Disclaimer: Spike and Buffy and the rest belong to Joss Whedon, not me.

Thanks so much for all the readers who stuck with me to this, the last chapter. By now you've figured out that the Character Death is that of Drusilla, so no more worries, just some Spuffiness to close things out. 


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Chapter 15 – New Journeys
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Buffy was finally discharged around noon. She pretended to call Spike under the nurse’s watchful gaze, knowing full well that he couldn’t come get her in the daylight. For reasons she couldn’t entirely articulate, she lied and told the nurse that their car had in fact been towed and that she would have to take a cab. Caryn sympathized, and gave her the number of a reliable taxi company. Buffy was grateful that Spike had slipped some money into her wallet before he left, and within 45 minutes she was standing in front of the motel while the cab drove away behind her. She stared at the motel room door for a moment, collecting herself and taking a deep breath before she walked up to the door and let herself in.
 
Spike sat up the instant he heard the key in the lock and by the time Buffy made her way through the door he was standing, waiting for her. Buffy closed the door behind her and took off her jacket, tossing it on a chair. “Hey,” she said, facing him uncertainly.
 
“Hey,” he replied. They stared at each other for a few long minutes, searching each other’s eyes for some sign of their status. After the silence had stretched out interminably he continued, “At the risk of bringing up a bad memory, love, where do we go from here?”
 
One corner of Buffy’s mouth curved upward slightly at the recollection of the singing demon and their first kiss. “That was the first time you saved me,” she said.
 
“Don’t recall many others,” he said, still standing there, trying to gauge her mood.
 
“Every night,” she said, walking slowly closer. “Every night I came to you lost and angry and depressed and you saved me. Even when I said horrible things to you and beat you and treated you like dirt, you saved me.” She stopped and brought her hands up, one running through his blond curls, and the other stroking his cheek. She gently but firmly pulled him down and kissed him, slowly and with infinite tenderness. “Every night you save me,” she whispered.
 
His hands came up to cup her face in turn, trembling. “Just want to love you… court you… be yours. May I?”
 
“Yes,” she said, kissing him again, her hand stroking the back of his neck while she pressed herself tight against him.
 
Suppressing a groan, he pulled back gently and looked into her eyes. “Even when we get back?” he asked in an unsteady voice. “Can I be yours?”
 
“A wise person told me earlier today that trying to make my friends happy would end up making everyone miserable. I think we can make each other happy, and my friends will deal, or not. But I want… us,” she said, trying for once to put what she felt into coherent words.
 
Breaking into a radiant smile, Spike crashed his mouth down onto hers, clutching her close as their tongues met and mingled. The kiss went on and on, their hands sliding and caressing and their breathing becoming ragged with need. “Slayer,” Spike breathed as he nibbled down her neck. “Don’t know how much more of this I can take. Want you…”
 
With a little moan of pleasure Buffy broke away from him. For a brief moment Spike was startled and hurt, but when she quickly kicked off her shoes and took his hand to lead him to the bed he understood. They lay down next to each other, clothing coming off one piece at a time as they touched and explored each other. It all felt new, this tender lovemaking, rather than wild, animalistic desperation, and Buffy’s nerves were singing with anticipation by the time Spike was sliding her satin underwear off so he could kneel between her legs. Home. This is my home, he thought as he sank his tongue into her, feeling her arch her back and hearing her cry out with ecstasy.
 
“God, Spike, I missed that,” Buffy moaned. She clutched his head, reveling in the sensation of his cool tongue on her burning flesh. She was soon falling over the edge into an orgasm, shuddering and gasping underneath him. He grinned, giving her clit one last kiss before kissing his way up her body, lingering on her breasts and her neck until she begged, “Please, need you inside, please…”
 
“Yes, love,” he whispered, then groaned as he slid home, pausing to look down at her. The eyes of both lovers were wide as they gasped with the sensation. He bent down to kiss her and they lay there, unmoving, enjoying the sensation of being locked together. Buffy clamped down with her inner muscles and Spike hissed with pleasure. He began stroking in and out, slowly at first, then faster and faster as their climax built.
 
“Spike, drink, please, want you to,” Buffy cried. She opened her eyes and met Spike’s, then deliberately turned her head to expose her neck. “Take it. Please.”
 
“Fuck… Buffy…” He lapsed into complete incoherence as he vamped and sank his fangs into her, slamming his pelvis into her clit at the same time. He took three quick gulps of her sweet blood, nearly crooning in ecstasy. Buffy howled and immediately launched into an earth shaking orgasm, with Spike following her down a moment later. With a feral growl he pulled his teeth out of her neck and pounded her, over and over as he came, until at last, sated, he collapsed on top of her. He closed the wound on her neck as they gasped and shook with the aftershocks, coming to rest side by side with their arms and legs entwined.
 
“Spike… that… wow… my… oh God,” Buffy babbled incoherently.
 
“You can say that again,” Spike replied, and they both giggled a little at that. He stroked her hair. “You’re beautiful, Slayer,” he said as he watched the way her hair changed color depending on how it caught the light.  
 
Buffy searched the face of her vampire while she searched her soul as well. She had thought sex with Spike was good before but this… this was another whole order of magnitude. The connection she felt with him was a new sensation to her. She hadn’t felt it with Riley. She thought she might have briefly felt something like it when Angel took her virginity, but that sensation had been swept away in the aftermath. This was real. This man – well, vampire – cared for her, desired her, knew all her history and still wanted to be with her. And she knew his story now. Knew about what had formed him and shaped him, and how he had come to be who he was. It was clear that he could fight his vampire nature – he had staked his sire for her sake. Unlike the last time he threatened that, it wasn’t out of infatuation or desperation to get her attention. He had to choose between her or Drusilla, and he had chosen her. That’s love, Buffy, she told herself. Even Angel didn’t kill Drusilla when he had the chance. He loves you. So what are you going to do about it? “You okay, love?” Spike asked after a while, and Buffy heard the faint note of vulnerability in his voice. He’s waiting to be rejected again, she realized. At that moment, something clicked inside her head, and it all became clear.
 
“I’m okay,” she said, kissing him lightly. “I just realized something though.”
 
“What’s that, pet?”
 
“That I love you,” she replied, gazing steadily into his face.
 
Spike’s eyes widened at her admission. “Do you mean it?” he asked quietly. “Or is it the orgasm talking? Don’t… I can’t bear it, if you don’t mean it.”
 
Buffy’s face reddened a bit with shame. You really did a number on his heart, didn’t you, she admonished herself. Swallowing her guilt, she stroked his face, tracing the cheekbones as he half closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. “I mean it,” she said, her voice steady and low. “I love you. I want to be with you, I want you to work alongside me. I love you, Spike.”
 
“Oh, Slayer,” Spike whispered. “You’ve no idea what you’ve given me.”
 
“Then show me,” she replied, and they fell into each other once more.
 
**************************
 
Buffy was woken by the incessant sound of her cell phone ringing. The afternoon had been spent in exploring each other’s bodies and in cementing their newfound understanding. Spike dozed on as Buffy sat up, squinting at the clock. It was eight o’clock Boston time, and she realized that she hadn’t called home in more than a day and a half. She padded naked across the room to grab the phone from the bag. “Hello?”
 
“Where the hell have you been?” Dawn shrieked on the other end. “I was worried! I didn’t hear from you yesterday and I thought something had happened!”
 
“I’m sorry,” Buffy said contritely. “I had a rough day and night.”
 
“So did you find her?” Dawn asked.
 
“Yes,” Buffy answered. “We found her. Spike’s all better now, and Dru’s gone. She managed to get in a good bite – I had to go to the ER – but we’re both okay now.”
 
“So when are you going to be home then?” Dawn wondered.
 
Buffy looked fondly at the sleeping vampire. “We’re both dragging a bit from the experience. We’ll probably rest up tonight and drive home starting tomorrow.”
 
“So it’s really all over then?”
 
Buffy took a deep breath. “There’s one more thing that I need to mention,” Buffy began slowly. “Spike and I really got a chance to talk a lot during this trip and, well, we’re… we’re a couple. For real this time. Are you okay with that?”
 
“Are you crazy?” Dawn cried happily, so loud that Buffy had to hold the phone away from her ear. “Of course I’m okay with that! He’s one of my best friends, and if he keeps you from being all bad moody, then that’s awesome.”
 
Buffy smiled. “Thanks, Dawn. That really helps.” She took a deep breath. Just do it. “Can you please put Willow on for a second?”
 
“Okay,” Dawn said uncertainly. Dawn handed the phone over to the witch, who had an inkling of the topic of conversation. Willow took the phone, hesitated, then said, “Hello?”
 
“Hey, Willow,” Buffy said. Taking another long look at the sleeping vampire she said, “I’m telling you this now, so you have a week to get used to the idea. Spike and I are together. As in, we’re a couple. We’re going to hang out together, drink at the Bronze together, hold hands, and all that couple stuff. You are either going to learn to deal, or leave my house. Got it?”
 
Willow frowned, but then saw Tara with her arms crossed, looking at her pointedly. Swallowing, she said, “I don’t know if I’m ever going to feel a hundred percent comfortable with this. But I guess… I have to follow your judgment on this one.”
 
“So we have an agreement? No magic trying to break us up, no giving Spike a hard time, no guilt trips?” Buffy demanded.
 
“I… okay,” Willow conceded. “None of the above. I promise.”
 
“Good. Because the last thing I need after a cross country drive is a fight the second I get back,” Buffy said. “Could I talk to Tara please?”
 
Willow handed the phone over wordlessly. “Hi Buffy! I take it you were successful?”
 
“Yep. One cured vampire.”
 
“And I take it from Dawn’s squealing that you have some other news?” Tara asked with a grin.
 
“Spike and I are a couple,” Buffy said simply. It sounded more natural and more right with every repetition. “Just wanted to give everyone a heads up so there are no surprises or unnecessary stakings.”
 
“As long as he makes you happy, it’s all good,” Tara said. “Now hurry home, before Dawn blows a gasket.”
 
“Tell her to chill,” Buffy laughed. “See you all soon.” She hung up the phone and noted that Spike was awake and looking at her with half open eyes.
 
“Giving them fair warning then?” he asked.
 
“Yeah,” she replied. “I really don’t want the aggravation anymore.” She slid in beside him, still holding the phone. “I should probably make a couple other calls. Just get it all out of the way.”
 
“I’ll be right here for immoral support,” Spike quipped. She elbowed him playfully, then snuggled in so that her back was nestled into his chest.
 
“Here goes,” she said, dialing Xander’s number from memory.
 
“Hello?” came the familiar voice.
 
“Xander, it’s Buffy,” she said.
 
“Buffster? Where are you? Last I heard you were heading out for the east coast.”
 
“I’m in Boston,” she explained. “We found Drusilla, and cured Spike.”
 
“Great. So Deadboy is still with us then?” Xander said unenthusiastically.
 
“We need to get something straight here, Xander,” Buffy said firmly. “He goes by Spike. He and I have gotten very close over the past week. He dusted Drusilla and saved my life. We’re together, and plan to stay that way. Understand?”
 
Xander’s mouth wobbled for a while before his brain regained control of his jaw and he managed to spit out, “But Buffy, you can’t! He’s…”
 
“A vampire. With no soul. Got the memo. Don’t care. This can go two ways, Xander. You can accept, and try to at least be civil to him, or you can stay out of my life permanently. You’ve got a week to decide. But if you try to hurt him, or get between us, I am personally going to go all Slayer on your ass.”
 
“But… but…” Xander spluttered.
 
“One week. Make your choice.” Buffy rang off, leaving the flabbergasted Xander staring stunned at the phone.
 
“Nicely handled, pet,” Spike said, planting kisses down her spine. “Who else do you plan to call?”
 
“I thought about calling Giles,” she said.
 
“Um, love, it’s one in the morning there,” Spike said, continuing his path downward. “Sure you want to call him?”
 
“Oops. Forgot about the time change,” she said. She turned in his arms to catch his mouth with hers. “I guess we’ll have to keep ourselves occupied until he wakes up.” Spike raised his eyebrows in agreement and they returned to their previous activities.
 
The next time they woke up the sun was up. Spike rose to the sound of Buffy’s stomach growling. “When’s the last time you’ve eaten, pet?” he asked with concern.
 
“Mm,” she yawned. “Probably breakfast at the hospital.”
 
“You’d better go take care of that then,” Spike insisted. “Won’t have you wasting away now.”
 
“I’ll have to go out then,” she said. She stood up and started to rummage around for clothes.
 
“Now that’s a fine sight,” Spike said, leering at her playfully as she bent over her bag.
 
“Horndog, much?” Buffy replied, rolling her eyes. She came up with a mostly clean pair of jeans and a shirt without stains or tears, and called it good enough. Ten minutes later she was coming out of the bathroom dressed with her hair in a careless ponytail. “Be back soon,” she said, giving Spike a quick peck on the lips.
 
“I’ll be here,” Spike said. Buffy skipped out the door, heading down the street toward a diner she had seen before. Spike sat up in the bed and grabbed the remote, flipping through channels until he found a soccer game. He was settling in to watch when the cell phone rang again on the bedside table. Picking it up, he noticed the number seemed vaguely familiar. Curious, he answered it. “Hullo?”
 
“I beg your pardon, I must have the wrong number,” came a familiar British voice on the other end.
 
“Rupert!” Spike said. “We were just talking about you last night. How’s the mother land?”
 
“Spike?” Giles asked, his voice rising with alarm. “Why are you answering this phone? Where’s Buffy?”
 
“Relax, Rupert,” Spike said. “She popped out for a bite of breakfast. How did you get this number, if I might ask?”
 
“I called Buffy’s house last night, since I hadn’t heard from her in a while. Tara gave me this number,” Giles explained, still sounding flustered. “I take it that the two of you have accomplished this quest of yours?”
 
“Yeah. Found Drusilla, got cured.”
 
“Surely it wasn’t as simple as that,” Giles protested.
 
“No, it wasn’t,” Spike said, his voice becoming serious. “Dru almost got the better of her at one point. I managed to intervene, but it was a near thing.”
 
“And what became of Drusilla?” Giles wondered.
 
“She’s gone. Dust. Not going to be a trouble to anyone anymore,” Spike replied in a subdued tone.
 
“Am I to understand that you dusted her yourself?” Giles asked with a note of astonishment.
 
“Yeah. Had to. Buffy was hurt, needed to go to the hospital.”
 
Giles was taken aback. From all the books he had read, he was aware of how difficult it was for a vampire to kill their sire. “How were you able to accomplish that?” Giles wondered.
 
Spike rolled his eyes heavenward. Hope she’ll forgive me for this. “I was able to do it because I love her, Rupert. We’ve come to a new understanding after all this. She wants me around, and I intend to oblige the lady.”
 
“By that you mean…”
 
“I mean that I intend to court her, as they said back in my day,” Spike explained. “Gonna treat her right, take care of her, and love her every day. She seems to feel the same way.”
 
“Good lord,” Giles exclaimed.
 
“She doesn’t want to fight with you lot,” Spike continued. “She just wants you to trust her. Wants you to let her do what she feels she needs to do without having to justify her every action. She wanted to call you so that you weren’t blindsided. Just… trust her, Giles. You used to do that.”
 
Giles didn’t have an answer for a long minute. “I don’t know that I believe you,” he began. “I would rather hear all this from Buffy.”
 
“I’ll pass that along, but Rupert, you’re going to lose her if you keep this up.”
 
“What do you mean?” Giles asked sharply.
 
“The bint is incredibly pissed at you, if you hadn’t noticed,” Spike said bluntly. “You left her when she was at her lowest point. She came back from Heaven, depressed and damn near broken, and you left her when she needed you the most. Now she’s got a bit of her own back, taking charge, knows what she wants to do, and you’re questioning her. You’re already an ocean away. Won’t take much for her to decide she’s done with you for good. Is that what you want?”
 
Giles was taken aback. “Of course not!”
 
“Then for the love of Christ would you stop questioning the girl’s every move? Please. For all our sakes,” Spike growled.
 
Giles took a deep breath. “You have… given me a lot to think about. I will take it under advisement. Please… ask her to call me, when she gets a chance.”
 
“Will do,” Spike said. “Goodbye, Rupert.” Giles rang off and Spike leaned his head back. She must be the strongest bloody slayer in history if she can put up with fighting that lot all day and night. He drew his attention back to the soccer game, pondering the conversation he had just finished.
 
When Buffy returned, hunger sated, Spike clicked off the game and got up to greet her. “Less peckish then?” he said.
 
“If that means I’m full, then yes,” she replied. “Anything good on the TV?”
 
“Not much,” he admitted. He hesitated for a moment then said, “Watcher called while you were gone.”
 
“Oh,” Buffy said, suddenly wary. “What did he say?”
 
“Wondered how you were. I told him that we were successful.” Spike paused and then added, “Told him we were a couple as well.”
 
“I see,” Buffy said carefully. “How did he take that?”
 
“Can’t say he was jumping for joy,” Spike admitted. “He wants you to call him, as he doesn’t really believe yours truly. But I told him he needs to stop nagging and let you do what you feel is right. Are you angry with me?”
 
Buffy considered for a moment. “No. You were sticking up for me, as usual, so I guess it wouldn’t be right to be mad at you, would it?”
 
“Are you going to call him then?” Spike asked.
 
“Eventually,” she answered. “Right now, I really want a shower.”
 
“Want company?”
 
“Definitely,” she said with a smile. Spike followed her to the bathroom, silently rejoicing all the way.
 
******************
 
The day was spent in a mixture of sleeping, lovemaking, and talking. Toward afternoon, Buffy got up and started packing up all of their scattered things while Spike dozed. The black t-shirt she had worn while fighting Drusilla was beyond repair, and she tossed it in the trash. Her food stash was fairly empty – she might have to pick up some snacks for herself and some animal blood for Spike. It would be nice to not have to be a blood donor every day. Although I can’t say that I hate it during sex. No one told me about that little feature of vampires. Wow.
 
When she finished packing, she went outside to sit on the battered plastic lawn chair outside the door, watching the sun creep down toward the horizon. She felt more relaxed and at ease than she had since… she didn’t even remember the last time she felt like this. It was hard for her to put her finger on what was so different about this relationship. She had dated vampires before, she had dated men who straddled two different worlds and coped for better or worse with that. Other men had loved her, or claimed to, and she had loved them to varying degrees. There was no earthly reason this particular relationship with its twisted past should feel so comfortable, but she wasn’t knocking it.
 
She went back in after a while to find Spike in the process of getting dressed. “Sorry to abandon you,” she said.
 
“S’ alright,” he assured her. “We don’t need to be joined at the hip.”
 
“Well, sometimes it’s nice to be joined at the hips,” she teased, and Spike laughed easily in reply.
 
“Buffy,” Spike began. Buffy cocked her head at his hesitant tone. “I don’t want to… pin you down, or make you feel trapped or any of that rot. But are there going to be any surprise ground rules back home?”
 
“What do you mean?” she asked, confused.
 
“I mean, do you not want… do we not ever sleep at your house, for fear of warping Dawn?”
 
“I guess we’ll sleep wherever it seems right at the time, your place or mine. We should probably keep the screaming down to a minimum at my house, but otherwise, Dawn knows, she’s cool about it.” Buffy moved closer and rubbed her hands down his arms. “You sound worried.”
 
Spike took a deep, unnecessary breath. “I just… I’ve got what I always wanted. I’m with you, and you love me, and I’m… afraid to lose this.” He pulled her close and rested his forehead on hers. “God, I’m such a ponce.”
 
“No you’re not,” Buffy insisted. “I really said some horrible things to you. I never did give you any real reason to trust me in these things. But I promise you – no more hiding. You’re my boyfriend, for want of a better word, and you’re stuck with me.”
 
“Thank you, love. I needed to hear that.” He kissed her long and slow, until they risked falling back into bed for another night.
 
“We really should get going,” Buffy said. They started gathering up bags, and since the sun had gone down Spike helped load the trunk. As they slammed it shut, Buffy tossed him the keys. “I am soooo done with driving for this trip.”
 
“Our long national nightmare is over,” Spike drawled, earning a playful punch from the Slayer. They got in and Buffy stretched out in the passenger seat with a happy sigh. “Where to, my lady?” Spike asked in his most refined accent.
 
“Home, Jeeves,” she said. Spike cranked the radio, peeled out with a squeal, and turned the car to the west.
 
The End