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Author's Chapter Notes:
A little later than promised but ready for reading I hope.
A Time to Change

The fog of deep sleep slowly dissipated and the damp air of the chilled cave permeated his nostrils. When he tried to pry open his eyes, grit met his watery orbs. His half open mouth was filled with sand, and his body was covered lightly with the sediment of the dirty ground.

Spike rolled over and tried once again to look about the last place he remembered being. The air smelled wrong, it was missing so many elements his demon usually sensed without trying. He could smell the mustiness of the far recesses of the cave, but not the granite walls. He could hear the slight breeze at the mouth of the cave but not the voices of the people camped outside or any other signs of life that a vampire would focus on such as a heartbeat.

Something was wrong here, something was very wrong. A piece of him was missing, and yet he felt whole. The conversations, or more like rants, that Angelus had had with Spike after loosing his soul never included a complaint of diminished senses. No complete inability to interpret surroundings.

He remembered the tests. He remembered the pain and the killing. The demon's burning hand and the beetles eating away at his insides. Yet here he stood, living and breathing.

He sighed, and coughed up the sand he had yet to spit out. Nearly choking he doubled over. Once his breaths came easier he stopped, and twisted his face into an intensely confused smirk.

He tried not to inhale the moisture filled atmosphere of his surroundings. The man held his breath. Each moment passed with the slowness of a snail creeping up a wall. He felt his face become hot as his lugs tried to force him to take in the oxygen available.

Spike's cheeks puffed out as his lips clamped shut. His eyes bulged as his lungs burned from the lack of the automatic reflex his body was telling him he now needed to perform.

Without warning Spike collapsed and gave up, pulling the life sustaining air into his body.

When the ache in his chest lessened he pushed himself back up off the ground furious.

"You said soul!!" He paced through the empty cave. "Said nothing about breathing an’'" Spike suddenly noticed the thumping coming from the same area that had burned from needing respiration. "A bleedin' beating heart!!" He turned screaming at the walls.

He ran around in circles looking for the demonic figure who had promised to give him what he'd earned. What Buffy needed. But the demon who’d stayed in the shaddows was no longer here.

Then, all at once it hit him.

No matter what he did, no matter how much he changed, he was still a Vampire. Or at least he had been. Regardless of how much The Slayer wanted a normal life, she would never have one.

But she was human. For Spike to be what she deserved, he would have to be...

"Mortal." The whisper barely escaped his lips. Spike stood there trying to understand nothing and everything. Too many possibilities ran through his head.

He stood up straight now, conflicted but determined not to stay stuck in one spot. That lack of action would defeat the entire purpose of coming here. "Not gonna figure anythin' out standin' about in here." He walked around, slowly trying to find the clothing he had discarded once his trials had begun. The cave was too dark for him to find anything.

On instinct, he brought forth the demon. He looked around again, but it was just as dark as it had been.

He chuckled at himself, then tried once more to bring forth the demon, but again no changes occurred. He ran his hand across his forehead just to be sure while his tongue ran over blunt teeth. Some habits were just too old to break automatically.

A strange yet somehow fitting saying ran through his mind. "No Angel."

Walking around the cave, he came across two socks, one boot, and his shirt. One boot to go, and he would be out and into... he wondered what he would be into once he left the confines of the cave.

Exactly what had happened? Why couldn't he call on the demon? Where is that damn boot! What would Buffy say? What would the Niblet say? For that matter, someone should really call Rupert about this.

"Where is that bloody boot?!" He asked angrily just before tripping on said foot-ware.

"Oomph." He fell and was once again face down on the sand. Again the sand filled his mouth, but he remembered his problems from just moments before, and spit it out before taking in any air.

"What a strange sensation." He thought to himself. "To feel your heart beat, and to breath." He couldn't really feel or hear the blood running through his veins, but the life he had was no less unusual, or uncomfortable.

Although he’d never stopped breathing, it had been a left over instinct from life. But while he slept, he’d been told, that particular instinct was absent. The actual need for it now was a different sensation. He could very nearly feel the joy his body got as it exercised the processing of oxygen. It was vaguely familiar but all so new at the same time.

He quickly dressed as he mused at what was happening to him physically and walked to the cave‘s exit without leaving the comfort of the shade provided on the inside. The daylight was radiant and heated over the African landscape outside.

He pondered the light, and wondered just how mortal he was.

With slow steps, he tried his best to sneak up on the sunshine outside, hoping he would be able to fool it as he had once just a few years before. He watched the space of the shadow between him and the brightness of day become smaller before with each step until he was at the line separating darkness and light. With a final thought, he tore off the shirt, then closed his eyes. "Either I'm alive...or I'm dust."

He took the final step into the light, and waited. First he noted the warmth, and the sheer pleasure from the sun's rays in contrast to the coolness of the cave. Then the brightness behind the lids of his closed eyes. He noted a cross between red and orange on the back of his lids.

He smelled the smoke from fires that burned with meat hanging off of spits. The sizzling meat made his mouth water. He could smell the lack of moisture in the air. At first he thought his demon had not completely hidden itself, but then he noted the normalness in that smell, with a dry desert surrounding him.

When he finally opened his eyes, Spike realized that all eyes were on him. The man who had told him he needed permission to enter was at the head of all of them.

Spike eyed the man staring at him smiling. "What?" The blonde asked in the man in his native tongue.

"You have survived." The man stated clearly shocked. "I did not think I would be the one who would be witness, but I am honored." The man tipped his head slightly to Spike. "I am Jumar."

He looked back at Spike. "I am guessing you have questions."

Spike studied the man then saw the crowd behind Jumar. "You think we need an audience for this?"

The dark man smiled revealing white teeth. "They only wish to see. Our families have been waiting for this day since before... before anything."

The blonde man, a contrast to not only the people all studying him but the dessert itself, looked over the sea of faces, all smiling at him. "Well, at least they're happy to see me. Can't say I get allot of that. Vampire and all. Evil Killer." He pointed at himself mockingly.

Jumar looked at him frowning. "No more." He walked up to Spike and looked deeply into not just his eyes, but into his newly acquired soul. "Now, you are chosen."

Sunnydale California

She couldn't believe she was sitting here. Buffy looked over the plain walls of the Sunnydale Police Station, trying to avoid the curious look of the desk sergeant.. She still couldn't understand why fate hated her with so much passion.

It was more than a week after Tara's death, closer to two, and the fall of The Scoobie gang. Not that they weren't around each other all of the time. Not a day went by that both Anya and Xander came to visit the Summers household. Never together, but they each came nonetheless.

It was for that very reason she sat in the hard uncomfortable chair in the small waiting area.

Once the two detectives left, along with their job offer, Xander reminded her once again about career week at the old Sunnydale High School. Of course that prompted questions from Anya, who apparently agreed with what Giles had asked her then. "Have you ever considered Law-enforcement?"

Ok. In some ways she had to agree. She was out there fighting evil anyway, why not take care of the human criminals too. She'd chased off her fair share of back ally hoodlums, sure, but wasn't she here for more?

In the end, Dawn had convinced her with one simple statement. "You shouldn't become a police officer. They would miss you too much at The Doublemeat Palace."

That did it. Well almost. She still had to figure out how she would pay bills until she was through with whatever training or classes were involved.

Then of course came the call to Giles. She hadn't really called about her new career opportunity. She called for an update on Willow's condition, but after Giles told her how the treatment was going, the conversation turned to Sunnydale news, and Buffy told him.
With no prompting, Giles offered to help her until the training was done.

So, now she sat here, waiting. The drunk two seats over was slumped over and mumbling incoherently. Across from her, a scantly clad woman sat. Buffy didn't have to think too hard to figure out what the streetwalker was in for.

Officer Jason Roe walked up to Buffy eyeing her. She had tried to go for a professional look with some help from Anya. She wore a simple white blouse, and black tailored jacket with matching slacks.

"Miss Summers." Jason smiled and held a hand out for her. She stood and took it, kepping her grip in check when she watched his eyes drink her in.

"Buffy." She corrected. "That is if your still offering me a job."

He laughed quietly. "That we are, but you'll have to understand... Buffy, we can't make any special compensations for you. You do this, you'll have to go through the required training."

She made a quick nod of her head. "Got it." Then she looked up at him. "Exactly how much training?"

"The sessions start next week, and continue until the second week of September."

Buffy cringed. "That's like... months."

The large brunette grinned. "I'm sure you'll do fine." He handed her a packet of papers. You'll need to have all of these filled out before classes on Monday, and you need to be here by
5:30..."

She immediately lit up. "That's not so bad."

"...in the morning." He finished.

Buffy's eyes widened. "The morning?"

That night

Dawn walked with her sister through the dark cemetery. So far no ooggilie booggilies, and she was bored. "Figures." She moped to her sister. "You finally start bringin' me on patrol, and all the Vamps go on vacation."

Buffy stared at her sister in annoyance. "Dawn, haven't you learned by now- " She was cut off by one of the undead before she could finish her sentence.

The male Vampire, dressed smartly in a suit, stood before The Slayer who laid on the ground.

"We were talking." Dawn said just before pushing the stake through the Vampire's back. "Rude much?"

Buffy still couldn't get over her sister's calm when she faced the demon's in Sunnydale. It hadn't been long, only been days really, since Dawn faced the monsters in the ground during Willow's short reign of terror. Yet now, she was at ease each time. It was as though both Buffy and she found out that she was more than a key, and had the possibility of becoming a warrior.

Buffy smiled when she took Dawn’s hand and stood herself up. "Never tempt the fates for more Vamps out of boredom. They'll usually provide them." She joked with her younger sister.

Dawn shrugged. "That was nothing."

The two girls continued their walk. "I could tell, Dawn. You are picking up on all of this fast."

"Not like I haven't known all along." The young brunette demonstrated with the stake in her hand. "Insert into heart, and you have a dusty pile."

Buffy tipped her head to the side and looked at Dawn. "That's not what I mean."

"I know." She smiled. "I'm awesome. It's in the genes."

"Have to agree with you on that one." The two giggled there way through the rest of their patrol, and on home.

Once inside, they began their evening rituals to get themselves settled and ready for sleep. When Buffy came out of the shower, she dried and dressed, then opened the bathroom door so that Dawn would have access to the bathroom.

Both seemed to refuse to use the master bath as of late. It had too many Willow, and Tara items in it still.

Dawn put paste on her toothbrush, and passed the tube to her sister. The sisters brushed their teeth making faces in the mirror at one another.

Dawn looked up and saw her sister's reflection. For some reason, Dawn turned around and looked behind herself, then back to the mirror.

She always had the nagging feeling Spike was there, and it was driving her nuts.

"You're thinking about Spike?" Buffy asked.

Dawn looked at her sister. "Yea. I keep thinking he's going to sneak up on us and... try to hurt you." She looked down into the sink and spit. Then rinsed her mouth out.

Buffy followed suit before walking her sister to bed. "Look, Dawn. I know that what Spike did was wrong, but-"

"No buts Buffy." Dawn was angry at her sister. "He can hurt you. God knows I never would have thought he would take advantage of the fact, but he tried-"

"That's right. He tried, and didn't." Buffy took a deep breath before continuing. "I can't make any excuses for him, Dawn, but I know at least two things about Spike. One: He's a demon. No matter how much he tried to change, that is the core of his being. It's the only reason that body walks and talks. Two: Whatever translates as love for a Vampire, was exactly what he feels... felt for me. "

Dawn slipped under the covers, and Buffy sat on the edge of her bed and made a decission. "Dawn. I want to show you something." Buffy stood up and walked out of the room. When she returned she was holding Spike's leather duster.

Dawn stared at it. "He-he left it?"

Buffy nodded and clutched the jacket. "The last thing I remember before he ran out was the look on his face." Buffy folded the jacket up as neatly as she could while she stood at the door. "He was confused. I don't think it was because I wouldn't..." She walked up to her sister's bedside again. "I don't think he knew why he did it."

Dawn sat up in her bed while she listened to her sister.

Buffy took it as a sign to continue. "I think he left so he wouldn't do it again. Even Clem doesn't know where he went."


Chapter End Notes:
Thanks for such encouraging reviews for this second fic storyline guys. I'm hoping to live up to expectations.



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