Title: In the Harsh Light of Beer
Summary: Tainted Beer makes both Buffy and Spike step out of denial, bringing to light the feelings they’ve suppressed since their first meeting. Takes place in season four but quickly goes AU around “The Harsh Light of Day.”
Pairings: Buffy/Spike
Rated: NC-17
Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all characters are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and Fox. I own nothing but I wish Spike was MINE.

Authors Note: Some lines taken from Season 4; Episode 3: “The Harsh Light of Day.” I want to thank SanityFair and  no_promises who beta'd this chapter. Let me know what you think!!!  The more you review, the faster I write. After all, reviews feed the muse!!!

Chapter 2

Buffy wasn’t in her dorm room more than two seconds when Willow walked in fresh from her shower.

"Hey, you just getting in?"

"No!" Buffy answered, a little too quickly. "Why would you think that?"

"You're wearing the same clothes you had on last night." Willow grinned. "And I saw you leave with Parker. So spill! How was it?"

"It was nice" if nice meant totally unsatisfying. Buffy forced a smile onto her face."He's going to call."

"Oh! I love this part? When it's all new and everything is a discovery."

"Yeah, its nice." Buffy desperately wanted to believe her night with Parker was the beginning of a new relationship. However, he was a poor substitute for Dream-Spike. Deep down, part of her knew she’d had sex with Parker because he made her feel desire, also because Spike was with Harmony.   

Buffy's eyes bulged as she remembered he was back in town. "Oh, My God, Wills! Spike’s back in town!"

"Spike!" Willow squeaked.  "Bottle in the face Spike?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Do you know another bleached blond vampire who’s a pain in my ass? Anyway, he's after this Amara thingy."

"What did Giles say?"

"Actually, I haven't told him yet. Parker…"

"Right, well I was planning to go by his place sometime today to check on him anyway. I've been worried about him, now that he doesn't have a job. I think he's lonely." 

" That sounds great, just let me shower and change, then I'll be ready to go."

***

Spike sauntered out into the daylight for the first time in over a hundred and twenty years. A small smile lifted the corners of his mouth as the sun's rays warmed his skin. It was a strange sensation being out in the day, his instincts were yelling at him, to take cover and escape the deadly light. Even though his mind knew he had no need to fear a bloody painful, flaming dusting. Raising his hand, Spike gazed at the Gem of Amara that now sat on his index finger. It amazed him how this one small stone could make him invincible.

He frowned slightly as he realized just how dangerous, not to mention stupid it would be to leave the ring on his finger where anyone could snatch it. Spotting a shaded alley he quickly walked to the darkest corner and pulled a wicked looking hunting knife from his boot. He slipped the ring off and pulled up his black t-shirt, placing the hem between his teeth. Clenching his jaw against the pain, Spike cut into his abdomen just above his navel and carefully placed the gem deep into the incision, nestling it among his organs. It healed as soon as he removed his hand from the wound.

Spike exhaled the breath he’d been holding in relief. His solution had worked. After straightening his clothing and cleaning the blood off his hands, he strolled out of the alley and back into the light of day. He was enjoying the sunny California day, confident that, with the ring, he would finally be able to bag his third slayer. He hoped when he killed the infuriating bint the bloody dreams and change in diet would end, and he could return to his dark princess. First, Spike wanted to enjoy the day, maybe find out if he freckled.

***

Buffy desperately needed to kill something. It had been two days. Parker still hadn't called, and she hadn't seen hide nor bleached hair of Spike. She wasn't sure which one she was more disappointed about. On top of all that, Giles had laughed when she told him that Spike was looking for the gem, saying it was a myth and did not exist.

She wanted to trust his opinion, but she knew if the gem existed Spike would find it. She needed to have a plan in place in case he got the gem before she could stake him. Buffy growled, pushing away the strange feelings that the thought of staking Spike created and continued stomping around Shady Rest Cemetery.

"Here demon, demon. There's a nice, tasty girl just walking alone out here! God, what does it take," she yelled, as she took out her frustration on a large rock, kicking it with all her slayer strength.

"Ow! " A voice shrieked in pain. Buffy looked around searching for whomever she hit with the rock she kicked. She noticed a trail of broken tombstones and patches of upturned grass that led to a crying blond heap on the ground, a good 30 yards from her.

"Shit! Hey are you okay?" She yelled as she jogged to the hurt girl.

"Owie!" The lump sobbed. "Why do you have to be so mean? When my Blondie Bear fin—"

Buffy growled when she recognized Harmony. Her anger turned to rage at the sight of the blond vampiress. She lunged at the injured girl; her mind screaming, “He is MINE, MINE”! She grabbed Harmony around her throat, lifting her more than two feet off the ground.

Harmony's eyes grew big as she looked into the face of the slayer. "Holy Shit, Buffy! Why do you have fangs?"

"I do not have fangs!"

"Yes, you do"

"No, I don't"

"Yes, you do"

"No, I don't!"

"Fine, don't believe me but feel for yourself."

Buffy rolled her eyes and brought her free hand to face. She gasped when she felt a sharp pain in her finger as a fang pierced its tip and the coppery taste of blood hit her tongue.

"And your eyes are all glowy!" Harmony wheezed, barely able to get the words past the hand clamped around her throat. Buffy abruptly dropped the vampiress as she panicked and ran from the graveyard. Everything was a blur as she rushed through the streets of Sunnydale with no care who witnessed her display of slayer speed.

Finally, she slowed to a walk, gulping down air as she tried to catch her breath. She inhaled deep trying to calm herself enough to think. Looking around, she knew exactly where she was, a park about a block from Giles' apartment. Giles! He would know what was going on with her, and if he didn't he had the books to figure it out. With a relieved sigh, Buffy walked to his flat and knocked on his door. It took a while but eventually, after much loud banging on his door Giles appeared. He was in a robe, and his hair was mussed from sleep.

"Buffy, dear, what are you doing here at this time of night? You should have been in bed hours ago."

"Hey, Giles," Buffy said forcing herself to sound peppy as she entered her watchers abode. "Can you make us some tea?" She asked, stalling for time.

"Certainly." He nodded, knowing something must indeed be wrong if she was asking for tea. Within minutes, she had a steaming cup in her hand.

"Is everything all right?"

"No, Giles, it's not," she said in a small voice.

"Can you tell me what happened?" The silence stretched as Buffy tried to organize her thoughts enough to tell her watcher what happened.

Giles jumped when she finally spoke. "I was out patrolling, when I decided to go to Shady Rest looking for something to slay. I found Harmony there." She fell quiet again as she tried to find the right words. "I don't know exactly what happened, but when I recognized her, I saw red! One moment I was a few yards away from her and the next I had her by the throat and a couple of feet off the ground. Giles I had fangs!" A solitary tear rolled down her check.

"Good Lord!"

"I didn’t believe her at first, then I felt them for myself." With an unsteady arm, Buffy raised her hand to show Giles where she had pricked her finger.

"Buffy, are you certain?"

"Giles what's going on?" She began to shake uncontrollably with tears running silently down her face.

Without hesitation, he got up and searched his medicine cabinet for the sleeping pills he rarely used and filled a glass with water.

"I don’t know, but we will figure it out, I promise. Now take this, and I'll call everyone to help me research. It's going to be okay." Buffy could feel her eyelids growing heavy as the drug worked its way into her system. Soon the peaceful blanket of sleep enveloped her. 

***

Spike hissed as he gingerly rubbed aloe vera into his sunburned skin. He had enjoyed his spontaneous, daylong trip to the beach.  He’d forgotten how beautiful the water could be in the sunlight. Unfortunately, he had also forgotten the effect the UV rays had on his skin when he was human, and it appeared that the gem, for reasons beyond him, would not heal his lobster red skin.

He was glad he’d dusted his minions before he’d gone out that morning. It would have been the end of him if they caught him this red.  

"Blondie Bear you'll never guess what happened to me tonight," Harmony screeched as she entered the lair.

"I don't give a shit about what happened to you, you bint," Spike growled.

"Hey where is everyone?"

"They’re dust in the bloody wind." Slowly, he slipped a stake from his back pocket and plunged it into her heart.

"I knew you loved that gem more than me!" She said as she crumbled to dust.

"I love syphilis more than you!" He yawned and made his way toward his bed. He cautiously lay down thankful for the softness of his silk sheets against his tender skin and quickly fell asleep.