*The grass smells like cigarettes*
Buffy shifted uncomfortably, and then blinked.
*The grass smells like cigarettes?*
She wasn’t lying on the grass; Buffy had her faced pressed into what she could only assume was Spike’s leather duster, and beneath that….she groaned; Spike. She pushed herself up and stared down at the seemingly unconscious vampire.
*Saved my ass again*
Spike grunted as Buffy used his chest to support her weight, and stand. Buffy’s eyes narrowed, and she let her foot fly and kicked Spike softly in the side.
“Wake up you lazy vampire!”
Spike’s eyes snapped open; she was a vision in grass stains and leaves standing above him. “Buffy…?”
Buffy rolled her eyes, and held out her hand for him to grab; she pulled him to his feet. She did it instinctively; given him her hand like it was something she did everyday. His touched burned her, even though his hand was cold. She pulled her hand out of his with a hard yank; he staggered and held the other hand to his head.
“No Santa Clause you dork.”
Spike glared at her, “What’s got you in such a tizzy luv? You seem to be in one piece; obviously didn’t lose any of that nasty Slayer charm.”
“No thanks to you! This wouldn’t have happened in the first place if you weren’t intent on playing the ‘oh so scorned’ stalker routine.”
Spike snorted, “Not my bleedin’ fault you were too busy yapping to pay attention.” He paused and raised an eyebrow at her, “’Sides pet, what exactly do you think “this” is anyway?”
Buffy frowned, and looked around; they were still in the cemetery, minus the annoying geek trio. “I guess whatever their “genius” plan was failed; they probably just took off.”
Spike wasn’t looking at her anymore, he was searching his duster. “Y’see my smokes lying around anywhere?”
Buffy made a face, and turned and began walking away.
“Fine, be that way then. Not like I saved your butt, again.” He watched her stalk away.
*She doesn’t even know how bloody beautiful she is*
He spoke a little louder this time; she was almost out of his range. “Not like it matters pet; I like seeing you leave just as much as I like seeing you come.”
She stopped; she couldn’t turn around, if she did he would see her face and know how upset his glib comments made her. Her eyes were glittering with anger, and tears were threatening to fall. For someone who claimed to love her, he didn’t hesitate to remind her what he really was.
“You’re a sadistic bastard Spike.” She resumed walking away from him; she wasn’t going to give the chance to respond.
“Um, no actually I my folks were hitched pet!” He called after her. “Stupid bint…” muttered as he searched through his pockets for his cigarettes again. She was no fun anymore; not even a hint of a sarcastic comment.
*What do you expect you wanker?*
***
Buffy was kicking at rocks again; it was the only thing she could do to keep her mind off the bleach blonde menace she had left behind. She took a sharp right, pushing her way through the bushes into the woods.
*No chance I’ll run into him again in here*
Ten minutes later; she was lost.
“Way to go Buffy; very smart plan.” She let out a yelp as a branch she had pushed out of the way snapped back and struck her in the face.
*If you screamed loud enough he would come running.*
“Nope, uhuh. I’m not giving him another excuse to come to my rescue tonight.” She let out a frustrated sigh, and stopped moving. She glanced around; darkness, trees, and more darkness.
“So. This is it? This is the stuff you've been protecting me from? You and Spike?”
“ And a lot of monsters.”
“ Uh-huh.”
“ But it's over; Spike.”
“I wish you'd told me.”
“I kinda didn't wanna admit it to myself.”
“I get that…he loves you, right?”
“I don’t know Dawn; I think that, he thought he did but…”
“But how could he do this to you if he loved you right? Maybe he didn’t know what else to do Buffy; did you ever think maybe he was hurting too?”
Buffy glanced behind her; trying to picture what he was doing through the masses of trees. Dawn’s voice kept echoing through her brain, “…maybe he was hurting too…”
She was fighting herself; she had even admitted to him that he was what she wanted. Yet to his face she let him believe he meant nothing; nothing more than a distraction, a convenient way to add some life to her…life. So why did she feel this way; like someone had kicked her in the stomach and she couldn’t breath.
*That’s what it feels like when you’re heart is broken.
“No!” she yelled it aloud; it wasn’t possible. She did not love Spike; she didn’t even like Spike.
Buffy was totally in her own world; wrestling with her thoughts on Spike, she didn’t hear the rustling in the bushes, until it turned into a growl. Her head whipped around; something on the back of her neck began to tingle.
*Vampire*
“You’re not doing a very good job of sneaking up on me; I think if you cut back on the growling, it would work better.” Damn, even her taunts were becoming as pathetic as she was feeling.
There so answer, only another snarl. Out of the bushes a large half naked body came hurling forward and smashed into her. Buffy and vampire crashed to the ground; she immediately began struggling trying to free herself from his heavy body.
The vampire was snarling like a wild animal; saliva was dripping down onto her face. He was scratching at her with his hands, and trying to nip at her aggressively with his fangs. He was too heavy; too strong.
“Spi…” she began to scream, but it died in throat. Her eyes were fixated on the face above her, those puppy dog brown eyes… “…Angel?”
His eyes flickered, but he didn’t respond. He looked down at her as if she was a meal, and growled again.
“Angel…what are you…what is going on?”
He looked confused, but no less dangerous. He was smelling her, hackles risen, and on the offensive. Buffy went completely still; he was acting so similar to the period of time after…
*Oh my God*
Buffy’s eyes widened, and she opened her mouth and let out a piercing scream. “SPIKE!!!!!”
There wasn’t a response, no barreling hero through the shrubs, she was alone, and Angel had gone insane; again.
She began too struggle panic-stricken again but to no avail.
“Well, well…what have we got here?”
Buffy froze, “No wait…you don’t understand…” she tried to call out to the unseen female who was going to attempt to intervene.
“Why don’t you come up here and pick a fair fight?” The woman was taunting Angel, “Besides, Slayer blood tastes a whole lot better I’ve heard.”
“Huh?” Buffy whispered.
The vampire turned, and Buffy could hear the girl let out a gasp. Angel jumped to his feet and crashed straight towards the visitor. Buffy scrambled to her feet and screeched to a standstill.
*Oh shit*
The girl was doing her best to fend off Angel, but she was obviously too distracted to do any damage.
“Angel?” she heard the girl whisper, and she parried his attacks.
Buffy began to back away from the scene frantically; she couldn’t be seen, this was a whole lot more than she was prepared to deal with right now. She would run, and then she would figure out how it was possible that she was watching Angel battle a Slayer. The Slayer. Her.