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Author's Chapter Notes:
As always I don't own the characters. I just like to play house with them.
Thanks to Ginar369 for the beta
Chapter Seven

Buffy and Spike were sitting on the floor of the Summers' living room engrossed in a cartoon when they heard a loud snore. Buffy looked over at her Watcher. He was still fast asleep, his head tilted back against the armchair and a book open on his lap. He was going to have a crick in his neck when he woke. She knew the right thing to do would be to wake him. They could shout in his ear or dump water all over him. "Let's wake him up!"

"No," Spike protested. He pointed at a skipping rope she had been playing with earlier and a mischievous grin appeared on his face. "What do you think the Watcher would say if he woke up all tied up? That's got to be more entertaining than giving him a rude awakening."

"We shouldn't," she said, but she was far from convinced. Damn Spike for tempting me. She felt her lip twitching despite herself. It would be funny.

He waggled his eyebrows. "Come on, Slayer. We can say it was an uncontrollable childish urge."

She laughed. "Okay, but it was all your idea." She went over to grab the jump rope from the floor. "I get to do the tying."

"That's not fair," he complained. "I came up with the idea."

She stuck out her tongue throwing the rope at him. She watched as he went over to the sleeping Watcher and attempted to tie the jump rope around his body as tightly as he could. She wondered what they could do next. As Giles was tied up they might as well make the most of their freedom. The one thing she really wanted to do was to go outside. The only problem was that she could see through the gap in the curtains that the sun was shining outside.

She looked longingly at the front door. "I'm bored." She pouted a little. "I want to go outside."

Spike looked over from his task. "I don't much fancy being all fried. The sun's still up, Slayer."

She smirked. "I could leave you behind."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try me! Besides you could always take "Angel blankie" along. You never let the sun stop you before."

He raised his eyes to the ceiling in exasperation. "There's a big difference between making a dash for shelter than just going out for a wander. And stop calling my blanket that."

"Spoil sport!" She shook her head. "You're not very evil anymore are you? I guess the chip finally broke you."

"I am so. Take that back. I'm still bloody evil."

She smiled smugly. He was so easy to wind up. She got up from her place on the floor and left him muttering expletives as how evil he was. Giles had left a pile of books on the table in front of them. One of the book titles caught her eye: "Hex or not to hex". It sounded like something out of Harry Potter. Maybe she could find a spell to put on Spike to stop him being so annoying or perhaps one for her sister to prevent her from playing with that stupid camera? Buffy knew she was going to be embarrassed when she turned back to her normal self. And thanks to her sister, there would be a lot of humiliating photos. Dawn would probably blackmail her way out of doing any chores for the rest of her life. Still, at least Spike would be just as embarrassed and probably even more so. The infuriating vampire was still stomping about the room claiming he was all sorts of evil.

She raised a finger to her lips. "Be quiet or you'll wake him!"

He glared at her and crossed his arms across his chest. "You wanted to wake him a few minutes ago." The sight of the large leather bound book in her arms made him raise a brow curiously. "Are you looking at a book, Slayer?" He looked at her incredulously.

"Uh huh." She waved the book at him. "This is how bored I am. I'm Book Buffy."

She started rifling through the pages of the book. It was full of funny looking pictures and big words. She had looked through half of the pages when an idea struck her.

"Oooh!" She looked at the vampire with a devious grin on her face.

Spike wasn't even listening and was still muttering under his breath. "I'll show her how evil I am."

"Are you still going on about that?"

He scowled at her. "You insulted me."

She rolled her eyes. "You're so evil, Spike," she said in the most saccharine tone she could muster. "Can you stop sulking now? I just agreed with you."

She couldn't resist muttering under her breath though. "Loser."

"Oy. I heard that!" He narrowed his eyes. "You're a bloody – a bloody infuriating chit."

She had enough and shoved the book in his face. "Look. Is this evil enough for to get your attention? Or are you a Mr Goody Two Shoes Vampire now?"

"Am not," he hissed, grabbing the book from her. She watched as the pissed expression on his face turned into a big grin. "Well, Miss Prim and Proper has a very naughty plan."

"Miss Prim and Proper?" She frowned. "Spike, I'm badder than you."

"You wish."

Before he could start another rant about how he was the Big Bad, she decided to turn the conversation back to her plan. "So, d'ya think we should give Giles rabbit ears?"

Spike laughed. "I'm in if you can manage it."

She attempted an exaggerated English accent. "Oh good lord, what floppy ears I have?"

He had a pained expression. "You slay the English language, pet. Please don't murder the English accent as well. That accent had to be worse than Dick Van Dyke's attempt at being a cockney."

She shrugged. "I can't help it if you Brits can't talk properly."

The two just glared at one another. It seemed no matter how much time they spent together that they still couldn't stop fighting. They jumped suddenly when they heard a snore. A quick check confirmed the watcher was still sleeping.

She sighed. "Let's just do this before he wakes up."

He raised a brow. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but do you really think you'll be able to pull it off. I know you're super girl and all, but you're no witch."

She raised her head indignantly. "I've done spells before and they've turned out just fine."

"Like what?"

"That's how I found out about Dawn." She put her hand to her mouth in horror. She hadn't meant to tell him anything.

He gave her a calculating gaze. "What about the Bit?"

"Nothing." She tried to sound nonchalant. "It's none of your business."

"I don't get why I'm being kept in the dark. I like Nibblet. I wouldn't want any nasty getting a bite out of her."

She ignored the fact he sounded genuinely hurt and decided to rely on sarcasm instead. "Referring to her as food is really reassuring."

"I'm vampire. I don't pretend I'm human like Angel."

"Drop it. I'm not going to tell you anything."

"Fine!"

She looked at the book disregarding the evil looks he was giving her. She read the incantation and sounded out the unfamiliar words carefully. She must have done something right though as Giles' ears began to change shape before them extending into long rabbit ears. Spike's mouth flew open and Buffy burst into laughter rolling about the floor. The watcher started to stir. It wasn't apparent whether this was as a result of the magic or simply the noise of the slayer's exuberance.

"What's going on?" Giles muttered sleepily. He attempted to get up before he realised he was tied to the chair. His attempt to get up caused his chair to overturn and it fell backwards to the floor.

"Good lord!" The two laughed as they watched the struggling man on the floor.

A chuckling Spike leaned over to Buffy and whispered. "You think Giles would be more angry at being all tied up or been given bunny ears?" He winked conspiratorially. "I'm betting on the ears."

"Untie me you idiots."

"You'll have to ask very nicely, Rupes."

Giles rounded on him. "I'm betting this was your idea."

"The tying you up was – yeah. I can't take credit for the ears."

"Ears?" The question came out shrilly. "What on earth do you mean about ears?"

Buffy laughed nervously. "We gave you bunny ears."

Before Giles got a chance to say anymore she was saved by a bang from the letterbox. All three heads turned to see a pretty, round ball on the floor by the door. It looked like a giant, green marble. Buffy felt drawn to it somehow and she reached for it. "What is that?"

She picked it up just as Spike came up behind her. "I don't think that's a good idea."

She was mesmerised by the way the light reflected in it.

"What does this bauble do then?"

"Nothing," she said. "It's just pretty." She dropped it to the ground and turned back to Giles.

"Are you that's all it is?" Giles looked concernedly at her. "It did come in the letter box after all."

She shrugged. "Probably a kid doing a prank."

Giles took one last look at the ball which still was lying there harmlessly and turned his energies to his binding again. Spike seemed to be enjoying the spectacle and Giles glared at him. "Let me free you bleached menace."

"Say please, Rupert. As me old Mum used to say "mind your p's and q's"."

When Buffy giggled, both Giles and Spike turned to her.

Spike smirked. "I think Rupert needs to work to get himself free. What do you think Slayer?"

Giles looked completely furious. "Buffy!"

Never before had her Watcher looked so foreboding to her. She gulped. She was in such trouble.

Spike shook his head. "Come on, Buffy. In for a penny, in for a pound."

It took her a moment to translate his English into his actual English. Why it was the English couldn't speak English properly?

"I'll free you if you can tell us an entertaining story about your days as a Watcher in training."

"A story?" Spike scoffed. "We're not children."

Giles snorted loudly.

She rolled her eyes. "As much as it pains me to admit it, we kinda are."

Spike looked down at his small hand and shrugged. "Couldn't you just have pretended we have some dignity left, Slayer?"

"Enough!" Giles glared at them. "You can't be serious. I'm the adult here and you two are the children and should do exactly what I say. LET ME OUT OF THESE BLOODY ROPES!"

Oh Mom's gonna be so mad, but the shade of red Giles is turning is priceless. He wants me to behave like a child then I'm going to give him a child.

She winked at Spike. "In for a penny, in for a pound."

She giggled as she began to stamp her foot. "We want a story!"

The vampire soon caught on and started stamping as well.

"We want a story!" they chanted. "Story! Story! Story!"

Giles still struggled with the ropes to no avail and after five minutes of chants and giggles he relented. "Fine. You can have your damn story."

Spike gave a mock gap of surprise. "You shouldn't curse in front of the poor easily corruptible kids."

Buffy went behind Giles and put his chair upright again. She plonked down on the floor in front of him pulling Spike down with her. "You can't stand for a story."

"Is that so?" He chuckled. "It's been a long time since anyone told me a story."

Giles coughed grumpily. Buffy was determined to enjoy this for as long as she could.

She looked at him expectantly. "We're ready now."

"Well there was this one time that a group of us were sent to kill a Pyroste demon."

"Huh? A pirate demon?"

"No, Slayer. A Pyroste demon. You couldn't imagine what they would look like."

"Hey! I do too have an imagination." She flinched inwardly realising how childish she sounded.

"I never said you didn't have an imagination."

Giles sighed at the bickering duo. "I thought I was supposed to be telling the story."

Spike either didn't hear Giles or just chose to ignore him. "They're big green fellas."

"Like the Incredible Hulk?"

"No not like the sodding Hulk. They're much bigger. If you want a contemporary reference think Hagrid's giant dog Fluffy."

"You read Harry Potter?"

Buffy glanced at Giles expecting to see an equally incredulous look on his face. Instead, he was wearing a most peculiar expression as if he was terrified by the revelation.

"Stop!"

Buffy ignored him and turned back to Spike who was making excuses for himself. "It gets boring when you can't leave the sodding house especially at night. Anyway the big blokes have huge teeth and long claws."

Giles spoke again, "Stop."

Spike stopped talking immediately and they could hear a low growling sound came from behind them. Spike whirled around and pointed behind her. "What the bloody hell is that?"

"That's the monster you two have bloody well managed to conjure."

Buffy turned around to see a big green dog like creature with three very angry looking heads. It looked to be about eight feet high. Drool was coming out of its enormous mouths and its huge teeth were bared. It looked strangely like the Hulk's vicious dog times three. It surely wasn't a coincidence that it looked like what Spike had been talking about. "Is that a Pyroste demon?"

Spike looked at her like she was the one with the three heads. "No, Slayer. I don't know what it is, but I wager it came out of the bauble that came out the door. Some sort of shape shifter."

"Indeed," muttered a shaking Giles.

Spike bounced on his feet look excited at the prospect. "I'll distract it, Slayer, and you can't stamp on the damn bauble. If that doesn't work then it will take the both of us to kill it."

He took a running jump at the creature jumping onto its back causing it to stumble about the sitting room knocking things as it moved. Buffy didn't dare delay any longer and she whirled round looking for the evil marble. She spotted it, where it had rolled under the table. She could see it pulsing and smoking. Definitely the cause of the bad in the room. Buffy crawled under the table and grabbed the ball. It felt hot to the touch and she dropped it on the floor in surprise. She stamped on it as hard as she could and it broke into pieces. She turned to see Spike falling through the air as the demon disintegrated before their very eyes. She went over to her Watcher and untied him. He didn't say a word although he opened and closed his mouth rather like a fish. She sighed in relief and plopped down on the sofa where Spike had landed in a heap. This sense of relief didn't last too long as Giles finally found his voice. "You foolish children! There are people out to get you and instead of keeping out of trouble you court it."

Neither Buffy nor Spike protested for once at being referred to as child. They knew Giles was right and they squirmed uncomfortably. They could see he was nowhere near finished letting off steam and they huddled closer on the sofa.

"Back in my day I would have been spanked had I done something so reckless."

They flinched, however they didn't say a word.

"Don't worry - I wouldn't do something as crass as that." He had a glint in his eye that Buffy didn't like. "I'm going to do something much worse. I hoped it wouldn't come to this, but I have to call in Angel for help."

"No!" Spike and Buffy were united in their horror at this announcement.

"I don't want him here," the vampire said angrily.

Buffy's eyes started to tear up. "I don't want him to see me like this!" She looked pleadingly at Giles. "Please. I promise I won't do any more silly things."

Giles expression seemed to be softening a little. She'd forgotten how good she was at getting what she wanted when she used the waterworks. She hadn't relied on tears since she was really little after all.

"Spike will be good too." She elbowed him in the ribs. "Won't you?"

"No - I won't." He paused a moment as his mouth caught up with his brain. He frowned. "I – uh- won't be intentionally evil."

Buffy tried hard to supress a giggle at that pronouncement. Somehow, she managed to keep her face neutral.

Giles rubbed his forehead wearily. "I won't give in to your wheedling and I suspect Joyce will agree with me. We need help and as much as it pains me to admit it Angel's people may have access to resources we may not."

Buffy met Spike's eyes which were equally unhappy. She knew Giles had his mind made up and there was nothing she could do to change it. Giles had turned his back to them and was examining the remains of the orb. "Where did you come from?"

Spike spoke her mind before she could. "It must be your old pal Ethan."

It seemed Ethan Rayne hadn't given up trying to cause mischief. They knew he was working with Glory though. However, this didn't seem like her style. Still when you're desperate you would try anything. If nothing else she must be desperate if she was allying herself with Ethan Rayne.

Giles reached for his glasses, which had slipped off his nose while he was sleeping, and that when he remembered the oddly bunny ears. He rushed over to the mirror over the fireplace and caught his reflection. "Bloody hell! Can things possibly get any worse?"

Spike winked at her "It seems the slayer's got a gift for the magicks as well as Red. Surely that's one of the signs of the apocalypse."

Buffy whacked Spike hard on the arm and turned to Giles smiling sheepishly. "If it's any consolation you look cute."

Her watcher's response was a glare.





Giles was true to his word and the whole sorry tale was relayed to Joyce much to Buffy's chagrin. The disappointed look her mother gave her wasn't eased in the slightest by her excuses that her childish urges were too much to overcome. Spike's excuse didn't wash with Joyce. The next night Buffy and Spike were uncharacteristically quiet as they sat once more side by side on the sofa once more. Joyce was still furious at them for their antics the previous day and they were exhausted after all the chores she had invented for them. "If you're busy then you can't get up to mischief," she had said.

"Your Mum's quite the slave driver," Spike remarked in an undertone.

Buffy only grunted in reply. He didn't seem to get the message that she didn't want to talk.

She could see a determined glint in his eye. He had something on his mind. "I want to know about Glory. It's not fair that nobody tells me anything and I'm putting my hide at risk too."

"No," she replied. He was starting to wear down her resolve though. He had a point. He might be a pain in the ass, however, he was on their side and genuinely seemed to be fond of Dawn and Joyce. He smirked as if he could see the indecision in her eyes. Luckily she was saved by the sound of the doorbell.

"Don't think this is over," he mumbled and he followed as she ran to the door. Giles beat them to it and pulled the door open. They peered out from behind Giles, expecting to see Angel, only to see an extremely green looking demon with small red horns. He looked at them appraisingly and smiled. "Hello there, Munchkins. Aren't you positively edible?"

"I'm the slayer." Buffy prepared to launch herself at the green demon. "Demons are ringing my doorbell to be staked now?"

It was then Angel stepped out of the darkness. "Buffy, no! This is Lorne. He's my friend."

To be continued…..


Chapter End Notes:
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