Spike’s eyes slid to the silent Slayer at his side. They’d been walking for half an hour now and neither had said a word. Taking strolls together was an activity that they shared regularly. Buffy often showed up just after sundown and the pair would set off. It was mostly just around the block a few times - a routine that had started earlier in the summer when Buffy was still staying at the mansion. It had been every night then, and had sometimes lasted for hours. However, it had been reduced, now that Buffy had schoolwork and patrolling to do, as well as hanging out with her friends.

And making new ones, Spike thought bitterly, thinking of the boy that Buffy had been spending a lot of time with lately. Spike had been surprised when Buffy had told him that she had gone ahead and had been to the movies with the boy. Spike had thought she wasn’t interested; he could have sworn that she had said as much.

Spike shook his head at himself as he reached a hand into his pocket for his cigarettes. He flipped open the top of the pack and shook one out. Spike popped it between his teeth and dropped the pack back in his pocket before taking out his lighter.

Buffy stopped, knowing that Spike had to be still in order to get his cigarette lit or else the wind would blow out the lighter’s flame. She watched him puff on the stick until smoke started to waft up from the tip. Spike flicked the lighter’s top and it closed with a clink that echoed in the silence. He put it back in his jacket and the two resumed walking on quietly.

Spike sighed when he raised his head and saw the mansion looming in the distance. He was almost home, which meant that it was almost time for Buffy to go. He hated this part.

“Don’t ‘spose you’d fancy poppin’ in for a bit?” he ventured. “There’s still some of that Chubby Hubby ice-cream you bought in the fridge.”

Buffy let out a little groan of regret. “Man that sounds tempting,” she said. “But I’ve kinda already got plans.”

Spike nodded, his jaw tensing reflexively. “Right,” he snipped. “Goin’ out with Scooter again?”

The vampire’s tone made Buffy’s head snap up to look at him. His cheeks were sucked in and his eyes were cool as he looked ahead into the distance. He’s jealous, she realised with just a tad too much exuberance.

Spike’s eyes flicked over to look at her and he misinterpreted the smile spreading across her lips. Heh, so much for not being interested in the milksop.

“Actually, no, I’m not seeing Scott, tonight,” Buffy informed him, emphasizing Scott’s name, which she knew Spike had gotten wrong on purpose. “I have plans with someone else.”

Spike’s brows shot up. “Someone else?” So, she’s seeing some other bloody idiot as well. That’s just grand. “So what happened to poor Scooter then?”

“Oh nothing happened to him,” Buffy said, deciding to just ignore Spike’s blunder this time. “We’re still hanging out – but it’s just casual.”

“Casual, eh? And what about this other person, that just casual too?”

Buffy shrugged. “I dunno. I mean, we have a real connection. It could be serious. We just have so much in common.”

Spike rolled his tongue over the inside of his cheek and ground his teeth. “And just who might this new lucky chap be then?” he asked, taking a long drag on his cigarette.

“There isn’t one,” Buffy stated.

Spike’s brow furrowed. “Isn’t one what?”

“A...chap,” Buffy elaborated. “It’s a girl.”

Spike stopped short, spluttering on the smoke he’d just inhaled.

Buffy’s eyes widened and she started whopping Spike on the back as he bowled over. “Are you okay?”

Spike held up his hand and nodded.

Buffy frowned contemplatively as she watched the dead man coughing. How can a vampire choke when he doesn’t breathe? She shook the thought away as Spike straightened and got himself under control.

“Right, okay,” he wheezed. “You wanna run that one by me again, pet? You said you’re seeing another girl.”

Buffy smiled sweetly and nodded. “That’s right.” She whipped around on her heel and started walking again.

Spike remained frozen for a moment, his mind reeling, before he lurched after her.

“You and another girl?” he said again, still trying to wrap his head round the new development. Well that would be just bloody perfectif the Slayer turned out to be a lesbian. Then he’d never have a chance with her. Not that he had that much of one now. But still...

“Yup,” Buffy chirped.

“When the hell did this happen?” Spike demanded. How could he not have known? Buffy had had no qualms about telling him about that git Scott, so what had stopped her from telling him about this chit, whoever the hell she was?

“Oh, it’s fairly recent,” Buffy informed loftily. “I’ve only known her for a little while. But, things have taken off pretty quickly.”

“And, er, just what have the two of you got planned for the evening?”Spike enquired with interest.

Buffy shrugged. “Just the usual stuff. But no doubt it’ll end in a lot of sweating and grunting.”

Spike nearly fell over. He swallowed hard. “Sweating and grunting?” he echoed, voice strained.

“Well, yeah. It’s kind of unavoidable, the sweating and grunting. Goes hand in hand with the s...laying.”

Spike took a long blink and shook his head. “Wait.... the slaying?”

Buffy smiled. “Yes, slaying. As in vampires. As I am a Vampire Slayer. Like Faith, the new girl I’ve been hanging out with recently with whom I have so much in common.”

Spike took his bottom lip between his teeth, biting hard to stop himself from cringing at his own gullibility. He let out a chuckle. “Of course. Faith. You two have been bondin’ over the Chosen business.”

“Well, yeah, duh,” Buffy replied. “Why, what did you think I was talking about?” she asked innocently.

Spike sucked in his cheeks, pursed his lips, and gave her a look that said ‘You know exactly what I was thinking about’.

“Geez,” Buffy remarked. “Did anyone ever tell you that you’ve got a dirty mind?”

Spike chuckled. “Many times, pet. Many times.”

Buffy rolled her eyes at him, but smiled despite herself. The pair began walking again.

“So, you and the new girl are gettin’ along better,then” Spike brought up after a tick. “That’s good, I s’pose.”

“Yeah, we are,” Buffy acknowledged. “After that whole Kakistos thing I realised that I might have misjudged her a bit. She really came through. And after what she’s been through, what happened to her Watcher...” Buffy’s words drifted off as she shook her head slowly. “If anything like that ever happened to Giles, I don’t think I’d be able to deal half as well as Faith has.”

“Well, I dunno if I’d agree with you on that, pet. My opinion being tha’ you can handle anything. But, I still think it’s good that you an’ the other Slayer are gettin’ on. Slayer’s are like heads, two are better than one.” Spike huffed. “Now there’s somethin’ I bet no vampire’s ever said.”

“Well, you’ve never exactly been your average vampire,” Buffy rejoined with a smile.

Spike looked sideways at her, eyebrows raised. “Is that a good thing?”

Buffy met his gaze. “Very. I kill average vampires.”

One corner of Spike’s mouth curved up. “Well, in that case, glad I’m not average,” he said. “So does that mean I’m above or below?”

Buffy’s brow scrunched up in that adorable way it did when she was thinking. Spike smirked, looking at her.

“I’m not sure,” she said. “Let’s go with above. Above sounds better.”

Spike’s smile grew. “Above it is.”

Buffy met his eye and smiled in turn.

Both of their smiles turned to frowns as they looked forward and saw they were only a few yards from the mansion.

“So, looks like were here,” Buffy needlessly pointed out.

“Looks like,” Spike concurred letting out a disappointed breath.

“Then, I guess I should get going,” Buffy ventured.

“Yeah. Wouldn’t want Faith thinkin’ you’ve stood her up,” Spike replied. “That one’s got a bit of a temper on her.” He rubbed his jaw.

Buffy nodded with a laugh. “Yeah, so I’ve witnessed.”

Spike rocked on his heels, hunching his shoulders. “Guess this is goodnight then.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Buffy replied. “Unless you wanna tag along with me to the cemetery?”

“Ah, no.” Spike waved his hand dismissively. “I wouldn’t want to be a third wheel.”

“You wouldn’t be,” Buffy insisted.

“Well that’s right kind of you to offer, but I don’t think I’m up for it,” Spike declined. He wasn’t too eager to meet up again with the new Slayer. He still felt shaken about the way he had reacted during their fight the other night. “I’m looking forward to a nice, quiet night. And ‘sides, it’s Wednesday, I gotta find out if Dawson and Joey are finally gonna shag or not.”

Buffy laughed.

Nope, Spike definitely wasn’t an average vampire.

~*~*~*~

“Hey!” Buffy called out to Faith who was perched on top of a tombstone. “Sorry I’m late.”

“No sweat,” Faith assured her as she hopped down from the headstone.

“I was with Spike,” Buffy explained. “Lost track of time.”

Faith’s lips curled back in a slow smile. “Now that I can understand,” she purred. “I wouldn’t mind losin’ track of time with that boy myself.”

Buffy rolled her eyes. “It wasn’t like that.”

“Well, that’s a damn shame,” Faith said.

Buffy sighed and changed the subject. “So what’s it looking like out here tonight?”

“So far, the things that go bump in the night haven’t been bumpin’,” Faith informed her.

Buffy smirked. “Well, maybe we should try the west end. I think they had a couple of funerals over there last week.”

“Cool,” said Faith. “Lead the way.”

“So what’s it like then?” Faith asked Buffy after a moment.

“Huh?” Buffy replied absently.

“You and Spike,” Faith elaborated. “What’s the deal between you two?”

Buffy shrugged. “No deal. We’re friends. That’s it.”

Faith gave her dubious sideways glance. “You sure about that?”

Buffy stopped. “Yes! God, why will no one take my word for it that Spike is my friend and nothing more?”

Faith chuckled. “Probably because of the hot, sticky sexual tension you two have got going on.”

“We do not,” Buffy refuted.

“If you say so,” Faith conceded, still snickering.

“I do,” Buffy maintained.

Faith shrugged. “Okay then.”

The two Slayers continued walking down the path.

“So, since you and Spike are just buds, does that mean he’s fair game?” Faith ventured after a beat.

Buffy stopped dead in her tracks again and gaped at Faith. “Are you trying to say you’re... interested in Spike?”

“Sure, why the hell the not? That man’s a prime-cut of quality beefcake,” she stated. “It’s a damn shame to let something that fine go to waste. So if you’re not gonna sample the goods...” She let her words drift off, leaving Buffy to fill in the blanks for herself.

“You can’t!” the original Slayer exclaimed.

Faith raised her eyebrows. “I can’t?”

Buffy deflated. “I didn’t mean it like that – I didn’t mean to sound like I was forbidding you. Because, like I said, we’re just friends, so I don’t have the right to do that. It’s just well... You see, Spike is going through a lot of stuff, you know with the getting cursed and all. He’s not in a place where he should be... getting sampled, by anyone. Understand?”

Faith’s lips quirked. “Yeah, I think I get it,” she replied loftily. “All right then, hands off the vamp. What about Scotty boy? He up for grabs? ‘Cause that boy’s pretty grabable himself.”

“My god, is that all you ever think about? Sex?” Buffy blurted out, her voice held a lot more judgement than she intended. “Sorry,” she quickly amended.

Faith shrugged. “Hey, no sweat. It’s true. Slayin’ and screwin’ are what life’s all about – for me anyway.”

Buffy’s brow crinkled. “You really think that way?”

“Sure. Don’t you?”

“No,” Buffy insisted. “Not really, no.”

“Well, I guess you an’ me ain’t got as much in common after all,” Faith said.

“I guess not,” Buffy agreed. “All we really have is– vampires!”

“Guess so.”

“No,” Buffy stated. “I mean, vampires!” She pointed behind Faith.

Faith whirled around just in time to get punched in the face. The blow sent her flying sideways into a gravestone.

Buffy wasted no time and sent a scissor-kick into the face of Faith’s assailant.

Faith gathered herself to her feet, clutching her jaw and smiling. “Well, all right,” she said. “Things are bumpin’ now.”

~*~*~*~

Spike slunk up the walk to the mansion. He always hated parting with Buffy. Being around her was the only good thing in his unlife anymore. Her mere presence quieted the storm that had started churning his head since he had gotten his soul. But, while Buffy helped ease one storm inside him, her presence stirred up another, equally furious one, even deeper down.

Spike wasn’t sure which one was harder to bear, the tumult of guilt he felt over the people he’d harmed, or the unquenchable fire burning in him for Buffy.

The vampire blew out needless air as he climbed the steps to the door. Well, there was only one thing that could help him forget about both – for a few hours at least – and that was mind-numbing, poorly scripted, teen melodrama. Watching other people be tortured by their unrequited feelings helped Spike forget about his own.

Spike pushed open the door and stepped over the threshold. He immediately froze, his hackles going up and his spine tingling.

Someone – no, something – was there. A vampire, if Spike’s senses were correct. Which, of course, they were. He had made an effort to be more aware ever since he’d been blindsided by the new Slayer on the block the other night.

Clenching his jaw and balling his fists, Spike took cautious steps as he made his way deeper into the mansion. A scent tickled his nose. Spike paused and closed his eyes, taking in a deep pull of air through his nostrils.

Is that... sulphur?

His eyes narrowed as he tried to figure out what that meant. Spike knew that sulphur was sometimes used in demonic rituals and magick spells.

So ’s that it, then? he wondered. Some ooglie-booglies trespassing to do some hocus-pocus?

Spike pursed his lips; that didn’t seem right to him. Why would a demon or vampire need to break into the mansion to do a spell?

Spike’s eyes scanned the room and alighted on a large scorch mark in the center of the room. There was an outline of what looked like a body in the foetal position in the middle of the burn.

Well something wicked definitely came this way, Spike thought.

He treaded lightly over to the stain on the floor, kneeling down to brush his fingertips against the charred cement. Spike rubbed the soot between his thumb and middle and index fingers. He brought his fingers to his nose and sniffed. There, underneath the sulphur and acrid burnt smell, was a scent that made his blood run cold – or colder.

No, he thought, his eyes going wide as he swallowed thickly. It can’t be.

A crashing noise sounded from the direction of the kitchen.

Spike bolted up straight and ran towards the sound.

He came to a halt in the entryway of the kitchen as his eyes fell on the figure hunched over the refrigerator. The yellow glow from the open fridge clearly outlined the naked figure as well as the white Styrofoam containers that were used to hold Spike’s blood supply, which were, now empty and litter on the floor.

Even if Spike hadn’t already caught the familiar scent, he would have be able to identify that pasty white ass anywhere.

The vampire swayed slightly in shock. “Bloody hell,” he said aloud.

The other vampire spun around at the sound of his voice, blood smeared all over its mouth. He snarled at Spike and growled, showing his maw of sharp fangs dripping with blood.

Well, Spike thought drily, so much for a quiet night of watching bad telly.

TBC...