Fighting For Love

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

Spike awoke to a sound coming from the sewer entrance of his bedroom. He perked up, got out of bed and wrapped a sheet around his middle. He went to the entrance to investigate the sound. When Spike approached, Angel came out of the tunnel.

“Hello, William,” Angelus greeted him with a heavy hand on Spike’s shoulder.

“Hello, Peaches,” Spike greeted back.

“It’s Angelus now, Spike!” Angelus corrected him. “So what’s going on with you? Have you seen our little Dru?”

“Right then, Angelus. Haven’t seen Dru in some time. We split back in South America,” Spike explained.

Angelus sniffed the air, and then looked at Spike with a gleam in his eye. “So are you going to claim her, my boy?”

“Claim who?” Spike was sincerely confused.

“Buffy. I can smell her scent in here. I can smell her fear. But it isn’t a fear of you. So are you going to claim her? Bring her into the family?”

Sure Spike had thought about claiming Buffy, but only in a protective capacity. He wasn’t ever going to turn her. She was sunshine. She wasn’t meant for the dark. Spike shook his head. “No, Angelus. I’m not going to turn her. Just claim her at some point to protect her from Riley. Besides, when did the Great Poof become Angelus?”

“Let’s just say that Darla and Dru succeeded and didn’t get what they wanted. But I’m back and it feels good. As for claiming Buffy . . . how will that protect her from Riley? He’s human and you have a chip.” Angelus reminded him.

“I know that! But I was thinking maybe, some part of you still cared for her, or Aurelian family honor. I don’t know, Angelus. I just know that I have to protect her from Riley and I can’t completely do that with this chip shoved into my brain,” Spike pleaded with his Grandsire.

“Okay, William. I’ll call a truce. I’ll help you protect her and take care of Riley. It’s your call when you want to do this,” Angelus said holding out his arm.

Spike gripped Angelus’ wrist and pulled his Grandsire into a hug, patting him on the back.

Angelus hugged Spike back, nodded and disappeared into the tunnels again.

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

Buffy was sitting in the waiting room getting more impatient by the minute when the doctor walked toward her. Buffy stood up feeling apprehensive.

“She’s okay, your mom’s in recovery,” Dr. Kriegel assured her.

“What happened, is she all right?” Buffy asked, more worried than apprehensive now that she knew Joyce was recovering.

Dr. Kriegel nodded. “It was possible to visualize the tumor completely, which means I was able to get all of it. So, barring complications in recovery . . . I think your mother’s going to be fine.”

Buffy sighed with relief. Her mother was going to be just fine.

“Of course,” Dr. Kriegel continued, “we’re still going to have to watch your mother carefully, and, uh, have her back in here for some follow-up testing.” Buffy nodded in understanding as the doctor finished, “But, uh, overall I’d consider the procedure a complete success.”

Buffy smiled, “Oh my goodness, doctor, thank you, thank you so much.”

“Please, it’s my pleasure,” Dr. Kriegel assured her.

Buffy hugged him, forgetting her own slayer-strength and he yelled in pain. She gasped and apologized. The doctor put a hand on his back and gave her a funny look as he walked away.

Buffy checked on her mother and then went home to change clothes.

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

Buffy walked in the door to see Riley standing at the entryway. She sighed and shut the door. She wasn’t ready to have another fight with him. She closed the door behind her and walked past him to the bedroom. He followed her.

“Where were you?” He demanded.

“With my mother, Riley. She had surgery today. I was there. Yes, she’s fine. So I came home to change. Do you have a problem with that?” Buffy nearly yelled.

Riley ground his teeth. Buffy never told him her mother was having surgery today and he couldn’t fathom why she kept it from him. He hadn’t seen her all day. He growled at the thought that he couldn’t be with her every minute due to her classes and training. Now that her mother was fine and out of the way, Buffy could focus on him.

Riley went up behind her and wrapped his hands around her hips, pressing his crotch against her bottom and kissed her neck. “So, shouldn’t we celebrate?” he asked.

Buffy tensed up, for some reason she felt like she was cheating on someone with Riley. She shuddered but held her ground. Her inner being fought this. Her heart didn’t want this. But technically Riley was her boyfriend. She grit her teeth and stood there stiff as a board.

Riley sighed through clenched teeth. If she wanted to do this the hard way that was fine with him. He pushed her back on the bed. He raised her shirt off her head and threw it over the side of the bed. Her pants came next. Then he opened his jeans and pressed against her mound.

Buffy squirmed trying to distance herself from Riley but nothing worked. Riley had her pinned with his body. It was when he pushed his shaft into her dry body that she clenched her teeth and shut her eyes and lost herself in her dreams of Spike’s protection and love and Angelus’ revenge while Riley used her body for his needs.

Outside the apartment, Spike was standing under a tree, smoking, watching Buffy’s bedroom window. He felt something wasn’t right behind the windows. He felt her body fighting invasion. He sensed her fear. He wanted to help her so bad. He wasn’t invited in. If he was he’d break in the window and take his Slayer away. He wanted to protect his Buffy.

Inside the bedroom, Buffy passed out from the trauma long before Riley was finished. He watched her for a moment, before slipping out of bed. He got dressed and left the apartment, leaving Buffy to come around.

Outside, Spike was frustrated. Even as he heard her whimpers, he couldn’t get to the mate of his heart. He ground out his cigarette and turned to go find Angelus. He stopped when he heard the front door of the apartment building open and saw Riley come out. Riley didn’t see him though. Riley closed the door and walked off. Spike followed him to an old warehouse which Riley entered. Spike watched him disappear inside, frowned, and ran back to his crypt. He had to get Angelus and protect Buffy.

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

Buffy was in Joyce’s hospital room the next day. The previous night was momentarily forgotten with another bottle of True Match Foundation. Joyce was looking at her reflection in a hand mirror, examining the large bandage on her head.

“I don’t know, Buffy. I think I’ll look like I have a cat on my head,” Joyce commented.

Buffy held up a wig. “But a very well-groomed cat.”

Joyce smiled. “I think maybe I’ll . . . stick with a scarf.

“Come on, wigs are fun. We can get you a whole bunch of different ones. You know, you can be, like, Sixties Mom, Action Mom . . .” Buffy wiggled her hips suggestively. “French Maid Mom . . .”

Joyce smiled at her daughter. “I must be getting better, ‘ cause you’re making fun of me.”

Buffy sat on the bed next to her mother. “Well, you know. Got a lot of time to make up for.”

“You have more important things to make up. I know you’ve been missing a lot of school,” Joyce reminded her.

“I may have to take a few incompletes, but I will make it through the semester,” Buffy amended.

“Well, what about slaying and your friends? I want you to have your life back,” Joyce stressed.

“Right now I’d rather be here, styling your beautiful new plastic dream hair,” Buffy said.

Joyce nodded. “Fair enough, but you don’t have to keep me company all night. Go out, have fun, get – get Riley to take you to a movie or something,” she suggested.

Buffy tensed and became unfocused at the sound of Riley’s name, “I- I- I gave Riley the day off.”

Joyce cocked her head and smirked. “I don’t think he thinks of you as a chore, Buffy.”

Buffy thought of the previous night, the previous two weeks of abuse at Riley’s hands. She looked down. “I know that. Look, I told him to make plans with his friends because I wanted to have you all to myself, okay? Besides, I can see him any time.” Buffy got up and turned away from her mother to put the wig on a stand. “And I’m sure he’ll be home when I get there.” God help me, he’ll be there.

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

In Spike’s crypt, Spike was in the tunnels of the lower level with Angelus. They were both leaning against opposite walls. Angelus’ brooding look hadn’t changed from his soulful days. Spike was chewing the inside of his cheek.

Angelus looked concerned. “What happened last night, William?”

Spike sighed and took a drag of his cigarette. “I was lurking outside Buffy’s window …” That got an “I knew you hadn’t changed” look. “. . . and he was doing something to her. I heard her crying and whimpering softly. I felt her, Angelus. I felt her body trying to fight the invasion of what he was doing to her. I sensed her fear. She’s never been afraid of us, Angelus. But inside, she’s truly afraid of him.”

Angelus saw the near grief in the eyes of his grandchilde. “You can’t go into a place you aren’t invited, Will. You’ve always been the rash one of us, the impulsive one. You want it, you took it, and you had it. She runs to you, but she doesn’t stay and you can’t get into that apartment. So what are you going to do, William?”

Spike smirked, curling his tongue behind his teeth. “It’s not what William’s going to do. It’s what Spike’s going to do.”