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Author's Chapter Notes:
No Faith, so no Kakistos or Mr. Trick. No 'slayerfest' either. The Mayor has vamps working for him, though.
Buffy, Xander, Cordelia, Willow and Oz had been happily discussing the Homecoming dance, when, once again, the subject of Buffy's date, or lack thereof, came up. Buffy had grown to hate these moments.

"What about Scott Hope?" Willow asked, "He's asked you out a couple of times."

"I don't need a date," Buffy replied, "Not after what happened with Owen. It's just too much pressure."

"You could just go with him to the dance." Cordelia said, "Dump him after."

"He's been so down, after what happened to his friends; that just wouldn't be fair." Buffy said.

"Hear hear," Xander agreed, "What gives women the right to think they can just use a man and throw him away? Hey, maybe you could rent one."

"XANDER!!"

"Talking of renting, what do you guys think about hiring a limo?" Cordelia asked. "It won't be that expensive, if we split the cost five ways."

"Count me in," Buffy said, grateful that the conversation had turned away from her love life. Oz gave her a telling glance but had so far kept his word and his silence. She briefly indulged in a fantasy of showing up at the dance with Spike but knew that it was out of the question. Besides, it all looked a bit childish, compared to the kind of relationship she was having with the vampire. Despite her still being in high school, Spike treated her like a grown up - something that Angel had never managed - letting her make her own decisions and her own mistakes. It wasn't until she had that kind of relationship, that she had realized what was missing from every other relationship she had. Unlike Giles, her mother, Angel and even Xander, Spike never tried to run her life.

All the school rituals were FUN; the dances, the year book, the forthcoming graduation but they were no longer IMPORTANT. Not the way they had been to her when she was in L.A., before she was called. She had grown up when she became the slayer and it had taken her this long and a man who loved and respected her, to make her realize it.

Buffy watched all the build up, with a kind of detached amusement. Cordelia was busy campaigning to be Homecoming queen; actually dishing out treats, in the hopes of getting votes. She had Willow helping with a database, highlighting the opposition's strengths and weaknesses and Xander was putting up posters. To Buffy, it just seemed like a lot of effort for people who were almost adults. Then again, maybe that was the point. After graduation, their lives would change, they'd all go off to different colleges; maybe never see each other again.


Homecoming was a weird night. The five of them sharing a limo - Buffy feeling like a fifth wheel - serious formal wear, something tense between Willow and Xander, Cordelia obliviously talking about the moment when she'd be crowned. Of course, nothing is ever certain. When it was announced that there would be TWO queens, Cordelia was put out at the thought of sharing but then she was fuming when it turned out that she hadn't even come close. She spent the rest of the night, spreading rumours about exactly HOW the winners had earned their votes. By the time Spike had picked her up and driven her to the up-market restaurant, where he had booked them a table, Buffy was desperate for adult company.

It was a beautiful end to a strange night. Spike was dressed like 'a complete ponce' - his words - but he had put his own spin on 'ponce-wear' and Buffy thought he looked really hot. He had on tight black leather jeans, a silk shirt the colour of an arterial bleed and even a black tie. He spent the remains of the evening opening doors, puling chairs out for her and even walking on the road side edge of the sidewalk - a very old fashioned piece of chivalry, designed to protect ladies from being splashed by passing carriages! Cordelia had been right, back when she said it: there WERE advantages to dating older men.

* * * * *

Buffy was so sick of the S.A.T.s; Giles had even got her practicing for them in the graveyard, after she had said that maybe slaying was a higher priority. Both he and her mom were obsessed with the tests and now Buffy was having nightmares about them. On top of that, Snyder had everyone in school selling candy bars to finance the band.

That's when things got weird...

The Bronze was full of 'grown ups' acting like seriously hyper kids. Thankfully, Buffy's mom was over at Giles' or Buffy might have worried about her. Then again, she HAD let Buffy drive, so maybe her judgement WAS impaired! Now, having pranged the car, Buffy was walking to where the cursed candy was made, 'enjoying' the sparklingly surreal company of Snyder! Her cell phone buzzed.

"Cool phone, Summers." Snyder said, "You may drive like a spazz but you got a cool phone."

"Hi."

"Buffy," Spike's voice filled her ear, a welcome distraction. "What the bloody hell is going on?"

"I think it's cursed candy."

"Of course. Why not."

"Someone is making the grown ups act like kids, I'm on my way to find out who and why."

"Just how well does your mum know your watcher?"

"They've spent a bit of time together, recently. They're obsessing over the S.A.T.s, why?"

"Because I've just seen them, getting to know each other REALLY well, on the hood of a police car."

"Oh dear God. I so didn't need to hear that."

"Yeah? Well I didn't need to SEE it. I may never be able to look your mum in the eye again."

"When this cursed candy thing is dealt with, I guess I'll try to track down her and Giles. Thanks for the heads up."


As it turned out, Buffy found her mom and Giles near to her destination, kissing passionately. Giles was wearing paint spattered jeans and had been smoking and her mom was wearing a coat that was several decades too young for her. Both of them - rather annoyingly - looked great; youthful and glowy. Buffy pulled them apart and tried to explain to Giles about the candy.

Giles was so different. Buffy had known that when he was young he'd been into the bad stuff but to see him so changed... even his accent. He was talking the way Spike did, back when they had first met. That thought made Buffy realize that Spike hadn't sounded that way in quite a while. Like he had been putting on an act - tough gutter talk - and now he was with Buffy he had let the act go. The realization made her feel warm inside and, after hitting and restraining Ethan Rayne, who - surprise surprise - was responsible; finding out about the missing babies and Lurconis, Buffy left her mom, Giles and Snyder at the maternity unit and met up with Spike at the sewer entrance.

"Thank God," She said, hugging him, "A grown up."

"Nothing's happened yet," He said, indicating the open manhole cover. "There's been some chanting but the babies are OK. I can hear their hearts beating. I was going to give it another couple of minutes, then start without you."


Buffy started down the ladder, Spike following. Mayor Wilkins saw her coming and beat a hasty retreat. Neither Spike nor Buffy saw him, they were too busy with the robed vampires.

Fighting together, as a team, was almost as much fun as fighting each other! In such close quarters, the robed vamps didn't stand a chance as Buffy and Spike fought as a single unit - she right handed, he left handed - complementing each other perfectly. When Lurconis showed up, expecting food, what it got was the hot end of a burning gas pipe and then there was one less demon in the world...

Once everything was back to normal, Buffy found, to her amusement, that her mom and Giles seemed strangely tense in each other's company. Buffy couldn't resist making things worse by telling them how glad she was that she'd got to them BEFORE they did anything. Watching the looks on their faces was priceless!





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