Author's Note: Yippee! New chapter, new site, new reviewers, new everything! Well, except the story...that's old. And for those of you out there who like what I'm doing with Riley in the sense that you hate it, here's a lovely horror fact: I'm basing most of my characterizations of 'annoying boyfriend behavior' off of my ex. *double shudders* Isn't real life scary?

Previously: We're in the middle of an AU version of 'Superstar'. Buffy went to Spike for help finding out about Jonathan's enhancement spell and the resulting monster. Now, they're off to kill said monster and break the spell. Except Riley was spying on them and came to the (incorrect) conclusion that they were sleeping together. They managed to escape from Jonathan and Riley through the tunnels beneath Spike's crypt and went to Harmony's to hole up. But she's not in town. And, no, they still haven't managed to get more than a few 'innocent' feels of each other, but they're both having the kind of dreams that leave the censors at ff.net screaming. And Spike managed to make it through an entire chapter without 'forgetting' Buffy's name. What are the odds he'll keep it up? Not bloody likely...

“We have to find them!” Riley insisted. “Who knows what kind of danger Buffy is in?”

“I still can’t believe it,” Willow said, stunned. “Our Buffy…”

“She appears to be under some sort of thrall,” Jonathan quickly reassured her. “It isn’t Buffy that’s doing all this.”

“Funny,” Anya commented, turning over to the next page of the special ‘Jonathan Issue’ of Sport’s Illustrated.

“What was that?” Xander turned to her.

She shrugged and didn’t even bother to look up. “It’s just if Spike had a thrall all this time, why didn’t he use it before…?”

With a soft sigh, Buffy turned over and sleepily reached out to find nothing but an empty mattress beside her. She frowned and sat up, quickly scanning the subterranean cave. For a second, she couldn’t remember how she’d gotten here from her bedroom…and then the events of the night before came back to her.

That would be why she was alone in bed, as well. The real Spike was stretched out on an old couch across the room from her.

She blushed and smiled at the visions that had delighted her dreams. He had been so very, very beautiful… She only wished that one day she’d get to verify her suspicions. He didn’t even have the decency to remove his shirt when he went to bed…

She let out a stifled yawn and looked around the lair in a vain search for a clock. She mentally cursed herself for about the ten thousandth time for not wearing a watch. After a while, it occurred to her that she had no clue whether Spike wore a watch and…well, who was she kidding? She’d been looking for an excuse to go over to him anyway.

She froze for a minute, watching him sleep, and took a deep gulp of air. She had never seen him like this before, so calm and peaceful and innocent looking… A slight smile played upon the edges of his lips, and for once it didn’t look sarcastic or irritating. He just looked…happy. Buffy didn’t think she’d ever seen that expression on his face before, but – if anything – it made him seem more tempting than before…

He didn’t stir when she slowly pulled back the blanket that covered him. He had at least removed his duster, allowing her to examine the strong muscles of his forearms…and determine that he wasn’t wearing a watch on his right wrist. His left was trapped between his thigh and the back of the couch.

Tentatively, she reached out to touch his concealed arm gently. One nervous glance to his face told her that she hadn’t awakened him. He didn’t react in any way when she pulled her arm free. Damn, no watch on that wrist either! That was the deluded part of her brain that was still convinced she was doing this purely to find out what time it was. It was obviously another part that guided her hand, tracing the powerful lines of the curves of his muscles.

So absorbed was she in this task that she practically jumped out of her skin when he muttered in his sleep and rolled over onto his side…unconsciously grabbing hold of her hand in his and pulling her along with him.

Just great! Buffy’s mind chided her. Now look what you’ve gotten yourself into…

Cautiously, she tried to extricate herself. Not that she minded the handholding so much… But she was forced to prop herself up somewhat awkwardly with her free arm or else she would collapse onto his back. And that would certainly wake him up. And then she’d have to explain how her hand had gotten trapped between his chest and the couch back – not an easy thing to do.

Unfortunately, the grip on her wrist was pure iron. She couldn’t budge an inch.

Buffy sighed in frustration. Well, she did technically have an excuse for how she’d gotten stuck like this…

“Spike,” she said softly, nudging his shoulder. “C’mon, Spike, wake up.”

No response.

She frowned and shoved at his shoulder a little harder. “Spike!” she persisted.

Still nothing.

The frown became a scowl. No more Miss Nice Slayer. “Spike!” she repeated before blowing on his ear.

He giggled slightly in his sleep and rubbed his ear against his shoulder several times to remove the tickling sensation.

Encouraged, Buffy kept this new tactic up. She blew on the base of his neck this time, right into the short, silky hairs there.

A muttered curse, and his free hand swatted at the back of his neck.

“Spike, wake up,” she repeated, this time tickling him lightly under the arm.

He squirmed a bit in his sleep, trying to get away from her, before he finally flipped over onto his stomach…unfortunately, pulling her with him.

Buffy’s eyes widened when she suddenly found herself lying across his back, the firm power of the body beneath her all too apparent. Her hand was now hopelessly trapped beneath his chest, and she couldn’t move an inch.

Not that she wanted to.

She took in a deep breath and felt her body’s contours mold to his. He really was unmistakably gorgeous, and it seemed such a shame to move from this wonderful position on top of him… Except to the fact that her pinned arm was going quite numb under his weight.

“Spike!” She ran her fingers up and down his spine, tickling him mercilessly.

He giggled and squirmed again and then abruptly awoke with a start.

“Huh?” he blinked confusedly, disappointed to have been awakened from yet another dream…and then realizing that at least a part of his dream had been real. The Slayer really was spooned up against his back…and, wait a minute! Why was she…?

“Wake up, Spike!” she demanded irately. “I can’t feel my arm at all anymore!”

Arm? This was way too confusing for the first thing in the evening. Fortunately, she managed to move the arm in question enough for him to realize that it was trapped beneath him and raise himself up enough for her to pull it free.

She instantly crawled off of him, tripping as she went and landing on the dirt floor in a tangle of limbs.

Half-awake now, he rolled over to face her with a perplexed expression on his face. “Slayer, why was I lyin’ on your arm?” he asked with a wide, feline yawn, his eyelids still drooping drowsily.

“I was trying to look at your watch, and then you just grabbed hold of me and wouldn’t let go,” Buffy said defensively, sticking with her well-planned excuse.

“Oh.” He nodded sleepily and closed his eyes again. She could almost see them snap back open. “Don’ have a watch,” he pointed out.

“I noticed,” she said wryly, “but by then I was trapped.”

“’S nice.” Thankfully, he was still too asleep to question her rather lame explanation.

Buffy sat back, sighed, and tried to ignore the fact that the tingly feeling that had been running through her arm wasn’t entirely numbness.

“Spike?” she said at last.

“Mmm?” He cracked one eye open to look at her. Actually, he was having a bit of difficulty getting back to sleep now that the soft body that had been keeping his back nice and warm was gone.

“Are you awake?” she asked cautiously.

He sighed and sat up. “Yeah, kitten,” he decided he might as well get up since she was being so persistent.

“Good,” she smiled, “’cause we’ve got lots to do before sunset…whenever that is.”

“’bout two hours,” he provided.

She looked at him in disbelief. “H-How did you…?” she stuttered.

He scratched his stomach and couldn’t help but smile when she looked upon the skin exposed there like a woman starved. “Vamp sense,” he explained, letting his shirt fall back down into place. “Always know when the sun’s goin’.”

“Uh-huh, really,” Buffy nodded dumbly, taking in his sleep-rumpled attire and tousled platinum curls. She decided she could definitely get used to seeing Spike first thing in the morning…or evening as the case happened to be…

“So,” he said, swinging to his feet and heading over to a nearby dresser, “what’ve we got to do ‘xactly?” He pulled a jar of hair gel out of the drawer and went over to the nightstand – out of habit, Buffy assumed, because he couldn’t see his reflection in the mirror.

She shook her mind back from her pleasant daydreams and turned serious once again. “We need to reverse this spell – now more than ever.”

“No arguments from me, Binnie,” he watched her reflection.

“It’s Buffy and you know it,” she said in annoyance, moving to sit in the armchair beside him.

“Do I?” he replied with an enigmatic smile.

She rolled her eyes and went on. “The only way we know how to reverse the spell is to kill the monster, so I still say we should go after it.”

“If we can find it, that is…” He slicked the gel back into his hair, restoring it to its usual style.

Buffy sighed. “Actually, I was kind of hoping you had been lying to me and Jonathan before and you already knew where it was.” She picked up a comb from the table and began to tend to her own ruffled hair.

“Wasn’t lying,” he said apologetically, slipping into his duster. Then his brow furrowed. “Don’ know if this means somethin’…” he began.

“Anything is better than nothing,” she pointed out, setting the comb back down onto the nightstand.

“Right,” he nodded. “Well, there’s some vampires got kicked out of a cave in the hills behind Brookside park. Don’t know what did the kicking out, but it was prob’ly pretty big—”

“Our monster?” she inquired hopefully.

He shrugged. “Not sure. Couldn’t ‘urt to have a look-see, though.”

“No,” Buffy agreed with a small smile. “In fact, it’s a pretty good lead. Now we just have to not get caught checking it out… Do you know how to get there through the tunnels?”

Spike nodded. “Can get us pretty close, ‘t least.”

“Good, that takes care of problem number two…” She turned to him to see that he had a small smile on his face. “What?” she demanded.

He shrugged and looked down.

“What?!” she repeated.

“’S nothin’.”

She scowled at him. “It is something, and you will tell me right now,” she ordered.

He gave her a quick sheepish look and then found something very fascinating on his boot to watch. “’S just…” he began before trailing off. He gulped and began again at her sounds of impatience. “I jus’ never saw you like this before. You were always kinda in Jonathan’s shadow, an’ I guess… I never realized how strong you really are.”

“I’m not strong,” she quickly retorted bitterly. “If I was strong we wouldn’t be hiding out in an underground cave with all my friends after us.” A tear threatened to come into her eye, but she stopped it before he could see…at least, before she thought he could see.

The look on his face softened further, however. “That’s where you’re wrong, luv,” he informed her. “To keep on fightin’ even when everyone you love’s against you… Don’ know ‘f I could do that all by my lonesome.”

“I’m not alone,” she reminded him. “I have you.”

“Yeah,” he agreed softly, then laughed. “I jus’ can’t believe I never saw it before.” One hand reached forward to push an errant lock of hair behind her ear. “Can’t believe I never saw you before…”

She inhaled sharply and closed her eyes when his fingers gently caressed her cheek.

He watched her reaction with the most peaceful look on his face. Then he realized what he was doing, frowned, shook his head, and pulled back from her – both physically and emotionally.

Buffy opened her eyes to find that the kind, tender Spike was gone, and the bad ass mask was now firmly back in place. It took her a few seconds longer to compose herself, but when she did her voice was all business once again.

“We’ll need weapons…” she commented.

“Don’t fancy takin’ the beasty on bare handed?” he teased, already back into their old banter.

She gave him an annoyed look. “Do you want to?” she demanded.

“Always up for a bit of a challenge,” he retorted, licking his lips.

Buffy’s own lips parted, her mouth gone suddenly dry at the thought of how wonderful those moist, cool lips would feel against her own…

“Slayer!” he practically shouted. “You hear me?!”

“Huh?” she said confusedly, shaking herself out of the daze she’d been in. She flinched slightly when she realized that Spike had managed to get up, walk across the room, open a trunk, and remove an entire pile of weapons, all while she was absorbed in her little fantasy world.

“Think the crossbow’ll do any good?” he repeated, too busy tracing the edge of an axe, a glazed look of murderous ecstasy on his face, to notice her distraction.

She frowned. “My guess is that this is a decapitation situation,” she finally decided. “Leave the crossbow.”

He nodded, obviously too beguiled by the axe to really care.

Buffy walked over to him and began searching through the weapons there. “Ooh, pointy!” she said, removing a broadsword from the pile and testing its balance. “Pretty…” She gave it a few experimental swings.

Spike looked at her in surprise, and she gave him an embarrassed little smile.

“I like sharp objects,” she commented, blushing furiously.

“Me, too,” he agreed.

“So,” she said, sticking the tip of her weapon into the dirt and running her fingers up and down the hilt lovingly, “do we wait till sundown or—” She stopped with a quick gulp when she saw the way he was watching her.

Spike knew he’d been caught, but he couldn’t tear his eyes from the way her hands gently toyed with her sword’s hilt. And, somewhat tellingly, she didn’t stop when she noticed exactly what it was that had rendered him speechless. Rather, her fingers encircled the hilt, pumping up and down on it…

Or was that just his imagination?

He shook his head to find that she was still merely fingering it lightly.

Buffy’s eyes widened when she realized what the connotations of her hands’ actions were, and she abruptly stopped and just gripped the hilt. Or was that worse? He was practically panting now, and the bulge in his pants looked like it was about to burst through the tight denim.

He licked his lips once, twice, three times, before he could finally speak. “W-We sh-should go now, I think,” he gasped in a gravelly, desperate voice.

“Right,” Buffy agreed, nodding vigorously and swinging her sword over her shoulder.

He recovered from his stupor slightly now that the stimulus had been removed and handed her the lantern he’d removed from the chest. She held it with a shaky hand while he tried to light it with an even shakier one. Eventually, the flame shown brightly inside, however, and they both breathed a sigh of relief. Holding hands in the dark was…not exactly the best idea given either’s current state of mind.

“Let’s go then,” he said briskly, leading the way into the tunnels and setting a fast pace that wouldn’t allow her to start up any embarrassing conversations.

Buffy didn’t object in the slightest as she followed him through the winding corridors…

Buffy stood still for a minute, watching the opening of the cave.

“You OK?” Spike asked, standing right beside her and lending her his…well, not warmth…strength?

Whatever it was, it worked. She gripped the hilt of her sword more tightly and turned to him. “You realize how dangerous this could be if it’s in there…?”

“’ve always enjoyed a nice spot of danger in th’ evenin’,” he gave her that irascible smirk of his.

“OK,” she nodded, never tearing her eyes from him, “this is how it’s gonna work then. I’m going in first. I hug the left wall. You come in a few seconds behind me and stick to the right. Hopefully, nothing should be able to get past us then.”

“Sounds all right,” he agreed, dropping his cigarette and stamping it out with the toe of his boot. “That all then?”

Buffy gulped. “N-No,” she said in a suddenly shaky voice. “I don’t know if we’re going to make it, you know. I’m gonna do something really stupid…”

He shrugged. “’ve heard worse plans before,” he commented.

“That’s not the stupid thing,” she practically whispered.

He turned to look at her in confusion…and then surprise when she wrapped her arms around his neck and assaulted his lips with her own, pulling him down deeper into the kiss.

For a second he stood there too stunned to do anything, and then he found himself agreeing wholeheartedly with her ‘what the hell?’ attitude, and he returned her passion with everything he had, his eyelashes fluttering shut.

She moaned into his mouth when his arms slid around her, one hand slipping around her waist and the other holding the back of her head in order to increase the intensity of their kiss.

Lips parted simultaneously, tasting and biting soft lips. His tongue invaded her mouth first, exploring the warm, wet cavity before she joined it with her own.

As their mouths dueled, her hands roamed the expanse of muscle she’d been fantasizing about so often lately. One hand managed to sneak its way under the hem of his black T-shirt, reverently discovering that the strong muscles beneath felt even more marvelous than she’d ever imagined.

The tight grip about her waist pulled her body flush up against him, pressing soft curves up intimately against powerful steel. They reveled in each other’s strength, neither holding back their burning lust in the slightest.

Unfortunately, Buffy soon rediscovered the irritating need to breathe, and she pulled back almost as suddenly as she had jumped him.

They stood apart from each other for a minute, both panting heavily since Spike had apparently forgotten that he didn’t need to breathe, staring at each other in awe.

The same thought was flickering through both their minds at that moment: never, ever had they been burned so deeply to the core before. And if that was just from one kiss, what if…?

“See?” Buffy finally managed to speak between breaths. “That was very, very stupid.”

He nodded, still too stunned to speak.

“We…” she took a deep breath and centered herself at last, “we need to hunt this thing.”

“R-Right.”

“You OK?” she asked nervously.

A slow, seductive smile spread across his lips. “Oh, ‘m better’n OK, pet…” he purred.

She rolled her eyes. “Stop that,” she insisted. “I’m trying to do something serious here.”

And just like that, the familiar level of comfort between them returned.

“So ‘m I,” he teased.

She blushed. “There’s time for that later,” she promised softly. I can’t believe I just said that… “Right now we have to—”

“You first then,” he cut her off impatiently, gesturing to the cave.

She gave him a wry smile before taking the first step into the dark pit. Fortunately, it was light enough that she could see without the lantern, because she would have had a hard time carrying both it and her sword. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure Spike was following, impressed by how completely silently he moved.

Together, they slowly made their way deeper and deeper into the cavern. The steady dripping sound of several stalactites was the only thing disturbing the absolute quiet, and it grated on Buffy’s nerves, increasing the feeling of ominous portends.

Just ahead, the cavern widened, and Spike tapped her on the shoulder and gave her a questioning look.

She gestured that they should split up, and then gave him a solemn frown off of his quizzical look.

He finally nodded and shrugged and went in one direction while Buffy took the other. Only a little ways out, the cavern dropped off in an overhanging cliff. If it was here, one of them was bound to find it.

Buffy’s fingers turned white, she gripped the hilt of her sword so tightly. Any second now…

“Slayer! Help!”

Without thinking, Buffy turned back and ran toward the sound of Spike’s voice, moving at a blinding pace due to the adrenaline and fear. She got to the site of battle just after the first few blows had been exchanged.

The monster had Spike’s axe-head stuck firmly in its arm, but even so it didn’t seem slowed down in the slightest. It wrenched its arm back – axe and all – and swung at Spike with its other arm.

The vampire leapt back easily, but was forced to let go of the axe handle in the process.

A wide sweep of the creature’s arm, and the axe flew through the air, skittering to a halt across the cavern from them.

Before the monster had a chance to take another swipe and Spike, Buffy jabbed her sword right into its side.

It howled in pain and clawed the air wildly in her direction, but she just barely managed to avoid all of its blows.

Spike, meanwhile, tackled the creature from behind, fangs and glowing yellow eyes gleaming in the pale moonlight that filtered through the cave entrance.

The monster reared back, pulling itself free of Buffy’s sword and smashing Spike back against the cliff face in one motion.

The force was enough to stun Spike for just long enough for the creature to grab hold of him and fling him toward the cliff face.

Buffy had been prepared to strike the creature’s neck when she saw Spike go over.

“No!”

The cry pierced the eerie silence of the cavern, but Buffy was completely unaware of the fact. She dove over to the edge of the precipice, clutching at the air where Spike had just been wildly…

The monster took the opportunity to flee, unheeded by the two demon hunters.

All in all, it was a very strange experience. Buffy was quite certain her consciousness blacked out for a few seconds, mortal fear completely overcoming her.

And then, when she came back to herself, relief flooded her body at the feel of the cool hand caught firmly in hers.

“Little help here, pet?” Spike’s shaking voice echoed up from the chasm.

“I’ve got you,” Buffy insisted. “Just a second. It’s OK. I’ve got you.” She could feel their fingers slipping, and without hesitation she leaned further over the edge, reinforcing her grip with her other hand. “I’ve got you…” she repeated, whether for his benefit or her own not even she was sure.

“Can’t get a foothold anywhere,” Spike commented, a bit calmer now that he was no longer doomed to what would undoubtedly be the most painful fall of his unlife. “I think the cliff goes back right under the ledge.”

“It’s all right,” Buffy insisted, carefully pulling herself up to her knees. “I can…handle this…” She began to pull him up with all her strength.

Soon, his other hand had caught hold of the ledge, and with a triumphant little exclamation he pulled himself out of the chasm.

Buffy instantly cradled him in her arms and pulled him back against the safe wall of the cliff face, her body still trembling in terror.

Spike didn’t bother to hide the fact that he was shaking as well, and they slumped back into sitting positions against the sturdy wall behind them.

“S-Slayer?” he whispered, still captured tightly in her embrace.

“Spike?” she murmured into his hair, a little sigh of relief escaping her when his arms wrapped around her waist.

“Y-Y’know that really stupid thing you did earlier?” he reminded her.

“Yeah,” she smiled down at him fondly, and he turned his chin up to look at her, his eyes cold ebony in the blackness.

“Well, ‘m about to do something even stupider,” he said with a small smile. “Jus’ thought I should let you know…”

And with that, he was upon her.

She willingly slid back onto the cold stone floor of the cave, savoring the feel on his body on top of hers and his cool lips and tongue all over her face. She wound her fingers into his hair and pulled him down for another of those amazing, earth-shattering, time-stopping, why-on-earth-haven’t-we-ever-done-this-before kisses.

He moaned into her mouth and ground his hips down into hers.

She parted her legs in response, allowing him to slip in between, feeling his hardness pressed up roughly against her inner thigh.

His fingers were on the buttons of her blouse now, undoing them far, far too slowly. He tenderly caressed her heated flesh as it was exposed to his eyes, cupping a still-clothed breast with his other hand.

Buffy returned the favor, yanking his leather duster back of his shoulders. He pulled away for a second to toss it to the side, and she took the opportunity to run her hands up underneath his black tee, feeling the raw power beneath his smooth flesh pulse and tremble at her touch.

“Oh god, I want you…” she whimpered softly.

“Want you, too, luv,” he said, coming back in for another bruising kiss.

“Well, well, well,” a voice interrupted their feverish kisses. “Finally caught in the act…”

The both looked up in surprise to see Riley standing in the entranceway, the taser in his hands aimed straight at them. Behind him, Xander watched them with complete horror on his face, a crossbow dangling from one hand.

Riley’s eyes turned to ice as he watched the two of them still locked in their forbidden embrace. “I told you before, vampire,” he spit out the last word like it was a bad taste in his mouth, “you touch her, I was going to make you pay. Well, now seems just as good a time as any,” he hissed, his finger tightening on the trigger and firing…

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