Escape

Spike awoke the next morning alone, her scent lingering in the air around him. Her side of the bed was cold, so he knew she’d been gone for a while. Groaning, he rolled over, replaying their night over again in his mind and making him realize he needed needed to get her out of his head. Slowly, he slipped out of bed, stark naked and uncaring of his nudity as he fumbled around for his flask, twisting off the cap and taking a big swig.

‘Never too early to drink’

Spike sighed. He’d slept throughout the night, meaning he’d be cooped up all day since he couldn’t go outside and risk burning up in the sun. He groaned again as he thought about their night, instantly hard as he replayed all the dirty things they’d done.

’Well, might as well pass some time by having a good wank.

~~~~~~~

“You came in rather late last night.”

Buffy froze, eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights. Giles peered at her under his glasses while he took a sip of coffee, eyebrow raised in question.

“I-uh…” She swallowed her last bite of toast not even thoroughly chewed, the dry pieces scratching her throat. Then she coughed, grasping for her glass of orange juice and taking a big gulp. “The lesson went a little longer than planned…” She said, trying to regain her composure. “Then I – uh… got a little lost on the way home.”

Giles furrowed his brows. “Lost?”

Buffy squirmed. ’Jeez, what’s with the twenty questions?’

“Yeah, we uh – did the lessons in his crypt, and it’s kinda far from here…”

“I see… But you got something accomplished?”

’More than just something…’

“Yep,” She feigned an innocent smile, “Learned a lot, actually.”

Well, at least that part wasn’t entirely a lie. She had learned something, that whole sixth sense thing would definitely prove useful to her in the future.

“Well, I’m gonna go get ready.” But as she stood abruptly Giles cleared his throat.

“Buffy, wait, I think you’d better sit back down. There’s something we need to discuss.” Buffy’s heart skipped, and she sat back down slowly, afraid to look at him. His tone had grown very serious and firm.

“It’s something we should have discussed when I first found out about it…”

Her palms were sweaty.

’Oh God, he knows! He knows about Spike! Oh no, here comes the lecture, he’s gonna tell me I’m sick and perverted! He’s-‘

“Your mother came by to visit a few days ago…”

Buffy gasped. Her mother knew about it too?!

“And,” Giles continued, “She told me that a vampire had come to her door.”

Buffy almost breathed a sigh of relief at the fact that they didn’t know she was having sex with Spike, until her mind registered what he was saying.

“Wait, what?”

“I’d have told you before, but your mother and I didn’t want to worry you. But I think it’s best that you know the truth.”

Buffy sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, nibbling hard. “This vampire, what did he do?”

“He rang her doorbell, said he knew you, and when she refused to invite him inside, he became forceful and tried to come in, but was thrown back by the barrier.”

“And what did he look like?”

Giles frowned. “She didn’t say, actually. All she specified was that it was in fact a ‘he’.”

“Oh,” She said lamely.

“Well,” Giles looked at his watch. “I think we’d better get started on your lessons.”

Rolling her eyes, Buffy let out a soft sigh.

“Yes, because reading ‘Demonology and You’, ‘Vampires Throughout the Ages’, and...” She looked at the thick leather bound hardcover book he’d laid in front of her. “’Evolution of the Slayer Line: A History of the Chosen One and Understanding the Call to Duty for Every Generation’, is my preferred past time of choice. And whoa, that last one’s a mouth full. Whoever came up with these titles seriously lacks imagination.”

“I know this might not be fun for you, but it is necessary. It’s just as important that you know the details behind your calling as well as the mechanics.”

“I know, I know, oh wise one. I’m getting right on it, I swear.” With a wide yawn, she flipped to the first page of ‘Evolution of the Slayer Line’, and began to read, though she was fairly distracted by thinking of who exactly came to her mother’s door, and why.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike’s head snapped up as his crypt door slammed open, and he was surprised to see a very angry Buffy marching straight at him. He leapt up from his reclining chair, quickly throwing the book of poetry he’d been reading aside.

“Back for round 2 so soon, love?” He asked, waggling a suggestive eyebrow. But no sooner had those words left his lips than his nose met with a fist.

“What the bloody hell was that for!?” He clutched at his nose, wiggling it a few times and rubbing it to soothe the throbbing. “That time of the month, eh? And why do you always go for the nose?”

“Was it you, Spike? Did you do it in some warped attempt to get closer to me or something, going after my mother?” As her fist flew again, this time he caught it, anger flashing in his eyes, amber starting to speckle in the blue. Grabbing her wrist tightly, he gave it a sharp twist until her body was forced to bend, then he stepped behind her quickly, sending his heel at the back of her legs and knocking her off balance. When she hit the floor with a thud, he bent over her, glaring down at her as her chest heaved.

“What are you on about?!”

Kicking her legs up in the air, she arched her body and pushed off from the ground with her hands, bending her knees so she landed directly on her feet.

“Don’t play dumb,” She accused, fists clenched at her sides. “My mother. A vampire came to her door and threatened her. Funny it was right around the time you came back to town.”

‘Well it wasn’t me.”

“Yeah? Then who else would it be?”

He threw up his hands. “I dunno. How would I have any sodding clue, you haven’t given a description." He pointed an accusing finger at her. "And I bet that’s probably because you don’t even know what he looked like. Did you even think to ask your mum to describe the thing before you came here for a round of kick the Spike?”

She frowned, lowering her fists and unable to answer.

“Didn’t think so.” When she still refrained from speaking, he sighed. “Look, if you’ve only come here to throw around false accusations so you could have an excuse to kick my head in, then why don’t you either bloody well get it over with or piss off. Passions is on in twenty.”

Her mouth dropped open. “You watch Passions?”

He shrugged. “What? It’s a thing.”

Shaking her head to clear it, she looked at him again, crossing her arms in front of her.

‘Well if it wasn’t you, do you have any idea who it might be?”

He plopped into his chair, kicking up his feet on the new scratched coffee table he’d salvaged from the dump, his booted feet crossed at the ankles, hands behind his head.

“Known lots of baddies in my time, pet. Kinda hard to narrow it down when I haven’t got so much as a hair color to go by.”

She nodded solemnly. “I’ll go ask her.”

As she turned to leave, Spike called after her. “No need to apologize for smashing your fist into my nose for virtually no reason, I completely understand.”

Hesitating for only a brief moment, she spun around. “Look, you were right, ok? I should have asked her first before I came back… here.” She crinkled her nose up as she looked around the dank room in distaste. “There, I said you were right, happy now?”

“Not nearly.” He leapt to his feet and Buffy jumped a bit, prompted to run as he took long strides over to where she stood. “You know what I want…” His voice was seductive again, and he reached out a finger, tracing it lightly down her throat. “What we both want…” She slapped his hand away.

“It should never have happened, Spike.” His eyebrows arched up, expression resembling something like slight indignation.

“And why not?” When she opened her mouth to answer, he held up a hand to silence her. “Wait, let me guess.” Clearing his throat, he continued in a slightly higher pitched voice, mimicking Buffy’s tone. “Because it’s wrong. Because I’m little miss ‘save the world’ and you’re a bad evil vampire. That’s just not how the game is played.” He finished with a melodramatic sigh.

Clenching her jaw, Buffy looked away from him without answering. Spike took another step toward her, leaning in close. She could smell his spicy scent.

“Am I spot on, luv?”

At her silence, he raised both arms to either side of her head, trapping her in place as he leaned his head downward until their foreheads touched. He could feel how flushed she was, the warmth radiating from her skin. But still, she refused to lift her eyes and look at him.

“It-it can’t happen again,” She said finally, her voice a near whisper. One of his hands was now trailing down her arm lightly, brushing off her fingertips and coming to rest on her thigh. “For-for lots of reasons,” She continued, swallowing with much effort. “And if the council ever found out…”

“Sod the council.” She met his eyes then, staring deep into the blue orbs that hovered just above hers, intense and so close. She shook her head firmly.

“You don’t know them, Spike. You don’t know what they’re capable of.”

“And you do?”

Her eyes narrowed, expression suddenly growing distant, a spark of anger flickering in the depths of her emerald eyes. “I know enough,” She answered resolutely. He swallowed, adam’s apple bobbing as he continued to stare down at her.

“Then you know that you want this, too,” He rasped. Her lips parted when his fingers trailed up her thigh and skimmed just beneath her navel, lifting the hem of her shirt subtly and tracing small erratic patterns on her skin.

“You want me, I want you…” His fingers moved just a bit lower. “You’re humming a different tune, luv.” When his hand came to rest between her legs, she gasped and grabbed his hand with her own, halting his movements. His teeth grazed his bottom lip, mouth curling into a smirk.

“Well, pretty soon you’ll be screaming it…”

Wrenching his hand away, she shot him a look of disgust.

“You’re a pig.”

He chuckled. “Your point?”

With a sigh of frustration, she hit him square in the chest with both fists, pushing him away from her.

“Dog with a bone, much?” She accused.

“Well, I have got a nice big bone...“

“Stop!” Holding up a hand, she silenced him. “It won’t happen again. EVER.”

“Wouldn’t be so sure of that, love.” Walking away from her, he plopped back into his reclining chair, switching on the tv. “Once you go vamp you never go back.” He smirked. “And mark my words, you’ll come crawling back for more.”

The slamming of the crypt door was his only answer.

Clenching his teeth, he glared at the closed door, blood running hot through his veins. But his ears instantly perked when he heard a scuffle from outside. Frowning, he leapt from his chair and took a step toward the door, nearly jumping when he heard something heavy being slammed into it from the outside. Groaning, Spike jogged the remaining distance between him and the door, swinging it open to find Buffy pinned to the ground beneath a sneering vampire with a purple mohawk, a second vampire sporting an incredibly ugly mullet towering over the two of them. Spike watched as Buffy landed a punch to the one with the Mohawk, using full slayer strength to kick him off of her. Quickly, she jumped to her feet, getting back into fighting stance as the two vampires circled her predatorily.

It was then that Spike noticed she was currently weaponless. Looking around quickly, he spotted her stake lying in the grass several feet from where he stood. Running, he grabbed the stake and watched as Buffy landed a kick to the mullet vampire’s stomach.

“Buffy!” Spike called. Her head snapped in his direction and he threw the stake at her like a javelin. Catching the stake in one hand, she didn’t even hesitate to lunge it square into Mohawk’s heart, his body forming a shower of dust before their eyes.

But before she could get to work on the vamp with the mullet, Spike saw her pointing somewhere over his shoulder.

“Behind you!” She shouted. Instantly, Spike reeled, spinning around and catching the fist that was currently on a collision course with his face. Grinning, Spike looked into the face of another vampire, his own features morphing into game face as he did so. The vampire looked stunned, his eyes widening as he looked from Spike to Buffy, watching as she chased the fleeing vampire around the cemetery, mullet flopping at the back of his neck as he hopped the high fence with ease and quickly disappeared into the darkness, leaving Buffy in his wake.

“Spike!” The vampire hissed, slightly shocked, and Spike’s eyes narrowed. But the vampire ignored his reaction, peering over Spike's shoulder in terror. “S-slayer!” He looked absolutely terrified. Gasping, he turned and fled, running in the opposite direction as he quickly distanced himself from a baffled Spike and the pissed off slayer.

“Amateurs,” Spike muttered as Buffy appeared beside him, panting from the fight.

“What?”

“Bloody fledglings,” He explained with a shake of his head, vamp features morphing back to human. “Nearly pissed themselves when they realized who you were.”

But the vampire had clearly recognized Spike, too, which left an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach. Sure, he was infamous in the vampire world for having killed two slayers, but he hadn’t been in Sunnydale for ages, and these were fledgling vampires, probably very recently risen from their graves. It seemed they were most likely sent by their master, a much older, more experienced vampire, and Spike could only take a few guesses as to who that was.

“Cowardly and no sense of style,” Buffy added, “I mean, did you see that hair? They made yours seem tame.”

Spike scowled as he reached inside his pocket for his cigarettes, quickly lighting up and taking a drag as Buffy looked on, frowning as she nibbled on her lower lip thoughtfully.

“You think they were… sent?”

Spike shrugged. “That’d be my guess, luv.”

Buffy folded her arms across her chest.

“Any idea who?”

“Could be a number of ‘em,” He paused, looking at her pointedly as he took another drag. “Think you’d best get that description from your mum after all, eh pet.”

Buffy merely nodded, realizing he was right.

With one last look at Spike, she turned and bolted, taking off in the direction of her mother’s house.

***

Still huffing from her encounter, Buffy made a beeline for the house, determined to get down to business and not stopping until she reached Revello drive. Buffy paused for a moment to catch her breath before taking the porch steps two at a time, ringing the door bell. A moment later, the door swung open, and Joyce’s face lit up with a smile. “Buffy! Glad you could come over!” She pulled Buffy into a hug before letting her come inside, closing the door behind them.

The two women settled in on the living room couch, and Joyce instantly fussed over her daughter.

“Are you hungry, Buffy? Do you want me to make you something.”

Buffy shook her head. “No thanks, mom. I, um… needed to talk to you about something, actually.” Taking a deep breath, she looked down, dusting off a couple stray pieces of grass from her knee. “Um, Giles told me about the vampire that came to your door.”

“Oh.” Joyce shifted nervously.

“I need you to describe him for me, mom.”

“Oh…” Joyce looked as though she were trying to recall something, frowning slightly. “Well, he was tall, over six feet. Dark hair, dark eyes. He looked like a football player.”

Nodding solemnly, Buffy looked at her mother. “Mom, I need you to tell me these things from now on. You could be in danger." She sighed, rubbing her eyes which suddenly seemed incredibly dry and itchy. "And I’m glad you didn’t invite him in," Buffy continued. "You’re right, you shouldn’t invite anyone in... well, not aloud. Even if it’s someone you know, just step aside and gesture for them to come in. A vamp has to hear the actual words in order to be able to come inside. One of the non-perks.” Drawing a deep breath, Buffy suddenly felt a compulsion to hug her mother, to assure herself that she was alright. Joyce was the only family she had left, and Buffy threw her arms around her mother at the thought. “I don’t want anything to happen to you, mom.”

Joyce patted her daughter’s back soothingly. “I know. I'll be fine.”

"Just... no invites, ok?"

The two women pulled apart and Joyce nodded. "I promise." Then, she stood from the couch. “I have something for you,” She said, disappearing from the room and returning a few minutes later with a small package in her hands. Resuming her place beside Buffy, she held out the package for her inspection.

“Buffy, next week is Christmas, and I want you to be here for it."

Buffy smiled sadly. “I wish I could mom. Really I do, but…”

“I know, slayer duties.” Joyce sighed. “Well, in case I don’t get to see you, I wanted to give you an early Christmas present.” She held out the package at arm's length. With a smile, Buffy tore the wrapping paper, opening the small box to find a silver flip cell phone inside nestled in tissue paper.

“I’m paying for the service,” Joyce explained, “And I want you to have it with you at all times. There’s a holster that you can clip on your belt. Oh, and it’s a camera phone.”

“Thank you, mom.” Buffy smiled genuinely, turning the cell phone over in her hands before placing it back into the box with its holster and adapter.

“And if you need anything, please Buffy, use it.”

Buffy nodded. “I will,” She promised quietly.

The two women talked for another half hour before Buffy realized she had to get back to Giles, who was most likely waiting to start another lesson.

~~~~~~~~~

Later that night, Spike sat in his green chair, smoking yet another cigarette, his bottle of whiskey standing upright on the floor at his side. Buffy’s next lesson wouldn’t be until the next night, as they were scheduled for every other day, which gave Spike extra time to think. The sun had just set, and he was about to go out in search of fresh blood when he heard the crypt door creak open. Spike tensed, his eyes widening when an all-to-familiar scent drifted into the room.

“My Spike must have lost his way.” Muscles stiff, he stood slowly and turned to stare into the face of his sire, the black beauty that had left him long ago, who he’d told himself he never wanted to see again. She looked exactly the same; pale, porcelain skin, long dark hair flowing over the white dress that hugged the skinny angles of her body. In her arm she clutched her doll, Miss Edith, blood red fingernails digging into the plush material of the doll's face. She moved towards him, seeming to float across the crypt floor.

“Little orbs of light dancing all around your head.” Her expression was far off and dreamy as she lifted an arm to point at him, moving her finger in a wobbly circular motion. “He needs his mummy to show him the way.”

Spike let out a sigh, shaking his head slowly.

“Hello, Dru.”

---

A/N: So sorry for the lack of updates! It's just been crazy lately, though I'm happy to say finals are finally over. Whew! Anyway, hope you guys like this update. We'll find out why Dru's there, and the mystery vamp at Joyce's door will be revealed (plus, there's another lesson coming up...*smirks*) I'll try my hardest to have this updated asap, but I leave for San Diego on Friday and won't be back for a week, so the next chapter probably won't be posted until I get back. Thanks again to everyone who's been reading and reviewing! Thanks especially to; Michelle, spikestheman, and chanel 5. Let me know what you think of this chapter :)