Quid Pro Quo

Thanks so much to Megan_Pita for beta-ing this chapter so fast, and thanks to Kimber, Jane, screamingflamingos, aliciaspiked, Karen, and Anon. As always, your feedback is very helpful.

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Chapter 10 - On the Edge

“I don’t like this one bloody bit.” Spike may tell himself that he didn’t care. What a lie! At least in this case. Watching her walk through a portal, and that portal closing behind her shook him to the core. It reminded him too much of when she had dived off that tower that Glory had built to close the portal Doc had opened with Dawn’s blood. Buffy closed it with her life. The portal closing behind her just now gave him visions of her lying on the ground, her body broken. Her life-force gone. Well, he wasn’t having any of that again. Spike quickly slit his hand, placed it dripping with blood in the imprint and then stepped through the portal that had opened up for him.

“Slayer?” Spike was already calling her name before he was completely through the portal. Looking around, he found himself in a room constructed solely of cut stone, making him assume that he was inside the pyramid. “Slayer?!”

“I’m here, Spike.” She wanted to jump up and down at the sound of concern in his voice.

Spike spun around and found Buffy standing behind him. Relief swept through his body. He took a step forward and opened his arms and hugged her tight. Hugging her close felt so right, but then he caught himself and dropped them back to his sides. He was thankful for the distraction of Nina coming through the portal. Then Angel.

Spike felt the need to talk and take his mind off of how good Buffy’s body had felt against his own, put the moment behind him. “So what’s next on this little jaunt?”

Nina supplied an answer. “Outside we used a carving.” She waved her arm at the barren room. “Let’s look and see if we can do the same in here.”

Buffy’s body hummed with her contact--as short as it was-- with Spike’s body. He had hugged her. He had actually hugged her and had been worried about her. The bleach blonde was a big faker. He still cared, at least some. Now she had to see just how much and make it more.

All four took a wall and started looking.

Buffy stepped forward to look closer. “Is it just me or are these carvings thingies making sense?”

Nina summed it up. “Yes, and freaky.”

Still puzzled, Buffy offered up an explanation. “Maybe when we came through the portal we gained the ability to read pyramid talk.”

Angel waved his hand at the walls. “Now which one tells us what we need to know?”

“This one with the box drawing says the Vessel of Catah, which is what we have come to retrieve,” Nina pointed out. “I think this carving after the vessel will help us.”

Angel read over her shoulder. “’Those gave essence…trials face bravery.’ Then there is another row. ‘Past four weapons…sun metal.’”

Buffy made a try at translating. “I gotcha on the first part. Essence must be blood, and we have to go through some tests. Lost me on the second part.”

Spike finished for her. “ ‘Sun metal’ I’m guessing is gold. So we need four weapons of gold. But ‘past’?”

“The weapons are old?” Nina was confused.

Angel shrugged. “I don’t know. We may have to figure that one out as we go.” For a moment, he stood perfectly still. “That was what Wesley was so good at doing.”

Buffy’s euphoria over her headway with Spike shot down through the floor. “I am so sorry about Wesley. I had no idea. I know that is no excuse, but…” Angel’s heated stare stopped her poor excuse of an apology in its tracks. His attitude sent a chill down her spine.

Everyone picked up their packs, preparing to go down the passage way in front of them, and put the present topic behind.

“Uh oh.” Angel’s exclamation stopped everyone.

Spike turned to look back at him. “What’s ‘uh oh,’ Peaches?”

The brunette looked like he would rather not answer, but did. “I may have left the blood cooler outside.”

“Maaay?” Spike drew the word out. As he had told the Scoobies before, he was a vampire with all the benefits of a human, but still needing blood.

Angel’s voice was soft. “Well…I did.”

“WHAT!!” Spike lunged for Angel, but Buffy was fast enough to get between and deter the attack.

Stepping up to the two men that were sandwiching Buffy, Nina tried to reason with the angry blonde. “Spike…SPIKE. It’s done. The blood is outside. We will just have to find the vessel fast and then get out of here. I’m sure the blood will still be there.”

After thirty more seconds, Buffy felt Spike let up and watched him walk over to a nearby wall and kick it. “Of all the fucking hell, should have expected the ponce to bugger the whole thing up.” Unexpectedly, Spike turned and threw a punch that caught his grandsire on the right side of his jaw. No one had realized how close Spike had gotten to Angel again.

Angel stumbled a step or two before coming back with an uppercut. “Look Bleach brain, I didn’t ‘bugger’ things up on purpose.”

“Guys…” Buffy jumped in between them again, which certainly wasn’t one of the safest places she had ever been. “Boys, we are all in this together, and if we don’t get out of here fast enough…no, we will get out of here fast enough.”

With one last, black look, Spike stomped away. “You pansy, I…Ugh, at least you’re as buggered as I am.”

Buffy blew out the breath she was holding. Watching Nina taking a look at Angel’s jaw, Buffy thought that all was at peace again. She could certainly understand why Spike was so mad. It would be like she was without food and water for god knows how long. She didn’t know what happened to a vampire when they are without blood, and she didn’t want to find out-- especially concerning Spike.

&&&&&&

Angel led the way down the tunnel with Spike--who was still pouting and mumbling to himself-- bringing up the rear. Using his distracted state of mind, Buffy fell back a little so that she was now abreast of him. He didn’t even realize how close she was until she spoke and startled him. “I’m sorry about the blood.”

She watched him blink a couple of time. “I am sorry about the blood,” she repeated.

Spike turned and looked at her and blinked owlishly this time. “Oh.” It wasn’t his finest hour in the English language.

‘Oh.’ At least that was better than nothing, but it did give Buffy hope. “I’m sure we will be out before you need it.”

“Thanks, pet. I…”

They heard it first-- the blocks of stone making up the floor falling away to hit on a surface far below. The blocks had started falling far down the way that they had come and were moving towards them. Taking quick stock of the situation, Spike noticed that a ledge about two to three feet on each side of the tunnel was left. Closest to the wall, Spike grabbed Buffy and jerked her with him. They ended up with Spike’s back against the wall and Buffy plastered against his full length. She took advantage and stole a quick kiss. “Thanks.”

Spike’s eyes widened in surprise. Time to change the focus. Spike looked over her head to see Angel and Nina in much the same position. “Peaches, I guess they pulled the carpet out from under us.”

“Ya think?” he heard muffled into his t-shirt. He couldn’t help but chuckle.

Buffy shifted so that she would be better heard. “I’m guessing the trials have begun.”

“Ya think?”

It was Buffy’s turn to chuckle. Irregardless of their dire situation, Buffy couldn’t help but feel lucky to find herself in this position. She was so close that one of her feet was between his and the other on the out side. She could feel his hard body against her front, and his arm was wrapped around her. And the best part besides the one-sided kiss? She had made him chuckle. Again, she had chipped away at the ice.

Saving Buffy from harm was second nature to Spike. Of course, he made sure she was safe. And the kiss…He was still trying to get over kissing her in the airplane, let alone her adding temptation. Ugh.

The sound of more falling stones into the blackness below brought them both out of their thoughts. The ledge back behind them was dropping away. Starting with the ones next to where they were standing.

Nina sounded scared. She wrapped her arms around Angel tighter. “A bad situation just got worse.”

“We’ll make it.” Angel kissed Nina. Buffy was envious. She didn’t think she could steal another kiss this soon.

“I guess our direction has been chosen for us,” Spike observed.

Spike and Buffy moved first. Spike’s arm dropped away, and Buffy stepped onto the next stone. The stone she had been standing on immediately dropped away. The problem was that so did Spike’s . With Buffy’s help, he made the jump to the new stone in time.

“Peaches, bad news. You have to move together or bye bye. Pretend you’re at the Saturday night dance and step together.” Spike looked down into Buffy’s face. “Ready, pet?”

Buffy smiled up into his face. “I have my dancing shoes on, but I was never any good at the two step.”

“Hum a little tune, and I’ll show you.” After they took their first few steps together, Spike’s thoughts began to race. How was he supposed to ignore her when she was like a second skin? And his traitorous tongue. It had to go on and wag. ‘Hum a tune.’ Bloody hell. He shared a look with Angel over the heads of the women. Angel’s message was clear. ‘You’re fucked.’

Yay! Buffy was encouraged. He had said several sentences to her. She’d try to keep her winning streak going. She took a few more steps in time with Spike. “You’re wearing me like a coat. At least we can talk.”

She waited, but nothing. Okay, wrong approach. Next try. “Hi. Do you come here often to dance?”

“I mostly come for the atmosphere.” Spike’s traitorous tongue was at it again. His mouth never could behave.

“Yeah, this place has that Flintstone feeling to it.”

Spike pretended to look around. “And the crowd; I feel like I know them all.”

“And that guy over there…” Buffy moved her head, indicating Angel.

“The poof in the black coat?”

“…I’ve met him before. He…”

“Has a steel rod up his arse?”

“Spike! Why don’t you go down there and let me know what you find?” Angel had heard enough.

When Angel called over, Spike was struck again with his resolve-- or lack of. He was mad at the slayer. He was disgusted with her sleeping with the Immortal. But she was close with his arms around her and she felt so good, smelled so sweet. And he didn’t want to admit it, but he enjoyed bantering with her again.

After Buffy laughed at Angel’s admonishing, she and Spike fell into an awkward silence as they continued to move down the tunnel. Finally Buffy had to make an observation. “It’s so strange feeling you warm.” No success. Spike didn’t reply. He didn’t even look at her. The end of the ledge to ground was coming up soon so she didn’t think she would get another chance to try to get him to talk to her. At least, he had started to talk to her some. On the positive side, she did make sure that she wiggled against him as much as possible, and she could feel him grow hard.

She felt warm to Spike, but it wasn’t strange to him. He knew that she was warm. He knew exactly how warm she was. Two times he had to stop his hand from stroking her hair. Five times he had to catch himself from pulling her in tighter. His body needed her, but he had put his body on a Buffy-free diet. He could feel his needs organizing a revolt. His manhood was already responding to her.

As soon as they were on solid ground, Spike pushed her away like she was a leper and then he totally ignored everyone, mumbling something about ‘bloody poor resolve.’ He knew she was trying to be nice, but that only chipped at the ice around his heart. That wouldn’t do.

While Spike was in his own world pacing, the other three took stock of their surroundings. Of course, they couldn’t go back. Only forward ho. There were three cut stone walls. No place to go.

Angel turned around. “We are literally between a rock and a hard place.”

“Why don’t we look for more carvings?” Nina reached over and squeezed his hand.

Holding up their lanterns, they spread out, each taking a wall while leaving Spike room to pace.

Buffy waved her hand at her wall. “This wall is covered with those carving thingies.”

“Mine, too,” Angel replied

Nina started reading hers. “What does yours say?”

Bemused, Buffy shook her head. “This is so freaky how we can read this.” Buffy tried her hand at translating. “Mine says some king guy, a big army, fought some other guy and killed…yada, yada, yada.”

Nina nodded. “Mine talks about thanking the gods for a good harvest and depicts some of the partying.”

“Oh, oh, look at this.” Buffy’s voice conveyed her excitement. “It’s the hand impression like outside.”

Angel stepped up. “Here, I’ll do it.”

“No, wait.” Nina put her hand on Angel’s arm. “We don’t know what will happen this time. Here above the hand are the same words, ‘sun metal.’”

“Next to it is ‘who jaguar essence open.’” Spike had finally joined the group again.

“Jaguars are important to the Mayan religion,” Nina explained.

Buffy shook her head. “We’re not going to have to go catch one of those cat thingies, are we?”

“Nina…” Spike cut in.

Buffy kept going. “Because I don’t even like house cats…”

Nina answered Spike. “Yes?”

“…all those beyond gross hair balls…ack…”

“Nina…” The blonde crossbreed was beginning to get very aggravated to say the least.

“Yes?” Perplexed, Nina wondered why Spike kept saying her name.

Spike thumped his forehead with the heel of his hand. “No, Nina is the jaguar.”

“I’ve always known you were cracked,” Angel grumbled.

Spike growled at him before explaining. “Jaguars are fast, strong, have claws, viscous teeth and jaws. Now a werewolf answers to that description, yes?”

Spike looked at their blank stares. He snapped his fingers in their faces. “Hello? Asked a bloody question here.”

After blinking several times, Buffy was the first to hazard a guess. “Yes?”

“Yes!” Spike rolled his eyes. Looking at Nina, he motioned her towards the hand print. “You’re up, luv.”

“Should I cut my hand?” Nina rubbed the palm of her hand.

Stepping up, Angel didn’t want her to cut herself again if they could avoid it. “How about trying it without first?”

Nodding her head, Nina walked up and gingerly placed her hand on the impression. And nothing. “Nina looked back over her shoulder at Angel. “I guess I have to use blood again.”

“Just make a shallow cut.” Worry was readily evident in his voice.

Using her knife from her pack, Nina cut her palm and placed it on the imprint. They felt a rumble that they recognized as forewarning that a portal was opening. With nothing to lose, gathering themselves up, they stepped through together.

Shocked. All four of them were shocked down to their toes. One second they were walking, and the next second Spike and Angel were sitting on a stone bench with Buffy and Nina standing in front of them holding feathered…somethings. After turning them in their hands and examining them, they assumed that they were hats of some sort with great feathered Mohawks down the middle.

It was strange. After the hats, the next thing that registered on Buffy’s mind was legs. Bare, tanned legs, except for one pair in her line of sight. The pair of pale legs belonged to Angel, who was sitting on a block of stone in front of her wearing some sort of skirt. All the others legs? They belonged to men around them in an open area of a jungle. All were wearing a similar type of skirt, but they were in various situations. Some were sitting like Angel and Spike, some were walking across the yard and some were standing around and talking to others.

Buffy turned her attention back to Angel and the guy next to him with the tanned legs. Sure she had seen Spike’s legs before, but they had been as pale as Angel’s. Now they were darker. The only thing marring their beauty was the streaks of red where Spike had been injured in the hellmouth. The marks were almost healed now. But what was it about him? Just seeing his legs made her want him. She felt warm all over.

Daylight. They were in daylight. Angel popped up, covering his face with his arms and prepared to run for shelter until Spike grabbed his arm. “No slap it on the grill and watch it sizzle, mate. You must have a pass here, wherever here is.”

Angel turned his hands over and over before smiling up at the sun.

As Spike looked around, he slowly shook his head at the hustle and bustle happening around them. “Toto, I don’t think we are in Kansas anymore.”

”I don’t think we are in the same year anymore.” Buffy looked at Spike as she spoke, but he wouldn’t meet her eyes.

Spike heard her all right. Her voice trickled up and down his spine. Actually, he always felt that way when he could feel her eyes on him.

Nina was the only one that was really paying attention, and she was thrilled by what she saw. She was talking so fast that her words were running together. “Oh, oh, these are Mayans. I know this from a college course. But they have been gone for hundreds of years...”

Spike put a gentle hand on her arm. “Take a breath, luv, before you have the vapors, and we’re picking your pretty little self up off the ground.”

Angel came out of his daze. “We can’t be in ‘hundreds of years ago’. We’re in this year.”

Buffy turned three hundred sixty degrees trying to take in their new locale. “This year is so not this year.”

“In a nutshell, luv.” Spike responded to her before he realized it.

Buffy’s smile would have lit a city block. She had moved from “pet” up to “luv.” Granted, it was undoubtedly unconsciously done, but still, he had said it. Maybe, in the back of his mind, he might be relaxing some towards her.

Nina grasped Angel’s hand. “Wow, this is so great. I am looking at real, live Mayans.”

“We can’t be…” Bemused, Angel shook his head.

Spike elbowed Angel in the ribs. “’Said that already, ya ninny.”

Nina didn’t hear anything anyone else was saying. “Look at the colors. You always think of them as they look on the stone carvings with no color…”

Buffy tried to break Nina’s speech. “Nina…”

“The reds and the yellows. Just beautiful…”

“Nina! Earth calling Nina.” Buffy snapped her fingers into the other woman’s face.

“What?...Oh, sorry.”

Smiling at the enthusiastic girl, Buffy asked, “So… we’re in Mayan time, but what are we doing Mayan?”

&&&&&&

TBC

See, the Spuffy is rolling.