![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jesterladyficChapter Ten:
Spike came to himself in an old hut filled with school balls and sports equipment.
“Bloody hell, that hurts.” He put his hand to his head. “Give me a dimension where something doesn’t happen to my head.”
“You have quite a nice head,” Andrew commented from his position atop some gymnastic mats.
“Junior here has funny ideas about nice,” Faith said, sitting up. Both of them glared at her. “What? All I’m saying is that the Oompa Loompa man shouldn’t be so attractive to Thrall Boy.” Spike grimaced, knowing he’d just have to take it.
Willow shot upright, detangling herself from the volleyball net draped over her form.
“What’s with the net, Will?” Faith asked.
“Maybe Ethan thought I needed to be warm,” she mumbled. Spike stood up immediately.
“Let’s find that worm. He must’ve been behind all the magic in this shindig from the beginning. The no sun at Sunnyhell, the essence of Buffy floating around. Probably even glamoured Rome so I wouldn’t find Buffy when we started out. I want to give him a piece of my fangs.”
“Well, sun’s down,” Faith pointed out. “Everybody ship-shape and ready for worm
hunting?”
“Let’s go get that guy.” Andrew hopped down from his perch and strode dramatically over to the door and flung it open. They filed out and spotted the note over the door. Andrew read it aloud in his best Ethan impersonation:
“ ‘Glad I got out of there in time. Just wanted to say, thanks for the laughs. It certainly has been the most profitable and amusing enterprise in awhile and quite a stretch for my magical talents, glamours, weather-magic, and dimension-traveling. Quite a caper, eh? Please remember, it was just business. Chaos calls and I answer. By the by, here’s where you want to be. Looks like the fun and games are over.
Your first and last; the final test;
The Room of Pain; she’s been my guest.’ “
“Well, sod it all and call me a genius,” Spike crowed, apparently reconciled to the loss of Ethan. “The bugger’s admitted it. We are dealing with the Immortal, kiddies and now we get to go back to Rome. That part I’m less happy with. Leading us on a wild goose chase. Should’ve known.”
“Well, good luck with that,” Willow said faintly. “And remind me not to help you anymore.”
“Ah, you had fun and you know it,” Faith coaxed her. “Besides, B’s at stake here.”
“She could handle him,” Spike said absentmindedly. “If she weren’t being poisoned. Let’s just get our stuff and go.”
They headed back to Willow’s house and she drove them to the airport.
“Tell Giles I’m gonna come and visit soon,” she told them. “Brazil’s kinda ooky without friends.”
“We’ll tell them, all of them,” Spike told her. She blushed and gave them all a hug.
“It’s been fun and really painful,” she told them. “Tell Buffy I said hello.”
“Will do,” Spike answered and she waved as they entered the airport.
***
“Giles, gear up,” Spike said as he walked in the door. “We know where she is finally.”
“Spike, the sun is up. Wait till it goes down at least.”
“Fine,” Spike grumbled before sitting down on the couch. “Where’s the Nibblet?” Giles rubbed his forehead.
“Ah, she should be home momentarily. She gets off work at two.” Andrew went to work putting his stuff back in his room that Oz was now sharing, then the two of them made some enormous sandwiches and parked themselves in front of the television where Spike had made himself comfortable watching Xena.
“Good choice,” Andrew approved. Spike made no comment, just intently watched the screen as Xena howled her war cry and landed on someone’s head. He’d seen Buffy do that once or twice.
“For Pete’s sake,” Faith told them, grabbing half of Andrew’s sandwich. “It’s not like you guys don’t get enough action living in the real world.”
“Ain’t the action we’re watching, Rogue, and you know it.” Spike grinned at her and then returned his attention to Xena’s ample cleavage.
“I’m so telling Buffy on you.” She grinned back.
“Let her know how you’ve been drooling over me the past month while you’re at it,” he cautioned. Faith shook her head and settled in to watch.
“I could so kick Xena’s ass.”
Giles went to work in the other room. They made a nice domestic scene for Dawn to burst in on.
“Spike!” she squealed. “You’re back!” Spike opened his arms to receive a Dawn whirl-wind and hugged her tightly.
“Got where your sis is,” he told her.
“I can come help get her right?” she asked determinedly. Spike hesitated. “Spike! Buffy’s been training me and I’ll be careful. I just need to see her. Please.”
Spike nodded, inwardly knowing how Giles would react.
“Let’s plan then, shall we?” put in Giles, apparently postponing his parental disapproval.
Spike showed everyone the route they would use to get to the Room of Pain and what the layout was like the last time he had seen it. It had been over a hundred years before, but Rome hadn’t changed that much. Especially in the supernaturally protected parts of the city.
“There’s a big hall before the actual room,” Spike told them. “The Immortal likes to keep minions, lots of them. We’ll have to fight through them before we can get to Buffy.”
“What if they hurt her while we’re fighting?” Dawn asked. Spike nodded,
“Active point there, Bit, but there’s only one way in or out of that room and we’re gonna have to fight to get there. Just trust that Buffy will be okay. She’s a big girl, been taking care of herself for awhile now.”
“What do you want us to do?” Oz asked.
“Split up when we hit the door. Rogue, stay with Dawn. Andrew, you stick with me and Dad stays close to Dog-boy. I’m gonna go straight for the door when I get there. You guys keep them off me.”
“Got it,” Faith told him. Spike nodded, knowing she would do her part, including his unspoken request for her to protect Dawn.
“Let’s load up and beat that evil.” Andrew jumped up and headed over to Buffy’s new weapons chest that Xander had made for her before departing for Africa. Swords were taken by all as well as stakes and Faith tucked a knife or two in her pants, including the one she’d filched from the ruins of the Summers’ home. It had been the Mayor’s gift to her and she had reclaimed it. Now it was ready to work for the side of good.
***
They arrived just after dark. The building was tall and immense with forbidding statues cloaked in shadow arranged in front. Andrew shivered at the sight and Spike snorted in disgust.
“Blighter’s always gotta go for the effect! Okay people, let’s save her.” Spike kicked the door down and walked through, Faith and Andrew on either side.
The room seemed to be filled with vampires. It was difficult to tell how many there were, they moved so quickly. Spike found himself in the midst of a dusting party and he enjoyed it immensely. Several cuts and bruises later, he found himself almost at the door, Andrew panting beside him, but still upright. Spike could see Faith fighting on the other side of the room, Dawn slightly behind her and managing quite well. Oz and Giles were holding their own.
A vampire appeared in front of him. One he remembered from the last time he’d been here. The one who had taunted him on his way out that the Immortal could have any woman he wanted, even Spike’s. The vampire grinned, also remembering.
“Your love life any better, William?”
“Be peachy if you’d just get out of the way,” Spike grunted as he ducked under the vamp’s, whose name he couldn’t remember, (was it Bernard?), Barney’s leg and whirled to stick his leg behind Barney’s, tripping him.
Barney reached up and grabbed Spike’s lapels, pulling him down and slamming his head on the door. Spike balanced himself on his hands and wrapping his feet around Barney’s head, jerked them both hard to the left, leaving Spike on his feet by Barney’s head as he lay on his back.
Barney swung his leg, kicking the back of Spike’s knee, causing him to fall on his back. They both flipped to their feet. Spike gripped his stake with one hand and yelled to Andrew to get him his sword, dropped in the first attack. Andrew scrambled for it and Spike blocked one punch and elbowed Barney in the face.
Dropping flat under a jump-kick, Spike grasped the handle of his sword as Andrew handed it to him and, sick of all the games, stood up and swung it, cleanly decapitating the vampire he’d called Barney.
Now nothing stood between Spike and his goal, though he vaguely wondered where the Immortal was hiding. Kicking down the door, he saw where as he watched Buffy neatly and gracefully, stake her captor.
Turning to him and panting from the fight, Buffy smiled and remarked,
“Gee, took you long enough.”
***
Spike swallowed hard and dropped his sword. It clattered to the stone floor. Buffy tsked at him.
“Spike, that’s one of my favorites.”
“Come here,” Spike managed to say, his voice rough. All this fighting, all this searching for her and here she was ten feet away and he couldn’t move. Buffy raised her eyebrow, but walked slowly toward him, never taking her eyes off his. Behind Spike, Andrew was shouting meaninglessly as he battled vampires, but at that moment, only they two existed.
Buffy stopped mere inches away. Spike reached out his hand with the palm extended and she clasped it as she’d done before in the cavern. No flames ignited, but at her touch, the paralyzing hold over Spike broke and he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
After such a long separation, it was hard to not devour each other right there, but after several moments, when she could no longer breathe; Buffy decided that if she ever met the Princess Bride grandfather in some weird Hellmouth-y way, she’d tell him his five kisses were nothing on this one.
Spike pulled away, letting her breathe and rested his forehead on hers, stroking her hair.
“Buffy love, I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” she whispered back and rejoiced in the feel of his solid, not burned up body, finally hers once more.
“Never get tired of hearing that,” he murmured as he brought his lips back down to hers. “Wait a minute. We were supposed to rescue you. How did you escape?”
“I broke the chains and walked out?” Spike grinned.
“That’s my girl,” he murmured and another kissing session started.
“I’m still young and impressionable here,” Dawn’s voice interrupted them. “The emotional traumas of my life have already left me scarred, don’t add to it. Get a room.” But a smile split her face and she elbowed Spike out of the way to squeeze her sister to death.
“Hey, Dawnie.” Buffy hugged her sister tightly.
“Buffy, thank God you’re all right,” Giles said coming into the room for his own hug. Faith, Andrew and Oz followed him, Faith staking the last vamp on her way in.
“Good to see you alive, B.”
“Thanks for the search and rescue,” Buffy replied. “You too, Andrew. And, um, oh, Oz! Hi.”
“Buffy,” Oz acknowledged. Buffy smiled.
“Oh, it’s good to be back with people like familiar, taciturn Oz, instead of chatty, annoying Immortals. Except Spike, of course.”
Giles and Dawn surrounded Buffy and Spike let go of her hand with a squeeze. He wandered over to the pile of dust that was the Immortal. Faith and Andrew followed him and they stood there a moment looking at it.
“Dusty,” Faith commented.
“Yup,” Spike replied.
“An era has passed,” Andrew sighed. “The Fellowship is broken.”
“Yup,” Faith replied.
“You two have serious emotional problems,” Andrew told them before pulling them into a group hug. Spike and Faith tensed at first, but then relaxed and for one moment let their genuine affection for each other show before pulling back into their usual
insults.
“We’re emotional?” Faith asked roughly. “Who’s the clingy, whining one?”
“Who’s the hooker jailbird?” Andrew returned.
“Growing a pair,” Spike approved. “Keep it up, kid.”
“I haven’t started on you yet, mister,” Andrew told him. “The Oompa Loompa
singing, bad poem writing, please-saying, mariachi band enjoying-“ Spike cut him off.
“Whoa. That was Dru. And who enjoyed the music lately? Wasn’t me, Enthralled One.” Andrew started to natter on about something, but Spike ignored him as Buffy approached him once more. Faith pulled the staring Andrew away as Spike put his arms around Buffy.
“I missed you,” she whispered.
“Me too, love, me too.”
“You missed you too?” she smiled at him.
“Yup. Why? Who else would I be missing?” Buffy jabbed him in the ribs and he
winced.
“Careful, pet. Been wounded there a lot lately.”
“If we go home, I’ll kiss it and make it better,” she whispered in his ear, flirtatiously. Spike shivered at the thought.
“Wait, Buffy. Let them have their fill of you yet.” He gestured to the chattering group behind them, recounting the battle. “Then I promise you can kiss anywhere you like.”
“I’d rather have my fill of you first, but I’ll make a list,” she told him, desire smoldering in her eyes.
They looked down at the Immortal’s dust again.
“Yes!” Buffy suddenly shouted and jumped into Spike’s arms, wrapping her legs around his waist.
“Yes what?” he asked, bemused, relishing the feel of her in his arms and the certain places his hands got to be while holding her steady.
“I know. I’m ready.”
“Ready for what, love?” he asked again.
“I’m ready to eat,” she replied, grinning.
“You’re hungry? Well, that’s easy enough to fix. Let’s get you something. A mite peckish myself.”
“No, silly vampire,” Buffy hugged him. “I’m ready to be eaten.”
“Eaten? Like eaten-eaten? Or eaten-eaten,” Spike suggestively suggested and
started to nuzzle her neck. Buffy rolled her eyes,
“No, you psychotic sex fiend. I’m finally done baking; I’m finally cookies and I want you to eat me,” she told him. Spike did a double take.
“Now I’m really bloody confused, Slayer. Explain to me what the hell you’re talking about.” Laughing, Buffy recounted for him the conversation she’d had with Angel two nights before the battle of the Hellmouth. Slowly grinning, Spike’s confusion cleared up right away and he kissed her thoroughly.
“Let’s see what we can do about that eating you, then.” Buffy shivered in response.
***
They arrived back at Buffy’s apartment and tended the minor wounds received by most of them. They spent awhile calling people to let them know Buffy was all right, (though Spike wouldn’t let them tell Angel and wouldn’t tell them why,) and listening to Andrew planning a big reunion party for the holidays.
The next day Giles, Oz and Andrew left for London and Giles’ flat. Giles was working on a Council position for Oz. Something like Werewolf Consultant. Andrew looked forward to eagerly showing off his battle experience and know-how to the other Junior Watchers during training.
Faith left at the same time for Cleveland with Buffy’s promise of help should the Hellmouth there get any worse. Faith made promises of her own, one to Buffy to be back for Christmas, and the other to Andrew to at least think about not stealing his food when she was back.
This left Dawn home with Spike and Buffy, with which arrangement she was perfectly happy. Her romantic teenage soul rejoiced in the consummation of her favorite couple’s love.
Buffy and Spike liked the arrangement too.
Spike came to himself in an old hut filled with school balls and sports equipment.
“Bloody hell, that hurts.” He put his hand to his head. “Give me a dimension where something doesn’t happen to my head.”
“You have quite a nice head,” Andrew commented from his position atop some gymnastic mats.
“Junior here has funny ideas about nice,” Faith said, sitting up. Both of them glared at her. “What? All I’m saying is that the Oompa Loompa man shouldn’t be so attractive to Thrall Boy.” Spike grimaced, knowing he’d just have to take it.
Willow shot upright, detangling herself from the volleyball net draped over her form.
“What’s with the net, Will?” Faith asked.
“Maybe Ethan thought I needed to be warm,” she mumbled. Spike stood up immediately.
“Let’s find that worm. He must’ve been behind all the magic in this shindig from the beginning. The no sun at Sunnyhell, the essence of Buffy floating around. Probably even glamoured Rome so I wouldn’t find Buffy when we started out. I want to give him a piece of my fangs.”
“Well, sun’s down,” Faith pointed out. “Everybody ship-shape and ready for worm
hunting?”
“Let’s go get that guy.” Andrew hopped down from his perch and strode dramatically over to the door and flung it open. They filed out and spotted the note over the door. Andrew read it aloud in his best Ethan impersonation:
“ ‘Glad I got out of there in time. Just wanted to say, thanks for the laughs. It certainly has been the most profitable and amusing enterprise in awhile and quite a stretch for my magical talents, glamours, weather-magic, and dimension-traveling. Quite a caper, eh? Please remember, it was just business. Chaos calls and I answer. By the by, here’s where you want to be. Looks like the fun and games are over.
Your first and last; the final test;
The Room of Pain; she’s been my guest.’ “
“Well, sod it all and call me a genius,” Spike crowed, apparently reconciled to the loss of Ethan. “The bugger’s admitted it. We are dealing with the Immortal, kiddies and now we get to go back to Rome. That part I’m less happy with. Leading us on a wild goose chase. Should’ve known.”
“Well, good luck with that,” Willow said faintly. “And remind me not to help you anymore.”
“Ah, you had fun and you know it,” Faith coaxed her. “Besides, B’s at stake here.”
“She could handle him,” Spike said absentmindedly. “If she weren’t being poisoned. Let’s just get our stuff and go.”
They headed back to Willow’s house and she drove them to the airport.
“Tell Giles I’m gonna come and visit soon,” she told them. “Brazil’s kinda ooky without friends.”
“We’ll tell them, all of them,” Spike told her. She blushed and gave them all a hug.
“It’s been fun and really painful,” she told them. “Tell Buffy I said hello.”
“Will do,” Spike answered and she waved as they entered the airport.
***
“Giles, gear up,” Spike said as he walked in the door. “We know where she is finally.”
“Spike, the sun is up. Wait till it goes down at least.”
“Fine,” Spike grumbled before sitting down on the couch. “Where’s the Nibblet?” Giles rubbed his forehead.
“Ah, she should be home momentarily. She gets off work at two.” Andrew went to work putting his stuff back in his room that Oz was now sharing, then the two of them made some enormous sandwiches and parked themselves in front of the television where Spike had made himself comfortable watching Xena.
“Good choice,” Andrew approved. Spike made no comment, just intently watched the screen as Xena howled her war cry and landed on someone’s head. He’d seen Buffy do that once or twice.
“For Pete’s sake,” Faith told them, grabbing half of Andrew’s sandwich. “It’s not like you guys don’t get enough action living in the real world.”
“Ain’t the action we’re watching, Rogue, and you know it.” Spike grinned at her and then returned his attention to Xena’s ample cleavage.
“I’m so telling Buffy on you.” She grinned back.
“Let her know how you’ve been drooling over me the past month while you’re at it,” he cautioned. Faith shook her head and settled in to watch.
“I could so kick Xena’s ass.”
Giles went to work in the other room. They made a nice domestic scene for Dawn to burst in on.
“Spike!” she squealed. “You’re back!” Spike opened his arms to receive a Dawn whirl-wind and hugged her tightly.
“Got where your sis is,” he told her.
“I can come help get her right?” she asked determinedly. Spike hesitated. “Spike! Buffy’s been training me and I’ll be careful. I just need to see her. Please.”
Spike nodded, inwardly knowing how Giles would react.
“Let’s plan then, shall we?” put in Giles, apparently postponing his parental disapproval.
Spike showed everyone the route they would use to get to the Room of Pain and what the layout was like the last time he had seen it. It had been over a hundred years before, but Rome hadn’t changed that much. Especially in the supernaturally protected parts of the city.
“There’s a big hall before the actual room,” Spike told them. “The Immortal likes to keep minions, lots of them. We’ll have to fight through them before we can get to Buffy.”
“What if they hurt her while we’re fighting?” Dawn asked. Spike nodded,
“Active point there, Bit, but there’s only one way in or out of that room and we’re gonna have to fight to get there. Just trust that Buffy will be okay. She’s a big girl, been taking care of herself for awhile now.”
“What do you want us to do?” Oz asked.
“Split up when we hit the door. Rogue, stay with Dawn. Andrew, you stick with me and Dad stays close to Dog-boy. I’m gonna go straight for the door when I get there. You guys keep them off me.”
“Got it,” Faith told him. Spike nodded, knowing she would do her part, including his unspoken request for her to protect Dawn.
“Let’s load up and beat that evil.” Andrew jumped up and headed over to Buffy’s new weapons chest that Xander had made for her before departing for Africa. Swords were taken by all as well as stakes and Faith tucked a knife or two in her pants, including the one she’d filched from the ruins of the Summers’ home. It had been the Mayor’s gift to her and she had reclaimed it. Now it was ready to work for the side of good.
***
They arrived just after dark. The building was tall and immense with forbidding statues cloaked in shadow arranged in front. Andrew shivered at the sight and Spike snorted in disgust.
“Blighter’s always gotta go for the effect! Okay people, let’s save her.” Spike kicked the door down and walked through, Faith and Andrew on either side.
The room seemed to be filled with vampires. It was difficult to tell how many there were, they moved so quickly. Spike found himself in the midst of a dusting party and he enjoyed it immensely. Several cuts and bruises later, he found himself almost at the door, Andrew panting beside him, but still upright. Spike could see Faith fighting on the other side of the room, Dawn slightly behind her and managing quite well. Oz and Giles were holding their own.
A vampire appeared in front of him. One he remembered from the last time he’d been here. The one who had taunted him on his way out that the Immortal could have any woman he wanted, even Spike’s. The vampire grinned, also remembering.
“Your love life any better, William?”
“Be peachy if you’d just get out of the way,” Spike grunted as he ducked under the vamp’s, whose name he couldn’t remember, (was it Bernard?), Barney’s leg and whirled to stick his leg behind Barney’s, tripping him.
Barney reached up and grabbed Spike’s lapels, pulling him down and slamming his head on the door. Spike balanced himself on his hands and wrapping his feet around Barney’s head, jerked them both hard to the left, leaving Spike on his feet by Barney’s head as he lay on his back.
Barney swung his leg, kicking the back of Spike’s knee, causing him to fall on his back. They both flipped to their feet. Spike gripped his stake with one hand and yelled to Andrew to get him his sword, dropped in the first attack. Andrew scrambled for it and Spike blocked one punch and elbowed Barney in the face.
Dropping flat under a jump-kick, Spike grasped the handle of his sword as Andrew handed it to him and, sick of all the games, stood up and swung it, cleanly decapitating the vampire he’d called Barney.
Now nothing stood between Spike and his goal, though he vaguely wondered where the Immortal was hiding. Kicking down the door, he saw where as he watched Buffy neatly and gracefully, stake her captor.
Turning to him and panting from the fight, Buffy smiled and remarked,
“Gee, took you long enough.”
***
Spike swallowed hard and dropped his sword. It clattered to the stone floor. Buffy tsked at him.
“Spike, that’s one of my favorites.”
“Come here,” Spike managed to say, his voice rough. All this fighting, all this searching for her and here she was ten feet away and he couldn’t move. Buffy raised her eyebrow, but walked slowly toward him, never taking her eyes off his. Behind Spike, Andrew was shouting meaninglessly as he battled vampires, but at that moment, only they two existed.
Buffy stopped mere inches away. Spike reached out his hand with the palm extended and she clasped it as she’d done before in the cavern. No flames ignited, but at her touch, the paralyzing hold over Spike broke and he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
After such a long separation, it was hard to not devour each other right there, but after several moments, when she could no longer breathe; Buffy decided that if she ever met the Princess Bride grandfather in some weird Hellmouth-y way, she’d tell him his five kisses were nothing on this one.
Spike pulled away, letting her breathe and rested his forehead on hers, stroking her hair.
“Buffy love, I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” she whispered back and rejoiced in the feel of his solid, not burned up body, finally hers once more.
“Never get tired of hearing that,” he murmured as he brought his lips back down to hers. “Wait a minute. We were supposed to rescue you. How did you escape?”
“I broke the chains and walked out?” Spike grinned.
“That’s my girl,” he murmured and another kissing session started.
“I’m still young and impressionable here,” Dawn’s voice interrupted them. “The emotional traumas of my life have already left me scarred, don’t add to it. Get a room.” But a smile split her face and she elbowed Spike out of the way to squeeze her sister to death.
“Hey, Dawnie.” Buffy hugged her sister tightly.
“Buffy, thank God you’re all right,” Giles said coming into the room for his own hug. Faith, Andrew and Oz followed him, Faith staking the last vamp on her way in.
“Good to see you alive, B.”
“Thanks for the search and rescue,” Buffy replied. “You too, Andrew. And, um, oh, Oz! Hi.”
“Buffy,” Oz acknowledged. Buffy smiled.
“Oh, it’s good to be back with people like familiar, taciturn Oz, instead of chatty, annoying Immortals. Except Spike, of course.”
Giles and Dawn surrounded Buffy and Spike let go of her hand with a squeeze. He wandered over to the pile of dust that was the Immortal. Faith and Andrew followed him and they stood there a moment looking at it.
“Dusty,” Faith commented.
“Yup,” Spike replied.
“An era has passed,” Andrew sighed. “The Fellowship is broken.”
“Yup,” Faith replied.
“You two have serious emotional problems,” Andrew told them before pulling them into a group hug. Spike and Faith tensed at first, but then relaxed and for one moment let their genuine affection for each other show before pulling back into their usual
insults.
“We’re emotional?” Faith asked roughly. “Who’s the clingy, whining one?”
“Who’s the hooker jailbird?” Andrew returned.
“Growing a pair,” Spike approved. “Keep it up, kid.”
“I haven’t started on you yet, mister,” Andrew told him. “The Oompa Loompa
singing, bad poem writing, please-saying, mariachi band enjoying-“ Spike cut him off.
“Whoa. That was Dru. And who enjoyed the music lately? Wasn’t me, Enthralled One.” Andrew started to natter on about something, but Spike ignored him as Buffy approached him once more. Faith pulled the staring Andrew away as Spike put his arms around Buffy.
“I missed you,” she whispered.
“Me too, love, me too.”
“You missed you too?” she smiled at him.
“Yup. Why? Who else would I be missing?” Buffy jabbed him in the ribs and he
winced.
“Careful, pet. Been wounded there a lot lately.”
“If we go home, I’ll kiss it and make it better,” she whispered in his ear, flirtatiously. Spike shivered at the thought.
“Wait, Buffy. Let them have their fill of you yet.” He gestured to the chattering group behind them, recounting the battle. “Then I promise you can kiss anywhere you like.”
“I’d rather have my fill of you first, but I’ll make a list,” she told him, desire smoldering in her eyes.
They looked down at the Immortal’s dust again.
“Yes!” Buffy suddenly shouted and jumped into Spike’s arms, wrapping her legs around his waist.
“Yes what?” he asked, bemused, relishing the feel of her in his arms and the certain places his hands got to be while holding her steady.
“I know. I’m ready.”
“Ready for what, love?” he asked again.
“I’m ready to eat,” she replied, grinning.
“You’re hungry? Well, that’s easy enough to fix. Let’s get you something. A mite peckish myself.”
“No, silly vampire,” Buffy hugged him. “I’m ready to be eaten.”
“Eaten? Like eaten-eaten? Or eaten-eaten,” Spike suggestively suggested and
started to nuzzle her neck. Buffy rolled her eyes,
“No, you psychotic sex fiend. I’m finally done baking; I’m finally cookies and I want you to eat me,” she told him. Spike did a double take.
“Now I’m really bloody confused, Slayer. Explain to me what the hell you’re talking about.” Laughing, Buffy recounted for him the conversation she’d had with Angel two nights before the battle of the Hellmouth. Slowly grinning, Spike’s confusion cleared up right away and he kissed her thoroughly.
“Let’s see what we can do about that eating you, then.” Buffy shivered in response.
***
They arrived back at Buffy’s apartment and tended the minor wounds received by most of them. They spent awhile calling people to let them know Buffy was all right, (though Spike wouldn’t let them tell Angel and wouldn’t tell them why,) and listening to Andrew planning a big reunion party for the holidays.
The next day Giles, Oz and Andrew left for London and Giles’ flat. Giles was working on a Council position for Oz. Something like Werewolf Consultant. Andrew looked forward to eagerly showing off his battle experience and know-how to the other Junior Watchers during training.
Faith left at the same time for Cleveland with Buffy’s promise of help should the Hellmouth there get any worse. Faith made promises of her own, one to Buffy to be back for Christmas, and the other to Andrew to at least think about not stealing his food when she was back.
This left Dawn home with Spike and Buffy, with which arrangement she was perfectly happy. Her romantic teenage soul rejoiced in the consummation of her favorite couple’s love.
Buffy and Spike liked the arrangement too.
