Recovery

It was nearly sundown on their last night at the Inn. Buffy was feeling a little stronger every day and had spent the bulk of her time either in bed or on the back patio overlooking the sea and the cave below.

The sight was haunting and yet mesmerizing. Despite everything that had transpired, there was something incredibly therapeutic about sitting there in the salty sea air. She took in a deep breath, letting the salt fill her lungs and only coughed a little. She was still feeling weaker than usual but she was at least strong enough to put on a good act so as not to arouse suspicion from Mr. and Mrs. Lewis.

Mrs. Lewis was an incredibly sweet and generous woman who had taken it upon herself to make sure Buffy was supplied with plenty of tea and baked goods. Which was in direct correlation to the fact that Spike had made up a story about Buffy recovering from a long term illness. The lie was believable enough but it still bothered her, especially when she saw the way it seemed to tug at the older woman's heartstrings.

At the moment Spike was upstairs in their room. Faith and Callum had ventured out to do some sightseeing. Buffy had been surprised Faith had been willing to go at all but shrugged it off.

So there she sat taking in the sun and the chilly breeze coming from the sea with a home improvement magazine, a pot of tea and a fresh baked scone, when Callum came out onto the patio. He had a large flat artist portfolio bag under one arm and paused with his hand on the patio door when he saw her. He cast an eye towards the sea and shot her a questioning smile.

"Mind a little company?"

She gestured widely with one hand, "Knock yourself out."

He nodded and started pulling art supplies from the portfolio bag and setting them up on the opposite side of the table from her.

"Aren't you done with that yet?" Buffy asked.

Callum examined the watercolor painting he had been working on, "I got the structure of the cave down but I wanted to get the colors just right. Figured sunset was the most appropriate time for it."

"Does seem symbolic doesn't it?"

He poured a little water from a bottle into a small jar he pulled from the side of the bag and dipped his brush into it, "My thoughts exactly."

"So what was today's adventure?"

"Managed to get Faith onto a horse," he grinned.

Buffy raised her eyebrows surreptitiously, "Wait, you did what now?"

Callum pressed his lips together, biting back a laugh, "Yeah that's a site that's going to stay with me for a very long time," he chuckled.

Buffy blinked at him several times dumbfounded. "I'm just trying to picture Faith on a horse. How did you even manage to convince her?"

He shrugged and shot her one of his very best smiles, "I have my ways."

She laughed, "I bet you do." Although they had a purely platonic relationship, even she had to admit that he had a very good smile.

"She had a really rough start. You should have seen her when we met the horses," he laughed, "thought she was going to jump off the thing for a minute there when she first got on, but after a little while she settled down. I think she did surprisingly well for her first time on a horse actually."

"Well I hope you got pictures."

"A few, don't have a lot of film left. But I think I got some good ones." He tilted his head as he mixed water and pigment in a small watercolor palette.

"As long as I get copies of the ones you took of me and Spike, I'm good."

"Goes without saying."

"So where is Faith?"

"Shower. Spike still asleep?"

Buffy rolled a shoulder and tilted her head to look over at Callum's painting. He was adding layers of color to create a warm glowing sunset. "Nah, he went back to our room after dinner. Someone opened the blinds in the great room and he had to make a mad dash out of there before someone smelled his bacon burning."

"That has got to suck."

"Yeah, it's definitely not my favorite thing about dating a vampire," she frowned.

"Doesn't really seem fair does it? I mean he has a soul and all, I'd think that would afford him a few perks. A reflection at least."

"Welcome to the wacky world of Slayerdom, where only half of what we know makes any sense at all."

"I'm starting to see this." He answered as he worked quickly to capture the sunset.

He had a really good night for it Buffy thought as she shifted in her seat. Leaning forward to release some of the tension that had gathered around a spot in her back. She drew in a deep breath feeling something give a little pop and she let the breath out slowly. Whatever had popped, it must have been a good thing because she suddenly felt a little looser. Like her healing muscles had been clenched and suddenly relaxed. She groaned as she pulled herself up to stand next to Callum, stretching out the kinks and feeling more like herself than she had in days.

"I think Spike and I have pretty much hashed out what we want to do in the duplex," she said.

"Oh yeah?"

She waved the magazine she had been perusing, "Yeah, Spike and I have been taking advantage of Mrs. Lewis's magazine collection while we do this seaside convalescence thing."

"You got something more solid than ideas for me?"

"Pictures—" she smiled.

Callum rolled his eyes, "What about the upstairs bathrooms; have you made any decisions about those?"

"We're going with the white subway tile halfway up the wall."

He nodded, "Right. Good. That's one decision made. I'll let Angus know. Still going with the white and gray scheme?"

"Yup," she said, popping the P, "but I seriously think I'm going to ask your mom for help. It took us way too long to decide on tile."

"Brilliant."

"What's brilliant?" Spike's drawl interrupted their conversation, making Buffy jump and wince in pain. The muscles in her back contracted tightly around the massive bruise still present and the relief from a moment before was forgotten.

He stood just inside the door where the last rays of the setting sun couldn't reach him.

"That's it! That's what you are getting for your birthday. I'm finally doing it and getting you a bell!" She scolded, taking a step toward him to swat his chest playfully.

Spike laughed. "Tease."

Buffy blanched, with everything else going on she had nearly forgotten about his birthday. Yeah she had a gift ready to go already. A nice masculine necklace with a pretty black stone set into it; but aside from that she really wanted to do something special for him. Something extra. But what?

Callum sighed, tilting his head at his painting, "Suppose that's as good as it's going to get. I'm losing the light."

Just as he was starting to pack up his paints, Callum's phone rang from his pocket.

He pulled it out and glanced at his phone, "This can't be good."

When Callum got back to the room he shared with Faith, she was sitting on the bed with her legs crossed, dressed in nothing but panties and a long t-shirt. She was blow drying her hair and didn't notice him entering immediately.

"Oh, hey babe," she smiled softly at him.

Callum frowned and cleared his throat, he didn't want to pull her out of their trip early, no matter how screwed up it already was. "Angus called. His wife's gone into labor and we're expecting the window delivery in the morning, Xander isn't going to be able to handle them alone."

"So we leave tonight."

He dipped his head, "I'm sorry, Lass."

She unfurled her legs and stood up going over to her bag and tossing things in. "Better alert the wounded."

"I already told them. They're on it."

She threw some clothes on the bed and pulled off her night shirt, "I'll pack up our shit, you go square things away with Mr. Lewis."

"You're not angry are you?"

She tilted her head, "Nah, kid is coming early, that's not on anyone."

Callum took a deep breath and scrubbed a hand over his jaw, "Just hope the baby is alright."

Driving at night definitely had its perks. It meant Spike could drive without the windows being covered for starters. Which in turn meant they made it back to the castle in record time.

Callum had been a little on edge with concern for his cousin and his family during the trip and Spike's driving didn't exactly help. He hopped out of the van, almost the moment Spike turned off the engine. The sound of the door closing woke Faith and Buffy in the back seat.

Faith stretched, climbing out of the van, "Home, sweet home," she intoned dryly.

Buffy followed her out stiffly, the muscles in her back had seized up again on the way there and she started to fantasize about the large bathtub upstairs.

What are you doing putting a thing like that in my head at a time like this?

She could hear Spike's smirking tone inside her mind. She gave him a little smile as he walked around to start unloading the van.

Down boy, one thing at a time.

What do you expect? I'm deprived. He thought back.

Deprived or depraved?

Both actually. Spike wore a wicked grin on his face as he lugged their bags into the entryway of the castle. Buffy followed, rolling her eyes at his back.

Callum excused himself to the kitchen to make phone calls. He had promised Angus he would call when he returned.

Angus picked up his phone on the third ring. "Well, what's the news?" Callum asked, "Do we have a baby yet?"

Angus groaned on the other end, "No nothing so exciting. Afraid things seem to be at a standstill. She was having contractions for awhile then they stopped. They say everything is fine with the baby, it's looking like a false labor, but they're gonna wait a bit longer before they send her home on bedrest. She's going to need me at home."

Callum took a deep breath and leaned on the large table in the kitchen, "Right. Well in the meantime, we've both been up all night and neither one of us is gonna be worth a damn in the morning." Callum admonished himself for how gruff his own voice sounded, "You go take care of your wife, I can handle things here."

Buffy was in their room going through a series of stretches to work out the kinks from their drive when Spike came in. "Enough of that, Slayer. Strip. I got the tub filling, I'm getting you into that bath. Work out those wonky muscles once and for all and make sure everything is healing properly."

She straightened her shoulders, "Are you joining me?"

"Hard to give you a massage from here, Pet."

A hot bath… hot vamp… hot massage… ohh count me in…

Spike grinned, "Thought I could twist your arm."

Buffy sat in the large tub letting her legs stretch out into the hot water. Spike sat naked behind her on the edge stroking his fingers lovingly over the exposed skin of her neck and back. The wound looked like nothing more than an angry pink line surrounded by a massive bruise yellowing at the edges. He ran his fingers over it, making her shiver and moved away.

"Don't leave a girl hanging," she grumbled.

"Oh trust me darling, I'm only just getting started," he said as he grabbed a small bottle of massage oil off of the edge of the tub. He poured a little into his hands and she leaned forward into the fragrant bubbly water.

She moaned as he began rubbing it into her back, shoulders and neck. Spike dug his thumb into a particularly large knot between her shoulder blades rubbing in deep circles before moving on to another knot a little further down near her spine.

"That's it, you're hired."

Spike chuckled, "Thought I already had the job."

"You get all the jobs."

He brushed kisses along her neck and pressed himself against her back. "Think I could find a few more of those knots to work out." He purred in her ear, nipping the lobe. Spike dug his fingers into the taut muscles of her neck working out the knots and pulling a sigh from her throat.

"You didn't eat a masseuse did you?" She groaned pleasurably as he worked his way downward.

Spike laughed, "Suppose I might have at some point."

"I'd believe it, you're good at that," she murmured as the tension slipped from her body.

He continued to work his fingers over her and she nearly fell asleep for a second. "Oh no, no drowning in the bathtub on my watch," he said as he slid into the water with her. Positioning himself so she was resting between his legs and could relax against him easily as he continued to let his hands roam freely, slipping down her stomach and between her legs.

Buffy let her legs fall open for him with a little sigh as she gave her back a little wiggle against his hardening cock. "Think something is up."

"Course it is, you're in the room, haven't you figured that out yet?"

Buffy rolled herself to press her breast against his chest and feeling his hard length bob against her stomach in the warm water. Spike wrapped his arms around her scooping her into a kiss as they adjusted themselves and she straddled him, making a little water slosh over the edge of the tub.

"Shit…" Buffy groused.

"Forget it, nothing a towel can't fix," he growled in her ear as he pulled her down to take him into her. He gave a little gasp as their bodies joined and she clamped down on him letting her muscles adjust to his girth. "Bloody hell woman, I—"

"Shhh, it's my turn to take care of you." She breathed into his ear as she stared to rock her hips over him, trying not to displace too much water. Even so the water rocked along with her movements, lapping at her back and hips as she rode him.

Spike gripped her damp hair, catching her mouth in a deep electrical kiss that sent a jolt straight to his cock. Buffy gave a little yelp as he met her thrust and his tip hit a bundle of nerves that threatened to undo her right then and there. The effect didn't go unnoticed, Liked that did you darlin'? He thought through their link.

More, god I need more, Spike… Her mind stumbled as he continued to drive up into her, meeting her downward motion onto him.

Spike gripped her with one arm braced across her back and used his body to roll them in the tub, sloshing more water over the edge. Buffy wrapped her legs around his back as he worked his hips, grinding his hard cock into her crushing heat again and again. The pressure built up in them both until the air caught in Buffy's lungs. Something snapped in her chest, something that hadn't quite healed properly and it sent a jolt through her body. Buffy gasped in both pain and pleasure as her orgasm crashed down over her at the same time air flooded her lungs.

Spike felt it through their link and pulled back a fraction to look at her as her legs shook around him and relaxed. "Don't you dare stop, William Pratt," Buffy gasped, tilting her hips into him.

"Love it when you get all demanding," he growled, thrusting into her so hard that the water sloshed again.

Buffy let out a muffled scream against the sensitive skin at his neck. The sensation sent a shot through him pushing him over the edge sending her tumbling along with him crashing against each other. Kissing deeply as they came down together, the little water left in the tub settled around them.

"Pretty sure we're going to need a shower after that bath," Buffy teased.

"And a mop."

After meeting with Callum's mother, Buffy and Spike had managed to finalize the details on the duplex and renovations were well underway. Over the course of the next week, Callum had taken over Angus's place at the duplex while he tended to his wife on bedrest. Callum was even more thankful to have Xander around to pick up the slack even though he had also been acting as Giles's personal assistant. At least up until he got his cast off. Now he was back on the job full time.

Faith had also been a big help. She had started spending a fair amount of her free time at the duplex, helping with the heavy lifting and letting Callum teach her about home construction. Beyond the obvious bonding experience for her and Callum it was beneficial in another more unexpected way. She was also finding it oddly therapeutic and relaxing.

Everything was falling nicely into place. Which meant Buffy had plenty of time to plan Spike's surprise birthday party.

The day before the party, Faith had insisted Buffy come with her to the tattoo shop to have her final session with Gemma. The bell over the door chimed as Faith and Buffy walked into the tattoo shop.

"Heya Mike! How's it hanging?" Faith asked a spare dark haired man sitting at a bench at the front counter pouring over an appointment book.

He straightened up to look at her through black framed glasses. "Oh, hello there. Fine, fine, all's well— little to the left," he smiled, "you're right on time, Gemma should be just about set up for you."

"Thanks man," Faith said as she led Buffy back into what looked a little like a dentist exam room except that no dentist would ever have bright green walls nearly covered with framed artwork.

"Oi! Faith! Good to see you, babe! How'd your trip go?" She said, giving her a hug.

Faith and Buffy exchanged a look from over Gemma's shoulder. "It was definitely not boring." She answered as she slipped into the tattoo chair.

Gemma laughed, "Callum told me bout the horse. Good on you for giving it a go. Where are my manners?" she said, turning towards Buffy to introduce herself warmly and offer her a seat next to Faith.

Buffy noted how much Gemma looked like her mother. Except that she had curly chin length black hair with streaks of emerald green pulled through it that accented her eyes well.

Gemma put on gloves as Faith pulled her shirt high enough to expose the tattoo and Gemma settled in on her stool to work.

The rose and dagger tattoo Faith already had low on her sternum was now adorned with delicate looking chains with jewels hanging from them as though draped over the lower part of her rib cage. Buffy watched with fascination as Gemma started to fill in some of the line work she had already done, blending the new with the old seamlessly as she went.

Faith saw her watching, "I know that look. You thinking about getting one, B?"

Buffy shrugged, "I've been thinking about it. Just a little one though."

"How little are we talking?" Gemma asked without looking up.

"I dunno, maybe like this," she held her fingers up about two inches apart.

"Depending on what you want I might be able to squeeze you in."

"Yeah whatcha thinking?"

Buffy shifted a little, "I was thinking about a little railroad spike."

Faith blinked, eyeing her and choked down a laugh, "Seriously?"

"I didn't make fun of your choices."

"I'm just can't believe I didn't guess. It's a pretty obvious choice considering his birthday is tomorrow."

Gemma wiped Faith's tattoo clean and paused to look up at Buffy. "Where are you thinking about putting this?" she asked.

"I have a scar on my back I want to cover up."

Gemma nodded, "How bad of a scar are we talking about because that might have some say in how big the design is."

Buffy turned around, pulling up her shirt to show Gemma her back where the sword had pierced through her right shoulder blade. Slayer healing had done wonders, the bruising had already disappeared, leaving nothing but a thin, slightly raised, line.

Gemma pursed her lips and went back to working on Faith's tattoo, mulling it over, "It's going to have to be a little bit bigger than you were thinking, but the placement is not bad and the scar tissue looks like it's pretty well healed over so it shouldn't be too big of an issue, I don't mind a challenge. Is there anything else you want to work into it? Otherwise you're just going to have a random railroad spike."

Buffy shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know, I definitely want a spike but I see your point," she said thoughtfully.

"Why not a stake, Buff?" Faith suggested.

Buffy's eyes lit up, "Oh my god that's— that's perfect. Can we do that?" She asked, turning to Gemma.

"You want a railroad spike and a steak? Like a cut of meat?" Gemma held up both hands still holding the tattoo gun. "I have a strict no judgment policy but I just want to be clear here."

Buffy chuckled, "Not that kind of stake. I mean one like this," she said as she reached into her bag for one of the nicer stakes Xander had turned for her on a lathe, "my boyfriend is a big classic horror fan."

At least that one is a partial truth.

Gemma raised her eyebrows, "That I get—" she said gesturing toward a framed movie poster from 'The Creature from the Black Lagoon', "are you saying you just carry that around all the time?"

Buffy bit her cheek, "Eh, birthday present— movie prop. He has a tendency to snoop so—"

Gemma inclined her head, "Alright, I'll buy that. I've done some pretty interesting significant-other tattoos, but that's a new one for me. Should be interesting. Let's get Faith finished up here. I'll draw something up for you and see what you think."

"That sounds great."

Faith stood in front of the full length mirror admiring her completed tattoo. Gemma had moved over to a desk in the corner with a light table to sketch a design for Buffy while they continued to chat.

After several minutes Gemma wheeled her chair over to Buffy, "How do you feel bout this?" She asked, showing her a detailed drawing of a railroad spike and stake wrapped with a ribbon that balanced the composition and made it more dynamic. "Can do it with or without the ribbon but I thought it helped soften it a bit."

"No, I definitely love it, Gemma. It's perfect."

Faith sidled up to them looking over their shoulders, "That's totally hot. I say do it."

"You're a bad influence," Buffy laughed.

"Someone has to be."