A/N :- A/N :- Thank you to all the reviewers that have stuck with this story even though it has been a while since I updated.I hope that you are all still with me.Also I'd like to thank my new Beta ,Jude. I don't know how I managed without you before now !

Chapter Twenty Eight

Arriving at the airport, they both went to different airlines to try for the fastest flight home to Sunnydale. Buffy had some luck and there had been two seats available on a flight that left in two hours. Two hours, and a long flight, meant they would get into Sunnydale just before dawn.

"Pet?" he looked at her with his head tilted, "Tension is coming off you in heaps, let's go do something about that before you drive me bloody nuts on the plane, yeah?"

Buffy smiled at him. He knew her so well now, she wondered if he knew her better than she knew herself. He probably did. She smiled and placed her hand in his before they walked off to the private lounge. Spike just hoped that it was empty. At this time of night he thought it would be. If not a flash of fang and it soon would be.

He held the door for Buffy and a middle aged guy looked up from his copy of the Financial Times. Buffy growled low with disappointment. She could feel the waves of need and sexual tension coming from Spike and it just heightened her own needs. Spike looked down at the guy, all predator, and whispered in his ear.

"Me and my girl here are looking for some privacy. Now before you go getting all high and bloody mighty about being kicked out of here, I'd take a quick look up and ask yourself if it's worth it," he added a snarl.

As expected, the man started to object but then looked up and saw the face of a demon. He shrank back into his chair as Spike leaned forward. "Take it you never seen a vampire before mate, you watch horror movies yeah?" The man nodded "Good, so you know what we do. .?" The man nodded, again. Spike sighed and raised his voice, "So why the bleeding hell aren't you running out the bloody door screaming you moron!"

The man grabbed his briefcase and ran for the lounge doors. It looked as if he may have wet himself, yet he obviously still had more decorum than to run screaming from the room.

Spike slumped onto the comfortable couch and beckoned Buffy over. Slowly she sat on his lap, facing him and sweeping her hair to one side, exposing his mark. His eyes flickered between azure and gold as he watched her move her hair to grant him access. His cool tongue glided up from her collarbone, tracing the vein that lay beneath her skin. A shiver raced through her and then up her spine as his blunt teeth grazed over his mark. The attention he'd paid her neck had her grinding down on his lap, causing him to grow painfully hard. His hips raised up to meet her as he felt her lips caress his neck, a low moan slipped from his lips as her hands tugged at his belt. His fingers felt for her skirts hem and slid it up as Buffy finally released his cock from its confines. He cupped her ass and pulled her forward, her breath hitching in her throat at the unexpected movement. Their eyes met and held each other still until Buffy finally sunk herself down onto the object of her desire. She smiled at the hiss that escaped him and let her body take over, a dance as old as time. As the rhythm built up, they're gasps and moans turned to low growls and mewls came from Buffy. Spike broke from her lips and looked up at her blood red eyes and it brought on his own change.

His tongue wet his fangs with anticipation, the sensation of connecting with her on an intimate level as well as an animalistic one fuelling his need. His hands gripped her ass harder and began moving her faster. Still no words were spoken by either of them, their bodies doing all the communication needed.

Buffy looked down at his neck and drew her top lip back as she slowly descended, her fangs piercing her mark gently. The first pull of his blood seemed to make her own blood sing to her and call to him.

Spike drew one hand away from her ass and wrapped her hair in it, pulling her away from his neck, her lips shone with the wetness, with his blood. He crushed his lips to hers, plundering her mouth with his tongue. Hungry for more he pulled her away from him again and tilted her head to give him access to her neck. With a growl he began thrusting hard up into her as his fangs finally sunk home. Euphoria set over them as Buffy claimed her place at his neck. Both drank as their bodies continued to thrust and grind together. The feelings that coursed through them took over. Buffy was the first to sense something deeper and more powerful than the usual orgasmic end approaching. As she felt Spike harden more, signaling his impending release, she felt a strange heat envelope her and opened her eyes. Spike arched his back and opened his eyes. A pure white energy surrounded them, warming them both, it crackled in the air around them.

Spike looked angelic, bathed in the white light, Buffy thought as she watched. It never occurred to either of them that maybe this was some kind of evil or that they should separate to stop it.

"Buffy," he smiled, "do you feel it?"

She nodded against his neck.

A slow trickle of blood ran down her neck and without pause, Spike latched himself back at the fresh bite mark. The pull was all Buffy needed to send her over the edge and into an orgasmic abyss. Spike thrust until her muscles clamped and pulsed around him, taking him over into the abyss with her.

Buffy stood in the field, wild flowers swayed in the breeze, tainting it with their delicate perfume. She inhaled and closed her eyes, letting the calmness wash over her. Arms slid around her waist and elicited a moan of pure pleasure to escape her. Lips laid against her neck as a soft voice whispered to her.

"Three were wise but yet unknown, your destiny is written in stone, of evil and good, bound by blood, A Champion is born."

As Buffy turned in the arms that held her, she smiled. Never before had she seen Spike bathed in sunlight. Okay, maybe once, when he had the damn Gem of Amara, but that didn't count. It had been brief and he was evil then, she'd been preoccupied with kicking his ass rather than noticing how beautiful he was when bathed in sun. His eyes looked more blue, more soulful now.

"Are you my champion?" she asked him.

Spike frowned as he regained consciousness.

"I didn't say anything, pet and I bloody doubt it. Not exactly hero material."

Buffy woke to see those intense blue eyes looking down at her, disorientated, she moved off of Spikes lap and righted her clothes before she sat in the chair next to him. Spike pulled his jeans up and fastened his belt before sitting back down. With the way Buffy was acting and also the fact that he had joined her in a trance like dream, he was starting to worry.

"It doesn't make sense that. . ." she paused and kept her thoughts to herself.

She picked up her bag and got out some tissues, handing some to Spike, she placed some on her bite to soak the last of the blood and then motioned for him to do the same. The fact that she had done that rather than lap at the mark to close it, gave him even more concern. Pushing his insecurities aside, he did as she had suggested. Good thing too, not a minute after, a man in a Gucci suit came in and sat opposite them both. He was tempted to morph and scare off what he considered an intruder, but a look from Buffy and he decided against it.

And so with a quick, insecure smile to them both from Gucci man, all three sat in awkward silence until the flight was called. Buffy was contemplating her slayer vision, dream of sorts, Spike thinking about the distance she had put between them since it. He leaned forward in his chair and clasped his hands, elbows on his knees. He needed a fag, a drink, anything to make his mind stop. He glanced her way and saw that she was in a world of her own. She looked up sharply and smiled, albeit a shy one The man in the Gucci suit cleared his throat and went back to his book.

Spike sighed and stood, not sure what for, perhaps just to break the tension, and went to the floor to ceiling window and looked out. Buffy looked up and watched him. She knew she should say something to him, anything, but with Gucci man there, it would just come out wrong.

They both looked up at the speaker as the flight was called. Gucci man made his way out, stuffing his book into his briefcase as he left the room. Buffy made to follow him out, but found that Spike had grabbed her arm and held her back.

"We have to talk about this, Buffy"

Buffy looked over her shoulder at him, "Not here, not now. We do need to talk, and we need to tell Giles. I just want to go home now, get this over with. Things are starting to get weird and out of control and I feel like I'm sinking. . . I can't do this right now. . ."

Spike nodded, she had pretty much covered the way he felt too. As Buffy walked out of the room, he shook his head as his thoughts ran wild through his mind.

Once the plane had taken off, Buffy soon fell asleep. Exhausted from everything, Spike followed her into slumber, they both woke as the announcement that they were soon to land at L.A.X. came over the PA. Buffy brushed her hair from her face with her hands and rubbed at her eyes in an attempt to wipe away the last remnants of sleep. Her gaze out of the window just made all the anxiousness flood her again. A strong hand slipped under hers and squeezed gently, pulling her attention back.

"Be home soon pet, then we can figure all this out and get rid of the bloody Watchers once and for all."

Buffy nodded and squeezed his hand. The plane touched down and taxied to its dock. Spike watched as the other passengers pushed their way to the exits, he stood and motioned for Buffy to take his hand. Once off the plane and in the airport, Spike located a phone and dialed Giles' number. He glanced at the clock and shrugged, Five am being a perfectly acceptable time for a vampire.

Giles heard the annoying ringing and staggered from his bed, he snatched the receiver, almost dropping it before he got it to his ear. Annoyance flooded him, almost as if he knew who it was that was calling already.

"Do you know what the bloody time it is?" he snapped.

"Good morning to you too, Rupert."

"I should've known. What is it Spike? It had better be important."

"Me and the slayer are back. We're at L.A.X now, be back in a couple of hours. Best get the gang round yours, I don't think my girls going to want to waste any more time on this little problem we got. You might also want to get your thinking caps on too. Me and the slayer will explain all when we get back. Just be ready."

Giles rubbed at the bridge of his nose, the tension already coming back with a vengeance, he sighed. "Fine, just use the utmost caution when you get back into Sunnydale. We have no idea if there are any other watchers. . ."

"Watching the place? Don't worry , me and the slayer still look different. Maybe you could get Red to do a spell, one that masks us from view or something."

"Good idea, well, see you both soon."

Giles hung up and stretched out his back before he went to his kitchen and filled the kettle. Once he had his first cup of tea, he sat down and began assembling the 'scoobies', he just hoped that this would soon be over and their lives would return to normal.

Within the hour Giles' apartment was full of chattering adolescents, his head ached from the constant noise and his fridge had been stripped bare by Xander. Restless and tense, Giles wandered back and forth, going from door to window, watching the perimeter and eagerly awaiting his Slayer and Spike. His heart started racing every time a cab slowed near the complex. He realized it was idiotic, childish in a way, but it kept him from hearing Anya talk about her sex life and how many times Xander could perform. If only he could remember the spell that would render him temporarily deaf.

One last look out of his window and he moved away, his sights set on the twenty five year old malt he had stashed for special occasions. This was not one of those, but Giles didn't think he would get through the next few hours without it. He poured a glass and winced as it ran smoothly down his throat and he reveled in the gentle after burn. Oh yes, this would help a lot!

Ever the watchful and insightful girl, Willow worried about Giles. He was getting more and more reliant on alcohol to get him through their meetings and it was only seven a.m. Willow could understand that yes it was stressful, probably more so for him as Buffy's watcher, but Buffy didn't need to add an alcohol dependant Father figure to add to her collection of men that had let her down. At this point, it was the last thing any of them needed.

Forty minutes later and Giles sat in quiet contemplation, staring at his fifth whiskey as he swirled it around the glass. He bought it to his lips and swallowed the amber liquid in one and slammed the glass down, loud enough to pull all the attention to him. He'd simply had enough. To old. That is how Giles felt now, too old and left behind. Oh, they came to him for advice, when they needed to use his books for research or when they needed a place to meet up. But they had surpassed him a long time ago if he was honest. Buffy certainly didn't need him anymore, not now that she had Spike. Once this was over he would abdicate his position as watcher and return home to England. His retirement felt long overdue now.

At just before eight, a cab pulled up and Buffy got out of the rear passenger door, Spike from the front. A brief look around and they both headed for the apartment. Spike watched the perimeter as they waited for the door to open, when it finally did, they were both shocked to find a less than sober Giles.

"Ah, come in, come in. . ." he slurred

Buffy entered first and eyed the whiskey that sat on the table. Her friends sheepishly smiled.

"Liquid breakfast I see." Spike said as he nodded towards the table. Giles had the grace to put his head down as if ashamed.

Buffy sat down heavily next to Willow. She wiped her hands down her face to stave off her tears. Yet another of her peers that she loved was falling apart and adding to her already overloaded stress levels. Giles being like this was a danger to them and they really didn't need a drunk watcher as a loose cannon. Her temper flared and she couldn't hold back.

"What the hell is going on here? What happened while we were away? We're gone a few days and this is what we come back too? Take a good look at yourself. . . your drunk and it's not even eight thirty in the morning Giles. You're meant to be the adult, the guide. . ."

Giles rolled his head and looked at her through squinted eyes, "And just who am I meant to be a guide to? You don't need me now, I'm the proverbial spare dick at the wedding Buffy. You outgrew me as your watcher years ago, we were both too bloody needy to admit it then. I needed a job and a family and you needed my guidance and a father. Not anymore, oh no. . . you got him now," he pointed at Spike, "Bloody Spike. . . you know what. . . you wouldn't have half this crap going on now if you had just stake the bastard when you were s'posed to."

Buffy let the tears fall, but the hurt and anger stopped her from falling apart. Xander, Willow and Anya all watched, embarrassed to be witnessing the faceoff between Buffy and Giles. Slowly, trying hard not to draw attention to themselves, the group tried to make their way to the front door. Buffy turned to see them all hovering by the door, Willow had her hand on the door knob.

"Leaving already? Why not stay and then you can all join in and tell me how bad my choice has been and really get the knife in and give it a good twist."

Not sure what to do, they all made their way to the table, hoping they were less likely to come into Buffy's firing line. Giles stood and wavered before he locked his legs and stood firm.

"I have made a decision, I'm returning to England and retiring. You don't need a watcher now, time you stood on your own and faced whatever comes your way. With all the resources available to you and with the power between you all, you shouldn't have any problems."

Buffy was shocked, disappointed, angry and hurt at Giles' words. How could he think she didn't need him now and in the future? He was her surrogate Father for god's sake!

"You're wrong! I do need you, I'll always need you," she said as she wiped her tears and nose on her sleeve. "You can't leave me."

Seeing her like this tugged at his heart. He longed to hug her and tell her that he was wrong and that he would stay, but he couldn't. If he stayed she would never grow and Buffy wouldn't reach her potential. Yes, it would hurt and the distance would mean that he would always worry, but it was time she stood on her own two feet and took command. She had the potential to be the greatest slayer in history, she was already but he knew there was still more to come yet. With him there she wouldn't reach that status, she'd always lean on him and not progress.

His eyes wandered to Spike, he stood stiff, watching the Slayer fall apart but knowing that this was between the watcher and his girl. He couldn't stop the glare in his eyes though. Giles saw the contempt there and looked away. Willow, who had been quiet up 'til now, stood and drew Buffy's attention as well Giles and Spikes.

"I get that you feel the way you do, but we still need you, all of us do. Since Buffy was called, you have been the one that we could turn to, whatever the problem." she also was crying now. "Look at the way you helped me recently, I wouldn't have got through it without you."

Giles sighed ,as true as it was, he knew that he still had to go. "I won't leave until after this crisis has been averted, but my mind is made up. I'm. . . I'm sorry but this isn't a choice I made lightly and believe me when I say that I think it is the right choice for all involved." He had been feeling this way for a while and had finally made his choice. He wasn't about to be dissuaded.

Giles stood on sobered feet and made his way to the foot of his stairs. "I'm tired, physically , mentally and spiritually. I fear I may be more of a hindrance to you now." he made his way up to his bedroom and quietly shut the door. His back remained against the door for a while after he closed it. Tears spilled down his cheeks before he reigned them in. His bed called him from his place by the door and he laid down, tired and weary with emotion. The alcohol pulled him into slumber, albeit a restless sleep.

Downstairs, Spike cradled Buffy to him, her eyes searched his as if looking for an answer she needed to her question, "How can I cope with everything, without him?"