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Now that I know how to do links, I wanted to say a huge thank you to Selene2 for making the beautiful banner and matching icon for this fic!
Chapter 3 – Stalking Darkness


“It’s not like I’m gonna get way extra-curricular with it, like I told Giles – it’s just for fun,” Buffy said, practically skipping through the cemetery as Willow followed her, wanting to get to know her new friend – and her new friend’s not-so-chosen profession – a little better.

“Well, that’s good. I-I mean, I think you need something besides killing the towns already dead.”

“Undead,” Buffy corrected with a smile. “And I think I flubbed the auditions, anyway,” she added with a shrug.

“Oh, Buffy, don’t say that. I’m sure you did great. Coordination is practically in your blood.”

“Yeah, but there’s a big difference between coordination and trying to control Slayer strength. I felt like Little Miss Spaz out there when I launched that girl into the air.”

“But… isn’t that what you were supposed to do?”

“Yeah, with the help of two other girls my size. Little ol’ Buffy just decided to throw her into the air without the help of her teammates. The girl nearly touched the ceiling. Of the gym.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t that bad,” Willow said, suppressing a smile.

“It was worse than that bad,” Buffy said, turning toward her friend, walking sideways as they continued through the cemetery. “The cheerleading sponsor wants me tested for steroids!”

Willow couldn’t stop the laughter as she nearly doubled over, listening to her friend.

“I tried to tell them that considering a girl had just spontaneously combusted, my adrenaline was in the red zone since I saved her life, but did they listen? No, of course not. So now, I have to take the stupid test, show them that I’m relatively normal, and then sit back and accept my fate of not making the squad.”

“Don’t you think you’re being a little overdramatic?” Willow asked with a smile.

Buffy sheepishly glanced at the ground for a minute as they walked. “Okay, maybe a little. It’s not like cheerleading is the be-all, end-all of my existence, but… I’d like to be able to do something normal in my life, you know? Something that doesn’t require stakes and holy water and darkness and cemeteries. Something where I can be peppy and energetic and in the light. I think that’s what I miss the most – being who I used to be.”

“Who did you used to be?” Willow asked.

“Carefree,” she said without thinking. “I think the appropriate word would be ‘ditzy’, but I definitely didn’t wander around worrying about my calling.”

“You don’t seem too worried now,” Willow said gently.

“I’m not,” Buffy said quickly. “Most of the time. But…” Trailing off for a moment, she wondered how much she could tell her new friend, knowing that she could trust her, but there was a big difference in asking her to keep the secret that she was the Slayer and asking her to keep all of her secrets. “Every now and then, it just kind of hits me – I come with an expiration date on the package. One that’s much closer than I ever…”

Buffy paused, frowning as she looked around.

“What’s wrong?” Willow asked, nervously following her friend’s gaze, knowing that she was missing something big on a very basic level.

“Nothing,” she murmured, her eyes scanning the shadows. “I don’t… it’s nothing,” she said in a cheerful voice, shaking her head. “So… tell me the real story behind you and Xander.”

* * * * *

Spike stood in the shadows, carefully observing the Slayer as she walked through the cemetery with her redheaded friend, chatting about mundane things that meant nothing to him. Although he did have to suppress a smile when he heard that she’d nearly thrown a girl into the ceiling.

Following at a safe distance, he knew that she would be able to feel him if he got too close to her. Even though she was extremely young and inexperienced, she would know when he, of all vampires, was around.

Slowly stalking through the trees on the edge of the cemetery, he studied the Slayer. There was something different about this one. Any Slayer that he’d faced in the past had been all business, uncaring about anything except their calling. He’d rid the world of five of them before his imprisonment underground. It had all been in good fun. Amusing for him to seek out the next Chosen One.

This little girl didn’t strike a note of terror in his undead heart, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t be a worthy opponent. It would be fun playing with this one before moving in for the final blow. Testing her strengths and weaknesses. Watching her grown and evolve, seeing who she could have a chance to become. But never would be.

Spike smiled at the thought before catching a part of their conversation.

“I think that’s what I miss the most – being who I used to be.”

Taking a step closer, he listened to the redhead ask what she meant. A slight smirk settled on his lips when he heard the Slayer describe herself as ditzy. ‘Haven’t exactly lost that quality, Goldilocks,’ he thought, stepping even closer to the pair as they continued their conversation.

“Every now and then, it just kind of hits me – I come with an expiration date on the package. One that’s much closer than I ever…”

Seeing her expression completely change, Spike’s eyes darkened as her gaze slowly slid over to where he was standing. Safely concealed in the shadows, he did nothing more than watch with interest as she changed from schoolgirl to predator with the simple turn of her head.

His eyes never left the Slayer as she assured her friend that it was nothing, never taking her eyes away from where he was standing.

* * * * *

Buffy quickly walked the few blocks to her house after making sure Willow got into her room alright. She couldn’t shake the feeling of someone following her, and she had a pretty good idea who that someone was.

Breathing a sigh of relief when she saw her house in the distance, Buffy debated about walking into it. If it was the Master, or one of his minions doing homework on her, did she really want them to know where she lived? Shaking her head as she continued walking, Buffy knew that if they really wanted to find her, she was in the book. It wouldn’t be that hard for them to track her down.

Jogging up the front steps of her porch, she worried her bottom lip for a moment, wondering if she should wait outside for her mother to return safely home from work. Unlocking the front door, she paused when she felt that overwhelming sense of power. The feeling that she’d giddily told Willow about just days earlier. A feeling that had excited her now left her more than a little terrified when faced with it again.

Slowly turning around, she stared into the distance, trying to focus on where the feeling was coming from. A movement in the shadows near the tree caught her attention. Without turning her head, her eyes moved over to see Spike calmly step out from behind the tree. Hands in his pockets, relaxed stance, deadly intent in his eyes. She felt a shiver of fear go through her, swallowing nervously as she continued to watch him.

Inhaling sharply when a menacing hint of a smile formed on his lips, his eyes narrowed on hers, causing Buffy’s to widen in reaction. Their gazes stayed locked together for long moments, neither wanting to look away first. Buffy swallowed as he backed away, disappearing into the shadows of the house, his gaze never leaving hers until it appeared that he faded into the black.

Quickly turning around, Buffy practically threw her weight against the door in her haste to get inside, slamming it shut behind her. Even in the safety of her own home, she didn’t feel safe.

Practically trembling as she looked toward the windows in the dining room, she could almost feel his eyes watching her every move.






Thanks so much to: spuffette, riam, slinkyPK, romero, Noelle, Cordykitten, phantomwriter, NEO_trinityknot, Laura & BuffyandSpikeForever for reviewing!





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