Buffy Summers cleared her throat and watched her mother, Joyce Summers, get nervous. She could tell that her mother thought it was something bad, like she was pregnant or something. But that was a far cry from the truth.

She took a deep, shaky breath. ‘Now or never,’ she thought idly.

Buffy looked at her knees, scared of what her mother would say.

“Mom, I’m in a band.”

She looked up.

Joyce was smiling widely, pride for her daughter showing through.

‘She’s taking this well…’ Buffy thought to herself.

“Isn’t this the part where you tell me I’m too young and that I’m grounded and should go to my room?” she asked nervously.

“No. I’m proud of you. I’ve always known that you have a deep love and respect for music Buffy. And this is an invaluable life experience. What do you… err…DO in the band exactly?” Joyce asked, suddenly realising that some groupies consider themselves band members.

“I’m a singer. Backing mostly but I lead sometimes.”

Joyce’s stomach, which had been full of dread that she was a groupie, unclenched, relief flooding her.

“Well, now I know where it is you go every night that always makes you come home late sweetheart.”

“Yeah, I was always in rehearsals with Spike, Oz, Devon and Jesse.” Said Buffy, feeling happy that her mom seemed to be supporting this.

“So what do the other members do?” asked her mother.

“Let’s see, umm… Devon’s lead singer mostly, he plays guitar, Spike’s on guitar too and he sings sometimes, Oz plays bass and works on the riffs while Spike writes the lyrics, and that leaves Jesse on drums.”

“So you’re the only girl at the rehearsals and performances?” asked Joyce, feeling worried that Buffy was by her self.

“Hardly!” Buffy practically snorted, “Devon’s girlfriend Cordy, I mean Cordelia, Cordy’s her nickname, she’s there. Umm… Spike has Drucilla, Oz is with Willow and-“

“Wait, Willow your friend? With red hair?” asked Joyce, remembering a ‘Willow’ come to their house to study for a French test.

“Yup, she came to a gig and met Oz there. Ooh, then there’s Harmony with Jesse.”

“Oh. So do they help out?”

“They’re like our stylists, roadies and managers all rolled together.”

“Oh. Well, uh… I… well, wow! I mean, Buffy this is incredible.” Said Joyce, every incoherent stammer and word dripping with pride and admiration for her eldest daughter.

Buffy leaned over and gave her mom a hug.

“Now, even singers need their sleep if they have a French test tomorrow morning. As do 14-year-olds who should have gone to bed hours ago yet are listening in at the top of the stairs.” Said Joyce, speaking more loudly on the latter sentence.

The pair of them heard Buffy’s younger sister, Dawn, run to her room and shut the door behind her.

Buffy struggled to suppress the laughter she felt bubbling inside her at hearing Dawn be told off.

Joyce could sense this and sent Buffy up to bed.

That night Buffy felt happier knowing that her mother knew about the band, but worried by the thought that she didn’t know that there had been men in suits watching the band, Dingoes Ate My Baby, at their last gig at The Bronze, Sunnydale’s one and only nightclub.

~+~

Dingoes Ate My Baby was originally formed during a homework help club for people failing French class.

Oz was only there because he had been assigned by Principal Snyder to tutor the people who were failing (this was because he’d been the one that had painted a graffiti mural in the gym). No one really got that far with their studies. So they would routinely skip the help session to do stupid things behind the metal bleachers like smoke cigarettes and generally mess around.

When Buffy started to fail French after she moved to Sunnydale from LA, the previously all-boy gang, alerted her that nobody actually went to the help sessions and that she was welcome to hang out with them.

She gladly joined them, and one afternoon, the band was started.

“So what do we do now?” Jesse had asked.

“Dunno, but it had better be better than just sittin’ here with our arses in pain from boredom” said Spike, his heavy London accent almost making his voice sound threatening.

“Truth or Dare?” Buffy had asked.

“’Ow about ‘Dare or Dare’?” suggested Spike.

They all murmured in agreement.

“Who starts?” asked Devon.

“Goldilocks, Dare or Dare?” asked Spike, leering at her.

“Umm… like there’s a choice?”

Spike smirked at this.

“I DARE you to sing that Michelle Branch song, wassit? Umm… oh yeah, ‘Goodbye to You’ and if you don’t then you’ll have to do the worse dare.”

He had expected her to do the worse dare, or at least ask what the worse dare was, but she stood up from where she had been sitting and sang the song.

“Of all the things I've believed in,
I just want to get it over with,
Tears form behind my eyes,
But I do not cry,
Counting the days that pass me by.

I've been searchin' deep down in my soul,
Words that I'm hearin' are starting to get old,
It feels like I'm starting all over again,
The last three years were just pretend,
And I say-

Goodbye to you,
Goodbye to everything I thought I knew,
You were the one I loved,
The one thing that I tried to hold on to.

I still get lost in your eyes,
And it seems that I can't live a day without you,
Closing my eyes,
And you chase my thoughts away,
To a place where I am blinded by the light,
But it's not right.

Goodbye to you,
Goodbye to everything I thought I knew,
You were the one I loved,
The one thing that I tried to hold on to.

And it hurts to want everything and nothing at the same time,
I want what's yours and I want what's mine,
I want you,
But I'm not giving in this time.

Goodbye to you,
Goodbye to everything I thought I knew,
You were the one I loved,
The one thing that I tried to hold on to-“

“You don’t have to sing anymore pet.” Said Spike, cocking his head to the side and looking at her as if she had just told him her mum had died.

‘She can sing really well,’ he thought, ‘better than the bloody bird that sang it in the first place’.

“Whoa, Buffy… that was beautiful,” said Devon.

“Amazing.” said Oz, his sentences always being at most three words in length.

“Where’d you learn to sing like that luv?” asked Spike

“Since I was about 5.” Said Buffy sheepishly.

“Well that was really good Buff, like…like…”
stammered Jesse as he tried to find the words.

“An angel.” Spike finished for him, his eyes staring in wonder at Buffy.

She blushed when she met his piercing blue gaze.

Why don’t we, like, form a band or something?” asked Devon, “I mean Buffy backs and leads sometimes, I’ve got a guitar at home and can learn to play it, Oz I know that you can play bass, and you Spike, you’ve always gotten good marks for poetry in English, you can write the songs and-“

“OI! That was supposed to be secret!”

“Sorry dude. Now, where was I? Oh yeah! Jesse can be on drums”

“Sure I got a drum kit at home, I can learn to play it” replied Jesse.

“So, we stop doing this,” said Buffy, gesturing emphatically at the circle that the friends had formed, “and find someplace to practise, like the music room, and…learn how to be in a band?”

“Well, yeah.” Said Devon.

“I’m in”

That was how the madness had begun, almost a year ago, and now they were almost about to become famous. And now that Buffy had told her mom that she was in a band, she felt even more excited than she had on that fateful day.

~+~

Author's Note: Please Review!!! I need to know that people are actually reading this before I carry on writing it. And besides, reviews are the only payment that us authors get.

_______________________________________________________________________________

The next day was the day Buffy had been dreading all week-she had a French test in 3rd period and had been so wrapped up in telling her mother about The Dingoes that she hadn’t studied at all.


But she wasn’t the only one. When she spoke to a close friend of the band, Xander Harris, he paled and immediately got out his French book and started asking for hot chocolate in French. A similar effect happened on the rest of the band and the band’s friends… minus Willow, Oz, Doyle Summers (Buffy’s dad’s cousin’s son), Tara Maclay (Willow’s computer science partner) and finally Kendra, the newest addition to the school since Buffy and Faith had arrived during the last year.


They agreed to meet in the Library a morning break to study, just before they would trudge slowly and miserably towards the foreign language corridor.


“I don’t see the point. I’ve never liked the French… hmm, maybe that’s coz I’m English but still, I don’t see where French will ever take me…” moaned an experated Spike, “Seriously, I’m never gonna even GO to France, much less talk anything but English there anyway.”


There was a massive pile of French language books on the floor and despairing looks from 10 of the gang.


“Well, we ain’t gettin’ anywhere by moanin’ an’ gripin’ are we?” said Doyle.


“I agree with Doyle” said Faith, raising a weary arm.


BBBUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ


“Oh fu-“ Spike started to say but was cut short.


“Shush! You are in a library, not behind the bleachers Mr. Pratt.” Said Giles, the now annoyed-looking, tweed-clad upper-class British man standing behind the concierge desk of the library.


“And you also need to get to your lessons. I would hurry, the late bell is about to go.”
Said the assistant Librarian, Wesley.


The group grudgingly left the Library, splitting off for their different lessons. The final 10, consisting of Buffy, Spike, swim team captain Angel O’Liam, Devon, Cordy, Jesse, Harmony, Xander, new girl after Buffy and all-round bad girl Faith Lehane and finally Charles “Never call me by my first name” Gunn, walked through the corridors to get to French.


They made it to the room just seconds before their teacher did.


“Bonjour class.”


“Bonjour” came the monotonous grumble of the French ‘Hello’.


Buffy sat next to Faith and Spike, respectively each one on her left and right. This meant that copying each other’s work was OK, and it also provided faster note passing. But it appeared that today was the day that their teacher noticed.


“I’ve made a seating plan. You will sit in these seats for the rest of the semester.” She said, smiling at the cries of “WHAT???” by Faith and “You’re off your rocker!” by Spike.


When the seating plan had finally been laid out, Buffy was now sitting all the way at the back and the only person she knew well enough to be allowed to copy from was Angel.


Angelus O’Liam, to give him his full name, would fit the ideal description most girls ask for in boyfriends. He was tall, dark-haired, and handsome. But Buffy had never felt any kind of attraction towards him, and the same was true for himself.


“You may begin.” Said their seemingly evil taskmaster, and there was a rustle of people turning open their booklets.


She tried, she really did, but French wasn’t one of her strong points. So she let her eyes casually flick to Angel’s paper. She looked for the answer to question 4 and found Angel’s eyes staring at her with a small smirk.


He ripped a small piece of paper off his test paper, scribbled something on it, and passed it to her.


She opened the note.


“The answer to number four is 'limonade' you ninny!”


Buffy turned the paper over and wrote on the back “Thanks but don’t insult me next time Angel. From B”


She handed it over and promptly crossed-out her pathetic answer and wrote in ‘Limonade’.


She carried on with the rest of her test, and at the end, when she handed in her paper, she couldn’t help but think that she might have actually PASSED this one.


She waited nervously in her seat, as people went up to the desk to get their test scores. She needed a 12/20 to pass.


At last, Buffy’s name was called.


She walked nervously up to the desk and her teacher pointed out her mark.


13/20. A pass.


Buffy had passed a French test. A FRENCH test. She had passed.


The bell went for the end of the class and Buffy went to Math feeling slightly dazed, like it was all a dream.


When Math finished, she went behind the bleachers for lunch as usual. There were usually around 15 people in the group, consisting of the band, friends of the band and friends of the band’s friends.


Today was no exception as those present were Buffy, Spike, Xander, Willow, Kendra, Faith, Devon, Oz, Spike's girlfriend Drucilla Lamia, Cordy, Jesse, Harmony, Kendra's friend Gunn, Tara and Tara's friend Anya.


Buffy sat down across from Spike and next to Willow.


“So, what’s with you and lover-boy?” asked Spike non-chalantly.


“What?” asked Buffy, genuinely having no clue as to what Spike was talking about.


“Angel. You two were passing notes at the back of the class


“He caught me looking at his paper, the note had the answer to number 4. I passed it back telling him not to call me a ninny.” She replied.


“Really? So at most 50% of the school fancies him, and you’re not in that 50%?”


“Nope. He’s just a friend. And besides, he called me a ninny. Whatever that is.”


“That may have rubbed off from Doyle. Y’know, Irish families ‘n’ all.”


“What’s rubbed off from me?” asked Doyle, who had finally arrived with Robin Wood, Faith’s boyfriend. They were always late because of Drama meetings on Friday’s lunch hour.


“Angel calling Buffy a ninny.” Replied Spike.


“Oh, yeah well, don’t take it teh heart mi lickle cousin.”


“O-Kay? Who else is wondering where the name-caller is?” asked Buffy, noticing that Angel wasn’t there.


“What do you care about peaches Summers? Tall, dark and forehead is probably at swim team practise.” Said Spike.


"I'm on the swim team, there's no practise on Fridays." Robin replied.


“Hey, B. Look who’s commin’ to say hi!” said Faith, pointing towards three figures definitely walking towards the back of the bleachers.


One was tall with wet hair, the one to the middle one’s left had reddish-brown hair and was a girl and the one on the right was about 3 inches shorter than the middle one.


As they came closer, Buffy recognised all three of them.


“Oh crap.” She said, remembering that Dawn had been moved up to high school even though she would normally be in junior high.


“Isn’t that your sister?” asked Willow, “Why’s she here?”


“She got moved up a grade. She’s on the honour roll remember?” replied Buffy.


“Oh yeah. I forgot. So, she’s like, joining us?”


“I guess.” Said Buffy in a non-committal way.


Angel, Dawn and Angel’s younger brother Connor, sat down with the gang. Buffy looked at Connor and noticed that he was looking at Dawn a lot.


“Hey, Ange. Why’s ya hair all wet?” asked Faith.


“I was practising by myself. I prefer to be alone when practise.” Replied Angel.


“Oh. So, why’s your brother here with us?” asked Tara Maclay, columnist of the Sunnydale High newspaper, Hellmouth.


“You’re Captain Forehead the second?” asked Spike, looking at Connor.


“Don’t call me that Spike.” Said Angel


“Aw, y’know I’m only bloody jokin’ you arsehole.” taunted Spike.


“I mean it!” yelled Angel.


“Jesus Christ! Calm down it was only a bloody joke!” Spike yelled back.


Kendra Young, normally the hardest to get a chuckle out of, began to giggle at the boy’s outbursts.


They turned to look at her, Spike arching an eyebrow and Angel frowning.


“I am sorry. But, de wey yeh act ‘round each uther, it reminds mi of de wey mi grandperents act ‘round each uther. Alweys seyin’ ‘I tink dis’ an’ ‘no wey!’, reminds mi o’ home.” She said, going misty-eyed as she remembered Jamaica.


The boys stopped arguing and they both let out a deep sigh at the same time, promptly making them glare at each other angrily.


This set off Kendra giggling again, shortly followed by Faith and Tara, then Buffy, Cordy and Harmony, and finally all the girls were in fits of laughter on the ground.


Then the boys began to laugh at the girls’ behaviour, until even Angel and Spike, who had both had their heads cocked to the side at what was so funny, let out a few chuckles.


“Oh man, I’m not gonna pass that gym challenge today,” Said Xander, tears in his eyes as he stretched his arms, “I’ve got a stitch from laughing.”


“Yeah let’s get to class before Snyder catches us.” Said Devon getting up.


“My Spike is in the sunshine of this group.” Murmured Drucilla as she pulled him up from the ground.


“Yeah baby. Now let’s go and get bored in class.” Spike smiled at his girlfriend. She was slightly insane and was very artistic. She always wore long dark dresses and dark make up.


“Ok, let’s go.” Said Buffy, and the group walked towards the main building as the bell went for 5th period.

~+~

So? I'm gonna need AT LEAST 5 reviews before I post chapter 3, I need to make sure people are enjoying this, and also reviews are the only payment I get.

The group went to have their gym class that afternoon, the easiest class in all of their opinions (except Willow, who’s eye-hand co-ordination wasn’t the best) as gym doesn’t require too much thinking other than ‘pass’ and ‘shoot’.

Today was the day in which the male soccer team picked its members. To pass the challenge and get on the team, you needed to get at least 4/5 goals in a penalty shoot-out style, and that was only in the hope that there weren’t too many younger soccer geniuses in the lower grades.

Spike got 3/5, not enough to get on the team. Devon got 2/5 and that was only because the goalkeeper had been staring at Cordy as the girls were doing their volleyball challenge. Oz got 4/5, he was always GOOD at sport, it was just that he didn’t like to admit it. Angel got 5/5 easily; he was on the team last year. Jesse got 0/5; he was always bad at sports of any kind. Gunn got 4/5 without too much trouble. Robin only got 1/5; he had been distracted by Faith constantly blowing kisses at him.

Xander blew away everyone’s expectations- he got 5/5, an automatic admission onto the team.

“Well done whelp.” said Spike in a daze that Xander had turned into a soccer whiz over the space of a day.

Meanwhile, the girls were in the midst of their volleyball challenge, similar to the soccer trials in that whoever seemed tactically gifted would be considered for the team.

Faith had been captain during their previous year and was particularly thorough when it came to beating an opponent. Sunnydale High had won many trophies because of Faith’s leadership skills as a captain, having lost only in one final which as it turned out, had been rigged which is why a majority of the team came out of the match injured quite badly.

At the end of the class, their gym coach read out the names of people on the teams.

“O’Liam is going to be captain, with Harris, Gunn and Osbourne on the team. Nice work men!”

Angel leaned over to Gunn and muttered something that Buffy couldn’t hear and Gunn nodded in agreement.

“On the volleyball team, Lehane will be reprising her captain title, and she will be joined by Young.”

Kendra and Faith grinned at each other.

“I also noted that while she may not have taken centre stage, she passed often, taking advantage of situations, so Summers will be on the team as well.”

Buffy’s eyes widened and she looked at Faith and Kendra, who immediately flashed bright smiles at her.

She couldn’t believe it. First she passed a French test, now she was going to be on the volleyball team with Faith and Kendra.

‘This day just has to have a pitfall’ thought Buffy, and with a pang she remembered the band had to practise for their performance at the Bronze that night.

It was the annual pre-fumigation party, which was always packed with people trying to get free drinks (one cockroach = one free drink), and at the last few gigs that the Dingoes had played, there had been music mogul-types with expensive suits watching them. They made her nervous and she hoped that they would be too ritzy to want to come to a bug-squishing party at a small town’s local club.

“Alright people, hit the showers.”

As soon as Buffy had finished getting changed, Faith and Kendra packed her up and paraded her around the school corridors shouting, “This is the brand new volleyball girl! Check her out!” (In Faith’s case) and “Come an’ see de newest Voll-ayball playa!” (In Kendra’s case).

People in the corridors chuckled, cheered and whooped, while Buffy blushed and giggled. Kendra and Faith laughed along and put Buffy down in front of her locker.

“So, B, the practises are on Monday afternoons, don’t miss ‘em” said Faith

“I won’t.” replied Buffy

“Right. Well, we’ll see yeh lay-teh, at de Bronze. See yeh lay-teh Buffy.” Said Kendra and She and Faith walked out of the main doors.

Buffy smiled to herself, opened her locker door and placed her school books inside, not noticing the bleached-blond Brit hiding behind her locker door.

She shut the door and jumped out of her skin when she saw the piercing blue eyes and evil leer of he bandmate.

Spike smirked all the more when he saw her flinch at seeing him.

“Did I scare you, pet?” asked Spike innocently, the smirk showing that he was anything but innocent, he had meant to scare her.

“Shut up Spike or I’ll use my pals on the volleybal team agains you, and they are judo experts.” Buffy snapped. She was sooo not in the mood for Spike’s teasing games.

“Devon just asked me tomake sure that your new schedual wouldn’t affect band practise in any way.” Said Spike, more seriously, the smirk having disappeared.

“Sure, volleyball’s on Monday afternoons, there’s no worry. We practise on Thursdays and Fridays.”

“Okay, see you later and say hi to the bit for me.”

“Huh?”

“Your sister. Dawn? Yay high with green eyes, about 14 years old?”

“Oh.” Great, now I’m miss-forget-your-sister-exists, “Sure. See ya tonight.”

“Yeah, later Goldilocks.”

‘you can talk bleach-boy’ Buffy thought to herself.

She watched Spike exit the school building, his leather jacket swirling behind him. Buffy would never admit it to anyone, but she had always liked Spike. But she had always told herself that he had Drucilla, and would never notice her more than in a platonic friend way.

Buffy smiled to herself, and finally followed the rest of the student body out of the main doors of the school.

She looked around for her mom’s car, but noticed that there was she wasn’t there.

Her cell phone began to ring out the chorus of ‘Pretty Vacant’ by the Sex Pistols, a prank that Spike had pulled in an attempt to piss her off, but she secretly adored the tone and didn’t have the heart to change the tone to something else.

She pressed the answer button and lifted it to her ear.

“Buffy?” it was Joyce.

“Yeah Mom. Where are you?”

“I’m going to be late home tonight, there’s a problem with some of the Ghanaian tribal art, half of it’s missing so I’m gonna have to sort this out. Will you be okay going home today?”

“Sure, I’ll just hitch a lift from someone, it’s no biggie.” She replied.

“Okay honey. Just make sure you don’t stay up late waiting for me.”

“Okay. Bye mom.”

“Bye sweatheart.”

Click.

Buffy looked around and spotted Spike’s DeSoto. She raced over and tapped on the window.

Spike wound down the window and looked Buffy.

“Little help?”

~+~

“Thanks for the ride Spike.”

“Yeah, you owe me one now though.” He leered at her in a suggestive manner.

‘Please take the hint. NO! Don’t take the hint I’m with Dru!’ Spike mentally kicked himself for nearly flirting outright with Buffy.

“I suppose.”

‘Thank fuck. She didn’t notice.’

“See you tonight then, Goldilocks.”

“Yeah, bye.”

He drove off past the Summers house on Revello Drive.

“Jesus.” He said softly as he thought about Buffy.

‘Block out them thoughts mate. You’re going out with a girl who’s literally crazy for you. Buffy’s off limits as it is. Relationships in bands destroy the bands.’ he told himself strictly.

He put a tape in the tape player of his car and set the volume to max.

The Gary Oldman version of ‘My Way’ blared out of the car as Spike drove down to the Bronze to help set up their equipment.

Everything had to be perfect for that gig. There had been black suits watching them last time and he was hoping that they were the music industry big-wigs. Ones that could catapult the Dingoes into superstardom.

~+~

A/N- So what do you think? Like it or Hate it, please review!!! By the way, I’ll need at least 5 reviews to post the next chapter. Also, let me know what you think will happen next, I might just surprise you...

Buffy finished changing into her stage wear (Cordy had recommended that she try out a 1920s style sequined gold dress that would be perfect to dance the Charleston in) and rang Anya for a lift to the Bronze.

Anya was always willing to give a ride to Buffy for rehearsals as it gave her more opportunities to try to talk Xander into "giving her orgasms" as she so delicately put it.

Everyone in the gang would be there to support the band. Cordy and Harmony refused to do anything resembling help. All they wanted to do was watch their respective boyfriends moving heavy objects.

“Does anyone know where Dru is? She’s supposed to be here.” Asked Spike anxiously

“Haven’t seen her, maybe she’s runnin’ late?” said Faith hopefully.

“Yeah, that’s probably why.” Sighed Spike, “Let’s carry on sortin’ this junk out.”

When they had finally finished setting up the equipment, Jesse asked the manager of The Bronze, Clem, if they could get a round of bottled water for everyone that helped.

“Ugh! Jesse! I’m supposed to be your girlfriend and yet you aren’t going to get me a drink?” an outraged Harmony shrieked.

“You didn’t help set us up. Ergo, no free drink. You’ll just have to find a roach like everyone else.” Replied Jesse, not raising his head.

“Wow. You used the word ‘ergo’. Who are you, Giles?” she spat sarcastically.

“Nope. Just tryin’ to learn something for once. And I have.”

“What’s that?” asked Harmony, again, sarcastically.

“That you’re only going out with me so that you can say your boyfriend’s in a band. Something I should have realised a long time ago.”

Harmony let out a little yell of anger and stormed out of The Bronze.

“Y’know what Jesse Travers? WE’RE THROUGH!” she screeched, slamming the door of the club shut behind her.

Jesse let out a sad sigh.

“It’s been like this for months, she’s just an idiot that wanted quick glory.” He murmured.

Clem walked back into the room as he had vacated the area when the fight had started.

Clem was actually a nice man. He had a bad skin condition, which resulted in excess folds of skin. He had a sweet personality and was always positive about things. Well, he tried to be.

“Is she gone? Oh buck up kid, she might come back.” He said, noting Jesse’s unhappy expression.

Tara walked over to Jesse and patted him on the back.

“Hey, she might come back. After all, I can’t see why anyone wouldn’t wanna be with you.” Tara’s voice visibly comforted Jesse.

“I’m not sure if I really want her back. She’ll only end up using me again. And I don’t wanna get used again.”

Buffy couldn’t help but notice that Tara and Jesse seemed to, well, go together. Her compassion and his dorkiness seemed to click.

The club opened that night and the place was packed. While the Dingoes performed their songs, Buffy kept an eye out for the men in suits that had been at their last gig.

Sure enough, as they finished the song ‘Pain’ she spotted one standing near the main door, and another two by the stairs.

The band finished playing as the club closed, and Buffy noticed that the suits were watching her, Kendra and Faith in particular.

Buffy walked over to her fellow volleyball teammates and spoke as quietly as she could, her tone urgent and hasty.

“Don’t look but there’s these two guys and a girl in suits watching us.”

Faith and Kendra immediately began craning their necks before Buffy said quickly “Don’t look!”

The three suits began to walk out of the door, hats covering most of their heads.

“I’m gonna find out who they are. Coming?” asked Buffy

“Sure B.”

“Fine Buffy.”

“Okay, let’s find out who these guys are.”

The three girls walked out into the alley, which housed the main entrance to The Bronze.

But instead of finding the men in suits, they found Drucilla and Harmony in the empty alleyway.

“Guys! Where the hell were you? Spike’s been going crazy Dru, he was worried about you!” Buffy said to a strangely dazed looking Dru.

“And Harm, about the outburst? Jesse’s in a total mess.” Said Faith, becoming slightly wary of the two girl’s expressions. They both looked as though they had just been K.O’d.

“Where did the pair’o’yeh go?” asked Kendra angrily.

“Don’t worry about it guys, Dru had to stay home ‘til she cold sneak out and I… well… I was all upset from the whole Jesse thing and bumped into Dru with her parents at the mall. So I joined her family for dinner and we snuck out of her house together.” Said Harmony, as though the whole disappearing act was nothing.

“For 4 hours?” asked Faith sceptically.

“Yes.”

The answer came from Dru this time.

“And Harmony had fun with Miss Edith.”

“Who’s Miss Edith?” asked Buffy.

‘what the heck is wrong with them?’ thought Buffy, ‘neither of them act like this normally. What’s going on with them?’

“Dru’s favourite childhood doll. She has this collection of them.” Replied Harmony.

“So, why are you acting so weird?” asked Faith.

“Because something changed us for the better. The WAY better.” Replied Harmony.

“What chey-nged?” asked Kendra, automatically getting into a fighting stance.

Drucilla and Harmony looked at each other and then at the trio in front of them.

“THIS!” they said together, brows getting bumpy, teeth now more like fangs and glowing yellow eyes.

The three girls screamed in fright as the two vampires advanced on them.

~+~

“What the fuck was that?” said Spike, climbing down off the stage, when he heard the screams.

“I don’t know but where are Faith, Buffy and Kendra?” asked Wood, his panic rising.

“I’m goin’ outside, come with me quick!” shouted Spike, and he rushed out of the door, flanked by everyone in the gang.

They arrived and saw what had become of Dru and Harmony.

“Oh My God.” Said Oz, eyes wide with shock where he would normally be stoic in any situation.

“Harm?” whispered Jesse.

“Oh, hi Jesse. Lemme eat someone and we’ll catch up later Okay?” said Harmony, still in game face and talking like she used to.

“Dru, what happened?” asked Spike hoarsely.

“The stars turned me into an immortal.” Said Dru dreamily.

“God she is insane isn’t she?” muttered a disgusted Spike.

“Talk later, eat NOW!” roared Harmony as she lunged towards Buffy.

Suddenly, the three suits appeared, the female one instantly punching Harmony’s lights out.

The shorter of the two males, held a long piece of sharp wood, like a tent stake, and stabbed Harmony from behind in the chest.

Harmony growled as she turned into dust.

The taller male threw a bottle of what looked like water at Dru, and as it smashed against her left cheek, smoke began to appear from what looked like a burn.

Drucilla Lamia shrieked and fled the scene running as fast as she could to get away.

The tallest male held up a crossbow and fired, hitting Dru in the back, dusting her.

“Um… thanks.” Said Buffy, still too shocked to comprehend anything.

“Who are you?” asked Faith.

The three lifted off the hats that had hidden their faces, to reveal, Rupert Giles, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce and Jenny Calendar.

Giles sighed

“I think we have some explaining to do.”

~+~

A/N- Ooh, I’m evil, leaving you with a cliffhanger like that. Give me 5 reviews for this chapter and I‘ll give you the next chapter (reviews are my only payment so it's like my wages, is five reviews too much to ask for?). Hope you liked the twist!

The group had gone to Giles’ apartment. It was closest to The Bronze. Before they had left though, Oz had run inside to Clem and asked him to watch their stuff overnight. Clem had told him that it was fine as the Bronze wasn’t open in the mornings.

Giles attempted to explain to the still shocked group, what had happened to their two friends.

“They blew up.” Said Buffy, staring into space.

“Do you want to know what happened to them before that?” asked Giles.

“How did she die?” asked Spike, his voice wavering slightly, “Drucilla, How did s-she die?”

“She was attacked by a group of vampires led by a master vampire named Darla.” Said Giles.

“What’s a master vampire?” asked Spike.

“An incredibly powerful one. It takes around 100 to 200 years to become one. Darla has been a vampire since the 15th century.” Explained Wesley.

“What about Harmony?” asked Jesse, his voice rather shaky.

“The story she told in the alley was partly true,” said Jenny, “Harmony did meet Drucilla, after she’d been turned. Drucilla kidnapped her and took her to the vampires’ hideout. They probably turned her and the pair escaped. They then went to The Bronze to make you their next meal or-“

“Sire you. Transform you into vampires.” Giles finished.

“So, how do you three fit into all of this?” asked Willow, “ Because you don’t exactly strike me as monster killer material, no offence.”

“None taken. We are Watchers, Miss Rosenberg. We train The Slayer.” Said Wesley, curtly.

“An’ what, exactly, is de Slay-er, sir?” asked Kendra.

“The Slayer is a warrior. One girl in all the world that is selected by fate to fight the forces of darkness. She is powerful, fast and very resourceful.” Answered Wesley.

“But there was some kind of mix-up. Instead of one Slayer we have six.” Said Jenny.

“Six? How’d that one work out?” asked Spike.

“A large number of girls with the potential to become Slayers were killed less than a minute after the last Slayer had died. When a Slayer dies, a Potential becomes the new Slayer. These girls were murdered so fast that-“

“Six people were chosen at once.” interrupted Giles.

“Another rarity occurred. Out of the six, there are three male Slayers., something that has only ever happened 3 times previously.” Said Jenny, glaring at Giles for interrupting her.

“The other three males were, in order, Hercules, the boy that started the legend of Robin Hood, and a young man in the 1870s.” said Wesley.

“Wow. It’s like the ultimate in girl power. There’re more girls than boys.” Said Faith, staring at her knees.

“So, who are deez Slay-ers?” asked Kendra.

“You, Faith and Buffy are the three girls,” said Jenny, “and Angel, William and Robin are the three boys.”

“Who’s William?” asked Buffy, bringing her eyes back into focus.

Spike looked down at the rug in Giles’ apartment.

“Only my mum called me that.” He muttered quietly.

“Oh.” Replied Buffy, feeling guilty at reminding Spike of his dead mother. Anne Pratt had been a nice lady, and Buffy’s mom had been a friend of hers. They had attended her funeral.

“’s all right. I’m over it.”

“Um, guys? It’s almost 1.20 am. Shouldn’t we be going home?” said Gunn, lifting the watch on his left arm up to demonstrate his point.

“Not everyone can fit in the van…” said Devon.

“I’ll drop some of you off in my car.” Offered Giles.

“Me too.” Said Jenny.

“I shall too.” Said Wesley.

Everyone gathered their belongings and made their way outside.

Spike, Buffy, Anya and Tara were going in Giles’ car, Xander, Doyle, Gunn and Jesse took Jenny’s offer of a ride, Wesley was taking Cordy, Robin and Kendra (his car wouldn’t fit three people in back) and Faith, Oz, Devon and Willow took Oz’s Van.

They said goodbye to each other and everyone was on their way home.

~+~

In Giles’ car, Buffy was sat between Spike on her left and Tara on her right. Anya was up front, talking endlessly of her ambitions to become the editor of a newspaper and make large amounts of money from it. Giles and Tara joined in the conversation out of sheer politeness.

Buffy ignored the chat and turned to look at Spike. He was staring out the window. She felt bad for him, he had just lost the girl he’d been going out with for three years to a gang of soulless monsters. He looked so lost and fragile that she just wanted to hug him close so that nothing could hurt him and-

‘Wait, why do I want to hug him? This is Spike! All sexual innuendos and verbal sparring matches! Bad Buffy! He’s just lost his girlfriend to vampires. I don’t think he’ll be going out with anyone for a while. And besides, I reminded him of his dead mother right after he just found out that his girlfriend was killed by vampires and I’m thinking of hugging him? Get. A. Grip!' she scolded herself as she shifted in her seat.

~+~

‘Don’t think about Buffy after your girlfriend’s just died. Think about anything other than Buffy and your girlfriend dying.’ Thought Spike, looking out of the window of Giles’ car.

As Buffy shifted in the seat next to him, her bare leg brushed against his denim-clad one.

‘Damn gold mini-dress’ cursed Spike in his head as his thoughts drifted back to Buffy.

‘This is insane. Your girlfriend’s just died and you’re thinking about another girl already? Get. A. Grip!’ he scolded himself.

Spike decided to focus on whatever was outside of the window, just so that he didn’t have to think about anything at all.

~+~

It was 1.30 when Buffy got home. She went into Joyce’s bedroom and kissed her sleeping mom’s cheek.

Joyce’s eyes flicked open.

“Buffy? What time is it?” asked Joyce.

“Half one. I’m sorry, there was a big problem with Drucilla and Harmony.”

‘Hey, it’s not like I’m lying.’ Thought Buffy.

“Okay honey. Go to bed now, will you Buffy?”

“Okay. Night mom.” Said Buffy.

“Goodnight Buffy.” Replied Joyce.

As Buffy got ready for bed, the full impact of the night’s events hit her and she joyfully climbed into her bed.

~+~

A/N-Reviews are like my wages. Pay up please. Even if you hated it I wanna know what you think. Please review me!

When Spike finally got home, he collapsed onto his bed and fell into a deep sleep.

’Death is your gift…’ a strange, husky voice murmured.

The dream he had that night was confusing and strange. He was wearing a toga and was apparently fighting against a fuscia-haired vampiress with violet eyes and a long cutlass. But he wasn’t him, not exactly. It was someone else, someone he’d heard the name of.

Hercules…

He was in the body of the hero Hercules. As he fought against the vampiress, he noticed that she was getting beautifully terrifying. Her eyes suddenly glowed purpler than anything purple he’d ever seen.

“Slayer, you dare to challenge me? Lamia herself? To protect your pathetic humans? I laugh at your incompetence!” she roared.

Lamia… Drucilla’s last name…

Hearing her name made Spike freeze, and Lamia vamped out, tackling him to the ground and sinking her fangs into his neck, eyes shut in eagerness. Her eyes flashed open, she’d realised her mistake too late. She may have hurt him enough to kill him, but he’d hidden a stake within his toga, and she roared in pain as she turned to dust.

Spike sighed heavily and noticed a muffled voice calling something, getting clearer every second…

“William!”

Spike sat up and immediately registered that he was safe in his bed. He looked around the room at the posters that decked the wall, just to reassure himself that he was indeed, home.

His father walked into the bedroom and sighed.

“William it’s nearly midday. You’re friend Oz just rang to say he’s bringing the guitar and amplifier round. Get dressed!” His father promptly walked out,

“Yes Dad.” Muttered Spike, stretching under the covers. He looked over at the clock.

11.34 AM.

‘Damn it,’ he thought, yawning, ‘Weird dream.’

~+~

Robin flopped down onto his bed when he got in that night, completely exhausted from the night’s events. He fell asleep almost immediately and the dream he had matched Spike’s in terms of content.

‘Death is your gift…’ called the same husky voice and Robin found himself in the middle of a forest at night. He looked around and heard a loud scream.

He ran instinctively towards the sound of the scream and saw a young girl of about 7 years old kicking and begging not to be hurt, and a group of 4 vampires, laughing at her struggling.

He grabbed his bow and arrow and let loose, firing quick and true at all the vamps, turning them all instantly into dust.

‘Wait,’ came a small voice of reason within his head, ‘Since when do you own a bow and arrow?’

“Thank you.” Came a small, upper-class english voice.

Robin turned to look at the tiny girl. She was cute, with long blonde hair that fell past her shoulders and bluer than blue eyes.

“That’s fine little girl, just go home to your mom now okay?”

She giggled.

“You talk strangely. I like you.”

“Well I like you too.” He replied.

“May I ask that you take me home? It is just that… I do not know how to get back.”

“Fine kiddo. Just tell me whereabouts you live, I’ll get you there.”

“Very well, I live in Nottingham.” She said, her eyes sparkling.

“Okay then kid, Nottingham it is. What’s your name anyway?” asked Robin.

“Marian. What about yours kind sir?”

“Robin.” He replied.

“Well then I shall name you Robin Hood, because you are wearing one.”

“Why thank you my lady.” He said, realising that he had become the Robin Hood of legends.

He delivered the girl safely to the manor her parents owned and set off back into the main street.

A beautiful woman in a fancy dress was looking at him seductively, and she glided into an alleyway.

“Do you know how dangerous it is in an alleyway miss?” asked Robin, conversationally.

“I can take care of myself.” She replied, an American accent rolling off her tongue.

“So, what’s your name?” he asked.

“Darla. Yours?”

“Robin.”

“Hmm. It’s a pity, you’re so handsome for a Slayer.” She said putting on her game face.

He didn’t have time to react as a vampire behind him snapped his neck.

“YAH!” he yelled, jumping up and almost falling off of his bed.

He looked around. He was in his bedroom, safe in Sunnydale.

‘Well, as safe as it ever is in Sunnydale. How many mysterious murders and disappearances occur every week?’ he thought.

He looked at his alarm clock. 11.34 AM.

‘Damn it.’

~+~

“Okay, where’s my drumstick?” asked Jesse.

Oz, Willow and Tara stood on the doorstep of Jesse’s home, they had just finished helping Jesse unpack the drum kit from the back of the van.

“There was only one at the club. I’m sorry man.” Replied Oz.

“This is unbelievable! First, Me and Harmony break up, then she turns up as a member of the living dead and now I can’t even get violent on my drum kit because I’M MISSING A FUCKING DRUMSTICK!!!” he yelled in anger.

“Why don’t you try a pencil? I mean, it won’t be the same but you could just improvise…” said Willow nervously.

“Yeah, except, you know me, no kind of school-related equipment available that would be the right length.” He said coldly.

“H-here, I-I’ve got one.” Said Tara, handing over the pencil with a blush.

Jesse looked at Tara and murmured his thanks, looking more ready to stammer than Tara normally did.

“Y-You can keep it if y-you want. I-I have a billion at home. I k-kinda c-collect them.”

“Thanks again Tara. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

“N-no problem.” She said with a half-chuckle at the end.

“S-see y-you later?” she stammered.

“Sure. Bye Tara.”

“B-bye!” she said with a smile.

Oz got into the driver’s seat of the van, gesturing to hurry up.

Willow took Tara’s hand and dragged her away from the door of Jesse’s house. Tara stumbled backwards as Willow pulled on her arm. She point-blank refused to look away from his door.

“You like him huh?” whispered Willow when they got to the van's door.

“What? N-no, I-I mean yes, I mean… I don’t know…”

“Sure you do. And besides, I think he likes you back.”

“R-really?” said Tara, hope shining in her eyes.

“I can totally see it. You two are so cute when you stammer and get all nervous around each other. It’s so sweet.”

“Thanks Will. But, w-what do I say to him? I mean, his girlfriend just died y’know? I can’t just swoop in…”

“I’ll put in words for ya.” Said Willow.

“Y-you would do that? For me? Oh thank you thank you THANK YOU Willow!” she exclaimed, hugging her friend in a tight hug.

Willow smiled and patted Tara on the back.

‘Those two are so meant to be.’ she thought to herself.

Oz smiled as he heard their quiet exchange. His girl always knew how to give great advice.

They girls got in the car and the trio drove towards Spike’s house, ready to drop off the guitar and amp.

~+~

A/N- So? I’m allowed to have more than one pairing, right? And Jara fit well with the story so I decided to go for it. Please review me. It only takes like, a minute. I have the next chapter all set and ready, just say the word and I'll post it.

Oz pulled up in front of Spike’s house. He switched the engine off and opened his door, climbed out, and shut it gently. Hey it was his uncle’s van, although it was technically his because his uncle was in prison but still, he didn’t want to damage it.

Willow and Tara climbed out of the van, chatting away about the fact that they were both in love with boys in the band. Tara seemed a lot happier and talkative now that Willow had helped her realise her feelings for Jesse.

Tara had always been relatively shy and reclusive. She stammered lots and was generally nervous about sharing her ideas. She was also, however, incredibly intuitive and could usually tell something about you simply from a glance at you. She worked on the school paper with Anya, who was the editor below the teacher who organised it, Fred Burkle.

But since Anya got a crush on Xander (and Vice Versa), Tara had been hanging out with the Dingoes’ gang. She and Willow quickly became best friends. Tara told her things she wouldn’t tell other people.

For example, Tara’s mother had been a witch. Tara was one too, but the rest of her family accused the pair of them as ‘demons’ and threw them out. She and her mother were doing fine until she died when Tara was 9. The only person in the Maclay clan that was willing to take her in was Tara’s aunt Amy. Amy shielded her from the rest of the Maclays and warned her never to tell anyone bout the magic. The family disowned Amy because it was revealed that she too used magic.

But Tara knew that Willow would understand, and told her. At first she thought that Willow would treat her like a demon, just like her family, but she became fascinated by the craft and began to study it. Willow and Tara became even closer and now that Willow studied magic, they had more to talk about.

Tara became more confidant knowing that her family was wrong and that she really wasn’t a demon. She even ‘came out of the broom closet’ and became more talkative.

In other words, without Willow, Tara would still be the introverted and virtually invisible girl she used to be, rather than the much more talkative, but still shy, girl she was now.

Oz opened the back of the van and handed Willow the guitar and Tara a bag of guitar plectrums.

Tara drew a breath to ask why Spike need so many, but Oz answered her before she said a word.

“They’re his good luck charms.”

“Oh.” Replied Tara.

Oz turned around and put the heavy amp on the ground outside the van’s doors. He locked the van up and lifted up the amp.

Tara knocked on the door, as her hands were the most able.

Spike’s father opened the door and welcomed them in.

Spike walked downstairs, his leather duster billowing behind him.

“Thanks Oz, Red, Glinda.” He said, nodding to each person in turn.

“No problem Spike.” Replied Oz.

Spike helped Oz carry the amp upstairs and into his room. Willow and Tara followed the boys up. They both wanted to see the interior of Spike’s room, to compare it to the rest of his home.

Spike’s house, was nice. It was tastefully decorated with mainly wooden furniture. There was an upholstered sofa in the living room and they had an expensive-looking wide screen T.V.

They peaked into Spike’s bedroom and both girls gasped a the contrast within. Spike’s bedroom had red and black alternating walls. On the walls were posters of old punk bands like The Clash and The Sex Pistols. Most of the furniture was metallic and the carpet was blacker than pitch.

The girls took tentative steps into the room to get a better look. They spotted his Manchester United bed spread and matching pillowcase. Willow smiled at this. Tara looked at the nightstand next to his bed and saw the family photo. In the picture were Spike’s father, a woman that must have been his mother, and a young Spike right in between them.

‘so his natural hair colour’s brown? Go figure.’ Thought Willow as she came to see what Tara was looking at.

Tara stared intently at the photo. Spike looked somewhat nerdier in the old photo. His eyes were still an intense blue and he looked as though he couldn’t have been happier.

She smiled and placed the bag of plectrums on the nightstand, directly next to the photo.

The trio left the room. Spike noticed that the plectrums were by the photo. He picked up the photo and studied it.

He had been 11 years old. It had been a family outing to the park, just before the move to Sunnydale.

He smiled at the memory. His mother, Anne, and his father, William, were looking proudly at their son. It had been a family friend that had taken the photo. Cecily Halfrek Addams, or as Spike knew her, Aunt Hallie-his mum’s best friend.

The last time he’d seen her had been at the funeral, when he was 13. He missed her a lot. She had been like an older sister and his last remaining connection to his mother other than his dad.

He put the bag of plectrums next to his guitar stand. His vibrant red Rickenbacker shined in the light. Spike smiled sadly.

Suddenly, his muse returned and he reached for a pen and his notebook.

He felt inspired, the glint of his beloved guitar sending him a word to use…

It was a word she had taught him. Aunt Hallie had taught him lots of fancy words when he was a kid, this one word standing out the most.

“How’m I supposed to say that one?” he asked.

“It’s easy! Eff-ul-jent. Can you handle that one?” asked Hallie.

“Eff-Effulgent?” he said uncertainly, “Did I say it right?”

“Just perfect. Now come on try this one.” Said Hallie.

She scribbled something down on a piece of paper, and handed it to him.

“WHAT?!” he exploded, “I can’t even read it! It’ll take forever!”

“Will, should I just say it then, to prove that it doesn’t take forever?”

“Okay.” He replied.

Hallie took a deep breath.

“Pneumonultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoneosis.” She said in one breath

“Wow.” Said William, completely awestruck.

“See? It’s not impossible.”

“No it isn’t.” murmured Spike.

He sat at his desk, bent his head and started to write out the new song that was forming in his head from just one word.

Effulgent …