Subject: [BA_Gutter] Dream Once More 28 and 29( imagine that!) Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2004 19:02:05 -0000 From: "Tracy" Dream Once More 29 Author: T. Claybourne Rating: up to NC-17 Disclaimer: 20th Century Fox Film Corporation and Mutant Enemy own all the characters except for my little Mary Sue named Emma. I do this for entertainment purposes not money. Comments: Please pretty please! Summary/ Teaser: Buffy comes to LA but things are different. Angel is not as she remembers and Spike is with some one else. Authors note: As some of you know this has been delayed with my new career as a Flight attendant, so just a quick up to date for you. When we last left off, Spike and Emma had been reunited. Emma had survived Angel's attack. Team Angel, Buffy and Spike had thought the First Evil controlled Angel but found out he also was in the middle of some of the Master's followers trying to bring The Master back through Angels Aurelis blood. Chapter 29 Gunn and Wes had taken shifts through the night. They sent Buffy to the car to sleep, meeting her objections with the logic of her needing to be ready for that next night. Wes seemed so serious that she had agreed. His shift had just ended and instead of taking the passenger seat in the front he climbed in and pulled the little slayer to him on the back seat. Buffy sighed, only partially conscious. Wes felt as if he were coming home, a feeling that had evaded him for years. * * * * * Spike had convinced Emma that in the morning, if she were better, he would consider her suggestion. The fact that he had a roaring desire to taste his love was nagging at him. Emma had suggested it, but he had wanted it the second she had. His concern for her health was the only hindrance, and every minute he heard her strong heart and steady breathing it became harder to resist. There she was, sleeping soundly, and all he could think of was sinking his teeth into her pale white neck. He began to get hard just thinking of it. He had seen the dreams plaguing her while she slept but she seemed now to have control- no fear or outbursts. He couldn't help but want to stay awake and watch her. Every time his thoughts turned to the days before he shuttered them. He ought to try and fall for some demon, not a mortal human. Too late. Emma made it all different. Bloody Hell, slayers had a way of messing his life up. First his soul for one, and now he wanted to find some way to keep this one from ever leaving him. It wasn't a will to protect her, which she could do for herself, so much as to keep her with him always. Why should he, a champion who had saved the world, lose the only one who truly loved him? Maybe the `powers that be' could do something, just this once. He heard the student slayers waking, and knew he had to go speak with them. They would have to be ready for a fight; they were in danger now and needed to know. But he didn't want to leave Em. Concentrating on the danger Angel and the Master presented for them, he pulled away gently and dressed in the still curtain-drawn darkness. Emma was quiet and soundly sleeping; hopefully she wouldn't miss him at all. Spike headed down to the lounge room they had converted into a TV room. All the girls looked up at him inquiringly. They hadn't seen him in a couple of days and they knew something was wrong, worse than just two of them being killed. Spike simply explained it all to them. Their reaction surprised him as they talked about stopping Angel. Less than three days ago they had cowered in a corner, but somehow they had changed. Stephanie came to him as he was getting ready to leave. "I had another dream. Fire, fighting and dust. Buffy and Wes were there along with you and Emma. Also a redhead- I think she was a witch- and another man, older and British, who Buffy was concerned for. Well, for a little while; then something horrible happened because everyone was crying or upset. I didn't see what it was but, well, it made me sad and scared." "Pet, sounds like the one Emma had. You know the slayer dreams aren't always prophetic, and it'll help knowing about the fires." "You have to let us help. I know that's why I keep getting the dreams. We are ready, you trained us real good." Her eagerness, even with the darkness of her dream, made him smile. "Pet, you will get to fight but first we have to make sure that you're safe. The fact that only one more dead slayer will practically complete the ritual makes it to risky to bring you in yet." Her look was grim but she nodded. Spike felt sorry for any demon that ended up thinking the little one was easy prey. * * * * * Gunn's rapping on the car window woke the sleeping Wes and Buffy to the brightness of the sun. He climbed in the driver's seat and yawned. "Wes, I called in some of our people from the firm. Told them it was surveillance and that Angel was on a case so if he moved we needed to know. They are already in place. Got no idea why the boss didn't make any moves last night but we're in the clear." Wes sat up and stretched. "Why didn't we do that last night?" The Angel-on-surveillance ruse was a good one. "Maybe because we all knew those guys wouldn't know what to do if he did make a move," shrugged Buffy. "But now in the daytime, the chances of him following through with the ritual are definitely very slim." "Well, this boy was massively wanting a reason to sleep in my own bed. Seems to have been enough incentive to make me come up with a better plan," answered Gunn. "Maybe we should head for home, get some real rest," suggested Wes. Gunn chuckled. "Yeah, right, rest. I see that happening over at the Wyndam-Pryce place." Buffy biffed him in the back of the head in response. "Gunn, it's none of your business what happens at the Pryce place, is it?" she asked. "No, ma'am," he answered, his grin showing in the rear view mirror. * * * * * Wes dropped Gunn at the hotel to get his car. Lorne was sleeping behind the desk when Gunn went into the lobby. "Hey green guy, way to keep the place locked down. I just walked in." "Uh, I know I locked that door. Maybe the slayerettes are up and opened it. Besides, if I do recall, there's a slayer and Spike in the house?" "Yeah, like either of those two would be worth something right now." Spike cleared his throat from the hall by the elevator. "'Cause you're busy taking care of the convalescing slayer, Spike. No dis on you." Spike chuckled at Gunn's need to explain. Must have been a long night, Spike reasoned to himself. "You two scram, I got it for the day. Em is still sleeping and the slayers are chomping at the bit to help." "No arguments out of me, sugar cookie. It's all yours," Lorne answered, almost running to his car. "You sure, man? I was thinking I could crash here at the old homestead." "Charlie, you look like a bloody mess. Go home, get into real clothes, please lose the lawyer costume. We're headed for a fight tonight and that three-piece won't fare well." Gunn shook his head. When did Spike get so authoritative? Seemed strange, but he had to agree with Wes: Blondie Bear had changed. He headed out the hotel door towards his own vehicle. Spike smiled at the surprised look Gunn had given him and ran up the stairs to check on his sleeping slayer. * * * * * Angel stirred. His days at the firm had affected his natural sleep, causing him to be wide awake when most vampires would usually be sound asleep. He and Drusilla had stayed in bed all night and into the morning, enjoying one another like they hadn't done in a century. Angel knew it was wrong, but after everything didn't he deserve a little fun? The others had come to the door but never once interrupted. Dru had them trained well; they knew not to go anywhere without his command. He assumed they were starving, since he hadn't let them feed and they all were so young. Too bad- suffer, he thought; he had for centuries now. Drusilla was practically purring, making him want her again. He felt insatiable and realized he was hungry too. He'd have to get something the minute sunset was upon them. It seemed strange how he was so hungry all the time now. * * * * * Emma forced herself awake. It was still dark in their room as was the norm during the day but she sensed Spike's absence. She needed to escape the strange dreams she had been experiencing. She hadn't taken any pain pills so it wasn't their influence. Sitting up, she noted she was only a little sore: no pain in her chest now. Emma had seen her bruises heal fast, sometimes sooner than Spike's, but that was the extent of her experience with slayer healing powers. The fact that less than forty-eight hours ago she had been dead on the operating table made her feel grateful and amazed. Spike had gotten up early when the other young slayers had started making noise. She had gotten up but couldn't wake up. As her stomach growled, she silently hoped there was something to eat besides Spike's blood in the fridge. Still naked, she walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge. Emma made a mental note that almost all the recent blood delivery was still in the fridge but was happy to see a piece of leftover steak. She pulled it out and shoved it in the microwave. Then she pulled out the thermal mug and got Spike's blood ready to heat after her steak. After putting the mug in she took the steak and sat at the table. There she sat naked, eating. Spike came in then. "Oi, now that has to be the perfect start to my day." TBC