She was running down the corridor, her breathing hard, trying to get the room as far behind her as she could. The voices behind her were still shouting as she hurried past the heavy mahogany doors. There it was, her room, just a little further. She ran faster, the tears running down her cheeks, leaving grey trails of mascara. She threw the door open and closed it behind her just as fast before leaning against the dark wood. She let herself slide down to the floor and buried her head in her knees. The room was pitch black and it soothed her. Suddenly she heard a movement and a small lamp at the bedside table was turned on.

”Who the hell are you?”

A voice. A male voice came from the bed. She looked up only to stare right into a pair of ice blue eyes. A man was lying on the double bed, steadying himself on his elbows and glaring at her. He was wearing nothing but a pair of black jeans. Who was this man, and what was he doing in her room? She looked around. No extra large suitcase with all of her clothes, no make-up spread out on the table underneath the mirror. No mess of god-knows-what on the floor – the hallmark of Buffy Summers. She could only draw one conclusion: this wasn’t her room.

She gulped and dried her tears with the back of her hand.

”Who are you?” she asked.

”Spike. Now get the hell out of my suite.”

”Spike? Is that actually a name?” Buffy had in an instant forgotten all about the reasons why she was crying and was showing an utter interest in the bleached blonde man before her.

”It’s my name, and didn’t I tell you to get out? Young birds like yourself shouldn’t be running into the rooms of strangers, I might just be the worst kind of Big Bad you’ve met…”

He had changed his tone from irritated into almost-seducing in one sentence. Inside he was kicking himself. *Just get it on with it and eat the chit! This is free room service! She’s practically begging for it!*

”Oh yeah? What are you gonna do - eat me?” Buffy taunted.

”As a matter of fact, that’s exactly what I’m gonna do.”

”Oh…”

At this point Buffy’s cheeks had turned into a shade very much like one of a tomato. Spike could smell the distinct scent of her arousal from where he was lying on the bed. It was clear that Buffy had a complete different view on what ”eating her” meant.

*Bloody buggering hell! She was supposed to be frightened, not horny for Christ’s sake!*

”That’s it! You’re out!”

”No please, come on!” Buffy remembered why she was hiding and quickly stood up, covering the door with her petite body as if some invisible force would open the door and throw her out if she didn’t.

”Can’t I…just…hang out here for a while..please?” She had started crying again and was looking at the vampire with pleading eyes. But of course Buffy didn’t know that he was a vampire, no more than she knew that such creatures existed.

Spike was just about to say something when he heard raised voices coming from somewhere on the other side of the door.

”Buffy? Honey, please open the door?”
”Buffy Anne Summers - open the door this very instant!”
”Hank, stop it! Buffy? Come on, let us in and we can talk about this, okay?”

The two adults were glaring at each other while banging on the door on the opposite side of the corridor.

Spike gave out a small chuckle. *Looks like someone had been a bad, bad girl*

”They looking for you?”

Buffy just nodded, her gaze steady on the blood red wall-to-wall carpet.

”So what did ya do? And by the way, Buffy? And you’re complaining about my name…”

”There’s nothing wrong with my name!” She looked up glaring at the vampire.

”No? You wanna know what I think? I think your parents must have been either completely drunk or complete lunatics to name their girl Buffy.”

”My mother gave me that name!”

”Yeah yeah.” What was he doing, actually talking to the girl? ”So what did you do?” Yeah, he was curious. He was gonna eat her, just wait.

”What makes you think I did something?” Buffy spat.

”Well, they’re not banging on that door looking for me, are they?”

Buffy just mumbled something incoherently under her breath as Spike, now sitting on the edge of the bed, sighed.

”Well? Are you going? Cos what I said earlier about eating you an’ all, that’s true. Hurting girls like yourself, that’s what I do.” He smirked proudly.

”Yeah, what are you? A serial killer? The big heartbreaker?”

”Lil’ bit of both”

Buffy just snorted. ”Yeah, right.”

Spike by now was beyond irritated. This chit had the nerve to not only come in here and think that he was some kind of day care for whining teenagers, but question his evil ways? She was going to die in a most painful way… As Spike was listing possible satisfying ways to kill her there was a moment of silence.

”Were you sleeping?” The question took Spike back to reality.

”What of it?” Spike was on the verge of knocking her unconscious but stopped himself from doing so since he hadn’t yet decided whether or not he should rape her before killing her. *Hell, she’d probably give herself freely* he thought.

Buffy gave out another loud snort. ”It’s two o’clock. In the afternoon.” She gave him one of her famous ’duh’ looks.

”You’re really one annoying bint aren’t ya?”

”Bint?” she raised her eyebrows.

”Oh bloody hell! I’m evil! That’s when I’m out! In the night?”

”Right. Evil? You’re not any more scary than a puppy.”

Before Buffy knew what happened she was thrown on the floor and Spike was on top of her straddling her, holding her wrists in a firm grip above her head. He bent down to whisper in her ear.

”A puppy, eh?”

”God that tickles!” Instead of – what Spike was hoping for – Buffy trembling in terror, she was squirming beneath him laughing and shaking her head as if she had got water in her ear or as if someone was – as Spike was apparently doing – tickling her.

Spike stood up quickly, looking down at the blonde teenager. ”What?!”

Buffy sat up rubbing her ear ”God that tickled. Guess you’re really like a puppy, huh? My neighbor’s dog always does that: jumps me and starts licking me all over my face, and you know it’s really icky cuz - dog breath? Eww- and you try to get her off and then she’s at your ears with her yucky breath and it so tickles and -”

”I’m no soddin’ puppy!” Spike interrupted her rant.

This was the time that he should have shown her his fang face and suck her dry, but his pride was seriously damaged and he wanted to get back at her. Badly. Besides, if he showed her his fangs now, it would ruin the surprise later. He just loved that look his victims got on their faces and the way they stammered ”You’re…that’s…you’re not human!” The thought of this Buffy chit in terror put him in a slightly better mood.

”So I guess I’ll just hang out here then, I can sleep too if you don’t mind, I mean, mom woke me up at eight so I’m…” she trailed off, the mention of her mom only brought up the reason she was in this stranger’s suite.

*Sleep? This bird wanted to sleep?* Before he had the chance to react, Buffy had gotten up and made her way towards the bed.

”Oooh look, you’ve got satin sheets! That’s so unfair! I’ve only got these white boring things, and I’m telling you, someone must have forgotten fabric softener there.” She was crawling up the bed arranging the pillows as she liked before she curled down underneath the covers.

Buffy was surprised at herself by her actions. She’d actually laid down in the bed of a complete stranger. If her mom found out about this, she would be dead, no doubt about it. But this Spike guy was hot! Older yes, but she’d never been the type to date boys of her own age; they were as Buffy herself would have said it ’like soo immature’. And Spike was, according to Buffy, just adorable. The way he tried to make himself look like a bad boy! Buffy smiled to herself.

Since it was a big bed and all, Spike wasn’t even very close to the blonde girl, but seeing her get into his bed had made him more than a little aroused. *This is bloody crazy!* he thought. A teenage human girl lying in his bed without being scared at all! He had given up all thoughts of raping her, this had become far too personal. The best thing would be if she just got out of his life as soon as possible. Doing anything other than raping her would be a disgrace to his black princess, wherever she was.

”You better get out. Your parents are looking for you.” Oh great, now he sounded like a complete wanker.

”But it’s so nice and comfy here.” She ignored the comment about her parents and pouted, something that always got her anything she wanted from her dad.

”Out. Now.” Spike threw the door of the hotel room open and tilted his head to show that he was serious. Luckily for Buffy, but not for Spike, Joyce and Hank Summers have left the corridor and were now in the elevator on their way down. By the time they’ve reached the lobby, Buffy had started crying again.

”Oh for Christ’s sake, stop that wailing!” Spike closed the door again, not wanting any unwanted attention from guests who were wondering what was up.

”He’s leaving!”

”Who now?”

”Dad! They’re getting a divorce! And it’s all my fault!”

Spike was stunned. Really. It was a long time since he had been among the living and the only time people cried around him was the minutes before he killed them, screaming for their lives. He had forgotten that humans cried about tons of other stupid reasons. So he was, to say the least - stunned. And this girl actually thought it was her fault her father was leaving? Bloody humans and their conscience.

”Well BU-HU!”

Buffy looked at him in shock, but anger was soon rising in her eyes

”So your parents are splitting up, big deal! It’s not like they’re dead! And by the way they were running around outside my door and I bet they love you bunches.” His tone was mocking – everything but compassionate.

”That’s what your crying about? ’Poor little Buffy - all her fault’ playing the martyr. Well, do you know what I think, luv? I bet your father is one of those men who has at least two mistresses and a family on the side, what do you think?!”

”You do?”

”Yep.” He threw himself down on the bed beside her, making the whole piece of furniture rock.

”Wait! My father does not have a mistress!” She sat up. ”He loves my mom more than anything, they are going to be together forever!”

”Really love, so why a divorce?”

She started sobbing, if possible, even harder. ”But he promised! It was this whole thing in the church and there were rings and flowers and kisses and…and…”

”It’s called a wedding, luv”

”But they can’t break up! They’re my parents!”

This whole scene would have been heartbreaking if Spike only had some kind of a conscience, and since he hadn’t, he was feeling a bit uncomfortable. Sure, it was nice to see a girl in misery, but right now she was crying and wiping her eyes on his sheets.

”I mean, what’s gonna happen now?” she sniffed. ”I’m gonna be one of those divorce children who lives one week at mom’s and one week at dad’s and what are everyone gonna think of me and what am I going to do?!”

She threw herself at him, or to be more exact, her head in his lap, and started sobbing uncontrollably. Spike was again in complete shock. He had no idea what to do besides patting her head, which he did in a most uncomfortable way. The Big Bad who always had something to say, even in matters he knew nothing about was silenced by this young girl.

Finally Buffy stopped crying and there was an uncomfortable silence. Buffy wiped her red nose with the covers on his thighs before changing the subject.

”So what do you do?” She was determined to not think about her parents.

”Do? I’m a creature of the night, I don’t do anything in particular, pet.”

”But if you’re unemployed, how could you afford this suite?” she looked at him curiously.

”Well, I stole for it, of course. Robbed a bunch of uptown brats of their lunch money, was what I did. I can be right damn scary, you know.”

”So you’re a thief?”

”Among other things.”

”Hmm...” was her only answer.

He knew that this wasn’t the way it was supposed to be but feeling her so close gave him a strange longing for something he hadn’t wanted for…ever in his unlife. Being human.

Buffy scooted closer to him, resting her head on his naked chest and snuggled against him. She gave out a small sigh before falling asleep.

”Thanks, Spike.”

Spike just stared at the sleeping fourteen-year-old lying practically on top of him. He should have thrown her off, he should have drained her without a doubt, he should have done anything but just lie there enjoying the feel of her warmth.



A/N: So that was it. The first fic I post. This may seem like a beginning to a PWP, but I tell you it's not I've actually got some kind of plot if you guys would like me to continue.

Please give me a review even if it is only to complain about my English or telling me to stop writing.

Spike woke up, not at sunset as he usually did, but due to cold breeze. Not that vampires really cared about changes in temperature, but he opened his eyes anyway. Someone had removed the covers.

*Bloody buggerin’ hell!*

Of all mornings, this was the one he chose to, or maybe not to choose per se, but it was the one he had, a morning erection. And to add to the embarassing list, there was a young girl lying at his side staring at, what he usually referred to as Spike Jr., making its presence known. Although Spike always wore jeans of the tighter variety, there was no question about what was bulging in his pants. At this point, Spike did something very un-Spike like: he calmed himself down before he opened his mouth.

”See something you like?” he asked casually.

The question made Buffy shoot up and blushed a red color all over her cheeks.

” I… I didn’t…”

”No worries, pet.” He smirked. This was beginning to be too much fun.

*Stupid, stupid Buffy! What was she thinking, getting into the bed of a stranger. Of course he’d want something!*

”Do you… I mean you do…obviously…but do you… want me to….”

He arched an eyebrow. If she was suggesting what he thought she was suggesting, this was gonna lead to no good. Or probably to a lot of good, but that, in this case, meant bad.

”Do I want what, luv?”

”I just meant…I mean, you let me stay here and all…”

*Please don’t want something, please don’t want something* Buffy thought, the reality of the situation had crashed down upon her and she wanted, above everything else, just to hide. When he’d been asleep, she’d been curious, sure, but now he’d finally managed to scare her.

Spike put his hands behind his head smirking, letting her continue.

”I…Never mind.”

”Do you have any experience in this department, luv? You can’t be more than fifteen years old.”

No. Not him too. Treating her like a child. She was not a kid. So maybe she didn’t have a lot of experience, but it’s not like he knew that.

”Of course I do!”

”Yeah?”

”Uh huh. I mean yes! Of course. Loads and loads of experience! Can’t get too much of that, can you?” she said, a little bit too cheerfully.

He tried not to laugh at her as he sat up and covered his lap with the covers. It was quite obvious that the blonde girl was lying. Spike reached for his pack of cigarettes on the bedside table, put one in his mouth and lighted it with his favorite zippo lighter.

”So, what have ya done?”

”Well I… That’s none of your business!”

Spike chuckled and got out of the bed pulling one of his black T-shirts over his head.

Oh god, of course he knew she was lying, she’d better change the subject. ”What time is it?”

”Half past seven.”

It took her some time to come to the conclusion that it must be half past seven in the evening and not in the morning since it was day-time when she fell asleep.

Half past seven. At this time yesterday she’d been at a luxury restaurant with her parents, celebrating her father’s promotion. For once they have had a nice time and her parents have actually been civil towards each other. That and this trip to San Francisco over the weekend had made her believe that maybe, just maybe, they could work it out. But it wasn’t long before she found out about the truth. She felt sick. They were probably never going to have a family dinner ever again. She felt so alone.

Buffy curled up on the bed and started crying again. She knew she was acting like a total cry baby, but she couldn’t help it. Her life was falling apart.

”Oh come on!” Spike said, irritated. ”Don’t start crying again! I’ll throw you out!”

She ignored him. She had actually thought that she could keep them together, that somehow if she was the perfect, smiling, happy daughter, they would be happy too. It was naive and she knew it, but she couldn’t help feeling abandoned. Her father was leaving, didn’t he love her?

”I’m not gonna have sex with you, stupid bint! I have a girlfriend for that, thank you very much, so there’s no need to get weepy.”

Of course, Spike had gotten the wrong idea and thought that she was crying over him.
He poured himself a glass of scotch at the minibar, feeling as sure as hell he was going to need it.

”Doesn’t he love me?”

”Who?” Spike was confused. This chit was driving him crazy. Literally. And why hadn’t he eaten her yet?

”Dad! He’s leaving, moving out to God knows where! And I…I don’t think he loves me anymore!”

Spike sat down on the bed again, glass in one hand, unsure of what to do. And when he was unsure of what to do, he did the only natural thing. He spoke his mind.

”What? You want him to stay with a woman he doesn’t love just because it makes your picture of the Perfect American family?” His voice was harsh and mocking. Buffy continued to cry.

”Yes! I mean…No! But...”

”But what? Stop being so god damn selfish, will you? I’m quite sure there’s nothing you can or could have done about it! All this whining is not going to get you anywhere!” He was practically screaming at the young girl but somehow he had calmed her down.

”You mean that? There…there’s nothing I could have done?”

”Yes!”

”And Dad loves me?”

”How the hell am I supposed to know that?! You’ll have to ask the wanker.”

He was right; it was a stupid question, but one she would very much like to have an answer to.

There was a moment of silence, before Buffy decided he was right yet again. No more crying. She was not a kid anymore, better be acting like it. From now on there was not going to be any more moping. She sat up on the bed and decided to change the subject.

”So where’s your girlfriend?”

Dru. Where was she? Probably where he left her at Miancos, a black warlock friend of theirs. If vampires could make friends, that is. Spike knew there was a reason he hated the bugger when he started conjuring up magic playthings for his precious princess, and would have ripped the bastard’s head off if he didn’t know that the warlock could put a spell on him the second he acted on his thoughts. If there was one thing Spike hated it was magic. And especially being on the receiving end of it.

”Dru? Well…she’s not here.”

*The chit would probably not understand the need for a break when you’ve been with someone for a hundred years, not now when her parents were divorcing and all.* he thought. The truth was he tried desperately to get her to follow him to the States but she had refused.

”Did you break up?”

”No, nothing like that, she’s at a friend’s place in South America.”

”Oh.”

He knew she’d be back though. They were meant to be together forever, he and his princess. She’d come around soon enough and then they would take that trip he promised her, to Prague.

”Do you miss her?”

”What is this? 20 bloody questions?”

”Oh, oh that game is funny!”

”You wanna play 20 questions?” he asked her incredulously.

”Nah. You’re just gonna ask me a bunch of embarrassing stuff.”

”You’re right, I would. Evil, remember?”

”Yeah, whatever.”

The truth was, he was beginning to doubt his evilness when it came to this particular girl. For some reason he did not know, he had not killed her, not raped her, not tortured her even for a bit and there was nothing stopping him. The only thing that showed he was in fact a vampire was the drained porter lying in the bathtub and his lack of heartbeat.

”You shouldn’t smoke those,” Buffy said as Spike put a new cigarette in his mouth and lighted it up.

”And why is that?”

”They will kill you.”

”Already dead.”

She snorted, not believing in him. ”Well, maybe I don’t want to be a part of your little suicide mission.”

”Well, the door is right there.” He waved his hand at the door with the other hand that was not holding the harmless cig for him.

She ignored him and walked up to the mirror only to see her face swollen after all the crying with mascara smudged underneath the eyes.

”Uugh, I look terrible! Why didn’t you say something?”

When he looked at her now he could see what she was complaining about. The smeared make-up and the messy hair, but somehow he couldn’t call her ugly. In fact he found her..cute? *No, no, no, not cute. That wasn’t even a word he used, that was for puppies and babies and other not so pleasant things.*

”You look like shit.”

”And you’re telling me now?”

Spike just sat there on the bed and watched with a chuckle as Buffy tried to fix her hair. She soon gave up and headed towards the bathroom.

”Where are you going?”

”The bathroom?” There it was again. The Buffy Summers ’duh’ look. ”Is that okay with you?” she taunted.

”Umm..” Spike had just remembered the corpse in the bathtub. Sure, it would have been fun as hell watching her eyes grow big at the sight of it, but there would probably be some kind of high-pitched screaming involved, something he couldn’t stand. Or that was the reason he gave himself for stopping her anyway.

”You shouldn’t go in there. Something wrong with the pipes. It smells like shit.”

Buffy wrinkled her nose in disgust in a way that would have made Cordelia proud. Although Buffy had of course no idea who Cordelia was since they haven’t met yet.

”Eww.”

Spike was surprised at his actions. But this little game they were playing, pretending to be someone else, well he couldn’t say he enjoyed it, since all the things he enjoyed revolved around Dru, sex, drinking, killing and The Sex Pistols. And since none of that applied to Buffy, he was not enjoying himself.

”Wait, what time did you say it was?”

”Half past seven, but that was a while ago. Now it’s more like ten past eight.”

”Oh no.”

”What now?”

”We’re leaving tonight. I… the flight is at nine. Oh my god…”

”Afraid we won’t see each other again? Gonna miss me?”

”What if they left without me! My parents! They should be at the airport by now! Oh my god.” Buffy was beginning to panic and walked in circles in the hotel bedroom.

”Well hurry along then.”

She stopped. ”Right.”

”Right,” he answered. She hadn’t moved a bit.

”But I don’t want to see them now!”

”Well you have to, pet. Part of life an’ all that. Not always fair.”

”Can’t I stay here with you? Just for a while?”

”NO! You cannot!” Spike was somewhat relieved that the girl was finally leaving. He dreaded spending another night in her presence.

”But…”

”No.”

”Fine!” She turned around, a determined look on her face as she marched out of the door and out of the life of William the Bloody.

For the time being.




A/N: I just want to take a moment a thank everyone who has reviewed my story! Love you guys! Keep telling me what you think!

Sorry if I’m taking the whole divore thingy to lightly, but I didn’t want it to be more angsty than it already is, hope no one takes offence.

Buffy was lying restless on her bed when she heard the sound of glass breaking. She sat up. None of the other girls in her room seemed to have noticed. There were three of them, their beds hidden behind curtains, but since Buffy couldn’t hear any signs of activity, she assumed the girls were sleeping peacefully.

The noises outside in the corridor continued, and Buffy listened, highly alert: there were footsteps just on the other side of the door. She got out of bed and walked as quietly as she could through the room. She was still dizzy from the drugs but chose to ignore it. There was a small window on the door. She looked through it, trying to see who was sneaking around outside, but the corridor was covered in darkness.

That was when she heard it. A loud thud and someone swearing:

”Bugger.”

That was not one of the nurses. She was sure. She tried to open the door before her. It was locked. Of course. She was not at home now, not like she could come and go as she liked. She hated it. She gave the door an extra push with all of her strength. It clicked open. *Hah! So much for trying to lock me up.*

She tiptoed out into the corridor. She couldn’t see much, but as she turned left, a small window gave enough light from the street lamp outside, to let her see the intruder. It turned out to be the person she had least expected to see:

”Spike.”

Could it really be him? No, this must be her mind playing tricks on her. All the drugs they were forcing her to take, this had to be a hallucination.

He turned around, and looked at her as if he had seen a ghost.

”Buffy? What in the bleedin’ hell are you doing here?”

She didn’t very much like to answer that question, even if he was only in her imagination. She was ashamed. So she did what she’d done the first time they’d met: asked him back.

”What are you doing here?”

”I’m…what do you think?”

”Right. Creature of the night. Thieving?

”Exactly.”

”So what are you stealing?”

”Meds mostly. My girlfriend is having one of her worse days. Nights.”

”Oh.”

”Right.” This was absurd. How do you small talk in a hospital corridor at 3 o’clock at night? And should he kill her this time? He was shocked to have company on this little mission of his, so it wasn’t until now his senses had told him that she was a happy meal on legs. No, killing her would mean too much trouble, probably a lot of screaming and commotion. It was better to just get the stuff and leave. Dru was waiting.

”So why are you here then, pet?

”I…They say I’m crazy.” She tried to make it sound like a joke.

”Really?” He raised an eyebrow. ”Are you?”

That was the question she had tried to answer all week. In the beginning she had been so sure. She was right - they were wrong. But now? She didn’t know. That was the worst part. The way they had made her question her own mind, her own eyes. The things they said, it was so reasonable: that she made everything up, traumatized after her parents’ divorce, trying to keep them together by making herself into some kind of a super hero. It was just…

”I don’t know,” she said quietly, looking down at her bare feet. It was the truth. She shivered in the chilly corridor, the hospital gown she was wearing wasn’t exactly warm.

”Why did they put you here then?”

”I saw things.”

”Things as in?”

”You wouldn’t believe me.”

”Probably not. Well, gotta go. Girl waiting an’ all.” Spike continued to walk down the corridor.

”Vampires.”

He stopped dead in his tracks. Was she talking about him? Did she know? Somehow Spike didn’t want her to know that he was one of them. That he was a vampire. He turned around.

”Vampires?” He played it cool.

A human would at this point feel guilty. Spike knew that, and that was about as far as his non-existent conscience got him. He had not once in his unlife thought about what happened to the victims that he did not manage to kill, the ones he left behind still bleeding or the ones who had witnessed his reign of terror. This girl had ended up in a mental institution because of some vampires. It could as well have been him. Of course it wasn’t his fault that she was here, since she didn’t even know what he was, but Spike still got that feeling that he should feel guilty. He used to love that feeling, since he didn’t feel the guilt itself, but this time he couldn’t help but wonder: how many girls like her had he left behind?

”I know how it sounds. But I saw them. Whole bunch of them. And…and I think they were real.”

”Well, you were lucky to get away alive then, pet.” Oh no, now he was nice to her too? She was gonna be the end of him, making him a soddin’ nancy-boy!

”That’s it? No ’it must have been your imagination’ or ’I believe you think they’re real’?

”No,” he said, opening what turned out to be what he was looking for: a storeroom. He started to rummage through the supplies.

”You…you believe me?” There were tears in her eyes now. She was so relieved. She wasn’t crazy. She wasn’t crazy.

”Sure, met a couple myself over the years. Nasty buggers.” He came out of the storeroom with his hands full of various syringes and drugs. He had a hard time trying to keep himself from laughing. Him – playing the good guy! He almost dropped all of his stolen goods when he saw the look on her face.

She was standing there wearing nothing but the thin hospital gown that reached just below her knees. Her nipples were poking through the material in the chilly air and her hair was cascading over her shoulders. Her face wore a look of pure salvation. There were tears running down her cheeks but she was silent.

What Spike did next surprised them both. He would refer to it later as a moment of insanity, probably affected by the place he was in, but this was what he did: he leaned down and kissed her.

Buffy’s eyes grew big in surprise but she soon gave in to the kiss. His lips were cold but comforting, his hand on her cheek the only thing holding her up. She let out a small moan before he broke the kiss and stepped back.

”Fool them, luv,” he said so quietly, she barely could hear it. And before she knew it, he had disappeared down the hall.

Buffy was left standing there believing she’d seen an angel. That was what he must have been. If there were vampires, there must be angels. She was sure. She wasn’t crazy, but she could fool them just like he’d said. As the alarm went off, Buffy slowly began walking back towards her room, oblivious to the noise, caressing her lips with her fingers where his cool touch had been just a moment ago.

”I’m not crazy,” she said to herself.




A/N: Another chapter for you guys, cuz you've been so nice with the reviews! Thank you!

And by the way, since I know nothing about hospitals or mental institutions I apologize for the lack of credibility in this chapter. Hope you'll like it it anyway

I can also tell you that I've got a beta now, thank you Luxferi for being so fast and betaing this and the previous chapters for me! What would I have done without you?

A 1959 black DeSoto was cruising down the highway towards a small town. It ran over a sign saying ”Welcome to Sunnydale, enjoy your stay” before screeching to a halt. A man clad in a black leather duster opened the door at the driver’s side and got out. Although, this wasn’t a man at all, as you could tell by the ridges on his forehead. He was a vampire, a not very unusual phenomenon in this town, resting on a Hellmouth. Another vampire, a female one, was lying sprawled in the backseat, sleeping.

The male vampire who called himself Spike, lit a cigarette that was dangling at the corner of his mouth before saying to himself or to no one in particular:

“Home, sweet home.”

He started walking towards a warehouse, leaving his sleeping beauty to rest in the car. The last time he’d been to Sunnydale, the abandoned warehouse was the place that the leaders of this town had been dwelling in. It turned out that it still was.

As he came closer he could hear the voices of a male vampire talking to a kid. When Spike got inside he could tell that the kid was in fact a creature of the night like himself.

“Can you do it, can you kill the slayer?”

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

Spike remained in the shadows until he couldn’t take the ugly vampire’s yammering anymore. *Bloody pretentious fledging.* He stepped out to where they could see him.

”You were there? Oh, please! If every vampire who said he was at the crucifixion was actually there, it would have been like Woodstock.” Spike walked over to the vampire, laughing at him.

”I oughta rip your throat out,” the other vampire answered. There were others, a few more vampires spread around the room and a child sitting on top of some boxes. They were silently watching the conversation unfold.

Spike turned his back on the vampire before 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 watchin' my hand move.” He held his hand before him as he remembered that day. The blood had tasted like shit, but that wasn’t something he wanted to share with the others.

The vampire who previously said he was at the crucifixion ran towards Spike from behind. Spike, who could both hear and sense him long before he reached his goal, easily knocked him out without even looking.

“So. Who do you kill for fun around here?”

“Who are you?” The same question that a human girl had asked him about two months ago was now asked by what looked like an even younger boy. The answer was again simple.

“Spike.” He kicked the arm of the now unconscious vampire lying on the floor before he continued.

“You're that Anointed guy.” Spike had to keep himself from calling him ‘that Annoying guy’ but promised himself that it would be his new nickname for this fella. He had immediately disliked him.

“I read about you. You've got Slayer problems. That's a bad piece of luck. Do you know what I find works real good with Slayers?” Spike walked up to the child but didn’t wait for an answer. “Killing them.”

“Can you?”

“A lot faster than Nancy-boy there. Yeah, I did a couple of Slayers in my time. I don't like to brag.”

Spike loved to be a master vampire in the presence of fledgings, they were so easy to play. He could go on forever. But this time he couldn’t keep his face straight and continued, laughing.

”Who am I kidding? I love to brag! There was this one Slayer during the Boxer Rebellion, and...”

He stopped talking when he could feel the familiar presence of his sire behind him. Spike turned his head to look at her, morphing into his human guise.

“Drusilla.” He shouldn’t have left her in the car. “You shouldn't be walking around. You're weak.” Damn that czeck mob. He felt his blood boil just by the thought of it. Hurting his princess, that was something you just couldn’t do. Of course he had gone off and killed every last one of them.

“Look at all the people. Are these nice people?” Drusilla said in a childlike manner, looking around the room.

“We're getting along.”

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

Drusilla happened to be what was usually called a ‘Seer’. But since she was more than a little crazy, Spike was probably the only one who could sort out her predictions from the rest of the nonsense.

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

Drusilla turned to the boy as if she’d just found a new playmate.

“Do you like daisies? I plant them, but they always die. Everything I put in the ground withers and dies...”

“Me and Dru, we're movin' in.” It was a clear statement and no one had the nerve to protest.

“I'll do your Slayer for you. But you keep your flunkies from tryin' anything behind my back. Deal?”

The Anointed One nodded.

“So. How 'bout this Slayer? Is she tough?”

“She killed the Master, man,” said one of the vampires that had until now remained silent.

“The master? That really tells us everything about the bird. Killing that ninny, yeah that’s an achievement!” His tone was sarcastic as he walked around the room. “I never really liked the poof, was always going on about his rituals and sacrifices, makes a bloke impatient ya know, never getting to the kill?”

“But...” The vampire was silenced again but another one spoke up.

“The master ruled this town, and it is in his honour that we will kill the slayer.” Spike rolled his eyes. “On the night of St. Vigeous,” the fledging continued.

Spike snorted before turning to the pack ”Find out everything about this Slayer: where she lives, where she trains, how she fights, where her mailbox is. Everything.”

One of the female vampires who had remained at the back, stepped forward:

”You don’t get to make the rules, the Annointed One rules this town!”

”I will kill your Slayer! Alright? Tomorrow.”

”On the night of St. Vigeous – ”

”Screw St. Willy. I will kill her. Tomorrow.”

* * *

”Tomorrow?” Angel said, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

”I know! Me and Willow have been painting banners and everything to be done by then. And this girl, Sheila, who has the yuckiest boyfriend in the history of the world, was supposed to help me, but of course she didn’t because she’s a total menace and everything my mother thinks I am, and- ”

”What exactly is Parent-Teacher night?”

”Oh, it’s the night that principal Snyder, the troll, gets to complain about my so-called ’behaviour’ and the night my mother will ground me until I’m 21, at least.” Buffy sighed.

”Hmm.”

”Would it hurt if I killed Snyder?”

”So you won’t be patrolling tomorrow?”

”I mean, trolls are evil, right?” Buffy continued, obviously not noticing Angel’s question.

They had been walking hand in hand from the cemetery where Buffy was patrolling. Angel had as usual showed up out of nowhere and offered to walk her home. All the way to Buffy’s house on Revello Drive, she had been complaining about the job the principal had given her: arranging the Parent-Teacher night, and how her mother thought about her as a problem child. To add to the extra stress, Giles, her watcher and mentor had started fussing about something that Buffy had called ’The Night of St. Vicious, Or Whatever’ when she told Angel. Being a Slayer, the only girl in the world chosen to protect the innocent, sucked. Especially if you were in high school. Life wasn’t easy on Buffy Summers.

”Oh, we’re here.” Buffy was torn out of her thoughts about how to kill Snyder and making it look like an accident. They had reached 1630 Revello Drive.

”This is me.” Buffy waved her hand, gesturing at her house.

”Yeah.”

”So…I’ll see you around?” she asked hopefully.

”Yeah. And Buffy? Listen to Giles, this Night of St. Vigeous, it could turn ugly.”

”Yeah, yeah.” Buffy, who had been hoping for a goodnight kiss, gave up and turned around. She started walking towards her door. Why did he always have to talk about slaying? She was more than just a Slayer.

As Buffy got into her house, Angel heard a sound from behind a nearby tree. He used his vampire speed to rush there and pin the unsuspecting fledging, who had chosen the tree as his hiding place, behind the trunk. Angel morphed, letting his fangs show.

”Now, you’re going to tell me exactly what you’re doing, spying on us.” He gave the fledging an evil smirk in a strict Angelus manner. Just because Angel had been cursed with a soul and therefore had started joining the good side of the battle, didn’t mean he couldn’t let his alter ego to come out and play.

”Ow man, let me go…”

”Not until you tell me what you’re doing.”

”She’s the slayer, man, Spike told me to-”

”Spike.” Angel spit the name out like venom. This was bad.

”Angel? What’s going on?” Buffy, who had heard a commotion outside, looked out through the front door. This distracted the older vampire, and he let his grip on the fledging slide for a short while. The younger vampire did not wait for another chance. He freed himself and ran down the street as fast as he could towards the warehouse.

”Nothing. Go back inside,” Angel said, now standing alone in the street.

* * *

The following day a couple of teenagers including Buffy Summers and two adults were sitting in a local high school library. The table in front of them was covered with ancient books and weapons. A brown-haired boy spoke up:

”So, this night of St. Vigeous deal. If the vampires are gonna attack with force, aren't we thinkin' of a vacation?”

“We can't run Xander, that would be wrong. Could we hide?” a redhaired girl said, nervously playing with her fingers.

“Well, it can't be worse than any other things you've faced.” One of the adults said in a British accent, turning to Buffy. This was Rupert Giles, Buffy’s watcher but his outfit revealed his other profession, which practically screamed ‘librarian’. The other adult in the room, Jenny, who Buffy said her watcher had ‘a thing’ for was standing on the other side of the table.

“It’s worse.” Angel had suddenly appeared behind them, making everyone turn around. “William the Bloody has come to town.”

“William the what?” Xander asked, confused.

“Dear lord,” the watcher said, his face slightly pale. “I read something about him in the watcher’s compendium.. something about...” He started to rummage through his books.

“So what is he? Demon, vampire-“ Buffy was interrupted by Angel.

“Vampire.”

“Does he have super powers? I mean other than vampire strength and all that?”

“No.”

“And he fits in an ashtray if you put a stake through his heart?”

“Yes, but-“

“Then it shouldn’t be a problem,” Buffy said casually.

“Once he starts something he doesn't stop until everything in his path is dead,” Angel continued.

“Hmm. So, he's thorough, goal-oriented,” Xander commented.

“I’m...I’m not liking this, Buffy,” the readhead said. “If Angel says he’s bad then it must be...bad.”

“Calm down, Willow. I can take him. He’s just another vampire.” Willow didn’t look so sure.
She didn’t like ‘the Bloody’ part of this vampire’s name.

“Angel, do you know if this William the Bloody goes by any other name?” Giles asked.

But Angel had, without the others noticing, slipped out of the library.

“Okay, that's it. I'm puttin' a collar with a little bell on that guy,” Xander said.

* * *

Later that day, Buffy was standing at a table pouring more lemonade into papercups in the school lounge. She had filled them once but poured even more liquid into them, as she had nothing else to do. No one was actually drinking the lemonade, probably because word had gotten around that it didn’t contain any sugar, a phrase that usually made people want things, but here, used in the same sentence as ‘lemonade,’ it didn’t. Buffy’s motto in this case was still ‘better safe than sorry’ and she continued to fill the cups until there was no more lemonade left.

An hour ago she had ushered her mother to Willow who was supposed to do anything to make sure that Ms. Summers did not meet any of her teachers, especially Principal Snyder. Buffy was fiddling nervously with an empty papercup, expecting to see her mother any minute. So far everything looked good. Parents were strolling by smiling at her at where she was standing underneath a yellow and red banner.

Soon came the woman Buffy was looking for. Joyce Summers was followed by Willow, who was smiling proudly to herself.

“Well, I believe that I have seen every classroom on campus, and just as I get there all your teachers have miraculously stepped out,” Joyce said.

“Oh!” Buffy laughed nervously as she saw the principal enter the room. ”Oh. Um, but you haven’t seen the boiler room yet. And, you know, that’s really interesting, what with the boiler being in a room and all,” she said, fidgeting with her hands as Snyder came up from behind her. *Oh crap!*

“Hi. I’m Joyce Summers.” Joyce offered her hand but Principal Snyder deliberately ignored it.

“I’m Buffy’s mother,” Joyce continued and lowered her hand when she realized the short man wasn’t going to take it.

“Principal Snyder,” he said, matter-of-factly. “I’m afraid we need to talk. My office is down here.”

Buffy gave out a small moan as she watched her mother disappear into Snyder’s office.

* * *

At the same time in the library, Xander, Jenny, Giles and a cheerleader called Cordelia were in what they usually called: ‘full research mode.’ In other words: everyone but Giles were staring at old texts in extinct languages trying to make it look like they knew what they were doing.

“Oh, there you are,” Giles said, sipping his coffee.

Jenny, who was studying an old scroll answered, “There who is?”

“Our new friend William the Bloody. Also known as Spike. Earned his nickname by torturing his victims with railroad spikes.” He put down his coffee mug at the table while he continued to read and inform the others. “Here’s some good news: he’s barely two hundred years old. He’s not even as old as Angel.”

He stopped, frowning. “Oh.” Angel was right. This was worse. Much worse.

Xander immediately felt the change in the old man. “That’s the bad look, right?”

“I think your suggestion of running away this Saturday might’ve been a good one. William the Bloody had fought two slayers in the last century, and...he’d killed them both.”

Neither Cordelia, Jenny or Xander for that matter, who was usually full of witty remarks, made a sound.

“Xander, could you get Buffy straight away, I think she needs to know this,” Giles said seriously.

“Sure, G-man.”

“And don’t call me that.”

* * *

In the lounge where Buffy was sitting, waiting nervously with Willow for Mrs. Summers to return, the time had come to end for the Parent-Teacher night. Finally she could see her mother coming up to her with Snyder. Things didn’t look good. Her mother was wearing that ‘you-are-not-going-anywhere-young-lady’ look on her face that was usually accompanied with the usage of her full name. Buffy stood up.

“In the car. Now.” Joyce said.

She and Willow shared a worried look before Buffy followed her mother in the direction of the exit door. Snyder began turning off the lights with a satisfied look on his face just as Xander rushed in. That was when they came.

Two at first, jumping through the windows making pieces of glass flew in every possible direction. But there were more to come. Several vampires jumped through the windows, crashing the tables that took Buffy hours to prepare.

Buffy acted on instinct, her spidersense on high alert, turning to Xander, yelling:

“Get them out of here. Now!” She was of course referring to the humans and not the vampires as that would have been very irresponsible of an active Slayer and probably would have led to a certain boy’s death.

Xander did as he was told, trying to get the screaming crowd of parents to follow him. That wasn’t as easy as it sounds.

Joyce, on the other hand, was desperately trying to get Buffy to follow the others, but she wasn’t listening. She was standing in a fighting stance, ready for attack. But she wasn’t. She wasn’t prepared for what was coming next.

The vampires, five of them, came out of the darkness and lined themselves up. You could tell who was the leader since he was standing in the middle: a bleached blonde vampire with his favorite duster fluttering around his legs. Spike. He growled, making the panicked humans scream even louder.

But at some time during all this chaos, things changed. Spike let his human guise fall into place as he stared at the girl before him. She was older, but there was no doubt about who it was.

“Buffy.”

She was rendered speechless for a while, but she did manage to say one word, although it was spoken so quietly you have to be a vampire to hear it:

“Spike.”


A/N: Cliff-hanger! *I'm evil!*

Sorry guys about the lack of spuffy in this chappy, there were some things I needed to say before that. I promise there will be more interaction between our two blondes in the next one

Xander was ushering the parents down the hall and into an empty class room. Willow tried her best to help him, but it wasn't easy. Among them were Joyce Summers and the principal, Mr Snyder, who was currently complaining about being ordered around by a kid. Xander told them to barricade the door and not let anyone in unless it was him, Willow or Buffy, before he and Willow ran towards the school library.

As soon as they came in, they could see both Jenny and Giles standing up, clearly worried. Cordelia was sitting at the table with a bored expression on her face, scrutinizing her nails.

”What’s going on?” Jenny asked.

”That thing you said was worse than St. Vigeous? It’s here. Now. With an army.”

”How many?”

”Five, I think,” Xander said, and Willow nodded in agreement. ”Five.”

”No. Not again! I can’t believe this! I surround myself with freaks! How come there’s always some monster around when-” Cordelia, who had stopped examining her nails, was interrupted.

”Is Spike with them?” Giles asked, walking straight to his weapons, and started to hand them out to the others.

”Guys?!” Cordelia stood up screaming, trying to get their attention.

”I don’t know what he looks like,” Xander said at the same time as Willow said, ”Yes.”
They were both ignoring the cheerleader.

”How do you know?” Xander asked.

”He is. I mean he has to be. Didn’t you see that bleached guy? I... I bet it’s him.”

Giles turned to Xander “There's an old boarded up-cellar behind the stacks. You can get out that way.” He held the boy by the shoulders, trying to make him listen. “Find Angel. He knows about Spike. We need him.”

“No, I’m not going anywhere until I know that Buffy is all right,”

“Xander! She’s the slayer!” Willow said.

“No one will be all right if we don’t get some help,” Giles said seriously.

Xander gave in and rushed out.

* * *

In the school lounge, a pair of blondes were staring at each other intently. The vampires behind the bleached one were confused since neither Spike nor the Slayer made a move. One of the more impatient ones grabbed a parent that was running by and was just about to sink his fangs into the terrified man’s neck when Spike, not taking his eyes off Buffy, said calmly:

“Get back. And let him go.” He added, ”We’re here for the Slayer.”

She was her. The Slayer. There was no doubt about it. He could tell by the way she held herself. Proud and without fear. The girl was older, but he could still see the insecure fourteen-year-old in her eyes. Even her scent was the same.

Of all annoying teens in the world, it had to be her?

Spike was embarrassed, something very unusual for a vampire. Partly because he had met her twice and not been able to kill her and partly because she had found out about what he was.

The vampires didn’t dare to do anything but what Spike had told them to. The impatient one let go of the man he’d captured and watched him run down the hall. Spike and Buffy continued to stare at each other. Silence filled the room.

“You’re a vampire,” Buffy said finally. There was a knot in her stomach. She felt sick. He was a monster. “I’m sorry.”

The first thing she’d said, Spike had expected, but the apology? Not so much. He was caught off guard.

“Sorry ‘bout what?!”

“That I couldn’t save you.” Of all the people, of all the people, it had to be him? Her angel. Buffy knew very well that turning a person into a saint, even in one’s mind, was foolish and would presumably only lead to disappointment, but she had done it anyway. He was her savior. She was more than disappointed.

“Save me from-” Spike stopped himself, realizing what she was talking about and chuckled.

“There’s nothing to save me from, pet. Other than myself.” He chuckled again. “Just the same ol’ Spike. I’m a little disappointed you haven’t heard about me, though, I’ve been around for ages – and like I said: creature of the night.”

Buffy didn’t say anything. She was trying to understand the things he was telling to her. Spike continued:

“I can't imagine why you would get chosen. Oh wait, probably cos you could dust a vamp through excessive crying!”

Buffy ignored him. He’d been a vampire when she met him at that time in San Francisco? No, that couldn’t be... But Angel had said he was a vicious killer. Maybe he had...

“Do you have a soul?”

“A soul?!” Where the hell did she get that from? Oh right, Angelus. “I have no soddin’ soul!”

She couldn’t find an explanation that fit. The pieces of her puzzle were too big, too sharp and too pointy. If he’d been there with her in that hotel room, why hadn’t he killed her? She’d slept in his bed, talked to him about how she felt, if he didn’t have a soul, how come he’d been nice to her? When she thought about it, nice was an exaggeration, but still, he had comforted her and told her what she needed to hear.

Spike watched with amusement at the puzzled look on her face.

“So you kill people?” Buffy asked suddenly. It was a stupid question and she knew it, but after meeting Angel, she had to know.

“Do I kill people? No, I knit sweaters for them every Christmas!” Spike said sarcastically. “I’m a vampire, of course I kill people!”

At this point, Giles and Jenny rushed in, him armed with a crossbow and her with cross and stake. Willow followed soon after with a large cross and a bottle of holy water. Cordelia had apparently stayed in the library or slipped out the same way as Xander.

“Buffy! Run!” The Englishman shouted, not noticing the lack of violence between the vampire and his slayer. Buffy stayed put.

“What’s this? The cavalry?” Spike mocked, looking at the watcher. “I best be leaving then,” he said sarcastically.

“He’d killed two slayers in the past!” Jenny shouted, standing behind Giles.

Buffy turned and looked at Spike in surprise. This time, he didn’t brag. She was even more confused.

“So tell me, luv. Still crazy? Last time I saw you, you were in the loony-bin.” Spike walked over casually to the table with the lemonade, which had survived the attack.

“I fooled them,” she said automatically.

The words had just slipped out of her mouth. Had he really been there? Until now, she had convinced herself into believing that he’d been a hallucination, her own mind telling her what she needed to hear. She was wrong. He had been there. Buffy’s eyes went wide in surprise when she realized: he’d kissed her.

Spike put down the cup of lemonade that he had picked up. He couldn’t remember he’d actually told her that. When he saw the look on her face, he knew immediately what she was thinking of. The kiss. *Bollocks!* He knew it would come back to bite him in the arse sooner or later!

Both Giles and Jenny were stunned. This didn’t look like the usual punch lines the Slayer normally exchanged with her slayees. Willow kept quiet at the back.

“Buffy-“ Giles wasn’t really sure of what to say, but since he was interrupted he didn’t have to think too much about it.

“Why?”

Spike knew exactly what she meant, but he decided to try and make her look stupid.

“Why what? I’m not a mind-reader you know? Though my girl’s fairly good at that, gettin’ inside of your noggin-“

“Was it some kind of a sick game?”

Suddenly the doors swung open and Angel came in, holding Xander around his neck in a firm grip with his arm.

“Angelus,” Spike greeted. “Fancy seeing you here.”

“Spike!” Angel said.

“Angel!” Buffy saw how he was holding her friend. “What are you doing?! Let go of him!”

“Isn’t this a nice little gathering? Angelus, have you come up against the Slayer yet?” Spike gestured at Buffy.

“She's cute. Not too bright, though. Gave her the puppy dog 'I'm all tortured' act. Keeps her off my back when I feed!” He laughed.

“What?!” Buffy was rightly upset. What was going on?

Xander, who was squeezed underneath Angel’s piped arm, obviously believed in Angel’s charade.

“I knew you were a lying, undead liar guy!”

“Nice one, mate,” Spike praised his grandsire, but he knew what Angel was playing at. He quickly changed his tone. “Now put the boy down.”

“I thought we could have a bite before we kill her?”

Buffy was about to march over to Angel and release her friend, but was stopped by Spike grabbing her arm.

He chuckled before punching Angel in the face, making him stumble backwards and let go of Xander ”You think you can fool me? You were my sire, man! You were my... Yoda!”

“Yoda?” Buffy, who had ran over to take care of Xander, gave him a doubtful look and just for a second she was back in that hotel room with him, taunting his efforts of showing her he was evil. It didn’t last long.

“Things change”

“They bloody well have!” Spike said, and as he glanced at Buffy he knew it was true. He wished it wasn’t, but somewhere along the way things had changed.

“Leave,” Buffy said. Whether she meant Spike or Angel was unclear, but the younger vampire answered:

“Not really planning on doing that. You see, I came here to kill the Slayer.”

“And that’s not gonna happen. I’m giving you this chance to get out.”

“Buffy!” Giles said, clearly not approving.

“Or what Slayer?”

Buffy had made up her mind. There was only one way out of this and she knew it. She had to kill Spike.

“I’ll have to kill you.”

Spike snorted. “You get to try.”

With that, her fist connected with his face and the fight had officially started. To the onlookers, the fighters, who both used their super speeds, looked like one big mess of flying fists and legs. No one could really tell who was actually on top. Besides Angel, maybe. When Spike had knocked Buffy down to the floor, Angel grabbed him from behind, throwing him into a nearby wall.

“Stay out of this, Angel!” Buffy shouted while kicking Spike, who had gotten up, in the chest.

She did not appreciate the older vampire’s so-called help. Even as Spike’s minions joined in the fight occasionally, she would rather fight alone. The fledgings were not nearly as good fighters as the bleached blonde Master Vampire and when Giles had dusted two of them with his crossbow, Buffy could easily take out the other two with the stake that Willow had thrown her. Spike and Buffy were the only fighters left.

It was around this time that Willow decided it was best to get the parents out of the school. They were still locked in the classroom where she and Xander had left them. Spike seemed to be too engrossed in the fight with Buffy, that he probably wouldn’t notice if they slipped past the lounge to the library. Willow whispered to Xander, standing next to her:

“I’m gonna get the parents.”

“Good idea.”

They sneaked away to the classroom where the adults were hiding and told them to follow them quietly. Spike didn’t seem to notice, and if he did, Angel stood in his way wearing a grim look that said ’leave it’.

Since fighting was close to killing, which Spike had on his list of the things he enjoyed, this was his idea of having a great time. This girl, this slayer, was stronger than anything any other he’d ever fought. She might have looked like she was easy to break, but there was a certain fire in her eyes.

Spike picked up one of the chairs in the lounge, throwing it at Buffy, making her fly across the room. He smirked.

“Have you gotten any experience yet, luv? Cos I might just take you up on that offer.”

It was clear to Buffy what kind of ‘experience’ he was talking about, and it made her, if possible, even more pissed off than she already was. This was, according to Buffy Summers, one of those ‘act first, talk later’ situations, those which occured when she couldn’t come up with a smart comeback. Hence the outburst of violence and a right hook that knocked Spike off his feet.

"Do you still cry over mummy and daddy's divorce?" Spike said mockingly. Another fist connected with his face.

To the humans watching it looked like both the Slayer and the vampire were fighting for their lives. Truth was, Spike was merely fighting because it was fun, his intentions of killing her had of course not been forgotten, but let’s just say that they’d been put aside when he realized who she was. Buffy, on the other hand, was fighting because she was angry. Mightily pissed off were the words. She was probably going to stake him if she got the chance, but that wasn’t the reason why she fought.

Just as Spike was about to hit the Slayer with a large piece of wood he’d gotten out of the hole in the wall, the result of Angel punch, Joyce hit him on the head with an axe.

She had been on her way to leave the school campus with the rest of the parents when she saw her daughter fighting and just couldn’t leave her there. Luckily for Buffy, she helped out instead.

“You get the hell away from my daughter,” Joyce said, ready to hit again.

Spike got up and muttered “Women!” before heading towards the broken window. Just before he jumped out, he turned and looked at Buffy saying:

“See you around, Slayer.”

Joyce exhaled and dropped the axe when he disappeared into the night.

“Nobody lays a hand on my little girl,” she said, embracing her daughter.

Giles walked up to them, as well as Jenny. Angel kept in the back.

“Are you all right, Buffy?” Giles asked as he took her to the side.

“Peachy.” She gave him a weak smile.

“I’m not quite sure what happened here, but it seemed to me like you’ve fought him before, yes?”

“I’ve met him. Twice. He didn’t call himself ‘William the Bloody’ then.”

“I see. Well, there are some things that-“

“Giles, could we talk about this tomorrow? I’m tired. I just wanna go home and sleep.”

“Of course.”

Angel stepped forward. “Buffy, I-“

“Get out of my face, Angel,” she said coldly. Whatever he’d been up to, she didn’t have the energy to argue with him about it tonight. It had to wait until morning.

As the humans in the lounge were about to leave, Xander and Willow rushed in, having showed the parents and teachers out to their cars.

“You did it Buffy! You killed him!” Willow said excitedly, since she couldn’t see the blonde vampire anymore, assuming he was dust.

“Go Buff!” Xander cheered.

“Hey, guys,” she greeted tiredly. “He’s not dust.” She saw the disappointed looks on their faces and added, “Sorry.”

“Oh, but you’ll get him next time,” Willow reassured. “You will..get him next time, right?”

“Don’t worry, Wills.”




A/N: I'm going back to school tomorrow after having a nice Christmas vacation. This means that I'll have to do my math homework when I want to write Spuffy. Sorry guys, but that's just my priorities. Don't worry though, no one is more anxious than me to finish this story. I love this fic, and I'm going to do everything I can to get it finsihed. But the updates will be more sporadic in the future. I hope you can be patient and stay with me. Thanks

School was finally over for the day, and eager students were rushing through the hallways trying to get as far off campus as possible. Not Buffy and Willow though, they were making their way to the library on their way to see Giles.

In the lounge, craftsmen were fixing the broken window, but other than that, there was no other sign of whatever activity that had been going on the night before. Giles was coming out of his office with a large stack of books in his hands when the Slayer and her friend came in.

”Buffy! Good, you’re here.”

”Yup, that’s me, always good to have around.” She sat down on the table, dangling her legs. Willow picked up a book about wiccas that Giles had left open, before sitting down beside her.

”After the events of last night, there are some things that I’ve been wondering about,” Giles said and put his books on the counter.

”Poor Giles, another sleepless night with only his books to keep him company,” Willow said, looking up from the book she was studying.

”Thank you Willow. But this Spike, there is…I... I’m not sure what to think of it -”

”Giles, spit it out already.”

”You said you’ve met him before, yes?” Giles inquired.

”Ya huh,” Buffy said.

”I’m just surprised things didn’t turn out worse than they did. I mean, Spike could very well had sent his minions after the parents while he was trying to kill you.”

”He was going after me, Giles.”

”Yes, but perhaps if you tell me what happened the last time you met him I could-”

”There isn’t much to say. I didn’t know he was a vampire and I guess I was lucky to get away alive.” Buffy didn’t like this conversation at all. Why was Giles suddenly so interested in knowing about Spike? Oh, right, he always had boring things on his mind.

”You... you didn’t know he was a vampire? Until last night?” Giles was surprised. ”When was this? Did he know you were the Slayer?”

”Easy with the questions, Giles,” Willow said.

”San Francisco, about two years ago, before I became the slayer, and Los Angeles a couple of months later, after I’d been called. Dunno if he knew I was gonna get chosen.”

”Well, there is no possible way for him to know that you would become the Slayer. Such things can’t be predicted. To find potential slayers are often a tricky business even for the Council. I guess..”

”Are we done?” Buffy asked impatiently.

”I…” Giles took off his glasses and started to clean them with the handkerchief he kept in his breast pocket. ”There was something he said yesterday, something about…your parents divorce? He seemed to know an awful lot of personal information about you, in my opinion...”

”He overheard my parents yelling at me, that’s all. Tried to use it against me.”

”I see.”

”But what did you do?” Willow asked.

”What do you mean?”

”When you met him. I guess you didn’t go out for coffee with him, unless…Did you do that? Did you have coffee with-”

”No!”

”I…I just meant: what were you doing with a vampire before you became the Slayer? That gives me the wiggins.”

”We ran into each other. Twice. Nothing more than that,” Buffy had became defensive. She didn’t know what was going on between her and Spike either. What could she possibly tell her friends that made some kind of sense? If she started to explain, things like that institution would come up, and she really didn’t want her friends to know about that. She was strong. Not some lunatic locked in a madhouse. She was the Slayer.

”And you got his name?” Willow asked, trying not to sound doubtful.

”Are you sure that it was a coincidence? I mean this could be-”

”Yes. He didn’t know that I’m the Slayer until last night. I’m sure.”

”I see.”

”Don’t go all buttface on me now, Giles,” Buffy said, seeing Giles’ expression. ”You look like you’re gonna say ’but’. Don’t. I need to get home. Unfortunately my mom didn’t understand that I was saving her life yesterday, and now I’m grounded.” She sighed. ”I gotta go.”

Buffy sneaked out before her Watcher managed to ask any more questions. She was leaving two very confused friends behind.

* * *

In the house on 1630 Revello Drive, Buffy had spent the rest of the afternoon in her room, bored to death. She had tried to study, but without Willow’s help, Buffy didn’t understand much about the history she had to do, and was easily distracted. She decided to call the redhead.

After bribing her friend into giving her the correct answers to the history assignment, Buffy started to complain about her situation.

”I’m dying over here, Willow! I wanna go bronzing with you and Xander!”

”Oh, don’t worry, we’ll go another time. It’s no fun without you anyway,” Willow said on the other end of the line.

”But it’s so not fair! I mean, I’m the slayer! I should get some kind of benefits like…like, no homework! And only school three days a week and free chocolate and those nonfat yoghurts with melon flavor and-”

”Buffy.”

”Sorry. I’ll stop being all mopey-girl. I’m just...bored.” Buffy started to walk around the room.

”So…?” Willow asked.

”So, what?”

”Are you going to tell me what you didn’t tell Giles today?”

”What?”

”I know when you’re hiding something, Buffy.”

”Wills, there’s nothing else to say.”

”You may not see it but I’m wearing my resolve face. You know what it means, now tell me.”

Buffy sighed, giving in. She lay down on her bed and stared at the ceiling. ”I just don’t get why he didn’t kill me. Those times before,” she said. ”He didn’t even try.”

”You…You didn’t fight him?”

”No.”

”Oh. What did you do? I mean, other than running into each other?”

”We…I don’t know. We talked, I guess. He yelled a lot.”

”That doesn’t sound very nice.”

”He’s a vampire, Willow.”

”But you didn’t know that.”

”No, I didn’t.”

Buffy could hear her mother yelling from the kitchen. Dinner was ready. ”All right, I gotta go Will, we’ll talk later okay?”

”Sure, but you’re not getting away with this!”

”Yeah yeah, bye now.”

”Bye.”

Buffy hung up the phone and went downstairs. She ate dinner with her mother in silence, picking at her food. Buffy had given up trying to explain to her mother what had happened, since that meant telling another bad lie, so she yielded to the fact that she was grounded. That is, until sunset. Buffy told her mother that she was going to bed early, but did her usual routine and climbed out of her window instead. She was desperate for something to kill.

It was a quiet night. The streets were deserted and the cemeteries as well. Only one vampire rose out of his grave and Buffy slayed him before he had a chance to understand what he had became. The surprised look on his face quickly turned to dust. Suddenly Buffy could feel the presence of another vampire behind her.

”Buffy.” Angel, as the stalker he was, showed up out of nowhere.

Buffy sighed and turned around. ”What, Angel?”

”Could we talk?”

”Not sure, am I ’bright’ enough?” Buffy hadn’t forgotten the things he’d said about her the night before.

”I didn’t mean any of that, I-”

”Then why did you say it?” Buffy asked, irritated.

”It was part of the plan, I had to see if Spike would buy it.”

”What was your plan? Getting Xander killed?”

”Your friends are in danger all the time-” Angel tried to explain, but Buffy didn’t give him the chance to finish.

”Yes! By choice. Because they are my friends. According to Xander, you just grabbed him!”

”I couldn’t tell him, it would have been too risky!”

Buffy was about to yell something back, but calmed herself down before saying: ”Next time, don’t involve my friends in your plans. Got it?”

”Yeah. I’m sorry.”

”Good.” Buffy walked away. ”I’ll see you around, Angel.” She left him standing there.

Just as Buffy had disappeared through the gates of the cemetery, Spike walked out of the shadow of a tree. He had got out looking for another fight with the slayer when he came upon something almost as entertaining: his grandsire getting told off.

”That didn’t look too good.” he said.

”Spike.” Angel instantly recongnized the voice.

”A vampire dating a slayer!” Spike exclaimed. “It's not enough you got a soul, now you're lettin’ the slayer put a leash on you, Peaches? Did she give you dog food as well?” He chuckled. ”What is it with you and fierce blondes?”

”Get out of my face, Spike,” Angel said with irritation, slowly walking away from him.

”Oh, I understand, mate. Met her myself, you know. She’s got a dirty mind!”

”Shut your mouth!” Angel turned around.

”I mean, I couldn’t get her out of my bed!” Spike continued, walking up dangerously close to his grandsire.

Angel didn’t hesitate and punched him in the face. Spike was smirking, not punching back.

”She couldn’t stop staring at me, ya know? And what she was offering? It was hard to resist.”

Angel punched him again. Spike stumbled backwards but remained on his feet. He dried the blood that had started to flow from his nose with the back of his hand. He continued.

”But you know me, I never really got that whole virgin deal, that’s your thing. I had to tell her no. Should’ve seen the look on her face, though, that pouting-” Angel hit him again.

”Stay away from Buffy!” he shouted.

Spike chuckled softly before giving Angel a right hook that sent him flying into a nearby headstone, smashing it into bits.

”She’s not your girl, mate,” Spike said calmly to his grandsire lying on the ground. And with that, he was gone, and Angel was once again left alone in the cemetery.



A/N: Still liking it? Give me a review and let me know

Buffy was sitting in the library the next afternoon sharpening stakes, trying to kill time. She had come to an agreement with her mother to let her stay and study in school until five o’clock, after which Joyce will then come to pick her up. Her friends had decided to keep her company and at the moment Willow was going through Xander’s history homework, scribbling small crosses where Xander had given the wrong answer.

Buffy had tried to work on her French as she had promised her mother, but gave up after fifteen minutes. Buffy Summers wasn’t a dumb girl, even if her principal seemed to believe so, she just had other things on her mind. Spike, for instance. He hadn’t made another appearance yet and she was wondering what he was up to. *Probably another plan that results in my death* Buffy thought. Just as Buffy had continued to pick up her irregular verbs again, Angel showed up beside her.

”Angel.”

Angel had been pacing his small apartment waiting for sunset, when he couldn’t take it anymore. The things Spike had said to him the night before were still fresh in his mind and he wanted an answer. He knew his grandchilde was probably only trying to piss him off, but he had to know if there was some truth in his words.

”Buffy, we need to talk,” Angel said.

”I’m studying,” Buffy replied while trying to look very versed up in her french grammar. Buffy, the stubborn girl that she was, wasn’t ready to forgive him just yet.

”What’s going on between you and Spike?” Angel asked bluntly. This sentence made the rest of the group stop bickering and look up at the Slayer and her boyfriend.

”What do you mean?”

”Is there something going on between you two?”

”What? Other than him trying to kill me? No,” Buffy said, trying to sound casual. She suspected that Angel meant something entirely different but chose to act like she didn’t know what he was talking about.

”That’s not what he says.”

”He talked to you?” Now, Buffy was pissed off. Spike had the nerve to go and talk to her boyfriend about her? *Stupid vampire*

”Spike came to see me last night.”

”And what did he say?” Buffy wondered. For some strange reason, that she didn’t understand herself, she was very interested in what Spike had said about her. During that night in the high school he hadn’t exactly been friendly.

”Buffy, he-”
From the look on Angel’s face, or to be more exact the way he didn’t look at her, Buffy could tell that he was trying to avoid her question. She asked him again.

”What did the evil bloodsucking fiend have to say about me?”

”He…insinuated…that you had slept with him. Or tried to,” Angel said, looking very uncomfortable.

Xander, who had been listening to their conversation, started laughing. ”Good one, dead boy!” But when he saw the serious look on Buffy’s face he stopped himself. ”No way!”

Buffy had been taken aback by the answer, and it took some time for her brain to process what he’d just said. ”What?!”

”I know you’ve met him before I just-”

”That’s insane!” Buffy exclaimed.

”Is it?”

”You believed him? Just like that?”

”I don’t know what to believe!”

”I was fourteen years old! What do you think? That I slept around with the first vampire I could find?”

”Buffy, this is Spike-”

”Exactly! Since when is he telling the truth?!”

”So you do know him?” Angel asked, thinking she’d finally told him something about what was going on.

”Spike told you I was a total ho-bag and you just assumed it was the truth?!”
Buffy was hurt. Was this what Angel thought about her?

”Buffy, I don’t assume anything, I just wanna know what happened between you two.”

”I told you, nothing happened! And if it did, it would be none of your business.”

”And you wouldn’t tell me anyway…” Angel sighed. This wasn’t leading anywhere.

”Probably not,” Buffy said firmly. ”I ran into Spike years ago, before I met you. What I did or didn’t do is none of your business.”

”I think it is when your life is in danger!”

”I don’t need you to protect me, Angel. I’m the slayer.” She looked around the room and discovered the astonished looks on her friends’ faces. She turned to Angel. ”You really don’t trust me, do you?” He didn’t answer. ”Forget it. I’m out of here.”

Buffy walked out of the library, not giving Angel a second glance.

”But what about your mother?” Willow asked and then ran after her, grabbing her bag on the counter on her way out.

Buffy had almost reached the exit doors when Willow caught up with her.

”Buffy, wait!”

”What, Willow?”

”I, I…Something happened, right? Between you and Spike?” the redhead asked quietly.

”No, nothing happened.” Buffy kept going.

”Buffy…”

”Please Willow, don’t do this. I just wanna get home and then I’m gonna find Spike and then I’m gonna kill him. Painfully.”

”Because he told Angel something he shouldn’t?”

Buffy stopped and turned around to look at her friend. ”No. Because he is a disgusting vampire! And evil, and mean, and stupid and he’s got that bleached hair and…and who am I kidding?” She sighed loudly. She had no idea what was going on, or what to tell Angel. She hadn’t lied to him, not really. If Spike didn’t seem to think that they had shared something she wasn’t going to think so either.

Willow gave her friend a sympathetic smile. ”Come on. Let’s go outside,” she said.

They sat down on a bench under the sun where Buffy was sure that Angel couldn’t reach them, neither could he eavesdrop. Not that there really was anything to tell, but he would get the wrong idea, Buffy was sure.

It was a beautiful day, sunny like most days in the state of California at this time of year, and school campus was almost deserted. Only Mr. Harrington, the biology teacher, was crossing the lawn, briefcase in hand. Buffy and Willow sat in silence.

”I did sleep with him,” Buffy said finally.

”No you didn’t!”

”I did, just not in the way you think. I fell asleep on his bed. Beside him. Nothing happened.”

”Oh my god! But what were you doing on his bed?!”

”I kind of...well… I mistook his hotel room for mine and then we talked and…”

”He yelled?”

”Yeah…and you know, one thing led to the other and ’voila’, I fell asleep,” Buffy tried to joke.

”Did he drug you?”

”He’s not a secret agent, Willow. He’s a vampire.”

”Right,” Willow replied, then a smile lit up her face and she bounced in her seat, exited. ”Were there smoochies?”

Buffy looked away, trying not to smile. Willow was always so silly. She made things so simple: ’smoochies or no smoochies?’ ’boyfriend-material or not boyfriend-material?’ According to Buffy, things were more complicated than that.

”There was, wasn’t it? Oh my god!”

”One kiss! At another time.”

”It’s so poetic!” Willow said and a dreamy look crossed her face. ”Two vampires, both in love with the Slayer-”

”Spike’s not in love with me!”

”You sure?”

”Positive.” Buffy nodded.

”So what are you going to do?” Willow wondered. She could tell that there was something going on between Buffy and the bleached blonde vampire. Not that she really understood it herself. Spike was scary. Willow could tell he was drool-worthy but she had a problem getting pass that vampire aspect.

”I’m… gonna kill him,” Buffy answered. She stood up and started to walk towards her house.
Willow was left on the bench, trying to understand what was going on in her friend’s mind.

* * *

When Spike had come home the night before he had been more than satisfied with himself. He hadn’t had the chance to kill the Slayer of course, but getting to piss off his grandsire was something that left him in an equally good mood and with a huge grin on his face. But when he came back to the warehouse his smile quickly faded. His princess was lying unconscious on the bedroom floor.

He had done everything he could think of: carried her to their bed, offered her his blood, blood of some random teenage girl, but when she finally woke up, Drusilla was so out of it, he wished she’d stayed asleep.

She had trashed the bedroom, tore the heads off the dolls that she usually treated like her babies, and screamed about things that Spike couldn’t interpret.

She was getting worse.

Earlier, Spike had ordered his minions to research about her weakness, but stupid as they were, they had of course found nothing. The ones that hadn’t died on Parent-Teacher night Spike had dusted them himself due to their incompetence.

The Annointed One was no exception. Spike had thrown him in a cage and made him greet the sunshine the night he came back from the high school. The Annointed One’s minions had ordered him to lay down his life for not being able to kill the Slayer, something that Spike would never agree upon, whoever ordered him. He had of course taken out the beefy vampires before killing the vampire prince himself. Drusilla had watched, clapping her hands and laughing.

But now she was worse than he’d ever seen her. And he was the only one left to find the cure for her disease. He had studied the books he’d brought, but they yielded nothing. He had broken into a local magic shop, but only found more books in languages he couldn’t understand and prophecies that spoke of good champions and apocalypses.

Spike was at a loss. He decided to go out for a smoke.

* * *

That night, Buffy had gone out looking for Spike. She was going through cemetery after cemetery looking for the vampire, but couldn’t find him anywhere. She had yelled his name until her throat became dry and staked the vampires that crossed her path without giving them a second glance. She was furious, and determined to get her revenge on the bleached vampire that had thrown mud at her name.

”Spike!” she yelled. This was the 27th time she yelled his name and the seventh cemetery she’d been to. The counting was a way to make the time fly.

”Stop avoiding me and come out and fight!”

Usually, trying to make a demon appear by just wishing they did, was not a good way to get a fight. Somehow God, The Powers That Be, or whoever was up there watching her, never granted her request when she asked for it. In the same way, a pack of demons always appeared when she was injured, tired or just not in the mood. This time though, it worked.

”Looking for me, Slayer?” Spike said. He was walking casually towards her, not knowing that she’d been on the hunt for him for the past two hours.

”Yes!”

”Really?” Buffy walked up to him without a word. He continued smirking. ”Can’t stay away from me, can you? Those hands of yours-”

He was cut off by the fist she threw in his face. Before he had the chance to recover, she kneed him in the groin before kicking him in the stomach.

”Bloody hell woman!”

”What. Did. You. Tell.” She punched him again and again, the words in rhythm with her punches. She finished with another kick into his side that swept Spike off his feet. ”Angel.”

Spike was still smirking from where he was lying on the ground. So that was what this was all about? Not that they had never fought before, but this time she didn’t even give him the chance to fight back. Spike assumed that she would continue to kick him even as he was lying on the ground, something that was against all unwritten rules of the demon world. He got up just in case the Slayer would do just that.

His face was bleeding again. The wounds from yesterday’s fight with Angel had healed, but the bone in his nose that had just started mending was again broken.

”What is it you’re so riled up for? Had a fight with your precious boytoy? Are you gonna cry this time, Slayer? Poor little lost girl,” Spike mocked.

”You told him I was some kind of a skanky ho!”

”That’s what Peaches told you?” Spike stood up. ”Ol’ broody-pants called you a whore, now that’s not very nice is it?”

”What did you tell him?!” Buffy punched him again.

”Let’s see…well, it might have slipped out how you didn’t want to leave my bed.”

Buffy tried to hit him again, but Spike effectively blocked her punch and grabbed her wrist.

”And you just failed to mention that I was crying and fully dressed!” she retorted and tried to punch him with the other hand, but Spike blocked her again.

”He didn’t give me a chance - he was very violent, a bit like you actually. It’s not my fault the magnificent poof thinks you’re Slutty the Vampire Layer.”

”Oh my god.” Buffy lowered the fist that she was about to throw in his face. What if Spike was right? What if Angel thought she was some kind of a freak that had a fetish for vampires?! She looked defeated. ”That’s what he thinks. He…he thinks I’m a total slut. I’m…I’m Slutty.”

Buffy turned away from Spike and started to walk in circles around the cemetery, still talking, but no longer to Spike. ”First I danced with Xander, which really made him jealous, but that was the whole point of it, and now, now he thinks I...I...did something with you and I must look like a total ho, and oh my god, why am I wearing this miniskirt!?” Buffy stared in horror at the small piece of fabric covering her thighs.

That was a question Spike had asked himself too. Not why he was wearing a miniskirt of course, since he didn’t, but why the Slayer had to show so much skin. When she fought and made those high kicks you could almost have a peek at her holier bits. Spike knew it would be the death of him if he tried that one again.

Buffy had noticed Spike staring at her nether regions and glared at him, as she tried to pull her skirt further down her legs. It was useless.

Spike smirked at her efforts. Since they had seemed to stop fighting, he pulled out his pack of cigarettes out of an inner pocket of his duster. Maybe he could finally have that smoke he was longing for.

”What am I going to do?!” Buffy said desperately as Spike, sat down on a gravestone and smoked his cig. ”Wait. I have to show him that I…only want him.” Buffy looked at Spike. ”I should kill you,” she said as if she’d just found the solution to all of her problems. She started to walk up to Spike with her stake raised.

Spike snorted. ”And I’ll kill you before you get half the chance to try,” he said, throwing away his cigarette at the dewy grass.

”No.” Buffy stopped. She lowered the stake. ”Wait. What if he thinks that I’m getting rid of evidence? That killing you is the only way to make you stop talking? Gah! No… I have to make him believe me anyway.”

Spike chuckled at the argument the Slayer was having with herself. She did that thing when she knitted her brows and bit her lower lip. If Spike used the word adorable, which he didn’t, he would have called her just that.

Buffy turned around and started walking in circles again. ”I could… No that’s a bad idea…Gah! I give up!” she sighed before leaning against a large oak tree.

”I mean, it shouldn’t be any of his business you know? Whoever I’ve been with before.” She slid down to the cold ground.

Spike kept silent. He put another cigarette in his mouth and lit it with his zippo lighter, studying her intently.

There was a moment of silence. Not one of those embarrassing silences though, those which occur when people who don’t have anything to say to each other, tell themselves that they have to say something anyway. No, this was an almost comforting silence. Which was strange since both Spike and Buffy loved to talk. He was watching her from his position on the headstone while she was sitting a couple of feet away leaning against the tree, lost in thought.

”Do you think I’m a slut?” she asked him suddenly.

”A slut? No, pet. I would say you should get laid more often.”

”What?”

”It’s clear to me from these mood swings you keep having that Peaches is either not giving you some or you have a bad case of PMS.”

”What?!”

”Oh I see,” he chuckled. The blush on her cheeks gave it all away. ”You haven’t shagged yet,” Spike said triumphantly. ”So that’s why the poof was so hung up. I should have known.”

”That’s none of your business!”

”Well, the business we’re talking about isn’t exactly existent, is it?”

”I…You, you’re a pig!” she yelled and turned on her heels before storming out of the cemetery.

Spike watched amused as Buffy walked away. She was so easy to play. Then it hit him. He hadn’t killed her this time either. He had let her leave without a fight. *Bollocks!* Why couldn’t he just kill the girl?

* * *

Buffy walked towards Angel’s apartment with a determined look on her face. This was it. Angel was her boyfriend. Not some bleached blonde vampire by the name of Spike. Angel cared about her. He had been jealous because he thought that she wanted Spike. Which she so didn’t. That’s what she tried to tell herself anyway. Spike didn’t want her. He probably still saw her as some whiny fourteen-year-old who was still crying about her parents’ divorce. Angel was the on she’d been with for the past couple of months. They hadn’t been on a date yet, but he was her boyfriend. They usually talked about slaying and he joined her during patrol, but she wasn’t a normal girl. Those things were natural, for her. *Angel’s your boyfriend* she repeated in her head. *He’s the one you want.*

It was time she showed him that.

She pounded on his door, and when Angel answered moments later, she attacked him - literally - bruising his lips with her mouth and started to tear his clothes off.





A/N: Oh god I'm evil. Sorry guys, but that was kind of necessary, but it's still going to be Spuffy, don't worry

Buffy woke up the morning after on Angel’s bedroom floor. Or more correctly: the feeling of being pushed off the bed and landing on the bedroom floor - that was what had woken her up. She sat up, only to discover that she was completely naked. She felt sore and was freezing, the fact that she was sitting on the cold stone floor didn’t make things better. She reached for the covers, dragging them down to the floor and pulling them close to her chest to cover herself. On the bed beside her, Angel was sitting, putting a pair of black shiny pants on.

”Angel?”

”What pumpkin?”

”Did you…?” *throw me out of the bed?* she finished in her mind. No, that was crazy. She must have rolled off. She noticed him getting dressed. ”Are you going?”

”Well, you didn’t expect me to stick around did you?” He didn’t look at her, only continued to put on his clothes.

”I…well it’s your place.” Buffy didn’t know what to reply. What was going on? She was sure that this shouldn’t be the way her first time should have gone. She had rushed it, he had tried to slow her down but she hadn’t listened, and now…he wasn’t supposed to run off.

”Don’t tell me you expected me to stay and snuggle?” He laughed, before continuing, shaking his head. ”You’re unbeliveable, Buffy.”

This wasn’t happening. This wasn’t happening. What was going on? Why was he acting like this? Hadn’t she been good enough? Her next question came out in a whisper:

”Did... did I do something wrong?”

”Wrong?” He laughed at her again. ”You didn’t do anything at all! I knew you were new at this, but seriously, you have a lot to learn about men, kiddo.”

Buffy was staring at him with a blank expression on her face. This was not Angel. It couldn’t be. How could he treat her like this?

”Maybe I should get me some minions and let you practice, I hear you’re really into vampires.” He turned his back on her and started to put on his shoes.

Buffy got up, still clutching the covers to her chest. ”Stop it.”

”What is it about them that gets you off, Buffy? Is it the danger? You want some ’bad’ in your boy?”

”Stop it!”

”Stop what?”

”You’re scaring me, Angel.”

”Nothing to be scared of princess, it’s just me.”

”You said you loved me.”

”Oh come on! You didn’t really believe that, did you?”

She had. She had believed him, and he knew it. She could feel the tears building behind her eyes. She tried her best not to let them fall but it was useless. Angel saw the look on her face and exclaimed:

”Hell, I must be getting better at this over the years!”

”I... I don’t understand.”

”It was fun! Or at least I thought it could be. Let’s not make a big deal out of it.”

”It is a big deal!”

”I should have known this was going to happen.” He sighed. ”Look, I’ve played your little lap dog long enough, I got what I wanted, not that it was much to have.”

”Why are you doing this?! How can you say this to me?”

She didn’t want to sound so desperate, but she did. One time a couple of years ago, she had promised herself not to beg. Never to be that pathetic girl who humiliates herself by begging the guy to come back. She would walk out with pride, not letting him get to her. That was how she’d pictured it. But now, she didn’t care about the fact that she was crying, that her voice was cracking and that she was desperate. She just wanted answers.

”Lighten up, will ya? I guess Spike was right about you, you can’t take ’no’ for an answer, he didn’t say how pathetic you were though.”

”Shut up!” Buffy shouted. She was sobbing now and searched desperately around the room for her clothes.

”You crying now Buffy? Please, you were the one who jumped me last night. So eager! Don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts now? This is what you came here for! We both got what we wanted.”

Buffy put on the clothes she’d been able to find as fast as she could. Bra. Jeans. Blouse. She left her socks and took her shoes in one hand. She didn’t care that she’d put her blouse on inside out and that she couldn’t find her panties. She just wanted out. Now. She was sobbing loudly as she ran past Angel and out of the apartment. Angel was standing there laughing, watching her retrieving form.

* * *

It was still early in the morning, just after dawn, when Buffy was running down the streets of Sunnydale towards her home. She was still crying and shaking as she tried to climb up the tree and get into her room through her bedroom window. She was still grounded and if her mother found out she’d been out all night, she wasn’t going to get off easy. Luckily, Joyce Summers had no idea her daughter had sneaked out the night before, and was sleeping peacefully in her bedroom.

Buffy fell through the window and landed on her butt on her bedroom floor with a loud thud. She listened carefully. Her mother didn’t seem to have noticed. Relieved, Buffy climbed into her bed, hid under the covers and curled up into a fetal position. Two hours later, the crying had given her a headache and the alarm clock rang. It was time for school.

* * *

The gang was gathered in the library that afternoon, Buffy, along with Willow and Xander, but their presence in the library was ignored by everyone, except maybe for Giles. No other students were to be seen at the moment, and half of the collection of books on the shelves were about demons, magic or vampires. Not a typical collection of a school library.

Buffy hadn’t told her friends about what had happened earlier that day. Willow would be the person she would confide in, but Buffy felt too ashamed to tell her anything at all. She had gone through the day, trying to forget about what had happened, cut off from the rest of the world. When her friends had asked her what was up, she had plastered a fake smile on her lips and told them that everything was fine. She was far from fine.

Since Buffy was still grounded she had to stay in school after her classes had ended, and her Watcher thought of course that this was a perfect opportunity for some slayer training, much to Buffy’s chagrin. At the moment, he was going through common ingredients for spells and potions, something that Buffy found extremely boring. Willow, though, was listening to him attentively while taking notes in a small book. On the table in front of them were different kinds of herbs and roots, talismans, some dark liquid in a small bottle and bowls with white powder that made Xander joke about Giles being a drug addict.

”This?” Giles asked Buffy, holding up a sprig of some herb.

”Er..sage?”

”Yes. Used for?

”I don’t know Giles, why don’t you tell me.”

”What about this one?”

”Eh…”

”I know, I know!” Willow piped up excitedly from behind them.

”Motherwort,” Giles stated.

”Right, Motherwort, wort of mothers. Got it.”

”Used in?”

”Spells to make your mother disappear?” Buffy tried meekly.

”Truth spells.”

”Right.”

Just as Giles was about to pick up a piece of mornox root, the library doors swung open and Spike stormed in. He was fuming, and not just literally.

”What did you do?!” He was staring at Buffy.

Xander stood up and quickly stepped backwards, pressing his back against the bookshelf. He was clearly scared but pretended not to be. If there was something he didn’t like it was vampires, and this one was no exception.

Willow picked up the cross she had in her bag, the one she had to hide from her parents, since they didn’t appreciate the christian symbol. She felt bad about that, but the cross was useful in situations like these, and she held it in front of her. Giles had also found a cross that he held up at arms length with a stern look on his face.

”Excuse me, but what are you doing here?” Buffy asked. She didn’t seem to worry about the fact that there was a vampire in her school, her tone was about the same as when talking to an annoying sibling.

”What did you do, you selfish brat?!”

”What?!”

”Care to tell me the reason why your lap dog came by today and figured out he’s a killer?”

”Are you talking about Angel? Have you talked to him again? I’m gonna kill you!” Buffy searched through her purse trying to find the stake she always carried with her. He wasn’t going to get away this time.

”No, I’m not talking about the poof, I’m talking about Angelus.”

”Wait,” Giles said, taking off his glasses and fiercely rubbed them with the hem of his shirt. ”Are you saying that Angel has returned to his former self?” Giles seemed to be the only one that had noticed Spike’s use of both ’killer’ and ’Angelus’ about the souled vampire.

”Bloody hell I am! I don’t know what you did, but you’re going to change it back.” Spike pointed at Buffy.

”Oh dear lord.” Giles was beyond worried. He started to rummage through his books but it wasn’t easy with a cross in one hand and glasses in the other. He decided to put his glasses back on.

”Wait. What does that mean exactly?” Xander asked.

”It means he’s started killing again?” Willow asked the watcher.

Xander took a deep breath. ”Okay let me say this once and get it over with:” he turned to Buffy ”I told you so.”

”He’s…evil.” Buffy looked at Spike.

”Buffy, listen to me-” Giles tried to explain.

”You should be happy then. Right?” she asked Spike.

”Happy? I’d rather have him brooding and playing the slayer’s lap dog than having him around Drusilla.”

She stared at him with a blank expression on her face. Drusilla? Dru. His girlfriend. She hadn’t even considered the option of Spike not being alone. Wait. She’s in Sunnydale?

”Get the mojo working, change him back.”

”You’re asking us to curse him again?” Giles looked up, surprised at the vampire.

”Yes! You people are slow!”

”I... I’m afraid it’s not that simple. The curse the romanis used have been lost for generations – are you sure that he is-”

”It’s him,” Buffy answered.

”You met him? When was this? Why didn’t you -”

”I didn’t know it was him at the time.”

”But you do now? Gee, good job Buffy.” Xander looked around at the others ”Is anyone thinking what I’m thinking? Don’t answer that. Angel is an evil vampire. Buffy’s the slayer. The job description isn’t exactly fuzzy.”

”Well…I... I still don’t understand how this could have happened, the magic he was cursed with was strong, there must have been some kind of a triggering event-”

Good old Giles. Always trying to find an explaination to everything. This time Buffy didn’t want him to ask. She would rather not tell him this time.

”Maybe the soul came with an expiry date, like ’best before 1997.’ Either way you know what you have to do Buff,” Xander said simply.

”Isn’t there some way we could soul him again? I mean-” Willow said. She had been quiet, clutching the wooden cross before her, when she felt she had to say something. She knew how much Buffy cared about Angel.

”No you didn’t.” Spike was ignoring the conversation between the watcher and the teenagers and didn’t take his eyes off Buffy.

”What?” Willow answered

”Tell me you didn’t do it, slayer,” Spike said. She had done it. Somehow he could see it. He didn’t have to be a seer like his sire to tell. There is a lot you can find out about a person by just studying them while they aren’t looking. Small things, like what they do with their hands and where they are looking. Spike knew what to look for when someone was hiding something. This time it was easy. ”Bloody brilliant!” he exclaimed sarcastically.

”What bleach boy?” Xander asked irritated. Why wasn’t Buffy fighting this guy?

”You shagged him, didn’t you?!”

”What?!” Xander exclaimed loudly. Buffy quickly looked down at her feet to hide the blush that was covering her cheeks. How did he know? She was starting to panic.

”Bloody priceless is what it is! The slayer shags her precious brooding boy toy and he turns into a sadistic bastard! Now that’s entertainment!”

”Shut up!”

”What you gonna do now slayer? Kill him?”

”Kill..?” She looked up at him with the most innocent look on her face. Like the thought of killing Angel hadn’t even crossed her mind. She panicked. ”I, I…I can’t do this.” Buffy grabbed her purse and started to run out of the library. She couldn’t get far before Spike got hold of her arm.

”Where are you going? He’ll find you, pet. He’ll kill every last one of you.”

”Stop it! He’s not…”

”Yes he is. ”

”I…”

”Going home to mummy? Well he’s got an all access to your house, doesn’t he, slayer?”

”I didn’t know…”

”He’ll start with your friends. Kill everyone you care about. Torture them, making you watch, follow you around until you’re driven insane. That’s when he’ll kill you, luv. Slowly and painfully.”

Willow and Xander watched him with horror. She gulped loudly and the boy looked around, as if expecting to see the older vampire lurking in the shadows behind a bookshelf. Buffy was crying.

”I didn’t mean to…I didn’t know!”

”You never know do you?! Stupid bint!”

”He was so mean!” She was sobbing even harder now, wanted most of all to run and hide somewhere. Escape to denial-land, run to mommy - anywhere, but Spike wasn’t letting her, the grip on her arm was still firm. She could see her friends at the corner of her eye. How scared they were. She had betrayed them. She was the one who should have kept them safe. Now everyone was in danger, because of one stupid decision. Because she couldn’t keep her hands to herself. Because she wanted to prove a point. But all she had proven was the fact that she was the slut, hadn’t she? That Angel was right from the start. And she got a vampire lunatic in the bargain.

Before she really noticed what she did, she leant into Spike, resting her forehead against his shoulder, hiding her tears from the others. She didn’t want them to see her this way, this weak.

It was easy falling back into old habits. Spike couldn’t help it. He was irritated beyond words, but the small girl had an effect on him he didn’t want to think any harder about. He slowly let go of her arm and patted her head awkwardly. Her soft hair was like silk underneath his fingers, he had never felt anything so soft, and it calmed him down.

”Stop crying, will you?” His tone was harsher than he intended it to be, and he softened it before adding, ”You know how I can’t stand it when you cry.”

”He was so mean…”

Spike stayed silent. He wasn’t sure how to act. Should he comfort her? He wasn’t sure about what to tell a crying young girl. It was a long time since anyone had whispered sweet nothings in his ear, and he had forgotten how to say them as well.

”He told me he loved me.”

”That’s mean?”

”No, not that, he said it before. Didn’t he mean it?”

”Sounds like a typical thing the poof would say. I’m sure he meant it.”

Buffy leaned in closer to him, resting her cheek against his chest, facing away from her friends. Since he was a vampire she couldn’t hear a heartbeat, but she was used to it and found it oddly comforting. What was more odd was the relief she felt when being so close to him. Just like that time two years ago, when she was broken by her father leaving, he could comfort her by doing nothing at all. This time it was another man that had let her down, and another whose love she desperately seeked, but Spike was still the one that she could lean on.

Soon the room fell silent. Not even Xander dared to speak. The teenagers and Rupert Giles were staring at the couple in front of them, not believing their eyes. Sure, the vampire had obviously not come there to kill them, but they did not expect to see him so close to the young girl. For once they all did the right thing: they didn’t interfere with Buffy’s life.







A/N: Sorry about the angst. This fic was supposed to be funny, and now...well it's only getting darker. I promise more fluff in the next one, I'm getting depressed ...*lol*

Let me know what you think, leave a review! Thanks

”Look at what you’ve done!” Spike cried, pointing at his shirt.

Buffy giggled. There was a huge wet spot on his left shoulder. The t-shirt was black but the darker spot was still visible. Buffy straightened the duster on his shoulders so that it covered the result of her crying.

”There. Look, all better.”

”Better? I’ve got your snot all over my shirt!”

”That’s not snot!”

Spike arched an eyebrow at her disbelievingly. Buffy pouted.

”Okay, so maybe!”

”Maybe?! There’s snot! Slayer snot! Bollocks!”

”Oh come on, I always get demon goo on my clothes, and that’s practically impossible to get out! Snot can’t be worse.”

”I can’t go back to Dru like this!”

”Like what?”

”She’ll know.” Buffy laughed at the serious look on his face. ”I’m not bloody joking, slayer, she’ll smell it and she’ll know I’ve been here. How the hell am I going to explain smelling like the slayer?!”

”Well…you can say we fought! We do that! Sometimes…”

”And what? You tripped and fell and just happened to blow you nose on my clothes?”

”Heh...that rhymed.” Buffy giggled again.

She had reached what she usually referred to as her ’post-moping high’. The state which she entered after crying until she couldn’t cry anymore and had forgotten why she should. When she had no reason at all for being happy, but couldn’t help herself from laughing at the most ridiculous things. Buffy’s ’post-moping high’ was usually accompanied by a huge consumption of chocolate chip ice cream, but since there was no such delicacies in the library, some banter with Spike would have to do.

”Bugger this!” Spike turned to leave.

”Wait. We can get you another shirt. Giles, you’ve got an extra in your office right?”

”I, yes, well..” Giles didn’t know what to say. A minute ago, his slayer had been crying in the arms of a vampire and now they were…he didn’t know what to call it. The conversation between the girl and the vampire was so casual. So playful. Sure, he’d seen Buffy with Angel, when he had a soul, but they’d never been playful. Spike was more than a hundred years old, but he acted like a child. The watcher in Giles was bewildered.

”You think I’m wearing his clothes?! I bet his knickers are made of tweed! No way, Slayer.”

”Fine. Be all snotty.”

”It wouldn’t help anyway, what I need is a shower and a change of clothes. Do they have showers in this place?” Spike looked around the room.

”This is a library, with books. Not a public bath,” Buffy explained as if talking to a child.

”Ha, bloody ha, slayer”

Willow, who had been quiet, watching the conversation like Xander and Giles, said quietly, ”There’s always the locker rooms.”

”What?!” Buffy turned around, trying to look betrayed at her friend, who bowed down her head, looking very interested in the table’s wooden structure.

”Sounds good. Where?”

”You’re not showering in my school.”

”Why not? If I come back to the factory like this Drusilla will suspect something, and that will lead to a lot of bad on your part. Not that I care.” He paused, before continuing cheerfully: ”It will be fun, let’s see what she does with you! You know there was this one time in Paris, bloody amazing it was, she tied this young girl-”

”Show him the locker room, Buffy,” Giles interrupted and walked into his office.

”But-”

”Just bloody do it,” Giles said impatiently as he came back, and threw her a towel and a white t-shirt.

”You keep towels in the library?” Xander commented. He had been quiet the whole time, not understanding what was going on, and too afraid of Spike to speak his mind. Buffy had slept with Angel, and was now- whatever she was doing - with Spike? He was completely lost. He wanted to say that the girl before him wasn’t the Buffy he’d met more than a year ago, but it was, and that’s what scared him. Xander settled for remarking on Giles’ actions instead. ”Shirts, towels why don’t we just open a mall?”

”We do train here, Xander. Show him the locker rooms, Buffy.”

Buffy gave Giles the silent treatment and an icy glare before she walked out of the library. Spike followed without a word.
* * *

After walking in silence, Buffy and Spike reached the boys’ locker room. They could hear voices on the inside. The football practice happened to be over for the day and the team was busy changing and showering.

”There’s people in there,” Spike stated.

”Yeah.”

Spike opened the door and looked inside, but stepped out quickly and closed the door again.

”I’m not going in there.”

At first Spike had thought about what an opportunity this was: a room full of human boys. Practically a buffet set only for him. If the Slayer wasn’t standing right beside him, of course. There was no way she’d let him get away with killing right under her nose. She seemed to have forgotten that he was a vampire at the moment, but Spike suspected it wouldn’t last long. He didn’t know the girl very well, but there was something he’d learned: she had the worst kind of mood swings. There was another downside to the football player massacre he was thinking of: the sweat. There was about fifteen teenage boys in there all sweaty and muddy. Could have sounded sexy to a girl, but to a vampire with enhanced smell? Not likely.

”Why not?”

”There’s people in there.”

”Right.” Buffy reminded herself that he was a vampire. Okay, so not the best idea. ”There’s always the girls’ locker room. I don’t think someone’s using it now.”

”The girls’?”

”I mean, it shouldn’t matter, what with no girls being in there.” Buffy pointed across the hall. ”It’s over here.”

”I’m not using the girls’ locker room,” Spike said. Buffy sighed. What was she doing anyway? Helping him? She was doing what Giles had told her to do. Yeah. That was it.

Spike continued. ”Someone could enter, some spoiled little brat, scare them half to death I would.”

”And since when do you think that’s bad?” Buffy asked incredulously.

*Great mate, now even the slayer thinks you’re going soft.* Spike thought. He didn’t even know why he cared, it was just a room anyway. No, that was a lie, he knew why it felt wrong: it was those leftovers from his William days, telling him how rude it was to go into a lady’s dressing room. He snorted. Bugger that wanker. He died years ago.

”I don’t. But I figured you do.”

”Just get in there, you big baby.”

”I’m the baby? Who was the one who snorted all over my shirt?” He huffed but grabbed the towel an the t-shirt, opened the door and got in.

”I’ll…just wait here,” Buffy said to herself.

* * *

When Jenny had finished for the day, and left a bunch of newly corrected tests behind, she made her way towards the library. She was thinking about asking Giles out, he was after all almost too sweet. As she came into the Brit’s place of work, while contemplating what was more appropriate for a first date; Mexican or Italian, she could hear raised voices. Rupert was talking to the teenagers. Jenny didn’t want to interrupt and stayed in the background, not being noticed by any of the others.

”What just happened? Is it me, or are things getting real creepy?” It was the boy. Jenny identified him as Alexander Harris.

”Yes, it would seem that we have another threat to worry about, and not one to be taken lightly.”

”No, I’m not talking about Angel, not that he’s not wig-worthy. What I’m saying is: what is Buffy doing cuddling fang face number two?”

”Xander-” The girl, Willow spoke up. Jenny had always liked her, she was one of those students that really showed an interest in what you do as a teacher.

”No, seriously, have we forgotten that we slay demons?”

”I have to admit that the situation is rather… unusual, it seems Buffy share some-”

”No. No sharing, not if it doesn’t involve a stake and a cloud of dust. You can’t say that you’re okay with this Big G?”

”I am most certainly not ’okay’ with this situation, and don’t call me that. But if the information Spike gave us is correct then-”

”Is he really as bad as Spike had said?” Willow asked the watcher.

”He could possibly be worse.”

She whimpered. Giles went on, while rubbing his glasses as Jenny had learnt he did whenever he was nervous. ”We have to prepare for what’s coming, and Spike looks like a potential ally.”

”Ally? For all we know, this is some plan of his, making Buffy kill Angel so that they can’t go after him together! How can we trust a word he says?”

”Because Buffy does,” Willow said quietly, not daring to look at her friend. There was a short moment of silence before Xander responded, his voice cold:

”Like she trusted Angel?”

Another moment of silence. Giles opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, but closed it again. Willow was the one to reply.

”Xander, that was harsh.”

He sighed, but went on. ”Well someone’s gotta say it! If it wasn’t for her ’trust’ in Angel, he wouldn’t be all Angelus now!”

”Xander, I think the situation is rather unfortunate as well, but let’s not point fingers, shall we? We really don’t know how any of this happened, and if Angel really lost his soul, then we have more pressing matters to discuss.”

Jenny froze. No. It couldn’t have happened, could it? The curse was broken?

”What are we going to do?” Willow asked.

”Well…I’m leaning towards blind panic myself,” Giles said, and Willow whimpered again. He gave her an apologetic glance. ”I’m sorry. It’s just…things were bad enough with Spike in town, and now with Angel crossing over to the other side…I, I wasn’t prepared for that.”

Jenny felt the panic start to rise. She had failed her people. The thing she dreaded the most these past months had happened without her even noticing. She stepped forward.

”He’s Angelus?”

”Jenny! Hi.” Giles greeted the younger woman, nervously. ”Yes, uh…it would seem we have some alarming news. Angel might have lost his soul, though, we’re not sure how that is possible.”

So it was true. Jenny was terrified. Only one word escaped her lips: ”Buffy.”

”Yes, she is rather upset, as one can understand. I’m going to consult my books, maybe you could find something on, uh, your computer?”

”A moment of true happiness.”

”Excuse me?”

”Nothing.”

”Do you know something about this that we don’t?”

Jenny took a deep breath. She couldn’t lie anymore. If she knew Giles as well as she thought she did, they were going to fight Angelus. She wanted to help, to be there. Even if she was the one who hadn’t been able to keep the curse intact. She began to explain.

* * *

Standing in a deserted school corridor wasn’t exactly Buffy’s idea of fun. All she could do was wait. From inside the locker room, she could hear the shower turning on, the sound of water hitting the tiled floor. She sighed and tapped her foot impatiently. This was a stupid idea. When she thought about it, the whole situation was absurd. She was standing in her school corridor making sure that no students entered the room where one of the most dangerous vampire was showering. One that she, in capacity of the Slayer, should stake through the heart without giving it a second thought. But things weren’t that easy, especially since she’d cried in him arms again, only a couple of minutes ago. He and his stupid limbs getting in her way. Just the thought of Spike comforting her seemed unreal, but it felt right. He’d done it once, why not again?

Buffy’s thoughts were interrupted by seeing Snyder on the other end of the corridor, walking out of his office. *Crap!* she thought. Snyder was so not the person she wanted to meet - she had to hide.

As Buffy saw it, she had two choices: hide in the locker room that Spike at the moment was occupying, or hide in the bathroom behind the door beside it. It was like one of those game shows on TV where you get to choose between doors, not knowing what prize is behind them. But Buffy knew: on one hand she could get a possibly wet and naked Spike, and on the other, a flooded toilet. The choice should have been easy.

The time that in fact lapsed from the moment she saw Snyder, to when she made her decision, was just a matter of seconds. For Buffy it felt like an eternity. This was it. She opened the door of the locker room trying to close it behind her as fast, yet as quietly, as she could. She stood there gripping the door handle, staring into the white, blank door, and tried to come up with an explanation as to why she was there, that Spike would buy.

Snyder was outside. She had to. If she’d hidden in the bathroom Spike might have walked out, practically running into her principal, and that wouldn’t be of the good. Or maybe it would? She could ask Spike to kill Snyder for her… Okay, skip that. No one was going to kill anyone. She turned around.

Buffy felt her mouth go dry. If someone had been watching her, they probably would have described her look as something similar to a goldfish: round wide eyes, and mouth agape, but the vision before her was enough to excuse her for looking like a fool.

On each side of Buffy there were rows with lockers and benches in between them. On the other end of the room was the entrance to the showers and that was where he was standing. He wasn’t posing as he usually did when he fought. He was standing there relaxed, his back turned to her, drying his platinum blond hair with the towel, making the hair gel loose its hold and leave a mess of curls behind. Drops of water were running down his muscled yet slender back, over the skin that seemed even paler under the light from the fluorescent tubes.

To say that he was the most beautiful man alive, or in this case undead, or even that he was perfect, wouldn’t have been a lie. Buffy couldn’t take her eyes off him.

She had seen him without a shirt on before, in that hotel room, but this was different. He was naked. He was stark naked, and Buffy found him absolutely beautiful.

Before Spike had tied the towel around his hips and turned around, Buffy got the chance to ogle him all over. Just like before, the time that lapsed was merely a couple of seconds, but Buffy seriously considered being frozen in time, a possible explanation since she was standing on top of a Hellmouth.

Spike turned around finally and she kept staring, now at the towel, trying hard not to picture what was hiding behind it. It was worthless. Suddenly, she could hear his voice. *Oh my god! He said something, what did he say?*

“Huh?” She looked up at him, confused and blushing.

Spike smirked. “I said: ‘can’t stay away from me can you?’”

“Oh. No! I, Snyder came by. The principal. I had to hide.”

“How convenient.” Spike kept smirking and Buffy decided to change the subject.

“Are you done?”

“Do I look done to you?” he said, referring to his state of undress.

“Oh! I, I’ll just...” She turned around to let him have his privacy. Spike chuckled at her actions. He wasn’t the type to be modest, he wouldn’t have minded the slayer seeing him in his naked glory. *That would teach her something* he thought. But Buffy seemed to have other plans.

Spike chuckled again and started to pull on his pants, and reluctantly put on the t-shirt he got from Giles. It wasn’t the best idea, since Dru would probably notice he’d changed: white wasn’t exactly his favorite color. But he could make something up. His princess trusted him, he was sure.

“So how’s your girlfriend?”

Buffy had to say something. The situation was starting to make her feel uncomfortable. She wasn’t actually interested in knowing about his girlfriend, but it was the only thing besides ‘how’s killing going?’ that she could think of. As Buffy heard him zip up his jeans, she turned around and looked at him. He was wearing Giles’ t-shirt. Buffy smiled to herself, so much for ‘not wearing his clothes.’

“Haven’t we played this game, with the questions?” Spike said, irritated. “Dru’s not someone you should worry your pretty little head about.”

“I was just wondering, no need to get grumpy.”

“Well don’t.”

“Fine.”

He sighed, but admitted. “She’s not well. Okay?”

“Oh...Sorry.”

“Yeah, well, guess she’s Angelus’ problem now, not that he ever knew what to do with her, the wanker.”

“He’s with her?”

Spike really didn’t want to think about that detail. When he’d came home from hunting, just before dawn, he had found Angelus practically all over Drusilla, and she was giggling like mad. He growled just from the thought of it. *Calm down, you git. You’re the one she’d been with all these years, not the poof.* But he still wasn’t sure if leaving them alone was a good idea. Drusilla wasn’t exactly known for her faithfulness.

“Probably. He’s her sire,” he said, but Buffy was confused. “Don’t they teach you anything? He’s her sire, he made her, and she made me.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. ‘Oh’.”

“So what now?”

“I’ll get back. Make sure she’s okay.”

“Pricilla?”

“Drusilla”

“Right.”

“Want me to send your regards to loverboy?”

“Yeah, you can tell him... tell him he was the biggest mistake of my life.”

“With pleasure.”

With that, Spike left the locker room and Buffy made her way back to the library, lost in thought.

Today had been a very weird day.






A/N: As I've said before the updates of this fic will be sporadic, if anyone would like to know when I update send me an email at ninsen88@hotmail.com and I'll put you on my mailing list. Thanks.

When Spike came back to the factory through the sewer entrance, he could hear the sounds of grunting and moaning before he even came close to the bedroom. His bedroom. His and Drusilla’s. Even through the stench from the sewage, he could smell it. Blood, and that distinct smell that was sex. Spike changed into game face and clenched his fists.

Not again.

* * *

As Buffy came back from her adventure with Spike and walked into the library, the room fell silent. Her friends and Jenny had been discussing something loudly when they saw her and stopped mid-sentence, looking rather ashamed. Buffy examined their faces suspiciously, but asked them in her usual cheery tone:

”What’s the what?”

”How did things with Spike go?” Giles asked her back. He wasn’t really sure that sending his Slayer away with that vampire had been a very a good idea, but at the time, all that bantering had gotten on his nerves. Nor was Giles sure about telling the young blonde about the latest development when it came to Angelus, but he knew it was unavoidable.

”Things? Well, he showered, acted like a pig and took off.”

”Good. I’m afraid we have some news. Jenny?”

”I…”

”About Angel? Was he here?” Buffy became nervous. She had effectively suppressed all thoughts about her ex-boyfriend for the last 20 minutes, but now she wasn’t sure that it had been the best idea. Had something happened to any of her friends?

”No, nothing like that. But it seems Jenny here knew about the curse not being one hundred percent fool-proof.”

”What?”

”She’s some gypsy girl, being all stalker cos her uncle told her to,” Xander explained from his position at the table.

”Huh?” Buffy was still confused.

”I was sent here to watch him. Angel,” Jenny said.

”What? Did you know what was going to happen?!”

”No! I- I only knew that if Angel experienced one moment of true happiness, then he would lose his soul. I was sent to Sunnydale to prevent that from happening.”

”I can’t believe this!” Buffy exclaimed incredulously. She started laughing almost manically. ”What did you do, spy on us?” Buffy didn’t get an answer. ”Who are you?”

”My uncle warned me about the relationship Angel had with you, but it was too late.”

”Too late?!”

”Please calm down, both of you.” Giles stepped in. He wanted most of all to set his Slayer on the woman that he had trusted and become very fond of, but he knew better.

”Calm down?!”

”This leads us nowhere. I can’t say I approve with Jenny’s…um little scheme, but the situation we happen to be in the middle of is far more urgent than what you’re arguing about. She’s on our side, Buffy.”

Buffy murmured something incoherently under her breath, but didn’t object.

”Think about it this way Buff: on the upside it looks like Dead boy really was hit by the Buffinator,” Xander said.

”He really loved you. You know, perfect happiness,” Willow filled in.

”But on the downside:” Xander continued ”Well, I guess he doesn’t anymore and…you’re gonna have to kill him.”

Buffy was silent, clenching her teeth, staring at Jenny.

”Buffy, earlier you mentioned seeing Angel after he lost his soul?” Giles asked carefully. Buffy nodded in response, she relaxed some but didn’t take her eyes off Jenny. ”How was he acting? Was he aggressive? Threatening? Did you fight?”

”No,” she said calmly. ”It was worse. He was just… really mean.”

”That’s worse? I would say getting killed is worse, but hey, we all- ”

”This is a serious situation, Xander.” Giles glanced at the boy disapprovingly, before turning back to Buffy. ”Did you get the feeling that he was going to come after you, like Spike said?”

”I don’t know, Giles.” Buffy sighed, but continued. ”I think Spike knows what he’s talking about. I mean it’s totally wiggy but they’re family and all that.”

”Family? What? Is he like the creepy uncle that comes over every thanksgiving? Or I know! The scary vampire Mafia brother!”

”Angel made Drusilla, she made Spike,” Buffy responded simply, not finding Xander very funny.

At this point, Buffy realized she was holding something in her right hand. A black cotton t-shirt. Spike’s. She didn’t remember it, but he must have left it in the locker room and she had somehow picked it up. Buffy fingered the soft material. She felt an odd need to smell the fabric, but decided not to. It was best not to let her friends think she was crazier than they already did.

”Drusilla? Interesting. I think I read something about her in the chronicles…” Giles turned around to look for the books, and returned with five small ones all bound in brown leather. ”Something about her having a taste for nuns…”

”She’s Spike’s girlfriend or whatever.” Buffy tried to sound casual, but in her own mind she sounded like a jealous schoolgirl with a crush. No one seemed to notice or think the same, and Buffy ignored the feeling. *It’s just because you got a glimpse of his ass today...Okay don’t think about that. Bad Buffy.*

”He’s got a girlfriend? But…” Willow looked at her confused. Buffy didn’t really want to respond to that, and luckily Giles saved her from having to do so.

”Have you by any chance met her too?”

”No. But I think she’s in Sunnydale.”

”She’s here? Oh dear lord.” Giles grew slightly pale. He closed the book he was reading. ”Are you saying that there are three master vampires in Sunnydale at the same time?”

”The Master is dead Giles, remember?”

”Yes, I was only referring to-”

”There has to be a way to get Angel back? Right? To curse him again or whatever?” Buffy said impatiently.

”The spell..it’s not complete. I have picked up pieces here and there. But the language, it needs to be translated…It’s not…” Jenny answered nervously. Buffy turned to her again, and became instantly angry.

"I don't care... just... fix it, okay? Before everything else deteriorates!"

Buffy walked out of library. Her friends were yet again shocked by her behavior.

* * *

Spike ran into the bedroom, in full game face, roaring. He wouldn’t allow this. He hadn’t a hundred years ago and he wouldn’t now.

The scene before him was sickening; his dear old Angelus on the bed thrusting violently into his princess who was lying underneath. They were screaming. Not the bad kind of screaming, the result of too much pain, but the screaming of a man and a woman enjoying themselves. The large piece of furniture was rocking underneath their movements with a creaking sound and the black silk dress that Drusilla had been wearing, the one that Spike had stolen for her in Prague, was lying in shreds on the bedroom floor. Their grunting made Spike nauseous.

When he had left them not even an hour ago, Angelus had been walking around the factory like he owned the place and Drusilla had been clinging to his side or dancing before him, humming softly to herself. Angelus had watched her hungrily but Spike had thought that maybe, just maybe, Drusilla would for once appreciate that he was the one who had taken care of her for the last century, not Angelus. He couldn’t be more wrong.

Spike grabbed his grandsire by the shoulders and threw him across the room and into the shelf where Drusilla’s dolls were carefully placed in rows. Drusilla howled in disappointment of being torn away from her daddy, but soon saw her dolls breaking and hurried to save her babies.

”Get the hell away from her!”

Angelus rose to his feet slowly, wiped the blood that was pouring from his nose with the sleeve of his shirt and started laughing.

”Away? Why would I wanna do that…Willy?”

Spike roared again, and jumped him, sending the two of them crashing onto the floor into one big mess of fists and fangs.

”You stay away from her! Got me?!” Spike managed to get on top, and was sending fist after fist into Angelus’ face, in blinding rage. He kept punching, the blood was flowing down over his grandsire’s chest, and dripping off Spike’s closed fists, but Angelus kept laughing.

”Who are we” Another punch. ”Talking about” Another. ”William?” Angelus bit out. He was not fighting back anymore, but he was leering and laughing all the same.

”She’s mine,” Spike said dangerously through gritted teeth. He got up and looked down at the mess on the floor beneath him. His grandsire was naked except for an open shirt and a pair of black socks, but his upper half was covered in blood, and the rest in sweat.

Spike had no idea why the older vampire hadn’t defended himself. He was as strong as Spike, maybe stronger, and didn’t usually take beatings from younger vampires, but today, he looked tired…drained. Spike should have felt great, he had finally got the chance to give the old man a taste of his own medicine. How many times had he been beaten by the bastard as a fledging? How many times had Angelus taken Drusilla from him, when he was still new to this world? When Spike couldn’t put up any resistance? But that look in his grandsire’s eyes, that glint, that wanted to tell him he knew all there was to know about him. That confident smirk. Spike kicked him in the stomach.

”Did you hear me? She’s mine.”

Drusilla had been sitting on the bed watching them. She was giggling like mad with the dolls she’d been able to save on her lap. She was bouncing up and down in excitement and started to purr like a cat.

”Aww… You boys… mommy’s little princes, fighting over me...”

”Didn’t I tell you once, Willy?” Angelus rose to his feet, but with great difficulty. ”She’s not yours to have. I was doing you a favor, really. I can tell when she’s not satisfied.”

”Shut up! She’s weak! She shouldn’t strain herself, you prick!”

”She’s weak, now? Oh I don’t know about that, she was acting kind of wild with me, you know how she wants to take control, you should see the marks on my back…”

”Shut your gob!” Spike pushed Angelus against the brick wall, and held a splinter he’d managed to pick up from the broken furniture, against his chest. Angelus was still laughing at him. ”Shut. Your. Gob.”

”But Daddy cured princess. Made her well with rivers and heat. Gave her nice things…white little lilies covered in blood…”

”Dru?” Spike loosened his grip on Angelus, throwing a confused look over at Drusilla. What was she going on about?

Angelus picked up the pants that was lying on the floor and pulled them on, grimacing in pain.

”I’m surprised you couldn’t cure her, but I guess you were too busy going after that slayerwhore, what’s her name again?”

Spike closed his fists again. Usually, Spike would kill somebody for even insinuating something like what the older vampire had just said, but this time, he decided that taunting Angelus about Buffy might just be even more fun.

”Buffy. The girl you spent months chasing after, and I do mean in the typical frat boy way. The one that told me you were a mistake. Yeah I met her.”

”Then why didn’t you kill her Spike? It used to be your thing.”

”Nah. I’ll let you have the honour. You must really have it in for her after she humiliated you like that. Making you wait on her with the big puppy eyes.”

”Don’t worry, I’ll kill her.”

Drusilla looked from her sire to her childe. She didn’t like them talking about this Slayer. That girl had too much influence on them both. Drusilla might not show it, but she knew. She decided to turn their attention back to where it belonged.

”Mummy’s okay again, Spike. She can dance, and play and water the flowers in the garden. Will you buy me a pony now?”

”Should listen to her, Spike. I mean - all it took was a bite.”

Spike looked at his sire. She was a vampire, therefore pale, but she looked more alive than she had been in months. Her hair was shiny, her eyes were clear; she looked truly powerful.

”But she’ll probably need more in the next few days, sire’s blood, always does the trick doesn’t it? But then you wouldn’t know. You’re not going to stop me from curing my girl are you Willy?”

”Daddy’s home. We can be a family now.”

Family? They hadn’t been a family in almost a century. And that was when Darla had been alive and steered Angelus’ attention from Drusilla to her own bed. Drusilla was his only family now. This pillock wasn’t going to change that.

Spike grabbed Drusilla by the arm and dragged her past Angelus and out of the bedroom. As they walked out the door, Spike could hear Angelus say the same words he had said himself a couple of nights ago:

”She’s not your girl, mate.”

* * *

Buffy was tired. The gang had been going from house to house, everywhere they thought that Angel might have an invitation that they needed to call back. Willow had been in seventh heaven around all the spell ingredients and Giles had after much nagging, let her help him with getting it together. They had never done a de-invite spell before, probably because they hadn’t invited very many vampires, and Giles hadn’t even been sure that the spell was going to work. But Buffy had made up her mind: a wonky spell was better than no spell at all. Hopefully.

It was dark outside when she followed Willow home later that night. The others; Giles, Xander, Jenny and even Cordelia had all been at her house, the last one to get the de-invite spell, about an hour ago. They had been working on a science project, or at least that was what they were telling her mother, when she questioned about the strange mixture they were making. It was getting harder to lie to her, but Buffy couldn’t see any other way.

”And then how it turned green, that was so cool, though I’m not sure it should do that, and the smoke? Did you see the smoke, cos there was lots of smoke-”

”Huh? What are we talking about?” Buffy snapped out of her thoughts and interrupted the redhead’s rant.

”The spell!”

”Oh! Right! I knew that.”

Willow smiled kindly. ”Other things on your mind, huh?”

”Yeah.”

”Is this about Xander? Did he open his mouth again? Cos if he did I’m going to step on his toes. Hard. I know he’s not exactly Angel-friendly but he means well, Buffy. Most of the time.”

”No, Xander didn’t… I’m just…confused, you know? Everybody’s freaking out cos Angel’s... well… soulless, and me too! But they haven’t even met him yet, and everybody’s talking about de-inviting and resouling and killing, and…he didn’t kill me, Willow. What if…what if he’s like Spike?”

”Buffy…there is a reason why he was cursed in the first place. You read Giles’ books, didn’t you?” Willow saw the embarrassed look on her friend’s face and went on.”Okay so you didn’t, but I did. He’s bad news, believe me.”

”I know...it’s just…Spike doesn’t have a soul either and he’s…I know he’s a killer, and evil and all that, but around me he’s like a….a dog. He can look scary, you know with the teeth and the growling and stuff, and he can be very irritating, but he’s really soft if you pat him and…okay bad analogy…but do you get what I’m saying?”

”I…think so.”

”Good.”

”So does he really have a girlfriend?”

”Yup.”

”Hmm. But what about you guys?”

Buffy stopped and looked at her friend. ”What about what?”

”He was really sweet today in the library. And you know, scary. But only when he talked about Angel. And when he shouted.”

”He does that a lot, huh?”

Willow whimpered a ’yes’ but smiled at her friend.

”There is no Spike and I, okay? My boyfriend, or whatever he was, Angel happens to be a little more evil than usual, but that doesn’t mean that-”

”Sorry!”

”Apology accepted.”

”But Buffy, you didn’t even tell me that you were…you know?”

”What?”

”You know…You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?”

”What, Will?” That innocent look on Buffy’s face really annoyed the redhead, especially since it was real and told her Buffy had no idea what she was talking about. Willow took a deep breath.

”That you were…you know-” Willow leaned in closer and whispered: ”Doing it?”

”We weren’t…! Okay once. But it wasn’t really planned. It just happened.”

”Happened?” Willow repeated. She didn’t believe that things just ’happened’. It was a big deal, and Buffy seemed too casual about it. Willow knew that her friend took sex seriously, it wasn’t just something that happened with the first guy that showed an interest in her.

”Happened.” Buffy repeated and continued walking.

”But how was it?”

”How was it?” Buffy exclaimed incredulously. Willow wanted to know about her having sex? Sometimes the shy redhead really surprised her. ”What, do you want details?”

”No! Sorry, that’s private, I just…”

”Weird. It was weird.” Willow frowned, and Buffy continued. ”Somehow I’d just expected more, like in the movies with the soft music and the candlelight, and everything would just be… beautiful. And that’s just silly, believe me, I know, especially since I was the one who started it, really started it. I was… all slutty. It was going way too fast. And now it feels like… this is what I get, you know? With Angelus. My fault.”

”Buffy, no…this is not…No!”

”Well, yeah. One big cosmic joke for Buffy. Someone up there is trying to punish me, really!”

Willow smiled softly at her friend.

”Do you regret it? If it wasn’t what made Angel go all…I mean, we don’t know if it’d triggered it, but…”

”No.” Buffy said with a stern expression, but she soon became unsure and looked down at the ground. ”Yes. A little bit? I don’t know.” She sighed. ”Things are just so messed up.”

Willow stopped, and Buffy realized they had reached the Rosenberg residence.

”It will work out, Buffy.”

”Yeah, I hope so.”

Buffy said goodbye to Willow and made sure that she got into her house safely. Buffy didn’t want to take any unnecessary chances, what with all the evil creatures around. She slowly made her way back towards her own house on Revello Drive.

Buffy half expected to see Angelus leaping out of the nearest bush and attacking her, but everything was still, only a stray cat ran across the road. But Buffy had her favorite stake in a firm grip in her hand, just in case.

As she reached her home she could see a figure leaning against a tree in her front yard. It was dark, but Buffy didn’t need lights to tell her who it was. She felt her body freeze and her heart beat faster. So this was it. She let out a shaky breath. She hadn’t expected to see him again so soon. Well, it didn’t matter. She could do this, she was the slayer. And he? He was…

Angelus.




A/N: I'm a bit nervous about this one. Is it good? Am I getting sloppy? Please let me know. ~Nina

Angelus wasn’t satisfied. He hadn’t had a good kill in a hundred years and he was eager to get back into his old ways. He had fed on three teens just an hour ago but he could still feel the taste of pig’s blood in his mouth and it taunted him.

If it wasn’t for that slayer bitch, he wouldn’t have been as much of an embarrassment to his own kind as he was now. He hated to admit it, but Spike was right; she had humiliated him. It was time to pay her back; in blood.

Angelus knew everything there was to know about the destruction of a human being. How to make them weak, how to make them tremble in fear, to scream in pain. But a Slayer? She had power. But she also had darkness in her, he could sense it, just below the surface. Angelus longed for the chance to bring it out, and then: to make her suffer.

He had thought of everything: how he was going to pick her friends off one by one, maybe leave one out, make the Slayer watch while he raped her. He wanted to drive her insane. But so far things hadn’t gone as planned. Joyce, the Slayer’s mother whom he had chosen as the first victim, preferably lying dead in the kitchen when the Slayer came home, hadn’t let him in so that he could fulfill his plans.

When Angelus sensed the Slayer approaching from his spot in the front yard of Revello Drive 1630, he thought that things may turn out just as good. Something he’d learned over the years was that the fear of what was to come, sometimes was worse than the deed itself. He smiled to himself and leaned casually against a tree on the well-mowed lawn. He could wait.

* * *

Buffy stood frozen in place on the sidewalk just outside her home. The figure before her walked slowly up to her, dangerously close. Buffy remained still. As he came near her, the street lamp above them shone its light over the vampire’s face and Buffy was surprised at what she saw. His face was badly beaten. For a second Buffy forgot about the reality of the situation and she wondered who had messed him up so badly. She felt sorry for him. A second later she remembered that this wasn’t her brooding almost-boyfriend. She felt the terror come back and it hit her hard in the face. He wanted to kill her.

”What do you want?” she asked coldly.

”Oh come on, none of that. I know we got off on the wrong foot this morning, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun.”

”Don’t bother.”

”Still mad, baby?”

”I know what you are. You’re not him. You’re not Angel.”

”I am Angel, pumpkin. Your boyfriend’s long gone. Better get used to it.”

”I won’t have to.”

”Oh, I think you will.”

”I’ll kill you.”

He laughed at her mockingly. She tried to punch him in the face but he blocked her fist easily and held on to her wrist.

”You know, I spoke to your mother today.”

Buffy looked panicked at her house and back to the vampire in front of her. *No! No, no, no. Not her!* She twisted out of his hold and ran towards the front door, on the verge of tears.

”Smart woman, knows what’s best for her. But don’t worry, we’ll meet up another time. Darla told me she was a real treat!”

As if on cue, Buffy saw her mother go through the well lit living room inside the house and she let out a breath of relief. But she soon turned mad, spun around and walked back up to Angelus.

”Don’t you ever come near my mother again,” she growled dangerously as she looked at him straight in the eye. She turned her back on him and walked, shaking, but with determined steps back to her house.

It’s not the smartest thing to turn your back on your enemy, but Buffy didn’t care. She was not going to make Angelus think that she was afraid of him. He would not get that pleasure.

”We’ll see about that, little girl. Things are about to get very interesting.”

* * *

”Mom!” Buffy shouted as she opened the front door.

”Hi honey, did Willow make it home all right?”

”Yeah, mom, are you okay?” Buffy asked as she entered the living room where Joyce was lying on the sofa, a cup of tea in her hand, watching some bad soap.

”I’m just tired hun, we had a busy day at the gallery today, a new shipment from France came in, did I tell you that? There are some really nice sculptures in the spare bedroom, if you would like to see.”

”No, that’s okay. Mom, did Angel come over?”

”Your tutor in history?”

”Eh…” It took some time for Buffy to understand what she was asking. It dawned on her that her mother had only met Angel on one occasion; when she had invited him to her place after a bad fight to patch up. The white lie that Angel was her tutor seemed to have stayed with her mother. Buffy went with it. ”Yeah! That’s him.”

”He was here just a minute ago, seemed really eager to see you. Wanted me to invite him in to wait for you, but I thought it was late, you can see him tomorrow can’t you?”

”No!”

”Buffy?” Joyce questioned and frowned a little at Buffy’s outburst.

”He- we had a fight! I don’t want to see him again, ever! Okay? Don’t let him in!”

”Sure hun, but don’t you think you’re overreacting? Shouldn’t you two work it out?”

”Mom! I’m saying I don’t want to meet the older, possibly dangerous college boy, and you’re objecting? What kind of mom are you?!”

Joyce smiled kindly at her daughter. ”I’ll tell him to stay away if I see him.”

”No, don’t! Look, I’ll take care of it okay? Just don’t invite him in.”

”Sure, honey.”

”I’m beat. I’m just gonna go to bed.”

”Already? Okay, goodnight then honey.”

Buffy walked up the stairs and didn’t even bother to brush her teeth before she slipped into her pyjamas and into her bed.

She couldn’t believe that it was just this morning that she had come home from Angel’s place in tears. It felt like so long ago, so much had happened. Just as Buffy was starting to drift off into sleep, when there was a loud knock on her bedroom window. She sat up reluctantly.

”Angel?” she asked, before she realized that Angel wouldn’t pay her any nightly visits any more, not of the good kind anyway. Not that there ever had been any of the good kind, a kiss at the most. And those times, Buffy could count with one hand. She sighed. There was no one outside the window. She fell back onto the bed, and closed her eyes.

Another bang, a stone thrown on the pane of glass, and then another. Buffy sat up again, muttered to herself but went over to the window. She opened it and looked out.

”Come down here, you stupid cow!”

”Spike?” Buffy asked incredulously. He was indeed standing in her backyard. ”Did you just call me a cow?”

”You heard me Blondie! Come down here!”

”Shh! My mother will hear! I’m coming!” Buffy hissed and climbed out of the window, still in her pj’s, and jumped gracefully down on the ground beside him.

”This is all your bloody fault, Slayer!”

”Wait, what now?” Bufy frowned. ”Are you going to blame me every time you’ve got a problem?”

”Every time you’re responsible!”

The truth was, Spike wasn’t sure why he had gone to see the Slayer. He had been pacing the factory impatiently the whole day, fuming, until he couldn’t take it any more. Fortunately for Spike, Angelus had gone out at the same time, which meant he didn’t need to worry about leaving his sire in that bastard’s hands again. At the moment the only thing Spike was sure of was that his princess had been unfaithful with Angelus and that he needed someone to blame. The Slayer happened to be that perfect someone.

”Right”

”It’s your fault the bloody Poofter is reformed!”

”Haven’t we done this thing already?”

”Guess the ninny was right about you all along, you can’t keep your hands off the goodies! You had to go and shag that nancyboy, only thinkin’ about yourself-”

”Hey!” Buffy objected, but Spike kept going.

”Guess he couldn’t take it, eh? Hadn’t had much play in the last centuries, I get that, but maybe it was you? Maybe he finally realized that you were a waste of time, and got over that whole soul-deal.”

”That’s not-!” Buffy stopped herself. She wasn’t in the mood to start arguing with Spike. ”You know what? You’re out of your mind.”

”Says the girl who was locked in the loony-bin!”

She sighed. ”What’s your point, Spike?”

”I’m saying it’s your bloody fault! Yours and the Poofter! Mucking up everything! Me and Dru could have been on our merry way to Brazil by now! Now, I can hardly get Captain Forehead, the evil version, off our backs!”

”And…?”

”You’re the Slayer, do your thing: slay!”

”You want me to slay Angelus?”

”Yeah!”

”It’s not that simple.”

”I say we make it that simple.”

”’We’? Are you offering to help?” Buffy said disbelievingly.

”No.” Spike looked almost embarrased. Why had he said ’we’? This wasn’t his problem. ”I’m a vampire. I don’t…help, but I guess that’s what Peaches did, wasn’t it? Help?”

”Yeah, it was. But I can’t ask him to kill himself, can I?”

”Oh, that would been neat!”

”Yeah.” Buffy smiled.

There was a moment of silence. Spike had forgotten why he was mad at the slayer, or maybe he’d figured out he didn’t have any reason for being mad at the her, other than the obvious: her status as the chosen one.

”He came by today,” Buffy said finally. ”Threatened my mom.”

”Yeah?”

”He’s serious isn’t he? Not just the regular demon that’s all talk?”

”Afraid so, pet.”

”How did things get this messed up? Seriously?”

”Well, I think it started with you jumping that brooding sod’s bones-”

”You just can’t stop thinking about that, can you?”

”Nope. I mean, who on earth would want-”

”You told me to-”

”I told you to? You shagged him, because I told you to? So if I told you to shag that watcher of yours would you do it, too?”

”Eww! Can you be more gross?”

”Hmm…lets’ see, I think I can. Wanna know how?”

”No.”

He chuckled as he saw her cheeks turn pink. He was right when he said this chit had a dirty mind. No doubt about that.

”Why do you even care about Angelus?” Buffy changed the subject.

”Why? Why do you care?”

”Me? Because I’m the Slayer.”

”And?”

”And it’s my job to take care of demons.”

”Your job?" Spike snorted. "That doesn’t make you care.”

”I’m human! I care if he kills someone... I don’t know! Why do you care?”

”Told you, I don’t want him around Dru. He’s been souled for a hundred years and all of a sudden he comes back and act like he’s the manly man.” He snorted. ”’Daddy’…”

”Wait. Did you, did you fight him? Like, today?”

”What about it?”

”You did, didn’t you! He was all bruised!”

”Yeah. Got a couple of good shots,” Spike bragged. ”Made him turn all black and blue.”

”Why did you punch him? Wait. It was her wasn’t it? She cheated on you, Drusilla, with him!”

Buffy was feeling very good with herself. She wasn’t a people person, she couldn’t read people, but she trusted her intuition. This time she knew she was right.

”No she didn’t.”

”Yes she did! Oh my god! That’s-”

”Shut your bloody gob, slayer! Don’t talk about things you know nothing about! You’re just one self-centered little cheerleader, who can’t stop crying long enough to save the world! You’re just mad cos your loverboy’s gone evil, and I’ve been with my girl for a lifetime! You’re jealous!”

”Jealous?” Buffy laughed. That had to be the worst comeback ever. ”Please! Where is Dru now, Spike? Where was Dru when I met you in San Francisco? Huh? Where was Dru when you kissed me?”

”Did not!”

”Did too!”

”Fine! So what if you’re right? Eh? Satisfied? Cos god knows you need more satisfaction in your life besides that one-timer with Captain Forehead, and…I never really like you anyway, and…And you’ve got stupid hair!”

Spike could feel the words go dry in his mouth, but it was too late. He spat out what was left and it wasn’t something to be proud of. He was usually inventive when it came to smart insults, but this time he had run out of things to say. He was horrified, and decided to run before he said something even more pathetic.

Buffy frowned and watched as he spun around and left her backyard with his duster billowing around his legs. She had thought that the weird day was over. She was wrong. She called him back.

”Spike!”

Spike was just about to disappear from her view when he stopped. He didn’t turn around to look at her, but she’d gotten his attention.

”You shouldn’t let her do that.”

There was a moment of silence before curiosity got the best of him. He turned around and looked at her.

”Do what?”

”You shouldn’t let her cheat on you.”

He chuckled. ”And what makes you think I do?”

Buffy couldn’t help but smile at that and she earned a smile from Spike in return, a small friendly one, almost boyish, before he turned around and disappeared into the night.






A/N: Please let me know what you think of this chapter. It gave me some problems when I wrote it...

It was past noon the next day when Buffy was on her way to Giles’. It was finally Saturday, after a much distressing week and Buffy had spent the better half of the morning in bed. Only this past Monday she had been walking the same streets of Sunnydale, as she was now, with Angel, worrying about the Parent-teacher night. And then Spike had shown up out of nowhere, and Angel had gone off the deep end. It had been an eventful week on the Hellmouth, to say the least.

The ’Scooby Gang’, the nickname that Xander had given their little group of evil fighters, had decided to meet at Giles’ place this weekend to have a research party about Angelus and the curse. When Buffy reached their place of meeting, she didn’t bother to knock, she just entered and threw her bag on the couch.

”Hey Giles,” she greeted the old man sitting at his desk looking very absorbed in some old book filled with, to Buffy, unreadable symbols.

”Hello, Buffy,” he greeted back, not lifting his gaze from the pages.

”Xander, what’s up?”

Xander was sitting at the bottom of the stairs with today’s newspaper in his hand. He looked unusually grim. When Buffy greeted him cheerily he looked up at her, almost hostile.

”What’s going on guys?” Buffy looked from Giles to Xander. ”Where is Willow? Has something happened to Willow?”

”Willow’s fine. She’s coming over later,” Giles reassured her.

”Oh. So what’s with the grim faces?”

”Have you read the paper today?”

”Xander, the paper? Me? If you wanna discuss politics go ask Willow.”

Xander threw the local newspaper he was holding to her and Buffy caught it easily. She unfolded it and read the headlines before turning over the pages until she found the article she was looking for and skimmed through it.

”Which one of your homicidal honey was it this time Buffy? Angel…or Spike?” Xander said accusingly.

”What makes you think… People die in Sunnydale all the time!”

”Three people are dead Buffy! Severe neck trauma. Teenagers. They went to our school!”

”Are you saying this is my fault?!”

”You had your chance at stopping it, that’s what I’m saying.”

Buffy felt a heavy knot tie in the pit of her stomach. Xander was blaming her. Buffy wanted to double over and shout at the top of her lungs, but swallowed hard and remained calm.

”What do you mean?”

”You’re going to tell me that it wasn’t Spike who did this? The one you were clinging to just yesterday? If you’d staked him then these people would have been alive.”

”Spike didn’t do this.”

”Sure of that, Buffy?”

Both Giles and Xander watched her intently, waiting for an answer.

”But think about it, Xan! Spike has been here for five days, and we haven’t heard about any killings, and the day when Angelus comes back, suddenly there are three deaths alone. You do the math!”

”You’re saying Spike isn’t killing? Please.”

”He’s not stupid enough to leave the bodies behind,” Buffy admitted quietly. ”This is Angelus, it’s a message.”

”Then what is he trying to tell you, Buffy?” Giles asked carefully. ”You didn’t know these children, yes?”

”No, I don’t think so. He wants to tell me that he can feed however he likes. That he’s not afraid of me.”

”You got that right,” Xander agreed.

”Well, he should be.” Buffy grabbed her bag and put down the paper, before turning around. She was just about to leave the apartment again when Giles asked.

”Are you going?”

”There’s something I need to do. I’ll be back later.”

* * *

When Buffy went out into the sunshine she could feel the tears start to build. She was tired of crying. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and fought it back.

She started walking.

What hurt her the most was that Xander had been right. Whether it had been Angel or Spike, or just some ordinary fledging that had committed last night’s murders, it was her job, her destiny, to prevent it. She had been too tired the night before to even think of patrolling and now she had to face the consequences. She had met both Angelus and Spike and had fought neither one of them.

And now three people were dead. And it was her fault.

She had given Spike an ultimatum: get out, or get killed. But he had stayed, and he was far from dead, or he was dead, but far from dust. She had let him be. It angered her when she thought about it, her weak attempts of killing him, how her feelings constantly got in the way. *No feelings! Not that kind of feeling. He’s Spike, that’s all.*

Buffy could only admit to herself; she liked him too much to kill him. He’d been her hero for the past two years, and the fact that he had turned out to be a monster didn’t change what he’d done for her in the past.

She had reached the place she was looking for. That old apartment in the basement behind the Bronze. She shuddered when she thought about the last time she stood in front of this door. How she had banged until Angel opened and then jumped him.

That was two nights ago. This was now. And he wasn’t even home.

She opened the door, it was unlocked, and went inside. It was pitch black. The only window, a small one placed close to the ceiling, was effectively draped to shut out the dangerous sunlight. Buffy went over to the small refrigerator in the far corner of the room and opened it up. The white light shone from the inside and cast shadows all over the walls. Buffy grabbed what she needed and hurried out.

* * *

Spike was sitting on a rickety chair with his feet up on the large table beside it. He was reading; short stories by Edgar Allan Poe. Spike didn’t usually read American authors, he said they were all wankers, but Poe was an exception. Spike liked the horror stories, they amused him.

It was daytime, but Spike didn’t feel like sleeping. He was too worked up to sleep. Drusilla on the other hand was resting in their bedroom and having intense dreams. She talked in her sleep and Spike liked hearing her mumbling from the other room. He found it comforting.

Angelus had came back from hunting just before dawn, slept a couple of hours before heading out again, using the sewers. Spike had no idea what he was up to, the only thing Angelus had said before he left was that he was ’getting a present for his girl’. Whatever that meant.

All of a sudden Spike could sense her, the Slayer. He thought he was imagining at first but then he saw her, as she sneaked in through a back door and tiptoed across the floor of the factory.

”Slayer!” he hissed.

Buffy looked at him and before she got any further Spike had hurried over to her.

”What are you doing here, stupid chit!”

”Here,” she said simply and held up three bags of pig’s blood.

”Have you completely gone off your rocker, Slayer? What am I going to do with that?”

”Eat it.”

”Eat it?! I’m not your lapdog, slayer. Maybe you fed the Poofter, but he’s gone.”

”Just eat it! Okay?! Three people died last night, and I don’t now if it was you or him, but I don’t care! You’re going to eat these and you’re not going to kill anyone tonight!”

”Keep it down, will you! Dru’s asleep! Lucky for you, your ex is out.”

”Where is he?”

”From what I heard: getting you a present. Or it could be for Drusilla, I’m not sure.”

”Crap…” She sighed and turned her attention back to what she had brought with her. ”Will you eat it, Spike?”

What was she expecting? That he would eat that pig’s blood, and be full and content for the rest of his unlife? That he wouldn’t kill? *Bugger that!* he thought. But she had gone through all the trouble and actually brought him food… She could have – should have – just staked him on the spot, he was a vampire after all, and she was the Slayer.

Spike rolled his eyes but reached out to take the bags of blood. ”Gimme that.” He felt the bagged liquid. ”It’s cold!”

”Well, heat it up!”

”What do you think this is, a five star restaurant?”

”And I’m delivery gal. I don’t care, okay? But I’m not leaving until you eat those.”

He sighed but switched into his gameface, ripped one bag open violently with his teeth and sucked the liquid out carelessly. It ran down his chin, his neck and onto the t-shirt he was wearing.

”Happy?” he asked, mouth full of blood.

Buffy watched with disgust how Spike ripped open the second and third bag, and how half of the contents ended up anywhere but his mouth. He looked like someone straight out of the worst kind of horror movie; blood splashing everywhere, running from the corner of his mouth and covering his fangs. Buffy wrinkled her nose.

”You’re such a pig.”

”You got that wrong, luv. See, this is pig,” he said as he handed over the empty plastic bags to her. ”Not me.”

”Just don’t kill anyone, understand? Cos if you do, I’m going to find out and I’m going to come after you. Whatever this is” Buffy pointed back and forth between him and her, ”doesn’t mean I can’t kill you, or that you’ve got a license to feed, okay?”

”You wound me, luv,” Spike answered in mock hurt.

”If you don’t like it, leave town.”

Buffy spun around and walked out, the empty plastic bags in her hand still dripping blood, leaving a trail of red spots as she went.

* * *

On her way back to Giles’, Buffy discovered a small red stain on her left shoulder. Spike had had the nerve to stain her with pig’s blood! She was sure he’d done it on purpose to pay her back for the whole snot thing. She decided to go home and change before heading back to the research with the others.

As Buffy came in through the kitchen door she could see her mother with a large bouquet of red roses.

”Oh, hi Buffy, look what came today!”

”Nice, who are they from?”

”I don’t know, but they’re yours.”

”Mine?” Buffy’s face lit up with a smile. Who would send her flowers? She hadn’t even been on a date for ages. Maybe a boy in school had a secret crush on her?

Buffy smelled the beautiful roses, let her eyes close and enjoyed the scent. When she opened her eyes, she could see a small envelope hidden between the leaves. Buffy picked it up and took out the card to read it.

It was empty.




A/N: Liking it? Leave a review, they make me very happy, and I always answer them, just so you know ;D

Buffy stood holding the small white card for what felt like minutes. It was from him, and it was cruel. In a matter of seconds she had gone from happily surprised to absolutely terrified; she could literally hear her heart pounding in her chest.

A bouquet of roses. It was a harmless thing - a beautiful thing, but still Buffy felt the chill creeping up her spine. They were from Angelus - she knew it, and she couldn’t interpret it as anything but a threat.

She grabbed the vase of flowers, flung the kitchen door open and threw the bouquet out on the lawn.

”Buffy!” Joyce exclaimed, surprised. Why would her daughter throw away such a lovely gift?

Buffy walked pass her mother without a word, up the stairs to her bedroom. She had just thrown off her stained peach colored shirt when something caught her eye: Spike’s black T-shirt. The black fabric distinguished itself among the pink and the baby blue clothes lying in a heap on the floor. Buffy didn’t even remember putting it there.

She pulled on another tank top before she grabbed both her’s and Spike’s stained shirts and headed down to the basement.

With both of the garments in the laundry basket she made her way back to the Brit’s place.

* * *

When Buffy got back to Giles’ apartment, she found her friends in full research mode. Willow was present and busily going through book after book, enthusiastically. Xander seemed to have fulfilled his duties as doughnut delivery boy and was passing a large box to Cordelia.

”Hey guys.”

”Buffy!” Willow’s face lit up with a smile when she saw her friend.

”Hello,” Giles said as he came out of the kitchen, a cup of tea in his hand.

Buffy sat down next to Willow on the sofa and grabbed one of the many books on the table in front of her.

”So what are we looking for?”

”You’re not even going to tell us where you went?” Xander asked defensively, before anyone had the chance to answer her question. He hadn’t forgotten their previous argument.

”Why? I said there was something I needed to do.”

”Yeah, something you needed to do,” Xander said sarcastically.

”Please, Xan. Can we not do this?” Buffy pleaded.

”Did it involve Spike? Angel? How can we know these days Buff, since you’re keeping everything a secret.”

”I don’t keep everything a secret!” Buffy objected, but turned to ask Willow. ”Do I?”

The redhead responded with a sympathetic smile.

”I’m just saying; first we saw you with Angel from time to time, in the Bronze,” Xander explained ”and then all of sudden you’re…sleeping with him. Then Spike shows up and you know him too, but you refused to say how…And if anyone think it’s creepy, please raise your hand!”

Xander put his hand up and so did Cordelia. Willow looked unsure of what to do.

”Look Xan, you don’t have to know everything, okay? What happened between me and Angel is my business, same goes for me and Spike.”

”So there is a ’you and Spike’? You just went to see him didn’t you? He’s a killer Buffy, I think you’re taking this whole bad boy thing a bit too far.”

Buffy was getting more and more angry with Xander. He didn’t know anything, how could he just assume things! Like she was just interested in Spike because he was cool or something… And if she happened to be interested in him, it wouldn’t be because he was a ’bad boy,’ she had seen through that exterior the first time she’d met him!

”You don’t know the first thing about me and Spike!”

”He’s a vampire Buffy, I don’t need to know! But if you met him just now I hope you introduced him to your stake.”

”You don’t get to tell me how to do my job.”

”I think I do when people are dying, Buffy, and we’re doing nothing!”

”He has a point,” Cordelia agreed.

”Giles, you’re her watcher, please tell her.” Xander tried to get the old man’s support.

”Frankly, Buffy, I don’t know what to tell you. But I don’t expect you to do anything as rash as trying to take out Angelus or even Spike, for that matter, before we know what to make of this situation. They are both old, very powerful vampires. Not to mention Drusilla. If they’re working together I’d say we’re in trouble. ”

”Spike hates Angelus,” Buffy said grumpily, and folded her arms over her chest. ”He wouldn’t work with him.”

”We can’t be sure of that. Ever since I learned about your…um, acquaintance with William the Bloody, I’ve been interested in details about your meeting that may reveal his agenda, but you haven’t been very forthcoming. You must understand your friend’s frustration.”

”You don’t want me to see him, do you?”

”If I thought that forbidding you from seeing him, would prevent you from doing so, I would,” Giles said and took a sip of his tea. ”I trust you can take care of yourself, Buffy, it’s your feelings I’m worried about. Your behavior in the library, if something, tells me that. He’s still a vampire, whatever you think you know about him; don’t believe in what he says.”

”Can everybody just stop telling me what to do! Spike has his reasons for disliking Angelus, and I trust that.”

”Why, Buffy? Maybe you should tell us…” Willow asked her friend gently.

”Duh!” Cordelia exclaimed and made the others jump in surprise and turn to look at her. ”Isn’t it obvious! She’s got like a crush on him! What is it with you and dead guys?! I mean – ew!”

”I dont-”

”Then what?” Xander asked exasperated. There was a moment of silence before Buffy admitted:

”Yes, I saw Spike today … I gave him three bags of pig’s blood. That’s all.”

”You gave him blood?” Giles asked surprised. ”And he accepted it?”

”No, I made him eat it,” Buffy answered flatly, and almost made Giles wonder if she was being sarcastic.

”You made him- That’s extraordinary!”

”Why go through the trouble Buff?” Xander asked. ”Why don’t just kill his sorry ass?”

”Because-” Buffy was getting frustrated. She’d told them where she went, couldn’t they just leave her alone? Hadn’t the argument about the dead teenagers been enough? ”I don’t want him dead, and he won’t leave town.”

She said it. The second the words were out of her mouth Buffy knew she had meant them. She didn’t want Spike dusted. She might have wanted to kill him, but she didn’t want him dusted.

The room became quiet. The statement that the Slayer didn’t want a vampire, besides Angel of course, dusted, seemed to have taken them by surprise. Everyone was watching Buffy and silently urging her to go on.

”If it wasn’t for Spike I wouldn’t be here, that’s why.”

”What do you mean Buffy?” Willow asked.

”I wouldn’t be here…Sunnydale, with you guys. I’d still be in there. Locked up.”

”What are you talking about?” It was Xander’s turn to be confused.

Buffy sighed. She understood she needed to explain herself. She didn’t look forward to it, but she had said too much to take it back. She just hoped her friends would understand.

”Two years ago, when I first got chosen, I told my parents about it. They freaked. Thought I was crazy and sent me to a mental institution. I didn’t know what to believe, I mean, vampires? You know how it sounds. The only one that knew I was telling the truth was Merrick, my watcher, and when he came to visit me he told me I was making things up. Patronized me.”

”That’s awful Buffy. Why didn’t you tell us?” Willow said with a hint of hurt.

”I’m telling you now. Anyway, I met Spike there one night.”

”He was locked up too?”

”No. He convinced me I wasn’t crazy. So if it wasn’t for him, I’d still be in that place.”

”You can’t be sure of that-” Giles said, but he was interrupted.

”I’m sure.”

That was when the phone rang. The loud ring cut through the serious atmosphere, and forced everyone to ease up a bit.

”Someone’s calling Giles?” Xander said in mock surprise ”Who’s calling? We’re all here!”

”Oh! Maybe Giles has a secret admirer!” Willow cried.

”Very funny.”

Buffy felt relieved. Xander was back to his old self: the constant joker. But the fact that they’d had two arguments in one day, made Buffy feel uncomfortable. She didn’t want to argue, and Xander was one of her best friends. He was usually so sweet and supportive, why couldn’t he just let her handle her own business? When Buffy thought about it, he never did. She thought about that time when she was new in school and Jesse, a friend of Xander’s, had been captured by vampires. She’d told him to stay out of it, but Xander had followed her, even though he’d just found out about demons and was terrified. That was just Xander in a nutshell; he doesn’t stay out of your business, he does what he thinks is right.

As Giles took the call the teenagers turned their attention back to the old texts they were trying to decipher. Xander was uncharacteristically quiet, made a few half-hearted jokes but didn’t mention Spike nor Angel again. Buffy was glad; she didn’t have most answers herself.

When Giles hooked up the phone, he stood quiet in his living room, still holding his tea cup, with a blank expression on his face. Finally, Willow noticed the quiet watcher.

”Who was it?”

”Um, it was... Jenny.” Giles took off his glasses and started to clean the lenses in his usual fashion.

”Jenny? Way to go man!” encouraged Xander.

”I- yes, it was Jenny on the phone, but the circumstances are quite unfortunate, I’m afraid. Her uncle was found murdered outside his flat a short while ago.”

”Oh my god…” Willow whispered.

”This is the gypsy uncle that told her to go all James Bond on Angel?” Xander asked.

”Yes, that would be the uncle.”

”So this was him?” Buffy asked quietly, not daring to look at her watcher in the eye. There was no question about who ’him’ was. No one answered, it only brought up the other humans that had lost their lives that day. Soon the question was forgotten.

The rest of the afternoon passed in silence. Everyone, even Cordelia, that usually was left unaffected by the deaths on the Hellmouth, seemed discouraged by the murders and the subject of Angelus’ killings did not come up again.

The gang flipped through book after book, but they couldn’t find anything of value. There were spells on how to extract one’s soul, how to speak to the souls of the deceased, but nothing about resouling a vampire. Since Angel was the only known souled vampire in the world, they didn’t expect as much either.

Soon, it was getting dark outside, and the teens settled for going to the Bronze before Buffy went out on patrol. Something was needed to ease the situation, and the Scoobies figured their favorite hangout might just do the trick

* * *

The young man’s blood rushed down his throat and seemed to fill his dead body with new life. A soft moan escaped the victim’s lips before his heart stopped beating and he collapsed, lifeless to the ground. Nearby, the sound of sobbing and soft pleas seemed to go unnoticed by this creature of the night that was satisfying his need for blood.

Spike dried off the blood at the corner of his mouth with the back of his palm. He burped and let out a contented sigh before he turned his attention to the woman curled up between the brick wall in front of him and a trash can.

”Please….please don’t hurt me.”

”Now why would I go and do that? Oh right. I’m a vampire! It’s what I do!”

”Don’t…please! Just let me go… I-I can give you money…please!”

She was practically crawling to him, to his feet, begging. A young girl, couldn’t be older than 20, blond hair, pretty face, about to face her death. Spike gloated in her fear.

He grabbed her by the throat and tilted her head so that the tanned neck was exposed to him. She screamed and tried to fight him off, but he was stronger, and even as his grip slid from her neck to the side of her head, he held on strong. She sobbed as his fangs penetrated her skin and into her artery.

Human blood. Spike drank with deep pulls. He appreciated it even more now that he had tasted the inferior pig’s blood. Just as his latest victim was turning unconscious, a scent reached his nostrils and it startled him. It was the sweet scent of flowers on a summer’s day, tinged with something else…Vanilla. For a vampire such a scent was rare, and Spike instantly realized where he recognized it from: Buffy. He stopped drinking and released his hold on the woman dying in his arms. She fell to the ground and moaned softly as her head hit the hard pavement. Spike took a step back.

Buffy. The goddamn slayer! How dare she interfere with his feeding! She had told him not to kill, but he had never meant to follow her orders. He was a vampire for Christ’s sake! Yet here he was, couldn’t even finish the poor bird off because she smelled like that cheerleader!

Spike realized the girl he had almost killed was probably just wearing the same perfume the slayer had worn when she was crying in his hotel room. A stupid perfume was the reason for this impotence? It was outrageous!

Spike growled as he grabbed the girl again. He could kill her, just watch.

But as he was about to sink his fangs into her throat again, he felt her blonde hair beneath his fingers and it reminded him of her again. He threw her body back on the ground and started to pace the dark alley.

It was wrong. She was wrong. Her smell wasn’t the same, he could feel it now. Her hair wasn’t as smooth, not as shiny. But he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t make himself kill her.

Spike roared as he kicked a trash can in rage, and threw another against the wall. He kicked the man he’d just killed in the stomach, but he never touched the girl again.

Spike took an unnecessary breath and exhaled shakily before turning around and heading towards the local club.

He was in desperate need of a drink.








A/N: Okay... *ducks flying tomatoes* Don't kill me, okay? *lol*

So a lot of you guys are probably getting tired of waiting for the spuffiness, but I assure you this is a spuffy fic, they will be together, just keep in mind that this is season 2, people. Spike is still evil, still with Dru, to get him to fall in love with Buffy at this time isn't always easy, but it will happen. I hope you'll stay with me. Thanks
~Nina

Inside the Bronze, a band was playing on stage and the place was packed with teens. On the dance floor, Buffy was dancing to herself, oblivious to the boys who were trying to get her attention. She swayed her hips to the beat, raised her arms above her head and closed her eyes. She let herself get lost in the music, forget about the her duties, the recent killings.

She smiled.

* * *

The first thing Spike noticed as he entered the club was the Slayer on the dance floor. And she was the Slayer, Spike realized, even when it came to dancing. The other girls seemed like clumsy 10-year-olds in comparison, and the boys? He didn’t even want to think about it. Spike went closer, circled the dance floor and went over to the bar. The whole time he kept his eyes on the dancing girl in front of him.

She shone.

That was his only thought. Her movements drew him in and his gaze traveled over her body along her perfect curves. She seemed to be in her own world, dancing only to herself, and it made her shine.

* * *

”That guy is staring at you.”

Cordelia had came up to Buffy, who was still dancing, and gave her a sceptic look. The brunette’s expression was almost like she couldn’t believe that a guy was looking at her blonde friend, or like she believed that Buffy had paid him to do so. Buffy smiled in response.

”Yeah?”

She was completely aware of the man who was staring at her. She’d felt his presence behind her ever since he entered the club. How she could distinguish him, from the others of his kind, she did not know, but she could feel his gaze practically burning holes in her back.

Buffy was just about to turn around when Cordelia squealed.

”Don’t look!”

Buffy giggled. ”So what does he look like?”

”He’s…stuck in the 80’s.” Cordelia pondered. ”But I mean…he’s got that whole bad boy thing going on. He’s hot..”

”Yeah?”

”Oh yeah. Definitely salty goodness.”

”Really?”

Buffy smiled to herself. It was funny to talk to someone about Spike who didn’t know what he was. Cordelia didn’t know that he was a killer, that he was a vampire, or that he was dead. She only knew one thing: he was hot. It seemed so simple, almost like those first times when Buffy had met him without knowing anything about vampires and slaying. For once she felt like an ordinary teenage girl gossiping about the latest hot guy, and it was liberating.

Cordelia winked suggestively in Spike’s direction and put up one of her best smiles.”Maybe I was mistaken. He was probably looking at me.”

”No he wasn’t.”

”What do you know? He was definitely looking at me.”

”No he wasn’t!”

”Excuse me? I saw him first.” Cordelia gave her one of her notorious ’who-do-you-think-you are’ glares, but it didn’t cover up her growing irritation.

”Watch this,” Buffy said as she turned around and walked off the dance floor.

* * *

Spike grabbed his drink off the counter and when he turned to look at the dance floor again he couldn’t find Buffy. Her friend was standing there still watching him, but the blonde seemed to have disappeared. Or at least he thought so until someone tapped him on the shoulder and he spun around, startled.

”Are you going to watch me all night or are you gonna to ask me to dance?”

Buffy was hoping he would do the latter. It was hard to imagine Spike dancing to this upbeat kind of music, but it sure would show Cordy something; her and Spike together. The mental image of Spike jumping up and down to the music in his punk attire, forced Buffy to suppress a giggle. But maybe a slow song would come on and he could take her in his strong arms again? After everything that happened she needed someone to make her feel better, and Spike had that special ability.

”To dance?” Spike gave her a disbelieving look as he arched one eyebrow.

”You know, dance? When you move your body to the music...” Buffy swayed before him to show him what she meant.

”You call this music?”

He wasn’t going to do it, he wasn’t going to dance with her. She could tell because of how he was doing the sceptic thing; eyebrow raised and turned everything she said into a question. It was probably because she’d been so businesslike to him before, and made him eat that blood, but she needed to show him that she couldn’t accept that he was killing. At this point she regretted being so harsh, what she wanted most of all– needed, was to lean her head against that chest and have him comfort her. But she couldn’t exactly ask him for that.

She needed to change strategy.

”Mhm,” Buffy said as she closed the distance between them and fiddled with the edge of the red open shirt that he wore over his usual black T-shirt.

”Buffy, what are you doing?” he asked, amused, as she ran her hand over his chest.

”Depends…” Buffy said teasingly. ”Are you going to give her something to gawk at?”

It was a dare and it was bold. Buffy hoped she knew what she was getting herself into, but his reaction was nothing like what she had expected.

Spike frowned, but soon realized Buffy was talking about the brunette on the dance floor who was still eyeing him all over.

”What did you tell her?” he asked, his tone slightly accusing.

”Nothing, ” Buffy said innocently and looked deep into his ocean blue eyes.

”You must have bloody well told her something, she’s staring like a fish. Is this some kind of bet-”

”Shhh,” Buffy silenced him as she put one finger over his mouth and leaned in to let her lips take its place.

Buffy had no idea how she dared to do what she did at the moment. She only knew that her lips connected with his, and seemed to move on their own, and that there were butterflies swirling in her belly. It felt good. It wasn’t the comfort she had wished for; it was better.

He’d missed this. Her lips, so deliciously soft and warm. Her body so close to his. He could smell her scent again. It was richer and more sweet than he remembered, than that girl’s scent in the alley. He’d only kissed her once before, and it had been brief, tentative: this was different. She was taking command, pressing herself against his chest; nibbled on his lower lip.

Spike moaned and placed his hand on her chin to pull her closer. At the first opportunity Buffy slid her tongue into his mouth; to dance with his. Teasingly she tasted him, felt the blood and the alcohol at the tip of her tongue, but it did not bother her. The rest of the world seemed to melt away, leaving them as one in their own universe. Hungrily their tongues battled for dominance until Buffy had to take a step back and breathe.

Both were panting as they stared at each other and regained their sense of reality. Buffy’s lips, those plump pink ones that Spike couldn’t take his eyes off, curled up into a grin. Buffy took a couple of steps backwards, still grinning before she turned around and rejoined Cordelia and her friends.

Spike looked down at his crotch.

“Bloody hell...”

* * *

“That’s Spike?” Cordelia asked incredulously.

“That’s Spike,” Buffy answered with a secretive smile.

“Oh my god, you have to tell us how it was!” Willow cried excitedly and was almost bouncing as they walked out of the club.

Buffy hadn’t been aware of both Willow and Xander watching along with Cordelia when she had walked up to the vampire. Willow, in her typical innocent girly way, was almost as excited as Buffy was, but Buffy didn’t let her excitement show. Xander didn’t share their joy: he’d left the club as soon as he saw Buffy’s lips connect with Spike’s. Willow said he was just being silly and unreasonably jealous, but it still made Buffy feel guilty. She knew Xander had had a crush on her last year, but she thought he’d gotten over it. She didn’t want to upset him further, they weren’t exactly talking as it was.

“That’s Spike,” Cordelia stated. “I guess for a corpse... he looks good.”

“Oh yeah,” Buffy agreed.

“So..?" Willow asked, "Tell us! Was he a good kisser?”

“He was... amazing.” Buffy giggled and Willow joined in.

* * *

Later that night, Buffy was in her kitchen preparing a midnight snack, and humming softly to herself. It was the new song by ‘Dingoes Ate My Baby’. Buffy remembered their name since it was so silly, but also because Willow had refused to dance that night, she just wanted to sit at the table to watch the band’s bass player. Buffy smiled as she thought about the dreamy look in her friend’s eyes. Buffy knew a crush when she saw it.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Buffy frowned. Who would come by this late? She remembered the night before, and Spike’s late visit, but he’d knocked on her window, he wasn’t stupid enough to use the front door. Or was he?

Buffy was still holding the ice cream carton she had planned to eat before patrolling, as she opened the door and revealed Xander standing outside.

“Xander? What are you doing here?”

“Buffy.”

“Do you know that it’s three o’clock? In the evening. Morning, whatever.”

“Buffy-” Xander said only her name, but he sounded so agonized, so desperate, that Buffy froze.

“What happened?”

“Jenny. Jenny’s dead. He killed her.”






A/N: So I've got myself a livejournal, for updates and such: nemo-88.livejournal.com Go ahead and friend me if you like, I'm feeling very lonely at the moment... :P

A couple of hours earlier

Jenny was sitting in her usual classroom at the teacher’s desk in front of her computer. For an hour or so, she had tried to translate pieces of Angel’s curse but she was getting nowhere. She needed to try, though, there was nothing else she could do.

Her uncle had been killed. Her mind couldn’t grip the fact yet. And she had seen the body, lifeless and cold, she had seen the blood and the twisted neck. She still could not understand it. She didn’t cry, didn’t scream, just sat numb at her desk, her fingers dancing over the keyboard. She expected her uncle to come by like he always used to do, when she was working late, and tell her about the importance of doing what was right for her people, for the elders.

Except none of that mattered anymore.

”Hello, Jenny.”

Jenny jumped, startled in her seat by the sudden voice. She hadn’t noticed anyone entering. It was the weekend and the school was closed and the corridors dark and deserted. When she turned her head and saw Angelus leaning against the doorframe, she went rigid.

”Angel,” she whispered.

”So this is where you’re hiding?”

Jenny didn’t answer. Angelus strolled casually into the dark room.

”Tell me, Jenny, did you really think I wouldn’t notice?” he laughed softly. ”I mean – I’m a vampire!- don’t you think I can tell when some girl keeps following me around? Angel was too much of a loser to confront you though, but here I am!”

Jenny stared at him horrified. She didn’t dare to speak, and although her best chance of getting away was to run, she couldn’t move a muscle.

”The funny thing is, Jenny, I could do the same thing to you and you didn’t suspect a thing, did you? Neither did your uncle. There’s just something about gypsies… the taste, and then there’s the foolishness. You’re just too absorbed with this computer of yours, aren’t you? You trying to save me, Jenny?”

”The curse-”

”You know,” Angelus interrupted and continued casually. ” I’ve been around for a while but I never got the whole thing with computers. I mean you could just-” He grabbed the monitor, chucked the wires out and threw it on the floor. He grabbed the hard disk after and threw it on top of it, and the whole thing exploded. ”-and everything’s gone!”

On the floor in front of them were a reeking pile of burned plastic. Jenny looked horrified at what was left of her only chance of curing Angel. She clutched the armrests of her chair and pressed herself against the back as if somehow it would bring her further away from her foe. She kept quiet, there was simply no words forming in her mouth. Angelus continued.

”That’s what I love about this modern technology, everything destroys so easily. But don’t worry, I won’t finish you off that quickly.”

That was when Jenny noticed the knife in his hand. She let out a small gasp as he raised it and
studied his lack of reflection on the blade for a few seconds. He looked at Jenny, smirking. ”You and I are going to have some fun…”

* * *

”Jenny. Jenny’s dead. He killed her.”

Buffy took a couple of steps back, almost like someone had punched her in the gut and she was stumbling backwards. But she didn’t double over, instead Xander followed her into the hallway and closed the door carefully behind them. Buffy let the hand that was holding the ice cream carton drop to her side, and the cold package slipped through her fingers. It fell to the floor and melted cream ran onto the carpet.

”Angelus?”

The question was a mere whisper, and Xander didn’t answer. For him it was just as possible that Jenny Calendar had been killed by Spike. But he didn’t argue. It was not the time, not what they needed, not now.

”I… She didn’t- She’s dead?”

Confused and mournful eyes found Xander’s. He nodded.

”Yeah. They found her…” Xander swallowed. ”In school. They found her in her classroom.”

”Oh.” Buffy looked blankly at him before she slowly dropped her gaze to the floor, her eyes fixing on the ice cream stain for a few seconds. She looked up at Xander again.

”I-I have to get out there, he’s still around, he could - I need my stake!” Buffy exclaimed suddenly with newly found determination. She spun around and hurried up the stairs with Xander following close behind her.

”Buffy wait-”

When he entered her bedroom she was rummaging through her wardrobe throwing out various pieces of clothing until she found the stake that she was looking for.

”Buffy, don’t you think you should calm down?”

”This one was coated in holy water recently. I could do it again, it should sting extra shouldn’t it?” she said as she got up from the floor and passed by Xander to go downstairs again.

”Wait, Buff-”

”Shoes, need shoes.” Buffy grabbed her usual black boots down in the hallway, and started to put them on, but stopped.

”No. These are wrong. Can’t fight in these. The heels, heels are bad. Need other shoes.”

Buffy hurried upstairs again, and Xander couldn’t do anything but follow.

”Buffy, could you hold on a second! You fight in heels all the time!”

She didn’t listen.

Before Xander had gotten up the stairs again, Buffy was walking out of her bedroom, with a pair of white sneakers in her hand. She went pass Xander and downstairs again, but at the bottom she stopped. Somehow the intense determination had been replaced with hesitance. She stood there for a few seconds before she slowly turned around, and looked at Xander, warily.

“Does Giles know?”

Xander took a deep breath, before he answered, “He was the one who found her.”

That did it for Buffy. It was too much to bear. To Buffy it felt like all of Angelus’ victims’ deaths were literally heaped on her narrow shoulders, wearing her down. Jenny was the last, the straw that broke the camel’s back, and it made her slump to the ground. She couldn’t hold back her tears anymore. They started to run down her cheeks, as she let out a loud sob, but she didn’t mind them.

“Poor Giles...! He..he really liked her... she- “

“I know.”

Xander went up to his friend and put his arms around her. He didn’t know what to do, but he acted on instinct. While Xander hugged her tightly, Buffy just stood there awkwardly, didn’t put her arms around him in return; didn’t let herself enjoy the comfort.

“I yelled at her! When she told me about Angel... I- I was mean-“

“I know.” Xander didn’t know what to tell her to comfort her. He was barely holding back his tears himself. It had been a rough day, the pressure was too heavy on all of them. But for now, it didn’t matter that they had argued more that day than they’d done in a year, it didn’t matter that Xander wanted to lecture her about her relationship with Spike. He just held her. And all was forgotten.

“It doesn’t matter. You didn’t mean anything by it, you were just upset.”

“But what if she-“

“It’s okay, Buffy.” Xander took a step back, held her at arms’ length and gently squeezed her upper arms. He smiled weakly.

“You should... sit down for a while. Get some rest, and we’ll gather the gang in the morning.”

“I haven’t patrolled.”

“Maybe you should take the night off.”

“He’s out there.”

“You can’t fight him now, Buffy. Think about what Giles said earlier.” *Spike might be working with him* he added inwardly. He didn’t dare to tell Buffy that. Xander continued. “He could have strong allies. Minions.”

“Right.” Buffy nodded blankly, turned and went into her kitchen. She sat down on one of the stools.

Xander poured her a glass of water and handed her some paper tissues. It’s what you do when someone is mourning, right? He couldn’t think of anything more to say. He squeezed her shoulder gently. “I need to get home Buffy. Wanted to tell you myself. I’m gonna go to bed, you do the same, right?”

Buffy nodded. And he left.

Buffy sat in her kitchen for a couple of minutes, staring at the glass of water, until the buzzing of the refrigerator, the ticking of the clock on the wall, everything seemed to choke her. She went out and sat down on her back porch. Somehow, the night comforted her, and she could breathe again.

She hadn’t even known Jenny. Never taken enough time to build an opinion about her. She didn’t think it should hit her this hard. But then again, it wasn’t just Jenny, other people had lost their lives that day. Death was a part of her life as a Slayer, but this time it was different. This time Angel was the killer and she was responsible for changing him.

What a fool she’d been. When she thought about it now that entire night seemed unreal. She couldn’t believe she’d actually... done that. Had sex? Seduced him? Attacked him. What had she been trying to prove? Who was she trying to convince? Spike? Angel? Herself? There were too many questions, too many to which she hadn’t come up with the answers yet. Buffy pushed them to the back of her mind.

Jenny. She’d been the coolest, the youngest of the teachers. The one Giles became all nervous and started to stutter, around. Then just the other day, she’d found out about a whole different side to this woman. Did that mean she mourned a stranger? Someone she’d blamed for all this craziness in the first place?

Giles liked her. Even though she had lied to them, Buffy knew that. She couldn’t imagine how he must be feeling. She’d never seen her watcher close to being discouraged and she prayed to God he wasn’t going to be. But she feared he would be and it frightened her.

Buffy hugged her knees tightly to her chest. The chilly night air didn’t bother her, and the darkness was the only comfort. She hid her teary face in her hands and sobbed quietly to herself.

* * *

Spike had left the club aggravated at closing time and was in no way as drunk as he preferred to be. He was walking the streets of Sunnydale looking for something that could distract him from his thoughts. But the streets were empty, there was nothing to kill, nothing to frighten or rob, not even a demon to pick a fight with. A mailbox got to know the wrath of William the Bloody and was left in dangerous splinters on the sidewalk.

The source of his irritation was of course the Slayer, as it had been this last week. He couldn’t get the picture of her dancing out of his mind; the taste of her out of his mouth. He could still feel her breasts pushed against his chest and her sweet scent seemed to surround him. It was driving him insane.

She had kissed him.

Buffy had kissed him. Just like that - without warning. Thought she could just come up to him and assault him with her lips as she wanted. Like they were dating or something equally disturbing. What the hell had that been about?

But the worst thing wasn’t what she had done, it was what he had:

He had forgotten about Drusilla.

From the time he’d entered the club until Buffy had left him standing there with a raging hard-on, the thought of his sire had not crossed his mind.

It was outrageous. She was his sire, she had shown him everything he was, she had been with him for a lifetime, she was his everything! He couldn’t just forget about her, he couldn’t!

But he had. He might as well have shagged the slayer if she’d offered, it would had been just as bad. The thought of it was distasteful. But it made him even more aroused, the thought of him and that young blonde going at it in some dark corner.

It was perverse, obscene even. But he couldn’t deny the effect the small girl had on him.

So he thought the Slayer was hot. Big deal. He had to be blind and a complete faggot to not find her attractive. Attraction - that was all it was, didn’t mean he’d stopped loving Dru. He would confront Buffy about it, shag the life out of her, and it would be out of his system. Right? *Right. Good plan.*

Spike stopped. He realized he was standing outside the Slayer’s home. Apparently his feet had shown him involuntarily what he was thinking about. Spike took a drag of his cigarette when he heard the sound of sobbing.

He couldn’t help it, his feet were walking on their own accord. As he reached the back of the house he saw the heartbreaking sight of the Slayer in tears.

“What’s with the waterworks, luv? Didn’t think you had anymore in you.”

Buffy looked up to stare into his blue eyes.

She didn’t say anything, but Spike could feel the pain practically radiating off her. He changed his tone to genuinely concerned. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t want to talk about it...” she answered meekly and turned her head away.

The thoughts about confronting her about their kiss, had instantly left his mind and he sat carefully down on the porch beside her. He didn’t say anything; but reached his hand out tentatively to rub her back. Spike could feel how the warm muscles beneath his fingers relaxed and she leaned in to his touch. Her crying had ceased.

For minutes they sat there in comfortable silence staring into the night. Just as Spike thought he’d managed to comfort her, Buffy let out another sob and hid her face in her hands.

“Hey, pet,” Spike spoke gently, and pushed a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear. “No more cryin’”

“She’s dead,” she sobbed. “They’re all dead... And I’m...”

Spike had no idea who she was talking about, were they the teens she’d confronted him with this morning?

“I didn’t really know her,” she snivelled. “Jenny. And now she’s...gone.”

“I’m sorry, pet.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Buffy went rigid. She took a couple of seconds, swallowed before answering coldly:

“Sorry? You’re not sorry.”

Buffy stood up, hastily, and looked down at the vampire sitting beneath her. “You’re not sorry!” Spike frowned, obviously confused, but let her continue.

“You don’t care about her, you don’t care about me. You’re a vampire! An evil, dead thing! You don’t care about anyone but yourself!”

The words hit him like a fist in the face. Spike would have probably preferred a fist – pain, he could handle – this? He had never felt so low in his unlife. Never had his own nature been thrown in his face the way the Slayer had just done, and it hurt him more than he thought it should. There was a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach, a feeling he didn’t recognize. Shame?

She’d been right. He was evil, he was dead. He didn’t know this Jenny bird, she could as well had been the girl he tried to kill a couple of hours ago. But she was wrong about one thing. He did care. Not that he wanted to admit it, but he cared because she did.

“That’s not entirely true, luv.”

“Yeah?” she said with disbelief. “ Then tell me Spike, why am I wrong?”

“I care about you.”

His crystal blue eyes found hers again. She could see the seriousness and honesty written all over his face, but that didn’t stop her from simply replying: “No you don’t.”

“Yes I- “ Spike stood up. “Don’t you throw it back in my face! You think I like it? Cos I bloody well don’t! I’ve got Dru to think about! Why am I here then, Buffy? Out of the evilness of my heart?”

“Yeah, Spike, why are you here?”

“I just told you.”

“You care?”

“Yes! Goddamn it! We have something here – attraction!”

“That’s not the same as you being sorry.”

“You can’t deny it. There’s something pulling us together. It’s not supposed to be there, but it is. “

Buffy sighed. “I’m not denying anything.”

“You were the one who kissed me, Buffy.”

“I’m aware of that – can we please not do this now?”

“No, we’re going to bloody talk about it! Now. It’s driving me nuts!”

“Spike. Please. It’s the middle of the night. A friend of mine... had just been killed. And- “ her voice broke into a sob. “and... I’m so tired...”

“Pet, I-“

Spike reached for her, but pulled back quickly when the kitchen door suddenly opened and Buffy’s mother stepped out wearing a pink robe.

“Buffy? What’s going on? Why aren’t you in bed?”

“Mom, I-“

Joyce had just seen Spike. “Well, hello.”

“´lo” Spike glanced at her nervously, his hands in his duster pockets.

“Don’t you think it’s a little late, Buffy? And if I remember correctly a certain young lady was grounded this week and was supposed to stay home tonight.”

“Mom, something came up-“

“Where were you? I was worried. You don’t listen to me at all these days do you? I don’t know where you are, or what you’re up to! Sneaking off in the middle of the night.... And who is this man?!”

“Mom, this is-”

Spike reached out to offer her his hand. “William.”

“Joyce.” She said curtly but didn’t take his hand. “And William - it’s far too late to be out at this time of night.”

“It’s your daughter you should worry about, Joyce, not me. With Angelus around things aren’t-“

“Spike and I are in a band!” Buffy exclaimed and cut Spike off successfully.

Spike rolled his eyes. “You haven’t told her?”

“I sing! And Spike-“

“Told me what? And honey, you know you can’t sing. And who is Spike?”

“You haven’t told your mother. She’s in danger, don’t you think she deserves to know before the Poofter scares her half to death?”

“And since when are you the one all full of wisdom...” Buffy whined.

“You don’t really know me do you, pet?”

“I’m warning you Buffy,” Joyce said sternly, “if you don’t tell me this instant what you are up to, I promise I will call your father and he will not be happy.”

“Mom-”

“Maybe he’ll make you see some sense, I sure don’t know how anymore.”

“Mom-“

“Even your teachers are complaining-“

“Mom! Will you listen to me?” she took a deep breath. This was it. It was now or never. It wouldn’t be like last time, she couldn’t send her away. Spike was here now. Everything would work out. He was right, her mom deserved to know.

“I’m a vampire Slayer.”






A/N: Yeah, I stole the porch scene from Fool For Love (ep 5x07 written by Douglas Petrie). Sorry Doug.

Still liking it? Please let me know what you think

”I’m a vampire Slayer.”

”Honey, what are you talking about-” Joyce said, confused.

”I’m a vampire Slayer.”

”A what?”

”Mom, please. You know this. I told you. Remember two years ago?”

”Honey, please don’t start with this again. Remember what Doctor Robinson said? Under pressure we can all paint a brighter picture of ourselves, but there’s no need to make things up. I know that being a teenager is hard sometimes but-”

”I’m not making things up!” Buffy exclaimed frustrated. It was evident that her mother didn’t believe her, but the psych-talk? Buffy shuddered. Joyce looked at her with a pitiful expression that made Buffy want to heave. ”Can we go inside, please?”

”Sure, hun.”

Joyce, in her pink robe and matching slippers, opened the kitchen door and went in into the house. Buffy was about to follow, but stopped when she realized Spike wasn’t coming with them. She looked at him expectantly where he was standing, still on the porch. He seemed… uncertain. His hands were deep in his pockets, his head bowed down and he was studying his feet.

”Are you coming?”

”Um... ” He looked at her, suddenly nervous. ”I didn’t-”

”Get in here.”

That was all the invitation he needed, and the invisible barrier, that would have kept him outside, disappeared. Buffy held the door open for him as he entered the kitchen.

”Would you like something?” Joyce inquired their guest, like he was just a normal friend of Buffy’s, and it wasn’t three o´clock in the morning. ”Coffee, hot cocoa?”

”Some cocoa would be nice.”

”Sure. Buffy?”

”I’m fine. Can we just talk about this now?”

Joyce smiled and picked a mug out of the cabinet and started to prepare Spike’s cocoa.

”I’m not sure what to say Buffy, if you feel that… if you need to talk to someone about this, maybe I should call one of your doctors-”

”Mom, I’m not crazy. Okay? I’m not. It’s just… Open your eyes, what do you think has been going on the last two years? The fights, the weird occurrences? And what about Giles? Don’t you think it’s odd that an adult man hangs out with a bunch of teenagers? He’s my Watcher mom, he trains me.”

”Honey, I understand that you’re confused and that things are hard on you right now.” Joyce smiled warmly at her. ”Why don’t you go to bed, and I’ll call doctor Robinson first thing in the morning?”

”I’m not going to bed, I’m not crazy! And I will definitely not talk to any doctors!”

Buffy was getting exasperated. She closed her eyes for a moment and pinched the bridge of her nose. She had expected her mother to yell and scream like the last time she’d told her, not be completely in denial. Buffy sighed and ran her hand through her hair trying to gather her thoughts and come up with the best way to explain.

”There are monsters out there. Demons. Vampires. I was chosen to stop them. It’s fate. Nothing I can change, it’s just how it is.”

”Monsters? Oh Lord. Buffy, when we took you out of St. Martha’s I thought things were better… maybe I shouldn’t have-” Joyce held the ready cup of cocoa thoughtfully in her hand for a few seconds before putting it down on the table next to Spike. ”I was just so keen to get my daughter home, I didn’t want you to be in that place.”

”I know. And I don’t want to be there either. That’s why I’m going to prove it to you. I’m telling the truth. Show her, Spike.”

”Uh…” All the attention was suddenly focused on Spike, who had up until now watched the conversation, in silence, sipping his drink.

Buffy grabbed his arm, which resulted in an objecting ”Oi!” from the vampire. ”Feel this. Feel it.” Joyce reached tentatively out to touch his arm. ”No pulse. He’s dead.”

”I’m sure that he-”

”Spike is a vampire.”

”Honey, that’s ridiculous.”

”No. No it’s not. He’s just like the creatures I go out to slay every night. He’s one of those creatures, without souls that terrorizes humans, kill them without remorse. That’s what he is.”

”I’m sure William is no such thing.” Joyce smiled warmly at her daughter but the distress was clear in her eyes. Buffy could tell her mother didn’t believe a word she’d said.

”I am.” Spike shrugged.

”And I’m the Slayer. I’m stronger than normal people, faster. That’s why I have to fight them. It’s my destiny.”

”Honey, I’m so sorry,” Joyce said almost patronizingly and it was obvious to Buffy she still didn’t believe her. ”I had no idea things had gone this far, I should have-”

”Show her, Spike.”

Spike didn’t need for her to explain any further. He gave her a questioning look as to ask her if she was sure, but Buffy nodded. Joyce looked from Slayer to vampire, obviously confused.

Spike shrugged and switched into game face. Upon seeing the ridges form in his forehead, his teeth lengthened and his eyes turned gold, Joyce gasped. The vision would have been utterly horrifying if Spike hadn’t had a milk moustache from his hot cocoa. His long tongue came out to lick it off. He looked pleased. Joyce stared at him horrified.

”That is some good cocoa. But you know what would make it even better; those small marshmallows? You wouldn’t perhaps have any of those?”

”Hmm? Oh, sure.” Joyce stared at him blankly but turned around and searched the cabinet. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. ”I… I think I need a drink.”

Joyce handed Spike, still in game face, the bag of marshmallows and headed into the living room and to the liquor cabinet.

Buffy and Spike were left alone in the kitchen. Buffy sighed and sat down on one of the stools. The same stool she had sat on just a short while ago when she’d found out about Jenny’s murder. There was simply no time to rest. Buffy knew she hadn’t picked the best time to drop the news on her mother, but it had to be done, and with Spike at her side, it had felt much easier.

The vampire in question was busy stuffing as many marshmallows as he could into his cup of cocoa. He wore an irritated expression as the top of his marshmallow mountain ended up on the table when he raised the cup to his lips.

”Think she’ll live through this? Didn’t want to scare the lady,” Spike mumbled and saw how Buffy raised her eyebrows in doubt. ”I didn’t!”

”She’ll deal. Hopefully.”

Joyce came back into the kitchen with a glass and a bottle of brandy. She poured herself a glass of the amber liquid and drained it in one shot.

Buffy looked at her mother a bit uncertain. She wasn’t used to her mother drinking. In fact, Buffy couldn’t remember her mother drinking since the divorce, when she had had a glass almost every night, and that was two years ago.

”Have you tried not being a slayer?” Joyce asked as she put the glass down.

”It doesn’t work that way. I was chosen. The only way to get a new slayer is if the old one dies.”

”Dies? Buffy, I don’t understand this…!” Joyce shook her head slightly and poured herself another glass of brandy.

”Mom, I fight demons. As in big, yucky, strong, slimey things that want to kill me and the entire human population. People die in my line of work, it’s how it is.”

”But you said he was a…” Joyce asked warily, nodding at Spike.

”Spike is… It’s complicated.”

It took another twenty minutes before Joyce Summers had a slight idea of what being a Slayer meant. During those twenty minutes Buffy thought she was going to die of frustration as she basically was repeating the same thing over and over again. Spike stood mostly quiet at the side watching the conversation between mother and daughter. He felt useless but he didn’t know how much it meant for Buffy that he was there.

Finally, Joyce decided to go to bed, and was too tired, and maybe too drunk to stop her daughter from going out on patrol. She just nodded and went up the stairs to her bedroom when Buffy and the vampire headed out again.

Spike was standing on the porch lighting up a new cig when he noticed that Buffy had stopped in the doorway.

”Wait,” she said, before she spun around and headed back into the house.

Spike did as told but felt awkward. What was this, a date? He didn’t need to wait for anyone, he had his plans: to steal a bottle of JD and get pissed again. Dawn was steadily approaching and he didn’t want to be sober when he got back to Dru. She would without a doubt sense he’d seen the Slayer, and although he didn’t much care now that he’d found her with Angelus, he preferred to be drunk for that confrontation.

When Buffy came back, she was holding something that Spike couldn’t make out what it was and she looked puzzled. She gave him what was in her hands.

”Here.”

His t-shirt. It must have been the same one he wore a couple of days ago, the one he left in that locker room. She had taken it?

Buffy became nervous. Why didn’t he say something?

”It’s washed. I… I think the stains are gone. Mom’s good at that, getting stains out. You just left it, so I didn’t know…I thought you might want it back…”

Spike took the neatly folded t-shirt. He cleared his throat.

”Thanks,” he answered hoarsely.

”You’re... you know, welcome.”

They walked out of her backyard in silence and back on Revello Drive they stopped in the middle of the street.

”So uhm… where are you headed?” Buffy asked nervously.

”Dunno. The sun will be up soon. Thought I’d stop at Willy’s to get another drink. What about you, pet?”

”Patrol, I guess.”

”That’s when you stalk the cemeteries for baddies, right?”

”Yeah.”

”Looking for Angelus?”

”I got to try.”

They stood in silence for a short while. Spike fidgeted with the folded t-shirt in his hand and Buffy watched hypnotized how his fingers moved over the fabric.

”So…” Buffy began, but she wasn’t sure what to say.

”I’d best be leaving then.”

Before Spike had the chance to do just that, Buffy asked quickly, almost anxiously, ”Wanna come?”

”On patrol? Nah, don’t think so. People can think I’m a white hat.”

”Yeah… of course.”

”The demons, I mean.”

Both turned to leave, but they immediately realized they were going in the same direction, when they almost bumped into each other. They stopped. Buffy gave him an apologetic smile, and glanced at him sheepishly.

Spike cleared his throat. ”Guess, I could tag along if you’re going the same way.”

”That’s cool.”

Buffy felt relieved. She could use some company. Meeting Angelus again wasn’t something she looked forward to. Somehow meeting him had been like seeing a ghost. He looked the same as Angel, sounded the same, but there was something very creepy about him. The way he leered like he knew all of her secrets, how he laughed at her. That he was an evil might explain the spooky vibe, but it wasn’t enough. She felt uneasy just by the thought of him.

They started walking again, this time side by side, and the silence between them wasn’t as awkward.

”Your mum seems like a nice woman,” Spike said suddenly.

Buffy arched her eyebrows questioningly. She let out a small laugh.

”You like my mother?”

”Yeah. Nice lady. Who wouldn’t be thrown off after finding out what she just did? She’s strong.”

”Yeah, at least that makes one of us.” Buffy sighed. They had now reached the nearest cemetery and Spike followed her when she entered the gates. ”It feels like I’ve spent the entire day crying, I’m all headachy. I swear, my head is going to explode any second now.” She whined and rubbed her temples.

”Just keep the brain off my duster, eh?”

”Don’t think so mister!” Buffy said playfully. ”It’s gonna splatter all over you!”

Spike was just about to retort when a scaly demon showed up out of nowhere, attacked the Slayer and made her tumble to the ground.

”Can’t you tell when someone’s having a private conversation?!” Buff asked the demon, upset. It growled in response.

Spike took a couple of steps back, to give the Slayer and her threat of the moment, some space. He leaned against a mausoleum, took a drag of his cigarette and watched the fight in front of him. The demon roared.

”You know, there’s this thing called English. You should try it out!” Buffy said cheerily as she quickly got up from the ground.

She started to pummel the large brown demon immediately. Her small fists shot punch after punch into the chest of the hideous creature but it seemed to do no good. With one swing of its arm the demon sent Buffy flying across the grass and into a tree. Buffy groaned, got up from the ground, shook off the dirt and when the demon came close enough, she was ready and kicked it hard in the crotch. *That usually does it* she thought.

Spike watched, amused how the small Slayer tried to take on this large and stinky beast. Its movements were anything but graceful, and it made Buffy look even more nimble. Kick after kick, punch after punch, she fought with everything she had. When Spike didn’t watch her slim body stretch in delicious ways, his eyes traveled to her face and her expression - the annoyance mixed with determination and pleasure – and it made him smile. This Slayer may complain about her calling, but Spike could tell she was made for fighting.

Buffy had finally managed to get a grip round the demon’s neck, she was clinging to its back and with a cracking sound she twisted its neck. She jumped down to the ground and the now dead demon fell flat on its stomach.

Buffy wiped her hands on her already dirty pants. She looked at Spike with a satisfied grin.

”You fight like a girl,” he said.

”I am a girl.”

”You’re a woman, luv. Shouldn’t be fighting like a girl.”

Buffy couldn’t help but smile. He thought she was a woman? *He thinks you’re a woman!* Buffy wanted to squeal in delight, but suppressed those urges and grinned sheepishly instead.

Spike continued, ”Your left is weak and your blockings are lousy.”

This drew Buffy out of her happy thoughts. Did he just first compliment her and then call her a bad fighter?! That was just so typical of Spike! Why couldn’t he just stick with ’you’re a woman’?

”No they’re not! There’s nothing wrong with my left or my right or-or up or down - I’m… good.”

”Didn’t say you were bad, said you fight like a girl. You’re tiring yourself, luv. Unnecessarily. Could have taken out that wanker in a heartbeat.”

Buffy pouted. ”Maybe I felt like fighting.”

”You sure did.” Spike chuckled.

They continued to walk through the cemetery, mostly in silence. Buffy glanced at Spike from time to time, but he seemed to be lost in thought. She didn’t mind the silence, she had a lot to think about, herself. Having company on patrol lead to thoughts about Angel which only lead to thoughts about Angelus and Jenny. Buffy decided to stop that train of thought. *Spike thinks you’re a woman, concentrate on that.*

After taking the shortcut through one of Sunnydale’s twelve cemeteries they had reached the bad part of town and Willy’s bar.

”Didn’t I tell you those could kill you?” Buffy asked when they had stopped, and pointed at the cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth. Spike raised a scarred eyebrow.

”Didn’t I tell you I’m already dead?”

”Yeah, well, you’re going to kill me while you’re at it…”

”Who said I didn’t want to kill you?”

”Who said he cared about me? Last I checked that didn’t involve killing.”

Spike chuckled, but he dropped the cigarette to the ground and put it out with his foot.

”Don’t get any ideas,” he warned her. ”It’s just for tonight, I’m not quitting my smokes. And what does it matter anyway, we’re here.”

Spike nodded, indicating the demon bar across the street from where they were standing. Buffy turned around and spotted it too.

”Oh. So you’re… going?”

*Of course he’s going, did you think he’d patrol with you the rest of the night?! Stupid…* Buffy cursed inwardly.

”Yeah. I could probably scare Willy into giving me a couple of free drinks. What a wanker…”

Buffy was about to protest, when she realized how many times she had threatened Willy to get information. If stealing from Willy’s bar was Spike’s evil ways, she’d let him be. She laughed softly.

”I better go,” she said, trying to sound casual. ”Should finish patrol before it’s actually morning time…”

”Um, good luck with that.”

Silence.

Buffy looked at him, expecting him to walk away. Their eyes met for a second and she quickly averted her gaze. This was getting awkward. Since when was she nervous around Spike?

Spike could literally hear Buffy’s heart pounding and how the rate increased. It made him nervous. Spike wasn’t usually nervous, but being around a nervous Buffy in this case seemed to be contagious.

Buffy decided to take action. “I’ll... see you around!” And she spun around and left.

Spike nodded to himself and watched her hurry out of his sight.






A/N: What do you think? Not much action in this chap, but there was some things that needed to be said. I hope you're still with me.

Please take time and review, all kinds of feedback is much appreciated. Plus, I always answer ;D

* * *

Spike had to run the rest of the way back to the factory, the sun’s dangerous rays licked his back and he had to throw the factory door open and then himself on the dirty stone floor. He managed to save the bottle of Jack Daniels in his hand by holding up his arm high above his head. He landed flat on his stomach.

Spike grunted, put the bottle on the ground and got up to his feet.

”Honey, I’m hooome!” He chuckled to himself. Spike had fulfilled his task: getting drunk again, before dawn.

There was no answer. In fact, the factory was as quiet as the grave and there was no sign of unlife anywhere. Spike searched the building, went through the factory hall and into a room at the side; his bedroom.

It was safe to say that the vision that greeted him was not appreciated. Spike’s stomach turned at the sight of exhausted bodies on top of each other. In the candlelight, the white flesh glistened with sweat, and other fluids Spike didn’t wish to examine any further.

Déjà vu.

*Bloody, buggerin’ déjà vu!* Spike was sure he’d lived this before.

He roared. A mixture of a human shouting at the top of his lungs, and an animal in rage. Drusilla wakened immediately and tiptoed over to her childe to usher him out of the bedroom. Angelus laid still on the bed, sleeping like a log.

”Dru- What are you- I told you-!” Spike couldn’t find the words. He looked at her, his eyes filled with anger and disappointment but his voice was nearly pleading. Violence became the only solution and he grabbed and trashed whatever he could reach in a fit of uncontrollable rage.

Drusilla giggled at the mess he was making. ”Sweet William, why don’t you come join us? Make mommy happy?”

”I won’t bloody!- You’re not going in there! You’re mine, Dru!”

”We’re a family, my sweet prince, come dance with me?”

”We’re not a family, he’s a bloody guest in my bloody house! You don’t-” He stopped himself and lowered his voice.”You don’t… listen to me, Dru. I told you, I won’t tolerate this. He’s… out.”

For a moment Drusilla seemed sane, the craziness that usually surrounded her was gone and she ran to the doorway of their bedroom and protected the entrance with her naked, skinny body.

”Daddy stays, Spike.”

Spike looked at her incredulously.

”I have to find my pleasures, Spike. You’re hardly around. And you taste like ashes.”

”Him? Him?!” Spike chuckled manically in disbelief. ”After all these years, everything I’ve done for you! We’re one and the same Dru, you and me, nothing will bugger that up!”

Drusilla shook her head in disagreement. ”You’re lost to me, Spike. Long gone. Mommy has to give you up.”

”What?! Are you trying to put this on me?”

”I can see her, floating all around you. Thieving. Taking you away from me.”

”What? Who?”

”Sunshine, William, sunshine.”

”Dru, stop with the gibberish-”

”Why can’t you kill her?”

In that moment everything stopped. Spike knew immediately who she was talking about. All the anger seemed to drain and he was left standing there completely empty, staring at his sire. The Slayer. Buffy.Yeah, why couldn’t he kill her? He’d had his chances, a couple of times. Sunshine. Dru seemed to always have the right words for everything, even if she was a nutter. Buffy was sunshine all right: beautiful, dangerous.

”I can,” he said, but he could hear himself how hollow the words sounded.

”You’re lying.”

”Dru.”

”It doesn’t matter, Spike. Daddy has a plan, Daddy will make everything right again. He’ll bring you back to us, and the stars will sing again…” she started humming to herself and giggled childishly.

”Daddy will make everything the way it was.”

Daddy. Spike knew who ’daddy’ was all right – that bloody nancy-boy lying on his fat arse on Spike’s bed. He resisted the urge to go in there and wake him up with his fists. Spike cast one last look at Dru before he left, his jaw set tight as he grabbed his liquor bottle and headed down to the sewers.


* * *

Tape. That foreshadowing yellow tape. Funny how a piece of plastic could turn her heart into ice. Buffy hurried the last couple of meters until she stood in front of the closed door.

She didn’t give herself time to think about it, she knew it would only lead to hesitation. She pushed down the door handle with her elbow, not wanting to leave fingerprints, and the door swung open.

The first thing that greeted her was the smell. That sweet scent of death still lingered in the air and when she opened the door it reached her nostrils. She didn’t dare to step inside. Buffy knew there was probably nothing left to see, the police must have moved the body by now, but still she felt her heart speed up and she had to take a deep breath to calm herself down. She just stood there, taking in the small area of the room, and what was on the floor.

Blood and roses.

Sounded like a rock song, one of those that became major hits on the radio and that Buffy used to sing along to. But it wasn’t. To Buffy the sight of the red petals on the ground was the sign of doom. Her stomach clenched as guilt washed over her.

*You should have known*

Buffy covered her mouth with her hand to keep a gasp from coming out.

Her eyes traveled to the blood. There was so much blood. The large stain on the floor had turned rust brown. She was used to blood. Had seen a lot of it in the past two years, but this particular stain terrified her. Buffy decided to run. She spun around, only to bump right into someone.

”Buffy!” Buffy looked startled at the person in front of her. *Xander?* ”What are you doing here?”

”I…” Buffy looked around, confused. ”I just wanted to...”

”See if it was true?”

”Yeah.”

”I’m just getting some books for Willow,” Xander explained. ”They called her this morning, wanted her to fill in for Ms. Calendar on Monday. Now it’s official, right? Snyder has a heart of stone.”

”How is she? Willow?”

”She’s… not that good. You should talk to her. Her and Jenny, they were kind of close. The holy bond of the computer nerds.” Xander gave her a faint smile.

Buffy nodded, and glanced into Jenny’s classroom again. With Xander at her side, the reality seemed less threatening. It was just a room after all. She stood quiet, staring at the blood on the floor.

”What did he do?”

”You don’t want to know.”

Buffy turned around to look at Xander. Did he know? She hadn’t expected an answer.”Yes. Yes, I do.”

Xander sighed, but gave in. ”Giles… I don’t know, he got the police report somehow. The guy I talked to said he was scary. Giles? Scary? Must have met the wrong guy. Anyway, I just had a quick look at it.”

”What did he do?”

”He cut her throat off.” Xander said seriously and looked straight into Buffy’s eyes. ”So that she couldn’t scream. And then… he raped her while she bled to death.”

Buffy stood frozen on the spot in the school corridor. Her eyes were transfixed on the brown stain on the floor while Xander’s voice seemed to fade away and be replaced by the growing sound of her heart, beating.

This wasn’t about feeding. Not about surviving. He didn’t even drink from her. This was for fun.

Buffy swallowed the lump in her throat, blinked back a couple of tears, until gradually a change came over her features. With her jaw set tight, her lips pressed tightly together and her fists clenched at her sides she wore a new look of determination.

”… said the autopsy report should be back sometime next week.” Xander stopped. ”Buffy?”

”You’re right. I didn’t want to know that.”

And she walked with determined steps out of the school building.

* * *

Buffy had been out for hours. Leaving home a couple of hours before sunset she had headed to the factory to settle things once and for all. She was going to find Angelus and she was going to kill him. She had set her mind to do it and there was nothing stopping her. If she found him, that is… When she reached the factory the building was empty, the main room trashed and there was no sign of neither Angelus, Dru or Spike.

Since then Buffy had searched the cemeteries tired, frustrated and pissed off. She wanted to find him now, find him and get it over with. Kill him. There was no room left for doubt. Buffy just had to let herself feel and she knew she was doing the right thing. But it didn’t make things less hard.

She was patrolling her eighth cemetery when she heard a strange sound a bit further ahead. She ran, the wind caught her hair as she used her outmost slayer speed to catch up with it. She was disappointed at what she found.

”Spi-ike!” She whined. Why couldn’t it have been something she could kill? Why couldn’t it have been Angelus?

That Spike was sitting on his ass in the middle of the cemetery didn’t seem to surprise or seem weird to Buffy.

”Shlayer!” Spike said thickly and made a waving gesture with his arm while he tried to stand up, which only resulted in him falling down on his butt again. ”Fhancy seeing you here.”

”That’s pretty much me, the girl who lives in cemeteries… Wait. Are you - drunk?”

”Nope.” Spike drew out the word and made the ’p’ pop. He tried to stand up again, and this time he succeeded, but not without wobbling.

”Spike! You are so drunk!”

”Not!”

”Are too!”

”Well, miss shmart…leather…pants-” Spike had noticed her clothing and grinned appreciatively in her direction, his tongue behind his teeth, in typical Spike manner, something that was usually sexy, but this time, with him being drunk, was…not.

Spike continued, ”Not drunk- ” he grabbed the liquor bottle that was lying on the grass beneath him, ”- enough.”

Spike was grinning like mad, and brought the bottle up to his face, tilted his head and studied the liquid through the glass. He looked like he was going to nuzzle the poor bottle.

”I’m gonna…drink you up! Nicceee bottle…”


”You’re talking to a bottle.”

”What of it?” Spike growled.

”I think you’ve had enough.”

Buffy snatched the bottle out of his hand. She might have wished to take the liquor from the vampire, but as she probably should have guessed, there was nothing you can do without facing the consequences. She heard only a half-hearted attempt at a roar, before someone - that would be Spike - tackled her to the ground.

Buffy’s attempt at getting away from her attacker, or rather getting her attacker off of her, by kicking and screaming, seemed to only leave the two blondes’ limbs even more entwined. When Buffy finally gathered this she stopped fighting, and looked up, from where she was lying face down in the grass, at Spike who was crawling across her back, still trying to get to the bottle Buffy was holding in her hand.

”Oi! Ghive it back!”

”No can do!” Buffy said and threw the bottle into the nearest headstone making the glass break and the liquid splash over the stone surface. With her hands firmly placed on the ground in front of her she managed to push herself up, and Spike off her at the same time.

”What did you-!” Spike exclaimed in utter despair as he saw his precious bottle shatter into a million pieces. ”I needed that! It was my only-”

”Spike? Come on…” Buffy said disbelievingly.

She almost thought he was going to cry, his eyes were so round and clear and when he stared at her he-

Buffy thought right.

Spike was again sitting on his ass in the cemetery but this time he was indeed crying. Buffy looked at him dumbfounded, not believing her eyes. What the hell was going on?

“Why did you do it, baby?” Spike mumbled and sniffed loudly. “Why did you leave me? We were happy, Dru....”

“Spike...?” Buffy asked cautiously. She’d never seen him like this. “What’s going on?”

“She doesn’t want me anymore!” Spike exclaimed and started to sob uncontrollably.

“Um...” Buffy crouched beside him and patted his back. “I’m sure whatever’s going on, it will be all right.”

“I dunno...” Spike said, doubting and shaking his head. “Maybe if I tie her up and torture her real good, you know? Maybe she’ll come back. But she’s so goddamn stubborn. Insane is what she is.“

“Spike I don’t think that’s a good idea...what with the...torture. Do you really want her back?”

“’Course I do! Why wouldn’t I? We’re forever, you know, eternal love? Literally!”

Spike might have tried to convince Buffy, but he wasn’t entirely convinced himself. He didn’t know what he wanted. That was part of why he’d gotten himself this drunk. His life had been turned upside-down in just a week and although he could blame Angelus for most of it, a lot had to do with a certain young woman crouching beside him.

Buffy on the other hand, seemed to be convinced. She stood up, a bit more annoyed than she was comfortable with.

“Fine.” She snapped. “But you know what? She doesn’t. She cheated on you. You told me and you said you wouldn’t let her do that! So stop with the moping, all right! She made her choice. You’re better off without her.”

“Easy for you to say.” He hiccuped and dried his nose with the back of his hand. “Been with her for a century. Should have heard the things she said...”

“Well do you think it’s easy for me? It’s my boyfriend she’s macking on! You know, I thought I really liked him. I had feelings for him... I let him touch me. And now he’d killed someone I know, someone I care about. Do you have any idea what that feels like? I should hate him, you know? And I do, but some small part of me is still hoping that there’s something good in him, just buried real deep, and...” Buffy glanced over at Spike, who was now lying on his back in the grass. ”Are you even listening?”

Buffy poked his side with her index finger. “Spike?” No answer. She sighed. “Wakey, wakey!”

Nothing.

He was out cold.

Buffy tried another approach. Squeezed his nose between her thumb and index finger. Pulled him up by his arms and dropped him down to the ground again. It didn’t help. She thought about doing that thing she’d seen the wrestlers do on TV, jumping and landing with their elbow in the gut of the opponent. Buffy skipped the elbow part and settled for giving Spike a hard push and sat down on his stomach.

Nothing helped.

While she was sitting there, still on that nice pack of abs she was feeling through his shirt, she couldn’t help studying his angelic face. While angelic may be the wrong word, too close for comfort as it lead to thoughts about another vampire, it still was the best way to describe him. Buffy’s gaze wandered over his closed eyelids that hid those wonderful blue eyes, over his sharp cheek bones, that pale skin and what seemed to be the softest lips in the world. Oh they were, had to be. Buffy remembered what it felt like to feel those pressed against her own. Would it be so wrong if she felt them again? Fingertips of course, completely harmless. Right?

Buffy couldn’t resist. Slowly she reached out and put her hand on his cheek. Feather light it travelled down to his chin and she brushed her thumb against his lips. Yes, soft.

The sudden sound of a bird flying out of a nearby tree and the rustling branches made Buffy snap out of her haze. She drew her hand back as if she’d been burned and stood up, shaking.

She had to make a choice. She could leave him here, or... What? Take him home, tuck him in? Take him back to the factory? But the sun would be up soon... *There are a few hours left.* Buffy reminded herself. She looked down upon him. He looked so innocent, so human. And he had helped her out so many times, she owed him this. Right?

*You’re going to regret it.* she thought.

Buffy grabbed both of his arms, tried to drag him up, before she bent down to throw him over her shoulder. He was heavy, but not too heavy for an active Slayer. The problem was rather trying to keep him on her shoulder to keep him from being too heavy a weight. With a firm grip around his lower thighs, Buffy began her way back home to Revello Drive.

She hadn’t come far when she heard Spike mumble something incoherent, from where he was hanging over her shoulder. She was just about to put him back on his feet and tell him to walk on his own, when she felt a hard smack on her ass.

If the Slayer had paid attention she might have noticed the vampire waking up and saying something about a “spankable ass” before he brought his hand to her buttocks.

She didn’t. Instead the two of them tumbled to the ground again, and this time it was Buffy that was yelling, upset.

“Spike, what the hell are you doing?!”

She didn’t get an answer. Spike had flopped down from her shoulder like a dead fish. He didn’t move, didn’t make a sound. It was no wonder Buffy thought he had blacked out again.

He hadn’t. Waking up and finding an ass at eye-level had its advantages according to Spike, and drunk as he was it didn’t occur to him how immature it was to pretend to be unconscious to get another peek.

Spike usually got his way and this time was no exception. After much muttering on Buffy’s part, he was once again loaded on her shoulder and she was steadily making her way home.

“Stupid...bleached... fangy person...” Buffy muttered. “I should’ve left you. Carrying around an unconscious vampire...” Buffy snorted to herself. “And you said you weren’t crazy...”

Buffy continued her ramble in a false, cheery tone and with a plastered smile on her face:

“Sleeping vampire anyone? Special price! You get the alcohol breath and blood lust in the bargain, come on people! If you nip his butt, he’ll spank your ass!”

The silence in the cemetery was her only answer – although Spike had a hard time to keep from laughing - and Buffy stopped her charade. “Stupid..” she muttered.

Spike on the other hand was having the time of his life - or at least that was what it felt like in his drunken bliss. He was still watching the Slayer’s hips sway and those buttocks move in her tight leather pants as they reached Revello Drive.

This time he forbore from touching.





A/N: Please let me know what you think, okay? I can't get enought of those pretty little reviews, and I always answer. Make me happy? ; )

Buffy was getting more and more nervous, and was starting to doubt if her decision to take Spike home had been one of her better ideas. What was she supposed to do when she got there? She wouldn’t have to sneak in like she used to, this time Joyce knew she was out on patrol, but Buffy hoped her mother would be in bed by now.

The way Buffy saw it, she had three options: dump Spike in the basement on that cot she had a vague memory of; place him on the sofa in the living room, where Joyce was sure to find him or take him upstairs to her own room.

Her first option seemed kind of harsh. The basement looked like a dump, but at least he was safe from the sunlight if he would sleep past dawn. The second choice was more hospitable of her, it was what you usually do, right? Put the guest on the sofa. But the living room window was large and the curtains see-through, it wasn‘t optional for someone with a sunlight allergy. Then there was the last option, it was harder, since it was in itself two options. Let him sleep on the floor or her bed?

She had to make a decision.

Buffy had reached her house and front door and was trying to get her keys out of her jeans pocket without dropping the vampire on her shoulder. When she finally managed to unlock the door and got inside, she kicked off her boots before heading upstairs.

She had just reached the final steps when Joyce walked sleepily out of her bedroom and turned on the light in the hallway.

“Buffy?”

Buffy looked like a deer caught in headlights where she was standing with Spike casually thrown over her shoulder. How was she going to explain this to her mother?

“Um, hi mom.”

“What are you-? Is that-?” Buffy could tell her mother was trying her hardest to act like this was normal. She was doing a fine job at it, although Buffy could see her freaking underneath that calm exterior. It wasn’t everyday you saw a teenage girl carrying an adult man.

“Spike, um, he wasn’t feeling well.”

“Is he sick?” Joyce asked and seemed to be worried. “Can I get you anything?”

“I just think he needs some sleep. He didn’t have anywhere to go so…”

“Oh honey but the spare bedroom is-”

“Full of gallery stuff, I know. I was going to put him in my room.”

“Are you sure?” Joyce asked skeptically, her typical maternal instinct kicking in, but she wasn’t sure about what to do about the situation at this point. “I’m really not liking this, Buffy.”

“Mom. Please. He’s unconscious, what is he supposed to do? We need to get some sleep now.”

“All right, honey, just this once. But you haven’t told me how your patrol went? I really don’t like you being out this late all by yourself.”

“It was fine, mom, it was a slow night. And I wasn’t alone, Spike was with me,” Buffy said tiredly and headed to her bedroom.

She pushed the door shut behind her with her foot, and dumped what she thought was an unconscious Spike on the bed. Buffy took a moment to look at his sleeping form. What now?
He couldn’t very well sleep on her bed with those muddy boots…or that duster. Buffy began taking them off carefully. She had to roll him over to get his duster off, but she finally succeeded after yanking and pulling at it aggressively.

To Spike, in his drunken state, his ability to keep on pretending was a surprise even for him. He was a bit embarrassed that Buffy’s mother had seen him like this but it was nothing his alcohol-laden brain worried about.

Buffy turned her back to him, made sure the curtains were shut tight, opened her wardrobe and began to change into her pyjamas.

“Love the PJ’s, luv,” Spike said suddenly. Buffy jumped and let out a shriek, startled. He had carefully opened one eye and seen Buffy changing, something he couldn’t resist not to watch, or for that matter, comment.

“God! Don’t do that! What is it with you vampires!”

“I’m a vampire,” Spike announced proudly. “The biggest …baddassest you can find!”

“Please don’t remind me, and get that ass of yours under the covers.”

“Oh,” Spike said, dumbfounded. “Oh! You want me to-” Spike’s face lit up into a grin. “Well, in that case, little girl, you’ve met the right bloke!” Spike grinned mischievously. “I’m gonna make it good, make you scream until you have no air left in your lungs, make it hurt in all the right places, just right… I’m just gonna…” Spike stood up, wobbled slightly before trying to unbuckle his belt.

Buffy was quickly there to push his hands away.

“Eww! Spike! Stop it!” Buffy pushed him down on to the bed again. Her face was flushed in embarrassment - he was grinning cockily.

“This is how we’re going to do this, okay? You get under the covers and you keep your hands to yourself. Or you can sleep on the floor!”

Grumpily, for different reasons, they both got under the covers and turned to lie on their sides facing away from each other.

The awkward silence that settled didn’t last long. Buffy was beat after patrolling for hours and couldn’t keep her eyes open even if she wanted to. While Buffy drifted off to sleep, Spike turned to simply look at her, inching closer to her resting form.

* * *

Buffy awoke early that morning to find an arm lazily draped over her midsection. Black flaked nail polish was the first thing she noticed. Her mind soon concluded the obvious: Spike. The previous night’s events came crashing down upon her, including the truth about Jenny’s murder. Buffy shivered and moved closer to Spike. He responded to Buffy even in his sleep - this time he was not pretending - and pulled her closer to his chest. Buffy enjoyed the feel of him spooning her from behind and couldn’t help but press closer to him. He was warmer than usual, her own body heat had warmed him up and it felt good. She let her eyes drift shut and went back to sleep with a smile on her lips.

* * *

“…and you should see the paintings on the ceiling! Marvellous!”

“I would love to go there. ”

Buffy was walking down the stairs, still in her PJ’s, when she heard voices in the kitchen. Was Spike talking to her mom? When she’d woken up alone she thought he’d left before dawn, but that was apparently not the case. Did Spike have the nerve to leave her sleeping to talk to her mother? She was disappointed, she didn’t think she should be, but she was. Apparently Spike wanted to get away from her as soon as possible.

Buffy stopped in the doorway to look at Joyce and the vampire. He was sitting casually at the kitchen island with a marshmallow topped cup of cocoa and her mother was busy at the stove flipping pancakes. They looked right at home. It made Buffy even more angry.

“Oh hello Buffy, William was just telling me about the Uffizi gallery, isn’t that exciting?”

Buffy looked blank. “The what?”

“Florence, luv. Italy.”

“They have the most magnificent art collection. ‘The Birth of Venus’, among others.”

“You never told me you’d been to Italy.” Buffy said coldly. Spike was just sitting here nonchalantly speaking to her mother about… art? It annoyed her incredibly.

“You never told me your mum had a gallery.”

“Didn’t think you would be interested.”

“Ditto.”

“Pancakes?” Joyce offered.

Buffy reached out her plate and her mother loaded it with pancakes.

“So... Was it nice?”

“Was what nice?”

“Italy.”

“It’s been a while since I’d been there, but sure, it’s nice.”

“Did you know William shares my love for the great masters?” Joyce smiled excitedly at her daughter. “Art can be so fascinating.”

“Whatever, mom.” She turned to Spike. “So what are you going to do?”

“What do you mean?”

“The sun is up. You’re kind of trapped here.”

“It’s no problem, Joyce has already offered to let me stay until tonight.”

“What? Mom!”

“What honey? We can’t kick him out, can we? He’ll fry!”

“Are you planning to leave an evil vampire alone in our house?!”

“Honey, what is he going to do?”

“I don’t know! Evil stuff! He’ll mess up my room and… and put soap on my toothbrush!”

Spike frowned at her last comment, but remained silent.

“I’m sure William will behave.”

“Forget it, I’m staying home today.”

“Honey you have school-”

“Mom, please. It’s not just Spike, believe me, with everything with Jenny, can’t I just…“ Buffy looked at her mother with pleading eyes. “Please don’t make me go?“

“Oh honey, I‘m sorry,“ Joyce hugged her daughter. “But are you sure being home alone would make you feel better? You’ve got your friends at school.”

“I know, but I would rather be here...”

“With Spike?”

“With Spike.”

“Well okay then, I’ll call your school, but you better tell Willow.” Joyce left the kitchen.

Spike turned to look at Buffy with an amused expression on his face. “You gonna baby-sit me, then?”

“You’re saying I won’t find my house torn down when I get back if I leave you here?”

Spike snorted. “No luv, not torn down. You would come home to find me and my demon pals in an orgy.”

Instead of retorting like she usually did, Buffy felt trapped in a moment of silence. She cleared her throat and looked down at the yummy sushi pyjamas she was wearing.

“I’m just gonna go put some clothes on,” Buffy said apologetically. “And call Willow, I think we need a Scooby meeting as soon as possible.”

Buffy rushed up to her room and started to rummage through her wardrobe. She couldn’t find anything to her liking. How come she didn’t have any clothes that fit? They were all so… childish, with their bright colours and silly patterns. She wanted black. Maybe red. Something sexy. She was in desperate need of some shopping, but right now a simple pair of black pants and a red tank top would have to do. They clung nicely to her body and she was pretty sure it was Spike’s favourite colours. Buffy grabbed both pieces of clothing and headed for the shower.

* * *

Spike was left alone in the kitchen to nurse his hangover from the night before. He was almost ready to empty Joyce’s liquor cabinet if it didn’t get better soon. Spike was used to hangovers and he didn’t really mind some pain, but being both dumped and sporting the largest hangover he’d had in years left him feeling more pathetic than usual. He really hoped the Slayer could keep him entertained.

* * *

“Please, please, please?”

“I’m not touching that thing!”

“Come on?”

“No way in hell!”

“But my mom usually helps me and she left early. Can’t you at least try?”

“I’m not fixing your hair, Buffy! I’m not your bloody girlfriend!”

“But I don’t want my hair straight, I want pretty curliness!” Buffy pouted. “I’m going to be ugly all day!”

“You won’t look-”

“No? What’s this?” Buffy pointed at her hair. “This side is straight and this is wavy, and it‘s all your fault because I had to sleep on my side all night, because you were there with your limbs!”

“Your hair is fine, pet. Dunno why you have to dress up and all, thought you were staying in today?”

Buffy felt the urge to roll her eyes, but didn’t. *I’m trapped at home with a sexy vampire, who on earth would I want to look pretty for? Not that he even noticed my outfit… stupid jerk.*

Buffy stared at Spike who seemed to be lost in his TV show. When Buffy realised he wasn’t going to help her she slumped down on the sofa beside him and put the curling iron away.

“You’re not going to apologize are you?”

Spike took a moment to think. Did he have something to apologize for? He couldn’t think of anything, but then again, guilt wasn’t usually his best friend.

“For what? I told you, you look pretty didn‘t I?”

Buffy rolled her eyes. “Never mind…”

“No, pet, hold on a second. What are you going on about?”

“You just-! I woke up alone. You could have at least woken me up and I didn’t have to feel stupid lying there by myself-”

“What? You usually have company?”

“No... But still!”

Spike turned to look at her intently. “I couldn’t wake you, pet. You were sleeping so peacefully,” he said softly. “You really telling me you wouldn’t have hit me in the head with a large, blunt object if I had woken you?” He earned a smile from Buffy at that. “Thought so.”

“Spike?” Buffy asked quietly.

“Yeah?”

“Do you know where they are?” He looked at her quizzically. “Dru? Angel?”

“No,” he said truthfully.

“Oh.” There was a pause, when both were staring at the TV, but not actually watching. “If you… if you knew where they were, would you-?”

“Join them? No, luv.”

Buffy smiled shyly at him. She felt relieved. He wasn’t going anywhere and it warmed her heart.

“You know I have to kill him, right?”

“It’s what you do, pet. You’re a Slayer. Wouldn’t expect anything else.”

They shared a look of something that cannot be described as anything but understanding. His looked at her warmly and Buffy seemed to melt under his gaze. He didn’t have to say more. To hell with Dru and her duties, that simple indication of support was enough for Buffy to feel at peace with him at her side.

“What are we watching?” she asked.

“Passions.”

“Passions. Isn’t that like a soap or something? For the ladies at some old age home?”

Spike glared at her. “It’s a good show.”

“If you say so.”

They sat quietly on the sofa for a couple of minutes, but soon Buffy became bored.

“Spi-ike! Can’t we do something?”

Spike cast her a questioning glance.

“Like what?”

“I’m hungry!” Buffy said perkily.

* * *

“Ow! Bloody buggerin’ hell!”

Spike shook his burned hand while bouncing around the kitchen. “I’m done with this Buffy, you get those cookies yourself!”

“Fine! Calm down, will you?”

Spike was cooling his burned hand under the water in the sink, when he heard a gut wrenching scream from Buffy’s direction.

“No!”

“What now?!”

“They’re burned!”

“Well so is my hand!”

Buffy held out the plate with the neatly lined up cookies. They were all as black as ash. They looked strangely similar to stones or excrement from some extinct animal.

Spike started laughing.

“You really can’t cook, can you?”

“No…” Buffy said in despair and looked as if she was on the verge of tears.

Spike choked back his laughter and looked at her kindly.

“Come here.” He pulled her closer to him, squeezed her shoulders gently, reassuring. “It’s just cookies, yeah? You’ve got ready ones over there, from the store, nothing to worry about.”

“It’s not the same, home made cookies are better. Willow always makes the best cookies.”

“But these are fine. I can eat these.” Spike picked up one burned cookie and brought it to his lips.

“No! Don’t!” Buffy giggled. She tried to stop him from putting it in his mouth but it was useless.

Spike took a bite, black crumbs spread over his lips and he tried his best not to grimace when he tasted the burnt cookie. He licked his lips and swallowed.

“Delicious.”

Buffy was laughing at him and soon Spike joined in with his own trademark chuckle. He kissed the top of her head before grabbing the plate and throwing the burnt cookies in the trash.

* * *

Willow, Xander and Giles came over in the afternoon to have a Scooby meeting as planned. Buffy greeted her friends in the hallway with their usual jokes and cheer, but when she came face to face with Giles her mood fell and she smiled at him weakly. He looked tired, drained even. His eyes had lost their usual spark and he looked unusually pale.

Buffy spoke only his name before she wrapped her arms around his waist and hid her sad face in his tweed jacket. Giles patted her back in return with a kind but forced smile. When he saw Spike standing at the bottom of the stairs the smile turned into a look of anger.

“Buffy,” he said. “Can I have a word with you?” Giles walked into the kitchen, expecting her to follow.

“What is he doing here?!” Giles whispered loudly, barely keeping his anger in check. “You cannot tell me you’d invited a vampire into your home? That vampire! At these times, Buffy I-”

“Giles. Calm down.”

“I will not- Do you have any idea what he did to her?” Giles spoke urgently.

There was no question about who he was talking about. They were no longer talking about Spike, but Angelus.

“I do.” Giles opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, but stopped himself and closed it again.

“I know what happened to Jenny. And I’m sorry. I know you‘re disappointed in me, believe me I know, but I promise you I will bring Angelus down, even if it‘s the last thing I do.”

“Buffy.” Giles took off his glasses and looked at her kindly. Somewhere during her ramble he had again to remember that this was a young girl he was talking to. “I cannot say I know anything about what it’s like to be a sixteen year old girl. Do you want me to wag my finger at you and tell you that you acted rashly when it comes to Angel? You did. And I can. But it won’t change what has happened, and I’m not going to.”

There was a quiet moment, until Buffy noticed a bruise on Giles’ cheek. She reached out to touch it.

“What have-” Buffy stopped herself and looked knowingly at her watcher. “You tried to find him, didn’t you?”

“Yes, well he’s nowhere to be found, and I came across a nest of Marketh demons instead… tricky buggers.”

“Giles. Look, I know Spike may seem to be our enemy, but I really think he could come through in this. I know you don’t trust him. But-”

“You do.”

“Yes.”

Giles stared at her intently before he nodded and went out to the teenagers in the living room. “Put on some tea, will you?” he said on his way out.

* * *

They had barely sat down and started talking when a muffled scream came from outside and made everyone look up. Buffy shared a panicked look with Spike before she rushed to the front door. She threw the door open.

No one.

There was no one standing outside. That was when Buffy noticed her mother’s SUV in front of the house. When had her mother come home?

Buffy looked down to her feet. A grocery bag was thrown on the ground and its contents were spread on the front steps. Her mother’s purse was lying close by.

“Mom?” Buffy asked shakily, then more panicked. “Mom?!”





A/N: Review please? ;)

A/N: I haven't updated this fic in months and I'm so very sorry about that. I never meant to stop writing, but RL and a new fanart obsession sort of got in the way. If you're curious about what I've been up to you can view my art here and find the fanart award site I have opened here.

On to the fic then... remember what happened previously? A quick recap:

Buffy and Spike met in LA before she became a Slayer and another time when Buffy was in a mental institution. Both times without knowing they would soon become destined enemies. Except when they meet later (s. 2) Spike has troubles killing her and Buffy is majorly confused. She sleeps with her boyfriend Angel, unleashes Angelus who kills Jenny and steals Dru away from Spike. In the last (fluffy) chapter Buffy and Spike bond through baking cookies and it ends with them finding Joyce's groceries and purse on the lawn and Joyce herself is nowhere to be seen.

You with me? On to the chap...

* * *

Chapter Nineteen - Alone

“Mom!”

Buffy was shouting into the dark night. Desperate, she ran out the front door and searched the bushes nearby, without minding the scratches she got from the angry thorns. She ran over the lawn, looked at the back of the house, out on the street, in the car, anywhere she could think of.

There was no Joyce to be seen.

In the hallway, the Scoobies were standing watching the spectacle. Willow held her hand over her mouth, terrified and Xander had put his arm around her in support, or maybe to find some for himself. He wasn’t looking any less scared. A shadow of worry traveled across Giles’ face but when he called out to Buffy, his voice was calm.

Spike pushed the watcher aside impatiently and went out to Buffy who was searching the bushes for the second time. If he hadn’t gotten to know her, Spike knew what he would have said. Some gloating comment about “Did she really think her mother had taken a nap in the rose bushes?” But he didn’t.

Instead, he reached out and grabbed her arms, stopped her frantic motions successfully and pulled her back close to his chest and away from the useless search.

“She’s my mom! He’s got my mom!”

“I know, pet.”

“Get off me!” Buffy was kicking, punching in the air to get out of his hold. He released her and she spun around to glare at him accusingly.

“Did you know?” Buffy asked, her voice full of venom, clenching her jaw together. “Was this all part of your plan?!”

Spike tilted his head and looked at her calmly. “Buffy, I’ve been here all day.”

“Exactly! Was it your job to keep me occupied when they took her? Huh? Tell me!” Buffy was boiling with anger, but Spike seemed unaffected.

“You know it wasn’t,” he said simply.

His intent gaze must have penetrated her, because somehow he managed to get through. She was still breathing erratically but now her eyes were wet with tears and the anger was gone.

“I know.” Buffy took a deep breath, looked up at the night sky, and the clouds that hid the stars before turning back down to earth and the situation at hand. “I know,“ she repeated weakly. “I’m sorry.”

Spike closed the distance between them, ran his hand up and down her arms in a soothing pattern and kissed the top of her head.

“Let’s get you inside.”

* * *

The gang gathered in the living room, all of them quiet, watching Buffy and waiting for her to give them orders. Buffy herself was standing in the living room doorway, she was too worked up to be sitting down. She wanted to get out there again, search, find Joyce, who knows what could have happened? After Jenny… Buffy didn’t want to think about it.

“We need to find her,” she said simply. “Now.”

“Let’s do it, get those books cracking!” Xander spoke up.

“Yeah, we’ll research!” Willow added eagerly.

“Research? I’m sorry guys, but what do you expect to find? Do you think Angelus‘ secret location is hidden somewhere in the Watcher‘s diaries? Please.” There was a quick pause, and both friends looked embarrassed. “Spike, do you have any idea where they could be? Think!”

“Told you, luv. No clue. Usually I can sense Dru miles afar, but they don’t want to be found.”

“A spell! We’ll do a-a locator spell!” Willow was bouncing excitedly on the couch. “I read about it, it shows demon activity!”

“Of course,” Giles added.

“Sounds good. When can you have it done?”

“I don’t know if… Giles…? An hour?” The watcher nodded.

“We don’t have that much time! She could already be dead!”

“Luv, he took her for a reason. I don’t think she’s dead, if he wanted to kill her she would have been lying with a neck wound on your lawn,” Spike reasoned.

“And that is comforting how?“ He didn’t answer. “What do you think he’s doing to her? Cooking dinner?” Buffy said sarcastically. “He’s Angelus, everything Giles has told me about him concerns vicious torture and sadistic killing.”

Her friends were silent, heads bowed down.

“This is not a normal kidnapping. We‘re not waiting here expecting a note with a ransom. Giles? Please, anything?”

Buffy looked pleadingly at her watcher. He looked utterly defeated. The last week, Jenny’s death, everything seemed to have caught up with him and he had nothing to offer her.

“Buffy, I…”

“Does anyone have anything useful to say?”

Silence.

“Right. Spike, let‘s go.”

“What? I‘m not a bloody dog that comes when you‘re call-”

“We’re gonna beat up Willy.”

“I’m in!”

* * *

Buffy was walking with fast strides towards Willy’s bar. Spike was having trouble catching up with her, but she was too wound up in her own thoughts and worries to notice.

“Luv, hold up a second.”

“What?”

“You’re running like your arse is on fire- “

“Your point being...?”

“Nothing.”

“Right. Nothing. God, what was I thinking?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means, I’m trying to find the vampire who’s kidnapped my mom and who do I decide to bring along? What was it you called it… his childe!”

“So?”

“I’m not even sure what you’re doing here.” Buffy sighed.

“I’m here because you told me to; ‘Spike let’s go’, remember?”

“Right. Because you think it’s fun to beat up Willy. Because you are a vampire!”

“What’s your problem, eh?!”

Buffy knew very well she was taking out her anger on Spike, acting like she had the PMS of a lifetime, but she really didn’t have the time to care.

“My problem is my mother being missing! You just happen to be a big pain in the ass!”

“I’m sure if you remove that stake you’ve got shoved up there you’ll be in less!”

And with that her fist came crashing down on his nose.

Spike chuckled. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen it coming. No, he was pretty clear on what would upset Buffy and what would not. This time he just couldn’t understand what he had done to piss her off in the first place. Spike concluded, rightfully, that it wasn’t his fault, but the situation they were in the middle of and now he had gone and made a bigger mess.

“Can’t you- can’t you just tell me your agenda?” Buffy said, exasperated.

“Haven’t got one.“

“Then why are you helping me?”

“That’s was this is about isn’t it? The Slayer needing my help!” Spike chuckled to himself. “It’s hard isn’t it? Relying on someone else? Used to doing the solo-gig? I can relate.”

“Spike…”

“Well, I’m all ears, Slayer. Bring it on. Beg me.”

“Spike, don’t do this, you were acting all cooperative before, we don’t-”

“Oh we do!”

“You’re enjoying this.”

Spike smirked in response.

“Fine.” He nodded, motioning for her to go on. “I can’t do it alone. Fight both of them. Angel and Dru. Not without risking mom.”

“And?”

Buffy took a deep breath, tried to ignore Spike’s grinning face in front of her. “Spike. Will you… God-” Buffy took a moment to look away before turning to Spike again, now with tears in the corner of her eye, pleading. “Will you help me? Please?”

Her words wiped the grin off Spike’s face. He wasn’t expecting tears. His tone was soft and his face reassuring when he answered.

“Of course.”

Buffy smiled through her unshed tears. “I just want her back. Alive. Unharmed.”

“I know. Me too. She’s a nice lady.”

Buffy smiled at him, he always managed to look so childish when speaking of her mother.

* * *

When she opened her eyes the world was pitch black. Or, it was until she realized there was a dark sticky fabric covering her face and head. It didn’t take long before she also concluded that the pounding she heard was actually inside her head and what was running hot along her cheek was her own blood. With that, the memory of cold yellow eyes and sharp teeth returned to her and panic started to spread from her gut. Joyce trembled in fear and prayed with all she’d got that Buffy was all right.

He was dragging her. Without any care and with a steady grip around her wrists. Her feet were clumsily dragged along the ground, her head lolling from side to side. It started spinning again, and before she could decipher where she was or where he was taking her, she blacked out.

* * *

The small smoky pub known as Willy’s bar was empty except for a couple of Bareth demons sitting in a dark corner in the back and a rather skanky-looking female vampire sipping her blood at the counter.

Buffy had ordered Spike to stay outside while she ‘handled’ things, since the vampire refused to go undercover. Buffy had asked him to chat up some of the demons in an attempt to find out something about Angelus but the bleached blonde just answered with ‘Do I look like James Bond?’

Buffy had to say he didn’t, thus she was entering the pub alone.

“Hey there, Slayer,” Willy said nervously and tried to look nonchalant while cleaning the counter with a damp towel. “What can I do for you?”

“You can tell me if you’ve see my boyfriend.”

“Eh... Yeah.” Willy smiled, still acting unusually nervous, drumming his fingers on the wooden bar. “No, haven’t seen him.”

“Come on, Willy. Dark, a bit broody, this tall.” Buffy held up her hand a good bit above her head. “Goes by the name of Angelus?“

“Look…” Willy laughed nervously. “I can’t tell you anything… he’ll..”

“He’ll what? So you’ve noticed the… “ Buffy searched for the right word, “-change?”

Willy dragged Buffy to the side of the bar and hissed. “He’ll kill me! All you do is break my nose, I think I’ve got my priorities straight, y’know?”

Buffy snorted. “He’ll kill you anyway. For fun. I’m the one who can stop him before that. Now, spill. Where is he?”

“I dunno! All I know is he was here the other day recruiting. Getting himself some minions”

“Minions?”

“Yeah.” Willy nodded eagerly. “But half of them were too stupid for him, so we had sort of an… incident. The other half… well they’re just scared shitless.”

“So all I have to do is find one of these minions and they’ll lead me to him?”

“I don’t know about that, I’ll bet they’re more scared of him than they are of you.”

“Guess I have to get a lot scarier then.“ Buffy winked.

Satisfied, Buffy started to leave the club, but before she could even reach the door someone had grabbed her arm. In an instant the Slayer had this person pinned against the wall with a stake against the chest.

On the other end of the pointy piece of wood was the female vampire who had been sitting at the bar.

“I overheard.”

“Vampire hearing.” Buffy sighed. “Of course you did.”

“You’ll kill him?” The brown haired vampire whispered. “You’ll kill Angelus?”

“Um… let me see… yes!”

There was a silence when the vampire stared at the floor.

“Did you want anything? Staking?”

The brunette looked up, met Buffy‘s eyes and whispered, “I know where he is.”








A/N: Review, please? ;) Feels like forever ago I wrote, I could use some feedback :)

“I know where he is.”

“Really?” Buffy was surprised. She hadn’t thought finding one of Angelus’ minions would be that easy. “Wanna share?”

“He took us outside last night. Had these… duels, to find the best fighters. I didn’t have to fight, he said I was too pretty. But Johnny did.”

“Why are you telling me this? You’re a vampire, you like violence…“

The brunette swallowed. “Johnny died. Some ugly polgara got him. He’s dust.”

“Who’s Johnny?” Buffy asked carefully.

The vampire tilted her head to show the bite mark on her neck.

“He was my mate. My sire. My everything...”

Buffy rolled her eyes. “And haven’t we heard that one before…”

The female vampire looked offended, but rather than vamping out, she was at the verge of tears. Buffy didn’t seem to notice - she tapped her foot impatiently.

“Look, whatever your name is-”

“Diane.”

“Diane. I’ll kill him. He’ll pay. Just tell me where Angelus is.”

“There’s an old mansion behind Richmound cemetery. It’s not visible from the road, but there’s a small path that leads to the garden entrance. He won’t be expecting you.”

Buffy practically ran out of there, she had gotten all the information she needed.

It was time to bring her mother back.

* * *

Spike was waiting outside, cigarette in the corner of his mouth, walking in circles. He wasn’t sure what he was doing. He’d said he wouldn’t come when she called, like a dog, yet here he was waiting for her like a leashed poodle for its owner outside the supermarket. No, not a poodle. Spike saw himself more like a pit bull. Maybe a rottweiler. One of those dogs which once they got their teeth into something, they never let go.

He’d said he’d help her. Why the bleedin’ hell had he said something like that? *Because she needed him, that’s why.* But Spike wasn’t completely sure he could keep his promise - he’d try, no question about it - but what good would he do? What good was he doing out here?

Spike had just decided to go inside and join Buffy when the girl in question stalked out of the pub pass Spike and continued down the street.

“So?” Spike asked as he tried to catch up with her.

“He’s at a mansion behind Richmound cemetery,” Buffy said over her shoulder.

“You sure? Who told you this?”

“Some vampire called ‘Diane’. Know who it is?”

“No.”

Spike had stopped but Buffy continued down the road, focused on her destination.

“You’re going?”

“Yes.”

“Even though it’s most likely a trap?”

“Uh huh.”

Spike rolled his eyes, sighed and ran reluctantly up to her. “You’re gonna get yourself killed.”

“You coming with?” Buffy said perkily, smiling one of her best, but false, smiles.

“Look, Buffy. Usually when you do this sort of thing, world saving, whatever, don’t you have something resembling a plan?”

“I didn’t think you were the ‘think first’ kind of guy.”

Spike looked almost offended and replied quickly, “I’m not. But uh… the chance of me getting a lot dead-er by the end of the night-”

“You’re helping me?” Buffy prayed to God she’d kept her voice flat, that she didn’t let it show how much she wanted and needed his help.

“Didn’t I tell you I would?”

“Great,” she said, again trying to hide any emotion, “let’s go.”

“Luv, wait.”

“No?” Buffy stopped and turned around to face him. ”What are we waiting for?”

“I’ll go. You go back and tell your mates. Grab some weapons.”

“All I need is this stake.” Buffy was starting to get annoyed. Why was he keeping her?

“And he might have minions of the non-vampire variety. Look, Angelus shouldn‘t know I‘m… helping you out. If we show up together all best pals, it won’t be a surprise.”

“Fine.” Why did he have to be so smart?

“I’ll play along until you get there. Then I’ll take care of Dru.”

“Are you actually making the plan?” Buffy looked at him in disbelief.

“Looks like,” Spike said and threw his cigarette butt on the ground. “Now off you go.”

Buffy was about to turn around when she hesitated and gave Spike a pondering look. “Spike. If you’re playing me… if you know, all this should turn out to be some grand scheme to kill a Slayer? You’re dust before you realize what happened.”

Spike just winked, chuckled and left.

* * *

Buffy threw the door open and went into the living room with a grim look on her face. On the table in front of the sofa, Xander had lined up her weapons and Buffy headed straight for the large axe, which the boy was busy polishing, and snatched it right out of his hands.

“Hey!” he objected.

“Any luck?” Giles inquired and removed his glasses.

“According to some vampire he’s at a mansion behind one of the cemeteries.”

“You sure?” Xander asked. “And that’s where your mother is?”

“I think so.”

“Buffy, a vampire told you this? Doesn’t that scream, you know, trap?”

“Willow is quite right. You don’t know this creature’s agenda. It’s probable it will lead you straight into the claws of Angelus while your mother is at a complete different location.” Giles reasoned.

“Then I’ll make him lead me to her.”

Her friends were silenced by her determined look. They couldn’t argue with that.

“Um… Buffy?” Willow asked nervously. “Where‘s Spike?”

There was a moment when the Scooby gang looked around as if expecting the vampire to be hiding behind Buffy’s back and pop out behind her shoulder.

“Yeah, where’s the bloodsucking fiend?” Xander agreed.

“He went in advance.”

“You think that’s wise?” Giles asked, trying to keep the judgemental note out of his voice. “Spike will most likely warn Angelus about your arrival.”

“He’s probably planning the whole damn thing!” Xander exclaimed.

“No, he won’t. He hasn’t. Look, I don’t have time for this. I gotta go. Spike has promised to take care of Dru-” Giles opened his mouth to say something but Buffy cut him off, emphasizing her words “-and I trust that. If he doesn’t, if I‘m wrong… Well, I guess I have to fight the three of them. I am going to get my mother back. No matter what happens.”

With that, Buffy left the house, axe in one hand, stake in the other, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

Spike was walking the narrow path towards the mansion’s garden entrance. He was hardly sneaking, but with being a vampire his motions were soundless. It wasn’t long until he saw it, the mansion Buffy, and that vampire by the name of Diane, was talking about.

Spike was surprised he’d never seen this large building before, it seemed so out of place, yet somehow right at home where it almost melted into its surroundings. It was old, maybe 19th century if Spike estimated right and according to the wildly grown garden and the ivy climbing up the granite walls, no one had lived there for quite a while.

Spike strolled into the main room through the open garden door.

“So this is where you’re hiding?” he said casually, spotting Angelus and Drusilla further in. ”Should have known you for choosing something classy. Darla was all about the fancy castles and spectacular views, wasn’t she? Guess you got some of that.”

“Spike.” Angelus’ voice was flat. “Didn’t think you would join us. Busy chasing after that Slayer of ours.”

Dru watched her childe suspiciously. If she suspected, or for that matter saw what he was hiding, she didn’t say anything.

Their last meeting hadn’t exactly been pleasant, he’d found her in Angelus’ bed and she’d pretty much given him up. This time Spike felt more unwanted than he ever had in his unlife. When they met after a longer absence, or after a fight, Drusilla always used to dance and giggle when she saw him, her eyes that technically were dead used to sparkle with life and insanity and she would run up to him and caress his chest with her bony fingers. Today she looked at him sadly and mumbled:

“William, my dear, have you seen the stars tonight? They speak of wonders… and losses. “ Drusilla smiled at their prisoner, sitting on the floor.

Joyce tried to scream but her voice was drowned by the fabric stuffed in her mouth, bound around her head. There was an ugly wound on her forehead, and her hands were tied behind her back; her feet tightly together. She pulled at the ropes but all it was good for were bruises and red, sore skin.

Angelus laughed at her efforts.

Joyce looked at Spike with pleading eyes.

A miscellaneous group of demons came from the main entrance into the hall where Spike was standing. There were five of them. A couple of vampires, a large scaly demon with a nasty smell; a thin snake-like demon with mucus running from its nose. Last came something Spike was sure to be a troll. It was smaller than the trolls he’d come across in the past, but he still wondered how such a creature ended up in dear old Sunnydale.

If Spike had followed Buffy into Willy’s bar he would have recognized one of the vampires as Diane. It turned out he didn’t need to - when she opened her mouth.

“The Slayer is on her way. Everything is going as planned.“

“Wonderful.” Angelus leered. “I’m itching to get started.”

Angelus walked over to the fireplace where a row of sharp metal instruments lay neatly, waiting to be heated and inflict as much pain as they possibly could.

Spike froze. Yes, it was a trap. Buffy knew where to go because Angelus wanted her to. Now, there were seven demons there excluding himself, two of which were among the most powerful alive, or in this case, undead. This was not good. Really not good. He wasn’t even sure Buffy could take on Angelus even if he was alone.

“You’re itching to get started? You sure you’re not dying to?”

Okay, so it was a bad pun, but Buffy couldn’t stop herself. It took all her willpower to not just rush in and let her mother loose.

She walked slowly into the main room where the others where standing. She took it all in; Angelus in front of her, a pack of demons further in. She recognized ‘Diane’ as one of them. Buffy grew cold, maybe Willow had been right? This looked very much like a trap. It didn’t take long for Buffy to figure out that the other woman in the room, at her left, had to be Drusilla and a pang of jealousy hit her when she saw how close she was standing to Spike. On the floor beside them sat her mother, she was tied up, bruised, but she was alive. Relief washed over Buffy and with a hint of a smile and a short nod she tried to reassure the woman when she met her eyes.

“Well, well, well. Who do we have here?” Angelus taunted as he spotted her and leered in her direction. The pack of demons laughed obediently with him, some of them too stupid to have an opinion of their own, some of them smart enough to play along with their master.

Spike chuckled with them. Buffy gave him a quick, worried glance and seeing him and the cold look in his eyes made her more scared than Angelus ever had.

“Came to catch the show?” Angelus said, nodding at the instruments of torture he’d prepared. “Or should we have some fun first? I know Johnny here would really like himself a feisty blonde.”

A large, shabby vampire was looking at her appreciably, running his tongue over his vampire teeth and smirking obnoxiously in her direction. His hands were in the belt loops of his jeans and his right traveled down to his crotch. The display overall was sickening.

“But we wouldn’t want a repeat performance on your part, would we?” Angelus continued. “The other night when-”

“Shut up.” Buffy cut him off.

“Have you told your mother about that? How you so eagerly jumped me?” He strolled over to where Joyce was sitting and crouched beside her casually. “Wanna know how I fucked your daughter?”

Joyce flinched, but made no other protest. Buffy could see the anger boiling in her mother’s eyes and she wished more than anything that she could tell her he was lying. She felt so ashamed.

“Stop talking, will you!” Spike interrupted impatiently. “And you faggots what are you waiting for? Are we gonna stand here all day?”

There was a confused moment when Buffy looked back and forth between the demons and Spike. What was he telling them?

“Kill her!”

Previously on BtMB:
Buffy and Spike met in LA before she became a Slayer and another time when Buffy was in a mental institution. Both times without knowing they would soon become destined enemies. Except when they meet later (s. 2) Spike has troubles killing her and Buffy is majorly confused. She sleeps with her boyfriend Angel, unleashes Angelus who kills Jenny and steals Dru away from Spike. Angelus and Dru kidnaps Joyce and Spike tells Buffy he'll help her get her mother back, but will he..? The last chapter ended with Spike telling Angelus' minions to attacks her...



Chapter Twenty-One - Choices

“Kill her!”

The demons looked dumbfounded at each other before one of them - the vampire called Johnny - launched at Buffy. The others were not far behind.

He had to do something right? Spike couldn’t just stand there. He saw the hurt and accusation in Buffy’s eyes as she swung her axe and he wished he could run up to her and say ‘I didn’t mean it like that’.

She could take those five demons, right? *Right, * he convinced himself.

It was the boy’s fault. Bolloxing everything up. He had to do something to avert the attention from their new guest. Spike was the only one who had spotted him, and thank heavens for that, but a human boy in a room full of demons? Wouldn’t go unnoticed for long.

Spike had recognized him as a friend of Buffy’s, or at least someone who hung around in that library with her and suddenly he found himself on a mission to not only protect Buffy and the lady but some random boy too.

*Just stake me, will ya? * Spike thought sarcastically. *Where’s my shining armour? Why don’t I just save the starving children too? Maybe help an old lady across the street? *

He had agreed to help Buffy and therefore her mother. No one else. Then why was he doing her favours? Not that she at this point was aware of it, but still?

Damn. The Slayer was really getting to him.

* * *

Xander was hiding in the wildly grown garden. Brown, dried grass was tickling his calves - it had sneaked under his jeans leg - and there was a giant spider an inch from his head. Xander didn’t bother to give either much attention, or for that matter the uncomfortable position he was in; crouching to get a good look through the dirty window.

He had followed her to keep an eye on things. To help her if he could. Spike had discovered him - that lying son of a bitch - he had cast him an angry glance, and if looks could kill, Xander was sure he would have died on the spot, the spider his only witness.

Xander had known Spike was not to be trusted. Hadn’t he told them all from the start? Now here he was with his ‘kill her!’ and Xander had to repress the urge to shout ‘ha!’ out loud in triumph.

But truthfully his victory wasn’t very appealing. The demons, Xander counted five of them, were attacking Buffy with full force and he couldn’t do anything but look.

* * *

Buffy felt the rage wash over her at Spike’s statement. ‘Kill her’?? What the hell was he talking about? Had it all been a game to him? Had he lied to her? She was taken aback, confused and shocked but in a split second she got herself together and her anger served as an excellent fuel for a fight.

The vampire Johnny came at her first, he was launching at her neck, in full game face, like an evil puppy and Buffy could easily punch his nose and send him to the ground.

Diane, the vampire from Willy’s bar, attacked her next, and from the look in her eyes Buffy suspected Johnny was really her mate. She was aggressive, pummelling Buffy with all she’d got and the Slayer answered with equal force.

Another demon joined in. The scaly one, looking like it belonged in some hot dessert judging by its thick armour of a skin and the beige colour. This one was eager, practically pushing Diane out of her way to get to Buffy. Which was fortunate for the Slayer. Her right fist was getting bloody after punching the demon’s hard chest, and she finally got the chance to use her left - holding the axe - and when Diane gave her the chance, she managed to push the top of the axe’s blade into the demon’s nose. It fell dead to the ground.

Buffy made a disgusted face at the green coloured blood that pooled around the body, but was soon distracted by Diane’s fists. Johnny was also getting himself together, grunted as he got up from the floor and joined his girlfriend in the battle. He didn‘t do much to help, instead he made her loose focus as she glanced back to check up on him. Buffy didn’t miss the opportunity; she retrieved her stake from the back pocket of her jeans and in two fast moves she had staked both Diane and her mate.

The troll and the snake-like demon were fast upon her, both at the same time. They were each other’s opposites, the troll was large, slow, but with an impressive force in its fists. The other demon was trickier - not as strong, but it was faster, ducking Buffy’s kicks and sneaking up on her from behind.

She took out the troll first. Gritting her teeth, she swung the axe and cut the head straight off the body. It fell with a surprised look on its face on the floor and rolled over to where Joyce was sitting. The woman gave out a startled scream, but the fabric in her mouth muffled it as she moved her feet as far from the head as she dared with Drusilla right beside her.

The rest of the body, the decapitated troll which looked close to a statue where it stood in the middle of the main hall, wobbled slightly, before it too, fell to the ground.

Buffy took two seconds to make sure it didn’t grow another head - you never knew on the Hellmouth - then gave the sneaky demon all of her attention.

She was getting tired. She had a large cut on her forehead from the troll’s fists, her knuckles were bleeding and she was pretty sure Diane had broken at least one of her ribs. She was panting heavily, but hadn’t given up yet. The demon circled her, animal like, and every time she swung her axe, it escaped the deadly steel, moving too fast for her tired eyes to register. She realized her sight wasn’t going to help her this time.

So she focused, stretched out her mind, using her spider sense. The wheezing sound of the creature’s breathing was what she concentrated on, how its lizard like feet tripped along the stone floor. And when it struck next, using a statue of some sort from the shelf above the fireplace, she heard it seconds before, just in time to block the punch. And the next. And before she knew it, she’d gotten the advantage and she pierced the demon’s eye with her stake. The wood pushed into its brain and another body slumped to the ground.

She tried not to look smug when she faced Angelus. She wiped her forehead with her hand and dried the blood that she found there on her pants.

If Angelus was impressed he didn’t let it show.

Spike on the other hand was grinning proudly like a single dad on his seven-year-old son’s soccer practice. Buffy had no idea what he was up to, but the anger from before had died with the slaughtered demons, and she was pretty sure Spike was trying to tell her something with the way he rose his eyebrows and tilted his head. Or maybe he was just being inappropriate, she wasn’t sure. But it told her something.

He was still in.

“That was a nice little show,” Angelus said casually.

“Let my mother go or you will be the extra number.”

“You really think you can take all of us on?” he answered amusingly. “You’re barely standing, kiddo.”

“No, I don’t. But we will.”

With that, Spike took the crowbar he had been hiding behind his back to his grandsire’s head and watched him crumble to the ground. He hit his back, again and again, making sure Angelus stayed on the floor all while muttering something sounding like “that’s for Buffy, that‘s for mum” under his breath, with each strike.

Drusilla stared at him for a couple of seconds in shock but soon rose to action. She jumped him, making them both fall to the floor and for a second Spike was buried underneath heaps of crimson satin.

Buffy was left to face Angelus. She smiled ridiculously when she thought of Spike. *I knew he would come through.*

* * *

She didn’t know who threw the first punch. It was possible they attacked each other at the exact same time because before she knew it the fight had started and their surroundings faded away.

It was obvious to her that Angelus only had used his minions to get her warmed up. As often as Angel had followed her out on patrol he had to know five demons wasn’t enough to bring the Slayer down. And she had wondered why he didn’t join in the fight immediately. Why he and Drusilla just stood there, watching.

She felt stupid. And he was so strong.

The difference between fighting Angelus and fledglings like Diane was enormous. Angelus oozed of power, every hit was coming from instinct, years of practice and it was hard to not feel intimidated by just the nonchalant look in his eyes.

But Buffy was the Slayer. Had been for more than two years now. Going up against Master vampires was something she’d only done twice before: the Master a year earlier and Spike just a week ago. She wasn’t completely sure whether to count Spike or not, she doubted either of them had gone all out that time at the Parent-teacher night. But he infused that same respect as Angelus, fought with that same intensity, if not more.

They were well matched, her and Angelus, but she was nervous. So much at stake, and she had no other option than winning. She wished she was bigger, her thin frame was not in sync with her power. Her strength felt too big, her senses, instincts overwhelmed her and she wondered if his next blow would break her just because.

* * *

Spike pushed the fabric of her dress off of him, scrambled for a limb - not sure if he caught an arm or a foot - and dragged Drusilla up with him only to throw her back on the ground.

His princess.

He used to think that. Turned out he was only a suitor holding her hand until the king returned. *Bastard.*

Drusilla was strangely similar to a cat when she fought. Her skinny body flexed easily to escape his punches and she hissed when he landed a full punch in her gut instead of grunting like Spike did. She had everything a good fighter needed, including the lack of sanity, but Spike knew her moves by heart.

When you’d worshipped someone for a hundred years you had to pick up on something.

And when she was not expecting he knocked her down. This time she stayed on the floor, passed out.

Spike was just about to join Buffy in the fight against Angelus when the garden door opened.

“Uh Ang- Master.”

The voice came from the garden entrance. Another vampire, a new appearance for both Buffy and Spike joined them holding a startled looking Xander in a firm grip around the neck.

“This one was snooping, “ he said and grinned. “Whaddya think we should do ‘bout it?”

Buffy froze. Xander. What was Xander doing there? Well, she was surprised but it did made sense. Xander to the rescue, right? The thought of Jesse crossed her mind for the second time in the last couple of days. Stupid boy. Stupid Xander. He was going to get himself killed.

“Well, well, well. This is an interesting turn of events. Decided to bring some back-up?” Angelus commented mockingly. “I’m quaking in my boots!”

Buffy stiffened visibly, glared angrily and gritted out a ‘let go of him’ to the newly arrived vampire. She took a menacing step towards him, but was stopped by Angelus’ hand on her neck. She had not seen it coming, too distracted by Xander messing up. Buffy tried to push his hand away, but he held on strong as he walked up to her from behind and pressed the length of his body against her back. He leaned down to whisper in her ear.

“Now why don’t we go and make this even more interesting?”

“Get away from her Angelus.” Spike growled threateningly. He was itching to punch Angelus in the face but the other vampire’s fangs were too close to Buffy’s neck. It was driving him crazy, but Spike couldn’t take any chances.

“I’m a decent fella-” Buffy could feel Angelus leering against her skin. “-I’ll let you choose. Your mom. Or the boy. One gets to live, the other ones dies.”

Xander whimpered and looked back and forth between Buffy and Joyce, in panic. Joyce didn’t make a sound but her eyes were as large as saucers when she looked at her daughter.

Buffy was obviously not fond of Angelus’ games and showed him just that by putting her elbow in his gut with a loud grunt. He lost his grip on her for a second and she spun around to punch him in the face.

Angelus took few wobbly steps backwards but regained his composure before Buffy was able to land her second hit. He grabbed her wrists, there was a quick fight and they were back in the same position, Angelus getting the upper hand and holding her in a firm grip from behind, his fangs just gracing above her neck.

Glancing at Drusilla’s body, unconscious on the floor, made Angelus take a couple of precautionary steps backwards, the fireplace now closer to his back, serving as protection. He had not yet mentioned Spike’s little scheme, but he kept his narrowed eyes steady on his grandchilde as he tilted his head to whisper in Buffy’s ear.

“Bad girl. Didn’t anyone teach you manners, young lady? Just because of that, you get to choose. Which one I’ll kill first..”

Buffy‘s voice was shaky, but strong when she answered: “I promise, if you so much as touch either one of them I will-”

She was cut off by his fangs against her throat. It was shallow but the tips of his teeth were easily cutting through her skin, leaving a small red wound where the blood started to pour out. Buffy let out a hiss.

Spike was growling. He could smell her blood from where he was standing and he lost control. He attacked his grandsire and sent the three of them to the ground in a heap of limbs. Angelus still held on to Buffy, as Spike sent fist after fist into his face in rage. Buffy squirmed, trying to get loose in the commotion, but Spike’s body was heavy on top of her and Angelus’ arms tightened around her midsection and locked her arms into place.

It was an ugly fight, legs kicking and fists flying, they were not getting off the floor. Angelus was laughing, spit blood onto Spike’s face, and when Buffy whimpered ’Spike’ weakly and Spike for an instant let his focus travel to Buffy, Angelus took a chance.

His fangs slipped into her flesh like she was made of butter and he smirked against her skin as she gasped for breath.

It was messy. But he was the one in control.






A/N: Feedback/con crit makes my day and puts a smile on my face. And I always answer my reviews ;)