Summer Vacation: Chapter Two

It’s A Small, Small, Small, Small World

By Sailor Lum

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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.)

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

Continuity note: This story takes place after “Winnebago to Paradise”, 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. See the prequel From Then Till Now for the details of what happens in Sunnydale between Showtime and Summer Vacation.

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“Ok, this is for the game,” Dawn stated as she pulled out a question card from her team’s box. Team Willow and Spike were currently mopping the floor with Team Dawn and Xander. “In Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Pit and the Pendulum’, what group is responsible for the torture of the main character?”

“The Spanish Inquisition!” Spike and Willow answered in unison.

“You’re right,” Dawn sighed, as the Winnebago lurched over a bump in the road.

“Ha ha ha ha,” Willow gloated, “We are the champions of Trivial Pursuit!”

“It’s a dream come true,” Spike added sarcastically.

“How do you guys know all this stuff!” Xander wailed, throwing his hands up in frustration.

Buffy’s laughter wafted back to their booth. “I take it Willow and Spike won?” she asked, raising her voice so they could hear her from her place in the driver’s seat.

“Yeah, we won, Goldilocks,” Spike replied as he sauntered up to the front of the RV, while Xander and Dawn grumbled in the background.

Spike stood behind Buffy’s seat and bent over it to drape his arms around her. He hugged her, and consequently the seat, to him and nuzzled her hair. He smiled as he inhaled the scent of her shampoo. Today she smelled of lavender. He could hear the sound of her heartbeat. It was speeding up.

They could feel Xander’s glare. He had swiveled his seat around and was indeed glaring at them, narrowing his eyes. At Spike. Buffy had a nagging urge to shoo Spike away. What, like he’s some dirty little secret again? That’s not how it is now, she admonished herself, He’s become a good man. He went out of his way to do it. There’s no need to be ashamed now. I can love him if I want to. She was speeding.

“Careful, luv. You’ll get a ticket,” Spike said quietly.

She eased her foot off the accelerator, slowing the RV down to a normal highway speed.

“Am I making you nervous?” he asked quietly.

“It’s not really you. It’s Xander. I can feel his glare.”

“Bloody wanker.”

“Yeah, sometimes,” Buffy replied smiling. “But he means well.”

“The road to Hell…” began Spike.

“I know. Paved with good intentions,” she finished, the smile still playing on her lips.

Spike smiled, satisfied that she wouldn’t be trying to hide their relationship. Although, probably we better not let on that we had sex under the table, he thought, knitting his brow a little, That wouldn’t go over too well no matter who was havin’ a go at it down there. She could have been doin’ it with Captain Cardboard, and it would still make them all pretty uncomfortable. Lost in thought, he didn’t hear her speaking his name until she used his original one.

“Spike…Spike...Hellooo…Earth to Spike……William?”

“Sorry, luv. Spaced out,” he finally replied.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Buffy said in a soft, chipper tone.

“I was just thinkin’ that we might not want to let on that we were having it off. Yet. Don’t want to upset the natives this early in the trip. Especially since we were doing it while they were basically sleeping in the same room,” Spike replied, making double sure he spoke so that only she could hear him.

“Really?” Buffy said with good-natured sarcasm.

“DroopyBoy is ready to stake me as it is,” Spike half joked. “And after all we’ve been through,” he added with mock indignity.

Buffy giggled.

“Also…Would you still call me ‘Spike’ in front of the others, pet? ‘William’ is not…It’s just that... Hell, luv, ‘Spike’ is a much cooler name, that’s all.”

“I guess,” agreed Buffy with a small smile, “But I like William. I think it’s a nice name. And it’s your real name.”

“You can still call me William in private,” Spike assured her. “I like it when you call me that in private. Like it when you use my chosen name too,” he added.

Buffy grinned wickedly and offered, “Maybe I should call you both. You could be my Spikey William.”

Spike chuckled, “I like that…But, please, luv, don’t call me that in public. That’s worse than just William.”

Xander wasn’t able to hear their conversation, but he heard them giggling like school children. And he didn’t like it. It made him sick. What is it with Buffy and the undead boyfriends? Why, Lord? Why, didn’t she stick with Riley? Nice, almost completely normal except for the military commando thing Riley. And let’s just forget a moment that Spike’s a vampire – last year, he still…he almost…he tried to… Xander closed his eyes and grimaced. And sighed. He and Buffy had already had this discussion. And he knew on some level that having a soul made a difference. It’s one of the few reasons he hadn’t staked him. That and he’d get his butt kicked since Spike didn’t have the chip anymore. Plus, Buffy would rip all his arms and legs off for even trying. And, as much as it disturbed him, Spike was a full-fledged Scoobie now and he couldn’t just stake him in the back. And she’s happy, dammit. Listen to her. When is the last time I heard Buffy giggle like that? It’s not like he completely hated him. But not like! Never like!

“Stupid, vampire,” Xander muttered under his breath as he got up and began rummaging through the fridge, trying to ignore the large containers of blood filling the top shelf, “Stupid vampire, with your stupid blood, and your stupid bleached blond hair.”

“And let’s not forget my bloody stupid hearing!” Spike bellowed back to him from the front.

Xander jumped as if someone had given him a good poke with a cattle prod. Willow and Dawn disintegrated into laughter.

“You got busted!” Dawn teased, still laughing.

“Aw, c’mon Xander,” Willow said with a gleam in her eyes, “Lighten up! This is our vacation. Away from the Hellmouth. No more First! Well, technically we can’t get rid of The First, but hey, balance restored!”

Xander smiled. Yeah, life was pretty good. Even with Spike.

They spent the first week just rambling about the Western part of the country. A museum here, a fair there, a tourist trap or two. Just decompressing and not doing much of anything. It was a nice change of pace from their normal routine of fighting this or that. There was just one problem…

“Buffy~! We’re out of Ho-ho’s~!” Xander shouted as he popped the last one into his mouth.

“Say it, don’t spray it, mate!” Spike said as he wiped Ho-ho crumbs from his cheek.

“Bite me,” Xander said through spongy devil’s food cake and creamy filling.

“Boys, play nice! Xander, we’ll make sure to get some Ho-ho’s! There’s a 7-11 at the next exit!” Buffy shouted from the front. She was playing navigator for Willow, who needed all her concentration on the road. It was pitch black and this particular stretch of highway was seriously lacking in illumination.

Willow sighed with relief when she was finally off the highway and into the well-lit parking lot of the 7-11.

Buffy assembled the troops in the center of the cabin.

“All right, here are your assignments…Dawn, you’re on milk and bread patrol. Willow, you’ve got toiletries and napkins. I’ll get cheese and produce. Xander and Spike, you get snack food. You have your assignments, let’s go.” Buffy clapped her hands together to signal the beginning of the mission.

“I’ll get baked goods, you get chips,” Xander said, turning to Spike.

“Right,” Spike nodded his head.

They filed out of the big Winnebago, shoes clapping on the pavement as they went.

Spike strolled down the chip aisle, picking up anything that looked interesting. BBQ Tortilla Chips, Spicy Buffalo Chips, and his favorite, the best barbecue chips on the face of the earth, Grippo’s Bar-B-Q Potato Chips. These were the best because the spicy-sweet barbecue powder was caked generously on the chips and his nose tingled when he ate them.

After making his selections he strolled back down the aisle picking up a selection of blander chips for the others. By the time he was finished, his arms were overloaded.

“Whelp, guess this’ll do,” he said as he began to make his way to the checkout.

Then he spied them. Onion Flavored Snack Rings.

“Oh, gotta’ have some,” Spike said, sounding almost sexual in his lust for the onion ring snack food.

Unfortunately, his arms were full. After pondering a moment, he bent his head down and picked them up with his teeth. Then he sauntered up to the front, the small green bag dangling from his mouth as he went.

Xander was already there, arms loaded with an impressive collection of his own.

“Wow, man. We are set for snacks,” Xander said. “Although, those Onion Ring things are definitely yours,” he added eyeing the bag dangling from Spike’s mouth with mild disgust. He’s probably slobbering all over it. Ick.

Spike muffled something unintelligible in return.

When Xander turned around to unload his booty, he found that the girls had sneaked in behind him and laid their stuff on the counter.

“Hey!” Xander said.

“You snooze, you lose,” said Buffy.

Spike chuckled and smiled around the little green bag.

“Yeah, well you’re left holding a bunch of crap too,” Xander said, glancing back in Spike’s direction.

Spike shrugged. He didn’t care. Holding a bunch of snack food bags was no strain at all.

Buffy smiled. She was on a real vacation, with her best friends and family, doing normal things that normal people do. She would have to make sure to bring back something special for Faith, who had agreed to watch Sunnydale while they were gone. Good ol’ Faith. Hope Andrew’s still alive when we get back.

Just as Xander was spilling his goods onto the counter, a familiar man in army fatigues walked in.

Riley Finn stopped in his tracks when he saw Buffy and the Scoobies…which now included Spike, apparently.

“Hey, Buffy. Everyone,” Riley said, nodding a hello.

Oh god, no… Buffy thought. Please don’t let there be some big military demon hunting operation. Please please please, no demons, Lord spare me from demons.

“Hey! What are you doing here?” Buffy asked.

“Just getting some snacks for the troops. We’re having a training operation in the desert south of here,” Riley replied.

Phew! Thank you Lord!

“So, they told me you had the chip removed from Spike. And that he has a soul. Guess that’s working out okay. Right?” Riley asked, his eyes flicking over to Spike every now and then.

Spike chewed at the end of the bag.

Buffy could feel the tension in the room. Not just from Spike, but the others as well.

“Yeah,” Buffy answered.

Riley nodded and managed a small smile. “That’s good.”

Finally, the counter was clear for Spike to unload. After dumping the bags from his arms, he spat the onion ring bag onto the counter. The clerk gave the bag a sour look and picked it up gingerly to scan it’s UPC. It was wet and chewed at the end.

Spike sidled up next to Buffy and gave a ‘hey’ to Riley.

Major awkward, Dawn thought as she watched the scene unfolding. Xander and Willow, too, waited in silence.

Buffy, Spike, and Riley stared at each other. It was Spike who finally spoke next.

“So, uh, thanks mate…For the whole chip thing. Taking it out, not putting it in.”

“No need to thank me, Spike. The decision was Buffy’s.”

“Yeah, well, thanks for giving her the option, then. Know you did it as a favor to Buffy, not me, but thanks anyway. ‘Course it woulda’ been nice if you hadn’t put the bleeding thing in me to begin with.”

Riley opened his mouth to respond, but Buffy stopped him.

“Okay guys, I know where this is going. Let’s let bygones be bygones, okay?”

Spike thought of arguing and then decided against it. “All right, pet.”

“Uh, Buffy?” Willow began, “We’re just gonna’ take all this stuff out to the car, okay?”

“Sure.” And then Buffy placed her hand on Spike’s arm. “Spike why don’t you help them.”

“But-” and then he stopped. She was giving him that look. That it’ll be okay look. Spike nodded, letting her know, message received. He grabbed a bunch of bags by their handles and moved towards the door, Scoobies in tow.

“Nice seeing you again, buddy,” Xander said.

“Thanks. You too, man,” Riley said as he gave Xander and the girls a wave.

Willow and Dawn wished him well. And then they were gone and it was just Buffy and him.

Riley desperately wanted to know if she was seeing Spike again. Just to know. If he had a soul now, and she was happy with him and safe, then that was fine. He didn’t want to dwell on it too much. He had his life to live and she had hers. But he was curious.

Buffy smiled, gave him a knowing look, and then rolled her eyes. “C’mon, go ahead and ask. You know you want to.”

Riley grinned and shook his head. “Are you seeing Spike again?”

“Yes.”

“Thought you might be.”

Buffy opened her mouth, about to go into an explanation, when Riley stopped her.

“You don’t have to explain. I don’t understand it, but …you’ve always been kind of a mystery.”

“Thanks.” Buffy hugged him and they engaged in a little bit of small talk before parting ways. When Buffy got outside, Spike was waiting for her.

She walked up to him and hugged him close. “Thank you…For not making a scene.”

Spike felt himself melt and hugged back, stroking her hair. He had an irresistible urge to kiss her, and before he could stop himself, he was bending his head down to do just that. He had a split second to think, This isn’t a good idea. We’ve never kissed in public before, and Soldier Boy is still in the store and everyone else can see us out the windows. She’ll pull away. And then his lips were on hers. And she didn’t.

She let him kiss her in the hundred megawatt-lit parking lot of the 7-11, and didn’t care who saw.

Buffy and Spike were snuggled under the blanket in the red booth. She was on top of him, with her hand down his pants. What had started out as a cuddle session was quickly escalating into a full-blown sexcapade.

“Buffy…” Spike said, his voice strangled from nearly coming in his pants. Her warm hands were moving over his cock and balls in a most delicious way. “Buffy, Buffy, Buffy…” he babbled, before finally latching on to that lost thought he had been trying to voice.

“We really need to find a better place to do this…if the gang wakes up and catches us…it’ll be chaos. Especially from Harris.” Spike’s hand was over hers, stilling it.

Buffy lifted her head. “Where else can we do it?”

And then they both looked in the direction of the only room with a door…The bathroom.

The bathroom would have been an obvious choice…if a certain incident hadn’t happened in Buffy’s bathroom a year ago. Spike’s brow furrowed and Buffy could tell the wheels of guilt were beginning to turn in his head. She had to do something quick, or the mood would be lost entirely.

“It’s really more like a closet,” she offered.

Lame. So lame, she thought.

But it was enough and Spike turned his head and offered a smile. “Maybe let’s think on it, pet.”

“Not tonight?” Buffy said.

Spike shook his head. “No, not tonight.”

She sighed and laid her head down on Spike’s chest. Her hand was still down his pants. He was still hard.

“You know, if we just use our hands and stay under the covers, we can always just say we’re cuddling,” Buffy offered as a solution.

Spike gave her a sly smile. “Guess so, luv.”

“Shall I finish?” she asked, giving him an innocent schoolgirl look.

Damn. She knows what that does to me…

Spike’s eyes closed, his brow knit and his lips pursed. Buffy recognized that look. It was the Oh, baby~ look he got whenever she said or did something that particularly cranked his gears a certain way. She loved that look.

He inhaled sharply, the heady scent of her arousal making his head spin, and answered in the affirmative. As she resumed her ministrations, a steady but soft hum rose in Spike’s throat. She watched his face as the humming broke off and became a series of clipped moans. The head of his cock was rubbing against the fabric of his sweatpants as she stroked him, making it very hard to contain himself and keep silent.

He clutched at her shoulders in anticipation of his imminent orgasm. When it came, his hips bucked up wildly. He tried his best to choke out any loud moaning, and succeeded in that he managed to make only small, strangled grunts. After he was spent, he lolled under her, panting.

“Hmm-…I don’t think we could have passed that off as cuddling,” said Buffy.

“We’ll see if you can manage any better, pet.”

He got up and reversed their positions. Now, lying on top of her, he pulled the blanket up to their shoulders and then began undoing the buttons on her nightshirt. He undid them just enough so that he could push the fabric aside and gain access to her breasts.

Buffy sighed as Spike’s fingers traced the soft contours of each breast. Then he kissed her soundly on the mouth, before dipping his head down and wrapping his lips around one of her hard nipples. She hummed and stroked his hair as he sucked on each one, and he could hear and feel her heart rate increase as he flicked his tongue against them.

“Spike…”

“I know, baby,” Spike said as he slid his hand under the waistband of her pajama bottoms and underpants.

As he worked her over with his fingers, she began to squirm and gasp. When he finally slid two fingers deep inside her to rub the spongy mound of flesh under her pelvic bone, as well as using his thumb to stimulate her clit, she was close to crying out.

Buffy gasped and clutched at the pillow behind her head. Finally, she snatched it and shoved it over her face to muffle herself. She began screaming under the pillow and convulsing under Spike as she climaxed.

Spike had a sudden and unpleasant flash of memory.

He and Dru were torturing a woman. Holding her down and laughing. They had a pillow over her face to keep her from waking the rest of her family.

Spike shuddered and turned his head away. But he kept moving his hand for Buffy. Why should he spoil her fun?

He felt even sicker as he realized his pre-soul self would have likely been turned on by such a memory.

Why? Why? Why do I have to remember things like that at a time like this? No, I don’t have to. I don’t. I’m with Buffy. She loves me. I love her. Gotta’ pull it together.

Spike struggled to shove the cold, sickly feeling away.

Buffy pulled the pillow from her face, gasping and spent. As soon as she did, Spike buried his face in her shoulder, not wanting her to see his distress. But Buffy knew something was off. He was tense, but not in a good way. And he no longer had the growing erection she had felt before she came. He had gone soft.

“Spike, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, pet,” Spike said, pulling his hand out of her pants and hugging her.

“No. Something’s wrong. Tell me.” She stroked his hair and snuggled him close. “Tell me.”

“I- I just had a memory. Of something me an’ Dru did to- to some girl long ago. It’s not your fault. I didn’t mean to. It…it just came back. Sorry…sorry, luv,” he finished.

“Spike, it’s okay…I understand.”

“Stay with me?”

“I will, Spike.” Then she paused and then said, “Look at me.”

Spike lifted his head. His eyes were wet. He wasn’t quite crying, but he was close.

Buffy looked him straight in the face and said, “You’re not that monster anymore. You’re my man.” And then she smiled and added, “My Spikey William.”

Spike’s face broke out into a smile, and he bent his head down, giggling into her chest. “God, Buffy, I love you.”

“Love you too,” Buffy said, hugging his face to her chest.

Thank you Thank you Thank you, Lord, for giving me Buffy. My silly, strong Buffy. And Red, and the Bit and even the Boy. Thank you Thank you Thank you…

Spike began purring against Buffy’s chest like a big kitty.

“Spike, are you purring?”

“Mmmmm,” Spike replied.

“I didn’t know vampires purred… You never purred for me before,” Buffy said as she began stroking his hair again.

“Never had the opportunity… Does it bother you, luv? Want me to stop?”

“No, don’t stop… It’s nice.”

Spike sighed, nuzzled her chest, and began to purr even louder, lulling them both to sleep.

The beat was pulsing in the little dance club off of I-15. Buffy and the others were on the dance floor having themselves a really good time. Dawn had found a couple of cute guys to dance with, Willow and Xander were enjoying some friendship dance time, and Buffy and Spike danced together with abandon.

Spike was having a fond memory tonight. He remembered the first time he saw her. Dancing at the Bronze and full of life. The Slayer. His Buffy.

But this time she was dancing with him.

Buffy felt restored and free. Life was good. With friends and family and the strange vampire who loved her. Even Xander’s occasional glares, as she touched and flirted with Spike, couldn’t spoil her mood. Not even a little.

High on the balcony, they were being watched by a dark haired woman. She had been stalking her prey, when she saw them. No, she sensed him first. But he wasn’t quite right. Not that he had been right since he had fallen under the thrall of the Slayer. Suddenly a hand clasped hard around her arm.

“Drusilla, no more running,” Angel said through clenched teeth.

Cordelia was on Dru’s other side now, pressing a high voltage stun gun into her back. Her finger was on the button ready to push, when Dru let out a pitiful keening sound.

“I didn’t even press it yet!” said Cordelia.

Angel followed Drusilla’s gaze to the dance floor below. “Buffy...”

“Buffy? Buffy where?” Cordelia asked and then looked down, answering her own question.

A slow dance had come on, and Buffy and Spike were dancing closely. Ignoring all onlookers, they kissed. The trio on the balcony could see Xander throw up his arms and turn away. Willow laughed and patted Xander on the shoulder.

“Ooookaaay…I think we may have just stepped into The Twilight Zone or something, because Buffy appears to be kissing Spike. Or is it just me?” said Cordelia.

“No, I see it too,” Angel said, unconsciously squeezing Drusilla’s arm harder.

“Poor Spike is William again. He’s taken after Daddy,” Drusilla said, her voice taking on a pitiful whining quality.

“Even after all I’ve been through, I’ll never get used to the way she talks. Angel can you decipher?”

“What do you mean Dru?” Angel asked, looking at his insane childe intently.

“The spark…I can see it. Glowing brighter than all the rest,” Drusilla said, sounding sad and fascinated at the same time. Then she began her keening again. “He’s more lost than Daddy~”

“Soul…He’s got his soul,” Angel said, interpreting for Dru.

“How? Did someone curse him? Willow, maybe?” Cordelia asked.

“Not a curse. It’s in him now. Forever and ever... No hope. No cure. Poor dark prince…” Dru said, still transfixed by the site of her fallen knight.

“How long? Willow didn’t say anything when she came to L.A. Did she say something to you, Cordelia?”

“Not a thing! I swear!”

“Now I wish I’d been able to go to Sunnydale,” Angel said.

“Well, we did have our own apocalypse to deal with. And what is it with Buffy and vampires, by the way? Kink-o-rama! If it was just you I could understand. Although, at least Spike has a soul too now, I guess, so that’s something. But still, I see a definite pattern. A psychologist would have a field day,” Cordelia said.

“Have I mentioned how nice it is to have you back to your normal self, Cordy?” Angel said, with just a hint of sarcasm.

Cordelia pressed the button on the stun gun, knocking Dru out.

“Not yet,” she replied.

Angel sighed and began working with Cordelia to drag Drusilla out as fast as possible.

“Jealous much?” Cordelia asked.

“I’m not jealous. Just…concerned.”

“I’m impressed you didn’t jump off the balcony to confront or attack…or both.”

“If Xander’s only having a mild reaction to it, then Buffy can’t be in any real, or at least immediate, danger. He was never very fond of me, if you remember, let alone Spike,” Angel reasoned, trying to get the image of Buffy and Spike out of his head.

“Well, look on the bright side. If Drusilla’s right, then Buffy won’t have to worry about Spike losing his soul when she boffs him.”

Angel made a sound of disgust. “Why do you hate me?”

“I wonder if Spike’s all broody now, like you?” Cordelia said, teasing ruthlessly.

“Suddenly, I want something very bad to happen to you,” Angel said, not entirely joking, as they finally made their way out into the night. What he wanted even more though, was to know how in the hell Spike got his soul and why.

Spike tossed and turned in his booth, that night. He kept having a nightmare about him an’ Dru in the good old days. It had all just been one big gory party after another. Just a little of the old ultra violence.

But he didn’t want that and furthermore, he wanted to stop seeing it. He knew he was dreaming and he wanted out.

“No~ No~ No~…Stop it~…stop it…” Spike moaned and whimpered in his sleep.

Willow, who had gotten up to get a glass of water, sat her glass down on the counter and made her way over to Spike. She couldn’t stand it anymore. It was too pitiful and disturbing. She had to wake him up from whatever he was dreaming and stop him from making those noises.

Willow knelt down on the edge of the booth seat and began to shake him awake.

“Spike…Spike…Wake up,” Willow said, genuine concern etched on her face. She could feel the pain radiating out of him.

“Wake up!” she said in a harsh whisper, and gave him a big shove.

He shot up, gasping in surprise. Suddenly, Willow was face to face with a bumpy, fangy Spike.

Willow shrieked. Spike screamed. And everyone else woke with a start, bumping their heads on the roof of their sleeping cubbies.

Buffy was down like a shot. “What is it?! What is it?!”

“Oh, my God! Spike’s attacking Willow! He’s trying to bite her! I told you so!” Xander yelled from his cubbie, pointing a finger at vamped out Spike.

“No he’s not! I woke him up from a bad dream and he startled me!” said Willow.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Red! Ya’ scared the piss out of me!” Spike exclaimed, still vamped.

“Sorry,” Willow said sincerely.

Spike sighed. “S’alright, Red…No harm done,” Spike replied as he morphed back to his human face.

Buffy shot Xander a scathing look for his fresh accusation.

“My mistake. I see a vampire in game face and I just assume he’s up to no good,” said Xander, with just a hint of sarcasm.

“So, if no one’s being murdered, can I go back to sleep now?” Dawn asked, rubbing her head.

The others sighed.

Agatha Darcy looked out the window of her motel room, waiting obediently for her mistress to come back. Up until a week ago, she had been a middle-aged witch who spent her days and nights trying to lead budding witches on their paths. Trying to keep them from the darkness.

Now she was waiting in a dingy hotel off of highway I-15, dressed like a little girl. Her mistress had bidden her to conjure a white party dress for herself and to glamour her hair into curls. When she was bad, she was blindfolded and put in a corner.

It was like a surreal dream that seemed to make perfect sense, until you woke up.

Angel kicked the motel door open with a resounding crack.

“Ms. Darcy, are you all-” Angel stopped, his sentence left unfinished as he caught sight of her. Her eyes were glassy and she was covered in bite marks. She was also dressed up to look very much like a blond version of Drusilla’s favorite doll, Miss Edith.

“Oh, my god,” Angel said as he made his way over to check her pulse. She had one. She hadn’t been turned, as he had feared.

He couldn’t help but feel some responsibility for Ms. Darcy’s situation. As Angelus, he made Drusilla what she is. And he’s failed to slay her when he had the chance on many occasions, partly because of his guilt and then because of the rain that one time. He’d poured the gasoline and set the fire and Drusilla and Darla had gone up like matchsticks. But the damned rain put them out.

He shook Agatha out of her trance. When she came to her senses, she was confused, but Angel was eventually able to get some information out of her.

It seemed that Drusilla had been after magic lessons. And as a bonus, made the teacher her very own living doll. Cordelia would later ask him why and he wouldn’t have a clear answer. Maybe she was bored. Or maybe she had some bigger plan. Most likely, she had just done it on a whim, be it crazy or prescient.

When Angel arrived back at his and Cordelia’s own hotel room, he was greeted by the sight of many dead snakes strewn about the floor.

“What the-” Angel started.

“Yeah, Drusilla turned her chains into snakes and escaped. I think it took her awhile to remember the right Latin because she was mumbling a bunch of gobbledygook before she finally got it right. And then it was snake city,” Cordelia explained.

“You let Drusilla escape?!”

“I’m alright. Thanks for asking,” Cordelia said, giving him an annoyed look.

“Look, I’m sorry, but-”

“She threw poisonous snakes at me Angel! I was a little busy trying not to get dead!” Cordelia put her hands on her hips and gave him a stern look. “And what was up with that, by the way?! Since when can Drusilla do magic?”

“I think she may have kidnapped Agatha Darcy for magic lessons. She could do a little before that though. The thrall she puts people in is a kind of magic and she knew a few other little things,” said Angel.

“A crazy, magic wielding vampire. Yeah, that’s a good combination. Can’t have too many of those. So are we going after her?”

Angel put his hand to his forehead. “No, we can’t. We have to get Ms. Darcy home. And besides, we don’t really have any leads on her now. We’ll just have to keep our ears to the ground back in L.A.”

“Well at least we were able to save Ms. Darcy. Or did we? She has an awful lot of bite marks on her…”

Agatha had been standing in the doorway, calmly watching the scene play out. She was too tired to be fazed by much at this point.

“She’s not been turned,” Angel said.

Should have staked Dru when I had the chance. Now she’s on the loose again. Angel shuddered to think what new mayhem she could get into now with her new skills.

In the next few days that followed, Drusilla cut a swath across highway I-15, leaving a string of dead truckers in her wake. Her routine was simple. Seduce and drain one of them, steal the truck, drive it till she ground the gears out, and then start again. By the time Angel heard about the murders in the news, he would be in L.A. and too far away to catch her again.

“Rick’s Roller Rink, huh? Been awhile since I been skatin,’ pet,” Spike said as he surveyed the place. It was loud and packed with teens and preteens.

“And don’t forget, there’s also Skee-ball,” said Buffy.

Spike put his arm around Buffy and leaned in close saying, “Want me to win you something, Goldilocks?”

Before she could answer him, Xander interrupted. “No time for love, Dr. Jones. We’re all paid up. Time to get some skates.”

Rick’s Roller Rink was still using the old-fashioned four wheeler skates. There were plenty of kids with the inline ones brought from home, though. After the group laced up, they made their way to the rink floor.

The rink was playing mostly eighties new wave with a little disco and funk thrown in for good measure. The music brought a rush of nostalgia back to Spike. The late seventies/early eighties had been his favorite time period so far in terms of pop culture; and although he preferred punk, new wave and funk would do just fine.

Spike and Buffy paired off together, while the others skated in a small clump behind them. They were soon left far behind though, as the Slayer and the vampire could skate much faster than they could.

Buffy and Spike nimbly navigated through the crowds of kids, occasionally moving to the center to do some pair skating. When she asked him how he knew how, he said, “I can do all kinds of stuff,” and gave her a seductive glance.

“I know,” Buffy said, returning his look.

“You know I only mean the good stuff now, don’t you?” Spike asked quickly. “I don’t mean anything nasty. Just naughty.”

“I know,” she reassured and laughed.

Spike was instantly relieved. Always good to see her laugh.

And then he saw her float by. Drusilla. For a split second he saw her, and then he crashed to the ground.

“Spike! Are you all right?” Buffy asked as she knelt down beside him.

“Dru! …I saw her, Buffy,” Spike said.

“Dru? Drusilla? Now what on earth would Drusilla be doing here? At a skating rink. It doesn’t make sense. You’re just seeing things because of those nightmares you’ve been having. I don’t sense the presence of any vampire here but you,” said Buffy, as she helped him up.

“Really?” he asked, concern etched on his face.

“Yes, but we can look around if you want,” she offered.

He sighed and hugged her close. “No, that’s okay, luv. You’re probably right.” And shouldn’t he have sensed Dru too if she had been there?

Spike gave Buffy a nuzzle before heading back to the outer ring with her.

Drusilla skated back to the shadows. She was stalking them. Sizing them up.

She had no desire to have Spike back. He was even more hopeless than Angel. But she was lonely. She wanted to make a new family.

The one she wanted most was the red haired witch. She sensed great vampire potential in that one. She thought the dark haired boy might make a nice addition as well. But she would turn them all if she could. Except for the Slayer.

Kill her if I can. Rip her pretty throat out and watch the colors run.

She would watch and wait and follow. She would follow the same intuition that brought her here. And when the moment was right, she would strike.

The evening was winding down and the rink was getting ready to close. All the kids had left, and the Scoobies were basically the only ones still there. Dawn, Willow and Xander were getting in one last round of Skee-ball. Xander just needed a few more tickets to get that lobster harmonica from the prize center.

Buffy and Spike had made their way to the seclusion of the restroom hallway. They kissed each other softly. Until Buffy ran her leg up Spike’s thigh and wrapped it around him. Then, he gave a happy little growl and pressed her tightly to himself. Their kissing grew more passionate by the moment.

“Hey, you kids! This ain’t no motel!” the old janitor of Rick’s Rink said, coming out from the bathroom he had been tending to.

A startled Buffy screamed and catapulted Spike from her grasp on reflex. He ended up flat on his back outside the hallway, wheels spinning in the air.

“Oh, my god! Spike, I’m so sorry!” Buffy rushed to his side.

“Bloody Hell!” Spike exclaimed, shocked and a little confused at the sudden turnaround.

“I didn’t mean to! The old man scared me! It was reflex!” Buffy tried to explain.

Spike gave her a hurt look.

The janitor mumbled to himself in the background. “Damn kids today. Ain’t got no sense of decency. What do they think this is? The Holiday Inn? Damn punk-ass kids-” He continued to grumble as he moved into the next restroom.

“It’s just ‘cause he scared me! Really, I swear!” Buffy continued. And then she bent down and whispered in his ear. “I’ll make it up to you later.”

Spike was not entirely mollified by this offer. He said nothing but continued looking at her with the same hurt expression.

At this point Buffy noticed the others staring at them. When she looked towards them, they quickly turned their heads away.

Xander shook his head as he went back to playing Skee-ball. “I’m not even thinking about it,” he muttered to himself. “Nope, not gonna’ do it.” And with that, he decided to pretend that he had no clue as to what Buffy and Dead Boy Jr. were doing back there. He was pretty sure his head would explode if he thought about it too much – or at all.

Willow and Dawn whistled the whistle of the innocent.

Buffy turned her attention back to Spike.

“I love you. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that,” Buffy said, putting her hands on his shoulders and looking into his eyes. In perfect hearing distance of the others, no less.

Spike softened and let the public confession of love sink in.

Willow and Dawn, who had turned their attention back to the pair, smiled.

Dawn was glad to have her family and friends together and happy. It was like they had all been schizophrenics for year or two, and now they were finally cured. Although, Spike had been more like a victim of antisocial personality disorder, and having the soul was like being on curative medication.

Willow was just glad to see Buffy happy and more her former pre-death self. And seeing Spike happy gave her hope as well. If he could find peace and happiness after all he’d seen and done, then maybe she could do the same.

“Yes!” Xander shouted, surprising everyone else out of his or her deep thoughts. “The lobster harmonica is mine! All mine, baby! I think I’ll name it Pinchy.” He collected his tickets and went over to the prize center to claim it, oblivious to the goings on around him.

Buffy took the opportunity to get Spike to his feet and drag him back into the restroom hallway.

“That boy is living in some serious denial,” Spike said.

“I didn’t drag you back here to talk about Xander,” Buffy said, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Then what did you drag me back here to talk about, luv?” Spike asked as he wrapped his arms around her and pressed her into him.

“Tonight. The ‘closet.’ You. Me. Wanna?”

Spike laughed brightly and then answered with a growl and a kiss.

“We’re closin’ up, you horny brats. Get!” the janitor said, shaking his mop at them.

“Sod off! Ya’ natty old tosser!” Spike yelled at him.

“Feh!” The janitor spat, waving his hand dismissively and walking off.

Spike gave the old coot the finger, before leaving with Buffy to return their rented skates and head back to the Winnebago with the others.

The bathroom of the Winnebago was indeed triggering no unpleasant memories. Buffy found that it was the white tub and the white tile that figured most prominently in her memory. This bathroom had fake wood paneling, blue carpet and a pink tub. Whoever designed it had apparently still been stuck in the seventies. Somehow the dorkyness of the room made it all right.

But it wasn’t very romantic. For one thing, the toilet seat was about to come off. Spike was sitting on the lid, pants around his ankles, while Buffy rocked into him only partially wearing her pajama shirt. (It was open and pushed down her shoulders, but her forearms were still in the sleeves.) With each thrust of their hips, the toilet seat came one step closer to death.

“Ohh, Buffy~ It’s going to break~” Spike said.

“Poor, baby~ You’re sooo hard,” Buffy cooed, teasing.

Spike moaned, almost going over the edge.

“No, the seat, Buffy~ the toilet seat is going to break~” he managed, sounding breathy.

Buffy stopped. “Oh.”

“Didn’t say you had to stop,” he said, voice catching.

“We’ve got to. If the toilet seat breaks, it’ll make a loud noise, and we’ll probably fall to the floor making an even louder noise, and then everyone will know what we’re up to and they’ll be mad at us for breaking the seat,” Buffy explained.

Then, after thinking a bit, she said, “Wait I’ve got an idea,” and got up off of him. Spike protested with a whimper.

“I’ll be right back,” she reassured him as she whipped on her pants and closed her shirt with her fist. She slipped out the folding door for a moment.

Spike whimpered again and grabbed his dick, which was very hard and very slick at this point from being inside her. He held it at the base and gave it a comforting squeeze as he waited impatiently for her to return.

In a minute, Buffy slid back into the bathroom with a roll of duct tape in her hand. Spike was still holding on to his cock. They gave each other a funny look.

Then she said, “Okay, get up. I’m gonna’ tape the seat down.”

Spike got up, keeping his hold on himself.

“You’re going to let that go when we continue, aren’t you?” Buffy said, smirking as she taped the toilet seat down.

Spike huffed indignantly.

“Okay, all done,” she said when she finished, standing up and tossing the duct tape to the floor. The toilet now looked like some strange alien spaceship.

Spike sat back down, and Buffy removed her clothes entirely. He relinquished his grip on his cock when she hovered over his lap and pressed down onto him. Spike moaned with relief.

“Better?” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and ruffling his hair as they began rocking into each other again.

“Mmmmm~” he replied, smiling and tilting his head back.

They quickened their pace, making happy little noises as they moved towards climax. They came together, crying out as softly as possible.

In the afterglow, they held each other and pressed their foreheads together, panting.

“Will you sleep with me in the booth tonight?” Spike asked, after the panting reaction subsided.

“Yes,” Buffy answered. “It’s not like anybody’s made a stink about it so far (except for Xander, a little bit). I don’t think they think we’d do it in the same room as them. Of course they’d be wrong. Should we feel bad about that? Do you think we’re being obscene?” Buffy asked.

“Well, it’s not exactly proper,” Spike said, arching an eyebrow at her. “That’s why I suggested finding someplace else, ducks. Something about it was startin’ not to seem right. Guess that’s the old conscience kicking in.”

“Yeah…All right then… No more sex in the cabin. Except for in here,” she said.

“Right,” Spike agreed, and then kissed her mouth, hungry for more.

Drusilla ran her hand against the hull of the Winnebago. She leaned into it, listing to the sounds inside. She could hear them. All kisses and cuddles and ins and outs. He wasn’t even hurting her. Her brave knight had turned to ash. That nasty soul had burnt him away. No, it happened long before then.

“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, And all the kings horses and all the kings men, Couldn’t put Humpty together again,” Drusilla recited as she swayed against the hull.

The Slayer had pulled him in and he had burnt for her. It had only been a matter of time before the spark set the fire that broke him completely. Poor darling Spike.

She sighed and swayed away from the hull of the RV.

Mustn’t dwell on that. I’ve a new family to think about, Dru thought as she studied the massive recreational vehicle.

She noticed the windows. Dark. Tinted. Not a care for the sun. Clever, my darlings.

Then her sensitive vampire hearing detected a distracting sound. She turned her head in the direction of the roller rink and saw a young man exit the building, pulling car keys out of his pocket. They jangled in his hand as he walked over to his car, a red Corvette with tinted windows. Dinner and a ride.

Dru moved upon him swiftly, grabbed him from behind, and drained him. His keys dangled from the door lock.

Then Drusilla drug his limp body over to the dumpster and tossed him in. Kenny Thompson, closing manager of Rick’s Roller Rink, was now part of yesterday’s garbage.

Drusilla then went back to the car and got in, waiting for her next move.

--- To be continued

Grrrr! Arg!

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