The Journal of Buffy Summers

Manipulation for this chapter at following address:

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/vettehayden/detail?.dir=8325&.dnm=bb19.jpg&.src=ph
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Previously: Buffy learns that there is a mole in their midst when their captured cyborg is murdered. “The Immortal” turns out to be a senior partner and a fallen angel who desires Buffy to be his mate. Angelus and Drusilla kidnap Suzy through a shape shifter who morphs into a dragon named Senias flying off with her, whisking her away. Buffy and Willow receive a mental summons from Spike to meet with him. Spike, Clem, Connor and a blob show up at the La Brea Tar Pit’s to meet with Buffy, Willow and Dawn.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Page 15 – Reunions and Revelations
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

JOURNAL NOTE: (Recorded web cam entry followed by text entry) “My thanks to Willow for writing my last entry. Her generosity allowed Spike and I time to discuss our issues.”

“Of course, Spike not wanting to be excluded wanted to write this post by himself - but I refused. I did not want the entire post to tout his infinite greatness judging by the size of his over inflated ego.”

“Oi! I’m right here pet! Pot calling the kettle black and what not! Get on with the story telling, otherwise I’m taking over. `Sides, the size of my “ego” received no complaints last time I checked, and it definitely made you scream during our marathon...”

“Stop! Don’t even think of finishing that sentence mister! It will only lead to more distractions and I need to get this entry posted. Okay, now where was I? Oh yeah! To know what happened after Spike’s grand entrance, read my accurate version below.”

“Bollocks! I’ll make sure it’s accurate and not filled with the Slayer’s black and white - narrow minded views. So don’t think we started out all moonbeams and tea roses!”

“Whatever! Again, my thanks to Will, you’re a great friend.”

“Yeah Red thanks! It was time well spent. We worked real hard at pounding our differences out of our system!”

“Pig!”

“Oink!”

“Now on with the story telling!” They chimed out together, breaking out in harmonious laughter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Text Entry)

Immediately, Dawn and Buffy rushed toward Spike wrapping their arms around his waist embracing him - Buffy to his right and Dawn to his left. Laughing while crying at the same time, they began whispering nonsensical endearments in between peppering his cheeks with desperate kisses.

Spike almost fell back from the force of the two of them bodily tackling him. It took all his strength to keep himself balanced upright as they clung on to him. Smiling happily, Spike inhaled deeply and dreamily closed his eyes. He wrapped his arms around his girls basking in the love and adoration they were bestowing upon him.

Willow in the meantime gave Clem and Connor a friendly wave and shy hug and they turned to look at the other three as they became lost in a world of their own.

The blob creature morphed itself to look humanoid with arms, legs and a face that had no distinguishing features. During his transformation he shed his tar appearance and took on a more humanoid shape devoid of body hair. He looked like an animated mannequin with red eyes and bleached colorless skin.

“Oh, Spike, I never got the chance to tell you just how sorry I was for threatening to set you on fire.” Dawn bawled childishly rubbing her cheek against his chest. “Can you ever forgive me?” Dawn looked up, her watery eyes searching his anxiously waiting for his answer.

Cuddling her closer, Spike shushed her and gently kissed her on the forehead. “Nothing to forgive lil’ bit, I could never be angry at you, aggravated for sure but never angry.”

Sighing happily, Dawn curled deeper into his comforting embrace. “I’ve missed you so much,” she softly exhaled, nudging her cheek against him. Dawn inhaled deeply taking in his unique scent, letting it sooth her and comfort her. She just wanted to bask in the feeling of having his protective arms wrapped around her again.

Frantic that this might be some illusion that her mind was cruelly playing on her, Buffy was trying to commit Spike’s face to memory. She had never been so happy to be touching or seeing him again. The moment just seemed so surreal, almost too good to be true for her overworked mind to believe.

“Spike, you’re back and you’re here. I’m never letting you go. Promise you’ll never leave me.” Shuddering, Buffy choked out, “I’ve missed you so much. I thought I’d never see you again.”

Spike was overwhelmed with the reception he got from his two best girls and still had a goofy grin plastered on his face. He was enjoying their reunion and savoring the adoration they were openly lavishing on him.

The shock of seeing him again began to wear off as the moments ticked by, and the sister’s looked at each other and stopped dead in their tracks. The sudden realization that Spike had returned without so much as a word to them broke through their elation instantly turning it sour.

In sync, they disengaged their hold on the clueless vampire and stepped back feeling the betrayal of Spike’s secretive sequestration. The knowledge that he had returned and had not bothered to contact them enraged and hurt them. The impact of his misdeed filled them with an overpowering desire for violence…against him.

Dazed from the overwhelming emotions of the moment, Spike did not see the change on the faces of his girls and was not prepared for what happened next.

“You big, stupid & insensitive jerk!” Dawn screeched kicking him hard on the shin. Spike yelped in pain, hopping on his good leg, while he rubbed the injured one with his hands.

“Bloody hell, are you daft nibblet? What the hell is wrong with you kicking me like that?” Spike whined while scowling at her.

Turning to look at Buffy he didn’t have time to duck as her fist came smashing into his shocked face knocking him to the ground.

“OW!” Bollocks! What the bloody hell is wrong with you two?” Spike yelped. “One minute you’re glad to see me, kissing and slobbering over me, and the next thing I know you’re both thrashing me!” His pained outburst was muffled between his cupped hands as he tried to protect his injured nose.

“And you,” Spike angrily swiveled his head toward Buffy. “Lay off the nose you stupid cow, how many times do I have to tell you that!” Spike growled rubbing his bruised nose, not bothering to get up, still reeling from the blow.

“Oh, so you want me to lay off the nose? Okay!” Buffy sing songed as she raised her leg and aimed for Spike’s crotch. Fortunately, Spike saw it coming and quickly rolled out of the way of her crotch seeking foot.

Getting to his feet, Spike immediately took a defensive posture facing Buffy and Dawn. The Summers Sisters stood in identical poses with their arms crossed over their chests and their feet spread apart looking like they were royally brassed off.

“I’ve got half a mind to just leave and never come back from the way you two are treating me,” Spike groused, his eyes piercing them both contemptuously.

“They always greet each other like that?” The blob asked Willow addressing her for the first time.

“Pretty much,” Willow blandly answered scrutinizing his appearance and marveling at how different and less frightening he looked in his new form.

“Opps! My bad, let me make the introductions,” Clem spoke up but quickly froze in place, his senses alerting him to danger.

In one instant all in the small group grew quiet; their instincts took over sensing a disturbance in the air surrounding them. Reflexes attune to danger immediately took over and Spike and Buffy quickly got in front of Dawn shielding her protectively with their bodies.

Clem, the blob and Connor immediately stood in front of Willow protecting her. Instinctively the three knew that the Wicca was too exhausted to use her magic’s to protect herself. The aura of powerfully spent magic surrounded her and her fatigued appearance made her an easy target for the first kill.

The night was unnaturally quiet…devoid of all sounds from the natural wildlife when a whizzing sound pierced the silence. A dagger aimed at Willow’s head was effortlessly caught by Connor mere inches away from its intended target. Willow gulped hard, as her life flashed before her eyes and she mouthed a silent “thank you” to Connor.

The sound of humming arose from the murky shadows and a figure slowly began to emerge from its turbid depths. The grinning face of “Doc” came into view as he hummed the theme from Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf.

“Oh bloody hell!” Spike softly cursed. He had unfinished business with this nasty bugger. Apprehension took hold over him as the epitome of his greatest failure stood before him. Doc disdainfully gazed at Spike. Smiling at him…mocking him…daring him to try and stop him this time around.

“Hello kiddies, glad I got your attention,” Doc greeted as he looked at each face individually coming to rest on the blob’s displeased one.

“Urais, good to see you again brother,” Doc dipped his head in cordial greeting. “Missed me?” He chuckled gleefully though his eyes remained cold and aloof.

“Dubhtach, why did you come here? Leave us now or I’ll be forced to kill you….brother or not!” Urais (the blob) said. His voice sounded sad and disappointed all at once, addressing Doc by his birth name.

“He’s your brother?” Spike blurted out.

“Yes,” was all Urais said in reply. His gaze never faltered away from his brother’s unflinching one.

“So you managed to bring our exiled brother Senias into this world for all the good it did you,” Urais spat at Doc. “You never should have helped Glorificus and should have let things be.”

Exhaling heavily, Doc sadly replied nodding his head in disapproval. “He was such a disappointment dear brother. After all the trouble I went through to open up a portal into this world using The Key.” Doc’s gaze traveled to Dawn’s making her burrow further onto Spike’s back - making him growl protectively in warning.

Grinning at their reactions, Doc looked back at Urais and continued. “He decided against joining forces with me because he had ambitions about joining Wolfram and Hart instead of overthrowing them. Regrettably, he aligned himself with that upstart half breed Angelus. He now is a new member of “The Black Thorn.”

“Is that why you bled me?” Dawn angrily questioned. “To open up a portal for that shape shifting dragon?”

“Why of course!” Doc answered. “Senias and I were going to rule over this Earth as payment for giving Glorificus passage to her own hell dimension but a certain slayer ruined all of our carefully laid out plans.”

“Gee! Sorry that my death in saving the world was such a big inconvenience to you,” Buffy bitterly scoffed.

Grinning malevolently, Doc looked directly at Urais. His eyes turned black as a scaly tail appeared beneath his trench coat. “I can see that my other brother will not join forces with me either.” Pausing for effect he continued, “Pity, now I have to kill both my brothers. Then I’ll take the key and those who survive prisoners. I think they’ll make excellent pets.”

Looking at Dawn, Doc whispered. “Hey! Kid, wanna see a trick?”

Raising his hand signaling his hidden minions, Doc began to shape shift. His shape took on the form of a winged dragon and he took to flight. He dove at the startled group trying to bite and claw at them as he flew by making them duck.

Urais quickly transformed into a winged dragon and took flight after him. The two dragons began to attack each other in mid air. Ripping, tearing and gouging at each other’s flesh with their deadly claws and razor sharp teeth.

Meantime below on the ground, demons began emerging out of the shadows screaming, running and waving weapons in the air.

Immediately Dawn and Willow were encircled by the rest and kept within the protective circle they formed. They began to fight the onslaught of demons attacking them as Dawn and Willow helped where they could by hitting a stray demon on the head when the chance presented itself.

“What part of come alone and make sure you’re not being followed did you not understand Slayer!” Spike growled snapping the neck of one demon and taking his sword away to fight with.

“Oh, so this is my fault?” Buffy snarled back, angrily punching a demon in the face and fatally stabbing him in the chest with her wooden stake.

Raising his head sniffing the air, Spike jealously sneered. “You should have showered and brushed your teeth before you came here luv, you smell like a sickening combination of Angelus and The Immortal. Even a blind and deaf demon could follow your trail through a rancid sewer. You’re coming here smelling not so *spring time fresh* is making me want to heave.”

“How dare you judge me Mr. Nooner on a desk!” Buffy caustically spat out grabbing a demon by the head and breaking his neck with one angry jerk. Her eyes narrowed menacingly as she glared daggers at Spike.

“You know about that?” Spike stammered out, running a demon through with his sword. He was unable to hide the shocked look on his face or the tensing of his body. Warily, he took a half step back as he fought the urge to distance himself from Buffy and her accusatory glare.

Feeling her blood boil and blocking a blow, Buffy drew in a sharp breath to continue her rant.

“Yeah, that’s right! Try and deny it! Harmony told me all about your little sexcapade!” She barked, noticing his guilty reaction.

Ducking in time, Buffy growled at the demon who was trying to cut her in half with his axe. “Do you mind?” She annoyingly snarled. Infuriated, she shoved her wooden stake in his skull killing him instantly and grabbing his axe.

“She told me about how no sooner you became all solid again that you dragged her into some dork’s office - kicked him out and then drilled her real hard on top of his desk!” Buffy bitterly spat out. With one sure swing of the axe, she split a demon’s skull in half taking pleasure in the outlet for her murderous rage.

His stunned silence was the equivalent of a signed confession to Buffy. Not that she realistically expected Spike to deny it, but he could have at least attempted to look apologetic as he lopped off the head of the demon rushing towards him.

Breaking the awkward silence, Buffy continued her verbal assault. “Well, what do you have to say about that Mr. All High and Mighty? Hmmm?” Buffy growled out between killing two demons with one swipe of her axe, her chest was heaving was she waited to hear his answer.

“Stop with the recriminations pet.” Punch! Jab!

“I’m not the one showing up here smelling like a two bit trollip after a long night’s work of shagging on her back!” Kick! Stab!

“You say you missed me and to never leave you but have you told me you love me? NO! Not once!” Slash! Slice!

“It’s the same old song and dance Slayer; you just want your obedient lap dog back is all. But guess what? I’m not house broken anymore luv. So forget your notions about having me at your beck and call whenever you feel the urge to have your itch scratched!”

Vamping out, Spike became enraged. He lifted one demon with one hand breaking his neck while simultaneously spearing another with his sword.

Her sharp gasp was testament enough to let Spike know that his words hurt Buffy more than any physical blow ever could have. Feeling worse because of what he blurted out in anger, he roared at the demon in front of him making it yelp. It turned around, trying to flee, but Spike cut him down with one skilled swipe of his sword.

Buffy’s watery eyes and quivering lip almost had Spike rushing over to envelope her in his embrace. But he held himself steady and resisted against the impulsive urge. Besides he needed to concentrate on the battle at hand. He instantly killed a demon taking advantage of Buffy’s faltering from his verbal attack.

Looking around Spike noticed that Connor and Clem were finishing off their attackers. Their huddled group had managed to decimate the demonic horde down to a bloody pile of bodies. Their small circle was littered knee high with bodies and body parts around them.

The roars of the dragons battling in the night sky filled the air as the brothers savagely continued attacking each other.

“Which one is which? Willow asked as they stared at the battle over their heads unable to help.

“I don’t know,” Clem replied. “They’re moving too fast to tell them apart.”

One dragon viciously punched through the chest of the other. With one razor sharp claw, he ripped out his heart in one horrific move. A strangled high pitched scream filled the night air. Those on the ground covered their ears against the punishing magnitude of its piercing intensity.

The mortally wounded dragon began to fall from the sky, spiraling in circles resembling a falling feather as it plunged into the largest of the tar pits. Its form bobbed back up to the rippling surface and then slowly began to sink into its smoldering black depths.

The other flew toward them and they readied themselves to fight if it turned out to be Doc but it just flew by sprinkling a fine mist of blood on them as it soared over their heads.

Landing nearby and transforming back into the shape of a mannequin, Urais, slumped to the ground exhausted, bleeding and crying. Letting out a mighty roar, he yelled out his pain over the death of his brother. Clem and Spike immediately ran over to him and held him in their arms as they all watched Doc’s body slowly disappear into the tar pit.

In the meantime, Connor walked the perimeter surrounding them watching for any danger - uncomfortable with the emotional display.

“Is he going to be alright?” Dawn asked as she tentatively approached the huddled group.

“Yeah he will be lil’ bit. He just needs a moment or two to compose himself,” Spike whispered.

Spike felt conflicted. He hated Doc but yet, he also felt sorry for his friend. All he could do was hold and comfort him.

“He covered you up and snuck you out of the battle, didn’t he?” Willow knowingly asked, standing behind Dawn looking down at them.

“That he did.” Spike softly replied. “Saved me in the nick of time – he did. If it weren’t for Clem and Urais coming to fetch me, I would’ve been dusted in that dirty alley.”

Wiping his eyes, Urais looked up and absently said. “Senias asked me to join him at the circle of the Black Thorn but I refused. Unlike my brothers I believe in letting humans live their lives according to their own will and destiny.

That is why I chose to live in an alternate demon dimension. This tar pit is the gateway. The only way to traverse it is for me to safely provide passage as you saw me do earlier when I brought Spike, Clem and Connor out. But now I fear that my home will be under attack if I provide further sanctuary. Next to myself, Senias and Doc can traverse the portal…well Senias is the only other one who can traverse it now.”

“That’s alright mate, we can go somewhere else,” Spike soothed. “Clem here has an alternate place we can go to.” Raising his eyes and looking at Clem, Spike hoped that he caught on without blurting out that there was no other alternate plan. Seems they had no choice but to return to the Hyperion.

Bobbing his head Clem said, “Yep, we have an alternate place, don’t worry buddy, you just take care of yourself, okay?”

Standing up, Urais said his goodbyes as he dove into the pit without a backward glance.

This whole time Buffy stood back, still reeling from Spike’s harsh words during the battle. Cautiously approaching Spike, she decided to take a chance and tell him how she felt.

“Spike, can we talk for a moment?” Buffy turned and looked at the others. “Can you give us a moment of privacy please?”

Nodding, they joined Connor as he kept vigil over the area.

“Spike, I know now is a bad time to say this, but I do love you,” Buffy softly said.

“No you don’t!” Spike angrily argued.

“I do Spike! I do love you! Something happened to me in the hell mouth…when we joined hands. It was like the flames burned away all my lingering fears and doubts about us. The way I feel ... about you ... it's different. You have to trust me on this...I mean it…I love you. And no matter how hard you try to convince yourself that it isn't real, it is! It's real Spike….believe it!”

Staring intently at her Spike clenched his jaw and whispered. “I know it’s real, Buffy…to you!”

Buffy stiffened and stumbled back with a hurt look on her face as Spike grew quiet watching her. The air filled with tension as seconds ticked by. Buffy emotionally shattered, feeling her world come apart but regrouped internally in hopes that he still loved her.

Her first instincts were to lash out verbally or physically at Spike but he deserved better from her. Instantly Buffy felt ashamed of hitting him earlier, reverting back to old form and forgetting just how much she missed him.

“How can you be so cruel? Throwing my own words back in my face so coldly,” Buffy sobbed.

“You always hurt the one you love pet,” Spike retorted clenching and unclenching his jaw.

“Stop it both of you! I didn’t mean to start this!” Dawn tearfully yelled. Her face was a portrait of pained anguish. Placing herself between Spike and Buffy, Dawn quickly put her hands on both their chests. She dared them to continue their verbal attacks against each other with her withering looks.

Nodding their heads simultaneously, Buffy and Spike sheepishly looked at Dawn ashamed that they upset her so and forgetting all about her and the others during their quarrel.

“Uh, can I interrupt? Clem timidly said as his hands were raised up in the air. “I think we better leave before we’re discovered here, besides sunrise is not that far away and we need to find a safe place for Dawn and Connor.”

Walking up to them Willow handed Spike his old duster. She had magically repaired it before leaving the Hyperion.

“Thanks pet,” Spike hugged her before putting it on looking happy to be wearing it. Digging into his pockets, he pulled out his lighter, happy to see it again and then put it back where it was.

“I think we should split up, Clem, Dawn and I can go in Clem’s car while Willow, Connor and Buffy can go in Red’s back to the Hyperion.

Without looking at Buffy he grabbed Dawn by the hand and stalked off with Clem following close behind. “Let’s gather up your luggage pet and load it up into Clem’s car.”

“You knew my father?” Connor interrupted breaking the wariness of the moment as Buffy watched Spike walk away. His young face couldn’t quite mask his look of curiosity as he stepped in front of Buffy.

Her attention diverted away from Spike’s retreating form, Buffy turned to face Connor. Angel and Darla’s son. It was the first time she noticed him, taking stock of his features and how he was a mixture between his two parents. He was wearing a leather duster just like Spikes and it had a trace smell of Spike lingering on it. Curious.

Connor’s eyes roved over her form taking in every detail – studying her. Predatorily inhaling her scent, Connor memorized every physical aspect that made up Buffy Summers. “You resemble my birth mother,” Connor bluntly said.

Sticking out her hand, Buffy grabbed Connor’s and shook it. “Hi, I’m Buffy Summers, nice to meet you,” she formally introduced herself.

“I’m Connor, I think Clem was going to make the introductions but we got interrupted with the attack,” Connor shyly greeted smiling back.

How cute, Buffy thought. He’s blushing! He so reminds me of Angel…sneer and all!

“Do you know Willow?” Buffy asked. She looked for Will and found her waiting for them, sitting in her car. Waving at her, they began walking toward her.

“Yeah, I met her last year when she cursed Angelus with the soul spell,” Connor replied as they climbed into the car.

Giving Willow a scathing look for not sharing that bit of information with her, Buffy decided to get even with the witch.

“Willow is scared of frogs!” Buffy blurted out. That was the first thing that came to mind to embarrass her friend.

“She is?” Connor laughed as Buffy joined in.

“Buffy!” Willow gasped, her cheeks turning crimson in color.

“That’s what you get for not telling me that you met Connor last year,” Buffy glared at her in between her giggling.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“You shouldn’t be so hard on Buffy,” Dawn told Spike from the backseat of Clem’s car.

Turning to look back at her from the front seat, Spike said. “It’s complicated nibblet. There are things you don’t know about.”

“Buffy told me everything and there are things you should know before you condemn her,” Dawn replied solemnly.

Nodding his head Spike stayed silent noticing the quiver on Dawn’s lips as her eyes began to water.

“I don’t know if you noticed how Buffy kept touching your face. Since your death, Buffy experienced bouts of severe anxiety attacks over her fears of forgetting what you looked like. In her desperation, she decided to take up clay sculpting so that she could create your likeness. It was meant to be therapeutic but it backfired on all of us. Her attempts to capture your likeness only served to fuel her phobia to disturbing proportions.”

“Every time she finished your bust, she would pound it back down and start over again dissatisfied that it did not capture your image. Buffy would continue the cycle until she collapsed from utter exhaustion.”

Spike swallowed hard as he watched Dawn gather her composure to continue.

“Obsessed, Buffy became a virtual hermit locked away in her room forgetting to eat or sleep for long periods of time. She spent her waking hours carving and destroying sculptures she made of you. She carved your human and vampire features repeatedly. Screaming out in frustration pounding them down…crying that they didn’t look like you. She almost drove Giles and me mad with worry over her erratic behavior.

Spike felt a deep burning ache start from his belly and work its way to his chest as he saw Dawn begin to cry.

“I was so scared Spike, I think that she blamed herself over your death. She wasn’t thriving. I thought she was going to retreat into her mind if she didn’t kill herself by not eating or sleeping.”

“Giles finally broke her destructive cycle when he gave pictures and sketches of you to her. Remember the female watcher who did her dissertation on you? She was the one who interviewed you before…well before Buffy jumped off the tower.”

Spike nodded and said, “Lydia.”

“Yes, um, Lydia’s fixation on you proved to be a godsend from heaven. Giles discovered her research papers on you securely hidden away in her flat in London. He copied her sketches and photographs she kept of you and gave them to Buffy. By then she looked like she had wasted enough away to be close to death’s door. She broke down when she got your pictures and we didn’t think that she would ever stop crying over them.”

“We both managed to persuade Buffy to begin to live her life again when she realized how it had affected us. The fear she saw in our eyes over her temporary insanity alarmed her enough to force herself out of her grief.”

“She enrolled back in school leaving the apartment for the first time in weeks, and eventually met “The Immortal”. I think the only reason she began to see him was because he reminded her of you. His physique, hair and eye color were close enough to you that she pretended that he was you at times.”

“She wanted to die, Spike. The only reason she snapped out of it was because of me. She started to live again for me. So you see I feel it is my responsibility to tell you what she went through,” Dawn choked unable to continue anymore as huge tears cascaded down her cheeks.

Sliding to the backseat, Spike held and comforted her feeling awful about his earlier words to Buffy. “Shhh…pet,” Spike soothed. “Don’t fret your pretty little head. I’ll make things right between us. You’ll see. I promise I will!” Spike swore.

Spike looked at Clem through the rear view mirror of the car and saw that he was crying too. No matter, Spike could feel his own tears falling and knew that Clem would not tell anyone that he had cried.

Wiping his eyes with his hands and whimpering softly, Clem said, “We’re here!” He parked in front of the Hyperion followed by Willow who parked behind them.

Exiting Clem’s car, Spike ran towards Willow’s car jerking the door open next to Buffy. He reached in grabbed hold of her around the waist and bodily lifted her out of the car astonishing her with his actions.

“We need to talk in private luv,” Spike said as he gently set her down on her feet.

“Why don’t you get everyone settled in Buffy’s private floor Red,” Spike said as he started leading Buffy down the street. “Call us on her cell phone if there is an emergency. We are heading towards my apartment a few blocks away. Don’t think any nasties will bother us until nightfall hits again...TA!”

“Spike wait!” Willow yelled out to them. “Here take Buffy’s lap top with you, it is more secure than a cell phone and she can contact me directly with it.”

Taking it from Willow’s hands, Spike muttered his thanks and tugged Buffy with him. They ran at a brisk pace sensing sunrise approaching on the distant horizon.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

They made record time reaching his apartment. He prayed that Angelus thought he was dead and would not have bothered to post spies around his apartment. He made a mental note to have Red put up a magical barrier when she got her strength back to keep uninvited guests out. Right now, he had other things on his mind and he had some much needed “making up” to do with Buffy.

Pulling out a loose brick in the wall next to his door, Spike fished out his emergency key and unlocked the door. He ushered Buffy inside as he replaced the brick and pocketed the key inside his duster pocket.

Buffy in the meantime was walking around the apartment taking in the Spartan feeling to it. She liked it…it was simple and contained only the basic essentials.

Suddenly she found herself lying on her back on Spike’s bed being passionately kissed by Spike.

“Hello cutie!” Spike purred devilishly. “What say we talk in bed, I do my best talking on one!”

Tbc…


NOTE: To my reviewers - my thanks for taking the time to leave one! I appreciate your comments and even though I do not respond individually to you - I do read them and they spur me on to write more chapters. THANKS!