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Summary: In an attempt to get over her grief for Spike, Buffy has cut herself off from her past life, and anything that reminds her of the vampire that's still in her heart.  But when a news story brings her attention to the battle in LA, the Slayer finds herself once again facing old betrayals and old faces.  Returning to LA she finds even newer betrayals and the possible death of her most secret hope.


Faded Hope

by bitchee

Chapter 14

Spike watched as the slayer turned and met his gaze. Bracing himself for her anger, he was startled to see her eyes darken in a way that he remembered far too well for his own piece of mind.

Moments later when the heady smell of her arousal hit him, he found himself tensing with expectation as his body instantly reacted in a way that only she had ever inspired.

Cock straining the material of his tight jeans, Spike desperately tried to remember all the very good reasons why he should learn to keep his bleedin’ mouth shut.

Soddin Hell, what the fuck is wrong with you, you stupid git. She’s the bloody slayer, fight equals hungry n’ horny… an you’re tied to a bleedin’ bed.

Closing his eyes against the sight of Buffy’s intense stare Spike did his best to remind himself exactly why shaggin’ the slayer would be a very bad idea.

Right mate get a grip, she’s obviously under some sort of mojo, an’ the last thing you need t’ be doing is tauntin’ the girl about her sex life.

She fuckin’ used you to scratch an itch once, don’ go thinkin’ about lettin’ her do it again. It’s the spell…gotta be the spell, she don’t really want you… she’s reactin’ to the spell.

He took a deep unneeded breath and opened his eyes. Meeting her gaze defiantly Spike did his best to keep his expression blank, which he found wasn’t easy when his erection seemed to be doing it’s level best to break the zipper on his jeans.

The slayer’s eyes were riveted on his, the expression in them familiar from the many times she’d come to him after her resurrection.

She looked anguished and extremely pissed off, but overlaying all that was the hungry needy look that told Spike that she was teetering on the edge of taking him up on his earlier offer.

He groaned as her eyes left his, only to swallow hard as they dropped to the evidence of his arousal.

When she licked her lips and took a step closer, Spike had to stop himself from leaning towards her and releasing the growl he could feel building in his chest.

Buffy meanwhile, found she was having trouble remembering why, only a moment ago, she had been doing her best to convince herself that jumping Spike was not the way to go about getting him back.

In fact, his outward indifference, belied by the obvious erection he was sporting was telling her that she should jump first and ask questions later. He might not love her any more but he sure as hell wanted her.

Fuck, she’d missed him more than she thought was possible. She missed the way he touched her, the way he kissed her, she missed every damn thing about him. And she especially missed the way she felt when he was inside her.

God, look at him, he’s so fucking beautiful when he’s mad. My fierce brave champion… How do I make you believe that I love you… and will you even care?

Taking another careful step towards him Buffy shifted her attention from his cock back to his face. She searched his expression looking for a hint of the man she’d left in the Hellmouth.

His eyes were still the startling blue that she remembered, but sadly, the love that he’d never bothered to hide before was absent. He could not however hide the lust, and Buffy shivered as it set off a deep needy ache within her.

Feeling herself grow even wetter she moved closer, her heart at war with what her body so obviously craved.

Spike was in agony, the woman he’d loved… no, not loved. The woman he still loved with everything he had in him, was moving ever closer and the expression on her face was starting to confuse the hell out of him.

Gulping heavily, he desperately tried to remember all the pain she’d put him through, all the reasons why he was no longer loves bitch…Well no longer Buffy’s bitch at least, he reminded himself somewhat shakily as she closed the distance between them.

As her eyes started to glaze over and the smell of her arousal only became more intense he found he was having a hard time remembering exactly what it was that she’d done that was bad enough that he’d willingly turn down the chance to bury himself in her heat again.

When her hand brushed the mattress of the bed Spike let out a very unmanly squeak and pushed himself backwards against the headrest.

“Ok slayer” he managed to blurt, even as her lips turned up in a predatory smile. “Funs over pet, hows about you unchain me an’ we go find the others…”

He hissed as her hand found his bare foot, cursing the fact that he’d not had time to put his boots on before Buffy and Dawn had shown up.

“C’mon pet you don’ wanna do this… m’sure if you stop an’ think for a moment….”

He was cut off before he could finish by the first words she had spoken since his name.

“Oh Spike” she breathed out, his name sending shivers racing down his spine. “You have no idea,” she added, with a low growl.

He blinked, for the first time in his existence he was speechless.

Spike was used to being the predator, the one who chased. Even when he and Buffy were going at it like a couple of love-starved rabbits, it had always been he that had done the chasing, no matter who might have instigated it. But with six simple words Buffy had turned him into prey.

His mouth opened but he had no idea how to combat her simple statement. Master vampire or not, Spike was still a man and the woman he loved was standing in front of him and openly devouring him with her eyes and her words.

In one last ditch effort to avoid what he feared could, and most likely would, end in dust for him, he opened his mouth and made (depending on the way you looked at it) either the worst or the best mistake he’d ever made in his life.

“Really don’t think your thinking’ things out pet. Red an’ Hellcat are most likely on the way here…”

It was the casual way he said his pet name for Faith that did it.

Buffy in her lust driven haze had momentarily forgotten all about the other slayer and Spike’s possible involvement with her. However, the moment he spoke, her mind flashed back to the bite mark she had seen on Faith’s neck.

It was enough to push her inner slayer back into the driver’s seat. The fact that Spike had made it more than clear that he no longer loved her, was not enough to stop the girls jealousy and the slayer demon’s possessiveness from triggering an all out fit of rage.

Abandoning any attempts at seduction, the slayer did what she had wanted from the moment she’d seen the mark on Faith’s throat.

She snarled and pounced.

Spike had just enough time to think Oh bollocks before he found himself driven back against the mattress by the slight weight of the slayer.

His arms, chained as they were, meant that he had no way to stop her other than to twist madly and try and get his legs positioned well enough to either throw her off, or at the very least halt her attack.

Of course, he hadn’t stopped to think about the effect his frantic wriggling might have on the state of his already aroused body.

Before he had time to blink Spike found himself spreadeagled with a franticly snarling slayer on top of him. Instead of her attacking him, she seemed to be determinedly grinding herself against his still hard cock and every attempt he made to dislodge her was only making his situation (and his erection) harder.

Looking into her eyes he abruptly realized that whatever had triggered her earlier fit of vamp- napping was back for an encore, the expression on her face pure vintage slayer.

Her eyes were glowing with the sort of mindless lust he hadn’t seen since their first time in the abandoned house, and both her grip on him and the noises she was emitting told him that struggling would most likely only make things worse.

Spike’s demon wasn’t helping matters either. The moment her skin had made contact with his it had started clamoring for even more contact. Now he found himself doing everything he could to push the demon down and fight off his own churning need.

Moments later, he decided that whatever was controlling the slayer seemed determined to push him to his limit. Her snarling tapered off into snuffling whimpers and her movement, which at first had been violent and dominating, gentled into slow rubbing and soft undulations.

When her mouth traveled to the hollows of his tensed throat, Spike’s demon and his own need overwhelmed him and he found his formerly jerky movements of evasion slowing and synchronizing with hers.

The slayer sensed the moment he started to weaken and with a cry of triumph, her mouth moved to cover his siring scar and she bit down.

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

Willow, Faith and Dawn were in total agreement. Andrew was going to die.

As soon as they were sure that Angel was well clear of the hotel and after Willow had done a simple spell to make sure there would be no eavesdropping on their conversation, the three girls put their differences aside and did what women do best… they talked.

It took them barely twenty-five minutes to get each other up to speed, and when the conversation was done, each of them found themselves left with frighteningly similar thoughts.

They were pissed and someone was going to suffer… several someones, starting with Andrew Wells.


Faith couldn’t believe that they’d all been taken in like they had, and after hearing Dawns account of the last year of the sisters’ life she was very glad she had not given in to her urges where Spike was concerned.

Buffy and she might not be friends and her earlier attack might have pissed her off, but that didn’t mean she wanted to see her sister slayer suffer any more loss in her life.

Fuck man, after what happened with Riley guess I can’t blame her. Poor B, thinking Spike was dead all this time…then finding another former honey with me…she winced, Musta’ hurt somthin’ wicked.

Rubbing her neck absentmindedly, she flinched as her hand touched the bite mark on her throat. Her eyes widened with realization as her mind played back Buffy’s attack and Dawn’s scathing narration of Kennedy’s comments.

Holy shit. She musta seen the fucking bite, no wonder she lost it like that. Dudes a vamp and I’m running around sporting a vamp bite. That Fuckin bitch of Willows never did know how to keep her trap shut, I bet she just loved stickin’ it to B.

Faith scowled. Just wait till I see that little cow, I’m gonna punch her in her big fat mouth. Hell, if she’s fucked up Spike n’ B’s chance at happiness… I may just show her how dark a slayer can really get.

Faith would have been shocked to know that Willow’s thoughts were not that different from her own.


When Dawn had told them about Kennedy’s nasty reaction to Buffy’s arrival, Willow had found she was not all that surprised. The surprising thing had been the amount of anger she’d felt towards her current lover.

Goddess, she just cant help herself, thought Willow disgustedly. What the hell was I thinking, she’s a child with absolutely no feeling for anyone but herself.

Shaking her head at her thoughts Willow found herself hoping that the mission Giles had sent her girlfriend on would be a long one.

Jeeze Ken, I hope for both our sakes I don’t see you any time soon. I don’t think you’d like me when I’m angry. And boy am I angry.

Biting her lip Willow tried to tamp down her anger. She’d already nearly lost it once today over Andrew, she really didn’t need Kennedy’s betrayal on top of everything else.

How could she… how could she say those things to Buffy. If it wasn’t for Buffy she wouldn’t even be a slayer. Tara would never have said anything so mean…

It was the thought of Tara that finally calmed Willow down. Picturing the serene and beautiful woman that she still loved and missed desperately, serving to remind Willow of all she had nearly lost the last time her hold on the magic had slipped.

Oh baby I wish you were here… She sighed and tried to focus on the present and what they should do next.

One thing I do know, she thought to herself, Kennedy and I are so over. No one treats my friends like that… least of all a half grown brat with delusions of grandeur.

She sighed again. Time to face facts Willow my girl, even on her best day Ken couldn’t get close to what I felt for Tara, and it’s time I stop pretending differently.

Resolve face firmly in place Willow pushed her love life worries aside and turned back to study the other two girls.

She was understandably startled, when moments later, just as she was about to get their opinion on the glimmer of plan she’d managed to come up with, the room was flooded by a sudden brilliant white light.