Loose ends.

A/N: Apologies for this update taking so long. The plot bunnies are working overtime giving me ideas for way into the future of my 'alternative' season 6 and of course I have to pause to get them all down before I forget them. This means the current 'episode' isn't getting written a quickly as I would like. Also there's the small matter that an alternative episode using all the vital plot devices to keep in tune with the 'real' season 6 story arc is a lot more complicated than writing a completely AU story!

Of course a few lovely reviews might encourage me to concentrate more on the current episode... {hint hint}

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Chapter 3


Spike’s return to consciousness was prompted by a feeling of profound dread coupled with the loss of the warm body he had been cuddled up to. Opening his eyes he saw that his Slayer had moved away from him, and she was now sitting up in bed sipping her fruit juice. Becoming aware that the dread was hers rather than his own he mumbled sleepily, “Wassamarra love?” He shifted to rest his head in her lap, kiss and nibble at her bare belly and sneak his arms around her waist.

“Two letters.” She flapped them above his head, “One from the University with the answer to whether they’ll accept me as a late registration despite the fact that I didn’t ask to register until after the last date for late registration, you know... ‘cos of being dead. The other is a letter from the bank.” Buffy intoned in a cheerless voice, “Letters from the bank are not of the good. Letters from the bank are likely to be about overdrawn accounts, cheques that have bounced, bills that can’t be paid, requests to visit the manager for a good talking to, or threats to take the house. I don’t like letters from the bank.”

“Well… what do they say love? You going to be College Girl again? Are we all going to be moving into my crypt and living on leftovers? ‘Cos if so we’ll have to disappoint Clem…”

“I don’t know. To know what they say I’d have to open them. I don’t want to open them. If I haven’t opened them they could still be good news.” Buffy wailed, “Here...” She shoved them in his face. “You open them for me, then if they’re bad news I can blame the messenger, it’ll be all your fault.” She grinned wickedly, “and if it’s all your fault you’ll have to be punished.”

“Promises... promises...” Spike whispered huskily. He removed his hands from where they had been playing up and down her spine and rolled onto his back so his head was pillowed on her thigh. Gathering up the crumpled envelopes he asked, “Which comes first?”

“You pick.” She instructed, running her fingers through his hair and playing with his ears.

Without looking to see which was which Spike slit open the first envelope. After reading the first few lines of typescript he relayed the news. “Sorry love, you’re not going to be College Girl this year. Seems you were too late for late registration, and it’s still too early for early registration for next year.” He handed the letter up so that she could confirm what he’d told her, and then when she gave a disappointed sigh and screwed the letter up and threw it across the room he reached up and drew her face down for a comforting kiss.

“Oh… kay. You’ve got one more chance to escape a dire punishment,” Buffy teased when she got her breath back. “You make sure the letter from the bank is good news and you might just get a lovely reward instead.”

“What’s the difference?” Spike asked mischievously, his tongue running over his lower lip provocatively. “I’d have to know which result I’d prefer before I choose which mojo to use as I open it.”

“Oh...” She flushed prettily, “Um... I hadn’t got that far.”

Chuckling at her very innocent attempt to be naughty, Spike took pity on her as he ripped open the second envelope. “I’m sure you’ll think of somethin’ appropriate darlin’.”

He frowned in concentration as he read the first page, then he flipped to check the second and third pages and took a deep breath. Before he had a chance to speak Buffy forestalled him, her shrill tone of voice demonstrating her anxiety. “What is it? Why are you frowning? Oh God they are taking the house aren’t they?”

“No!” Spike reassured her firmly, “It’s nothing like that, Buffy! Honest! My mojo worked, it’s all good news!”

“Good news? From the bank? Are you sure? Is that even possible?” she asked, sounding very confused.

“Relax baby…” He urged. “Take a deep breath and let me explain?” When she nodded he continued. “Old Quentin’s come up trumps and pulled his finger out for you Slayer, you’re allowance has arrived!” He gazed up into her astonished face, “You’ve got to go into the bank and sign a few things, then you can get your delightful little superstrong mitts on pots of cash!”

“Really?” She breathed in disbelief. “I couldn’t let myself believe it would ever actually happen.”

“Well it *has* happened.” Spike confirmed. “Look.” He held the letter up and pointed at the figure shown on the second page that would become available to her upon her presenting proof of her identity and signing various papers at the bank.

“Five thousand dollars?” She asked in disbelief, her voice quavering. “I can have five thousand dollars today?”

Puzzled, Spike drew the letter back down for another look. “Not exactly a maths whizz are you darlin’?” He chuckled. “Look at it again and check where the decimal point is. You know what one of those is don’t you?”

“Huh?” Buffy took the letter from him and ran her finger over the figure as she worked it out. Her eyes went very dark and very wide. “Oh. My. God.” She said, very quietly.

“That’s what you can get today,” Spike explained. “That’s so you can pay all the outstanding bills, organise any repairs to the house that need doing, sort your wardrobe out, fix Dawnie up with whatever she needs, all that one-off stuff. If you look at page three, that’s the figure that’ll be added to the account on the first of every month in the future, the actual allowance, your income.”

Buffy beamed down at him with shining eyes. “Shopping!” She breathed, almost reverently.

Spike chuckled at her ecstatic expression. “Just make sure you get yourself a couple of pairs of really well fitting good quality sturdy low heeled boots for patrolling as well as all the silly fashion shoes. Steel toecaps would be an advantage.”

Spike was suddenly smothered with weeping Slayer. She had toppled over sideways onto him. “Hey! What’s all this then?” He enquired, “I thought it was rather *good* news myself.” He teased her gently as he stroked and kissed her, “I could always tear the soddin’ letter up and pretend we didn’t get it if it’s upset you so much?”

“Don’t you dare!” She sobbed fiercely, grabbing the increasingly creased letter and holding it out of his reach, “It’s just... just... It’s all been so hard, and now it’s not, and it’s all because of you. What did I ever do to deserve you?”

“You didn’t do anything darlin’, you didn’t have to, you just have to be you. And don’t be daft it’s *me* who doesn’t deserve *you*!” He shrugged, “‘Sides it wasn’t me, it was the Watcher who suggested you should have a lump sum to start you off.”

“But Giles would never have thought to ask if it wasn’t for you… he told me all about it!” She looked very thoughtful for a moment and then abruptly declared, “Darlin’… I like darlin’. Slayer is fine when we’re patrolling or talking demon talk, but I don’t like it when you call me pet... ‘cos you call everyone pet, and besides it makes me feel as if you’re about to pat me on the head like a puppy. Love or kitten or baby can be all right… sometimes… if I’m in the mood… but I *like* you calling me darlin’.”

“Well now, isn’t that just lovely?” Spike whispered as he gathered her warm willing body closer, “Buffy my darlin’, My darlin’ Slayer... how’s that sound?”

“Sounds good...” she whispered in return as she wrapped her arms around him. The kissing was just getting to the really enjoyable stage when Buffy’s alarm went off.

She tore her mouth from his and twisted away from him to turn the buzzer off. “Gotta get up,” she moaned. “Dawn... school.”

“Aaaaw...” Spike grumbled, trying to grab her and pull her back to him. “Not fair, c’mere...”

Buffy swatted his hands away as she avoided his grasp and scrambled out of bed. “Behave… I’ve got to have a shower, get dressed and get breakfast for Dawn. Then I’ve got to make sure she gets to school safely, then there’s the Doublemeat, and the bank, and Giles. Then...” Her voice went soft and dreamy, “shopping...”

“Breakfast’s all sorted, I stopped at the bakery on the way home this morning.” He paused for second to savour being able to call his Slayer’s house ‘home’. Shaking himself slightly he pouted petulantly and reached out for her. “Come back to bed for five minutes.”

“If I came back to bed now it wouldn’t be for five minutes, I know it and you know it! Buffy teased. “As you said last night… you’ll have to keep it warm for me.” She fondly patted the tent in the sheet over his lap and quickly skipped away again, giggling, before he could catch her hand. She put on the robe that had been hanging on the back of the door and disappeared in the direction of the bathroom.

Listening to the sound of water running and imagining his Slayer covered with suds under the shower did nothing to cool Spike’s ardour, but realistically he knew he had no chance of persuading her back into bed now. By the time the door opened to re-admit her wrapped in a large towel he had sorted the bedclothes out again and got himself comfortable reclining against the pillows in the perfect position to enjoy watching her getting dressed. As she pottered around selecting her outfit for the day she turned to him and asked, “Oh... did you find your familiar tingle?”

“Yeah, I did Slayer,” he replied. “Or rather he found me. Seems he’s been following me around waiting to get me alone. One of the Master’s old minions by name of Nathan, who I inherited when I came to town and dusted the Annoying One.”

“You mean the Anointed One? *You* dusted him? I always wondered what happened to him… why on earth would you do that?”

“Little twerp got on my nerves.” Spike admitted.

Shimmying into a pair of pale blue lacy briefs and it’s matching bra Buffy prompted, “Nathan? What does he want?”

“Says he wants me to be his Master, Slayer, he’s fed up of taking orders from Dru…” As Spike was speaking, Buffy spotted a patch of scarlet on the floor and bent to pick up the tattered remnants of the thong Spike had torn off her the night before.

“Oh the poor little thing,” she murmured, holding the mangled scrap of lace up to show him, “look what you did to it.”

“Silly little things like that are only good for a moment’s entertainment,” Spike smirked, “’S’like the pretty paper on a present, the act of unwrapping only helps to add to the excitement, it’s the gift inside that’s important.”

“Perhaps I’ll go and buy some more pretty wrapping paper for you…” Buffy mused with a wicked little smile as she put the scrap on the dresser, patted it tenderly, then pulled on a pair of tight black leather trousers. She then frowned and asked, “Did you say Dru? He’s been taking orders from Drusilla?”

Spike sighed, “Yeah Slayer, sounds as if she might be the source of all our confused baby vamps. He reckons she had a vision about our mating, and has come back to…”

“She’s not getting you back!” Buffy declared defiantly, as she pulled a pale blue sweater over her head, “You’re mine now!”

“Yes I am!” he agreed fervently, “I don’t know what she’s after Slayer, but I’m all yours now, and I’m going to stay yours! She’s my Sire and she was my whole world for over a century and I wouldn’t hurt her... but if she tries to get between us...” he broke off as he choked up and words failed him.

Buffy came and sat on the bed beside him and wrapped her arms around him, cradling his head onto her shoulder, “I’ll make sure you don’t have to hurt her Spike, we’ll just have to get her to go away again. If it comes down to it I’ll stake her myself. You won’t have to do it, I promise.”

Spike took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself, then kissed her gratefully. A couple of minutes later she stroked his cheek fondly then stood up and went to sit at the dresser to do her hair and make-up. He took a few moments to collect himself and then continued, “Nathan reckons she’s going to want to hurt one or other of us, possibly both of us. She’s making about much sense as usual so of course he hasn’t a clue what her plans are, but he wanted to warn me I could be in danger, so that means you could be too.” He regarded her warily. “He said he wants me to be his Master and he’s willing to help me against Dru, Slayer. I told him we came as a pair and that if he wants to ally himself with me he has to do a deal with you too. I made it clear that he’d have to give his word to stop feeding on humans if he even wanted a chance.”

“What’s he like?” Buffy asked as she stopped rummaging in her jewellery box and tucked something small into her pocket, then screwed her face up to apply her mascara.

“Looks as if he was turned at about twenty or twenty two, tall, dark hair, not bad looking really. He said Darla sired him for the Master in ’37 after he got stuck after that earthquake. He strikes me as being quite bright... he must have *some* brains if he managed to survive the Master all this time. He might come in handy if he agrees to your conditions. I made it clear it would be up to you. I told him to meet me again tonight if he was interested and I’d set up a meeting with you. I warned him that if he didn’t show up he’d be fair game for a dusty end.” Spike waited anxiously for her reaction. “Did I do right Slayer?”

“You want me to give him a chance?” She asked seriously, as she pulled on a pair of socks and her black boots. “You really think he could change his ways?”

He lifted his scarred eyebrow teasingly and smirked. “He’s family, and we male Aurelians seem to get along with the Slayer *real* well.” Shrugging he added, “You gave *me* a chance and look where we ended up. If he works out he could be a real help, if not we’ll just have to dust him.”

Buffy gave her appearance a last check in the mirror and stood up. “So go meet him tonight and see what he has to say for himself. If you think he’s worth it I’ll talk to him… no promises mind. See what you can find out about Drusilla anyway, at least try to get him to tell you where she’s hiding herself.” She absently tucked a stake up the sleeve of her sweater and approached the bed cautiously. “Don’t muss me.” She warned him, one forefinger held up imperiously, and then she leaned over for a kiss balancing herself by placing one hand on Spike’s shoulder.

Spike cupped her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers, careful not to smudge her strawberry flavoured pale pink lip gloss, before sliding his fingers down to brush gently over his mark. Buffy quivered with pleasure. She straightened up, touched the scar with one finger and sighed. “Why does that always feel so much more intimate than a kiss? We’re going to have to be careful how much we do that in public you know, it seems to have a very definite effect on both of us!”

“Yeah... good innit?” Spike chortled. “We can give each other lovely little thrills without anyone else being any the wiser.”

Buffy shook her head slowly, smiling down at him. “You really are a very bad man aren’t you?”

He nodded, smirking. “’S’right... the Big Bad... that’s me.” He continued, “Go and have a look at the Community College, see if they’ve got any beginners self-defence classes suitable for Dawnie and Harris. I can’t spar with them properly ‘cos of the chip, and you’ll only break them if you try. Oh… and don’t forget to tell everyone else about Dru, any one of them could be on her little list too. You should remind them that if they come face to face with her they shouldn’t look her in the eyes, if they do they’re buggered.”

Buffy picked up the crumpled letter from the bank, took her empty juice glass from the side table and turned towards the door, nodding sadly. “Yes, I remember. That’s how she got Kendra.”

Spike made an effort to lighten the mood. “So... have I earned a punishment for the bad news or a reward for the good news?” He asked, leering suggestively.

“Oh definitely a reward.” She smiled, her hand on the door handle. “Get a good day’s sleep Spikey, you’ll need it.” She winked at him… and was gone.

Spike snuggled down into the warm bed. As he relaxed he listened to the cheerful sounds of his four girls preparing for their day, and took note as two by two they left the house. When all was quiet he drifted off to sleep.

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Spike was enjoying a delicious fantasy of his mate’s hot mouth teasing him when a particularly sharp nip made him gasp, and he realised it wasn’t a fantasy. Opening his eyes he raised his head and looked down the bed. He saw a familiar blonde head covering his groin. “Well hi there darlin’” he growled, stretching sensually. “Is this my reward?”

Looking up at him, Buffy freed her mouth and smiled cheekily. “Reward? Oh no… that’ll come later tonight. It’s just that last night you said you only had to be in the same room as me, and then when I came in just now you were fast asleep, but even so less than ten seconds later there was this little tent...”

“Hey!” Spike protested.

Buffy giggled, “Okay then… there was this *big* tent... this really *enormous* tent... and I just couldn’t resist...”

“Not complaining here darlin’, you just carry on.” He lay back and folded his arms beneath his head, watching as she continued her attentions with her mouth and hands. Almost immediately he was gasping and moaning, “Oh baby... yeah... just like that...” But it wasn’t long before he realised there was something missing. “Stop a minute darlin’,” he pleaded.

Buffy looked up again, confused. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Wrong? Oh no baby, nothing you could do to me would be wrong... it’s just... I need to touch you too! Get your clothes off and turn around here...” He gestured to show her what he would like her to do.

“Huh? Oh!” Grinning Buffy released her grip on him and quickly shed her clothes. “We haven’t got long,” she warned him as she stripped. “I’ll need you to pick Dawn up from Lisa’s as soon as the sun goes down, that’s in about an hour and a half, ‘cos I’ll be busy sorting out all the stuff I’ve bought. Then well... Giles said there was something he wanted to talk to us about, and something else he needed to ask you about, and when I told him and Anya about the allowance there was the suggestion we should celebrate, and I kinda ended up inviting everyone over for dinner!”

Spike groaned, “Not pizza again?”

“Um... well no,” she admitted, crawling onto the bed with him. “I told Giles about that meal you made at Angel’s and he didn’t believe you could cook that well... so I sort of promised...” She took his erection in her hand and kissed the tip before continuing, “You will make something delicious... won’t you?” She took him deep into her mouth and teased him with her teeth and tongue for a couple of minutes, leaving him panting for unneeded breath. Then very suspiciously innocent wide eyes looked up at him through her tousled hair and she added breathlessly, “just for me?”

“You little minx…” he muttered. “Using your feminine wiles… come round here!” He sat up slightly and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her around so he could reach his target. “Open wide for Spike, darlin’,” He whispered hoarsely.

Sniggering, Buffy said, “Okay... you asked for it.” and taking a moment to get her balance she placed her feet either side of Spike’s head, and proceeded to do the splits sideways. “I don’t know how long I can hold it.” she warned, and then her mouth was too busy for speech.

“Oh God... you’re the perfect woman!” Spike cried, then his mouth was too busy for words too.

Buffy’s splits lasted about ten minutes, until she lost control of every voluntary muscle in her body as a result of Spike’s ministrations. When her legs were no longer clamped tightly around his head, and she stopped screaming and started gasping for breath instead, he rolled them over. He knelt up and turned around and covered her body with his. Nudging her legs apart with one thigh he pressed his erection into her hip and bent to kiss her and pay some serious attention to her breasts.

“I really do like... the way you’ve... taken to... waking me up... lately darlin’.” He told her in between kisses and nibbles. “A fella... could get used... to being treated... this good.”

As her hands explored his back and shoulders Buffy breathlessly told him, “Well you’ll just have to find some equally pleasant ways to wake me up in exchange... won’t you?” She drew his head up for a long deep kiss, before reaching down to guide him to where she wanted him. As his erection was just nudging into her she tried to roll them so she could sit astride him… and received a very rude surprise when they landed hard on the floor and he was suddenly buried deep within her with considerable force. “Oooof!”

“We need a bigger bed darlin’,” Spike grumbled as he rubbed the back of his head which had made contact with the corner of the dresser before reaching the floor. There had been the ominous sounds of things rattling and falling over. “I’ll have to get Harris to help me move my four poster in.”

“Good idea,” Buffy gasped as she got her breath back and started rocking.

“Come with me tonight before I go to meet Nathan,” Spike suggested as he resumed his playful tweaking of her nipples. “Help me pick out what else to bring? {nip} There’s my rugs... {nip} my books... {nip} all sorts of goodies.”

“Yes... good,” She agreed impatiently. “Now shut up and kiss me!” She leaned forward to claim his mouth.

“Yes miss... certainly miss...” he chuckled, and obeyed. His hands went to her hips to grind her down onto him. A few minutes later her internal muscles began to quiver again, but Spike determined to delay his own orgasm. Being careful to cover her claim mark on his neck with one hand, he transferred his lips from her mouth to his mark on her neck, and sucked hard.

Instantly Buffy collapsed onto his chest squealing as she clutched at him. Spike’s tactic hadn’t however taken into account the fresh waves of her pleasure that he would receive through the bond. He had to stop moving entirely for a few moments and concentrate on how to dismantle the huge bed that had taken him two whole days to assemble, in an attempt to block the effect of her ecstasy as it swept over him.

At last Buffy calmed down and was able to sit up again. Her face all flushed and sweaty she glared down at her mate. “You are *so* going to suffer for that... you cheated!”

“But you loved it anyway… didn’t you Buffy darlin’?” He smirked up at her, and then as she was playfully raising her fist to thump him on the chest he held her tight and rolled them over again. “Haven’t done with you yet love,” he growled, and grabbed her hands and pressed them into the carpet either side of her head. As he began moving steadily inside her his head kept banging into something above him. In irritation he transferred his grip to trap both Buffy’s hands above her head with one of his own, and reached the other up to shove the offending object out of the way. Now completely oblivious to anything apart from each other, they both ignored the resulting loud crash.

Spike took a deep breath. Recognising the signs and guessing what he was about to ask her Buffy whispered in his ear, “Very slow please…”

“No time for slow darlin’,” he panted. “Nearly sundown.”

“Already?” She asked in disbelief. Then she giggled, “Okay baby… really fast then!” She easily tugged her wrists from his firm grasp and as she wrapped her legs around his hips and locked them together at the ankles she gently stroked his forehead. “My demon please,” she whispered, “he likes fast.”

“Oh yeah...” Spike growled softly, and the bones in his face shifted as he allowed his demon to rise to the surface. Immediately his movements became stronger and more urgent.

“My... beautiful... demon...” Buffy grunted as Spike began to pound into her, “*Harder* baby!” She raised her face to his to search for his mouth. Her tongue found the tip of a fang and he tasted the power of Slayer blood.

“My Slayer...” Spike snarled as he bent to brutalise her mouth. His tongue rasped across her bruised lips and lapped at the drops of blood spilled by his fangs and he surged faster and faster into her burning heat. Something hard fell onto his back and he bellowed in fury as he flung it away, and then as Buffy strained up against him raking her nails down his flanks to dig into his hips he bucked and roared, “my *mate*!”

Instinctively Spike channelled all his love and passion and pure animal lust for her into the mating bond as his orgasm approached, and Buffy automatically responded by completely opening herself to him in turn, screaming incoherently as she was overcome by surging pulses of rapture. Spike roared again and again as he succumbed to the overload of stimulation and allowed his climax to explode into his mate, finally collapsing onto her heaving chest.

“Oh God…” Buffy gasped, rolling his limp frame slightly to one side so she could draw desperately needed air into her straining lungs. “Spike... my Spike...” Her shaking hands tenderly caressed his face as it shifted very slowly back to his human features as he relaxed, his shining yellow eyes fading back to the deepest blue as he gazed back at her. “Love you...”

Spike froze. “Buffy darlin’?” he breathed, desperate hope warring with disbelief inside him. “Did you just say?”

Now it was Buffy’s turn to freeze. “Oh God... I did didn’t I?” She gave a slightly hysterical little laugh and buried her face in the hollow of his neck.

“Can you say it again for me Buffy darlin’?” Spike begged quietly, holding her sweaty quivering body very close. “Please? Need to know I didn’t imagine it.” The silence stretched out as Buffy continued to hide her face and Spike began to despair. Eventually he sighed and began to edge away from her. “S’okay love,” he said sadly, his eyes filling with unshed tears. “I won’t hold you to it...”

“Spike...” She whispered as she reached a hand out to clamp around his arm and stop him moving any further from her. Very deliberately she said, “You *have* to hold me to it.” She took a slow deep breath. “Give me a minute... trying here...”

A single sob broke out of Spike as he wrapped his arms around her once more and crushed her to him. “Take your time sweetheart.”

“Feel it in the bond?” Buffy pleaded after another long pause. “Words are so hard.”

Spike rolled onto his back bringing Buffy over to lie on top of him and brushed the hair out of her face to kiss the moisture from her cheeks. “Show me then darlin’,” he whispered.

“Feel me...” She breathed, and as she closed her eyes to concentrate she lowered her bruised lips to his.

Tentatively a wash of warm affection flowed down the link between them and Spike began to smile into the kiss. The flow slowly strengthened and deepened in stages as Buffy added her certainty in his love for her, which allowed her at last to admit to her own feelings without fear of rejection.

Spike was about to tell her he understood her reservations, when a very quiet voice broke the silence, and simultaneously a flood of deep love for him burst through the bond.

“I love you Spike. I really do.” She sounded so surprised he nearly laughed out loud.

Spike found he couldn’t form a coherent thought. Instead he sent a silent demonstration of his happiness back to his mate through the bond. He breathed, “Thank you Buffy.”

They lay wrapped together in contented silence for several minutes until Spike felt her shiver. “Sun’s been down a while Buffy, you’re getting cold.”

“Oh!” She exclaimed, “Sundown... Dawn!” Then in sudden panic, “Giles! Dinner!”

“Time to get moving then darlin’.” Spike kissed her once more and clambered to his feet, his knees rather weak and wobbly. “I’ll put the light on so you can see what you’re doing.”

“But I *can* see...” She replied. “It’s not dark yet.” She looked around her, puzzled. “Um… Spike? Where’s the bed?”

Crossing to the doorway Spike stubbed his toe on something very hard, “*Ow*! Bugger!” When he switched the light on he blinked a couple of times, then dissolved into helpless laughter. When he had recovered enough to speak he told her, “Well, seems you can see better in the dark than I can now Slayer, so it’s one up for you in the Mating Bond supernatural abilities exchange, but we seem to have demolished your bedroom.”

Buffy got up and joined him by the door, slipping her arm around his waist and giggling as she looked around at the debris. “Well, I *did* tell you I was thinking about redecorating... and Spike? It’s not my bedroom, it’s *our* bedroom.”

Spike squeezed her happily, then decided, “we’ll *have* to bring the four poster over now darlin’, looks like we’ve killed this bed.” The bed frame was a mess of twisted metal in the corner of the room and the mattress leaned lopsidedly against the dresser, which tilted at an impossible angle after shedding everything that had been resting upon it.

Buffy bent and picked up her clock radio that had toppled off the side table and found that by some miracle it was still working. “It’s after six! I said dinner would be at eight. Spike, you’ve got to dash and get Dawn then we have to come up with some dinner for everyone. What cooks quickly?” She looked around again. “We’ll have to leave this mess for later.”

Spike started rummaging for his clothes. “How many am I cooking for?”

Buffy counted on her fingers. Well there’s us, Dawn, Willow, probably Tara as well, and Giles. I don’t know about Xander and Anya, I’ve invited both of them but things were very tense between them so I don’t know if either or both of them will turn up.”

“Pasta.” Spike said decisively looking up at her as he pulled on his jeans, “I’ll do my special sauce that I picked up in Rome in the fifties, I can make a lot and it won’t matter if some gets left over, it can be frozen. The pasta itself only takes a few minutes so we can cook the right amount for however many turn up. I’ll check we’ve got all the right stuff before I go for the Bit, and I’ll pick up anything that’s missing on the way back with her. Once the sauce is simmering I can have a shower and we’ll have some time to breathe.”

“I’ll get showered and dressed now,” Buffy calculated thoughtfully, “Then I can begin sorting out the stuff I bought into piles for each of us and put each pile in the right room so it’s all out of the way from downstairs. Then I can tidy up and lay the table ready for when everyone arrives.” She frowned as she looked around again, “I think I’ll keep this door closed though…”

Once he was fully dressed Spike headed straight for the door, then stopped in his tracks and turned back to Buffy who was still standing there naked in the middle of the trashed room, dithering. He gently folded her into his arms and kissed her. “Love you darlin’, love you so bloody much, you’ve made me so happy… you’ve invited everyone over to celebrate your allowance, now I’ve got reason to celebrate too.”

As he released her Buffy shyly asked, “Can I call you darling too? None of the other words seem to fit you.”

Looking back from his position half way out of the door Spike smiled, “I’d be honoured Buffy.” And blowing her a kiss he turned and ran down the stairs and round into the kitchen.

Quickly he opened the fridge and assorted kitchen cupboards taking note of which of the ingredients he would need were already there, then he turned and dashed for the door, snatching his coat from its hook and shrugging it on. After opening the door he paused, then turned back into the living room. He reached for the light and stopped dead. The floor was covered with shopping bags and boxes. “No wonder she said she needed time to get sorted out!” He muttered, as he carefully crossed the room to the pile of weapons in the corner. He selected his favourite double-edged axe and went to return to the door. Seeing his chest reminded him of something else he had intended to do, and he bent to manipulate the locks.

Listening to check that Buffy was still upstairs, and feeling reassured by the sound of the shower, Spike lifted the lid and felt around inside it for a tiny catch. He vamped out briefly and inserted an elongated fingernail into a hair fine groove. A slim secret compartment shot out. Spike slipped out four faded burgundy velvet boxes of various sizes, and checked that the smallest one contained the item he remembered. He smiled sadly, then after touching it fondly with one finger he tucked it into his pocket. He replaced the other three boxes, and snapped the secret compartment back into place before closing and relocking his chest.

He took the old football helmet from its place under the hall table and was just closing the front door behind him when he heard Buffy calling him from the top of the stairs. “Don’t forget your keys!”

Puzzled, Spike felt in his coat pocket and found his bunch of keys. He stepped back to the bottom of the stairs and held them up to show her, “I’ve got them love.”

“Not *those* keys, *these* keys.” She explained, smiling down at him from the landing where she stood with one towel wrapped around her head like a turban and another knotted around her body. She tossed a bunch of keys down to him.

Spike examined them. There were four keys attached to a key ring in the shape of silver skull with two shiny red crystals for eyes. “These aren’t my keys darlin’.”

“Yes they are silly, this is your home now so you get to have keys to the front door, the back door, the garage and the car.” She laughed at his astounded expression. “Go on then!” She made shooing motions. “Hurry up, go get Dawn!”

Sitting astride his motorcycle after he’d clipped the axe into its new home Spike paused for a few seconds to consider the events of the past few days. “It’s all going far too well,” he mused, “I’m never allowed to be this happy. Something bad is bound to happen soon to cock it all up.” Shrugging as he decided to make the most of the incredible transformation in his unlife while he could, he started the motor and sped off towards Lisa’s house, totally ignoring the speed limit. Well she *had* told him to hurry...

Spike braked the bike into a screeching U turn outside Lisa’s house prepared for a quick getaway. Of course just because he was in a hurry Dawn was in the mood to dawdle, despite the fact that he was nearly an hour late. Lisa came strolling down the path with her, and the two teenagers wouldn’t stop nattering aimlessly about some essay they were working on. “Come on Niblet,” he urged, tossing her the helmet as soon as she was close enough to catch it. “Got places to be, things to do.”

“Oooh cool axe!” Dawn cried when she spotted the addition to the bike. She rolled her eyes when Spike frowned and pointedly revved up the bike. “Impatient much?” She complained, and took her time getting her backpack onto her shoulders and pulling the helmet onto her head. As she took her seat behind him and gripped him around the waist she turned to call, “See you tomorrow!” to her friend, but her words were lost in the roar of the engine as Spike accelerated away.

Dawn continued to complain sulkily as she dragged around the supermarket after him. Spike almost ran up and down the aisles as he selected some big fat onions, a couple of garlics, a huge bag of tomatoes, a small bottle of a very expensive extra virgin olive oil, four bottles of red wine, a few big bars of dark Belgian chocolate, half a dozen large oranges and a variety of bunches of fresh herbs. Before going to the checkout he collected a couple of pounds of prime mince from the butcher’s counter, where some confusion arose because he hadn’t been aware that in America mince was called ground beef.

It was only when they returned to the bike carrying three heavy bags, that Spike realised that it was possible he had chosen the wrong mode of transport for the task at hand. In an attempt to stop Dawn’s irritating whining Spike took a chance and showed her what he was contemplating giving Buffy as a Valentine’s day gift. “Do you think she’ll like it?” He asked nervously.

Dawn moved under a streetlight to get a better view of it. “Gold is good,” Was her first comment. “There has never been a girl born who doesn’t like receiving a gold ring. What are these big round red tones?” She asked next, “They look too dark to be rubies.”

“They’re garnets Niblet, a garnet is a sign of fidelity and it’s supposed to aid healing. They reckon it’s the birthstone for January, so that would be right too.”

“It looks very old.” Was her next comment. She then looked up at him with a worried expression. “You didn’t steal it did you? ‘Cos that would not be of the good. Buffy would really wig if you gave her stolen goods!”

“Not stolen Bit, inherited all legal like. It belonged to my grandmother, then my mother.”

Dawn made a whistling noise, “Family heirloom then.” She smiled at him. “That’s way cool!”

“It’s not too much is it?” He had sudden doubts, it had after all been his grandmother’s engagement ring.

“The way Anya explained it, this Vampire Mating Bond is one of those lifetime commitment things, that’s like marriage isn’t it? It seems to me that Buffy *should* have a ring to show for it. I think it’s a wonderful idea Spike, and I know she’ll love it.”

Dawn handed the ring back and Spike tucked it back into its little box and stowed it away. “I’m trusting you to keep the secret, Bit.” He warned her, “I’ll eat you if you tell her!” He felt a bit offended when she laughed at him.

They were just getting settled awkwardly on the bike with Dawn clutching one grocery bag on each hip while Spike balanced the one containing the wine in front of him, when they heard the first scream. “Spike?” Dawn whispered nervously.

Spike was torn. His first instinct was to get Dawn away from there as soon as he could, screams were not good news. On the other hand if he just left, whatever prompted the scream would very likely continue being a nuisance and either he or the Slayer would have to deal with it later, very likely after there had been casualties he could have prevented. He sighed and dismounted, placing the shopping bag carefully on the ground. “Stay right here Niblet, and if something nasty appears scream like hell and I’ll come running.”

After ensuring that Dawn had understood his instructions, Spike trotted off towards the source of the screams that continued to rend the air as they got closer. He turned into a blind alley and was confronted by a tall greyish muscular demon menacing a couple of teenage girls. It had a massive head and a huge gaping mouth full of nasty looking teeth. He leaped straight onto its back, gripping it tightly around the neck as he yelled at the girls, “*Run* you daft chits!” As the girls disappeared around the corner into the open street Spike’s grip began to slip, and he slid half way around the demon’s neck, one arm getting uncomfortably close to that fearsome mouth.

The demon howled and reached up and grabbed at Spike’s arm, tugging him even further off balance, and abruptly Spike found himself crashing onto the road with the demon standing over him. Angered by what he saw as his humiliation Spike vamped out and leapt up to charge at the demon as it turned to escape. He just managed to jump high enough to catch a foot and clamp his fangs into a muscular calf as it tried to leap over the high fence that formed the blind end of the alley.

Demon and vampire crashed back to the ground together in a tangle of limbs. Spike lost his purchase when the demon’s claws raked across his chest and it clambered to its feet leaving a large chunk of its leg lodged in his mouth. The demon didn’t try to leap again; it limped to one side of the alley screeching as it tried to manoeuvre past the vampire.

Spitting out demon flesh and blood in disgust, Spike rolled to intercept the wounded creature. He felt someone or something approach from behind him, and was about to shift his attention from the demon in front of him to see whether it was another threat, when he heard, “*Catch* Spike!” He heard something whirring through the air towards him, and taking his eye from the demon for a fraction of a second he saw his axe spinning towards him. He caught the handle neatly and swinging it with both fists he used its momentum to propel him two long paces forward and leapt to bury it deep into the creature’s neck, almost severing its head in a single blow.

The demon collapsed in an unmoving heap, and Spike leaned against the wall and bent to gasp for unneeded breath. “Niblet,” he snarled. “What did I tell you to do?”

“I know... I know...” Dawn admitted nervously, “But what’s the point of bringing your axe out if you forget to take it with you when you need it?” She jigged about excitedly as she added cheekily, “Go on, admit it, I *so* saved your ass then!”

“Not admitting anything of the kind.” Spike protested sulkily. “I’d have taken it in another minute, no problem.” He tugged his axe free, swung it over his head and chopped down hard to finish separating the demon’s head from its body. “There.” He sighed, “Not many nasties will come back when you take their heads right off.” He examined the body carefully. “I’ve never seen one of these things this far north before, last time I ran across them was in the jungle in Brazil, they always run in packs. I wonder what this one was doing here in desert country, alone at that?” He shrugged. “Oh well, since you’re so anxious to help you can give me a hand here Dawnie.” He began manhandling the two sections of carcass into one of the dumpsters lining the alley which he belatedly realised was very familiar, it was the one that ran behind the Doublemeat Palace.

They returned to the bike to find the shopping bags miraculously still sitting intact on the kerb. When Spike had tucked the axe back in its clips and they’d taken their precarious positions again Spike drove carefully back to Revello Drive, uncomfortably aware that Dawn wasn’t able to hold on to him very securely.

Spike proudly used his own keys to unlock the front door, and they carried the shopping into the kitchen. After she’d dumped her burden on the counter Dawn retreated upstairs claiming the excuse of an essay to be completed for the morning to avoid having to help. “Could you look over it later for me Spike? I’m so not Shakespeare gal. Hamlet is such a dork, I just don’t get what his problem is!”

After agreeing to check it if he had time later, Spike began to get organised. First he removed his duster and boots and laid them outside on the back deck with the axe, they were smeared with very pungent demon blood that he didn’t have time to clean off now. Upon coming back into the kitchen he paused to listen when Dawn began squealing in delight, she had found the things Buffy had bought for her. Then as he worked he could hear the excited chatter as the two sisters discussed their new affluence and Buffy’s purchases.

Smiling, he stripped off the blood smeared t-shirt that had been shredded by the demon’s claws, rolled it up and shoved it into the bin. Examining his chest he decided the four long scratches didn’t need special attention, and unpacked the shopping bags.

He thoroughly washed his hands and began his preparation. A few minutes later the beef, finely chopped onions and crushed garlic were browning in fragrant olive oil as he skinned and chopped the tomatoes.

After adding the tomatoes and half a bottle of red wine to the pan he left it to come up to the boil as he melted the dark chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water. He sipped some of the wine from a glass to wash away the last of the taste of demon blood as he grated the zest off some oranges and squeezed the juice from them, then began whisking a large bowl full of egg whites, his hand moving in a blur.

Twenty minutes later dessert was chilling in the fridge and the huge pan of sauce was simmering happily away, just needing to have freshly chopped herbs added and a final check made on its seasoning when the pasta went on. Spike usually liked to clean up as he worked, but with time so tight he had ended up with a pile of used utensils stacked by the sink. As he turned to check that Buffy had indeed prepared the living room and dining room for the evening, he decided he would leave someone else to deal with that chore as he’d done both the shopping and the cooking.

He was half way up the stairs with his glass of wine as he undid his belt and the top two buttons of his jeans in preparation for getting into the shower when there was a loud knocking at the front door. Grumbling under his breath he turned to go back down to answer it. “Seems as if some people can’t tell the difference between half past seven and eight o’clock. I suppose Harris hasn’t eaten for twenty minutes and thinks he’s starving to death, so he wants to get stuck in early.”

Expecting to welcome Giles or one of the Scoobies, Spike opened the door wide complaining, “You’re earl...” and was stunned to come face to face with a tall figure dressed all in black. A figure he had sincerely hoped he would never see again.

***************************************************************


TBC