Prologue
~~~~~

Sunnydale

“What are you researching?” Tara asked shyly.

“Oh, um…just boning up on some spells. You know, most have such a lyrical quality. If you don’t get them quite right, they tend to blow up on you. I should know,” Willow admitted, blushing bright red. “Plus, you never know when you might stumble on a spell that would be helpful fighting demons and stuff…not that I’ve been helping a lot lately. Buffy’s got Riley to help out with the slaying, so it’s not like we help out that much anymore, but you never know, something might happen…not that I want anything to happen…just...you never know.”

“I get it; it’s nice to be needed sometimes. Just be car-careful. That book…it’s all white magic, but even with white magic can backfire if it disrupts the natural or-order of things,” the blond stammered, looking concerned.

“Oh, no! No disorder. No order of any kind, just reading,” she assured her. “I just wanted to get a feel for the different spells in the books, that way if I ever needed anything; I know just where to look.” Willow grinned happily.

“Oh, well, that’s good; it’s good to be prepared,” Tara agreed, ducking her head and allowing her hair to fall forward to cover her face. She eased her way off the bed. “I’m just going to ru-run down the hall and get a couple of sodas, and I’ll be right back.”

Willow raised her head from the book she was currently reading. “Okay, sweetie, I’ll be right here. Oh, and make mine root beer, if you don’t mind?” She grinned broadly at the other woman.

“You rebel, you,” Tara teased, slipping out the door with barely a sound.

Willow returned her gaze to the open book on her lap and chewed her lip in concentration. Slowly she read the words again, an idea forming almost against her will. Things had been so strained lately with the group; everyone seemed to be splitting in different directions. If only she could find a way to pull them back together like they used to be…maybe she could, the redhead pondered, looking at the spell once again.

It was just a small spell; a basic rebirth and renewal incantation. Something simple that would give them all a revitalized outlook on life and refresh friendships that had grown just a bit stale and disillusioned.

Hearing the door open, she marked her page and slid it under the bed quickly. She would look at it again once Tara was asleep. She didn’t want to worry her over something that was nothing, and nothing was exactly what it was. It was barely even a spell, she reasoned. In fact, it was more of a chant with a few candles. It was nothing…really.

She smiled brightly at her lover as she accepted the can of soda. Things were beginning to look a little brighter in Willowland. She had Tara, college, and now the potential return of the friendships she hadn’t even realized were drifting until recently.

Yep, things were definitely looking brighter…radiant even.

~~~~~

South America

“Herbie, be a dear and get me Miss Edith. She’s calling me. She says it’s very urgent, but I couldn’t possibly be so rude as to leave our guests unattended.” Drusilla smiled graciously at her ‘guests’. The bodies of two tourists long since dead were propped up at the table as if they had stopped by for a social visit and a nice cup of tea.

The chaos demon rose from his chair, grateful for a chance to stretch his legs after being forced to endure the tea party from hell for the last two hours. Dru’s conversation with the corpse’s tended to be a little one-sided, and since he couldn’t actually hear their responses, he was at a bit of a loss as to how to respond. The brunette had declared to the brightly clad couple that the demon just suffered from a bit of shyness to cover up for his lack of participation in the discussion.

Herbie reached the second floor and turned to the left to enter the bedroom that he and Drusilla had shared for the past year. She wasn’t always the most agreeable of companions, but what she lacked in sanity she more than made up for in enthusiasm in the bedroom. Who doesn’t like a bit of agony mixed with their sex? No one that he knew, that was for sure!

He moved across the room to Miss Edith’s bed, which occupied one corner of the room. At first; he had been a little bothered by the way the small doll seemed to stare at them during sex, but eventually, he found he could ignore the glassy eyes and blank stare if he tried hard enough. Oddly enough Dru seemed to perform better when the creepy little creature was in the room. He was unsure if she was attempting to impress the doll or if she just liked the idea of someone watching them together.

Briefly, he thought of her previous lover, William the Bloody, and wondered if he’d had to endure the same behavior or if he had known of ways to curb some of Dru’s more outlandish antics. He had been with her for more than a hundred years; he could have probably given Herbie a few pointers in handling the dark haired vamp, if he hadn’t been quite so upset about the break up. Oh, well, it wasn’t like he was going to come back around to win her back. Not after the last time.

He picked up the doll; careful to avoid getting too much slime on the dress, something that seemed to set the vampiress off at the best of times. Apparently Miss Edith had a thing about cleanliness. Turning the doll to face away from him with a shudder, he hurried back to Drusilla and their ‘guests’.

“Thank you, dearest,” the deceptively fragile looking woman said, taking the doll carefully from his grasp. Cradling it close to her body, she made the introductions to the couple whom the doll had yet to meet. Once the pleasantries were over, Dru turned the doll to gaze in her eyes. “Now Miss Edith, what was so terribly important that it had to interrupt our tea party?”

She leaned in close to listen intently to the small figure in her arms, a frown slowly coming over her features. She began to fidget in her chair, squirming as if bothered by some unseen pest. Herbie had seen her in this mood too many times in the past to even dream of intervening in whatever had caused her irritation. He backed away discreetly

Drusilla suddenly jumped from her chair, spinning around to face him. “I’m so sorry; I must leave our party early. It seems Miss Edith and I have some business to attend to. Would you please be a dear and show our guests to the door?” With that said, she walked briskly toward the door, intent on seeing to her problem as soon as possible.

“Is there anything you need help with, Dru?” he asked, concerned for her sudden change in behavior.

“No, dearest. Miss Edith and I have matters well in hand. You don’t mind cleaning up for me, do you?” she asked sweetly, her charms showing in full force. She knew exactly how to get what she wanted out of those around her; after all, she’d had many, many years of practice.

“Not at all, just let me know if you need any help.” He smiled and turned back to the table after she glided out of the room, sighing lightly when he realized his evening was going to consist of digging a new set of graves just outside the walls of the villa.

At least it wasn’t raining like it had been two weeks ago. That had been one miserable night. The graves kept filling in on him from the rush of the rain water, but Dru had insisted that they be disposed of right then, so he had spent most of the night digging and re-digging, trying to get the hole large enough to accommodate the two bodies without them resurfacing before the stormy weather had passed.

Herbie lifted one of the bodies onto his shoulders and heading for the doors leading out onto the veranda and into the courtyard.

In the darkened basement, Drusilla placed Miss Edith on the small pillow in the center of the table located in the middle of the room and began to pace the floor.

“So, the little red witch is planning a spell, is she? She meddles in magic far beyond her. Tempts the fates with retribution and makes the gods tremble with anger. Her interference this time will break my brave knight. My golden boy. If she succeeds, the light will never embrace the darkness. The sunshine will push the night away until he loses all hope. Oh, my little willow tree; so much power and so little wisdom.” She whirled to face the doll once more.

“We must fix this, Miss Edith. If we cannot, then we have turned my prince away in vain. He was meant for the sunshine, but she blocks out his light. We should give her an awakening, and I believe our little witch has given up a perfect opportunity to accomplish our task.”

She moved across the room, and began removing things from a small cupboard in the shadows. She placed candles and a few herbs, along with a small silver bowl and lighter on the table beside the pillow Miss Edith occupied. Drusilla moved across the floor as if on air, her gliding feet never seeming to touch the ground.

Once more at the old cabinet, she bent to retrieve a small yellow box. Tenderly opening the lid, she explained its presence to her precious dolly. “Daddy so loved his souvenirs! Mementos of destruction and torture, of terror and anguish. Pain was his greatest art; the suffering he caused was a symphony of delightful sounds.” Dru extracted two snippets of hair, each tied by a different color of ribbon and both gleaming gold in the dim candlelight of the cellar.

She placed the hair in the silver bowl and carefully crumbled selected herbs over the strands. She picked up the lighter and touched it to the candles. The room seemed to glow much brighter than should have been possible from so few wicks. Drusilla smiled enigmatically and waited for word from Miss Edith to begin the spell.

At the dolls encouragement, she began to chant, tipping one of the candles toward the bowl and setting the mixture ablaze. She reached into the open keepsake box and withdrew a small dagger. Running it across her palm, she allowed a few drops to splatter and hiss in the heat of the fire. Once finished, she brought the bleeding cut to her mouth and eagerly licked it closed.

Her gaze seemed to intensify as her voice grew louder. On the final words of the incantation, the candles flared and flickered and a sudden burst of wind swept through the enclosed room, seeming to sweep the spell away with the breeze. The candles guttered out and silence reigned once more.

When all was quiet, she picked up Miss Edith once more, cuddling her close to her chest and ascending the stairs. “I think you are correct, Miss Edith. I don’t think the slayer will be able to ignore this.”

Giggling madly as she topped the stairs, she danced in small circles, stopping only when she decided to find Herbie and request that he take her out for a late night dinner.

Magic always took so much out of a ghoul, after all.

~~~~~

Sunnydale

Willow slipped out of the bed as quietly as possible, trying not to wake Tara. She retrieved the book of spells from under the bed, grabbed a small backpack from the floor beside the doorway, and crept from the room down to the bathroom at the end of the hall. After checking that all the stalls were empty, she began to unload the bag of candles and place them in a circle around her.

She told herself that she was only keeping this from Tara because she didn’t want her to worry. Plus, it was just a little spell to sweep away old hurts and refresh the spirit, which would allow for the friendships to flourish once again. Letting everyone know might dampen the effect of the spell, which was not of the good. It was such a tiny little spell, a baby spell, minuscule even. So why would she need to tell someone about something that practically didn’t even exist?

She finished arranging her candles and then carefully lit each one. Opening the book to the page she had marked earlier, she began to chant softly, not wanting to draw unwanted attention to her nocturnal activities. The candles burned brightly as she chanted.

“Oh Mother Earth, hear me. We ask for cleansing. We ask for rebirth.”

The words continued on; she had carefully memorized them earlier, anxious to be prepared. She closed her eyes, concentrating on the phrasing, not noticing when the candles flared higher as a smoky wind entered the room. It swirled around the sacred circle, mixing with the smoke rolling from Willow’s candles. The gray haze then hovered and whirled around Willow before spreading out, covering the entire circle before dissolving.

The young witch opened her eyes once the spell was complete, already feeling enthusiastic and excited about the changes for herself and her friends.

Things would be looking much brighter for them in the near future…she could feel it.

TBC...

Day 1

She stretched across the bench trying to work out the kinks. She had expected to feel sore after her fight with Adam the day before, but it felt as if she had slept on the floor all night. Suddenly becoming aware of the lights and sounds around her, she sat up stiffly. The glare from the florescent lights caused her to quickly close her eyelids again.

Oh, and the smell; the scent of exhaust fumes and floor cleaner from the mop bucket beside her. It was familiar. Something she had just experienced. Squinting to let her vision adjust, she noticed people milling about.

The bus station. How did she get back here? Looking around, she noticed she was in the same seat she had sat in yesterday. She remembered getting off the bus, bone weary and heart heavy. She had decided to stop for a moment before making her way across town to the dorms. She had fallen asleep only to find herself being shaken awake an hour later by a worried station attendant worried that she had missed her bus.

Then came the oh-so-pleasant reunion with Riley, the could-it-have-gotten-any-worse visit by Angel, and then the spectacular ass kicking that Adam had presented her with. Only to be followed by the never-want-to-do-that again conversations with Riley about how one of his best friends had been killed while she couldn’t do anything but watch and bleed really well. Not one on her better days, that’s for sure.

She turned to look at the clock, noticing the same clerk from the day before at the ticket counter. She still couldn’t figure out how she made it all the way across town, or why she’d come to the bus station. It certainly wasn’t for the ambience.

Oh, maybe yesterday had all been a crazy dream brought on by exhaustion? No, she couldn’t be that lucky. Maybe she was sleepwalking, not that she had ever done that before, but hey, first time for everything. Nothing that she could come up with seemed plausible. She would just have to go see Giles and see if he had any answers for her, but first a stop at the bathroom.

She rushed for the stalls; feeling like she hadn’t peed in forever. Once she was done, she moved to the sink to wash her hands. The mirror caught her attention. Something was off, and she had to focus for a moment before she realized what it was. Her bruises were missing. With slayer healing, she had expected them to be mostly gone by morning, but here she was, not a scratch on her. Go, go slayer healing. At least she didn’t have to walk to Giles’ looking like the victim of a violent crime.

Wait a minute; she was in her clothes from yesterday, too. She clearly remembered putting on her Yummy Sushi pajamas before climbing into bed. After the fight with the others, she had returned to the dorm room, certain that Willow wouldn’t show up there that night.

Oh, God. The fight with Xander and Willow, and Giles acting all intoxicated. It all came rushing back. The screaming, the accusations, the drunken giggling; it turned her stomach thinking back on all the things that had been said. She still didn’t understand what might have possessed her friends to act as they had, but she new she couldn’t face Adam again in the shape she was in. She had returned to the dorm to get some rest and clear her head before going after him once more…and that’s it. The last thing she could remember was her head hitting the pillow, being unable to keep her eyes open for a moment longer, and then blank.

It must be some freaky Hellmouth thing, or an evil spell, or some sort of demon possession. Oh, or maybe her nightmares come to life again? Maybe she should start trying to wake up little kids…or maybe she was just grasping at straws. Hopefully, Giles had sobered up enough to do some research. She needed to get back out and search for Adam. She didn’t have time to waste on the newest whatever it was trying to make her life miserable.

She made her way quickly out of the bus station and toward Giles’ house. The weird feeling of déjà vu seemed to cling to her the entire way. Something was setting off her slayer senses in a major way, but it was broad daylight, and she couldn’t feel the tingles that demons and vamps gave off. It seemed to be a whole other vibe.

Finding Giles sober was a major bonus, explaining to him for the fifth time exactly was happened…not so much. She had at first been hesitant to enter after the badness of the previous day but it was soon apparent that he had either forgotten his drunken haze or was determined to ignore the events as if they never happened. Well, that worked for her, Denial was one of her best attributes and she’d gladly cling to it for as long as possible.

The frustration of not having any answers to the newest oddity that was her life finally became too much and she stormed out of the apartment ready to tear something apart, hopefully of demon or vamp persuasion.

~~~~~

Spike moved to the upper level of the crypt to begin heating his morning blood. It was bad enough keeping day walkers’ hours while staying with the watcher, but since he had started working with Adam, it seemed he couldn’t reset his internal clock. Between patrolling for his daily spot of violence and conditioning his body to sleep lightly due to the constant threat of demons taking offense to what they saw as assisting the slayer, he was pretty much on standard mortal time.

A sound from the hole in which the ladder to the lower level was situated had him moving to investigate. Finding no signs of movement or sounds, he turned back to the kitchen area of the crypt, just barely stopping himself from yelping when coming face to face with his new cohort.

“Well, mate, to what do I owe this unexpected visit?” he snarked, attempting to cover his surprise.

“You failed to make our appointed meeting. I was forced to seek out your presence to see what had detained you,” Adam stated calmly.

“What meeting? We met yesterday, I did the whole Yoko Ono thing and now the Scoobs are Splitsville.” Spike could feel his agitation growing. He began to pace the crypt, putting some distance between himself and the seemly unstoppable hybrid and began patting his shirt pockets searching for his pack of cigarettes.

“I believe you are mistaken, I have no record of our meeting or any understanding of this Yoko Ono reference.”

“You get some wires crossed or something? A slight short-circuit? Remember how we talked about how people blamed Yoko for the Beatles breaking up, but the band had just grown apart? We decided to split up the Scoobies to make the Slayer weaker, more manageable without outside ‘variables’ getting in the way,” The blond explained, lighting a cigarette as he spoke.

“This idea is intriguing; I would like you to carry out this plan. Split the Slayer from her group, make her vulnerable. I like this plan very much. You will do it today,” Adam said with finality, moving toward the ladder to the lower level.

“Yeah, right. I’ll get right on that.” The blond vamp replied, a look of absolute confusion marring his expression.

~~~~~

The slayer made her way to the campus. She needed to find something to kill to take her mind off of the ultimate badness that was the last few days. It not like she expected her life to go well, since major suckfest was pretty much the description of her of her post-slayer and even pre-slayer life, but one would think that once in a while, she could get a break. Maybe only have one emotionally crippling crisis at a time?

Reaching her room, she had just turned the key in the lock when she heard her name. She turned to find Riley standing behind her, dressed in the same embarrassing clothes as the day before. “Riley, are you okay? I mean, I know you’re not okay, but are you, you know…okay?”

“Yeah, I got a little tired of sitting around waiting, so…” he looked at her expectantly.

“Waiting for what?” she asked, confused.

“For you to get back from L.A. You know; where you’ve been for the last 24 hours? Seeing your ex-boyfriend and saving him from an evil slayer who likes to take over your life.”

Ignoring his comment about Faith, Buffy tried to explain. “But I got back yesterday. I've been here the last 24 hours. Riley, we've talked twice since I got back.”

“"What the hell are you talking about, Buffy? I haven't spoken to you since we escaped the Initiative. Boy, seeing Angel really did rattle you didn’t it? So what happened that was so bad that you’re acting like this?"

“He just spun my head a little. It's not that interesting,” she muttered almost dizzy from the overwhelming feeling of déjà vu.

“Got my attention,” he stated baldly, crossing his arms and assuming a ridged stance.

“Look, Riley. Something’s going on. We’ve done this before, had this same discussion. I don’t understand what’s happening, but it’s not right, and those pants a second time are even worse.” She began to pace, trying to get her frazzled nerves under control.

“I got the pants from Xander, he’s washing my uniform. What do you mean by ‘done this before’?” he asked not looking convinced.

“That’s what I mean; I know where your uniform is, and I know why you’re dressed in those hideous pants. Riley, something really wiggy is going on. I woke up in the bus station this morning, in the same clothes I had on yesterday, and I’m apparently in some time warp thingy. God, Xander would be eating this up right now. Yesterday a whole lot of badness went down. Adam kicked my ass, Forrest died, and the gang had a total melt down.”

“Right, a ‘time warp thingy’. You know what that sounds like to me, Buffy? A bad dream. People have them all the time. I just heard Forrest on the scanner just a few minutes before I got here; he’s fine,” the ex-soldier stated, his expression far from pleasant. “Look, if you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine. Tell you what, why don't I get out of your face? You had a long trip.”

“Riley, you don't have to go,” she implored as he moved toward the door.

“It's okay. Besides, I have to recharge them every two hours or they go dead on me,” he said, indicating his pants.

“Okay,” she answered quietly, watching him leave. She hated that she didn’t feel more guilty about his leaving, but right now she needed to take a few minutes to try to piece together the events that had unfolded rather than waste time placating her boyfriend.


Spike burst into the watchers apartment, eager to discover if the chaos he thought he had wrought in the group had been real or an incredible hallucination.

Finding the watcher sitting in almost the exact same pose as the previous day seemed odd. The watcher was once again singing ‘Freebird’, the same bottle of liquor on the counter, the same frightened shriek he had bellowed before. The blond smirked; maybe he could take some tips from his overactive imagination.

He started out his speech in the same way that he had dreamt, not surprised at finding the bagged blood in the fridge just as he had envisioned it. The conversation went in much the same way, with the exception of the watchers stuttered statement that the slayer had stopped by just that morning looking for a bit of help. Which lead to his easy comeback “So she only comes around when she needs something, huh?” His sympathy was only partially faked for the aging man.

It really was just too easy; like pieces on a chess board. His amusement was only slightly dimmed by the nagging feeling he was missing something important. He left the watchers apartment once more, his smile bright and cheery. It was great being evil.

Finding the whelp and his ex-demon bird waiting at his crypt just seemed too much of a coincidence. He had never shared his sire’s gift for the sight, but he had to wonder if maybe he wasn’t becoming a bit clairvoyant. The feeling of something being terribly wrong was intensifying with each relived moment, and the satisfaction of watching the whelp’s reactions weren’t nearly as much fun as he remembered them being. Maybe he’d gotten hold of some bad blood or something? Mocking the brunette until he stormed out into the daylight, Spike turned to dress for the night’s adventures, feeling like he already knew the outcome.

He waited until dark to return to the watchers once more, armed with the disk Adam had given him, pausing to prepare himself again for the acting he was about to do. Already knowing which particular buttons to push for maximum effect, he wasted no time on dramatics and cut right to the chase. His mission once again accomplished, he stopped by the crypt to grab a celebratory beer; if for no other reason than he knew that’s what his dream self had done.

Maybe he should try dreaming of buxom blondes, wads of cash, and all the blood he could drink that night, just to see what happened.

~~~~~

Buffy limped into the dorm room bruised and sore. She had tried so hard. She had argued, threatened, and begged, but nothing had worked. The events that she knew had to be more than a dream had played out in front of her eyes in horrific Technicolor. Nothing she had done had saved Forrest’s life. Adam was stronger, responded quicker, and was better armed than she could handle. She had screamed at Forrest not to shoot the walking demon junk pile, but he’d refused to listen to her, just as he had in her dream…

Vision…memory…whatever it was.

Apprehension had filled her as she regained consciousness after her fall and recalled the next portion of her magic carpet ride of horror. She had been tempted to run straight to Giles’. Only her knowledge that her ex and current boyfriends easily kill each other had let her feet drag her back to this spot.

She stared at the doorway for a moment when the knock sounded. The weight of knowing who it was before she answered was staggering. She moved reluctantly toward to the wooden panel separating her from her former boyfriend. Her stiffened arms opened it to allow the vampire entry into the room. She sighed heavily when she once again had to voice her invitation to enter.

“Let me guess; you’re sorry for being an ass when all I wanted to do was help and you came to apologize. You ‘accidentally’ ran into my boyfriend on the way here and ‘accidentally’ smashed your fist in his face repeatedly. Am I close?” she asked, pinning him with a no nonsense glare, defying him to disagree. She stayed close to the door during her tirade, waiting for the next player to enter the room.

When Riley showed up right on cue, she disarmed him quickly, pushing him to the opposite side of the room from Angel. “Riley, he’s not evil but we have to talk for a minute. We’re just going out into the hall. Just trust me for a few more minutes, okay?”

She ushered the broody vampire out into the hall, taking deep breaths and trying to collect her thoughts. “Angel, I know what I did was wrong, but you were wrong, too. I just need us to forget about it and move on. I’ve got a lot going on here and I don’t have time for more childish games.”

“Uh, things are pretty tense around here. Can I do anything?” he asked, concerned.

“Honestly? Your leaving would be of the best. I’ve got a lot to try to figure out, and some really bad news to deliver, and then an insane fight with my friends scheduled for later tonight,” she snarked and rolled her eyes.

“Okay, I’m not going to even try to figure that out,” he joked, making his way down the hallway. “Oh and…Riley? I don't like him.”

“Thank you; it means a lot that you came,” Buffy replied softly.

~~~~~~

Spike made his way into Adam’s lair. “That was even more fun than the last time.”

“You are still making references to things that have not happened. It is possible that you have an internal issue that needs to be resolved.” Adam tilted his head, observing the blond vampire.

“The only internal issue I have is this soddin’ chip. The slayers all separated from her little friends, so how about my chipectomy? You got everything you need, right?” the blond asked. Averting his face so that Adam couldn’t see him, his mouth was already moving to mimic the imitation Frankenstein’s reply.

“No. There's one more thing.”

Spike left the cave frowning. Something definitely wasn’t right. He just didn’t know how to get the answers he needed.

~~~~~

After the once again disastrous talk with Riley, Buffy had dreaded going back to Giles’. It seemed even knowing what was going to happen and what was going to be said couldn’t change anything for the better. Maybe it was a message from the Powers; fate wasn’t to be messed with. Well screw that! If they stupid Powers hadn’t figured out by now that Buffy Anne Summers made her own destiny, they were about to find out.

That sudden declaration didn’t seem to make her feet any less heavy on the long walk to her watchers apartment building. She was determined not to allow her friends’ obvious issues make her jump into another argument. She was going to be cool, calm, and collected. She was going to keep a level head. She was going to be the reasonable one.

That reasoning lasted all of ten minutes.

In between the frustration of not being able to stop Adam coupled with the newest ride on Buffy’s Happy Fun Land The Revolving Time Loop of Misery; it took less than twenty minutes to resort to the name calling and accusation throwing badness of the previous day…or today…whatever.

Watching Tara and Anya running for the bathroom, she wished nothing more than to be able to follow them and hide until this horrible day was over…if it would ever end, that is. Somehow, she was beginning to doubt it.

By the time she left, the déjà vu creepiness that had followed her all day was back with a vengeance. There was no way she could explain knowing all the events that had happened that day. Seeing the looks on her friends’ faces for a second time left her with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something was seriously wrong; she just didn’t know how to get the answers she needed. She left the watchers apartment once again, miserable and defeated.

She sang softly to herself on the walk back to the dorm. “Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya tomorrow. You’re only a day a way.”

Somehow she doubted that.

Oh shit.

Opening her eyes, she could see nothing through the glaring fluorescent light.

Oh no.

Closing her eyes she willed the vision away, but the sounds and smells were just how she remembered.

Bus station? Check. Same clothes? Check. Head wound gone? Check. Heaving sigh? Extra big check. The amount of how screwed she was?

Infinite.

DAY 2

Oh shit.

Opening her eyes, she could see nothing through the glaring fluorescent light.

Oh no.

Closing her eyes she willed the vision away, but the sounds and smells were just how she remembered.

Bus station? Check. Same clothes? Check. Head wound gone? Check. Heaving sigh? Extra big check. The amount of how screwed she was?

Infinite.

Buffy leaped to her feet, and she stormed across the bus terminal to where the clerk sat reading the newspaper. "Can you tell me the date?" she demanded.

The clerk peered over her glasses at the strange young blonde woman. "Yes, ma'am, it's Tuesday, May 2nd." With one last penetrating stare, she went back to her newspaper.

"Should have known it was Tuesday," Buffy grumbled. "Everything bad happens in Sunnydale on a Tuesday." She whirled around to leave, ignoring the looks of fear and confusion she got from the people she passed along the street as she continued her tirade all the way to Giles' apartment. "Why the hell am I doing this day over and over? Couldn't fate have picked a better day? Oh I don't know like maybe a good day? But, no; it has to this day."

Buffy pounded on Giles' door. She wondered if there was anything she could do to convince him that she was in fact reliving this day in a ceaseless, vicious cycle. When Giles opened the door, Buffy marched inside, and went directly to the kitchen where she knew he hid his best bottle of scotch. Amid shouts and threats, she poured the bottle down the sink. Then she sat a still sputtering Giles down to explain what was happening to her.

"So, you're saying you've lived this particular day twice already?" Giles asked. He wished he had been able to stop the girl from dumping his alcohol down the sink, because he was fairly certain he would need a drink very soon.

"Yes, Giles. For the last time. That's exactly what I'm saying." Buffy jumped to her feet, and threw her hands in the air. "Maybe if you didn't spend your days drunk you'd have a better grasp on reality."

"Are you implying I'm an alcoholic, Buffy?" Giles asked indignantly.

"If the shoe fits!" Buffy screamed. "Come on, Giles, get a life. Haven't you heard the saying 'when one door closes, another one opens'? Well, find yourself a god damn door."

"If you're going to take this kind of attitude, I think you should leave me in peace to drink myself silly." Giles marched to the door. He opened it angrily, and pointed outside. "Since you've poured my bottle down the sink. I suppose I'll just have to go buy me a new one."

"Fine. You know what. What ever! It's not like I don't have better things to do." Buffy stalked towards the open door. "I can just go back to the dorm and deal with a jealous Riley. It's not like I haven't done it before." She was storming the courtyard and out the gate before Giles had a chance to respond.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike once again woke with that strange feeling of déjà vu, again. The dreams of buxom blonds, wads of cash and plenty of blood to drink obviously hadn't done the trick. Instead he had dreamed of green eyed blond Slayers kicking his ass all over Sunnydale, no cash and only pig's blood to drink. It had been an unsettling dream that left him hovering between intense arousal and abject horror. After going through the familiar motions of warming his blood, Spike sat down in his grungy easy chair, and waited for his guest to arrive.

"Well, mate, what took you so long?" Spike snarled. He smirked at the look of surprise on Adam's face. Wow, the git has a facial expression besides constipated. Puts me in mind of my ole grandsire.

“You failed to make our appointed meeting. I was forced to seek out your presence to see what had detained you,” Adam stated calmly to cover his surprise that the vampire was expecting him.

"Well, I knew you would come to me if I waited long enough," Spike replied. He took a sip of his blood while he waited for the cyborg to respond.

"What is the purpose of such an exercise?" Adam questioned. He searched his databases, but was unable to find an answer.

"No purpose." Spike shrugged his shoulders. "Sometimes people ... or demons ... don't have to have reasons for what they do. It's called free will."

"Free will. I must research this thing you call free will," Adam mused. "Now, about this Slayer, she's just a girl."

Spike chuckled, "True, but she's a girl with family and friends. They make her strong. Stronger than any other slayer in history." He took the last sip of his blood, and put his cup down on the floor next to his chair.

"What makes you strong can also make you weak." Adam stared at the vampire with distaste. If he hadn't needed the half breed to get to the Slayer he wouldn't have bothered with recruiting such a wild card. The rumors that this creature worked alongside the Slayer were interesting, to say the least. "Take them away from her."

"Like I haven't tried that before," Spike muttered. Pasting on a completely fake smile, he sarcastically commented, "Of course. Capitol plan, mate. Make the Slayer and her Scoobies brassed off at each other. Don't know why I didn't think of it myself."

"What is that tone of voice you are using? It's quite intriguing."

"It's called sarcasm. Look it up in the dictionary." Spike rose from his chair, crossed the room to the door, and held it open. "’ll get right on it, Mr. Bits. Don't let the door hit you on the backside on your way out."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy marched across the campus. She grew madder and crankier with every step she took. Buffy knew she'd find no peace at her dorm room, because Riley was due to arrive. Jealous, strangely dressed Riley. The only person she had ever seen so out of place dressed in Hawaiian print had been Spike. Too bad I can't blame this all on Spike. A few quick thumps on his nose would make me feel so much better.

Reaching her room, she had just turned the key in the lock when she heard someone call her name. Damn, next time I need to walk faster and not open the door when he comes by or wait until he's already been here.

Buffy turned to stare at her 'boyfriend'. Only today she was wondering what she actually saw in the guy. "Hey, Riley. I'm not really feeling up to having company right now. Maybe we can catch up with each other later." She watched as Riley's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Yeah, well, I got a little tired of sitting around waiting, so ..." Riley's voice trailed off, and he waited for Buffy to respond. He stepped back in surprise when he saw ire flash in her eyes, and anger tighten her lips.

"I know what happened, Riley. Xander told you all about Angel and the curse." Buffy folded her arms across her chest while she tapped her foot impatiently. "So, you got all jealous and had to rush over here to make sure I didn't get groiny with my ex-boyfriend."

"That's not it at all!" Riley rushed to defend his actions. "Yes; Xander told me about Angel, but I'm here because I was worried. Besides, I was waiting for you to get back from L.A. You've been gone for 24 hours and I've missed you."

"Well, I've been busy, Riley. Patrolling, trying to find Adam, repeating the same day over and over," Buffy muttered the last part under her breath. She turned to open the door of her room. "Look, Riley, seeing Angel brought back old memories and old feelings. I need some time to process it all. It's not all that interesting."

"It got my attention, but you don't want to talk about it. I get that." Riley backed away from Buffy. "Tell you what; why don't I get out of your face? You had a long trip." He turned to stride down the hallway away from his 'girlfriend'.

"You don't know the half of it," Buffy muttered before she slammed her door shut.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Spike sauntered into Giles' apartment, he expected to find the Watcher once again singing and drinking. Instead, the vampire was surprised when he found the older man pacing the floor while muttering curses under his breath. Spike's feeling of déjà vu was suddenly replaced by a sense of dread. Something wasn't right with this picture, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. The Watcher wasn't doing what he was suppose to be doing or reacting the way he was suppose to be.

"Hey, Watcher, what's got you in such a dither today?" Spike strolled towards the apartment's small kitchen where he knew there was a bag of blood waiting for him.

"What do you want?" Giles growled. He was in no mood to put up with the hyperactive vampire, not after his earlier fight with Buffy.

"Couple of things actually." Spike opened the fridge door. "Ah, there it is. Knew I left a bag here." He took out the bag of blood. "First thing, that little witch of yours has been workin' the mojo again. Been feelin' a bit wonky all day. It's getting bloody annoying." Spike crossed to the microwave, and popped the bag into the machine.

Giles moved to the bar, curious in spite of himself. Maybe Spike had an explanation as to why Buffy had been so touchy earlier. "Wonky, you say? Can you tell me about it?"

Spike narrowed his eyes at the Watcher's curiosity. He decided he'd better get down to the real reason he was here. "It's not that important after all. I need to talk to Buffy. Have you seen her? Got some info for her."

"What kind of information are we talking about?" Giles asked. He watched as the vampire pulled the warmed blood bag from the microwave, ripped it open, and poured it into a cup.

"Highly classified." Spike took a sip of the blood. "I'm talkin' about the good stuff now." He watched as the sober Watcher raised his eyebrow to indicate continuation. "These are Initiative files. I can get in and get them. I expect good compensation for the endeavor."

"That goes without saying, Spike," Giles said sarcastically. "What kind of information are we looking at?"

Spike shrugged, and took another sip of his blood. "Mission statements. Design schematics. All of Maggie Walsh's dirty laundry, which I guess would include lots of tidbits about..."

"Adam." Giles stared off into space for a few minutes. "Fine. I'll pay you $500 for the information."

"What about the Slayer?" Spike hid his surprise at this turn of events. The strange feeling of dread doubled for the blond vampire. This was definitely not how things were suppose to be going. If Spike didn't know any better, he'd say that something had changed elsewhere in this loopy little day.

"We'll just leave Buffy out of this, Spike," Giles announced. There was no way he was going to let the vampire know he was still smarting from the fight he'd had with his charge just a few hours before. "It's just between you and me. I'll send Xander over to your crypt with the fatigues you used when you helped to rescue Oz."

"Slayer's treating you like crap, huh?" Spike asked with faux sympathy. This was going better than before. It was almost like someone was doing his job for him.

"Buffy's treating me just fine, as if it were any of your business. I think seeing Angel just put her a bit on edge is all." Giles crossed the room to the bookcase. He searched through the books in the hopes of finding a bottle of scotch that he had missed before.

"Only comes around when she needs something, huh?" Spike questioned. He felt like rubbing his hands together in glee.

"Just keep up your end of the bargain, Spike. I'll be waiting here with your cash." Giles watched as the vampire slipped out into the night. The Watcher knew he had to get busy. He needed to call Xander, go to the ATM and then hit the liquor store.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy stormed up the dirt path where she knew Forrest and subsequently Adam were hiding at. Today there would be no arguing, threatening or begging. Today would be a full out knock 'em out punch to the face. She showed no surprise whatsoever when Forest jumped out into the path behind her. She whirled around to face him, and raised her eyebrow at the blaster he was holding in his hands.

"Shooting humans, now?" Buffy asked. She remembered the commando asking her if she was killing humans now from the first time through this damned loopy day.

"No, not really," Forrest replied, "But I can have a patrol here in less than a minute. So, tell you what; you go your way and I'll go mine."

"Something tells me that I don't quite believe that," Buffy snarked. "Oh yeah, the fact that Adam can kill you in under a minute." She edged towards the wary commando, and continued to talk in an attempt to keep him off guard. "Remember that Polgara demon you guys picked up a few months back? Where do you think the skewer went?"

"Maggie removed it for experimentation," Forrest answered. He backed away from Buffy, wondering where this conversation was going.

"Oh experimentation. I guess that's a fancy word for implantation, because she put it on Adam."

Before he could blink, Buffy was behind him where she gave him a sharp thump to the back of the head. She caught him, and dragged him into some bushes. Buffy grabbed up his blaster rifle and moved cautiously to the entrance of the cave. "Hey, Adam? I know you're in there," she called out.

"Ah, the Slayer. And alone," Adam stated in his calm voice. He rounded the corner, and looked down, blinking in astonishment when the small blond woman blasted him with her gun.

"Fuck," Buffy exclaimed when the blaster had no affect on the huge cyborg. She threw the gun to the ground, and turned to run down the path. A few feet away, she paused to turn and throw a taunting 'Catch me if you can!' back at Adam. Buffy ran through the woods hoping that Adam would follow her and not find the unconscious body of Forrest this time.

Suddenly, she cried out when she tripped over a tree root, and rolled down the incline where she hit her head on a rock.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hours later, Buffy woke up with a blinding headache. So much for avoiding the head wound.

She sat up, touched her forehead, and brought back a hand covered in blood. Buffy sighed deeply, fighting exhaustion. Time to go talk to Angel and Riley. I so don't want to do this again. Maybe I could cut them off at the pass.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike waited in his crypt for the Whelp and his bird to arrive. He figured the third time was the charm. Playing the Watcher had been impossibly easy for the blond vampire, so he knew the Whelp would be child's play.

Anya and Xander strolled into the crypt while arguing about Buffy. Xander tossed the bundle of clothing to Spike, otherwise ignoring the vampire as he continued to fight with his girlfriend about the blond slayer. The pair wandered back into the sunlight leaving the peroxide blond vampire staring after them in a state of annoyed shock. Spike was filled once more with the same unsettling dread he'd felt earlier with the Watcher.

At dusk, Spike dressed in the fatigues, preparing himself for the trek to the Watchers and the dramatics of watching them implode on themselves. He wondered if this confrontation would be as easy as the others had been. The vampire still couldn't believe his luck with the Watcher and the boy. Spike strolled casually towards the apartments while he smoked a cigarette. Once he hit the courtyard, he pretended to be out of breath, and flung himself into the apartment.

"I think I lost the buggers," Spike panted. He wasn't at all surprised when he saw Willow sitting at Giles' desk.

"Any luck with the disks?" Willow asked. Spike handed them over and she laid them on the desk. She turned to Tara, who had just come out of the kitchen. "What did Buffy have to say, baby?"

"S-she said that she had to go st-stop Riley and Angel from killing each other." Tara smiled shyly at her girlfriend. "But then she muttered that maybe she should just let them kill each other. T-that it would make things easier for everyone. I-I don’t think Buffy's feeling very well."

"I'm sure she's okay. Just the stress of seeing Angel, like Giles said." Willow turned back to Spike, and asked, "Was this everything?"

"Took what they had. Should be something useful on one of them." Spike smirked at the red-headed woman. "What's this about the Poofter and Captain Cardboard?"

"B-buffy said Angel's in town, and Riley's gunning for him," Tara replied hesitantly. She glanced at the vampire, and then dropped her eyes to the floor. There was something changed in his aura, but she had no idea what it was. The change seemed at this point to be fairly ambiguous, so Tara decided to ignore it.

Spike suddenly found the idea of seeing his grandsire and the soldier boy fight over the Slayer appealing. He sidled over to the dishwater blond witch, and whispered in her ear, “Did the Slayer mention where this fight was going on?"

Tara nodded, and whispered in return, "In the alley behind the grade school." She smiled wryly when the grinning blond vampire bid the group goodnight, and made his escape. Shaking her head at his antics, Tara turned her attention to Willow and the disks that Spike had brought by.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike stood on the roof of the Sunnydale Grade School. Below him he could see his grandsire fighting off a group of commandos, and the old fart was actually winning. Of course, they weren't using the tazers on him like they had Spike. The blond vampire shook his head in amusement. Peaches, three. Commandos, zip. Ahhh there's Captain Cardboard.

The man in question rounded the corner, and he raised his flashlight to catch sight of a large male dressed all in black. Spike smirked at the surprise on the toy soldier's face when the poofter called him by name. Spike himself was surprised when Riley quickly identified the dark, broody vampire. He'd been positive that the Slayer would have avoided telling her boyfriend about Peaches. Spike giggled to himself over the pissing contest that the pair got into, not that he expected Finn to win against Angelus.

Spike was just starting to enjoy the fight when the girl herself slipped into the alley. He could tell she was one brassed off little honey when he saw the look on her face. He noticed the cut on her forehead, and wondered to himself what the hell she run into that could hurt her like that.

"I'm going to punch out both of you, and leave you for the commandos if you don't stop this macho bullshit," Buffy growled. She stood with her arms crossed while she tapped her foot. "What are you? Twelve?"

"Protecting another vampire, I see," Riley muttered. "Isn't Hostile 17 enough?" He was so busy glaring at Angel he failed to notice the narrowing of his girlfriend's eyes. However both vampires saw the look and thought simultaneously, uh oh, Buffy's pissed off now!

"You leave Spike alone, Riley," Buffy snarled. "He's my vampire, and if you threaten him again, you'll live to regret it." She knew that if this day played itself over that neither Riley nor Angel would remember this little conversation. Buffy really had gotten used to Spike's presence, and she realized she would be upset if anything happened to him. She was so caught up in the drama that she failed to notice the blond spy.

"Spike's still here in Sunnydale, Buffy?" Angel demanded. "You haven't dusted him?" This whole conversation surprised the brunette vampire.

"Of course I haven't dusted him, Angel," Buffy replied incredulously. "He's almost like one of the gang. You know on the fringes, borderline ...like Mexico ...ohh or Canada ...or one of those other countries that are, you know, on the border." She had no idea how much her words surprised the blond eavesdropper.

"You actually slept with this creature?" Riley spluttered. "I thought Xander was only kidding. Does this mean you're sleeping with Spike, too? You were engaged after all." He glared back and forth between Buffy and Angel.

"I'm not sleeping with Spike." Buffy denied the allegation vehemently. "He's a ... an ally, and I need all of those I can get."

"I think the lady doth protest too much," Riley grumbled.

"I think someone is jealous of the vampires." Buffy snapped irritably. She could feel her headache swelling to monumental proportions, and sighed. "Look, Angel, thanks for coming by. Go home. Riley..." Buffy shook her head slightly. She put her hand wearily to her throbbing forehead. "I need to go talk to Giles and the gang. I'll catch you later. I can't deal with this anymore." The Slayer turned, walking out of the alley, and leaving three very confused males behind.

Riley and Angel continued to glare at each other until Angel spoke up loudly, "What the hell was that all about, Spike?" He had felt the other vampire's signature from the beginning of the fight.

Spike smirked and called down from his perch on the school's roof, "Haven't a bloody clue..." He looked from Angel to Riley. "Sire. But you know the Slayer, always doing the unexpected." He pulled his cigarettes from his duster, tapped one out, and put it to his lips. When the cigarette was lit, Spike took a deep drag off of it.

Angel raised an eyebrow at the title of respect that fell from his grandchilde's lips. He could almost hear the wheels turning in the commando's head and grinned to himself when he realized that Spike was attempting to get a rise out of the human.

"Sire?" Riley glanced back and forth between the two of them. "Oh, that's just great! You're 'family'? Well, that explains everything, doesn't it?" The contempt dripped from his voice. He simply couldn't understand why Buffy would protect the very creatures she was meant to destroy. "I don't know how Buffy has survived this long when she allows you both to live."

Spike tilted his head to study the young man. "You don't really know the Slayer, do you? Oh, you think you do. You think you understand what lies beneath the pretty face, but you don't."

"And you think you do, Hostile 17?"

"Course I do, you git. Buffy Summers is the best Slayer in the history of the Council, and I should know; I've killed two of them," Spike proclaimed proudly. He took the last drag on his cigarette, and then flicked it towards the pair in the alley below him. "Commandos are almost here."

With that, Spike melted into the darkness. He went back to his crypt where he thought over what exactly had happened in the alley, and the odd statements that the Slayer had made.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Half way to Giles' apartment, Buffy decided she wasn't up to another confrontation with her friends again so soon and turned her feet towards the dorm. She decided she'd take a hot shower, put on her sushi pajamas, and pray that tomorrow would be a new day instead of the Loopy Day from Hell once again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy woke up, but didn't open her eyes. She didn't need to see to know exactly where she was. Eau de bus terminal wafted through the air. Buffy sighed while she thought about having to deal with another round of male posturing. First Riley, then Forrest, then Angel and Riley again. Oh, and let's not forget Giles. She bet if she went out to find Spike, he'd do some incredibly stupid male thing, too.

Damn men.

DAY 3

Buffy woke up but refused to open her eyes. She didn't need to see to know exactly where she was. Eau de bus terminal wafted through the air.

She sighed at the thought about having to deal with another round of male posturing. First Riley, then Forrest, then Angel, and then Riley again. Oh, and let's not forget Giles. She bet if she went out to find Spike, he'd do some incredibly stupid male thing, too.

Damned men.

Coffee! Coffee would be of the good. Nobody should have to deal with testosterone poisoning without coffee. So that was the plan. Coffee first, deflating male egos with as much joy as possible,
later. Okay, well maybe sooner than later, because you could only drink so much coffee.

As Buffy made her way to the Espresso Pump, she stubbornly refused to think about the various men in her life. The trouble with that was that it left her very little to think about since she was also stubbornly refusing to think of Willow and that unfortunately left her with an internal monologue that consisted of four words, ‘get coffee, then think’, repeated over and over again.

Taking her coffee to a booth in the very back of the shop, Buffy took a couple of sips of the aromatic beverage before she mentally roused herself to face the prospect of thinking about the never ending day from hell. Maybe if she spent some time going over everything that had happened, she could be all logical about it. How hard could it be? She could so do logical. She was all over the logic-y stuff. Just call her Buffy the Logic Girl. Okay, so…logically, all she really had to do was come up with a plan. A plan that involved thinking and smartness and er…some place to start.

Oh God! She was so screwed.

‘No! Stop it. Stop thinking you can’t do this. You’re smart. You got great SAT scores. You could have done anything. You are the Slayer!’ Buffy mentally berated herself with a little pep talk. She had to get out of this funk. She had to believe in herself. She had to find out who was responsible so she could beat them to a pulp. Suddenly feeling brighter about the whole situation, Buffy tackled her problems with renewed vigor.

First problem; what’s happening? Well, that was easy. She was being forced to relive the same day over and over again, like it was on some sort of repeat cycle. Okay, so why was it happening? That was a little harder. Buffy contemplated everything she knew and the all the bits and pieces that she had picked up from things that Giles had said. She really should have paid a little more attention when he was actually saying it. Off topic – moving on.

For something like this to happen, Buffy could only think of two possibilities. It was either the work of the Powers or someone had done a spell.

If the loopy day was because of the Powers, well then she could only assume that as she was the only one who seemed to be aware of it, the loopiness was somehow directed at her. Something she was or wasn’t doing was making the day repeat. If that was happening, then all she had to do was work out what she should or shouldn’t be doing and well…not do it? Or maybe do it or…um…okay, well she knew what she meant.

The other possibility was that it was a spell. If it was a spell, she was going to need some help, because Buffy so didn’t do magic. But who could she ask for help? Because Giles with the drinking was so not reliable, and Willow…well, not really sure that the wonky-ness that is a Willow spell would be big with the helpful. Especially considering the redheads last little trip into the land of magic had ended up with Buffy being engaged to…

Spike!

Spike knew about magic. Maybe she could ask Spike? But then that would involve actually having to talk to him, something she had been avoiding as much as possible since the whole kissing with the lips and the snuggling and…all. It would also mean having to ask him for help and while Buffy might be willing to think of him as a fringe member of the gang, she was so not ready to actually ask him for help.

So…the Powers it is.

Having firmly decided that the lesser of two evils was the option she was going to explore, Buffy forced herself to think about all the events that had happened since the day started repeating and what she could do differently.

There was Giles’ drinking. Maybe calling him an alcoholic wasn’t the best choice she could have made. She briefly considered sitting down with Giles and finding out what his problem was, other than drinking. She’d heard somewhere that most people that drank a lot only did it to avoid problems that they didn’t want to face. Even though she was the first person to agree that denial was good, the drinking – not so much. Okay, well that was a hard one, better think about that one later.

Jealous boyfriend? Well, that just pissed her off. He’d just had sex with Faith! Who was he to get jealous about her relationship with someone she loved…er loves…er whatever. It was so way before Riley had even been in the picture. You didn’t see her getting all snippy and growlly over his ex’s. She didn’t even know their names, let alone the ins and outs of the groinyness factors. So what if she hadn’t mentioned that she’d had sex with Angel? It wasn’t like Riley had shared his sexual history with her. Xander was so on her list for opening his big mouth. What the hell was he thinking, telling Riley personal stuff like that? What was next? Discussion of any and all feminine hygiene product that might be used by the Buffster?

And then there were Forrest’s accusations. Why exactly was she was to blame for Riley’s leaving the badness that was the Initiative? She hadn’t told him to do it. She hadn’t asked him to give up his career. It’s not like she asked him to commit treason, and what was up with that anyway? Treason? Somebody so needed to cut down on their caffeine intake.

“Can I get you another?” the waitress asked Buffy politely.

“Um…oh, er, yes please.”

~~~~~~~

When Spike woke once again to that strange feeling of déjà vu, he made a snap decision not to hang around waiting for Mr. Bits. The more he’d thought about it, the more he was convinced that somebody other than him knew that the day was repeating and that somebody was an irritating little blond with an annoying habit of screwing up his plans. Finding out what she knew without giving himself away was going to take a lot more finesse than usual. The day was only twenty-four hours long, so he didn’t have time to play who’s Yoko Ono with the walking jigsaw puzzle.

Making his way stealthily through the sewers, Spike was easily able to avoid Adam. While he might have been able to get around the man-made monster, he wasn’t so successful in escaping his own thoughts.

Buffy had said he was almost a part of the gang; on the border of being one of them. What did that mean? Was he pissing away his only opportunity to be an accepted member of a group? And not just any bloody group, a group that was known for its loyalty and success, for its connection as family. It would mean consciously deciding to become one of the good guys. Renounce evil and all that other good stuff. It would mean living with the chip. Whether or not he could wasn’t the question. Of course he could. He was capable of doing anything he set his bloody mind to. No, the question wasn’t could he do this - it was ‘would’ he do this? Maybe he could use this looping day to his advantage, test the waters so to speak. Didn’t the watcher say something about a higher purpose? Hell, maybe there was one.

Arriving at the sewer grate closest to the watcher’s home, Spike made the decision to talk to the watcher about higher purposes. If it didn’t work out, the bugger wouldn’t remember it anyway and Spike could still have all his options open.

~~~~~~~~

The whole thinking of treason thingy brought Forrest firmly to mind. Now there was a guy with some serious anger management issues. The way he was acting, one would think that he had a personal interest in Riley that went way beyond the whole buddy-buddy thing. Buffy giggled at the thought of confronting the commando with that little epiphany. Maybe she could use that to distract him before she knocked him out and got them away from Adam. And maybe this time she could watch where she was going and not knock herself out for a couple of hours.

Okay, so where did that leave her? Um, avoid Giles. Avoid Riley. Save Forrest with the added bonus of questioning his possible sexual orientation choices. Run away from the big-guns-don’t-work-on-him monster. What was next?

Oh, yeah, can’t forget the Angel/Riley confrontation. Hold on…since neither one of them had been very forthcoming about their ‘meeting’, maybe she should swing by the alley a little earlier and find out exactly what happened for herself. At least that way, she’d know who it was she should be angry with. She had been kinda quick with the accusations before. Maybe she’d find out once and for all if she was giving herself a whole lot of unnecessary grief with the dating of her not-so-normal boyfriend. Maybe that was a part of her life that she needed to completely reassess. Maybe what she heard was true. Maybe Parker was the rebound guy, Riley the transitional guy and the next guy would be…

As blue eyes flashed cheekily in her mind, Buffy shook her head in fear, desperately trying to remove the image. ‘Damn you, Willow’. Latching on to the first thing that came to mind, she grabbed on with both hands. Fighting Scoobies. Maybe if she didn’t have to deal with all the other badness of the day, she could be a little less, and they could, well maybe…oh who was she kidding, she had no clue what to do about that mess.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Spike knocked before entering the watchers apartment this time. He was intent on starting out on the right foot. He planned on going with honesty and a little exaggeration, but only enough to get the watchers attention…which apparently he had, given the look of shock on the blighter’s face. ‘It isn’t like I’ve never knocked before!’ he thought indignantly. ‘There was that one time…’

“Spike?” Giles’ voice was questioning.

Now that he was here, the normally verbose vampire was at a loss for words. The enormity of what he was planning hit him like a tidal wave. He was here to talk to the watcher about changing his entire nature…and his demon wasn’t complaining one little bit. He was floored by the realization. Something must be wrong with him, because that just wasn’t right.

Was it?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Buffy watched from her hiding place at the side of the dorms as Riley stood at the top of the steps and visually searched the grounds. The expression on his face was a mixture of irritation, suspicion, and barely suppressed rage. Whoa! Who knew Riley had that sort of depth of emotion in him, and what the hell did he have to be angry or suspicious about? She’d told him where she was going. It wasn’t like she’d snuck off to see her ex-boyfriend or anything. She’d been totally up front Buffy.

Stomping her foot in irritation, Buffy silently willed the ex-commando to leave so she could get on with her own plans. Get changed, save Forrest, put off boyfriend confrontations, use the bathroom. That last one was quickly becoming an issue of major importance.

Buffy almost gave herself away when she sighed in relief as Riley started to march angrily down the steps and away from the building. She held her breath and tried to make herself as small as possible as the brunette checked his step and paused to take what appeared to be a last minute perusal of the perimeters. Buffy didn’t relax again until she lost sight of his hard-to-miss clown pants. Moving quickly towards the front door of the dorms, she shook her head at the irrelevant thought- ‘someone seriously needs to have a talk with Xander about his wardrobe choices’.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Something’s wrong,” Spike whispered as he lifted terror filled eyes to meet the surprised eyes of the watcher.

Giles only needed a moment to come to the conclusion that the shaking vampire was totally serious and completely terrified. Spike would never have allowed Giles to witness his vulnerability any other way. Buried deep within the hardened exterior of the watcher lay a compassionate man and that man would have been incapable of reacting in any way other than helpful.

“Come and sit down, Spike. Tell me what’s happened,” Giles gently urged the distressed vampire.

Unable to Sit while his mind still reeled in shock, Spike ignored the first part of the watcher’s suggestion and started to pace in agitation while he responded to the second part. “I was thinkin’ about what you said, ‘bout a higher purpose, you know? How maybe workin’ on the Slayer’s side isn’t such a bad idea, an all, ‘cause I bloody well prefer fightin’ demons than humans, there’s more challenge in it. But see, the problem was always gonna be goin’ against m’ nature. Except that doesn’t seem to be a problem it should be, ‘cause m’ demon’s not complaining at the idea of bein’ a white hat at all.” Spike stopped his pacing and turned to face the fascinated watcher. “I spent the first twenty years of m’ unlife under the tutelage of Angelus, Darla and Dru; nobody told me I got to make the choice between good and evil, Rupert. When in the bleedin’ hell did that happen?”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Buffy watched as Forrest jumped onto the path in front of her. She’d managed to get there a little early and had positioned herself behind where she knew he would emerge. Her stifled giggle at his stealthy ways alerted him to her presence.

Turning awkwardly, the soldier leveled his weapon at the disrespectful girl.

“So, what?” Buffy crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “You’re killing humans now?” Repetition could be good. At least it gave her an opening. And not bringing the lame-o gun had been a stroke of genius as far as she was concerned.

Forrest looked down his nose at the small blond. He didn’t care who she thought she was, as far as he was concerned she was just as much a freak as the hostile he was searching for. “No, not really,” Forrest replied dismissively, “But I can have a patrol here in less than a minute. So, here’s the plan; you go your way and I'll go mine.”

Buffy snorted in derision. “Oh, and you’re thinking that Adam will just wait around to kill you while you stand together in companionable silence until they get here? Good plan!”

This girl was really starting to bug him. It was definitely time to put little Miss Attitude in her place. “You think you're the first girlfriend Riley's ever had?” Forrest hissed in contempt as he moved closer, obviously trying to intimidate the tiny blond. “Such a big head on that skinny little body,” he paused to look her over contemptuously. “No. You're just the first one to get him to commit treason. Riley had a career. And a future till he met you.”

“You know,” Buffy faced the angry soldier, her expression serious. She’d heard it all before, no way was this idiot getting to her today. “Even if we broke up, Riley’s straight. I mean really straight. He’s never gonna date you.”

Buffy would have laughed at the fish out of water expression on Forrest’s face if she wasn’t so aware that his life depended on her moving the stubborn jackass away from the vicinity of the cave. She could laugh about his reaction later. Right now she needed to keep him off balance until she could get into position to knock him out. Because she seriously doubted he was gonna go for her loopy day story. Moving around him, she kept his mind focused on her words rather than her actions as she continued to speak.

“Now I’m not saying that there isn’t some nice guy out there for you to find, I just think it would be more realistic if you concentrated on the ones that are open to alternative lifestyles.”

Forrest’s outraged “I’m not gay!” was as far as he got before Buffy knocked him out with a solid right hook to the jaw.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Spike and Giles spent the afternoon debating the consequences of choice. Giles was pleasantly surprised to discover that the vampire had a quick analytical mind. Giles had sorely missed the stimulation of an in-depth debate. Actually, he’d sorely missed the stimulation of a simple conversation with another adult. He hadn’t realized how lonely he was until now. He wasn’t sure how he felt about the fact that it had taken a vampire to show him that he desperately needed to do more than sit in his apartment and wait for Buffy to come to him with a problem. He wanted- no, needed- to do something more with his time. Maybe helping Spike was just the thing he needed to feel useful again.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Buffy positioned herself on the roof of the school gymnasium. Laying flat on her stomach, she was able to see the entire alleyway. The actual school roof may have been slightly easier to access, but the gym roof gave her a much broader view and since she wasn’t exactly sure where the action started, she decided to go with the higher vantage point.

Buffy found it difficult to stay put when Angel got jumped by a group of commandos. She reasoned she’d been able to take down six of them under a minute, they surely wouldn’t be capable of taking down a master vampire that knew they were around.

Buffy didn’t believe for a minute that they would have been successful in taking down Spike if he had been paying attention. She never understood how they had managed to get him in the first place. She wondered briefly what had distracted him. She’d have to remember to ask him the next time she saw him. Well, that was if she saw him, because there was no way she was going to go looking for the bleached blond pain in her butt.

“Back-up team! Request immediate back-up! Over! They're tearing us apart over here! Two men down! From out of nowhere! Mayday! Repeat! Mayday!”

Buffy rolled her eyes at the dramatic cries of the commando below her. ‘Oh please! It’s just one damned vampire!’

A stealthy movement out of the corner of her eye caused Buffy to shift her focus to the grade school roof. What the hell was he doing here? Buffy froze. She knew she was safe from view from the vampire in the alley, but the bleached blond on the lower roof was a completely different story; Buffy was sure the bastard had eyes in the back of his head are far as she was concerned.

The bobbing of a flashlight drew her attention back to the alley just as the light hit Angel full in the face. Yeah, that was one pissed off vampire.

“Riley Finn,” Angel said his intonation flat.

‘How the hell did he know that was Riley? Ew, did he do that smelly thing?’ Buffy screwed up her face in disgust.

“I know you?” Riley asked the hulking brunette.

“We have a friend in common,” Angel coldly replied.

Buffy watched as Riley’s expression changed from confusion to recognition. Angel’s name echoed off the walls of the alley.

Taking a step forward, Angel glanced down at the commandos on the ground before turning suspicious eyes on the man in front of him. “Welcoming committee your idea?”

“Way I heard it. You were all peaceable now. You didn't by any chance go and lose that pesky soul again, did you?” Riley asked snidely, totally unaware that his comment could be heard by the other party required in that particular scenario, and that she was far from pleased.

“Don't push me, boy.” Buffy wasn’t the only one that was pissed. Angel was outraged that this little pisser was basically suggesting that Buffy was a cheat. From what Faith had told him, this guy should be the last person throwing out that accusation.

“Now what possibly could've happened with Buffy that would make you lose your soul?” Riley’s rage was fuelled by his jealousy.

Buffy inched her way back from the edge of the roof. She was shaking with equal amounts of rage and hurt. She needed to think about things. She needed to be alone. She needed to kill something!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Spike watched the scene below him repeat everything he’d seen before, that is, until it was time for the leading lady to make her appearance. When she didn’t show, he knew his earlier suspicions were true, that she might be just as aware as he was that the day was constantly repeating.

Melting back from the edge of the roof, Spike didn’t bother to watch the end of the scene in the alley. He had a feeling it would all just replay itself regardless of if he stayed or not. For now he had a lot to think about. He needed some time just to get everything clear in his head. He really needed a drink!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When Buffy let herself into her mother’s house, she was exhausted. A hard patrol and the emotional upheaval of the last couple of days had left her beyond tired. All she wanted to do was have a nice, relaxing bath and fall asleep all snuggled up in her own bed

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Buffy woke up and sighed. Oh yeah, there was no mistaking that smell. Maybe she should just go to sleep at the bus terminal in the first place. At least that way she’d be sure to wake up where she went to bed.

Stretching out the kinks that sleeping on the bench had given her, Buffy forced herself to face the fact that that only thing she’d managed to do the day before was save Forrest and get really pissed at Riley, and unless she did something majorly different this time, she just had more of the same to look forward to.

Damned men.

Day 4

Buffy woke up and sighed. Oh yeah, there was no mistaking that smell. Maybe she should just go to sleep at the bus terminal in the first place. At least that way she’d be sure to wake up where she went to bed.

Stretching out the kinks that sleeping on the bench had given her, Buffy forced herself to face the fact that that only thing she’d managed to do the day before was save Forrest and get really pissed at Riley, and unless she did something majorly different this time, she just had more of the same to look forward to.

Damned men.

She ran through her options in her head. Well that was a short trip, she thought sarcastically. Guess its back to Giles, maybe with more talking and less yelling. Unless, of course, there was liquor involved, which would mean a little yelling, but mixed with some understanding and listening. Hopefully.

Wearily, she walked through the streets of Sunnydale. She watched as normal, happy families went about their day, oblivious to the fact that they would just be living the day over again in a matter of hours.

Somehow oblivion seemed kinder.

The trip to the watchers apartment seemed to take twice as long as before. Whether the weight in her feet came from grim acceptance of the situation or sheer exhaustion, she didn’t know.

When she arrived, she again explained her situation. Once again Giles reached for the bottle, and once again she lost her temper, barely reining it in just short of the explosive replay of day number two- or was it three?

Okay, so Buffy with the patience and understanding…well she’d have to work on it. Hey, slayer here! She was supposed to be with the quick reactions. It was just that snap judgments and friendships weren’t so mixy, but people could change. They could.

Two phone calls to the other scoobies later, she and Giles were sitting in stiff silence awaiting the arrival of the others. Maybe ‘alcoholic’ and ‘lush’ weren’t the most understanding words she could have used, but it got him to put the bottle down.

Xander was first, dragging a sullen Anya behind him. Buffy watched as the ex-demon plopped down on the couch, acting as if her whole day had been ruined. Well, join the club. She should try a bunch of ruined days. No, Buffy, she reminded herself. Remember…patience and understanding…both of which are going out the window if that girl rolls her eyes one more time. It took many deep breaths later but she was calm once again. This patience thing was a lot harder than she had anticipated.

Oh, well, they would do the research…or the other scoobies would anyway. They would figure out what was happening and then she would slay it. Then she could get back to concentrating on Adam and how to defeat him.

Simple.

She refused to think that this could be something slayer strength couldn’t handle. Relief filled her when Willow finally arrived. Buffy stood, gathering her thoughts on how to explain the situation.

“Hi, guys. Here’s the deal…”

Several hours later and it still felt like she was on a slow walk to hell. Xander was all Star Trek and sci-fi theories. Anya was sure she was part of a vengeance wish, and she was a little too enthusiastic about the idea for Buffy’s liking. Willow was busy switching from proclaiming her innocence to searching for spells which could have caused the loopiness.

Giles had been very quiet most of the time, only speaking to ask short pointed questions or occasionally offering Willow suggestions for books to check. She wasn’t sure if it was from this morning’s argument or from contemplating her situation. She hoped it was the former.

The group was startled out of their research by the front door swinging wide as Spike made his now daily entrance to the watchers home. Surprise lit his face as he looked up to see the impromptu scoobies meeting.

“What are you doing here?”

“What the bleedin’ hell are you lot doing here?”

Both blondes called out in unison as vampire moved slowly toward the still open door and away from the advancing slayer. She had just made it within striking distance when the phone on the wall began to ring. Glancing in disgust at the vampire once more, she reached for the phone.

“Hello? What? Who is this?” She held the receiver toward the bleached blond as if it was contagious. “It’s someone named Herbie for you,” she said, arching a silently questioning eyebrow.

“Herbie? I don’t’ know any bloke named Herbie.” He frowned in confusion but accepted the phone anyway. “ello? Spike, aka William the Bloody, here.” He grinned as the slayer rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. Sometimes aggravating the bint was the most fun he had that didn’t involve gallons of liquor and a bar brawl.

“What? Sure.” He responded to Buffy’s questioning look by stating that “Herbie asked me to hold.” That caused the slayer to mutter under her breath about irritating vampires who treated other people’s homes like hotels.

“What? You mean like you and the scoobies do? Descend on the poor watcher, eat his food, make a mess of his flat, and then run off to let him do the cleanup. Right nice of you, that. By the way slayer, you keep rolling your eyes like that and they’ll fall right out of their sockets. I’ve seen it happen.” He turned his head to hide the smirk as the petite blond turned a nice shade of red.

“Hello…Dru?” Spike’s eyes widened as he heard his sire’s voice floating across the circuits and wires. His thoughts raced as he tried to think of what the insane chit would possibly be calling him for, especially at the watchers place. “How the bleedin’ hell did you know I was here? How’d you get the number, for that matter?”

Drusilla smiled sweetly at the chaos demon holding the phone just away from her face. Technology and the dark haired vampiress just didn’t mix. The last time she had actually held the phone herself, she’d sworn that she felt her essence being sucked through the phone line and had refused to touch the device since.

“Miss Edith has her ways, dearest. You should know that. You have to ask the right questions, my Spike, or the answers will play hide and seek in the autumn leaves like little naughty children. Switches and canes, that’s what they used on naughty children back in the day. They need more canes and switches, dear William. The cries and whimpers are oh, so delightful.”

The vampire started to roll his eyes until he noticed the slayer watching him intently. “Right, canes and switches. Why do I think this isn’t a social call, Dru?” he asked sarcastically.

“Such manners. I should scold you and send you to bed without supper, you naughty boy. Miss Edith and I have been so busy trying to make sure you have your pretty sunshine. It’s burns to the touch, but it shines bright for an effulgent heart, like my brave knight. He’s bright like the moon shining its light, but the moon doesn’t make its own light does it, William? It can only reflect the light it receives from the sun.”

“Look Dru. I realize you’re off your nutter, but the bloody cryptic tripe is getting old. Just say what you want me to know so I can get on with my bloody wonderful day,” He snarled his tone angry and defensive.

“Tut tut. No cake for you. If Miss Edith didn’t insist, I would make Herbie hang up this phone right now,” she pouted, stomping her foot even though she knew he couldn’t see her.

“Dru!”

Sighing loudly to show her displeasure, she continued, “The tree. She sought to weave and bend. I only used it as a foundation to reach out for the burning baby fishes, swimming all around. They bathe in the shallow water and the light. They gleam and glisten. Shiny backs and slippery fins. Oh, so pretty they are.”

Spike sagged against the wall, banging his head lightly. “You did a spell. That’s what all this repeat-o nonsense is. I swear to bleedin’ hell Dru, you could drive a bloke as batty as you are with this shit!”

The slayer moved closer as soon as he uttered the word ‘spell’, her heated gaze burning a hole through him and the phone he was clutching. “So, this is all your lame-o ex-girlfriends fault?” she hissed.

“Don’t be so fast to judge, love. I think she may have had an accomplice.” He glanced quickly as the couch where Willow was perched on the arm. She squeaked softly when she heard the vampires’ words and felt the stares from the two blondes.

“B-but I haven’t! No spells, not a one!” she denied. The witch felt both indignant about the accusation and guilty about the spells she had been researching for the past week, but she definitely hadn’t performed any spells recently. It’s not like she would forget if she had.

Turning his back to the living room Spike tried to think of the best way to get information out of the insane brunette. “Dru, princess, what is it that I need to do to make this stop?” he asked softly, leaning his head on the wall. He didn’t want to anger her until he had his answers, knowing how fickle both Dru and her sidekick could be.

“Poor William, you need only to see the truth and the sunshine of course. She must see the truth as well. Only then will Miss Edith allow the spell to break. She laughs, Miss Edith does. Laughs and giggles over you both. She so enjoys knowing that you’re spending your days over and over and over again.”

Her manic laughter grated on Spikes nerves. Damn Miss Edith anyway! He should have burned that damned doll decades ago. She had been nothing but trouble since the day he brought her home. He had gotten her to appease Dru while being stuck indoors after a particularly nasty incident with a local dressmaker. Apparently, the chit had tried to fit her in something unfashionable and she had decorated the shop with the girl’s entrails.

“Yes, I’m sure she’s right enjoying herself. So, the spell, Dru. Can the tree fix the spell?” Desperation and hope filled his voice.

It was one thing believe the witch botched up another spell. It was quite another to know his insane sire was involved. There was no telling what kind of side effects or repercussions she could conjure up to go along with this…what? Supposed revelation? Spiritual enlightenment?

Bugger that!

Would the manipulation by the women in his life never end? It seemed he was forever at the mercy of females, no matter if they had been the one that turned him loose or not. Dru no longer wanted him, but she felt the need to interfere with his bloody unlife at her whimsy.

Oh, he knew what she was implying. The same tripe that she had spouted while he was in South America with her- that his obsession with the slayer was about more than in just killing her.

It’s wasn’t that the chit was unattractive, but he was a one woman vamp. Even if she did look like a bloody Valkyrie when she fought, he never would have forsaken his dark princess. His being cast out and alone with no family for the first time since his turning still brought a pang of grief and longing when he focused on it too long.

The thing was, he enjoyed being around other people, and his time spent with Rupert yesterday had been an eye opener on how things could be if he just opened up a bit and let them in. Being around the slayer was both fun and frustrating at the same time. He loved the witty banter and trading quips with her, but being reminded of his inability to be the vampire he had once been was a torment he didn’t need.

“Spike!” the slayers voice hissed. He shook his head to clear it of his wayward thoughts. He must have dozed off a bit during his reflections. His eyes rose to meet her worried gaze.

“I’m trying to get some answers, luv. Keep your knickers on, alright?” He turned once again, this time with his back to the slayer. It probably wasn’t the smartest move for a vamp, putting himself in this position while within easy striking distance, but he figured if she hadn’t staked him by now that she wouldn’t over such a minor snub.

He could almost feel the slayers breath on his neck as she moved closer trying to hear what was being said. His grin was evil as he leaned slightly into her. He stretched his senses beyond the walls of the apartment, any second now…he shifted even closer as the knock sounded at the front door.

He felt the slayer tense, knowing that she also had a good idea as to who was waiting on the other side of the flimsy barrier. Still, she didn’t move away, more concerned with the phone call than whoever was at the door.

The watcher rolled his eyes and stood up from the table filled with research books on magic and dimensions. “Please, by all means, let’s ignore the door we’re standing not two feet away from as if there were no one knocking,” he muttered. He swung the door open wide, making sure to leave plenty of room between himself and the threshold. One could never be too careful in Sunnydale, after all.

“Angel.” His surprised voice registered loudly in the room. Willow and Xander both tensed as the visitors’ presence was announced. Anya merely reacted to her boyfriends’ discomfort and asked if the broody vamp was evil again in a voice too loud to be a whisper.

Still the blondes ignored the room of people, treating them as if they didn’t exist. Spike was still trying to coax information out of the giggling Drusilla and Buffy was doing her best to listen in on the conversation.

“What the hell is Spike doing here?” Angel asked, his brow wrinkled in confusion. He knew of his family member’s chipped state from both his Thanksgiving visit and from Buffy on the day he had taken back by the oracles.

However, knowing of his newly neutered lifestyle and seeing him lounging at the watchers home, using his phone as if it was an everyday occurrence, was something else entirely. And why were the two blonds standing so close together? They looked almost…intimate. Or at the very least, fairly comfortable with each other.

Finally, frustration got the best of the slayer and she grabbed the phone from Spikes hand. “Listen you insane bitch, whatever you did…undo it. Now! Stop laughing…I mean it!” Shoving the receiver back into the vampire’s hand, she paced the floor. “I can’t believe she hung up on me.”

She turned to scan the room and came face to face with Angel. Her eyes widened and her nostrils flared. Irritation lit her eyes as she was reminded of his presence. “You! This is all your fault! You just had to drive her crazy before you vamped her. Couldn’t be like everybody else and just bite her. No, you had to go for the gusto.”

Her yelling ceased only to bring her fist quickly to meet his face. She watched with satisfaction as he sailed backwards to land on his ass. Well, if she couldn’t get back at the vampire that was causing her problems, she could at least get the one who made her.

She didn’t bother to wait for her ex-boyfriend to remove himself from the floor. Instead, she immediately turned back to Spike. “Well, did she tell you anything useful? How to break it, what it was, or why the hell she did it in the first place?”

“Slow down, Slayer. Thanks to your wonderful people skills, she hung up. Didn’t get much except I know it had something to do with Red here.” Both blonds turned accusing eyes toward the young Wicca.

“What? No, I haven’t done any spells. I swear, Buffy. No spells.” Willow’s frantic denials were almost enough to make the slayer relent. Almost.

“Then why did she name you, Will? I swear; if you did it, I won’t yell at you. Just tell us so we can fix it.” Buffy was practically begging at this point, the craziness of the last several days enough to make pride a non-issue.

The redhead was distressed that everyone was so quick to blame her at the smallest suggestion of her involvement. And it seemed no matter how much she denied it they would believe the worst. Tears began to well up in her eyes. “Buffy, I swear I didn’t do this.”

“Hold up, Slayer. What about looking at spells, Red? Any spells you’ve been researching? Thinking of trying any spells out?” the blond asked with a thoughtful expression on his face.

“What are you thinking?” Buffy asked. She felt that they were so close to an answer, but she would have sworn that Willow was telling the truth.

Turning to face the slayer, Spike tried to work through his idea in his head. “What if she hasn’t done the spell yet?”

“Huh? How is that possible? If she hasn’t done it, then how did it happen? That makes all the kind of sense that’s not.” Her mind was trying to follow his line of reasoning.

“Think about it, love. We’ve both done all sorts of things the last several days, things that we haven’t done today. Things that we could do and it would never make a difference on tomorrow. We wake up and it’s like it never happened.”

“Yeah? And?” Aggravation was getting the best of her and if he didn’t get to the point soon, she was so going to lose it.

Sighing loudly, he began to pace the floor, using his hands to exaggerate his point as he moved. “So, let’s say she did the spell the same day everything went wonky, the same day we’re having over and over. Of course she hasn’t done the spell yet in our time. She wouldn’t do it until later tonight.”

Once again the pair turned to face the witch. This time the blush spreading across her face was enough to signal her guilt.

“Willow?” Buffy asked, disappointment clouding her face.

“I swear it’s just research, Buffy. Healing stuff, renewal and restoration magic’s. White magic’s only a-and I haven’t even done anything. Just research and reading. No actual s-spells.”

“Well, Red, obviously you went from research to casting sometime later tonight, which will soon turn into tomorrow,” the vampire snarked as he banged his head lightly on the wall behind him. He couldn’t’ help but direct his anger towards the witch. After all, if she hadn’t gone about casting spells all willy-nilly, then they probably wouldn’t be in this mess. Some people never learned control, and he had a nasty feeling that the small redhead would be one that would learn the hard way too little, too late.

Turning his attention back to the issues at hand, he moved toward the living area only to come face to face with The Great Brooding Hulk.

“Angelus,” he acknowledge before moving on to the couch and plopping down with a loud sigh.

Reminded of her ex once again, Buffy wearily made her way over to the brunette. “Angel, if you’re here because of the fight; its fine…over and done with, you can go back to LA with a clear conscience.”

“Is everything alright? Things seem kind of crazy around here. Can I help with anything?” he asked concerned.

“No, we’re just having some issues. We’ll work it out. Thanks anyway,” she assured as she led him to the door.

“If you’re sure.” He stepped through the threshold and turned around, his best woeful expression in place.

She refrained from rolling her eyes and stated sarcastically, “Very sure, thanks again, and come back again next time you feel the need to beat the crap out of my boyfriend.”

“How did you…? It just happened. It was an accident.” He tried to smooth things over even as he wondered how she had found out so quickly.

“I know. You didn’t mean to, his face just jumped in front of your fist, it happens. See ya later, Angel. Like tomorrow,” she muttered, slamming the door in the dark vampires face.

Twenty minutes later and they still hadn’t found any solution to the spell from hell. Willow was gathering her things to make a trip back to the dorm to pick up her spell books when a frantic knock sounded on the front door.

Buffy tensed and looked around wildly. “Oh, God, it’s Riley. I’m so not in the mood for this right now. Willow, I’ll go get your spell books if you get rid of Riley. Tell him I’m not back yet, or I’m with my mom, or I died in a horrible accident. Anything! Just get rid of him,” she hissed out the last as she grabbed Spike’s duster sleeve, dragging him behind her as they made their way to the back of the apartment.

Giles didn’t have so much a back door as it was a large window, but desperate times called for desperate measures. They made it several blocks before Spike finally broke the silence surrounding them.

“So, Slayer, what’s with the Houdini escape route we just had to take to avoid the boyfriend? Trouble in paradise?” He worked hard at keeping his expression neutral. The last thing he needed right now was a broken nose.

“It’s none of your business, Spike,” The petite blond huffed as she picked up her pace.

“Right. And here I was thinking we were in this thing together. My mistake. Sorry ‘bout that. It won’t happen again. See ya ‘round, Slayer.” He veered off the sidewalk to the road and began to cross before she caught his arm, spinning him around to face her.

“Alright, look. Riley has some jealousy issues to work through. Take one super strong girlfriend, add in a calling that takes up most of my time, and throw in a ‘my girlfriend slept with a super strong vampire’ and mix until foamy. It doesn’t exactly make for happy boyfriendy thoughts, and the ‘lets make Buffy crazy loopy day from hell’ isn’t helping either.” She lowered her eyes, looking at the pavement as if it held all the answers she was looking for.

“The first time I just tried to brush it off and go on. After a couple of times, though, I started to lose my temper and things were said. I have to think part of it is him reacting to my anger. It has to be. He’s just crazy right now.”

“Or maybe you’re finally getting to see a side of the boy that you haven’t until now,” The vampire offered quietly, dipping his head to look her in the eye.

Buffy turned her head to avoid his gaze. “Can we just not do this? We have a spell to break remember?” She finally looked up to meet his measuring stare with a pleading one of her own. Between Angel and Riley and the constant explaining to the Scoobies, she didn’t know if she could take it if the irritating vampire started in on her, too.

“Sure, pet. Let’s go get those books.” Once again, they started down the street and Spike let his thoughts drift. He had wanted to call her on her statement of him belonging, even if in the most marginal way, to the scoobies. Whether by default or design, he had thrown his proverbial hat in with the slayer and her gang the moment he had went to them for help.

As much as he still tried to proclaim his evil nature, he hadn’t really done anything more immoral than petty theft in the last several months. Well, except plotting with Adam, which he would need to think about later. Sure there were lots of wicked things he could have done to entertain himself, but the truth was, without the violence and mayhem to back it up, his heart just wasn’t in it. If fighting demons was the only way he could get his quota of fists and fangs, well then, demons it was.

The rest of the trip was made in silence, both individuals lost in their own thoughts. It wasn’t until the trip back to the watchers that the blond vampire had a sudden revelation.

“Bloody hell, I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before,” the vampire exclaimed. With his excitement lighting his face he seemed much younger to Buffy, almost childlike in his enthusiasm.

“I’ll go to Dru, make her lift this crazy curse, and we can move on with our lives…or unlives as the case may be.

Buffy laughed mockingly. “Yeah, great plan genius. You really think that will work? What happens when the day resets? We don’t even know for sure what time it happens. You don’t even have a clue. You’re not the one waking up next to a bucket of old mop water in a crappy little seat at the bus station every morning.”

“Well then, no harm no foul. I’ll wake up in my nice comfy bed all snuggled up in the blankets. But, if it does work, then presto! No more spell. Maybe it’s only affecting us in Sunnyhell. If I can get far enough away maybe the spell won’t be able to affect me. It’s worth a shot anyway. We got nothing to lose.” He smirked at the slayers irritated look when he mentioned waking every morning in his own bed. It wasn’t his fault she took a siesta in the bus station that fateful morning. Maybe next time she’d be more careful where she took her little catnaps.

“Yeah, whatever. Like you said; no harm, no foul. Lets get these books back to Giles and see if we can find anything tonight, or else I’ve got a date with a nice plastic chair in the morning,” she mumbled the last.

Life so wasn’t fair, here she was the chosen one waking up every day in a torture device while the evil vampire woke up in his nice soft bed. Why couldn’t she have the bed? Not that she wanted to wake up in Spike’s bed, because, well...she didn’t. It just wasn’t fair.

Spike smiled when the slayers face broke into a full blown pout. He hadn’t even needed to wind her up much this time around. He lived for the little moments like these. Unlife was good.


The morning dawn was bright and clear, just like the last several before it. Of course it helped that it was the same damn day. Spike stretched lazily in his comfy bed before remembering the mission that had been decided the night before.

South America.

He had some demon friends in L.A. with a small charter plane that he planned to call in a few debts for. With any luck, he could be there in a few hours and put and end to the never ending day.

He packed his leather duffel as he reviewed all the fun that he had over the last couple of days baiting and leading the slayer’s little pals on. He would almost be sad to see the fun end.

But a vampire could not live by derision alone, he thought as he grabbed the bag and headed toward the sewers.

Day 5

Morning dawned bright and clear, just like the last several before it. Of course it helped that it was the same damn day. Spike stretched lazily in the bed before remembering his mission that had been decided the night before.

South America.

He had some demon friends in L.A. with a small charter plane that he planned to call in a few debts for. With any luck he could be there and put an end to the never ending day.

He packed a small leather duffel as he reviewed all the fun that he had over the last couple of days baiting and leading the scoobies, he would almost be sad to see the fun end.

But a vampire could not live by derision alone; he thought as he grabbed the bag and headed toward the sewers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"My naughty boy thinks he can come and sweet talk you, Miss Edith," Dru crooned to her doll. "We must teach him a lesson." She brought the toy closer to her ear.

Herbie stepped inside the doorway to watch his insane consort while she whispered things to her doll. He hoped that William the Bloody and the Slayer figured Drusilla's plan out soon, because frankly, he was sick of the same day playing over and over.

"So what shall we play, dearie? Ring around the roses gets so tiresome. I've got it!" Dru leaped to her feet, and she twirled around the room with Miss Edith in her arms. "It's perfect, it is. Let's play Clue, shall we? It's such a wonderful game. I played once with a man in New York while my Spike was hunting a slayer. He was tall and dark, and he tasted like fear and wine."

Herbie sighed. Oh yeah, it was going to be a long night. "What do you have planned, my sweet?" he asked even if he really didn't want to know. It was a good thing that Chaos Demons were blocked from the mental invasion that Drusilla was used to performing on others. Herbie knew she would be displeased with his less than happy thoughts.

"They get treats, my sweet. Find a hint and get a prize, do it wrong…grrr. Bad dog. No cake."

Herbie sighed again. He had always sucked at solving riddles and now he was involved with a demon whose riddles were harder to figure out than Nostrodamus'. He turned to leave the room when Dru started to speak again.

"Dreams, my horny pet. My sweet boy and the sunshine shall feel the bite of love and it shall show them the way." Drusilla turned her attention back to Miss Edith while she started to chant under her breath.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy mentally went over her 'to-do list' for the day. One: avoid Riley, Angel, and the Scoobies. Two: save Forrest from Adam. Three: wait it out and hope that Spike made it to the mental ho bag and that she would end the Loopy Day from Hell out of the kindness of her heart. Buffy snorted at that thought. Damned loony bitch. If I see Angel today, I might punch him out again just for the fun of it.

Buffy knew she still had a few hours before she could meet up with Forrest. She decided the easiest way to avoid the first thing on her list was to hide out in a hotel room. That way she could at least shower and wash out her undies. She dug around in her pockets to count her money and found she had more than enough. Buffy used all her change to stock up on some goodies from the bus terminal vending machines.

Buffy laid on the bed while she munched on a bag of chips, and she flipped through the channels on the fuzzy television in search of something to watch. She felt pretty good, considering. The shower had been long and hot, and the bed was soft compared to the bench in the bus terminal. Her eyes drifted closed without her even noticing.

"Birds singing, squirrels making lots of rotten little squirrels. Sun beaming down in a nice, non-fatal way. It's very exciting, I can't wait to see if I freckle." Spike glanced up at the sun, and then back down at the Slayer lying on the ground below him.

Buffy stared up at Spike in astonishment. Crap, he must have found the Gem thingie that Giles was talking about, she thought. She grabbed her stake from her bag just as she launched herself up from the ground. Buffy landed a punch, but reeled back to the ground when he returned it with a left hook. She kicked him when he jumped on her and he staggered back.

Spike jumped at the Slayer, and he landed on her stake. He looked down at the wound. He laughingly said, "Oh do it again. It tickles, but in a good way." Spike smirked at Buffy when she pulled the stake out and the wound closed up on right before her astonished eyes. He held up his hand to show off the ring. "The Gem of Amara. Official sponsor of my killing you."

Buffy fell backwards when Spike suddenly backhanded her. She tried to crawl away, but Spike caught her by the hair and hauled her to her feet. Buffy squirmed to get away from the vampire, but he pushed her up against a nearby pole. The Slayer stopped moving as soon as she felt his hardened cock pressed up against the crack of her ass. She groaned, and her eyes fluttered shut when arousal shot through her entire system.

Spike whirled the Slayer around so that her back was pressed into the pole and his lips were pressed against her neck ready to bite her. Then, he heard her huskily moan deep in her throat while she buried her hands in his hair making his fangs dig into the soft skin above her jugular vein. Without thought, Spike cupped her breasts in his hands, and he tweaked her nipples into diamond hard points. Against her skin, he muttered, "Slayer, I want you."

"Spike, I love you," Buffy cried while he bit into her flesh. Her orgasm rippled through her, leaving her weak and breathless.

Buffy sat up to look around the room. She put her hand on her forehead, and she whimpered, "No. For God's sake, no."

She jumped to her feet to rush into the bathroom. Buffy splashed her face with cold water and then peered into the mirror. She gasped when she noticed the bite mark on her neck. What the hell is that? Buffy leaned into examine her neck more closely.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike got himself as comfortable as he possibly could being squeezed into the baggage compartment of the small plane. It was going to be a long ride, and he just hoped that this worked. He had no desire to do the same day over and over again with the Slayer. Not that it was any skin off his nose, but bloody hell she was getting bitchier and bitchier with each loop. The vampire's eyes drifted shut without him even noticing.

Spike sat down in the chair next to Dru. He kissed her on the cheek. Indicating the life sized dolls seated around the small table, he asked, "Who are your friends, my love?"

"Spike, my sweet prince. This is Sunshine. She's yours to play with today." Drusilla indicated a beautiful blond doll with porcelain skin, rosy cheeks, and bright green eyes. Then she pointed to a cute red haired doll. "This one is Tree. She's mine to play with. I just love to play with dollies." Dru clapped her hands together.

Spike sat back in his chair, startled when the dolls came to life. He watched as Dru grabbed the red haired doll and twirled and danced around the room.

"Such wickedness in this one, my Spike," Dru sing-songed while she danced. "Snip, snip the little strings of restraint and watch the pretty lights all aglow." She giggled when Spike growled his discontent. Dru and the doll whirled in a circle around the male vampire while she taunted him.

Spike felt a small hand on his sleeve. When he looked, the blonde doll was looking up at him expectantly. She smiled sweetly while she indicated that they were supposed to get up to dance, too. Spike sighed heavily. He knew he would never hear the end of it from Dru if he didn't follow orders. So, being the gentleman that his long dead mother had taught him to be, he rose to his feet and gallantly held his hand out to the blond doll.

Dru smiled dreamily while she watched Spike dance with Sunshine. She leaned into Tree's ear, and she whispered, "See, I told my Spike that the moon has no light of its own. Reflects the sun, it does. Efflugent and burning."

"Dru, pet? What's going on here?"

Dru stopped dancing to stare at Spike with fathomless eyes. "You're running away from the sunshine and your great destiny. You have all the answers, sweet William. All the right tricks to get your treat. You need only to set yourself on the path and follow the leader."

Spike felt sudden heat fill his arms. When he looked down, he was surprised to find the Slayer, warm and alive in his arms. She swayed against his body, and much to his chagrin blood rushed to his groin causing him to get an erection. The girl seemed to respond to this as she danced closer and closer.

"Miss Edith wishes to speak to Tree now." Dru stood behind Spike. She licked his neck and whispered in his ear, "Be a good boy and listen to your heart, Spike." Dru and Tree danced off to another room where the small doll was sure to be holding her own court.

Spike found himself pushed into a nearby armchair with the Slayer perched on his lap, her perky little voice filling his ear with words that would make a weaker vampire run for his life.

"There's so much to decide. Ceremony, guests, reception," Buffy said matter-of-factly. She leaned in close to whisper in his ear, "Honeymoon."

"No church weddings and no daytime ceremonies," Spike answered firmly. "I have no plans on being a big pile of dust, honeymoon or no." He shivered when Buffy took his earlobe into her mouth and sucked on it.

"Of course, baby. I don't want my best guy to be dust," Buffy mumbled against his neck. She licked the soft skin, humming and cooing as she did.

"You're not going to be all pouty this time?" Spike asked. He was unexpectedly disappointed when she shook her head negatively. "I like your pout, pet. Makes me want to nibble on that little lip of yours."

"I love you, Spike," Buffy whispered huskily.

Spike squirmed in the chair when he felt Buffy sink her teeth into his flesh. His cock pressed against the zipper of his jeans when he felt his borrowed blood leave his body and enter the Slayer's mouth. Spike came in his pants like a teenaged boy when Buffy growled against his skin.

Spike opened his eyes while he gasped for unneeded breath. His hand shot to his neck where dream Buffy had bitten down. His fingers came back bloody, and he knew that somehow the mark had transcended the dream world into the living world. Spike laid there contemplating what the dream had meant, and the more he thought, the madder he got. He understood what Dru was prattling on about, but damn it, he was the master of his own destiny. No woman- not his Sire, or the Slayer or the witch- was going change that. He; Spike, William the Bloody would choose who he loved and spent his unlife with. No one else had that right but him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy rushed to get her clothes on. She had to get to Forrest before Adam killed him again. If Spike was somehow able to get Dru to stop the loopy day, then Buffy wanted to be sure to have at least this one little thing fixed. Hopefully she could catch up with the commando early enough she could once again avoid Adam and the injury to her head. Buffy took a quick look in the mirror to make sure the newly acquired bite marks on her neck weren't showing before she exited, intent on her mission.

Hiding in the brush, Buffy held the stone above her head while she waited for Forrest to come down the trail. For some reason, she felt incredibly twitchy and the mark on her neck tingled fiercely. Buffy waited until the commando was just in the line of sight to step out and knock him over the head with the rock. After Forrest crumpled to the ground, she threw the rock to the side, and she leaned over to check his pulse. Grabbing his arms, she dragged him down the trail away from the cave.

Buffy pulled the unconscious commando into a thick bush and searched through his pockets.. In an inner vest pocket' she found a packet of plastic law enforcement restraint ties. She quickly bound Forrest's wrists behind his back, but checking to make sure he could breathe without problems. She quickly checked the path for Adam, and when she saw it was clear, dashed back towards town.

Walking along Main Street, she looked at the store windows. She was passing the magic shop when she noticed Riley talking on a pay phone outside the Espresso Pump. He seemed very agitated, probably upset because he couldn't find her. Buffy quickly ducked into the magic shop. She hadn't been in the store since Willow's 'Thy Will Be Done' spell when she had come in search of Tagas Root.

"Can I help you, miss?" the clerk asked politely.

"Um, no. I'm just looking around," Buffy answered. She kept one eye on the front window for Riley to pass. Buffy picked up objects, glanced at them, and then put them down in an attempt to look like she was shopping.

"B-Buffy," a voice said, "How are you?"

Buffy stiffened when she heard the voice. Like before when she had saved Forrest from dying, the bite marks on her neck tingled. Buffy turned to look at the short, dark haired male. "Hey, Jonathon. You're not here planning some sort of diabolical spell to take over Sunnydale, are you?"

"N-no, I was just working here with Mr. Bogarty." Jonathon nodded towards the shop owner. "I decided to put my knowledge to good use for a change."

"Um, That's great, Jonathon." Buffy glanced towards the window. "I'm glad to see you're doing something constructive."

"Can I help you with something, Buffy?" Jonathon asked. He had noticed the glances that the blond girl kept throwing towards the front window.

"Not really. I was just avoiding someone." Buffy turned her gaze back at Jonathon. "Hey, you know about magic, right? Do you know any spells that might ... I don't know ... make a day repeat itself?"

Jonathon raised an eyebrow. "Wow, that'd be a powerful spell. Very dark and not for the novice spell caster." He walked over to the bookcase where he pulled out several books. "Why not try looking through these? If you don't find anything, let me know. Hey, you could always rent Groundhog Day with Bill Murray. That was such a cool movie."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike had been drinking steadily since he had landed in Bogata, Columbia, thirty minutes before. He was brassed off at Dru, the Slayer, the Fates and every other diety he could lay his thoughts on. They were all playing with him, and he was not a pawn.

Give it up, mate, you're love's bitch, a little voice muttered in his ear.

I may be love's bitch, but I'll love who I want, and there's no way it's the Slayer, Spike growled back.

"Senor Spike? You 'ave a phone call." The bartender held out the receiver towards him.

The blond vampire took the phone from the dark haired man. He spoke into the receiver in a resigned voice. "Hello, Dru."

"Hello, my naughty boy. Why must you be so stubborn?" The crackling of the phone line played counterpart to Dru's voice.

"Me, stubborn?" Spike growled. "I'm not the one listening to a soddin' doll and doing magic all willy-nilly."

"Tsk, tsk. I'm only trying to help you, love. So pretty you would be all wrapped in sunshine." Dru giggled softly when Spike growled her name again. He was such a naughty boy when he wasn't doing what his mummy told him. She had half a mind to punish him. "You know you won't make it, my Spike. It will be dark soon. All the shadows come out to play and the day begins anew. You'll be with her soon. As soon as you accept it, you can fix it all."

"Fix what?" Spike muttered. He swallowed down the last of the whiskey in his glass and signaled the bartender for a refill.

"Why, fix the factors, you silly boy." Dru beckoned to Herbie to hang up the phone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy looked up to see Jonathon put a cup of coffee and a muffin from the Espresso pump down next to her. "Thanks. I haven't had much to eat today. Kinda busy."

"So, you're really doing the same day over and over?" Jonathon asked after he sat down next to Buffy. "Wow! That must be really weird especially having no one to help you."

"Not alone exactly," Buffy muttered. "Spike's stuck with me." She closed the book she was looking through and picked the next one out of the pile.

"Um, that's the vampire, right? I vaguely remember him from the spell I did," Jonathon said with a tinge of embarrassment. He took one of the other books and started leafing through the pages. He was a few pages in when he suddenly announced, "This spell sounds promising." He handed the book to Buffy.

Buffy mumbled to herself while she read, "Spell causes perpetual time reversal. Certain stipulations. Um, improvement requirements. Subjects must evolve or discover hidden truths. Cannot be reversed with a general reversal spell. Oh, great, that's a lot of help. How the heck are we suppose to know what to change?"

She broke off when the hidden bite marks started to tingle again. Her hand twitched with the urgent need to rub at the offending mark. "Um, so ... you got any books on dream manifestations?"

Several hours later, Buffy left the magic shop knowing more about dreams and spells than she had ever thought possible. When she passed, the Alibi Room she decided to slip inside to order something to eat. For a demon bar, the food was surprisingly good. Buffy sat in the back of the bar, her back against the wall and her eyes on the front door. Couldn't be too cautious.

After Willy brought Buffy her burger, fries and Diet Coke, she sat munching on her food while absentmindedly listening to the conversations around her. When she saw Angel walk in the door, she shrank back in the booth until she remembered she was the Slayer and not afraid of some stupid vampire.

Buffy dipped her fries in ketchup while she watched the dark vampire question the bartender. She grimaced when the man pointed in her direction. Buffy watched dispassionately as Angel stalked towards her.

"Is this how you spend your days? Avoiding everyone so you can hang out in a demon bar?" Angel demanded. He shook his head when Buffy motioned to the bench across the table from her.

"I've had a bad couple of days, Angel. Just wanted to spend some time alone," Buffy said softly. Her hand itched to touch the mark on her neck even though it wasn't tingling at the moment. As crazy as it sounded, she took a great amount of comfort in having Spike's bite on her body. It seemed to be helping her feel grounded in all the crazy loopiness.

"What about your duty, Buffy? When you do stupid things like this you forsake your duty as the Slayer," Angel announced pompously. He crossed his arms to stare at the petite blond. She'd been acting crazy ever since she had found out that Faith had visited him. Angel decided she needed to be reminded once again of what her purpose in life was. "You seem to have gotten into the habit of burying your head in the sand when things don't go your way."

Buffy's jaw dropped at Angel's words, and she leaped to her feet. Where the hell did he get off, telling her what to do? "Why don't you tell me what you really think, Angel?" She stepped back when Angel moved towards her. "You tell me to stay out of your town, and yet you still feel the urge to invade mine? Oh, and how did you get those bruises on your knuckles?"

Angel looked down at his hands. "Nothing. It was nothing. Just ran into the wall or something. Quit trying to change the subject. I talked to Giles and the others. They haven't seen you all day and they're worried." He sniffed the air cautiously. Something was off with the Slayer, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. "You're acting like a child, Buffy. It's very unbecoming of you."

"I need a little alone time, so I'm acting like a child?" Buffy shook her head, and her hand crept up to her neck without her even realizing that she was now rubbing the bite mark. "Go home, Angel. I don't have time for your childish antics."

Angel leaped across the space between the Slayer and himself. He pulled her hand away from her neck and there on her flesh he saw very familiar bite marks. "Alone? You call letting Spike bite you being alone? I think it's time we went and talked to Giles. You're not yourself." Angel grabbed Buffy's arm, and his game face rippled into play. He bent down over Buffy's neck.

"Oh, I'm myself alright. Just sick of people telling me what to do," Buffy growled. She punched the dark haired vampire in the face. "Now let go of me."

"You're mine," Angel snarled. He pulled Buffy even closer, and he bent his fangs closer to her neck. Angel's eyes opened in surprise when he felt a stake enter his heart. He gasped as he felt the particles of his being turn into dust.

Buffy coughed as his ashes began to settle. "Nope, not yours. Haven't been yours in a long time." She sighed heavily. "Well, at least he won't remember this tomorrow."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy awoke stiff and grumpy. The very familiar smell of the bus terminal tickled her nose. She sat there listening to the sounds around her for the longest time. Buffy felt the marks on her neck begin to tingle fiercely. When she opened her eyes, Spike was sprawled in the chair across from her.

"So, have fun staking the poof yesterday?" Spike drawled.

Day 6
Thanks to Tam for all her help and time doing her fantastic beta work!





DAY 6

Buffy awoke stiff and grumpy. The very familiar smell of the bus terminal tickled her nose. She sat there listening to the sounds around her for the longest time. Buffy felt the marks on her neck begin to tingle fiercely. When she opened her eyes, Spike was sprawled in the chair across from her.

“So, have fun staking the poof yesterday?” he drawled.

“Not as much fun as I’m gonna have dusting you,” Buffy snarked in return.

Spike sat forward, leaning his elbows on his knees as he clasped his closed fists under his chin. Giving the grumpy slayer a look of wide eyed innocence, he mildly chastised her. “Now, pet, is that any way to greet the nice monster that brought you coffee?”

“Coffee?” Buffy perked right up at the thought of the enticing beverage.

“And donuts,” Spike elaborated. “We’ve got a lot to talk about and I figured that if we try for once to do without the usual arguments, we might be able to figure this mess out.”

She carefully considered the vampire in front of her. “Are you talking truce, teamwork, or something else?”

Spike inwardly cursed the part of his anatomy that had perked up at the thought of ‘something else’. He also ignored the little voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like his insane sire as it urged him to ‘play in the sunshine’. He wasn’t going to be dictated to. Once this situation was fixed, he was going to go back to his unhappily chipped unlife and hating the slayer as he so rightly should. In order to do that, they had to work together, and that required…

“Teamwork,” Spike answered her question. “We’re gonna have to try and trust each other, pet.”

Buffy looked at him, her expression serious but sad. “And how do we do that, Spike? How do we, as mortal enemies, trust each other?”

“I guess that’s another thing we need to talk about, slayer.”

~~~~~~

“I get that it would be harder for you to trust me than it should be for me to trust you, what with me bein’ evil an all, and you being the Chosen One for the white hats. So, how about I go first?” Spike offered the apprehensive girl seated in the booth opposite him.

Willy had been a little worried when they’d entered the Alibi Room, but they’d assured him that they weren’t there to cause trouble. They just needed a private place to talk. Willy had sent them to a dark booth in the back.

“But before I tell you what’s been going on, I’m gonna ask that you wait till I finish before you pass any sort of judgement on me, alright?” Spike set down his ground rules. “I also think it would be better to spend the day discussing our problem. We know we’re not gonna fix anything today, so nobody that gets hurt will stay hurt. If we concentrate on just this one thing, we might actually come up with a game plan.”

Buffy cautiously nodded her agreement. She could feel the intensity of the blond vampire’s emotions. She could tell he was being sincere about tying to work together. Was it possible that she was just tuning into him for the first time? Maybe she had some latent slayer thing going on where she was getting insightful? Whatever it was, being able to feel Spike’s emotions was seriously wiggy. Not that she was planning on giving away more than she had to.

She wasn’t sure if she was looking forward to his explanation for the bites or not. She sure as hell wasn’t planning on sharing that knowing what he was feeling was making her feel better about this mess. She didn’t feel so alone. His feelings gave her comfort, something which she would totally deny if anyone ever suggested it.

Spike began his tale. He admitted to helping the giant jigsaw puzzle in return for the removal of his chip, and told her of his plan to break up the Scoobies. A lot of what he said made Buffy realize just how easily they had all allowed it to happen. She had to wonder if the genuine contrition she felt coming from the vampire was the only thing that was stopping her from jumping up and staking him.

She listened carefully as he went on to tell her about his day with Giles, surprised to hear the deep disappointment in his voice over the fact that the watcher would never remember their conversation. She could feel how it made him feel. There was no doubting him this time. No underlying suspicions as to his motives. He really was amazing. She supposed she really shouldn’t be surprised by anything he said anymore. ‘You've been one constant roller coaster ride ever since I meet you, Spike. I never know when we're going to hit the next loop.’

He went on to tell her about witnessing the fight between Riley and Angel. When he informed her that he’d overheard what she’d said to Riley and Angel about him, he admitted that- for him- her words had been the turning point; the moment things had started to change for him. Buffy was humbled that her unplanned admission had such a profound effect on a soulless demon. She hadn’t realised, until that moment, how quickly she had fallen into the pattern of blaming everything on Spike.

Spike hesitated before telling her about his botched trip and his dream, but finally decided to be completely honest as see where it led.

Buffy flushed in embarrassment at his description of his dream. When he showed her the bite his dream manifestation of her had left on him, she physically cringed and apologised profusely. She sought desperately to change the subject, because she so wasn’t ready to tell her side yet. Talking about bitey-Buffy was just gonna freak her, so she latched onto something he had said earlier.

“You're the only vampire that has never lost his invitation to my home,” she blurted out. Staring at the table, she was suddenly unable to meet his eyes. Still, she couldn’t help but continue. “Even when we were trying to kill each other, you were there on the verge of changing. You took time to learn things about me that no one else has. Granted, it was to kill me, but still, you’re…different. You’ve always been different.”

“Don’t look away, luv. It means a lot to me that you’re able to trust me this much even though I'm not exactly one of the Scoobies.” Spike spoke with such earnestness that Buffy was faced with an epiphany that almost made her weep in shame. Spike was lonely. So lonely that even marginal comments that might be considered partial acceptance touched him deeply. Whoever it was that had suggested the idea that soulless demons couldn’t feel the finer emotions had sure as hell never met Spike.

And now it was her turn to play true confessions. Well, not quite true. Buffy told Spike everything that she’d gone through with the exception of one small detail. When she got to the part about the dream, she skipped the fact that she had expressed her love for the vampire.

The vampire’s human half was bred from Victorian stock. William had been raised to be a gentleman. Spike was insightful enough to know she hadn’t told him everything, he could tell by her body language that what ever she was hiding was embarrassing to her, and he let it go.

Buffy smiled at him, silently letting him know that she appreciated his tact and was grateful that he’d chosen not to call her on the obvious omission. She finished her story with the dusting of Angel and waited for his reaction.

“Can I dust him too?” Spike grinned at her, his playful humour breaking the serious mood that had engulfed them both.

Buffy rolled her eyes in droll amusement before surprising him with her reply of, “if you must.”

Chuckling happily at the Slayer’s wry comment, Spike reached into his pocket and pulled out a pad and pen. It was time to get back to business. “The way I see it is that Dru said we had to ‘fix the factors,’ or some such rot. Maybe that means we have to fix what’s wrong with you and your mates, save the poofter commando, stop the jealous wankers, and help the watcher.”

“But didn’t she say that we both have to discover the truth or something? I’m pretty sure we’re going to have to work out what the dreaming and the biting is all about,” Buffy added her own thoughts.

“Well, yeah, but maybe what we need to learn will come out of what we fix?” Spike suggested with a hint of desperation. He was not going to be manipulated. Not about love. Not again. He would not be swayed by the beautiful- no, not beautiful- blonde. That was what he meant, blonde slayer.

“You do realize everything you write down will disappear in a few hours, right, Mister I'm-So-Good-At-Making-Plans?” Buffy grinned at the clearly flustered vampire.

It was Spike’s turn to roll his eyes as he answered the Slayer. “I know that slayer, but if I see things in writing they tend to stick with me better.”

“Yeah cause you stick with your plans so well. Am I the only one who remembers St Viagra?” she teased.

“That’s Vigeous, pet. Think you're mixing up your rituals with your relations,” Spike answered, and then broke into amused laughter that he had tried so hard to hold in. When he regained control he continued, “Besides that was just a bloody ritual. I hate rituals and I killed everybody that knew how to perform it.”

“Boy, Spike, you have the art of winning friends and influencing people down pat, don’t you?” Buffy joked. Banter she could do, and even she had to admit it was more fun to banter with someone who gave as good as they got. Even if that someone was someone she was starting to-

Wait. No. Not like. Definitely no likeage there.

“Worked with your mum, didn't it.” Spike grinned with delight. He loved this side of the slayer, because-

No. Hell no. Not loved. Sure, she was cute, and this side of her personality amused him, but that was all. There was absolutely no bloody love.

“What can I say? She's a sucker for a sob story.” Buffy shrugged nonchalantly.

They spent the rest of the day making plans, easily slipping into light, friendly bantering whenever the occasion arose. Buffy convinced Spike that they wouldn’t be wasting time if they went over what they knew with Jonathan the next day. Spike countered with getting her to agree to try once more with her watcher.

Their discussion relating to the problem of jealous boyfriends brought more questions than answers.

“How did Angel know Riley’s name?” Buffy asked when it suddenly dawned on her that she had never given that information to the brooding vampire.

“What about the rogue slayer? Would she have told him?” Spike suggested.

“I doubt it. She wouldn't have said anything that would put her in a bad light in his eyes.” Buffy’s bitterness at Faith was still strong. “Wait a sec…how did you know about Faith?”

“Which? About your visit to save the poof or when she nicked your body?” Spike tried to clarify Buffy’s question.

“Um, both?” Buffy was on the edge of her seat. She seriously didn’t care that he knew about her trip to L.A., but she was definitely apprehensive over his knowledge of the body swap.

“You mentioned the trip earlier. And as for the other, I figured out something was wrong when my slayer started saying stuff that I knew damn well she’d never say. Overheard Cardboard and the Whelp talking about it after it was over with. Knew then that I was right.” Spike shrugged, having no idea of the importance of what he had just revealed.

“So you knew it wasn’t me, right?” Buffy held her breath as she waited for his response.

“Of course I knew it wasn’t you, what sort of bloody idiot do you take me for?” Spike responded indignantly. “Even I know the difference between class and trash, slayer.” He pouted, hurt that the slayer would think him such a fool.

“Spike,” Buffy gently called for the upset vampire’s attention. When he looked at her, she smiled tremulously. “Thank you.”

“Huh?” He was totally confused by her gratitude.

“Riley didn’t know the difference. He didn’t know it wasn’t me. He...slept with her.”

“I’m sorry, luv.” Spike reached out and tentatively patted the hand of his one time nemesis. He was filled with a blinding rage at the moron that had hurt this slayer. The boy definitely had some hard lessons coming to him.

Buffy was momentarily shaken by the waves of anger she felt coming from the vampire, anger that seemed to be directed at Riley. She refused to acknowledge the little butterflies in her stomach that Spike’s protective feelings evoked.

Pushing her giddy thoughts aside for later introspection, Buffy turned her attention back to the matter at hand. She asked Spike if he had any idea where Angel might have received his information from. “Giles knew that Angel was in town during Thanksgiving, but I wasn't really dating Riley at that time, and I don’t think Giles would tell him anything even if he did know.”

“The Whelp?” Spike suggested distractedly. He was mentally berating himself for his uncontrollable feelings. He was trying desperately to remember all the reasons that he hated the slayer.

Buffy mused over the idea that it might have been Xander. “He hates Angel, so I can totally see him saying something so he can gloat, but then why would he tell Riley exactly how Angel loses his curse?”

“What do you mean, Slayer?” Spike had to ask. His curiosity was consuming him.

“Xander decided to tell Riley about my sex life,” Buffy told the vampire bitterly.

“You didn't tell Captain Cardboard about Angelus losing his soul?” Spike asked, confused.

“I did, I just didn’t tell him how. It’s not like I asked him about his past experiences,” she defended her actions with a pout.

“Bloody hell, Slayer. I reiterate- you have bleedin’ tragic taste in men.” Spike shook his head in mock despair.

“Oh yeah? What about you Mr. Big-Pile-of-Dust?” Buffy wasn’t going down without a fight.

Spike knew he was being set up, but he had no clue how the cheeky little bint was going to do it. “What about me?”

“I was engaged to you.”

“IT WAS A SPELL!” the vampire shouted indignantly.

Buffy shook her head sadly. “I'm sure I'm the only slayer in history to be engaged and dumped on the same day.”

“I didn't dump you, Miss Spike-Lips-Lips-of-Spike.” He felt it necessary to point out.

“And I didn't dump you, Mr. I've-Got-Buffy-Taste-In-My-Mouth.” She was quick to inform him.

Spike looked at the blonde speculatively. “So if I didn't dump you and you didn't dump me; that means...?”

“Yep, still got my engagement ring, too.” Buffy grinned.

“So, you've been cheating on me then,” he leaned back in his seat and smirked at the girl.

“I have one word for you, Spikey. Harmony.” Buffy lifted an eyebrow as she returned his smug smile.

Spike suddenly stiffened up, all trace of amusement gone from his face. Turning from the playful blond, he motioned for Willy to come over.

“Is the back room empty?” Spike’s seriousness alerted the barman to the possibility of trouble.

“Yeah, Spike. Feel free,” the barman easily agreed to the master vampire’s unasked request to use the room under discussion.

Indicating that Buffy should follow him, Spike left the snitch a last minute order, “When he comes, tell him where we are.”

Buffy hurried behind Spike. As they entered the back room, Buffy felt the signature of her first love just before she heard Willy’s loud greeting.

“Hey, Angel, did you want your weekly update on the slayer?”

Buffy did a pretty good impression of a vampire’s growl as she closed the door.

“Well, I guess we know how he knew about the hall monitor,” Spike commented. He was disgusted with the stalker-like way the great brooding poof kept interfering in the Slayer’s life. He didn’t care what anyone said, soul or no soul; the wanker was into psychological games.

Buffy turned to face the door, her arms crossed and her expression grim. Tapping her foot impatiently, she waited for the brunette vampire to make his entrance.

Spike sprawled out on one of the chairs surrounding the poker table. To anyone but Buffy, he looked relaxed and untroubled. She knew it was a deliberate act to fool their unexpected guest into underestimating him as a threat. Buffy knew this vampire. She honestly believed she might be the only one who did.

When Angel burst through the door, Buffy almost laughed. She shot a quick glance at Spike and shared with him her observation while she fixed her gaze on the fuming vampire in front of her. “I know I missed the bit about him being a stalker, but seriously, how did I miss the whole drama queen thing he’s got going on?”

“Buffy?” Angel turned his hurt, puppy dog brown eyes on the love of his unlife. “What’s wrong with you? Why are you acting like this? What are you doing here with Spike?”

“Um, nothing, because, and not your business. And now it’s my turn.” The slayer grinned as she took over. “What are you doing in my town other than stalking me, beating up on my soon to be ex-boyfriend, and generally being a pain in the butt? ‘Cause if you came to apologise, gotta tell ya, your apologies kinda suck.”

“What’s wrong with her, Spike? What have you done?” Angel snarled at the reclining vampire.

Spike turned pleading eyes to the Slayer.

Nodding indulgently, Buffy said the words he so wanted to hear, “Go on, enjoy yourself.”

Before Angel could register the movement, Spike was in front of him, grinning. Angel didn’t even have time to look down at the stake protruding from his chest as his body crumbled around him.

“Bloody hell that was cathartic.” Spike smiled widely in pleasure.

~~~~~~~~

Drusilla was seated in a rocking chair with her small porcelain companion at her side. “Pay careful attention Miss Edith, mummy will teach you all you need to know.” She picked up the small cloth and placed it across her lap. Then she lifted the silver needle and thread, dipping them both into the small basin on the table in front of her.

“Weave and tighten. Weave and tighten. You must make sure to make them nice and straight or the whole thing will come undone. Pretty tapestries need lots of time and patience to come out just right. Nothing less will do for mummy’s brave soldier.”

She continued to rock and weave, smiling brightly for Herbie as he brought in her evening tray of tea. ‘Such a dearie,’ she thought. ‘I shall have to give him extra attention after I finish helping the lonely hearts.’

There was so much to do, but so little time in which to do it. Tonight would be an all night affair. A weaving of souls could not be rushed.

~~~~~~~~

When Buffy awoke, she immediately sensed something was different. Oh, she was still sleeping in a torture device called a chair. Her whole body still ached. The very familiar smell of the bus terminal was there, but now there was another smell. An enticing smell. A divine smell. A caffeine-y goodness smell.

Yay, Spike. Good monster.

She kept her eyes closed as the aroma got stronger. The now familiar tingles gave her peace and comfort. She grinned.

“Bloody typical woman. I suppose you want me to drink it for you, too.” Spike teased the smiling blond.


TBC...

Note: I'm adding a second chapter since it's been so long since we've updated! Enjoy!

Thanks as always to Tam for her great beta work, without her this chapter would not be as great as it it. Really, trust me!



Day 7

When Buffy awoke, she immediately sensed something was different. Oh, she was still sleeping in a torture device called a chair. Her whole body still ached. The very familiar smell of the bus terminal was there, but now there was another smell. An enticing smell. A divine smell. A caffeine-y goodness smell.

Yay, Spike. Good monster.

She kept her eyes closed as the aroma got stronger. The now familiar tingles gave her peace and comfort. She grinned.

“Bloody typical woman. I suppose you want me to drink it for you, too.” Spike teased the smiling blond.

She grinned and snatched the cup from his outstretched hand. “Nope, I can handle that all by myself, thank you very much.” She moaned as the hot liquid rushed down her throat, warming all the way down to her belly. “Oh, that’s good! Where were you the first half a dozen times I woke up like this?”

“I was in my nice cozy bed plotting mayhem and destruction.” He grinned as she raised her eyebrow at him over the Styrofoam container. “Well, you asked, luv.”

“Yeah, well, less with the evil and more with the plotting…of non-evil-y things.”

“Whatever you say, Slayer. You know what the greatest thing about this mess is? Every time you spend money you wake up the next morning and it’s all right back in your pocket. It’s like you never spent it at all. Much better than hustling people for it.”

“Spike, if you want to work with the team, then its cold turkey for you, mister. No more evil. That includes any and all illegal activity- petty theft and scamming included. We’ll just have to find you a night job or something to help pay for the blood, cigarettes, and booze.”

“A night job? Are you off your bloody rocker?” He stood up and bowed to her mockingly. “Hello, my name is William the Bloody and I’ll be your waiter tonight,” he said in a nasally whine. He flung his pouty self back into his chair and folded his arms mulishly. “I don’t think so, Slayer.”

“Maybe you can get a job as a night guard or a bouncer at a demon bar or something. Anything would be better than Xander and his extensive collection of name-tags and hair nets. We’ll figure it out after this is over.” She stood and walked to the nearest trash container to throw her empty cup away.

“We will, huh?” Spike asked. He followed as she moved to the back of the building where the sewer access was located.

“Well, yeah. We’re the good guys. We tend to stick together. If you’re joining the gang, then that includes you, too. No matter how much Xander cries,” Buffy laughed as she dropped down through the uncovered hole.

“Bleedin’ hell. If someone had told me I could make Harris cry, I would have changed side’s months ago,” he yelled before jumping down and running to catch up with her giggling shadow.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike paused at the basement stairs of the Magic Box, making Buffy bump into his back.

“What’s with the halt-y?” she asked. And then she felt it. The sharp tingling on her neck that reminded her of the presence of his dream bite. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach and filled with confusion. She could see that Spike was as fidgety and tense as she was. He was acting as though he didn’t want to go into the store. It hit her then, the knowledge of what she was feeling.

It was him.

She was still experiencing his emotions, his fears. She’d tried to convince herself that it was only slayer’s intuition. Then she reasoned that it was just Spike. The vampire wore his feelings so expressively that it had allowed her to tap into his sincerity the day before. The realization that she was actually feeling them just as she would her own emotions was overwhelming.

The slayer sat down heavily on the crate behind her, unsure if her legs would support her any longer. Her mind was racing frantically with the implications. What is happening to us?

“Why don’t you want to go in, Spike?” she asked. Glancing up to catch his eye, she found herself beginning to wonder if she was having a panic attack. Something like the kind Willow would get before a big test.

“What? What are you talking about?” He began to pat his duster for cigarettes, turning away from her when he got one lit.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Spike. I can feel it in an oh-my-god-I’m-feeling-his-emotions kind of way. Just tell me what the problem is so we can make this stop. It’s making me nauseous,” she informed him with a sour look. Buffy didn’t even think she felt her own emotions as strong as she was feeling the vampires at the moment.

“Why didn’t you mention this before?”

“It wasn’t like I really knew it was happening,” she defended herself. “I just thought it was slayers intuition or being in tune with you or something. I didn’t know it was like some freaky mind meld thing.” She bridled at his raised eyebrow. “Don’t look at me like that, I’ve seen X-Files, you know!” she spat crossly.

“When did this start?”

“You know how I said I had that dream with the bitey?” She looked everywhere but at those incredulous blue eyes. “Ever since then, I’ve been getting these feelings. Your feelings, as a matter of fact.”

“Bloody hell, why didn’t you say something yesterday while I was pouring my guts out? You just sat there and didn’t tell me? “

“You said it yourself that me trusting you would be harder.” She cringed at his hurt expression. “Look, it’s not that I don’t trust you, but it’s not something a slayer should run around shouting from the rooftops. ‘Hey I got bit by a dreamy vampire and now I’m feeling his emotions, isn’t that neat?’ And I didn’t want you to block them. It was kind of nice knowing you were being sincere, even if I didn’t know a hundred percent that it was you I was feeling. There was just a sense of rightness. It’s not like this has ever happened to me before, so I have nothing to compare it to. It felt nice and it helped a lot with the trusting.”

“So, you think I’m dreamy, huh?” He grinned, stuffing his hands in his pockets and rocking back on his heels like a little boy. His smile of satisfaction shot straight to her vitals. Suppressing an all-over shiver, Buffy opted for sarcasm as a form of defense.

“Please. It figures that’s the one thing you picked up on out of that whole speech. I’m already nauseated, let’s not make it worse. And let’s not forget we were talking about you, not me. So spill, what’s the what?”

“Ugh! First I get this bleeding chip, and then I have to rely on the bloody slayer and her little gang for help, now we’ve got this crazy day loop from hell. Could my unlife get any more pathetic?”

“Stop whining. You’re just stalling, and it won’t work. Now, tell me what the deal is so we can hopefully get something accomplished today. I didn’t check on Forrest yesterday, and as much as I know he’s alive and kicking right now, I can’t live with knowing he may or may not get killed every day that I don’t stop it, even if he just pisses me off in the extreme.”

Spike sighed with resignation as he plopped down next to the slayer. “It’s just that…God, I sound like a ponce. It’s just that this is the first time I’ve been back here since the kidnapping of Red and the Whelp. The whole place is just bringing back bad memories of the breakup with Dru. My not being demon enough for her and then getting this bloody chip; it’s like I’m not a demon at all.”

His head dipped low as he tried to get control over his emotions, not wanting her to have to deal with any of his residual resentment for the soldiers who had taken his pride and his very nature away from him.

“Wow, throw in a teen pregnancy and you could go on Springer. It could be called ‘My Sire is a Crazy Ho Bag and the Demons Who’ve Slept with Her.’ Do you think this bite-y thing is affecting you, too? Because I’ve never heard you this depressed before.” It was all she could do to keep her hands to herself when all she wanted to do was rub his back and tell him everything was going to be okay.

“It could be part of it, I guess, but I’ve gotten pretty good at not showing a lot of emotion around others. Dru was always pretty unstable and the least little thing could set her off.” He looked over when his companion gave a snort.

“Good at hiding your emotions? Spike, your’re one of the most emotional and expressive…er…vampire’s I know. If you thought you were good at it, it was only because Dru let you think you were.”

“Thanks, Slayer, another illusion shattered.” He tried not to smirk as he watched her struggle to come up with something to comfort him in his imaginary grief, but couldn’t hold it for long.

Buffy stopped her fish impression when she noticed his sly grin. “You are such an ass,” she hissed heatedly. Stupid vampire making me feel all sorry for him, she thought as she shoved him hard.

“I’m just having at you, Slayer, trying to lighten the mood and all that. Calm down. The truth is, this was the place of one of my last truly wicked acts. Well, you saw what it was like here the night we fought those vamps with Peaches. I was too busy after that chasing after Dru to do too much in the way of evil. Hell I barely ate for months. Then, I came back here and began searching for the gem, worked like a dog digging the soddin’ thing out. I had to have Harmony bring in bagged blood because I was so obsessed with finding it, I rarely left the tunnels. I fought you. You won and sent the gem to the Poof. I hired someone to torture him to find out where it was. When I found out it was destroyed, I came back here and was captured by the soldiers and muzzled.”

“You didn’t feed on anyone the whole time between Brazil and being chipped?”

“Didn’t say there was none, just few and far between. It wasn’t about being evil; it was about just trying to survive. I had more important things to think about…like killing you.” He bumped her shoulder with his, grinning widely to show he was only teasing. Sighing loudly, he continued, “Now, I’m back here and feeling guilty and I don’t bloody well like it. I’m a demon. I’m not supposed to feel guilt. It’s not natural.”

“If you want to wait down here, Jonathan would probably come down to talk to us. I could go check,” she offered as she moved to stand. She could tell by the lack of stomach turning that his anxiety had lessened, though he was still very tense.

“No, luv, I’m fine. It’s just uncomfortable being here and thinking about how much things have changed. A couple of years ago, I was the Big Bad, rollin’ into town set to spread destruction and kill my third slayer. Now here we are discussing our emotions and sharing feelings.”

The vampire’s complexion actually took on a greenish cast. Do vampire’s puke? Buffy thought frantically.

“God, we are just like Springer, minus the throwing of chairs.” Spike groaned in self disgust as he stood up and moved toward the stairs. “So, who is this expert again?”

“Well, he’s not so much an expert as he is a nerd.” She rushed past him and up the stairs before he could question her further.

An hour later, Spike was ready to move onto the brawling part of the talk show that had become his life. After listening to the little geek blab on for what seemed like a lifetime, the need for violence was overwhelming. Buffy had started to throw him glares as he switched between pacing and fidgeting with the books and papers spread out on the table in front of them. It wasn’t his fault that the kid rubbed him the wrong way. During the spell making himself a super hero, the boy had mocked him and his inability to harm humans more than once. Spike remembered his fear of the little twit, the way it had consumed him on a level he hadn’t even felt for the slayer. Thank God it wore off along with the spell. It was sickening now recalling how he had been thrown against a crypt by the puny twerp. Humiliating is what it was.

“So what you’re basically saying- in a very long and drawn out way- is that you think the dreams somehow manifested themselves and created a ‘mystical bite’ and now the slayer and I have some kind of link between us?”

“Um, yes. Here’s the spell, or at least the type of spell that could have been used. It’s an amalgamation spell. It combines two entities into one whole for the purpose of seeking a common goal or knowledge. It also states that for the spell to work, that one would experience a certain awareness of its progress. Buffy said you were both experiencing ‘tingles’ at different times. That could be the ‘awareness’ part. You also said you mostly experience them during bad or stressful situations, so we’ll assume that means the tingles are for events that need changing or alterations. If this spell is tied to the original one, then it could mean that the more things are fixed then the spell might lessen and possibly break when you’ve changed enough things.”

“You sure you’re not a watcher’s kid? You sure have the tedious and boring part down pat,” Spike snarked. “All that’s missin’ is the tweed.”

“Spike, stop it. Don’t mind him, Jonathan. He’s just grouchy from all the repeat-o days. We’d like to buy these two books. Thank you again, you’ve been a big help.”

When Jonathan left the table to ring up the sale, Buffy got a sudden rush of tingles that caused her to spin around. Scanning the room, she noticed that the blond vampire was doing the same. A dark haired boy walked into the store and headed straight for the counter. The two young men talked briefly before the newcomer looked around the room and then exited once again.

“Spike,” Buffy hissed. “Did you see that guy? I’ve seen him before. I can’t place him, but he’s very familiar and that funny feeling just got a whole lot stronger when he walked into the store. I got them with Jonathan before. Do you think he’s one of the things we need to fix?”

“Don’t know, love. We’ll have to investigate and see what’s going on with those two. The boy doesn’t seem like one to fall in with a bad crowd, reality shifting spell aside, but the taller one seemed a bit shifty. Maybe the geek just needs a nudge in the right direction.” He shrugged, unsure of what the little loser could possibly need help with besides actually getting a life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike let himself into the same hotel room Buffy had occupied a few days prior and dropped the newly purchased books onto the small table. The plan had been to meet back at the room after she had distracted Forrest and gathered a few more research materials that she claimed they needed. He had stopped on the way and gotten the slayer a large coffee and a few snacks that he knew she favored from his brief stay at the watchers. He had also picked himself up a couple of pints of blood as well as a six pack he knew would be needed before the night was over. The blond would have preferred a fifth of whiskey, but something told him that it wouldn’t amuse his companion in the slightest.

The vampire was halfway through the first book and onto his second beer when the slayer knocked on the door. He didn’t even look up as he carried the book with him to unlatch the flimsy lock. The little blond slipped inside quickly before peering through the curtains to check the parking lot for any followers. Spike finally glanced up, puzzled by her actions. “What are you doing, luv?”

“Just checking. I managed to avoid Riley and I circled through town a couple of times in different directions to throw off Angel. Hopefully, we won’t have any unexpected visitors tonight,” she declared proudly, still peering out the window.

“I think you’ve been spending a little too much time with Jonathan, Sunnydale Man of Mystery, pet. I’m sure it’ll be fine. Where’s the other research you picked up?”

Buffy reached into the small tote bag she carried and produced a video rental case. She held it aloft in one hand and motioned to it gracefully with the other, mimicking a game show hostess extolling the virtues of a prize. “Ta-da. My kind of research,” she proclaimed with a wide grin.

“What the bloody hell is that?” He squinted at the title from across the room but was unable to make it out.

“It’s Groundhog Day. Jonathan reminded me about it the other day. He suggested I rent it since it’s just like what we’re going though, but I hadn’t had a chance till now. I thought tonight would be good since we’re stuck here unless we want to risk running into the testosterone brigade.” At his skeptical look she rolled her eyes and tossed the video onto the rickety table. ‘Look, it can’t hurt anything to just watch it, right? We have nothing better to do, and let me tell you, the cable here? It really sucks.”

“No worries, pet. Got plenty to look at here, though I’m sure we’ll need a break later. We’ll take a look at it then, alright?” he assured her as he held out the second book. He smirked as she cringed before reluctantly accepting the book. Falling back onto the bed she sighed as she flipped to the first page, already bored and staring longingly at the television.

Two hours, thirty five minutes, and eleven seconds.

That’s how long it took the slayer to get on his last nerve. Actually, he’d thought it would have been much sooner between the tapping of the pencil on the table, the loud breathy sighs, and the constant questions. Finally he closed the book he had been trying to read amidst the constant distractions.

“What was the last question, love?” he asked tiredly as he leaned back into the seat and rubbed his eyes.

“What’s it like to have the chip? I don’t mean in the ‘oh I’m so bloody pissed cause I can’t feed on the blimey humans’ kind of way, but it must have been a big adjustment. Was it really hard to give up human blood and do you still crave it like before?”

“First off, luv; don’t ever try to do an imitation of my accent again. Secondly; why do you want to know?”

“Well I’ve always been curious, but it wasn’t like we were sharing buddies. You hated me, I hated you. We had a system going on. I thought with the new working relationship, and you wanting to join the Scoobies, that now would be a good time to ask.”

“I never said I wanted to be called a Scooby. I said I’d play for the white hats and help you battle baddies. Also, I wouldn’t mind hanging out with Rupert now and again.”

“Same difference. You hang with us.” At his horrified look, she rolled her eyes and amended. “Sorta. You come to the meetings, and you fight with us. That makes you one of us. Deal with it. Now answer the question before I make you learn the secret handshake.”

“It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, alright?” He stood up and began to move around the room in agitation. He wasn’t so worried about the sharing of the information. Hell, it wasn’t as if he had hid his displeasure from the slayer when he first got the chip. He was more worried about her knowing he would still have the chip removed if given the chance. Even now, with him on the brink of being accepted by the slayer and her group, the chip still made him feel like half of a man. “It wasn’t about the blood or the feeding. Not all of it, anyway. The hard part was dealing with what they took from me.”

“What do you mean? What did they take?” She could feel his anger surge through him, but sensed it wasn’t aimed at her and struggled to tamp it down.

“My whole identity, pet. Who am I, if I’m not William the Bloody? I’ve always lived by my fists and fangs, for as long as I care to remember, anyway. It’s what I was, ya know? I was Dru’s protector and caretaker. I was a Master vampire that others respected and tried to emulate. My name was feared and admired. Slayer of slayers and all that. Now I’m just a bloody joke in the demon world.”

Buffy pushed herself up onto her knees. “That’s so not true!” she insisted. “Vampires still fear you and demons are much tougher to fight than humans, right? They put up more of a challenge. You like challenges.” As weird as it seemed that she was trying to reassure him, he was dangerously close to becoming broody, and that she couldn’t tolerate.

“Thanks, luv.” The vampire actually looked chipper. “Since we’re in the friendly chatting mood, what’s up with you and Captain Cardboard? You two on the fritz or did you just finally get tired of the big hulking caveman act?”

Falling back onto the bed, Buffy sighed dramatically. “I guess if you can be all sharing guy then I can contribute, too. Everything was completely fine until this whole insane day from hell thing. Okay, that’s not completely true. Riley has some jealousy issues and of course there’s the whole all-demons-are-evil thing, which kind of sucks because Anya is jumpy as hell around him.”

“Well, he was in the Initiative, pet. I’m sure they were taught only what they higher ups thought they needed to know. Ignorance is bliss and all that, and let’s face it- your boy has ignorance in bulk.” Spike snickered as the blond threw her head back onto the pillow.

“Ugh, you scared me for a minute. I thought you were going to defend him. I was worried the repeat-o day had finally driven you insane, but here comes the snark and all is right with the world again. Or as right as it can be living the same hellish day over and over.”

“Har har, slayer. Don’t worry your pretty little head about that. The day I defend Captain Oblivious is the day I snog Peaches…and like it.” He said with a shudder.

“Oh.” The word was just a little bit high-pitched and squeaky. “Now, there’s an image.” Her eyes glazed over as she stared at a water stain on the ceiling, unaware of the soft whimpering sounds she was making. Spike and Angel kissing. That mental picture should have brought more disgust than it did. There could be oil involved. Shaking herself out of her very wrong but lusty daze, she blushed as she meet Spike’s amused smirk.

“What’s wrong, luv? You’re lookin’ look a bit flushed.”

“N-nothing! Nothing at all. How about that movie? Yeah, a movie sounds great right about now.” She rushed to the table to grab the video case, letting her hair fall forward to cover her scarlet cheeks.

“Sure, pet. Could do with a break right about now.” He gave a mighty stretch, and Buffy couldn’t help but watch the muscles in his arms and back as they bunched and quivered. His shirt crept up with his motions and she caught a glimpse pale, perfect skin and a line of curly hair that pointed down to…

Gah! Bad Buffy!

Spike was completely oblivious to her ogling him. Done with his posturing, he kicked off his boots and slid back to make himself comfortable on the full size bed. “I think we’ve learned everything we can for today, anyway. We’ll have to start keeping tabs on the neck tinglies, see what sets them off and what stops them. Then we can start working towards breaking this spell.”

He watched as Buffy went about the tasks of adjusting the volume on the television and securing the remote before climbing onto the bed next to him.

“You know Xander would so be having a cow right now if he knew you and I were in a motel room together, right?”

“Well, then, by all means let’s call him up and tell him. What’s the number?” he asked as he reached out to grab the heavy old rotary phone from the nightstand. He yelped loudly as she smacked his hand away from the phone using a good dose of slayer strength.

“Lying low remember? No calling of anyone.” She rolled her eyes as he pouted and began to rub his abused hand.

“I don’t know why we’re hiding out here, anyway. You could knock out the soldier with one punch and I could just stake Peaches. It’s a perfect plan,” Spike grumbled as he reached out to grab his long forgotten beer.

“It’s not hiding. It’s avoiding, and I let you stake Angel yesterday, so stop with the pouting.”

She hit play on the VCR as he settled himself against the pillows, leaving her just enough room to sit beside him shoulder to shoulder. At first she held herself stiffly, but gradually she relaxed and allowed her slight weight to rest against his side.

“Yeah, but it’s not like I get unlimited staking opportunities. I have to get in my licks in now, while I can. It’s purely therapeutic, I swear.” His expression was so earnest that Buffy couldn’t help but giggle.

“Just watch the movie, dead boy, before I tell Angel you want to get your licks in on him.” She smirked unabashedly as he sputtered, struggling for a comeback. Score one for Buffy, she mentally congratulated herself. “By the way, how did you know that I staked Angel? You were in South America at the time, weren’t you?”

“I could feel your anger through the bite. I wasn’t sure that’s what it was at the time, but I had a hunch when I felt the connection disappear between me and the Poof. Just took a lucky guess and figured you had finally snapped, since grandpa seems brings out the best in everyone.”

“What kind of connection?” she asked. Her curiosity was running rampant. Some things just weren’t covered in the Watchers diaries, no matter how thorough they thought they were being.

“There’s a connection between vamps and their families. The farther away you go, the weaker the connection, I felt the great bitch bite the big one, but just barely. If something happened to Dru, I’m sure I’d know it right away. With Peaches, I felt it, but we haven’t been close for nearly a century so it wasn’t as strong as it might have been if there were more of a family-type relationship.”

“Huh, how weird.” Buffy snuggled down onto the bed trying to find a comfortable spot. She finally settled for resting her head on his shoulder and using the pillows to prop up her back.

Spike could feel the heat from the companion’s body run his entire length. He felt an ease with the petite blond that should have been non-existent between a slayer and a vampire and yet it remained.

He tried to shake off the warm fuzzy feelings and concentrate on the opening credits, but the soft body snuggled next to him made it increasingly difficult. He had denied himself the comfort of a woman for far too long, he told himself; a situation he would remedy as soon as this whole nightmare was over. As long as it wasn't Harmony and her soddin' unicorn prattle.

The movie had been running less than an hour before Buffy felt her eyelids begin to droop. The comfort of the bed, coupled with being able to feel like she could finally relax for the first in days, made for one drowsy Buffy. It was nice not having to worry if someone was going to barge in and start with the accusations. What was really ironic was that this was the one day they would actually find something to truly freak over. Hovering between sleep and wakefulness, she snickered softly as she pictured the looks on Angel and Riley’s faces if they found her here with Spike, of all people.

Ignoring his body’s reaction to being draped in warm, sleepy slayer, Spike quietly watched the rest of the movie. He was enjoying the peace and quiet of the night, knowing that tomorrow it would all begin again. They had tons of ground to cover before they could end the spell and get on with their lives. For the first time since being chipped he was actually looking forward to the coming changes.

~~~~~~~~~

The vampire woke with the uncomfortable feeling of something being off. He looked around the room, trying to determine what it was until he figured out that it was the sensation the slayer kept talking about. The sense of falling asleep one place and waking up in another. It was downright spooky.

Now I know why the Slayer is so damned cranky.

He had only experienced it once so far. The night he went to sleep in South America only to wake up back in Sunnyhell. Of course, he had been expecting it. Knowing what was coming; he had let himself relax the night before and allowed himself to forget what was going to happen come morning. He would be best served to try to remember that until the spell wore off. Vertigo was not a pleasant feeling at all.

Spike had just pulled on his jeans when he heard the crypt door crash open upstairs. “Bloody hell. Now what?”

Day 8

The vampire woke with the uncomfortable feeling of something being off. He looked around the room, trying to determine what it was until he figured out that it was the sensation the slayer kept talking about. The sense of falling asleep one place and waking up in another. It was downright spooky.

Now I know why the Slayer is so damned cranky.

He had only experienced it once so far. The night he went to sleep in South America only to wake up back in Sunnyhell. Of course, he had been expecting it. Knowing it what was coming; he had let himself relax the night before, and allowed himself to forget what was going to happen come morning. He would be best served to try to remember that until the spell wore off. Vertigo was not a pleasant feeling at all.

Spike had just pulled on his jeans when he heard the crypt door crash open upstairs. "Bloody hell. Now what?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Climbing up the ladder to the upper level of the crypt, he groaned silently when he saw Adam standing in the middle of the room. Spike had forgotten that the demonic Frankenstein would seek him out if he failed to show up for their meeting. When the marks on his neck began to tingle like they were on fire, it took all of his willpower not to reach up and touch them.

"Well, mate, what took you so long?" Spike snarled to cover his own surprise at finding Adam in his crypt. In an attempt to ignore his surroundings, the vampire rummaged around in his duster for his cigarettes. The combination of Adam and tingles had set his nerves on edge.

"You failed to make our appointed meeting. I was forced to seek out your presence to see what had detained you," Adam stated calmly.

"Oh, yeah, that." Spike flopped down in his chair to stare at Adam. "I overslept. Had a busy couple of days as of late." He pointed his cigarette-laden fingers at the cyborg. "You want me to break up the Slayer's friends, am I right?" The tingles suddenly stopped and Spike raised his eyebrows. Odd.

"Yes, of course," Adam announced. "You are quite perceptive."

"I'll need somethin' to gain their confidence. Maybe some information to sell while I charm my way into their good graces." Spike sat up when the tingles started again. The information on those disks is important.

Twenty minutes later, Adam was gone. Spike sprawled in his chair while he sipped his blood, waiting for the Slayer to show up. He could feel her getting closer through the bite marks. He had always known when she was close by, but now the feeling was growing in intensity. Where before he'd known when Buffy hit the cemetery, now he knew when she was an entire block from the gates.

She burst into the crypt with a cup holder from the Espresso Pump in one hand and a bag from the Donut Drive-Thru in the other. She set the holder and bag down on the sarcophagus before hopping up to sit. "So, what's with all the tinglies this morning?"

Buffy pulled a donut hole out of the bag to pop in her mouth. Mid-chew, she suddenly noticed that Spike was shirtless and she desperately tried to ignore the fact that he looked marvelous. Why did that sound like Billy Crystal's Saturday Night Live character, Fernando, in her mind?

Spike watched as the Slayer looked everywhere in the room but at him. She was popping donut holes in her mouth as fast as she could eat them while she waited for him to answer. He chuckled at the cute picture she made with her cheeks puffed out like a blond chipmunk.

"I forgot about Mr. Bits comin' by if I didn't make our meetin'." Spike stood up to grab the coffee that Buffy had bought for him. He was pleased to discover that she'd gotten exactly what he liked. "There's something important on those disks I mentioned."

"But we can't get those until dark and by then it'll be too late." Buffy chewed on her lip. She had to make a real effort to pay attention to his words. Who knew Spike had such a great ass? "What exactly is supposed to be on them?"

"Mission statements, design schematics, and Walsh's dirty laundry..." Spike broke off when Buffy arched her eyebrow before she covered the side of her neck. "Yeah. Me, too. There is definitely something important on those disks, but finding out just what it is won't be easy. Red said they're encrypted."

"It's still dark when I wake up at the bus station," Buffy observed. "If we get the disks first thing in the morning, maybe Willow would have time to decipher them before the day loops again."

"Might work," Spike agreed. "'M not sure that should be our highest priority right now though." He pulled out a clean t-shirt to put on, and then grabbed his boots.

"I know. We need to figure out who that guy talking to Jonathon was. So, I figure mom's out of town on a buying trip, we can hang out at the house and look at my old yearbooks." Her jaw dropped and her eyes took on a certain glassiness as he turned his back and pulled on his shirt, the muscles in his back bunching and flexing with every move.

Guh!

"Sounds like a plan," he told her, completely oblivious to her ogling. "I'll take the sewers and meet you at the house." Spike grabbed his duster and a blanket and hopped down lower level to the sewer entrance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike wandered around Joyce's living room. He convinced himself he wasn't going to think about Buffy being upstairs in the shower, soap suds covering her naked golden body, her plump breasts all rosy and wet from the heated water.

Stop thinking about her like that, you git. Friends, remember?

Hoping for a distraction from the stirring in his groin, he stopped in front of the mantle to stare at a picture of Buffy and her friends. It made him think about her shyly presented gift of a black and red coffee mug and some packets of blood that she had picked up on the way to the house from the crypt. When he'd questioned her, she had simply replied 'friends give friends gifts'. His return statement that he had never noticed that she got her other friends gifts earned him a sad little smile and a quick evasive shrug.

The blond vampire continued to stare at the picture he was holding. He knew that Buffy cared deeply for her friends; it was one of the things that set her apart from other slayers. It was also one of the things he had admired about her from the start- something that he could admit to himself now that they were on friendly ground. He had a feeling that Buffy was rewriting the entire 'soddin' brochure'. Spike chuckled to himself as he remembered saying that after their first fight over two years ago.

Spike found himself going over the Scoobie interactions that he had witnessed in the past few months since being chipped. The vampire realized that the Slayer bent over backwards trying to please everybody except herself, even going so far as to date someone they approved of, although she herself wasn't as happy with the pillock. Spike could now see the frightened, scarred little girl hiding behind the brave front, and he vowed to be the greatest friend she had.

"Hey, Spike." Buffy's voice drifted down to him. "You can come on up. I'm decent now."

Spike put down the picture to grab the bag with mug and blood in it. Heading upstairs, he let the scent of the Slayer guide him to her bedroom, grinning at her when she waved him into her inner sanctum. He set the bag down on the dresser before he flopped down on the bed beside her.

"These are my yearbooks." Buffy curled her legs under her as she indicated the three books she was holding. "I thought we could look through them to see if we could find that creepy guy with Jonathan." She opened the first one. "Sophmore year. We moved because Mom got the job offer at the gallery and ... well ... because I sorta burned down the gym at the high school."

"How'd you manage that, luv?" Spike asked. He flipped slowly through the pages while he waited for Buffy to answer.

"It was kinda full of vampires at the time." Buffy blushed before she ducked her head.

"Ah, good reason." Spike chuckled. He stopped on a page. "A cheerleader, Slayer? Is that why you like to patrol in short skirts?"

"Yeah, sure." Buffy rolled her eyes. "Cheerleading in Sunnydale is dangerous." She pointed at one of the girls. "That's Amy. Her mother was a witch that decided to get rid of the competition so Amy could be on the squad."

Spike chuckled again, "And I thought boarding school was hard. How about this? The talent show?"

"See the dummy? He was cursed by a demon to be a puppet." Buffy looked at the picture and smiled. "The demon almost killed Giles."

Spike flipped a few more pages to the end of the book. "Your dress looks a bit worse for wear in this picture."

Buffy leaned in to stare at the picture. "Yeah, the Master bit me. See the bandages on my neck? Then he threw me in a puddle and I drowned. That's why the dress looks so bad." She tilted her head and looked at him speculatively. "I have a question for you. Did you feel when the Master dusted?"

"Me? Nah, not so much, but Dru did." Spike looked at the picture of Buffy smiling with her friends. He remembered that night vividly; it had been the very first time that his Sire had mentioned Buffy. The dark haired vampiress had gone wild with jealousy over the girl. Swimming in the deep side of the Nile River, Spike had convinced himself that it had been over Angel.

"That must have made her hard to deal with." Buffy smiled at Spike sympathetically. She still hated the ho with a burning passion, but Spike was her friend now.

"Just a little. She was sick from garlic poisoning at the time, but a new doll or pretty dress cheered her right up." Spike wasn't stupid enough to mention that it was the pretty girl inside the pretty dress was that made Dru the happiest. He didn't want the Slayer brassed off at him and to put their tentative friendship in jeopardy.

"I honestly don't know how you put up with it for over a hundred years, Spike," Buffy muttered with a compassionate glance. The two blonds gave each other shy smiles before returning to their task. She flipped through to the last page of the yearbook.

"I didn't see the guy in this book, Slayer." Spike dropped the book over the side of the bed before he picked up the next one. He flipped through the first few pages until he got to the page with the 'Welcome Back to School, Students' caption. He stared at one of the pictures for a minute before asking, in a voice tinged with remorse, "was she one of your friends, luv?"

Buffy was surprised by the emotions that Spike was expressing. She glanced at the picture he was studying, and she covered his hand with her own. Buffy knew he had been trying hard the past few days despite his nature. She took in his worried look. "No, not really, Spike. Snyder had it in for both of us, is all. I'm not mad about that. If I was mad about anything from back then, it would be Ford, but if you hadn't have turned him he would have just found someone else. At least I was able to stake him before he hurt anyone."

"Made a promise, luv." Spike turned his face away from Buffy. "I always keep m' promises."

Buffy squeezed his hand gently before she pointed to yet another picture. "That one was taken about thirty minutes before you showed up. See the look on Willow's face?" She giggled while she bit her lip. "I didn't know that I was supposed to put sugar in the lemonade."

"Tart," Spike quipped. He turned to the next page where he found a picture of the Scoobies and their classmates standing outside a museum. "Field trip, luv?"

"Yep, that's when the Inca Mummy Girl made the moves on Xander. First was Ms. French. She turned out to be a giant praying mantis that wanted to lay her eggs in him and bite off his head during sex, and then it was Ampata, who wanted to suck his life force out with a kiss."

Spike arched his eyebrow before he laughed deeply. "Now I see why Red said Harris is a demon magnet."

"Still haven't seen that guy, but here we are with our baby eggs." Buffy smirked. "Turned out they were from a Bezoar demon that took over everybody's bodies except mine and Xander's. Oh, and here's Xander on the swim team. He was lucky he didn't get turned into a big fishy monster and get washed out to sea." Buffy grimaced. "Well, that just leaves senior year to look at. He's gotta be in this book somewhere."

Spike grabbed the last book and he started to thumb through it. "You ran for Homecoming queen."

"Against Cordelia. Of course, we were both late for the dance because we were kidnapped to go play Slayerfest 1998." Buffy rolled her eyes. "What a thrill."

"You both survived."

"Both lost, too." Buffy shrugged casually. "He's not in the band. Remember the Halloween costume spell and Fyarl demon Giles?" She elbowed Spike when he grinned and nodded vigorously. "The same guy that did those things made the band candy turn all the adults into horny teenagers." Buffy blushed deeply when she remembered catching her mom and Giles on the police car, but Spike was too busy studying a picture to notice.

"I think I found him, luv." Spike moved the book so she could see the picture easier.

"Oh my, that's Tucker Wells," Buffy stated softly. "He tried to set Hellhounds on the Prom goers. What's the caption say?"

"Tucker Wells ... Andrew Wells, must be brothers. Jonathan Levinson and Warren Meers," Spike recited.

"Sadly, I don't really remember much about Warren, but if he's hanging out with Tucker it can't be good," Buffy said thoughtfully. "If I was Willow I could find out everything there is to know about him in a few hours worth of hacking. God, I wish I was smart." She sighed with a dejected sigh.

Spike gave Buffy an incredulous look. "Slayer, where the hell did you get the idea that you're not smart?"

"It's no big deal, Spike," Buffy muttered, embarrassed that she revealed too much to the blond vampire. "I'm the Slayer; I don't need to be smart."

"Whoever fed you that crock of shit deserves to horsewhipped," Spike announced. He couldn't believe the waves of inadequacy he felt pouring off the petite blond girl next to him.

"Oh, please. It's not like you don't think the same thing," Buffy scoffed.

"When, Slayer? When have I ever said you're stupid?" Spike demanded. He knew he hadn't been the most pleasant of blokes being a demon and all, but he had never thought the Slayer was stupid. In fact, he thought a little too highly of the chit.

"Never mind, Spike." Buffy's eyes filled with tears. "It's not important. We should get back to figuring the out the next thing on the list." She tried to hop up off the bed, but found herself suddenly trapped by Spike's arm and leg thrown across her body.

"It is important, pet, because I don't want to hurt you again. 've never thought you were stupid," Spike whispered calmly. He attempted to send soothing vibes to her through the claim.

Wait a second. Claim? Where the hell did that thought come from?

"You've been there for my three stupidest mistakes, Spike. You even called me on all three of them," Buffy whispered. "How did you put it? Oh, right, my 'bleedin' tragic taste in men.'"

"Ah, pet, just 'cause I think you're have lousy taste in men- exceptin' my handsome self- doesn't mean I think you're stupid," Spike replied. He fiercely squashed down the idea that he had a claim of any kind on this girl. They were just friends. Friends, damn it. "I think you're bright and witty. You can bring sunshine to even the most dreariest of existences. I promise I'll try never to hurt you again. Okay, luv?"

Buffy bit her bottom lip while she peeked sideways to study Spike's face. She could feel the vampire's sincerity wash through her. She nodded slowly while she tried to blink her tears away, then jumped when a cool hand brushed the wetness off her hot cheeks.

"Good then, luv. How about I go downstairs heat up my blood and bring you something to drink?" Spike untangled himself from the Slayer's body, struggling to ignore the feeling of loss. He hopped up, grabbed his bag of blood, and was out the bedroom door before Buffy had a chance to answer.

Buffy yawned before putting her head down on her crossed wrists. I'll just shut my eyes while I'm waiting for Spike to get back. Gotta go see Giles in a few minutes. Her eyes drooped closed, her breath evened out, and she fell into a deep sleep.

Buffy knelt in front of the Lord of the kingdom. She watched the muscles play under the pale skin of his legs and feet while he dismissed the minions and other members of his court. He was completely and unashamedly naked, and by his command the rest of his subjects were also.

Thanks to her rigorous training, she knew to keep her eyes cast down and to never look upon the face of the Master unless by his direct command. The all-to-brief glimpse of him as she was ushered in left her pleasantly surprised. So few pets were fortunate enough to be gifted to such a handsome and desirable Master.

She tried not to flinch when a cool hand suddenly ghosted over her cheek.

"'ve been waiting for you, luv."

The Master's deep, rumbling voice caused a shiver to run through Buffy's body. She felt her nipples harden and moisture seeped from her cleft when his hand trailed down her neck to cup her breast. She bit her lip to hold back a whimper when he gently twisted a rosy nipple.

"Such a responsive li'l thing. I like that," he murmured. He tugged her towards him and settled her between his knees. Grasping her chin in his fingers, he raised her face to his. "Beautiful. I think 'll keep you, my pet. Hmm, how appropriate ... my pet."

Buffy nodded the best she could with her chin still caught in his fingers. Her downcast eyes caught sight of his cock, and her mouth watered at the beauty of it. It was long and thick, as pale as the rest of his body, jutting out shamelessly from a thatch of dark curls. His testicles hung heavy and full beneath his shaft. Buffy's eyes drifted closed in ecstasy at the thought of him filling every orifice of her body with his cum. Her hands seemed to move to their own volition, and her eyes snapped open when she felt one of them encircle the Master's throbbing erection while the other gently cupped his balls.

"Look at me, my pet." The Master tilted her head further back until she was forced to meet his eyes.

Buffy stared up into the Master's face. She was overwhelmed by the desired that flared in his beautiful blue eyes as her hands continued to caress his shaft and balls. Buffy breathed out his name in a long, breathy sigh, "Spike."

"So, my pet knows my name." Spike chuckled when a touch of fear entered Buffy's eyes. "'ve so much to teach you, luv. The first thing you're goin' to learn is how to please me with that hot little mouth of yours."

Buffy nibbled on her lip for a moment after Spike dropped his fingers away from her chin and slouched back on his throne while he waited for her to begin. Her eyes dropped to the part of his anatomy that she still cradled in her hands. She saw that the head of his cock was now reddish purple with need and the slit was weeping precum. The sight had her licking her lips before her eyes darted back to his face. She realized he was the most beautiful creature she had ever seen, and that she wanted to bring him as much pleasure as her extensive training allowed.

Spike's breath hissed out in a harsh gasp when her greedy mouth engulfed his cock. She felt his thighs tense beneath her hands as her soft tongue circled the sensitive bell-shaped head. Rising to her knees, she bent over him so that she could take his length more fully into her willing mouth, and he shivered when her long tresses caressed his skin as her head bobbed up and down. His fingers tangled through the silky strands and she heard him whisper brokenly about it being like sunshine covering him.

Her own arousal grew as she tasted her Master's cum. She wanted nothing more than to climb onto his lap and let his cock fill her to the brim. Buffy hoped that was what he wanted to do next. The velvety smooth texture of his cock sliding in and out of her eager mouth made her feel like a wanton animal. Scratching lightly at his balls with her nails, Buffy smiled around him when she was rewarded with a sharp grunt and an upward thrust of his hips.

Daring to open her eyes and look up at his face, she found him watching her, his blue eyes glittering with passion as they flickered with shades of molten gold. As she watched, Spike inhaled deeply, drawing in the scent of his pet's deep arousal. She could feel his orgasm building within him as the sac she was still fondling delicately tightened and drew up against his body.

She should have been frightened when he burst into game face. It was easy to see that he expected his pet to gasp or pull away in terror, but the change only excited her more. Determined to bring her Master satisfaction, she took him all the way to the root and began swallowing around him, the strong muscles of her throat milking him voraciously.

He came with a roar of her name, spurting long, cool jets of his come down her throat. Buffy took everything he had to offer and drew back to lap contentedly at anything she might have missed.

Buffy had never been so turned on in her life. Her thighs were slippery with her own arousal and it took everything she had to resist the maddening urge to slip her fingers between the silky smooth lips of her pussy and ease that ache that itched and throbbed. She knew as his pet that this would be seen as the ultimate transgression and that she would be severely punished if she went against his wishes.

At his softly spoken command, she released his still hard and pulsing member and settled back on her quivering haunches, her head lowered and hands clasped behind her in a picture of perfect submission.

She was trembling visibly when he sat up on the edge of his seat and leaned over her. Buffy hoped that he was pleased and that she hadn't done anything to incur his wrath. Punishments could be excruciating torture if one wasn't blessed with a benevolent Master.

His fingers grasped and lifted her chin once more, the faint tremor in the fingers that stroked her throat evidence of the affect she had on him. He smiled into her guarded green eyes as his hand moved lower, rough knuckles barely grazing over each diamond hard tip of her breasts. Her eyes slid closed and she moaned raggedly at the sensation of his icy skin quenching the burn of hers.

"Who are you?" he rasped, his cool breath wafting teasingly over her trembling lips.

"I am y-yours. Yours t-to command. Your p-pet," she quavered. Her voice seemed raw to her, aching with the strength of her need.

That's right," he breathed, his agile tongue worshipping at the silky column of her neck. He hands gripped her upper arms tightly and he dragged her up on her knees before him. "Mine," Spike growled against her neck.

And then his fangs were in her flesh and her world imploded.

"I love you, Spike," Buffy screamed.

Buffy's eyes popped open, and her hand flew to her throat. Staring at her bloody fingers for what seemed like forever, she failed to notice her perplexed audience of one. She leapt across the bedroom to check her neck in the mirror and found the bite marks once again livid against her skin.

Spike stood in the doorway nostrils flared and eyes glued to the blood that trickled down her smooth neck as she battled the urge to lick her throat clean. The powerful scent of the Slayer's arousal made him want to step into the room and take something that he clearly had no business wanting. Desire warred within him, and he felt like a fledgling again as he tamped down his baser instincts. Friends, he told himself over and over. I will not fall in love with the Slayer. We're friends. With that thought firmly in mind, he moved back towards the staircase.

"Hey, Slayer, I got your coke here," he called out to give Buffy time to get herself together.

Buffy grabbed a tissue to wipe her neck before she turned up the collar of her shirt. "Thanks, Spike. I think I need a pick me up, anyway. I fell asleep while you were downstairs." She took the glass from the vampire when he entered the room, but as she met his eyes she remembered the dream and blushed deeply. She turned away to hide her hot, red cheeks and stammered, "Maybe we should go see Giles in a few minutes?"

"Sounds like a plan, luv," Spike replied. "Too bad your Watcher wasn't along for this ride with us. Poor sod's feeling a bit down havin' nothing to do but sit around waitin' for you to need his help."

"I don't mean to, Spike," Buffy whispered. Even though she knew that her companion had exploited her friends’ fears and issues, it still hurt that they had allowed it to happen so easily. "How am I going to make all of them happy?"

"Buffy, are you happy?" Spike asked. He stared at the Slayer's back. He hadn't meant to upset her with his observation.

"What? Of course, I'm happy. I have my mom and my friends, and what used to be an okay boyfriend," Buffy whispered. "Why wouldn't I be happy?"

"Thought you were dumping Captain Cardboard?" Spike stepped behind Buffy and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I am!" Buffy protested. "I am. It's just kinda hard to dump him when he's gonna forget in the morning. Sometimes I think it would have been so much easier if I had just told everyone that our engagement wasn't the spell."

Spike chuckled. "Mortal enemies and best friends, eh, Slayer?"

"Yep."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy stopped in front of Giles' apartment door. She smiled shyly at Spike while she nervously wiped her hands on her pants. For the first time in forever, she actually knocked and waited for her Watcher to answer the door instead of barging in.

Giles looked surprised to find Buffy standing there with Spike. He was even more surprised when both blonds waited until he stood back to invite them in before they entered. He couldn't help but notice when the vampire put his hand on the Slayer's lower back as they entered, and that Buffy didn't smack Spike down either verbally or physically.

"Hey, Giles. Can we talk to you?" Buffy glanced at Spike. "It's really important."

"You two aren't engaged, again, aren't you?" Giles whipped off his glasses to give them a good polish.

"Well, actually we've established that technically w-we're still engaged, but that's so beside the p-point," Buffy stammered out. "We really need your advice on a totally different Hellmouthy kinda thing."

Spike pulled out a chair for her and helped her sit down before taking a seat of his own. They waited until Giles made some tea and settled into his own seat before starting their tale. Spike and Buffy took turns explaining the first couple of repeating day, and how they had each thought that it was just themselves that was experiencing the strange phenomenon. Then they got to the day that Drusilla called the Watcher's apartment.

"Drusilla called you here, you say? How did she get the phone number?"

"Dru has always had an uncanny knack for findin' out what she wants from people." Spike smirked. "Remember when she got that info from you, Watcher?" He held his hands up in surrender when both Buffy and Giles glared at him. "Just saying."

"So both Willow and Dru did spells somehow making the day loop on itself, but only the two of you are aware of it doing so." Giles studied the two blonds carefully. "Did she say why exactly?"

"She very cryptically said that we needed to see the truth and to fix the factors." Spike leaned back in his chair while he went over the conversations with Drusilla in his head. "Which brings us to the next day, and the dreams."

"Dreams? What kind of dreams?" Giles asked. He looked back and forth from his clearly embarrassed Slayer to the vampire who was looking at everything in the room but the girl sitting next to him. Somehow, Giles knew that he was going to want to open that other bottle of scotch before this conversation was over.

"Um, uh, bitey dreams," Buffy mumbled. She ducked her head and refused to look at either her Watcher or Spike. Her knuckles became white while she gripped her fingers together in an effort to not touch her neck. Buffy's eyes slid sideways to Spike's face when he covered her hands with one of his own. She spoke again, her voice much louder and more confident this time. "I dreamed that Spike and I were fighting over the Gem again, but this time he bit me. The strange part is that the bite actually appeared on my neck."

"Can I see?" Giles asked. He watched as Buffy blushed even brighter while she pulled her sweater away from her neck. The marks looked fresh to the Watcher. When he reached out tentatively to touch them, Spike suddenly growled loudly. Giles' eyes darted to the blond vampire before he pulled his hand back. "Those look fresh, Buffy."

"Yeah, I, um, had another dream about fighting Spike earlier today. He bit me again in the dream. It's kinda wiggy waking up with bleeding bite marks," Buffy babbled as she pulled her collar up to cover her neck. There was no way she was going to tell either Giles or Spike what really happened in her second dream.

"Sorry 'bout that, Rupes," Spike apologized hint of embarrassment. "Not sure what came over me. Just didn't want you touchin' them."

"Good thing you weren't here when I dusted Angel then," Buffy said softly. "He tried to bite over them."

"You didn't tell me that, luv," Spike growled. "You're keeping secrets again." He stared with flashing eyes at the petite blond girl. "I might dust him again just for tryin' to touch what's mine." In his anger he didn't notice his slip of the tongue.

"Yours, Spike?" Giles asked. He had caught Spike's Freudian slip, and he had to wonder if there was something about the dreams that his charge and Spike weren't telling him.

"Wha'?"

"You said that Buffy's yours," Giles answered.

Spike looked back and forth between the Watcher and the Slayer, his eyes wide with panic. "Well, s-she is. My friend, I mean."

Good Lord, Giles mused. Is Spike ... blushing? And stammering?

"Yeah, Buffy's my friend, not the Poof's. Never his. We've already established that the Slayer and tall, dark and forehead will never be friends." He repeated his words with an almost childish pout. "My friend, not his."

Giles studied the blond vampire very carefully. He noticed that Spike had reached up to touch his neck several times during his little speech. Giles smirked to himself. Methinks the vamp doth protest too much. And what bloody hell am I thinking? It's Spike.

"You're my friend, too." Buffy smiled at Spike. "Why don't you tell Giles about your dream?"

Spike told Giles about his dream, and then he showed off his Buffy-shaped bite marks. Buffy told of the information she had gathered from their visits with Jonathan at the magic shop, and that somehow she was able to feel Spike's emotions now. The vampire nodded in agreement when asked if he felt Buffy's, and he added that some situations made the bite marks tingle while others did not.

"So you've both staked Angel?" Giles asked. "Buffy, you did it because he attacked you, and Spike, you did it simply because it was fun?" He chuckled when both blonds nodded. "What things have caused the tingling sensations?"

"So far, the disks that Adam has Spike steal, saving Forrest from Adam, and Jonathon and his friends," Buffy informed the Watcher. "We're pretty sure that breaking up the Scoobies is something that's supposed to be changed, too. Oh, and we found out how Angel's keeping an eye on me ... us."

"Yeah, the pillock is paying the snitch to snitch," Spike grumbled. "Weekly reports and all that rot." Where before he would have gloated at finding out the great, brooding poofter was spying on the Slayer and her snot nosed little friends, now just the thought of it made him irate. Especially since finding out the exact details of why Buffy dusted him.

Spike was a little miffed at her for leaving out the bite attempt, but in some ways he understood it, too. He suspected that she was still a little embarrassed over the dream bites. This lead him to wonder what exactly had she dreamed about earlier that afternoon. His inner ponderings were interrupted by Giles, though.

"Angel's still stalking you, Buffy?" Giles didn't like the sound of that. It reminded him too much of Thanksgiving where Angel hid his presence from the slayer.

"Doubt he ever stopped, Watcher," Spike suggested. "He thinks of Buffy as his exclusive property. The reason the dream bite brasses him off so much is because it negates any claim he has over the Slayer. Technically speakin', I'm the head of the Aurelius clan, since he's cursed and Dru's insane."

"Angel claimed Buffy?" Giles' growl matched Spike's in ferocity. It was almost good enough for him to be mistaken for a vampire himself.

"Well, once again- technically speakin'- no. He didn't say the words out loud, but 'm sure he thought them." Spike grimaced at the look of intense rage that crossed the Watcher's face. He watched as Giles paced back and forth trying to work out his anger.

"Thank you, Spike," Buffy said softly.

"Thanks for what, Slayer?" Spike glanced away from the Watcher to look at Buffy.

"For being so dreamy and biting me," Buffy whispered.

Spike sat up straight in his chair and exclaimed, "Angelus is here." The statement was immediately followed by loud pounding on the front door of the apartment.

Giles tightened his lips in anger. He wanted to have some words with the dark haired vampire and now was the perfect time for them. He glanced over at Buffy and the other vampire. He wasn't at all surprised that they were sitting closer together now, presenting a unified front. Spike had his arm across the back of Buffy's chair with his fingers lightly grazing the top of her shoulder.

Giles stomped to the door and flung it open. "What do you want, Angel?"

Angel blinked at the anger directed his way. "I'm just looking for Buffy. I wanted to speak with her." He looked over Giles' shoulder to see Buffy sitting next to Spike. When he saw the blond vampire's finger touching Buffy's shoulder, he figured that was what had the Watcher so angry. "Spike, take your dirty hands off of Buffy. Giles, let me in so I can take care of him."

"Gee, Angel, do you have so little confidence in my abilities as the slayer that you think I can't handle Spike?" Buffy asked. She glanced sideways at Spike with a smirk on her face.

"Giles, what is going on here?" Angel advanced on the Watcher. His eyes flashed with gold specks in his anger. "Why the heck is Spike sitting in your apartment like he belongs here?"

"Leave the Watcher alone, Peaches," Spike drawled lazily. "Things are different in Sunnydale these days."

"We know about you paying Willy to spy on all of us, Angel," Buffy announced. "You want out of my life? That's fine, but that doesn't give you the right to spy on me. You want me to stay out of your town? Well, fine, you stay out of ours." She glanced at Spike when her marks tingled.

Angel brushed past Giles into the apartment and advanced on the blond pair still sitting calmly at the table. When Buffy twisted her head to whisper something to Spike, Angel noticed the fang marks on Buffy's neck. Very familiar fang marks. He growled and he shifted into his demonic visage. "You dare touch what's mine, William?" he thundered. "Little upstarts like you need to be taken down a notch or two."

"She's not yours, Peaches. She never has been. Slayer's not a possession."

Snarling, Angel launched himself across the room at Spike. He felt the arrow enter his back to pierce his heart, but he had no time to express his surprise as he felt his cells turn to dust. For some reason, it felt vaguely familiar, like he had dusted several times already.

Spike and Buffy stared across the room at Giles who stood by the door with an empty crossbow in his hands. Giles blinked a few times before he said, "Well, at least he won't remember this tomorrow."

"Too bad you won't either, Watcher. We could have a drink and plan the next dustin' together." Spike chuckled.

"There is a memory restoration spell I could try," Giles muttered. "I definitely want to remember this. The pillock!" He threw the crossbow down before he walked over to the bookcase and ran his finger along the spines until he found the book he wanted. He pulled it out of its place and sat down on the table, flipping eagerly through the pages until he found the one he wanted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I hope that spell works, because I have to say, retelling the story over and over is a pain in the butt," Buffy sighed heavily. She stopped in front of the bus station doorway. "Well, here's my stop." She smiled at his incredulous look. "I've decided that if this is where I'm waking up, it's where I'm going to sleep."

"Can't be too comfortable." Spike peered through the glass door into the station. He grimaced at the sight of the benches. "We'll check in with the Watcher in the mornin'. You sure you want to go to bed here, luv?"

"Yep, I'll see ya in the morning, Spike." Buffy opened the door of the station and slipped inside. She waved at him through the glass before she walked over to the bench and plopped down on it with a thoroughly dejected air.

Spike felt himself torn between staying to keep her company and avoiding the feeling of weirdness he had experienced just that morning when he found himself back in his own bed. Finally, he decided to put his own comfort aside and sauntered in to join the Slayer on the hard bench. Spike felt his heart clench and his denial go into overdrive when she laid her head on his shoulder and promptly fell asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy awoke slowly, inhaling deeply. Her eyes popped open when she didn't smell the expected eau de bus terminal. Looking wildly around her, she found herself laying on a soft bed with Spike's face just a few inches away from hers. She couldn't believe how sweet and innocent the evil vampire looked when he was sleeping. Buffy felt safe in his arms, and that surprised her. Very gently, she shook the vampire's shoulder.

"Wha?" Spike sat up suddenly. He clutched the sheet to his naked body and turned to stare at the giggling Slayer lying beside him in his bed.

"Something's changed, Spike," Buffy announced gleefully. "I woke up here instead of the bus station. And look..." She pointed at the bedside table. "The mug I bought you yesterday is here, too, and... oh!" Her voice rose to a strained squeak. "Are you naked under there?"

Day 9

Buffy awoke slowly, inhaling deeply. Her eyes popped open when she didn't smell the expected eau de bus terminal. Looking wildly around her, she found herself lying on a soft bed with Spike's face just a few inches away from hers. She couldn't believe how sweet and innocent the evil vampire looked when he was sleeping. Buffy felt safe in his arms, and that surprised her. Very gently, she shook the vampire's shoulder.

"Wha?" Spike sat up suddenly. He clutched the sheet to his naked body and turned to stare at the giggling Slayer lying beside him in his bed.

"Something's changed, Spike," Buffy announced gleefully. "I woke up here instead of the bus station. And look..." She pointed at the bedside table. "The mug I bought you yesterday is here, too, and... oh!" Her voice rose to a strained squeak. "Are you naked under there?"
~~~~~~~~

Several drastically important facts hit Spike simultaneously. His slayer was in his bed and he was naked. His clothes were not in close proximity and he was still naked. Certain parts of his body were traitorously bobbing about for attention, leaving him clutching the sheet to his chin like a frightened Victorian maiden on her wedding night. He was naked with no chance of reaching his clothes, no chance of having a relieving morning wank, and no idea how to get himself out of a highly embarrassing situation. Then it came to him; the perfect solution to his dilemma.

“That a question you ask Harris often, pet?” he asked with a smirk.

Spike waited for the reaction he knew was coming. He watched in amusement as Buffy screwed her face up in disgust and shuddered delicately.

“Ewwww! Grossing Buffy out before coffee is a stakable offence, mister,” she chided, leaping from the bed.

Grabbing at the sheet she almost took with her, Spike chuckled at her antics. “Why don’t you head over to the Watcher’s, pet? I’ll get dressed and go through the tunnels. We need to leave before puzzle man arrives.”

Spike felt an unexpected surge of happiness as he looked at the tiny blond who moved so easily to follow his suggestions. He realized that he loved being her friend. Fierce but pleasant tingles from the bite mark forced him to raise a hand up to touch it.

Buffy turned back to him from the ladder leading to the upper level of his crypt and raised an eyebrow in inquiry, her own hand lifting to rub at the scars that had started to throb pleasurably.

“Was just thinking that I like being your friend, luv,” Spike quietly answered her unvoiced question.

She smiled gently in response. “I like being your friend too, Spike.” With a little wave of farewell, she scooted up the ladder.

When he was sure that she was gone, Spike threw off his sheet and gave his throbbing member a fierce scowl. “I refuse to bollocks up this friendship with Buffy just because you can’t control yourself,” he reprimanded his erection.

The single eye seemed to stare back at him, bobbing mockingly.

“Bloody hell,” Spike snarled as he took himself in hand in an attempt to relieve his tension. He forced himself to mentally repeat the word friend over and over, but in spite of his determined efforts, an image of sparkling green eyes flashed through his mind as he shot his load. Spike tried desperately to convince himself that it didn’t mean what he thought it meant. They were friends. Nothing more.

A quick shower and a change of clothes later, Spike felt secure in his knowledge that he and the Slayer were just friends. Snagging up the precious gift from her, he placed the cup in his duster pocket, grabbed his trusty blanket, and headed through the tunnels to Giles’.

~~~~~~~~

“Hurry up, blood breath, I need coffee,” Buffy’s teasing voice urged the vampire from above as he prepared to make the dash from the sewer to the watcher’s courtyard.

Spike was moved that she had opted to wait for him outside rather than inside the apartment. “Bloody hell, woman, quit nagging or I’ll rethink the whole engagement.”

“You can’t,” she smiled at him smugly as she joined him in his speedy trip through the courtyard. “You promised you’d never hurt me.”

Spike rolled his eyes and chuckled as he knocked on the Watcher’s door.

Giles opened the door and stared at the two blonds.

“Giles. Sunlight. Issue,” Buffy shorthanded her request for an invite.

“Of course. Please come in, Buffy. Spike,” the flustered Englishman said.

Buffy and Spike entered, looking at the watcher hopefully. Both had very different reasons for wanting the man to remember the looping day.

“Please forgive me. I’ve had a rather strange morning. I seem to be plagued by the feeling that my every experience today is a repeat of previous actions.” Giles shook his head in confusion.

“Do you remember us telling you that we’ve been living through the loopy day from hell?” Buffy held her breath while she waited for an answer.

Giles shook his head in frustration. He felt a tickling at the back of his mind, some minute but extremely important detail he was failing to grasp. He wasn’t at all surprised at his slayer’s revelation, but felt sure that he should remember. He was at a loss to explain what he was experiencing.

“What if he does the spell again?” Spike suggested.

Buffy and Spike’s eyes met in excitement as their marks began to tingle pleasantly. Nodding in agreement, Spike headed over to the bookcase to retrieve the spell book that Giles had used the night before. Flicking through it to find the right spell, he then handed the book to the bemused watcher.

“Just do the spell, Giles. Then we’ll be able to work out what you need a refresher in.” Buffy urged. She so didn’t want to go through the explanations again.

Buffy and Spike sat quietly at the dinner table, neither wanting to disturb the watcher’s spell. As Giles uttered the last word of the spell and blew out the candle, he was momentarily overwhelmed with a storm of memories. He took a few minutes to sort through them.

“So, are you all up with the memories?” Buffy cheerfully asked her watcher.

“I remember, for want of a better word - yesterday.” He smiled in satisfaction at the memory of dusting Angel. Turning to the blonde vampire, he grinned as he continued, “I plan on holding you to that drink and planning session, Spike.”

Spike shared a conspiratorial grin with the other Brit. He was chuffed that they now had the watcher on their side, but he was disappointed that Giles did not remember their day.

“Is something wrong Spike?” Giles asked, curious about the vampire’s suddenly melancholy expression.

“’S nuthin’,” Spike mumbled self-consciously. He felt somewhat insecure about sharing too much of himself with a watcher he hadn’t bonded with.

Buffy felt his insecurity through their link and reached over to grab his hand. “You and Spike came to an understanding, Giles,” Buffy softly informed the curious watcher.

Removing his glasses while he gathered his thoughts, Giles paused before commenting. “Then it is more than likely that we will do so again.” With a wicked twinkle in his eye, Ripper continued. “Perhaps even during our planning session.”

Spike smiled shyly at the watcher. “You were gonna help me change my nature. Become a white hat,” he stated quietly.

Giles smiled in delight, “I would love to help you, Spike.” There was something about the idea of helping this vampire that excited the watcher.

Buffy smiled happily. While she didn’t really want Giles remembering that she’d called him a drunk, she didn’t want Spike to lose the tentative bond he had forged with him either. This new connection seemed to benefit all of them.

Both blondes simultaneously lifted their hands to their bite marks. Pleasant tingles reverberated strongly.

“I guess that means we have achieved maximum fixage,” Buffy grinned. This was starting to get really cool. She was so glad that she had someone to share it with.

The ringing of the telephone grabbed their attention. Spike marched over to answer it, he could only think of one individual that would have the ability to change things other than the three of them.

“Oh my William, how bright you burn, the sun envies you your light,” Dru chirped happily after Spike picked up and barked a terse, ‘hello?”

The vampire sighed with forced patience. “Dru, we’re on the phone. You can’t actually see me.”

“Ah, but the minds eye is the greatest visionary of all.”

Spike rolled his eyes and moved to allow the watcher to put the call on speaker phone. “So, what do we owe this unexpected pleasure, pet? Got more hoops for us to jump through?”

Dru giggled. “No, my dearest. You and your little starshine set your own obstacles, your own trials. You pick the things that matter to you most- friendship, love, and protecting those that you care about. That’s how the trials are chosen.”

“Right, so the things we have to fix are the things that we would want to fix if we knew about them?”

They could hear Dru clapping her hands excitedly. “Always such a bright boy, my Spike. Always so clever, but not so clever that you don’t give in and stop resisting that which already exists. Like two children running to the ocean, only to run away again when they get their feet wet. Let yourself be carried away, my pet. Let the tide wash away your fears and enjoy the rush of the waters.”

“When fools jump in the ocean and don’t take care, they drown, luv.”

“Silly, Spike. You’re a vampire, you can’t drown,” she giggled.

Buffy spoke up before Dru could take off on another of her twisted tangents. “Excuse me, Drusilla. May I ask a question?” She kept her voice soft and unthreatening, knowing she had to be careful how she addressed the volatile vampiress.

“Ooooh, Sunshine wishes to speak to Princess? Ask your question, dearie.”

“Why are some things not being reset?” Buffy wondered.

“You get treats, little one. Every time you follow your heart, Miss Edith sends you a gift. Good little girls and boys deserve rewards, bad children get punished. You’ll learn, Sunshine. Don’t deny your heart.”

And with that last cryptic message, Drusilla had Herbie hang up the phone.

Buffy cast Spike a surreptitious glance. “Did that make any sense to you?”

“Clear as mud, luv,” he snorted. He started to say more but was interrupted by a huge yawn. These daytime romps were playing hell with his internal vampire clock.

The slayer couldn’t help but giggle at his glazed eyes and drowsy expression.

“Why don’t you try and catch a nap, Spike?” she urged. “I have to call Willow anyway. We can discuss Dru’s cryptic calls later.”

Spike flung himself down on the couch with another yawn. He couldn’t remember ever feeling quite this sleepy. “Don’t mind if I do, Slayer.”

He was snoring softly before Buffy had even dialed Willow’s number.

~~~~~~~

Spike knew he had been captured for the Slayer. She had been tracking him for days now, stalking him through the darkness like the prey that he was. He’d put up a hell of a fight, of course, but her army of Amazonian mercenaries had overpowered his own cadre of vampires with frightening precision. They had singled him out and then quickly and efficiently dealt with his minions, treading carelessly through piles of their dust to subdue him.

Trussed up like a turkey, he’d been transported along the mountain paths to the Slayer’s stronghold. Most of the undignified trip had been spent puzzling over why he hadn’t been dusted outright. It wasn’t like he hadn’t caused her any number of problems over the past few years. She was there. He could feel her signature racing up and down his spine, but for some reason she didn’t seem too eager to show herself or release him from his immortal coil.

Once back at the Slayer’s remote castle, he’d been stripped and bathed by the muscular female warriors. Stoically ignoring his throaty growls and snapping teeth, they had fitted him with a cock ring and blindfolded him before he was led to a different chamber.

Now he was spread out like a pale starfish, his arms and legs fastened with magically enhanced manacles. They had refused to answer any of his demands and ignored the colorful insults he’d hurled at them. Once they were certain he was securely chained, they had left him alone.

Spike was enraged at his treatment thus far, even though there wasn’t so much as a scratch to mar the perfection of his ivory hide. This type of behavior towards a Master vampire such as himself was downright humiliating, even for a creature as sexually uninhibited as he was. His reason for being here were now as obvious as they were unbelievable, and the knowledge only served to make him more indignant. Fucking Slayer! She would pay for this in blood.

And speaking of the Chosen One…

Her scent preceded her, the strong whiff of Slayer musk causing his mouth to water and his fangs to drop down in anticipation. Angered by what he saw as his demons betrayal, he lunged against his restraints. He could feel her approach and thrashed about, desperate to free himself so that he could face her one on one rather than hogtied to her bed. Insufferable bitch! His snarls drowned out the creak of the hinges, but the click of her heels on the stone floors rang out in the tomblike room.

"Who's this sleeping in my bed?" a woman's voice sang softly. “Why, I do believe it’s William the Bloody. However did he get here?” Her melodious laugh only served to whip him into a frenzy of rage. “Oh! That’s right. I caught you, didn’t I? That means you belong to me, doesn’t it?”

"Let me go, you self-righteous bint," Spike snarled. He glared in the direction of her voice and pulled against the chains hard enough to cause his wrists to bleed.

"Now why would I do that when I have you right where I want you?" she purred.

He felt the bed dip slightly under her weight and shivered in spite of himself when he felt a hot hand ghost up his leg. It lingered near his groin, then cheekily bypassed his cock to brush over the ridges of his abdomen. His stomach muscles retracted from her delicate touch as though it burned. His cock, bound as it was by the tight ring, bobbed about seeking relief from its torment.

"I'm a master vampire, you bitch, not some soddin' sex slave," Spike growled. He tried to pull away from her scalding fingers, hissing when she captured his balls with one hand and gave a firm little squeeze that implied that further attempts to free himself might become very painful for him.

"I know you're a Master. And not just any Master, but an Aurelius. Do you honestly think I would settle for anything less?" A harsh, strangled noise broke from him as he felt the flutter of what was obviously her tongue against his bleeding wrist. "Mmm, you taste utterly delicious. I knew you would the first moment I saw you," the woman growled softly.

Spike felt his cock harden even further when she lingered at his wrist, dragging her tongue through the blood that gathered there before closing her succulent mouth around the wound and sucking voraciously.

God, the heat coming off of her in humid waves was going to burn him alive. She leaned over him as she suckled at his injury and the diamond-hard point of an excited nipple as it brushed over his mouth. He fought to ignore the sudden urge to capture it between his lips and give it the seeing to she was yearning for.

"Slayer," he snapped ferociously, desperate to distract her. "Why don't you go play these games with someone more your style? Like, say, a human boy?" Spike bit back a moan when she suddenly straddled his hips and ground her swollen labia against him, sweeping up and down his painfully throbbing length. His nostrils flared as the slick moisture of her arousal seeped down his shaft to coat his balls.

"Human’s break too easily," the slayer complained breathlessly. “This is what I need.”

Spike threw his head back, gritting his teeth when she swiftly rose up and sank down to fill herself with him. The feel of her hot, tight quim around his cock was like nothing he had ever felt before. The sweet cream of her arousal allowed for an easy glide into her soft depths, and his traitorous body responded eagerly to the tight clench of famed Slayer muscles around his turgid cock.

"There's just something about a Master’s cock that no human toy can compete with." The Slayer puffed, her muscles straining with the effort to take all of him inside her. "Too bad I can't let you go and get the whole vamp package going."

“Let me go and I’ll give you the entire ‘vamp package’,” he snarled.

Her soft huff of mirth wafted over his needlessly panting mouth. “As tempting as that sounds, vampire, I think I’ll wait ‘til I’ve tamed you just a little bit more.”

“You’ll never tame me, you bit—” His defiance was cut off by an endless, strangled moan as she began the steady rise and fall of her hips. His mind cast about for something- anything- that would disguise the affect she had on him. His faltering attempts at indifference lasted until the Slayer's first, cock-wrenching orgasm. She slammed herself down with a howl, her pelvis grinding into his so hard that he could feel her round, pert ass cheeks press against his balls.

Time lost all meaning for the vampire as he lay beneath the Slayer. She had come so many times on his abused cock that he could feel her juices soaking the sheet beneath him. When she needed a break from fucking him cross-eyed, she amused herself with kissing and licking his quivering body and sucking lustfully on his angry red cock. He was littered with bruises and covered with love bites. His chest burned where her fingernails had dug into his skin.

Spike had given up all thought of escaping from this woman. She did things with her wicked mouth and that amazingly tight pussy that boggled even his jaded mind and left him willing to stay chained to her bed forever while she rode him until he dusted.

He shuddered when the Slayer leaned down over him and gripped his hair in her fist. Jerking his head back, she whispered hotly in his ear, "do you want to come, vampire?"

Unable to speak, Spike could only nod his head mutely. He felt the slayer reach down behind her to loosen the ring around his cock before she rose above him to slam down herself down on his shaft one last time.

He grunted ferally, wrenching his hips up to meet every downward stroke of hers. The immense relief of his unbound cock, coupled with the harsh, gasping moans that his punishing thrusts forced from her, was simply too much for the insanely aroused vampire. Giving a ferocious howl that rivaled her scream of release, Spike erupted inside the slayer's hot quim. His eyes rolled back in his head and his entire body quaked as he continued to shoot his cool semen into her willing body.

Spike blinked when the blindfold was suddenly ripped off his eyes and he found himself lost in the hazel eyes of the slayer. He realized her fist was still in his hair when his head was yanked to the side, baring his throat to her. He roared out his second climax as she struck like a small viper and sank her blunt teeth into his neck.

"Slayer," Spike screamed. “Buffy!”

"Mine," Buffy growled against his neck. "My Spike. My vampire."

"Yours," Spike moaned softly. "Only yours, Slayer."

~~~~~~~~~~

Spike shot up from the couch, his wide eyed stare of confusion taking in the shocked looks on the faces of the Slayer and Watcher. His mind was reeling. Where the bloody hell had that come from?

“Something you want to share, Spikey?” Buffy smirked, eyeing the new bite marks on his neck and offering a tissue for the blood that dripped from them.

“Huh?” Spike widened his eyes further as he wondered frantically how much he had given away. He certainly didn’t want to do anything that would jeopardize the tentative friendships he was forming with both members of his unexpected audience.

“The yelling of my name, the telling me you’re mine, or the new bite marks you’re wearing like a fashion accessory.” Buffy grinned at the stupefied vampire.

Spike dropped his head in his hands and muttered dejectedly, “I guess saying I was yellin’ fluffy instead of Buffy and dreaming about kittens is no longer a bloody option?”

“Really not,” Buffy assured him with mock sympathy.

“I’m not doin’ it deliberately, slayer,” the morose vampire whined as he looked up at the girl and pouted.

Giles moved closer to the vampire, lifting his hand to examine the bite.

Buffy growled.

Giles quickly pulled his hand back. He was not surprised at his slayer’s reaction. “Yes, well, it appears that you do belong to the slayer, Spike,” he lightly informed them both.

At the pleasant tinglies that came from both sets of marks, both blonds stood and looked at the watcher in shock.

“What do you mean he belongs to me?” Buffy squeaked out.

An image of Spike’s naked torso flashed before her eyes. She surreptitiously checked her mouth to make sure she wasn’t drooling. Bad Buffy.

“How is that possible, Rupert?” Spike asked as he silently cursed Drusilla and her interfering ways. He fought to suppress the memory of the way Buffy had made him feel in his dream. They were just friends.

“I would imagine it’s all linked to the spell. From what Drusilla said earlier, it appears that whatever it is may be built around the necessity of the two of you developing a relationship.”

“We have a relationship…we’re friends,” Spike announced, steadfastly sticking to his swim in the river in Egypt.

“But the two of you are displaying all the signs of a mating claim. Given the manifestation of the bites, I am unsure as to whether the claim will continue when the spell is broken,” Giles explained, feeling slightly apologetic that he was unable to give them more information. This was something they definitely needed to do more research on. The watcher was a little surprised that he wasn’t more upset that his slayer was, for all intents and purposes, mated to a master vampire.

“Mated? Is that like a vampire marriage?” Buffy asked curiously.

“More like marriage without the possibility of divorce,” Spike drawled smugly. “You’re a married woman, slayer. It’s time to give the gigantic Boy Scout the heave ho.”

“Why am I not more wigged about this?” Buffy mused curiously. “Oh, and you are so going to be the one to tell mom. A word of advice though, you better come up with a legal way to get me a better ring to show her first.” Buffy giggled at the pole axed expression on the vampires face.

Mentally putting the subject of claims and could be marriages to de-fanged master vampires turned friends onto a back burner, Buffy changed the subject.

“I called Willow,” Buffy announced. “She and Tara should be here soon.” Focusing her attention on her vampire, she asked the question that was haunting her. “How do I fix that, Spike?” she whispered tearfully.

Spike took her gently by the shoulders and looked deeply into her eyes with a reassuring smile. “That’s the easiest thing to fix, pet. All you have to do is accept the white Wicca. We just need to do the opposite of what I first did. Giles was feeling a bit unneeded, now he knows that not only do we need him to be with us on this, but he also has a project in me that should keep him out of trouble,” he said as he threw a cheeky grin to the watcher.

“Red thought you didn’t accept her lifestyle choices and probably felt a little like your friendship was drifting apart, what with all the changes in your lives with college and what all. All you need to do is talk to her, stop her worrying.” His quiet assurances were like a balm to her troubled mind.

“And Xander?” she asked tremulously.

“The main problem there is that the whelp is convinced that you lot think he’s useless. Personal feeling’s aside, you just need to make sure he knows the truth. Unless of course, you really do think he’s useless?” Spiked joked, effectively lightening Buffy’s overwhelming concerns.

Their smiles widened as their marks tingled in agreement.

Giles was distracted from his ponderings over the insightfulness of the vampire when Buffy said his name.

“Giles.” She was curious about what had happened earlier. “You did the spell yesterday. Why did you have to do it again, and will you need to do it again tomorrow?”

“Ah.” Giles flushed with embarrassment. “It appears I was remiss in reading the…er…fine print.”

At the arched eyebrows of both blondes, the mortified man was forced to elaborate. “I failed to augment the first spell. I needed to do that in order to ensure that I could retain the memories from ‘yesterday’. There will be no need to repeat the spell tomorrow. I have corrected the problem.”

“Ah…before the witches get here can I make a suggestion?” Spike hated bringing up this particular subject. He knew Buffy wouldn’t be happy about it, but he was fairly certain the watcher would be on side.

“I’m not gonna like it, am I?” Buffy responded with sardonic amusement.

Spike gave her an apologetic grin. “I don’t think we should be tellin’ Red about the spell Rupert did. I think it would just open the door for another complication,” he rushed out his words and then held his unneeded breath in anticipation.

“I would have to agree. Willow uses magic far too liberally. She has no concerns for the consequences of her actions. I think it would be prudent to arrange for a mentor as soon as this matter is cleared up. Willow needs to learn the basic fundamentals of magic before she causes any more damage.” Giles supported the vampire’s opinion unreservedly. He had long thought the young redhead required guidance, but he had been unsure as to whether it was his place to say anything until now.

“Fine. No telling Willow about the spell,” Buffy grumbled her agreement. When her mark started to tingle pleasantly, she rolled her eyes. Apparently Dru thought Willow’s need to learn control was all part of fixing the factors.

~~~~~~~

When Willow and Tara arrived they were given a swift run though of the basic facts.

Both Buffy and Spike had felt a tingling reaction to the presence of the dishwater blonde witch. After sharing a look to confirm that the other had also been alerted, the super-beings came to the silent agreement that they would discuss the matter at a later time.

Buffy, Spike, and Giles all made sure to welcome Tara wholeheartedly.

Willow’s computer search for Warren took only a few moments.

“Hey! I think I found him. A Warren Mears. He went to Sunnydale High with us for a semester, and then he went to the tech college over in Dutton. I've got a local address where his folks still live,” Willow told them, her eyes only leaving the screen to write down his address.

After handing the address absentmindedly to Buffy, Willow continued to scan the computer for further information. “Wow! He’s got some pretty impressive credits. Big into robotics. Oh! And um…he’s a dungeon master for Dungeons and Dragons.” Willow grinned at Buffy conspiratorially. “Xander would probably know him then.”

Tara watched the two girls laughing and wondered why Willow seemed so afraid that she was losing her friend. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with the relationship from what she could see. Taking a closer look at the area between Buffy and the blond vampire, the white witch noticed a monumental change in the two auras. There was definitely something more going on than she and Willow had been told, and she wondered what it was.

“What is it, Tara?” Giles gently asked. He had been watching the group and had seen her preoccupation with the two blondes.

Tara ducked her head self-consciously. She had yet to learn how to be comfortable being the focus of so many people. “T-their auras have c-changed,” she stammered shyly.

“How, sweetie?” Willow asked, confused.

“They’re c-c-connected now,” she tried to explain. “Their auras are s-starting to blend. If I didn’t k-know he was a vampire, I’d say he was g-growing a s-soul.”

“That can’t be good,” Willow said, her eyes widening in trepidation. She was sure that Buff was going to wig, big time.

“Actually, Willow, it has been quite beneficial.” Giles busied himself with buffing the lenses of his glasses. “However, I will still need to research it. I believe this situation has something to do with the spell you were planning to do, as it was your spell that caused Drusilla to cast hers. From what we’ve learned; it was not her spell that was responsible for this connection, reason suggests it must be yours. I will need to see the spell you have been researching to confirm my hypothesis and discover what our options are.”

“Whatever,” Buffy shrugged indifferently. She was so not interested in worrying about something they couldn’t change yet. “I have to go save a stubborn idiot.” Turning to Spike, she gave him a grin as she headed for the door and some Forrest savage. “You get a soul and I am so not putting up with a brood-a-thon.”

“We have to go, too. We have classes this afternoon,” Willow apologised. “We’ll come back later,” she promised as she and Tara followed Buffy out the door.

With the girls gone, the vampire and the watcher took the opportunity to discuss one of the other things that they needed to fix.

“Have you had any thoughts regarding the logistics of getting the disc’s from Adam?” Giles asked as he followed the blonde into the kitchen.

“I came up with an idea, but I wanted to run it past you and Buffy first,” he said as he removed his cup from his duster pocket. Picking up a bag of blood, Spike busied himself with the microwave before continuing.

“I can make the meeting with him and talk him into giving me the discs then and there,” the vampire explained as he heated his blood. “That’ll give Red more time to work on them.”

After preparing his meal, Spike followed Giles back to the living room.

“Will it still be safe for you?” Giles asked, concerned.

“It will be if we can make sure the Slayer stays here,” Spike responded with little optimism.

“Spike,” Giles said, his demeanour serious. “There seems to be two very important points that you are missing. I would prefer that neither of you be injured and I am positive that Buffy will never allow you to face Adam alone. She is quite protective with her friends.”

Spike responded with equal seriousness. “The disc’s are what’s important, Rupes. We have to get them decrypted. If I get caught, I’ll just wake up back in my bed in the morning. I can handle one day, but you have to help me convince Buffy.”

“I think I’d prefer to be tortured by Angelus,” the watcher half joked.

~~~~~~~

As Buffy entered Giles’ courtyard after saving Forrest, she faltered slightly at the sight before her. Riley stood at the door to her watcher’s apartment and appeared to be arguing with Giles.

“How do you know that Angel hasn’t lost his soul? Maybe he has and he’s holding her prisoner somewhere.”

“She was fine when she left here a little over an hour ago,” Giles replied mildly.

“I don’t believe you. There is no way. She would have come to see me,” Riley snorted dismissively. “I wonder what she’ll say when she finds out you’re spending time with a soulless demon,” he commented snidely.

“Why would I want to talk to someone who basically thinks I’m a big ho and that my father figure is a liar?” Buffy snapped as she stepped forward, shocking Riley with her sudden appearance.

Trying to ignore what she had just said, Riley stepped forward as if to wrap his arms around her. “Oh, Buffy, I was so worried.”

Stepping around him towards the apartment door, Buffy retorted coldly, “and why would you be worried, Riley?”

“Well, I didn’t hear from you, so I thought maybe Angel might have lost his soul again,” he explained, his expression a picture of innocence. He knew damn well that she hadn’t spoken to Xander yet, so there was no way that she could know that he was aware of exactly how Angel’s soul curse could be broken.

Buffy wondered briefly what she’d ever seen in the loser. “So, you do think I’m a ho-bag?” Buffy asked pleasantly.

“What? No! Why would you say that?” his nervousness made his guilt obvious.

“Since you think that Angel lost his soul and that would only happen if I’d had sex with him,” Buffy stated with uncharacteristic bluntness.

“You never told me that!” he accused. This was going downhill, fast. If he could just get her to feel guilty, it would all be okay.

“No, but Xander did,” she said harshly. After spending so much of her time recently with the easy-going vampire, she had little patience for testosterone fuelled jealousy, especially when she hadn’t done anything to warrant it. “It’s time for you to go, Riley. We’ve got work to do.”

Nudging past him dismissively, Buffy entered the watcher’s apartment and closed the door.

Ignoring what had just happened with Riley, much the same as many people manage to ignore the elephant in the room, Buffy soon had them making plans for the different things they had to fix. The three worked well together and ideas abounded.

A couple of hours later, as Buffy got off the phone from ordering pizzas, Spike felt the familiar warning of family.

“So…is it my turn to dust him?” Spike asked, informing them in his own way of their approaching visitor.

“Giles did a disinvite, Spike. None of us need to stake him,” she told him in an amused voice. His pout was so sweet.

The watcher chuckled at the disappointed vampire. He understood exactly what the blonde was feeling, but he didn’t feel up to explaining the difference between need and want to his slayer.

The loud pounding at his front door caused him to grin in anticipation. He might not be able to stake the bugger, but that didn’t close off all his avenues of retribution. It had been said that payback was a bitch, but that was only by those that hadn’t met Ripper.

Throwing the door open wide, Giles made sure he stayed out of the way. “Yes, right, you’re looking for Buffy. You’ve come to apologize for your treatment of her in Los Angeles, but not for stalking her, paying Willie to spy on her for you, or getting into a physical altercation with the man you thought was her boyfriend. Correct?” he inquired pleasantly. Spike’s soft snickers indicated that at least one person understood his humor.

Giles almost joined Spike in his mirth when he saw the gobsmacked expression on face of the brunette vampire.

Buffy moved to join the watcher, but before she could say a word, Angel’s expression changed to a snarl. “You let Spike claim you? Are you insane?”

“It’s alright, Angel, they were engaged first,” Giles assured the angry vampire, inwardly chuckling with glee. “I was thrilled when Buffy asked me to give her away.”

At this point Willow and Tara entered the courtyard. Angel whirled to face the two witches, game-face to the fore. Putting two and two together, not knowing about any other factors, the vampire came up with four and blamed the redheaded witch, snarling her name as he moved to confront her.

Seeing only an enraged vampire apparently threatening her love, Tara reacted instinctively. Pointing a finger at the vampire, she shouted her request to the goddess, “Pulvis!”

Latin for dust.

“So, Red’s the only one of us lot that hasn’t dusted the poof yet, right?”

~~~~~~~

Buffy snuggled deeper into the firm embrace that made her feel safe and secure. She would never have dreamed that she would feel this way in the arms of Spike. Oh, but maybe dream isn’t the right word, because apparently she’d do a lot more than that in her dreams.

Opening her eyes, she took the opportunity to study the slumbering vampire. What was it about him that made him so different from others of his species? He had been caring and gentle and supportive. He’d asked for nothing in return. He was just happy to have her friendship. She was stunned that a vampire seemed to have a better grasp on friendship that her human friends.

She smiled as Spike opened sleepy eyes to gaze at her through lowered lashes. “So, what’s the plan today, naked boy?”

Spike’s eyes widened comically. Pulling the sheet up to his chin, he snarked, “It’s alright, luv. It’s not your fault the groom’s prettier than the bride.”

“See, it’s these sorts of delusions that prove you have no reflection,” she lobbed back without missing a beat.

Chuckling in appreciation of her quick wit, Spike chose to give his suggestion to her original question. “Investigating the nerd after we check in with Rupert?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Day 10

Buffy snuggled deeper into the firm embrace that made her feel safe and secure. She would never have dreamed that she would feel this way in the arms of Spike. Oh, but maybe dream isn’t the right word, because apparently she’d do a lot more than that in her dreams.

Opening her eyes, she took the opportunity to study the slumbering vampire. What was it about him that made him so different from others of his species? He had been caring and gentle and supportive. He’d asked for nothing in return. He was just happy to have her friendship. She was stunned that a vampire seemed to have a better grasp on friendship than her human friends.

She smiled as Spike opened sleepy eyes to gaze at her through lowered lashes. “So, what’s the plan today, naked boy?”

Spike’s eyes widened comically. Pulling the sheet up to his chin, he snarked, “it’s alright, luv. It’s not your fault the groom’s prettier than the bride.”

“See, it’s these sorts of delusions that prove you have no reflection,” she lobbed back without missing a beat.

Chuckling in appreciation of her quick wit, Spike chose to give his suggestion to her original question. “Investigating the nerd after we check in with Rupert?”

“Sounds like a plan.”


*****

Buffy walked along the street on her way to meet Spike. She was lost in daydreams about waking up wrapped tightly in the arms of the blond vampire that morning. She wondered what it would have been like if she had pressed her lips to his. Would he have responded? Kissed her breathless or pulled away in disgust? Did he feel that way about her, or was he only interested in friendship?

She remembered the spell that had brought about their engagement and the kisses that they had shared. The passion they had felt for each other. Would the kisses be the same sans spell, or would they even better knowing it was themselves and not magic causing the reactions?

The blond was torn between being glad she had some time to herself to reflect on her feelings and wanting to be with the vampire who was now making his way through the sewers. At least Spike had the option of not breathing, which she did not, hence the walking down the street.

She was trying to avoid the delusions of marriage and fat grandchildren that she had with Angel, even if she had denied it to the brooding vampire. She knew the realities of dating a vampire now, knew the limitations and advantages, even a vampire without a soul.

Spike had always seemed so different from other vampires, even different from Angel. He had always had so much emotion besides the bloodlust, such a capacity to love beyond what even most humans had. The lengths that he would go to for someone he cared about were awe inspiring.

She blushed brightly when she remembered the naughty images that had popped in her head while snuggling with the blond vampire, so many wickedly tempting things that she had always wondered about, things that she was too shy to ask Parker for and too afraid to ask Riley about for fear of freaking out her uptight boyfriend. Soon-to-be ex-boyfriend, she thought.

She cringed when thinking about Riley's reaction to their impending breakup. He was already so jealous and paranoid she was sure that he wouldn't take it well. If he got even an inkling that she might be interested in Spike…well, she could imagine the fallout from that easily enough. She growled at the thought of anyone threatening her vampire. Riley would be in for a world of hurt if he even tried.

She stood by the manhole cover, trying to calm her sudden case of nerves and waiting for her companion to arrive. I mean, admitting I’m friends with Spike is one thing, she thought. Admitting that I want his smoochies is a whole different cup of tea. She groaned at her inner thoughts. She really needed to stop hanging out with British guys so much.

Actually, if she was going to be all honest girl with herself, it wasn't so much the kissing that left her feeling weak-kneed. It was the thought of hours and hours of hot monkey sex that did it. The man was sex appeal walking; she had no delusions that he wouldn't know his way around a bedroom. She thought back to the kisses during Willow's spell. Yes the man definitely knew how to bring a woman to her knees...figuratively speaking, of course. She blushed at the detour her thoughts had taken once again. Bad Buffy!

Finally a soft rustling of leather and a gentle splash alerted her to the vampire's arrival. Lifting the cover carefully, not wanting to expose him to the sun too soon, she waited for his dash to the watchers so that she could lower the heavy metal disk and follow.

Spike was just stomping out the last of the flames when she walked into the apartment. "We so need to find you a better way to travel, Spike."

"Ha ha, Slayer. If I had my soddin' gem, I wouldn't have to run around like a vampire flambé, now would I?"

"Yeah, cause that was such a good idea. ’Look at me, I'm gonna take over the bleedin' world.'" She smirked when she heard his growl of irritation.

"I thought I told you not to imitate me. You better watch it, little girl, I might take a notion to turn you over my knee and give you a right proper spanking," he threatened with his finger wagging like an angry school teacher.

She felt her face immediately flush again at the image that filled her mind. If I keep this up I'm going to look permanently sunburned, she thought. Thankfully she heard heavy footsteps on the stairs behind her and whirled around to greet her watcher.

"Morning, Giles. Sleep well?" she asked frantic to cover her embarrassment.

"Good morning, you two. Yes, actually I slept rather well considering the circumstances."

"Circumstances? There's circumstances, now?" Buffy asked, her gaze moving between the two men in the room.

"I think he means our loopy day from hell, pet." The blond vampire chuckled as he sprawled out in the easy chair.

"Oh yeah, I knew that," she assured dropping down onto the couch.

"What are your plans for the day?" the watcher asked as he settled at the table with a pen and paper. Old habits were hard to break.

Well, I think we're going to check out this Warren guy. Seems like he might be bad news. We've pretty much figured out what to do about Willow. She just wants us to accept Tara, which is pretty easy. She's really nice. Xander we know but need to work on our technique with and see what works the best in easing his fears. Plus, we need to figure out the best way to help him adjust to Tara and Spike. That leaves Forrest, Warren, Jonathan, and Adam and the disks to take care of. Does that sound like all of it, Spike?"

He shrugged. "It sounds right to me, luv. So far, anyway."

She cringed, knowing he had just jinxed them. "Ugh, don't say that. We don't need anymore surprises."

“Don’t get your knickers in a twist, pet.”

Her brows lowered in a frown. “What is that, some kind of British code?”

The blond vampire rolled his eyes, “Knickers, undies, panties. Whatever you wanna call them. I picture you as a thong kind of girl.” His words and evil smirk caused her to once again go into the land of wicked ideas.

“Can we not discuss my underwear?” her voice squeaked as she ducked her head, hoping that her hair was covering most of her face.

“Yes, I think that would be a good idea.” Giles cleared his throat, glasses and polishing cloth already in hand. “So you plan to start with Warren you say?”

“I was thinking that I could get the Desoto, maybe do a bit of a stakeout. If they leave, we can poke around a bit and see if we can find anything useful.”

“You mean like breaking and entering?”

“Well, yeah. How else are we gonna get a look around? I doubt the boy will ask us in and tell us all about his evil plans. Of course, I don’t have an invite, so it’ll have to be you doing the actual poking about, but I’ll stand guard for you,” he offered generously.

“Well, I don’t want to go by myself. Maybe I can get Xander to go with. We can talk and I can feel him out, see what the best way to reassure him is.”

“It’s your call, pet. If that’s what you want, I can stay here and help the watcher plan out the best way to get those disks from Adam without letting on that we’re too anxious to get them.”

“That sounds like a plan to me. Oh and Giles, don’t forget that you need to dis-invite Angel again. We don’t need him busting in here unannounced and freaking out on anyone.”

The vampire and the watcher exchanged evil glances. “No, we wouldn’t want to have to stake the poofter again, would we?” the vampire murmured to his co-conspirator.

Giles cleared his throat before replying, “Quite right. That would be a tragedy.”

The pair shared a quick smile before the watcher picked up the phone to call Willow. It took a bit of convincing to get her to bring her researched spells to his apartment, even more to assure her that she wasn’t in any trouble.

Buffy shook her head at the male’s antics as she made her way out the door. Knowing Xander had taken the day off, she headed toward his parents basement. The walk gave her more time to think about all the changes that had happened over the last several days and her surprising new friendship with Spike, the insecurities that haunted her friends, and all the other things around her that had the potential for badness.

She chuckled at the thought of the major wiggins Xander was going to have when he figured out that Spike was joining the group. Now that she was no longer letting others dictate how she lived her life, the idea of facing Xander with the news wasn’t scary at all. In fact, she almost welcomed the idea of telling them she was going to be in charge of her life from here on out.

Her steps were suddenly lighter and she couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face. Self-assurance was pretty cool.

She met up with Xander and the walk to Warren's was littered with small talk and half-hearted attempts to work out his true feelings. She had hoped to make progress on their floundering relationship, but so far had failed to find a way to approach the subject.

“So how are things going with you?” she finally blurted, groaning inwardly. Real smooth, Buffy, she thought in disgust.

“Um, fine. Why do you ask?” He gave her a look that was a mixture of suspicion and uncertainty.

“Oh, I was just wondering. So, you’re still liking the construction job?” she asked quickly. She figured she had already bungled the conversation so she might as well just get the answers she needed and pray the next time she would be better prepared.

“Well, yeah. I mean, it was kind of slow going at first. Being the new guy means they call you last for all the jobs, but it also means that I don’t have to work quite as often, which helps if anyone needed me for anything. Things are starting to pick up though, and the boss seems to think I’m doing alright, which means they’ll keep calling me back.”

“That’s great, Xan. Sounds like you finally found something you’re good at.” Okay, that sounded condescending. “Not that you weren’t good at lots of things, but that you found something you can enjoy and make a living at.” The slayer hung her head and whimpered. Thank God he wouldn’t remember any of this tomorrow. Maybe she and Spike could work out some conversation points, things to say and not to say. He was so much better at reading people than she was. He was much better at the actual talking, too.

“What about Anya? Things going okay there?” In truth, she didn’t really see the appeal of the out-spoken girl, but she knew Xander cared for her and really didn’t dare cast stones now. Hello, I’ve become best friends with a vampire, she thought to herself. It’s not like she could object to her friend dating an ex-demon when she was running around with a soulless still-a-demon and not finding anything wrong with it. And waking up in his bed, she thought with a blush.

“Yeah, I guess. I know you guys don’t like her much, but she’s a really nice girl.”

“I like Anya. What’s not to like? I mean she’s a bit…forward, but sometimes things like that can be refreshing. Take Spike for instance-”

“Spike? When was there a taking of Spike?”

“What? I mean; no, there wasn’t. I mean, just look at him, all bad boy swagger and cocky attitude, but remember the way he was with Drusilla? He loved her for a century. He was totally devoted. How many people could say that?”

“Why were we talking about Spike again?” The brunette’s brow dipped in a deep frown. He had worried since Willow’s spell that Buffy would suffer after affects. He had been so relieved when she began dating Riley, even if he was a little stiff around the edges.

“I’m just saying that maybe there’s layers to him that we don’t see, just like I’m sure that Anya has layers that you see, but we don’t. That’s all I’m saying.” She avoided her friend’s eyes, sure that he would see something that was better left concealed for the time being. She didn’t want him to think that she was interested in Spike. They were just beginning to get on even footing. No need to screw it up by making Xander go all damage bound.

Xander was so quiet for a few moments that she feared she might have gone too far in her defense of the blond vampire. She was relieved when he finally spoke again.

“So what’s up with this Warren guy?” he asked clearly disturbed by her train of thought.

Buffy could tell he was ready for a change in conversation and truth be told, so was she. They finished the walk quickly, both wary of saying anything to upset the other. She told him what little they knew about Warren and gave a roundabout explanation of why the needed to know what he was up to and that they had information pointing him out as a dangerous subject. Fortunately after their earlier conversation Xander wasn’t asking too many questions.

After sitting on the bus stop bench across the street for almost an hour, they finally saw Warren exit the basement apartment. Waiting until they were sure he was gone, they made their way around the side of the house, trying to look as natural as possible, which was hard with Xander humming the theme song from Mission Impossible.

Both were jittery and afraid of being caught. Even though Buffy knew that the day would re-loop and she’d wake up safe and sound, she really didn’t want to spend the rest of her night locked up in jail.

They searched the room as thoroughly as possible without leaving too much evidence of their rummaging. Buffy made a list of all the things they found and slipped away as soon as possible. She made excuses to Xander, assuring him that he didn’t need to return to Giles with her, that she would just drop off the info and head out once more. She didn’t want to have to deal with a blow up about Spike’s presence or make Spike uncomfortable when he was just getting a sense of belonging.

After a quick stop to save Forrest, which inevitably ended with her having to knock him out, she entered her watchers apartment and grinned at the sight of the two men with their heads together. They were arguing over a notebook with Giles pointing his finger at the handwritten papers. “-and I told you I bloody well checked it three times, this spell could not bring about that type of effect.”

“Hey guys, what’s with the tension? It’s so thick you could cut it with a sword.” Buffy teased, her grin faded when neither man acknowledged her joke. “Wow, tough room.”

“It seems we may have a problem, pet.” Spike breathed a weary sigh as he dropped into the armchair behind him.

“I thought we were already smack dab in the middle of a whole load of problems, what’s one more?” she asked, worried by his defeated attitude.

Giles removed his glasses as he sat down beside her and began to clean them thoroughly. “It appears that Willow’s spell did not cause the claiming bites between you and Spike.”

“But that’s a good thing right?” At the negative shakes of both men she amended. “It’s not a good thing…why is it not a good thing?”

“We believe that Dru used Willow’s spell as a catalyst to cast her own, basically using Willows magic as an amplifier. Willow’s spell was to bring about renewal and a rebirth. Dru must have taken the base of the spell and manipulated it for her own purposes; hence the repeating day came about. We are fairly certain which spell Drusilla has cast, thanks to Jonathan, and can rule that out as being a part of the dreams and biting as well.”

Buffy looked back and forth between the two men. “Okay, you’re gonna have to spell it out for the slow girl.” She changed her mocking tone quickly when Spike growled at her choice of words. “I mean for the girl who just walked in on the conversation.”

“Watcher here thinks Dru did another spell.”

“Okay, what does it matter if it was part of the original spell or a different one?”

“Because pet, we don’t know if the bites are connected to the first spell. We don’t know if breaking the first one will break this one will as well, or if we’re gonna be stuck mated after all this is over.”

“Oh,” she said quietly. She didn’t know if she was more disappointed in the news that they didn’t know what they were dealing with or Spike’s apparent distress over being ‘stuck’ mated to her for eternity. Buffy stood and walked quickly into the kitchen, needing some time to regroup before she could face the two men.

Giles and Spike exchanged glances when the slayer exited the room, both men trying to prompt the other with gestures to check on the obviously upset girl.

Spike leaned in and whispered, “You need to go see if she’s alright.”

“Me? Why me? You’re mated to her, you bloody coward.”

“I told you hearing about the spell was only going to upset her. She didn’t need the added stress of the claim on top of everything else.”

“Not letting her know all the facts wouldn’t help the situation either, Spike. She deserves to know what’s happening.”

The blond vampire hung his head for a moment before replying. “You’re right, she needed to know. I just hate that she’s suffering through this just because Dru’s insane scheming. It’s my fault this is happening.” He jumped up in agitation and paced briefly before moving cautiously to the doorway. He could feel her distress through the bites.

He found her leaning over the sink, her shoulders slumped. He could hear the telltale sounds of sniffling and smell her salty tears. Gingerly placing his hands on her petite frame he pulled until her head rested on his shoulder. “It’ll be alright, pet. I promise we’ll make this right somehow. We don’t really know what’ll happen and if the spell breaks and the claim still stands, then we’ll deal with it, alright?”

“I’m sorry. I know you don’t want to be mated to me for all eternity.” She sniffed again before continuing. “On the plus side, slayers live short lives, so eternity shouldn’t take too long.”

“What the bleedin’ hell are you talking about?” He was unnerved by the talk of her death like it was inevitable.

“It’s okay really. I mean, just cause we’re friends doesn’t mean you want to be tied to me for your whole unlife…or my short one. Whatever.” She hung her head, not wanting him to see the tears forming in her eyes once again.

Spike’s hands tightened on her arms and he shook her slightly. “Now you listen to me, claim or no claim you’re important to me, kitten. The first real friend I’ve had since, well, ever. If I lost you now, I’d probably dust myself, or meet the sunrise anyway, because I’ve tried the self-dusting and it doesn’t work that well.”

She giggled lightly. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re lame?”

“None that lived to tell about it anyway,” he grinned, relieved to get a smile from her tear stained face.

He used the pads of his fingers to wipe away her tears and Buffy found herself focused on his mouth as he smiled shyly at her. She swayed slightly, fighting the urge to lean in and press her mouth to his. The spell was broken when he suddenly dropped his hands and pulled something from his back pocket.

“I almost forgot. I made you something. It’s not much, but when the watcher started researching the spell over and over, I got bored. I dug around in the weapons a bit and found some wood the whelp probably left.” He stopped abruptly when he realized he was rambling.

She took the stake from his outstretched hand and turned it over, checking the workmanship and testing its weight in her palm. It had finger holds carved out, fitting her hand perfectly. Running trembling fingers down the smooth surface, she felt the tears burning her eyes again. “Thank you, Spike.”

“Bloody hell, it wasn’t supposed to make you cry. It’s just a little something and…well, I couldn’t get out and get you a real gift. I’ll try to get you something better later, ‘cause you know…you said that friends give gifts and I just wanted to do something nice for you. I know you’re probably sick to death of stakes-” His babbling came to an abrupt halt when her fingers brushed against his lips, pressing firmly.

“It’s wonderful, Spike. Happy tears, I promise,” she whispered softly, once again lost, this time in the silky feel of his mouth.

“Oh. Good then.” He was glad that he was a vampire, because he knew that he would be a very unbecoming shade of red at that point.

Buffy cleared her throat and turned away. “So if you guys have the spells, then where’s Willow?” she asked.

“She and the blond witch decided to go back and get a few more books. They should be back anytime.”

“Oh. Well, it was getting dark when I got back. Did Giles remember to do the dis-invite spell?” She shouldn’t be so worried about her friends. They all knew the dangers of living on the Hellmouth.

“Not to worry, pet. You saw the way Red’s girl handled Angelus yesterday, they’ll be fine,” he tried to assure her. “By the way, when the two Wicca’s were here earlier I felt some tinglies again, I thought they were from Red at the time, but then she and the watcher left the room and they only seemed to get stronger and I know we both felt them with her yesterday.”

“What could we possibly have to fix for Tara? She’s a little shy, but so far besides the magic she seems normal enough.”

“We might need to do a little digging, ask her some questions. Not all scars are on the outside, kitten. You should know that.”

“Right. Okay, we can do that.” She turned her head, getting a familiar sense of tinglies. These weren’t from the bites, but regular vamp ones. “Angels here,” she said unnecessarily. She could tell he sensed him at the same time by the stiffening of his posture.

“Let’s greet ol’ granddad, shall we?” he asked holding out his arm like he was escorting her to a ball. She slid her arm through his, giggling at his antics as he made his way grandly through the living room. Flinging the door open, he smiled brightly at the flustered vamp whose hand was still poised to knock.

“Peaches, how kind of you to drop in uninvited and all that. We’d invite you in, but…well we don’t really like you.” The blond vampire never lost his grin. Angel’s confused expression added to his delight.

“What the hell is this?” the dark vampire asked. “What the hell is he doing here, touching you? Is this some kind of payback because of Faith?”

“Yes, Angel. It’s all about you. For you’re information, Spike and I are mated. Oh, and we’re engaged, too.” Buffy slipped her free hand under her hair pulling it back and away from her neck to bring the claiming bite into full view.

“Still need to get you a proper ring, pet. I can’t see Joyce approving of the skull ring for her only daughter.” Spike’s grinned widened when he heard the watchers snickering behind them.

“Oh, can we go shopping tomorrow, Spikey?” Buffy asked in her best Harmony impersonation. Her performance was so good that the blond vampire had to keep himself from cringing.

“Anything you want, kitten.” He smiled down at her bright face, enjoying their taunting immensely.

The slayer leaned into the bleached vampire, resting her head on his shoulder. “Isn’t he just the sweetest?” she sighed dreamily.

The dark vampire started to growl. Totally confused by the newest situation, he found himself losing control quickly. A sound from the courtyard behind him had the broody vamp spinning around. In the moonlight, he saw Willow and another girl walking toward the apartment. Things started clicking into place.

Willow.

Willow must have done a spell. He had heard from Willy about the redhead’s spell that had caused the demon population to suddenly find themselves unable to do anything but seek out Xander, and the demon grapevine claimed that Buffy and Spike had found themselves engaged. That must be it; the witch did it.

He growled again before stalking toward the girls. He felt so enraged that his demon face slipped into place. He felt immense satisfaction when both females paused and Willow made a frightened sound.

Willow reacted without thought, throwing her hands out and shouting, “congelo”

The group looked on, mesmerized when the broody vampire frozen in place. They gathered around his still form cautiously.

“What did you do, Red?” The vampire moved closer to the frozen figure. He could see the brunette’s eyes glaring at them although it was obvious that he was unable to move anything else.

“I-I don’t know. I just reacted. He was coming at us all ‘grrr’ and I was afraid Angelus was back. H-he’s not is he? Angelus, I mean.”

Buffy sighed heavily, “No, he’s not Angelus, just a really pissed off Angel.” She looked at the excited blond next to her. “Maybe we shouldn’t have taunted him like that.”

Spike shot her an incredulous look, “What are you kiddin’? That was bloody fantastic, that was. Hey Red, how long will he stay like this?” he asked as he reached out, poking the Angel statue in the nose, pushing slightly and watching gleefully as he wobbled on his feet before steadying again.

“Um, about 5 hours…maybe 6. I can try to do a reversal spell-” she jumped when both blondes shouted, “No!”

“We can’t just leave him out here- people will see him- and we can’t invite him in. Spike quit it,” she admonished her cohort, trying not to laugh at his continued poking of Angel.

“There’s a nice dark corner, pet. We’ll just drag him over there and by the time the spell ends, it’ll be too late for any more interference and the day will be over.”

“Okay, sounds like a plan.” She tried to avoid the shocked gaze from her first love over her callous treatment of him.

Together, she and Spike moved the stiff figure into the corner of the courtyard behind some bushes. Satisfied that he was out of sight, they made their way back into the watchers home.

The rest of the night was pretty uneventful. Willow and Tara confirmed that both spells performed could not have caused the biting dreams that the blonds had experienced, but neither had a clue what might have been used.

After a brief recap for the two witches, Buffy filled in the group about the things that she had learned about Warren. She described the drawings of futuristic weaponry, the bits and pieces of mannequins, and stacks of girlie magazines that littered the basement apartment. All in all, it painted a creepy picture of their old classmate, but no real evidence of wrong doing. They decided to take a day to follow Warren around, check out his activities and if that didn’t help, to go back and try to question Jonathan about his involvement with the strange boy. If every else failed, they would look into capturing Warren and trying a truth spell to get the answers they needed.

Once the meeting dispersed, the slayer and the vampire found themselves outside Giles’ apartment trying to decide where to go from there. “I’m just saying, Spike, we’ve ended up there two nights in a row, and we can pretty well figure we’re going to end up there again. We might as well start out there,” she stated calmly avoiding Angel’s horrified gaze.

“Are you sure you want to sleep at the crypt, pet?” He didn’t want her to be uncomfortable sleeping in a place of death, but she didn’t seem to have a problem with it and she did have a point. Having the poof witness their conversation was just an added bonus.

“Alright, kitten, it’s your decision. Night, Peaches,” he called over his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around the petite blond, delighted when she leaned into his embrace.

“Night, Angel,” Buffy called softly, feeling so secure in the strong arms holding her tight.

Angel watched them until they were out of sight, filled with disbelief over the events that had unfolded. He heard the creak of the door to his right but couldn’t turn to see who it was. He shuddered inwardly when a quiet voice whispered, “Goodnight, Angel.”

Giles dusted his hands off as he closed and bolted his door once more. I could never get tired of that, he thought as he made his way up the stairs to his bedroom.

*****

They settled into the large bed awkwardly. It was one thing to wake up together with no knowledge of how you got there; it was quite another to start out that way. They finally settled down with Buffy laying her head on his shoulder, while Spike wrapped his arms around her in a friendly embrace. Both were careful to not touch the other anywhere that could be considered intimate.

Buffy had placed Spike’s mug, with her stake sticking out of it, on the table next to the bed. “Do you think we’re making any progress, Spike?” she asked sleepily.

“Sure, luv. Things are changing, aren’t they? We’re pretty close to figuring most of it out. Just need to keep at it and we’ll have this thing licked in no time.”

Licked? Oh, bad Buffy! She thought, fighting the urge to squirm. His words did little ease the wrong lusty feelings she was having. Squashing the evil thoughts down, she smiled at her companion. “Well, I’m glad it’s you I’m stuck with. I can’t imagine having to repeat a day over and over with Xander or Angel or- God-forbid- Riley. I think I would have gone insane by now.”

He chuckled lightly before replying, “No problem, Slayer. There’s no one else I’d rather spend an eternal day with than you, either.”

She grinned as she snuggled in closer. “You say the sweetest things, blondie bear.”

“Night, pet.”

“Night, Spike.”

******

After hours of peaceful slumber, Buffy opened her eyes to find Spike still sound asleep and snoring gently. He snores. That’s so cute, she thought. She pulled back slowly, not wanting to wake him. She was delighted to see her stake still sticking out of his mug.

Settling back down into his arms, she quietly observed his features. He was so breathtakingly handsome. The cheekbones, the full lips, even the scar above this eye. It all added up to one sexy package. Her eyes dipped down to his chest and abdomen that wasn’t covered by the sheet. Damn, the vamp has abs in abundance, she thought. Her mouth watered and her fingers itched to touch. Down girl.

She thought back to the Willow’s spell and the wonderful kisses they’d shared. Hmmm, Lips of Spike. Almost against her will, she found her eyes drawn to those same lips. She hesitated, checking his face to make sure he was still asleep. Just one little kiss, she thought. One slight pressing together of their lips. He was sleeping so soundly, he would never know.

She lowered her head to his once again. So close she could feel his unneeded breath against her face.

Just one…little…kiss.

Day 11

Buffy opened her eyes to find Spike still sound asleep and snoring gently. He snores. That’s so cute, she thought. She pulled back slowly, not wanting to wake him. She was delighted to see her stake still sticking out of his mug.

Settling back down into his arms she quietly observed his features. He was so breathtakingly handsome. The cheekbones, the full lips, and the scar above this eye. It all added up to one sexy package. Her eyes dipped down to his chest and abdomen that wasn’t covered by the sheet. Damn the vamp had abs in abundance, she thought. Down girl!

She thought back to the Will Be Done spell and the wonderful kisses shared between them. Hmmm, Lips of Spike. Almost against her will she found herself drawn to those same lips. She hesitated, checking his face to make sure he was still asleep. Just one little kiss, she thought. One slight pressing together of their lips. He was sleeping so soundly, he would never know.

She lowered her head once again, so close she could feel his unneeded breath against her face.

Just one ... little ... kiss.

Buffy screeched as the top of Spike's head butted into her face, his forehead catching her right in the nose. She cupped her injured body part while tears streamed down her face. Getting hit in the nose by accident hurt so much more than when it happened during a fight. Buffy felt instantly sorry for all the times she had punched her vampire companion in the face. She was sure that if Giles was here, he would be giving a long-winded explanation about adrenalin.

"Fuck, pet. Are you okay?" Spike asked, his voice laced with pain and concern. He gathered the sheet around his hips before gently prying Buffy's hands away from her face. "Not even bloody. I think you'll live."

"But it still hurts," Buffy whined. She groped blindly around on the bed for the corner of the sheet, intending to press the cool fabric to her face in hopes of easing the pain. "Why is there a stake in your bed?"

"Not a stake, Slayer," Spike uttered in a very strained voice. "It's bloody well attached."

"Oh...oh my!" Buffy turned a bright shade of red before she leapt from the bed, leaving Spike to clutch at the sheet that twisted around her legs. When she tried to turn around to block the sight of the now naked vampire from her vision, the tangled fabric caused her to fall ungracefully to the floor.

"Slayer?"

"Oh, God." Buffy buried her red-hot face in her hands. A muffled 'sorry' drifted back to the vampire's ears.

"It's not like you haven't copped a feel before, luv." Spike smirked when the Slayer's head popped up. He couldn't see her face, but he knew her eyes and lips had both narrowed as she contemplated his statement.

"I have never!" Buffy growled.

"And in front of Angelus and your mum, no less," Spike teased the blond girl. "Do you do that to Harris, too?"

"I have never groped you, Spike. Not even under Willow's spell and certainly not in front of Mom and Angel." Buffy blushed even redder. "Now Xander on the other hand..."

"You groped the Whelp?" Spike blurted out. "When the bloody hell was that?" The blond vampire squashed his bout of jealousy down under the guise of friendship.

"Hey, it wasn't just me," Buffy protested. "Mom, Miss Calendar, and your ex-ho groped him, too."

"Red cast a spell, huh?" Spike vaguely remembered the incident Buffy was talking about. Mostly he remembered Angelus' extreme grumpiness after he had dragged Drusilla back to the factory.

"Nah, it was Amy. You know, Willow's rat? The one whose mom wanted her on the cheerleading team."

"Give me back my sheet, luv. Then you can hightail it over to the Watcher's and check on him." Spike reached a hand over the side of the bed to grope around for the sheet. He was much surprised when he got a handful of Slayer ass instead. He gulped when he looked up to find Buffy had risen to her hands and knees in an attempt to untangle the sheet from her legs. Her pert, round butt wagged back and forth as she removed the offending fabric from her limbs. Spike yanked the sheet towards him, causing the Slayer to fall onto the floor again.

"What did you do that for?" Buffy demanded. She rose to her hands and knees again.

"Just didn't want to offend your girlish eyes is all, pet." Spike smirked when Buffy stiffened her back. "'ll pick up coffee and doughnuts on the way to Giles'. Now you better get before the cyborg gets here." He stood and grabbed his pants. Spike hurriedly dropped the sheet to slip on his jeans before he brushed past Buffy to sneak a peek upstairs to check for the all clear.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike lifted the manhole cover outside the Espresso Pump when a tiny voice that he recognized as the Slayer's entered his head.

Wonder if Spike still has his piece of crap car.

My baby is not a piece of crap. It's a classic, Spike automatically answered back. He spread the blanket he was carrying over his head.

Spike, you can hear me? Buffy asked.

Clear as day. What the bloody hell is going on? Spike replaced the manhole cover to dash to the front door of the coffee shop.

I was a bit hyper after Giles told me that there's a magic broker in L.A. that might be able to help us with the bitey dreams spell, so he made me meditate. Somehow, I'm able to speak to you. How weird is that? Buffy replied.

Sounds like something else for the Watcher to research. Why didn't Rupes get the information over the phone? Spike stepped up to the counter to order the coffee and doughnuts while he waited the Slayer's answer.

Giles says the guy's really picky about who he gives information to. Do you want to pick me up here, or should I meet you at your 'baby'?

I'll pick you up, pet. Spike threw his cash down on the counter and picked up his order, all the while plotting the shortest, darkest route to the garage where his Desoto was parked.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You got this car because some demon car dealer owed you kittens?" Buffy covered her mouth and giggled. "I think you should stick with the story that you dusted the owner at some demonic strip club in Topeka."

"Ha, bloody ha, Slayer." Spike smirked. "I know it happened one of those two ways. I was really drunk that year. Dru was off cavortin' with the bitch and I was lonely. I went bar hopping a lot. Drinkin', kitten poker, and strip clubs kept me from being bored."

"Did you get up on stage and dance naked during one of these drunken bouts?" Buffy asked way too innocently.

"Never!" Spike snarled. "I'm the Big Bad. I wouldn’t do something like that, no matter how drunk I was." He crossed his arms while he glared at his giggling companion.

"You know, Willow and I did a report on stripping in the 50's and 60's for Professor Walsh's class." Buffy glanced sideways at the blond vampire. "I told her those pictures looked familiar."

"What?" Spike's jaw dropped. "They promised me that the negatives were all destroyed after I threatened to disembowel them."

"Spike..."

"Wait till I get my hands on those slimy little fuckers," Spike snarled.

"Spike, I was just kidding! Are you serious? There really are naked pictures of you floating around out there?"

Spike turned to study the giggling girl, "Okay, maybe there are, but you’re the only person that knows. Please don't tell Angel or Harris; I'm beggin' you."

"Hmmm, blackmail material always makes for a happy Slayer," Buffy cooed. She reached over to stroke the irate vampire's upper arm. "Let me think on that one and I'll get back to you." She giggled when his plump lower lip stuck out in a pout entirely too adorable for his Big Bad image. "Pouty."

Spike stared at Buffy in shock. He had never been on the receiving end of flirty Buffy except while under Willow's spell. He gritted his teeth in denial that she was actually flirting with him, bit back the response that drifted through his mind, and simply growled at the Slayer.

"Spoilsport." Buffy bounced out of the car, slamming the door behind her. She opened the door of the magic shop for the vampire and waited until he bolted through it under his smoking blanket. Shutting the door, she studied the smoke filled room, coughing slightly from the heavy smell of incense while she waited for Spike to stomp out his blanket.

"May I help you?" A very slender, dark-skinned woman ducked her head as she stepped out of the back room. She smiled warmly as her customers stared up at her in surprise.

"You're so tall," Buffy blurted out in astonishment. She slapped her hands over her mouth. "Oh God, I'm so sorry. I promise my mom taught me better manners than that."

"I'm quite used to it by now, my dear. I can see you meant no insult." The woman brushed her hair out of her face while she smiled at the two blonds.

"Um, we're here to see Pete. Rupert Giles sent us," Buffy said hopefully. She shrieked and stepped closer to Spike when what appeared to be a wooden statue of a wizened old man smoking a pipe opened its eyes. Buffy calmed down when she felt Spike pull her body against his in comfort.

"Sorry, Lord Jamison," Pete murmured, "I didn't mean to scare your mate. Lovely creature that she is. Junia, my queen, help me down and lock the door. I must talk to these two without interruption." He smiled up at Junia as she lifted him down to the floor. Pete waved the two blondes over to a table in the back of the shop.

"The name's Spike." The vampire kept his body between the Slayer and the little man who appeared to know far too much about him. Without even realizing it, his protective nature went into overdrive at the perceived threat to his mate

"We're not really mated," Buffy said softly while she sat in the chair Spike pulled out for her. She nodded her thanks to him.

"Yes, yes. Rupert explained it all to me over the phone," Pete exclaimed. He waved Spike into the chair next to Buffy. "This is a very, very delicate matter that we are about to discuss. I just wish Rupert had mentioned that the dreams involved a Master Slayer and a Master Vampire."

"M-Master S-Slayer?" Buffy stammered. "How does one become a Master Slayer?" She glanced sideways at Spike where she saw the same question in his eyes.

"Well, you can achieve master status in a number of ways, my dear." Pete pulled a book out of a large haphazardly stacked pile. "A couple of them include a few vile things that you don't really need to know about, but one way is to survive your eighteenth birthday and the ritual. You passed with flying colors."

"What ritual, pet?" Spike's voice took on a dangerous edge.

"You and your young lady can discuss that later." Pete flipped through the book to the page he was looking for. "Of course, being the mate of a master vampire tends to speed up the process. It's not a tangible title, just something that shows off your experience and persistence. You are a persistent one, aren't you?"

"She is at that," Spike chortled proudly. "Even survived the Order of Taraka when I threw them at her."

Pete's head popped up and he blinked at the blonde’s revelation. "Really? That is quite interesting. Now, about a spell that would manifest a mating from a dream. I know of only one that falls within the parameters that Rupert spoke of. It uses a talisman, usually a tapestry or other piece of embroidery, which binds two souls together."

"That's probably Dru's handiwork," Spike announced. "And I'll have you know 'm an evil vampire, mate. I don't have a soul." He glanced over at Buffy to make sure she didn't have an adverse reaction to his announcement. He was quite pleased to see her roll her eyes at him.

"Lord Jamison, if you didn't have a soul that crystal hanging above the front entrance would have barred you from entering my store." Pete pointed towards the huge stone that hung from the ceiling at the front of the shop.

"How can he have a soul?" Buffy asked quietly as she remembered Tara's words from the day before.

"That I am unable to tell you." Pete waved at Junia, who brought him an address book from behind the checkout counter. "The seer that sold me the very crystal that allowed your entrance into my shop has her own store in the mall." He wrote an address on a piece of paper that he slid across the table to Buffy.

"What about the dream talisman?" Buffy asked. She handed the paper to Spike, who glanced at the address before stuffing the note in his duster pocket.

"Until you have the talisman, you will be mated. Once it is destroyed, the claim will cease to exist," Pete answered softly. "Jania, my queen, I've given these young people all the information I have. It's time for them to go see Tamara at the mall."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I'm hungry, Spike." Buffy's stomach growled loudly as if to emphasize its owner's statement. "Let's get some lunch before we hit the crystal store." She dragged the reluctant acting vampire towards the food court.

"What looks good, pet?" Spike asked. He glanced around at the different restaurants. "Pizza, burgers, chinese, tacos."

"Oh, tacos! The Taco Barn use to have some really spicy sauce that you'd like." Buffy pointed out the food counter in question and pulled Spike over to it. "Do you still carry that extra spicy hot salsa?" she asked the clerk eagerly.

"Buffy, is that you?" The clerk darted his eyes back to the kitchen before he pulled off his hat. "I haven't seen you since the incident with the gym. How have you been?"

"Wow, Pike. It's so good to see you." Buffy stared at the young man in front of her. "It's been almost four years. You look good."

"You moved and I never heard from you again," Pike said. He smoothed his hair back in an attempt to make it look neater. His eyes darted to Buffy's companion and he forced himself not to take a step back from the weight of the blue eyes resting on him.

"Yeah, I kinda got caught back into the slaying," Buffy muttered. "Hard not to in Sunnydale." She glanced over at Spike, and she almost giggled at the menacing glare that the vampire was giving the human. Buffy smacked Spike on the arm. "Stop that. You're scaring him."

"Lay off, Slayer. If the boy would take our order instead of chit-chattin'..." Spike's eyes flashed gold at the human male.

"Oh, right. Your order." Pike jammed his hat back on his head while he moved to the cash register. He took Buffy and Spike's order and then bustled around getting it ready. After giving them their food, he watched as the two blonds walked over to one of the tables. He was disappointed when Buffy sat down with her back to him; he had wanted to speak with her.

Pike watched from his spot behind the checkout counter while they focused only on each other. Eating seemed to be an afterthought given the apparent intensity of their conversation. He remembered a time when he would have laughed at the posturing male, back when he had attitude and snark. When he was the cool guy. Catching his own reflection in the stainless steel door of the refrigerator, he realized those days were long gone. With a sad sigh he turned to the next person in line and asked for their order.

“Tell me about the ritual, pet,” Spike returned to the subject of his earlier concern.

“I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this, Spike. So if I’m gonna tell it, you have to promise to hear the whole thing and not go off all damage bound,” Buffy cautioned him.

Buffy gazed around food court, trying to think of the right place to start. When she spotted a familiar face, she froze.

Spike watched as the Slayer gathered her thoughts. When she suddenly paled and stiffened, Spikes reaction was automatic. There was no way that the Slayer was acting that way because of a threat of danger. This was some sort of emotional threat to the girl herself. He slipped out of his seat and moved to her side. Crouching, he gently gripped her hand. “What is it, pet?” he asked as he scanned the crowd searching for some sort of clue to what ever it was that was upsetting his…friend.

She searched his face, he hadn’t changed at all. She felt the tears burn her eyes as he spoke to the person he was with. When the other person came into view, Buffy’s breath caught in her throat.

He was with a woman. A very pregnant woman.

As Buffy watched he leaned in and kissed the soon-to-be mother. Her heart felt like it was breaking.

Spike followed her gaze. She seemed to be looking at a man and a pregnant woman who, judging by the lip lock they were sharing, seemed to be a couple. But why the sight of them was upsetting his slayer, he had no clue.

“Buffy? Buffy, luv, look at me,” he prodded her with gentle insistence.

“After I burnt down the gym at Hemery, mom and dad had me committed because I told them what I was and that I’d burned down the gym because it was infested with vampires,” Buffy told him quietly. Unemotionally. Her eyes were unfocused, her voice shaky, but she continued anyway. “Straight afterwards dad divorced us and mom and I made the move to Sunnydale. At first he kept in touch with me. Did I ever tell you that I wanted to be a professional ice skater?” she asked him, finally looking at Spike directly. When he shook his head cautiously, she went on with her story, “Well dad and I had this thing where every year on my birthday he’d take me to the Ice Capades. It was ours, you know?”

Her voice was laced with such desperation that Spike was finding himself hard pressed to handle the addition to the already almost overwhelming emotions the claim was sending his way. But she needed him.

He would cope.

Gently brushing her hair from her face, Spike smiled. “I know, kitten. Special time with your dad.”

“When we moved to Sunnydale, he called at first. But weekends started to get cancelled and then stopped all together. Soon, there was only our day on my birthday. Until the year I turned eighteen.”

She looked so small, so sad and defeated that Spike started to internally panic. He could feel the power of her emotions and he felt like he was drowning. Taking a deep breath he did something that he had never done before.

He called on William.

A calmness swept over the blond vampire. A connection snapped into place. Picking the distraught girl up, he sat in her seat and held her on his lap. Rocking her gently, he urged her to continue.

“He didn’t even call. He sent flowers, a note, and the tickets; like he was replaceable. I guess I never realized that to him, both of us were.” She pressed further into his embrace as her tears started to fall.

“What’s brought all this on, pet?” Spike softly asked.

Without moving her head she whispered a question of her own. “Do you see the man with the pregnant girlfriend?” she felt his nod. “Spike, meet dad.”

Spike’s growl was an automatic response. The overload of emotions made it a bit of a task to get himself back under control. Strangely enough, Buffy was comforted by his protective nature.

“Do you want to talk to him?” Spike asked once he had managed to muzzle his inner beast.

“No, I don't think I want to do that at all. He obviously doesn't care to see me, so why should I care about seeing him?” she responded bitterly.

“Cause you're you, Pet. You have a good soul, Buffy. It's good to care and it's a part of life that sometimes caring will hurt, you just don't let it break you....don't let it have more of you than it should.”

She lifted her gaze as he spoke. His voice soothing as his words hit a resonance deep within her, helping to dry her tears. She smiled shakily. “You’re good at this.”

Tilting his head to the side, he asked her what she meant.

“This,” Buffy replied moving her pointing finger back and forth, between them. “You know the right words to say to put things back in perspective. Besides, it’s not like I don’t have a father figure. I have Giles, and he’s been more of a father to me than my own has.”

“Exactly, luv, and let’s not forget that he loves you very much. And he's British, so he gets even more bonus points ‘cause everyone knows Englishmen are dead sexy.” He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows.

“Last time I let you watch Austin Powers, blood breath!” she rolled her eyes as she stood and began making her way in the direction of the crystal shop.

Jogging to catch up with the fast moving slayer, Spike felt a playful need to push the envelope. “Yeah? Well, if you think your getting ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’ as the wedding waltz, you got another think coming.”

“Oh, and your choice was so much better?” she raised an eyebrow. “Does ‘The Twelfth of Never’ even have a beat?”

“That was the spell!” he responded, indignantly.

~~~~~~~

Spike pulled out the piece of paper the old magician had given them as he entered the shop. Showing Buffy the note, he pointed out the name of the woman they were meant to talk to.

“Welcome,” a bouncy brunette said to them in greeting. Her short bob lived up to its name as it seemed to move on its own around her sweet heart shaped face. “I’m Tamara. Pete rang, you must be Buffy and…um…Spike?” At their mutual nods, she swept her had towards a curtain at the rear of the shop. “Why don’t we step out of the way?”

As the three of them headed towards the curtain, Buffy looked idly around the shop. A large blue crystal caught her eye and her feet moved her in that direction. As she stared at the crystal, she was startled when Tamara spoke, “Is that the type of crystal they used to distract you so that you could be prepared for the ritual?”

Buffy gasped, “How did you…?”

“What ritual?” Spike snarled. He recognized the Azurite crystal immediately. Though normally a stone that could help a person connect with their spirit guides or aid healers, people meditating and psychics in their various fields, there was only one ritual that he knew of that involved slayers. Grabbing the Slayers upper arms and forcing her to look at him, he demanded an answer to his question, “Tell me the watcher did not put you through that barbaric ritual?”

“Let’s take this in the back, shall we?” Tamara once again got them heading towards their destination.

Spike followed them through the curtains, his body stiff with suppressed fury. He could not believe that the watcher was capable of this sort of duplicity. Another watcher, yes. Or Giles and the other slayer, maybe. But Giles and Buffy? It just bloody boggled the mind. He refused to think about what might have happened, because when his mind had wandered in that direction an overwhelming fear and sense of rage pressed down on him so firmly that he felt claustrophobic.

A gentle hand on his arm brought Spike’s attention back to the room.

Buffy was thankful for the claim when she realised that none of Spike’s very obvious anger was directed at her, but she’d never forgive herself if the fledgling friendship that was growing between Spike and Giles was harmed because of her. “He couldn’t go though with it. He got fired over it, Spike. The council fired him for loving me as a daughter. Blame the council all you want, but don’t blame Giles.”

Spike sighed heavily. He put a lid on his emotions. Damned chit could get him to do anything.

Turning to the other female in the room, he focused his attention on the reason they were here in the first place. “Can you tell me how I got a soul, and why I’m not bloody catatonic with guilt?”

Tamara smiled. “You have your soul because you made the choice to change sides. Your soul stayed close to you over the years, waiting for the opportunity to present itself and join you. You decided of your own free will to actively change your nature, thus allowing the soul to return. As to your second question, I have one of my own. Why would you feel guilty for following your nature?”

“Well, you know…all the killing and the deaths and the responsible for your own actions thingy,” Buffy answered, slightly confused that someone outdid her in the ‘I’m-oblivious-girl’ game.

“But the soul isn’t responsible.” Tamara was at a loss to understand the point the young blond was making.

“No, but the demon is. So shouldn’t the soul be making the demon feel all guilty or something?” Buffy tried to explain her thoughts.

“Why on earth would it do that?” the astounded seer responded. “The soul wouldn’t blame the demon for following its nature. It’s far more likely that the soul is celebrating the demon’s conversion. Do you have any idea how rare this is?”

“I don’t think we took into consideration the difference between making a choice and being cursed, pet,” Spike commented mildly. “The real question is - am I gonna lose it if we break the spell?”

Buffy looked horrified at the thought.

Tamara considered both of them carefully before apparently coming to a decision. Moving swiftly to the desk in the corner, she picked up a business card. “Look I don’t usually do this, but you guys need direction and I’m not the one you need.”

Holding out the card to Spike, she continued, “You need to go to that address and ask to speak with Lorne. He’s a Pylean Empath demon, and he’ll be able to guide you.”

~~~~~~~

Buffy was totally bemused, sitting at the table in the dimly lit bar, watching as the green demon ushered a protesting Spike onto the stage. Lorne had accosted them as soon as they had entered and had immediately grabbed the blond vampire, insisting that he sing for him.

The slayer felt sorry for Spike, but was also thankful that it wasn‘t her on the stage. He threw her a horrified look and she had to bite back the giggle that surfaced as she waited to see what his selection would be.

He stood over the table containing the song list for several minutes before suddenly shooting her an evil grin and pointing out his selection to the enthusiastic bar owner.

Lorne quickly hit a few buttons and hurried down to sit at the table with her. He tapped his fingers in anticipation, waiting for the song to start.

When the music began to play, Buffy’s eyes widened in shock and her mouth fell open as the vampire on stage sang the opening lyrics.

It must have been cold there in my shadow,
to never have sunlight on your face.

His smirk was only partially hidden behind the microphone as he sang along, adding little dramatic gestures towards her. The slayer was thanking the powers that it was only them, Lorne, and a single bartender in attendance because she knew her face was flushed with embarrassment.

She could see the demon beside her was mesmerized by the show on stage, his dreamy expression wigging her out a little. Damned demon ogling her vampire, she pouted. Looking back at Spike’s antics, she couldn’t help but smile. He always kept things interesting.

His song finished, the bleach blond jumped down from the stage and swaggered his way to the table, the Empath clapping wildly as he approached.

“Bravo, my little kumquat! Voice like an angel. Thank the heavens not like the Angel, ‘cause that’s a whole other tune,” he said shuddering heavily.

“Oh, so you’ve heard of Angel.”

“Sweetie, there’s heard and heard of. I’ve done both and trust me, my hearing has never been the same. Have a seat slim, we‘ve got lot’s to dish.”

Spike sat in the chair next to Buffy across the strange demon. “Did you like your song, kitten?” he asked with an unabashed grin.

“I can’t believe you did that. I so wish I had a camcorder to record the moment for future humiliation,” she sighed wistfully.

Chuckling, the vampire assured her, “That’s the only public appearance you’re getting, pet.”

“You newly mated couple are always so cute,” Lorne gushed.

Buffy and Spike exchanged amused glances. “Um, we’ve been trying to tell everyone; we’re not really mated. It’s a spell.”

“Oh pumpkin, I can see that spell a mile away, but it’s still cute. Now what is it that you want to know?” he asked already knowing the questions they sought answers to.

“Well, Tamara from the crystal shop at the mall sent us. She told us that you were the one to ask about Spike’s soul. It seems that it’s come back to him and we’re worried when- or if- the spell breaks, that he could lose it again.”

He shook his head and smiled gently as he spoke, “No sweetness, there’s no risk of that, the soul returned all on it’s own.” Turning to Spike he continued, “It’s back because of your actions, not because of the spell. You kids have a lot on your plate right now, with trying to correct all the badness surrounding you, but you’re doing a fantastic job of it. You’re definitely on the right path and making some wonderful decisions. Just keep going the way you are and things will be fine.”

Buffy and Spike shared relieve glances. “Thank you. It’s a relief to know. By the way, can you tell us anything more about the looping day? Did you see anything about that?” she asked anxiously.

“I saw a lot, mostly that you guys are doing a terrific job. I’m positive that things are going to turn out perfectly. No worries. Hey, pale and creamy, how about you go grab us a couple of drinks from the bar? My treat.” The demon grinned at the scowl the vampire shot him before complying and moving off to get the drinks. “He’s quite the stud muffin, isn’t he?” he asked, amused when her eyes followed her companions movements.

“Yeah,” she replied dreamily before mentally shaking herself. “I mean, huh? We’re just friends.”

Rolling his eyes, the singing demon answered sarcastically. “Right, and friends check out their friends cute hiney’s when they walk away.”

“What? No. I mean…yeah, he’s cute, but we’re just friends. Really.” she babbled with her cheeks flaming.

“Honey bun, it’s okay. I just wanted to let you know that things will turn out fine when all this is over. You don’t have anything to fear. Men have let you down before, I could sense that right off, but he won’t be one of them. You can trust him.” His kind expression soothed her and she felt herself relaxing for the first time since they walked in the door.

“What does that mean exactly?” she asked quietly, afraid vampire hearing might overhear something potentially embarrassing.

“Some things you just have to work out for yourselves,” he replied quickly as Spike returned to the table.

They finished their drinks with the funny Empath, sharing some of the things they had learned so far. He joined in, confirming some of their suspicions about the spells used and assuring them once again they were on the right path. Finally they said their goodbyes and left the bar through the alley entrance where they had left the Desoto parked.

As soon as the door slammed shut behind them, they stopped short. Coming up the alley were two familiar faces, both scowling at the out-of-towners.

“Buffy.” The broody vampire stared in shock at the scene in front of him. His former love with his unruly grandchild, his pale hand resting comfortably at her back. Angel growled at the smirking blond. “Spike.”

“Ugh, of all people to run into,” Buffy said rolling her eyes at the couple in front of her. “I’m really not in the mood, Angel.”

“Oh well, you’re not in the mood. I guess that makes everything fine then.” Shaking his head, he continued to glare at the couple in disbelief. “I can’t believe I was actually going to drive to Sunnydale to say I was sorry, but here you are just hour’s later- still in town and with Spike. What the hell is that about?”

“It’s none of your business, Angel. As a matter of fact, I did leave LA, but Spike and I had to come back for some business, so if you’ll excuse us?”

The broody vampire moved to block their exit at the same time Spike asked, “Apologize for what?”

“It’s nothing, Spike. Angel just needed to do a little venting, nothing to get excited over.” she said quickly, placing her hand on his arm soothingly.

Cordelia huffed behind the group, “Angel, we’re on a job remember? The job you called me back early from my vacation to do? Ringing any bells?”

“Not now, Cordelia,” the dark vampire replied angrily.

The brunette flung her arms out and stomped her foot in frustration. “Not now, Cordelia. Shut up, Cordelia. Your opinion doesn’t matter, Cordelia. This is such complete crap! First; it’s all about Buffy, then the psycho slayer comes into town and everyone has to drop everything to coddle her. Now little Miss Perfect rolls in again and it’s all about her. Who’s the one that’s been busting her ass trying to make a things work around here, huh?”

Angel turned to the fuming brunette and growled through gritted teeth, “Not now.”

“I have to agree with Cordy, just pretend like you never saw me. Come on, Spike, let’s go,” Buffy said grabbing his arm to pull him to the car.

The dark vampire turned back to look at Buffy incredulously. “What the hell is this? Is he the one you were talking about?”

“What?” The slayer looked at her ex in confusion.

He dropped his voice to a near whisper even though he knew the other vampire could hear. “When you said you had found someone new? Please tell me you didn’t mean Spike.”

Crossing her arms, she looked at him defiantly, “And if it is? It’s none of your business.”

“Like hell it’s not!” He moved closer to the couple, his stance menacing.

Spike stepped around Buffy, glaring at the older vamp. “Back the hell off Angelus.”

Cordelia‘s expression turned horrified as her glaze moved around the group. “Angelus? Oh, shit! When the hell did he get a happy?”

Angel turned to hiss at her once again. “Shut up, Cordelia!”

“Oh, so that’s how it is. If you’re a slayer then you can just do whatever you want. Killed a guy, kidnap another, threaten to torture him but it’s okay cause, hey…slayers! But heaven forbid anyone else wants to get a word in edgewise.”

The two blonds watched in amusement as the broody vamp and irate ex-cheerleader continued their heated exchange. The buxom brunette stood her ground, forgetting her earlier fear of a soulless boss as her anger at his treatment of her took over.

Suddenly, the side door of the bar opened and Lorne poked his head out. Ignoring the arguing couple, he spoke to the blondes in front of him. “Oh, by the way, when you get the talisman you’ll be able to take care of that claim thing, and then you crazy kids can mate again whenever you feel you’re ready,” he finished before closing the door once more.

Cordelia and Angel were face to face, screaming in anger when the Empath’s words registered. Angel vamped in outrage, ignoring the girl in front of him when she screamed in horror.

Angel swung around to the blond couple and roared, “What claim?” seconds before he looked down at the stake barely sticking out of his chest. He had just enough time to turn to the girl behind him and gasp “Cordy?” before his body crumbled to dust.

Buffy felt sorry for the shocked girl. Approaching her cautiously, she plucked the stake from her loose grip. “It’s okay, Cordy. I know it doesn’t seem like it now, but in the morning everything will be just fine. I promise,” she assured her, leading the dazed girl into the bar and Lorne’s comforting arms.

*****

The drive back to Sunnydale was made in comfortable silence, both lost in the information they had discovered. Snuggling close to Spike, Buffy let herself drift off to sleep, the long day finally catching up to her.

He shook her gently awake when they returned to Giles’ apartment, laughing as she yawned and stretched before climbing from the car. They had rounded the sidewalk and were halfway across the courtyard before they noticed the figure propped against the watcher’s door. Their laughter stopped abruptly as they faced the irate soldier.

“Riley, what are you doing here?”

“Waiting for you. Giles said you ran out to do a few errands, but I’ve been waiting for hours. Now you’re laughing and hanging around with Spike? What the hell‘s going on, Buffy? You didn‘t even let me know you were back from LA.”

“We were running errands.” It wasn’t a lie, per se. “Spike was helping me.”

“Oh…Spike was helping you. That explains everything,” he snarled turning his glare to the vampire.

Spike gritted his teeth in irritation at the soldiers mocking tone. He was afraid to step into the argument, not knowing if Buffy would appreciate or resent his interference, but he didn‘t know how much more of the boy‘s mouth he could take, especially when he knew the git was upsetting his…friend.

“Buffy, I’d like to know exactly what it is about certain vampires that makes it alright not only to not dust them, but makes you want to be around them at all. They’re monsters, no better than anim-” he stopped ranting abruptly and stood frozen.

“Riley?” she asked, looking concerned when he didn’t answer. “Riley, are you okay?”

He turned and began to walk away stiffly, ignoring her calls to him.

“Okay, that was seriously wiggy. What do you think that was about?” She looked at Spike, hoping he had an answer for her soon-to-be-ex’s behavior.

“Don’t know, pet, but that was strange even for Captain Cardboard. Think we should check it out?” he suggested.

She nodded, conscious of a faint tingling as she began to trail after the departing figure. “Yeah, I don’t remember seeing Riley this late since the loopy day started. Do you think this has been happening every night?”

Spike shrugged. “Can’t be sure, pet. Let’s see where he’s headed and maybe we can figure out what’s happening.”

They trailed the AWOL soldier through the streets of Sunnydale, his rigid stance showing no concern for being captured by the military group he had been hiding from, his gait almost robotic.

They had made it into the woods when Spike grabbed her arm, halting her progress. Her questioning eyes turned back to him.

He pointed to where Riley had just disappeared into a cave almost hidden in the darkness. “That’s Adam’s cave.”

The tinglies got worse and her expression became distressed as her mind worked though the implications of why Riley would be walking into Adam’s lair. “That can’t be good. You feel them too?”

The vampire nodded as he rubbed his hands on her arms reassuringly. “We’ll figure it out, kitten, but we’re running out of time tonight.”

“Okay, let’s check in and let Giles know we’re back, then we can try to find out what’s going on.”

******

Falling back into the bed, Buffy let out an exhausted sigh. The day had thrown her one curve after another, constantly keeping her on guard and off kilter. She would be glad to see this one end.

Spike crawled in bed beside her and they curled up together, both drifting off to sleep almost immediately.

Buffy’s last thought before succumbing to her tired body’s need for rest was that she had never felt more at peace than in the blond vampire’s arms.

******

Buffy awoke in the same position as the previous morning. Opening her eyes to take in Spike’s serene expression, she marveled at the beauty of his face. She bit her lip, contemplating her failed kiss from the day before.

She could never be brave enough to make the first move while his bright blue eyes watched her, but if she could make a small gesture, just to let him know she was interested, then maybe he could take it from there.

She gently eased in closer, not wanting to wake him too soon. Licking her lips and trying to quell her churning stomach; she lowered her head until her lips were just a whisper from his.

Just kiss him already, she chided herself.

Taking one last deep breath, she pressed her lips against his.

Day 12

Buffy awoke in the same position as the previous morning. Opening her eyes to take in Spike’s serene expression, she marveled at the beauty of his face. She bit her lip, contemplating her failed kiss from the day before.

She could never be brave enough to make the first move while his bright blue eyes watched her, but if she could make a small gesture, just to let him know she was interested, then maybe he could take it from there.

She gently eased in closer, not wanting to wake him too soon. Licking her lips and trying to quell her churning stomach; she lowered her head until her lips were just a whisper from his.

Just kiss him already, she chided herself.

Taking one last deep breath, she pressed her lips against his.

~~~~~~~

As Spike drifted in that place between dreams and waking, the part of his mind that was more awake than asleep registered the kiss. Soft lips pressed against his. Buffy lips. Lips of Buffy.

Wallowing in the gentle exploration of her lips, the part of his mind that didn’t want to be manipulated, that ruthlessly refused to see the Slayer as anything more than a friend- albeit a very good friend- was still asleep. The waking part of his brain had absolutely no problem snogging this girl. On the contrary, this part really, really wanted to kiss his mate.

Buffy allowed herself to be saturated by his emotions, deepening the impact of the kiss on her. It intoxicated her. She’d never experienced anything like it before. She wondered briefly if she should feel guilty for taking advantage of his vulnerable state, but the feelings that were coming through the bond negated any concerns she might have had.

Strong arms wrapped around her, holding her in place. As their lips moved in time to some internal music, she felt him waking. His love exploded through her, a mushroom cloud of emotion saturating every part of her. She was so overwhelmed by the depth of his love that she almost missed the gamut of emotions that followed. Surprise. Shock. Regret. Terror.

Spike pushed her away from him, grabbing the sheet and moving with superhuman speed out of the bed and over to the other side of the chamber. “Buffy, I’m sorry. I don’t know how that happened. I didn’t mean to take advantage…I’m so sorry, pet,” he babbled incoherently.

“Spike,” she called for his attention.

“You have to forgive me. I’m a bad rude man.” His desperation and confusion were clear in his voice.

“Spike,” she called his name louder. She was starting to get a little pissed. She’d been happily enjoying the best kiss she’d ever had and his panic attack was spoiling her mood.

He hurriedly pulled on his jeans as he implored her to give him a second chance. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing her friendship over something as stupid as his lack of control while sleeping. He was desperate to fix it. He just had no idea how to do that. He didn’t care about the tears that were slowly making their way down his cheeks. For once, he was happy about the bond between them, because there was no way she could fail to feel his deep remorse. He found himself praying to whoever would listen that this golden goddess would find it in her heart to forgive him.

“I didn’t mean to kiss you; I don’t know how it happened…you have to believe me…”

“SPIKE!!!” Buffy shouted irritably. Her frustration at his reaction was escalating. “I kissed you, you idiot.”

“Huh?”

Buffy felt his shock. She slowly started to move towards him as she expanded on her earlier statement. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I kissed you.” She felt like she was trying to coax a frightened puppy out from a hiding place.

She felt the change in his emotions the moment he registered her words. Fear subsided and something else took its place. ‘Whoa! Guess Egypt is pretty this time of year,’ she thought with some amusement.

“Right then,” Spike stated briskly. Picking up his t-shirt, he quickly finished dressing. There was no way that the Slayer had meant to kiss him in any way other than friendship. No way. His friend had given him a friendly kiss good morning and that was all there was to it. End of story. “Let’s head off to the Watcher’s, then, shall we?”

“But…”

“Need to hurry, pet. Don’t want Mr. Bits to catch you here. I’ll take the sewers,” Spike announced his decision, snatched up his mug, and took off through the passages. He wasn’t running away. Really.

Buffy watched him go with amusement. Picking up her stake from him, she turned to the ladder and made her way up and out into the sunshine.

She walked quickly, lost in thought. Try as she might, she couldn’t come up with a plausible reason for Spike’s reaction. She knew without a doubt that he was in love with her. His feelings had already given him away. She also knew that her own feelings towards her mate were definitely heading in that direction. She was well and truly past the ‘I hurt when he hurts’ stage. In a short time, he had managed to make her re-evaluate all her previous misconceptions about what love felt like. She already loved him, but she wasn’t sure if she was in love with him yet.

Her thoughts drifted to Drusilla and memories of her cryptic messages flashed through her mind. They had to see the truth, they had to follow their hearts and not deny…

Suddenly, it all seemed to click into place. Dru had told her to follow her heart. Dru had done a spell bonding Buffy and Spike as mates. Dru wanted them to fall in love.

The tingling exploded from her bite mark. It was the strongest reaction it had given so far. She as suddenly able to pin point exactly where Spike was and what he was thinking at that moment. He was already at Giles’, and apparently he’d felt the tingling, too, because the ‘bloody hell’ that echoed through her was accompanied by feelings of surprise and curiosity.

Buffy wondered briefly why Drusilla would do something like this. Why was it important to the evil vampiress that the Slayer should fall in love with Spike?

He was quickly becoming everything she didn’t know she wanted and more. Try as she might, Buffy couldn’t see a down side. He had supernatural powers, so he could protect himself. He knew absolutely everything about her. He had a soul. He fought for the good guys. He was gorgeous.

Nope, no down side there!

But it was clearly important to Drusilla. She wanted it to happen…why?

‘Oh God! I hope it’s not a prophecy.’

~~~~~~~

Spike paced. He’d managed to keep the watcher distracted by telling him about the cheerleader dusting the poof. Giles was happily snickering away in the kitchenette, preparing his pot of tea.

Spike didn’t want to admit it but he was really shaken by the morning’s events. Buffy had kissed him. The Slayer had kissed him of her own free will. NO. It must have been an accident or something. They were just friends, so there was going to be some sort of explanation. The problem, in Spike’s mind, was that he didn’t want to ask for the reason. Maybe if he just ignored it, it would all just go away. That way he could keep his friends and there would be no complications. They would sort out the bonding later and everyone would be happy. He ignored the little voice in his head that said ‘except you.’

When his bite went into tingling overdrive, Spike was thrown by the intensity of the euphoric feeling the engulfed him. “Oy Watcher,” he called to the watcher. “Looks like Buffy’s had success in something. Bloody bite’s makin’ itself known.”

When Buffy breezed through the door a short time later, she discovered her watcher and her mate discussing the events of the day before.

Her mate.

She really loved that term.

Buffy moved around the couch to take a seat next to Spike. She was a little disappointed when he moved slightly away from her, but she had an idea about that. She was the queen of denial. She could recognize it a mile off. For some reason her vampire was swimming in the Nile and while she had no clue as to why he was, she was not above dragging him out screaming and yelling.

She made her plan of attack. The Slayer was on a mission and Spike hadn’t beaten her yet.

“Buffy, what was your impression of Pete?” Giles asked the distracted blond.

“Short, Yoda like guy, but with better speech,” Buffy answered automatically. At the mention of the old wizard, she remembered that she had a question for her Watcher. “He said I was a Master Slayer. How come you never told me I got the upgrade?” Buffy asked, curious. She wasn’t angry…yet.

“What on earth is a Master Slayer?” Giles asked, shocked. He had never even heard a whisper of the term.

“You don’t know?” Buffy wanted to believe his apparent lack of knowledge, but the roller coaster of emotion she’d been on the day before coupled with the knowledge of how she’d earned her title was making that difficult.

Giles was irritated at his own lack of knowledge. He had a suspicion that this was something the council had deliberately kept from him, but until he knew for sure he would do what he did best – research. “I assure you, Buffy, I’ve never heard the term before. Did Pete give you any further information?”

Buffy shared a glance with Spike, his slight nod telling her that he believed Giles too. “He didn’t say much, Giles. Just that it was like an honorary title and that a slayer got it because of their experiences.”

“Experiences, you say?” Giles responded thoughtfully.

“Like passing the Cruciamentum,” Spike commented flatly. He unconsciously reached over and gave Buffy’s shoulder a small squeeze.

Giles had the grace to look ashamed. While he knew that he had done the right thing in the end, he would always feel deep shame in the fact that he was the one that put a needle in Buffy’s arm. He had betrayed her trust.

Buffy honestly felt that the time for recriminations had long since passed. She lifted her hand to Spike’s as it rested lightly on her shoulder and returned his squeeze. “Apparently being mated to a Master Vampire didn’t hurt either,” she told Giles wryly.

Spike followed her lead. “He had a book, Rupes. You might want to call him and find out the name of it. It’s where he was getting his information from.”

Buffy waited for her watcher to make a note of the information, also giving him a chance to compose himself, before she continued. “And Spike’s got his soul back. Permanent. No pesky happiness clauses for our vampire,” she grinned happily.

“But…how…are you sure?” Giles was completely stunned by the information. Elated for his friend, but shocked to his very core that such a thing was a possibility. He had always prided himself of his near encyclopaedic knowledge of the supernatural. How was it that he had never seen a hint of this situation?
How much more had he missed? How much did he not know?

Buffy and Spike took turns telling Giles about everything they’d learned in L.A. As he absorbed the information, the analytical part of his brain continued to pursue the matter of the missing information. He was beginning to suspect that his training was a little one sided, and if that was the case there was only one place to lay blame. The Council.

“So, what you are telling me is that Spike’s decision to change his nature was all that was needed to allow his soul to return to him. The change is permanent and totally isolated from the bonding spell that Drusilla has performed. The bonding spell will be broken when the talisman is destroyed and you are following the path required to break the looping day spell,” Giles said, confirming that he had understood the situation completely.

After acknowledging Giles’ accuracy, Buffy and Spike went on to inform him of what they had seen when they followed Riley.

“Is it possible that he has a chip, too? That Adam may be controlling it?” Giles asked, thoughtfully.

Buffy thought about it. “It wouldn’t surprise me, given some of the other things Professor Walsh has done, and it would explain the Robo-Riley performance.”

Spike had a horrifying thought. “What if he can do that to me?”

A dull aching buzz hit both blonds simultaneously. Twin hands reached for the bites that belonged to them.

“The chip’s gotta go,” the Slayer decisively announced.

The tone of the tingle changed. Pain gave way to pleasure, supporting the Slayer’s decision.

“Is it always that obvious?” Giles asked, curious. The expressions on both their faces had mirrored precisely.

Buffy grinned. Maybe it was time to start with phase one of her plan to claim her vampire. “Watch Spikes face,” she told her watcher before turning to face her mate.

“We need to help Warren,” Buffy said then watched Spike cringe. Her own marks echoing his pain.

“We need to help Tara.”

Spike smiled in relief. The intensity of the buzz seemed to be building.

“The chip won’t be a problem,” Buffy cringed at the painful surge that pulsated from her bite.

“There’s a prophecy that relates to my relationship with Spike,” Buffy guessed. Spike’s look of pleased surprise urged her on. The pleasant tingles confirmed her idea.

“Spike and I are destined to be together.” The waves of euphoria she had experienced when she had first had the epiphany returned in full force.

Giles was awed by the beauty of their shared joy. He wondered briefly at his own lack of concern in relation to his slayer getting involved with another demon, but everything within him screamed that this was different. As he reconciled with his own feelings he was a little shocked when he noticed the reactions of the blond vampire that he was learning to call friend.

“As friends,” Spike announced, panic written plainly all over his face. “Buffy and I are just friends. Good friends. Best friends, even. That’s our relationship. Friends.”

Buffy smiled in amusement. Oh yeah, denial boy was in full force.

Giles was struck by a single thought, ‘Apparently, Buffy’s ability to live in denial is infectious.’

~~~~~~~

“But why me, Slayer?” Spike whined. He really didn’t like her suggestion.

Buffy lifted an eyebrow and crossed her arms. His petulance was cute, but it wasn’t going to change anything. “You’re better at this than me. We need to know how to fix the Xander shaped problem and you get the job.”

“Why can’t the watcher do it?” he pleaded, looking for a way out of the situation.

“I’d be more than happy to, Spike,” Giles said jovially. “As long as you don’t mind taking over all the research. How is your Ancient Sumerian?”

Spike pouted and slumped further down in his seat. There was no way he was letting on that he probably knew more languages than the watcher, because he knew damn well that if he admitted that, he’d be roped into all sorts of bloody research. That idea alone made chattin’ with the whelp look like the lesser evil.

Buffy patted him on the arm. “It’s alright, Blondie; we'll be here if you get into trouble with the mean little human boy.”

“I'm a master vampire, not a bleedin’ therapist,” he muttered petulantly.

“And apparently a gifted impersonator. Your interpretation of a spoiled child is truly inspiring, Spike,” Giles teased.

“Oh, ha bloody ha.”

~~~~~~~

“So how's the new job, Whelp?” Spike asked after taking a seat next to the brunette on the couch.

It hadn’t taken much for Buffy to get Xander to come over; just a phone call and a promise of sugary goodness. He’d even offered to pick up the donuts on his way. Everything about the boy screamed desperation to Spike and the vampire was surprised to find that he really did want to help the boy.

“Um, fine, and you're asking why?” Xander replied suspiciously.

“Just makin' conversation.” Spike shrugged returning his gaze to the book he was supposed to be looking at.

“Since when did we become conversation buddies?” Xander sniped. He didn’t trust demons. He didn’t know how this one had convinced Buffy and Giles that he was on their side, but Xander didn’t believe it for a minute. There was no way he was going to be able to fool the Xan-man.

Spike lifted an eyebrow. “Would you rather be a nummy treat?” he joked. When Xander just glared, Spike sighed deeply. This was not going to be easy.

“Look, me and the slayer's come to an understanding. I just thought we could talk like civilized people. Is that a problem for you?”

Xander gave the vampire a hard look. “Yeah, it is. You're not people and I'd don't get into conversations with demons.”

“And why is that? You're dating an ex-demon, but you're above talking to regular ones?” Spike asked nonchalantly.

“Maybe because I've been helping fight them for the last three or four years,” Xander commented sarcastically.

“Nah, don't think that's it.” Spike argued absentmindedly, knowing full well that an attitude of disinterest from him would get further than interest. Harris didn’t trust him. That much was clear.

“What would you know?” Xander scoffed, but there was an element of curiosity in his voice.

Spike chose that moment to look the youth directly in the eye. “I think you've got some demons of your own to deal with.”

“Yeah, cause you know me so well.” Xander was trying very hard to hide how much interest he had in the conversation. It frightened him, but strangely excited him too.

“I know you better than you think, Harris. So what was it? What made you hate demons so much?” Spike asked. His curiosity was obvious, as was his complete lack of animosity.

“None of your business, bleach boy,” Xander snapped, not liking the subject any longer.

“You know holding onto the anger doesn't solve anything,” Spike told him mildly. He made the decision there and then to make a leap of faith. The boy obviously wasn’t going to do anything to make himself vulnerable to the vampire. Well, not unless the vampire did something first. “I admire you, you know.”

“Wha? Huh? Admire me?” Xander looked at Spike in shock.

“Well, yeah. Out fighting the good fight every night. Battling the creatures in the dark with no supers powers, just a determination to help make the world a safer place. Takes balls of steel, that does,” Spike assured him sincerely.

“Yeah, well, I do what I can.” Xander tried really hard to project the same nonchalance as the blonde.

Buffy listened to their conversation from the kitchen. When she caught Giles’ amused eyes, she was hard pressed to keep her snickering silent. She had to give Spike credit; he was truly gifted at leading someone in the direction he wanted them to go.

“So, you and Red have been best mates for a long time?” Spike continued to keep the conversation light as he skimmed over the book he had been given to check.

“Yeah, since we were little. It started over a broken crayon,” Xander replied, chuckling at his memories.

Spike raised an eyebrow and smiled. "You two against the world, huh?”

“Uh huh, and Jesse of course.” Xander still appeared to be lost in his memories. He seemed sadder.

“Jesse?” Spike gently prompted.

“He was a friend. He got turned right after we met Buffy,” Xander replied sadly. His sadness soon turned to fury though. “By the same bitch that created Angelus.”

“Darla,” Spike said flatly, understanding completely what Xander’s problem was. “I should have dusted that diseased whore years ago,” he spat vehemently. Momentarily forgetting his mission, Spike allowed his own hatred of his great-grandsire to come to the fore.

Xander was thrown. He was so set in his disgust of demons that the idea that Spike seemed to feel the same as he did about something was freaking him out more than the concept that Spike could feel anything at all. He didn’t know how to react. Maybe Buffy was right. She’d told him earlier that Spike had made the decision to help them, but he hadn’t believed it for a minute. Now, he didn’t know what to think about any of it.

“You hate her too?” Xander asked cautiously.

“With a bloody passion,” Spike said emphatically. Memories of her absolute dismissal of him if it didn’t involve beatings or torture preyed heavily on his mind. Thoughts of Darla forced him to examine his own behaviour, especially where Xander was concerned. Stupid soul.

Sighing heavily, Spike addressed the problem head on. “I’m sorry.”

Xander stared at him, shocked. He shook his head as if trying to clear it. Stuck his finger in his ear, twisted and shook it around a bit. He had lived on the Hellmouth and he had thought he was immune to the surprises it could throw at him. Apparently not.

“Huh?”

Spike gave a short, self-deprecating laugh. He wasn’t surprised that his apology had received that reaction. It wasn’t like he’d ever really been nice to the boy.

“You're sorry? For what?” Xander asked, stunned.

“I may not be able to change the fact that I’m a demon or the fact that I’m related in some way to the bitch that hurt you so bad. I can’t change the fact that when I first came to Sunnydale, I was evil. I'm sorry for the all the stuff I put you through; the kidnapping, the knocking you about, the names and such. I had the same chance as you. I helped Buffy beat Angelus and could have been helping since then, but I didn't. Guess I was going through some kind of transitional period, trying to adjust and figure out what I was gonna do with my un-life. I guess it's sorta what you're going through now that your outta school, trying to find your place in the world.” Spike found it easy to combine his apology with the point of the conversation. He was a little surprised that he actually felt better about himself. He didn’t feel guilty for his actions prior to the soul, but he did regret that his actions had affected his chances for a friendship with the lad now. He found himself hoping that the damage was fixable.

“Wait,” Xander tried to gather himself by organizing his thoughts. “You helped Buffy against Angelus? When?”

“When she beat him and sent the bastard to hell.”

“What is it exactly that you think you did?” Xander asked incredulously.

Spike studied the boy. He had a sinking suspicion that Buffy had never told the scoobies about the truce. Turning his gaze to the guilty faced slayer in the kitchenette, Spike directed his statement at her. “Think you owe the whelp a bit of a story, Slayer.”

Buffy moved back into the living room and told them everything. They heard how Spike had saved her from being arrested. How the truce had been his suggestion. How he’d been honest with his motivation. How he had tried to help her in hiding her calling from her mother. How he’d fought at her side against the vampire that had attacked. How she had trusted his word and invited him into her house. How he had never betrayed that trust and that he still had an invitation that he had never taken advantage of. She told them that he had promised to keep Drusilla out of the fight and to leave town with her. She told them that he had kept his word.

“Why didn’t you ever say anything, Buffy?” Giles asked. He wondered if having this information would have allowed his relationship with the vampire to develop earlier.

“Stop right there, Rupert,” Spike said, interrupting the watcher’s musings. “My reasons for helping the Slayer were selfish. I wouldn’t have been trustworthy in any other situation. I wasn’t ready then.”

“It’s okay, Spike. It’s a valid question. I should have said something,” Buffy acknowledged.

Xander felt torn. He was having real trouble letting go of his natural inclination towards hatred of all things demonic, but inside he wanted to one day become a good man. Unlike his father. A good man would recognize the changes in the vampire that wanted to change his nature. A good man would be honest.

Xander faced them all, but directed his first comment to Spike. “You say you were being selfish, but you went against your family to save the woman you loved from Hell on Earth. You helped save the world because you like it. No offence, Buffy, but if I remember rightly you did it because it was your duty. You felt bound by your duty to act. Personally, I think that makes Spike’s decision the noble one. He did it because he wanted to, you did it for duty and so did Giles. I did it to score points with Buffy. I lied about what Willow said because I hated Angel almost as much as I hated Angelus, and Willow did it because she wanted to try the spell. Looks to me like Spike is the least one of us that should be calling his actions selfish.” Xander crossed is arms and waited. They would either accept what he was saying or they wouldn’t. Now was the time to find out. He briefly wondered if he would have had enough guts to say what he really thought if Spike hadn’t said he admired him, sadly he doubted that he would have.

Xander was right and Buffy and Giles both knew it. It seemed that they all needed to re-evaluate their motives.

“You’re right, Xan. We all need to take a good look at ourselves,” Buffy told him seriously. “What would we do without you?” she asked rhetorically. Xander position in her life kept Buffy grounded and she felt that it was time for him to get credit for that.

Xander grinned and bounced on the balls of his feet. “Lucky you, Buffster. You don’t have to find that out.”

Buffy and Spike shared a look with Giles when their bite marks started to tingle pleasantly. It looked like they had fixed another problem. They all joined in with Xander’s laughter.

~~~~~~~

“So what are we looking for?” Xander whispered as he and Spike hid in the bushes outside the entrance to Adams cave. Xander had insisted on accompanying the vampire without Buffy. He still felt a need to prove himself.

“That,” Spike whispered back, pointing at Riley as he stepped out of the shadows and made his way to the entrance. Stealthily following at a distance, Spike let out his senses. It wouldn’t do to get caught while he had the boy with him.

Xander knew to keep quiet. He had been told that the mission was important and that Spike needed to be able to hear what was being said. He was actually enjoying doing a little bit of field work with another male. He really hoped that if this went well, he’d get the chance to work with Spike again. He was still having a little trouble believing that Spike had chosen him to come on the mission rather than Buffy, but he sure wasn’t complaining.

Spike had panicked. Not that he was willing to admit that. When Buffy said she was tired and that they could investigate the hall monitor the next night, Spike had realised that tired meant bed and bed was with him and maybe it would be better if she was asleep when he got in. What with her being tired and all, and him being, well, not. His time would be better spent trying to find out what was going on with the idiot ex-boyfriend. It could mean more bonding time with Harris and that should please the Slayer, his friend; his very good friend that had accidentally kissed him earlier.

Hearing all that he needed from the conversation between Adam and Riley, Spike carefully nudged Xander to make his way out of the cave. They didn’t start talking until Spike decided they were far enough away from the cyborg that Xander was safe.

As they walked, they shared their reasons for their mutual hatred of Angel. Both were laughing so hard at one of Spikes stories that neither of them noticed the arrival of the subject of their derision until it was too late.

Spike was flat on his back with a stake at his chest before either of the two Sunnydale residents had the chance to move.

“How stupid are you, Harris? This is Spike. Master Vampire. You’re lucky to be ali—”

“So, how pissed is Buffy gonna be?” Xander asked Spike as he brushed the Angel dust off his hands.

~~~~~~~

Spike woke earlier than Buffy for once and looked down at the beautiful blond in his arms. She’d been asleep when he finally came back to the crypt and he had been careful not to disturb her. He had told himself it was because he was looking out for his friend who was tired. It had nothing to do with anything else. Nothing at all.

Carefully easing his way out of the bed, so as not to disturb her, he quickly donned his clothes and sat on the ladder to wait for her to wake.

Buffy slowly opened her eyes. Something was wrong. Confused at waking up alone, she groggily looked around the area in search of her mate.

Day 13

Spike woke earlier than Buffy for once and looked down at the beautiful blond in his arms. She’d been asleep when he finally came back to the crypt and he had been careful not to disturb her. He had told himself it was because he was looking out for his friend who was tired. It had nothing to do with anything else. Nothing at all.

Carefully easing his way out of the bed, so as not to disturb her, he quickly donned his clothes and sat on the ladder to wait for her to wake.

Buffy slowly opened her eyes. Something was wrong. Confused at waking up alone, she groggily looked around the area in search of her mate.

"Spike?"

"Right here, pet," he called out, not moving from his spot.

She rubbed her eyes, peering into the darkened corner. "What are you doing?"

"Just waiting for you to get up. We've got lots to do. Lives to fix, Frankenstein's to terminate, repeating days to break." He clapped his hands and rubbed them together with what he hoped looked like enthusiasm.

Buffy's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "Why are you acting all wiggy? Is this about the kiss?" Kicking back the covers, she stood up with her hands on her hips, waiting for his response.

"What?" he squeaked before trying again in a more manly voice. "I mean, what? Of course not."

"Then what's with the avoidance?"

He stood, sliding his hands in his pockets to avoid fidgeting. "Look, pet. It's not so unusual. Two people...in the workplace...feelings develop."

"What?" she exclaimed.

"I'm just saying, things get twisted around, emotions get confused. It happens to everyone now and again. It's only natural, and with us and the looping day, throw on a mating bite and the ‘to do’ list from hell and things are bound to be crazy. It'll pass as soon as we get this all straightened out and things can get back to normal."

She tried to walk toward him, frustrated when he kept backing away. "There's something between us, Spike. You can't deny it."

"It's the mating bite, kitten. It's got you feeling all these...well, feelings."

"I know my own feelings, Spike." She was clearly annoyed now.

He tried to explain calmly. "I'm just saying, pet. Things are hazy right now, with everything going on. Neither one of us has been through this before, so we don't really know how it could be affecting us."

"So you think my kissing you had to do with a spell or mating or something?" she asked crossing her arms.

The vampire started to pace in agitation. "It's not the first time it happened is it? We thought we had feelings once before and as soon as the spell ended, we were back to hating each other."

She stomped her foot angrily. "Spike, that is not going to happen!"

He ran a weary hand across his eyes. He was tired from fighting his feelings and hers. "Look Buffy, things were going so well, let's not bugger it up. I don't wanna lose you."

Her glare softened. She knew how strong the fear of losing someone could be. "That's not even an issue, Spike. I can't believe you're getting this freaked out by one little kiss."

"I am not freaked out," he protested. "I just think we should wait, see what happens, before we rush into anything."

"Fine, we wait, but my feelings won't change." She walked to the ladder, where she paused and turned to him with one foot on the bottom rung. "So are we okay?"

"Yeah, pet. We're okay." He smiled a little too brightly before turning the opposite way to the sewers.

*****

Buffy opened the door ushering Willow and a nervous Tara into the apartment. The slayer, vampire, and watcher had discussed what they would tell the witches when they arrived.

They had begun to search for a prophecy about their mating, hoping to find some answers in the ancient volumes. They decided to tell them about the mating, but not the repeating day unless it was necessary.

"Hey, guys, glad you could make it, the extra eyes will come in handy," Buffy joked.

"Hey, Buffy. Hey, Giles...and Spike," she finished haltingly as the two Brits came out of the kitchen together. The redhead leaned toward her friend and whispered, "Why is Spike here?"

"Oh, that. Spike's helping," the slayer stated matter-of-factly, grinning across the room at the smirking vampire.

"Oh. Spike's helping," the witch repeated, frowning in confusion. "Cause that's a normal thing," she mumbled as she followed her friend into the living area.

"Come sit down and we'll explain what's happening," Giles assured them.

The three took turns telling the witches the tale of how the slayer and vampire had become mated. The dream bites and the information they found in LA.

"But how did Spike end up with you in LA? You went by yourself and you haven't had time to go back?" Willow asked, her mind finding the details that were left out more significant than those that were told.

The trio exchanged glances, communicating silently on whether they should give the redhead the rest of the story.

'Might as well tell it all, slayer,' the vampire said, taking advantage of the mating.

Sighing, the slayer turned back to her friend. "Okay, Will's it's like this…” The story on the looping day took a little longer than the first, especially when they got to the young witch’s involvement. It took a while to calm her down and then a bit more time to convince her she didn't need to start baking.

"T-that would make sense. Y-your aura's have both changed so much since the l-last time I saw you. T-those kinds of c-changes take time," the shy witch stuttered.

"Okay, so we research," Willow declared. She stood determinedly, walking to the table and grabbing several volumes. She turned clutching the books to her chest. "There’s something I don't understand. The loopy day; you have to 'fix' things in order to make it break, right?" She waited for the group to nod before continuing. "Okay, but some of the things you mentioned…Jonathan, Xander, Riley and Adam? Those aren't easy fixes; they would take some time, at least more than a day."

"Um, yeah I guess. What are you thinking, Wills?" the slayer asked trying to follow her reasoning.

"Well it would make more sense if you could start on the way to fixing those things to break the day, instead of fixing the whole problem. Let's face it; it's going to take more than one good day to help Xander through his problems, and getting Jonathan away from Warren isn't just a one time deal," the witch rambled on, getting excited about her theory. "So maybe if you just get the ball rolling, start making the changes, that would let the spell break and the day loop just allowed you time to see what needed to be changed."

The blonds smiled at each other when the felt the familiar pleasant tingling associated with correct decision or finding. "Sounds like a winner, Will's."

"Yeah, nice thinking, Red."

"Um, what was that?" the witch asked, watching as the blonds seemed to gravitate towards each other with a simple glance.

"Oh, yeah. Spike and I can communicate with each other in our heads. Neat, huh?"

"Oh. Oh!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening.

*****

They had been searching Giles' books for hours, still not finding a reference to a prophecy that said anything about slayers and vampire's mating.

“Okay, enough research. We need to head to the Bronze,” the slayer announced, slamming her book closed and ignoring the glare from her watcher at the treatment of his rare volumes. “We’re meeting Jonathan and one of his friends there at seven, and Xander and Anya are joining us around eight.”

The watcher began to clean up the mess around the table as the group gathered their things together. He looked at the vampire in concern when he started to fidget, seemingly reluctant to leave with the group.

“Coming, Spike?” Buffy called from the doorway.

The blond seemed to hover indecisively for a moment before reaching a decision. “No, pet. Gonna stay here with the watcher this round.”

Buffy frowned before turning to the two girls waiting outside. “I’ll catch up in just a minute.” She closed the door and walked back to stand close to the suddenly nervous vamp.

Giles chose that moment to take the cups and plates into the kitchen to allow them some privacy.

Buffy waited until he was gone before asking, “what’s up? We made all the calls hours ago. I thought we were going to dance and make with the merry. Why are you bailing?”

His eyes glazed over at the thought of his mate's body pressed against his, moving to the pulsing beat of the music they favored at the club the gang frequented. He shook himself out of his stupor, willing away the erection that was a constant companion since the beginning of their…friendship.

“Just thought I’d stay and keep the watcher company, is all,” he replied, unable to look her in the eyes.

“Uh huh. Try again, bleach boy.” Her eyes narrowed as she took in the nervous twitching and inability to meet her questioning gaze. “Is this about yesterday morning?” she asked, unable to keep the hurt from her voice.

“What? No!” his head jerked toward the kitchen, suddenly glad Giles wasn’t there to witness this confrontation.

“Then what is it?” she crossed her arms waiting for him to answer.

“Just wanted to spend some time with the watcher, pet. Get back a little of the day we lost together. You’ll be with the Scoobies and the nerd; you’ll have plenty of company, while Rupes is stuck alone.” He worked the guilt angle, hoping for a payoff. “Besides, the whelp will be there and even with our little bonding experience yesterday- the one that he won‘t remember- it's better if we don't push the issue.”

She snorted derisively. “Xander will just have to get used to having you around. He might as well start sooner rather than later.”

“Then how about we make it when he can actually remember what he’s supposed to get used to? ‘Sides, Red‘s suspicious enough without me tagging along with the group. I can just imagine what the reactions would be to me and you sharing a dance or two.” He hoped she wouldn’t push.

“Fine,” she huffed, not looking convinced but moving towards the door anyway. “If you change your mind, you know where we’ll be.”

Spike turned toward the sound of a throat clearing behind him.

“As gracious as it is to sacrifice your evening to keep me company, I can’t help but feel there’s more to it than what you told Buffy,” the older man stated, arching an eyebrow at the tense figure in front of him.

“Too much time on the Hellmouth, Rupes. It’s made you paranoid.” The blond chuckled uneasily, knowing the Brit was far too observant to fool for long. When the older man continued to watch him, cleaning his glasses as he waited, Spike sighed deeply before replying, “can I just say that the Slayer and I shared an embarrassing, and um…private moment yesterday that I’m still a bit uncomfortable about and leave it at that?”

Giles slipped his glasses back into place as he stuttered, “ah, by personal I assume you mean…right, then! Well, as you said, it‘s private. How about a drink?” He was already opening the liquor bottle before the vampire had time to answer, pouring them both a generous amount into crystal glasses.

Picking up both glasses, he handed one to the blond and raised his own in a toast before quickly tossing back half of it’s contents.

Two hours and three bottles later, the unlikely pair of watcher and vampire sat side by side on the couch, laughing and telling stories about the ‘good ol’ days’. Both curbed some of the gorier details, Spike not wanting to ruin his new friendship, and Giles still doing his best to block those darker times from his mind.

Suddenly the graying man gave an exaggerated sigh. “It’s not bloody fair.”

Swing his head around Spike looked at his companion though alcohol glazed eyes. “What’s that then?”

“It’s not bloody fair,” he repeated. “She sent the prat on his way without even letting us know. Didn’t bother consulting us on what we wanted, did she? No, sir. Just a ‘bye Angel’ and ‘see you later Angel’. Doesn’t she realize we have needs too?” his rant gathered steam as he spoke.

Spike rubbed his chest absentmindedly, “Yeah, it does feel a bit empty, doesn’t it? Kinda like we’ve been cheated or something.”

“It’s not like this day is gonna last forever.” Giles stood up drunkenly, his accent turning rough and unpolished. “She could have at least let us have our fun while it lasted.”

“Too bloody right! Spoil sport is what she is.” The blond raised his glass in agreement before quickly swallowing the last of the liquor.

“You know what we should do?” Giles asked, waving his glass around excitedly, uncaring that he was sloshing the amber liquid as he moved. “We should go find him, end this day up right and proper.”

Spike eyed the drunken man warily. “You know slayer won’t let us do that.”

Giles leaned in to whisper to the vampire. “What the slayer don’t know won’t hurt her,” he slurred before breaking into giggles at the incredulous expression on the blonds face.

*****

Buffy sat at the table feeling sorry for herself as she watched her friends on the dance floor with their significant others. She glanced over at Jonathan and Andrew, who had turned out to be Tucker’s brother, trying to play pool but having trouble actually making any of the shots.

She should be out there having fun with her friends, but found herself miserable instead. She missed Spike and hated that he hadn’t joined them. She couldn’t help but feel that he wasn’t being completely honest in his excuses not to join them. She was sure that he was still rattled from the kissage the day before.

Was it really that bad? Did I have morning breath? she wondered silently, her mind constantly trying to find a reason for his freak out. It’s not like she wasn’t attractive, and she had gotten the impression more than once that he found her desirable. So what was the problem?

She made up her mind to talk to him when they went back to his crypt that night to sleep and this time he wouldn’t weasel out with lame-ass excuses.

Her friends crowded around the table, laughing and grabbing drinks to refresh their heated bodies, but she still had trouble settling into the joviality of the evening. Looking around the table, she wondered how her friends would feel if they knew that in a few hours they wouldn’t remember anything that happened tonight and that nothing they did would change that fact. She tried to shake off the gloom and doom thoughts as she sipped her drink.

The slayer listened halfheartedly to the conversation around her, wondering what Spike and her watcher were doing right then. Honestly she couldn’t imagine what they could be doing, what the two of them could find to talk about for hours at a time. The vampire had never really told her what the two had spent the day talking about when they had reached their agreement, other than the talk about Spike deciding to help them fight evil with them.

“Hey Buffy, you okay?” Jonathan’s voice startled her out of her musings to find several pairs of eyes looking at her in concern.

“Oh, I’m fine, just thinking. What were we talking about again?”

The worried expressions dimmed a little as the conversation resumed and she tried to participate, smile at the right times and laugh when it seemed appropriate, but her mind still wasn’t completely there.

She knew she should be making an effort with Jonathan or Tara to find out exactly what they needed to ‘fix’ for them to be able to move on, but just couldn‘t seem to make her mind concentrate on anything for too long as the night went on.

After a while Xander had decided to teach the other two boys what little he knew about playing pool, leaving the girls to chat alone. Anya adopted a bored expression as soon as her boyfriend left the table, while the witches threw each other bashful glances and tried to discuss some random lecture that had intrigued them in one of their classes together.

The swimmy feeling started gradually. She might not have realized it if Willow hadn’t reached out to steady her when she swayed a bit in her chair.

“Buff, you alright?”

“Yeah, I think it’s the mating, it’s all wonky or something. Hang on, let me see what Spike‘s doing,” she said closing her eyes to concentrate on her mate.

“Okay, that’s kinda freaky,” the redhead informed her friend.

Opening one eye the slayer smirked. “Yeah, tell me about it.” Closing her eye once more, she focused in on the vampire in question, trying to get a sense of what he might be doing and where.

All she got from him was more of the woozy feeling she had felt before. Finally giving up, she called out loudly in her head, ‘Hey Spike what are you doing?’

The car swerved when the voice registered in his head. ‘Bloody hell, pet. Don’t do that when a blokes driving!’ he cried out both in his mind and out loud, ignoring the watcher when he burst out in a fit of giggles.

‘Driving? Driving where?’ she asked confused.

‘Um, nowhere. Just out for a drive.’ His lie sounding hollow even in his own head.

She frowned when his inner voice sounded faded. 'Where are you? The matey thing sounds weird, like you’re in a tunnel or something?'

Spike‘s eyes widened when he realized she was already suspicious. 'Bloody hell, she knows we’re up to something.'

'Um, Spike? You remember that I can hear your thoughts right?'

He grumbled irritability. 'Glad one of us can, what with Chuckles the Laughing Boy next to me. I can barely hear my own thoughts.'

'You mean Giles? What’s Giles laughing-' she paused, her brain flashing back to the day before the spell and the fight with her friends. 'Oh my…are you guys drunk?'

'Yeah, but I’ll have to make a stop soon, I’m starting to sober up, but the watcher will probably be good to go for another hour or so,' he chuckled figuring the damage was already done.

'Where are you, Spike?' she demanded, ignoring the looks from her friends when she jumped up and began to pace around the table. She rolled her eyes as her mate continued to talk and think his speech at the same time.

'She wants to know where we are.' The slayer could hear the conspiratorial tone even through the bond. 'No, you can't talk to her! My head's not a bleedin' cell phone, you git.'

'The truth, Spike. Now!'

'Geeze, keep your knickers on, pet. We're headin' to LA, gonna visit Angel,' he bragged.

She would swear she could hear the snicker in his thoughts and rolled her eyes again. 'What are you guys, six?'

'Nope, just not gonna miss an opportunity while we have it.' He paused, obviously listening to the other occupant in the vehicle. 'Yeah, what the watcher said…we're exorcising our demons,' he told her smugly.

'Spike, so help me, you’d better have your undead ass back in Sunnydale before the day resets...with my watcher.'

Suddenly her head filled with hissing noises as she heard his final words, 'Sorry pet, you're breaking up. Have to call you back later.' His inebriated giggle echoed loud in her head as he cut off the bond.


*****

Two figures crept down the alley, stalking their prey through the night. Their stealth was inhibited by the excessive alcohol running it’s course through their bodies.

The vampire caught the watcher as he tripped over a small crate, his lax frame slow to right itself. "Bugger," Giles cursed drunkenly.

"Shh! He'll hear us," Spike hissed loudly. Grabbing Giles by the arm, he attempted to lead them through the alley, avoiding any hazards to his companion.

They rounded the corner in time to see Angel dust a vampire as a girl huddled terrified on the alley floor.

Spike could hear the distant throb of club music, realizing that the girl must have been lured outside for a late night snack. They watched from behind a dumpster as Angel comforted the frightened girl. Both snorted when they heard him lecture her about leaving with strange men she didn't know.

"Pillock," the blond spat in disgust. "It's bad enough to have to be saved by His Royal Blandness, but to have to suffer through a speech too? That's just not right." He reached out without looking, using one hand to steady the swaying man beside him as he continued to watch their target.

Spike rolled his eyes at the display in front of him. The whole scene reminded him too much of his failed attempt at getting the gem back from the broody vamp, but he chuckled when he remembered the mocking that had taken place on the rooftop. Some of my best work to date. He grinned at the memory.

He began to quote the lines to the watcher, smirking when the man snorted and choked in an effort to suppress his laughter.

"Helping those in need's my job, and working up a load of sexual tension, and prancing away like a magnificent poof is truly thanks enough!" he mimicked in a low voice before raising the pitch. "I understand. I have a nephew who is gay, so..." He paused dramatically before continuing in the low tone, "Say no more. Evil's still afoot and I'm almost out of that Nancy-boy hair gel I like so much. Quickly, to the Angel-mobile, away!"

Giles couldn't control his laughter any longer and they leaned into each other, both gasping for air through the hysterical giggling. Spike shoved the watcher back behind the dumpster when Angel whirled around. He rolled his eyes when the dark vampire told the girl to run home, before he started to walk cautiously back into the alley.

Spike grabbed the still snickering man by the elbow and stepped out from behind the dumpster. There was no way that he would let his poncy grandsire think he was hiding from him.

Smirking, he patted down his duster in search of a cigarette. "Hello, Angelus."

The brunette growled. "Spike. What the hell are you doing here...and Giles?" His expression turned confused when he spotted the other man.

"Hello, An-hic!-gelus," Giles acknowledged, trying to imitate Spike’s cool greeting. Unfortunately his snorts and giggles ruined the effect.

Angel frowned and turned to the blond. "What's wrong with him?"

The watcher snorted and rolled his eyes, unconsciously imitating his partner in crime. "Nothing's wrong with me, you wanker."

"Are you drunk?" The LA based vampire asked incredulously.

"And if I am?"

Shaking his head, Angel tried to make sense of the scene in front of him, "Does Buffy know you're here?"

Giles straightened his posture before replying haughtily, "I don't report to my slayer, my slayer reports to me."

The unusually silent vamp added, "actually, she does know."

The watcher spun to face his companion, stumbling a bit from his quick maneuver. "Bloody hell! When did that happen?"

"In the car, remember? The whole 'my head's not a cell phone' speech?" he reminded as he tapped his head mockingly.

"Oh, right. I forgot. Carry on."

"Carry on with what? Why are you here?" Angel broke into the discussion, his patience at an end.

The two conspirators glanced toward each other and brought their heads in to converse.

"So, what's the plan?" Giles asked, shooting Angel a wary look.

"Bloody hell I thought you had a plan!"

"Alright, I've got it." He paused dramatically. "Get 'im!"

"Bloody hell!"

The two rushed the startled vamp, causing him to stumble, his usual grace lost in the confusion. Arms flailing, he tumbled backwards under the force of both men colliding with him. They watched, disappointed when he crumbled to dust before either had a chance to reach for their stakes.

The blond slumped to the alley floor, staring at the dust coated crate that lay where the broody vamp had fallen, its broken slat pointed up toward the sky. He stared at the wooden box for a moment before breaking out into hysterical laughter.

"What's so bleedin' funny?" Giles growled. "The bastard practically dusted himself!"

Spike pointed to the crate, "Look. Only a couple more and we'll all have had a shot at the poofter."

The watcher bent to read the words. Shaking his head, he straightened with a glare. "I fail to see what you think is so humorous, Spike."

The blond pointed at the box once more, reading out loud, "Red Wolf Company. You know...Willow's wolf boy. Oh, come on! It's funny!"

Giles turned carefully before making his way haltingly out of the alley, calling out over his shoulder as he went, "Get your drunk ass up and drive me home."

*****

Buffy slowly descended the ladder to the lower level of the crypt. The night had been a big bust as far as she was concerned. First the Bronze was depressing because all her friends were coupled. Then, after leaving the club, she had gone to her watchers and waited for them to show back up from their LA expedition, only to give up after a couple of hours. They were so getting a talking too! she grumbled to herself.

She had felt Spike poking at her subconscious on the walk back to the crypt, but she had stubbornly blocked it, too upset to talk to him.

Kicking off her shoes, she crawled dejectedly into the bed. It seemed so much larger without her mate to cuddle with. She gathered his pillow to her chest and inhaling his scent as a tear rolled down her cheek, wishing she didn't feel so alone.

*****

Spike reached out to pull his mate close, instinctively craving her warmth, only to find her spot empty with the sheets rapidly cooling in her absence. He raised his head to search the dimly lit room.

He felt a bit guilty that he hadn't rushed back to Sunnydale like he could have, but knowing Buffy was already upset made him drag his feet even more. The last thing he remembered before the day reset was driving down the darkened highway, his companion snoring loudly beside him.

"Buffy?"

Her name echoed around the chamber and he knew he was alone.

Day 14

Spike reached out to pull his mate close, instinctively craving her warmth, only to find her spot empty with the sheets rapidly cooling in her absence. He raised his head to search the dimly lit room.

He felt a bit guilty that he hadn't rushed back to Sunnydale like he could have, but knowing Buffy was already upset made him drag his feet even more. The last thing he remembered before the day reset was driving down the darkened highway, his companion snoring loudly beside him.

"Buffy?"

Her name echoed around the chamber and he knew he was alone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Riley watched as his girlfriend hurried out of the cemetery, making him wonder why exactly she had been at that particular spot so early in the morning. The AWOL commando made a split second decision to attempt to backtrack Buffy's path. Riley knew that the crypt that Hostile 17 had staked out for his own was in the vicinity. Xander Harris had let the information slip to Riley just that morning.

Riley entered the graveyard and moved around checking out the different crypts, most of which were locked. He was coming up on the biggest one at the back of the cemetery when he heard a strange noise. Riley leaped behind a nearby raised sarcophagus where he crouched down. He shivered slightly when he heard the heavy footsteps pass him by and head for the crypt he was about to investigate. When he peeked out from his hiding place, he was surprised to see Adam disappear into the crypt. Riley resolved to creep closer, in hopes of eavesdropping on whatever was going on inside. When Riley got close enough he could hear two voices inside. He was not surprised when the it turned out to be Hostile 17 plotting with Adam.

"So, you have the disks in question hidden in your cave?" Hostile 17 asked, his voice cool and casual.

"Yes, that is correct," Adam answered.

"Your guards are adequate?" Hostile 17 queried offhand.

"Yes, quite adequate. I have ten vamps and two Polgaras as my personal guard," Adam answered.

"That's good, then. You get me the disks, and I'll break up the Slayer's little cheerleading squad for you." The vampire announced.

"That is acceptable. I will leave you to make your move and I will check in with you later," Adam said, evenly.

Riley rushed to hide behind the sarcophagus, again. He listened as the creature that Maggie Walsh had constructed marched away. Once the coast was clear, he pulled the stake out of his pants pocket and made his way to the door of the crypt. He entered as silently as he could to stand there watching as the vampire he knew as Hostile 17 quickly drank down his blood.

"Hostile 17," Riley growled. "Alone at last. I see you're planning something stupid against Buffy." He raised his stake to show the vampire he was armed.

"Don't think so, Captain Cardboard," Spike drawled. "This is a Slayer-approved plan. Adam's got some disks and we want them." The vampire flung himself down in his chair. He flung one leg over the arm and proceeded to look the young human male up and down, his gaze filled with contempt.

"No, I really don't think so, Hostile," Riley drawled, moving closer. "This is more likely the Slayer-approved plan," he snarled as he brought the stake home. Riley stared down at the pile of dust, sure that Buffy would be pleased with his actions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Giles had been surprised when Buffy had shown up at his apartment alone that morning, but she assured him that it was because Spike was going to try to get more information on the location of the disks from Adam. She sat quietly on the couch sipping her mocha latte while Giles rewrote his notes on the looping day they were experiencing. The Watcher wished that his notes would quit disappearing. This was getting old, fast.

Giles leapt up from his chair when Buffy let out an anguished cry and dropped her coffee to the floor where the Styrofoam cup burst, spilling the hot drink. The Watcher rushed over to the girl, who had fallen to her knees, and was rocking back and forth with tears streaming down her face. He noticed one of her hands tightly gripped the spot on her neck that he knew was the location of the dream claim.

Giles carefully picked Buffy up and placed her on the couch. He sat down beside the distraught girl, pulling her close to him. Giles knew this had something to do with Spike, but couldn't fathom what would make Buffy so upset. Unless.....

"Buffy, did something happen to Spike?"

"He's gone!" Buffy cried. "I can't feel him anymore! Oh God, Giles." She buried her face in his shoulder where she started to sob loudly.

Twenty minutes later, Giles was able to contact Willow and Tara to come sit with the still overwrought Slayer while Xander and Anya went to Spike's crypt to check on his whereabouts. The spilled coffee had been cleaned up and Giles was putting water on to boil. He planned on talking the girl into taking two sleeping pills so that she could sleep until the day reset itself. At least, he hoped it reset itself. Other people, namely Angel, had died and the day had no problem beginning again, but neither Spike nor Buffy had died before. The Watcher had no idea if the death of one of the people the spells centered on would somehow cause a major glitch in the magic.

A knock interrupted Giles' musings. He checked on the girls while he moved across the apartment to open the door. He lifted one eyebrow when he saw that the visitor was Riley Finn, Buffy's supposed boyfriend. Giles was disgusted with the boy's manners when he pushed past him to rush to the Slayer's side.

"Buffy, I was looking all over for you." Riley knelt beside the couch. "Is there something wrong?" He was quite worried when he saw Buffy's tearstained face.

"Spike..." Buffy whispered. A sob hitched in her throat as she gripped Willow's hand and pulled the red-headed witch between Riley and herself.

"That piece of filth has been taken care of," Riley assured the upset girl. "I found out he was working with Adam and I staked him before he could do any more damage." The commando was so proud of his feat that he didn't notice that Buffy had gone from distraught teenager to outraged Slayer in five seconds flat. He also failed to notice that that she wasn't the only one upset by the news.

"You did what?" Buffy growled. Her eyes flashed in a way that the two seasoned Scoobies in the room had never seen before. Buffy sat up, her beautiful face twisted into a grimace of distaste.

"That creature had the audacity to try to tell me that what he was doing was approved by you," Riley continued, still unaware that he had upset Buffy. "As if you would ever stoop to plan something like this with him."

"Well, guess you should have been here two years ago when we got together and planned to take down Angel," Buffy said condescendingly. "Or a few months after that when we fought off minions together. Hey, what about the scheme to keep him out the hands of your idiot boss, Maggie Walsh? You know; the one that created Adam in the first place?"

"What ... what are you talking about?" Riley stammered. He glanced around at Giles, Willow and Tara. He knew that Giles and Willow had been friends with Buffy for years, but he hadn't realized that they knew Spike quite a bit better than they let on.

"You really think I'd take some random vamp under my wing?" Buffy hissed while she rose to her feet. "I would've never asked Giles or Xander to invite Angelus in, or any of the other vampires I've dealt with over the years, except Spike. He's always been ... different." She finished with a dry chuckle.

"When did you decide that creature was different, Buffy? Before or after you slept with your other vampire?" Riley asked snidely.

"Definitely before," Buffy said softly as she smiled with remembrance. "It was when I held Drusilla at stake point in the vampire groupie club. He called off his minions and let the groupies go rather than have me dust her. That's when I knew he was not like other vamps."

"This is all wrong, Buffy. You told me you were supposed to stake vampires." Riley reached out to grab Buffy's arm. "But you let two of them live on and ....."

"Three actually, since part of the little deal two years ago included Drusilla," Buffy muttered softly to herself.

"Well, I'm glad I staked that damned vampire. Maybe now you'll come to your senses..." Riley's voice stopped when Buffy punched him in the face. He felt himself fly backwards, his flight stopped by the front door.

Buffy swiftly crossed the room to lift Riley to his feet by his shirt. She opened the door and threw him outside, making Xander and Anya, who were walking up to the apartment, jump out of the way of the oncoming body.

"I take it we found out what happened to Captain Peroxide?" Xander asked. He walked over to the unconscious commando. "We better take him back to the high school before Buffy get really mad."

Giles and Xander heaved the other male away from the apartment, for once glad about the Sunnydale denial factor while the three female Scoobies tried their best to calm Buffy down again. Once the adrenalin had left the Slayer's body she became a bit hysterical again. Willow and Tara got the Slayer to take the sleeping pills, much to everyone's relief.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Angel knocked on the door of Giles' apartment. He came to Sunnydale to apologize to Buffy for his behavior the night before, but his search had turned up no sign of the petite blond slayer. The brunette vampire had the oddest feelings all day. First there had been the great sense of loss that morning, something similar to when Darla had dusted, but the strangest feeling came over him when he hit Sunnydale city limits. Angel shivered slightly in memory. For some reason, he was scared of this town now and he couldn't quite put his finger on why.

The strangeness didn't fade when the door opened to reveal Xander standing on the other side. The odd look that crossed the boy's face didn't bode well and Giles ushering him to the other side of the courtyard to talk put a whole new spin on the oddness factor of the day.

The Watcher informed the broody vampire that Buffy's day had been very difficult and she was in no way up to seeing Angel. When pressed for a reason why, Giles finally said that she'd been getting closer to Spike over the past few weeks and that Riley had come in bragging that he'd staked the blond vampire, causing a bit of a breakdown in the young girl. It was clear by the Watcher's tone of voice that he blamed Angel in some way for some reason.

After getting a promise from Giles that Buffy would call him when she felt better, Angel left the courtyard deep in thought. Spike's dusting explained the feelings of loss from earlier in the day, but he couldn't understand why Buffy was so upset. Angel's pondering was interrupted when a not so sober Riley stumbled out of the darkness towards the building that the vampire had just left.

"I'll show her," Riley said, his words slightly slurred. "I do her this big favor and she punches me. It's not like he's a human." The boy paused to look into the courtyard, so he failed to notice his audience of one. "I gave up everything for her. My school, my career, my good standing. Gonna be court marshaled for her. Ungrateful little..."

"I suggest you don't continue that sentence," Angel growled from his spot in the darkness.

Riley whirled around to peer into the night. "Who's there? Show yourself."

Angel stepped out into the light, putting on his most menacing air, "Giles tells me you killed one of my family members. Now, granted, Spike always was a cocky little upstart, but he was still family."

Riley pulled a stake from his uniform pocket. The alcohol in his system fueled the boy to lose his caution and intensify his bravado. The success of dusting Spike that morning gave the commando the idea that Angel's soul worked much like the blond vampire's chip had. Riley lunged forward only to find himself bent over the hood of a nearby car with his body pinned beneath the larger and much stronger male vampire.

"Get off me, you pervert." Riley tried to snarl, really he did, but with the side of his face pressed firmly into the unyielding metal of the car, it came out as a squeak. "Let me up now and I won't tell Buffy you assaulted me."

"Somehow, I don't think Buffy cares too much about you today, boy," Angel growled. "But you see; Buffy and I aren't the ones you have to worry about. It's Drusilla, Spike's sire. You killed her dark prince and she'll go to the ends of the earth to hunt you down." He chuckled evilly as he slipped into game face. "And I think I'll help her with that."

Riley screamed when Angel's fangs slid into his neck. The overwhelming pain was soon replaced with a strange euphoria, but before Riley could identify it, the dark haired vampire removed his teeth from his neck to whisper in his ear.

"To my Kin, thus you be marked, may all of our line hunt you." Angel let his human facade melt back into place. He squashed the guilt of his soul down and concentrated on the glee of his demon to mark a human for revenge, marked for causing Buffy pain. He didn't know why he felt these feelings of hatred so strong on behalf of his pain in the ass grandchilde, but they coursed through him, and he was unable to block them. Angel could clearly feel Drusilla's pleasure through their bond, something that hadn't happened since before he was cursed with his soul.

Riley scrambled away from the vampire just as soon as he could, but before he could say anything further to Angel a strange lethargy came over him. He found himself trapped within his own body as it lurched away from the apartment complex on a path towards the college.

Angel blinked suddenly at the odd behavior and wondered if he should mention it to Giles. He quickly made the decision that the Watcher needed to know what he's seen, so he re-entered the courtyard to knock on the apartment door. After a hurried conversation with a preoccupied Giles, Angel strolled out of the gates right into a patched together man, that made the vampire think of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein.

"You are the vampire that was so presumptuous to mark my brother," Adam said. "What gives you the right?"

"He dusted one of my family members," Angel said coolly. He shoved his hand into his pants pockets as he looked the creature up and down.

"This is unacceptable. Riley is my brother. Therefore I must avenge him," Adam stated calmly while he approached the vampire. He extended his poisonous Polgara spikes and skewered Angel neatly on it. Then he quickly dusted Angel before the vampire could react.

Inside the apartment, a still worried Watcher waited for the day to reset itself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike sat up in his bed gasping. The last thing he remembered was Riley staking him the morning before and that had been a totally unsettling feeling. As much as he hated his grandsire, he was glad the old fart didn't remember the dustings the next day. Spike was startled when a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around him and hugged him fiercely.

"Don't you ever dust on me again, Spike!" Buffy sobbed. She buried her face in the vampire's chest.

Day 15.

Spike sat up in his bed gasping. The last thing he remembered was Riley staking him the morning before and that had been a totally unsettling feeling. As much as he hated his grandsire, he was glad the old fart didn't remember the dustings the next day. Spike was startled when a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around him and hugged him fiercely.

"Don't you ever dust on me again, Spike!" Buffy sobbed. She buried her face in the vampire's chest.

Automatically bringing his arms up to hold the weeping girl, Spike tried to come to terms with his temporary demise while he comforted his distraught mate…er, friend.

"There, there, luv, we knew this was a possibility," he gently reminded her as he mentally checked that everything was still with him; wouldn't do to come back with only half his bits.

"We knew it was a possibility with Adam," she responded sharply as she scooted away from him, miffed that he wasn't acting like he was affected by his dusting at all. Here she had been forced to take a couple of sleeping pills because shed been all hysterical girl and he was acting as if it was no big deal. He could at least be acting a little wigged. "I didn't expect you to let Riley, of all people, take you out."

"Hey!" Spike glared at her indignantly, moving swiftly to snatch up his jeans and cover himself. "I didn't bloody well let him do anything. Do you think I wanted to be staked by the wanker? He's your bloody boyfriend," he snapped.

"He so is not. You know I'm not with him anymore, I'm with you!" Buffy yelled at him.

"It’s a soddin' spell. The minute its over, you know bleedin' well that you're gonna run straight back into the arms of Mr. Oh-So-Joe-Normal and forget all about me, just like you did last time," Spike angrily accused, his unspoken fears and insecurities unexpectedly coming to the fore.

Buffy froze as his accusation washed over her. "I thought you knew me better than that, Spike," she said quietly before turning and leaving the shocked vampire to stare at the empty place she left behind.

"Great work, William; you bloody insecure bastard. Now how do I fix this one?" Spike shook his head in despair and sighed heavily.

~~~~~~~

"Bloody hell, man, the least you could have done was let me know you were alright," Giles snapped in relief as the peroxide blond entered his apartment, his normal British reserve sorely tested. He hadn't realized how much his friendship with the vampire had meant to him until he'd learned of the Spikes dusting the day before. He had been waiting impatiently for someone to let him know that everything had reset itself all morning and was more than a little grumpy.

Spike looked at the man, startled. "Sorry, mate," he offered sincerely, his shock that the watcher was so clearly concerned about him, momentarily overtaking the blondes surprise that Buffy hadn't informed her watcher that he was back among the un-living. "Didn't Buffy tell you?"

"She hasn't been here yet," Giles replied slightly mollified by the candor of the vampire’s apology.

Spike froze. Letting his link to the volatile blond open he found it firmly closed to him. "Damned irritating little chit, how the hell is a bloke supposed to apologize if she wont bloody speak to him?" he growled in frustration.

Giles lifted an eyebrow in amusement. "What is it you feel in need of apologizing for, Spike?"

"Long story, Watcher," Spike sighed deeply as he sat on the living room couch.

"We have time," Giles offered his friend gently as he joined him in the living room.

Spikes head jerked up at that and he gave the watcher a cheeky little grin as he dove a hand into the deep pockets of his duster, bringing out a couple of computer discs. "Not so much time as you thought, Rupes. We need Red."

Giles smiled in pleasure, procuring the discs would move them a great deal closer to breaking the looping day. Glancing over to the morose blond on his sofa as he waited for Willow to answer her phone, the Brit suspected the solution to his friend’s problems might take a little more than that.

~~~~~~~

"Okay, I'm still wigging about the whole you and Spike thing, but what is it you're really angry about, Buffy? It sounds to me like, well, if he was a normal guy, he's just scared and insecure. Which when you think about it, the idea of being Spike scared and insecure is a bit of a freak factor," Willow babbled. She was having a little trouble taking in all that she had learned since the blond whirlwind had come storming into Tara's dorm room. She so didn't want to be around when Xander found out about the possible relationship between Buffy and the bleached blond vampire. That was not gonna be pretty. "Umm, what about Riley?" Willow turned wide eyes to her friend.

"I told you, Riley is so history," Buffy growled dangerously as she felt the flash of rage that rose at the sound of the commando’s name.

"But, Buffy, he doesn't know that," Tara gently injected.

"He dusted Spike," Buffy replied, her memories making her voice harsh. Despite the fact that Spike was all back with the non-dusty, she wasn't planning on cutting Riley any slack at all. "And as pissed as I am at the bleached menace, it doesn't make what Riley did any less contemptible."

Willow reached to gently touch the arm of her angry friend. "But, Buffy, even you said he did it because he said he was protecting you. He was proud of his actions. He's not going to stop trying to impress you. Unless you talk to him, he might do it again."

"Impress me?!" Buffy exclaimed, outraged. "By attacking someone who can’t fight back? Oh, that's leaving a big old impression of the bad kind."

"If you don't have the break-up conversation with him every day until the day stops looping, you'll be cheating on him," Willow pointed out firmly.

The slayer blanched at the thought of having to perform a daily break-up conversation. Much as she hated agreeing that Willow had a point, she was forced to acknowledge that her friend was right. She so preferred her plan. Avoidance was a much more appealing idea.

A knock at the door coincided with the ringing of Willows cell phone. As Tara moved to answer one and the red head answered the other, Buffy sat dejectedly on the bed. Why couldn't she have a repeating day at Disneyland? Ooh! Or Mall of America?

Buffy vaguely noticed that whoever was at the door was apparently after Willow. The red head moved closer to the door as she spoke on the phone, indicating that she wouldn't be long.

"Yeah, Buffy explained it all. Do you need us to come over? He did? Oh that's great!" Willow exclaimed excitedly before announcing her news to the room. "Spike got the discs."

"SPIKE!" Riley yelled from the doorway, glaring at Willow. "What is it with you people? You. Can’t. Trust. Him."

Before Buffy had a chance to react, Willow turned furious eyes on the AWOL solider standing there in his ridiculous pants and showed that the old saying about redheads and tempers was true, for her at least. "Now you listen to me, Riley Finn," she snarled at him. "You trusted Professor Walsh and she turned into a Frankenstein's monster-making Nazi running a concentration camp for demons. Not a good image for a Jew to deal with, gotta tell ya. Your credibility in knowing who to trust is so not with the big. We know exactly what and who Spike is. We've known him for a long time, and have seen more in the last three years than you can dream of. There is not one Scooby that doesn't have more experience with the supernatural in one little finger than you have in your whole overly large body. Don't you dare act all superior with us. Compared to us; you're the amateur. The fact that you're also a demon bigot doesn't do much for your credibility either, buster." Willow breathed heavily as she continued to glare at the shocked commando.

Buffy froze momentarily in the wake of the normally sweet tempered redhead’s tirade, seriously impressed with her friend’s lack of babbling. Didn't see that coming, she mused absentmindedly.

"Well said, Willow," Giles voice drifted up from the phone Willow held in her hand.

"If that's your uneducated way of thinking, then its better that you stay away from Buffy. She doesn't need misguided civilians getting in her way," Riley replied pompously, pulling himself up to his full height and looking down at the still fuming redhead.

Willow turned stunned eyes away from the commando at her door and faced her best friend. "I am so sorry I encouraged you to date this boob."

"Not your fault, Wills." Buffy smiled at her friend as she stepped forward and opened the door wide, her gaze hard as she met Riley's.

"Buffy," the ex-commando spoke her name as he reached for her, his hand faltering as he noticed her expression. "Buffy?"

"Stay away from me, Riley. Stay away from my family, my friends, my watcher, and my vampire. You want to take on a vampire so badly, try Angel on for size, but so help me; if you so much as look at Spike the wrong way, you'll be finding out just exactly how much I've been holding back on you."

Her voice was even, her tone calm. There was no way he could doubt her sincerity. He shivered slightly. For the first time he was truly afraid of this tiny girl. Backing away slowly, Riley moved away from the furious and lethal blond in the doorway. He seriously needed some time to think.

~~~~~~~

"He told me it would be impossible to break on our own; was he telling the truth, Red?" Spike asked as Willow looked over the encrypted file.

"It’s really complicated," Willow answered, worrying her bottom lip as she stared at the screen of her laptop. She hated not being able to solve a problem. If only they had more time. "What else did he say?"

"That there's only two ways to read the bloody thing. One; we wait for it to decrypt on its own, something about a time delay, or two; we enter the access code." Spike repeated what little information he had managed to gain from Adam.

"Don't suppose he gave you the code," Willow commented sadly, not really expecting an answer.

"Apparently, it’s Cardboards nine digit serial number," Spike replied automatically.

Willow looked up in excitement. "Really? That's it? We just need Riley to…oh...oh." Her face fell as the memory of her earlier encounter struck her with full force.

Spike tilted his head to side in question. He wondered what was causing the little redhead to look both concerned and a little pleased with herself at the same time.

"Okay, might want to put that on Buffy's to do list for tomorrow." Willow offered sheepishly. "I don't think Riley is gonna be in a giving mood today."

"What do you mean, Red?"

"Willow took exception to Riley telling her she couldn't trust you, Spike," Giles informed the vampire while he smiled at Willow proudly.

"You stood up for me?" Spike asked in amazement, his expression one of complete awe.

Willow couldn't help but smile at him; his expression was just so sweet. She was suddenly struck with the obvious differences between this Spike and the vampire she had first met. It wasn’t like he hadn't always been emotional; it was just that she’d never taken the time to notice it before. She remembered when he'd kidnapped her and Xander. She’d been terrified out of her mind, but his broken heart had been so obvious that even though she was scared, she’d still felt sorry for him. But her terror of him was gone now. Oh, she was sure that he could still be scary, but she was pretty close to being convinced that it wouldn't be directed at them anymore. More likely it would be directed at someone threatening them. Who’da thunk the Big Bad would turn into the Big Bad Protector? she thought, amused.

"But don't think that means I completely trust you, Mister. You and I still have some bottle-in-the-face issues to deal with. But that's between you and me and so beside the point. Riley Finn doesn't get to tell me what to do. Sheesh, I don't even let Xander get away with that!" she smiled as she spoke, trying to soften that fact that she wasn't quite there with the full trust-age yet. She didn't want to hurt him, but she wanted him to understand her concerns.

Spike nodded eagerly, he knew that by the next day she wouldn't remember any of this conversation, but it gave him hope that the hope of friendship wasn't as far out of the realm of possibility as he had believed.

"Willow, where is Buffy? We need to let her know to get Finns serial number. And we still have to locate the prophecy." Giles was glad that the young redhead appeared to be accepting of the vampire, but the number of useful hours they had left in the day was beginning to concern him. He had no desire to continue to relive the same day over any longer than they had to, regardless of the perks. Something did have to be said for not having to endure well-deserved hangovers.

Willow considered for a moment. She wanted to make sure she didn't ruffle any feathers. Turning to the watcher, she made a suggestion rather than directly answer him. "Giles, why don't you start with the research and Tara and I will have a little chat with the sunlight challenged to see if we can get to the real reason why Buffy has decided to be all avoid-y girl."

The deep gulp and the look of guilt warring with stubbornness on the face of the vampire piqued Giles’ interest. He refrained from arguing with the girl that was now facing Spike, her resolve face firmly in place.

~~~~~~~

"Let me get this straight. You’re refusing to fall in love with Buffy because Drusilla has been saying for ages that you're already in love with Buffy, and you refuse to be manipulated any more by the women in your life?" Willow questioned, skeptically.

"Unlife, and yes," Spike stated firmly.

"Um, Spike?" Tara spoke with hesitation. "You do realize that you're already in love with Buffy, right?"

"No, I'm not." His wide eyed stare and the childishly stubborn tone were not at odds with the pout of displeasure that he gave to the two girls.

Both girls giggled.

"Ya-huh," Willow happily informed him.

"You really are, sweetie," Tara agreed with the grinning redhead.

Giles left his seat at the dining table and walked towards the small kitchenette, sharply smacking the blond across the back of the head as he went. "Pillock. Of course you're bloody well in love with her. I doubt even Xander could deny that with a straight face."

"But, I can’t be," Spike whispered with an uncharacteristic show of fear.

Tara reached for his hands. Her manner gentle, coaxing. "Why, Spike?"

"Buffy doesn't think demons can love. She's never gonna believe it." He told them all in voice filled with quiet resignation. "And even if by some miracle she did believe it, she's never gonna let herself love me. Not after what happened with Peaches. I'm bloody well tired of always coming out second best to that bastard, but the fact is I'm just not lovable."

"Um, Spike? Buffy already thinks you love her and I’m pretty sure she's lost the whole Angel-is-my-soul-mate train of thought and moved onto the Spike-may-be-a-stubborn-jackass-but-he's-my-stubborn-jackass way of thinking. And second place? Blue ribbon and gold cup is more like it," Willow asserted calmly. "As to the whole unlovable bit; personally I think Buffy would agree with me when I say I’d take you over Angel any old day, cause that whole broody thing he's got going on is sooo of the not appealing."

Spike lifted an eyebrow and chuckled at the witch. "You'd take me, Red? What does our Glinda think of that?"

"Oh, um, well…you know...if I wasn't gay. Tara? Sweetie, what is it?" Willow asked as she noticed how pale her girlfriend had become.

"Um, demons c-can love. They c-can."

"Sure they can. Can't they Spike?" Willow rushed to reassure, not sure what had upset her girlfriend.

"Bloody right they can," the vampire readily agreed. Sharp tingling erupted from his bite mark and Spike pursued the subject that he knew they had to fix. "My tinglies are telling me there's something wrong here, pet. Best let us in on the problem, Glinda," Spike gently urged.

Tara took a deep breath and turned to her lover. "W-willow, there's something you should know." She paused, taking in the redhead’s concerned look. Willows support of Spike and Buffy's newly developing relationship, along with the fact that her previous boyfriend was a werewolf, made Tara feel this was the perfect time to reveal her deepest, darkest secret...and her worst fear. It was now or never.

Focusing firmly on her hands, Tara was unable to watch the faces of the ones she had come to care so much about in such a short time, afraid to see their looks of disappointment, horror, or disgust, and so very afraid that the truth would cost her Willow. She once again heard her father’s voice telling her over and over that no one but family would love a demon.

"M-my dad, he a-always said if anyone found out, well, that they wouldn't understand w-what I am, w-what I will be," she said slowly. Miserably. "That o-only family could deal with someone like m-me."

Spike growled softly already seeing where this was headed, "Deal with what, pet?"

"The women in my f-family. They all b-become d-demons when they turn twenty," she all but whispered her admission.

"Bollocks," Spike snorted in response and wasn't really surprised when his bite marks started to tingle pleasantly.

"No, it’s true," Tara sadly replied.

"That's not what my tinglies are tellin' me. I don't know why your dad said what he said but you are all human, and I can prove it, Glinda."

"How, Spike?" Giles asked out of curiosity. He didn't believe for a moment that dishwater blond was correct and seriously hoped to one day meet the bugger that had so mistreated the gentle Wiccan.

The vampire reached a hand out to the miserable girl, grabbed a lock of hair and gave it a sharp tug. The reaction was instantaneous. Blinding pain stabbed in his head. His cry of pain echoed by Tara's.

"You know we could have just done a simple spell, no need to go all headachy, you big doofus!"

Holding his head, he mumbled, “Yeah, well, spells take time. Time’s something that’s not really my friend right now.”

“See, baby. You’re not a demon. It wouldn’t hurt him if you were.” The redhead assured her, rubbing her girlfriend’s hands with her own.

Tara smiled softly. The tears in her eyes blurred her vision of the blonde. She wasn’t a demon. “Thank you, Spike. What do you mean time’s not your friend? It seems p-pretty friendly to me. All that time looping gives you time to fix things…maybe soothe hurt feelings a-and clear up m-misunderstandings,” she added pointedly.

“Would be a lot easier if the bloody bint would just talk to me. She's been blocking the link all day.”

Willow replied with a conspiratorial wink to her girlfriend. "Well, she said something about having to save Forrest and then she was going to go by and see Jonathan."

"What did she want the nerd for?" Spike demanded, wondering if he had missed something vital.

"She remembered something this morning while we were talking. Remember the spell Jonathon did to make himself the cool guy? Well, he discovered some things about Adam, and Buffy wanted to see if he remembered any of it," the redheaded witch explained.

"I wish I could forget that little episode," the vampire grumbled, remembering the humiliating way the little twerp had treated him.

"Maybe she would still be there. Y-you know, if someone wanted to talk to her," Tara added with a sly grin.

"Right. Up to me then, is it?" He bit his lip nervously before jumping from his seat and bolted towards the door. "Okay. Here goes nothing."

Giles quickly closed and locked the door behind the vamp before the blond could change his mind.

~~~~~~~

Spike slammed the heavy door of the Bronze behind him, ignoring the glares and curious stares aimed his way. He made his way through the crowd, careful to put just enough force to move the masses but not set off his chip.

He had searched the town over looking for the slayer. At the Magic Box, Jonathan had told him he had just missed her, to which he let out a growl that sent the boy scurrying away like a frightened mouse. He had called back to Giles’ but they hadn't seen her. Her mothers house, the dorm, his crypt…all the same. Either he only found traces of her scent long faded or the trail was completely cold.

Giving up he had decided to stop for a drink- hell, maybe a bottle- before returning to his crypt alone. He had buggered it up royally this time.

He felt her before he saw her. Whipping around, he scanned the building. Tables...bar...balcony...there, on the dance floor. He could see her blond hair as she gyrated to the pulsing beat. He moved automatically, relieved to finally catch up with her. He stilled suddenly when he realized she wasn't alone.

He saw red as he watched the college boy dancing seductively with his mate. The need to rip the little buggers head off was overwhelming. He felt his game face trying to surface. Fighting it back as the rage consumed him was difficult. And Buffy. She was just letting the little bastard grope her right there on the dance floor, not pushing him away.

"Bloody son of a bitch!" his outburst causing the small groups around him to back away quickly. The red haze still hadn't cleared from his eyes and he clinched his fists repeatedly, trying to decide what to do.

She was clearly still pissed at him, if the show in front of him was any indication. So what were his choices? He could bust up her little dance number, possibly pissing her off further, or he could ignore it and pretend it wasn't happening. If he butted in and demanded an explanation, he would appear like the jealous boyfriend. Was he ready to admit to feeling more than friendship? Was he ready to take that leap of faith? Or was it just asking for more heartache in the long run and the ruination of a friendship he didn't think he could bear to lose?

He knew she could sense him, had seen her falter, and begin to scan the room nonchalantly, but he moved with the crowd, unwilling to let her see him in his fit of anger.

~~~~~

Buffy's eyes moved around the building, trying to appear uninterested in the scenes around her, her eyes searching for a flash of bleached hair. She had felt him as soon as he entered the building, knowing that he had yet to sense her. His mood through the bond was worried and tense. She had known the second that he realized she was here, and yet she danced on, floundering only for a moment when he didn't immediately break in to 'stake his claim', so to speak. Normally, she wasn't one for public displays, but desperate times called for desperate measures and it wasn't like any of the crowd at the Bronze would remember it the next day, anyway.

She only wanted to shock him into admitting the feelings she knew he felt, needing him to acknowledge them to himself as much as to her. Stupid stubborn vampire.

Finally she spotted him, the gleam from his hair shining in the lights of the club, her jaw dropping as she watched the door close behind him as he exited the building. Shoving the way too grabby college boy aside, she hurried through the crowd, almost tearing the door off its hinges as she pushed it open.

The parking lot was dark and quiet, no signs of life in sight as she looked for her mate in vain, the throbbing bass from the music echoing loudly behind her. She fought back the tears as she stood alone and wondered if she had misjudged and pushed him too far this time.

~~~~~

He stormed through the streets of Sunnydale, searching for a demon to take his frustrations out on. Anything to keep him from tearing the frat boy's head off; chip or no chip.

"Spike!"

The growl from behind him was a blessing and he turned around, grinning manically. "Peaches!"

Angel couldn't suppress the shiver down his back, nor the ominous feeling that trailed him since entering the town. He refused to admit to the growing sense of fear as he wandered the streets. "Why do I get the feeling you're not out helping little old ladies across the street."

"Cause you're a suspicious git?" the blond smirked before casually lighting a cigarette and inhaling deeply.

"Oh, that's right, I forgot; you got neutered."

Scowling, the blond threw down the half burned cigarette, "In case you haven't heard, the 'neutering' doesn't apply to demons. Care to have a go?"

"Give me your best shot, boy."

~~~~~

Willow opened the door to the dorm, surprised to find a tearful Buffy the other side. "Oh no! What happened?" she asked ushering the sniffling blond inside.

"Oh, Will, it's a-all screwed up," she sobbed as she allowed the redhead to lead her to sit on the bed.

Willow's brow crinkled as she tried to comfort her friend, "But I don't understand. Spike went out looking for you. You guys were supposed to talk and work it all out."

"H-he was looking for me? He wanted to talk?" the blond asked, feeling more miserable than ever.

"Yeah, Tara and I convinced him he was being silly and that you two just needed to talk things out. Did you guys not talk at all?"

"No, and it's all my fault!" the slayer cried as she blew her nose on the wad of tissues that had gathered in her hand, causing her friend to cringe.

"There, there. We'll find a way to fix it, Buffy. You'll see."

~~~~~~

Spike stood swaying over the dark figure on the ground. Both vamps were bruised and bleeding in more than a few places, but the blond had landed the final blow- knocking the older vamp out cold.

He smirked as he reached for his stake, watching his grandsire through his eye that wasn't almost swollen shut. He had been more than a little reckless, allowing the ponce to land more than one blow that could have been avoided, but in the end he was still standing.

He moved to dispatch the brooding vamp for the day, knowing he would only turn up again the next night, but before his stake could make contact he hesitated, the memory of his own dusting fresh in his mind. He shook away the unwanted feelings of guilt, rearing back to deliver the killing blow only to stop short once again.

Upset with his own train of thought, he began to pace, arguing with himself as he went. "Dammit! I can't do it. Bloody hell, why can't I? What's wrong with me? It's the poof; this is like second nature to me! I've wanted to kill the bastard for a century, now I've got a freebie for all the staking I want and I suddenly grow a conscience."

He turned around swiftly, dropping to one knee as he tried one last time to drive the stake home, screaming in frustration as he halted just short of his target. Jumping to his feet, he threw away the stake and stalked off, cursing and stomping he went.

~~~~~

Willow pulled the blanket over her friend. Buffy had finally fallen asleep and the witch was sure that she had a fair idea of what had taken place. Sighing softly she crossed the room and picked up the phone. Dialing the number, she only had to wait for two rings before the call was answered.

"Hi, Giles. It seems like we might have a problem."

~~~~~

He arrived back at his crypt. The lonely echo of the door slamming behind him was all that greeted him. Dropping down to the lower level, he could still smell her scent from the morning when she had leapt into his arms, sobbing in relief that he wasn't gone.

Picking up the nearest object, he flung it across the room. Roaring out his rage and frustration, he went around the chamber smashing and flinging as he went. Picking up the next object to be destroyed, he moved to add it to the pile along the far wall when he realized what he was holding. His mug. The one Buffy had given him.

Plopping dejectedly on the bed, he held the cup in both hands, staring down at it as if it held the answer to his problems. God I miss Buffy. Her laughter. Her snarky mouth. Everything about her.

Grabbing the bottle beside the bed, he ripped off the cap and tipped the bottle up, wishing he didn't already know that the amount of alcohol left wouldn't be enough to dull his senses or the ache in his heart.

~~~~~

A soft swish of dust on the floor upstairs alerted the vampire to the presence of an intruder. A quick glace to the left confirmed that he had indeed woke up alone. Not even a trace of heat was present in the sheets as he reached for his jeans, tugging them on before making his way up the stairs to investigate. No way was the light movements Adam; the giant didn't have a subtle bone in his body.

Poking his head from the opening, he could see Willow moving around the crypt cautiously, looking as if she could jump out of her skin at any moment.

"Hey, Red. You need something?"

She gave a high pitched squeal as she jumped, clutching her chest and trying to slow her heartbeat. "Oh, my goddess, don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry, Red. Figured you would know I was about, since it is my crypt."

"Well, yeah, but I expected to find you in the crypt, not under it. Giles called this morning and asked me to come over and tell you he needed you at his apartment as soon as possible. He wouldn't tell me what for, just said it was urgent," the redhead pouted.

"Right, I'm on my way."

Day 16

A soft swish of dust on the floor upstairs alerted the vampire to the presence of an intruder. A quick glace to the left confirmed that he had indeed woke up alone. Not even a trace of heat was present in the sheets as he reached for his jeans, tugging them on before making his way up the stairs to investigate. No way was the light movements Adam; the giant didn't have a subtle bone in his body.

Poking his head from the opening, he could see Willow moving around the crypt cautiously, looking as if she could jump out of her skin at any moment.

"You need something?"

She gave a high pitched squeal as she jumped, clutching her chest and trying to slow her heartbeat. "Oh, my goddess, don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry, Red. Figured you would know I was about, since it is my crypt."

"Well, yeah, but I expected to find you in the crypt, not under it. Giles called this morning and asked me to come over and tell you he needed you at his apartment as soon as possible. He wouldn't tell me what for, just said it was urgent," the redhead pouted.

"Right, I'm on my way."

Spike dropped back down to the lower level to finish dressing. He waited until he heard the young Wicca leave before taking off through the sewers, not wanting to take the chance of her still being around when Adam showed.

Careful not to breathe, he made his way down the dank tunnels, wondering what the watcher wanted that was so urgent. He tested out the mating link as he walked, finding it still muffled but not to the extent of the previous day. He backed off from the link slowly, not wanting to push any more, knowing that if Buffy was paying attention at all she would sense him poking about.

The manhole cover lifted off the ground enough for him to check for traffic before he leaped from the sewer exit and rushed toward the watchers apartment.

The door opened as he approached and he could only guess that Giles had been watching for his approach. Once he was inside, smoking blanket thrown aside, he faced the graying man. "What's up, Rupert?"

"A few things actually. Come in the kitchen while I finish the tea." The watcher turned away immediately, showing that the request wasn't up for debate. His tone had been stiff and detached and the vampire wondered if Buffy had been there already that morning crying on her father figures shoulder or if she was still lying where she woke with dreams of college boys dancing in her head.

Spike watched nervously as the other man went about readying a tray for the tea. The open, friendly atmosphere they had shared the last several days was gone; a cold and awkward air in its place.

Giles could tell that the vampire was nervous. Good, he thought wickedly. Keeping his companion off kilter would make his task that much easier.

The sound of wood slamming against the wall alerted the watcher to several things. First, his slayer had arrived. Second, she was in a foul mood. Third, he would probably need to see about getting a new door, and possibly some plaster for the wall.

Picking up the tray from the counter, he led the way out of the kitchen. "Hello, Buffy. You are aware that the door opens the same even when it's not thrown through a wall. It's actually been discovered that the doors close when not wrenched from the hinges."

"Sorry, Giles, it’s been a rough-" Buffy's speech halted when she saw the blond vampire in the kitchen doorway.

Their eyes meet for a moment before they both turned away. The slayers eyes moved about the room, looking everywhere but at Spike. Finally her questioning gaze settled on her watcher. "Um, I can come back later," she said backing towards the door.

"I don't bloody well think so. It took several calls and a locator spell to track you down this morning," Giles stated, removing his glasses as he continued to rant. "I have been doing extensive research the last few days while the two of you have been engaged in childish playground behavior. I believe I've discovered the prophecy in question, as well as another corresponding prophecy. So kindly sit down and shut up and listen to what I have to say."

"Sorry, Giles."

"Sorry, Watcher."

The watcher rolled his eyes as the two blonds moved into the living area, both hesitating to see where the other would sit before they finally settled as far away as they could manage in his small apartment.

"As I said, this behavior the two of you have displayed the last couple of days has been atrocious. I expected more out of a century old vampire and a slayer who has lived through more than any normal person her age. You're in college, for God's sake! Stop acting like a child," he exclaimed. Whirling on the vampire when he snickered behind him, he continued to castigate the pair. "And you! You're William the Bloody, and yet at the first sign of romantic interest- from the woman you are currently mated to I might add- you're shaking in your boots. What the hell is wrong with you two?"

The vamp jumped to his feet. "Hey, now! There's no shaking of boots here. I was just trying to keep from buggering everything up."

"Oh, well, you've done such a wonderful job of that!" Giles mocked. "What happened to you leaving here yesterday to talk and straighten everything out?"

Spike huffed indignantly before giving a heated glance toward Buffy, "That was before I found the slayer dirty dancing with a frat boy."

The slayer seemed to shrink under the scrutiny of the two men. "I just wanted to shake you up…make you realize how silly you were being."

The vampire shook his head in disbelief. "By dancing with the first little boy waiting to paw all over you?"

"Well, if you would have stuck around for more than five seconds, you would have seen me push him away!"

"Why were you dancing with him at all, then?" he cried out in frustration.

"I was trying to make you jealous, you moron!" she shouted back.

"That's enough!" came the shout from across the room. Neither had noticed the watcher moving toward the door. "I'm going out to get some headache medicine that I seem to have developed a desperate need for in the last ten minutes. I expect both you to work this out before I get back. If either of you attempt to leave before I return, please keep in mind that I will hunt you down, and that it's been proven the day will reset without either one of you," he threatened as he slammed out the door.

The silence stretched out, neither one moving or speaking, both at a loss as how to approach the other.

After a few minutes Buffy looked at the bleached blond apprehensively. "You don't think he would seriously hunt us down, do you?"

Spike was still staring at the closed door in disbelief. "Not too bloody sure of that, pet."

"Were you really coming to find me to talk it out?" she asked quietly.

The vamp's eyes swiveled from the door to his mate. "Well, yeah. Did you really push the college boy away?"

She blushed under his hopeful look. "Yeah. After you left there wasn't much point," she said wringing her hands nervously.

"So, you really were trying to make me jealous?" he asked his mouth tilting in a little grin.

"Of course. Hello? I've been trying to show you for days that I was interested, but you've been all with the denial and avoidance," she said, wrapping her arms around herself tightly. "That morning that we bumped heads, I was trying to kiss you. I thought I could say it better, you know, without the actual words."

Spike took her arm, gently leading her back to the couch. "We're a right pair aren't we, kitten?"

Buffy pouted. "That's what I've been trying to say all along."

Chuckling the vampire replied, "No. I meant that we've buggered this up good and proper."

"Oh, well, that too."

"So, that morning, when you grabbed...and you thought it was...you were trying to make the first move?" the vamp asked haltingly. He never would he have thought he would be having this conversation, especially not with Buffy.

She didn't think her face could get any more red than it was right then. "Um, yeah. Except that my plan seemed to work about as well as one of yours."

"I don't remember any of my plans including fondling private parts," he teased mercilessly.

"Well, they should have," she pouted again. "Then maybe we could have just skipped this part and went right to the good stuff."

"Yeah, or ended up with a stake to the heart."

"I wouldn't have...okay, maybe I would have, but you don't know that for sure."

"Right, ‘cause you were so keen to have me around that you would want me to just come right up and lay a big wet kiss on ya," he replied skeptically.

"Well, when you say it like that, it does sound kinda...unbelievable," she admitted.

The vampire snorted, "Yeah, but then this whole thing has been kinda unbelievable. Looping days, dream matings, and a scavenger hunt of emotional issues. Now the watcher says he's found the prophecy with a second prophecy attached."

Buffy leaned back against the couch, her gaze unfocused. "Oh, so that was the 'important discovery' he called about this morning. Wow. I mean; we knew there was a prophecy, but to actually find it puts it in a whole new light. Did he say what it said?" she asked looking back at her mate.

"Nope, was too busy giving us a lecture and then storming out."

"Oh, yeah. So about yesterday-" she broke off, not knowing what else to say.

Spike jumped up once again and began to pace, the emotional turmoil of the last few days rushing back to him. "God, pet. Seeing you with that other bloke…it drove me out of my mind, and that's not just the claim talking," he said, jabbing his finger at her. "I've never wanted to rip someone's head off so much...well except the Poof. And then, with you keeping me cut off from the claim all day…well, it hurt more than I like to admit." He sat back down, taking her hand in his and rubbing it gently. "I don't ever wanna be cut off from you again, kitten. It's bloody painful, is what it is."

"I'm sorry Spike," she said, tears pooling in her eyes. "I was just so upset. You kept pulling away and I was getting frustrated. I thought making you jealous might get a reaction. Obviously I got one, just not the one I was looking for."

"And just what was I supposed to do, pet? The boy was human, not like I could have gone up and punched him in a jealous fit, not without a migraine from hell, anyway."

"Oh, well I didn't intend for it to get that far. I just imagined you storming up and grabbing me and whisking me away. Pretty silly, huh?"

He reached out to brush away a tear that had escaped to run down her cheek. "Not silly, pet. I'm so sorry I ran, bloody insecure bastard that I am. Just so hard to believe that you could really feel something for me. I won't doubt it again; I promise. Please don't cry, pet," he begged as he continued to stroke her face with his thumb.

"Wh-what changed your mind? You said you were looking for me. Why did you change your mind last night?"

"The witches and I had a talk. I was trying to deny my own feelings so much that I didn't see things right in front of me. I was convinced that what I felt all stemmed from friendship and everything Dru's been doing, and that your feelings had to be the same."

"Idiot," her tone gentle and teasing.

He pulled her in closer. "Never said I was a big thinker, pet. More action than brains." He lowered his face to brush a light kiss against her lips, moving to deepen it when he heard her moan.

Suddenly he was pushed to the other end of the couch. "Bloody hell! What the hell was that for?"

"I haven't broken up with Riley yet," she replied sheepishly.

"What?" His eyes widened as he tried to work out her logic.

"Well, see, Willow said yesterday that if I don't break up with Riley first thing every day until the looping ends, then it's cheating."

"So we can't even have a cuddle until you break up with Cardboard? But we just got things straightened out; doesn't that merit one little kiss?"

"You know how it felt when you found Dru cheating. I don't want to do that to anyone, Spike. Even if it's Riley, who I seriously dislike right now."

"Well, then, hop to it. I just found out it's okay to want to snog you silly, I don't wanna waste a second of it."

"Shouldn't we wait for Giles to get back and find out about the prophecy first?"

"Wha? You spend weeks trying to get me-"

"It hasn't been weeks. More like days, and if I remember right you're the one that's been doing the running act. It won't kill you to wait."

"But that was before I knew you wanted me too. That changes everything."

"Spike it's only a couple of hours at the most. We can snuggle and 'snog' later and I hope that means kiss, ‘cause otherwise I'm getting some weird visuals."

"Come on, pet. Just one little kiss? No one would have to-" He cut off as the door opened enough to allow Giles to poke his head in. The vampire slumped in defeat and mumbled, "Bloody hell."

"Is it safe?" the watcher asked before sliding the rest of the way into the apartment.

"Yeah, Watcher. We stopped fighting when the coffee table broke," the vampire answered fighting to keep a straight face.

"What?" Giles stumbled quickly into the living looking for damages. Finding nothing damaged, he turned back around to face the smirking vampire. "Oh, very funny. So, is it safe to assume that you've reconciled your differences?"

"Yeah, Giles. We're good. All kissed and made up, without the actual kissing part." His slayer blushed.

The watcher raised an eyebrow in Spike's direction, receiving a shrug in return. "Don't look at me, Rupert. I was all for a quick snog."

"It's a thing,” Buffy explained. “A ‘break-up-with-your-boyfriend-first’ kinda thing."

"Ah, well then, perhaps we should take a look at the prophecy first and then you can proceed with your breakup and…make-out fest." Gathering around the dining table that had been research central he pointed to several passages, reading as he pointed each out.

"This is the first mention of two warriors mating. I translated it and found a reference to something I've never heard of, so I searched for it as well, and found another prophecy pertaining to that, which was much hard to decode. The first roughly reads-

“The warriors halt in time
to share blood of ancients
and they shall rise as one,
one force, one entity
they shall smite their enemy
bring balance where chaos reigns
evil shall tremble and the weak rejoice
and heaven shines on the tainted
with the cleansing brings shanshu."

Buffy frowned looking at the page. "The cleansing brings raw fish?"

"Shanshu, not sushi," Giles corrected, pointing at the translation. "I had never heard of anything like it, so I began to search for anything pertaining to this shanshu, and I found this," he added, handing her a book with a written translation as a bookmark. "The translation is very rough, and the book itself is a mere copy of a larger set of papers and documents called the Scrolls of Aberjian that date as far back as an ancient source called the Proto-Bantu. As best as I can decipher, it relates to a vampire. It…well, it's about a vampire with a soul...that is gifted with life."

"Oh, well, Angel should be happy. It's not like there's tons of vamps with so-" Her eyes widened when the words finally sank in. A vampire will a soul. "Oh, but you don't think...I mean; we don't even know if the old guy was telling the truth. What if he was full of crap?"

"Well maybe a return trip to LA is in order to see if the old man was 'full of crap'," the watcher ended with a sour look on his face.

"Huh? Oh yeah, we can do that, um, tomorrow. I have some breaking up and making up to do today. So, do you really think this could be for Spike?"

"Well, it seems to be the case, although- as with most prophecies- we can't be positive."

"Wow, Spikey, you could get to be a real boy," the slayer teased as she turned to face the unusually quiet vamp. "Are you okay?"

The face seemed even whiter than normal, his eyes round and disbelieving. "Yeah, just never thought about being human again. I'm not even sure I'd wanna be human again."

The slayer's eyes widened when she picked up on the fear and distress coming from her mate. "Oh, I didn't think of that. Well, if it's not something you want, then we'll change it. It's not the first prophecy we've been up against and changed."

He forced a smile. "You're right, pet. We'll figure it out when it comes around. No sense worrying about it 'til then."

"Are you sure you're alright? I was gonna go find Riley and do the breakup thing, but if you want me to stay-"

"No, that's okay. You go ahead. I'll just chat with the watcher for a bit." He rubbed his hands down her arms soothingly.

"Okay, I'll be back as soon as I can," she said, giving him a friendly kiss on the cheek before rushing out the door.

As soon as the door clicked behind the exiting slayer the two men shared a look.

"Should I break out the liquor?" the watcher asked. He could tell that the vampire was upset about something but unsure what.

"Nah, better not, mate. You and I tend to get in trouble when we get sloshed," he joked though his face still showed signs of tension.

Giles moved to the dining table and sat down, waiting until his companion to decided to speak. He smiled kindly when the vampire started to pace, seemingly arguing with himself about what to say.

"It's just that…when I was human...bloody hell, I'm just gonna say it! I was such a loser that I would have made Harris look like a babe magnet," he spoke so harshly that Giles lifted a brow in protest.

"I'm sure that's not quite true. We have a way of only seeing our faults, are you sure that's not the case here?"

The vampire stopped his pacing to stare the watcher, "Trust me, Watcher; I was a right ponce. A wimpy little fool with nothing on his brain but flowery prose and rushing home to his mum."

"That's all in the past. I'm having trouble seeing why this is troubling you now?"

Spike threw out his hands beseechingly for understanding, "What if I do turn human? What if I turn human and turn back into that insipid little twit?"

Understanding dawned on the watcher's face and he sat for a moment contemplating the vamps fears. "Well, look at the bright side, maybe it will happen to Angel."

The vampire snorted, "You're kidding right? A womanizing, stealing, boozing, lay about. You think that's a good idea?"

"Oh, good Lord, he gets worse?"

"Yeah. Look, when the slayer gets back, tell her I went to wait at the crypt. If I'm gonna brood, I'd rather it be in private," he muttered as the door closed behind him and he broke into a run for the sewer.

~*~*~

The slayer could feel the anxiety coming from her mate, but she had her own problems to deal with just then. She had been standing in the burnt out hallway for several minutes trying to work up the courage to do what she had came for. What she had to do. What she wanted to do. If only she could get her feet to move.

Come on Buffy. You can do this. Just think of it as a demon. The relationship is just a big, icky demon that needs to be gotten rid of, and if it ends badly he won't remember it tomorrow anyway. She squared her shoulders, eyes narrowed into a glare, she stepped through the doorway.

The startled soldier jumped to his feet. "Buffy, hey! I didn't know you were back yet."

"Oh, I just got back in this morning. Has Xander been by yet?"

"Huh? Oh, no, not yet. He's supposed to bring me some clothes though, so I can get my fatigues washed."

"Oh, good...I mean good that he's bringing you clothes." Or you know, not been by to run his mouth about my sex life, she thought sourly. Concentrate Buffy.

"So, how was LA?"

"Enlightening." She shrugged before wrapping her arms around herself in a defensive stance.

"Just enlightening?"

"Look, Riley, I didn't come here to talk about my trip. Some things have happened, in fact they've been happening, and I just need to work them out on my own for a while." She couldn't seem to bring her eyes up to look at him.

He looked confused for a moment as if trying to understand her words, "For how long of a while?"

"A long while," she almost whispered.

Suddenly he inhaled sharply as realization set in. "You're breaking up with me?"

"I wouldn't really call it-" Suck it up Summers, her inner voice sneered. You're the slayer, you can do this. "Yes, Riley. I think we should break up."

"Why? Was it something I did? After everything I just walked away from...and you wait until now to do this? What? Was this all some kind of game to you?"

"How could you even ask that? Of course not!" She couldn't believe he would even think that.

"Then what? ‘Cause I'm having a hard time understanding what's going on here."

"Things have changed for me. I've realized things about myself that I never even considered before. You were what I thought I needed to be normal, to have what everyone else has. But I figured something out; I'm not normal. I'll never be normal." She paused for a moment letting her words sink in. "And that's okay. I'm okay with it now. Normal passed me by the day I staked my first vamp. I know now that I could never settle for normal. I'm sorry."

"I thought what we had was special? And in case you hadn't noticed, I'm not exactly Joe Normal myself."

"I wanted it to be special Riley, but it just wasn't there for me, not like it was for you. And you'll find a girl, someone who needs a big strong guy to take care of her, and that you'll love to take care of, but it's just not me."

He grabbed her by the arms forcefully. "I'm not gonna let you throw us away."

Her eyes teared in sympathy for the upset man before she broke his hold, using a bit more force than necessary, hoping the show of strength would help him understand their differences more.

"Goodbye, Riley," she said as she turned away. Even with the ache of causing someone else pain, she felt lighter than she had in months.

She had just exited the decimated building when she met Xander carrying a backpack that she knew was stuffed with colorful clothes.

"Hey, Buffster, did you and Riley make with the big reunion?" the brunette asked, a big grin on his face.

"Not exactly, Xan. Riley and I...we broke up."

"Wha? Huh? Why?" His eyes widened in shock.

"He just wasn't the one, Xan, and I didn't want to string him along by letting him think he was. It wasn't fair to either of us," she explained trying to patient and remind herself that her friends hadn't been in on the last few weeks of changes.

"But things were so perfect. You guys were so good together. He was the great normal guy you've been looking for," he argued.

"Things really haven't been that perfect and I've may have been acting so happy to overcompensate for the big lack of happiness," Buffy admitted, hoping her friend would try to understand. "Normal just isn't what it's cracked up to be. I guess slayers and normal are just un-mixy."

"B-but you wanted normal. You said it yourself, like, a dozen times."

"Why would I want to settle for normal when I could have great...or extraordinary, why should I settle for less then that?" she said, fighting the tears that threatened. "Don't I deserve that in what's left of my short pathetic life while I wait for death to come pounding on my door?"

Xander shook his head, trying to figure out where this had all come from, "Is this about seeing Angel again?"

"God, no, it has nothing to do with Angel. Our reunion was not a happy one, and I can't see either one of us looking forward to spending much time around the other for quite a while."

"Look, Xan. I don't feel like rehashing the whole thing right now and I've got somewhere I really need to be. I'll talk to you later okay?"

Xander watched as she walked away wondering what exactly had happened in LA to make Buffy turn her whole life upside down in an instant. Long after she rounded the corner and he'd lost sight of her he stood there, trying to make sense of it all.

~*~*~

"I'm telling you, it's Angel! It has to be. She runs off to LA and comes back all, 'Normal is so overrated and slayers don't do normal'. He's filled her head with all his pitiful puppy dog pouty looks and oh-so-tortured soul act and messed with her mind."

"You really think this is about Angel?" the soldier asked, bewildered. He was still trying to figure out where things had gone wrong.

"Oh, I know it is! The big 'ol blood sucker just loves to play with her head, soul or no soul," Xander ranted, all the old wounds and hurt over Angels role in their lives coming back in a rush.

"Yeah, that's some curse he's got."

"One moment's happiness."

Riley jerked his head up to stare at the brunette. "What do you mean?"

"You know; it's his trigger. Angel's okay if he's mopey and sad and brooding, but if you give him even one second of pure, real pleasure-" Xander explained his hands moving in agitation as he talked.

"And that sets him off."

"Only in the big ol ‘kill your friends’ kind of way. And you know what makes Angel happiest? I'll give you a hint. It’s not crème brulee," he added derisively.

"Buffy," the AWOL soldier said before the picture he was being painted become clear and he added haltingly, "Sex with Buffy."

"She kind of left that part out, huh?"

"Yeah, she did. That explains a lot of things that I wish weren't explained. You don't think they-" he asked suddenly, he thoughts taking a new direction.

Xander reeled back in horror, "What? No! Of course not, cause then Angel would have went all Angelus, and trust me, Buffy would not do that."

"She did it once."

~*~*~


The slayer let herself into the crypt quietly. Thankfully, days of waking here had helped her to learn the layout and she navigated the poorly lit upper level with ease. Moving to the ladder, she could see the lights burning brightly below. She took a deep breath and released it before descending, unsure exactly what was going to happen next.

Turning slowly, she could see that he had tidied the place up a bit. Things had been picked up off the floor, dozens of candles were lit, and the bed was made. She was touched that he had made an effort to clean things up for her. The only thing missing was...Spike.

The sound of stone and metal scraping had her turning around quickly. The sight of her mate coming through the sewer entrance had her relaxing immediately. "There you are. I was wondering where you ran off to."

He held out a bag self-consciously. "Thought you might want something to eat. I figured it might have been a while since you ate."

"Oh, Chinese. Yum," she cried excitedly snatching the bag from his hand and spreading the cartons of food out onto the dresser. "I actually grabbed a muffin on the way to Giles' this morning, but that's been like...four hours ago.

"Try three," he grinned watching her dive into the food.

She blushed, halting the fork hovering in front of her, before she mumbled, "Slayer metabolism," and shoved the food into her mouth.

They ate slowly, teasing and offering bites to each other from the different cartons. It was all just so...normal, she thought. Thinking back to her conversation with Xander, she realized that this was normal for her, or as close as she was going to get. Sitting on the bed, eating Chinese food with her vampire boyfriend who was hopefully about to make with some serious lovin's. Yup, this was as close to normal as she wanted to be.

After the food finished and cleaned up, the slayer found herself nervous again. He sat on the bed beside her and at his whispered, ‘come here, pet’, she eagerly fell into his embrace.

Buffy hid her face in his shoulder as she confessed, "I-I'm not sure what to do."

He grinned as he brushed a kiss across her forehead, "Just do what feels good, sweets."

She leaned up to kiss him hesitantly. Their first non-spell, non-denial, and non-injury inducing kiss. And it was bliss. His lips were so soft, moving gently against hers.

Buffy trembled under the pressure of his kiss. His hands moved to her arms, caressing her skin. That's when she felt it…the slight tremor of his hands that let her know that he was as affected as she was.

She broke away to look into his blue eyes that gazed back at her with a wealth of emotion. Tenderness, excitement, fear, all held a place in his expressive features. She reached out to stroke his cheek with her fingertips, wanting to sooth his anxiety away even as she felt her own apprehension building. She wasn't very experienced in the art of seduction. What if I screw it all up?, she stressed silently.

Spike could feel her nervousness through the bond. Slowly now. Don't screw this up, he chanted to himself. He wanted so much to bury himself within her, to take her and claim her as his in all ways, not just from dream claims, but here…now…always. He had to remind himself that she had only known a few lovers, and what a sorry lot they were, too.

"Just take it easy, luv. We'll take it slow, only what you're comfortable with. We've got time enough for the rest later." His voice was warm and soothing as his hands rubbed teasingly along her shoulders. Sliding his hands down to her waist, he pulled her closer, needing to feel her against him.

Pressed against his hard chest, she sighed, her body melting into his. She was right where she wanted to be...finally. She moved tentatively, wetting her lips before exploring his jaw and throat with her tongue, feeling heat rush through her body when he moaned at the contact.

Emboldened, she moved herself to straddle his lap, grinning when he gasped as she settled her body tight against his. His hands slipped beneath her shirt and it was her turn to gasp for air when his cool fingers made contact with her overheated skin. Throwing her head back, she arched when he licked and sucked his way down her neck. "God pet, you're bloody gorgeous, you are."

She leaned back a bit, putting some space between them, and he wondered if he shouldn't have kept his mouth shut. He grinned when she reached for the hem of his shirt and hurriedly stripped it off, tossing it uncaringly across the room. With an impish smile and a few quick moves, her own top sailed after his.

Spike’s eyes drank her in, widening in appreciation as he got his first look at what lay beneath the fashionable clothing. Her pert breasts where encased in a lacy bra, and he couldn't help but hope that her knickers would match. Her hardened nipples strained against the fabric and he reached out to tease them lightly with his fingertips, fascinated as they tightened even more.

She reached behind her, and unfastened the clasp, her eyes never leaving his as the straps slid down her shoulders. Spike swallowed hard as the cups slipped a bit and she crossed her arms to remove the lace barrier completely.

At his first view of her luscious breasts, he couldn't control his desire any longer. Grasping her waist, he rolled until she was beneath him. Buffy pouted at the role reversal until his lips latched reverently onto one pink nipple and drew it into his mouth.

Her head pushed back into the pillows and she gasped as he worked his way down her body, stopping to dip his tongue into her bellybutton playfully. The button at her waist gave way and the zipper was lowered before she had a chance to react. Spike slid the jeans partially off her hips to expose the matching lace he had hoped for. His lustful eyes rose to clash with hers and he swore that if his heart wasn't already silent, it would have stopped at the sight of his nearly naked mate writhing in his bed.

Still, he paused, needing reassurance that this is what she wanted. "Buffy, are you sure, pet?"

She raised her head to give him an incredulous look. "What? Spike, if you stop now, I will stake you!"

He chuckled at her threat. "Always quick with the violence, aren't ya?"

Her jeans were gone in the blink of an eye, the heavy fabric replaced with his hands and lips, which seemed to be everywhere at once as he adulated her sensitized skin. His thumbs slipped under the straps of her tiny panties, pulling them down to bare her fully to his heated gaze. He growled softly, his voice just barely loud enough to hear, "Mine".

His possessive rumble reminded her of the erotic dream in which she had received her mating bite and caused a rush of excitement to shudder through her body. Buffy squirmed as his fingers skimmed over her mound, dipping skillfully into the moist folds down to graze her throbbing clit. A ragged moan tumbled from her lips and she arched pleadingly into his teasing strokes.

The panties gave way with a hard tug. Her faint cry of protest changed to one of pleasure the instant he lowered his head. Her eyes flew open wide as his tongue swept over her from bottom to top before swirling in lazy circles around her nubbin.

Buffy’s fingers clutched at the bedding as he changed his pace and angle, alternately sucking and nipping at her clit, his talented tongue dragging soft, needy cries from her throat.

Encouraged by her breathless moans, Spike slipped a finger inside her wet sheath. The heat was incredible; he had never felt anything like it before. He added a second digit, stroking rhythmically as his free hand slid over her flat stomach to hold down her bucking hips.

Her fingers tunneled deep into his hair as he buried his face in her throbbing center. When his fingers curled, reaching for that spongy center that was sure to send her over the edge, she could feel his touch through her entire body. Buffy came hard, screaming his name as her orgasm swept over her in a dizzying rush.

Buffy lay unmoving, the blissful sensations still humming through her body. Awareness slowly crept back in and she raised her head abruptly, staring down at the smirking vampire between her legs. "Oh, my God... no one's ever...and wow," she rambled. “But, you didn't...”

"Shh, pet. We've got the whole rest of the day," Spike said as he moved up her body, nipping and sucking as he went. And every day after.

~*~*~

Angel left the alley with a slight limp where he had been just a tad too slow to avoid the taser that had grazed his leg. He didn't understand why the solider came after him and he was in no shape to answer any questions now. He knew that Buffy would never have sent him, but he wondered if she might have said something to caused the boy to overreact.

Angel remembered him from the visit on Thanksgiving. His face had been etched in his thoughts since, haunting his dreams. No, not dreams, but nightmares; waking in cold sweats after visions of the boy and Buffy settled in a nice suburban home complete with picket fence. He tried to remind himself that the whole reason he left was to allow Buffy that type of life, but it still stung to know she had moved on.

He had sensed the bite right away, still unsure why it was there, but every time he tried to reason with the commando, he would rush him. The broody vamp had to fight the pull of the bite that was demanding retribution, calling him to drain the boy dry.

He paused at the first building, leaning against it heavily. He had planned to go to Sunnydale, to apologize for the harsh words that had been exchanged, but with the body of her boyfriend lying bloody and broken in the stench-filled alley, he didn't think that was such a good idea. He was sure that if the boy made it back to Sunnydale that he was in for another visit from a very pissed slayer. Maybe it would be better to lay low for a while.

He was tempted to walk away and not look back; knowing another creature of the night would come by and finish the job that he had started. They would be drawn there by the smell of freshly spilled blood and chances were the body might not even be recovered.

Sighing heavily he moved down the street to the payphone at the corner to place the anonymous 911 call. Sometimes being a champion and doing the right thing was a pain in the ass.

~*~*~

The two blonds snuggled together, wrapped tight in the cover and each others arms. Spike woke first, inhaling his mates scent deep before nuzzling her neck tenderly.

"Hmm, lips of Spike," she murmured happily, almost giddy at finding herself waking to the delicious sensations. Awareness set in and she pushed him away quickly, not realizing how close to the edge of the bed they were. She cringed when she heard his yelp as he landed hard on the floor.

"Bloody hell! What the kind of good morning was that?" Spike groused glaring over the side of the bed at her.

"No kissing. No making out until I break up with Riley first."

“But pet, you broke up with him yesterday," the vamp whined.

"It's the right thing to do, Spike," she said as she got out of the bed.

"Right for who? Not for me. I'm evil. I don't mind a bit of pre-breakup snogging. Really!" he tried to convince her as she started up the ladder.

Day 17

The two blonds snuggled together wrapped tight in the cover and each others arms. Spike woke first, inhaling his mates scent deep before nuzzling her neck tenderly.

"Hmm, lips of Spike," she murmured happily. Almost giddy finding herself waking to the delicious sensations. Realization set in and she pushed him away quickly, not knowing how close to the edge of the bed they were, cringing when she heard his yelp when he landed hard on the floor.

"What the bloody hell kind of good morning was that?" Spike groused glaring over the side of the bed at her.

"No kissing, no making out until I break up with Riley first."

But pet you broke up with him yesterday," the vamp whined.

"It's the right thing to do, Spike," she said as she got out of the bed.

"Right for who? Not for me. I'm evil. I don't mind a bit of pre-breakup snogging. Really!" he tried to convince her as she started up the ladder.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike glanced over at Buffy, who sat on her side of the Desoto chewing her lip. He could tell she'd been highly distracted since she got back from her breakup talk with Captain Cardboard. Spike knew he could have invaded her mind to find out why, but he didn't think she'd be too happy if he did that, and he didn't want to spend the day with a brassed off Slayer.

"Pet, tell me what's got you in a lather?"

"Uh, what?" Buffy turned to stare at the vampire. She then realized what he had said. "Oh, Riley was acting odd this morning."

"You mean odder than usual, Slayer?" Spike chuckled when Buffy grimaced at him.

"Well, odd for Riley, anyway," Buffy muttered. "He was sweaty, paranoid, and kept rubbing his neck." She scrunched her forehead in thought. "Giles mentioned that Riley had run-in with Angel the day you were dusted. You don't think...?" Buffy rubbed the marks on her own neck that were tingling ferociously.

"Yeah, it's possible." Spike rubbed his own neck. "There are bites beyond the feeding/siring bites and the mating bite. Ones that either the wankers don't know about or are unwillin' to write down."

"What kind?" Buffy felt like she should be taking notes for Giles, and she giggled at the thought. She covered her mouth as she waved Spike on.

"Tell me the difference between the feedin' and the mating bite, Slayer."

"Um, during the bites in the dream, there were certain words we both said. 'Mine' and 'yours'." Buffy searched her memories carefully. "Feeding is just chowing down, right?"

"Yeah, that's right." Spike pulled up to the curb in front of Pete's shop. "The words are important. That and the blood exchange are very important. It's always got to be the blood." He grabbed the blanket from the back seat.

"Are we friends, Spike?" Buffy looked down at her hands. She laced her fingers together in an attempt to keep them still.

"Of course, pet. Why do you ask?" Spike turned to look at his mate. He could feel the worry pouring through the claim. He hoped that she hadn't suddenly decided to change her mind about their relationship, especially now that he'd accepted his feeling towards her.

"Because you said Angel and I could never be friends. That we'd kill each other first." Buffy chuckled in memory. "I broke up with him that day, you know. Then the relationship did the slow dance to the death for another six months until he told me right before the prom that we were a freak show. He left right after we took care of the Mayor's Ascension."

"'ve heard tales of that one."

"Yep, he turned into a big snake, ate Principal Snyder, and I blew up the high school," Buffy muttered. "All in a day's work for a slayer."

"Now, back to your question, luv." Spike slid across the seat towards Buffy and pulled her into his arms. Once her head was tucked under his chin he whispered, "'M not sure Peaches will ever be anyone's friend. Liam was a user, Angelus was a manipulator, and from what I've seen Angel uses both to his best advantage, all the while making the rest of you feel sorry for him."

"But..."

"Slayer, Angelus talked, and he wasn't at all kind." Spike tightened his grip on his mate. "He played on your youthful romanticism by being the tall and dark and popping up every once in a while with the cryptic messages. He made himself purposely forbidden to you, knowing you wouldn't resist. He joked at how easily you fell for his whole routine."

"Angelus is an asshole," Buffy grumbled. "If I could stake him without killing Angel, I would." When Spike flinched, Buffy leaned back to stare at his face. "Now I didn't say that about you! So, whatever you're thinking, you can unthink it right now."

"I-I wasn't thinking anything," Spike protested.

"I saw you flinch and I can feel it through the claim, Spike. So, don't be going all denial boy on me." Buffy pressed her face back into his neck, and blew air across her mark on his skin. She was pleased when he shivered in pleasure. "I've thought a great many nasty things about you over the years, but I've never thought of you as anything like Angelus, even when you were evil."

"What do you mean 'when I was evil'?" Spike grumbled indignantly. "I'm just as evil as I ever was."

"Are you still planning on me being your third Slayer?"

"What? Hell, no," Spike exclaimed in horror. Then his facial expression turned to a smirking leer. "You're my one and only slayer now, luv."

"And don't you forget it, buster," Buffy snarked. "Now get your blanket and I'll go hold the door open for you." She carefully hopped out of the Desoto to run to the front door of Pete's shop. Like their previous visit, she held the door open until her vampire had leaped from the car covered with his blanket.

"Ah, back so soon," Pete announced. He chuckled when the Slayer and her vampire whirled to stare at him. "My, my, you both are looking as lovely as ever." He took a puff off his pipe.

"So, you remember us, then?" Spike decided to play it cool, but the dreamy look on the gnomes face made the vampire wonder what he was smoking.

"Of course, I do." Pete harumphed. "Did you think I would allow such knowledge to disappear after I met you the first time? What kind of Mage do you take me for, Lord Jamison?"

"I told you before the name's Spike," the vampire growled. He could feel Buffy's interest in why the Mage continued to call him by that soddin' title.

"Okay, hold on there." Buffy put her fists on her hips. "What the hell is all this Lord Jamison crap?" She pressed lips while she eyed Spike.

"Not now, luv. Later in the car I'll tell you everything." Spike hoped he could put off the Slayer's sudden interest in his human days. He was a bit scared that if she found out he was a poetry-loving ponce she'd laugh herself to death.

"No, now! Quit stalling!"

"You're gonna be a bloody nag until I tell you, aren't you?" Spike huffed. "William was a wanker with just enough money to be independent, but not enough to be taken seriously. His father was the Lord of Chesterfield, making William Lord Jamison. When I died, the title jumped to an obscure line of cousins by the last name of Cuthbert."

"Now that you got that fine explanation out of the way, may inquire why you visited me again?" Pete asked. He waved away the smoke that curled up into his face.

"Um, yeah, we found this prophecy thingie." Buffy pulled out the piece of paper that Giles had given her with the translation on it and handed it to Pete.

Pete opened the folded piece of paper. "Hmmm, yes. Interesting. Very interesting. I may know something about this prophecy of yours. A rumor I've heard lately from the heart of the Wolf, the Ram and the Hart." He jumped to his feet and carefully skirted the items on the countertop as he made his way to the telephone. Pete waved Spike and Buffy towards the table and chairs that they'd sat during their first visit. Much to the surprise of both Spike and Buffy, when Pete got off the phone, he levitated himself to a chair next to them at the table.

"Um, wow. That's a neat trick," Buffy blurted out.

"I don't do tricks. I bend the laws of nature to my will. You will find that everything can bend. The key is not bending it so much it breaks." Pete settled in his chair.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything bad. It's just that Willow is still working on levitating a fork." Buffy felt bad about what she had said before. It seemed like every time she came to this store she managed to put her foot in her mouth.

"It's alright my dear. As the slayer, you face many black and white situations. The shades of grey are hard to see, but you will learn in time. I'm sure your mate will help you with that." The old man smirked kindly and turned his attention to Spike. "Now to the matter at hand, this prophecy of yours....I'm sure it is you that is described in the text."

"Bugger," the blond vampire spat out, throwing himself back into the chair. He crossed his arms in front of him and a decidedly childish pout crossed his face.

The old man chuckled at the vamp's antics. "I take it that you were hoping for a different answer?"

"Bloody right. What if I don't wanna be human again? Let the poofter be human. Some old bloke gets a wild hair a millenium ago and suddenly I lose my right to choose?"

"There are always choices, Lord Jamison. Sometimes, it feels it's out of our hands." Pete settled into his chair. "Take Miss Summers here. If she had decided to turn her back on her calling when Miss Kendra showed up, where do you think we'd be right now?"

"We'd all be in whatever hell Acathla would have spewed forth," Spike said sarcastically. "Although I'm sure I would've tracked Buffy down and dragged her back kicking and screaming to do her duty."

"Anytime you think you're big enough," Buffy teased playfully. Under the table, she used one finger to draw random patterns on his thigh, and she was delighted when she saw him shiver with desire.

"Oh, I'm big enough and bad enough, pet. Don't you forget it."

The old man took in the sight of the two great powers in front of him teasing each other, the innuendo's flying, "Ahh, to be young and in love."

"I'll have you know that I'm 151 years old, Mate. Not exactly a spring chicken," Spike growled indignantly while Buffy blushed profusely. They hadn't said the words yet, even though they were both having intense feelings of said emotion.

"A drop in the bucket for an old timer like myself, lad," Pete said. "Now, I've seen many, many things in the millennia that stretch behind me, but I've never seen a vampire acquire his soul willingly. Angelus isn't the first cursed vampire; he's just the only one not to dust himself come the next sunrise." The gnome tutted at this.

"So, Angel's not as unique as he likes to think?" Buffy asked.

"He always was a Wendy Whiner," Spike muttered.

"Shouldn't that be Wayne Whiner?" Buffy spluttered with laughter. When Spike curled his tongue behind his teeth and arched his eyebrow at her, she playfully smacked him on the shoulder.

Pete chuckled at the antics of the vampire and his slayer. It had been many a season since he'd been in the presence of such radiant love and affection. It surely reminded him of when he and his Junia had been younger. Pete cleared his throat to get Spike and Buffy's attention before he continued on about the prophecy.

"When the Shanshu prophecy was first foretold, there was a great debate as to its exact meaning," Pete said. "In rare instances, not only does the word shanshu mean life and death, it can also mean birth."

"Birth?" Buffy blanched. "I don't think I'm ready for babies any more than Spike is eager to be human."

"Choices, my dear." Pete patted Buffy's hand. "Remember; there are always choices. It may be many long years before you have to deal with this. You think you know what's to come, but there are always choices, Slayer."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

After leaving Pete, Spike and Buffy found a hotel with an underground parking garage. They spent the day held up in the honeymoon suite ordering food from room service and testing out the hot tub. When night finally fell, they fell into the big, soft bed, tired from all their love play. The vampire and the Slayer curled up together like two lovebirds in a nest.

The next morning, Spike cuddled up behind his sleepy mate. His hand crept up under her shirt to caress her lace covered breast. He teased the nipple into hardness, making Buffy arch her head back against him in pleasure. Spike was quite pleased with the small moan that slipped from between her lips.

"Stop that, Spike," Buffy groaned. "I have to break up with Riley first."

Spike blew cool air across the bite mark on the Slayer's neck. "Well you'd better hurry up, luv, before I rip your knickers down and have my wicked way with you."

Day 18

The next morning, Spike cuddled up behind his sleepy mate. His hand crept up under her shirt to caress her lace covered breast. He teased the nipple into hardness, making Buffy arch her head back against him in pleasure. Spike was quite pleased with the small moan that slipped from between her lips.
“Stop that, Spike,” Buffy groaned. “I have to break up with Riley first.”

Spike blew cool air across the bite mark on the Slayer's neck. “Well you'd better hurry up, luv, before I rip your knickers down and have my wicked way with you.”

‘Wicked’s good,’ Buffy thought fleetingly before a voice that sounded suspiciously like Willow echoed through her mind, reminding her that she would be cheating.

Grumbling in disgust at the sacrifices she was forced to make in the name of ‘Good’, the petite blond forced herself to move away from the skrummy vampire with the rock hard abs and the oh so soft lips that were doing delicious things to her neck. It was days like this that being the Chosen One sucked with a severity.
“So what are you gonna be doing while I’m doing the big nasty break-up scene?” Buffy asked as she moved to put some distance between her and her enticing mate.

“We need his serial number, pet,” Spike reminded her as he pulled on his jeans, hoping that she wouldn’t give him a hard time about his own plans for the morning. “I’ll get the discs then head over to the watcher’s place and we’ll let Red know what’s goin’ on.”

Nodding her agreement, Buffy forced herself to leave. As much as she hated that he would be facing Adam alone, she had to admit that he’d already done it successfully once – she needed to believe that this time would be no different.

~*~*~

“What do you mean you’re breaking up with me? I gave up everything for you. My Career, my future. I went AWOL for you, Buffy. At best I can look forward to a dishonourable discharge; at worst – jail time. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?” Riley bellowed in fury.

“Yes, Riley, it does mean something to me. It means that you didn’t do it because it was the right thing or because you thought what they were doing was wrong. You only did it because of me and I’m sorry but I can’t be with someone that can’t see the difference.” Buffy turned from the agitated ex-commando only to face her long time friend.

Xander met her eyes and smiled compassionately. He hated it, but he had to agree with her.

~*~*~

When Buffy breezed into her watcher’s apartment, she was just in time to hear Willow dejectedly ask if the code was available.

“Yup,” Buffy chirped happily as she pulled out a slip of paper from her pocket. “One nine digit serial code direct from a mouthy horse.”

Willow cast a confused glance over at the two snickering Brits before turning back to her laptop and the code her friend was waiting to give her. She was never going to understand British humour.

With the entry of the code, the disc started decrypting automatically and it didn’t take long for the group to learn the full horror of Adams plan. Thankfully, when they looked at the time table Adam had set up, they realised they would have time to worry about it after the day had been broken. A joint set of tingles confirmed this observation.

“If I’m understanding this correctly, the day is looping and you’re going to try and break the loop tomorrow. But I’m not going to remember today tomorrow, so we’re gonna have to go through all this again then or soon after, right?” Willow asked slowly, her mind racing through all the possible scenarios. When Buffy confirmed her supposition, she continued with her train of thought. “Then instead of me going through these discs now, wouldn’t it be better if I help with the finding of the spell to deactivate Riley’s chip? ‘Cause you’ll need it tomorrow, right?”

“Excellent idea, Willow. While you help me locate the correct spell, Buffy and Spike can plan out the rest of their day.” Giles said decisively. He knew the end of the spell was in sight and he welcomed it whole heartedly, but the small kernel of fear that continued to eat at him was the knowledge that his slayer and her vampire might suffer if the talisman was not located swiftly. He knew how insecure they both were and he was terribly afraid that if they continued to be linked by magic either one or both of them may start doubting the validity of their feelings for each other. He prayed to whoever was listening that the talisman would not be difficult to find.

Giles picked up the first book in the pile he had set on the dining table and started reading. For now, it was the only thing he could do.

Spike grabbed a pad and pen and took a seat on the couch angling himself so that he could face his mate, their knees touching. He hated that he couldn’t hold her on his lap as they worked, but as Willow hadn’t been told about their relationship yet, they needed to keep a distance between them for the time being. He wanted to curse both Red and Dru for putting him in this bloody position, but then he also wanted to kiss them both for the part they played in getting Buffy and him together. Mostly, he just wanted to snog his mate.

“So, we um, make a list of what needs to be done and then we work out who does what?” Buffy asked quietly, silently wondering if she should just take Willow aside and let her know about the whole mate-y bit. It would take valuable time away from the plotting and consequently the very private boyfriend time she planned on enjoying as soon as they were finished here. But it would also mean that she wouldn’t have to wait until they were out of sight before enjoying a little snugly goodness from said boyfriend. It was a hard choice - snuggle now or more private time later. A quick glance at her oh so gorgeous mate gave her another idea completely; a really wicked, evil idea.
Oh, Spike would be so proud.

“Sounds like a plan, luv,” Spike readily agreed.

As the vampire got to work, so did Buffy.

Concentrating, she watched him surreptitiously for a sign that it was working.
The slight trembling of his hand as he tried to write was her first indication.

Shocked blue eyes met sparkling green as the realisation of what she was doing hit him with full force. Bloody bint was using the claim to send him naughty images. Spike grinned in admiration. So that was the game she wanted to play, was it? Oh yes, two could play that game. Silly chit was in for the surprise of her life.

Handing her the note pad, Spike smiled innocently. “I think that’s it, slayer.” Matching tingles confirmed his opinion.

Buffy looked down at the note pad. In beautifully flowing script he had listed the factors they needed to fix.

· The discs
· The chips
· The dumping of the Giant Hall Monitor (as painfully as possible)
· The stupid soldier-boy in the woods
· The twerp from the magic shop and maybe his annoying little mate
· Glinda
· Red
· The Whelp
· All to be topped off with a celebratory snog and shag session – clothing optional but not necessary.

As Buffy read the last item on the list, a barrage of images assaulted her.

Images and sensations flashed through her mind, moisture soaked her panties instantly. One look at the smug smile on the face of her mate had her reacting automatically. Her evil plan was coming to fruition.

Spike’s head shot up in horror as the image she sent him flashed into his mind. “Oy, Slayer – that’s just bloody evil,” he hissed, ever mindful that they were not alone. The image of Joyce standing over him like an avenging Valkyrie, axe in hand, as he lay naked and vulnerable in bed with his equally naked mate still firmly planted in his mind.

Evil little wench was gonna pay for that one!

Buffy innocently batted her eyelashes at him.

“So, who does what?” She continued on with the planning session as if nothing had happened. “Giles gets Willow here and explains about the looping day and the need for the chipectomy. You get the discs while I have ‘the talk’ with Willow. I go save Forrest while you and Willow talk to Tara and Giles talks to Jonathan and maybe Andrew. Then I go get Riley, you leave then sneak back in so you can get your chip deactivated without us having to waste time with the explanations first. Willow can decrypt the discs. You talk to Xander while I dump and get rid of Riley, then I go sleep at my mom’s to make sure the loop is broken and we all meet back here the next day.”

“Wait, what do you mean I talk to Harris? And since when are you sleeping at your mum’s?” Spike pouted unhappily. He really wasn’t liking this plan at all. “We could leave my cup and your stake here, and if they’re not at the crypt in the mornin’ we’ll know the loop’s broken,” he offered his own suggestion, at least his way meant there was more chance of a proper kiss good morning.

Smiling in commiseration, she grasped his hand. “It’s the best way, Spike. There’s no guarantee that the cup and stake will follow us to the crypt and I need to know for sure that I’m not cheating. I don’t want to bring that sort of guilt into our relationship. Do you know what I mean?”

Sighing deeply, the vampire nodded in agreement. “Yeah, luv, I get you. Doesn’t mean I’m happy about it, but I can see where you’re comin’ from.”

“And as to Xander, you’re still the best one for that job and at least now you have some idea about what to say.”

Spiked huffed dejectedly, the next day was shaping up to be a bloody long one at that.

~*~*~

“Giles,” Willow said cautiously, her excitement barely contained. “Are you set on deactivating, or can we go straight for removal?”

“What have you found, Willow?” the watcher inquired hopefully.

Passing over the book she had been reading, Willow pointed to the spell she had discovered.

As Giles read, he could feel his excitement level escalating. The spell exceeded his expectations. The option of removing the chip was far more appealing than just deactivating it. Deactivation could lead to reactivation and he didn’t want his friend to suffer any more than he already had. While it was true that the chip had had its uses in the beginning, Giles was firmly of the opinion that the damned thing had outlived its usefulness. Although, he internally cautioned himself, it would still be wise to keep the removal of Spike’s chip on a need-to-know basis. He didn’t care one way or the other about the ex-commando and his chip; as far as Giles was concerned removing Riley’s chip was just a diversion that was required to successfully remove Spike’s.

“It’s perfect, Willow. Well done.”

A loud knock at the door interrupted the witch’s preening.

“Agent Finn,” Giles greeted the ex-soldier stoically. He was neither welcoming nor aggressive.

“Oh bloody hell!” Spike interjected, throwing his arms up in frustration. They didn’t need this. Things were already complicated enough as it was. “I’m gonna kill Peaches.”

“Why? What’s he done now, Spike?” the Slayer demanded.

Pointing a finger towards the door and subsequently the ex-soldier, Spike faced his mate as he spoke. “The wanker’s been given an Aurelian Death Mark, Slayer. The poof’s marked him for retribution by the clan.”

“Oh, crap.”

It had taken them a while to get through to Riley that going after Angel wouldn’t help him. His jealous paranoia had him demanding they dust Spike on the spot as he told them it was clearly all the vampire’s fault to begin with.

“How the bloody hell is it my fault? You attacked me, you wanker,” Spike cried out indignantly.

“Quiet right!” Giles agreed in cold fury. “You not only attacked one of the Slayer’s allies, you recklessly endangered a plan that the Slayer had instigated in an effort to defeat the monster that your organisation created. The Slayer, I might add, that is not only one of the best and longest lived slayers of all time, and she is also the only one capable of cleaning up the bloody mess that the Initiative’s murderous beast has made. You attacked an individual that could not fight back. You based your judgement on the questionable teachings of a fool who was killed because of her own hubris and ignorance and now you have the unmitigated gall to try and place the blame for the consequences of your despicable actions on your victim? You, sir, are a coward, a bully, and you have no honour.”

“He’s. A. Vampire!” Riley spat out in disgust. “You know…the things you’re supposed to kill? He doesn’t deserve to walk the same earth as Buffy, let alone be in the same room. You call it an ally? Are you insane? It’s just waiting for a chance to kill you all. You can’t trust it!”

“How dare you presume to tell us our job! You know nothing, you ignorant little pillock. He’s not the monster – you are. Now get out of my home,” Ripper snarled at the ex-commando then stormed to the door and opened it, waiting for the belligerent brunette to pass him. “Oh, and a word of warning, Agent Finn, go after Spike again and it’s not Drusilla you will need to worry about.”

Closing the door in the face of the furious fool, Giles gave Buffy a hard look. “If Drusilla manages to kill that sanctimonious little prat – I’m sending her flowers!”

~*~*~

Angel watched as Buffy and Spike left the watcher’s apartment complex. He wanted to follow, find out what was going on, why Spike was with her and a million other questions that he was struggling to voice, but a fear such as he’d never known left him quaking and unable to move. He tried to convince himself that he was more likely to get the answers he wanted from Giles than the two blondes anyway, and that was the reason he wasn’t following them. He was only marginally successful.

Forcing himself to move forward, he directed his footsteps towards the watcher’s door. He paused slightly before lifting his hand to knock. Why the hell had he come here again?

Giles opened the door, still fuming at Riley’s stubborn insistence of clinging to what Maggie Walsh had taught him. Finding Angel at his door made Ripper smile in anticipation; a new target had been acquired.

Angel felt his panic rise as he made note of the predatory gleam in Giles’ eyes. He froze, suddenly terrified beyond measure. He watched as the stake found its way unerringly to his heart. His last conscious thought - ‘I should have stayed away from this damn town’.

“I am going to miss this so much!”

~*~*~

As they walked towards Spike’s crypt, Buffy thought about all that they had been through together. It amazed her that all it had taken from both of them to start a friendship was a little honesty, effort and some sharing of emotions. Starting a romance had been a little more difficult, what with denial boy and all. But even that had been…well, excruciatingly painful at the time, but funny to look back on now. The Big Bad Boot Shaker…oh, she was gonna be able to milk that one for years!

Being in a relationship with another vampire should be seriously setting off the wig-o-meter, but something about the whole situation just seemed right. And yeah, there was that whole prophecy deal, but in all honestly they’d been all up with the warm fuzzies before they knew about the prophecy. That had to count for something didn’t it?

Warm fuzzies? Okay, she’d mentally broached the subject, may as well get it over with. What did that mean exactly? She had already admitted that she loved him, but then she loved all her friends, so the real question wasn’t did she love him, it was - was she in love with him?

Mental images of her relationship with Angel flashed before her eyes. She had thought at the time that she’d been in love with the brunette, but the feelings she now had for Spike made what she had felt for Angel pale in comparison.

As Spike opened the door to his crypt, Buffy smiled. She had just made a startling discovery. She realised that she was totally, head over heels and floating in paradise in love with her mate. Buffy the Vampire Slayer was in love with William the Bloody, Slayer of Slayers, and she had every intention of telling him.

Euphoric tingles shot through both of them.

Spike grinned with total abandon. Whatever his girl had just thought of must be of major importance, but for right now all he wanted to do was enjoy the feeling for as long as it lasted.

Moments later as the last tingle faded, Spike gathered the still smiling girl into his embrace. “What was all that about then, kitten?”

“I had one of those epoxy moments,” Buffy grinned up at him.

Spike thought for a moment. “An epiphany?”

“Oh, yeah, one of those too.”

Chuckling in delight, Spike mused that Buffy’s spin on the English language would never cease to amaze him. “And what was that, beautiful?”

“I just realised that I’m in love with you,” she shyly offered. She shrugged slightly as if to say it was no big deal, but her entire body was poised in anticipation for his reaction. Buffy and love had been un-mixy up to this point in time.

Spike froze.

Had she just said…? Was he hearing things? ‘Cause that sure sounded like…?

“Can you repeat that please, Buffy,” he pleaded; his use of her actual name the only indication of exactly how rattled he was.

Something in his voice urged her to look at him, insecurities momentarily forgotten. She could see it in his eyes. The desperation. He looked like her next words could make or break him. She’d never seen him this vulnerable and scared before and she never wanted to see him look at her in this way ever again. Lifting her hand to caress his chiselled cheek bone, she whispered the words again. “I’m in love with you.”

A ragged breath tore from his throat as he pulled her close. She’d done it. She’d actually said the words that no-one had ever before said to him. Spike felt like he was standing in the sun.

“Oh God, Buffy, pet, you have no idea…” he incoherently commented, holding her to him as the tears slipped from his eyes. “No one’s ever…my goddess, my beautiful golden girl…I don’t deserve…I love you so much.”

Pulling away slightly, Buffy gave him a considering look, before grinning widely. “Do you have any idea how lucky you’re about to get?”

Spike threw back his head and laughed.

~*~*~

Buffy moved backwards towards the bed, slowly unbuttoning her shirt as she moved; her eyes never leaving the predator that watched from the shadows. As the shirt was dropped soundlessly to the floor, he made his move.

Stalking his prey, Spike glided forwards, he button down shirt and t-shirt meeting the same fate as her top.

Buffy crawled backwards on the bed, thankful that they’d removed their shoes before they’d started this little game. She watched as he moved with cat-like grace to crawl up her body, his breath whispered past her exposed nipple as he moved on to hover over her, careful not to touch in any way. The anticipation was driving her closer to the edge. She was on fire, if he didn’t touch her soon, she might just combust.

Soft puffs of air teased her bite marks. Her urges reached a new height. Primal thoughts flashed through her mind. ‘Buffy want…oh boy, Buffy really want’.

Spike chuckled as her thoughts flashed through his mind. Never one to keep a lady waiting, he gave her what she wanted. His tongue softly outline the shell of her ear and she sighed in delight. A gentle nip caused her breath to hitch. Light kisses moved down the side of her neck to tease at the edges of her bite mark as he slowly lowered himself to cover her.

Not to be outdone, Buffy nibbled at her own bite marks on his neck, his rumbling growl of appreciation delighted and empowered her.

Swiftly twisting until she lay on top of the surprised vampire, Buffy used the opportunity to do a little exploring. Flickering candles highlighted his pale complexion; showing him off to perfection. Rock hard abs beckoned her questing fingers and lips. She lightly ran her tongue over their salty goodness. A flick of her tongue at his dusky pink nipple made him hiss with pleasure and she happily filed away the knowledge for future reference. He knew how to make her body sing; it was time to find out if she had the same ability.

She knew that up until now they had only really indulged in some heavy petting. Parker not withstanding, she wasn’t the type to fall straight into a sexual relationship. But the proclamations of love had her desire to fully explore the emotion drifting into overdrive. She had never wanted any man as much as she now wanted Spike.

Lavishing his nipple with attention, she smiled in pure feminine satisfaction at the incoherent babblings her ministrations reduced him too. As she continued her assault, her hand slipped down to undo the button to his jeans and slowly eased down his zipper.

As her hand slipped around his manhood, he froze in anticipation. Never had he felt such warmth. His slayer was touching him. And while it may not be the first time, it still felt like it. His jeans were torn from his body as if their very presence offended her. Thank god for slayer strength.

Her mind flashed back to the dream she’d had and saliva filled her mouth. She’d never tried to do this, had no idea if her imagination had it even close to the actual deed, but she wanted to try. The glistening drop of pre-cum that tempted her from the tip of his proud erection had her licking her lips in unconscious anticipation.

The predatory way she regarded his penis had him holding an unnecessary breath. His desire to grab her, throw her back on the bed, and pound her into the mattress was tempered by his desire to experience this from her perspective. She seemed to be unaware of how completely she was projecting her emotions through the bond.

Her innocence and curiosity brought William closer to the surface. In truth, he’d never had this himself, and regardless of how jaded he had become, he delighted in the purity of her actions. As her ruby lips captured his belled head, he groaned in pure animalistic pleasure. He marvelled at her ability to reduce him to a puddle of goo with her slightest touch. Maybe he wasn’t as jaded as he thought.

Acting on instinct rather than knowledge, she gently cupped his balls and continued to lick and suck at his rock hard member. She felt the first tendrils of panic as she realised that she had absolutely no idea what she was doing. The long litany of praise that was bursting forth from the babbling vampire indicated that she was doing something right, but she had no clue as to what that something was. And if that wasn’t bad enough, her jeans were now chafing her moist cleft and she was cursing her lack of insight in not removing them before they got to this point.

Spike could feel the frustration coming off her in waves. Ignoring her protests, he nudged her away from him and removed her jeans with gently insistent hands. Knowing instinctively that she wanted to finish what she had started, he laid back down, his hand slowly stroking her back. Praising her, he told her what he liked, encouraging her, wooing back her earlier self-confidence.

Galvanized by his enthusiasm for her efforts, she increased her rhythm, feeling his body tightening in response. He tried to pull away when he felt his release building but she refused to be denied. He howled as he found his release, his body wracked with pleasure as his hands tangled in the wild mane of her hair.

Prowling up his body with sensual grace, Buffy met his brilliant blue eyes with burgeoning confidence. “I love you,” she whispered.

His eyes darkened with rekindled desire. Reaching up, he pulled her to him, his hungry lips devouring hers. The heady aroma of her desire heightened his. She was everything; his sunshine, his life’s-blood, his heart beat. Her body was the temple he wanted to worship in. She filled his senses, completed him. She was the never ending ocean and he was happily drowning in her depths. She was his.

Running caressing hands over her body, he alternated between kissing her succulent lips, her prefect breasts, and the neck that by all rights should have been his chalice. The thought of her death was banished as swiftly as it came. There would be none of that, not here, not now. Not ever.

Buffy felt like all her nerve endings were on high alert. Everywhere he touched felt like it was afire. The exquisite torment of wanting, of needing, brought her to levels of sensual delight she’d never before experienced. Her desire for a complete connection between them was almost overwhelming. She fought to get closer, a sob of relief escaping her as he moved to cover her. As he slowly entered her, she felt the bond complete, she felt whole. She was home.

He stilled, allowing her to adjust to his size. He knew without a doubt that he would never get used to this. The velvet soft walls that gently held him made him gasp in awe. The perfection of their joining made him tremble. He didn’t deserve her. He was sure that once the Powers realised that it was he, William the Bloody Loser, that had been mated to their effulgent Chosen One, that he would be struck down for daring to assume that a mere demon would ever be granted the right to enjoy the love of their Slayer.

Buffy grabbed his face. “You’re mine, bleach boy…deal! ‘Cause nobody messes with my boyfriend. I'll put the Powers in a damned wheelchair if I have to!”

Momentary insecurities dealt with, Spike let their foreheads meet and chuckled as he started to gently rock is hips. “I love it when you get feisty, pet.”

“Really? Cool!” Buffy smirked before flipping the surprised vampire beneath her, determined to show him all the benefits of slayer muscles.

“OH BLOODY BUGGERING FUCKING HELL!”

Oh yeah, being the Slayer was definitely of the good.

Spike was fairly certain that he had died and gone to heaven. He had never felt anything like this before. The snug walls that had so gently caressed him tightened like a glove around him, the undulating rhythm bringing him to the brink of his second orgasm in record time. Flowery praise flowed from his lips as he offered to bring her the moon or stars if she wished it. Jewels, riches, whatever she wanted. His soul? Did she want him to get his soul? Not a problem! Anything she asked, just as long as she never, ever, stopped using those fantastic, unbelievable, bloody awe inspiring muscles on him.

Concentrating on the cocky girl that was very close to giving him the orgasm of his unlife, Spike decided he didn’t want to go there alone. Sitting up, he moved one hand to her clit and massaged the pulsing nubbin. Finding his mark, he kissed and suckled, expertly overloading her already heightened senses.

She gripped him with a strength that would have crippled a lesser man, her laboured breathing indicating how close to completion she was. With a final pinch to her clit, he gently bit down on his mark, sending her over the edge with a euphoric scream. With a hoarse cry, he followed right behind her.

The intensity of the shared emotions exhausted them both. Holding his mate close, Spike settled them back against the pillows, his eyes never leaving hers. With a level of intimacy neither had ever known, they whispered of their love.

~*~*~


Spike cuddled into his still slumbering mate, allowing her scent to permeate his senses. Smother him. The part of himself that he’d struggled to hide from her was rearing its ugly head, and now – while she slept- he gave it some freedom.

His fear.

William the Bloody. Spike. Slayer of Slayers. Whatever moniker he wore, it didn’t matter. The Big Bad was scared out of his bleedin’ mind that when this was over, when everything had been said and done, he would lose the girl. He always did.

This time it would bring about his final death.

‘Not this time, Blondie,’ Buffy’s voice reverberated fiercely through his mind.

Turning over, she smiled up at him. “You’re mine and I’m definitely yours, spell or no spell. But if you don’t stop with the brooding, I’m gonna kick your ass. If I wanted an Angel clone, I’d still be dating Riley.”

Lifting her head she gently brushed her lips with his.

“Technically, pet, you are still dating Cardboard.”

Day 19 Part A


Spike cuddled into his still slumbering mate, allowing her scent to permeate his senses. Smother him. The part of himself that he’d struggled to hide from her was rearing its ugly head and now – while she slept- he gave it some freedom.

His fear.

William the Bloody, Spike, Slayer of slayers, what ever moniker he wore, it didn’t matter. The Big Bad was scared out of his bleedin’ mind that when this was over, when everything had been said and done, he would lose the girl. He always did.

This time it would bring about his final death.

‘Not this time, blondie,’ Buffy’s voice reverberated fiercely through his mind.

Turning over, she smiled up at him. “You’re mine and I’m definitely yours, spell or no spell. But if you don’t stop with the brooding I’m gonna kick your ass. If I wanted an Angel clone I’d still be dating Riley.”

Lifting her head she gently brushed her lips with his.

“Technically, pet, you are still dating Cardboard.”

"Eck!" she screeched as she threw herself backwards away from her mate. Her feet tangled with the covers and she slid down the side of the bed ending with a thump on the floor. Huffing she threw her arms up on the side of the bed and glared at the smirking vampire. "You did that on purpose."

Spike adopted his best innocent expression. "Who me?"

The slayer growled deeply. "Yes, you! You are so evil!"

He quickly broke into a wide grin. "But baby, that's what I've been trying to tell you all along."

"You so suck!" she muttered untangling herself from the sheets.

"Not right now, but after you break up with Captain America- and if you ask very nicely- I might," he suggested with a wiggle of eyebrows.

Buffy felt herself burning from both excitement and embarrassment by his lust enducing remarks. She ducked her head as she concentrated on her dream from the bite manifestation, sending a few of the more erotic images into his head. Her fondling his cock while she forced him to meet her gaze. Her mouth on him, bringing him to release as he roared her name. The ecstasy she felt when his fangs pierced her skin and he claimed her as his own.

Spike gasped as the visions flooded his head. "Buffy," he panted raggedly. "What the hell was that?"

"That was us, in my dream. You know the bitey dream. It's what I h-hope we'll have time to make reality once all this is over."

He stepped toward her, wanting nothing more than to throw her back into the bed and not let her out for a week...maybe two.

She raised her hand and signaled for him to stop where he was, lifted her eyes to meet his and whispered, "Soon." Her eyes conveyed her heartfelt emotions, not hiding anything from him. "We have lots of work to do today, but as soon as this is all over, we are definitely making some ‘us’ time...alone...possibly in a Jacuzzi," she promised. Smiling shyly she added, "There could be some kind of oil involved."

"You're really not helping with the 'waiting' part, pet," Spike whined.

Blushing furiously, she backed toward the ladder and away from the frustrated vampire. "Sorry. You get the disks and then I'll meet you at Giles. That should give me enough time to talk to Willow."

Buffy stopped after climbing up a couple of rungs and turned back to see her mate beginning to dress. "I love you," she said softly. Her eyes filled with tears at finally being able to say the words to someone and know she meant them with her whole heart.

"Love you too, pet. Now get going, before I decide to carry you back to bed and say to hell with the plan," he threatened, laughing when she squeaked and rushed up the remaining steps.

~*~*~

Giles paced the apartment as he waited for his slayer to arrive. He had already placed the call to Willow, asking her to come and assist them that morning providing Spike could retrieve the disks as planned. Running through the items that needed accomplishing over and over in his mind, he worried that they might inadvertently miss something vital to ending the spell.

He stopped when he heard the light knock on the front door. Knowing it wasn't Buffy, he went to let the young witch in. "Good morning, Willow. Thank you for coming. We have many things to cover today," he said as he ushered her over to the couch.

"You know me, Giles, anything to help," the redhead assured him eyeing the plate on the coffee table. "Oh. Cookies!"

"Yes, please help yourself. This will be quite a long story my dear, but I feel I need to start at the beginning. See, there was a spell..."

~*~*~

"Hey Giles, I'm here.” Buffy slipped into her watchers apartment, not seeing her friend sitting on the couch, tear stains on her checks. Oh, hey Wills, what's wrong?"

"Oh, Buffy! I'm so sorry! With the spell...and the mate-y...and the day from hell times infinity," Willow blubbered, certain that her friend would hate her. Giles quietly moved into the kitchen to give the two girls a bit of privacy.

"Its okay, Wills. Some really good things have happened- and of course some not so good things- but that's okay, ‘cause it helped me figure out what the good things were as opposed to the bad things that I thought were good, you know?" Buffy babbled trying to comfort her friend.

The Wicca’s eyes widened as she tried to follow the logic train, feeling that she got left a few stations back. "Um, okay," she answered weakly.

Buffy blushed deeply. "So, I guess Giles filled you in on everything, huh?"

"You mean about you and Spike and the biting and the claiming and the naughty dreams? No, fill me in again."

"Naughty? Who said they were naughty?"

"Um, Giles said that Spike woke up excited, and then he did that blushy-stammer thing he does when he gets embarrassed and I just guessed. Plus, I think by the major blush you've got going that I'm a pretty good guesser," the redhead grinned evilly.

"Oh you mean the one he does when I say the word stevedore?" Buffy said. She made sure to emphasize the last word so that it would carry into the kitchen where her watcher was hiding.

Giles shuffled into the room, his face an interesting shade of purple. "I believe it's time for me to head out and do my errands for the day. Buffy can fill you in further about what needs to be done, Willow," he rushed out, keeping his head down as he gathered his things. He exited the apartment, grabbing the tranquilizer gun propped up on the wall and shutting the door quickly behind him.

The girls burst into hysterical laughter. Willow wiped the tears from her face and regarded the slayer. "So, you and Spike, huh? Gotta say; I didn't see that one coming."

"You and me both, but it’s so good, Wills. I mean, really good," the blond gushed.

"Oh, wow. I so want to hear about it. Well, not the really good parts, just the semi-good ones, ‘cause eww! But it probably needs to wait until later. Giles says we're on a tight deadline and what's the point of good girly gossip if I can't remember it? That takes all the fun out of teasing you with it later." Willow smirked as she moved to the dining table that Giles was using for research.

Buffy grabbed a pen and some paper from the table and started making notes about what needed to happen that day. "Oh, and we'll need Tara to help with a spell if you wouldn’t mind calling her."

"T-Tara? You want her here?" the Wicca asked uncertainly. This was the first time one of her friends had actually included her new girlfriend.

"Well, yeah, she's one of the gang isn't she?"

"She is?" the shocked girl squeaked.

"Of course she is! Tara's been helping out a lot, and we've spent some time together the last few weeks. She's really great, Will. You're lucky to have found each other."

"Yeah, we just fit, you know? Things are just so much better when she's around," Willow sighed happily. "And congratulations to you and Spike, too. I mean, with you and Spike being a couple.” She paused and made a cute face. “Boy, that just sounds weird no matter how I say it."

The blond laughed. "It was really weird for me, too…at first. And, of course, Spike was dragging his feet, but you know how I am when I get determined. One way or the other, I make it happen... usually after suffering some kind of humiliating defeat, but it usually ends well," she added cheerfully.

Buffy felt her bite marks tingle pleasantly, letting her know that at least one of the factors was well on its way to being fixed, and continued to chat and laugh with her friend.

~*~*~

Spike paced the crypt, waiting for Adam. He knew the overgrown jigsaw puzzle was due to show at any time, but patience just wasn't his thing. He just wanted to get the disks and get the day over with, hopefully permanently.

The sound of heavy footfalls alerted him to Adam's arrival. He thanked whoever would listen that vampires didn't sweat, because he was extremely nervous. He wasn't bothered so much about being dusted, since it had been proven that he would just come back the next day, but he hated the idea that they would have to start over from scratch the next day if that happened.

"Vampire, I have a proposition for you," Adam's voice echoed in the sparse crypt.

Spike sprawled in his chair, his expression one of feigned calm. "I'm all ears."


~*~*~

Giles entered the magic shop looking for the young boy that his slayer had saved on more than one occasion. Spotting him at the back table, he made his way through the displays of scented candles and herbs. Jonathan was talking excitedly with another boy who seemed familiar. Giles decided he must be Andrew, the other boy that he had asked Jonathan to invite when he had called the shop that morning. When he was close enough to hear their words, he smirked in amusement.

“I told you; I don’t know what he wants!” the brunette fumed.

The taller boy fidgeted nervously. “But it’s weird, right? That he just called out of the blue like that?”

“Well, yeah, other than the spell I did to make me popular, I haven’t seen any of them since they blew up the high school.”

“Excuse me,” Giles interrupted their arguing. He had to hide his amusement when both boys whirled around, looking like children that had been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. “Jonathan, isn’t it? And you must be Andrew.”

The smaller boy swallowed fearfully. “Hi, Mr. Giles. If this is about those overdue books, I returned them just before graduation.”

“Yeah, and I paid all my late fees. I have the receipts at home,” Andrew added timidly, moving to stand behind his friend.

“Actually, I’ve been asked to seek you out to ask for your assistance. Jonathan, I know that you’re aware that Buffy Summers is…ah, well, she’s…not your average girl. Strange things happen sometimes when she’s around or she shows up to help people in need,” the watcher struggled to explain, mentally cursing his slayer. It had been her decision that this was a perfect job for him to do.

Taking a clean handkerchief from his pocket, he began to clean his glasses as he tried to gather his thoughts. “You see, Buffy is what we call a-a vampire slayer,” he continued. “She helps people in need and fights the vampires and other demons that threaten the general population.”

“That’s so cool!” Andrew gushed. “She’s like…Wonder Woman without the neat, form fitting bustier. O-or She-Ra; Princess Adora by day and Princess of Power by night.” His eyes glazed as his imagination took over. “Does she have a battle cry?”

Giles stared open-mouthed at the strange boy in front of him. “A b-battle cry?”

“Yeah, like, ‘For the honor of Grayskull...I am She-Ra!’” he cried out, holding his arm high and brandishing an imaginary sword in the air.

The watcher flushed red when the few other patrons in the shop turned to stare in their direction. “Yes, well…no, unfortunately, the slayer doesn't have a battle cry.” Giles brightened visibly. “But she does witty quips and puns quite well.”

“You are such a dork, Andrew! She-Ra is so old; that’s like grade school stuff,” Jonathan scoffed and rolled his eyes at his friend.

Andrew gasped in outrage. “You take that back! And just think about it; superhuman strength and stamina in addition to being very athletic and agile, strong-willed, but with a kind streak. Sound like anyone we know?” he asked smugly. Turning back to the flabbergasted watcher, he demanded excitedly, “She doesn’t have the mystical healing touch and the ability to telepathically communicate with animals, does she?”

“Er, not that I'm aware of, no,” Giles said haughtily. He shook his head, wondering again why Buffy thought this was a good solution to the Warren problem. Motioning for them to join him at the table, he sat and tried to think of an easier way to explain what he was proposing.

“Buffy asked me to meet with you. She is planning for a major battle and needs your…expertise,” he said forcing the last word out of his mouth. “She has a team that assists her with her fight, and she would like you two to be a part of it. Not with the actual fighting, of course, but helping in certain areas that you are both knowledgeable in.” He paused, waiting for the information to sink in.

“When you say team, you mean Xander and Willow right?” the brunette asked guardedly.

“Among others, yes. I am her watcher and Willow is a practicing witch. She has a companion who is also a witch, and both are very useful with any magical needs that we have. Xander has been helping since high school, as you’re both aware, and his girlfriend Anya is an ex-vengeance demon who is very knowledgeable about all things demonic. Then there is Spike, who is a vampire and also Buffy’s mate. He has recently begun to help in the fighting and is very involved in the planning of the upcoming battle. He is no longer feeds on human’s,” he rushed to assure the two shocked boys.

“So, a vampire slayer is working with a vampire? Isn’t that kind of…wrong?” Jonathan asked. “I mean, isn’t she supposed to like, slay him or something?”

“Star crossed lovers,” Andrew gushed breathlessly. “That’s so romantic.”

The watcher resisted the urge to slam his head on the table and settled for massaging his temples where the majority of his pain seemed to be originating. “Yes. Well, Spike is an exception to that rule. It has recently come to light that his soul might have been rejoined with his body, but we still have more research to do before we can say for certain.”

The brunette sat taking in the conversation quietly but Giles could see that the other boy was growing more excited by the new information.

Andrew turned to his friend. "The Vampyr Slayer and her Vampyr companion need us. That's so cool!" he exclaimed.

Jonathan bit his lip before asking, “What exactly do they want us to do?”

"We know that you are both very intelligent, and both of you have had experience with demons-."

“You heard about my flying monkeys?” the younger boy cried out in awe.

“W-what?” Giles stuttered.

Andrew blushed brightly, “Oh, never mind.”

“Jonathan the spell that you managed to cast that shifted reality was very dangerous, but we couldn’t help but be impressed. A spell of that magnitude must of have required a great deal of ingenuity and skill. We were hoping you might be able to help us control some of the more troublesome demons while we try to take out our main opponent. So what do you boys think? Will you help us?” Giles asked pleadingly, swallowing back the nausea generated by the thought of having to work closely with the bouncing boy seated to his right.

“Well, we’ve got this friend named Warren that we’ve been hanging out with. He’s got all these neat plans and gadgets that he wants us to help him work on,” Jonathan said hesitantly.

Andrew latched onto the new thread of conversation quickly. “But he's kinda bossy. He’s like the Reed Richards to our Fantastic Four but with only the three of us. He's got this girlfriend, April. She's awesome. She's like Sue to his Reed. The great beauty attracted to his intellect as well as his body," Andrew sighed wistfully.

“Warren is kinda mean sometimes and he only comes around when he wants something,” Jonathan said looking at his friend.

“And he’s stingy with his action figures,” Andrew added pouting.

Giles tried to think of a way to get the boys to decide quickly. Choosing his words carefully, he gritted his teeth and asked, “So, what do you say, boys? Do you want to…join with us in the fight against the forces of darkness?" He closed his eyes, his humiliation complete. He just hoped no one had been close enough to hear his question.

The two boys looked at each other for a moment, one uncertain gaze clashing with an overly excited look. They turned as one to look at the graying watcher.

“We’re in,” Jonathan said quietly.

“Bring on the creatures of the night!” Andrew cried bouncing in his seat once again.

The world is doomed, Giles thought bleakly.

Day 19 Part B

~*~*~

Spike rushed through the door and stopped to stomp out the smoking blanket. Turning around, he found his mate and her friend grinning maniacally at him and he knew fear for the second time that day. Only this fear was brought on by a far different reason.

Women. Grinning women who looked like they had spent their morning sharing and plotting.

He was saved from the dubious pleasure of finding out the reason for the twin looks as a timid knock sounded behind him. He backed away, keeping his eyes on the smirking pair, only shifting his gaze when he opened the door. Tara stood in the archway, fidgeting nervously. He smiled brightly before realizing that she didn't remember any of their encounters and settled for an aloof grin and lukewarm greeting.

"Come in, luv. Red's right in there," he said waving toward the seated girls.

"Hey, Tara," Willow stood and walked around to her girlfriend, kissing her on the cheek, both a bit self-conscious about kissing in front of other people just yet. Grabbing the shy girl by the hand, she led her back to couch and urged her to sit.

"Did you get the disks, Spike?" Buffy asked moving to the vampire and kissing him on the cheek as well, keeping the kiss chaste so it didn't break any break-up-with-my-lame-soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend-first rules.

"Yeah, got 'em right here, pet," he said in a stunned voice, shocked that she had shown him any kind of affection in front of one of her friends.

"Wow," the blond Wicca said softly.

Willow looked at her girlfriend, who was staring at the supernatural couple. "What is it, Tara?"

Tara shook her head, searching for the words that would describe what she had seen, "They're just beautiful, their auras I mean. They flow around them like they're one person, one entity, and it's so bright. It's like nothing I've ever seen before."

"Really? Wow!" the redhead exclaimed, looking both excited and a bit nervous, not sure if the this was such a good thing.

"You hear that, Spikey?" the slayer teased. "We're beautiful together."

"Could have told you that, luv."

Buffy turned back to their captive audience. "Well, Willow, you've seen the spell. Are you sure you can pull it off without harming Riley?" she asked. Although she was worried about what could happen to the solider, she was more worried about her mate.

"Oh, sure, Buff. With Tara and Giles helping, it should be a piece of cake."

"Okay, then, I've gotta get Riley while you get things set up for the de-chipping. Spike, why don't you give Willow the disks and make sure they don't need any help setting things up."

"Wha? Oh, right," he backpedaled as the slayer leveled a meaningful glare in his direction. "Sure. I'll hang around a bit, help set things up."

The besotted vampire watched as his mate left the apartment. Stopping just outside, she turned and blew him a kiss before closing the door behind her. He turned around, a sappy grin he couldn't seem to shake shining brightly, and came face to face with two grinning girls who were watching him with amusement. "Wha?"

"Nothing," Willow rushed to say, sharing a knowing look with her girlfriend. "It's just that things really must have changed lately for you two to be giving each other the googly eyes."

"I-it's sweet really," the blond witch assured him.

"Oi! I'm not sweet. Big Bad's aren't sweet."

"Oh, right, my mistake. No sweetness, not even semi-sweet," Willow said soothingly. "Cause Big Bad's always spend a century devoted to one person- a crazy person at that- and taking care of their every insane little whim," she continued. "And of course Big Bad's always make deals with their enemies to save the world."

"A-and B-big Bad's always make with the googly eyes and l-love-struck smiles," the blond wicca teased, grinning at the pouting vampire.

Spike mind raced. He latched on to the white witches last words like a life preserver. "What? It's not like demons can't love."

Willow's eye's widened as she thought about the possibilities of demons in love. "Really? Is that all demons or just vampires?"

"I-I don't know about all demons, b-but I k-know some of them can l-love," the timid blond stuttered, her heart racing.

"Too right, pet. Lots of demons love very well. Some even fall in love with humans. It happens quite a bit actually." Looking at the blond speculatively he asked, "You sound like you know a bit about demons in love, pet. Someone you met?"

"Oh, um, no, n-not met," the shy Wicca spoke through the curtain of hair she was now hiding behind.

"Are you alright, pet? You look like something's bothering you," he asked hating to push the girl but knowing it had to be done.

"I-it's nothing r-really," she said shaking her head in agitation.

"Tara? Honey?" Willow looked at her lover in concern.

"You're among friends, pet. You two have helped me quite a bit the last few days, even if you don't remember it," he added, knowing if he didn't get her to fess up to the mistaken belief in her demon status, all their work would be for nothing. "Sometimes sharing things, secrets, fears; it helps us to put those things behind us, to look forward without being afraid anymore just by having others to share those things with." He met her gaze steadily when her eyes flew to his toward the end of his little speech and he could see when realization set in for her.

Her eyes widened and her heart pounded in her chest when it finally clicked in her mind. He already knew. She struggled with the knowledge as well as her desire to ask him how and why he knew so much about her. She couldn't imagine what could have happened to make her share her deepest darkest secret with someone who for all intents and purposes was a virtual stranger.

She continued to stare into his eyes and all she could see in his blue depths was a sincere desire to help and more than a little concern also. Trying to calm her racing heart, she looked at them, wondering what Willow would say when she discovered her lover was a demon. Although it really hadn't bothered her about Spike and Buffy's relationship, so maybe it wouldn't be such a problem after all.

Taking a deep breath, she looked at the vampire one last time, seeking reassurance before turning to the other girl. Gazing into the redhead's eyes she spoke in a near whisper, "I-I know about d-demons because I am one."

Willow mouth dropped open, her shock evident. Whatever she had expected her girlfriend to say it wasn't that.

"Bullocks!" Spike snorted.

Now Tara’s jaw dropped as well and both girls turned to look him in disbelief.

"You're not a demon, pet. Never have been. Never will be. It's just some rubbish your family cooked up to keep you from straying to far from home, to keep you dependent on them for help."

"B-but it runs in my f-family."

"Hogwash and I can prove it," he reached out quickly and flicked her nose sharply, throwing his head back as the pain filled his head and he heard her surprised gasp of pain.

"Spike!" Willow shouted in anger before she realized what he had done. "Oh! Tara that proves it. Spike can't hurt humans."

The blonde’s eyes filled with tears as her fears receded. "I...I don't know how to...thank you, Spike."

Willow glared at the bleached vampire. "You know that we could have just done a spell to figure that out, right?"

"Yeah, yeah. That's what you said a couple of days ago. Still say my way’s better," Spike groused, hoping that this would be his last shock from the chip.

"I-if you knew, why didn't you just say something?" Tara asked curiously.

Spike grinned as he looked at the happy couple, "It was your secret to tell. I'm just here to help." He rose moving toward the liquor cabinet. He was sure that Buffy would be returning with the stiff soldier soon, and he figured would need at least one stout drink to get him through that meeting as well as settling his nerves about the coming spell.

The vampire's laughter rang through the apartment when he heard Willow's next words.

"I still don't understand why you thought I wouldn't understand. Hello? Dated a werewolf, here."


~*~*~

Giles parked his car behind some trees, and camouflaged it with some branches. He retrieved his tranquilizer gun from the trunk and turned to walk the short distance to the area that Buffy had pinpointed as the location that she had encountered the soldier. He scanned the area for suitable hiding places before settling on a small outcrop of rocks above the vicinity he believed the solider would be coming from. Climbing the rocks, he was able to slide behind two small shrubs to hide his position and settled in to wait.



~*~*~

Buffy slipped into the burned-out high school, knowing exactly where to find her soon-to-be ex. She recalled the last days of constant breakups and fights and hoped this would be the final one. Running the different conversations in her mind, she tried to think of the best approaches to get Riley to her watchers without actually breaking up first but not encouraging him either. They wanted the chip removed before he had a chance to get upset and storm off before getting device out. They weren't worried about him not helping them with the battle with Adam, as they didn't want him working for the other team.

After the last few days of traveling the ruins of the school, she navigated the pitfalls with ease until she stood outside the room she knew he would be in.

She stopped for a moment, taking a deep breath, and wondered where it had all started to fall apart for her and Riley. Had his jealousy and paranoia always been there? Or was it a recent development due to his relationship with her? Would Spike wake up one day feeling the same way? Was it her? No, she had no reason to think that. Spike wasn't Riley and he damn sure wasn't Angel. He didn't leave when things got hard and if he was feeling insecure, she would know it ahead of time. She could read him like a book, with or without the claim.

Focus, Buffy. Shaking off her irreverent thoughts, she prepared to face her soon to be ex. Stepping through the doorway, she tried to force a smile to her lips, finding it very difficult to manage. "Hey, Riley," she said, startling the soldier out of his deep thoughts. She groaned inwardly when she remembered the cause of those deep thoughts. Why, oh why, didn't I remember to stop Xander from coming over here this morning?

"Welcome back, Buffy," Riley replied stiffly.

She could see him casually trying to check her over, like he could tell by sight alone if she had been unfaithful. Her teeth clenched in anger and she tried to calm down, reminding herself that she would be free of his petty jealousy and fears soon enough.

"Thank you," she answered coolly. She watched as he stood, his gaze shifting around the room as if he couldn't stand to look her in the eye. She snorted at the idea. Well, if he can't look at me now, just wait until later, she thought sarcastically.

"How was your trip?" he asked, his tone coated in accusation.

"Fine. I learned a lot," she responded semi-truthfully, thinking of the last two trips to LA instead of the one he was referring too. "Actually, that's what I came to talk to you about. We've got some information on Adam and some of his plans."

Riley straightened at the mention of the overgrown cyborg. "What can I do?"

"Well, it's more of what we can do for you," she retorted cryptically.


~*~*~

One hour and one tranquilizer dart later, Giles was dragging the limp body of Forrest along the path to a small cottage a short distance away, intending to leave the body there to allow the boy time to wake. He would have a dreadful headache when that time came, especially with the small rocks and branches that his head was coming into contact with as the watcher dragged him through the wooded area. Although from the way his slayer talked about the boy, Giles couldn't help but think a generous migraine was well deserved.

Panting heavily, the watcher cursed the slayer and her mate. "Oh, this is no problem, Giles," he mocked in a falsetto voice. "Just one little soldier, she says. Bag and tag, she says." He paused for a moment trying to catch his breath. "Yes, let’s leave the heavy strapping youth for the middle-aged watcher to drag through the woods. It's not like it would require super strength or anything," he grumbled as he resumed his trek, the body trailing behind him.


~*~*~

Spike and Tara had just finished moving the dining table when the slayer and the AWOL soldier entered the apartment.

Riley almost growled when he saw the vampire standing confidently in middle of the room. "What's he doing here?" he asked snidely, moving toward Spike threateningly.

Buffy stopped him with a firm grip on his arm, making sure to apply a little more pressure than she normally would. "He's helping," she stated evenly. There was just enough warning in her tone to make her threat understood, even to the jealous soldier.

He shook her arm off. "He's probably hoping that if he hangs around he might find a way to get his chip out. Isn't that right, Hostile 17?" he sneered.

The blond vamp smirked at the agitated man and settled for a low growl instead of hollow threats that he couldn't act on...yet. His smile widened when he saw the boy twitch and reach instinctively for the bite that Angel had placed on him. Spike could hear the increased heartbeat and the fear that filled the boy. Even if Riley wasn't aware of why he was feeling it, it was there.

Riley whirled around to face his girlfriend. "You can't trust him, Buffy. I can't believe you would let him into your watchers home, to allow him access to your friends. What is it with you and vamps? Is it some kind of sick fascination or something?" he spat out, shaking in anger.

"You should really know better than to anger a slayer, Riley." All eyes turned to the doorway where Anya was shaking her head, a pale looking Xander just behind her.

"Xander, help me out here. Tell them how dangerous it is letting a vampire stroll in whenever he wants, chip or no chip," Riley urged his friend to intervene.

"Um, what are we talking about again?" the brunette asked. Looking around the room, he noticed that none of the looks in the ex-soldiers direction were friendly.

"Spike," Riley spat. "Here, in the apartment, when he should be dust."

Xander could see Buffy's hands clinching and un-clinching from where he stood. "Oh, um. So, Spike's making a pest of himself? Nothing new there," the carpenter joked, hoping to diffuse the situation. "Um, guess I must just be used to it," he finished weakly.

Buffy turned her icy glare on the Iowa farm boy. "Seems like you're the only one that has a problem with it, Riley," she pointed out, smugly crossing her arms over her chest.

The soldier stepped closer to his girlfriend, his expression both hurt and confused. "What is this, Buffy? Why are you acting like this? You would think that I was the one that ran off to see an old girlfriend."

"Some things have changed lately, Riley. Like it or not, Spike's part of the group," she spoke rigidly, making her position clear to all in the room.

"Things? What things? Angel related things?" he asked, his anger growing.

"Ugh, could you just get over Angel for a minute? It’s like you’re obsessed with him or something," Buffy shouted.

The scoobies and their significant others all made their way slowly toward the kitchen, with Tara grabbing Spike by the sleeve and dragging the smirking vampire with them away from the awkward scene they were witnessing.

"Maybe it's not me that's obsessed with vamps," Riley taunted.

Buffy narrowed her eyes, part of her was thankful that he was making breaking up with him much easier on her and the other was furious over his blatant accusations. Someone had a serious inferiority complex, the slayer mused. And to think Professor Walsh thought I didn't pay attention in class!

"Look, this could turn ugly real fast," Buffy warned. "I really don't think you want to see what a pissed off slayer can do."

Riley opened his mouth, clearly wanting to continue his argument. Snapping his jaw shut, he forced his words out through clenched teeth. "You know what? Maybe we both need some time to cool off, get our heads straight. I should go," he finished heading towards the door.

"This isn't just about us, Riley. You leave now and Adam can control you whenever he wants. Is that how you want to end up?" He stopped immediately and Buffy could see the inner struggle he was waging. She could tell he wanted to leave but feared what would happen if he did. "Just let us fix it, Riley; then you can leave," she promised, her tone giving a hint threat as well.

The soldier turned to stare at her intently. "This is it, isn't it? This is the one that we're not coming back from," he stated calmly.

"No, Riley. I don't think we can," she whispered softly.

He lowered his head for a moment, fighting back his emotions. He nodded toward the kitchen where he knew the others were listening. "Seems like we have some work to do then."

Buffy nodded before going to the doorway and quietly telling the two witches to get ready for the spell.

All eyes turned to the entranceway as Giles entered the apartment. He could feel the tension in the room as he propped the tranquilizer gun in the corner. "I assume we're ready to begin?" he asked raising an eyebrow at his charge.

"Yeah, Giles, all ready to go," Buffy assured him.

Spike swaggered out of the kitchen, knowing this was his exit cue. "Well, I don't know about you lot, but I've got better things to do than watch you hocus-pocus Captain Cardboard," he smirked at the soldier as he snatched his duster from the back of the couch.

Buffy thought fast. There had to be a way to get Spike and Xander in the same place later. She didn't want to let the vampire to weasel his way out of it. Finally latching onto an idea, she called out, "Hey, Spike! Can you meet us at the Bronze later?"

The blond stopped at the door and turned around, his eyes narrowed. "What for, pet?"

"Some planning for the battle. We'll all meet there. We can strategize and unwind a little before the big bang," she smiled innocently.

The vamp rolled his eyes before nodding. "Sure, meet you there in a couple of hours," he said.

Spike swung the door open, grateful that the sun had finally set and he could make a graceful exit instead of a mad dash for the sewers. He stopped when he heard his name spoken softly, turning around to look at Tara.

She smiled gently at him. "Thank you, Spike."

He nodded, smiling back at her, and then he was gone.

Xander looked around at the other occupants in the room before asking, "Why is Spike helping us again?"

Buffy was completely flustered by Xander’s question, stammering and blushing. She didn't know how to explain Spike's sudden change of sides and loyalty to the group without using words like mate and claim and biting, which left her with a weak "cause he wants to" ringing in her head. Fortunately Giles stepped in to save her by replying, "It seems Adam cornered him at his crypt and made some threats to which Spike took offense."

"Yeah. What Giles said," she said releasing the breath she didn't realize she was holding, shooting her watcher a grateful look.

Willow snickered and then began to cough as everyone turned to look at her. Tara patted her girlfriend on the back letting her hair drop over her features to hide her own smile.

The redhead clapped her hands together briskly. "Well, it sounds like we have a lot to do. We better get this party started. Giles you look a little tired, are you sure you're up for this?" she asked in concern.

"Yes well I've had a bit of strenuous exorcise today," he grumbled, shooting a glare at his guilty looking slayer. "Do you think you and Tara could handle the spell on your own?"

The two exchanged looks before both nodded. "S-sure," Tara agreed softly.

Guiding Riley to sit in the dining chair in the middle of the small circle of sand, Willow retrieved her herbs and two small silver bowls from the table behind her. Passing one bundle of herbs and bowl to Tara, she took a lighter from her pocket and quickly touched the flame to both bundles. The girls began to walk around the nervous soldier, circling him as they chanted.

In the bedroom, Spike climbed stealthily in the bedroom window that had been left open for him. He stood in the circle of sand that Rupert had drawn earlier in preparation of the night’s events.

Spike could hear the soft chanting from below, could feel the magic's swirl around him as the spell began to take hold. He could hear Willows voice ringing loud and true and Tara's much gentler pitch. The sounds began to run together for him, but he was able to pick out certain words; expel, foreign, and unnatural. Pressure began to build in his head, as if some force was pushing on his skull from the inside.

In the dining room, Willow and Tara continued to move around the soldier. Riley was sitting ramrod straight, his knuckles white from gripping the sides of the chair he sat on. Both Wicca’s stopped their circling and held out their hands palm down over Riley's head, continuing their chants. As one they turned their hands up, fisting them, their voices growing louder as the spell reached its climax.

A gust of wind whipped through the apartment as Willow shouted the last word of the spell. Riley slumped in his chair as the ghostly wind abated and everyone held their breath as they waited for the results.

Willow blinked rapidly, coming down from the post-magic high and grinned broadly. "I've got it!" she cried out, holding up the small chip triumphantly.

The Scoobies gathered around, congratulating her on a job well done. Riley was coming around, shaking his head to clear away the fog that had settled over him with the removal of the chip and rubbing his chest to ease the tingling sensations left behind.

Buffy wanted to rush to the bedroom to check on her mate, but knew she couldn't expose what had really taken place. She noticed how still Tara had become, not joining in the merriment of a job well done. Tara looked up suddenly, their eyes clashed, and realization hit the slayer hard...she knew. Tara knew what they had done. The slayer felt her heart race and wondered if the game was over. If the shy witch was about to unleash a Scooby war right there and then with just a few soft spoken words.

Buffy watched as the Tara looked down at her own hand for a moment before looking up again, seeming to making her mind. The slayer gave a relieved sigh when the bashful girl grinned at her, slipping what must have been Spike's chip into her pocket.

Riley stood, stumbling a little as he walked to the door.

"Riley," Buffy called to him, waiting until he turned around to finish speaking. "We're going up against Adam soon. If you still want to help out, that is."

The soldier nodded slowly. "I'll think about it. I just need time to...think."

Buffy nodded also, biting her lip. "For what it's worth...I'm sorry."

"Yeah, me too," he mumbled as he turned away.

Expelling a large sigh as she turned back to her friends, Buffy looked at her watcher and asked innocently, "So how was your day?"

Day 19 Part C

~*~*~

Willow was hard at work decrypting the disks once again, which was much easier with Riley's number that Giles had memorized. Her shouted, ‘I've got it’ came as no surprise to Buffy. She only hoped that they managed to break the looping day so they didn't have to repeat the 'fixing', it was totally exhausting.

She flopped onto the barstool heavily, the stress of knowing if they didn't succeed they would have to do this all over again bearing down on her. She was startled out of her musings when the phone rang. Reaching around the corner she grabbed the phone off the wall, "Giles residence. Buffy speaking."

"Buffy, hey. It's Angel."

The slayers eyebrows shot up in amusement, "Hi, Angel. What's up?" She could swear she could hear growling from the upper bedroom. Stupid vampire needed to be quiet or everyone would hear.

Angel stood at the deserted gas station outside of Sunnydale. He had been trying for more than two hours to make himself cross the city limits and failed every time. Cursing himself for his irrational fear he decided the best course of action would be just to call his ex on the phone.

"I, uh, I just wanted to say that I was sorry for what I said to you while you were in LA. I left so that you could move on, have a normal life, and the second you did; I lashed out at you for it. So this is me...saying I'm sorry," he finished dejectedly.

"Thank you, Angel. What you said wasn't entirely off, though. I was throwing my happiness in your face, and while my life will never be normal by any means, I am happy. We are in different worlds now, there's no need to deny it. I just hope you can find some happiness in your life, too. Um, but not too much happiness, ‘cause that leads to much badness," she rushed to add.

"Right," he laughed in self derision. "If you ever need anything-"

"I have friends here that I would call first," she answered gently, not wanting to hurt him anymore. "But thanks for the offer. Goodbye Angel," she whispered. Smiling slightly, she hung up the phone.


~*~*~

Xander walked slowly around the table searching for the perfect shot.
Narrowing his choices, he decided on the corner pocket. Leaning over the table, he took a deep breath before he reared back and let the cue ball fly towards its target. When the ball sank cleanly into the hole, he let out the air that he was still holding in his lungs and grinned at his partner.

Since arriving at the Bronze, he had been in a fairly bad mood. First, there was the Buffy and Riley break up, and then the arrival of the nerd duo, complete with the wide eyed Andrew making a speech about the acceptance of his role in the fight against evil everywhere. A headache had developed and quickly grown to full blown proportions.

He had just finished his first beer, the ache in his head lessening slowly when it returned in full force with the appearance of Spike. The brunette had grumbled before turning away to the bar for another drink, wishing that Giles had accompanied them so he would have a normal guy to talk too instead of the geek squad and Snarky the Wonder Vamp.

The preppy college boy stepped in to take his shot and Xander groaned as it slid home. He waited for his cohort to step up, praying to any god that would listen for him to make the shot, eyeing the stack of cash on the side of the pool table. He had been dragged away from the table of drinks with the offer of a friendly game. He had almost refused until Andrew started again with the forces of darkness ranting and he knew he had to get away for a while.

They had just started when the two college brats had shown up. His partner had immediately slipped up on two easy shots and the next thing he knew the frat boys wanted to make a ‘friendly wager’. Money had been exchanged and laid down.

Xander had panicked little when his partner had missed his first shot, since half of the money he had put out was his own, but that was the only shot he missed, and if he made this last ball the money was theirs. Their opponents were grumbling across the table about being hustled but Xander pretended not to hear. After all it was they who had made the initial approach, erroneously thinking they had found some easy marks.

The last ball hit its mark and the bleached vampire sauntered over to collect the winnings, ignoring the angry mutterings of the two college boys as they left the bar. Counting out the loot, he passed half of the cash over to Xander, who was grinning from ear to ear. “There you go Whelp, your half of the bounty.”

“Cool, drinks are on me!” he announced excitedly, patting the vamp on the back, his animosity forgotten for the moment.

The brunette hurried to the bar to get their drinks while the vampire set the table up for another game. They took their time with their shots, both stalling to keep from having to return to the table where Andrew was chatting enthusiastically.

“How's the new job, Whelp?” Spike asked, trying to start the conversation off much like the last time.

“Um, fine, I guess. Why?” Xander replied just a tad less suspicious than the first time around.

“Just makin' conversation.” Spike shrugged, looking around the bar to hide his smirk; the whelp was just too predictable.

“Look, it was fun hustling those guys, but don’t think I’m gonna make a habit of it. I don’t like you, you don’t like me, and the world continues to spin around.”

“Listen, mate. Me and the slayer’s come to an understanding. We’re acting all civil like” Not to mention the sex and mating, he thought to himself. “I just thought we could act like civilized people since we’re obviously going to be working together, for now anyway.”

Xander rolled his eyes. “Since when do demons want to be civil? Or help the good guys for that matter?”

“Your bird’s an ex-demon. Seems odd for you to hate demons so much but still be with one who used to play on the other side,” the blond snarked back.

“Maybe because I've been fighting them for the last four years,” Xander commented sarcastically. “And Anya’s not a demon anymore.”

“So, it’s simple as that is it? Not a demon, so she’s automatically a good guy?” the vampire asked casually.

“At least she’s not running around trying to off the population,” Xander snapped.

“As soon as she was human, she jumped into the good fight then?”

“Well, no. She tried to get Willow to perform a spell to find her power center and then she teamed up with vampire Willow from another dimension to kill us all,” he trailed off softly.

“So, not a good guy right off, then. Needed a little time to work things out for herself. Kinda like I did,” he added speculatively.

“It’s not like your doing it from the kindness of your heart, more like for cigarettes and alcohol money.”

“And what else would you have me do, Whelp; get a day job? ‘Sides, I haven’t asked you lot for money since Rupert’s big demon adventure- which he got back I might add. So, what is it that makes you hate demons so much? One of them eat your puppy or something?” he asked nonchalantly, knowing if he didn’t get to the heart of the matter he would lose his audience quickly.

“None of your business, bleach boy,” Xander snapped angrily.

Spike could hear the echo of the boy’s words from their previous talk. “You know, holding on to your anger will only make you bitter,” he said evenly, trying to keep his tone light.

“It wasn’t a puppy, alright! It was a friend, a good friend, and he got turned. That’s how I found out about the things that go snarl in the night,” he fumed, turning away to sit at the table that they had set their drinks on.

The vampire followed him casually; aware that the slayers eyes had turned in their direction, observing what was going on. He sat down and leaned back in the chair, “I admire you, you know.”

“Wha? Admire me?” Xander looked at Spike, shocked disbelief evident on his face.

"Well yeah. Losing a friend like that and still going out and fighting the baddies every night while most folks would have turned tail and run. Takes balls of steel, that does,” Spike assured him, no less sincere than the last time they had this conversation.

"Thanks. Things changed after we lost Jessie. We always knew Sunnydale was different, but then we knew why," he mused. "Staking Jesse was the hardest thing I ever did."

"Hold it! You staked him?" Spike asked in shock. This hadn't come out in the original talk. He’d just assumed that the slayer had done her duty, he’d never dreamed that the boy had dusted his own friend. His respect and sympathy for the boy grew steadily. Add in what he already knew about the kids home life and it was easy to see that he'd had a shitty life so far.

"Yeah, he got turned right after we met Buffy,” Xander replied sadly. “By the same bitch that sired Angelus,” he spat out hatefully.

“Darla,” Spike said, acting as if he hadn't known. “I should have dusted that diseased whore years ago,” he spat, his own hatred of his great-grandsire coloring his words.

“You hate her too?” Xander asked surprised. Buffy had told them earlier that Spike had made the decision to help them, but he hadn’t believed it.

"There's nothing more on this earth that I hate more. Well, maybe Angelus...nah, I hate her more," he smirked.

"Gotta say; I'm with you there," Xander replied tipping his beer bottle in salute. "I have no love for Angel in any of his incarnations."

"I just wanna say...I'm sorry, that you had to take out your friend. I know how hard it is to see someone you loved taken over like that," he explained, his sincerity shining in his eyes. "And I'm sorry for all the shit I put you and the scoobies through. I my defense I was evil then, it was kinda part of the job description, but that doesn't make me any less sorry for it now."

Xander stopped, his bottle halfway to his mouth, and stared at the vampire in shock. "Huh? Say that again?"

"I'm a demon, always will be." The blond paused, thinking about the prophecy they had found. "I've done a lot of bad things in my day, and in the last few years the bad has been centered around you and your friends." He shook his head. "I should've just gave up after that truce with the slayer."

He took a long pull from his bottle before finishing his speech. "Since being chipped, I've had time to adjust…see things a bit differently. I guess I just needed some time to come to grips with what happened to me. A bit like Anya did, I guess. Maybe like you are now- moving into the real world, finding your place, looking for the thing that fits you and what you want from life."

“Wait.” Xander was a bit overwhelmed so he latched onto one point. “You helped Buffy against Angelus? When?”

"Acathla. I knew I couldn't take him on my own, knew she couldn't either. That was the first night I got invited to her home. We made a deal; I kept the watcher alive and I got to take Dru and leave," he explained. "Of course, that didn't work out as well as I'd hoped. Ask the slayer, she can give you all the details."

“Why didn’t she ever say anything?” the boy mumbled to himself, not expecting an answer.

"I figured she had more on her mind at the time. From what I understand; she didn't stick around after, right?" he asked, not waiting for the boy to answer. "By the time she got back, it was water under the bridge and she probably had a ton of new issues to deal with, if I know your lot."

"Didn't that break some kind of code of ethics or something? ‘Thou shall not betray your sire,’ and all that?" Xander asked, still trying to wrap his mind around the implications.

"Yeah. Why do you think Dru was so pissed at me that she hooked up with a Chaos demon?" the vampire shuddered.

Xander looked over at the table where his friends sat. Anya was nodding at something that Jonathan had said, her face intent as she listened to everything he was saying. Then he looked at Buffy, smiling slightly when she turned to look in their direction. She smiled back brightly, giving a small wave. They were a highly unusual group, that was for sure. Witches, an ex-demon, magical nerds, a slayer, a watcher, and now a chipped vampire.

He shook his head slightly. Some things just couldn't be explained. He would definitely have to ask Buffy about the truce, though. Something told him there might be a bit more to the story than he was getting.

Looking at the vampire in front of him, he smiled. "So, you up to finishing our game?" he asked nodding toward the pool table.

"Sure thing, maybe we can make some more money before the nights out," the blond joked.

"I'll just go get us another round of drinks," the brunette said, turning down the money that Spike offered to cover the beers. "After all, you helped save the world. That deserves at least one free beer," he joked.

The vampire waited until he was lost among the crowd at the bar before turning around to wink at his mate. The tingles slid down his neck as they had all day, with each factor fixed. He just hoped it was enough.


~*~*~

Buffy ascended the stairs to her room, her steps weary. She missed Spike already and the prospect of an entire night without him didn't sound appealing in the slightest. Opening the door to her room she stopped for a moment, taking in the unchanged appearance. The boy band posters, the soft covers on the bed, the knickknacks and memorabilia. Breathing deep, she could smell the faint trace of her favorite lotion and fabric softener from the recently washed sheets. Home.

Not for the first time, Buffy wished her mom had been in town for the looping day from hell. She was sure her mom could have given her some advice and hot chocolate and made things so much simpler just by being there and knowing all the right things to say.

She rummaged around in her dresser, searching for a pair of pajamas that hadn't been taken to the dorm room. Finally finding a comfortable pair, she changed quickly before pulling back the covers and slid into bed. She moaned softly as she snuggled into the cool sheets. It might not be as comfy as Spike's bed, but it felt good to lie down after the long day...days, she had experienced.

She was just drifting off to sleep, exhaustion getting the best of her, when a tap sounded at the window. Familiar tingles ran down her spine and she knew exactly who was knocking. Throwing back the curtains, she glared at the vampire. Spike was sitting in the tree with a sheepish expression on his face.

"I thought the plan was to split up?" she hissed as she opened the window. She would swear that if vampires could blush, the one in front of her would be bright red.

Spike shifted awkwardly, looking embarrassed. "I didn't want to...I just needed...bugger. I just wanted to see you. We've been so busy running 'round all day, I feel like I've barely gotten to see you."

Buffy felt herself melt under the weight of his words. Softening her expression, she reached out for his hand and guided him inside her room. "I know; I've missed you too, but remember the plan. We want to know if the day really ends. It's the best way."

The blond vampire put on his best pouting expression. "What if I just stay for a bit, just until you fall asleep, then I'll head back to the crypt?"

"Okay, but just until I go to sleep.” She was skeptical, but found she didn't have the heart to turn him away. Besides, the thought of falling asleep without him didn't sound appealing at all. and “How did your talk with Xander go?" she asked as they settled into the bed.

His arms wrapped around her tight as he recounted his conversation with the younger boy.

Day 20

~*~*~

The blond vampire rolled in the bed, coming into contact with a warm, sweet smelling body. He purred as he ran his hand down her back. "Buffy," he whispered, still half asleep. He nuzzled her neck, gentle nips and kisses trailing down her skin.

Realization set in slowly. His first thought was that he needed to stop so he didn't violate the breakup rules, the second that she was responding to his touch even in her sleep.

The third thought hit him like a ton of bricks. He and his mate. In his bed. Together.

Bugger!

The plan had failed. They were still in the day from hell.


The blond vampire rolled in the bed, coming into contact with a warm, sweet smelling body. He purred as he ran his hand down her back. "Buffy," he whispered, still half asleep. He nuzzled her neck, gentle nips and kisses trailing down her skin.

Realization set in slowly. His first thought was that he needed to stop so he didn't violate the breakup rules, the second that she was responding to his touch even in her sleep.

The third thought hit him like a ton of bricks. He and his mate. In his bed. Together.

Bugger!

The plan had failed. They were still in the day from hell.

"Quit worrying so much, Spike," Buffy whispered. "I already checked. We fixed everything and you're still here in my bedroom." She rolled over and pressed her body up to his. Buffy buried her face in Spike's neck where she lightly brushed her lips across her mark on his neck. She didn't pucker her lips, but she was delighted at the shudder that ran through the vampire's body anyway.

Spike groaned deep in his throat. His hands smoothed down the back of the tank top of Buffy's pjs. When dragged her teeth across his neck, he fisted both hands in the fabric and ground his pelvis against her. His groans turned into a growl when she sank her teeth into his flesh. He rippled into game face, and his clawed fingers ripped into his mate's shirt when the scent of his own blood hit his nostrils.

Buffy brought forth all the feelings and memories of both of her dreams; the fight over the Gem of Amara and the sexually energized fantasy of being his pet, sending them to Spike in a rush. She mewled when one of his hands gripped her hair and used it to pull her head back, shuddering violently from the combined sensations of his rough tongue on her own neck and the sound of her tank top being shredded from her torso.

"It seems my pet's havin' naughty thoughts," Spike growled in Buffy's ear. "Think of all the time we could have saved if I had claimed you when I had that soddin' ring." His sharp teeth scraped her skin and he grinned at her moan. "Instead of being a jealous git and saying those nasty things to you, I should have just taken you."

"I don't think I would've been very receptive," Buffy groaned. She shifted her pelvis to rub her pajama-clad center against his cock. "I really, really violently disliked you."

"Ah, but you didn't hate me, luv. By the time I was done with you, you'd have belonged to me and been damned happy about it." Spike's hand slipped down to the back of Buffy's pants, and he tugged the silken garment downwards off her ass.

"You would have vamped me?" Buffy asked. She gripped Spike's hair and pulled his head back so she could peer into his face.

"What?" Spike sputtered. "Hell no! You're bitchy enough being the Slayer. No way would I add a dash of vampirism to that."

"You think I'm a bitch?" Her lower lip stuck out and quivered a little.

"Look at that lip. Gonna get it," Spike rumbled.

"Just think; if Willow hadn't ended her spell, we could be married right now," Buffy murmured. She wiggled around, pulling her pants down to her ankles.

"Yep, and we'd have the perfect bait to catch Adam, too," Spike laughed. "We could just put Harris out in front and the cyborg would come right to us."

"Mm, possibly." Buffy suddenly pushed Spike away from her and hopped up out of the bed. "Last one in the shower is a naughty, naked vampire." She stepped out of her pajama bottoms and pulled the ripped top from her body, tossing it at Spike before turning to rush for the bathroom.

Spike chuckled at his mate's actions. He rose from the bed, gloriously naked, and leisurely followed her. He leaned against the doorjamb as he watched Buffy turn on the water and adjust it to the temperature that she preferred. He sniffed the air, and his nostrils flared when he realized how turned on she was getting from him watching her.

Buffy grinned at him over her shoulder before she stepped into the shower. So, he likes to watch. I'll just give him a little show. She turned, giving the voyeuristic vampire frontal view of her body, and as she tilted her head back. Lifting her hands to her hair, she arched her back forward, thrusting her breasts forward, her nipples hardening when she heard Spike growl from across the room.

Humming to heself while she ignored her audience, she grabbed the shampoo out of the caddy, and squeezed a dollop into the palm of her hand. Just as she started to lather her hair, she felt a cool mouth surround the heated flesh of her breast and gasped when long, cool fingers tugged on her hardened nipple.

She tangled her hands in Spike's hair, and pulled his head away from her chest. She looked down into his golden eyes before she quipped, "Naughty, naked vampires don't get their fun until the Slayer is all squeaky clean." Buffy turned her back on the amorous vampire, and she presented her soapy hair to him. She couldn't help the moan that escaped her lips. The feel of Spike's fingernails scratching along her scalp was stimulating in all the right places. It had certainly never felt this sinfully erotic when she washed her own hair. Purring with pleasure, she leaned back against his chest and ground her ass against his hard cock.

"Now who's being naughty and naked, luv?" Spike whispered in Buffy's ear. He allowed himself a few yearning thrusts before he turned her around and tilted her head back, rinsing the suds out of her hair.

Spike playfully slapped her hands away when Buffy tried to grab the loofah off the caddy. He grabbed the puff himself, and squeezed a generous amount of shower gel onto it. Starting with her neck and shoulders, he began to paint her skin with fragrant bubbles.

Buffy moaned when Spike rubbed the soapy loofah slowly down her body, paying particular attention to her breasts. Her hands came up to grasp his forearms, her fingernails digging small cresents into his skin as she struggled to guide him where she needed his touch the most.

He stared down at Buffy, smiling as he watched her face contort with pleasure. The fingers of his free hand skimmed over her belly and dipped between her slippery folds to swirl around her aching clit while he rubbed the loofah in circles across the swell of her mound. She bucked her hips into his wicked hands, her gasps and breathy moans leaving him hard and wanting.

Buffy squeaked when Spike suddenly pushed her back against the tile wall, hoisting her up by her ass, and settling himself between her legs. She felt his cock rubbing against her clit as his mouth covered hers. She grabbed his shoulders and squirmed until he was poised at the entrance of her achingly empty pussy.

Spike growled when Buffy sent him another mental picture, this time of herself kneeling in front of him, ready to give pleasure at his command. He thrust wildly into her body, groaning as the tight walls of her sheath stretched to accommodate him. His lips moved from her mouth, to her jawline, and then further down to her neck where he laved his mark with his rough tongue. He grunted lustfully when Buffy's pussy tightened painfully around his cock in reaction.

"Ungh! Spike!" she keened with pleasure when Spike withdrew slowly and plunged fast and hard back inside. Buffy wrapped her legs around his waist and dug her nails into her mate's flesh. Pinned to the wall, and unable to move, she started to flex her inner muscles around him.

Spike growled "You feel so bloody good, Slayer," he panted, punctuating each word with a fierce, aggressive jab of his hips. "Could fuck you all damned day. My Slayer." And with a possessive snarl, he sank his teeth into his mate's neck, grateful that the headache-giving chip had been removed.

Buffy screamed her release at the dual penetration. She tangled her hands in Spike's hair, buried her mouth against the arch of his neck, muttering 'my vampire' into his skin before she sank her teeth into his flesh. Through their link, she felt how much pleasure the pain gave her mate.

Spike thrust into Buffy's hot, wet passage one last time before gripping her ass tightly and coating her womb with his come. He removed his fangs from her flesh, licked the bite on her neck, and he whispered 'yours' in her ear. He was delighted to feel her smile against his skin and hear her whispered reply of 'yours' in his own ear.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike padded down the stairs, rubbing his wet hair with a towel. He decided that shower sex was something he and Buffy would do again soon. However, the dorms provided no privacy and the crypt was low with the amenities. It appeared that he was going to have to break down and touch his private stash of hard won cash. This made Spike wonder exactly how pissed off the Scoobies would be when they found out he wasn't as poor as he let on.

He had just stepped off the last step when the doorbell rang. The blond vampire draped the towel over the newel post and ambled over to the door. He opened it, and blinked owlishly at the creature standing on the doorstep.

"Um, hi!" Herbie waved sheepishly at Spike. He thrust a package into the startled vampire's hands. "Dru told me to give this to you. It's that talisman thing she made for you and the Slayer." The chaos demon peered anxiously over Spike's shoulder. "The Slayer isn't going to beat me up, is she?"

"Slayer's upstairs gettin' dressed." Spike cautiously took the package from Herbie. "If you leave town without causing any trouble, I doubt she'll hunt you down." He glanced over the demon's shoulder and spied Xander coming up the sidewalk.

"Th-that sounds good to me. Bye," Herbie said quickly. He almost knocked Xander down when he turned to leave. "Sorry, dude." The chaos demon blurted out as he scurried past the teenager.

"What was that?" Xander asked. He turned to watch the large, horned demon climb into a hot pink Cadillac convertible. "And what is it driving?"

"That's Dru's chaos demon," Spike answered. He stepped back from the doorway to gesture Xander inside. "Have no idea why he's driving that. Probably Dru's idea."

"Put on a shirt, man," Xander grumbled as he stepped inside. "I haven't been blinded like this since we dug that tracking device out of you. By the way, what are you doing here in Joyce's house?"

"Xander, you leave Spike alone." Buffy slowly came down the stairs. "He's here because I want him to be."

"But why is he half naked?" Xander gestured wildly. "It's one thing to have him in the Scoobies, but Buffy... naked in your mom's house?"

"I had hoped to break this to you gently, Xander, but I guess that isn't going to happen." Buffy crossed the room to put her arm through Spike's. She decided if she was going to have to tell her friend about her relationship with the vampire, she might as well make it really good. "I'm dating Spike and nothing you can say is going to change my mind."

"Thanks, luv." Spike leaned down to kiss Buffy's cheek before he turned his attention to the flabbergasted human male. "Come on, Harris. Buck up! At least this way, you're not the only demon magnet in the group."

"Hey, that's not funny," Buffy squealed. "I'm only interested in one demon and that's you!" She pinched the vampire's ribcage.

"But Buffy, you and Riley only broke up yesterday," Xander stammered. "Shouldn't you shop around a bit more before picking the first vampire that comes along? Shit, that didn't sound right!"

"Spike is not the first vampire to come along and you know it," Buffy muttered. "Besides, I've broke up with Riley days ago. It's not my fault he kept forgetting about it!" She turned and dragged Spike into the kitchen by his arm.

Xander followed the blond couple into the other room where Buffy had hopped up on one of the stools while Spike puttered around making coffee. He was surprised at how domestic and in sync the pair were together. Xander listened to their conversation while he tried to wrap his mind around idea of Buffy dating yet another vampire.

"When will your mum be home, luv?" Spike glanced over his shoulder. "Are you plannin' on tellin' her about us right away?"

"She'll be in late tomorrow. I suppose we could pick her up at the airport." Buffy turned Drusilla's package over in her hands. She tore the paper away. "Yes, we'll tell her right away! Last time we tried to do the secret thing it didn't work out too well, did it?"

"Woulda been fine if Captain Forehead's minion hadn'ta shown up," Spike said. He hopped up on a stool next to Buffy, and he nodded his head towards the package "Dru's demon brought that by. Rip it open and let's see what the barmy chit sent us."

"Barney? I thought she was an insane, evil vampire, not an insane, evil purple dinosaur," Buffy quipped. She took the paper off the package, opened the box, and removed an envelope with the name 'William' printed across the front.

"Ha, bloody, ha, Slayer," Spike replied mockingly, but without any real bite. "Better watch it, luv. Your roots are showing."

"They so are not," Buffy cried. "I went to the hairdresser just before our crazy day started."

"I meant your Valley Girl roots." Spike chuckled while he winked at the flabbergasted Xander. He opened the note, and began to read aloud,

"My Dearest William,

I hope you and your slayer aren't too unhappy with me. I only wanted to help you both on the path you were headed, but the road was filled with holes and boulders to make you trip and fall. I only smoothed the lane a bit, made the journey a bit more bearable.

I've sent sweet Herbie with the talisman, do with it what you wish, but I don't think you'll be needing it any longer. You both know your own hearts now as well as each others. You belong together. I've seen you in my dreams, glowing brightly, with your effulgent girl.

I hope you get everything your heart desires, my brave knight, and maybe we'll meet again one day.

Drusilla"

Buffy opened up the box when Spike finished reading the note. She took out the small tapestry and held it up in the air to look at it. Buffy decided that it was very pretty, and that Drusilla was very talented. She handed the tapestry to Spike, but as soon as his fingers touched the fabric, it went up in a smokeless, ashless fire.

"Holy moley, what was that?" Xander exclaimed. He blinked owlishly when Spike and Buffy grinned and launched themselves into each other arms. "Stop doing that. I'm not blind, you know!"

"Close your eyes, Harris," Spike said. "Besides what the hell are you doing here? We're suppose to be meetin' at the Watcher's at nine."

"I just thought Buffy needed a ride, is all."

"Well, you can see that I don't, Xander," Buffy mumbled. "Now, we're gonna get dressed. We'll meet you at Giles'." She left the circle of her mate's arms, and she shooed her friend out the door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Giles meet Buffy at the apartment door. He waved Spike through the courtyard and stepped back to allow the vampire to rush in. He watched while Buffy warmly greeted the gathered Scoobies from her place beside Spike.

"I've got doughnuts," Xander announced. He slipped in the door before Giles had a chance to close it. He went to the table, where he placed the two boxes of fluffy bread products in the middle. "So, you guys told Giles about your flaming present?"

"Hadn't had a chance," Buffy sighed. "We only beat you here by a few minutes." She cuddled closer to Spike.

"Flaming present?" Giles asked. He grabbed a doughnut from the box before the others could scoop up his favorite jelly filled ones.

"Yeah, Dru's demon came by the Slayer's to drop off a package," Spike answered. "Inside was the talisman that's been mentioned and as soon as I touched it, it went up in flame."

"A-Are you still... you know?" Tara stammered. She knew they were, because she could see their auras. Tara thought that the blond couple were more in-sync now than they had been before. She smiled shyly when they nodded and Buffy kissed the vampire on the cheek.

"Hey now, none of that," Xander spluttered around his mouthful of doughnut. He went to stand behind Willow who was still studying her laptop. "Watcha go there, Wills?"

"There's a bunch of stuff we already know about Adam, but it also has some final phase where he manufactures a bunch of creepy cyber-demoniods like him." Willow pointed at the screen. "There's a special lab in the Initiative, but it doesn't say where."

"Those disks decoded themselves," Jonathan spoke up from his spot at the table. "I'm sure Adam planned on this as part of his ambush. The stuff I remember about Adam is pretty vague. He has a uranium core housed somewhere beneath his main skeletal structure."

"The lab is hidden inside the Initiative?" Giles asked. He took off his glasses to squeeze the bridge of his nose.

"Yep." Willow blinked at the screen. "He's probably not too happy with us for removing Riley's chip.

"He's strong." Jonathan looked to Spike and Buffy for confirmation. "And I doubt we'll get the drop on him, not with all the demons and the Initiative troops," he said, grabbing the papers that outlined Adam's demonic assembly line. "He'll have the perfect set up, especially if he sets them up to fight each other as well."

"Ew. Diabolical, yet... gross." Willow made a face.

"Does anyone else miss the Mayor?" Xander raised his hand in the air. "Mr. 'I just wanna be a big snake'?"

"We could control some of the demons," Andrew bragged. "Maybe not all of them, but a few. Those that haven't been changed into Adam's Darth Siths anyway." He grinned when the others winced at his Star Wars pun.

"Jonathan, why don't you two put together a list of demons you are most likely able to control," Giles suggested. He handed the dark-haired boy a pad and pencil. Then, he sent the two into the kitchen to talk.

"We know Adam's strong, stronger than Buffy and Spike." Willow glanced apologetically at the couple. "What about magic? Maybe some kind of... I don't know... uranium extracting spell?"

Willow blinked when the others stared at her in disbelief. She giggled a little and waved them away. She knew she was reaching with that spell, but they were running out of options.

"That does give me an idea." Giles stood up from his seat. "Perhaps a paralyzing spell." He walked over to the bookshelf and pulled out a book, flipping through the pages. "The problem is that I can't perform the incantation for this."

"Right," Willow drawled. "Don't you have to speak it in Sumerian or something?"

"I do speak Sumerian," Giles said haughtily. "It's not that. Only an experienced witch can incant it, and they must to be within striking distance of the subject." He closed the book, and he replaced it on the shelf.

"See what you get for takin' French instead of Sumerian?" Xander jibed. He grinned when Willow rolled her eyes at him, and Buffy giggled when he poked fun at her high school French lessons. "So, basically all we need is combo Buffy... her Slayer strength, Giles' multi-lingual know how, and Willow's witchy power."

"S-spike being her mate helps, too," Tara stammered. The night before as they lay in bed, Willow had relayed everything that Buffy had told her.

"Yes, quite," Giles murmured. The mating would make the spell he had in mind quite a bit more powerful than normal. "I'm going to research Xander's idea."

"My idea?" Xander blinked in surprise. "When did I have an idea? How come I didn't know I had an idea?"

Buffy patted Xander on the arm with a grin. She and Spike began to check on the weapons that Giles had stashed around his apartment. They gave Anya and Tara lessons on how to arm and shoot crossbows, and Buffy was quite happy to see the that the two women worked well together with Tara arming the crossbows while Anya fired them.

"Ah ha!" Giles exclaimed. "An adjoining spell. This is perfect." He grabbed a pad and pencil, and he began to write down a list of things. "Jonathan, can you run down to the magic shop and pick up these items?"

Jonathan, followed closely by Andrew, came out of the kitchen. He dropped his own list on the table before he grabbed the Watcher's list. He studied it carefully,and then he nodded his head. They quietly grabbed their jackets and made their exit.

Andrew turned to speak when he got to the door, ""We shall not fail on our mission, sir. We shall search both high and low for the ingredients needed to defeat the evil lurking below."

"Yes, yes. Big evil," Giles muttered distractedly. "Take your time." He picked up the list of demons that the boys thought they could control. He directed Anya and Tara to research the demons on the list. Every little bit helped, and it was better to be safe than sorry. Giles went back to studying the adjoining spell. He wanted to make sure he was prepared.

Spike and Buffy sat with Willow, who showed them Adam's schematics and the floor plans of the Initiative, trying to decide where the most likely place for the hidden lab would be.

The research was done, the plans were prepared. They would slip in, contact the colonel that taken over for Walsh, and somehow persuade him to help them. Jonathan and Andrew would control any of the demon prisoners that they could with Tara and Anya as back up. Spike, Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Giles would enter Adam's lair and deal with the man-made demon themselves using the adjoining spell.

Spike and Buffy both expressed the desire to get the battle out of the way because of Joyce's return to Sunnydale late the next day. The group said their goodnights, and trooped off to their beds for a good night's sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Nervous?" Willow whispered to Xander. They were standing with the rest of the Scoobies outside of Lowell house. It was still dark. The group had decided for an early morning attack for two reasons; the first was so that Spike wouldn't have to do his dash from a manhole cover and the second was the element of surprise.

"No way," Xander mummbled. "I'm full of that good old Kamikaze spirit." He nervously clutched the tazer in his fist.

"Xander, this is going to work. There's no need to be negative," Giles hissed. "The adjoining spell is powerful enough to defeat Adam. Powerful, but very dangerous."

"Game faces, guys." Buffy kicked in a window. "We're going in."

Day 21

"Nervous?" Willow whispered to Xander. They were standing outside of Lowell house. It was still dark. The group had decided for an early morning attack for two reasons; the first was so that Spike wouldn't have to do his dash from a manhole cover and the second was the element of surprise.

"No way," Xander whispered. "I'm full of that good ol’ Kamikaze spirit." He nervously clutched the tazer in his fist.

"Xander, this is going to work. There's no need to be so negative," Giles hissed. "The adjoining spell is powerful enough to defeat Adam. Powerful, but very dangerous."

"Game faces, guys." Buffy kicked in a window. "We're going in."

The climb down through the elevator shaft was uneventful, Each of them consumed with their own thoughts.

Buffy mused that the Scoobies had never been such a large group before. For some strange reason, the addition of Tara, Anya, Jonathan, and Andrew comforted her. She knew without a doubt that between the four of them they would keep Willow, Xander, and Giles safe as they performed the dangerous joining spell. Without them, these three people that she loved so much would be vulnerable and that thought would distract her, and when it came to Adam; they really couldn't afford any distractions.

As the final pair reached the floor of the lift shaft, Giles removed a crowbar from his backpack and worked on opening the double steel doors.

As the doors opened, the Slayer gave her orders. “Okay, we stick together and everything should be fine. Everybody ready? Let’s…”

Buffy was cut off by the sight of five commandoes with laser blasters targeting them. The soldiers were clearly waiting for them. She felt her frustration rising. They really didn't have time for this!

~*~

In the office of the new head of the Initiative, Buffy tried to get the angry Colonel to listen to her.

“Shut up. You've got some nerve, lady.” Colonel McNamara snapped as he started searching on of the bags they had brought with them. “You think you and your friends can just keep waltzing into a government installation brandishing weapons like…” He paused his rant when he failed to recognized the object he was lifting an item out of the bag.

“It's a gourd.” Willow offered, trying to be helpful.

“Magic gourd.” Giles clarified, trying to hide his smirk. ‘These fools have no idea what they’re dealing with,’ he thought disparagingly.

Colonel McNamara opened his eyes wide and said incredulously, “What kind of freaks are you people?”

“Adam is here, Colonel. In the Initiative.” The Slayer informed the disbelieving officer, desperately trying to get the conversation back on track.

“Nice try,” he scoffed dismissively.

“Those overcrowded containment cells of yours are courtesy of Adam. He's pulling a Trojan horse on you, he's just waiting…”

Once again the Colonel cut her off, his erroneous belief in the superiority of his technology was undaunted. “Everything in this installation is under 24-hour surveillance.”

“Including the secret lab?” Willow asked. She had read Adam’s plans. She knew that this man was not only ill-equipped to deal with the problem, but she doubted he had enough imagination to even envisage the carnage that their manufactured mistake was capable of.

“Including everything!” he snapped automatically before looking at her with astonishment. “What secret lab?”

“The one Adam's been using. The one built for the final stage of Project 314,” Buffy ground out furiously. At the baffled look on his face she was hard pressed to hide her disgust. “And you have no idea what I'm talking about.”

“I know everything that goes on around here. A flea on a mouse couldn't get in without my knowing it, and if Adam wants to try; we're ready for him.”

The arrogance of the man brought out Giles’ more sarcastic side. “Jolly good. And how exactly do you plan to get close enough to Adam to remove his power source?”

“Hit him simultaneously with multiple tazer blasters. Incapacitate him with as much voltage as we can muster,” the Colonel replied smugly, daring them to find fault with his plan.

Xander’s derisive snort spoke volumes. “Great plan. That's right up there with ‘duck and cover’.”

“I've seen Adam hit with tazer blasts. He feeds on it and you're gonna boost him up with an all-you-can-eat buffet?” she asked, incredulous.

“You telling me my business?” the arrogant army man demanded in fury. It had been a long time since anyone had dared to question him and the fact that his years of experience were being dismissed as inconsequential was only adding fuel to his fire.

“This is not your business. It's mine. You, the Initiative, the boys at the Pentagon…you're all in way over your heads. You’re messing with primeval forces you can’t possibly comprehend,” The Slayer snarled in anger.

He looked her up and down. “And you do?”

“I'm the Slayer. You're playing on my turf.”

“Up there, maybe, but down here; I'm the one who's in control.”

As he spoke his final words, the lights went out.

“Oh, bloody good job you’re doin’ with that, then.” Spike rolled his eyes and shifted into game face.

“Sir, the power grid's down. Backup's not responding.” An unknown soldier’s voice cut through the darkness. It was obvious that he fervently wished that any other soldier in the base had been given the duty of passing on that particular piece of information. “Um…and we, er, appear to be locked in.”

“It’s started,” Jonathan offered quietly as he surreptitiously repacked the gourd and zipped up the bag.

The young soldier returned. “Containment area's been breached. Hostiles are loose.” His voice quivered slightly in trepidation.

“How many?” Colonel McNamara barked out his question.

“All of 'em, Sir.”

“It's Adam,” Buffy stated flatly, pulling McNamara’s attention back to her. “Look, I'm the only one who can stop him now. Just let me handle this. Get your people out of here.”

“All right, you men follow me. We gotta take the Armory, now,” he snapped out his orders to three of the soldiers that had brought the Slayer’s team to him in the first place. Turning to the two remaining commandoes, he gave them their orders too. “These people are under arrest, do you understand?”

“Yes, sir!” the senior soldier snapped to attention as his commander left the office.

Rolling her eyes, Buffy asked rhetorically, “Why does it always have to be the hard way?”

With a quick snap of her leg she kicked the first soldier in the chest, sending him into the wall, before slamming the head of the second commando into the desk, knocking both men out cold.

“We've gotta find Adam.”

“On it,” Willow replied as she moved swiftly to the computer on the Colonel’s desk.

“The enjoining spell is extremely touchy. It's, uh, volatile. We can't risk it being interrupted. We need a place that's close to you and quiet.” Giles told them all as he followed Willow, attempting to watch the computer screen over her shoulder.

“Maybe you should think about joining the Army, Xander.” Anya suggested as she considered the two unconscious soldiers. “You could end up running it, because they’re really not very smart, are they?”

“I’d have to go through basic training which would mean you would have to give up on happies for at least six weeks!”

“Nope! No army!” Anya shuddered at the thought. No girl in her right mind would give up orgasms for six weeks.

Carefully taking note of the events happening on the monitor, Xander was brought back to the requirements Giles had outlined. Pointing to the screen as he caught Buffy’s eye, he demanded. “Uh...quiet?”

Buffy watched in frustration as soldier after soldier got thrown through the air by the rampaging demons. Her slayer side screamed to be released. “How we doing, Will?”

“Done. Hold on. According to this, there's air ducts and electrical conduits all running into there.” Willow looked at the computer screen in satisfaction.

“So?” Buffy’s brow creased in concentration.

“So, there's no there there. Look.”

“It's Adam.” Buffy announced firmly as she straightened back up from leaning down to study the monitor.

“You sure?” Giles felt compelled to ask.

The Slayer nodded with certainty. “Right behind 314.” Returning her gaze to the redhead, Buffy asked her next question. “Can you unlock it?”

“I don't have to.” The witch felt sickened by the carnage that was happening because of Adam’s plan. “All the locks in the Initiative have been disengaged...except for the exits.”

“Demon open house,” Xander added in disgust.

“Great. So we know we're going to 314. Now all we have to do is get there.” Knowing that she and Spike were the only ones that would be able to get the whole group through, Buffy took the lead, leaving her vampire champion to bring up the rear. Hopefully between them, they would be able to protect the group. They couldn't afford to loose any more time.

Like a whirling dervish, Buffy cleared a pathway in front of the group. Strength, skill, and determination made short work of the demons that attempted to attack them.

Spike was kept busy with those foolish enough to try and sneak up on the Master Vampire. For the first time he was made aware of the pressure his mate faced every time she fought with her friends. His fear of losing someone he cared for kept his natural tendency to lose himself in the battle in check. He watched over the group with one eye as he fought any and all challengers with swift precision.

Andrew itched with anticipation and fear. He saw demon after demon that he knew he could control. Countless hours strategizing role-playing games had him mentally formulating the best course of action. The sheer numbers of demons to be dealt with was staggering. He pulled his pan pipes from his jacket pocket, firmly of the opinion that a job of this magnitude required him to pull out all the stops.

Xander had been instructed not to fight as he would need his strength for his part of the spell. However, it didn't take strength to shoot a laser he reasoned as he shot a demon that was trying to sneak past Buffy.

Tara clutched Willow’s hand, terrified and excited beyond anything she’d ever experienced. She knew that her abilities were limited; she had one spell that she could use to protect them and she was determined to use it well.

Anya was having the time of her life; she hadn't been a part of a rioting mob in years. Memories of past melees were fondly remembered. She was totally blind to the danger she was in, completely convinced that three witches, a watcher who had dabbled with sorcery, a boy that could control demons with a musical instrument, a Master Vampire, and the Slayer were absolutely capable of dealing with any threat that could come her way. When properly motivated, the baseball bat that she carried could become a deadly weapon.

Willow felt the familiar tendrils of anticipation at the thought of the spell they had decided to do. She relished the idea of the feeling of magic coursing through her that was to come. She lightly squeezed Tara’s hand as they followed the petite blond warrior in front of them. Her love of education paled in comparison to the lure of the mystical powers she was touching with increasing frequency. Her fear of the situation they were now in was lessened by the thought of what was to come.

Jonathan cringed each time a demon attacked. He alternated his visual direction between Buffy and Spike, always afraid that one of the beasts would get through. He didn't know how these people managed to keep fighting day after day. He was hard pressed to remember how he had managed to let himself be talked into this whole thing. Sure, he wanted to help, and yes, he was magically inclined, but that didn't mean he was cut out for this sort of thing on a regular basis. He had a feeling that he would be asking to be left out of the physical aspects of the ‘good fight’ in the future. He was hoping that from now on he could concentrate on the research side. It wasn't like they didn't have other people with magical abilities; really, he was just an extra, and at this point he thought that maybe he was a dispensable extra!

Giles watched his slayer and her vampire. They were amazing to behold. Never in all his years of experience had he witnessed such graceful fluidity of movement. Even with the large group of people between them they seemed to be moving together in a strange sort of ritualistic dance. His own fighting abilities looked amateurish in comparison.

Buffy felt him with every thrust and parry, dancing along the edges of her consciousness. Her mate. She felt the primal urgings of her slayer side well up. The fight was just beginning and at this particular moment in time she could think of no other place that she would rather be. As she reached the entrance to room 314 she quickly opened the door and ushered her group in. With a quick kiss to her waiting lips, Spike was the last to move past her. She followed him into the room and closed the door after her.

Moving through the small group, Buffy headed to the wall opposite the door. “Okay, it should be over here,” she said as she investigated the wall. Pressing lightly she triggered the hidden mechanism in the door and released the catch. Looking back at the group, she gave her final instructions. “Once we’re in, barricade the door behind us. Is this place okay to be Magic Central?”

“It, uh, should do,” Giles replied, a little uncertain. If they blocked the door to the secret lab they would only have to be protected from one direction.

“As long as we don't get blown up or nothin',” Willow added in an attempt at levity.

“What're the odds of that?” Xander quipped in amusement.

“How long before the ritual kicks in?” Spike asked as he moved to Buffy’s side.

“Five minutes, give or take,” Giles responded.

As soon as Buffy and Spike stepped through the door, Anya, Tara, and Jonathan moved to close and block it. Andrew grabbed the bag of supplies that his team would need and started setting up for the two witches.

Jonathan and Tara had already ascertained that the circle that Willow, Xander, and Giles were performing their spell in would ensure that any protection spells that the unlikely pair of witches needed to use would not be able to adversely affect the all important joining spell.

Giles and Willow moved swiftly and with practiced ease to set up for the ritual. Xander gave Anya a quick hug and, pointing to the baseball bat in her hand, encouraged her to use it if the need arose.

~*~*~

Buffy and Spike paused at the sight before them. The room looked like an operating room set up to work as a factory. Empty surgical tables lined both sides of the room. Adams work was apparent by the appearance of Maggie Walsh and one other unlucky scientist. Surgical adjustments were clearly visual on both.

Ignoring the intrusion of the two blonds, the two cyber-humans continued to work, clearly preparing the room for the final stage of Adam’s plan.

“After time spent in her company when I was locked in their cells, I gotta say she’s never looked better.” Spike eyed the former head of the initiative with disgust.

“What’s with the ignoring? You’d think they’d at least acknowledge we’re here.” Buffy pouted in annoyance.

“They haven't been programmed to. They are part of the final phase now...as you and my brother and the vampire were supposed to be,” Adam said, announcing his presence.

“Brother?” Buffy asked. Turning to her mate, she again voiced her confusion. “It has a brother?”

“Think it’s talkin’ about Capt’n Cardboard, luv.”

Buffy turned her shocked features to Adam. “RILEY?! Riley’s your brother? Okay, gotta say; so glad I’m not dating him anymore, ‘cause I’m seriously not wanting to go to any of his family reunions!” Buffy commented with a shudder of disgust.

“Are you here to take your place?” Adam asked with polite curiosity.

“Sorry. We don't jump through hoops on command. Sorta never really been the types to tow the line,” Buffy quipped.

“As you wish.” He turned to his creations and issued a single order before leaving the room. “Kill her.”

The two blonds moved into fighting positions as Professor Walsh moved to pick up a device and then slowly made her way towards Buffy, ignoring Spike completely. As she moved past Spike, he grabbed her head and with a quick movement, snapped her neck and then ripped her head from her body.

“Really don’t like to be forgotten, do you blondie?” Buffy smirked at her mate. Not to be outdone, she swiftly dispatched the remaining cyber-doctor.

~*~*~

As Giles lit a candle, Willow started to chant. “The power of the Slayer and all who yield it. Last to ancient first, we invoke thee. Grant us thy domain and primal strength. Accept us in the power we possess. Make us mind and heart
and spirit joy. Let the hand encompass us. Do thy will.”

~*~*~

“Hey! Did I get some sort of power boost from the mating or has the spell started?” Buffy asked in confusion. She felt stronger than normal, but as she’d only just noticed it, she was unsure as to its origin.

Spike spouted off a group on syllables to his perplexed mate.

“Huh?”

“Well, as that was Sumerian; I’m guessin’ it’s the mating then, pet,” he commented.

“What did you say?” Buffy asked suspiciously.

Her mate gave her a playful grin before answering. “Either I love you or I want to fuck you till you scream.”

“Oh, you are so paying for that one later, mister!”

~*~*~

“Spiritus...Spirit,” Willow intoned before handing a card to Xander.

“Animus...Heart,” Xander firmly recited.

Giles took his own card from the redhead and then spoke his part, “Sophus...Mind.”

Willow continued, “and Manus... The hand. We enjoin that we may inhabit the vessel. The hand...daughter of Sineya...first of the ones...

~*~*~

“We need to get to Adam. Like, now. Are you ready?” the Slayer asked her mate.

“I was born ready, Slayer,” the vampire answered smugly.

“Liar!” Buffy snorted before heading in the direction the man-made monster had gone.

~*~*~

As the duo entered Adam’s inner sanctum, Spike notice the walking jigsaw puzzle was watching a security monitor of the battle raging within the Initiative. “Fun, isn't it?”

“I do appreciate violence,” the cyborg responded unemotionally.

“Good,” Buffy stated before launching herself at him.

A single punch sent her flying backwards. She rolled, got up, and kicked him as Spike pummeled him in the face.

Grabbing the vampire’s hand, Adam threw him into the wall. Releasing his skewer, Doctor Walsh’s experiment attempted to stab the Slayer only to have her snap off the stolen appendage.

“Broke your arm,” she quipped.

“Got another,” he replied without pause. A miniature machine gun appeared where the Polgara demon’s spike had been. “I've been upgrading.”

Buffy dove over the computer console as he began firing. When Spike joined her there a moment later she was chagrined by his sarcastic admonition.

“And I thought you couldn't outdo the bloody bear!”

~*~*~

“We implore thee, admit us, bring us to the vessel, take us now.”

~*~*~

The instant the spell took hold, they felt it. Together they stood to face their enemy. Instinctively moving behind his mate, Spike took his place. Their eyes glowed with orange fire and they moved as one, intrinsically linked by powers older than time.

“You can't last much longer,” Adam announced with calm certainty.

The united pair spoke in unison, Spike’s deeper baritone adding bass to the Slayer’s mezzo; a symphony in harmonics. “We can. We are forever,” they began before incanting the ancient Sumerian words they spell required.

“Interesting,” Adam commented mildly. Casually lifting the arm that was equipped with the gun, he fired. The force-field that protected the pair as they continued to speak negated the power of the weapon Adam used. “Very interesting.”

~*~*~

Tara reached for Jonathan’s hand, grounding him. He felt the familiar stirring of the magic deep within him. It had never been so clear before. The purity of his power surged forward. As the door broke open, they simultaneously threw up the barrier, holding the demons at bay.

Andrew lifted his pipes to his lips as the door to the room started to give under the onslaught of the demons attempting to gain access. Instinct guided him as he began to play.

He zeroed in on the one that he wanted and the music seemed to surround them, the room perfectly amplifying the sounds. It weaved and danced as it seduced its prey.

Once he was sure that he had control, the blond demon specialist changed the tune; musically ordering the beast to stand and fight all that would dare attempt to enter the domain of the music and the puppet master.

~*~*~

Adam changed his weapon to fire rockets and the two blondes lifted their left hands synchronistically, turning the projectiles to doves. With another wave of their hands the monster’s gun folded itself away.

He attempted to defeat them in hand to hand combat but every punch was blocked by the be-spelled duo.

“How...can you…” Adam stated, his confusion clear.

“You could never hope to grasp the source of our power,” they announced with certainty. As they held the human cyborg to the wall, the Slayer reached in and took hold of his uranium core. “But yours is right here.”

Adam collapsed with a groan.

With the final Sumerian words spoken, the core levitated and disappeared.

As their eyes returned to normal, Buffy fell back against her mate. “Whoa! Spinning!”

“Well, that one packs a bit of a whollop!” Spike shook his head in an attempt to clear it.

“You ain’t kidding!”

~*~*~

As the spell finished, Willow, Xander and Giles collapsed in exhaustion; completely drained.

“Wow. That was…” Words failed her normally agile mind.

Giles stared in awe as the Fyarl demon ripped his way through every demon attempting to enter the room. With a look of stunned awe, he turned to Andrew. “Can we keep him working for us?”

Andrew continued to play his pipes and he looked beseechingly at Jonathan to answer the retired librarian.

“Um, not so much. And he’s gonna be really grumpy when Andrew finally releases him,” the brunette witch mumbled unhappily.

“Releases who?” Buffy asked cheerfully as she and Spike stepped through the door after effortlessly pushing the console meant to be blocking the door out of the way.

Wordlessly, Xander pointed to the clearly exhausted demon that was protecting them.

Buffy glanced at the demon and the dead bodies surrounding it and widened her eyes in realization. Were it not for the inclusion of the newest scoobies, her dearest friends and watchers may not have survived this battle. “Thank you,” she whispered. The softness of her response amplified the sentiment behind the words.

Without thought, Andrew released the pipes, grinned happily and loudly chirped, “you’re welcome.”

The roar of the furious demon echoed through the room.

“Oops!”

~*~*~

Their escape from the Initiative seemed anticlimactic after the previous events of the day.

Buffy and Spike left the group to organizing the post-apocalyptic munchies and movies as they took the Desoto to pick up Joyce at the airport.

~*~*~

“Mom, why aren't you more wigged? I mean, I just told you I’m more or less married to a vampire and you’re all huggy with Spike,” Buffy asked in shock. “You hated me being in a relationship with Angel.”

Joyce smiled at her confused daughter. “My disapproval of your relationship had more to do with Angel himself than it did with him being a vampire, dear. If you’ll remember, after Spike visited me, heartbroken over that awful Drusilla, you told me all about your relationship with Angel. The…er…individual that you were convinced was your soul mate struck me as being, well, less than you thought he was. He could only love you with a soul in place and that told me that not all of him loved you. You deserve to be loved completely and Angel wasn't capable of that. Spike is a far better choice!”

“You’re a remarkably astute woman, mum!” Spike said smugly from the driver’s seat.

“And I still know where my axe is, dear!”

Dreams

A/N: A lot of dialogue will be recognized from Restless. I have kept several of the scenes as setups or finishes to the dreams that I have written/changed. Some I just left because I love them so much I couldn't take them out. Mostly I changed/added to a scene to get the changed reactions or added characters involved in new ways and the rest I condensed/summed up/left out for the sake of not repeating everything from that episode.

********* New dream

~~~ Change of scene within a dream


--------------------------------------------

By the time they unloaded Joyce's bags and deposited them safely inside, the gang had arrived for the post apocalypse party. The Scoobies had split up briefly, allowing Buffy and Spike to pick up Joyce and explain the changes that had occurred while she had been out of town, while the others headed to their respective homes for showers and changes in clothing.

Willow and Tara arrived first, holding hands, with soft whispers and giggles following in their wake. Giles entered next, carrying a bottle of liquor wrapped in a plain paper sack, stating that he would be needing it to endure Andrew for the remainder of the night.

Xander and Anya burst through the door a short time later, with Xander proclaiming that he had procured the necessary videos and refreshments needed for the evenings entertainment. Lastly, Jonathan and Andrew arrived, both still slightly nervous and unsure about their place in the group.

Once everyone had arrived, Buffy rushed upstairs to wash up and change into something more comfortable while Joyce ushered Spike to her bathroom with the fresh clothes that they had picked up on the way back from the airport.

Freshly scrubbed, the couple made their way back down to join in the celebration. Everyone was excited about their victory and wired from the adrenaline still rushing through their bodies. They had urged Joyce to join them but she refused, citing jet lag and that the long trip had worn her out.

Once Xander started the video, everyone settled into comfy positions for a night long vid-fest. Before the opening credits finished, the room was silent and all were fast asleep, unaware of the dangers that lay in their dreams.

*********

Willow wandered slowly down the hall in confusion. Seeing Xander and Oz leaning against the wall, she moved closer. She was worried about Tara; the things that she had said about people finding out who she was. What did it all mean?

"Hey." Xander nodded in her direction.

"Heard you were taking drama," Oz stated.

Why was everyone talking about that class? "You took it?"

"Oh, I've been here forever," he told her cryptically.

"So whatcha been doing? Doing spells?" Xander asked. "She does spells with Tara," he told the werewolf.

"Yeah, I heard about that." Oz's voice sounding concerned.

The bell rang. She was afraid she was going to be late...but for what?

She could hear Xander's parting words as she walked down the hall. "Sometimes, I think about two women doing a spell...and then I do a spell by myself."

~~~

Willow found herself walking aimlessly backstage, students in costumes from what looked like several different plays all jumbled together with no rhyme or reason.

It was wiggy enough being hugged by Harmony, but when Buffy joined in, the confusion only grew. How could they be having the play without any classes? How were they supposed to learn their lines? And what did Buffy mean she was already in costume? She thought back to Tara's words but shook them off.

Giles' speech only added to the dread she felt. When she saw something crouched down, making its way around the inside of the curtain, her mind cried out that she was in danger. "Did anyone see that?" she asked in a hushed voice, but no one was listening.

She looked around, trying to find Buffy to warn her, but when she turned she found that Spike had already found her and were engaged in a major make out session. She tried to interrupt when they didn't break it off immediately, but with little success. "Um, guys." She noticed that Spike was also in costume; a Victorian gentlemen, complete with wire rimmed glasses.

Spike broke away from Buffy long enough to glare at the redhead. "Yes? Can't you see that we're practicing our big kissing scene?"

"Oh sorry," Willow squeaked, surprised at how much Spike sounded like Giles just then, all stiff and upper crusty.

"William. Kiss me, sweet William," Buffy cried dramatically. She turned to Willow and whispered, "We've got the big scene at the end, right before the curtains come down and the lights go out. It's all very romantic."

The noise in the room receded and she gazed around, her eyes coming to rest on a small, balding man standing over a table. "I've made a little space for the cheese slices," he whispered.

~~~

Buffy pulled Willow out of the curtains and into a deserted classroom. Between Tara's words about everyone finding out who she was, like she was hiding something from everyone, and the attack, she was shaken and upset.

The play had already started and she had no answers for the thing that was following her. Why did they keep insisting that she was doing something wrong? Like she was hiding some secret that she didn't understand?

"What did it look like?" Buffy asked, scanning the room for danger.

Willow crouched low, following behind. "I don't know. I don't know what's after me."

Buffy's brow scrunched in disapproval. "You must have done something."

"No. I never do anything. I'm very seldom naughty. I-I just came to class, and-and the play was starting," she rushed to assure her friend. Why did she think that it was her fault?

Buffy straightened up, forgetting the need for stealth that she had insisted on just moments before. "Play is long over. Why are you still in costume?" she asked harshly.

"Okay," Willow exclaimed, getting more irritated by the second. "Still having to explain wherein this is just my outfit."

Buffy shook her head in disappointment, "Willow, everybody already knows. Take it off."

"No. No." She looked around nervously. "I need it.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Oh, for god's sake, just take it off." She grabbed Willow by the shoulders, spun her around and ripped the clothes from her back.

Buffy dusted off her hands. "That's better. It's much more realistic."

Willow turned around to face the room to find all the desks were full and everyone staring at her.

Harmony gave an amused laugh. "See? Isn't everybody very clear on this now?"

Willow looked down to see that her clothing had changed and she was wearing an outfit that she might have worn when Buffy had first come to Sunnydale.

"Bloody hell!" came a shout from the back of the room. Willow looked up to see Spike slouched lazily in one of the desk chairs with Buffy sitting behind him playing with his hair. She looked around the room at all the familiar faces. She was shocked when she saw Tara and Oz leaning toward each other intimately.

"I tried to warn you," Oz told the usually shy witch, both throwing Willow mocking glances.

Spike sat up, smirking. "I've seen this before. Young girl tries to remake herself into something she's not. I bet that's what the lesbian thing is...just a cover for the whole I'm-a-big-geek thing."

Buffy slapped him lighting on the back of his head. "Spike, be nice. I'm sure Willow's not using the gay thing for a cover. She has the witchy thing for that."

Willow's eyes moved around the room nervously. She looked down at her paper in her hand. Just read the report, get it over and you can sit down, she told herself. "My book report. This summer, I-I read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe."

Xander dropped his head back and yelled at the ceiling, "Oh, who cares?’

Willow couldn't believe what was happening around her, that her friends were treating her this way. She watched, feeling a bit sick as Oz snuggled closer to Tara, his lips grazing her cheek as she giggled in response.

She tried to continue with her report, to ignore the taunts and hurtful attitudes from her friends. She caught a dark flash from the corner of her eye just before she was knocked to the floor. She screamed, expecting help from someone...anyone, but they didn't come. "Help! Help me!" Why didn't they come?

She looked up in horror as the thing attacking her began to growl. "Help me!" she cried out as she continued to struggle. The creature moved in close to her. She felt a horrible weight on her chest and suddenly she couldn’t breathe. Help me! she called out one last time.

*********

Xander walked across the sunny clearing towards the playground ahead. He could see Buffy sitting in the sandbox with...Spike? In the daylight? First Joyce coming on to him and then the freaky scene in the bathroom. This just wasn't his day.

"Here you are," he stated to the group. Buffy and Spike turned to each other before looking at him in unison.

"Are you sure it's us that you're looking for?" Buffy asked flatly. He looked at his friend for a moment, confused by her words, before shifting his gaze to Spike.

"They're beautiful aren't they?"

He stared at the blond vampire sitting in the blinding sunlight for a moment longer before turning his attention to the trio on the swings. "Huh?"

Andrew kicked out his feet, trying to keep up with the watcher and his best friend. "They're beautiful aren't they?" he repeated. "Star-crossed lovers. Like Romeo and Juliet, except that most poisons wouldn't really kill Spike, and Buffy could probably survive a knife wound." He shrugged casually before continuing, "Anyway, it's just so romantic; a vampyre and a vampyre slayer. Two forces destined to kill each other, brought together by a spell and an even greater love," he finished wistfully, pausing in his swinging for a moment to gaze longingly at the couple.

"Shut up, you dork," Jonathan reprimanded. "God, could you sound any more pathetic? We're in training. You need to think watcher-y thoughts."

"Oh, right. Spike is a rather fine specimen isn't he? I mean...they both are...but, like, he's fine in, you know, a not gay way."

"Right," Xander said, shaking the mental images from his head as he turned toward the tweed covered watcher.

"I've decided to train Jonathan and Andrew as watchers," Giles explained happily, swinging higher and higher.

"Yeah, he says we have the right stuff," Jonathan bragged.

"They're like sons to me," the watcher added. "Come on, boys. Put your backs into it. A watcher scoffs at gravity!"

"Yeah, I was into that for a while. Now I've got other stuff going. Yeah, lots of stuff." Xander looking toward the street where another Xander was passing out ice cream from a truck. He pivoted back to his friend playing in the sand, gazing thoughtfully on the two blondes now in front of him. "Hey, Buffy, do you think you guys should sit there? That's a pretty big sandbox," he said, watching as the sandbox turned into a desert and then back again in the blink of an eye.

~~~

Xander looked around in confusion. One second he was climbing into the back of the ice cream truck with Willow and Tara and the next he was in a long hallway, then his basement. And who the hell was the cheese guy?

He continued on his journey and after a freaky, leg numbing conversation with Snyder, he found himself back in Giles' apartment. His friends were all gathered around a choking Willow. He tried to tell them about the danger, but they didn't hear him. He rushed through to the kitchen, only to find himself in the girl's dorm room. It's like I'm in a maze for lab mice, he thought hysterically. A pounding on the door urged him onward. More corridors and hallways and he found himself once more in his basement. He stopped for a moment, breathing heavily, and the pounding started again.

He moved toward the door, taking the stairs slowly. He shook his head weakly. That's not the way out, he told himself.

The door burst open and the stairs filled with light, "What the hell is wrong with you?" a booming voice asked. Dad. It's just Dad, he told himself, trying to calm his racing heartbeat. “You won't come upstairs? What are you ... ashamed of us? Your mother's crying her guts out!"

Xander backed up slightly. "You don't understand."

His dad moved closer, his face reddened in anger. "No, you don't understand. The line ends here with us, and you're not gonna change that."

Xander kept his head down, unable to meet his fathers hate filled stare.

"You haven't got the heart," the older man spat out, shoving his hand though Xander's chest.

The brunette looked down to his chest to see that the hand sticking out no longer belonged to his father but was wrapped in old, dirty bandages. His gaze shifted upward, his fear suddenly coming to the surface. His eyes locked onto his attackers face as he...she...it give a feral growl and pulled the heart from his chest. Oh, God! No!

*********

"Come on, you're missing everything"

Giles grumbled as he moved into the cemetery. He didn't understand what was going on exactly. He had started out with Buffy doing meditation training that she had never taken seriously. The next moment, he and Olivia had been dragged along behind Buffy as she raced toward the games of chance with childlike eagerness. Then her face changed and was suddenly covered in a grey mud. He knew that there was something he should be remembering, but the answer eluded him. *Okay this paragraph seems a little garbled. I found it very confusing. First he’s in a cemetery, then games of chance? HUH?*

When he entered the building, he expected to see Spike's crypt, but as he stepped through he found himself back at the Summers home, many people bustling about in formal wear. He surveyed the room, noticing all the flowers and decorations that adorned the living and dining rooms. Even the staircase was covered in garlands of roses.

Giles stood bewildered, 'Just what am I supposed to do here? And where did Spike go?'

"There you are!" He spun around at the sound of Willow’s voice. "You were supposed to be here hours ago. Buffy keeps asking about you," she informed him as she ushered him up the stairs.

"Willow, what's going on?"

"It's the big day, that's what. You can't have a big day without the big day, you know," she babbled, nodding her head wisely as she continued to push him toward Buffy's room.

"What big day?" he asked again. His eyes widened as the bedroom door swung open. "Buffy. You look...beautiful." Buffy was standing in the center of the room, a vision in white satin and lace.

She turned to him then, tears in her eyes. "Thank God, you're here."

"What is it? Is something wrong?" he asked worriedly.

She sniffed, reaching for a box of tissues that- judging by the wastebasket next to the bed- had been well used. "I was just worried you wouldn't make it. Then who would give me away," she answered, blowing her nose loudly.

"I promised, didn't I?" he smiled, thinking back of the Will-Be-Done spell. He should have seen the signs then, but he had been blind, after all.

"Oh! You need to get dressed. Your suits downstairs with Spike," Buffy told him, already wiping away the tears carefully, not wanting to get her dress soiled or her face splotchy and ruin her perfect day.

"R-right," Giles agreed, moving out of the room and down the stairs, quickly making his way through the throngs of people. He paused briefly to stare at the short, balding man wearing two slices of cheese on his head.

"I wear the cheese, it does not wear me," the man said before moving down the hallway.

"Honestly. You meet the most appalling people." Giles made his way carefully down to the darkened basement. He could barely see the vampire pacing agitatedly as he waited for his eyes to adjust. "Spike, are you alright?" The watcher was bit startled when the blond whirled around in fully vamped.

"Do I look alright to you?" he asked irately.

"Well, now that you mention it-" he paused as he saw a quick movement out of the corner of his eye, but it was gone before he could investigate.

"It's what she expects, you know. What she thinks I am," he spat bitterly.

"Buffy?"

"No, not Buffy. The other one. The one who doesn't know, who doesn't want to feel," he replied, leading the watcher to a small rack of clothing in the corner.

"I don't understand. What am I supposed to do with all of this?"

"You got to make up your mind, Rupes. What are you wasting time for?" he answered back, sliding out of game face.

A light glimmered through the rack of clothes. He pushed the suits to one side he could hear the tinkling of glasses and the smell of liquor and smoke. He felt himself urged forward, almost as if he didn't have control over his own body.

He apologized to Willow and Xander for being late as they began to research with Anya did her standup routine. As he began to sing, he walked calmly onstage, oblivious to the cheers coming from the crowd.

The answer was on the tip of his tongue, and he felt as if he could only sing out a bit more, the missing piece would fall into place. Unfortunately the microphone echoed feedback through the speaker system and he dropped to the floor, trying to find the problem.

When Giles found his grandfathers watch among the pile of electrical cords, the answer finally came just as he felt the shift behind him. "I know who you are. And I can defeat you...with my intellect."

"Of course, you underestimate me. You couldn't know," he said as he felt the creature gather a handful of his hair. "You never had a Watcher," he finished as he felt the blade run across his scalp and his vision blurred.


*********

Buffy woke to the sound of Anya whispering. Or as close to whispering as you could get with Anya. "Buffy, you have to wake up right away!"

Buffy opened her eyes to find herself in the dorm room that she shared with Willow. "I'm not really in charge of these things," she said before closing her eyes again, determined to go back to sleep.

Anya's continued pleading couldn't make her budge from her comfy bed. It wasn't until she turned to find the dark, snarling creature above her bed that she was jarred into sitting up. Once awake, she found herself back in her bedroom at home.

Buffy looked across the room, staring at the bed she had been in just seconds before. "Faith and I just made that bed."

"For who?"

Buffy frowned as she turned to the figure at the left of the room. "I thought you were here to tell me." Buffy turned back to the bed. "The guys aren't here, are they? We were gonna hang out and watch movies."

"You lost them," Tara replied.

"No," she replied. "No. I think they need me to find them." She looked toward her nightstand. The clock showed 7:30 and Buffy became upset. "It's so late."

Tara shook her head, "Oh, that clock's completely wrong. Here," she said, holding out her hands, a Tarot card reading 'Manus' in them.

"I'm never gonna use those," Buffy said flatly turning back to stare at the room.

"You think you know...what's to come...what you are. You haven't even begun."

Buffy frowned at the sight of the bed, now neatly made. "I think I need to go find the others," she said as she turned to go.

"Be back before dawn," Tara whispered softly.

~~~

Buffy was majorly disturbed. Her mother living in a wall? That just couldn't be sanitary. "Mom, have you seen Spike? Or the gang? I-I think they might be in danger."

"Oh, try the door down the hall to the right. I think you'll find Spike there," Joyce answered.

Buffy turned away to rush down the hall, anxious to find her mate. Spike will know what's going on, she thought. She walked down the corridor until she found a door. Testing it, she found it unlocked and eased it open cautiously.

It was dark as she stepped into the room and she fumbled along the wall, searching for a light switch. Finally, she found the switch and flipped it on. Light flooded the room and she blinked from the harsh glare as she waited for her eyes to adjust. When she was able to take in the room she was in, it looked oddly familiar, yet she knew that she had never been here before.

Her eyes moved around the room, stopping in shock when they landed on a very naked blond vampire. Her very naked blond vampire who appeared to be blindfolded and...was that a cock ring?

He was spread eagled and chained down to the large bed, thrashing about, fully vamped and growling with rage. She stepped forward, intending to release him, when another figure entered the room. Now that she was aware of the other person, she could hear the loud clicking of the woman's heels on the stone floors that had been drowned out by the enraged vampire’s cries.

Buffy watched, stunned as a carbon copy of herself walked confidently into the room.

’Who's this sleeping in my bed?’ the woman's voice echoed in the chamber. ’Why, I do believe it’s William the Bloody. However did he get here?’ She laughed softly, her mirth only increasing the vampires struggles. ’Oh! That’s right. I caught you, didn’t I? That means you belong to me, doesn’t it?’

’Let me go, you self-righteous bint,’ dream Spike snarled.

’Now why would I do that when I have you right where I want you?’ the other Buffy purred.

Buffy watched silently. She wanted to rush to the couple and shove the imposter away from her vampire, but something was holding her back. She felt the tingles down her neck as she felt her mate drawing closer, her instincts telling her that the sight in front of her wasn't what it seemed.

She felt him move up behind her, pressing against her body with his own, leaning in to whisper in her ear. "Lovely sight, isn't it, pet?"

"W-what is this?" she asked breathlessly, trying to hide her reactions to the vision in front of her, but failing. She couldn't hide from him before they become mates; she knew she'd never be able to conceal her reaction from him now.

"This? This was my dream. The one I had at Rupert's while everyone was looking on," he explained.

She could hear the amusement in his voice but couldn't make herself turn around to face him, part of her was embarrassed at him catching her ogling- well, themselves- and the other part of her couldn't tear her gaze away from the scene being played out before them. Her heart raced as her own dream came to mind. Would they see that one as well? Would Spike be privy to all the naughty and depraved things that they had done there?

She continued to watch as her other self eased onto the bed. Buffy felt a bit envious of the confident way that dream Buffy ran her hands possessively along her reluctant lover’s body.

"You like the show, slayer?" Spike asked roughly, his voice laced with desire. He pressed his erection against her ass, making her gasp, but the couple on the bed never even looked in their direction.

Buffy wondered briefly if they were really there or if this was all just a big X-rated movie of their own making. And shouldn't being all voyeuristic on themselves feel more wrong? At the very least it shouldn't be making her this hot!

The couple watched as their dream selves continued the scene, unaware that they were being watched. dream Spike growled. ’I'm a master vampire, you bitch, not some soddin' sex slave,’ he hissed, trying to pull away for her questing fingers. He hissed when she captured his balls with one hand and gave a firm little squeeze.

Buffy gasped, covering her mouth with her hand as she watched the other woman bend down to lick at dream Spike's wrist which was bleeding from the restraints. ‘I know you're a Master. And not just any Master, but an Aurelius. Do you honestly think I would settle for anything less? Mmm, you taste utterly delicious. I knew you would the first moment I saw you.’ dream Buffy was in total control of the situation; sleek, powerful. Knowing exactly what she wanted and taking it, something Buffy felt she would never be confident doing.

She moaned as Spike's hand caressed her hip softly through the fabric before making its way to her abdomen, rubbing in small firm movements. Her dress moved upward from his attentions, moving up her legs until it was gathered at her waist.

She gasped when she felt Spike's hand slip into her panties but her eyes refused to leave the couple in front of them. Finding her clit, he began to rub gently, increasing his pace and pressure when she began to pant softly. She felt the rush of slickness on her thighs when dream Buffy straddled the strapped down vampire and ground herself against him. Buffy was aware that the other couple were speaking but she couldn't concentrate on the words until she heard dream Buffy exclaim breathlessly, ’This is what I need.’

"Oh yes," Buffy responded, unaware that she had spoken out loud until her vampire laughed in her ear, his breath cool against her heated skin. The slayer melted against her mate as dream Buffy lowered herself onto the chained vampire.

"Was your dream anything like mine, pet?" he asked as he suckled on her ear lobe and ground his hardened cock against her.

She felt her face flush red and ducked her head, still watching the couple from the corner of her eye. She felt the chest that was pressed against her back rumble in amusement.

’There's just something about a Master’s cock that no human toy can compete with.’ the dream Slayer said. ’Too bad I can't let you go and get the whole vamp package going.’

’Let me go and I’ll give you the entire ‘vamp package’,’ dream Spike snarled.

Buffy was having trouble breathing. "This is so...so-"

"Hot? Sexy? Kinky?"

"Depraved," the slayer exploded, not realizing she had been holding her breath.

Buffy heard the words from the other couple through a daze, but they didn't register until her Spike whispered in her ear, "Is that what you want, pet? Do you want to tame me?"

’You’ll never tame me, you bit—‘ dream Spike cut off, his moans and guttural sounds mingling with the dream slayers cries.

"No! Never!" Buffy cried. She wanted her vampire wild and willing. Tame and meek were things she would never be able to relate to her lover.

The dream slayer howled as she reached her first climax, the sound and Spike's constant attention to her clit dragging Buffy along as well, her cries mixing with those from the bed across the room. She slumped against Spike, his arms circling around her to hold her steady. "I love you, Spike," she whispered softly.

"I love you too, Buffy."

As the scene faded in front of them, Buffy thought she saw something moving in the dark corner, but it was gone before she could get a closer look. Shrugging it off, she took Spike's hand and they moved back into the corridor.

~~~

They walked back down the hallway in the same direction that Buffy had come from. Passing by the hole in the wall, Spike stumbled and pointed behind him, "Buffy, pet, did you know your mum's in the wall?"

"Yeah, it's a whole big thing with lemonade and mah-jongg," she stated, unconcerned as she continued to walk down the hall. "So, this is a dream, right? I mean, this must be a dream."

"If I'd wager I'd say you're right, kitten."

"So is it your dream or mine?" she asked.

Spike curled his tongue behind his teeth and smirked. "Well, if it was my dream you'd have a lot less clothes on." He laughed and ducked away from her playful slap. "Seriously, pet. This all feels very real to me, almost like the ones from Dru's spell."

"It feels like I'm supposed to do something, like there's danger but I don't know what it is," Buffy tried to explain.

"Go with your gut, pet," Spike said, his voice sounding hollow.

She turned to him, only to find an empty hallway.

"Spike?"

~~~

One second Spike had been talking to Buffy, the next he found himself in a parlor similar to his mothers. He moved around the room, remembering familiar bits and pieces. This was his mothers parlor. He moved around the chamber searching for clues of what month and year it might be, he was startled when Drusilla came through the doorway, gliding along effortlessly.

"Drusilla," he stated flatly, the dread he felt settling in his stomach. If she was here, then that meant his mother-

"My sweet William, I so want to go dancing. I want to go to a ball and dance the night away," she said twirling around.

He shook his head as he made for the door. "I-I can't right now Dru, I have something I have to do."

"You won't find her here," the brunette answered slyly, sprawling out onto the settee.

Spike looked at his sire suspiciously. "And how would you know that, princess?"

The dark vampiress grinned. "You ask the wrong questions, my Spike."

"Spike?" he asked, his eyes narrowing. "You're not really her are you?"

"Of course not, I'm the her in your mind. The image that you see me as."

"So what's the purpose of all this then? What are we supposed to learn from this?"

"You, Spike...you're supposed to believe."

He felt a familiar tingle down his back, "Believe? Believe in what?"

"In her."

Suddenly, a dark figure attacked from his side. He was tackled down before he even realized he was in the room. Small, impossibly strong hands held him down as he struggled to get away. A large wooden dagger appeared above him. He fought to get away but couldn't find the strength to break the hold on him.

"Believe in her, Spike," Drusilla spoke calmly from her seat next to him.

He felt the fire burn through him as the dagger pierced his skin.

~~~

Buffy searched for Spike for several minutes. All the classrooms had been empty and asking her mother had given no clues whatsoever. She decided to continue on and hopefully find him later.

Slowly the hallway turned into a hot desert, barren except for a few boulders and a couple of palm trees. Buffy could hear humming all around her, but couldn't locate where it was coming from. She kept moving forward, walking carefully down a large hill.

She paused to look around seeing no one around for miles. "I'm never gonna find them here," she muttered to herself.

"Of course not. That's the reason you came," Tara replied although her mouth never opened. She walked closer, fading in and out before stopping a few feet away.

You're not in my dream, Buffy thought.

"I was borrowed," Tara answered back. "Someone has to speak for her."

"Let her speak for herself," Buffy insisted. "That's what's done in polite circles." She could feel someone moving behind her, but she refused to take her eyes off of Tara. "Why do you follow me?"

The dark figure shook her head.

"I don't," Tara answered for her.

"Where is Spike? Where are my friends?"

"You're asking the wrong questions," Tara said flatly, blankly staring ahead.

"Make her speak," Buffy spat.

Again the dark figure shook her head.

Tara spoke, "I have no speech. No name. I live in the action of death, the blood cry, the penetrating wound. I am destruction. Absolute...alone."

Buffy frowned. "The Slayer."

"The first."

Buffy looked down at her hands. She was holding a group of cards, on top was a card with an image of the gang in her living room. She could see Willow gray and gasping for air and Xander trembling from the wound in his chest. She could see Giles with a trickle of blood running down his face and she could see Spike with a large stake-shaped object jutting out from his stomach.

"I am not alone," Buffy answered resolutely.

"The Slayer does not walk in this world.

"I walk. I talk. I shop. I love. I'm gonna be a fireman when the floods roll back." Buffy watched as the first slayer raised her chin in anger and continued. "There's trees in the desert since you moved out. And I don't sleep on a bed of bones. Now give me back my friends."

"No friends! Just the kill," the first answered slow and hoarse. "We...are...alone!"

A bald man in a suit leaned in between Buffy and the First Slayer, holding up two slices of cheese. He grinned and shook the cheese at Buffy.

Buffy woke suddenly to find herself back in her living room and the others still asleep. The fight with the first slayer was over in an instant. She could almost feel the hot sand on her back as they tumbled down the hill. She moved to sit up but was forced back when the dark slayer landed on top of her, stabbing at her repeatedly.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Are you quite finished?" She waited for the slayer to pull back. "It's over, okay? I'm going to ignore you, and you're going to go away."

Buffy stood and made her way back over to the couch where Spike was lounging and sat down, snuggling in deep next to him. "You're really gonna have to get over the whole...primal power thing. You're not the source of me."

She picked up the blanket from the floor and covered her and Spike with it, then looked back to the primal woman still staring at her from across the room. "Also, in terms of hair care, you really wanna say, ‘what kind of impression am I making in the workplace?’ 'Cause-"


*********

The gang sat around the table, discussing the dreams.

"The First Slayer. Wow," Willow said solemnly as Tara rubbed her back soothingly.

Xander nodded. "Not big with the socialization." He smiled up at Anya, who walked around to sit on his lap.

"Or the floss," the red head added.

"Yeah, and she didn't like Spike at all," the slayer snickered.

Spike sputtered in outrage. "I don't see why not. I'm a very likable guy. And anyway; she did too like me! I think she was copping a feel while she was trying to gut me."

The slayer rolled her eyes as the others giggled and chuckled at the vampire.

"Somehow our joining with Buffy and invoking the essence of the First Slayer's power was an affront to the source of that power," the watcher explained.

"You know, you could have brought that up to us before we did it, mate," the blond vampire complained, rubbing his stomach.

"I did. I said there could be dire consequences," Giles huffed.

"Yes, but you say that about chewing too fast," Buffy teased.

"Man, that is so not fair," Andrew whined. "We were right there with you. We were part of the group, why didn't we have freaky mind-meldy dreams?"

"You wanted to be attacked and almost killed in a nightmare?" Jonathan asked disbelievingly.

"Well, no, but it's still not fair," the boy pouted.

The rest of the Scoobies rolled their eyes and Giles removed his glasses to rub his temples from the headache that always seemed to come whenever Andrew was around.

"How about some hot chocolate?" Buffy asked the group moving toward the kitchen with Tara following to help. "Well, at least you all didn't dream about that guy with the cheese," she said, not noticing when the others looked up in surprise. "I don't know where the hell that came from," she finished as she walked into the kitchen.

Epilogue

It was three nights later when Riley finally showed up at the Summers home. He wanted to apologized for not helping with Adam. He had heard from the other officers how the Scoobs had fought and won, saving many of the scientists and military personnel along the way.

"I'm really sorry Buffy. I wish that I had been there to help. I just had a lot going on. It was just hard to digest it all in less than a days time. The fact that Maggie put a chip in me, all the changes in the group...you dumping me," he added bitterly.

Buffy ignored the last comment, trying to avoid a useless argument. "I understand, Riley. We didn't have any trouble going in, and we kicked ass, so it all turned out fine."

Riley could see from his vantage point in the front doorway as Spike walked casually through from the kitchen to the living room. "What's he doing here?" he snarled.

The slayer rolled her eyes, "I told you, Riley. Spike's one of us now."

"Yeah, but what's he doing here? In your house?" he asked, his face turning an unbecoming shade of red.

Buffy sighed. "Look Riley, I didn't want to do this but...Spike and I? We're together now."

"Boy, I sure didn't take you long to replace me did it? And with a vampire of all things"

She could feel Spike in the next room, his anger almost tangible. She was proud of him for letting her handle this though. Buffy felt her mate calming down and knew the witches must be comforting him. He's such a sympathy whore. She could just imagine him soaking up every bit of attention from the two women.

"Spike is not a thing and you need to think carefully before you say anything else," she warned.

Her tone was casual but he could sense the anger behind her words. "I'm sorry; I didn't come here for this."

"Then why did you come here?" she asked.

"I'm leaving. The Initiative is allowing me a free pass back in considering the circumstances that I left in. My ride leaves out tomorrow at 2100 hours. I just thought that maybe you would want to say goodbye, unless I had a reason to stay, which I can see that I don't," he added. He raised his hand to scratch nervously at the bite marks on his neck, his gaze moving up and down the block as if waiting for someone or something to suddenly leap out at him.

"Are you alright, Riley? You seem really distracted."

"What? Oh yeah. I've just been having a lot of trouble with vamps the last few days. They seem to have it in for me. It's probably a good thing I'm leaving the Hellmouth."

"So where do you take off from? I don't mind coming to see you off, and I'm sure Xander would like to say goodbye, too."

"Um, the park down the street from Giles' actually. It's usually deserted that time of night and would be better than the middle of campus."

"Yeah, have to keep that super-secret organization secret," she joked.

"Yeah, so you'll come?" he asked sounding sad and a bit pathetic in his need for someone to see him off.

"Yeah, we'll be there."

They said their goodbyes and Buffy closed the door gently. Seeing Riley once again, she felt satisfied and confident that she had made the right choice.

~~~

The next night a small group gathered along the sidewalk at the edge of the park. Buffy, Willow, Tara, Xander, and Anya had come to say to see the soldier off. Goodbyes were said and hugs given. Xander and Riley chatted a bit as they waited for the helicopter to arrive.

Spike and Giles had decided it was better to wait at the watcher’s flat. Spike because he didn't want to upset Buffy with more of the 'evil vampire' talk, and Giles had no desire to say goodbye to the pillock.

The others might not know or remember the hurtful, nasty things that the solider had said to Buffy, but he had not. He knew Spike hadn't forgotten, but was holding back because of his feelings for Buffy. Giles had to commend him for his control, especially with the chip out. He was surprised that Spike had been able to resist the call of the bite Angel had placed on the boy. The watcher wasn't sure that he would have been able too.

Soon the vampire had gotten restless, jumping up and stating that he would meet the group on the walk back and heading for the door, the sound of Giles' chuckles following in his wake.

Spike arrived at the corner just in time to see the helicopter taking off, Captain Cardboard leaning out the door slightly to wave goodbye. The vampire slipped up behind his mate, sliding a possessive arm around her, purring contently as she leaned back and rested her head on his shoulder. He smirked up at the soldier who had stopped waving and was now throwing him a hate filled glare.

Spike saluted mockingly before turning to see Tara grinning at his antics. "So, now that the big send off is over, how about we head to the Bronze for a drink?"

"Sure, sounds great to me," Buffy sighed happily.

The rest of the gang nodded and began to walk down the street. "By the way where's Captain Oblivious headed anyway?"

"Oh, um somewhere south," the slayer stated. "Where was it again, Xander?"

"Um, South America, I think. Yeah, it was South America," the brunette nodded.

"The vampire stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening. "Bloody hell!"

"Spike, what is it?" Buffy asked concerned. "What's wrong?"

The blond vampire turned to look at the lights of the helicopter that were barely visible in the night sky. "South America? Didn't anyone bother to tell the boy that that's where Dru is?"

The group looked around at each other before realization set in and they all turned to watch as the lights faded out completely.

"Oops?" Buffy said sheepishly. "Does anyone know how to get hold of a secret organization?"

The vampire had to hide his smirk. "Rupert is gonna love this one," he snickered evilly.