Spike considered his options. His mate needed a safe place to heal. The bleeding had stopped, but the wound was still healing. Stupid bloody watcher. He should have ripped the bastard's head off for this. Then they could have holed up in his dreary little hole. None of it mattered now.
He had to find a safe place for her.
The mansion was out with Peaches headed into town. He smiled. At least, they'd left him some lovely parting scents to loathe. The warehouse wasn't safe in its burned out state. His most recent digs weren't human friendly, and he didn't fancy running into Harmony.
Buffy shifted in his arms and the scent of blood drifted up to him. Between her family and the paramilitary group hunting her, Buffy had no safe houses.
His mate would never leave this sleepy little berg unprotected for long. He sighed. It wasn't like he needed to find their permanent home. At best, he was buying them some time before Angel came storming in. He needed some high ground, and he needed it fast.
Buffy blinked up at him. Her sleepy green gaze was relaxed. The bond made trust a non issue. She knew he wouldn't hurt her, not intentionally, just as he knew she wouldn't hurt him. She patted his shoulder and drifted back out.
She needed a real bed and some food.
Keeping humans alive was not his area of expertise, but he needed to learn now. Alone he had been invincible, but mated he had a vulnerability.
He had to find a place to hole up now.
"Is that the slayer?" A demon approached him from across the street. Clem was a good sort. Never cheated at cards.
"Good to see you, too, Clem." Spike smiled.
"Are you eating or just planning a torture session?" The wrinkled demon's ears lifted slightly.
"Looking for a place to hole up while she heals." No point in lying to Clem. "Her watcher tried to kill her when we went to tell him our happy news."
"Happy news?" Clem walked next to him with his eyes locked on the slayer.
"We're mated." Spike took a deep breath.
"So, she won't kill me in my sleep?" Clem smiled. "That's cool. Why don't you stay at my place. I've got a spare room. It isn't much, but you guys need to get off the streets. There are these humans hunting us. The wear uniforms and work in teams. It's really freaky."
"Sounds bad."
"Yeah. Demons are disappearing all the time. Way more than she could manage to kill, and she never goes after the nonviolent types." Clem nodded thoughtfully. "She's not so bad for a human. I mean if you can stand all the hair and smooth skin."
"Don't have a problem with it." Spike smiled.
"Yeah, I guess being a halfbreed you are a bit more open minded about that stuff." Clem smiled. "I'm just up here on the left."
It was a small house, but charming. It was a lovely blue with white trim and shutters. There were garden gnomes arranged in the flower beds. He couldn't help but smile. This was not what he had been expecting. What self respecting demon had garden gnomes?
"The place might be a bit messy. I haven't fussed with the room since my mother left last month." Clem shrugged.
"I'm thankful. I was up against it." Spike sighed. "Can't very well settle my mate in a crypt, not with her being human."
"She sure is sleeping. Is that normal?" Clem looked at the slayer with curiosity.
"No idea." Spike sighed. "I've seen her take some powerful blows, but being shot by the watcher on top of everything else had to pretty awful."
"Shot?" Clem looked startled.
"Dumb bastard thought I'd turned her, and turned a crossbow on her without even checking." Spike closed his eyes, trying to suppress the rage. "Barely missed her heart. Might have killed her if he'd been thinking straight."
"Your lady's had it rough. I'm sorry." Clem's ears drooped. "Come on in, Spike."
Clem opened the door and held it.
Spike stepped through the door and smiled as he felt the threshold's power slide over him. Most demons couldn't create one, but this was a nice surprise. They would be more secure for it.
"It's not as strong as a human threshold, but it will deter a vamp for a while." Clem shrugged. "Spells. Can't stand the things really, but its useful."
"Do you have a problem with vamps?" Spike asked as he looked at the tiny rosebuds on the wallpaper.
"My kind make good eating for the weak ones. Since I live alone, I take extra precautions." Clem put his kitten basket under the small table.
"Sensible." Spike nodded and shifted Buffy higher up his body.
"The extra room is the first door on the left at the top of the stairs. I have some orange juice. It might help her. I'll bring it up." Clem smiled and backed away into the dark regions of the house.
Spike took Buffy up to the room quickly. He needed to clean her up and get some food into her. He laid her on the chenille coverlet and grimaced. The lining of his duster was stuck to her skin in places. This was going to be harder than he had imagined.
"Can I come in?" Clem knocked on the door.
"Sure." Spike made sure his mate was covered. He touched her cheek gently. She was so beautiful.
"I brought some things you might need." Clem shuffled in with a tray piled high with bandage boxes. "I didn't know what characters she might like, so I brought them all. I think the princess ones would suit her. Don't you?"
Spike picked up the box of adhesive bandages with smiling cartoon women with roses on them and smiled. She'd kill him. He looked at the bowl of warm water and the small terry squares sitting next to a bottle of juice and a bag of chocolate chip cookies.
"Thanks, Clem." He nodded at his poker buddy.
"Like I said, she's not so bad." Clem shrugged and backed out of the room, closing the door with a quiet snick.