Summary: Two years after the battle at the end of "Not Fade Away", Buffy's still in Rome. An unexpected visitor shows up bringing even more unexpected news.
Author's Notes: Inspired by and writtern for calturner.
Rating: NC-17
They raced down the alley and turned the corner into--another alley.
“Where are they?” Buffy asked. The woman screamed again and Spike and Buffy whirled around.
“Back there,” Spike said. He pointed into the gloom. Buffy could just barely make out a grayish humped-over thing holding a dark-haired woman under its arm.
“What the hell is that?” Buffy asked.
“Got me,” Spike said. “That's one I haven't seen before. Where's an overeducated watcher when you need one?”
“My God! That sound!” Buffy said. She squinted, hoping the demon would move into the light.
“Uh, pet. He's gnawing on the girl's arm,” Spike said.
“Ooh. And-- ewww .”
“What should we do? I vote for neck-snapping. Or ripping out of entrails.”
“I'm thinking a quick distracting might be good. Get him to stop, uh, chewing?” Buffy felt the tequila rebelling in her stomach. She swallowed and took some deep breaths.
“Got it.” Spike swaggered forward and Buffy had a huge flash of déjà vu. She knew that strut. Intimately. “Hey mate,” Spike said. “That's no way to treat a lady.”
The demon lifted its head and its four tusk-like teeth gleamed in the shadows. It shook the limp woman and growled at Spike.
“'Sides, not much meat to that one.”
Buffy moved into the shadows on the other side of the alleyway while Spike chatted up the demon. She made her way around behind it and nodded at Spike. He saw her and winked. Buffy mentally counted to three. One. Two…
“Isabella!!” The man from the bar came barreling around the corner and stopped short when he saw his girlfriend.
“Now!” Buffy yelled.
She ran and jumped at the demon, feet first, hitting it behind the knees. It stumbled and Spike grabbed the girlfriend from its arms. “Hospital!” he yelled to the boyfriend as he handed the woman to him.
The demon regained its balance and whirled on Buffy. She kicked out again and caught it in the midsection. It staggered for a second before grabbing her heel, spinning her and tossing her aside like a used napkin. Spike jumped on its back and tried to snap its neck, but its large block-like fist caught Spike square in the face and knocked him to the ground.
Buffy let out a little “Oh!” when she saw Spike hit the pavement. “For that,” she said to the demon, “this one's gonna hurt.” She drove her fist into the meaty gray flesh under its chin, expecting to knock it halfway down the street. Instead, it felt like her fist hit solid iron. The demon grabbed her around the middle and squeezed. She could hear a couple ribs pop.
Buffy's eyes started to roll back in her head as Spike, vamped and furious, smashed the demon in the back of the head with a trash can. The plastic cracked, annoying the monster, who then let Buffy go to peel the can off its head. Buffy wrapped one arm across her stomach and tried to punch the demon again. Next thing she knew, she was flying through the air. She crashed against a building and slid down to the street. Groaning in pain, she looked up in time to see Spike's head snapping back as the demon swatted him like a fly. Before Buffy could move, Spike landed in a heap next to her. The demon tilted its head at them and loped away.
“Spike?” Buffy touched his face—his human face. His eyes fluttered open.
“Didn't think I was that outta shape,” he said.
“Me either,” Buffy said. They both dragged themselves into sitting positions, resting against the building behind them. “In fact, I know I'm not that out of shape. That thing is really, really strong.”
“And now it's loose on the streets of Rome ,” Spike said.
Buffy forced herself to stand. She felt like she'd been hit with a sledgehammer. An enchanted sledgehammer. “So much for my dress,” she said ruefully, examining the tears in the fabric.
“Still look good, Slayer,” Spike said, staggering a bit as he stood also. “Bit of the rough and tumble always looked good on you.”
Buffy laughed and then cringed as her ribs protested. “I think I broke something.”
Spike felt the back of his head. His hand came away red with blood. “Yeah, me too,” he said.
“Should we go after it?” Buffy asked.
Spike looked at the sky. “Dawn's only a few hours away. That and I think we ought to find out what it is we're dealing with here before going after it.”
“Plus ow .”
“Yeah.” He smiled. “Quite a pair we make, eh Slayer?”
Buffy nodded gingerly. “Still,” she said.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Four taxis passed them by before one took a chance and stopped for them. The driver argued with them, wanting to take them to the hospital, but eventually he threw his hands up in the air and drove them to Buffy's address. Buffy paid him and he sped away spitting curses about “ stupidi turisti .”
“Wonder what he was thinking?” Buffy said idly as she opened the door to her building.
“Thinking you gave me as good as you got,” Spike said. He followed her up the stairs and into her apartment.
Buffy slammed and locked the door before collapsing on the couch. “God, the last time I felt this bad was when I fought one of those ubervamps . Not fun.”
Spike went into the kitchen, where he rummaged around until he found some dishtowels. He filled two with ice from the freezer and brought them over to Buffy. He sank down on the couch next to her.
“Thanks,” she said, taking the ice he offered. His own ice, he put on the lump on the back of his head. “Does it hurt a lot?” Buffy asked.
“Just a scratch. Hard head. Remember?”
Buffy laughed a little and then clutched her middle. “Oh God. Broken ribs.”
Spike stood up. “You want to call your watcher? Have him hit the books on this nasty while I look for something to wrap those ribs with?” he asked.
Buffy nodded. “Bandages. In the bathroom. Third drawer from the left.”
Spike handed her the phone before disappearing down the hall. Buffy dialed Giles's number, knowing for sure this time she'd be waking him up.
“Giles?” she said at his mumbled hello. “Sorry about the earliness. We've got a sitch . Demon that eats human flesh. Gray skin. Hairless. Four giant teeth like elephant tusks. And very, very strong.”
“Are you all right, Buffy?” Giles asked. She could hear him fumble for his glasses.
“I will be. At least I hope so. Slayer healing and all.”
“Let me write this down,” Giles said. “Very strong you say? How strong would that be?”
“ Ubervamp strong. Without the vamp.”
“And it defeated you?”
“Handily. It threw both Spike and me like those fish those guys throw at that market in Seattle ? That I saw years ago on The Real World?” At Giles's deafening silence she added, “So anyway, yeah. It defeated us. We need to know how to kill it.”
“You and Spike are working together on this?”
Buffy sighed. “Yes, Giles. We were out tonight. The demon was eating some guy's girlfriend.”
“I'll do what I can, Buffy,” Giles said. “But I don't believe I know this particular beast. I'll call you if we come up with anything, though.”
“Appreciate it,” Buffy said. Spike came back into the room with one hand full of bandages, Advil and a sports cream. In the other he held a glass of water. “Talk to you soon, Giles.” She hung up.
“Should wrap those ribs. Give ‘ em a better chance to heal right,” Spike said. He handed her three Advil and the water. She swallowed the pills quickly and gave the empty glass back to him.
“Yeah. Thanks,” Buffy said. “I just have to go change.”
Spike rolled his eyes. “Not like it's anything I haven't seen, Slayer. Think I can control myself long enough to wrap some bandages around you.”
“I didn't… I mean, I wasn't thinking you…”
He put the bandages and glass down on the coffee table and offered her his hand. “Stand and turn. I'll get that ‘ claspy thing' as you so eloquently put it.”
He pulled her up gently and she offered him her back. She tried lifting her arms so she could move her hair to the side, but a sharp stab of pain made her think again. She waited while Spike undid the clasp and lowered what was left of her dress. She stepped out of it and kicked it aside, nude except for her satin panties and black heels. She toed the shoes off quickly and held her breath.
Spike's hands were cool on her skin. He draped her hair over her shoulder to get it out of the way and placed the beginning of the bandage just above her stomach. “Hold this, please,” he said, his voice rough.
As she did, he smoothed Miracle Ice around her middle. He came around her front and took the ice-filled towel from her other hand. He wiped the excess cream from his fingers and tossed the towel on the table. Then he began to wrap the bandage around her.
Buffy blinked furiously, trying not to be affected by his nearness and his hands on her body. She couldn't help it that her nipples were visibly hard or that Spike could surely smell her arousal. He kept his eyes down, though, concentrating on making the wrapping tight enough. When he fastened the bandage with two clips, the back of his hand brushed the underside of her breast, making Buffy gasp. He froze and caught her eye.
“Spike,” she whispered.
Emotions flashed across his face faster than she could read them. One move from either of them and Buffy knew what would happen next. She grasped his hand and moved it to cover her breast, waiting. He reflexively squeezed and she caught her breath.
“Fuck. Buffy…”
She wanted to jump up on him, but the pain in her ribs wouldn't let her. Instead she wrapped her arms around his middle and molded herself to him. Their mouths crashed together and Buffy felt her lip split when it came into contact with his teeth. She kissed him harder.
Spike lifted her so she could wrap her legs around him. He kicked the coffee table out of their way and crossed the room to push Buffy up against the wall. His arm softened the impact and he ground against her. Buffy practically tore the coat and shirt from his body, her mouth never completely leaving his. When his chest was bare, Spike carried her down the hallway. He kicked the door to her bedroom open and they collapsed on Buffy's bed. Spike rose up on his forearms so Buffy could undo his pants. As she pushed them down along with her panties, he kicked off his shoes and peeled off his socks. When he was finally naked, he quickly spread her legs and fingered her, finding her more than ready. Buffy arched her back as he drove into her.
“Missed this. Missed you. God Buffy,” he chanted as he moved within her body. He held himself up with one arm and brought his other hand down to rub his thumb around her clitoris. Buffy felt herself shudder around him, grasping him and pulling him deeper into her. She was going to come fast and hard. Several more deep thrusts and she was shaking and moaning with her orgasm. Spike came with a shout shortly after, pulsing into her over and over.
When the pleasure ebbed, they stared at each other. Buffy rubbed her thumb on his swollen lower lip. He blinked down at her and began to move within her again.
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