Chapter Summary: Joyce has gone in for her surgery. Giles, Dawn, Spike and Buffy are waiting as patiently as possible for her to get out. Dawn, Buffy and Spike became even more like a family before they left for the hospital and Giles declared his love to Joyce before the other three got there. Joyce now knows that Dawn is not her daughter, and important, but not exactly that she is "the key".

***Warning: This chapter is a definite NC-17. It includes graphic descriptions of sex between a male and a female. There is also a little bit of biting and blood play in this one.***

Dawn, Buffy, Spike and Giles sat in the surgical waiting room at Sunndydale General. The hours ticked by with still no word from the doctor, nurses, or any of the surgical staff. Buffy's hands twisted into little fists in her lap and then relaxed once more.

"It's 10 minutes past the last time you asked me that question, Dawn." Giles tried to hide the irritation from his voice, but he failed. He knew that he shouldn't be hard on Dawn, but his nerves were shot. He was as worried about Joyce as the rest of them were.

Dawn hung her head. "Sorry, Giles. It just seemed like a lot longer had passed."

Giles turned to his other surrogate daughter and half smiled. "It's okay, Dawn. I didn't mean to snap at you." He removed his watch. He wrapped it onto Dawn's wrist. "There you go. You're all set now."

"They're taking forever. Shouldn't we have heard something by now?" Buffy gazed at Spike worriedly.

Spike patted Buffy's arm. "No news is good news, luv." He looked up at the clock. "If they came out right away, that could mean they weren't able to do anything." He rubbed his thumb over the top of Buffy's clenched hands. "The brain is a complex part of the body. Don't want to rush."

The whole group sat for another half hour before even Giles grew too restless to sit still. "I need to walk a bit. Would anyone like anything from the cafeteria?"

Dawn and Buffy put in requests for something to drink. Neither of them figured that they could eat anything until they knew more about their mom.

Spike stood up. "I think I'll join you, Watcher. If that is all right?" He smiled reassuringly at Buffy's curious look. He leaned down to whisper something to her. "I'd like to talk to him a little, okay?"

Buffy nodded. "Be careful, Spike." She squeezed Spike's hand. She picked up a nearby Cosmo magazine and tried to get into reading it.

Spike and Giles walked side by side down the long stretch of hall to the cafeteria. "You know you can't smoke in here, Spike." Giles spoke blandly, hating the silence between the two.

"I didn't join you so that could have a smoke, Watcher." Spike half chuckled. "I actually wanted to talk to you about a few things."

"Oh really?" Giles adjusted his glasses. 'What would he want to talk to me about? Maybe it is because he knows I don't trust him. Is he going to threaten me about Buffy?'

"Yeah." Spike shoved his hands in his duster pockets. "I know that you might find this hard to believe, given your experience with Peaches, but I wanted to tell you that I do love Buffy."

"I know what you're thinking, Watcher." Spike sighed. He'd seen the look on Giles' face as soon as he said the word love. "Vampires can love just as well as any human can. I loved and took care of Dru for over a century."

Giles nodded. He couldn't refute that statement. Drusilla had been quite the crazy Vampiress, but Spike remained by her side during all of that. He'd even seen evidence of what could be construed as loving actions between the vampires. Though he suspected the feelings were more on Spike's end than Drusilla's.

Spike stopped outside of the cafeteria. He turned to face Giles. "Buffy is a woman unlike any I've ever met over the centuries. She's amazing in her capacity to love." His eyes glossed over in pride, desire and love at the thought of her skills. "And she's the best Slayer I've ever seen. Certainly the best I've ever fought."

Giles nodded along with Spike's compliments. He visibly cringed when reminded of the Slayer's that Spike had fought and knew that he had killed. "Yes, well the chip keeps you from taking her down like the others." The underlying anger and concern for his surrogate daughter was apparent.

"Look, I know that I can not undo my actions of the past, but I wanted you to know that I did hear you that day after I helped you as a Fyarl demon." Spike sighed. "It didn't look like I was listening, but I was."

Giles looked at Spike amazed. He was sure that the vampire had just ignored him during his little speech about the chip giving him a chance to switch sides and be good.

"You may not believe it, but I never lost all my humanity." Spike groaned. 'Why are you telling the Watcher about that you pillock?' The inner demon argued. 'He's going to use that to his advantage.' He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "When the Judge was here, he accused me of reeking with humanity. I didn't think much of it until Angelus came in and the Judge said that there was not even a spark of humanity in him."

"Fascinating." Giles removed his glasses and cleaned them with the ever present cloth from his pocket. "I never knew that."

"Well I wasn't going to go around advertising that fact, now was I?" Spike huffed. "This bloody chip hasn't helped me in the vampire way either." He leaned back against the wall outside of the cafeteria. "Still a demon. No doubt of that, but it seems that there are two parts of me now that do battle. They're trying to find a commonplace where they both can live."

Giles ached to have his notebook with him. He wanted to take some serious notes about this conversation. Why was Spike telling him all of this though?

"I'm sure you don't believe me, but I had to tell you." Spike held his gaze even with the Watcher's. "I will not hurt, Buffy. I won't leave like the Poofter or Captain Cardboard when Buffy isn't who they want her to be." He inhaled deeply. "I love her just as she is, and what I know she will be."

"How can you be so sure of that Spike?" Giles was surprised he even got the words out. The vampire before him dumbfounded him.

"I can't explain it, Rupert." Spike spoke honestly and from the heart. His usual swagger and rough British accent gave way to the more refined one of his birth. "I only know the draw that I feel for her. The desire I have to be a better man and the man that she deserves. I can only hope that someday I will be enough for her."

"I must admit you have quite astounded me, Spike." Giles returned his glasses to his face. "What you are saying to me is unprecedented and certainly unproven given the experiences we have had with soulful and soulless demons."

Spike hung his head down. He needed the Watcher not to fight Buffy and him about their relationship. Buffy had so much to deal with already. He needed the Watcher's support, or at the very least he needed his trust. "All I'm asking is that you give me a chance to prove myself, Rupert. I would give my life for her and the Nibblet, and I love them both. Heck I seem to have a weakness when it comes to the Summers' women. I love them all." He half laughed.

"What you ask is not an easy thing to do. You have tried to kill us many times." Giles considered every word that Spike said.

"Yeah, I know." Spike sighed. "I only tried to break you guys up during the Adam incident because I was trying to prove to myself that I could still be the Big Bad. Red's spell made me realize some things, and I didn't want them to be true. Figured if I helped Adam, I'd prove that I wasn't a Scooby."

"You nearly got us all killed, Spike, but you did help us with him in the end." Giles pondered what to say a few moments more before he continued. "I'll tentatively trust you Spike, but you are going to have to continue to earn it and prove yourself worthy of my trust. I won't fight this for now, for Buffy's sake, but if you cross us ... I promise you that you will not survive your next "slip up". Are we clear?"

Spike admired the bit of Ripper that flashed in Giles' eyes. He knew that the Watcher loved Buffy like a daughter, and he was acting like he would protect her as one too. "That's all I can ask for, Watcher. I think you will find that we have a lot more common interests than you would believe."

"Common interests with William the Bloody? A ruffian from human days and evil vampire beyond that?" Giles scoffed.

Spike laughed. "That's where your bloody council of wankers is wrong, mate." He couldn't stop the laughter from bubbling forth harder. "They have no idea what my human days were like. They are so far off as to why I was William the Bloody, that it is bloody hilarious. Maybe one day I'll tell you about it."

Giles' eyes widened. He'd never seen Spike laugh and definitely not that hard. "I will look forward to it. If you would give me the pleasure of documenting it."

"Only if it doesn't end up in that Council of yours' hands, mate. It's their stupidity." Spike may be trying to work things out with the Scoobies, but he was not going to be some pet project of the council of wankers.

"Agreed. I'm sure it will be an interesting chat." With that Giles walked into the cafeteria to get the drinks for the girls. Spike followed close behind.

Dawn watched Giles and Spike walk away. She moved over to sit next to Buffy. "What do you suppose is going on with those two?" She pointed to the retreating pair.

Buffy shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure, but Spike said that he wanted to talk to Giles about something."

"No, not really." Buffy looked up from her magazine. "Giles seemed much better around Spike when we were in Mom's room this time. Maybe he's getting used to the idea."

Dawn stretched to look down the hallway to see if she could still see the two. "I hope Giles doesn't push him away. I like Spike being around."

Buffy refused to voice her concerns about the same thing. "Spike won't leave just because of Giles. He cares too much about us."

Buffy gasped. "Love him?" She put the magazine back down on the table. "How would you know that I love him?"

Dawn rolled her eyes. "It's written all over your face every time you look at him silly." She playfully jabbed Buffy's arm. "But guys still want to hear it especially Spike. He seems like someone that needs to hear it."

Buffy sighed. She hoped that she'd told Spike enough about how she cared for him to believe that she loved him too. "It is so hard for me to say. You know that."

"Has he told you that he loves you?" Dawn hugged the little fanged teddy bear in her lap. "Cause you know he does."

"He hasn't said the words yet, but I thought he was going to say them a couple times." Buffy thought back to some of their conversations over the last few days. "I know he wanted to say something after he cleaned our wounds." She shivered in pleasure at the memory.

Dawn cooed. "Oh yeah. She looked down at her hand. Only a small red line remained of the cut from the night before. "You are so lucky. If he wasn't so gone over you, I'd be throwing myself at his feet."

"Well ... um ... Yeah." There was no way that she could get out of answering this question. Of course Buffy realized how sexy Spike looked. The glimpses of his chest the night before made her nipple taunt and tingly, wishing they could rub up against him. "But he's way too old for you."

"I don't really know, but it is." Buffy slouched in the chair. She was oh so not with the witty comments today.

Xander stepped out of the elevator onto the floor they'd been directed to. They searched the first waiting area for Buffy, Dawn and Giles. When they didn't find them there they headed to the second waiting room.

"Hey, Buffster." Xander walked over to wrap both Summers' girls in a hug. "I got the message about the surgery as soon as I got off work. Came as quick as I could."

"Thanks, Xander." Buffy hugged him tightly. Xander may act like an idiot sometimes, but he was still one of her best friends. She hoped that she could get Xander to accept Spike in her life somehow.

"Nothing yet. It's already been 6 hours." Buffy sighed heavily. "I'm starting to get worried."

Xander looked back and forth around the area. "Where's the G-Man? I figured he'd be here for sure."

"Oh he is." Dawn piped in. "He and Spike went to get us something to drink. I think they needed to stretch their legs a bit."

Buffy leaned forward and slapped her head in her hands. She did not need this crap right now. She would fight Xander tooth and nail on this, but she didn't have the strength to do it right now. Instead she started to cry.

Dawn stepped right up when she saw her sister's distress. She slapped Xander's arm. "You leave him alone. Spike took care of us last night, and he's here today. We all want him here. So you'd better not start anything or ... or I'll let him eat you."

"That's not even close to a threat. The Bleached Wonder can't hurt a fly." Xander protested. He pointed at Buffy. "Even the mention of him and Buffy starts to cry. How can that be good?"

Buffy jerked up. She glared at Xander. "Spike didn't make me cry, Xander. You did." She spat out at him. "You just can't leave it alone. I need him here." She cried more loudly, putting her head back in her hands.

Giles and Spike talked amicably as they headed back from the cafeteria. They spoke of the different places that they'd lived in England. They even talked about recent Scooby business and news of the Magic Box. Everything seemed to be going well for them until they neared the waiting room again.

Spike was the first to pick up on the sobs coming from Buffy. His vampiric hearing alerted him to her pain, and he took off in a run barely keeping from spilling the drinks he held in his hand. He burst into the waiting area and slid down in front of Buffy. He feared that bad news about Joyce had come while they were gone. "What is it, Buffy? What's wrong?"

Xander tried to comfort Buffy but Spike turned to him and growled. Instinctively he backed off from the game faced vampire. It didn't hit him that this was a chipped vampire. His face was still scary enough to make him nearly pee his pants.

"Spike?" Buffy raised her head from her hands. She wrapped her arms tightly around Spike's neck, and she buried her face in his shoulder.

Giles finally caught up with Spike in the waiting room. He looked between all four of the people there trying to figure out what had happened. "Oh dear Lord. What's going on?"

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Xander came in and got all demon bad on Buffy and made her cry." She rubbed Buffy's back to try and help calm her down.

"What were you thinking, Man?" Giles chastised. He may not totally trust Spike, but he knew well enough when to let things alone. Buffy was under a lot of pressure right now, and she didn't need one of Xander's tirades.

"Me?" Xander was shocked by everyone's reactions. "Since when did I become the bad guy and not him?"

Giles set down the cups he was carrying and the packages of snacks. "Buffy doesn't need any more to deal with right now."

Spike turned to Xander and snarled. "She told you in the park to give it up, whelp." He pulled Buffy to stand up, sat down again, and pulled her onto his lap. He hugged her close to him. "She told you we were together. So, why wouldn't I be here?"

"Maybe because you are a soulless demon that can't care for anyone but himself?" Xander spat back at Spike. He didn't' care how many times Spike helped them out. He was still a soulless and heartless creature to him.

"He obviously cares more about Buffy's feelings than you do right now, Xander." Dawn threw angrily at Xander. "Spike isn't making Buffy cry. You are."

Buffy, who had been silent again until now, spoke up. "Xander, leave. Just go away."

Giles, Dawn, Spike and Xander all stared at Buffy in shock. Spike never expected Buffy to push one of the Scoobies away from her so that he could be there. Dawn knew that Xander had been Buffy's friend forever, but she was pretty peeved at him. Giles felt torn between backing Buffy and backing Xander. He felt that it would be best to eliminate any more disturbances. Tensions were already running high enough.

"Buffy, you can't mean that." Xander's heart ached for his friend. 'This is a spell. It has to be. He has her in some sort of thrall like Dracula did.'

"Yes, Xander." Buffy evened her gaze directly at Xander. "If you can't be here and treat Spike with respect, then I don't want you here." She looked up into Spike's eyes, letting her love for him show in her eyes. "He's my boyfriend now, and he's family to Dawn and Mom. He's won't be leaving any time soon." She looked back over to Xander. "You can either accept that or leave."

Xander stood up, fists clenched. He was furious. How dare she put Dead Boy Jr. up there with her family over him? It was ridiculous. He was going to find out what the hell was going on. "Fine, but I'm going to find out what's happening here." He poked Spike in the upper arm. "I know you've done something to her, and I'm going to stop you."

Spike wanted to stand up and force his fist through Xander's face. Buffy put her arm on Spike's chest. He looked at her, and she shook her head. He sighed. He stayed sitting for Buffy's sake. "Whatever, Whelp. I haven't done anything but love her. No spell can truly create that."

"Willow's did. You were both all over each other like dogs in heat." Xander huffed. "I'm sure this is a spell. It has to be."

Spike rolled his eyes. "Red's spell said that we were supposed to get married. She didn't say anything about loving each other." He shared the thoughts that had gone through his mind over and over since the day of that Willow's "thy will be done" spell. "I've thought about it a lot. Many marriages, especially in my human days, had nothing to do with love and all about arrangements."

Buffy looked at Spike in awe. He was making a lot of sense, and he wasn't even using his fists to make his argument. 'I do love him so much. He will protect me with all that he is.'

"Anything else we did other than the actual engagement was all us." Spike drove his point home. "We might not have realized it at the time, but we've always been attracted to each other. So, get over yourself, whelp. She's mine, and I am hers."

If Angel or Riley had made such a declaration she was sure that she would have fought it. Spike saying that she was his didn't bother her as much as she thought it would. She actually felt warm and loved by his statement. She did belong to him, and he'd admitted that he belonged to her too. They were equal.

"I'm not going anywhere." Spike finished. "I will never leave her. So, get used to it." He picked Buffy up, set her on the ground, and wrapped his arm around her waist. "I'm taking Buffy for a walk. Be gone when we get back or know your place. Because if you start up again when I get back I'll suffer the migraine to punch your lights out." He made sure everyone there realized just how serious he was. Then he turned and walked away with Buffy down the hall.

Xander kicked the runner on his truck. "Stupid idiot vampire." He jumped from one foot to another from the pain that now radiated through his foot. He hadn't stayed in the waiting room long enough for Buffy and Spike to return. He was too ticked to be civil to anyone. Even Giles had spent a good ten minutes lecturing him on how he should have been more considerate of Buffy's feelings especially if she had already warned him about Spike's involvement in her life.

"Has everyone gone crazy?" Xander put the key into the lock of his car door. A hand covered his. He spun around to face what he thought was an attacker.

"Easy, Xander. I'm not going to hurt you." Riley smiled wide at Xander. He caught the tail end of Spike's speech to Xander at the hospital. He had then followed Xander down to the parking garage. He knew that the brunette would be on his side. "I tried to warn you, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but I didn't want to believe it." Xander sighed. He'd gone to Riley earlier in the day after Buffy's accusation yesterday. After a long time of venting and talking he'd agreed to help Riley get Buffy back. Of course Riley denied punching Buffy, and in Xander's land of denial he believed Riley over Buffy.

"He's twisted her mind." Riley further drew Xander into his web of revenge. "We both know that Buffy would never pick a soulless vampire over me if she was thinking straight. He's manipulated her while she is down from everything going on with her mother."

Xander shook his head back and forth. "I can't believe I'm saying it, but do it." He gripped the keys tighter in his hand. "He won't know the chip isn't working until its too late?"

"Good choice, Xander." Riley grinned evilly. Everything was going just as he expected it to. "He won't know until he tries to hurt a human. Then the absence of pain will give him away."

"This is so going to hurt me when he hits me, but it will be worth it when I see his dust flying in the breeze." Xander cringed at the thought of the pain, but he reasoned with himself that it was for the greater good. He could endure some pain if it saved Buffy from herself.

"I'll get it taken care of tonight." Riley clapped Xander on the back heartily. "Give it until tomorrow afternoon at least just to be sure."

"It will. I'll make sure it does." Riley opened Xander's car door. "By tomorrow night Spike should be nothing but a bad memory."

Xander hopped into the truck and started the engine. He waved to Riley before he disappeared from the garage.

Riley waited until Xander was no longer in sight. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed the number given to him earlier in the day. No greeting was exchanged. He was direct and to the point. "Do it. Send the signal and scramble."

"You'd better be right about this Finn or our asses are in a sling." The familiar voice of Graham Miller came through the line. "If she doesn't dust him ..."

Upstairs, completely unaware of the plotting below them, Buffy and Spike met with Dr. Kriegel on their way back to the waiting room. Buffy clutched tightly to Spike's arms.

Dr. Kriegel smiled warmly. "Miss Summers." He removed his surgical hat. "The surgery was a complete success. We were able to remove the whole tumor and repair the damage that the growing tumor was causing."

Buffy let out the breath she had been holding. She jumped on the doctor in a big hug. "Thank you. Thank you so much." She squeezed him hard.

Dr. Kriegel started choking from being unable to breathe. Spike tapped Buffy to let her know that she needed to let go. "Easy, luv. The Doc needs to breath."

"That's all right." Dr. Kriegel walked with Buffy and Spike back to the waiting room. "She is going to be in the recovery room for at least 8 hours. She was under for a long time, and we have to keep her sedated to allow her more time to heal without moving."

Giles and Dawn looked up at the doctor. From the looks on Spike and Buffy's faces they knew the news was good.

"I want you all to go home until tomorrow morning and get some sleep." Dr. Kriegel put up his hand at the objections that started to surface. "No buts. Once she's out of recovery we are going to try to keep her sleeping in her room too. She needs the rest, and so do all of you."

Giles nodded to the doctor. He didn't like it one bit, but he could really use a good night's rest in his own bed. "Thank you, Doctor. We'll get some sleep." He herded Dawn towards the elevator.

Spike's arm was around Buffy's waist. He led her towards the elevator as well. Buffy spoke up as they walked. "Giles, do you think Dawn could stay at your house overnight? I have some things that I'd like to go over with Spike."

Giles looked in shock at Spike. Spike returned the shocked gaze. He sent a questioning glance her way. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Buffy nodded. "I want to ask you about a favor for my mother, and some other things." She shifted nervously when the elevator doors opened. The four of them stepped in.

"That is fine with me, Buffy. I'll drive you all home." Giles looked at Dawn to see if she seemed to have a problem with the arrangement. To his surprise Dawn was grinning from ear to ear. "Dawn can pick up a few things then."

Buffy nodded. They exited the elevator onto the lower level and finally into the parking garage. As the four of them slid into Giles' car, no one noticed the brunette glaring at them from the shadows. He hopped into his car and trailed the group to their destination.

Spike and Buffy waved to Dawn. Dawn was a quick packer when she wanted to. It seemed that today she wanted to leave Buffy and Spike alone as quickly as possible. She prepared her overnight back in less than 15 minutes. Now Spike and Buffy were waving goodbye to Giles and Dawn.

Buffy shut the door with a sigh. 'Alone at last.' She thought. She drew Spike towards her by wrapping her arms around his neck.

Spike pushed Buffy gently back against the door. He wrapped his arms around her waist, one hand splayed down her lower back and the other halfway up her spine. His face lowered as hers rose until their lips met in the middle.

They swayed to a light melody that only they could hear and feel with their bodies. When their lips met all of the pains of the day floated away. Buffy pressed her body tighter into Spike's embrace, and Spike gripped Buffy tighter to him. Neither needed to worry about the passion of the embrace because Slayer and Vampire strengths would prevent them from truly hurting each other. After all, one didn't need to breath, and the other could hold out long enough to move away when need be.

Spike moaned into the kiss, deepening it. His tongue slipped past his lips to outline Buffy's, seeking entrance within. Everywhere any part of his body rested against hers, he felt the searing heat that her body radiated. It sent his senses towards an overload. He longed to feel that heat completely around him, to be wrapped in her warmth and her love.

Buffy ran her fingers up through the back of Spike's neck. She twirled her fingers amidst the bleached locks that were becoming loosened from their gel hold. Her lips parted slowly to allow Spike's tongue to dance with hers. Just as his tongue slipped past her lips, she suckled it hard to bring it deep within her mouth and intertwine them more tightly.

'Oh gods, Buffy.' Spike thought to himself. His cock hardened and pressed against the confines of his black denim jeans. Just being in her company and embrace was enough to make him hard. Having her suck on his tongue made his cock weep in need and harden in desire to have that mouth around it.

Buffy didn't know exactly what she was doing. Every movement seemed to lead to another on instinct. Her body knew that she needed to feel Spike close to her. She needed to know she was loved, and she needed to be showed that this man loved her. She felt her whole body tingle and a surge of desire course directly to her core. She couldn't help but to notice just how perfect the two of them seemed to be in size to each other. She only had to lift her head slightly to kiss him, and their bodies rubbed against each other in all the right places.

Spike growled low, his body in overdrive. What were they doing? Were they ready for this? 'Hell yeah.' Spike thought. He ached to taste and touch HIS Slayer. He'd longed for such moments for longer than he'd care to admit.

'Careful, Spike. Make sure this is what she wants.' The inner William noted back. He wanted to be with HIS Buffy as much as Spike wanted the Slayer, but his insecurities still feared that Buffy would change her mind later on. He wanted to be sure and save them both from future pain.

Spike pulled back from Buffy. He panted in and out with unnecessary breaths. "Buffy." He rested one hand on the door to hold himself up and away from her. "I thought you said we needed to go over a few things?" He tried to gain some control over himself.

Buffy's eyes glazed over in desire. She nodded slowly, panting. "Yes, I wanted to ask you if ... Well it seemed like a good idea at the time." She stuttered. She was off balance, partly because of the desire coursing through her and partly for the fear of rejection.

"It's okay, pet. Just say it." Spike secretly grinned. 'At least I know I'm not the only one affected by this.'

"Mom, Dawn, and I all love you Spike." Buffy began. "Mom has been trying to push me to get back to my classes, and with Dawn being the key I worry about her being here alone." She gazed down at the floor for a few moments. She needed to word this right. She didn't want him to think that she was trying to take advantage of him.

Spike inhaled deeply only to be assaulted with the full force of Buffy's arousal. He fought his demon back as he growled in pleasure. He wanted Buffy with all of his being, both to have and to protect. Whatever was worrying her hadn't dampened her desires. She still smelled so sweetly of need.

"I don't want Mom to be here alone either once she gets home." Buffy looked back up at Spike. "What I want to know is if you are willing to move in here with us?"

Spike's little scent exploration was cut short at her request. "Are you serious?" He expected her to ask him many different things, but this wasn't one of them.

Spike cut off Buffy's babbling. "I would be happy to move in here, luv." He took one of Buffy's hands in his, caressing the back of it with his thumb. He rested his forehead against hers. "You just caught me off guard is all."

Buffy caressed her free hand along Spike's cheek. "I hadn't meant to tell you this so soon. Heck this has all kind of hit me at once." She cupped Spike's jaw, rubbing her fingertips over his lips. "But it feels right to tell you."

Spike tilted his head to the side to gaze at Buffy. "Don't rush yourself if you don't feel like it, pet." He was sure that Buffy was going to tell him that their little make out session earlier wouldn't be happening again any time soon.

"The strange thing is that I don't really feel it is a rush." Buffy smiled. "I need you, Spike. I want you not only as a boyfriend, but as more." She looked down for a moment shyly before she returned to his gaze. "I lo ... I love you."

Spike stepped back in shock. His face was almost unreadable as it switched so fast from one facial expression to another: from shock, to awe, to disbelief, to joy, and finally to love. "Say that again?" His voice shook as he asked the question.

Buffy wanted to take back her words when the first phases of his facial expressions changed. Had she read him wrong? Did he not feel the same for her? She breathed a slight sigh of relief when he finally spoke. "I love you, Spike." She repeated. She drew his face down to hers. Her lips pressed against his lightly at first and then with growing depth.

Spike stood immobile during the first seconds of their kiss. Once the realization hit his brain and was processed, he pulled Buffy hard against his body and started to devour her lips with his.

The kiss went from slow and tender to hard and feral. Any doubts that Buffy had about Spike returning her affections were gone in the moments that Spike's kiss became more demanding.

Spike picked Buffy up by the waist and spun her around in the entryway. He laughed heartily when he put her back down and broke apart from her. "Cor, Buffy. Those are the sweetest words you could have ever said to me." He cupped her face in both of his hands. He kissed her forehead, temples, cheeks jaw and finally her lips again.

Buffy giggled with glee. She felt like she was soaring through the air like a bird when Spike twirled them. Her heart felt as light as her feet, and she knew that she'd made the right choice. Her hands gripped his shoulders tighter to keep from falling.

"I love you, Buffy." Spike said reverently when their kiss ended temporarily. "I have for so long that it killed me when you told me I was beneath you." He fought back the tears of joy and sorrow.

"Spike, I was so wrong about that." Buffy buried her face just underneath his chin. "You are not beneath me in any way. I'm so sorry."

"Shhh. It's okay, pet. You apologized before." Spike rocked Buffy back and forth to calm her. "You loving me makes up for anything we've been through in the past, believe me." He scooped Buffy up into his arms and headed for the stairs.

Buffy giggled and whooped. Spike practically flew up the steps, he took them so fast. He headed right for her room. 'I wonder how he knows just what one is mine.'

Spike could see the wheels turning in Buffy's mind. He figured it was better to confess now then have a problem later. "I've been in your room before, pet."

Spike set her down on the floor. "Yeah. I wanted to be near you in any way that I could." He hung his head down. "So sometimes I'd come up here just to smell you and feel the remnants of your presence." He waited for the recriminations and anger from Buffy.

Buffy cocked her head to the side. She knew she should be mad, but it all seemed so sweet and romantic. "I should be pissed at you, Spike, but I'm not." She held onto Spike's hand and led them both to her bed to sit on the side of it. "I've gone by your crypt many times in the hopes of just seeing you myself.

Buffy nodded. "Even when I didn't want to admit to myself what I was feeling, I was seeking you out."

"Oh, Buffy." Spike pulled Buffy close. "We've already wasted so much time. If I hadn't acted so disgusted after that spell maybe you wouldn't have gone out with Captain Cardboard."

Buffy stroked her fingers through Spike's hair. "No, what if's Spike. I acted the same when the spell was done. We acted as we figured everyone expected us to. I've always tried to do what the rest of them expected me to do." She looked over at her vanity where pictures of the Scoobies littered the mirror. "Neither of us were truly ready to admit what we felt back then. I'm just glad that now we can."

Spike kissed Buffy hard. He wasn't going to let her go anytime soon. She was his reason for still existing. She was the sunshine in his darkness, the soul in his body's void. She was everything he thought he could never have, and having her in his arms was literally a dream come true.

Buffy pulled back from Spike to catch her breath after several minutes of caresses and kisses. Her hands continued to roam up and down his arms. One hand moved to lightly scratch her fingertips up and down his chest. "Spike?"

"Yes, pet?" Spike panted unnecessarily. Buffy brought out every desire and need that he hadn't ever felt for anyone. He had loved Dru, but not like this. This was deeper. This love burned him from the inside out as if he would burst into flame if he didn't quench it with Buffy's love in return.

"Make love to me. Please." Buffy's gaze never wavered from Spike's. She wanted to be sure that he knew she was serious. "I want to show you how much I love you. I need you." Her desires continued to grow and her body ached to be filled and completed with his touch.

Spike gulped and nodded. Without a word he lowered Buffy onto the bed. He propped her head up on the pillows and kissed her until she needed to breath again. His hands were never idle, constantly caressing down her chest and up under her shirt to caress the swells of her breasts covered in lace.

Buffy closed her eyes. She used her senses to memorize each moment and each touch. She licked her lips, nibbling on her lower lip when his lips left her mouth. She inhaled sharply when his blunt human teeth suckled and nibbled down the left side of her neck. She felt more than heard the growl that passed Spike's lips when he encountered the marks left by the Master, Angel and Dracula. She knew enough about vampire mating rituals to know why he was upset.

Spike forced his demon to remain more docile the moment his lips hit the marks on Buffy's neck. He knew what his demon wanted to do. He wasn't going to allow the demon to take over the first time with Buffy. They needed to talk about claiming and bonding before he would subject Buffy to it. He didn't know if he could even bite her at all because of the chip.

Buffy yelped in surprised pleasure when Spike pinched her nipples hard. A moan followed the yelp and she squirmed against the bed sheet. "Please, Spike." She whimpered. She wriggled underneath him.

Spike chuckled. He left the marks on her neck alone for now. He would talk to her about them later. It irritated his demon and his romantic side to have another's mark on the woman that he loved. He lifted Buffy's top over her head. He then easily snapped the back clasp of her bra. He liked being able to snuggle close to her to reach the clasp in the back. Though front closures had their advantages too. He'd have to remember to snap the first front closure bra she wore with his teeth.

Buffy tightened her grip on the curls of Spike's hair. She tried to direct him to the places that she wanted touched. Her nipples were hard and aching to feel his mouth on them. He didn't disappoint.

Spike nipped the hardened pebbles of her breasts. Careful not to draw blood, he let the tips of human teeth nibble and pinch Buffy's nipples between them. His tongue curled out and around as much of her breast as it could without letting go of her nipples. The saltiness of her sweat actually tasted good to him. He let the nipple go and licked full strokes on the underside of one breast. He cupped it in his hand, rolling the nipple between his fingers, while his tongue began circles that started tightly around the nipple and grew bigger and bigger until he was circling the entire breast with each stroke.

Buffy wriggled back and forth on the bed. She let go of Spike's hair with one hand to fist her hand in the bed sheets. She needed to find some perchance to keep from bucking him completely off her body. She moaned in need as her core seeped more past her nether lips to glisten in the curls of her mound.

Another wave of desire assaulted Spike's nose. He practically snarled on the other breast that he was now giving attention to. He sat up quickly to remove his shirt. He needed to feel her skin against his. He looked from Buffy's face down her body. When his gaze reached her pants, he decided that he could wait no longer to see the treasures hidden by her denim. He slowly popped the button and then drew the zipper down. With a quick jerk he pulled both legs of the pants to remove them. He tossed them over the end of the bed.

Buffy gasped. The cold air of the room hitting her heated core sent a shock of pleasure through her. Her body hummed in need. Her passions were not going to be tamed this night by making out and a little cuddling. She needed oh so much more. She pulled Spike down on top of her body.

Buffy growled, a pitiful sound from a human as compared to a vampire, but effective in getting her point across.

"I won't leave you wanting, luv. I promise you that." Spike lowered himself between her legs. He tucked his hands underneath her butt and kissed her inner thighs. "Going to worship this beautiful body of yours." He licked a trail from Buffy's knee to the focal point where the leg met the torso. He paid special attention on the way back down to suckle just below the hip and then nibble behind each of her knees.

"Oh gosh, Spike!" Buffy panted and gasped. She couldn't believe all that she was feeling. No one had ever kissed all over her body like this. He hadn't even touched her pussy yet and she felt like she would cum. She tightened her legs around Spike's head trying to trap him. He moved back up the other leg, resting his cheek against her inner thigh.

"Hmm ... I see the bottle doesn't fall far from the sink, does it?" Spike teased as he nipped at the dark curls surrounding Buffy's sweet mound. "All that teasing about my bleaching and you ..." He nipped along the left lip. "Aren't ..." He nipped along the right lip. "A natural ..." He flickered his tongue up between her slickened lips to lap up the sweet juices of her desire. "Blonde." He grabbed her clit between his blunt human teeth and worried the bit of flesh before he sucked hard to draw it into his mouth fully.

Buffy exploded into orgasm when her clit was tortured with his teeth and mouth. "Spike!" She called out his name as her body crested over. She wasn't even allowed to come down from her first peak when she felt two fingers slip into her tight channel.

Spike groaned. Cor, she was tight. Her grip on his fingers was tight and strong. 'Must be a Slayer muscle thing.' He twisted and scissored the two fingers in Buffy's hot canal. He added a third finger and arched the tips when he pulled the fingers out to graze over the bundle of nerves that he knew would send her over the edge again. The second time he plunged all three fingers in he did a little tap dance on the inner bundle. He was rewarded with Buffy's second orgasm and a flood of her juices gushing out of her lovely pussy and wetting his face.

Buffy screamed. She wasn't usually a loud lover, but this was beyond any pleasure that she'd felt before. Her legs held Spike's head between her thighs so tightly that it was a good thing he didn't need to breathe. She would have killed a human man, squished his skull like an overripe strawberry. Her hips bucked off the bed, pushing her pussy into his face time and time again.

Spike rode out the waves of Buffy's pleasure. He made sure to get every drop of her sweetness. It tasted like the ambrosia of the gods. He was sure that the only thing that could be sweeter would be her blood. His demon surfaced demanding to be heard. His fangs elongated while his tongue was lapping up her nectar, lightly piercing both of her lips on the edge. As her blood started to trickle into his mouth he snarled and dove into her pussy harder.

"Spike ..." Buffy grunted out. "Yes ... Harder ... Oh Harder please!!" Buffy crested over the precipice again not even caring that the reason for her latest orgasm was the nicking of Spike's fangs on her sex. All she knew or cared about was the waves of pleasure that ripped through her.

Encouraged by Buffy's reaction and a bit surprised that the chip didn't fire since he bit her, Spike buried his face into her pussy deeper. He pressed his fangs harder into her lips and allowed the flow of her blood to satiate his needs. He forced himself to keep from cumming in his pants. The taste of Slayer blood was an aphrodisiac as much as it was a powerful jump start to a vampire. He savored each little drop.

Buffy's body quivered and shook. Mini orgasms continued to fall through her, but she failed to keep her breath. She was near to passing out. She didn't want him to stop, but she knew that she needed a few moments to collect herself back together and rest.

Spike withdrew his fangs and fingers from Buffy's pussy. His cock was harder than he ever remembered it being. He wanted nothing more than to plunge himself deep within her tight chasm, but he could see her strength waning in bliss. He stood up and made a show of licking his fingers clean. He left one slightly coated. He brought it up to Buffy's lips, sitting next to her. "Taste, pet. Taste how sweet you are to me."

Buffy cringed at first at the thought of tasting herself. None of her previous lovers had or even wanted to eat her out in the way that Spike had. So surely they'd never suggested she taste herself. Spike's encouraging smile made her willing to give it a try. A tentative tongue slipped out of her mouth to the tip of the finger. She licked it slowly until she found that she did like the taste. She suckled the finger deeply into her mouth to be sure that she got it completely clean.

Spike groaned. Every time he thought that Buffy had done the hottest thing he'd seen or acted the sexiest he'd ever known, she'd out do the previous act. Watching her suck his finger dry turned him on beyond belief. He had to stand up and adjust himself. He realized that the curtains were still open. He moved over to close them.

Buffy felt the loss of Spike's nearness. She whimpered and reached out for him. 'Don't leave. Please don't leave.'

Almost as if he heard her, Spike turned back to Buffy. "Just closing the curtains pet while you rest for round two." He grinned. He closed the window and the drapes making sure that they were secure. He picked up another blanket and clipped it over the curtain rod. This was turning out to be the best night of his life. He didn't want to wake up toasting.

Buffy gathered Spike in her arms when he returned to the bed. She nestled her head against his chest, drawing circles on his abdomen with her fingers.

"Rest luv. Gonna make it real good again for you soon." Spike purred to her touch. He would be patient. She was going through a lot. Letting go of one's emotions was very draining, and he was positive that Buffy felt the freedom to let it all out while he pleasured her. They would just rest here a little bit and then he'd show her just how close they could get.

"I love you, Spike." Buffy sighed softly, rubbing her cheek against Spike's chest.

"I love you too, Buffy." Spike ran his fingers through her long blonde tresses. "Always will."

Outside Buffy's window a lone figure stood in the shadows of the tree there. He kicked the trunk several times in frustration. The window to Buffy's bedroom was open, and the curtain had be separated for long enough for him to see just what was going on in there. 'I knew that bitch would be fucking that damned vampire soon.' He punched the tree. His knuckles bleed, but he didn't care. 'I hoped I could get back to her before she did. Now, she'll have to pay for violating herself in that way.'

Riley turned away from the Summers' household. He knew just where he needed to be. He'd go where someone wanted him, or at least they wanted his blood. Tonight was a partial celebration ... the even of his enemies demise ... and part need to be satisfied. He knew just where he could get both fixes. So, he headed back down to a seedier part of town to his little vampire whorehouse. His brain didn't register the hypocrisy of his visiting a vampire whorehouse when he swore that vampires were vile and shouldn't be touching Buffy.

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