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Author's Chapter Notes:
For those asking how Spike's doing with this whole mess...
Peas in a Pod?

Spike stood sullenly in the darkness. He'd been contemplating his place. He was where he should be. It was all going to lead to something, and he wasn't sure if he wanted it.

He thought it was peculiar. The hot chocolate Joyce always made was delicious. He really missed Joyce. It was odd when it would hit him how much he missed her. Like now. In the middle of another realm. His unlife being tested.

Where he really wanted to be was at the Summers' home sitting in the kitchen with Joyce, Buffy, Niblet, and some hot cocoa. With the little marshmallows, of course. Most importantly, Buffy was happier then, too.

Buffy.

Now there was another problem.

A Slayer.

Her strength was overwhelming at times. Not the muscular but the resilience in her. Even now when she could barely deal with the life handed to her. Determination to do her duties, whomever they were for, was instilled so deeply.

Hence the problem. She shouldn't 'feel' for him. She couldn't even throw out the 'soul' excuse like she had with Angel. Spike looked from the ground into hazel eyes. "Ok, I can accept the fact that I am supposed to be working for good," he paused, "but with the Slayer?"

Buffy's head nodded. "Yes, with the Slayer, and her Scoobies."

"Right. The Scoobies, too." Spike thought about that for a moment. "Does that include the whel-...Xander?"

She laughed then sighed. "Yes, William, even Xander. I know the boy is difficult. He is also the first to have saved the life of a Slayer after her death. He is important to the battles she wages."

"He saved her? When?" Spike was unable to believe her.

The demon then revealed the first of Buffy's deaths to the Vampire. "The Slayer was destined to die by the hand of The Master. She decided to go after him anyway. He drank from her, and when she fell, it was into the pool of water. She drowned."

Spike's fear was evident, despite the knowledge that she was alive now.

"A few moments later, the boy and your grand-sire came in. The boy gave her breath; the Vampire could not." Spike was taken aback.

"The whelp, as you like to call him, has fought with her from the beginning. His loyalty and resilience is born from strength of character, of courage, love, and humanity. Not many like him have the chance to help save the world, and most who do would flee before standing against the evils no longer hidden."

Spike was pacing again. 'Now what...I'm supposed to go back and thank the biggest pain in my ass since the chip? For what? Always being there?' That's what bugged Spike the most. The guy was always there.

The annoyed vampire paced more, and the demon watched.

'He is quite good looking, for a Vampire.'

She watched the duster billow around him as he turned to continue his pace. Confusion on his face, he was mumbling quietly. 'Ranting,' she thought.

For the first of the three tests, he had done very well. Maybe not as well as she had hoped, but well enough to move on. He will be fighting with the Slayer. Now for the rest of the group. He had made it clear earlier that the rest were in no danger, but not mentioning Xander had been intentional.

The Vampire hated the boy too much to feed from him. The problem was, he just plain hated the boy. She had to make him see the boy's importance.

"Alright," he finally said.

To her disappointment, he was not acquiescing. "Let's just say I am nice to the...Xander. What then? We'll all be best buddies? The boy hates me with as much conviction as I despise him." He stood there waiting with a freshly lit smoke clenched between thumb and forefinger. "I've spent more 'an two years helping that little gang...one year for free. Still nothin'. No thanking Spike. Just a lot more time for games of 'kick the Spike'."

"If his hate is matched with yours...then you'll have to get over it," she spat, sounding once more like Buffy.

"Would you cut that out? This is strange enough without having to deal with you lookin' and soundin' like 'er."

Spike leaned against the wall across from screen and watched as her skin tightened and became an odd combination of grey and blue, and was then covered with brilliantly colored blue robes. Spike took a long drag and watched with interest. He scanned her and felt more at ease.

"Appreciated," he said.

She walked to him. "Taking the form of that which connects is to put you as ease. If the effect is not reached, then the reality is preferred." She smoothed out her robes. "So tell me, William-"

"That's another thing," he interrupted. "Spike. The name is Spike. Not William, not Billy. Spike. Alright?"

"Very well, Spike. Tell me, what will you do?" She cocked her head and waited for an answer.

"About what?" Spike asked. She raised a dark eyebrow questioningly. "Oh, about Xander." Spike looked as though he was setting himself up for another good pacing, then turned to the woman. "He really saved her?" She nodded. "He will always be there, but he has to be?" She nodded again. "Will he save her again?"

Straightening herself up, the demon answered. "He saves her without even knowing it. They all do. The strength the Slayer has gotten from each of them has saved her even more times than your demon has taken a body. She is the longest living active Slayer in history. You told her yourself why."

Spike recalled the night. The second most painful night of his life, the top of the list being the night he saw her lifeless body lying on the bricks that had unceremoniously broken her fall.

She was alive now, though. And why? Red, Tara, the ex-demon, and Xander. Spike would never have allowed them to try, but every day he thanked any entities that would hear his silent words. "Thank you for my Slayer." If he could just keep that inside him around the Scoobies.

"You do have it inside you. All of the time. You refuse to let them see, but it is there. You thank the earth for giving her back. You thank the night for letting you see her. You thank her for being your light. You have to forgive them for risking it, and thank them for bringing her back."

She began to wonder if it would ever sink in. "Do you think they could have brought back a spirit as pure as the Slayer's without the blessing of the Powers?"

"Well, Red's getting to be a mighty powerful witch." Spike was getting nervous. He reached into his pocket and brought out his pack of cigarettes, noted the five left, and shoved it roughly back. 'Been here at least 3 hours. Gonna be daylight soon,' he thought, took another long pull from the one still gripped to tightly in his fingers then dropped the smoke and stomped it out.

"I tell you now that without help from The Powers That Be, Buffy would never have come back. She was destined to do so much more before her duties as Slayer were relinquished to another." She walked up to Spike and took his cool strong hands into her thin warm ones. "She is in limbo now. Too many things are piling on her, and she has yet to make realizations that need to be reached before she can move further down her path."

She gripped his hands tighter.

"This is very important. She needs you. She needs her friends. She needs her sister. Only the full force of all who surround her will eventually save her. Help her to understand why she is here. Help her to accept the life that has been given back to her."

Spike took a step back, letting the demon's hands fall from his. He ran his hand through his heavily gelled hair. "Ok. I swear now, we'll all get along like peas in a pod. She'll be fine. I swear.” For her he’d find a way. “I swear."

It wouldn't be that easy. She knew that, but the idea was implanted now. That's what was needed. "Very good, Spike."

Spike looked up from the corner of his eye with some trepidation. "So, how'm I doin'?"

"Better than expected," The demon replied honestly.


Chapter End Notes:
See, no worries.



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