Disclaimer: I own none of the characters here. I just like to use them, so I can bring my imagination to life. Please don’t sue me.

Author’s note/Summary: This is the fifth installment. Buffy and Spike get closer but with the Council lurking around will their happiness be short lived?

Rating: NC-17 (Just a little bit. J )

The Ties That Bind…

Part Five~

Giles had gone back to England shortly after he had delivered the news of Buffy’s condition. Before Buffy had come back, he had given Anya full run of the Magic Box. He was still technically the owner, but she took care of everything now.

After Buffy’s return, they all had urged him to stay in Sunnydale. But he said he felt it was time he moved on. Plus, he had met a lady friend back home and was eager to see her again. He had promised that if they ever needed him, he’d be on a plane in second, but it was time for him to have a life of his own now.

Buffy had been a little thrown by his decision, but she could hardly fault him for wanting to have a normal life. He had confided to her that her death had opened his eyes. He wanted to savor every moment of life because no one ever knew when it might be over. He felt guilty for leaving Buffy, but he also felt that it was time for her to learn to live without him as well.

She was an adult now, and she had to learn to rely on herself. He couldn’t always be around. That was what he had told her. But she missed him terribly. Tonight, she really wanted his guidance. She had thought about calling him, but she stopped herself. He was right. She needed to learn to work things out on her own. So that’s what she was trying to do.

Now, everyone sat around the table at the Magic Box. They were all brainstorming, trying to make sense of the events of the previous night. Buffy and Spike had told everyone what had happened with the strange men, and now they were at a loss as to what to do.

“So, they didn’t say anything?” Xander asked curiously.

“No. They just sort of attacked.” Buffy shrugged.

“And you think they were trying to capture you, not kill you?” Willow asked.

“Yeah. I mean, they had weapons, but not of the deadly variety. Plus, they were shooting tranquilizer darts. Pretty powerful ones, judging by how quickly that guy went down. I definitely think they knew exactly who and what they were dealing with.” Buffy explained.

“Now if only we knew the same.” Xander said, shaking his head.

“Do you think that it’s like some left over Initiative thing?” Willow offered.

“Nah, they weren’t military. They looked like hired muscle.” Spike said shaking his head.

“But who would do that? I mean, most of the demons in this town probably don’t employ human thugs to do their dirty work.” Xander said shaking his head.

“Maybe they weren’t working for a demon? I-It could just be your average run of the mill kidnappers. Or international terrorists? Maybe they wanted to hold you guys for ransom?” Willow offered excitedly, trying to think of something.

“Who’d pay a ransom for us?” Buffy laughed.

“Well, I don’t know.” Willow shrugged. “It was worth a shot.”

“No, no, Willow may be on to something.” Xander said with thought forming in his head.

“You think international terrorists are after me and Spike?” Buffy asked with a chuckle.

“No. But maybe someone knows that you’re the Slayer. Or were the Slayer. But no one but us knows that you’re not anymore.” Xander rambled. Then he shook his head. “What I’m trying to say is, maybe we’re dealing with someone like the Mayor? Maybe an evil government official wants you out of the way, so he can create a demon army and take over Sunnydale?” He offered.

“Well, it’s an idea.” Buffy said thoughtfully.

She really didn’t have the slightest clue what was going on. It sounded like a possibility. In this town, you never knew what to expect.

“Maybe we should call Giles. He might be able to help.” Willow suggested quietly.

Buffy shook her head.

“No. He’s busy with his own life. He said if it was an emergency, like another apocalypse, then we should call him. So far this is just some creepy guys with a van. I don’t wanna jump the gun yet.” Buffy explained.

“You think we should lay low for awhile? Maybe cut back the patrols?” Spike asked her curiously.

Buffy thought for a moment and shook her head.

“No. I’m not gonna hide from them. If they’re stupid enough to try and get me again, then let em’ try. Maybe then we can find out who they are.” Buffy said with determination.

“Still, it wouldn’t hurt to be careful.” Xander told her, feeling uneasy about the whole situation.

“I will be careful. I think I sent them a pretty powerful message, though. I don’t think they’ll be back any time soon.” She said seriously.

She was still a little unnerved at her loss of control last night. She had been frightened by her actions, but she knew that she was acting in self defense. She’d just have to learn to control her inner rage a little better. That part of the evening wasn’t something she had shared with the others.

After their meeting was over, Buffy said she needed to head home. Dawn was working on some sort of special book report and Buffy had promised to help her. Sometimes, real life had to take precedence over the supernatural one.

“I’ll drive you.” Spike offered her.

“You brought your car?” She asked him.

“Well, yeah. After almost getting tranquilized and dragged off to parts unknown last night, the car seemed a safer way to go. For you too.” He told her seriously.

He was concerned for her safety even if she wasn’t. Last night had brought back some unpleasant flashbacks of his Initiative capture. He wasn’t eager to relive that, or to have her get a taste of it as well.

She agreed to let him drive her home. She had to admit that it was safer. It was probably time for her start driving her mom’s car as well. She drove to the grocery store, but that was pretty much it. Now that she was the adult in the household, she figured she better get more used to driving.

They walked to his car silently. Neither one of them had mentioned the kiss that they had shared before all hell had broken loose last night. They had gotten a little distracted. But now they were alone again, and Buffy silently wondered if he would say anything. Or more importantly, try to do it again.

As they reached his car she turned and smiled at him.

“Can I drive?” She asked with a smile.

He looked at her surprised and shook his head.

“I don’t think so, sweetheart.” He said with a laugh.

“Oh come on. I know how to drive. I just don’t do it very often. I need practice.” She pleaded with him.

“Why am I suddenly your teacher? Do I have to show you everything?” He asked with a sigh.

She stuck out her lip and pouted. She was trying to guilt him into letting her get her way.

“Oh stop. You look pathetic.” He said rolling his eyes.

“Let me drive and I might be nice to you later.” She said with a smile.

She couldn’t believe she had said that. That statement implied all sorts of things that she wasn’t sure she was ready to imply.

He looked at her and smirked.

“How nice exactly?” He asked suggestively.

“Not that nice.” She protested.

He sighed and tossed her the keys. He had never let anyone drive his car. Ever. This was a huge leap of faith on his part. He had had this car since it was almost new. Sure, he had stolen it, but it had still been his car all this time. He knew he must really love her to allow her behind the wheel.

She grabbed the keys excitedly and jumped behind the wheel. He slid into the passenger side and silently hoped she wasn’t too terrible of a driver. In the whole time he had known her, he’d never seen her drive.

“Buffy? Do you even have a license?” He asked, as she started the car up.

“Do you?” She shot back at him with smirk.

“Well, no. But I’ve been driving since they invented the automobile. I’ve had some practice.” He said rolling his eyes at her.

“Just relax, will you? I promise I won’t crash your stupid car.” She said with a smile as she slid it into gear and lunged forward.

“Careful. This baby’ s got some power to her. Ease into it.” He said, gripping the door handle.

She stepped on the gas and they accelerated rapidly. She laughed out loud at how much fun it was to drive his car. It was so big though, she was having a hard time judging how far away other cars and the sidewalk were.

“Stay in your lane. You almost sideswiped that Volvo.” He said literally fearing for his safety as well as his car.

“Spike, stop being a backseat driver. You make me nervous.” She said with a groan.

He sat back and sighed. He had to admit seeing the look of determination on her face was making him smile. She was concentrating so hard, that her nose was all crinkled up. She looked adorable. He wanted to just stop the car and cover her with kisses. He hoped there would be time for that later. After all, she said she was going to be ‘nice’ to him.

She rounded the corner and pulled onto her street, a little too quickly. She drove up onto the sidewalk momentarily then corrected herself.

“Oops.” She said softly.

“Slow down. Your house is right there.” He said quickly.

“I know where my house is.” She rolled her eyes and turned sharply into her driveway.

She barreled up the drive and slammed on the brakes just before hitting the garage. They both lunged forward and slammed back into their seats. He looked at her with a look of disbelief.

“Home at last.” She said with a smile.

“You are the worst driver I’ve ever seen. No way, are you ever driving my car again.” He said shaking his head.

“I got us here in one piece, didn’t I?” She said defensively.

“Barely.”

“Shut up. It’s not like you can die from a car wreck anyway.” She glared at him.

“Yes I could. You might crash into a fence and poof! Plank of wood, right through the heart.” He told her with a smile.

“Fine. I’ll just drive my own car from now on.” She said casually.

“Forget it. If you need to go somewhere, call me.” He said seriously.

“Call you? How am I supposed to call you? You live in a crypt. Should I send up the bat signal every time I need to go grocery shopping?” She teased him.

“I could get a phone. I hear they’ve invented these things called cell phones. It’s amazing.” He mocked her with a smile.

She stuck her tongue out at him and rolled her eyes.

“And how are you gonna pay for a cell phone?” She asked.

“I don’t know.” He shrugged.

“Look, I need to get inside. Dawn needs me to help her with her book report.” She said, not really wanting to go in just yet.

“Oh. Well, I thought you said you were gonna be real nice to me if I let you drive.” He reminded her.

“I did say that didn’t I?” She said thoughtfully.

“You did.”

He leaned closer to her to try and capture another kiss. One that hopefully wouldn’t be interrupted by a band of thugs this time. His lips met hers and he pulled her closer. She wrapped her arms around his neck and scooted over. The kiss grew in intensity, and as it did he had managed to pull her into his lap.

His hands traveled down her back until they reached the hem of her shirt. He slipped his hands underneath and she felt him tugging at her bra clasp. She suddenly pulled away from him breathlessly.

“Something wrong?” He asked her confused.

“No. It’s just…Not here.” She said, suddenly becoming aware that she was making out with Spike in her own driveway.

“Let’s go someplace else.” He urged her.

“No. Not here and not now.” She said firmly.

“What? But you wanted to, didn’t you?” He asked feeling incredibly frustrated.

“That’s not the point, Spike. Besides, you still owe me a date.” She said with a small smile.

“A date? Now you want to go on a date?” He asked shaking his head.

“Yes. I mean, a real one. Not one that you tricked me into.” She pointed out.

“I didn’t trick you. It was your idea.” He said with a smirk.

“No. I wanted to go dancing, you’re the one who called it a date after the fact.” She argued.

“Fine. You want to go out? We’ll go out.” He said leaning back into the seat.

“Good. Then pick me up tomorrow night.” She said with a satisfied smile.

“Alright.” He conceded with a smile. “Do I get to come in tonight, though?”

“Nope. You get to go home, and I get work on a book report.” She said getting out of the car.

“Where do you want to go tomorrow?”

“Surprise me.” She said as she closed the door and headed into her house.

He sighed and scooted over to the drivers seat. He turned the ignition and headed off. This girl was going to kill him, he thought to himself.

The next evening, Spike walked into the Magic Box, looking for Xander. He found him in the back office trying to help Anya out with some of the bookkeeping while she tended the counter.

“I need to borrow fifty bucks.” Spike said as he walked into the office.

“What? What for?” Xander asked him with a strange look.

“I just need it, that’s all.”

“Are you in some kind of trouble? Cause if you are, that’s really funny. It’s even funnier that you think I’d help you out.” Xander laughed sarcastically.

“Come on. I’ve saved your ass plenty of times. You think I enjoy having that on my conscience?” Spike said with a smirk.

Xander laughed sarcastically.

“What do I look like to you, Spike? An ATM machine? I’m not giving you money.” He said firmly.

“But I really need it. It’s important. I’ll pay you back.” Spike said, knowing he never would.

“What? Did you lose a bet? Is the vampire mafia coming for you?” Xander joked.

“No. I have a date.” Spike said with a smile.

“A date?” Xander laughed hysterically. “Who would be desperate enough to go out with you?”

“I’m taking Buffy out.” Spike said smugly. He knew that Xander was likely to have a heart attack, and Spike found it amusing.

“What? You’re taking Buffy out?” Xander asked incredulously.

“Yup.”

“On a date?”

“Yes. That’s what I said.” Spike said acting as if he were talking to a three year old.

“And she knows about this?” Xander asked disbelieving.

“Of course she bloody knows. It was her idea.” He said rolling his eyes.

“Well, then you’re even crazier than I thought, if you think I’m contributing money to your ‘Corrupting Buffy’ fund. No way.” Xander said crossing his arms and shaking his head.

“You want her to have fun, don’t you?” Spike asked desperately.

“Not with you.”

“We’re going anyway, regardless of whether you help me out. It’s your choice if she gets to eat a hot dog from the Mini-mart, or Prime Rib.” Spike said trying to be convincing.

“I don’t care, Spike.” Xander said irritated.

“Come on. Cut me a break. If I don’t impress her, she may never give me another chance.” Spike pleaded.

“That’s kinda the idea.” Xander said with a smile.

“Fine. Hot dogs from the Mini-mart it is.” Spike said defeated.

“Hope you enjoy your evening.” Xander said smugly.

Spike turned around and headed for the door. Xander watched his disappointment and felt a small pang of remorse. He still hated this guy, he tried to tell himself. But somewhere deep down, he felt that little pang of guilt. He sighed and pulled his wallet out.

“Fine. Here. Take it. Just don’t tell anyone where you got the money from, or I’ll kill you.” Xander said handing the bills over.

“Thanks mate. I’ll be sure she has a real nice time.” Spike said with a smile.

“Don’t make it too nice. And if you hurt her in anyway, I swear the only thing left of you will fit into an ashtray. Buffy may be a little different now. But she’s still Buffy, which means I still don’t like this.” Xander said seriously.

“I know. You’ve got nothing to worry about.” Spike said patting him on the back.

“I’m worried about Buffy. If this date fiasco was really her idea, she’s in worse shape than I thought.” Xander said despairingly.

Spike turned around again with a smile and headed for the door. Xander shook his head sadly. Buffy’s not the only one who’s lost her mind…He thought to himself. I can’t believe I gave him money. I think I should see a doctor…

Buffy was in her room, rummaging through her closet. She’d tried on nearly everything she owned and still found nothing she liked.

“I can’t believe he’s actually taking you out.” Dawn said, as she laid sprawled across Buffy’s bed.

“Me neither. It’s probably going to be the biggest disaster ever. I mean, this is Spike we’re talking about. It should be interesting to see what his version of a date is.” Buffy said thoughtfully, as she pulled a tight, black dress over her head.

“I like that one.” Dawn said, approving of the outfit.

Buffy posed in front of the mirror and sighed.

“You don’t think it’s too sexy?”

“You want it to be sexy, right?” Dawn asked.

“Well, a little. But I don’t want to look desperate either. I want a dress that says ‘maybe you’ll get lucky’ not ‘rip me off, I’m easy’.” Buffy explained.

“Buffy, this is Spike. You could wear a pillowcase and house slippers and he’d still want to rip your clothes off.” Dawn said with a smile.

“That’s true. But I don’t want him to think that’s what I have in mind.”

“Isn’t it?”

Buffy looked at her sister and felt herself getting embarrassed. She shook her head.

“Dawn. This is our first date.”

“Please. Maybe it’s your first official date, but you guys are hardly strangers. You’ve known him forever.” Dawn said matter of factly.

“I know, but most of that time was spent trying to kill each other. It doesn’t count.” Buffy told her pointedly.

“Just wear the black dress. It looks good.” Dawn told her.

“Okay. If you’re sure.”

“Yes, I’m sure.” Dawn groaned. “I need to get my stuff ready. Marcy’s mom is gonna pick me up soon.”

“You guys better stay out of trouble.” Buffy warned her.

“We will. We’re just gonna hang out, watch movies, and talk about boys all night. You know, girl stuff.” Dawn shrugged as she headed to her room to get her duffel bag.

A few minutes later, the doorbell rang. Buffy felt herself getting nervous. She knew it made no sense. She’d been with Spike nearly every day in the month and half since she’d been back. It wasn’t like it was a new concept or anything. But this wasn’t business, this was for fun. That made it scary for her.

She walked down the stairs and opened the door. Spike stood there with a smile and looked a little nervous himself. He stepped inside and handed her the flowers he had brought for her.

“Flowers?”

“Hope you like them.” He said softly.

“You’re off to a good start.” She smiled.

Just then, Dawn came running down the stairs, eager to see them off.

“Oh my god, Spike. Your clothes. You’re not wearing your Spike uniform.” Dawn said surprised at his outfit.

“I do own other clothes. I just don’t wear them, is all.” He shrugged.

He was wearing a dark blue shirt and black pants. He’d left his duster at home for once. He felt a little bare without it though.

“Well, blue is your color.” Buffy said noticing how amazing his eyes looked against the blue of the fabric.

“No, black is my color.” He protested.

“Trust me. Go with the blue.” Buffy said with a smirk.

He smiled at her.

“You ready to go?” He asked.

“Yeah. Dawn, you okay? Are they gonna be here soon?” Buffy asked her sister.

“Yeah. Go, have a good time. Oh, and I’ll take care of your flowers.” She said taking them out of Buffy’s hand with a smile.

“Thanks. See you tomorrow.”

“I won’t be home early. It’ll probably be late afternoon. You know, just in case you want to sleep in or anything.” Dawn said raising her eyebrow hoping Buffy was taking her hint.

Buffy rolled her eyes and kissed Dawn on the cheek.

“Be good.” She said as she and Spike walked out the door.

They walked to his car and he opened the door for her. She looked at him and smiled.

“Wow. It’s almost like going out with a real guy.” She teased.

“Just get in the car.” He rolled his eyes.

She sat there patiently waiting for him to get in. She was wringing her hands nervously. She had no idea where he was planning on taking her. She just hoped the night wasn’t going to be awful.

He got behind the wheel and looked over at her with a smile.

“You look beautiful.” He told her sincerely.

“Thanks. This dress isn’t too much is it? I wasn’t sure where we were going.” She said self consciously.

“No. It’s perfect. I thought I’d take you to dinner. That’s what real guys do, right?” He asked with a smirk.

“That’s what I’m told. It’s been awhile.” She said with a laugh.

They headed off and he drove them to one of the nicer restaurants in Sunnydale. They pulled up out front and he helped her out of the car.

“This place is nice.” She said as they walked in.

The waiter sat them at a table and they looked at the menus.

“Do you want some wine?” He asked her curiously. He knew she didn’t usually drink, but he figured it was worth a shot.

“Sure.” She said, deciding to live a little.

Normal people had wine with dinner. And to the unsuspecting eye, she and Spike appeared to be a normal couple. Only they were pretty far from normal.

They ordered the wine and their food and sat and waited. For a few minutes neither of them could think of anything to talk about. It was a completely awkward moment. Finally Buffy decided to say something.

“Wow. I mean, this is so weird. I can’t believe I’m here with you.” Buffy said shaking her head.

“I can’t believe you’re here with me either. I was pretty sure this was never gonna happen.” He said with a smile.

“Me too.”

“But I’m glad you are here. I hope I’m doing alright so far.” He said looking away from her.

“You’re doing fine. In fact, this is probably the nicest date I’ve had in a long time.” She said sincerely.

After their dinner was over, they headed back out to the car. They got inside.

“So, now where are we going?” She asked.

“Well, dinner is sort of where I ran out of ideas.” He admitted softly. “And money.”

“Oh.”

“But I’m sure we could find something else to do.” He said hurriedly.

He suddenly felt like a fool. He had hoped dinner was going to be enough, but clearly she was expecting something more.

“No. It’s fine. I mean, dinner was great. Really great. We don’t have to go anywhere else.” She reassured him.

“I’ve screwed up, haven’t I? I should have had more ideas. And money. Maybe, I should get a job?”

She laughed then and turned to him.

“A job? That’d be really fun to see. I can just see you now flipping burgers or something. You might even have to wear a hairnet.” She teased him.

“I’d shave my head before I’d wear a hairnet.” He scoffed.

“Now that would be funny.” She laughed.

“Look, Buffy, I’m sorry. I’m not really up on this dating thing. I haven’t…Well, I’ve never actually been on a date before.” He admitted.

“Never? I mean not even before, well, you know?”

“No.”

She felt a little bad for him. He was trying so hard, and she felt her heart hurt a little for him.

“Just take me home.” She said softly.

He looked at her completely defeated. He’d messed the evening up by not being more prepared. He should have asked Xander for more money. Not that he would have given it to him, but it would have been worth a shot.

“Fine.” He said softly.

“I think we can find something to do there for free.” She said with a small smile.

Suddenly, his mood shifted. Maybe the night wasn’t a total loss after all. He smiled and turned the car on. They sped off towards her house. He pulled up in her driveway almost as abruptly as she had the other night.

She turned to him.

“And you say I’m a bad driver?” She said raising her eyebrow.

They got out of the car and headed into the house. She flipped the living room light on and tossed her jacket onto the couch. He watched as she kicked off her shoes and sat down on the couch. He joined her.

“So, Dawn’s not here?” He asked, trying to get a feel for the situation.

“She’s staying the night at a friends.”

“So then, it’s just us.”

“Yes.” She said noting his sudden nervousness.

He wasn’t sure why he was nervous. It wasn’t like him at all. But just the fact that all of his dreams were possibly about to come true, made him feel a little out of sorts. He couldn’t read her anymore.

He was pretty sure she was thinking the same thing he was thinking. But he also didn’t just want to pounce on her and scare her away. It was all too complicated suddenly. He looked at her and smiled.

“What should we do? Watch a movie?” He asked.

“No.”

“Okay. Help me out here. You wanna play Scrabble? Cards?”

“Spike, stop. You’re acting all weird.” She told him giving him a strange look.

“Well, it’s just I’m not sure how you want me to act.” He explained.

“I want you to act like you.” She told him sincerely.

“Suddenly I’ve forgotten how to do that.” He said with a nervous smile.

She thought it was cute how insecure he had become suddenly. It was sort of endearing. Here he was, Mr. Cocky Vampire, acting like a nervous schoolboy just because of her. She liked it, but she liked his confident self even more. She decided to try and put him at ease.

She scooted closer to him and draped her legs over his lap. She put her arms around his neck and pulled him in to kiss her. She pulled away and smiled at him.

“I’m pretty much a sure thing at this point, Spike. You can stop trying so hard.” She said softly.

Suddenly he felt like the room was spinning. This was definitely shaping up to be the best night of his entire existence. With her words, his confidence returned. He pulled her closer to him and crushed his mouth to hers.

He pushed her down on the couch and laid down on top of her. His kisses were deep and forceful. She felt his cool tongue probing her mouth and felt herself growing excited. His mouth broke free from hers and he trailed kisses down her neck and across her throat.

She squeezed her eyes shut and let a small moan escape her throat. He covered her mouth with his again. She found herself wrapping her legs around him to pull him closer. Her hands were grasping the fabric of his shirt tightly. He broke their kiss and gazed down at her.

“Shouldn’t we go upstairs? This might take awhile.” He said with a hungry look.

She felt herself shudder and she looked up at him longingly.

“Yeah.” She replied breathlessly.

He proceeded to scoop her up in his arms and practically ran up the stairs with her. They reached her room and he pushed the door open with his foot. He practically threw her on the bed. She stared back up at him with a fevered look in her eyes.

“Come over here.” She told him.

He obeyed readily, grabbing her shoulders and pinning her down to the bed. He kissed her greedily and she ran her fingers across his chest and found the buttons of his shirt. With one movement, she ripped his shirt open. He looked down at her with a smile.

“That was the only good shirt I owned.” He said with a smirk.

“I’ll buy you a new one.”

He pulled off the remains of his buttonless shirt. He put his hands on her thighs and ran them up her legs slowly. He slid them underneath her dress. As he did, he pushed her dress up, revealing black lace panties. The sight of that made him shiver.

He pushed her dress up farther, and she sat up slightly as he lifted it over her head. She lay back, clad only in her black lacy undergarments. He leaned down to kiss her again. His mouth explored her neck once more, and he ran his tongue along her collarbone.

He kissed his way down her chest, until he reached her lace covered breasts. He kissed them through the fabric as his hand reached behind her to undo the clasp. He freed her and tossed her bra onto the floor.

“My god…You’re beautiful.” He whispered as his hands caressed her now bare breasts.

He bent down to kiss them, his tongue tracing slow circles around her nipples. She moaned and ran her fingers through his hair. He brought his lips to hers again and she ran her hands over his smooth chest.

His hand ran down the length of her body, until he reached the top of her panties. He slid his hand underneath them and felt her wetness. He had never felt anything so soft or warm. He wanted her so badly, he wasn’t sure he could wait much longer.

She shuddered at his fingers caressing her body and dug her nails into his back. The pain only excited him more. With one move, he ripped her panties off. She looked at him surprised, but incredibly turned on.

“I’ll buy you new ones.” He murmured into her ear with a smile.

She smiled and kissed him again. She wrapped her legs tightly around his waist and with one fluid motion, she flipped him over onto his back. She straddled him with a wicked smile.

“No fair, me being the only one not wearing anything.” She said as she began to unbutton his pants.

He silently thought to himself that this is what Heaven would be like. Too bad he wasn’t going there. It didn’t really matter, he was there now. She pulled his pants and shoes off and straddled him again.

He could feel her wetness against his skin and wanted to bury himself in her forever. She bent down to kiss him. Her tongue darted out and ran over his lips softly. She smiled at him and ran her tongue down his neck. She kissed her way down his chest, running her hands over his muscular build.

She brought her head up again and covered his mouth with her kisses. His hands roamed over her firm breasts, gently caressing her stiff peaks until she moaned. She whispered into his ear.

“Love me, Spike.”

“I already do.” He whispered softly to her.

He then ran his hands down to her hips and grasped them tightly. He lifted her up and positioned her over himself. He thrust up, burying himself inside of her warm walls. She cried out as he entered her. It felt so right having him inside of her, as if he were part of her. They soon became lost in their passionate rhythm. She writhed slowly, grinding herself against his body.

She could feel her orgasm building already. She tilted her head back and concentrated on the feeling of him moving inside of her. He watched as her face displayed her pleasure. Pleasure that he was giving her. It felt so right, and so good.

He sat up slightly and grabbed her around the waist. He flipped her over onto her back, never breaking their intimate connection. She quickly wrapped her legs around his waist allowing him to plunge even further into her depths.

“I never want this to end.” He whispered to her.

“Oh Spike…” She murmured, feeling herself begin to fall over the edge.

Her muscles tightened and he could feel that she was almost there. He quickened his pace and felt her begin to shudder around him. Small cries of pleasure escaped her throat and he felt her walls spasm around him, bringing him over the edge along with her.

He collapsed on top of her, out of breath. It didn’t matter that he didn’t need to breathe, just being with her made him breathless. He rolled over and lay on his back. She scooted over and rested her head on his chest.

She was feeling completely contented and happy for the first time in a long while. Especially since she’d been back. She didn’t really care about anything anymore. There really wasn’t any reason for her not to be with him. All the doubts that she had before just didn’t matter tonight. For once she’d just surrendered herself and it felt good. Really good.

He stroked her hair gently and kissed the top of her head. She looked up at him and smiled.

“That was nice.” She whispered.

“Nice? Just nice?” He asked pretending to be offended.

“Okay, it was more than nice. It was amazing.” She said with a small smile.

He leaned down and kissed her softly.

“I love you.” He whispered.

She smiled and let out a happy sigh. She laid her head back down on is chest and traced the hard outlines of his muscles.

“You know, I don’t think I would have made it this last month and a half without you.” She told him softly.

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. I mean, everything was so different and scary. I’m different and scary. But you’ve made it all a little less scary and more happy.” She said truthfully.

“I’m always gonna be here for you. You know that, right?” He asked her as he gently stroked her bare back.

“Yeah. I think I do.”

He lifted her chin up and looked her straight in the eye.

“Don’t think it, know it. I’m never gonna leave you. Unless you force me to.” He said seriously.

“I know. It’s just, I was really scared about tonight. I mean, this changes everything.” She said quietly.

“In a good way. Why would you be scared?”

“Because Spike. We were becoming friends. Close friends. I’m good with friendships. Friendships I can do. But now, it’s more than that. And that’s when everything seems to fall apart on me. First I fall in love, then everything goes wrong and it ends with you leaving town. I-I’m not sure I could handle the you leaving town part.” She admitted softly.

“First of all, I’m not leaving town. Don’t you think if I was going to leave I would have done it already? No. I’m here for the long haul. Good, bad or ugly. I’m not going anywhere. And second of all, did you just say you were in love?” He asked her with a smile.

She looked up at him and smiled sheepishly.

“You caught that part, huh? I thought I could slip it in undetected.” She said softly.

A large grin played out over his face. He leaned down to her and kissed her passionately. Just knowing that she loved him made his entire world seem right. He didn’t care about anything else, only her. The woman he loved, and the woman who loved him back.

Two weeks had gone by, and Buffy and Spike had spent a lot more time getting used to their new relationship. Buffy had never been so happy. Her fears about this ending badly were pushed aside. Why spoil a good thing with unfounded worries and doubts? She knew he had meant what he said when he told her he wasn’t going to leave. She trusted him with her life and her heart.

They walked together down the street on one of their nightly patrols. He held her hand as they walked. They had not come across anymore strange men in vans, and the vampire activity had been pretty slow lately as well.

They figured they were probably doing their job a little too well, which was making their patrols pretty boring as of late. She turned to him and smiled.

“Maybe we should go home? I kind of have a lot of energy to burn, and there doesn’t seem to be anything out here to help me burn it off.” She told him with a suggestive glance.

“I think I know of a way to burn it off.” He said leaning over to kiss her.

“I’m sure you do. Let’s go.” She said excitedly.

They had hardly been able to keep their hands off each other since the first night they were together. It was all so new and incredibly exciting for both of them. It was like discovering a whole new world. A world they were both eager to explore.

They hurried along, heading for her house. Buffy walked just in front of him and he was silently admiring the way her hips swayed as she walked. He smiled at the sight.

Just then, he felt a strong jolt of electricity slam into his back. He cried out, and Buffy turned around sharply. The look of utter panic on her face, was the last thing he saw as he blacked out.

Buffy saw her attackers only for a moment as she watched Spike fall to the ground. Before she had a chance to even comprehend what was happening, she was hit by the same electric jolt that had felled Spike. Her body went rigid and she slipped into the blackness.

One of the three men dragged the blonde vampire over into some bushes and dumped him there. The other two men lifted Buffy up and loaded her into a waiting van. Once inside they shackled her wrists and ankles and secured her limp body to the interior of the van. Satisfied with a job well done, they sped off into the night.

Spike slowly started to awake. He wasn’t sure where he was, but it wasn’t all that comfortable. He couldn’t remember what happened. He knew they were heading for Buffy’s house to work off a little energy. Had they done that? Did he actually forget something as important as that?

Then he remembered they never made it to her house. His eyes sprung open sharply and he took in his surroundings. He was lying in a bush on someone’s front lawn. He looked at the sky and noticed that it was beginning to lighten with the early morning sun.

He jumped up and looked around. He felt the panic rising in the pit of his stomach.

“Buffy!” He called out, knowing deep down that she was not there.

He searched the bushes quickly and found nothing. He felt tears spring to his eyes and he looked back up at the sky. He knew he’d have to get out of there quickly or else he’d have even bigger problems to face, like bursting into flame. He took off running down the street.

He ran all the way to Xander’s house. He much preferred seeing Willow instead, but Xander’s place was the closest to where he was. He didn’t have much time to get indoors. He pounded furiously on his door. Finally after what seemed a lifetime, a groggy Xander flung open the door.

“Spike?”

Spike pushed past him and rushed into the room frantically.

“Uh, feel free to come in.” Xander said sarcastically.

“Buffy’s gone.” Spike blurted out.

“What? What do you mean she’s gone?” Xander asked, still barely awake.

“I mean she’s bloody gone. Last night we were walking to her house and the next thing I know I woke up on someone’s front lawn. Buffy is gone. Someone took her.” Spike explained with desperate tears in his eyes.

Xander saw the look of panic on the vampires face and knew that this was serious. He started pacing.

“What happened exactly?” Xander asked nervously.

“I don’t know! Whoever it was zapped me with a Tazer or something. I felt the electricity, and then nothing. We have to find her. I can’t lose her. Not again.” Spike said involuntarily breaking down into tears. He slumped down into a chair.

Xander sat down on the couch and held his head in his hands.

“We aren’t gonna lose her. We’ll find her.” Xander told him as he felt his own panic beginning to form.

“We don’t even know where she is. This had to be the same men as before. Only this time, they surprised us. I never even saw them.” Spike said shaking his head.

Then he stood up abruptly. His anger at the situation was mounting. Anger at himself for not being able to stop this from happening. Once again, something terrible had happened to her because he had failed to protect her. He cried out in frustration and kicked over the chair. Xander stood up and faced him irritated.

“Watch the furniture, man.” He glared at him.

“This is my bloody fault. We should have taken the car. She said she wanted to walk, so I gave in. I should have insisted we take the car.” He said angrily, as he ran his hands through his hair.

“Look, it’s not your fault. Getting pissed off and breaking my furniture isn’t going to bring Buffy back. Now sit down and calm down. I’m calling Willow.” Xander said, firmly trying to take charge of the situation.

Spike uprighted the chair and planted himself in it numbly. Anya cautiously crept out of the bedroom and peered around the corner with a baseball bat clutched tightly in her hands. She had heard Xander get up and then she heard shouting and sounds of what appeared to be a struggle. She began to get afraid.

She jumped out into the living room with her bat raised and Xander and Spike turned to her and looked at her oddly.

“An, what are you doing?” Xander asked as he put the phone down.

She looked startled to see Spike sitting in their living room and she looked at Xander.

“I-I thought we were being robbed. I heard noises. What’s he doing here?” She asked in hushed tones. She was wearing a skimpy nighty and hadn’t bothered to put on a robe. She felt a little self conscious.

“Buffy’s been kidnapped.” Xander told her.

“What?” She asked, putting her baseball bat aside.

“Those bastards took her.” Spike spoke up.

“I’ve called Willow and she’s on her way over with Tara.” Xander told her.

Anya looked down at her nighty again and tried to cover herself with her hands. Suddenly she felt so bare and empty.

“Guess I’d better change.” She said softly.

She wasn’t sure what to make of any of this. Just when life seemed to be returning to normal, something bad always had to happen. Anya was so sad when Buffy had died. She wasn’t even aware of how much she had liked her until she was gone. Xander had been so broken up that most nights, all he did was cry or just sit numbly in a chair. Anya had tried to reach him, but it hadn’t been easy.

Then she came back and everyone found out she was some sort of vampire now. It had taken Xander awhile to come to grips with that as well. Now that the dust had settled, Anya thought their lives could hurry up and move on. Now Buffy was gone again. It was all too much for Anya to take. She silently wondered if their lives were always going to be like this.

Buffy felt herself falling. She tried to find something to clutch onto, but there was nothing. She tumbled slowly though the darkness that surrounded her. She landed with a thud onto a hard surface. She opened her eyes to find Angel standing in front of her. She squinted to try and focus her vision.

“Angel?” She asked curiously.

“Guess again, Babe.” He laughed at her sinisterly.

“Oh god.” She said, suddenly realizing that it wasn’t Angel but Angelus who stood before her.

“Nope, not God. But I’m flattered, really.” He laughed at her.

“What do you want?” She asked bitterly, standing to her feet.

“I’m part of you now. Don’t you realize that yet?”

“What are you talking about?” She asked still trying to make sense of what was happening.

“Me. I’m in you. Everything I am, is you. And everything you are, is me.” He said approaching her.

He reached out and stroked her cheek. She batted his hand away.

“I am not you.” She hissed.

“Sure you are. The darkness? The thrill of the hunt? The lust for pain? It’s in you now. You can’t escape. You know it and I know it. And now they know it.” He told her matter of factly.

“Who knows it?” She asked feeling her anger mount.

“Everyone knows it, Buff. Come on. Who are you kidding? Look in the mirror.” He said grabbing her shoulders and whipping her around to face a mirror that hung on the wall.

She stared at her reflection. The eyes of a demon stared back at her. She reached up and touched the corner of her mouth where a small trickle of blood ran down. She wiped it away hastily and as she opened her mouth to speak, she saw blood covered fangs in her mouth. Behind her in the mirror she also saw Angelus’ reflection. He stood in full game face with an evil smile on his face.

“Look at us? Aren’t we just the picture of destruction? It’s beautiful really.” He smiled.

She turned to face him.

“How come I can see you in there?” She asked confused.

“Because it’s the mirror of truth, Buff. You can see everything.” He told her wickedly.

“I am not like you.”

“Is that a fact?” He laughed. “You are me.”

Suddenly, Buffy sprang up panting and out of breath. She had been having another nightmare. That was all that was. She looked around, expecting to find Spike beside her, but suddenly she realized that she wasn’t in her bed.

She was in a cold, gray room, lying on a cot. She suddenly started to feel panic rise in her chest. She had no idea where she was or what had happened to her. Then she remembered seeing Spike’s anguished face as he dropped to the ground in front of her.

Oh god…She thought. What happened? Where am I? Where is Spike? She pulled herself up off the cot and tried to gather her senses. She looked around at the damp, windowless room. She moved slowly towards the door and tried to open it. It was locked, of course.

She kicked at it desperately.

“Let me out of here!” She screamed angrily.

She felt her demon features present themselves and she allowed them come to the surface. She banged her fists on the hard metal door, causing a loud racket. The door shook under the sheer force of her assault. The men sitting outside the door heard her pleas for help and noticed the door shaking.

One of the men picked up a cell phone and dialed.

“The girl is awake now. Yes, she’s none too pleased.” The man chuckled. “Alright. See you in a few.”

“Is he on his way?” One of the others asked.

“He’s coming.”

“I hope that door holds her long enough.” The man said shaking his head. “Maybe we should have kept her shackled?”

Buffy finally gave up on hitting the door. It wasn’t going to open and all she had received for her troubles were bleeding knuckles and sore arms. She pushed her demon back and sat down on the narrow cot. She held her head in her hands and began to cry.

The dream she had came flooding back to her. The things Angelus had said to her shook her. It couldn’t be true. She wasn’t like him. He was a monster of the worst kind. Not only did he enjoy killing, but he enjoyed tormenting. It was his art. His passion. The thought of having that inside of her made her shudder.

What if he was right? Could she be like that? The night she had attacked those men, she had felt the darkness. It had nearly taken over completely. But she had stopped it. Actually, Spike had stopped it. He had brought her back to reality.

What if he hadn’t of been there? Would she have let herself slip into that blissful darkness? She tried to push the thought out of her head and concentrate of figuring a way out of this tiny prison. Her claustrophobia was beginning to plague her again and she felt herself becoming short of breath.

She tried to remember what Spike had been teaching her. Control was always the key. Control the anger, and don’t let it control you. She tried to breath deeply and focus on that. He had also told her that when she felt the inner rage building, she shouldn’t lash out. She should twist it around and use it to her benefit. He told her to feel the power, but not to act on it rashly.

She let out a slow breath and closed her eyes. She felt the power surging inside of her and instead of letting it out, she bottled it in. Saving it for later. Gaining strength from it. All the while focusing on herself, and not the demon.

The sound of the door opening, shattered her concentration. She leapt up to face her captor. Quentin walked slowly into the room and shut the door behind him. She stared at him incredulously.

She was in a complete state of shock. She put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

“I should have known.” She said shaking her head.

“Indeed you should have.” He said with a smile.

TBC…

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