Check And Mate  
Author: Gillian Silverlight
Disclaimer: The characters belong to Joss and the WB. I just play with them.

 

 

 

Riley regained consciousness slowly. He was lying on the cold hard floor of the building where he'd taken the blonde vampire. He'd planned to torture him, pound the vampire into broken pieces, then dump him back at one of the cemeteries.

      He'd been making good headway at it when Buffy had rushed in with her Watcher, Xander and that other vampire, Angel. The first vampire who had dared to touch Buffy. The one responsible for her not being able to love him, Riley, no matter how much he tried to love her.

      Then that damned blonde vampire showed up and Buffy had gotten more and more distracted by him. She'd even let Dracula bite her! Seemed you had to be a monster to get her to love you.

      Well, he was feeling pretty monster-ish about now, he thought as he struggled to sit up. That damned idiot Xander had zapped him with his own taser!

                  ~*~*~*~

      It had been several weeks since Riley had kidnapped Spike. His legs were healed enough so that he only had a slight limp. Spike kept reassuring Buffy that in a few more weeks, he'd be just fine. The limp would heal too.

He still patrolled with her every night, since he was able to walk again, even though in the beginning all he could do was watch out for her and warn her of danger.

Xander, Willow, Giles and even Anya had gone with her until he could walk, and even afterwards while he couldn't fight.

Angel had stayed with him watching over him, caring for him and helping Buffy patrol right after they had rescued him. Angel had fed him as well, the sire blood being strong, helping him to heal faster. Buffy had also given him blood, knowing the slayer blood would help even more. He'd worried about that and neither he nor Angel would let her give blood for him too often or too much. She had needed her strength for fighting.

They had seen nothing of Riley since that night.

Each of them had told Spike of the threats made to Riley by Angel as well as the Watcher and Xander. That had really surprised him!

The only good thing that had come out of that torture, as far as Spike was concerned, was that Buffy finally realized after all the months they had been together as lovers, that she loved him.

Spike couldn't believe his good luck. The Slayer loved him as much as he loved her, and his Sire hadn't killed him!

Now if he just finished healing a bit faster......

                  ** ~*~*~*~

From deep inside the cover of the bushes, eyes watched the Slayer as she patrolled with the blonde vampire at her side each night.

They could wait. Sooner or later she'd be alone.

The eyes continued to watch. The chance would come.

                  * ~*~*~*~

Buffy had just hung up the phone after her weekly report to Angel on how Spike was doing. She was really glad that Angel had accepted her being with Spike. She was equally glad that Spike was healing so well. She just wished he were back to full strength. They'd had to be very careful loving each other with him so hurt. Spike had told her it was worth a minor bit of pain, although Buffy hated to cause him any pain.

She and Angel had gotten Spike a new wheelchair in the beginning. They knew that there were too many bad memories associated with the old one that had been still at the mansion.

Spike had gotten out of it as fast as he could, depending on crutches instead. She could understand how he'd felt.

She'd worried a lot right after they had rescued him. It was so hard to believe that Riley had tortured Spike like he had. How could she have not seen that side of him while they were together? But after weeks of quiet, she had begun to think he'd taken the threats against him seriously. She certainly hoped so. The threats had been very serious!

                  ********************************

Several months had passed now, since the attack on Spike. He was back to his aggravating and lovable self. He worked out with Buffy and Giles every day to build his strength back up.

Spike had even suggested that Xander do some training with them. It might be a good idea for the brunette to know a bit more about fighting than he did now. Xander would rush in, so it was really for his protection too.

Angel had come back to Sunnydale a couple of times to check on Buffy and Spike during all of this time. Everyone seemed pleased with Spike's progress.

Giles and Xander were more comfortable with Angel and Spike both now than ever before.

* Must have been that male bonding as they threatened Riley. * Buffy mused to herself.

"Hey Babe, ready to go out and kick some demon ass?" Buffy teased the sexy blonde vampire at her side.

"Yeah, luv. Keeps me from havin' my arse kicked by you." Spike teased back.

"Not that you could actually take me if I wasn't bloody hurt."

"Think so, blondie?" "I seem to remember......."

"Don't go there, Slayer!"

The two lovers still bickered like always, but now there was an undercurrent of love in their fights.

Buffy, giggled at Spike. "Oooo! Almost forgot. Giles needs you to go grab a new weapon he has for me before we head out tonight, please. I'll go ahead and head over to the cemetery and you can just meet me there."

"Slayer, you know I don't like you patrolling alone."

"Oh, and I did it for how long before we hooked up?"

"You had my sire watching your back even if you didn't know it."

"Well, I'm a big girl. I can handle a few minutes along on patrol, Spike."

"Bleedin' stubborn woman..." He pulled her close and kissed her.

"You knew that about me to start with." Buffy grinned at Spike after the kiss.

"Yeah, don't know why I bloody well put up with you, pet."

"Cause you love me." She told him as she danced back out of his grasp.

"Oh, yeah. Throw that in my face, why don't you."

This was a frequent conversation between them. Both of them knew they were teasing, and hiding the depth of their feelings behind the mock argument.

Spike grabbed Buffy and kissed her soundly, suddenly turning her loose.

"Go before I throw you on the bed and have my wicked way with you." Spike smiled at her with that smile that said he was thinking of things two people could do in the dark, on sheets that smelled of sweat, vanilla and other bodily fluids.

"Well... you could try..." She laughed at him. "I love you, Spike. Meet you in a few."

"I love you too, Slayer."

“I won't be long. Be careful until I get there." He growled the last at her.

They headed out the door together, talking about inconsequential things as they walked along. Spike kissed her and turned off at Giles's house. Buffy continued on to the cemetery, knowing she'd see her lover in just a few minutes.

                  ** ~*~*~*~

The eyes watched her. They saw the vampire kiss her, laugh with her. The vampire turned into a house while the slayer continued on.

The chance had come finally. Now to get in position.

                  ~*~*~*~

Buffy entered the cemetery. As usual, she checked out the new graves, the usual places vamps might hide, and then sat on the bench waiting for Spike when she found no activity just yet.

                  ~*~*~*~

The slayer sat down right in front of the watching eyes. She was alone. It was time.

                  ~*~*~*~

Buffy heard a soft sound behind her and started to turn quickly. Her vamp sense hadn't alerted her to anything!

Suddenly she was hit with excruciating pain in her entire body and darkness swallowed her world.

                  ~*~*~*~

Spike looked for Buffy in the place they usually sat and waited. He didn't see her, which was odd. There were no sounds of a fight within his hearing. He didn't smell any vamps or demons anywhere. There was a strange scent in the air, but he couldn't tell what it was.

Suddenly his mouth went dry. There on the ground was Buffy's stake! Spike started looking for her frantically.

He covered as much ground as possible as quickly as he could. No sign of her. Spike went back to the bench, to try and follow up the odd smell, which so far was his only clue.

He traced it back into the bushes behind where she'd been sitting. There were traces of someone or something having been there recently, as well as in the past. Often!

Someone had been watching his Slayer, his Love.

Spike turned and ran as hard as he could to Giles.

                  ** ~*~*~*~

"Watcher!" Spike burst into Giles's door, not even knocking or slowing down. "Watcher! Buffy..."

Giles, grabbed the vampire, "Spike, what's wrong? Where is Buffy? Is she ok?"

Tears were streaked on the vampire's face. "I don't know. She wasn't there where we always wait. Her stake was on the ground and she's missing.”

“Bloody hell, Rupert, help me find her!"

Spike NEVER called him by his given name! And Buffy was missing!

"I'll alert Xander, so he can call the other's. We'll both go to try and find her."

Giles quickly called Xander.

"Xander, this is an emergency. Buffy is missing. Call everyone and come to the cemetery to help us look for her. I'm going with Spike now."

Giles slammed down the phone and ran out the door with Spike.

                  ~*~*~*~

As soon as she cut the connection with Xander, Willow picked the phone back up and called Angel in LA.

"Angel. We need you!" Willow almost yelled at him as soon as she heard his voice on the other end.

"Willow? What's wrong?" Angel had heard the fear and tears in Willow's voice.

"Buffy is missing. Giles went with Spike to find her, Xander called me."

"We don't know much more than that right now. Giles didn't give any explanations."

"I'm on the way, Willow. Let them know." Angel hung up the phone and ran for the door. He knew he'd be breaking speed limits the whole way there.

                  ~*~*~*~

Buffy slowly became aware of her surroundings. She was lying on something hard, inside a building. Her hands were secured to something above and slightly over her head. She was blindfolded. Her feet were also restrained. It felt like those plastic thing the police used, but she knew it wasn't the police that had her. She wasn't a donut.

*

Great, Buffy. Make jokes while you're tied up by who knows who or where or why.

*

She could hear someone in the room with her. They must be human, cause her vamp sense wasn't going off, so no vamp, no demon.

She hurt all over. Her head was pounding so bad she thought it might explode right there.

Might as well get it over with and find out how much worse it was going to get. She had a bad feeling about this.

"Who's there? Where am I? Why am I here?" She asked to the unseen person in the room with her.

A hard hand grabbed her by the throat. A harsh male voice whispered at her,

" Doesn't matter where you are or who I am. What does matter is you are going to help me with a problem."

"I've seen you with that vampire. He'll come looking for you to rescue you.” “He'll bring the other one with him too. That's why you are here,"

"W-why do you want the two vampires here?"

"I want to kill them. What else?"

A fist struck her on the temple. The world started to vanish again.

                  ************************************

Giles, Xander and Spike had searched allover for Buffy, without a sign of her. They were all worried. Willow and Tara had searched magickally with no luck either. They were still at their house and would be over very soon, they’d said.

"Spike, can you feel her at all?" Giles asked the distraught vampire.

"Yeah, she keeps coming and going in my head. But I can't bloody find her!"

"Coming and going?" Xander asked, confused.

"I suspect someone is knocking her out when she comes to." Giles told them.

Willow and Tara burst into the room with Angel right behind them.

Angel grabbed Spike and pulled him up by his shirt front.

" Why weren't you with her!!" Angel's game face slid down.

"Angel!" Giles grabbed the older vampire's arm. "It's not his fault! He came to pick up some weapons for Buffy as she and I had asked him. She insisted on going to the cemetery alone. She told him it would only be a few minutes."

Angel looked at the watcher, "He should have been with her!"

"Angel, no body can be with her 24 hours a day, every second. You know that.” “Hitting Spike won't help find her." Willow told him, her hand on the arm holding Spike.

"She's right, Angel " Giles said quietly.

With a shake and great effort, Angel uncurled his hand out of Spike's shirt, releasing his childe, his love's lover.

Angel collapsed into a chair and put his head in his hands, shoulders shuddering.

Willow and Tara put their arms around him.

Spike fell back into the chair Angel had picked him up from. Willow looked at Tara, understanding passing between them. Tara stayed with Angel while Willow went to Spike and held him.

Giles was frantic. He had two crying vampires in his living room and his slayer was missing.

Angel finally got himself back under control. With haunted eyes, he looked at Giles, "What happened?"

"Spike came by to pick up a new weapon I'd gotten for Buffy. He was less then 5 minutes behind her. She should have been fine, Angel. Spike got to the cemetery where they were suppose to meet. She wasn't there, but her stake was on the ground. Spike found no scent of vampires or demons, just an odd scent with human scent underneath it".

"There was a place in the bushes where someone had been, obviously on a regular basis as well as tonight. It seems that someone had been following and watching Buffy on a regular basis. This was the first time she'd been alone on patrol in months. They must have knocked her out very quickly somehow. There were no signs of a struggle."

"I can feel her, Angel. She's alive. But she keeps coming and going. They must keep knocking her out when she wakes up. She's not conscious long enough for me to find her."

"Damn it all to hell!"

"Can you feel her at all? Maybe the two of us can find her....."

"I'm afraid for her, Angel" Spike hid his face again in his hands.

They all knew what it had taken for Spike to admit he was afraid for Buffy in front of them. They knew how really frightened he was for this woman they all loved.

"Giles, remember the spell I used on Angel before to find Spike? Would that work on both Spike and Angel to help them locate Buffy?"

"It just might at that, Willow."

"Do you want her to do that, Angel? Spike?"

"Please, Willow." "Yes!" Angel and Spike both answered quickly.

Willow grabbed Tara and headed upstairs to do the spell.

                  ************************************

Consciousness returned again. Buffy was sure someone had marched an army through her mouth, the way it felt. And every damned one in the army had kicked her head as they marched, she was sure of it.

She was worried about Spike and Angel. She could feel Angel close and knew he wasn't in LA any longer. Someone must have called him.

As much as she wanted to be rescued, she also didn't want this madman to get his hands on either of the men she loved, but she didn't know what she could do to stop them, or to rescue herself.

"Whoever you are..."

"Can I have a drink of water, please?

"Sure." The man whispered at her.

Water was poured in her face. She managed to drink some of it as it poured over her.

"Why are you doing this to me? Why do you want to kill the vampires?

"They took something from me. I want to take something just as important from them."

"You. And then their life. So you will know how it feels too. They took someone I loved."

" I took you from them now, and then I'll take them from you."

"They couldn't have taken anyone from you. One of them has a soul. He doesn't kill. He hasn't in over 100 years."

*

Except for those few months a couple of years ago. * She thought to herself. "The other one has an implant in his head from the government. He can't hurt any human at all."

"Oh, they didn't kill this person. Just took them away. They'll pay for that. So will you."

"But right now, why don't we have a little fun?"

"What do y...."? A hand slapped her across the face, hard.

"Shut up! Not a sound out of you until I tell you otherwise."

She felt something cold against her skin. It was the back edge of a knife! He was cutting her clothes down the middle.

*Oh, god! What was he going to do to her? *

She gasped in her mind, all too afraid she knew.

Once her clothes were sliced open, she felt him pull them apart. She heard a zipper and then he thrust into her, hard, dry and tearing her. She couldn't stop the whimper that emerged at the pain.

His hand grabbed her throat in a punishing grip.

"I said not a sound!" He slapped her again with the other hand.

The unknown man continued to plunge into her. She was not dry any more, but it was her blood that helped him to slide in and out of her. She bit her lip against the pain and tried to not call out to Spike in her head. She tried to ignore what the man was doing to her and concentrated on blanking her mind to Spike and Angel both.

                  ************************************

Willow and Tara came back into the living room at Giles's house. "The spell is done. Can you feel her any better? Can you tell where she is?"

Angel and Spike sat facing each other, hands clasped with each other, reaching for Buffy with their inner senses.

Pain rolled over them, hard and heavy. Searing them inside their minds. They gasped together, knowing they were also gasping as the woman they both loved gasped from the pain. It was her pain they felt, and they both recognized what it was from. They knew what was being done to her. The demon came forth on each of their faces.

Shaken, they released their grip on each other.

Angel forced his human face back down over his features and stood very shakily. He pulled Giles down the hallway.

"Giles, send Willow and Tara home. Buffy is being raped. I think just you, I, Spike and Xander should handle this."

"My god! Angel!"

"You're right. The girls should go. I'll get them to go get some clothes for us to take with us to Buffy. Can you find her now?"

"Yes. Spike and I can track her."

Angel and Giles walked back into the living room. Spike was sitting there still in game face, growling low in his chest.

"Willow, I want you and Tara to go home please. If you can get some of Buffy's clothes for us to take with us, and some first aid supplies, we'll be by to pick them up shortly."

"Giles.... This is not good! You want us to leave. Spike is all grrr. Xander gets to stay."

"What did you get, Angel?" Willow walked over to the vampire and grabbed him by his shirt.

"WHAT!?"

Angel's face morphed again.

"Just go, please, Willow." He growled through his fangs.

Willow hung onto Angel's shirt, looking him right into his golden eyes.

"Buffy's being raped, isn't she!"

"Yes!" Angel and Spike both growled.

Tara pulled Willow's hand away from Angel's shirt.

"Willow, let's go get her some clothes and a blanket. Some other first aid supplies as well."

Tara pulled Willow out the door. She had a firm expression on her face. Willow's face was as hard as stone.

Xander got up from where he'd been sitting quietly and walked over to Angel and Giles, now standing next to Spike.

" Do you know where she is?"

"Yes."

"What do you need me to do?"

" Get us four knives."

"Make it three." Angel said. "I have my own weapons."

"Angel...." Xander started in a dangerous voice none of them had ever heard before.

" Three, Xander."

Xander looked at Angel for a long hard minute. He turned and looked at Giles and Spike. He saw no contradiction in their face.

"Three it is." He turned to go upstairs for the weapons.

                  **** ~*~*~*~

The driving punishment had finally stopped. Buffy lay bleeding, sticky with blood and semen. She could feel the bleeding slow from her healing abilities.

Suddenly there was a wash of cool wind flood over her, through her, helping her to heal, to calm. It filled her with strength, played over her skin.

Deep inside of her mind she 'heard' Willow.

**

Buffy, the men are coming to get you away. We know what has happened to you. Do you know where you are or who took you?

**

Buffy tried to gather her thoughts, using the meditation techniques Giles had taught her.

**

Willow, I don't know where or who. Building. Trap for Spike and Angel. Wants to kill them.

**

That's all Buffy could manage, before she finally passed out.

                  ***** ~*~*~*~

Willow, still in trance with Tara supporting her, reached out for Xander's mind. They'd kissed, they had a long history, she felt she could reach him through that link.

She was surprised to find herself in contact with Giles instead.

**

Willow?

**

**

Giles, sent healing to Buffy. In a building, trap. Wants to kill Spike and Angel.

**

**

Willow? Get back before you get lost. Will tell them and protect.

**

**

Ok. Needed to know and tell. Out now

**

Willow collapsed when the trance ended. Tara knew this would happen and was prepared to handle it.

Giles told the other three what had just happened.

"If he knows about us and knows what we are, he'll be prepared with the right weapons to kill us."

" We'll have to be careful."

"I'll go in first." Xander told them, hard determination in his voice.

"Xander...."

"I SAID, *I* go in FIRST!"

" Alright. I have something for all of us then." Giles reached in a chest and pulled out 4 bulletproof vests. If they would stop bullets, they'd stop stakes too

All of them put the vests on and got into Giles' car. They stopped at Willow and Tara's, picking up clothes for Buffy and some other supplies.

"Giles, " asked a very weary Willow, " Why did I get you instead of Xander?"

She explained her reasoning to the watcher.

"I suspect it's our previous work together and my past magickal background."

"Oh, right."

"Hurry, and get her." She said quietly.

"We will, Willow."

Spike came over to Willow. He'd not managed to pull his human face back on yet. Willow just looked at his ridged and fanged face.

"Thank you for reassuring her and helping her."

He leaned over and kissed her cheek, demon face and all.

"I love her too, Spike."

He nodded at her. They left then.

                  * ~*~*~*~

Buffy swam back up into consciousness again. She felt somewhat better, thanks to Willow's help. She'd stopped bleeding, but she still hurt a lot from the brutal attack

"Back again?"

"How long before you think your monsters will come to save you?"

"I- I don't know."

"They can take their time. There might even be something left of you when they get here."

She screamed then, as she felt something hot and burning like a cigarette pushed against her breast.

                  ************************************

Giles drove where Angel and Spike told him. They soon saw a building back under the trees. The road was empty except for the one structure. They'd seen no houses or anything. Giles pulled the car over quietly. They got out and headed toward the building, scouting around the outside.

Xander saw the door.

"Ok. I'll pull the door open and go in first. You wait. He may think I'm alone. Give me 30 seconds, then come in. I'll have the chance to see what kind of weapons he's got."

"Giles, get Buffy loose, Spike, you take her to the car."

"I'll kill him for this." Spike growled back in a whisper of sound.

"You can't. You still have a chip in your head. Buffy will need you. You can get her out in a hurry and protect her by getting her away. Try to kill him and the chip may kill you."

"I'll kill him.."

"Spike!" Angel growled quietly in his 'Sire' voice.

"Xander is right. You take Buffy to safety. She'll want you with her."

"He won't leave here alive, Spike. I promise you that."

The Watcher told him. Ripper was all the way out. None of them had ever seen Giles like this. They didn't know if they ever wanted to after tonight.

Spike, nodded in agreement, knowing they were right.

Xander pulled the door open. He saw who had Buffy, saw Buffy blindfolded.

"You!"

The man just grinned evilly at Xander. Xander saw the wounds on Buffy. Saw that the man had a crossbow.

"Turn her loose."

"Not likely, until the vampires get here."

The man said, still keeping his voice disguised.

"They aren't coming. We know about the trap, so the crossbow won't help you."

Giles, Angel and Spike heard Xander, as he meant for them to do.

" Angel, stay low.. Bloody hell, you know what to do better than I do."

"Just get her out, Spike and watch out for the cross bow."

"This seems to be someone we may know, yet Xander isn't letting on to Buffy who it is. I think he has a reason for that. Let's keep it that way." Angel whispered.

On the count, they rushed into the building. Angel threw the knife Spike couldn't use, catching the man in the shoulder, taking him to the floor. Xander, and Angel rushed him. Giles, quickly cut Buffy's bonds, Spike picked her up and was out the door.

                  ** ~*~*~*~

He carried her to the car, only taking the blindfold off after he got her out. He understood why Xander hadn't given the man away. Buffy needed some illusions. Besides, the man was going to die anyway.

"Spike, you're here, you're here...." Buffy broke down into wracking sobs. He carried her to the car, getting in the back seat, and wrapping her with the blanket. Clothes would have to wait. He pulled her into his lap, demon face once more out. Spike held her, with a cross between a growl and a purr coming from his throat.

"Mine" "Mine" "I love you"

Buffy managed to reach one hand up to touch his face. "I love you too. And you're mine." She leaned into his shoulder."

                  * ~*~*~*~

"You were told not to come back. Now you treat her like this?"

" She couldn't love me because of you. Because of what you are and what you put her through."

"Then that other vampire came around. He wanted her too, even after I threatened him before I left"

“He's still with her now, after I tried to beak him apart."

"But she couldn't love me, just used me. You two took her from me... so I tried to take her from you. Now, I'll still try to take you from her. Let her feel what it's like."

" Besides, what are you going to do about it? You have a soul, you can't kill me."

"Wrong guess." Angel said very quietly. "And she knows better than you what it feels like to have someone she loves taken away. By her own hand."

Giles and Xander held Riley down as Angel sank his fangs into him. He stopped long before he drained him. Then he traded places with Xander, holding Riley.

"You raped her, you burned her. She had trusted you before. You said you loved her."

Xander reached out with his knife and castrated him. Angel had his hand over Riley's mouth so his screams didn't get out.

He traded places with Giles.

"You only thought you knew me, Riley. Else, you'd have listened after you tortured Spike and got away with your life." Ripper carved several symbols in Riley's chest as he tried to scream more. The symbols would start to work after Riley was dead.

"I get to finish now. No, I won't turn him." Angel said at a look from the other two men. "But you might want to leave now. This is going to be messy."

Xander and Ripper nodded, turned their backs and walked out.

They heard the sound of wet, tearing flesh behind them, the pop of bones and the muffled tearing thud of joints breaking.

                  *** ~*~*~*~

Outside, Xander stood with Giles as he swallowed Ripper back down inside himself.

Angel came out behind them, human face on like nothing had happened. He carried a jug of water with him.

"You guys might want to wash up a bit with me before we go to the car."

"Good idea." "Yes, quite."

The three men, a bit damp but clean, walked back to the car. Angel got in back with Spike and Buffy.

Spike was still rocking her in his arms, making that growling purr. He let Angel slid next to her and put an arm around her because Angel was his Sire, but Spike still looked at him hard, "Mine."

"Yes."

                  ~*~*~*~

Buffy healed. She had nightmares. She couldn’t stand being alone, or being in the dark.

Angel and Spike took turns at first guarding over her.

Someone was always with her if neither Spike nor Angel could be.

When Buffy was better, she asked some questions about who it had been and why they had done this to her.

"It was a man who had gone insane, Buffy. He'd lost someone he'd cared for and for some reason you reminded him of her. He was insane, Buffy. Remember that." Giles tried to reassure her without telling her much. It was basically the truth, just not all of it.

"What happened to him?" She asked in a quiet, quivering voice, afraid he'd come back.

"The proper authorities took him away. He'll never bother you ever again, Buffy." Angel told her, knowing what she was really asking. * I recognized some of those symbols Ripper had used from when I was in Hell. *

* Oh, yeah, the proper authorities got Riley. *

Buffy looked at Angel, seeing nothing wrong in his face. She looked at Spike, reaching for his hand.

"So I'll be ok?"

"Yes, Luv. He'll never hurt you again. We're here. I love you." Spike leaned over to kiss her forehead.

Angel and Spike did her patrols for a week, then Angel had to go back to LA.

He had a talk with Spike before he left.

" You claimed her as yours. Take care of her."

"You know I'll always love her too."

"I will. I know a part of her will always belong to you.”

“Bloody hell, you're my Sire; a part of me will always belong to you too. She's mine, but I know she's also ours."

Angel smiled at the younger vampire and hugged him before he left.

"Be sure I get an invitation."

Spike looked at the older vampire quite puzzled.

                  **********************************

Spike wished he could get Riley and kill him all over again. Buffy had been very torn up inside. The bastard had used more than himself on her. The doctors weren't sure if she'd ever be able to have children, not that Spike could give her a child anyway.

She'd had nightmares and screamed for weeks, while they took turns holding her, reassuring her. She was afraid to even let Spike touch her in any intimate way for a long time.

Xander or Giles patrolled with Spike then, and the other stayed with Buffy. Willow and Tara usually were there too.

In a couple of weeks, his Slayer was able to get out of bed. But none of them were letting her go out of the house or do much. She didn't seem to have much desire to do so anyway.

Spike reassured her over and over of his love. He held her in the night, cursed the man who'd hurt her because of him, and cried silently while he held her, keeping the nightmares away.

                  ************************************

Buffy was better. It had been weeks since her attack. She didn't like being alone, didn't patrol alone at all. Spike had been frantic, feeling that he'd almost lost her.

She had to smile. It was how she'd felt when he'd been taken from her. When she finally realized how much she cared about the blonde idiot.

One night when they came back from patrol, they came home to find a living room full of their friends. The whole Scooby gang was there.

"What's going on? Major baddies?" Buffy asked them.

"Naw, Spike just asked us over to catch a movie with you guys. Since you were feeing better. We thought it might be nice."

Willow answered as she entered the room with a large bowl of popcorn, followed by Tara with a tray of hot chocolate and all the fixing's.

Spike came back down from their room, sitting next to her taking her hand.

"Buffy, I have a question for you."

"Yes, Spike?"

* What WAS going on? They were all acting wiggy. Spike had been like a coiled spring all evening. *

"I thought I'd lost you when...' I don't want to ever feel that way again."

"Will you marry me, Buffy?"

Buffy looked at him with shock. Their friends all just grinned at her.

* They KNEW! Every one of them had known what was going to happen. *

She looked at the Vampire next to her, and knew how much she loved him, how much he loved her. She gave him the only answer she could.

"Yes, Spike. I will, with all my heart."

Spike kissed her soundly and then turned to Giles.

"Rupert, You can mail that invitation to Angel now."

"I never thought I'd say this, Spike. But with pleasure."

I'll be your dream,
I'll be your wish I'll be your fantasy.

I'll be your hope,
I'll be your love be everything that you need.

I love you more
with every breath truly madly deeply do..

I will be strong I will be faithful 'cos I'm counting on A new

beginning.

A reason for living. A deeper meaning.

And when the stars are shining brightly in the velvet sky,

I'll make a wish send it to heaven then make you want to cry..

The tears of joy for all the pleasure and the certainty.

That we're surrounded by the comfort and protection of..

The highest power. In lonely hours. The tears devour you..

I want to stand with you on a mountain,

I want to bathe with you in the sea.

I want to lay like this forever,

Until the sky falls down on me...

            (Lyrics by Savage Garden)

The End