Thank you for the reviews to Chapter 1, I hope you all enjoy this chapter as well.
Again, I don't own anything. All praise and credit should go to Joss.
Chapter 2 Ground Rules
The pain woke her up, her whole body ached, some areas were a dull throb while others were a more urgent tempo of agony. The worst was her head, the right side hurt, and with each heartbeat it felt like she was being hit again. She tried to move her hand to her head and found she couldn't move it. The realization she was restrained brought her fully awake and alert. She opened her eyes and tried to sit, but the restraints wouldn't permit it. In near panic she looked around her, she needed to access the situation. She was in a dingy apartment or hotel, not that much different from her own. She was on her back manacled to a bed, actual metal, medieval-looking manacles, does anyone even make those anymore? She was still dressed, so that was good. She tried to think. The last thing she remembered was fighting Spike and losing. She hadn't expected to wake up at all, why hadn't Spike killed her? Is he the one who brought her here or did he leave her lying in that alley and someone else found her? She wasn't sure which would be worse.
It wasn't until it was turned off that she realized water had been running nearby, a shower maybe. If it was her captor that meant he would be back momentarily. She strained at her bonds, the bed frame creaked but the manacles held. If she had enough time she could maybe break the frame, but she heard the rattle of the doorknob. She decided to pretend to still be unconscious, whoever it was might leave her for longer if he thought she was still out.
She heard bare feet on the linoleum floor and another door open, maybe her plan was working she thought hopefully. She had to fight the urge to open her eyes just a sliver to glimpse her captor.
"I can tell you're awake, luv. Heart rate's up." Spike's vaguely amused voice floated towards her.
She let out a sigh. "Dammit Spike why..." she stopped when she saw him, he was standing at the door of what was obviously his closet. His platinum hair plastered to his head, little drops of water rolling down to his alabaster chest, and further down to the towel he had wrapped low on his waist like a skirt. "Why don't you have any clothes on?" she asked warily.
"Because I just got out of the shower." He turned towards the closet and selected a shirt. "You don't have to worry about whatever virtue you have left." He turned back towards her. "If that was what I was planning you wouldn't have any clothes on either." He did however give her a lusty look and curled his tongue up behind his teeth. "Not that it hadn't crossed my mind." He pulled the t-shirt on over his head and Buffy couldn't help but watch his muscled torso. He had always looked lean, almost thin, she wondered how he could be so strong but she didn't have to wonder anymore he was nothing but muscles. "Slayer, are you checking out my chest?" Spike said in mock indignation.
She jumped guiltily. "I was just surprised at how muscled you are...not that I've ever thought of your muscles." she quickly backpeddled. She could feel her cheeks burn.
He chuckled. "I guess turnabout is fair play, I had checked out your bum earlier. Hadn't meant to, just caught my eye." He turned back to the closet and grabbed a pair of jeans, then dropped the towel with no warning.
"Oh my god Spike." she yelled and quickly turned her head away. She had never seen a guy's naked butt before. Sure she and Angel had made love, but it was dark and she was shy and there were sheets.
"That's usually the reaction I get from the front view..." he joked then stopped. She heard him walk up to the bed but she kept her head turned and her eyes tightly shut. "Slayer, look at me." he said softly.
"Are you decent?" She asked through clenched teeth.
"Yeah, all put away." He whispered. She turned her head slightly and opened her eyes, flicking them over him before breathing a sigh of relief and looking at his adam's apple, unable to meet his eyes.
"You have been with a man before, haven't you?"
"If I have a choice here Spike I would prefer not to die of embarrassment," She still wouldn't meet his eyes.
"Answer the question Slayer. Those Watcher prigs don't make you take a vow or what-not, do they?"
She was going to refuse to answer, then it occurred to her that if he thought that she was a virgin he might decide to "fix" that situation. "Don't worry Spike, go ahead and kill me, I won't die a virgin." Then something struck her, she looked at him puzzled. "Angel never told you?"
"You gave it up to that wanker?" Spike looked disgusted. He moved away from the bed and walked over to the refrigerator.
Great, even the evil dead disapprove of my taste in men. She stared at the ceiling, willing this night to end even if it was with Spike killing her.
"Wait a mo, when did you shag him?" He asked over the top of the fridge door. She glared at him. "Is that how he lost his soul?" Her eyes filled with tears and she turned her head away. "What kind of messed up slayer power is that? Turning a lame soul-having vampire into a soulless monster?"
"Dammit Spike! It isn't a slayer power, it was how the gypsy curse worked. Now will you just kill me and get it over with?" she shouted at him.
"No." he said simply, his back to her. He was doing something in the kitchen area.
"No what?"
"No, I'm not going to kill you, least not tonight." He put something in the microwave, pushed a few buttons, and turned to face her, leaning against the counter, his arms crossed in front of him.
"You're not?" she asked in disbelief. He smirked and shook his head. "Then why am I here?"
"It looked like you were going to be out of it for awhile, I couldn't just leave you unconscious in an alley. Something nasty might have gotten you."
"Something nasty does have me." she pointed out. "Why didn't you just finish me off? Isn't that your thing, killing slayers?"
The microwave beeped and he turned to open it. "Didn't seem right." his shoulders shrugged slightly.
"It usually feels right to kill a slayer?"
"You were completely off your game tonight pet. You'll be my third slayer and it needs to mean something. If I'd killed you tonight it would have been a hollow victory. Would have cheapened it." He turned back around, he took a swig out of the coffee mug he was holding, it left his lips covered in blood.
So she was so pathetic now she wasn't even worth killing, tonight just kept getting better and better. "You were willing to kill me at Halloween when I was all "damsel in distress."
"Yeah, being stuck in that sodden wheelchair gave me a lot of time to think. You'll note, I was even willing to destroy the world by bringing back the Judge not that long ago. Made me think about what was important."
"Okay, you couldn't kill me, cause I didn't put up a good enough fight. You didn't leave me unconscious in the alley because, apparently, buried someplace deep in you there's a shred of decency. Which, by the way, huge surprise." he looked offended at that but she pressed on. "You said you had decided against raping me, so why am I manacled to your bed?"
He set down the mug and walked slowly to the bed, he stared down at her with a dark look on his face. "You know Slayer," his voice had become a threatening whisper. He ran the back of a finger down the inside of her arm, she tried to jerk away from him, but the chains were too short, "with the position you are in right now, I would be careful about insulting a bloke's honor." He put one knee on the bed followed by the other, then swung one leg over her so he was straddling her hips. He let his weight settle on her, his pelvis pressed to hers, leaning forward he placed one hand on either side of her head. He stared down at her, his face barely an inch from her own. "Especially when said honor is the only thing keeping you alive and unviolated."
Her heart had leapt into her throat, she tried to swallow it down but her mouth had gone completely dry. She was afraid to move, afraid any struggling would incite the predator in him. His eyes were so intense, angry, unblinking. She could smell the blood on his breath, mingling with her own. This was so bad. Her mouth had gotten her in all sorts of trouble before, but never like this. She tried to speak but at first nothing came out. She licked her lips and tried again. "You're right Spike, I'm sorry." she whispered.
He smiled, his eyebrows high and he sat back on her, his hands slapping palms down on his knees. "Alright then. Glad we got that sorted out." he swung off her in a fluid movement and retrieved his mug, taking another sip.
She let out a shaky sigh, willing her heart to slow down. Her head was spinning and she could feel the adrenalin running through her. That's what had been missing during the fight, her body just didn't get in gear and get her pumped up for it. Or was she really so miserable that she hadn't cared enough about the outcome of the fight? Only when she was threatened with "a fate worse than death" had she responded.
As the pounding of the blood in her ears receded she realized Spike was talking to her.
"Earth to Buffy." He came and stood over her again, "You all right there, pet?"
"Yeah, peachy." She fought to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. "What did you say?"
"I was asking what your question was when you had decided to cast aspersions on my better nature." He looked fairly amused.
"Oh, why am I shackled?" She decided to leave the 'to your bed' part unsaid.
"I wanted to take a shower and I didn't fancy you waking up and attacking me, end up having to fight with conditioner running into my eyes. Stuff burns."
"So you're out of the shower now, can I go?" she asked hopefully.
He drained his mug and set it down. Then he walked to the foot of the bed and leaned on the top of the steel footboard she was chained to. "The thing is Slayer, if I let you go now, you'll know where I am and you can just sneak in and stake me while I sleep. It's almost dawn so it's too late for me to move, so I think we are going to end up having a little slumber party, I'll let you go tonight when I get up." He patted her foot.
"What?"
"You know, a slumber party." He smiled giddily, like a middle school girl. "Stay up til the wee hours talking about boys, making crank phone calls, braiding each other's hair." He looked upwards. "Well, braiding your hair I guess." His eyes were sparkling at his own wit.
"Spike, I can't stay here all day." she tried to sound reasonable.
"Why not?"
"Because I'll lose my job."
"You have a job? Doing what?"
"I'm a waitress and if I just don't show up, I''ll get fired."
"Call in sick."
"You'll let me use the phone?"
"I dial, listen in, you talk, tip anyone off you die." He said it as if it were just another to-do list.
"What about food?" she was looking for any reason for him to let her go.
"Peckish?" he walked back to the kitchen and began opening cupboards. "You can survive the day on strawberry poptarts and microwave popcorn."
Her voice got really small and she shifted uncomfortably. "I need to pee."
He sighed, "Fine." He grabbed the key from a cupboard well out of her reach. "Keep still." He instructed as he detached the chain of one leg iron from the bedframe. He then detached the chain from her other leg and attached the other, chaining her legs together.
"Really? I have to go to the bathroom shackled?"
"Unless you want me in there with you. Not really my cup of tea, watching ladies go to the loo, but I'll cope. Your choice." he shrugged and waited for her decision.
"Fine, the shackles." There was no way she would pee in front of Spike.
He shrugged and moved up to her hands. "If you try anything, escape, attacking me, whatever, you'll end up sleeping on the floor with no bathroom privileges." He looked at her and she nodded her understanding.
She was surprised when he released her hands from the shackles instead of just detaching them from the bed. She almost commented on it but decided not to push her luck. She took a tentative step, he had given her enough slack so she could walk, albeit with short strides, but not enough that she could run or kick. "Thank you." she offered as she walked by him.
"Don't take too long, I don't knock." he warned her.
"Okay." She went into the bathroom and closed the door, leaning her head against it. God what a mess. She was so at Spike's mercy, and he had never shown any before. Shackled like this she really couldn't fight him. No one knew where she was so there would be no friends coming to the rescue. If he decided not to let her go come sundown she couldn't see what she could do about it, unless he got careless and fell asleep with the key within reach, but she doubted even he would be so reckless. She felt tears sting her eyes but she fought them back, tears wouldn't work on Spike and she had been wallowing in self-pity all summer and she was none the better for it. No, she would just have to go along with him for now, keep her big mouth from pissing him off again and look for a reasonable opening.
Even though she hadn't felt a pressing need, she figured she better use the facilities while she had the opportunity since she didn't know if he would give her another. As she went to wash her hands she glanced in the mirror, she looked awful, her hair was a total mess, with debris from the alley and possibly some caked blood. The side of her face was still bruised and swollen and her eyes were all puffy from their attempt at crying. She splashed water on her face and did the best she could to rinse the gunk from her hair. It was only when she was done that she realized there was no towel.
"Spike..." she called as she opened the door, startled to find him right outside it. "Do you have a towel?" she asked in a softer voice holding up her dripping hands.
"Yeah." he went and picked up the one off the floor that he had worn out of the bathroom.
"But that was just wrapped around your..." she didn't finish the sentence.
"It doesn't have cooties, luv. It's the only one I've got, take it or leave it." he held it out to her and she took it but tried to use only the smallest possible corner of it. He shook his head and chuckled as he walked away. "Back on the bed when you're dry, might want to take your boots off."
"Can I use your hairbrush?" she eyed the bed with dread.
"Sure, but I was just teasing about braiding your hair." He opened the microwave and pulled out a bag of popcorn, she wondered if that was how he timed her bathroom trip.
"Darn." she said glibly, before reminding herself to watch her sarcasm. She hung up the towel and grabbed the brush from the counter. She slowly walked towards the bed, "Please Spike, do we have to do this? I promise I won't dust you while you're sleeping."
He looked at her for a minute and she actually let herself hope he would let her go. But then he shook his head. "Sorry pet. It won't be so bad."
"It's humiliating." she mumbled with her head down. "We were able to make a deal before."
"That was different, we had to trust each other, and if one of us didn't come through it wouldn't work out for the other. This time you want your freedom, I don't want to wake up a pile of dust. No guarantee for me that if I let you go you won't go back on your word."
She sat on the side of the bed. Looking at it objectively she couldn't fault his logic. The Slayer/vampire relationship has never been one of trust. Their previous truce was an aberration born of desperation. She brushed the dry side of her hair first, then started on the wet. Her head hurt as she pulled the brush through it.
"Do you have any ice?" she asked, touching her scalp gingerly.
"Still smarting is it?" He opened the freezer door. "Yep, got a bit right here, hold on." He took a couple of ice cube trays out and started looking around. Finally grabbing a plastic grocery bag and cracking the ice into it. "Want a drink?" he offered. She nodded actually surprised that he was being so nice. Not that she would say it. He grabbed a short glass and put a handful of ice into it before tying off the bag and bringing it to her. "Not a proper ice pack, but it'll do." He moved the pillow behind her so it was propped up against the head board. "Go on sit back." he gestured.
"Sit?" she had expected to be chained down again.
"Just so you can eat. I'm not going to sit here feeding you one sodding piece of popcorn at a time, am I now?" She scooted back against the pillow and let him manacle her hands again. The chain seemed longer, she could actually rest her hands in her lap. She put the ice pack against her head and it felt better immediately.
He went back to the kitchen, she just closed her eyes and leaned back against the pillow.
"Here you go." he said from next to her, startling her more than it should have. He was handing her a glass.
"Thank you." She took a drink which triggered a coughing fit.
Spike chuckled, "Smooth isn't it?"
"What the hell is it?" she gasped staring at the light brown liquid.
"Whiskey, what did you think it was?" He took a sip from his own glass as he settled on the foot of the bed facing her, he put the bowl of popcorn between them.
"Iced tea maybe? You do know I'm only 17 right?"
"And I care about the drinking age?" he scoffed.
She set the drink on the rickety stand by the bed. "Do you have anything else to drink?"
"Blood." he offered.
She made a yuck face, started to say something then thought the better of it.
"What is it?" Spike asked rolling his eyes.
"I can't let you keep stealing from the blood bank."
"Is that why you wouldn't give up the fight tonight?" She nodded. "Shouldn't have gotten your knickers in a twist, I didn't nick it, paid good money for it."
"The blood bank sells blood to vampires?"
"Lots of them do, cuts down on the break-ins." he shrugged. "They usually won't part with the good stuff, but most of the workers don't mind making some extra money. Hell, some of them will even pay drug addicts for their blood, just to turn it around." He grabbed a handful of popcorn.
She glanced at her watch, the diner would be open for the breakfast crowd. "I need to call work."
Spike pulled a cell phone from his pocket, "What's the name of the place?"
"I can tell you the number." she offered.
"Nope, I want to make sure it's a real place, not you using some code with your friends." She gave him the name and the cross streets and listened as he called information and had them connect him.
He moved next to her on the bed, shifting the phone to the side of her face, but tilting it so he could listen, his face was right up next to hers. "Remember, I think you're trying to send a message, you die" She gave a little nod.
"Mitch's Place." came the voice on the other end of the phone. Buffy didn't know the name of most of the morning staff.
"Is Mitch there?" She asked, trying to sound sick.
"Yeah, hold on." she could hear the activity of a restaurant in the background. Glancing at Spike she whispered, "I don't use my real name at work." then a gruff voice came over the line.
"This is Mitch."
"Mitch, this is Anne." Spike pulled his head back to look at her, an odd expression in his eyes. "I can't make it in today. I've been sick all night."
"Your shift doesn't start til 2, maybe you'll be up to it then." Mitch hated it when people didn't come in.
"I wouldn't count on it." She warned him. "I feel like I'm at death's door, I doubt if I'll be able to get out of bed all day."
"Fine." he sounded disgruntled, is gruntled a good thing if disgruntled is bad? she thought to herself. "Just get your butt in here tomorrow."
"I'll do my best, bye."
Spike ended the call. "Why Anne?" he asked. While his face was no longer pressed against hers, he was still sitting next to her on the bed.
"It's my middle name."
"That was me mum's name." he tilted his head slightly. "What's your first name?"
"Buff-y." she said loudly and slowly like he was deaf or stupid.
"Not your petname, your real first name."
"'Buffy is my first name, on my birth certificate and everything."
"Your mum seriously named you Buffy?" he laughed. "I thought she seemed a little slow on the uptake, not figuring out you're the slayer after all this time. But what kind of a git names a person Buffy?"
"Leave my mom out of this." she mumbled. She didn't want to talk about her mom especially not that last night. She focussed on the popcorn bowl and took a few pieces, placing them in her mouth one at a time.
"What's up with your mum anyway. Why'd she move you out of Sunnyhell?"
"She didn't." she so did not want to talk to Spike about this.
"Then what are you doing here, and why are you working in that grease trap."
"You've seen the restaurant?" God, had he seen her working there? That would be so embarrassing. Wait, no, he didn't seem to know that she even had a job.
"Walked by it a few times. So why are you working there?" he pressed.
"Mom kicked me out." she wouldn't look at him.
"Ooh, this sounds juicy." He actually sounded interested. "Whatchya do to get the old heave ho?"
"Spike, do we really have to talk about this?" Her eyes were tearing up and she tried to blink them away. "Didn't you want to go to sleep?"
"Nope, this is much more interesting. Like I said, a slumber party. So what did a pillar of virtue like yourself do to piss off your mum?"
"I saved the world." she actually reached for the whiskey, maybe it would deaden the pain a little, or maybe she would pass out and not have to endure this.
"Come again."
"After you left that night we got in a fight. She didn't want me to leave. She thought she could stop me from doing the slayer thing. I yelled at her, she yelled at me. I went to leave and she gave me an ultimatum. If I go I couldn't come back." She took another drink.
"You really think she doesn't want you to come back?" Now it was his turn to look at her like she was stupid.
"It's what she said." She picked through the popcorn, not eating any, just shifting it in the bowl, mainly so she could look anywhere but at him.
He shifted on the bed so he was in front of her, facing her.
"Buffy, your mum was in shock that night." When she didn't look up he grabbed her hand. She glared at him. "I could see it. The police were looking for you, a vampire had rushed her, she saw you kill it and then she finds out that her daughter has some mystical destiny that threatens her life on a nightly basis." He half smiled. "Blimey, that she didn't go catatonic is pretty amazing."
His hand was cool and his touch light, it was actually pretty calming, but she pulled hers away.
"Have you talked to her since?" She shook her head, taking another sip.
"Does she even know if you're alive?"
"I snuck back in to get my stuff and left a note. But she doesn't know where I am."
"And your Watcher?"
She shook her head. "No, I just left. I wanted to be done with it. Not be the Slayer anymore."
"Then why did you come after me tonight?" He leaned over, propping himself up on one elbow.
"Someone recognized me, and then they recognized you so they came to me for help. I should have just ignored her and moved on." She took another drink. It seemed to be going down easier now.
"Skinny, blonde girl, dumb-looking boy in tow?" he asked.
"That's her. She was one of the vamp wannabes my friend Ford led to the slaughter. She figured I saved her from you once, I could do it again." She scoffed. "Shows what she knows." She put a handful of popcorn into her mouth. Maybe that would stop her from talking.
"Silly bint, I didn't threaten her, just minding my own business. She starts yelling and making a fuss. I didn't even recognize her, she's come down in the world."
"So what are you doing in LA Spike? You had promised to take Dru and leave the country."
This time he looked evasive. "Just passing through is all."
"Un-unh, I told you the truth now it's your turn. Fair's fair."
He sat up a little, "Are you saying you want to play 'truth or dare' Slayer?"
"No." she said defensively, she so did not want to play that game with someone as devious as Spike. "It's just not fair that I'm spilling my guts, metaphorically, and you don't have to."
"No, I think 'truth or dare' is the perfect addition to our slumber party. Come on, we each get to set one ground rule. Mine is you can't dare me to let you go, what's yours." He looked way too excited about the whole thing. She began to emphatically shake her head. "The Slayer's too chicken for a little game?" he goaded.
"Fine, but nothing sexual." She took another sip, she must be out of her mind to agree to this.
"Little vague there luv. Care to define that a little bit better?"
Her cheeks flushed. "You know what sexual means Spike."
"Lots of things can be sexual pet. Even talking."
"I mean really sexual."
"You don't think talking can be really sexual?" She shook her head, he was being purposely obtuse.
"Really?" He leaned forward slightly, his eyes switching from mocking her to an intense hunger, they slowly traveled down her body then back up to her eyes. "I'm going to kiss you Slayer. Long and deep. Kiss you til you gasp for air. When I do let you breathe, I'm going to trail my lips down your neck. Kissing you where I should be biting you, right along your pulse, so I can feel it quicken with your desire." He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. When he opened them, they again gazed down her body, pausing at her chest. "I'm going to touch you. My hands caressing your body, finding all the secret spots that feed the need within you, as my mouth continues down. I nip lightly on your collarbone, then continue down, down to your breasts. I kiss you through your shirt. The material, rough against your skin, heightens the pleasure, and my hands keep exploring you, feeling your muscles tremble at my touch. Your whole body is on fire, burning, but you want me to fan the flames not extinguish them." He paused again, his tongue curled up behind his teeth. She couldn't move, enraptured by his words, not sure if she was more afraid that he would do what he said or that he wouldn't. His eyes shifted to her mouth and she licked her lips automatically. Slowly his face moved closer to hers, tilting slightly as his lips parted. Her breath caught as his lips brushed hers, but he stopped and whispered, "Talking can be the most sexual thing of all, can't it?" He flipped back to the foot of the bed, mischief twinkling in his eyes.
She swayed slightly forward, catching herself leaning in for his kiss, angry that she let him get to her like that and that he knew it. Letting out a shaky breath she agreed, "Yeah, I get that now."
"So be more specific, and not too all encompassing or you lose your rule."
"Fine." she thought about what boundaries she wanted to set and what he might let her get away with. Finally she said, "No part of me comes in contact with your...um" She glanced at his crotch but couldn't think of a word she was willing to call it.
"Wedding tackle?" he supplied, obviously enjoying her discomfort.
"Okaaaay..." she said dubiously, she had never heard that euphemism, but hoped it meant what it sounded like. "and no part of you touches my..."
"Goodies?"
"Yeah, those." she agreed.
"Takes some of the fun out of it, but agreed." He reached out his hand to seal the deal. Shifting the ice pack to her other hand she shook his. "Surprised, though that you didn't say clothes stay on, this will be fun."