For The Love Of Spike
Chapter 5
Even though Spike was currently basking in pleasure, he was still aware of his surroundings, and proved this by suddenly breaking the kiss and stepping away from Katherine.
"What is it?" Katherine started speaking in a normal voice, and was immediately hushed by Spike.
"I heard something. A thump. Downstairs." He raised his head and closed his eyes, trying to sense something. Then, opening his eyes again, he motioned for Katherine to follow him.
"Did you sense anything?" Katherine whispered, as quietly as possible. Spike didn't answer for a moment, and then Katherine heard the strangest thing.
"Yes. It's Drusilla. I guess she decided to come to us." It was Spike's voice, but his lips weren't moving. His voice was in her head.
Katherine's eyes widened in surprise and amazement, but she accepted it quickly and continued with him down the stairs.
Two floors down, on the second level, Spike stopped. "Listen," he told her telepathically. Katherine did so, not hearing anything at first. Then, she heard it: light footsteps slowly coming up the stairs below.
Spike nudged Katherine back a few steps, around the corner of the wall. Her mind began to wander as they waited. Because Spike was in her field of vision, she subconsciously studied the physical side of Spike - shoulders, sturdy but not overly wide; a long, lanky frame; lean muscles.
When those muscles tensed suddenly, Katherine pulled her mind back to the matter at hand and noticed that the footsteps had stopped.
"Spike, darling," came a childish, sing-song voice in a British accent. "I know you're out there. Come out, come out, wherever you are!"
Spike turned his head to look at Katherine and rolled his eyes at Drusilla's words, then turned back to see Drusilla reach the landing and walk forward a few steps, probably trying to sense him. He and Katherine were now behind and to the left of Drusilla.
Spike took a breath and went in for the kill. He rushed up, quickly and silently, behind Drusilla, wrapped an arm around her throat, and cut off her windpipe.
"You know, Dru," he said in her ear, "I can't imagine what in the bloody hell I ever saw in a loony like you. And did you really think that after that little trick you pulled on my girl Katherine, that we wouldn't kill you tonight?"
The answer that Spike received was one he had expected. Drusilla shifted her weight and threw Spike over her shoulder. Spike was ready for her, though. He went into a roll and came out on his feet, turning to face her.
"Sorry, pet," he said to Drusilla. "Game's over."
At that moment, a length of wood came swinging from the shadows, hitting Drusilla in the back. She gave a cry of pain and fell to her hands and knees.
It wasn't good enough, though, Spike noticed with disappointment. Either Drusilla had moved slightly, or the strike had been off, but the stake protruded from under her left shoulder blade. It had missed her heart.
Panting with pain and rage, Drusilla pushed herself to her feet and pulled the stake out with a jerk.
"Considering the fact that the wound is deep and will keep you out of commission, Dru," Spike said, "Why don't you get out of here and recuperate or something? I can always kill you some other time." He put an arm around Katherine's waist as she stepped up beside him.
"You flaming bastard!" Drusilla ground out. "I'll be back!"
Spike merely laughed in his old, devastating way. "Whatever, luv. See yourself out, won't you?" He turned with Katherine and gestured her up the stairs ahead of him.
Once back in the loft, Spike turned straight for Katherine. "Now, where were we?" he murmured, starting towards her.
Katherine backed away. "We can't pick up where we left off." Spike stopped.
"Why not?"
"Because I'm hungry."
"You're...oh, God, what a time for a craving! Can't it wait? I've many a delicious little thing I'd like to do to your lovely person. Doesn't that sound fun?" He started towards her again, backing her into the wall.
"Tempting, but no. I pretty sure I need to eat." Katherine held her hands out in front of her, warding him off.
"Well, alright." Spike looked doubtful, then shrugged and turned away. "I guess I remember that I was often hungry when I was new. I'll let you off the hook. This time," he finished jokingly, turning back to look at her. She smiled, thankful, and went to get her jacket from its new place in his closet.
"What is this place? I didn't really get to see it when I first came here with you." Katherine admired the building as they walked down the wide stairs. Her voice echoed in the large, empty building. The walls were black, sooty, as from a fire. Dust and cobwebs were abundant, but the building itself was in excellent structural condition.
"A minion led me to it. It's the oldest hotel here in Sunnydale. During the Forties, there used to be swing parties in the ballroom, and the most important people who came here for events stayed in these rooms. It was the big noise for parties and stuff, I guess."
Katherine, a few steps below Spike, had whirled around.
"Really? I love the Forties era! The music, the dancing - I took swing classes a couple of months ago. Can we have this place cleaned up, and have our own parties? With a swing band and everything?"
Spike, who had been smiling at her enthusiasm, suddenly turned somber. He was looking beyond her, at the landing below.
"What is it?" Katherine turned to look.
A trail of blood led down the stairs from the dropped stake on the landing.
Spike walked past her to the landing and stood over the stake, looking down at it and the blood.
Katherine, sensing that he was upset, walked up to stand beside him and took his hand, lifting it to her cheek.
"I find that I don't really want her to be hurt, and to have to fight her. No matter how she acted, or what she did." He looked at her. "I suppose that's not the best thing to say to you, you being my girl now and all."
Katherine shook her head. "I understand. You two were together for a long time. It will take more time to lose any feeling for her, if you even wanted to. And I also understand that you might not want to lose any feeling for her. She was a large part of your life."
Spike smiled. "You're way too good for me, Katherine. I think I'll keep you for a while, alright?"
Katherine laughed. "Okay. Oh, and I've been meaning to ask you," she added as they resumed walking, "While I was lurking around, watching you, I always heard you call Drusilla pet names." She hesitated. "And I was, um, wondering, uh...oh, never mind."
"If I would give you any names?" Spike finished. Katherine, embarrassed at asking, simply nodded. "Sure. Just give me some time to think of them."
"That's fine," Katherine agreed. "Now, can we please go eat?"
Spike's eyes widened. "Damn! I totally forgot why we were leaving in the first place! Why did you let my blather on like that?" he asked, taking the stairs quickly now. "If we don't get you oxygenated blood, your cells start to die of starvation and your muscles cramp up. It's not fun, and it hurts, trust me."
By the time Spike ushered her out of the entrance of the building, Katherine was beginning to see what he had meant. She was having trouble taking a deep breath, and was feeling light-headed.
"I say, mate, could I trouble you with the time?" Spike said, laying on the British manner, to a passer-by with his dog. The man paused, and Katherine darted from the shadows, grabbed the man by the shoulders, and sank her teeth into his neck. Vicious cramps had begun to seize her all over her body. They slowly subsided as the oxygen in the human blood fed her starving cells.
Just as her hunger was starting to be disappear, Spike pulled Katherine away.
"You don't want to kill him, do you?" Katherine shook her head. She wiped her mouth clean
of any traces of blood, then looked down at Spike's feet."What's wrong with the dog?" she asked. The animal was lying on its side, completely inactive. Spike looked down at it himself.
"It was barking rather loudly, so I put it to the wiggins. It'll be okay," he assured her, and they started back to the hotel.
"Spike, I've noticed something else," Katherine glanced at him as they walked. Spike asked her what it was, and she continued, "You aren't as violent as you used to be. Back in the days with Drusilla you would have killed that dog, and let me kill that man if I'd been starving enough. What has made you change?"
Spike shrugged. "I don't know. I guess you did. It...seems that I find myself wanting to be better for you."
Katherine smiled, her head down. She didn't say anything, and Spike began to wonder when she sniffed repeatedly.
"What is it?" Spike stopped her and lifted her face. Her eyes were teary, he noticed before she closed them and looked away.
"Nothing. You're a sweetie, that's all."
Spike laughed. "No, I'm not. Forget I said it. I'm sorry."
Katherine hit him on the shoulder and cried, "You dense male! I'm crying because I'm happy!"
"Oh," Spike said. He stopped and watched her walk up the steps to the front doors of the hotel, then ran after her. Catching her in the revolving door, he held her in his arms, her back to him. Leaning down, he kissed the side of her neck and whispered, "That's alright then." She smiled and pushed the rest of the way through the entrance.
Once inside, Katherine went into a side parlor instead of up the main staircase. Spike followed, curious, and found her looking around the room.
"If you look beyond all this dirt," she said without looking at him, "This room has a lot of potential." She turned to Spike. "What do you think?"
"I think," he answered, looking around the room himself, "That if you turn into Martha Stewart I'll drain you dry." He looked at Katherine and found her struggling not to laugh. He made a "I'm serious" face at her, and she lost the battle.
"Fine," she said, laughing, "I won't. But you will let me do this?" she finished with a beguiling smile.
" I guess it could be acceptable," Spike answered with a smile of his own.
Chapter 6