her plans to vamp those idiots, get me to leave town with her while her new childes opened the Hellmouth, yeah she filled me in."
"She must have missed the part about her new vampires wanting to take over the world too."
"What?" Spike laughed. "Those idiots want to take over the world? That I'd like to see."
"No you don't," Buffy said. "Because if they do."
"I know," Spike said, knowing that any attempt to open the Hellmouth and take over the world that was made by those idiots would bring disaster on all of them. "So how do we stop them?"
"I haven't figured that out yet," Buffy admitted. "But we could start by asking our friend in the basement."
"You have friends in the basement now," Spike said, his face lighting up. "Like on 'Passions?"
"No," Buffy said, exasperated. "I mean, Jonathan. He's still tied up down there, remember?"
"Oh yeah," Spike said, sounding disappointed. He had been hoping that evil spirits had taken up residence in the basement. "So what are we going to do with him?"
"I don't know," Buffy admitted. "I think we might have gotten all the information we're going to get out of him but if we turn him lose then they're going to figure out that we're on to them."
"How about a memory spell," Spike suggested. "There's been enough mojo going around here, a little more won't hurt."
"That might work." Buffy said. "If we can convince Tara to do the spell."
"Would she?" Spike asked. He knew how Tara felt about spells involving people's minds. He wasn't sure that she would agree to modify Jonathan's memory.
"It wouldn't hurt to ask," Buffy said. But just in case. "Could you hypnotize him? I know Drusilla was able to do that. Hypnotize him so that he can't remember anything."
Spike shook his head, "Sorry, luv, messing with people's minds was more Dru and Angel's style. I preferred a straight out fight."
"How about we send him back as he is," Dawn suggested.
"What?" Buffy asked. "And let him tell them that we know everything?"
"Sure," Dawn said. "What are they going to do? If they know that we know then it might force them out into the open, they might make their move."
"Wouldn't work," Spike said. "They can only open the Hellmouth when the stars are in the right position and that's not for a few more months."
"How do you know this?" Buffy asked.
"Dru told me the whole plan," Spike reminded her.
"So how long do we have?" Buffy asked.
"About four months," Spike said. "Have to check the star charts to find the exact date."
Buffy stared at him, "So you're saying that we're going to have to face the Hellmouth being open and possibly fight a demon battle around my due date?"
"Unless we can stop them," Dawn said. "If we stop them before they can open the Hellmouth then we don't have to worry."
"Great, we just have to stop an insane vampire, three nerds and an army of demons, and we have to do it all before they get a chance to open the Hellmouth," Buffy said.
"It can be done," Dawn said. "If we can get rid of Drusilla and the Nerd trio then the demon army will scatter. Problem solved."
"She has a point," Spike said.
"So you'd agree to a plan that will involve the staking of your insane ex?" Buffy asked.
"We don't have to stake Dru," Spike said. "Just run her out of town."
"We have to stake her," Buffy insisted. "If we don't she'll come back and who knows what she'll do. What if she decides to go after our baby? You know she will."
Spike didn't argue with her. If Drusilla got anywhere near Buffy or the baby she'd kill them both. Dru had always had a taste for both pregnant women and then babies too. "She will," Spike agreed. "Babies and pregnant women are a delicacy for her."
"So we go after Drusilla and those guys before they can open the Hellmouth," Buffy said. "And we don't stop until Drusilla's staked and those guys are behind bars."
"Sounds good," Spike said. "Things have been a little dull around here. A good spot of violence is just what we need." He looked at Buffy, seriously, "But you're staying out of it."
Buffy started to argue but then realized that this was one of the few times he was right. She hadn't patrolled in months and she hadn't trained for awhile either. She wasn't in the shape that was needed for a fight with an insane vampire. "Fine, but we have to stop them soon, before their demons army can get too big," And, she thought, so we don't have deal with the Hellmouth opening when the baby's due. Buffy also noticed that Spike hadn't exactly agreed to the staking of Drusilla but he hadn't completely rejected that it had to be done.
"We will," Spike said. "But before that, we can keep ourselves..occupied." He ignored Dawn's presence in the room and walked over and pulled her into his arms and into a sizzling kiss.
"Spike," Buffy gasped, trying to pull away.
"Don't tell me you didn't miss this," Spike said, kissing her again. He lowered his voice and looked into her eyes, "How about we kick your mates out of your room and use it for its original purpose?"
"Spike," Buffy protested.
"Don't tell me you don't want to," Spike said, grinning at her.
Buffy cursed her hormones. He was right, that was exactly what her body wanted. "I think I liked you better when you were unconscious." Spike looked at her, not believing her. Buffy cast a quick glance at Dawn, who was taking an interest in their conversation and then upstairs, "We have a house full of people, including Angel who will stake you if he."
"Fine," Spike said, grabbing his blanket with one hand and Buffy with the other. "We'll go some place more private." He opened the door, and pulled Buffy out the door, "Cover for us, will you Niblet?" He called, before closing the door behind them