Summer Vacation: Chapter Three

Snow Bunnies

By Sailor Lum

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer: The characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. Same goes for any characters from Angel that should appear. Any other characters are mine and may be used for other fanfic (Just note that they’re mine if you use them.)

The poem Fire Walk With Me belongs to David Lynch and Lynch/Frost productions.

Content rating note: This fic is rated NC-17 for Spuffy hijinks.

Continuity note: This story takes place after “It’s A Small, Small, Small, Small, World”, which takes place after the seventh season of Buffy assuming that the apocalypse is averted and all the Scoobies live. Giles has gone back to England (with any Slayers in training that survived) and Anya has decided not to go along. The story also assumes that Cordelia and Angel are dating by this time or, are at least on fairly friendly terms and acknowledge feelings for one another. The last episode I saw before starting this series was “Showtime” for Buffy and “Spin the Bottle” for Angel, so anything that occurs after may or may not apply to this series.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Scoobies were finally approaching their first big destination: a ski lodge in the mountains. They had managed to find a place in the northwest that was not only open in the summer, but still plenty cold and snowy thanks to its unique geographical properties. At least that’s the excuse the brochure gave. Willow halfway suspected that there was a bewitching involved.

The cabin buzzed with excitement and Spike smiled as he listened to the girls and boy chatter, while he drove the Winnebago up the road to the ski shop. They would be renting their skis at the lodge, but they needed clothing and accessories. Only Buffy and Dawn had their own (and they had decided it was high time for some new stuff.)

“So what’s this place called again, Buff?” asked Xander.

“Let’s see…” Buffy said, picking up the brochure. “The Red Lodge.”

“Hey, wasn’t that the name of the mystical place in Twin Peaks with all the backwards talking and dancing midgets?” asked Xander.

Having put the RV in park in the ski shop’s parking lot, Spike got out of his seat and strolled to the back singing, “Oh, Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lamzy divey~ A kiddley divey too, wouldn't you?~”

Buffy and Dawn looked at Spike as if he had suddenly sprouted antlers and a tail.

“All right! Leland Palmer!” Xander said, getting up and clapping his hands. “I can’t believe you like Twin Peaks, Spike!”

“What’s not to like? Romance, mystery, pretty girls. Plus, it was Dru’s favorite so I had to watch.”

“Why does that not surprise me?” Buffy said, amused.

“Yeah, only bad thing was she would sometimes go into a fit or start talking backwards after we watched it. Drove me up the bloody wall.”

Xander and the girls chuckled.

“Hey, Spike! Kcor s’teL!” Xander said getting up from the booth and doing the midget shimmy.

“Oh, God! Don’t you start!” Spike said, smacking his hand to his forehead.

“Hey, I think they’re finally bonding,” Willow said to Buffy and Dawn, beaming with hope.

“Shhh! You’ll jinx it,” said Buffy.

Dawn tugged at Buffy’s arm and said, “C’mon guys~! Less talk, more shop.”

Buffy rolled her eyes and smiled. “Okay, Dawn, we’ll get going.”

As they filed on out of the RV, no one noticed the little red corvette parked a few aisles down. The one with the tinted windows. Not that they’d have made much of it if they did.

Drusilla stretched her legs out across the passenger seat of the corvette, pulled out a metal nail file and began sharpening her nails with it. She looked out the tinted dashboard, her eyes fixed on the Winnebago. She began humming the tune to ‘Mares Eat Oats’ absentmindedly while she waited for her prey to show.

It wasn’t long before she spotted them coming out of the vehicle, gaily marching towards the shop like school children on a trip. She stopped her filing and sat at attention.

“There are flames in my eyes~” she said, her voice taking on a dreamlike lilt. “They burn~,” she continued. Drusilla gazed out of the dashboard window as if in a trance.

“Thru the darkness, of Future Past, the magician longs to see, one chants out, between two worlds, Fire – walk with me,” Dru recited, eyes focused on the witch.

The Scoobies pawed through the merchandise at the Mountain Ridge Ski Shop while particularly dippy muzak played over the store speakers. The store was apparently too cheap to shell out the bucks for a more modern music system, and was using an old one that cranked out wordless ditties instead - Madonna’s ‘Lucky Star’ or some other innocuous sounding pop tune.

The group splintered off in different directions, with Spike and Willow wandering over to the not-particularly-related-to-skiing accessories area.

Spike was distracted by the display of shiny silver necklaces. The one that caught his fancy most was a delicate girl’s necklace with a silver heart. He looked at it, wishing he had his own money so he could buy it for Buffy and surprise her.

Willow was marveling that they had reading glasses for sale there. Who buys reading glasses in a ski shop? She decided to try some on just for fun, giggling at the ones that made her look particularly old lady-ish. Then she caught Spike out of the corner of her eye. He looks like he needs a pick-me-up, she thought. She spied a pair of wire-framed men’s glasses and plucked them from the display.

“Hey, Spike!” said Willow.

Spike turned his head only to have a pair of reading glasses shoved onto his head by Willow.

“What the bloody-” Spike broke off as he noticed she was wearing a pair herself.

Willow giggled, the maroon framed half-glasses sliding down her nose.

Spike chuffed. “You’re a strange one, Red,” he said smiling.

“Wha-hoa~! Nerd patrol! Get that man a pocket protector STAT,” said Xander, smiling merrily and chuckling as he walked over to the pair.

Spike felt a surge of anger and ripped the glasses from his head throwing them to the floor. “Wankers!” he spat, before storming away in a huff.

Willow and Xander both stared after him for a beat, surprised at the strong reaction to Xander’s lighthearted teasing. And Willow couldn’t help but notice that he used the plural of wanker, including her in the statement.

I jinxed it, all right, Willow thought.

“Geez! What’s his problem?” Xander asked.

Willow didn’t stick around to speculate and set off after Spike.

She found him over at the hat wall staring at the hats and trying to look like an ordinary shopper. But Willow could see he looked angry. And hurt.

“Spike! Spike!” Willow said, as she sprinted up beside him. “What’s wrong? Why are you so upset?”

Spike gave her an incredulous look. “Guess I’m not in the mood to be made fun of by you two tossers.”

“Me?! Xander’s the one making fun. I was having fun. You know, trying on the glasses with you. And I don’t think Xander meant to hurt your feelings. I know sometimes he does, but I think this time he wasn’t,” Willow said.

Spike studied her face intently, scanning it for bullshit. Deciding that she was on the level, he softened a bit.

“So you were just being silly, were you?” Spike asked.

“Yuh-huh,” replied Willow giving him a puppy dog look. “And I really don’t think Xander meant anything by it. I mean, it’s not like you’ve ever been a nerd, Spike. You’ve been sad and pathetic a few times, but never a nerd.”

Spike smirked and shook his head. “You really know how to make a bloke feel better, Red,” he said giving her a sardonic look.

‘Course, I was a nerd over a hundred years ago. With glasses, even. But they don’t know that. ‘Course they don’t, Spike reasoned with himself. Stupid git. Getting worked up over such old business, he mentally chastised himself.

“Sorry…Forgive me?” Willow asked, giving him her I’m-too-cute-to-be-angry-at look.

Spike cocked an eyebrow at her. Then he smirked, grabbed a rainbow knit cap off the wall and pulled it down over her head and face.

“Hey~” Willow said.

“Sure, I forgive you, Red,” said Spike.

Willow pulled the cap up off her face and smiled at him.

“You’re a silly bit of fluff, you know that,” Spike said.

“Can’t I have both, Buffy? Please, please, please~” Dawn begged, holding up two snow suits.

“No, we have to budget our money. And you only need one,” said Buffy.

“Aww~” Dawn whined.

“Just pick the pink one. It’s the cutest,” Buffy said.

Dawn looked the bright pink ski suit over. She was especially fond of that one. It had a rainbow stripe across the chest and silver stripes down the sides of the arms and the pant legs. It even had more zippers than the other one. She could have happily said okay, but she had her teen pride to protect. So she rolled her eyes and sighed, “Fine~”

Buffy rolled her own eyes in response and set off to check on the others.

She found Spike over at the mirror by the hat wall, trying on a black knit cap. Buffy smiled and pointed her index finger into his back in the imitation of a gun.

“You’re under arrest, sugar!” Buffy said, in her best imitation of Foxy Brown.

Spike turned around and laughed. “Goldilocks! I didn’t know you watched Foxy Brown. Would ‘a thought that was before your time.”

“My mom used to like it when she was young. She had the movie on tape and some of the TV show too. That hat makes you look like a cat burglar, by the way.”

“Yeah, I know, pet. ‘M havin’ a really hard time finding a hat that doesn’t make me look like a complete ponce.” Then he thought for a moment and said, “Do I really need a hat, love? It’s not like I have to worry about frostbite or catchin’ my death, being already dead.”

“Yes, you need a hat. Or something. Unless you want to hear You’ll get frostbite~ from every one on the slope. Over and over.”

“Good point, pet,” Spike said, taking off the black cap and scanning the hat wall once more.

“Hey, how about some earmuffs?” Buffy asked, grabbing a pair of black ones off the rack. Hearing no protests, she put them on Spike’s head.

Spike looked himself over in the mirror. “That’ll do. ‘S not too bad.”

“Good. Do you have a snow suit picked out yet?”

“No, I figure I’ll just get a black one. There are plenty of them over there. I just have to find one that fits and I’m ready.”

“Black. Of course~” Buffy said smirking.

Spike opened his mouth in a lewd smile and stuck his tongue out at her a little as he walked past her on his way to the snowsuit section.

Buffy smiled back and then began scanning the room for Xander and Willow. The store would be closing in half an hour and she needed to get everyone moving.

The Scoobies sat around the table in the back of the RV and went over the procedure for check in time at the lodge.

“Okay, our check in time is at 6:00 AM, which means, Spike, you’ll have to bundle up and cover yourself with a blanket to get into the lodge,” Buffy said.

“You couldn’t have picked a less flammable time, pet?”

“Sorry, it’s the best I could do. Their bookings are pretty tight. On the bright side, the hotel management has bought Willow’s story about you having that disease the kids in ‘The Others’ had, the one that made them allergic to sunlight, so we’ve got some special accommodations. Basically, they’ve been instructed to keep the curtains in our room closed at all times.”

“What’s the actual name of the disease, in case someone asks?” Dawn asked.

“Xeroderma Pigmentosum,” answered Willow.

“Yeah…let’s just say he’s allergic to the sun, m’kay,” said Xander.

“Or we could say he’s photosensitive,” Dawn offered.

“Allergic - to the sun. That’s all yer getting’ outta’ me,” Xander said.

Spike grinned at all the trouble being gone to on his account.

“Anyway,” said Buffy. “Since check in time isn’t until six, we’re going to stay the night here in the ski shop lot and then drive up to the lodge when it’s time. It’s midnight now, so let’s get a little shut-eye before it’s time to go.”

The Scoobies were snuggled into their cubbies, and Spike was bedded down in his booth.

Buffy was planning on waiting till the others fell asleep and then catching some cuddle time with Spike, but before she set in for her wait she had to check in with Willow about something.

Willow…Willow, is your antenna up? Can you read me? Buffy sent.

Yes, Willow sent back. Willow could almost always pick up thoughts that were sent directly to her, thanks to all her magic mojo that was permanently part of her whether she wanted it or not.

That surprise you’ve been working on for Spike…It isn’t ready yet, by any chance, is it? sent Buffy.

Nope. One of the ingredients still has to age a bit before I can use it, sent Willow.

Okay, just checking. Night, Willow.

Night, Buffy. Sleep tight. Don’t let the vampires bite.

Buffy could hear Willow giggling softly in her cubbie.

Buffy and Spike sat in the booth, kissing tenderly. Spike felt very content as Buffy kissed his lips and then trailed kisses down his neck. He felt more than content when she trailed kisses down to his chest and then began licking and nibbling his nipples a little. He let out a few soft moaning sounds at her ministrations.

Then Buffy began moving down towards his abdomen. After kissing him there for a moment, she slid off the booth seat and under the table. She then situated herself between Spike’s legs and brought her hands up to the waistband of his sweatpants.

“Oi, maybe we should be headin’ off to the W.C. now, pet,” Spike said, stopping her hands before they could pull at the waistband.

“The what?”

“The bathroom, luv.”

“Oh…well…I figured we could just do this part here. It’s not like it’s sex-sex,” reasoned Buffy.

“So, I guess you agree with ol’ Slick Willie then?” Spike asked smirking down at her.

“Is that another British euphemism?” Buffy asked, smirking back up at him and pressing a finger to the bulge in his pants.

Spike chuckled. “Yeah, it is actually. But I was referring to your old president Clinton.”

“Oh,” Buffy responded, laughing a little.

“Oh, I know what it is,” Spike said, drawing his words out like honey. “You just don’t want to give me head on the head.” Spike giggled in a giddy, perverted little way.

Buffy sighed. “Oh, alright. You caught me. It’s just so…unromantic.”

Spike beamed down at her and chuckled again. This was so far removed from their first relationship, where romance had been the furthest thing from Buffy’s mind. His resolve to be a little more proper about their couplings began to melt. And when she nuzzled his erection, his resolve melted completely.

He released her hands and allowed her to pull his pants down. That new little conscience in his head buzzed around going, Not right. Not right.

Buffy began kissing his balls and up the base of his shaft and Spike’s reply to his conscience became, Shove it.

Spike made sighing, happy noises as Buffy reached the head of his penis and began licking it. His hips began to twitch at her teasing. Before she could put her mouth around him and begin in earnest, he gripped her shoulders and said, “Hold up. Hold up a minute, luv.”

She peeked up at him from under the table, giving him a questioning look.

“You need to make sure you hold my hips down, now. Don’t let me ram your pretty little head into the table, pet,” he replied running a hand through her hair.

Buffy nodded, pushed her palms securely down on his hips and then closed her mouth around his cock, taking him in as far as she could without gagging. Spike moaned and caressed the back of her head with his hand. When she began sucking and bobbing her head up and down his length his knuckles grazed the underside of the table.

Then she moved her mouth to the end of Spike’s cock and began sucking just the head, swirling her tongue around for good measure. Being able to make no greater sound, Spike threw his head back and whimpered.

What is she trying to do, kill me?! Spike thought as his face contorted from trying to be quiet and his whimpering became more insistent.

Finally, Buffy added a soft humming to her repertoire, sending Spike over the edge. He let out a throaty “Oh~!” as he released into her the first time and breathy “Ah~!”s as he spent himself fully. When he was done he lolled his head back panting and sighed.

After she pulled his pants back up and gave his abdomen a kiss and a nuzzle, Buffy looked up at him, decided she just had to know, and asked, “Spike, why do vampires pant sometimes?”

“Dunno’, luv,” Spike replied, still lolling in the afterglow. “Just a leftover reaction from human days I guess. All about the excitement of the moment.”

“So a panting vampire is a happy vampire,” said Buffy.

“Or a scared one, perhaps. But in this case he’s happy. Very, very happy,” Spike said, giving her one of his wicked little giggles at the end.

“Gonna’ make me happy?” Buffy asked, giving him that innocent flirty look she knew he loved.

Spike growled softly and said, “If you switch places with me.”

Buffy and Spike quickly switched places. Spike licked his lips in anticipation as he positioned himself between Buffy’s legs and tugged her p.j. bottoms and underwear down. Then, he undid a few of the bottom buttons on her shirt.

“Hey, you don’t need to take my shirt off,” Buffy said giggling.

“Just undoing a few of those buttons so I can do this-” he shoved her shirttails out of the way “-and this, too,” he moved his hands up her shirt to grab her breasts and give them a good fondling.

“Spike~!” Buffy giggled.

Spike gave her a quick giggle of his own before sliding his hands back down and dipping his head down between her legs. He showered her quim with kisses as he moved his forearms under her legs and gripped her thighs, pressing them to his shoulders.

Then Spike hummed as he moved his mouth over Buffy enthusiastically. Her thighs tightened around his head in response.

When he finally slipped his tongue inside her, Buffy pushed her back against the booth with a cushy thump and made little chipmunk noises. Spike thrust his tongue into her making audible *shlup shlup* sounds and, in the process of his vigorous tonguing, ground his nose against her clit.

Buffy could feel a cry climbing up her throat and shoved her fist against her mouth to muffle herself. At this point, it would have been good if Spike had heeded his own advice and held Buffy’s hips down.

*WHAM!!!*

At her climax Buffy’s hips had bucked up, ramming Spike’s head against the underside of the table.

The others woke up with a start and Spike slipped through Buffy’s legs and slumped to the floor, dazed. Buffy was frozen for a moment. Then she stood and pulled her pants up, just as Dawn and Willow were coming down from their bunks to see what was the matter. Xander was tangled in the sheets as usual, and struggled to get free eventually landing on the floor with a thud.

“What happened?!” asked Dawn and Willow as they made their way over towards the booth.

“Uh…um…” Buffy thought a moment. “Spike had a nightmare! Yes! A nightmare! A bad one. And he rolled onto the floor and hit his head on the table when he woke up,” she finished.

Spike moaned and rubbed his head as he came around.

“Here, let me help you,” Buffy said as she helped Spike crawl out from under the table.

Xander lumbered over to the booth to see Spike’s condition and noticed a massive amount of wetness on the vampire’s face.

“Geez, Spike! Drool much!?” Xander exclaimed.

“Ew,” said Willow and Dawn.

Buffy’s eyes widened and she quickly grabbed some napkins from the holder on the table and began wiping Spike’s face. Bless Xander’s heart for assuming it’s drool, Buffy thought as she worked to wipe all the come off.

Spike, still a little dazed, looked up at Buffy and thought, Good thing I’m a vampire, or I’d have a concussion right about now.

“Listen, why don’t you guys just go back to sleep. I can tend to Spike,” Buffy said as she threw the napkins away. Spike remained kneeling on the floor where she had left him and rubbed his head a little more.

“Okay, Buffy,” Willow said. “Feel better, Spike.”

Spike gave her a weak smile and nodded his head.

“Yeah, feel better,” Dawn said as she patted his shoulder.

“Thanks, Niblet,” Spike managed.

“And try not to scare the crap out of us next time, will ya’?” added Xander as he shook his head and went back to bed.

Buffy came back over to Spike and gave him an apologetic look as she waited for the others to drift back off to dreamland. When she was sure they were pretty much out, she whispered apologies profusely. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry,” she whispered rapidly as she stroked his head where she had rammed it.

“You’re dangerous, pet,” Spike said, cocking an eyebrow at her.

Buffy sighed and helped him to his feet.

A warm smile crept over Spike’s face, becoming a sly grin, as he said, “If you’re gonna’ bang my head, ‘least you could do is bang the rest of me.”

Buffy raised an eyebrow at him, and then gave in to a small chuckle. Then she looked up as if she had to think about it and said, “Well…It would make too much noise if I banged you. How about I screw you instead?”

“’M not picky,” Spike said, smiling and grabbing her hand to lead her to the bathroom.

“And from now on - the bathroom. Only in the bathroom. What’d you call it?”

“The W.C., luv. Stands for water closet, case you were wonderin’.”

“Right. W.C. – water closet. How appropriate,” Buffy said, committing the colloquialism to memory.

After they walked into the little bathroom, Buffy slid the folding door shut and locked it. Spike immediately pulled off his pants and lay down on the carpeting, ready for action. Buffy stifled a laugh as she saw him lying there, his arms folded behind his head and his erect penis sticking up in the air. He beamed up at her with an anticipatory and rather goofy grin.

Buffy pulled off her own clothes and then bent over him, straddling his waist. She pressed a kiss to his lips before sitting up and sliding back and onto his erection. Spike moaned low in his chest and ran his hands up her thighs and around to her bottom. He used his hands to lift her up and she hovered over his cock for a moment while he gave her a questioning look as if to say, Can I?

After a brief moment of almost losing her balance, Buffy nodded her head yes. Then, she put her hands over his and tucked her legs up as he lowered her down onto his waiting cock. She shuddered at the sensation.

As Spike continued to move her up and down his shaft, Buffy quivered and he let out shaky moaning sounds. “Love you,” he whispered. And then Spike began arching his hips up into her as he brought her down, causing his pelvic bone to strike her clit and producing happy little cries from her. As Spike increased his pace, she began to cry out a little bit louder.

Spike’s moaning went from shaky to sobbing. “Need to hear it, luv,” Spike said, his voice strangled. “Need to hear it,” he repeated, almost in a whisper.

It? What’s ‘it’? Buffy struggled to comprehend his request, her head falling back as she neared climax.

“Please…Please, luv. Need to hear it~,” Spike said, sounding more than a little desperate.

What?- Buffy thought before her orgasm overtook her and conscious thinking ceased. Spike arched his back and let out a shuddery moan, but refused to come.

As Buffy came down from her climax, Spike continued his sobbing moaning, punctuating it with a ‘please’ every now and then. His eyes were screwed shut and his brow knit in concentration.

Able to think again, she gazed down at him and tried once more to decipher his request. What could he possibly want to hear so desperately- and then it struck her. Love!

“Love!” Buffy said with a gasp. “Love you, Spike~ William~ I love you.”

Spike let out a shuddering and ecstatic cry as he came immediately, pushing his head back against the carpet and jerking his body up. Spike convulsed and let out small shuddering cries as he spent into her in rapid succession. Buffy felt another orgasm rush over her, hard and fast, as he bucked into her. She came with a deep gasp and a quivery cry of her own.

Spike collapsed on the floor under her and shivered. Buffy straddled him, panting, and placed her hands on his firm belly. Poor guy just wanted an ‘I love you’, Buffy thought, as she watched him come down from his orgasm. Didn’t want anything dirty or kinky or even a little bit naughty…Just love. She felt a little bit guilty that she was at least partially responsible for sex not being a guaranteed indicator of that on her part.

She bent down and placed deep, wet kisses up the center of his chest.

“You know this means love now, right?” she asked, bringing her arms up around his neck and hugging him close. “When I screw you, or bang you, or whatever euphemism you want to use- it’s love now. You know I love you, Spike.”

Spike drew his arms around her and began a loud purring from deep in his chest. The vibrations felt soothing against Buffy’s breast.

“I know, luv. Know I’m being silly. Just…needed to hear it,” he said kissing the top of her head.

Buffy smiled and cuddled him, stroking his shoulder and chest. “Silly vampire.”

Spike gave her a little growl before sighing and drifting off to sleep.

Soon, Buffy would have to get up, get them dressed and carry Spike back to the booth (without waking him if she could.) She wanted to enjoy the afterglow just a little while longer, but she didn’t dare go to sleep. It wouldn’t do to wake up in the morning to a banging at the bathroom door.

When she finally carried Spike back to the booth, she gently laid him down and then lay on top of him. She pulled the blanket over her shoulders and snuggled in for sleep.

As the Winnebago trundled up the mountain pass towards the Red Lodge, the gang noticed a sharp drop in temperature. A chill passed through all the humans and they quickly pulled sweaters on over their summer shirts.

“Brrr!” exclaimed Buffy. “Hey, Spike? Do you need me to take the wheel so you can put on a sweater or something?”

Spike chuckled.

“Oh, yeah. Vampire. Right. Well, just put one on before we go outside then,” said Buffy.

Dawn hopped to the front and clicked the heater into high gear. She sat in the passenger seat and held her hands in front of the vents. She looked out the windshield and watched the scenery go by. The windows began to fog with her breath so Spike flicked on the defroster.

“Excited, Bit?” Spike asked.

“Yeah,” said Dawn. “I haven’t been skiing since I was a little girl. Before the divorce.”

And then she caught sight of the lodge. “There it is! There it is!” Dawn shouted, pointing towards the quaint brick lodge looming on the horizon.

The others walked to the front and looked out the windshield. Dawn bounced up and down in her seat.

“Ooo~, it’s so cute!” exclaimed Willow.

Buffy and Xander smiled and nodded their heads as they gazed out. Xander put his arm around Willow and gave her a friendly squeeze while Buffy put her hand on Spike’s shoulder.

“Spike! You’re like ice!” Buffy said drawing her hand back.

Xander chuckled. “Yeah, ‘ol Captain Peroxide’s a real vampsicle by now, I bet!”

Spike pulled the Winnebago to a bumpy stop in the Red Lodge’s parking lot and ground the gears into park. “All right, here we are,” he said.

“You don’t sound too enthusiastic,” Buffy said.

“Not really looking forward to my daylight run, pet.” Spike sighed and got up from his seat. While Buffy gave instructions to the others, Spike pulled on a black sweater, jacket, gloves, and a furry hat with earflaps. Finally, he swirled a thick blanket around his body and head.

After suiting up, Willow and Xander walked briskly out the door of the Winnebago and up to lodge. They stood ready to open the big wooden doors of the lodge for Spike. Then, Buffy and Dawn pulled on the rest of their winter gear and walked out the Winnebago’s door, holding it open.

Spike gingerly stepped down to the doorway and steeled himself. He tightened the blanket around him and licked his lips. Then he was off like a flash, running towards the lodge doors at breakneck speed. Willow and Xander flung them open and Spike raced inside. Smoke rose off of him and he shivered with a hot, unpleasant, prickly sensation. He took off the blanket and hat as the rest of the party entered the lodge.

The receptionist at the check-in desk stared at the smoldering bleached blonde. She eyed him and the group he was with warily. “May I help you?” she asked.

“Hi. Yeah. I’m Buffy Summers. I have a reservation,” Buffy said as she and the group walked up to the desk.

The receptionist typed the keyboard of her computer and then said, “Oh, Ms. Summers! Of course! Here you are…Let’s see…It says here that a member of your party is…allergic to sunlight?” she asked glancing in Spike’s direction.

“Yes, it’s a rare skin condition,” said Buffy.

“Xeroderma Pigmentosum,” Willow chimed in.

“Ah, um…yes. Well, we have your room all set up Ms. Summers. And the maids have all been given special instructions to close the blinds and leave them closed for the duration of your stay. Before I give you your room keys, I just have a few simple forms for you to fill out.” The receptionist handed them each a form that stated that the lodge would not be held responsible for any injuries incurred during the course of skiing, and warned them of the extra danger that went along with night skiing.

After they signed the forms, the receptionist handed them each one plastic keycard and a pamphlet detailing the rules of the lodge and a map of the various slopes with information on skill levels required and so forth. Finally she said, “Please enjoy your stay and thank you for choosing The Red Lodge. Mary will show you up to your room.” She motioned to a short dark haired maid.

The maid led them upstairs to their room. It was a spacious suite with four twin beds, a big couch, a good-sized TV, a VCR, and a full bathroom.

Xander whistled. “How are we affording this?”

“When everybody chips in, it all adds up,” answered Buffy.

“Everyone except for Spike,” Xander said.

“Fuck you,” Spike snapped.

“Spike- Language! Xander- It’s not like Spike can go out and get a job. What with his ‘sun allergy’ an’ all,” Buffy chastised.

“What are you being so sensitive for anyway, Spike? It’s not like you’ve minded being a freeloader before,” said Xander.

“Didn’t have a conscience to bother me before, fuckwit,” Spike said.

“All right you two, go to a neutral corner. And Spike, stop using the f-word in front of Dawn,” said Buffy.

Dawn rolled her eyes. “Please. I hear it all the time in movies. How many times have I seen Pulp Fiction?”

“Kid’s gotta’ point there, Buff,” said Xander. Then he noticed the maid still standing in the doorway. “Uh, I think someone needs to tip the maid.”

While Xander and Buffy discussed what exactly you tip a maid, Dawn explored the room and Willow and Spike sat down on the couch.

“Don’t feel bad about not having anything to contribute, Spike. If my mom hadn’t given me a bunch of money for the summer, I’d be a freeloader too,” said Willow. “Actually, we probably wouldn’t have been able to even afford the trip.”

“Yeah,” Spike said smiling slightly at her as he grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. He flipped around for a while and then tossed the remote down on the couch. “I wonder if they have a mini bar?”

“No! No mini bar! Those things are too expensive,” Buffy said turning in the direction of Spike.

Xander finished tipping the maid and closed the door after she left. “No mini bar?! Aww!”

“And we need to talk about sleeping arrangements since there are only four beds,” said Buffy.

“Why don’t you and Spike just share a bed. You always end up sleeping with him anyway,” said Dawn.

After receiving shocked stares from everyone, Dawn added, “I meant that in the actual going to sleep way, not in a horizontal polka kinda way~! Sheesh!”

Buffy and Spike looked at each other and said, “Fine with me.”

Drusilla had trouble getting up the mountain pass in the little corvette. It kept sliding on the slushy roads and threatening to crash into the mountainside.

Finally, she managed to make her way to The Red Lodge. She looked out the window at the Winnebago, but sensed it was empty. Then she looked up at the sun shining outside and pouted.

“Not fair~,” she said giving the door a petulant kick.

Since there was no blanket in the car she would have to wait until nightfall.

Dru fell back against the seat with a huff and promptly fell asleep.

“Miss Edith, you’ve been naughty,” she mumbled in her sleep. “And now you won’t get cake…Or pudding…Or pie…Mmmm…blow out the candles…”

When the alarm buzzed on the bedside table, Dawn shot up from her bed and proclaimed, “It’s ski time!!” She hopped up and down excitedly. Everyone had waited for evening on account of Spike, and Dawn was itching to ski. She grabbed her ski suit and clothes and rushed into the bathroom to change and freshen up.

Willow stretched in her bed and rubbed her eyes, while Xander yawned and looked around the room bleary-eyed.

Buffy lifted her head from Spike’s chest and sat up on their bed. “Guess Dawn has first dibs on the bathroom this evening.”

“Yeah, Little Bit sure is excited,” Spike said swinging his legs over the side of the bed. Then he stood up and stretched before leaning down and giving Buffy a quick peck on the lips. She put her fingers to her lips as she watched him make his way over to the cooler by the couch. He pulled out a sports jug filled with blood, flipped the top, and began to drink.

Xander watched whole the scene with a sour look on his face. Okay, never mind anything else- She’s kissing a guy that drinks blood. Yuck! I bet he tastes all coppery. Xander scrunched up his face and shook his head. Ugh! Bad brain! Why did you think that?! What did I ever do to you??

“Are you okay, Xander?” Willow asked, noticing his look.

“Huh? Yeah, I’m okay, Wills. Just got a…bad taste in my mouth,” Xander replied.

Dawn popped out of the bathroom in full ski gear. “Come on, guys~! We’re burnin’ moonlight here!”

As soon as the sun had set, Drusilla hopped out of the corvette and slammed the door, glad to be out of the cramped space. She smoothed her red gown and looked around.

The first thing she noticed was that the mountain peaks had lights on top of them. And some had lights going down them as well. She stared at them, transfixed. Have the stars come down from the heavens?

Drusilla’s trance was broken when a woman approached her and said in a lilting Southern accent, “Sugar, you shouldn’t be out here in that dress. You don’t even have a coat on. You need to get in out of this cold.”

Drusilla looked at the woman. She was middle-aged, with poofy red hair that had been hairsprayed to within an inch of its life and big, red, dangly earrings. She was wearing a garish multicolored ski suit that was iridescent in the moonlight. Dru liked her immediately and would have eaten her on the spot if the woman had been a bit younger.

“C’mon now, sugar. Let’s get you inside,” she said, leading Drusilla towards the lodge.

Dru let herself be led in. “Thank you, mum. I was busy looking at the stars and forgot my coat,” Dru said when they were inside.

“Busy looking at the stars~?!” the woman laughed. Then she led Drusilla over to the fireplace in the lobby. “Now you just sit right down by this fire, sweet thing, and warm yourself up. You’re like ice~!”

Dru looked into the woman’s eyes as she rubbed Dru’s hands, trying in vain to get them warm. “What’s your name, mum?”

“Mabel.”

“That’s a pretty name,” said Dru.

“What’s yours, darlin’?” asked Mabel.

“Drusilla.”

“Oh my, isn’t that exotic~! And very lovely, dear,” Mabel said.

“Mabel,” Dru began, putting the southern lady in a thrall, “Are you here alone?” Dru was very hungry and decided that she liked the woman good enough to eat her anyway.

“Yes,” Mabel answered.

Dru glanced at the receptionist, who was busy at her computer. Then she turned back to Mabel and said, “Come with me, Mabel dear.”

“All right, sugar.”

Drusilla led Mabel down a dark hallway off of the lobby. She turned a corner and then stopped. Dru morphed into vamp face and fed off of Mabel, but just enough to make the hunger subside. When she pulled back, she changed into her human face.

“Will you be my Mummy for a little bit, Miss Mabel?” Dru asked.

“All right, sugar,” Mabel replied as if Dru had just asked her for a tissue or spare pen.

“Then I should have a key to our room. Let’s ask the nice reception lady to give us an extra key, Mummy.”

“Sure, we’ll get you a key, sugar pie.”

Dru smiled.

The ski slopes were filled with long-haired stoners giving each other high fives and saying “Whoa~” a lot.

“Hey, this is one gnarly run, dude~!” said one of them to his buddy, as they jostled past the Scoobies to the edge of the slope.

“Maybe there’s a college tour group here or something,” Willow suggested.

“Yeah, and I’ll give you three guesses which movie is playing on the hotel movie channel,” said Xander.

“Something with Keanu Reeves in it?” guessed Buffy.

“Yeah…could be,” said Xander nodding his head, “Although, I was thinking more along the lines of ‘Better Off Dead’.”

“Oh! I love that movie!” exclaimed Willow. “Two dollars~!”

Xander chuckled, but the rest of the group gave her a strange look.

Spike turned around and prepared to go down the slope. The particular one they were on had lights going all the way down the mountain. Only the mountains without any trees were unlit, slope-wise. He adjusted his gear while Willow and Xander giggled behind him.

“Do you have any idea what the street value of this mountain is~?! It’s pure snow~!” said Xander.

Willow giggled.

“I think you’ve frozen the left side of your brain,” Spike said.

“You know the lines!” Xander said gleefully and gave Spike a hardy push, sending him down the mountain with less than good footing.

“Buggerrrrrrrrrrr~!” Spike yelled as he flew down the mountain flailing his arms to keep his balance.

Xander hissed through his teeth and yelled down, “Sorry, man!”

The girls gave him squeamy looks.

“He’s gonna’ kick my ass, isn’t he?” Xander asked.

“It’s a possibility,” said Dawn.

“Why don’t one of you girls go down first and talk him out of it,” Xander said. “Buffy~! Why don’t you do it? If anyone can, it’s you.”

Buffy smiled and rolled her eyes then made her way to the edge of the slope.

Drusilla watched them through a pair of binoculars she nicked from a tourist. She was taken aback when she saw the boy apparently push Spike down the slope. As she watched her former paramour flail about down the mountain she said, “Sweet Willie’s friends aren’t playing very nice.”

She watched the Slayer go down followed by the rest.

And on and on it went. Up and down and all around, dashing through the snow. She was only watching that night, looking to see who the weaker members of the herd were on the snow.

She decided that the little girl was the weakest. Followed by the boy and the witch. The Slayer and her Spike were the strongest. The strongest had to be taken down first. Without their support, the witch would be easier to catch. If she were just going for a meal she would take the little glowing girl.

“But I must take them silently if I can. Shhh. Shhh. Don’t want the world to come down. Must kill her. Turn her. Before she knows what’s happening,” Dru said and then began humming ‘To Dream the Impossible Dream.’

A robust, white-haired old man with a large handlebar mustache walked by Drusilla, heard her humming and began singing the lyrics. “To dream the impossible dream~ To live the impossible- Hrk!” Drusilla bit down into his neck before he could go any further. She was terribly hungry and everyone at the lodge was either old or stoned it seemed. Except for the receptionists and maids, but they would be missed and their deaths would arouse suspicion. And she was enjoying Mabel’s company too much to finish her yet. She was contemplating turning her.

After the old man dropped to the ground, she held her fingers over the bite mark and said, “Corrigete.” The bite mark vanished as the skin repaired itself under her fingers. It didn’t make him any less dead, but now his death could be blamed on a heart attack.

Drusilla walked inside the lodge, her furry long coat (‘borrowed’ from Mabel) whipping out behind her. She came up to a young woman in a lodge uniform and tapped her on the shoulder. “Pardon, miss. I fear there’s been an unfortunate occurrence,” Dru said giving the woman her best sad look.

The next evening, the Scoobies caught the ‘evening breakfast’ service. The lodge had set out a spread of blueberry pancakes, eggs in three different varieties, Belgian waffles and an assortment of breakfast meats. Everyone ate heartily.

When Xander noticed Spike snorking down the food as if he were starving he felt compelled to ask at last, “Spike…Why in God’s name do you eat human food like that? It’s not like it does you any good.”

“It tastes good,” Spike replied after swallowing a chunk of pancake. “Why else would I eat it?”

Xander shook his head. “You are a strange, strange vampire.”

Spike forked three strips of bacon and shoved them in his mouth. “Mmmm~,” he intoned smirking at Xander.

Buffy turned her attention from the boys to Willow who was looking out the window across from their table.

“Hey, Wills. What’s up?” Buffy asked walking over with her plate of food.

“Dunno’. There’s a bunch of guys taking stuff out of that building over there and putting it in metal crates,” Willow said pointing at the scene.

“Hm,” said Buffy and then she caught a waitress going by and asked, “Excuse me, could you tell us what’s going on outside.”

The waitress looked out the window and said, “Oh, the owner is here packing up some supplies for a trip to Africa.”

“Oh,” said Willow. “Why metal crates? Wood’s gotta be cheaper.”

“He’s a little…eccentric. He thinks thieves will be less likely to steal his stuff if it’s bolted in metal crates,” the waitress said.

“He’s had a lot of stuff stolen then?” asked Buffy.

“No,” replied the waitress.

“Eccentric you say?” Buffy said raising her eyebrows.

The waitress left to tend to another table and Willow said, “At least it’s nothing sinister.”

Dru watched them coming out of the lodge, all suited up and ready to ski. They made their way over to the ski lift and chose a slope that pleased Dru immensely. The slope in question contained several shelves of flat land next to the course, one of which contained a pond.

When Dru saw that the procession was forming to her advantage as well, she ran and then literally flew up the mountain using her magic to boost her already impressive vampire speed.

Dru made her way to the shelf of flat land that had the pond. Then she made her way across the course and lay in wait in the trees across from it.

Soon the little girl, the witch, and the boy came swooshing down the slope. She let them go. Then the Slayer came by. And Dru let her go, too. Finally, her first target was coming into view.

She pounced out from the trees, tackling and knocking Spike down sideways. They slid onto the shelf of flat land and to the edge of the pond.

“Hello, darling,” she said as she punched a hole through the ice next to Spike’s head.

“Dru-!” Spike gasped, stunned for a moment. And then he tried to roll away from her. Unfortunately, his skis made it impossible. Spike reached down and released the locks holding the ski boots to the skis. He heard the click of the lock release and then his head was in the water as Dru pushed it through the ice.

Dru stomped Spike in the gut and his skis popped off. The ice cracked and the hole widened enough for Dru to kick Spike all the way into the pond.

Spike was pissed when he felt his whole body go under the freezing water. It was cold, uncomfortably so, even for him. He thrashed his way towards the surface growling.

“Circumgelete!” Dru said and the ice reformed over the pond and hardened. Spike smashed up against it pounding and howling. His features had morphed into his vampire visage. He clawed at the surface and kicked with his feet to no avail.

Drusilla knelt down and brought her face close to the ice over his. “Mummy’s learned some new tricks.”

Now it wasn’t only anger that clenched at Spike’s gut, but fear as well. Magic! Powerful magic! Oh, God! She’ll go after the others next! Spike screamed and pounded at the ice in a panic.

Buffy looked behind her and still saw no Spike. Her Slayer sense tingled giving her a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She turned forward to see Willow and Xander still digging Dawn out of the snow embankment she had crashed into.

“Dawnie, are you sure you’re all right,” Willow asked.

“Yeah, I’m just a little stuck,” Dawn said, her butt still lodged in the snow pile.

“Hey, Buff! C’mon and give us a hand,” said Xander.

“Sorry, I’m just-…Dawn, you’re okay, right?” asked Buffy.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Dawn said.

“Spike should have made his way here by now. I’m a little worried,” Buffy said.

“Go on and check. We can take care of Dawn,” said Willow.

“Thanks,” Buffy said and then released her boots from her skis and ran up the slope.

“Spike! Spike~!” called out Buffy as she ran up the mountain. “Spiiiike~!”

Buffy stopped to lean against a tree for a moment. “Spike, Goddammit, where are you?” she said panting.

Then she heard what sounded like a faint pounding up ahead and slightly to her right. She ran in the direction of the sound and came upon the pond and Drusilla.

“Drusilla?!” Buffy said stunned and frozen to the spot. Then she looked around. “Spike??”

“Not to worry. He’s safely tucked away.” Dru tapped the toe of her shoe on the surface of the pond to indicate.

*Tap.*Tap.*Tap.*

With a fierce look, Buffy broke a nice pointy branch off a tree and lunged after Dru.

“Acritudo!” Dru said, sending an energy ball into Buffy. It knocked Buffy off her feet and to the edge of the pond.

“What the f-” said Buffy looking down at her slightly scorched ski jacket. “Oh. My. God.” Buffy quickly moved out of the way of another energy ball. “Oh, shit!” Buffy dodged more of Dru’s magical attacks until suddenly an idea struck her.

Buffy flung herself onto the ice belly first and slid into Dru’s feet knocking her down. Dru let out a high pitched growl and began tussling with Buffy. They punched and kicked and pulled at each other’s hair.

Spike continued to pound and claw at the ice, demon going full blast. Finally giving up on the ice he clutched his head in frustration. Okay, demon not helping here. Need to calm down, Spike thought. He struggled to reign himself in. As he calmed, his human face came back to the fore.

Spike looked around under the pond, hoping to see some way out. Let’s see…what do I see…Hmmm…Dirt. Dirt. More dirt. Ice. Bugger. No- wait! Dirt! I’ll dig my way out! On the edge! Spike swam to the edge and began clawing at the earth. He dug fiercely with both hands, flinging clumps of hard wet dirt behind him.

Above the surface, Buffy finally got the upper hand when she picked up a sizeable log and swung it at Drusilla. “Vamp~ baseball~!” Buffy yelled as she hit Dru outta’ the park. Dru hit a tree across the way with a loud crack and was knocked out cold.

Then Buffy noticed the silence. No pounding sounds from the pond. She dropped her log and gasped. “Spike!” She looked into the pond, getting down on her hands and knees, searching. “Spike! Spike, where are you?” She pawed the surface in a panic. He can’t drown. Can extreme cold get him? Then she heard a scruffling sound through the ice. She followed it and finally found Spike attempting to dig his way to freedom.

“Spike, thank God! I’m gonna’ try and help you out,” Buffy said as she moved to the ground at the edge of the pond. She knelt down and began digging as fast as she could. The ground was cold and hard, though, and she wasn’t making much headway. Buffy felt her hands begin to prickle painfully from the cold and go numb. “Dammit!”

Spike finally managed to get a hand out and continued his efforts. His hand slid out from under the surface of the ice as he continued to dig.

This is going too slow. We need Willow, Buffy thought.

Buffy stopped Spike’s hand from digging and squeezed it as hard as she could with her numb fingers. “I’m going to get Willow! Hold on!” Buffy yelled.

Buffy ran as fast as she could back to Willow and the others and came back shortly dragging Willow by the wrist behind her.

“Ouch,” Willow said, rubbing her wrist after being released.

“Oh, I’m sorry Willow~! It’s just Spike- He’s under- He’s in the pond- But there’s ice-” Buffy said, panting and gasping for air.

“Spike’s trapped in the pond?” Willow asked, with a puzzled look on her face.

“Yes! Dru- She’s here- Got magic- Made the ice all hard and unbreaky,” Buffy said still out of breath. “Come on~ Undo it! Undo it!”

“O-okay~ Chill, Buffy,” Willow said. Then she walked to the edge of the pond and held her hands over it. The ice dissolved instantly into steam and Spike was finally free. Buffy helped him out of the pond, taking the sopping, ice-cold vampire by the arm.

“B-Bugger, that’s cold!” Spike said. “Good thing I can’t get frostbite.”

“I think you would have died of hypothermia by now if you were human,” said Willow.

“Good thing I’m not, then,” said Spike. The moisture on his skin, hair and clothes was quickly becoming ice giving him a freezer-burned look.

Drusilla finally woke up only to have a sheet of snow fall on her from the tree above. She shook the snow off with a growl and headed back for the lake.

Xander and Dawn made their way to the pond at last.

“What’s going on?” asked Dawn.

“Holy shnikes! Drusilla!” Xander exclaimed staggering and pointing in the direction of the slightly snowy Drusilla.

Dru snarled and her eyes darted around sizing up the situation and number. Before she could decide, Willow made up her mind for her. “Malleolus!” Willow yelled, sending bolts of fire Drusilla’s way in great fiery tendrils. Dru threw herself down into the snow, barely managing to avoid the flames. The trees around her blazed, going up like kindling. Dru picked herself up and fled.

Run, run as fast as you can~ You’ll never catch me. I’m the gingerbread man, Dru thought as she raced away.

Buffy and Spike took off after her on foot while the rest of the Scoobies ran down to get their skis and join the pursuit. Eventually, Drusilla had all of them on her tail. They chased her all the way to the loading area that Buffy and Willow had seen at evening breakfast.

Drusilla dove away from Buffy and Spike as they attempted to pounce on her. She slid into one of the metal crates, hitting the inside wall with a clang. The crate was full of ammo. Dru crawled behind a stack of it and held her head.

When the Scoobies attempted to continue the chase and go in for the kill, they were stopped by security. “Hey! This area is off limits to guests. Sorry,” the man in a blue security uniform said with his arms outstretched to block their passage. Before they could even get out a ‘but,’ two workers shoved some more ammo into Dru’s crate and bolted it shut.

“Okay, mister. We won’t go any further in. I promise,” Buffy said backing off.

“That’s better,” the guard said and then moved on.

Willow, Dawn, and Xander flicked the release levers on their skis, stepped out of them and stared with Buffy and Spike at the crate containing Dru. Stenciled on the side of the crate were the words:

DESTINATION:

AUBUDAHBI

“Well, I guess Drusilla’s going on a little trip,” Xander said jovially.

“I hope they open it in broad daylight,” said Buffy placing her hands on her hips and squinting at the crate.

At the mention of daylight, Spike looked over to the horizon. The sun was about to rise.

“Bloody hell! The sun!” Spike said.

“Hold on,” Willow said as she took off her scarf. Then she wrapped it around Spike’s neck and head.

With all of Spike’s skin now covered and the sun on the rise, they all beat a hasty retreat to the lodge. Spike ran in smoking but unharmed. He ripped the scarf from his face. “Bloody hell~” he said running a hand through his now-moist hair.

“That was freaky,” said Dawn.

“Yeah~” Willow said shuddering at the thought of Drusilla having access to magiks powerful enough to work the spell on the lake.

Buffy put her hand on Spike’s shoulder and rubbed his arm reassuringly.

“See, I knew it! Well, not in the actually knowing sense…but I knew it! The Red Lodge equals bad magambo,” said Xander. “The owls are not what they seem, my friends.”

“Words to live by,” Buffy said wryly.

Later, some of the hotel workers would swear that they heard one of the crates moan.

--- To be continued

Grrrr! Arg!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Send all comments, or critiques to sailorlum@sailorlum.com.

Next à