Spike's Return

Disclaimer: OK, yet again let me say I don't own any characters in this or any other story I may write. Although I would love to own Spike if Joss wants to get rid of him, hehehehehehehe.

Story so far: Spike has returned to Buffy with his Soul, has already been through the guilt process and had re-affirmed his bond with his Sire Angel.

Enjoy! and please review!
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"Tonight? But…. Sunset is less than four hours away. Are you sure?" Buffy shot questions at Giles, and he patiently waited for her to stop rambling before telling them everything.

"It’s tonight! Every three thousand years there is a window that opens to a demon dimension to allow all Baccah demons to come to Earth for twelve hours to feed, ravage and rape human women to be used as host bodies for their offspring. All those women who don’t conceive, for whatever reason, that they touch are killed, they have no age limits either. If, however, the demons are forced back through the portal before it closes, they will have to return and not come back for another three thousand years. The problem is that, as usual, they never want to go back and then…… hell on Earth." Giles paused briefly to make sure everyone was taking this in, and noting Xander and Willow’s open mouthed stares, he gathered they were and continued.

"The only way to stop this loop continuing is to magically close the close the portal before the twelve hours is up and to kill whatever manages to come out before they can harm anyone. Oh and I should probably mention they are nine feet tall, three foot wide and hairy. They are difficult to kill, so we will need to research fast, the last time they came to Earth a count of over four thousand walked the planet, so time is of the essence." Giles watched the faces of the people he had begun to think of as family and read the reactions carefully, waiting for acceptance until he added "There’s one more thing, Dawn is again the key to stopping them, but…."

Before he could finish Buffy and Dawn had jumped off their seats and clung to each other like frightened children. For a few minutes there was an uncomfortable charged silence. Then with a look of love conveyed between Buffy and Spike and the Slayer was back.

She stood in front of Giles, fists clenched by her side, every muscle visibly tensed, in full battle stance and said "I don’t want to die again Giles, and neither does she, but if it’s between us I’ll do it again, and you get her away okay?" Buffy felt the emotions pouring off of Spike, he was switching between being very pissed off, scared for his family, proud of Buffy and pissed off again.

Spike moved to stand between his mate and his lil’ bit, and put a protective arm around both, feeling Buffy and Dawn almost immediately relax into him as he purred gently.

"Buffy….. Let me finish! Dawn’s blood isn’t the key, her energy is.! Neither you or her need to die to close the portal. We just need to find a magical way to channel her energy as the key to close it, it will be painless and NOONE IS GOING TO DIE!" he mad the last bit sound like an order and everyone smiled shakily and relaxed slightly.

"So what’s the plan, G-Man?" Xander piped up, trying as usual to lighten the situation.

"Right, we’re going to need Angel for a start and….." Giles called out a list of magical items and Anya and Dawn dutifully fetched them from the shelves. Luckily, Anya had added some more…. Interesting items to the shops stock, and they had everything they needed in minutes.

"Xander, you and Anya take Dawn and find out all you can about how to kill these things, I’ve laid out all I have on Demons from this dimension on our table, also books on portals, and magical closings of them. Please hurry, we only have two hours."

Dawn couldn’t help but be pleased to be included in the research, despite the circumstances.

"Spike, find Angel. Brief him and get him here quick as you can, I don’t care how. Buffy, you’re on weapons with me. I’ve got some new items I’ve been saving just for a special occasion like this!"

Everyone went to their given tasks and two hours later they had a much better idea of what they were facing.

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Spike returned with Angel, who immediately joined the research team to offer his help and Spike followed the scent of his mate.

As he walked into the training room, he overheard another of the watcher’s lectures.
"……. but how can you trust him? What about when you’re fighting? How do you know he’ll watch your back?"

Just as he finished he saw a glint of something moving fast towards the back of the Slayers head. It was only when she shot her arm up and grabbed the hilt of the sword that Giles realised what Spike had thrown. Buffy smiled, twirling the sword easily in her hand as she turned to face her mate.

"Thanks honey, I was looking for that!" Buffy tried not to laugh at the shocked look on Giles’ face, he obviously didn’t know what to do, she hadn’t even turned her hed to grab the sword.

"Don’t worry Rupert, I always watch her back, count on it!" he smirked, his head cocked to the side, never blinking as he slowly ran his eyes over his mate, making her shiver.

"Could we have some focus please? Why don’t you both warm up while I sharpen the swords next door." Giles had barely left the room when Buffy dropped the sword and leapt on Spike, taking him by surprise, landing them both on the floor with him on his back and her on top. A position that didn’t exactly upset Spike.

Her kisses were frantic, filled with passion and tainted with fear. But, not fear for herself, for him. He could feel her worst nightmare, she thought she was going to lose him tonight.

"Never Pet!" He said flipping them over and rained kisses over her face and neck. Then he picked her up and took her outside, climbed the fire escape and jumped with her onto the roof.

"See those stars? They exist whether we look up at them or not, just like if we can’t see each other all the time our love won’t fade. But I will make you this vow beneath them, nothing on this earth is going to take you from me, EVER!" Spike said, a slight growl echoing around them.

He lay his coat out and sat on it, pulling her onto his lap kissing her slowly and deeply.