Spike watched his girl dole out the plan and felt the tension radiating off her. He’d seen her in fights more serious than this one, hell; he’d seen her avert apocalypses. He’d fought her many times back in the days he’d wanted to bag his third Slayer – all of which made him wince in regret now—and she’d never been nervous to fight him, well, okay a few times she had been, but he wasn’t about to tell her that. That would get him a clock in the nose. This though, this was different. She was nervous. Scared.
“She okay?” Clark whispered to him while Buffy spoke with Willow.
Spike arched a brow. “What are you on about?”
Clark gave him a look. “I’m not moving in on your girl, Spike. I have my own, and besides, even if I were, I wouldn’t have a shot. She’s in love with you, remember?”
Spike sighed, letting the tension drain from his shoulders. “Sorry, mate. I’ve had a history of losing my women to other men. I tend to be wary now, and most especially when it comes to Buffy. Be bloody lost without her, I would.”
Clark smiled. “Something tells me she’d be ‘bloody’ lost without you as well.”
“I don’t know,” Spike mused thoughtfully, looking at his girl, “She’s lived quite fine without me. She’s much stronger than I am.”
“Perhaps it’s all just show.”
“Perhaps,” Spike sighed.
“Well, there is plenty of time to find out, isn’t there?”
Spike smiled, “Yeah, there is.”
“Okay, so Spike and Clark will head out and see if they can detect Luthor,” Buffy recapped. “He’s got to be close now; he’s just got to be. Willow and Tara will see what kind of magick’s are in the air and how close by they are and Anya will stay with them to make sure nothing gets too wonky. When they’re done, they’ll come join us. Xander, Lois, Giles and I will head to the site Luthor plans to resurrect the Master.” She shuddered a bit at that, but continued on, heading towards the weapons chest.
“What about Superman?” Anya asked.
Buffy looked up, “What about him?”
“Shouldn’t he be involved in this?”
Buffy’s eyes met Lois’ who cleared her throat, “Well, I’m sure he’ll show up. He has a tendency to do that.”
“Right. Well, gang, we’ve got our jobs, I s’pose it’s time to go then,” Spike declared.
“Look at Spike all with the taking charge,” Xander chirped.
“Get used to it, Xander. Spike’s part of us, part of me, so you better get used to it.”
“What did you just say?” Giles demanded and all heads in the room swiveled to Buffy. All except for Clark and Lois seemed concerned; Spike just looked downright worried and pissed off.
Buffy cleared her throat and straightened, looking at Spike and smiling gently. “I love Spike. He’s my boyfriend now, so I suggest you all get used to him being around.”
“Buffy,” Giles began shaking his head. “While I don’t deny that Spike has real feelings for you, remember what I have warned you time and again--”
“Yeah, I know, but you know, not every vampire is the same and let’s face it,” she said, gesturing to Spike, “He is so not like other vampires and never has been. He’s…Spike, he’s…William.”
Spike smiled at her, awe filling his expression as he gazed at her. “I do love you, girl.”
Buffy smiled back and it was as if they were the only people in the room. “I love you, too.”
“Oh, I can just imagine the sex you two will have! It’s going to be phenomenal, really,” Anya interrupted, nodding enthusiastically. “I can only imagine that sex with Superman would be marginally better.”
Clark coughed and Lois glared at her. “Too bad you’ll never know,” Lois snapped and Anya glared back at her.
“Hey, do you think we could get going on this before Spike and Buffy spend all night eye fucking each other?” Xander suggested.
“Xander, honestly,” Giles muttered and took off his glasses to wipe them on his shirt.
Buffy giggled and handed Spike her coveted crossbow. “Ready, honey?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be. I’ve got a bone to pick with that wanker.”
Buffy giggled again and kissed him quickly. “Please don’t take long with Clark,” she whispered. “I need you in case I have to face him.”
Him, Spike knew, mean the Master.
“You won’t have to face him alone, Buffy,” Spike promised, “I won’t let anything happen to you. Do you trust me?”
“Implicitly,” Buffy murmured and kissed him once more before they all separated.
Willow and Tara held hands while Anya looked on, slightly bored. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t seen witches doing magick like this before. She’d been around for centuries, she’d seen it all.
She watched in half interest as Willow and Tara chanted in their circle of candles and suddenly Willow fell back, panting and gazing up at the ceiling. “They’re close. As in, in Sunnydale and whatever they’re doing--”
“They’re doing it now,” Tara finished.
Anya jumped up from her spot on the couch. “Thanks girls, let’s pack it in and get to them now!”
“That wanker must have moved,” Spike muttered as he and Clark moved about town. “I can smell him everywhere.”
Clark sighed and spun in a blur of red and blue. Spike raised an eyebrow as Superman stood before him.
“That super speed is right helpful innit?” Spike said matter-of-factly, “Though I’m wondering if it’s quite hot underneath all your other clothes, and how does the cape not get bulky under there?”
“Spike,” Superman sighed, “Can we get on with this now?”
Spike stared at him. “What did you have in mind?”
“We’re flying.”
Spike’s eyes widened and he backed up, hands up. “Oh, I don’t know about that.”
“Do you want to get to Buffy before Luthor raises the Master?”
Spike stepped forward, “Right then. Let’s go.”
Wrapping an arm around Spike, Superman lifted, laughing when Spike started sputtering. “Bloody hell!”
“Just relax, Spike.”
“Easy for you to say, this is what you do...Hey, I think I can see my crypt from up here.”
“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” Buffy announced, stopping the chanting that was going on as soon as she stepped inside the magick circle followed by Giles, Xander and Lois. A bald man that she could only assume was Lex Luthor, a dark haired woman with wiry curls that she could only assume was Kitty, and a room full of vampires that she could only assume were his minions, greeted her.
Lex smiled. “Buffy, you’re just in time. We’re about to bring about the vampire that killed you the first time. If we’re lucky, maybe he’ll do it again.”
“I don’t think so, Luthor,” Buffy said through clenched teeth and lunged at him.