Quid Pro Quo

Thanks so much to Megan_Peta for beta-ing this chapter and to Kimber, Jane, and Mole for their support.

Chapter 12 – Things Change

“…And we don’t have any.” Nina’s voice was quiet but still echoed in the chamber.

“That’s the rub, pet.” Spike shook his head and stared at the stone floor. “No willing cow or pig here to give to the cause.”

Hesitantly, Nina voiced the question that Buffy didn’t want to ask or know the answer. “But what happens if you don’t get any blood?”

Angel’s eyes took on a far away look. “Just waste away. It’s not fun. Been there, done that.” He remembered being in the ocean over that summer not so many years ago and it certainly wasn’t something he wanted to do again. “However, I’m guessing Spike being part human now could die.”

“That can’t happen.” Buffy looked back and forth between the vampires. “We’re not going to lose either of you.”

Spike’s voice was missing its usual cockiness. “Unless we have a visit from the blood fairy, there’s no choice, luv. The game took it out of us.”

“No choice? Yes choice. I’ll give to the cause.” Buffy held out her arm, her wrist bared for them.

“No!” The men’s voices shouted in unison.

Hands on her hips, Buffy stared Spike and Angle down. “Is this mission important?”

“Yes.” Both agreed.

She paced in front of them. “Can you fight when you desperately need blood?”

“No.” Their answer was reluctant this time.

Buffy knew she was getting to them. “Will we probably need to fight?”

There was a long pause this time before they replied. “Yes.”

“Okay, then think of me as a private blood bank.” Buffy held out her wrist again.

Shaking his head, Angel tried to refuse her plan. “Buffy, we can’t…”

“Angel, I agree with Buffy.” Nina cradled her boyfriend’s hand in both of hers. “Let’s do it.”

For an extended period of time, dead silence prevailed.

Angel stood up on shaky legs, despite his efforts to disguise their weakness. He knew Spike was right. The ball game and the race to the portal had taken its toll. And Buffy was also right. He needed to be at his best, which meant he needed blood. He looked over at Spike and cringed as the blonde ex-vampire conveyed the message with a tilt of his head, “I want to go on record with a protest.”

Spike nodded. “I second that, grandpa. So that’s the ‘why.’ What about the ‘how’?”

Buffy had never thought about what happened to a vampire without blood, but she did know she didn’t want to watch Spike waste away. She thought fast. She and Nina could open a vein and fill a cup, but that wasn’t as personal and intimate as she would like with Spike. This was a fantastic opportunity to get close to him. From the looks of it, Angel and Spike were too tired and missing too much blood so that they weren’t thinking quite as straight as usual. Making a leap without a net, Buffy decided to go for it. She held out her arm. “Drink from the tap.”

Buffy had been right. Spike was thinking a little slow, but her offer sunk like a brick. “Slayer, you are out of your noggin.”

Sputtering, Angel lodged a protest. “B…B…Buffy, I don’t think…”

“Don’t think. We need you two all warriory.” Despite her Buffy speak, she used her slayer voice to end the disagreement.

Without another word, Angel stood up, took Nina’s hand and a lantern, and guided her into one of the two tunnels out of sight of the other’s eyes. Spike understood Angel’s desire for privacy because he desired it himself. He was about to drink from Buffy. A truly intimate act when drinking from someone with no intent to kill. Normally he was self assured to the point of ridiculous some times, but in this, he had no idea how to go about drinking from a slayer who was freely giving up her blood.

Buffy’s thoughts were following along the same path. How were they going to go about giving him some blood, and it wasn’t helping that Spike was staring at her. His blue eyes looked like a midnight sky due to the lack of light in the room, and those blue eyes were unreadable. He could be appalled, disgusted, ambivalent, agreeable or even enthusiastic for all she could tell. But her? She was definitely eager but didn’t want to appear so. Spike hadn’t moved so much as a finger since Angel and Nina had left the room. After waiting for a few minutes and still no movement, Buffy decided to take the lead.

“Do you think you can get enough blood from my arm?”

Spike started out of his stupor and stared at her arm that she presented. “Your wrist should do the trick.”

“You could do my neck.” Buffy brushed her hair aside, exposing the gentle curve of her neck.

Spikes head shot up, and his voice sounded dismayed. “No, your wrist will be fine.” Despite his words, Spike’s gaze fixed on the beautiful curve of her neck. He had to force his eyes away or take her up on her offer. After a moment, he looked down at her arm, a poor second.

Okay, scratch biting her neck, at least for now, she thought wickedly. After a quick moment of thought, she went over to him and sat down next to him with her back against the wall. With no fanfare, she offered her arm out in front of him, but he didn’t do anything but stare at it again. Finally, she just had to say something. “It’s yummy. Try some.”

Spike turned to look at her. He looked deep into her eyes. Angel and he had been driven the point home that Buffy and their camp didn’t trust them. Now Buffy was showing incredible trust in letting him feed from her. “You trust me that much? Quid pro quo?”

Buffy tilted her head in question. “What does that mean?”

With a small smile, Spike wasn’t surprised that she wasn’t familiar with the phrase. He searched for an example. “Did you see Silence of the Lambs?”

“Yes.” Now, finally something she knew.

“Lecter tells Starling ‘quid pro quo.’ She gave him some information; he in return gave her some information. It’s an even exchange. In our case, you must trust me just as much as I trust you.”

Trust. Buffy thought back to when Angel and Spike had first come to the Tinkercreek Mansion and how they had left no doubt that they didn’t appreciate the lack of trust she and Giles had shown them and that Angel’s camp no longer trusted them. She hadn’t thought of it before, but this was a perfect opportunity to show him just how much she trusted him. “Spike, I trust you. You were the one I trusted the most when we fought against the First Evil, and I still trust you the most now.”

“Thank you, pet. I’m honored.” Spike placed one hand under her hand and one below her elbow, touching her as little as possible. He could see the raised skin over her pulse and could hear the blood rushing through her veins. In fact, that was all he could hear now. His eyes saw nothing beyond her wrist.

Buffy watched in fascination as Spike’s face shifted. It’s funny. She didn’t think of him in game face anymore. She only pictured him in his striking human form; blue eyes instead of yellow, smooth forehead instead of wrinkles.

Spike involuntarily ran his tongue across his elongated canines as he looked at the tender skin on the inside of her wrist. Everything about this was wrong. All but his need, and then he would be beholden to her. He was amazed she offered at all, especially after the way he had been treating her since seeing her again. That would have to change in light of her generosity. In the face of her charity, Spike could feel the hurting inside of him begin to wane, and his heart crack open and feel again the trust that made him a better man for her. It seemed that their relationships had always been evolving. Enemies, reluctant allies, voluntary co-combatants, lovers. And then the hatred –her for him and him for himself – support, close and then nothing. He lowered his head and with a prick of her skin, he changed their relationship again.

As Buffy watched Spike’s blonde head lower, she held her breath. It was all she could do not to caress the hair at the nape of his neck. She didn’t know what to expect, and she was glad. She didn’t have time to dwell on her apprehensions. She had been bitten before by Angel, which was an emergency and rather harsh, and Dracula, which had been involuntary. This was…wanted, clear and simple. The pricks didn’t hurt near as much as she expected. Then she felt him take the first draw of her blood. Then another and another and she felt like she was floating. Her eyes rolled up, and her lids closed. And she felt like her spirit floated towards his. The sensation was the most intimate of feelings, and she reveled in it. Then she began to burn with desire. Warmth traveled up her arm and down to her sex. She had had sex with Spike numerous times, but this surpassed the best of those occasions. And she instinctually knew she would want more.

Upon the first swallow, Spike realized her blood was the best he had ever had, better than the other slayers. Why was he even surprised? His love he held for her back in Sunnydale alone sweetened her blood. And whom was he kidding? He had denied it in the past year, but this intimate act reminded him just how much he still loved her. Yes, he would allow himself to outwardly warm up to her, but of his continuing love, she would never know.

Having partaken in enough blood, Spike was as gentle as possible as he withdrew his fangs. And when she felt Spike lick the puncture wounds once, Buffy came back down to earth.

Spike saw the question on her face. “A lick or two helps turn off the tap.”

“Oh.” Since her body still hummed from the experience, Buffy didn’t know what to say. No, she did know what she wanted to say. ‘I love you. I want you back. And why are you being so pig headed?’ She wanted to thunder at him that he wasn’t so lily white. He hadn’t bothered to tell her he was back, that jack ass. But now wasn’t the moment for that clearing of the air. She didn’t want to spoil the buzz the bite had left her with.

With a deep and husky voice, Spike filled the void. “Thank you.” Actually, Spike thought ‘thank you’ didn’t begin to cover her act of charity. A vampire slayer voluntarily giving blood to this vampire? Go figure. Of course, she had done the same for his grandsire, but then she had been in love with the big poof. However, in this case, Spike hadn’t believed that Buffy had ever loved him in Sunnydale. If she had, why would she have been kissing his grandsire. Even so, with all the past put behind and judging from her warm actions towards him on this trip, he wasn’t too sure how she felt. Did she love him? Could she? He certainly didn’t want to guess. Regardless of each of their insecurities, they shared a smile.

Desire filling her brain, Buffy took a chance. She leaned in close and pressed her lips to Spike’s, then pulled back. There was no response, but he didn’t pull away. He just…stared. Frozen. So she chanced it again. This time she opened her mouth and ran the tip of her tongue along his lower lip. When he met her tongue half way with his own, Buffy let out a sigh and tilted her head so that they could deepen the kiss and began preparing to run her hands all over his back. But he jerked away. His words crushed any feelings of closeness or hope. “You taste like the Immortal.”

Tongue tied, Buffy would always wonder what would have happened next, especially since her temper was on high and her fists were balled up, but Angel and Nina entered the chamber. At first, not a word between anyone was spoken as everyone gathered his or her gear.

“I take it we are again looking for one of those hand prints.” Angel took the lead. “We have two options to go so let’s split in pairs and each take a tunnel.”

Plan agreed upon, they decided to travel light, leaving their packs and taking their lanterns, for now tethered to their belts.

Angel glanced over at Spike. “If you get lost… don’t call out.”

Spike smirked back. “If you get lost…good.”

*****

Ten minutes of walking in silence was all Buffy could stand. “So what do you do now?”

“Do?” Spike didn’t bother to turn his head. Thanks to his remembrance of her relationship with the Immortal, he had withdrawn into himself again. He could see her dancing with the male slut of Rome in his mind’s eye.

“Spend your time? You’re with Angel?” Buffy glanced over and admired his profile.

He didn’t really want to answer her question, any of her questions. What he wanted was to mend the crack in his outer shell against her, but he spoke. “I help out in Peaches’ Investigations.”

“In Los Angeles?” Buffy kicked a piece of stone with the toe of her shoe. She had been so close that she could have literally tasted it. He had warmed up to her. He had let her kiss him, but she guessed she had gone too far this time by using tongue. Oh, well. Her hope had returned, and she would just have to be a good girl and try, try, and try again.

“Much too small a town for me and his poofness.” He shook his head. “I cruise about and check on our satellite offices. More my style, sweets.” Damn, he was going to have to cut off his tongue. Terms of endearment weren’t helping out the situation. Endearments and Buffy just seemed to go hand and hand for him. And regardless of what he had said, she had tasted like the sweetest nectar.

“But you stayed in Sunnydale for years. I had always thought of you as more of the nesting type.” Buffy had a hard time not laughing. ‘Nesting.’ That should get him.

Mouth open, Spike looked horrified. “This big bad isn’t a nester. I’m footloose and fancy free.”

Buffy thought about it for a moment. She wanted to ask a question but was afraid. Finally she just jumped in. “And that demon goes with you?” Oh, she hoped she didn’t sound as jealous as she felt.

Spike thought for a second. What demon? “Illyria? Yes, she takes up space in the viper. Blue keeps things interesting.” On purpose he didn’t explain their relationship, mischievously hoping for a little jealousy on the slayer’s part.

Buffy didn’t like the smile that she could see play on his lips when he said the demon’s name. And his answer shut her up for awhile. She wracked her brain for some other topic and finally decided on attempting to mend some fences. “I’m sorry about what Andrew said to you in Rome. I didn’t tell him to say that.”

Trying to quell the pain that that memory brought on, Spike stayed silent for a moment. “Don’t be. Just stuck in my craw, but what he said needed to be said. With you cozying up to the Immortal, we needed to move on.”

“No, no, it didn’t need to be said – at all. Andrew put his foot and his shoe in his mouth.” Buffy smiled at the memory. “I helped him chew on it before we left.”

They walked for a few more paces in silence.

Maybe she could mend a little bit more of the fence. “Willow says that I was under a spell while I was in Rome. The Immortal gave me a ring…”

Spike stopped walking and stared at her until she began to squirm. No, it wasn’t at her, but over her shoulder at the wall, and his unseeing eyes glazed over. “Peaches and I thought that was his gig. Always knew that he was a right bloody bastard.”

Hell, the revelation of the spell hadn’t even helped. Trying to catch his gaze, Buffy moved a little but with no success. “I’m sorry about him. I wish I had never even gone to Rome.”

Leaving her still standing there, Spike started walking again. “No reason to apologize to me, pet. I was just an observer on the visit. Wasn’t even in your life anymore.”

“You used to be more than an observer in my life.” Buffy quickly caught up.

His voice had a sharp edge to it now. “Even then I watched you kiss Angel in Sunnydale, but not me that last year.”

“But I left Angel and came back to you that night,” Buffy pleaded.

A tick pulsed in his clenched jaw. “A poor second.”

“Never.” Buffy grasped his arm and pulled him to a stop. This was going to be hard to say considering how he felt about her now, but she had to say it. “But I told you that I loved you.”

Scaring her, Spike’s eyes were blank. “And I didn’t believe you then, and I don’t think I believe you now.” He pulled his arm free and continued walking. He had to keep walking, or he would be groveling at her feet. ‘I loved you.’ How he wished that was true, but he didn’t believe it. There was a time when he had known Buffy so well-- better than anyone else-- but now, he didn’t know what to believe about her anymore. What he did know was that he didn’t want her to know that his heart was yearning for hers. His hands itched to touch hers. His lips longed for the feel of hers again. Earlier, it was all he could do when their tongues met not to get lost in her again.

She had done it. She had mentioned the spell. And what did it get? Nothing. She had mentioned her declaration of love before she had lost him in Sunnydale. And what did it get her? Nothing. He still didn’t believe her. Well, she wouldn’t beg him to. She still had her pride, but she also wanted him. There had to be a way. Yeah, right between his gorgeous, blue eyes. She inhaled, ready to deliver her tirade. “Why you bleached brain, hard headed idiot, I told you it was a spell. I told you that I loved you, and all you can do is play the ice king?” Her temper flared white hot. “And did you ever think that I would have never gone to Rome if you had let me know that you were back? When you had showed up at Angel’s, I hadn’t even gone to Rome yet.”

Spike felt like he had been pole- axed. He could have stopped her from ever meeting the Immortal, and what was more, she was implying that she had wanted him to. He had just been…well, afraid of being rejected by her. But the bad part was that he was still carrying a good deal of that fear. Maybe the fear needed to go.

Buffy was on a roll. “Just one little call would have been enough. It was you I wanted to be with, and the pain of missing you so much sent me into the Immortal’s arms. You should have…”

Both Buffy and Spike pulled up short when the sounds of growls and snarls floated from behind them. It was the unmistakable sounds of a fight, but between who or what?

Considerably concerned for Angel and Nina, they backtracked at a dead run. Nothing was in the original chamber so they continued down the tunnel that the pair had taken.

As they ran, the sounds increased in ferociousness and in volume. They came around a sharp bend and put on the brakes hard. The sight nearly floored them. A werewolf was going at it in full force with another demon that they didn’t recognize.

Buffy yelled above the growls. “The werewolf has to be Nina. But where is Angel? He wouldn’t leave her to this fight alone.”

Grabbing her arm to get her attention, Spike pointed at the demon. “Look at the other demon’s clothes.”

The demon’s face had thick spikes coming out all over except for where the eyes, nose and mouth were located. But more importantly, the demon was wearing cloths. More specifically, Angel’s clothes. His trademark long, black jacket was a dead giveaway.

Buffy couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “That’s Angel. What the hell is happening?”

“Let’s gab about it after we get the lovers apart.” Spike was able to shove Angel away enough that Buffy could execute a flying tackle on Nina. They rolled and ended up in the tunnel on the far side of the chamber. When Buffy finally stopped, she was no longer gripping a werewolf but holding Nina.

“Okay? Are you okay?” Buffy was already glancing at Spike before she heard Nina’s answer of yes. “Why are you changed back? Why is Angel still…still…still whatever he is?” Buffy really wasn’t looking for an answer from Nina. She was asking more of herself. Nina was in her human form, and Angel wasn’t. What was different?

Spike hit the demon first with a left and then a right to the jaw. He jumped Angel’s leg sweep and kicked him in the side. Buffy stayed with Nina as she watched Spike and Angel battle, but she was also still racking her brain for what was different. She had a feeling the answer was right beneath her nose. And it was. The ground, Buffy thought. She and Nina were in the tunnel while Spike and Angel continued to battle in the chamber. In, out, that’s it. “Spike…Spike, it’s the room. Get Angel out of there.”

He wanted to glance over at Buffy but couldn’t. Out of the room? Spike began to work on turning Angel until Angel’s back was to the tunnel leading back to the main chamber. They traded blows. Right, left. Right, left. Spike took a couple of socks to his ribs and then one to the jaw before he could put his foot to Angel’s stomach and shove him out into the tunnel. The change was instantaneous. As soon as Angel crossed the imaginary line separating the room and the tunnel, he changed back to his human visage. He slowly sat up and shook his head comically.

“Angel, are you okay?” Anxious, Nina called from the other side of the chamber.

Angel was patting himself down. “I’m still checking.”

“Dark clothing, hair sticking up, lifts on shoes, empty head, uni-brow from the broodiness. Yep, all accounted for.” Spike brushed dirt off of his clothes.

Buffy was relieved that Angel didn’t rise to Spike’s bait, regardless of how funny and accurate his description was. However, both she and Nina gave in and laughed. “So what do we do now?”

“Good question, luv.” Spike looked down the tunnel back towards the main chamber. “We know what’s back there. Nothing. Why don’t you and sweetmeat look down your end of the tunnel?”

“It’s a plan. Like it. You up to it, Nina?” When Nina nodded, she looked back at the guys. “We’re out-y. No playing in the chamber while we are gone.” She gave them a saucy wink before turning away and walking down the tunnel with Nina, making sure her hips swayed.

Spike and Angel were left staring dumbfounded. She’s winking at them? Flirting? That was the slayer?

*****

TBC

I still new at writing this bitey stuff so let me know how it went. Also, expect a new chapter of Just A Fling soon. I am just heating it up a bit more. : )