Chapter One

There were two things running through William Giles’s (also known as Spike) mind at this moment in time. First, the tights he was currently wearing had to be the most uncomfortable thing he had ever wore, and second, Buffy Summers looked beyond gorgeous in her bodice, corset and skirts. She looked almost angelic in the sparkling white lace and sky blue bodice as she seemed to float nearer to him… Seeing his cue, he stepped out from behind the pillar prop.

He grabbed her small hand with his larger one and placed it to his lips. “If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.”

Buffy pulled her hand away, and almost arched a brow at his heated look, but remembered to not step out of character, and fixed a smile on Spike. “Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, which mannerly devotion shows in this; For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, and palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss.”

Spike took his hand and caressed her cheek, his thumb gliding across her lower lip, his eyes mesmerized by the movement. “Have not saints’ lips and holy palmers too?”

She felt her heart begin to beat faster, her voice turned breathy. Get it together, this is only a play. “Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.”

He took both his hands in hers, She looks so good. She smells so good. “O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; they pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.”

Buffy’s green eyes focused on his cerulean blue ones, I swear if he later makes fun about this… “Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake.”

Spike could feel his heart beating, his voice becoming husky; I’m goin’ to get to kiss her for the first time. “Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take. Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged.”

He pulled her against his body, and placed his lips against hers. It was soft and guarded as if they weren’t sure what to make of the sudden tumult of feeling spreading thorough their bodies. Spike pulled back, both of them hiding their surprise from the audience. However, their gazes between each other became lustful.

She glanced at Spike’s lips, now knowing that even if they looked firm, they were soft and tasted beyond good. “Then have my lips the sin that they have took.”

He pulled her in close again. “Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again.”

Their second kiss wasn’t as soft and guarded as the first. Her lips trembled from desire when they first touched his, but he clung to her, gliding his tongue across her bottom lip. She granted him access, opening her mouth to his, and he took the opportunity to kiss her deeper. It was both passionate and demanding, years of pent up desire and unresolved sexual tension flowing between them in the simple act. Then again, to them it was no simple act. In fact, they both had to keep themselves from moaning. They released their mouths, panting for air.

“You kiss by the book.” Buffy swallowed air and felt heat rush to her face when her best friend, Willow Rosenberg, playing as the Nurse, walked up to them.

“Madam, your mother craves a word with you.” Holy cow, Willow thought.

She and Buffy were so going to talk about this when the play was over.

Buffy nodded and walked in the direction of Cordellia Chase.

After he watched her walk off, Spike turned to Willow, his eyes still blazing with desire for Buffy. “What is her mother?”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Buffy sat in her dressing room, staring at herself in the mirror, thinking about the play over and over again. All the times Spike had kissed her…

“Well, after that first scene with Romeo and Juliet, I think it’s safe to say you’ve got a yen for your stepbrother.” Willow's voice announced her appearance as the red head stopped at Buffy’s doorway.

Buffy turned to her red headed friend, a frown on her face, “No. There’s no yen of any kind.”

“Sure, and he was so not checking you out the whole time.” Willow grinned.

“He doesn’t check me out… except for that one time I accidentally walked in on him after he came out of the shower.” Buffy then rolled her eyes. “And Spike isn’t my stepbrother.”

Willow walked up to Buffy and started helping the blonde pull out all the hairpins in Buffy’s hair, “Well, your mom and Giles are as good as married. They’ve been living together for almost five years, with you and Dawn moving to Sunnydale almost four. Besides, everyone knows you have UST going on with Spike.”

“What about me, Red?” Spike asked, swaggering into the room

He had changed out of his costume and was now back in his regular clothing.

Both girls turned, Willow making an ‘eep’ noise. “Nothing Spike. Just talking with Buffy here. That’s what best friends do. Why would you think I was talking about you? Well… what if I was? It’s a free country after all… and you know what? I’m gonna stop babbling and… I think Miss Calendar is calling me.”

With a flourish, Willow left the room.

“You know,” Spike arched an eyebrow and looked back to Buffy. “I wasn’t gonna say anythin’, but sometimes you friends make me wonder about them.”

Buffy rolled her eyes and turned back to the mirror, now brushing her hair, “Go way, Spike.”

He sauntered over to her watching her brush her hair as if it were an intimate act.
When he felt the stir in his tight black jeans, he mentally kicked himself, Really, how many times have I watched Buffy brush and comb her hair? “Why aren’t you out of your dress, luv?”

“God, Spike,” Buffy huffed. “You think you’re that good? That every woman that you come across, find you so irresistible, that they just take their clothes off?”

He grinned at that, “No, pet. What I meant was; why haven’t you changed?”

“Oh,” Buffy felt her face flush in embarrassment. “I couldn’t get out of this dress and Miss Calendar was busy helping the other girls…. What are you doing!?”

Spike had gone behind her and began undoing the strings the held the sky blue bodice, “What’s it look like?”

She pulled her hair out of the way, giving him a tantalizing view of her slender unmarred neck, “Better not try anything, mister.”

“Like what?” He said thickly, placing his lips to the column of her throat. “This?”

She felt her heart starting to beat rapidly when he began kissing, licking and nibbling her tender skin, “Don’t.”

“Oh, I think the lady doth protest too much.” He said, pulling the bodice free and began pulling on the strings to her corset.

“Shut up.” She replied, reaching an arm and bringing his lips to hers.

She kissed him, automatically letting his mouth and tongue explore hers, and sighed loving his taste. He pulled open the corset, his hand journeying to the front where her right breast had spilled out, and covered it. She moaned into his mouth, feeling him caress and kneading her, then out another moan when his fingers circled around her areola and began tweaking her nipple.

“Give me one good reason,” Spike groaned, his voice almost a growl. “Why I shouldn’t pick you up an’ fuck you against this counter.”

Buffy felt a sudden rush of wetness between her thighs and could only answer him with another moan, kissing him harder. She held on him as if life depended on it, her fingers threading through his platinum blonde hair, holding him in place.

“Hey, Buff-Great Merciful Zeus!” At hearing her other best friend, Xander Harris’s exclamation, the teens shot away from each other, Buffy pulling her corset up against her and Spike pulling his duster around himself.

They turned to see Buffy’s cousin, Anya Jenkins, covering Xander’s eyes with a hand, a smile on her face, “Buffy, Xander and I wanted to say good job on the play, and since you’re here too, Spike, good job as Romeo. Also, your dad’s looking for you.”

Spike sighed, “An’ that’s my cue to leave.” He then gave Buffy a heated glance. “See you in a few minutes.”

Xander got Anya’s hands off his face, only to turn red when he saw the flushed look on Buffy's face, “Um… I’ll wait out here while you change.”

Anya closed the door and turned to Buffy, “Wow. And I thought the play had been hot.”

Buffy flushed and turned away from her cousin, “I swear something must be wrong with me.”

“No,” Anya assured as Buffy finished undressing, and put the dress on a hanger. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting Spike to give you many orgasms. And, sorry about that, you looked pretty close.”

Buffy closed her eyes and tried to will away the redness in her face as she pulled on tight blue jeans, a white bra, and a white tank-top, “Oh, God. How am I going to live through this? I freaking live with him.”

“Well,” Anya smiled as she handed Buffy socks and shoes and put the whole costume in the closet. “You could always just let him give you orgasms.”

Buffy gave Anya a annoyed look, “You know that’s not going to happen.”

Anya sighed and hugged her cousin, “Never say never. But… just do what makes you happy.”

As soon as the girls left the dressing room Buffy gave her goodbyes to Xander and Anya, only to run into her mother and sister.

“That was a wonderful play!” Joyce Summers congratulated excitedly as she put her arms around her daughter.

Buffy blushed, “I did have fun learning about William Shakespeare and getting to play the part of Juliet.”

“And kissing Spike!” Dawn teased then began to chant. “Spike and Buffy sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-”

Dawn was silenced by her mother’s stern look.

“Yeah, um… about that-” Buffy saw Spike and Rupert Giles heading towards them. “Can I go spend the night a Willow’s?” Avoidance much, Buffy?

“Sorry, Buffy,” Giles declined upon hearing her request to her mother. “We’re all going to spend a day at Santa Monica.”

“We’re goin’ on a trip?” Spike wondered, his eyes not leaving Buffy’s.

“Yes, all five of us are going. It will be so nice.” Joyce replied excitedly.

Hearing all of this, Buffy set her mind at what she was going to do. She looked back to Spike, her eyes never wavering from his. She wasn’t ready for a relationship with him. Her mind made up, as soon as she got home, she was going to lock her bedroom door and start packing her things.

She simply couldn’t live under the same roof as him. Relationships never worked out for her. Well, at least her relationship with guys. First, there was Ford, back at Hemery. He had spread nasty false rumors about her, simply because she wouldn’t sleep with him. Which had followed her to Sunnydale. Second, there was her father, who had left her mother, her sister, and her. Just because he wanted to be with his secretary from his office. Last there was Riley, who had believed the rumors and continued them when Buffy wouldn’t give it up at a party after a big football game. Well, her relationship with Spike, that could be counted also. They were never friends, not even in the beginning when they first met. She knew he wanted her, had known since their first year of high school. And she was sure that all he was looking for was another notch on his belt. A conquest he had won. And she couldn’t give him that because she wasn’t made that way. One night stands were so not for her.

So, she would be going to L.A. to live with her father, Hank Summers. Maybe he would take in his daughter, feeling the need to make up for past wrongs.

Chapter Two

“Bye!” Buffy called after her friends as they left her alone on the empty field.

Looking around to see if anyone is watching her, she shrugged and decided to do the routine she and the rest of her squad had just learned. She ran to the middle of the field and jumped, flying into an extraordinary series of gymnastic flips and cartwheels. She smiled as she rolled into one final flip. If only Cordellia Chase, Sunnydale cheerleader extraordinaire, could see her now. As soon as she landed on her feet, she saw a man standing before her. She screamed in surprise and stepped back.

“God, where the hell did you come from?” Buffy asked, gathering her nerves. “You scared me to death.”

“I’m sorry. That was impressive. The… tumbling.” the man’s voice was clipped and British.

It reminded her of Giles. She frowned as her mind went back to the years she had lived in Sunnydale. Thoughts and memories of a certain bleached someone…

She saw that the stranger was waiting for reply and pushed her past behind her mind once more. “What? Oh. I used to do gymnastics when I was a kid. Are you looking for someone?”

“I’m looking for you actually,” the man said.

She frowned once again. “Am I in trouble or something?”

He gave her a half smile. “Not at all. My name is Merrick. I was sent to find you some time ago. Just a few days ago. I should have found you much sooner but there were... complications. You should have been taught, prepared.”

A perfectly shaped eyebrow rose at his answer. “What are you talking about?”

“I've searched the entire world for you, Buffy.” Well, maybe not as dramatic, but hey, he needed to get a point across.

“Why?”

“To bring you... your birthright.”

Buffy tilted her head. “My birthright? You mean, like a trust fund?”

Merrick just looked at her as if she were talking in some foreign language.

Buffy continued on. “I had a trust fund my great-grandfather, or maybe it was an inheritance, 'cause he's dead, and I spent it on shoes.”

“You must come with me.” Merrick told her. “It's much too late already. You must come with me to the graveyard.”

She gave him an odd look. “Wait a minute. My birthright is in the graveyard?” Seeing that this guy was clearly insane, she turned around and headed off the field. “Later!” She shouted over her shoulder then, muttered to herself. “Not.”

“Wait!” Merrick called as he ran after her, soon catching up.

“You're one of those skanky old men that, like, attack girls and stuff. Forget you,” Buffy opted to see if he would leave her alone with a lie. “My, um, my boyfriend is gonna be here in about thirty seconds, and he's way testy.”

“You don't understand. You have been Chosen.” Merrick grabbed her arm and pulled it so she faced him.

“Chosen to go to the graveyard? Why don't you just take the first runner up, okay?” Buffy said exasperated.

“You must believe me.” He insisted. “You must come with me while there's still time.”

“Time to do what?” She asked, cautiously.

“To stop the killing. To stop the vampires.” He said seriously. “The Vampire Slayer.”

“Let me get this straight.” She looked over his state of dress. “You're like, this greasy bum, and I have to go to the graveyard with you 'cause I'm Chosen, a Vampire Slayer, and there's vampires.”

“Yes.” Merrick nodded.

Buffy narrowed her eyes. “Does Elvis talk to you? Tell you to do things? Do you see spots?”

Merrick sighed. “I don't have time for your prattling.”

Buffy turned on her heals to leave. “Just stay away from me, okay?”

He thought of a way to make her stop. “Did you ever dream that you were someone else?”

It was effective. She stopped and with a face of recognition, she turned back to him. “Everybody does.”

“In the past,” Merrick clarified. “A girl. Maybe... A Magyar peasant. An Indian princess. A slave.”

“I was a slave.” Buffy replied softly.

Merrick nodded. “In Virginia.”


“I don't know. It was...” Buffy thought for a moment. “There was a big gram or something. And there's one, I was a girl fighting in a temple.”

“China.” He told her.

Buffy’s eyes went wide. “Oh, my God. I never told anybody about this. I remember the one about the peasant, too. God, there's a bunch. Is this, like channeling or something?”

Merrick just rolled his eyes.

Buffy just continued on. “I had a dream once where I was... There was like, knights in it, and I worked in this bar. And I... was fighting. I'm always fighting. And there's a guy... He's not always there, but he's horrible, all pale, and he's always... trying to kill me.”

“Lothos.” Merrick said.

“How do you know all of this?” Buffy wondered.

“I have to show you.” Merrick replied.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A few days earlier in The Master’s lair…

Spike’s cousin, Angel Giles, and Xander stopped when they came across Spike’s prone form face down on the ground in a pool of water.

Angel ran to Spike and pulled him up. “He’s dead!”

Xander was frozen in place, looking down at them. He swallowed hard. “No. He’s not dead.”

There was no way that his new best friend was dead. He refused to believe it.

“He's not breathing.” Angel said, tears in his eyes.

Xander then looked hopeful. “But if he drowned, uh, there's a shot! CPR!”

“You have to do it.” Angel told him. “I don’t know how to.”

Xander rushed to Spike’s side and put his mouth on the peroxide teen’s, blowing into Spike’s lunges. He let go of his best friend and began to pump Spike’s chest.”

“C'mon. C'mon!” Xander began to shout.

“Come on, breathe dammit!” Angel pleaded.

“C'mon! I swear, Spike, if you live, I will never make fun of your stupid hair ever again!” Xander wept.

After another moment Xander stopped pumping and sat back in the dirt. Angel hung his head low in defeat. A second later, Angel and Xander looked up when Spike opened his eyes and drew in a breath. He then laid still and looked around for a moment.

“Spike!” Xander cried out with happiness.

Spike turned his head to the side and coughed out a bunch of water. Xander and Angel look at each other and smiled. Xander helped Spike up to a sitting position.

Spike looked between his cousin and best friend, “Xander? Angel?”

Angel just smiled. “Welcome back, cousin.”

“Remind me to never die again,” Spike said hoarsely and then stood up. “Now, I think it’s time for me to kick The Master’s ass. Show him not to mess with a Slayer.”

Chapter Three

Buffy sat on the couch in her… well, once again, her living room. She was lost in her thoughts. Merrick… he was dead, Because of her. She clenched her jaw and grimaced, Because of Lothos.

Joyce, who was sitting next to Buffy, looked to the husband she had for the past year now, Rupert Giles, “Hank said she has been distant. He couldn’t take her attitude, so he sent her back.”

Giles sat down across from Buffy, in his favorite arm chair, “I just got off the phone with the Watcher’s Council. The reason Buffy made that fire at Hemery was because she was saving the school from vampires.”

Joyce was shocked beyond disbelief, “From vampires? Surly, my daughter’s not…”

Giles put his hand over his face, “She was called the new Vampire Slayer the night William died.”

Buffy’s mother tried to remain calm and took a steady breath. “Spike is still alive.”

Giles gave her a reassuring smile. “Yes, he is. But the fact still remains… my son… was dead for a few moments.”

At those words, even though she didn’t hear them, only announced to her that there were people sitting with her, Buffy looked up. “So mom, you’re married to Giles now?”

Joyce smiled at hearing her daughter’s voice for the first time since Hank had brought her home, “I am.”

Buffy nodded her head. She then thought of her little sister. “How’s Dawn?”

Giles grinned. “She’s great as ever. Just the other day she and Spike-”

Buffy looked sharply to Giles, “Spike. Where is he?”

Giles frowned a bit. “He should be home soon. Why?”

Buffy shook her head. “Last night, I had a dream… it’s nothing.”

“You dreamed that he had died.” Giles said gravely, understanding the shift in her mood.

The teen glanced back up at her stepfather. “How-”

“Buffy, I am also a Watcher-” Giles was interrupted himself.

Buffy shot up out of her seat, screaming, “I quit! You can’t make me… I won’t… I don’t care!”

Joyce took Buffy’s hand, which the girl swatted it away, “Honey, Rupert-”

Giles kept his voice calm as his eyes never left Buffy’s, “If you don’t care, then why did you ask about my son?”

“To tell you that... I don't care, which... I don't, and... now told you, so…” Buffy stopped her muttering and sat back down.

Just then the door barged open with Spike holding a broken axe.

“Da, I’m sorry but…” His voice died away when he saw the girl that had plagued his dreams for the past year sitting on the couch next to his stepmother.

Buffy stood back up and eyed him warily. “What are you doing with an axe?”

Spike ignored the question and narrowed his eyes in confusion, commenting on her accent that was soon waning over the amount of time she had been away from her L.A. friends. “Did you leave an’ become a valley girl or somethin’?”

Buffy rolled her eyes. “I can see you haven’t changed much.”

Spike put the axe down. “More than you would know.”

Buffy arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms, “Is that right?”

He stood up to her, nose to nose. “Are you lookin’ for fight?”

Buffy felt her female pride and the Slayer in her to rise. “I’m sorry. I don’t play with boys.”

Spike arched his scarred eyebrow. “Is that why you left? You didn’t want to… play with me? Or were you scarred of what was to… come?”

The next thing Spike saw, along with her face full of self righteous indignation, was her fist. The punched to his nose sent him across the room into the wall.

Buffy’s eyes went wide. She hadn’t meant use that much force on him, especially since he was a… normal… human – What the hell!?

“Buffy!” Joyce stood up and reprimanded as Spike shot up, holding his nose.

“Da, Joyce, leave, Buffy’s some sort of demon.” It was the only thing he could think of to explain her superhuman strength.

“Did you just call me a demon? And what the hell are you?” Buffy noticed that the blood on the peroxide teen’s nose had gone away.

Giles rolled his eyes, “William, Buffy is-”

Spike rushed the blonde, sending them both out the window onto the front lawn. Recovering from the ground, they both went into a series of punches and kicks, with Joyce yelling after them, “You both broke the window! You both are grounded!”

“What kind of demon are you!” Spike demanded, punching Buffy.

Buffy’s head snapped back, but she held her ground. “I’m not a demon. I’m the Slayer. What are you?”

Spike paused in just enough time to have his legs kicked causing him to topple over. Buffy straddled him, holding a stake against his chest.

“Are you a vampire?” She demanded for him to answer.

Spike pushed himself up on his forearms, “Did you say you were the Slayer?”

She leaned back, “Yes.”

He shook his head. “That’s not possible. I’m the Slayer.”

Then Buffy realized it. He had no signs of being a vampire. She could feel his heart beating fast from the rush of their fight and noticed that he wasn’t cold at all. He was warm and… Buffy shot off his lap, having felt his reaction to having her on top of him.

She pocketed her stake in the waist band of her jeans. “Well, I can tell you, I am the Slayer.”

Spike stood up and put his hands in the pockets of his duster when he saw his father heading towards them with a disapproving look on his face. Pulling the duster around himself, he effectively hid his reaction to the fighting from Giles.

“William, you bloody know well not to rush into things without explanation. There are certain measures one must take when fighting-” Giles was stopped short.

“I don’t live by the rules anymore. Or haven’t you noticed?” Spike said bitterly. “I tend to die that way.”

Buffy finally met Spike’s eyes, “You did… I saw…”

Giles sighed. “Spike, Buffy is a Vampire Slayer. She was called the moment you drowned.”

Spike glanced at Buffy in disbelief and back to his father. “No. Not her.”

Giles nodded. “It is true.”

Buffy felt light headed. No, this couldn’t be happening. First Merrick… Now Spike… but, he was still alive… but he had… Buffy took off into the house.

Spike had watched her go looking as if the hounds of hell where after her. Maybe they where… “What’s wrong with her?”

Giles put a shoulder around Spike as they headed into the house. “Her Watcher had died a few days ago. I can only guess with all this excitement on top of that has her very confused and upset.”

“What are you going to do?” Spike wondered as father and son climbed the porch stairs.

Giles looked at Spike pointedly. “First I am hiring the both of you to work at the Magic Box so I get compensation for the damage your fight had caused.” He then added softly. “But most importantly, be there for Buffy. She is going through a hard time and she will need all the help she can get. After all, she’s not only my other Slayer now, she’s also my stepdaughter.”

Spike then stopped at the front door, fear overcoming him. “Mum, Joyce…. she isn’t…”

Giles laughed. “Just be glad she gave up and went to bed in a huff of anger. I can’t guarantee how she will be in the morning though.”

Chapter Four

Joyce watched at Buffy stared at the building of Sunnydale High School. She felt her heart tug, seeing depression under the thick cloud of mixed relief and nervousness in the teen’s green eyes.

“Honey, why did you leave in the first place?” Joyce asked her daughter tentatively.

Buffy looked to her mother unsure what to say. She went with the truth. “I was scared.”

Joyce put a hand on Buffy’s shoulder, “About what sweetie?”

Buffy sighed. “There was this thing… between me and Spike. I wasn’t ready for a relationship, so I ran.”

Her mother nodded her head in understanding. “You know, the past year Spike had been moping around the house. Since the time you left. He got defensive or left the room whenever you were mentioned in conversation… he never said it, but I knew he missed you.”

Buffy wiped her eyes. “He really died.”

Joyce felt her eyes well up in tears. “Xander brought him back by CPR.”

The bell rang for school to being, to which Buffy opened the car door. “See you later mom.”

“Buffy.” The girl stopped and turned to her mother’s call. She saw a smile on the older woman’s face. “Try not to get kicked out.”

Buffy grinned for the first in what it seemed like a whole time. “I promise.”

At that Buffy faced the school, taking a deep breath.

In front of the building Xander was weaving through the crowd of students, rolling on his skateboard. “'Scuse me, comin' through, pardon me, 'scuse me, whoa! 'Scuse
me, not sure how to stop! Please move, whoa, 'scuse me...” He saw a flash of long blonde hair out the corner of his eye and looked up to see Buffy entering the school. “Whoa!”

He stared at her, disbelieving that she was back, not noticing that he was heading right for the stair railing. He crashed into and fell beneath it, grunting in pain.

Willow walked up to him and stepped over him to prevent from tripping over his legs.

“I’m okay. I feel good.” Xander looked up to see Willow and stood up. “Willow! You're so very much the person that I wanted to see!”

Willow tilted her head. “What are you doing on the ground? And shouldn’t you be off somewhere with Anya?”

“Buffy’s back.” He blurted.

Willow’s face grew serious. “What? Does Spike know? Does-”

“I don’t know. I saw her walk into the building.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Buffy sat at a chair in the principal’s office, her school records open on Principal Snyder’s desk.

“Buffy Summers, senior, late of Hemery High in Los Angeles, interesting record, quite a career…” The snobbish man stated. He sat in front of her, leaning on his desk. “Welcome back to Sunnydale. Can’t say I’ll be excited to see what kind of delinquent you are.”

Buffy frowned. “I know my transcripts are a little... colorful.”

“Do you think, uh, ‘colorful' is the word?” He asked as he tapped the paper. “Not, uh, 'dismal'?”

Buffy rolled her eyes. “Wasn't that bad!”

Snyder looked at her pointedly. “You burnt down the gym.”

Buffy exhaled. “I did, I really did, but... You're not seeing the big picture here, I mean, that gym was full of vampi... asbestos.”

The principal put the paper back in his filing cabinet. “Your class schedule is with the secretary. I’ll be watching you, Summers.”

Sighing, Buffy left the office, her schedule in hand, not noticing when a girl knocked into her causing her purse to fall and spill all over the hall way, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” The girl said as she walked away.

“I think that was Harmony…” Buffy looked down to see the mess on the ground. “Oh…”

Xander turned around hearing the spill, and saw Buffy on the ground picking up her things. He went to her and helped her pick up the mess. “You know, it’s kind of crazy. Not hearing from you in a whole year.”

“What?” Buffy looked up to see one of her best friends from the past. “Xander.”

He chuckled nervously. “We all missed you. Hell, I think even Cordy missed you.”

Buffy gave him a smile. Suddenly, it felt like things would get better. “I’m back now.”

Buffy stood up her purse in hand. Seeing one more strewn item, Xander bent down and handed it to her.

“Here’s your…” His eyes lit in confusion. “Stake?”

“Now, luv, don’t you think that’s a little extreme?” A smooth British voiced spoke, startling them. “You can’t really use that at this time of day.”

Buffy whirled around to see Spike leaning on a locker, his hands in the pocket of his black duster, “Hey, I didn’t see you this morning.”

Xander stood off to the side, watching their exchange, “I’m guessing you carrying a stake around isn’t a big deal…” He looked to his best friend. “Spike?”

Spike just shrugged. A moment later, Willow walked over to the trio with Angel, Anya, and Tara.

Anya hugged her cousin excitedly. “I’m family and you didn’t even call me.”

“Sorry.” Buffy apologized softly and saw how at ease Spike was with her friends. “So, what’s been going on? Oh, and what happened to Principal Flutie? Cause I got to tell you, Snyder isn’t that friendly.”

Spike was the one to speak. “Flutie was eaten by students that were possessed with Hyena Spirits.”

Willow paled. “Right, Ha! Good joke!”

“Guys, Buffy is the new Vampire Slayer. She was called after I died.” Spike announced.

There was a pregnant silence at which Willow interrupted with a nervous laugh. “Yeah, it wasn’t a joke.”

Buffy put her face in her hands. “Not this town.”

“W-What do you mean by that?” Tara asked.

Buffy looked up. “Does this town have vampires?”

Xander nodded. “That, among other evil things.”

“That fire at Hemery, was that you?” Anya asked.

Buffy sighed, “Yeah. Vampires decided to ruin the ‘Hug the World’ dance.” She looked between them all. “So, you guys, what? Banded together?”

Willow smiled. “Yeah, were the Scoobies.”

Spike rolled his eyes. “They came up with the name.”

“Well, we’re also called the Slayerettes,” Willow grinned and turned to Buffy. “Tara and I, we’re the witches-”

“I help with the fighting and well, Cordy, she’s just around cause she’s with me now.” Angel continued the introduction.

“Anya’s good with the research and I help with the fighting too…” Xander frowned at that. “Well, not so much as the fighting and getting beat down… But hey! I can whittle stakes! That’s what I do.”

Willow looked at her watched. “Well, look at the time. The bell’s going to ring soon. What class do you have, Buffy?”

Buffy looked at her paper and grimaced. “History.”

The redhead took the blonde’s arm, “We’ll have fun passing notes and catching up on our lives.”

Spike watched as Buffy walked off, feeling a sense of… of something. “Buffy!”

Buffy stopped and turned around, “Yeah?”

He refused to let his nervousness show. “I’ll see you later.”

Chapter Five

“Willow told me mostly everything.”

Spike looked up from his spot on the bench during gym class, seeing Buffy standing over him, watching him.

He watched her face, watched the way her green eyes sparkled… God, I still love her. “Well, it was an interesting junior year after you left. Should have came early to see to the interesting start of our senior year.”

Buffy sat down next to him. “So, let me get this straight… Amy’s mom was a witch, a Praying Mantis demon took the form of a substitute teacher, the Hyena Spirit, the whole thing about the Anointed one and the Master, nightmares coming to life- or in your case unlife- a puppet that kills demons, an invisible girl, and the whole prophesy with your death.” She then arched an eyebrow. “What happened at the beginning of the year?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “The Anointed One tried to raise the Master and there was the whole thing with students trying to make the perfect girl out of dead girl’s parts.”

“Darn, sounds like I missed a good time.” She commented sarcastically.

He closed his notebook that he had been writing in. “Besides the whole thing with Darla, that about sums it up.”

She stiffened at that. “Darla?”

“One of the Master’s Childer,” He shrugged, resentment and hatred shimmering in his blue eyes for a moment. “Took off after I killed the Master. Probably figured it would be better for her health if she didn‘t stick around.”

“Went to me... Well, not exactly me, but she was with Lothos,” Buffy stood up, not noticing the concern flash in his eyes. “But, I didn’t get a chance to kill her either… So, why is Sunnydale such a popular place for demons now?”

Spike had to grin at that. “Always has been, we just didn’t notice it… since you’ve become the Slayer… you don’t know, about this town?”

She titled her head. “It’s two hours off the freeway from Neimen Marcus?”

He chuckled, “Sunnydale is a Hellmouth, luv.”

Buffy nodded. “Huh.”

He could tell she still didn’t understand. “You’ll have to talk to da to understand it.”

She looked him over. “What has been up with you? You’ve been all… bad moody.”

“Right,” he stood up to her. “The thing is, you left.”

She put her hands on her hips. “I’m so not talking to you about that.”

“But it’s about me, innit? You left because you were scared about what we could have had-”

“Spike-”

“We kissed, Buffy.” His eyes held her intently.

She rolled her eyes, “We where playing our parts as Romeo and Juliet. Which I still don’t understand why Mrs. Calendar gave you the part of Romeo. No where in Shakespeare does it say that Romeo had platinum blonde hair, bordering on the white side. And how did you pull off that accent? You sounded almost as tweedy as Giles.”

“Those kisses weren’t really actin’ an’ you know it,” He narrowed his cerulean blue eyes. “’Sides, you are just as much as a bottle blonde as I am, only golden.”

She crossed her arms over her chest defensively, “So what. We kissed. For the play. I just thank God we only had to do the play that once.”

Spike got so close to her, they could feel the heat radiating from between them, “You know that wasn’t just the play. It was something else.”

“Yeah, disgust.” Buffy rolled her eyes, tucking a lose strand of golden hair behind her ear.

“You keep tellin’ yourself that, pet. But I know different. It was all Gone With the Wind with the risin’ music an’ the… risin’ music,” He grabbed her, pulling her flush against his lean hard body. “What about later in your dressin’ room? If it hadn’t been for Xander and your cousin, I could have fucked you till we both couldn’t stand. You know it too ‘cause that’s why you ran to your room when we got home, virtue a-flutter, an’ locked the door. ‘M surprised you didn’t kick me in the head first.”

“Let go of me, Captain Peroxide.” Buffy held her hands against his chest.

And he had a very nice chest from what it felt like. She absently wondered what kind of body he hid underneath his punkish style kind of clothing… No! Bad Buffy! No sexy Spike thoughts!

His face softened, his eyes lowered, his tongue curled behind his teeth, and his voice a low baritone, making her stomach do flip-flops, “Make me.”

Her eyes darted between his lips and his eyes, her lashes lowered, and a sly smiled spread across her face as she thought of a way to distract him enough to free herself. “And what are you gonna do if I stop you?”

“See, I hardly think you’ll do anything.” He said lowering a hand on her waist.

“Oh really?” Her question ended of with an sharp intake of breath, when his hand found it’s way past the denim of her pants and his fingers manipulating her clit.
So much for the distraction.

He looked down, noticing the way her hips began to move against his hand. “See, Goldilocks? It never ended where we left off.”

“Good Godfrey Cambridge, Spike!” The two teens turned to see Xander standing before them, to which they broke away from each other.

Spike sighed. “If you weren’t my best friend, I’d seriously be pissed.” He then gave the brunette a frown. “Why is it that you always interrupt?”

Buffy looked between the two. “Hey! You know what! I think the bell’s gonna ring soon!” And with that, she took off into the direction of the school.

Xander turned to Spike. “Sorry about that. But you do know, you both could have been seen by other people, right?” Spike chose his response as a continued frown. “Well, anyway, Giles wants you in the library. There’s a prophecy of some sort.”

Spike sighed. “Let’s hope it has nothing about me an’ little vampire kids, an’ dyin’. Again.”

Chapter Six

It had gone impossibly quiet as Spike and his friends sat around the library, taking in the words that Giles had told them all. Just then, Buffy chose to enter the gloomy atmosphere on unawares, the double doors slamming behind her as she looked around the group. She instantly noticed the sour looks on each of their faces.

Willow and Tara were sitting at one of the tables, each holding each other’s hands… Wait, since when was Willow gay? Last she remembered, Willow was dating a guy named ‘Oz’ from the band, Dingoes Ate My Baby. There was Xander, a frown on his face as he continuously carved a stake, unaware that it was already sharp, with Anya sitting next to him, her eyes, unfocused and brimming with unshed tears as she continued to turn the pages of the book she clearly wasn’t reading. Angel was leaning against a bookshelf, his hands covering his face with Cordellia in a nearby armchair, checking the paint on her nails. Her face however showed emotion that she did really care about whatever was said.

Buffy looked to the right to see Giles cleaning his glasses. She was alerted to Spike’s presence when he stood up from sitting from the stairs. “I miss something?” At her words, everyone looked to her, realizing the entrance of the second Slayer.

There was suddenly a hollow laugh and everyone looked to Spike’s direction.

“Isn’t this just great?” He laughed, but there was no mirth shown in his face. He then looked to his father. “Tell me, do you think I’ll be able to beat this? Or should I just fucking give up and hope that who ever up there is watching me decides that I get a chance for a slot in Heaven?”

Buffy took in a sharp breath. “You’re not going to die.”

He strode over and picked up the book next to Giles and through it across the library to hit a wall loudly, causing everyone to jump and leave a dent in the paint. “Like Hell I won’t! I did last time!”

“William-” Giles went to say but was cut off.

Spike rounded on him, his face turning red with his yelling. “I HATE that name! Don’t call me it AGAIN! I go by ‘Spike’ now, alright, dad? William was a little scared boy who didn’t do so much as anything while vampires… while they did unspeakable things and cause me to kill MUM!”

The shock on everyone’s face was evident with this new information from the one-sided argument between father and son.

Giles felt his heart clench. “That wasn’t your fault.”

Spike laughed hollowly again. “Yeah, and I suppose isn’t wasn’t my fault when Darla took my innocence either.”

With that he strode out of the library, the doors slamming behind him loudly.

Buffy felt intense rage flare inside her. “What the hell?”

Giles looked around the room to see everyone’s eyes on him. He went back to the task of cleaning his glasses.

“I thought she died from sickness.” Angel’s voice broke the momentary silence.

Giles sighed, putting his glasses back on the bridge of his nose and chuckled bitterly. “And choose to go with the truth? That Anne and Spike where kidnapped and resulted in her death and his defilement?”

“W-what happened?” Tara uncharacteristically spoke up.

“It was two years ago before we moved to Sunnydale,” Giles began his eyes becoming unfocused as he began the story. “I was working late at the British Museum. But of course I was also a Watcher at the time, so I was also looking out to see any disturbances in the area due to demonic activity. Even if I didn’t have charge of a Slayer, hadn’t even met one yet, it was still my duty to look out for the welfare for the community. When I finally arrived home, I saw that Anne and Wil- Spike wasn’t there. In there place was a note left for me to read. They were taken to an old railroad station and if I wanted them back, I was to give them a book of strong magic that would help them release The Master from his imprisonment…”

Nine Years Ago…

Nine year old William could feel the intense pain causing his head to throb as he struggled to fight his blurred vision as he looked around to figure out where he was. He moved as if to reach for his glasses, but found that he couldn’t move his arms.

“Looking for these, Willy?” A female voice purred over his shoulder from the right.

Suddenly, his vision was clear when his glasses were put on, his eyes meeting cold brown ones.

“The name’s Darla, honey. And don’t be too scared…” The blonde then grinned. “I take that back. Be scared all you want.”

Her face changed then, her eyes turning amber yellow, and the smooth planes of her forehead became ridged. Her smile showed glistening fangs. William screamed, fear overcoming him at the sight of this creature. She personified all the evil he had ever heard of, had ever dreamed of.

“So, my pure William, you’ve never seen a vampire before?”

A scream sounded and he looked over to see his mother trying to fight against three male vampires as they attacked her, brutally biting her at every spot that showed her flesh. They began to rip at her clothes.

Tears falling from his young eyes, William looked away, trying to block out the sounds flesh hitting flesh, and nonstop screams echoing in the dark room.

Darla glided her hand across his face. “You’ve never seen sex either? What a sheltered child you are.”

He looked back to her, his face smeared with wet tears mixed with soot. His eyes showed hatred and determination. “I’ll bloody kill you.”

Darla took both his cheeks in her hand and pulled him closer to her face. “Good boys don’t use such language.” She gave him a quick peck on the lips, then backed away laughing. “You better hope Ripper comes here soon with that book.”

She then left the room. The screams stopped, which caused William to look to the direction of his mother. The three vampires stood up and dragged her body out of the room. Seeing he was alone, he began to struggle at his restraints. Hours later, with his wrists bleeding and shoulders sore, the rope broke, due to being old and frayed. He crashed to the ground, the noise alerting one of the three male vampires. Hearing someone approach the door, William grabbed a hold of a broken wooden pole and stood next to the door and waited. As soon as the door opened, he took a swing, hitting the vampire on the back of the head. The vampire fell to the floor and he took the opportunity to take the broken end and stabbed the vampire through the back into the heart. Utter amazement went across the young boy’s face as the vampire turned to dust before his very eyes. So the wooden stake to the heart thing was true.

Holding the makeshift stake, he left the room, seeing the a second male vampire enter from another door. Seeing the boy clutching the pole, the vampire started after him, kicking William to the ground. But as the vampire launched himself towards the prone boy, William grabbed the pole once again and held it away from his body causing the vampire to impale himself on the pole. Shakily William stood up, and started for the door when the figure of a woman enter the room.

William stopped in his tracks. “Mother?”

Anne drew near, as if she wasn’t the slightest hurt. Which her appearance told another story. “Oh, William, you're so…” She touched his face lightly. “Tender.”
“I freed myself, mum. Killed most of the vampires. Come, let us get out of here.” he took her hand, noticing it felt cold to the touch.

She smiled. “Ah, yes. Us.”

“No worries,” he assured her. Pulling on her arm as he started towards the door. “We’ll be back to Da in no time. We’ll put his behind us. He’ll take us around town to improve our spirits. Theater, perhaps. Dancing? Tell me,” He turned back to her. “What's your pleasure?”

She tilted her head. “Pleasure? To take my leave of you, of course. I feel extraordinary. It's as though I've been given new eyes. I see everything. Understand…” Sh looked over her son and frowned. “Everything.”

He stopped, disturbed at her words. “Mum?”

“I hate to be cruel - No, I don't. I used to hate to be cruel in life. Now, I find it rather freeing. Nothing less will pry your greedy little fingers off my apron strings, will it?”

“Stop. Please.”

She walked closer to him. “Ever since the day you first slithered from me like a parasite…”

Tears began to brim his eyes. “What're you s-”

Anne continued with her cruel words. “Had I known better, I could have spared myself a lifetime of tedium and just dashed your brains out when I first saw you.”

William let the tears fall. “Mum, I swear, I didn’t mean… I’ll be different, from now on.”

She snickered, and drew closer, causing him to move backwards. “Darling, it's who you'll always be. A limp... sentimental fool,” she backed him up against a wall. “You want to run, don't you? Scamper off and cry. Do you think you'll be able to love another as you do me?” she leaned in close to William, invading his personal space. “Think you'll be able to touch a woman without feeling me?” he looked around the room, panicked and disgusted, looking for a way to escape the apparent disturbing situation. “All you ever wanted was to be back inside,” she an her hands over his face, his body. “You finally got your wish, didn't you? Let her sink her teeth into me. An eternal kiss.”

He shook his head. “No. I-I didn’t-”

“You wanted them all to put their hands on me,” his mother accused him. “It gave you satisfaction, watching them. Perhaps you'd like a chance to finish off what they started.”

He pushed her away. “I love you! You were my world!” He then looked away from her. “Not now... not like this.”

“Just like this. This is what you always wanted. Who's my little prince?” she leaned into him, trying to kiss him.

William pushed her away, knocking her down. “NO!”

“Get out. Get out!” she stood, grabbing the forgotten broken wooden pole a began swinging it at him. He struggled with her, and got a good hold of it, grabbing it from her hands. His mother’s face changed into the very demons that had attacked them. “There, there, precious. It will only hurt for a moment.”

“I'm sorry.” William said in a small voice as he drove the wooden shaft into his mother’s heart.

Her vampire face melted away, leaving the sympathetic face of his mother to stare at him in shock for an instant before she turned into dust before his eyes.

As the dust settled, William saw Darla leaning against the door, a smirk on her face. “Did you like my present, my William?”

In blinding rage he practically flew at her. “You crazy bint!”

Darla overcame his attack and rolled on top of him, sending the makeshift stake across the room. “Not as crazy as she was. But…” she licked the side of his neck. “I did see her point.”

“What?” William practically growled as he tried to buck her off of him.

“You be a good boy and maybe I’ll let you enjoy it.” she thrust her fangs into his neck and drained him only, until his movements became sluggish as if he were drugged.

Chapter Seven

Present Day

“Oh my God.” Anya’s voice rang out, interrupting the story.

Giles once again went to the task of cleaning his glasses. “You can guess what she did to him when he was basically paralyzed from the lack of blood.”

Tears ran down Willow’s eyes. “He was only nine.”

“But why should that matter?” Xander commented bitterly. “Vampires are vile, evil things.”

“W-what h-happened? D-did you save h-him?” Tara asked.

Giles shook his head, “I was too late.”

“Then how did he get away? Cordellia asked what everyone wanted to know.

“She left him alone when she was done with him, in search for me, to which gave him enough time to regain some strength…” Giles shuttered when he thought of the scene he had come across when he finally made it to the old railroad station.

“Go on.” Buffy commanded, bringing the older man back from his thoughts.

“When I found him in the old railroad station, I was greeted with a disturbing sight… my son had found railroad stakes and was torturing the last male vampire… screaming at the creature and laughing at the pain he inflicted…”

“William…” Giles spoke softly.

The boy looked up to see his father, a haunted look in his blue eyes. “Da?”

“Oh, Will.” Giles dropped to his knees.

William looked down at himself as if seeing the blood and the railroad spike he held in his hand for the first time. “I want a new name.” Hatred showed in his face. “She liked that name.” he rolled the spike around his hand. “… Spike. I’m Spike now.”

He then looked up, tears in his eyes. “Daddy?”

He then ran to his father, and held on to him, crying his heart out, turning back into a nine year old boy who had faced many horrors.

“What is the prophesy? Buffy asked, bringing everyone out of their thoughts when Giles had finished his story.

Giles went to the book that Spike had thrown and picked it up to find the passage. “A warrior of light will enter darkness in death. In order for balance, the warrior must bond with the remaining light. For the past will come and create disorder and bring about the end of the world.”

“Are you sure it’s about Spike and not about me?” Buffy spoke quietly.

Her step-father shook his head. “It’s about Spike. ‘Warrior’ is translated in the masculine form.”

“There has to be something we can do,” Angel said as he began to pace, his Irish accent subtly showing in his agitation. “Because I refuse to sit back and watch my cousin die again.”

“Is there anything more written?” Xander wondered. “Maybe some Cliff Notes to help us out?”

“A warrior will enter darkness in the event of death,” Willow began to think the problem through. “Maybe that means it will happen at night?”

“Or it could mean that he’ll be turned into a vampire.” Anya looked at everyone staring at her. “What?”

“That does make sense,” Giles exclaimed. “Darkness in death. That could have a double meaning and it does go on to say that the warrior would need to be bonded referring as if the warrior hasn’t passed on to the spiritual realm.”


“A valid point, yes,” Xander suddenly stood up. “But aren’t we all forgetting something? Spike as a vampire? Well, if I remember correctly, when he got pissed off, he was scary…” the brunette looked around. “Er.”

“A-and he wouldn’t have a soul.” Tara said.

“And without a soul he would be constantly fighting the demon inside himself.” Angel added.

“I’m sure there could be a spell of some sort-” Willow went to say, but Buffy stopped her.

“So, magic is real too,” the blonde pulled her blonde hair behind her shoulder. “I miss life when it was simple. All I had to do was worry about what to wear and what to say when Spike and I bickered like-”

Giles sighed. “Yes, well it’s not what life was actually like-”

“You know what, I can’t do this.” Buffy interrupted him.

“Buffy?” Anya ventured.

“I’m not going to sit around and think of ways that we can prevent this from happening to him.” Buffy continued.

“Then what do you purpose we do?” Giles said irritably, his voice an unusual malice to it. “Do you think I like having to find prophesies that may or may not contribute to my son’s death?”

“You don’t have to deal with it anymore, because nothing will happen to him.” Buffy replied with finality. “I’m the Slayer now, so whatever I say goes. There will be nothing standing in my way.”

And with that she left the library, the doors slamming in her wake.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Not ten minutes later, Buffy found herself with Spike in the principal’s office, which, currently, were listening to a lecture the ‘little weasel man’, as Spike like to call him, felt the need to bleat out.

“A lot of educators tell students, Think of your principal as your pal,” Snyder told them, looking between the both blondes. “I say, 'Think of me as your judge, jury, and executioner.' Tell me, who do you think is the most troublesome student in this school?”

Buffy looked to Spike who was rolling his eyes.

“Well, it is quite a match between you two.” The principal answered his own question. “On the one hand, Buffy hasn't killed a teacher.”

“The teacher was a praying man… she kidnapped students and killed many.” Spike defended himself.

“On the other hand,” The older man ignored Spike. “Spike has never burned down a school building.”

“W-well, that was never proven,” Buffy argued her case. “The Fire Marshall said i-it coulda been mice.”

At that, Spike arched his scarred eyebrow. And how did he get that scar… Buffy then realized how. Darla… And Buffy so did not want to continue on with that thought.

“Mice.” Snyder gave Buffy a stupefied look.

“M-mice that were smoking?” Buffy said hopefully.

“The two of you seem to be tied in the class-cutting and fight- starting events- and don’t you denied that Summers, because I’ve been watching you, proven case in point when I caught you leaving the library when you were supposed to be in your third period British Literature-” Snyder went on to which Spike interrupted.

“That’s what’s wrong right there. She can’t even speak the English language, so why expect her to be able to understand the writings of my past nation?” Spike told him smartly.

“Hey!” Buffy scowled.

“Said with adoration, luv.” Spike smirked at her.

Snyder frowned at the bickering teens. “The point is you both really are neck and neck here. It's quite exciting.”

Spike once again was rolling his eyes. “An’ what does the winner get?”

“Expelled,” They both looked at him shocked. “Thursday is Parent- Teacher night. Your parents, well, you both sharing them-”

“It’s a step-family.” Spike corrected.

“Will meet your teachers,” Snyder then gave them a look. “Well, your mother, or step-mother in Spike’s case, assuming you have any left. I've decided to put the two of you in charge of this event. You have three days to prepare the refreshments, make the banners and transform the school lounge into a habitable place for adults. This will incur my good will. And may affect what I tell your parents when I meet them. Are we clear?”

“I'm clear,” Buffy looked to Spike. “Don't you feel clear?” At his look she gave him a frown. “Does mom’s wrath ring a bell?”

That straightened Spike’s stance. “Right, we’re bloody clear.”

“Good,” Snyder nodded. “Because you mess up this time, and you will be coming to school the next day, only to clean out your lockers.”

Chapter Eight

“I really hate that man,” Spike said as he and Buffy headed out into the hallway. “There has to be some evil bone in his body.”

“Never a truer statement,” Buffy agreed. “It's not fair. We’re both Slayers. That requires a certain amount of cutting and fighting on our part.”

“Do you think any other Slayers ever had to go to high school?” Spike wondered, then muttered. “It’s not like it’ll matter for me soon.”

“Hey,” Buffy put a hand on his shoulder. “You won’t die. Again.”

“Luv, I appreciate the pep talk, but-”

Willow and Xander chose that moment to walk up to them.

“What happened?” Willow asked. “We saw you two walking out of the evil principal’s office.”

Spike rolled his eyes. “We’re to have Parent Teacher Night to go on without a hitch. That or it’s expulsion.”

“I’m sure it will be no biggie,” Xander smiled comforting “You'll have a nice soire'e. The parents will love it. As long as nothing really bad happens between now and then, you'll be fine.”

“Are you crazy!?” Buffy exclaimed. “What did you say that for? Now something bad is gonna happen!”

“Whadaya mean? Nothing's gonna happen.” The brunette gave them a look of confusion.

“Not until some dummy says, as long as nothing bad happens.” Willow agreed with Buffy.

“It's the ultimate jinx!” Buffy ranted.

“What were you thinking?” Spike said sarcastically.

“ Or were you even thinking at all?” Willow added, not realizing Spike had made a joke.

The girls gave Xander looks of exasperation and walked off in a huff towards their next class.

“Well, you guys don't know,” Xander said after them, then looked to Spike for some assistance, but the blonde’s look clearly read that the brunette was on his own. “Maybe this time it'll be different!”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was later that night that there was two females giggling as the got off a train and entered the station. One was raven haired, the other blonde.

“Home, sweet home,” The blonde smiled, swiping the blood trailing from her lips with a finger and placing the digit in her mouth. “What you think of it, my Drusilla?”

The raven girl smiled and wrapped her arms around the other female. “The pixies say great things, Mummy.” She then began to dance to a tune that only she could hear. She then stopped in place and turned to her Sire. “An’ when will I get to met the dark prince, Darla?”

The blonde vampiress grinned. “We’ll be seeing my William soon.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Spike, I’m just saying, it may not be a good investment into your health if you didn’t stop patrolling while we’re trying to sort all this out-” Buffy was saying as they walked amongst the tombstones of Restfield Cemetery.

“I’m not going to sit back on the sidelines,” Spike argued. “It’s not what I do anymore.”

“Spike, about your past-” Buffy stopped to look at him in the eyes. “It really wasn’t your fault.”

“Buffy-” Spike grimaced, his voice holding irritation to change the subject.

“And the thing with you’re mom-” Buffy was interrupted again.

“Look, that was a long time ago. She wasn't herself,” Spike said, clearly uncomfortable with the conversation. “I know that now.”

“But… It still… hurts. That you-”

“Thanks, Doctor Phil, I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” He said with finality. “Let’s just get this patrol done, and get home.”

“But you agreed to Bronzing.” Willow said as she and the rest of the gang met up with the two Slayers.

“I think it would be just the thing we needed.” Cory agreed.

“And then later on we can go and have many orgasms,” At everyone’s look, Anya went on. “With our respective significant others, of course.”

Spike sighed. “Right, how about Buffy and I finish our grunt work and we’ll meet you all there?”

Buffy leaned towards him frowning, whispering. “What!? No… no-no grunting?”

Spike grinned, looking her up and down. “I was talking shop, luv, but if you got other ideas ... you, me, cozy little tomb with a view…”

Buffy made a face. “If you weren’t a demon, I’d so kick you ass.”

“Well, uh, we’ll just get on our way.” Xander nodded and the Scoobies headed off towards the club.

Sighing, Buffy sat on top of a tombstone. “You know, there’s something else that I don’t understand.”

Spike titled his head. “An’ what would that be, pet?”

“When I met Merrick, I specifically remembering his speech on Slayers,” she told him. “In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer. See any pronouns that take your, um, gender into questioning? Or maybe-”

Spike pulled her against his body. “I’m sure you can attest to the fact that there should be no questioning about my gender. I seem to remember you staring at it last year.”

Buffy felt herself go beat red. “That was an accident!”

Buffy rolled her eyes as she pulled her blonde hair out of it’s usual ponytail. Really, what was Miss Calendar thinking, giving Spike the lead role as Romeo? It just didn’t make any sense at all. As Juliet, Buffy just hoped Spike was good at acting so it wouldn’t make her look bad.

She walked down the hall, bear feet towards the bathroom and opened the door, only to be greeted with a surprising sight.

Spike turned to see Buffy staring at him, with the epitome of the deer-in-the-headlights look, showing on her face.

Her eyes traveled from his shower drenched hair who knew the platinum blonde hair had curls past all the gel, watching as water droplets made their way down his well toned, muscled torso, down to the sharp incline of his pelvis, her emerald eyes stopping on his groin. Which was swelling as her inspection continued on as the minutes went by.

“Like something you see, kitten?” The huskiness in his voice had Buffy’s gaze snap back to his face.

She felt her skin flush, the color turning scarlet. “Spike… uh… I… um… I-I didn’t know you were… uh… I came here to get a shower,” she laughed nervously. “And s-since you’re obviously already using the-”

He tilted his head, smirking as his eyes glittered in mischief. “Want me to join you?”

Her voice took on a squeak. “What!? No!”

And with that she fled to her room, locking the door until she heard Spike close the door to his room.

She pushed him away. “Get a grip Spike. That was… I’m not going to talk about it.”

He leaned towards her. “But you liked seeing me-”

Scowling, she stormed away from him. “Spike, let’s just get through this and head to the Bronze.”

Chapter Nine

It was dark in the club, but every so often, Buffy would sneak glances in Spike’s direction. She sat with Willow, Tara, Anya, and Xander at one of the tables. Spike sat, sprawled in an arm chair in the lounging area with Angel and Cory kissing on the couch next to him. As usual, Spike looked like he didn’t have a care in the world, and a 40 of Corona in his hand.

“Okay, what’s up?” Willow said, breaking the group’s silence.


“Besides the ceiling,” Xander said. “You’ve been looking at Captain Peroxide all night.”

“Nothing,” Buffy told them, only to see that her friends weren’t going to let her take the easy way out. “It’s just… He wass the bane of my existence, but now-.”

“Do you like him? Because it’s okay if you do,” Tara smiled. “We know he likes you.”

“And I seem to be there when the get-a-roominess.” At that, Buffy glared at Xander.

“I bet you want him to give you tons of orgasms.” Anya nodded her head.

Buffy turned red in the face, but Xander covered for her. “Ahn, can we not have that type of conversation.”

Anya rolled her eyes. “I’m just saying. With all the tension between them you’d think if they-”

“And on that note, let’s dance.” Buffy got up with her friends and went to the dance floor.

Spike, having been watching Buffy the whole night, got up to walk long the edge of the dance floor studying her intently. He watched as her hips swayed enticingly to the beat and her golden blonde hair moved about her shoulders. Her dress was short and black, stopping below her bottom, only by a few inches, not even mid thigh, and he noticed thin strapped slide as if the might fall, but seen that it was only teasing him. Why had she even decided to patrol is the scrap of a dress? He could swear that he was hard the whole time they were patrolling, especially more so when she did those high kicks…

Finally, he made up his mind and started for her.

Buffy soon felt her hips being grabbed and felt herself being pushed up against a lean, hard body.

She turned her head to the side to see cerulean blue eyes full of lust. “Spike.”

“I figured since I brought you here you’d want to dance with me.” his voice was low and husky.

“You didn’t bring me. We both came here at the same time,” Buffy could feel their friends watching them and refused to look in their direction, “Don’t.”

“What, luv?” His hand glided over her body, then turned her around to face him. “’M just dancin’ with my Goldilocks.”

“What’s with the Don Juan act today?” Buffy closed her eyes, the beat to the music and Spike’s touch doing something to her senses. “I‘ve only been in Sunnydale for a whole day and you’re already-”

“I know you wonder,” Spike leaned into her and whispered in her ear as if it were a caress against her skin. “What it would be like between us.”

“No.” She said, but he knew she was lying.

“The things we’d do,” He continued, his hand following the curve of her behind and pressed her against his erection. “It’d take us to the point of no return. But then again, I wouldn’t want to return.”

Buffy released herself from his grip, “I’m going home. Just… leave me alone.”

“What? What did I do now to cause you to go, virtue fluttering?” Spike titled his head, his arms now crossed.

“I… let’s not talk about it,” Buffy turned only to stop when she heard his cell phone. “I planed each charted course/ Each little step along the highway/ And more, much more than this/ I did it my way.” “Why do you still have that ring tone?”

“It’s a classic,” Spike defended. “’Ey, da.”

Buffy went to Spike, “It’s Giles?”

“Yes as you can hear, Buffy’s ecstatic that you rang. That, or surprised,” Spike gave her a pointed look which caused her to calm and wait for the news Spike would give her. “What about a train?” Buffy watched his face shift to wariness. “Two… I see.”

“What?” Buffy was now wondering what was going on.

“Are you sure? No changes in-?”

“No! No changes! Tell him there’s been no changes! I don’t think about you differently! I don’t! No, no lusty feelings or anything!” Buffy rushed to say, not understanding that he meant something else.

Spike grinned and leered at Buffy, “You know he can hear you? I swear I can hear him cleanin’ his glasses.”

Buffy flushed a deep crimson, “Yeah, well… tell him… uh, yeah.”

Spike gave his attention back to the phone, “As I was saying, there were no changes to the way the vamp- Okay, we’ll head home. Dawn’s at- oh, okay, we’ll probably run into her on the way.”

With a “Yes, we’ll see you soon.” Spike hung up and looked to Buffy, “Well?”

Spike sighed, “Da has gone completely mad.”

“Why is he crazy?”

Spike grabbed her hand and lead the way to the door, “I don’t know, but somethin’s got ‘im spooked.”

“Did he say what has him scared?” Buffy asked as they left The Bronze.

“All he said was to get home, because two Master Vampires were spotted entering town by train,” Spike said and spotted Dawn with Conner across the road. “Dawn, come here.”

The use of Dawn’s Christian name had both girls looking surprised. Spike almost always used nicknames when it came to Dawn. The only time when he used her name was when he was nervous, angry, or scared with her. Which was hardly ever the case. Whatever was going on was definitely serious.

After saying goodbye to Conner, Dawn went to Spike and Buffy, “What’s going on?”

“Somethin’ came up. We’re goin’ home on Da’s orders.” Spike told Dawn.

Buffy could feel her nerves on edge, “I don’t understand why-”

Suddenly, a blonde woman stepped out of the shadows, “Hello my William and Buffy. It feels like it‘s been a long time since I‘ve seen you… but then, I’d be lying.”

Chapter Ten

At seeing the blonde, both Buffy and Spike went still, holding onto Dawn, but Spike couldn’t help but reply, “It’s Spike now, you know that.”

The woman smiled, her golden eyes gleaming, “I don’t like it. It just seems a little unorthodox.”

“He’s reformed,” Buffy replied and glared. “What are you doing in Sunnydale?”

“You‘re wearing normal clothing now? Last time I saw you, you were wearing catholic school girl clothing and before that was the corsets and long skirts,” Spike was also glaring. “What are you doing here, Darla?”

Darla’s grin grew wider, showing of her fangs, “I just thought I’d stop and see my two favorite humans,” She then took a sniff and her golden eyes looked at them hungrily. “My two favorite Slayers.”

Buffy turned to Dawn. “Do not move at all.”

“I suggest you leave.” Spike growled.

Two vampires came up beside Darla, “Now why would I want to do that. You both make the perfect main course with the young girl a side.”

“Not to eat, your William…” Another voice murmured.

“Drusilla, why don’t you go back,” Darla looked to where the voice came from. “You’re not feeling well tonight.”

The raven haired beauty glided out of the shadows. “Hmmm. The stars, mummy, they speak of things about your William.”

Spike grimaced. “Spike.”

Drusilla nodded. “William… the Bloody.”

“William the Bloody?” Buffy arched a perfect eyebrow.

“It’s the name the Watchers Council and the demon community gave me after my… uh… stunt with the vampires.” Spike told her.

Darla then smiled. “Yes, such a beautiful sight. You’d make a good vampire.”

Spike folded his arms over his chest. “Well, you did miss the nightmare episode in town.”

“No, Spike will walk in darkness…” Dru began to twirl around. “Only, who will be the… hmmm… maybe mummy?”

Buffy stepped in front of Spike. “Not on my watch.”

“Buffy?” Spike wondered.

Darla looked between Dru and Buffy, her eyes narrowing. Then, as if realizing something, the blonde vampiress pounced, causing the four vampires and the two Slayers to begin fighting.

“Dawn, run!” Buffy shouted, to which her sister obeyed, taking off into the direction of Revello Drive.

“Slayer!” One of the two vampires grinned.

“Slayee!” Buffy countered as she sent a kick to the vampire’s chest.

“You shouldn’t have come back here.” Spike said as he sent a series of punches to Darla’s face.

Darla laughed. “Awe, I just want to see you, Willy.”

Spike grimaced. “It’s Spike!” He yelled, kicking her so hard she landed on the ground.

Buffy stake one of the minions, and as the dust settled, there stood Drusilla.

“Look at me, Dearie.” The black haired vampiress said in a melodic voice, waving two extended fingers before Buffy's eyes and began to hypnotize her.

The second minion pounced on top of Spike, holding him down as Darla began her assault on the male Slayer.

Dru swayed back and forth a bit with Buffy following her every move to stay in contact with the vampire’s eyes.

Spike broke away, sending a backwards punch to the minion and a kick to Darla. As the minion got up to lunge for him, he pulled out a stake a thrust it into the heart of the vampire.

Drusilla extended out the fingers of her right at her side, watching Buffy’s every move, her eyes never leaving the girl’s. Looking over to see how his love was fairing, Spike’s eyes widened in horror to se Buffy under Drusilla’s thrall.

Dru smiled evilly as she swung her hand p to slice Buffy’s neck, but missed due to Spike tackling the blonde to the ground.

“Bad Willy.” Dru pouted and looked to her Sire who looked worse for wear.

“Come on, Dru. We’ll get another change.” Darla grabbed her Childe’s hand and took into the darkness.

Spike looked down at Buffy, reaching to her and stoked the side of her face gently with his hand. “Luv, you okay?”

Buffy then opened her eyes, seeing concern blue ones filling her vision. “What happened?”

“Dru… she hypnotized you.” he told her, getting up and helping the blonde to her feet.

She sighed. “Well, that explains why I feel a little weird.”

He nodded. “Let’s get home and see if Dawn is okay.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Dawn!” Both Spike and Buffy called out as soon as they got home, locking the door behind them.

“Buffy! Spike!” Dawn ran down the stairs. “You both are wet. Are you both okay? You’re not hurt.”

“Just a little rain,” Spike went to close the blinds and curtains. “We’re fine. Buffy, luv, make sure all the fire alarms are workin’. Just because they can’t come inside, doesn’t mean they can’t force us outside.”

“Okay.” Buffy nodded and set off to do her task.

“What do you want me to do?” Dawn wanted to know.

“Where’s Da and Joyce?”

“Giles went to the school library to get some books and mom’s on her way home from work.”

“And the gang?”

“Made it home, safe and sound.”

“Then why don’t you go to bed, Nibblet,” Spike then gave her a hug. “It’s gonna be a long night; one of us has to do the sleepin’.”

Feeling defeated, Dawn still did as she was told. “Goodnight, Spike. Goodnight, Buffy!”

“Goodnight!” Buffy called out, having heard her sister.

Upon hearing her voice, Spike went to find Buffy upstairs.

He watched her check the last fire alarm. “How are you holdin’ up, luv?”

“Well, let’s see,” Buffy folded her arms over her chest. “I come home to find out that you’re a Slayer and Sunnydale is a Hellmouth, I hear your story and the prophesy of you becoming a vampire-”

Spike arched an eyebrow. “Do what?”

“Perhaps, we should sit down and have a chat.” Spike and Buffy turned to see Giles and Joyce standing on top of the stairs.

Spike nodded and went to follow his parents, but Buffy stopped him, grabbing his arm. He turn to see her eyes brimming with tears, the Slayer gone in place of the girl he once knew. “Spike… we could have… you, Dawn… I…”

Spike gathered her in a hug. “But we didn’t. We’re goin’ to be alright.”

Chapter Eleven

“Bloody hell!” Buffy awoke to the curse from across the hallway, then rolled over in her bed, wanting to go back to sleep, but her eye caught her alarm clock.

“Oh, crap.” It was 7:35! She had ten minutes till school would start! She definitely was going to be late.

As she got out of bed to retrieve clothes for her shower, she heard water running in the adjoining bathroom.

“Why do I have to share a shower with the Oh-Bleached-One?” Buffy inwardly cursed as she headed down the stairs to the other bathroom that was next to Dawn’s bedroom.

Five minutes later, she left the bathroom, wearing a pink spaghetti-strapped tank top, a blue mini skirt, and pink flip flops. Her golden blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail, with her long bangs tucked behind her ears. She headed towards her sister’s room, and saw Spike leaving her destination.

He was ready to go as she was, wearing the usual black T-shirt with an open red button down and tight black denim jeans, under his black duster. As usual, his bleached blonde hair was gelled back. Not to mention his black Doc Martins.

“Is Dawn up?” Buffy asked him.

“Lil’ Bit has already gone off to school. Runnin’ late for once?” Spike grinned, eyeing her up and down, feeling his tight black jeans become tighter and was thankful that she couldn’t see his erection due to wearing the duster. “Mornin’ cutie.” his smirk was greeted with a eye roll.

“My alarm clock didn’t go off,” She told him. “And how are you wearing those clothes? Aren’t you dieing of the heat? It has to be almost a hundred degrees already, despite it being morning.”

“The heat doesn’t bother me,” he said, then leered. “Those clothes are very becoming on you. Of course if I was on you I’d be coming too.”

It took her a second to get the innuendo, then she let out a shout of laugher, “God, Spike. Do you actually use those lame pick up lines?”

Spike grinned, “No. I just wanted to see what kind of reaction I would get out of you. Pretty much what I expected.”

“So, what’s the plan?” Buffy asked as they left the house.

“Stop at the Espresso Pump, grab quick brekkies, an’ get to school.” he told her.

“Good idea.”

After they stopped at the Espresso Pump, they went straight to Sunnydale High School, going to their lockers and heading to their first period classes.

“So, what happened last night?” Willow asked, when Buffy sat down after getting a short reprimand from the teacher.

“Darla showed up back and town with some loony vampire,” Buffy replied. “So, now because of some psychic power of Miss Loony Toons, Darla knows about Spike destined to become a walking dead.”

“You don’t think she’ll… you know?” Tara asked in a hushed whisper.

Buffy sighed. “I don’t know.”

Across the hall, in Chemistry, Spike was wondering the same thing.

“I’m sure it will be fine. We always figure stuff out.” Xander told his best friend.

“And if all else fails, we’ll just stake the bitch.” Angel nodded.

“It’s just… I had a Slayer dream, last night.” Spike told them.

The door burst open to Spike’s room, causing him to look up from his magazine, the Sex Pistols playing from his stereo. The young woman stood in the doorway wearing a silk pink tank top and pink flannel pajama pants. Her golden hair was mused from being in bed and her arms were crossed over her chest, enhancing his view of her cleavage. Her green eyes were scowling menacingly at him…

“Did you give her orgasms?” Anya interrupted his story, and received glares from all three males. “What?”

“What did I do now?” Spike answered to Buffy’s glaring.

“Turn the music down first.” she replied.

He lowered it as she commanded, then stood up to her, “That alright, Princess?”

“Thank you,” her face was for once unreadable. “I want to know why you took Dawn on patrol last night.”

He had no idea what she was talking about, but he found himself answering, “She wanted to hang out with me. Talk about her friends an’ other things.”

“It’s too dangerous out there at night.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“How can you say that? You’re more vulnerable than ever-”

He pulled her flush against his body. “I’m not. I am more powerful than-”

“Let go of me Spike.” Buffy glared at him.

His face shifted, his eyes turning yellow, his brow ridged, and his fangs long. “Make me.”

He then smashed his mouth to hers, kissing her possessively.

“Spike…” Buffy moans when he let go long enough for her to breathe.

“You are mine.” He growled, kissing her again, then thrusting his fangs into her throat.

“An’ then I woke up.” Spike told them, then thought, Some bloody dream.

To accompany his sped up heart rate and headache from his hangover, he had a hard-on. It was a good thing Buffy hadn’t walked in on him in the shower. Then again, if she had, he could see himself pulling her in the shower with him. Just the though of it had him go hard again. He pulled his duster over himself.

“Now, when you say you kissed her-” Angel went to ask, but was interrupted.

“A hard, passionate kiss. Bodies against each other, tongues duelin’- you get the bloody picture?” Spike said exasperated.

“I think he was meaning the whole ‘Grr-Arg’ thing.” Xander explained.

Spike sat back. “Oh.”

Anya leaned over her desk. “Well, did you like it?”

“What do you think?” Spike gave her an idiotic look.

“She was meaning the bite.” Angel responded.

Spike squirmed in his seat. “I don’t know… but… I don’t want to be a vampire. Remember, it was my nightmare.”

“But if you remember correctly, you did like the thrill it gave you.” Xander pointed out.

Spike sighed. “Well this is bloody fantastic. Not only do I have to worry about Darla being back in town, bringing along family, but I also have to worry about a prophesy that may cause me to become a vampire.”

“Oh, and don’t forget Parent Teacher Night.” Anya reminded him.

Spike groaned, putting his hands on his face.

Chapter Twelve

“You had a Slayer dream and you didn’t tell me?” Buffy narrowed her eyes at the peroxide blonde as they entered the gym with their friends, wearing the Sunnydale gym uniform.

“I hardly think you would want to know about it.” Spike rolled his eyes.

“I think I would. I am the Slayer after all,” she crossed her arms over her chest.

Spike leaned towards her. “I was the Chosen One first.”

“God, you both are, like, acting like your both five.” Cordy said, flipping her hair away from her face.

Xander put a hand on Buffy’s shoulder. “Trust me when I say, you don’t want to know.”

“How come-” Buffy went to say but was interrupted.

“Besides, if Spike wants to dream about kiss-” Anya was then interrupted by Buffy.

“Okay! I don’t want to know!”

“Fitness test today, class!” The gym teacher said, blowing a whistle. “Chose a partner, then get to your assigned spots.”

“What’s the activities?” Willow asked.

“The mile, sit-ups, and push-ups.” The teacher said.

“So, Spike, you think you can get a better score than me this time?” Buffy folded her arms over her chest.

Spike sauntered closer to her, giving her a sly grin. “The last time I checked, we were tied an’ held the school records.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Buffy said innocently. “What I meant was, can you keep up with me?”

“Oh, I can keep up with you. The question is can you keep up with me, baby?”

The look in his eyes made her shiver. “You’re a pig.”

Spike winked, “Oink, oink.”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. How about this; who ever wins is the best Slayer.”

“Buffy, I don’t think that’s a great ide-” Angel was interrupted by his cousin.

“What does the winner get?” Spike wanted to know.

“What do you mean? The winner is stated as the best Slayer.” Buffy told him.

“Come on, luv, there’s got to a better bet than that. I’m not exposing my supernatural self for no-”

“Fine, then state your terms.”

“If I win, you have to let me take you out on a date.”

“No! Are you kidding me?”

“Fine, if you’re scared-”

“We’ll hang out,” Buffy clarified. “Not a date.”

Spike shrugged. “Fine, if that will help you sleep better at night.”

Buffy nodded. “And my terms…” An ‘evil’ grin spread across her face. “You have to show me what’s in that box you keep under your bed.”

Spike knew what she was talking about, but didn’t want to chance it. “You mean my box of porn?”

“Eww!” she grimaced, earning a laugh from all the guys, but they, except Spike, stopped the moment she glared in their direction. “No. The box that has a lock on it.”

“Buffy!” Spike actually whined.

“Deal or no deal,” she tilted her head.

“Fine,” he gave in, then shook her hand.

Buffy huffed and went to her assigned spot on the gym floor, “I swear, one of theses days.”

“I guess Spike will always be Spike.” Willow told her, smiling at both of her friends’ antics.

“Begin with the sit-ups, then have your partner come to me. Then, switch places.” The teacher blew his whistle to begin the test.

As Willow counted in her head, she decided to speak up, “Uh, Buffy? Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, there have been students here in the past to do some evil deeds and showing yourself-”

“I’m not.” Buffy said as the teacher blew the whistle blew the whistle to end the minute sit-up test. She stood up from her spot on the floor. “A little fitness test won’t show I’m the Slayer and it’s not like I’ve been doing so much training that I’ll be able to break world records. How many sit ups did I do?”

“You did three hundred sit-ups,” Willow said, raising an eyebrow. “I think that’s a world record.”

“I’m sure someone in the military could do them,” Buffy put her hands on her hips. “Besides, Spike and I got 125 the last test we took.”

“Buffy, the maximum score for both males and females in the military are 78 sit ups,” Willow reasoned. “For two minutes, and granted some can possibly do more. But, you did an extra 175.”

“Don’t worry, Wills. I’m sure stranger things have happened in Sunnydale.”

The red head couldn’t argue to that.

“How many did I do?” Spike stood up, asking Gunn.

“Three hundred. Pretty good, man. I think you kinda beat your and Buffy’s old record.” Xander smiled.

“Hell yeah! By a hundred seventy five,” Spike smirked. “You sure you counted right?”

“Hey, scout’s honor.”

“Okay then.”

After the next group did their sit-ups it was time for push ups.

“Buffy, you ready for these?” Spike said as the first group went into position.

He knew these were hard for her. She had had a hard time with the push ups during the physical fitness test last year, but had kept up and finished with the same amount he had done. Then again, she was a Slayer now.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Buffy shot back, with a grin of her own.
They began their push ups, looking at each other. Buffy found herself watching Spike’s muscles flex and work.

“Like what you see, pet?”

She looked to his eyes to see them burning on her form. She felt herself go red and it wasn’t from the exercise.

“Nothing I haven’t seen before.” Buffy retorted.

“And you liked it then.”

The whistle blew for the push-ups to end.

“Three hundred.” Both Gunn and Willow told their partners.
Two minutes later, both Buffy and Spike were done with their fitness test, having finished the mile.

“I’m thinkin’ we can’t do that again, for fear of getting caught.” Spike told Buffy as they headed towards the locker rooms.

“You would think so,” Buffy thought about their current predicament. “So, what do you think Darla and Drusilla is up to?”

“I’m not sure but-”

“Oh, look its Loser,” An annoying voice interrupted. “And to think, I was hoping I’d never have to see you again.”

Buffy and Spike turned around only to glare as Glory Star walked up to them.

“Glory, go away.” Buffy told the permed red head with a glare.

“Hey, you’re blocking my way to class. Why don’t you lose a couple pounds?” Glory narrowed her eyes.

Spike saw the hurt look in Buffy’s eyes before he rounded on the less popular cheerleader, “You're an idiotic bitch.”

“What!?” Glory was thrown off on what Spike was saying. He was defending Buffy? Sure, he had started acting like a freak, but he was still accepted in the popular crowd on account of Angel and Cordy. And he was named one of the hottest in the school.

“I had no idea that cheerleaders could be such prancin’ lightweights.”

Glory scoffed at him in disbelief, “Compared to you, I am a god in this school.”

“The god of what, bad home perms?” Spike glared.

Buffy stood off watching the display, too shocked to speak.

“Shut up!” Glory took a few steps toward him, patting her hair. “Shut up!”

“Yeah, okay, sorry,” Spike did look genuinely sorry until he narrowed his eyes. “But I wouldn’t put it past Buffy to kick your skanky, lopsided ass,” As he said this Glory checked out her behind in dismay. “Now, why don’t you go run along to whatever class that would take a,” He sized her up. “Cheap, whorish, fashion victim cheerleader like you.”

Glory spun around in a huff, and a little hurt, to go to her class by a different hallway.

Spike turned around to see a bewildered Buffy, “Who are you and what have you done with Spike Giles?”

He titled his head, “She had no right to say that to you. You’re one of the thinnest people I know, an’ you’re over a thousand times prettier than she is.” He then grinned. “An’ you know how I feel about you.”

While she felt a faint blush creep into her face, she didn’t want to make any comment on their current, confusing relationship. “I seem to remember you calling me a bitch and saying I have bad hair.”

He moved closer to her and tucked a golden lock of hair behind her ear, “Was just frustrated-”

“Spike-” Buffy was interrupted as Spike continued on and watched as his cerulean blue eyes darkened.

“’Cause the first time I laid eyes on you I wanted you, an’ it always makes me frustrated that I can’t have you ‘cause you won’t let me.” His baritone voice had become a whisper, almost a caress.

Buffy turned to the girls’ locker room door, “I’m going to change. See you later.”

Spike just shook his head. She was running off again, fighting the attraction they had for each other.

Chapter Thirteen

They had been standing there for at least ten minutes, not saying anything to each other, the tension between them so strong, that any random student who happened to walk by, chose to do so on the other side of the hallway.

“So…” Buffy said, deciding to break the uncomfortable silence as she painted the inside of the letters on the yellow banner red. “I was thinking about the refreshments. How do you feel about punch?”

“Yeah, sure, whatever.” Spike replied, his eyes remain downcast, not looking up from drawing the block letters.

Buffy sighed at Spike’s attitude towards her and looked to Willow. “Do you think you can help me cram some French tonight? I don't want Mr. DeJean telling my mother I'm an imbecile.”

Willow looked up from her position on the floor, where she was making another welcome sign with Xander. “Sure, but I thought you did well on the subject at your last school.”

Xander sat back for a second on his knees. “I don’t see why you both are making a fuss about this business. I mean, Giles is your dad and step dad. Couldn’t he help you out on the Joyce front? I mean, they are married.”

“Tell me your kidding me,” Spike gave Xander a look. “Da and Joyce have different views on the subject of school and slaying. And which one should come first. Very different views.”

Tara nodded her head as she and Anya brought them more paint. “I think worrying about saving the world should come first.”

Anya shrugged her shoulders. “Well, I think studying should come first. It’s important to get good grades so you can get into college and you’ll be able to get good paying jobs with lots of money. Money is very important. And not end up at a place like Video Hut.”

“Or the Doublemeat Palace,” Willow added. “Because the people that work there, very scary.”

“Not like that Drusilla,” Buffy told them. “Because that gothic vampire…” she shuttered. “Yeeehehehe.”

“Don’t worry, luv,” Spike regarded her, finally letting his eyes meet hers. “We’ll take this one step at a time. We’ll do this Parent- Teacher night and make mum proud as long as we don't have to…”

At that moment, Giles and the computer teacher, Jenny Calendar, decided to walk over.

“Buffy! Spike!” Giles went to inform them of the recent information from researching.

“…fight vampires.” Spike ended.

Giles continued to talk to the teacher. “There is nothing in the chronicles about a-an extraneous lunar cycle.”

“The Order never accurately calculated the Mesopotamian Calendar,” Jenny then reproached the librarian. “Rupert, you have got to read something that was published after 1066.”

Giles rolled his eyes. “Very funny.”

“What's the up, guys?” Xander asked, standing up with Willow.

“W-um, Ms. Calendar has been researching,” Giles continued on. “Well, uh, surfing on her computer, a-and she's... Well, according to her calculations, this Saturday is the night of St. Vigeous.”

Buffy frowned, putting down the paint brush. “Let me guess: he didn't make balloon animals.”

Willow grinned. “Oh! That would be a great idea for the Parent-Teacher Night.” At Spike’s glare she looked down. “Or not.”

“No, he led a crusade, of, of, uh, vampires,” Giles responded to Buffy. “They swept through Edessa, Harran, and points east.”

“And they didn't leave much behind.” Jenny added.

“Well, if we survive Parent-Teacher night tomorrow,” Spike informed his father. “Buffy and I will see what we can do about Saturday.”

“You're being a tad flip, don't you think?” Giles told his son. “This is serious.”

“And the both of us getting kicked out of school is laughs aplenty?” Buffy retorted.

“You both know what happens when you both let your lives interfere with your slaying.” Giles said in all seriousness.

“Okay, well, if my slaying doesn't get me expelled, then I promise my banner making won't get me killed, okay?” Buffy picked up the paint brush and began painting once more.

“Just please let us get through this week.” Spike sighed, going back to his task at hand.

“This Saturday's going to need a great deal of preparation.” Giles frowned at his two children.

“Well, we'll help.” Willow said with Tara nodding and holding her hand.

“Yeah, I'll whittle stakes.” Xander smiled as Anya sat back down with him to help with the second banner.

“It’s what he does best.” Anya replied, grabbing a pencil.

“A-and the rest of us can research stuff.” Tara said, grabbing an extra paint brush.

“And while I'm whittling, I plan to whistle a jaunty tune.” Xander continued, grinning at his own joke.

“Yes, all your help will be greatly appreciated, but when it comes to battle, Buffy and Spike must fight alone. They are, after all, the Slay…” Giles stopped himself, seeing Principal Snyder walking towards them. “...Slay-ve. Slaves. You're, you're all slaves to the, uh, television.”

Spike arched his scarred eyebrow. Could his father come up with something any more lame?

“Yes.” Jenny nodded, trying to hide the amusement on her face.

“Young people nowadays,” Giles looked to his best friend. “I suppose we should get back to our respective duties.”

Jenny nodded. “Later.”

And with that, the computer teacher and librarian went their separate ways.

Snyder look around the group, regarding Buffy and Spike’s friends. “You all wouldn't be helping Buffy and Spike by any chance, would you?”

Xander laughed nervously as he and the girls stood up. “No.”

Willow tried to put on her best ‘mean face’ but fail miserably. “We were hindering.”

Snyder looked to Spike and Buffy. “You both aren’t planning to ditch?” He took a deep breath. “Mm. I feel expulsions coming on.”

“No! No, we’ve been working for hours,” Buffy paused. “Well, more like during our study period, but-”

“Just make sure everything is perfect on Thursday.” Snyder narrowed his eyes, then turn and left.

“That guy’s a serious rodent.” Anya put her hands on her hip.

“Like I said: little weasel man.” Spike nodded.

Chapter Fourteen

Collin sat with his army of vampires in his factory. The child vampire looked around his group pleased with some of them, and others, well, he just tolerated.

“The Master is dead,” His favorite minion, Dax, began. “Someone has to take his place.”

“As long as the Slayer's alive,” His third in command, Victor. “Whoever takes his place will be sharing his grave.”

“Then let the soul who kills Spike wear The Master’s mantle.” Dax responded.

“Can you do it?” Collin asked.

“Yes. This weekend, the night of St. Vigeous, our power shall be at its peak.” Dax grinned. “When I kill him, it'll be the greatest event since the crucifixion. And I should know. I was there.”

Darla appeared behind them. “You were there?” she giggled. “Oh please! If every vampire who said he was at the crucifixion was actually there, it would have been like Woodstock.”

Dax growled. “I oughta rip your throat out.”

Darla turned her back to him, strolling away. “I was actually at Woodstock. That was a weird gig. I fed off a flowerperson, and I spent the next six hours watching my hand move.”

Dax rushed her from behind, which Darla swung her fist up without even looking, hitting him in the face and knocking him down for the count and out.

She turned around grinning. “So, who do you kill for fun around here?”

Collin regarded the blonde vampiress. “What are you doing back in Sunnydale, Darla?”

Darla growled at Victor, causing him to look away for a moment. She then looked back to Collin. “You've got Slayer problems. Two, to be exact. That's a bad piece of luck. Do you know what I find works real good with Slayers? Killing them.”

“Can you?” Collin asked. “Because the last time you were in town-”

“I have a talented Childe. She could do it a lot faster that Overgrown there.” She nodded to Dax, still on the floor. “She did a couple Slayers in her time. I don't like to brag.” She said solemnly, then smiled, not being able to keep a straight face. “Who am I kidding? I love to brag! There was this one Slayer during the Boxer Rebellion, and…”

She sensed someone behind her and turned her head to look as she morphed into her human guise.

“Drusilla,” Darla went to her favorite Childe. “You shouldn't be walking around. You're weak. That fight with the Slayers, it took a lot of energy for you.”

Dru looked around the room. “Look at all the people. Are these nice people?”

“We're getting along.” Darla purred.

Drusilla stared at Collin. “This one has power. I could feel it from the outside.”

“Yeah,” Darla nodded. “He's the big noise in these parts. Anointed, and all that.”

“Do you like daisies? Hmm?” Dru looked from her Sire back to Collin. “I plant them, but they always die. Everything I put in the ground withers and dies.” she then looked up and off into space. “Mummy? I’m cold.”

Darla took off her zipped up sweater and put it around the raven haired vampiress. “Here, sweetie, don’t worry. Mommy‘s got you.”

Dru smiled. “I'm a princess.”

Darla nodded. “That's what you are.”

Dru pricked Darla on the cheek with her fingernail, and a bead of blood flowed out. She then lean in and licked it off. The two female vampires moved close to kiss but didn't, and instead, looked over at Collin.

“Me and Dru, we're movin' in,” Darla said then they separated. “Now. Any of you want to test who's got the biggest wrinklies around here... step on up.” she glanced at Collin. “Dru will do your Slayer for you. But you keep your flunkies from tryin' anything behind our backs. Deal?”

Collin nodded.

Drusilla bowed her head down and put her hands to her temples. “Sunshine. I want to kill Sunshine. But you, you get the boy. He’s to be ours forever. Can you? Please, Mummy?”

“It's done, baby.” Darla grinned.

“But I get Sunshine? A kill for princess?”

“I’ll let you chop her into messes.”

Drusilla smiled. “My sweet mum.”

“So,” Darla regarded Collin. “Buffy, the new Slayer, she seems tough…”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Buffy stared in the mirror feeling hopeless. It seemed that ever since she became the Slayer, her whole life began falling apart. First her father didn’t believe her, sticking her in a sanitarium. Then when they released her, she ended up having to fight Lothos, causing the fire in the gym of Hemery. And now with everything, school, Spike, Darla, it all seemed to start crashing together.

Sighing, she picked up her brush, gliding it through her hair. “Ow!”

“What’s wrong?” Spike asked, standing at her door.

“I spent a good part of my allowance on this new cream rinse, and it's neither creamy nor rinsey.” she told him.

He grinned. “Life is hard, luv.”

“Don't I know it,” she paused. “Is that a split end?”

“Buffy, about today-” he was interrupted.

Buffy turned in her seat and glared. “Go away, Spike.”

Spike smirked, ignoring her as he sauntered into the room, “Nice room. Very posh.”

Her room was the same as she had left it. Pinky and frilly. A room meant for an innocent girl, not a warrior who fought demons on a nightly basis.

She rolled her eyes, “And your room isn’t? Go back there, were you belong.”

He sat on her bed, his looks and clothing the total oppose of her white and pink blankets and pillows. “My room has changed since you left. It’s darker, with black and red. I have a bigger bed too. A Full. With red silk and satin sheets. Care to try it out?”

She watched as he adjusted himself comfortably against her pillows, his arms behind his head, looking like he belonged in her bed. Oh God. So not going with that train of thought. Derailing from it as of now.

“Get out of my bed.” She narrowed her green eyes.
“Lemme think ‘bout it,” He truly seemed to contemplate on listening to her. “Nope. I find it right comfy ‘ere. Want to join me?”

As it seemed for the millionth time today, she sighed again. “I should have not come back.”

He tilted his head. “Did you want to? Or did your dad really force you to come back here.”

“A little bit of both.” Buffy pushed him aside and laid down next to him.

She didn’t care if he was laying next to her. She wasn’t leaving her room anytime soon, so her bed was the most comfortable option for lounging now. Yeah, keep telling yourself that.

“What‘s the matter, pet?” Spike wondered, liking the feeling of her body brushing against his, and turned towards her.

“Everything. Ever since I’ve become the Slayer, it seems as if I have to deal with one thing after another, you know?” she laid her head on his shoulder.

“I know.” he said quietly.

“A person can only go through so much,” Buffy closed her eyes. “Being a Slayer isn’t a gift. It’s a burden.”

Spike shrugged. “Well, it can be good you know. Super strength and speed. Agility. Well, for the most part, as long as you’re not drunk.”

At her look he rolled his eyes. “Went on a bender after I died. It’s a thing.”

She nodded her head in agreement. “I did that after the fire, until I was sent here.”

They then both laid in silence for a moment, which caused Spike to raise his scared eyebrow and look at her softly, yet quizzically, “Are we havin’ a civil conversation?”

Buffy lowered her eyes, looking anywhere but him, “Maybe.”

“About our bet-”

She got up from the bed, “No, Spike.”

He stood up, standing next to her, “We-”

“I’m not going on a date with you.”

“Here’s the deal. We both won, yeah?” he negotiated as he moved closer to her. “I let you have a look in my box and you let me take you out. That has nothing to do with patrolling.”

“Spike-”

“We made a deal, Buffy.” he then pulled her against him. “Don’t tell me you’re a Slayer without honor.”

“I have honor.” she said softly, looking up into his eyes.

He watched her intently. “What is honor, then?”

“High regard or respect; personal integrity; reputation; privilege; used as a title for mayors and judges. Also, to accept something as valid.”

He chuckled. “You’ve been around my Da too long.”

Buffy shook her head and giggled. “No, I was in a spelling bee in the first grade.”

His eyes lowered to her lips. “Yes, I suppose you have honor. But you know what?”

She leaned forward, her eyes lost on his face. “Hmm?”

“You also have my-”

Whatever he was going to say was lost when Buffy’s door opened, showing her mother, “There you guys are… what’s going on?”

Buffy and Spike shot away from each other, Buffy red in the face and Spike trying his best to look innocent, “We were just talking, Mom.”

“Yeah, Joyce,” Spike hurriedly nodded in agreement, searching his mind for something to say. “I was just consoling her on her break up with Finn.”

Joyce looked at Buffy sympathetically, “You’re still upset over that, honey? It was a few years ago.”

Buffy smiled fondly, “I know. I just thought of something random about Riley and it set me off, but don’t worry, I’m pretty much over him. Actually, I’m taking a break from guys right now.”

Joyce missed when Buffy had pointedly looked at Spike.

Joyce laughed at that, “I’m sure you feel like that right now sweetie, but that’s what you said after Ford, and your crush with Owen and that one… what was his name?”

“Parker,” Spike supplied. “Had the nancy boy lookin’ hair an’ the-”

“Spike, I swear if you don’t shut up, I’m going to punch you in the nose.”

“An’ why is it that you always go for the nose?”

“Buffy Anne Summers! Are telling me you still actually hit Spike!? Even after the fight you had, breaking my living room window!?”

“No, that was before we became Slayers, but, see the thing is-” Buffy tried her best to back-peddle as fast as she could, but was saved by her sister walking past the open door.


“Mom, I can’t find my heart PJs ,” Dawn said, stopping at the doorway. “Hey Spike.”

“’Ey, Bit.” Spike smiled.

Buffy let out a sigh of relief as her mom turned to the younger Summers, “I’ll go help you find it, honey,” But Buffy’s relief wasn’t entirely in effect when the eldest Summers turned back to her eldest daughter and her step son. “This is the last time I hear about you both fighting. You both need to get along from now on. Now, I got the mail.”

“Good.” Buffy replied.

“Which included a reminder notice about Parent-Teacher night. Thursday. Which is tomorrow.” Joyce folded her arms over her chest.

“That's good.” Spike regarded both of the women.

“Which you both were planning on telling me about?”

“Oh, for…” Buffy looked sheepish. “The past couple of days.”

“Uh-huh. So, what do you both think your teachers are gonna tell me about?” Joyce watched both of the teens fidget.

“Well, I think they'll all agree that I always bring a pen to class, ready to absorb the knowledge.” Spike went back to his previous spot on Buffy’s bed.

Joyce arched an eyebrow. “And, uh, this absorption rate? How is it reflected in your homework and test scores?”

“What can you really tell about a person from a test score?” Buffy replied.

Joyce looked to her daughter. “Whether or not they are ever going out with their friends again.”

“Oh, that.” Spike frowned.

“Well, I look forward to meeting your principal.”

“Won't that be something.” Buffy muttered.

Joyce leaned against the door. “Look, guys. I know you know life is more than grades and homework and not getting kicked out of school. Just try, guys. You know I mean the best for you both.”

Buffy took a deep breath and let it out. “We’ll try.”

“Sleep tight.” Joyce smiled. “Goodnight, Spike.”

“Night, Joyce.”

“Spike, it’s okay if you call me mom.”

Spike gave her a soft smile. “I know.”

As soon as Joyce closed the door and Buffy and Spike were left alone, Buffy turned to Spike, “You are such a kiss-ass. And bringing up Riley?”

Spike rolled his eyes, “It was the best I could come up with. Somehow, I don’t think your mum would want to hear about the intimate dealin’s between us.”

“Whoa. Intimate? In your dreams.” She scoffed.

“You know, denial really doesn’t look good on you.”

“Spike, just go away.”

“Our deal?”

“Oh fine! I’ll look and see what’s in the stupid box and we’ll go out, demon-free.” She said as she rolled her eyes as he got up, then followed him to his room.

Chapter Fifteen

“I… uh, when I called this a stupid box I didn’t… It’s not stupid.” Buffy found herself tripping over her words when Spike opened the box revealing the continents inside.

Kneeling down to the box, Spike said in a low voice, “I haven’t opened this box since I’ve become the Slayer.”

Buffy kneeled down next to him as he pulled random things out for her to look at. First was an old picture of the Giles family. There was a younger version of Rupert and Spike, along with a woman, who Buffy could tell was Spike’s mother. Looking at Spike, she saw that he had brown unruly curly hair, round glasses, and wore a tweed outfit.

“Awe, you look like a mini Giles!” she gushed.

He rolled his eyes. “As soon as I came to America, I changed my looks,” he gave her a pointed look. “Don’t tell a soul.”

Buffy placed a hand over her heart. “I swear,” she noticed him staring at the woman in the picture. “That was your mom, wasn’t it? She was beautiful.”

“She was the best,” Spike softly smiled. “She was my world. She was always there to make sure I was fed and clean. Always listened to what I had to say. She even sang to me…”

“What song?” she leaned closer to him.

“Early one morning, just as the sun was rising,/I heard a maid sing in the valley below:/ "Oh don't deceive me, Oh never leave me,/How could you use a poor maiden so?/"Remember the vows that you made to me truly;/Remember how tenderly you nestled close to me,” he began to sing. “Gay is the garland, fresh are the roses/I've culled from the garden to bind over thee./"Here I now wander alone as I wonder/Why did you leave me to sigh and complain?/I ask of the roses, why should I be forsaken?/Why must I here in sorrow remain?”

“It’s doesn’t sound like a great song to sing to your kid,” Buffy said, then saw his dark look. “Never mind, It’s lovely. Is there more?”

“"Through yonder grove, by the spring that is running,/There you and I have so merrily played,/Kissing and courting and gently sporting,/Oh, my innocent heart you've betrayed!/"How could you slight so a pretty girl who loves you,/A pretty girl who loves you so dearly and warm?/Though love's folly is surely but a fancy,/Still it should prove to me sweeter than your scorn.”

Buffy sat back and watched Spike closed his eyes as if remembering times past, his voice a soft melody.

“"Soon you will meet with another pretty maiden,/Some pretty maiden, you'll court her for a while;/Thus ever ranging, turning and changing,/Always seeking for a girl that is new."
His voice sounded like honey, soft and smooth, his accent making the song sound more lovely. Buffy felt heat flush into her face when she realized she was staring at his lips moving.

“Thus sang the maiden, her sorrows bewailing;/Thus sang the poor maid in the valley below:/"Oh don't deceive me, Oh never leave me,/How could you use a poor maiden so?"” Spike ended the song, noticing Buffy staring at him. “Feel like a bit of the rough and tumble?”

Coming to her senses, she looked at him shocked. “What!?”

“Me ... You…” she continued to stare at him, her face turning even more red. “Patrolling? Hello?”

“Oh. Uh ... I …” she looked down, surprise on her face as if she hadn’t realized the box was still open and out. “I haven’t finished going through your box.”

Spike sat back. “There’s nothing much left besides old letters-”

Buffy picked up a silver locket. “What’s this?”

“It was a gift to Cecily, my first love.” he said, taking the offered necklace from her.

“Why did you get it back?” she asked, rummaging around, finding a folded up piece of paper.

“After I… read a poem and told her I loved her, she threw it at me and told me I was beneath her.” he answered, putting the necklace back in the box.

“She was a bitch anyways. I’m glad she went back to the mother country,” Buffy scoffed, unfolding the paper. “This the poem?”

“Buffy!” Spike went to dive for the paper, but she pulled back, keeping it out of his reach. “Give it!”

“No!” Buffy laughed, placing a hand on his chest to keep him from getting closer. She adverted her eyes to the paper, reading it out loud in a horrible impersonation of his accent. “"My soul is wrapped in harsh repose,/ midnight descends in raven-colored clothes,/ but soft...behold!/” Spike grabbed the paper, folding it back up, causing her to pout. “Oh, come on! I was having fun! Let me see it. I liked it, and I want to hear the rest.

“It’s bullocks.” he shook his head.

“Please?” she crawled towards him. “Please!?”

Spike suddenly felt all the heat rush from his brain down to his cock as he watched her on all fours, begging, and giving him a very nice view down her shirt. That and her pout, the bottom lip puffed out. “Buffy.” he said, his voice breaking in lust.

“Please?” she placed her hands on each of his thighs, unaware of the effect it was having on him, until she noticed his erection, her face snapping up to look at his with a deer-in-the-headlights look.

His eyes bored into hers, the cerulean blue darkening into a deep midnight blue. “A sunlight beam/ cutting a swath of glimmering gleam./ My heart expands,/ 'tis grown a bulge in it,/ inspired by your beauty... effulgent."”

She found her breathing labored, her chest heaving to get oxygen to her brain, and had difficulty talking as if something was lodged in her throat. “I… It… was n-nice. Did y-you write it?”

“Yes,” was all he said, his eyes lowering to her mouth. “Buffy.”

“Yeah-huh?” she responded, unaware about what he was planning to do.

“I’m going to kiss you.” he told her, and before she could reply, grabbed her, pulling her hard against him, his mouth covering hers.