Chapter 14 – Facing It
The sun was still high when Buffy reached the vampire den. She'd meant what she'd said to her friends—she would burn the place down. But first she needed to face Riley again to see if anything "Riley" was left.
Buffy took a deep breath at the door before kicking it in with a crash. She stepped across the splintered threshold, pulled out a stake and looked around. It felt—empty. She ran up the stairs and into the room where she'd last seen Riley. Empty as well. Even the mattress was bare, though she couldn't exactly remember if there had been sheets on it last night.
"Looks like they cleared out after our visit."
Buffy jumped and whirled around to see Spike standing in the doorway. She lowered her stake slowly as she tried to calm her racing heart. "You idiot!" she said to him. "I could have killed you!"
"Sorry, pet. Thought your mighty vampire radar would have detected me." He swaggered through the doorway, thumbs hooked into his belt. "Guess Batman and his cronies flew the coop. Bet they figured you'd be back."
"But you told me he wouldn't go anywhere last night. That he'd be all 'good eats'."
"Yeah, well, guess Finn's smarter than he looks."
Buffy started to sit on the edge of the mattress but then thought better of it. She crossed her arms and moved around the room instead. "So, where do you think they went?"
Spike shrugged. "Plenty of crypts around. Plus, abandoned buildings. And even Angel's old mansion."
Buffy shoved the stake into her back pocket and pulled out a book of matches. "Well, they won't be coming back here. I'll make sure of that."
"Gonna torch the place, then?"
"That's the idea." Buffy pushed past Spike and started down the stairs.
"Why's that?" Spike asked, following her down.
"So they can't come back here." Buffy walked over to a camp stove set up on a coffee table. She pulled a match loose.
Spike came up behind her and wrapped his fingers around hers. "Don't, love. They're not coming back. There are better ways to get your anger out."
She shook him off. "How? By shagging you?"
Spike narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "Need I remind you that it's your mind that always goes there first?"
"Get real," she said, but there was no heat behind the words. She threw the matches aside. "Okay. So I don't go all 'Firestarter '. What do you think I should do?"
"Wait until tonight. We'll find him together."
Buffy closed her eyes. "Why?" she asked. "Why are you even here?"
"You know why, Buffy. You just won't admit it to yourself." Spike pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and shook one up before grabbing it between his teeth. He tucked the pack away and then lit the cig with his silver lighter. After a deep drag, he looked at her again. She was staring at him intently.
"You're right," she finally said. "I do want you."
"Well there's a start," he said, flicking ash on the floor.
"But wanting you doesn't make it right or good. I don't want to want you, Spike."
"I'm not the same, Buffy. Something's changing in me. And it's because of you—of what I feel for you. Give me a chance. I'll prove it to you. Starting with taking out the former soldier boy."
"That won't prove anything to me. You hated Riley before he became a vamp."
"True." Spike took another drag and blew it out slowly. "Only 'cause he had what I wanted."
"You never wanted me," Buffy said quietly. "Not me, really. You want another Slayer."
Spike tossed his cigarette onto a ratty couch. "Maybe, in the beginning. But not now. You're Buffy to me now, more than the Slayer. Now I want the whole package." He stepped close to her and cupped her cheek. "And I know you love what I can do for you—and to you."
"Spike."
He kissed her. His mouth was becoming so familiar, yet was still so exciting. He softly nibbled her bottom lip, encouraging Buffy to open her mouth to him. After a moment she did and his tongue lightly caressed hers. She felt her whole body sway to him, looking for full contact. He smelled of smoke... Something smelled of smoke.
Buffy pulled back. "Fire," she said.
"Mm-hmm," Spike said. "I feel it too."
"No, you idiot. You set the couch on fire with your cigarette."
Spike whirled around to see the upholstery smoldering and flames greedily eating a stack of old newspapers. "Shit."
"Well, help me put it out."
"What with?" Spike looked around the room. He quickly grabbed an old blanket off the floor and started beating at the flames with it, knocking over the camp stove in his enthusiasm.
"Butane!" Buffy hollered. She grabbed his arm and hurled him through the entrance to the building before flying out after him.
"Fuck, Buffy! The sun!" Spike yelled. He yanked his duster over his head and let her drag him down the steps and away from the fire behind them. Buffy quickly found some shade around the corner and pushed Spike into it.
Spike shook himself off, smoke still rising from his coat. "What the hell? Overreact much?" he asked.
Buffy felt a little embarrassed. "Sorry. I just saw that butane canister fall onto the burning newspapers and I thought—"
A loud BOOM shook the air.
"—something like that might happen," she finished.
Spike smoothed his hair. "Right. Thanks then."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
They went their separate ways after Buffy agreed to meet up with him at his crypt at dusk. He still insisted on coming with her to find Riley and, frankly, she was kind of happy to have the company. She couldn't exactly ask her friends to come with since they all seemed to like Riley so much—plus the whole full-of-fresh-blood thing. But having a strong fighter like Spike at her back was, well, comforting.
When she stopped for a moment to think about it, "Riley" and "vampire" were becoming synonymous in her brain. The thought was like a punch to the gut, but it would help her do what had to be done.
Minutes after the sun went down, Buffy entered Spike's crypt. He stopped digging through his weapons chest long enough to toss her an axe. "Just stocking up," he said as he filled his coat pockets with stakes. He dropped the chest lid and came to stand in front of her. "Don't want to be caught unawares, do we?"
"Been there, done that," she said under her breath.
Spike squeezed her shoulder. "To Willy's first. He usually has the lowdown on the demon activity in town."
"Duh, Spike. But I do the talking, got it?"
Spike put his hands in the air. "Whatever you say, Slayer."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"I don't know why I let you talk me into these things," Buffy said as the door to Willy's Place was slammed behind them.
"Me? How the hell was I supposed to know the place was under new management? Or that the bartender would be too slimy to get a good hold on? Or that he'd chew your axe into little pieces? Can't properly threaten something you can't chop or throttle." He shook residual gunk off his hands.
"What is it with you and the grossest demons possible lately?" Buffy asked. She started walking down the alley. Spike fell into step beside her.
"No clue. I attract all kinds, I guess."
"I'm just letting that one go," Buffy said. "I guess we should try the cemeteries next. Maybe—"
"Looking for me?"
Buffy caught her breath as Riley stepped out of the shadows. He was wearing his human face and looked so—normal. Her heart clenched a little.
"Nice to see you again, Buffy," Riley said. "Can't say the same for you, Spike. But you never did know when to get lost."
"Well, if it isn't Sunnydale's newest addition to the undead," Spike said. "Looks like you got your wish, mate. Superstrength without the pesky heart problems."
"Riley, God," Buffy said when she could speak. "What did you do?"
"Since you like treading on the dark side so much, I thought I'd give it a try. And I have to tell you!" He beat his chest. "It feels fucking fantastic! I never knew I had to be dead to feel so alive!"
"Well, you're gonna be even deader soon, youponce , once the Slayer's done with you."
"Yes," Riley said. "The Slayer is here. But so is Buffy." He smiled sweetly at her. "Isn't that right, Buffy?"
"Riley..."
He stepped closer to her and picked a lock of her hair off her shoulder. He twirled it around his finger and tugged lightly. "I can smell you, Buffy. Your indecision. Your fear. How you're just a little turned on by me like this."
She jerked her head away. "Keep talking, Riley. You'll make this much easier that way."
"Ooh. There's that spark. I knew eventually I'd see it. You aim it at everyone else enough. I bet you didn't hold back when you were with Spike. No worries about breaking him. You think I didn't know, don't you?"
"Know what?" Buffy ground out.
"How you constantly held back, afraid to really be you with me. Afraid you might hurt me. Well, you can't hurt me now, Buffy. Wanna fuck?"
Spike stepped in front of Buffy and punched Riley in the face. "You watch your mouth," he said.
Riley's head snapped back, but he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and sucked it off his fingers with a smile. "Look at you! Defending the bitch's honor." He laughed. "Just wait. She'll be fucking some other undead piece of meat soon enough."
Buffy caught Spike's fist as it went flying at Riley's face again. "Let me handle this, Spike," she told him. He looked at her, then nodded and stepped back.
"Oh my," Riley said. "You are pussy-whipped, aren't you?"
"And you," Buffy said, hitting him under his chin, "are a big—" She kicked out, sweeping his legs out from under him. "Potty mouth." Riley landed on his back on the pavement and Buffy was on him in a second, a stake pressed to his heart.
"Hesitating, Buffy?" Riley said when she didn't plunge it through.
"Come on, Slayer. Finish it," Spike called from behind her.
But she couldn't. And Riley knew it.
He grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back. Flipping them over, his face transformed and he lowered his mouth to her neck. Buffy almost wanted him to. It really was her fault he ended up like this. Everything he'd said to her had a grain of truth to it. But then self-preservation kicked in and she threw him off of her.
Spike ran to her side and offered her a hand up. She ignored it. Riley stood, smirking, a few feet away.
"You really should have taken your chance, Buffy," Riley said. "'Cause you didn't think I'd come alone, now, did you?"
Buffy and Spike looked around quickly as at least a dozen vamps stepped into the light.
"Oh great," Buffy said, rolling her eyes.