Author's Babble: The Revenge!

So, like, I got grounded from my comp for a week and it was icky and rather sucked a lot. Actually that’s not accurate. I got grounded from my cable connection, so I was typing all week with no happy outlet to the internet, so low and behold my stifled genius *snerk* abounds! *sob* oh how I missed reading fanfic when I was grounded! I had to smuggle a few disks home from the computers on my college campus. I felt so criminal! It was fun! But I don’t think anyone understood why I was doing commando rolls across the lawn in front of administration though. Eesh. Some people just don’t appreciate my l33t moves.

Chapter Two: Comfort

*Xander, Lover of Mr. Tasty and Yummy*(that’s his official title)

"Tact is just not saying true stuff. I'll pass."-Cordelia

While I’d been He Who is a Girl, I’d been perfectly used to Spike’s physical presence. We’d wrestled for just about anything of worth back at home, from the remote to my Princess Leia Collector Lithographs. If it was a mobile object in our home, we wrestled over it and these battles had often led to smacking(me) and pouting(him) and sometimes falling asleep on each other(both). The thing was, I was comfortable around him.

Now that I’d gotten back my oh-so impressive musculature, I wasn’t quite so comfortable. I was attracted to him, sure, but I wasn’t comfortable. Whenever I looked at him I expected him to be bigger than me. I’d grown to like his protective height looming over my shoulder. His presence in our apartment had often kept me from my usual nightmares of my stupid family or Anya. Simply put. I kept expecting Spike to be much bigger than me, and now he wasn’t and it kept throwing me off.

I was nervous as hell when we all came together in the witchy room, worried about what else had gone wrong. I just wanted to curl up in Spike’s lap and feel safe if only for a moment. Instead I had to face the fact that I wouldn’t be able to have that feeling again. Still, I needed to be near him, so I settled on the floor beside the chair he adopted. When Tara started to explain about Willow, I found my arm wrapped around his leg and my cheek on his knee while he ran fingers through my hair.

"Well if she’s not here then where is she?" I asked nervously. "She’ll come back won’t she? Wills isn’t exactly the veggie type so she has to." I pleaded with Tara to say something, anything, good at all.

"Tara, can you do a locating spell to try and find her?" Buffy asked from where she leaned against the wall. Tara looked troubled for a moment as she thought it over.

"W-well. I could try, but I h-have almost no power. S-so much was used in t-the attack." She shrugged helplessly.

"The rest of us still have some energy." I pointed out. "We’ve all participated in a spell at one time or another. Couldn’t you show us how?" Buffy seemed to pick up my train of thought.

"Yeah, me an' Spike have loads of energy, being supernatural as we are!" She grabbed up Tara's hands. "Please, show us what to do, we have to get her back!" Tara nodded slowly, looking a bit nervous. I smiled at her, hoping to encourage her and me at the same time.

"I'll need some materials...M-most of them should be at the grocery store..." She said, returning my smile. Buffy tugged her hands, drawing her attention back.

"Make a list and I'll take Jonathan to fetch them." She ordered. Tara nodded. I hopped up and went to hunt up some paper and a pen.

*Spike the Almighty*

"I don't think Spike's icky."-Dawn

I stood in the witches room for what seemed like eternity, looking at Red, hoping for some sign that she was in there. The Slayer and her little friend had taken off for town to get supplies and I was stuck here babysittin' the witches and the one-armed man. I was pretty sure that we'd get the witch back. It was a strange feeling. I had faith in somethin' for once. I snorted to myself. A vampire with faith. And I didn't have faith in God or all that. No, William the Bloody had to have faith in the Slayer and her minions. It was funny if you thought about it hard enough.

Despite the Slayer's thoughts to the contrary, by the time our lot was dismissed, I was ready to collapse into a soft comfy mattress and not wake up for a few nights. And I was hungry. Bloody well starvin'. Not that I'd tell my boy that. He'd just get all motherly on me, and as cute as that would be, I just needed blood. And sleep.

"Spike, did you get any blood at all?" Does the git read minds or somethin'? I looked over to the doorway where he was standing, looking exhausted and concerned and gorgeous.

"I'm fine, love." I told him with a tired smirk. I watched him smooth a hand back through his hair, leaving a sprout sticking up in the middle.

"You sure, Spike? Cuz I don't want you trying to snack on me in your sleep." He said with a yawn and a scowl. "You look pale. Well pale-er. Maybe you should go to bed. We won't be able to start the spell until we're rested anyways." I concentrated on the subtext behind his concerned words. So the whelp wants to be in nibblin' range when we sleep? I grinned and stalked over to him, enjoying the way he sucked in his breath as I approached. Pure sex, I am, not a man or woman who can resist William the Bloody on this earth.

"Want to make sure I get well rested, kitten?" I asked huskily. Under my advance he backed out into the hallway then bumped into the wall. He looked somewhat scared and extremely hot. It was perfect. I stepped into his larger form and ran my hands up over his chest. I kept my eyes locked on his so he couldn't look away from me. He made the cutest squeak when I leaned forward to nip at his jaw.

*Xander the Magnificent*

"I hear ya. Stay British. You'll be okay."-Xander

Nope, I hadn't forgotten how good it felt to have my very own soulless demon nibbling at my neck and jaw. Its quite nice, actually. So nice that I may have just moaned. Yup, I do believe there was a moan. Sighing, I grabbed hold of his shoulders and pulled him off my neck. He whined at me, looking up at me with those stupifyingly blue eyes. I whimpered. "Stop looking at me like that, Spike!" I commanded, averting my eyes to the ceiling. He took the opportunity to slide his arms around my waist and pull me close.

"Wanna lookit you like that." He grumbled, his tongue lapping at my chin. I sighed again.

"If you don't stop that then we'll never get any sleep and we won't be able to find Wills." I explained to him patiently. He scowled up at me, then his look turned pitiful. I smirked. "When my best friend isn't astral-plane walking, then maybe I'll suck on your...neck." He growled playfully at my choice of words and nipped at my chin again. I smiled at him and bent my head down to kiss him affectionately. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to do some quality sleeping." I told him, taking his hand and leading him down the hall to our bedroom. I left the door open so we could hear any trouble coming and to discourage wandering hands. Well it discouraged my hands anyway. Being a soulless demon, Spike could care less what kind of show he put on for passing Slayers and pals.

Finally, though, I got him settled and we fell asleep curled around each other, Spike's face nestled into my shoulder, lips still on my neck. His arms were wrapped around my shoulders and for a moment I felt so very briefly, safe and comfortable. Then his stomach growled and he started nibbling. Guess comfort from is a vampire is fleeting at best.