Buffy stepped out of her taxi and stared up at Hilton Hotel in awe. The taxi driver came out, jogged to the back of the car and popped the hood. He hefted her suitcase out and set it down carefully on the sidewalk, tipping his cap at her politely. Smiling at him, she paid him and tipped him generously, for he was the most delightful man she’d ever met. He’d made her feel welcome when he drove her from the airport.

“If you don’t mind me asking, Miss,” he asked, peering at him over his wire-rimmed glasses at her in the rear-view mirror as he drove. “But why did you decide to pop over here?”

“Oh!” Buffy sat up excitedly. “I’ve been picked as a Fear Factor contestant.”

His eyes widened. “Really? You must be thrilled!”

“Oh yeah,” she nodded, smiling at him in the mirror. “Although I believe my mum and sister are more crazy about it than I am.”

It was true. Dawn had squealed at ear-splitting decibels, jumping up and down maniacally before she shot up the stairs to call and brag to all her friends. Her mother had sat there wide eyed at first, but then she’d given in to torrent of happiness at Buffy’s excitement.

FLASHBACK
“I’m going to win this for you, mother,” Buffy said to her mother. “It’s for those hospital bills.”

“Oh Buffy,” her mother had softly said, reaching out to touch her hand, “You don’t have to…”

“But I want to. I want… I-I want,” Buffy teared up. She brushed the tear threatening to fall at the corner of her eye before continuing. “I want you to get better, mum. With this money, we can pay for the tumour to be removed.”
END FLASHBACK

A bellhop leaped forward and smiled at Buffy, pulling her luggage for her. She followed him through the main door, and gasped at the expansive foyer inside. A couple of escalators stood directly facing the main door leading up to a balcony of second floor littered with shops. There were lounges on either side of the escalators.

She went to the counter to check in.

“Buffy? Is that you?” Buffy turned around at the voice and gasped, “Harmony!”

Harmony gave an ear-splitting shriek and threw her arms out, enveloping Buffy in a hug. Buffy tried not to cringe.

“What are you doing here?” Harmony finally released her. “You don’t strike me as the travelling kind. Don’t you always sit home and have no life whatsoever?”

Buffy gave her a condescending smile.

“Actually, Harmony, I’m here for the Fear Factor challenge,” she said proudly. Take that, you superficial bitch.

“Really?!” Harmony’s eyes widened. “So am I!”

This time when Harmony hugged her again in excitement, Buffy stood frozen in shock. Oh God, what are the stupid chances…

***

After she checked in, Buffy went up to her room. Harmony had disappeared after the receptionist at the counter had called out to her to sign her name.

Looking at the enormous room, she couldn’t help but feel nervous. This room isn’t a hotel room, it’s a freaking apartment! She wasn’t used to such luxuries and felt out of place.

Aiming straight for her bedroom, her eyes instantly fell on a folded card sitting at the foot of her bed, with the bright yellow and black logo of Fear Factor. Opening it, she read:


Dear Miss Summers,
Congratulations for being selected as a Fear Factor contestant!

As it is your first day here, I would like to extend a warm welcome. Please congregate at the lobby at 6pm this evening with other Fear Factor contestants as part of the meet-and-greet session.

Beginning from the 9th January 2006 (Monday), you will participate in three extreme stunts to win $50,000. The stunts will be held at the following dates and times, and please note the appropriate clothes to wear:

9th January 2006 – 10am. Wear comfortable clothes over your swimming outfit.

11th January 2006 – 2pm. Wear any comfortable clothes you own.

13th January 2006 – 7am. Wear your exercise outfits.

In between stunts, you are free to roam this beautiful city and do as you like. That’s it! Enjoy your stay.

Sincerely,
Rupert Giles


Buffy smiled and put down the card. She looked at her watch. 3pm. She had lunch on the plane beforehand so she didn’t feel hungry now. Stripping her clothes, she opened her suitcase and pulled out her toiletries and clothes. She had decided to take a long, hot soak in the bath tub…

***

“So, how’s your experience so far?” Willow asked excitedly over the phone. “Spill!”

“Oh God, it’s so amazing, Wills,” Buffy said, grinning. She was sitting on her bed watching muted television while talking with her best friend, Willow Rosenberg.

“But guess who I met as a fellow contestant?”

“Who?” Willow asked.

“Harmony Kendall!” Buffy exclaimed.

“What?!” Willow screeched in indignation. “That bimbo got a spot on Fear Factor? What were they thinking?!”

“Yeah, I know, Wills,” Buffy said, shaking her head. “I don’t know how they choose their contestants. Maybe her daddy pulled a few strings.”

“Gosh, I can’t believe it,” Willow replied. “She’s essentially brainless. She couldn’t possibly last two minutes into the show!”

“Yeah, especially the first stunt, which is always physical, Wills,” Buffy giggled.

Willow laughed so hard trying to get her next bit out, “And oh, the second stunt with the all the yuckage.”

“And let’s not even mention the third stunt where… wait, she couldn’t possibly lasts to see the third stunt!” Buffy said, laughing with tears rolling down her cheeks.

“If I know Harmony, she’ll be lamenting about her nails all the time,” Willow chuckled.

Buffy looked at her watch. It was now 5pm.

“Listen, Wills, I’ve got to go. There’s a meet and greet session at the lobby for all contestants and I’m not even dressed yet,” Buffy said hurriedly.

“OK sure, Buffy! Go now!” Willow said, “Don’t want you to be late. And Buffy?”

“Yeah?”

“Good luck!”

Buffy smiled. “Thank you, Wills.”

“Call me tonight!”

“You got my promise.”

Buffy clicked off her phone and rushed to get dressed. She realized she must look really good as a first impression for all these people, so she picked out her red halter top and black knee length skirt that swished around her legs.

She put on her makeup and finally pulled on her leather knee length black boots.

5.45pm.

She grabbed her earrings and hurriedly put them on, then grabbed a brush to comb her hair. Setting down the brush, she took a step back to scrutinize the entire ensemble. Not bad, she thought. Nodding in satisfaction, she ran to the door, grabbed her room card and got out.

She waited for the elevator impatiently, and by the time the elevator door dinged open at the lobby, she ran out… straight into a hard body.

“Ooof!” She fell down.

“Bloody hell!” a deep male voice exclaimed. “Look where you’re going, you bloody bint!”

Buffy looked up and blinked. Standing over her was the most gorgeous man she had ever met. Sharp cheekbones, platinum blond hair, beautiful blue eyes, sensual lips, great body… wait, what did he say? In that sexy accent of his?

“What?” she asked in indignation. “This is entirely my fault?”

“Bloody right it is,” he replied, looking at her crossly. He extended a hand to her to help pull her up.

“You could avoid me, you know,” Buffy said in a huff, accepting his hand and got up onto her feet. She couldn’t stop staring at the him. He was so deli-fucking-licious.

“I didn’t have the time to avoid you – you were running like a hurricane as if a bunch of dogs were on your tail!”

Buffy flushed in embarassment.

“I was late!” she exclaimed defensively.

“So?” he crossed his arms and looked straight into her eyes. Buffy shivered under his intense stare. “I believe you owe me an apology, goldilocks.”

“I owe you an apology? Why do I have to apologize for something that is not entirely my fault?”

He raised an eyebrow at her. “Hey, you crashed into me. A’ least I should get a sorry from you, pet.”

“The name’s Buffy,” she said through gritted teeth, “and no, I will not apologize, you bleached moron.”

She turned away from him and cursed loudly when she looked at her watch.

“Now you’re making me even more late than usual!” she yelled at him. She spun around and ran towards the lounge, looking for a bunch of people congregating or any sign of the famous yellow and black Fear Factor logo.

Sure enough, she found a bunch of people grouping together under a huge Fear Factor banner.

She breathed a sigh of relief and slowed down, approaching the group. A middle aged man seem to be acting like a tour guide, from the way he spoke loudly and clearly, waving his hands about.

“Alright people! How many of you are here now?” he started to count. “Ah, there are only four of you. Where are the other two?”

“I’m here,” Buffy said timidly. The middle-aged man turned around to face her and smiled.

“Rupert Giles.” He shook her hand. “You are-?”

“Oh, Buffy,” she said, smiling back, “Buffy Summers. I’m sorry I’m late…”

“Oh that’s quite alright, Buffy,” he replied. “Why don’t you grab a seat first while we wait for the sixth and final contestant…”

“No need, old man… he’s here,” a deep timber voice said from behind her. Buffy froze. That voice…

Giles looked over her shoulder and smiled. “Ah, and you must be Spike.”

A/N: Don't forget to review!

When they said meet and greet, Buffy certainly didn’t expect it to be dinner as well.

Buffy, Spike and the rest of the contestants made their way into a high class restaurant with Giles. After a murmured discussion with the waitress, she led them into a private room where Joe Rogan was standing there, waiting for them.

He beamed at them when they entered the room.

“Hello everyone,” he said, “My name is Joe Rogan and as you probably know, I’m the host for Fear Factor.”

Everybody nodded and smiled at him; some said hi timidly.

“Tonight we will be having dinner together, and the main purpose is to get to know each other. So please, have a seat.” He gestured to a long table in between them, three chairs on each side and two chairs on either end.

Giles and Joe sat at either ends of the long table. Buffy stepped forward to grab a seat in the middle, with a big brunette man sitting on her left. He gave her a flirty smile as he sat down. On Buffy’s right, a pretty girl with long black hair, the sexiest pouty mouth she had ever seen and beautiful doe eyes sat down. The girl had made a comment that made Buffy blush about Spike when she first set eyes on him, “Whoa! Hello there cutie, that’s the tightest butt I’ve ever seen!”

Speaking of the bleached blonde wonder, he sat opposite her and smirked. For some odd reason, that seemed to incense Buffy more.

Sitting on Spike’s right side and next to Joe, was a man who’d introduced himself as Riley to Buffy on their over to the restaurant. Buffy wrinkled her nose – that man was so full of himself! He kept bragging about everything – from how he won high school sport competitions to how he excelled in this military programme.

Which leaves Harmony who was sitting on Spike’s left side, trying to engage in a conversation with Spike ever since her eyes widened at the sight of him in the hotel lounge. She had licked her lips, then launched herself to glue by his side, talking nonstop. Spike, for his part, had ignored her as much as he could, looking like he wanted the floor to swallow him up.

“Alright, is anyone allergic to anything?” Joe asked the whole group while holding a menu in front of him. A waiter was hovering at his elbow, pen poised on paper.

Everybody shook their head.

After Joe whispered a few words to the waiter, the young man nodded and walked away briskly, shutting the door behind him.

“So how’s everybody been?” Joe rubbed his hands as he looked from one face to another.

There was a collective murmur of “Good. Fine. Excellent. Never-been-better’s”.

“I trust that you all know when’s the date and time for all the stunts?” Giles addressed them all. “Good. Now, let’s get this painful part of the conversation out of the way.”

His eyes twinkled behind his glasses at Joe.

“Yes,” Joe agreed. “Let’s start by introducing ourselves, just state your names, and we can go from there.”

After a few awkward moments of introductions, during which Buffy learnt that the brunette man sitting next to her was named Angel O’Connor, a lawyer; the girl on her right was named Faith Evans, a bartender; and interestingly Spike worked as a writer. Before long, the conversation became more lively.

***

“What do you mean, you’ve eaten duck fetuses before?” Angel asked Spike, who was smirking proudly and cutting into his steak.

“I was touring Thailand a while back, and the locals kept pushin’ me to try their local delicacy,” Spike said. “They had the strangest notion of what was considered edible!”

“So, you’re telling us that this duck fetus was actually – what, almost fully formed? With bones?” Faith asked.

“With feathers!” Spike added.

“Cool!” Faith said.

“Eeeww!” Buffy and Harmony cried together.

“I knew you girls would be grossed out,” Riley chimed in. He turned to Spike. “That was nothing, man.”

“Oh?” Spike raised his eyebrow at him. “And I suppose you’ve eaten something grosser than duck fetuses?”

“Well yeah!” Riley said. “See, when I was in this military programme-”

Buffy inwardly groaned.

“We have to find our own food in this jungle, see? So we simply ate everything – from grasshoppers, to worms, to crickets. Plus, we even ate roaches. There were even snakes, man- boa constrictors, adders-”

“What’s the grossest thing you’ve ever eaten, B?” Faith asked Buffy loudly, interrupting Riley’s boasting tirade. Everybody was getting tired of him.

Buffy cocked her head to one side and thought carefully. “Sago worms.”

Harmony scrunched up her nose in disgust, murmuring “Freak” while the rest gave her rapt attention and Spike asked, “What the bleedin’ hell is a sago worm, pet?”

“It’s Buffy,” she snapped.

Teasing her, he said, “You’re a sago worm?”

“No, Captain Peroxide,” Buffy said, to which Spike replied, “ ‘ey!”

“Sago worms are worms that feed at the bottom of the sago tree in Sarawak, Malaysia. I’m not sure if other countries have them, but that was where I tried,” she continued.

“You eat them live-” Harmony blanched.

“-and wriggling-” Angel’s eyes bugged. Joe, Giles and Spike looked impressed.

“-and they taste like flour.” At that, everybody burst into laughter.

Spike looked at her and said, “Don’t think that beats my duck fetus, luv. At least your sago worms taste like flour, mine was unbelievably gross!”

“I believe everybody has their own opinion on what’s considered gross. I probably can kick your ass where yuckage is concerned,” Buffy said, defiantly raising her nose.

“Oh puh-leeze. You couldn’t possibly do any of the Fear Factor stunts even if your life depended on it. What were you? A cheerleader?”

“So what if I was?” Buffy was mad now. Who the hell did he think he was?

“Just that- you don’t look so tough.” He smirked at her.

“And I suppose you are?” Buffy shot back. “What do you do for a living, huh, Spike? A writer, isn’t it? Nothing tough about that.”

He narrowed his eyes and leant forward, “Well then, little girl, we’ll just have to see then, don’t we?”

She mirrored his actions before saying through gritted teeth, “Well, then I guess we do.”

Joe and Giles gave each other meaningful looks at this exchange.


***

A/N: Don't forget to review! I love getting reviews!

Over the course of the meal, Buffy caught snippets of conversations around her.

“Then I dashed as quickly as I could, kicked the knife out of the lunkhead’s hand, gave him a good punch or two in the nose and eyes, before I kneed him in the groin. He doubled up in pain and begged for my mercy. I said to him, ‘this is the military, you pussy, there’s no such thing as mercy. Now get up.’ And then he tried to run away and I caught him…” Riley was telling to a very bored Joe Rogan.

“Oh my God! You could not possibly think cargo pants are in season!” Harmony screeched at Faith. Giles was trying not to have a headache at this girly conversation and Harmony’s high pitched voice.

“Yeah? What’s it to you then, bimbo?” Faith replied. “Is that all you think about?”

“So you are beautiful and brave,” Angel murmured into Buffy’s ear. “Sago worms, you know. That’s something not everybody can stomach. Is there anything you won’t do?”

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Spike narrowed his eyes at Angel. She knew deep down Angel was only trying to dig information about her so he could mentally bring her down. After all, this is Fear Factor, where messing with each other’s minds were part and parcel of the game. But Spike didn’t know that.

She deliberately smiled sweetly at Angel before she leant closer to him to whisper back, “Sleep with men on first dates.”

To another person, they looked cosy and privy, murmuring with each other. Spike felt an unreasonable rage and jealousy coursed through him at the sight of Captain Forehead getting close to his girl. Wait, since when did Spike considered Buffy his girl? He had Dru for that! Plus, she was some really annoying bint, wasn’t she?

Before he could analyze his thoughts further, Harmony’s whiny voice broke through his reverie.

“Hey blondie bear,” she said, stroking his arm through his shirt, “Who do you like more, Lindsay Lohan or Hilary Duff? Hilary is more wholesome and American, don’t you think…? But Lindsay has this wild child thing going for her, and I think what with the latest rumour about her being thrashed at parties and showing up late for work… I mean, wow, you need guts to do that you know-”

“Oh will you just shut your gob up, you stupid bint!” Spike finally snapped at her.

Harmony drew back, gave him a hurt look, then started ranting at him again, “Well, you’re no fun to talk to anyway! You’ve been doing nothing but ignoring me all night and you’re the worst conversationalist in the world!”

Buffy’s eyebrows rose to her hairline. Wow… Harmony could utter a long word like conversationalist… the longest word she’d ever heard her say was Versace.

“So, I won’t talk to you anymore!” she finished. She paused, then looked back at Spike. “Unless… you want to talk to me, which, well, you know, we have to, on the show, and even then, I will, you know, ignore you!”

Spike groaned and dropped his head to bang his forehead against the table. Buffy giggled and Spike raised his head to give her a dirty look.

Bloody chit’s enjoying this, Spike thought.

***

“So how was your dinner?” Willow asked while tapping her pen against her textbook. She was lying down on her stomach, her textbooks propped open in front of her, with the cordless phone cradled between her left ear and shoulder.

Buffy groaned while she leaned back against the pillows. “Not bad. Some guy tried to hit on me though. Angel O’Connor. He’s a lawyer.”

“Really? Did you respond?”

“Nah… he’s not my type. Too big and beefy for my taste. Plus he’s broody!”

Willow giggled. “What about the other contestants? How are they like?”

Buffy began to tick them off her fingers, “Well, there’s this girl named Faith. Boy, she’s almost as bad as Anya! She made a comment about Spike’s butt right in front of him!”

“Spike?” Willow’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Who’s Spike?”

Buffy rolled her eyes. “Oh, only the most infuriating and annoying guy in the universe. I bumped into him in the lobby and he had the nerve to demand for an apology when it is not entirely my fault! Then during dinner he kept teasing and goading me. God! He just won’t leave me alone!”

“Wow. Sparkage,” Willow commented, idly highlighting sentences in her textbook. They were colour coded and there were already orange, yellow, green and blue. Willow was just adding purple to the mix.

“What sparkage?! There’s no sparkage, Wills,” Buffy denied vehemently. “It’s sparkage free zone here.”

“Well, it sounds to me like this Spike guy got you riled up,” Willow replied.

“Oh, speaking of riled… there’s this guy named Riley. I think he’s the God of all Boasters, if there’s such a thing.”

“There should be one for every Fear Factor episode,” Willow answered, cocking her head to one side. “Makes reality TV more real that way.”

“And then there’s of course Harmony, who had been pawing and hogging Spike’s attention all night,” Buffy continued.

Willow stopped her highlighting in mid-sentence and raised her eyebrows. Was that jealousy she detected in Buffy’s voice?

“And why are you concerned about that, Buffy?” Willow asked in an almost bored tone to mask her suspicions. “I thought you don’t like him.”

“Well, I don’t!” Buffy exclaimed. “Just that Harmony was acting like such a ho-bag. She practically threw herself at him!”

Willow capped her highlight pen calmly and set it down. She grinned a triumphant smile but tried to keep it out of her voice.

“I think someone definitely had sparkage…” Willow started to say.

“No!” Buffy protested immediately. “No sparkage, Wills! He’s bleached blonde, for crying out loud. And he keeps saying soddin’ and bloody all the damn time.”

Willow cocked her eyebrows and decided not to pursue this further. Let the silly girl find out for herself.

“Alright Buffy, just telling you what I think,” Willow said. “You don’t have to chew my head off.”

“Ooops,” Buffy said sheepishly. “Sorry Wills. Didn’t mean for it to come out like that.”

“That’s ok, Buffy,” she replied. “Just try to get some sleep now, OK? It must be getting late over there.”

Buffy glanced at her clock.

“Yeah, it is, Wills, so I think I’ll go now.”

“Goodnight, Buffy.”

“Night night.”


--------------------------------
A/N: Reviews?! YES, pretty please! Leave me one (or two). I love getting reviews!

Buffy watched as Joe Rogan possed in front of the camera. She stood with the other contestants, switching her weight from one foot to another, swaying from side to side. To another person, she looked like a ball of energy that couldn’t stay still.

“The stunts you are about to see were all designed and supervised by trained professionals. They are extremely dangerous and should not be attempted by anyone, anywhere, anytime.”

“And CUT!”

Buffy glanced at Spike out of the corner of her eye. He looked even more delicious than usual. Dressed in a black T shirt and jeans, he was watching Joe in ernest while Harmony was patting his bicep absentmindedly. Buffy narrowed her eyes at the sight. Spike seemed to be ignoring Harmony though.

Her jealous-fest was abruptly interrupted by Rupert Giles, who had stepped in front of them and said, “Well, now that you’re all here, let’s start with the briefing. Before the actual stunt day, we will film some of the things you will tell us about yourselves. Where you’re from, what are your motivations to win, and your feeling if you will win. Doesn’t hurt either if you can tell us who are your biggest threat and if you have a plan in mind.”

“So,” Giles said, clapping his hand together once, “let’s start, shall we? Angel, you first. Follow me, please.”

Angel left with Giles, leaving the rest of the contestants staring uncomfortably at each other. They were at the Fear Factor main office lobby, in the waiting lounge where a receptionist was busy taking calls and camera crews busily rushed by. Buffy looked around for somewhere to sit and seeing a couch nearby for visitors, she plopped down on it.

To her annoyance, Spike sat down beside her. He had somehow shook off Harmony’s pesky attention.

“Are you nervous, pet?” he asked.

“No,” she snapped back a little too quickly. “I mean, I am as nervous as anyone in this room.”

He nodded. “Me too. Have I told you how beautiful you look today, luv?”

Buffy blushed furiously, and Spike chuckled in amusement. God, he loved to see her blush. It was the most endearing thing he’d ever seen. Dru would never do a blush; she had long ago lost the innocence. He watched as she pulled a magazine from under the coffee table in front of her and started to flip through it, just to do something other than talk to him.

When she didn’t answer, Spike said, “You still owe me that apology, you know.”

Buffy exploded, “God! You’re still harping on my case about that one? Jeez… Spike, I would hate to have you as my loan shark.”

He chuckled at her anger, which made her even more annoyed.

“Why, is that why you’re here? To pay off excessive amount of debt?” Spike inquired.

“No. I don’t… owe.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Why should I tell you?”

“It’s just a polite question, pet.”

“You? Polite? Last time I checked you called me a bloody bint. And the name’s still Buffy by the way.”

“Well, Buffy, I can still be polite. We just got off on the wrong foot, that’s all.”

Buffy narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. He stared back at her, an innocent expression on his face.

“Why is it so hard for you to apologize?” he asked her lightly.

Buffy literally turned blue in her face, speechless.

“Look, it’s real easy. Let me show you: Buffy, I’m sorry about teasing you so mercilessly and trying to get you to show me that adorable blush of yours at every single opportunity I got,” Spike said, grinning at her.

“And you forgot to apologize about calling me pet names,” Buffy pointed out.

“Oh, for that I’m not sorry,” he said, grinning and curling his tongue against his teeth. Buffy shivered when she saw him do that.

“Now, you try,” he said.

“OK, fine!” she snapped.

Buffy struggled to remember what he wanted her to try. It was so hard, with that amazing blue eyes that seemed to pierce your soul, that sensual, kissable lips…

“Um…,” she squeezed her eyes shut to block that mental tirade and focus. “I’m sorry about banging into you last week, so I hope you’re satisfied now!”

It was a few seconds before she realized what she’d just said and her mouth fell open in shock. Spike raised his eyebrows at her before giving her the naughtiest grin ever.

“Oh I’m verrryy satisfied now, goldilocks.”

“I-I mean…,” she stuttered, horrendously embarassed. She shut her eyes and blushed. “I mean, I’m sorry about running into you, not… uh… banging.”

Spike and banging. Banging Spike. Her panties dampened in response.

Oh God, she thought.

Spike’s shoulders shook from laughter. Buffy glared at him, her cheeks still flaming red.

“You’re very cute, you know that, Summers?”

“And you’re very un-cute right now, mister.”

“No, ‘m not cute, ’m handsome,” Spike replied. Buffy snorted in response.

“ ‘Ey!”

“Ego much?”

“Much.”

“I hate you, you know.”

“And I’m intrigued by you, Miss Summers…” Spike leaned forward, his face almost touching hers. Buffy gulped nervously.

What the hell are you thinking, mate? Spike thought to himself. You have Dru back home! Dru, who you are going to marry. That’s what you’re here for, innit? To win that fifty grand and sweep Dru away in the sweetest honeymoon ever…

“I-I-…” Buffy stammered, her eyes wide. She licked her lips unconsciously and Spike groaned inwardly at the erotic sight. His pants began to feel uncomfortably tight.

But Dru was no match for this sunny goddess. She seemed to radiate pure light, with her golden honey California tan and strawberry blonde hair. She was light, while Dru was dark. She had pink, kissable lips, while Dru had plum-coloured lips. She was full of fascinating energy, while Dru seemed to move in a lazy haze. She outshone Dru in every way, and Spike felt guilty about that.

Abruptly, he pulled away. Wide-eyed, Buffy didn’t know whether to be hurt or relieved by that. He gave her a sheepish smile, then stood up and started to walk away.

He stopped a few paces away and turned to Buffy.

“Apology accepted, pet. May the best man win,” he said, grinning at her.

Buffy snorted in response and replied, “May the best woman win.”


A/N: The first stunt is coming up next. Don't forget to leave reviews!

Buffy walked out with the rest of the contestants down the beaten track, the sun shining down on her. She could see a pristine lake – a glorious sight, with the blue water twinkling whenever it caught the sun’s rays. She could see a few cameras trained on them, but ignored them, as instructed by Giles.

Joe Rogan was waiting for them, and when all of them finally arrived and were looking at him, he began his famous speech, “You contestants have been brought here from all over the country for one reason: Stare fear in the eye as you compete for $50,000. To win the money, you're going to have to complete three extreme stunts. These stunts will test you not only physically, but mentally as well. If you fail to complete a stunt, you're eliminated. If you're too scared to do it, you're gone. If you succeed, you move on to the next round and you're that much closer to the cash. Remember, this is a game. Feel free to mess with each other's minds and play off their emotions. Gamesmanship is welcome here.”

He watched the contestants closely. Most of them were giving him rapt attention and smiling at him.

Harmony was busy examining her nails.

“You ready to see your first stunt?” Joe cried out.

“Yeah!” came the collective response.

“Here is your first stunt!” Joe yelled over the roar of a helicopter flying low above them.

“While the helicopter is spinning over the lake, each player would have to climb out of it and collect flags positioned on the helicopter’s skids. You would have to traverse from one skid to another by climbing along the rope connecting the two skids. The two men and two women who collected the most flags before falling off will advance onto the next round.”

Buffy could see Harmony visibly blanch at the stunt.

“We’ve randomly selected who will go first, and Riley, you are lucky number one,” Joe Rogan said clearly, looking at him.

“Awww yeah!” he punched his fists into the air enthusiastically, grinning at Joe.

As Joe led Riley to get ready, the rest of the contestants began to speculate the outcome while the cameras were trained on them.

“I think he can make it,” Faith commented. “He has the upper body strength.”

“Yes, he’s certainly droolworthy,” Harmony said dreamily.

“I think he’s too cocky. It can be his downfall,” Angel added.

“That boasting machine?” Spike gestured at Riley to the others. “I hope the wanker fails so that I don’t have to hear about him being the soddin’ Top Dog anymore.”

Buffy giggled, “Well, I suppose you think you could do better, Spike?”

“Of course! That wanker only knows how to boast,” Spike said. He narrowed his eyes at her and decided to challenge her back, “What about you, Summers? Be careful while doing the stunt, you might break that frail twigs you called arms, you know. Not to mention the amount of nails you can break.”

Buffy narrowed her eyes into angry slits and glared at him.

***

“OK Riley, give me a prediction,” Joe said to him when they reached the helicopter.

“This is a piece of cake. I’ll say 20 seconds.”

“You think you can do it?”

“Hell yeah, I work out every day! You can’t compete with the Top Dog, dude.”

“Top dog?” Joe tried to feign interest.

“Yeah, you can’t run with the Top Dog, you can’t keep up with the Top Dog, because the Top Dog will always be on top.”

“Nice poetry there, man,” Joe said sarcastically. Riley missed the tone completely.

“I like to think so too.”

Joe mentally rolled his eyes and held out his hand to Riley, “Well, good luck, man.”

“Thanks.”

As Riley readied himself, Joe walked back to the other contestants and said to them, “He’s predicting 20 seconds-”

“20 seconds? More like eternity!”

“Impossible! He would be checking out his reflection at the side of the helicopter for a minute and a half first!”

“-and he said you all can’t run with the Top Dog, can’t keep up with the Top Dog, because the Top Dog will always be on top.”

Buffy wrinkled her nose, “What kind of bad slogan is that?”

“And what would your slogan be, then, goldilocks?” Spike taunted her.

“Kick Spike’s ass.”

“Oooh, kitten has claws,” Spike laughed back at her, before adding seriously, “I’ll like to see you try though, luv.”

***

“OK, the clock starts ticking when he gets onto the first skid!” Joe yelled over the growing roar of the helicopter, now circling the lake with Riley in it. He was wearing a life jacket and sat at the side of the helicopter, his feet dangling.

When Riley got the green light from the crew inside the helicopter, he quickly got out and landed on the skid. He immediately dropped himself and hung onto the skid using only his hands and arms, pulling himself along and grabbing the flags. He worked in a frantic manner, traversing over the rope using his arms and legs hooking on it. And by the time 20 seconds was up, he was already onto the second skid.

On the second skid there was a noticeable lag of performance from Riley. He seemed exhausted and could hardly pull himself to traverse to the last flag. With a last ditch effort, he reached over and pulled the last flag, then willingly let himself go and fell into the water below.

“35 seconds!” Joe yelled at the other contestants. They clapped, inwardly groaning at Riley’s success at completing the stunt. They were hoping that BoastBoy would take a hike and humiliate himself by failing.

“Welcome back, Riley!” Joe said when Riley returned to the group. “Well done!”

Riley grinned proudly, “Thanks man.”

“How was it?”

“I got pretty tired by the second skid and I was lucky there wasn’t any more because I couldn’t manage to hang on after the seventh and final flag.”

“What are those scrapes on your arm?” Joe pointed at Riley’s arms, and he held his arms up. Some skin had come off and his skin was quite red.

“Oh I got those when I pulled myself up and hooked my arm over, but I was so tired already that I slipped. I dragged my arm across the skid, that’s how I got them.”

Joe turned to Angel.

“Think you can beat 35 seconds?”

“Hell yeah, I’ll get them all under 35 seconds. Maybe 32.”

Riley laughed at him condescendingly, “Good luck, man.”

Joe raised his eyebrows, “Well, good luck, he says.”

Angel nodded his head and looked out at the lake, “I can do this.”

Joe began to lead him away, “Let’s go then!”


A/N: Let the game begin! Um... reviews, please? ;)

“OK Angel, how bad do you want to send Riley home?” Joe asked him when they reached the helicopter.

“Bad, so bad,” Angel replied, shaking his head and smiling. “He’s so annoying…”

“Well, you can do that if you beat 35 seconds. If you beat that score, and if Spike gets all the flag in under 35 seconds as well, Riley goes home.”

Angel nodded and rubbed his hands together. “Yeah, I got it. No problem.”

Joe shook his hand. “Well, good luck.”

***

When Joe got back to the others, he could see some kind of an argument going on between the ladies.

“I’m just sayin’, I have the motivation to win this thing,” Faith said to Buffy.

“And oh, I don’t?” Buffy shot back incredulously, “We don’t?”

“I don’t think so, B,” Faith smirked at her. “What do you have going on for you?”

“My mother,” Buffy replied quietly. Faith laughed.

“So, what? You’re gonna win this fifty grand to let mummy go to Las Vegas for some holiday trip? Or maybe you want to win this thing to pay off her credit card debts?”

“You don’t know what it’s like growing up poor, B,” Faith continued before Buffy could defend herself. “You don’t understand what is it like to struggle everyday for meals and occasionally-- just occasionally-- nice clothes.”

“ ‘m not sayin’ you have a lack of ambition where this game is concerned, Faith,” Spike snapped. “But maybe, just maybe you can tone down your bitchiness just a bit, yeah?”

Buffy turned to look at Spike in surprise. Why was he defending her?

“Alright everybody, remember, time starts when Angel lands on the skids!” Joe shouted at them, the roar of helicopter increasing as it lifted off the pad.

Buffy was still staring at Spike questioningly. He caught her eyes and gave her a small smile. At once, Buffy felt both cautious and warmed, if it was possible. They were such contradicting feelings. On one hand, she was grateful for Spike to bite Faith back as he did, defending her, and yet, on the other hand, where was Spike going with this? She felt as if Spike had been doing nothing but playing with her mind. He was constantly challenging her. Buffy shivered in response.

She turned to watch Angel climb over the skids deftly, obviously copying Riley’s style. He climbed hand over hand, grabbed two flags on one side of the skid then traversed smoothly over the rope before he seemed to get tangled. Fortunately for him, however, he freed himself and grabbed the next flag. With only one more flag to go, he tried to reach it from where he was, but could not. It was obvious Angel was getting tired. At last, he inched nearer and pulled at the flag, but it didn’t budge.

“Uh oh,” Joe said, eyes squinting up, “looks like he’s having some difficulties with the flag!”

Tearing the flag in frustration, Angel gave a growl of triumph and let go, landing into the lake water on his back.

“Wow,” Angel commented to the cameraman while sitting in the boat after being fished out of the water. They were heading back to the dock. “That was harder than I thought.”

“An-gellll,” Joe said, shaking his hand when Angel finally dragged his feet tiredly to where they were all lined up. “How well do you think you did?”

Angel smiled, gave a tired sigh, and shook his head, “I don’t know, man. I may be slower than Riley, I’m not sure. Could be slower.”

“Well Angel, your time to beat is 35 seconds, set by Riley. Your time is,” Joe paused for dramatic effect. “35 SECONDS!”

Everybody gaped in surprise.

“No way!”

“That’s almost impossible!”

“What a freaking coincidence!”

Angel grinned and pumped the air with his fists.

Riley only grinned in response, even though everybody knew his pride must be injured. To have another guy having the same record as you when you’ve boasted left and right must have been embarrassing.

“This means that you and Riley will automatically move on to the second round. Spike, if you can’t beat 35 seconds, you’re going home.”

Spike nodded, rocking his body back and forth excitedly, “ ‘m ready.”

“You know what to do, right?” Joe asked.

“Yup.”

“Let’s go then.”

***

Buffy watched as Spike talked to Joe, standing next to the helicopter. She couldn’t wait to see what kind of body was hidden under all those clothes…

“Well Spike, do you have any strategy for this?” Joe asked him as Spike placed his hands on his hips and looked at the chopper.

“Basically just the same as the other two wankers,” Spike replied, eyes squinting in the sun. “I just need to hustle that’s all.”

“You think you can do it? I believe you’re going to win this money for a honeymoon with your fiancé, am I right?” Joe asked.

“That’s right. Her name’s Dru.” Even when Spike said this, he didn’t feel as if he was doing this for her. It felt so different somehow. Spike’s thoughts turned to the golden goddess standing in the shade watching the stunt. Suddenly he wished he wasn’t engaged to Dru. He felt guilty for thinking that, and tried to push the feeling aside.

“Alright, let’s get you suited up, and then get you up into the air! Remember, Spike: 35 seconds!” Joe told him, and shook his hand. “Good luck.”

Buffy’s eyes went wide when she saw Spike took off his shirt. Alabaster chest, chiseled abdomen, God… who could look like that and still be legal? His physique was toned, but not bulky – he moved with the grace of a panther and with a hint of ill-contained enthusiasm, and Buffy wondered what it was like to run her hands up that chest… across that strong jaw and those cheekbones.

No doubt about it. Spike was a living Adonis. But too bad he acted like an ass most of the time.

“And they’re up!” Joe shouted, looking up at the helicopter with the rest of the contestants. “Remember, the time to beat is 35 seconds, if he succeeds, he will move on to the next round. If he fails, he will go home.”

And for one fleeting moment, Buffy wished fervently that Spike would succeed…


A/N: I know! I know! I'm evil for leaving you with a cliffhanger like this. Don't kill me just yet. ;D

I'll be gone on a holiday for about 5 days, and won't be posting until then. In the meantime, play safe!

Don't forget to leave reviews!

Spike gripped the side of the helicopter door as he looked down at the lake below him, with his feet dangling over the side of the chopper. At the crew’s signal, he nodded and quickly climbed down.

He dropped down and quickly traversed, using all his upper body strength to pull himself along.

Bloody hell, my arms are burnin’, he thought. Better grab as many flags as I can before I collapse from exhaustion.

Due to Spike’s lighter body weight, he could climb and move faster compared to the other two men. By the time he had reached the rope, he eased over it quickly, yanked the flag that was flapping in the wind violently and continued traversing hand over hand along the other skid.

Two more flags and Spike let go, a feeling of unbelievable euphoria flooding his being. He closed his eyes and held his breath before he felt the slap of water on his back.

***

Standing there under the shade, Spike looked at Joe anxiously.

“Your time to beat is 35 seconds, Spike,” Joe began. “Your time is 32 seconds!”

“YES!!” Spike shouted in ecstasy. He made it. He made it. He made it.

Beside him, Riley hung his head in shame.

Buffy felt a ‘whoosh’ of relief wash over her and wondered why on earth was she feeling that way about a guy who kept getting on her nerves.

***

“Har-mo-ny!” Joe sang out, grinning at her. “It’s your turn now. How do you feel? Do you think you can do it?”

“Oh I have a strategy in mind,” Harmony replied in an almost bored manner.

“Really? What kind of strategy, airhead?” Faith asked her, *really* interested to hear what kind of plan Harmony was able to hatch without being sidetracked by Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo and Dolce & Gabbana.

“Well, DUH! Just do what the guys did!” Harmony replied, rolling her eyes.

Buffy briefly mused to herself if Harmony knew that the real reason why guys can do that; just hanging by their arms without using their legs to traverse, was because they have the upper body strength? Probably not. Harmony had never exercised in her life. It would be interesting to see how this played out.

***

The rest of the contestants watched with ill-disguised excitement at how this was going to turn out as the helicopter with Harmony in it soared over the lake.

“OK here we go!” Joe commented when Harmony dropped onto the skid. “She’d predicted she would get all of them!”

Buffy chuckled in disbelief.

She lowered herself and grabbed onto the skid, letting the rest of her body dangle with just her arms supporting her, just like how the guys did it.

Before long, Harmony realized that she couldn’t support her entire body weight on merely her arms, and began to slip.

“Oh God!” Harmony squealed. But it was too late.

She lost her grip and fell into the lake below with a hard smack.

“Wow, that was quick,” Riley smirked.

Joe turned to the other two women and said, “OK, since Harmony’s score is zero, all you have to do is grab one flag – just one flag and you move onto the next round. Who’s next? Right, you – Faith. Let’s go.”

***

“Don’t look so nervous, pet,” Spike said to her. They were standing slightly apart from the rest under the tree while Joe was walking Faith down to the chopper.

Buffy snorted in response. “Easy for you to say. You’ve done it and made it out alive.”

“It’s not that hard, luv.” Spike smiled at her, then looked at her up and down. “Although, I can’t say the same for you. At least that Faith bird has some muscles on her. You? I think you stand a chance to be poster girl for Appeton Weight Gain adverts.”

“What about you? Have you ever heard of the sun? And all those peroxide must have finally seeped into your brain and made you moronic!”

“Bloody bint.”

“Asshole. And what the hell is ‘bint’, anyway?”

“Airhead.”

“Pig.”

“Bitch.”

“Bastard.”

When Joe came back, he itched to make some kind of a comment about the verbal spar in front of him, but since he could feel the sparkage too, he decided to stand apart from them and observe Faith. This was one relationship he should not butt into.

***

Faith made it across towards the rope with no trouble, but she had to use her legs to maneuver across the skid. Even though it was slower that way, Faith knew time was not of the essence then. She could have all the damn sweet time in the world to perform this stunt.

Unfortunately for her however, her arms grew tired after she made it across the rope and fell down, before she managed to snag the sixth flag.

“OK Buffy, this is it!” Joe said, turning to her. “Are you ready?”

Buffy glanced at Spike. He gave her a sarcastic smile and said, “Don’t break a nail now, luv! And mind you don’t mess your makeup!”

Her eyes narrowed in anger. Yes, she could do this. It’s for mother, right?

That, and to kick that bleached moron’s ass.

“Well Buffy, remember, you don’t have a time limit to do this, you and Faith are automatically in the next round if you manage to get even one flag,” Joe said to her.

“I know I don’t have a time limit, but I still want to beat Faith’s score, hell, I even want to beat Spike’s score!”

“You don’t like them both, do ya?” Joe asked her. Buffy shook her head.

Joe laughed. Then he said, “I believe you’re doing this for your mother, correct?”

“Yes,” Buffy answered. “She’s really sick, she has tumor in her brain and we’d been struggling to pay the medical bills for a while now. With this money we could finally afford to send her to the best hospital and hire the best surgeon to operate on her.”

“Well, would you like to say a shout out to your mum then?” Joe asked.

Buffy beamed, turned towards the camera and said, “Hi Mum, and Dawn. I’m doing this for you both. You’re my inspiration! Mwuah!”

“OK, let’s get you suited up!”

***

As Buffy stripped down to her white bikini, Spike’s breath hitched in his throat and every single taunt and insult he’d thrown at her went flying out of his mind. Hell, he’d even regretted calling her skinny. She was absolutely breathtaking. Her hair shone like a halo on her head under the sun and she moved with such sensual grace.

Spike didn’t know why he loved to tease her so much, but he knew he was enjoying it. This little spitfire roused something in him, something so primal, that demanded for an equal – a mate that can keep up with his pace and match him blow for blow. He’d always felt something was missing with Dru, and this past few weeks their relationship had been rocky. Ever since he had proposed to her, she’d been distancing herself from him and went out almost every night. Thinking that she must have felt the pressure of finally settling down, and wanted to have “last minute fun”, he’d let her act this way without questioning her. She wouldn’t cheat on him. She wouldn’t.

“Alright, there she goes!” Joe’s yell jarred him out of his musings. Spike watched as Buffy maneuvered quickly, her speed surprised even him. He knew she was doing this for her mum, and that can be a powerful inspiration.

Buffy gasped as she almost lost her grip on the skid and grabbed a flag quickly. She continued on, the wind whipping her hair fiercely around her face as she traversed quickly over the rope.

“20 seconds in and she’s already on the rope!” Joe exclaimed. “She’s fast!”

By the time Buffy got to the last flag, she gave it a fierce yank and let go, plopping down into the water below.

“OK Buffy, how well do you think you did?” Joe asked her when she returned to a crowd which were clapping enthusiastically for her.

She shrugged, but her face betrayed her anxiety.

“41 seconds! You’ve succeeded to move onto the next round!” Joe said.

Buffy felt disappointed that she did not beat Spike’s score. Nevertheless, she’d advanced, and that was all that matters.

“Alright, let’s get you back now, and we’ll see what’s in store for you next,” Joe said as he led them away.

A/N: What do you think of it so far? Keep in mind there's actually a plot to this story. Spuffy of course. ;)

Please leave reviews, thank you!

Buffy stretched and yawned, burrowing further under her duvet. She opened an eye blearily when she realized that the bed was unfamiliar. The smell was unfamiliar. Hell, even the temperature was different!

She sat up, wiping her eyes and smoothed down her bed hair. She grinned when she realized that she was in her hotel room, here as a competitor on Fear Factor.

It was the contestants’ off day before they started on the second stunt tomorrow, and Buffy wanted to make the most of it. Leaping up, she padded into her bathroom to take a long, hot bath…

Later, as she was drying her hair, Buffy picked up her hotel room’s phone and started dialing a familiar number. It rang a few times but nobody picked up. She frowned, and then remembered that Dawn was supposed to be in school and her mum should be at the gallery. She hung up, making a mental note to call them later in the evening. Dialing another number, she heard it ring a few times before a chirpy voice said, “Rosenberg residence!”

“Willow!”

“Buffy? Hey!” Willow squealed excitedly. “How are things there?”

“Oh God, Wills, I don’t know where to start, but the most important thing I’ve gotta tell you is that I’ve made it through the first stunt!” Buffy replied.

“Yay for my Buffster! So did that Spike guy make it too?”

Buffy frowned. Why was Willow bringing Spike into this and why did she sound so concerned about him?

“Yeah, too bad he did, actually,” Buffy said, twirling the phone cord around her fingers. “I could have done without his smartass comments and quippage.”

Willow giggled, “Well then, tell me! What’s the score like?”

Buffy told her, and Willow gasped in surprise.” Spike has the fastest score? Oh God, I can’t wait to actually watch this on TV! I can’t even imagine what he looks like.”

“Bleached blond. Blue eyes. Sharp cheekbones. Chiseled body. Sexy voice,” Buffy said absentmindedly. She’d picked up the TV remote and was now channel-surfing.

Willow raised her eyebrows. If only this girl could listen to herself talk…

“So what are you planning to do today? Second stunt?” Willow asked.

“Nah. Second stunt’s not till tomorrow, and I’m actually quite nervous about that one because it probably involves eating yucky food,” Buffy said.

“So, then….”

“So, then I think I’m going to explore the city a bit. I think I’ll go now, Wills. My stomach’s demanding food.”

“OK Buff, and remember, I’m rootin’ for ya!” Willow said.

Buffy grinned. “Yeah, I know, Wills. Thank you. Have I told you how lucky I am to have you as my best friend?”

“I think you might have, but I’d forgotten. Remind me again,” Willow teased her back.

Buffy laughed at her friend’s feigned amnesia. “I am lucky. Thanks again, Wills.”

“No problem. Bye now!”

***

Buffy pulled on a pair of black cut-off pants she’d modified for herself. It was originally a black business pants, but, wanting to give an edge to it, she’d cut it off right below the knee, and then sewed the hem. She pulled a tight white tank top and pulled on a black cropped jacket that accentuated her curves.

She sat down in front of the vanity mirror and began to apply her makeup. Thirty minutes later Buffy put on her black leather knee high boots and closed the hotel room door behind her. She left her room key card at the counter, afraid that she might lose the card when she traveled around the city.

It was a sunny day, and Buffy paused to take pictures of the locals who were strolling by. She went around the city taking photos and then, when she couldn’t stand the hunger gnawing in her stomach any longer, stepped into a quaint little diner.

“One fish and chips, please,” Buffy smiled at the elderly woman in front of her at the counter before climbing onto a stool and looked up at the menu panel mounted in front of her.

The elderly woman nodded and smiled back, before asking, “Anythin’ you wanna order for drinks, missy?”

“Hmm… make it a Diet coke.”

She nodded. “Comin’ right up.”

She turned around and slid back a panel door, revealing a small hole which overlooked the vast kitchen. “ONE FISH AND CHIPS!”

Buffy smiled in amusement at the elderly woman’s loud cracked voice.

“So honey, where ya from? Don’t sound local, you,” the woman turned towards her again and began drying glasses lined up on the counter in front of her vigorously.

“I’m from Sunnydale.”

“Ah, been there once,” the woman replied, “My name’s Shirley by the way. The owner here. My husband cooks at the back, and I would’ve helped him and be his assistant, but the grease turns my hair into dreadlocks.”

Buffy giggled. It was hard to imagine with the woman’s hair all poofy and 80’s.

“So what was the purpose of your visit at Sunnydale?” Buffy asked.

And so began their conversation, which continued on even when Buffy was digging into her fish and chips (which were heavenly, she thought) and draining her Diet coke. After paying for her lunch, she thanked Shirley and exited.

***

Buffy spent her whole afternoon shopping at a district famous for its rows upon rows of boutiques. She refrained from buying a ton of items she didn’t need though, and settled for window shopping and snapping at local sights instead. She didn’t believe in throwing money down the drain, not when her mother needed it more than she needed a new pair of shoes, tops, blouses, skirts or pants.

She strolled by a few nondescript shops before stopping at one selling bikinis, staring at a few mannequins in the shop window.

I’ve ruined mine yesterday during the stunt, Buffy thought. I think I deserve another good pair for a job well done yesterday.

So she went in and began to browse the racks. Glancing outside, Buffy noted that the sky had darkened and the watch on her wrist told her it was already 6pm. It was almost time for dinner. She was so engrossed in her search for the perfect bikini, holding up one after another that she didn’t notice anyone behind her until she heard a sultry voice whisper close to her ear, “That one should look good on you, luv.”

Buffy squealed and spun around, clutching the bikini close to her chest. Her eyes widened when she saw who it was.

“Spike!!”

Several patrons turned their heads to look at her quizzically. Spike smirked at her discomfort, obviously embarrassed she had shouted his name so loudly in the almost empty shop.

“What are you doing here?” she hissed at him.

He raised an eyebrow and looked around the shop, as if realizing for the first time he’d stepped into a swimwear boutique.

“ ‘m lookin’ for a bikini for my girl, that’s all,” he replied.

Buffy’s heart sank at the thought of Spike being taken and buying a sexy two-piece for his girlfriend, but she recovered quickly. You suck, she cursed mentally at The Powers That Be.

“Oh? What have you picked out?” Buffy crossed her arms across her chest and stood with her hips jutting out on one side, smiling at him expectantly.

Spike simply grabbed a garment off its rack a bit violently and shoved it under her nose. “This one!”

It was a white swimsuit with red polka dots all over it. With a skirt.

Buffy raised her eyebrows, “Wow, Spike… does your girl have chicken pox or something? Cause, if she does, I’m sure that swimsuit will blend in just fine…”

Spike’s eyes widened in horror. He shoved the garment back hurriedly before giving her a pissed look.

“OK fine, blondie. You caught me,” Spike said to her.

“Caught you-”

“I saw you coming inside here and decided to come after you. See what you have been up to.”

“Following me now, Spikey?” she laughed at him before looking down at the bikini she was still holding onto. The one he’d said she would look good in. It was a sexy red string bikini. She gulped at the thought of herself wearing it and showing it off to Spike; maybe he would become aroused and…

Bad thoughts, Buffy! Bad thoughts! Stop now! Stop the thoughts of the bad!

“ ‘ey now! Who ever said anythin’ about followin’ you?” he knitted his brows together, hoping he was giving her what he was hoping was his offended look, but he just looked bewildered to Buffy.

“Then, you’re free to walk out of here,” Buffy said to him before turning her back on him. “You don’t have to be ‘polite’ and talk to me on the streets, you know. Even though we’re contestants and all that.”

“Well, I can’t do that.”

She gave him an astonished look. “And why not?”

“Because I want to ask you out for dinner.” Spike gave her a naughty grin and waggled his eyebrows. Buffy swore she could feel her heart skip a beat just then.

She gave out a bark of laughter. “Why on earth would I wanna do that? You have been nothing but a pain in my ass.”

“Well, I admit I did. But that’s all in the game,” Spike added on hurriedly. “You know what this is about – it’s about the game. I can’t treat you nice and friendly-like. The other contestants would call me a ponce!”

She smiled at him. “I’m sure they’ll call you a lot of things, but ponce is not one of them.”

She handed her selection to a nearby salesgirl and nodded at her, indicating her desire to purchase the item. It was the red string bikini. She followed the salesgirl to the counter.

“Well, will you?”

“Will I what?”

Buffy pulled out her credit card and handed it to the cashier, glancing at Spike to give him a confused look.

Spike rolled his eyes. “Dinner. With me. Tonight. Sound good?”

“I’m not a two year old, Spike! You don’t have to-”

“I know you’re not. You’re an intelligent young woman who is perfectly capable of stringing a sentence together.”

“I- what? You called me intelligent?” Buffy was amazed at how this guy can make her feel heady just from the conversations alone. It was one of the things that made her attracted to him. He was so interesting.

And to her delight, he blushed. He actually blushed. And it was so freakin’ adorable!

“Yeah,” he replied hoarsely, suddenly unable to come up with anything else to say.

“But you’ll behave yourself tonight, right? No more tormenting poor Buffy?”

He raised his fist and placed it over his heart, his expression mock-serious. “I promise. I’ll be so polite and oh-so-full of manners, even your mama never taught you, till you don’t recognize me.”

Buffy laughed at that before turning to sign on the receipts the cashier handed to her and collected her purchase now neatly wrapped in a pretty package. She tucked her credit card into her purse before turning around to walk towards the entrance door.

“OK.”

“OK?”

“OK, as in, the word people usually use to-”

“You’re a cheeky bint, you know that?”

She laughed. “Likewise.” She paused for a beat, then, “Except, you’re… not a bint.”

Spike laughter rang out and filled the shop as they exited together.

As they walked further along, Buffy’s voice could be heard saying, “So, where are you taking me for dinner?”

A/N: So...Like it? Hate it? This is a chapter that I'm quite nervous about, so let me know how I'm doing. Leave a review!

A/N2: Many many congratulations to Nemo for being nominated at The Blood Ties Award for her fic Before The Madness Begun! ;D *huggies*