Spike stood nervously outside the Summer's home. He could see the light in the living room, so somebody was probably home. He knew that Joyce was in hospital, so it was probably Buffy home with the kid sister. Or could she be alone? Given the news Spike had to deliver, he wasn’t sure if he wanted Buffy to be there or not... It would be so much easier if she were out at the Bronze or the Magic shop and he could just forget the whole bloody business. It wasn’t his affair, after all. Sodding humans... If they wanted to go destroy their lives, why should he get in the middle of it?

Well, he thought, no point in standing around like a stupid ponce. Go to it man... Spike rang the doorbell. He heard a cautious voice call out, "Who is it?"

In Sunnydale, nobody just called out, "Come in."

You could invite yourself a whole lot of trouble doing that. He yelled, "It’s me, Spike!"

The door opened, and there stood Buffy. She was in jeans and tee shirt, with no makeup and her hair caught in a makeshift ponytail, but to Spike’s heightened vampire senses, she was beautiful, indeed.

"What do you want, Spike... I’m studying."

Despite her irritated words, she didn’t look unhappy to see him. "I am so far behind, this semester, thanks to Mom’s illness... I just vowed to lock myself in with my books tonight."

She led the way into the living room. Spike saw that studying was indeed afoot. Books lay piled everywhere and a mass of papers were spread out on the coffee table, along with a partially eaten pizza, and several cans of Coke

"Where’s Half Pint?" Spike said, referring to Buffy’s younger sister, Dawn.

"Giles has her over at the Magic shop, so she’s out of my hair for once. The gang is patrolling for me tonight, too."

The infamous Scooby gang, Spike thought, but not ALL of them, I’ll bet. He opened his mouth to ask about Riley, but Buffy said, "Actually I am more than ready for a break. Want a beer? I think there is some in the fridge."

Spike said, "Sure" and draped himself over an easy chair. Buffy came back with a beer for him, and yet another Coke for herself, and said, "So what *do* you want, Spike? Uh…. You’re not here to *kill* me again, are you? I didn’t *notice* any large weaponry when you came in."

"No, not tonight," Spike replied, though he thought that the news he was bringing might come pretty close.

"Well, that’s good, because I really have a lot to do, and I’m just not in the mood for mortal combat tonight."

Buffy sat down and looked at him. "You know Spike, there's been something I’ve been meaning to ask you. That other night... After the Bronze, why didn’t you kill me? You had me dead to rights."

"Well, I could tell that you were already having a pretty bad day."

"I see, and killing me would have made it just that much worse?"

"Yeah, that’s pretty much it, in a nutshell."

"Well, thank you Spike. I appreciate it."

"Anytime, pet." Buffy took a drink of her soda.

"But what about two nights ago when we were fighting that disgusting bug *thing* in the kitchen? It almost had me, but you threw me the knife so that I could finish *him*. Now why didn’t you just let him get me? No muss, no fuss, no pesky headaches."

Spike looked shocked. "Slayer, you disappoint me. You should know the answer to that one by now!"

"Oh, right... I forgot…stupid me…you want to do it *yourself*."

"That’s right. I’m not about to let any bloody alien come in off the street and get my Slayer. You’re for me, baby, and don’t you forget it. I just want it to be right when it happens!"

"I get it. You’ll just go on saving my life until you get your chip out, and then... Wham bam, Slayer number three!"

"That’s it, love."

"Well, that’s good, Spike. It’s always nice to have a hobby."

Spike and Buffy’s eyes met for a moment and they almost smiled. When had it happened, the moment when Spike’s real threats had become… banter? For that’s what they had become. Was it that night in the Bronze when they had talked for hours and Spike had told Buffy his history, or had it been happening gradually all along?

Spike looked away and his eye fell on a slim paperback on the table. He picked it up.

"Romeo and Juliet?"

Buffy groaned. "Yeah. You know that drama class that Willow made me take? Guaranteed easy A, right? Wrong. We actually have to read plays!"

"It’s an outrage," Spike agreed. He looked at the book, closing his eyes. He seemed to be searching for something... or was it someone... in the back of his mind. He opened his eyes and looked at Buffy. He began to speak, reciting from long buried memory.

" O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!

It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night

As a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear.

Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!

So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows

As yonder lady over her fellows shows.

The measure done, I’ll watch her place of stand,

And touching hers, make blessed my rude hand.

Did my heart love till now? Foreswear it, sight!

For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night."

Buffy sat transfixed. This wasn’t Spike’s style of speaking at all. This voice was cultured and beautiful. My God! This was what Spike must have been like as William, before he was vamped. Incredible. And the *words*. No *wonder* Juliet fell in love with Romeo if this was how he spoke. Buffy felt tears come to her eyes. She looked away so Spike wouldn’t see that he had moved her.

Spike stopped speaking, the spell broken. "I went in for all that sort of rubbish back when I was human."

He said, his old self again. He tossed the book carelessly onto the sofa. "Can’t say it did me much good in my later career."

The vampire got up and began to pace restlessly... no point in putting it off any longer. "So where’s our Agent Mulder tonight? Patrolling with the Scoobies?"

Buffy frowned at Spike. "If you mean *Riley*, he had a bunch of papers to grade tonight. From what he tells me, that new Psychology professor is a worse slave driver than Maggie Walsh was, if you can believe it. In the classroom, that is. As far as I know this new guy isn’t a mad scientist in his spare time."

"Buffy... It isn’t true. The whole thing is a lie."

"What, Professor Griffin *is* a mad scientist?"

"Riley isn’t working tonight. Or any night these past few weeks."

Buffy stood up. She advanced on Spike, eyes flashing. "What do you mean? What’s going on?"

Spike couldn’t meet her eyes. Not when she looked at him like *that*.

"Riley’s been hanging out at Willy’s bar, drinking and who knows what else."

"Riley? *My* Riley? That’s ridiculous. How do you know this?!"

Spike scowled at the "*My* Riley" comment. "Well, Harmony got it from some of her ditzy vamp friends, while they were all getting their fangs sharpened, or whatever the hell they do all night."

Buffy looked at Spike coldly... "And you *believed* her?"

"No, I *didn’t* believe her! Harm doesn’t have the brains of a bloody flea! I went to Willy’s and checked it out myself, and I’m not exactly welcomed there."

Spike suddenly sat down. "Buffy…it’s worse than that."

Buffy sat down opposite Spike and tried to read his expression. "Tell me!"

"Willy told me, for a few bucks, that Riley's been kicked out of there. Something about a missing bar girl."

"Missing... How missing?"

"Missing, as in staked. A vampire named Sandy. She was last seen going someplace private with our favorite farmboy."

"Riley staked a vampire? This is news? I do that every at least once a day. Like eating an apple to keep the Doctor away."

"That’s not the point, Slayer. They think she may have taken a bite of him before he staked her."

Buffy stared, aghast, "Bit him? But... How could he let that happen? How could they possibly know that?"

"Because he seems to have developed a *taste* for it, so to speak."

Buffy looked confused. "I don’t understand."

Spike hesitated... "I hate to burst your bubble, Slayer, but there are things going on here in Sunnyhell, that even *you* don’t know about. There are places worse than Willy’s and Riley’s been going there. Fang bars."

Buffy stood up, agitated. She grabbed the vampire by his shirt and pulled him out of his chair. "Spit it out Spike... What the HELL is a Fang bar.!!"

"Hey, don’t stake the messenger, Slayer! I didn’t have to come here, did I."

"NO, and you’re hating every minute of it, I can tell." Oh, what was the point of sarcasm now? Buffy released Spike and looked up at him pleadingly. "Please tell me."

"It’s a kind of addiction, being bit by a vampire... It’s pain and pleasure and debasement all in one nasty little package. You know how it feels, Slayer."

Buffy did know, and had the scar to prove it. "My God... and people do this for... what, fun? Thrills? Death?"

"Well, death is always a risk, Slayer, but as a rule the vamps at these places don’t kill their victims... It tends to ruin the repeat business. Though they could always make an exception for GI Joe."

It was beginning to sink in. "And you’re telling me that Riley has been doing this? My God! He has been looking so pale lately... he said he was fighting off a cold."

Spike couldn’t resist asking the question that had been on his mind since he had heard the news. "And you never noticed the fang marks? I mean, I guess it’s none of my business, but how long has it been since you two have…"

"You’re right, it is none of your business. But lately, what with my mother and worry about Dawn and this new Glory demon, I haven’t really had much time for Riley. Oh my God... This is all my fault." Tears ran down Buffy’s face.

Spike grabbed Buffy’s shoulders and looked in her eyes, "Listen Buffy... Riley is a big boy. A big *stupid* boy. If he can’t survive without your constant attention, then he isn’t worthy of you, Slayer. I never thought he was, anyway."

Buffy pushed him away, angrily. "You love this, don’t you Spike! You couldn’t *wait* to come here and tell me the good news! Riley in trouble, possibly dying... oh it doesn’t get much better than that, does it Spike!" Buffy walked over to the sofa and took her sweater, the pink one. "I’ve got to go find him, Spike... Take me to him!"

But as they reached the door, there was a sudden loud knock. Spike moved away from the door and Buffy opened it. Riley stood there, looking casually handsome, as always. His brown leather jacket was open, and he wore a tee shirt underneath. Buffy surreptitiously looked at his neck... No sign of fang marks. And no sign of the pallor Buffy had noticed earlier that day. In fact, Riley looked the picture of health.

It was all a lie then, some evil trick of Spike’s. The bastard, frightening her like that. "I got done early," Riley said, smiling, "and I figured I’d come over and find out how your Mom was doing."

Spike whispered frantically near her ear, "Don’t invite him in!" just as Buffy said, "Come in Riley, I’ve missed you so much these past few days."

Riley walked into the living room stopping as he saw Spike. His pleasant expression evaporated. "Spike…what are *you* doing here? Snooping in Buffy’s bedroom again? Sniffing her clothes?"

"Sniffing my clothes? Sniffing *my clothes*? " Buffy turned to Spike, eyes blazing. "That’s it! Get out of here Spike; get out of my sight. I hate you! I never want to see your evil face again."

"Don’t worry, I’m going. No point in doing YOU any favors, Slayer. Your precious Riley is here and I’m gone. No problem." As Spike headed past Riley on his way out the door, he suddenly turned around swiftly and punched Riley smack in the nose. Riley recoiled in pain. Spike didn’t. As Buffy watched in horror, Riley’s face began to change. In full vamp face he charged Spike, who charged him back.

Instantly the two vampires were locked in combat. Riley was taller and physically stronger and well trained by the Initiative, but Spike was older by far in vampire strength, so for the moment they were well matched. Buffy looked for a stake, but the fight was between her and her purse. For a moment Buffy watched transfixed. The two vampires, both so graceful in their ferocity…their fight was almost beautiful. But it had to end. Someone would die.

She looked at Riley, the sweet, nice, normal guy she had always wanted and tried so hard to love. Now lost to her forever. Why had he done it? Did he think that gaining vamp powers would win Buffy’s love, after losing his artificial powers? But had his love for Buffy gone the way of his soul? Why had he come here tonight? To claim her love or to kill her for driving him to this state?

And then there was Spike. A soulless vamp who had never pretended to be anything else. Unrepentant, unashamed, he had tried to kill her more than once, and had almost succeeded. But lately, a different side of him had been emerging, like tonight, more than a hint of the loving and tender William he had once been. Why had *he* come here tonight? Because he cared about her or to gloat over her pain?

The living room had rapidly become too small for the battle... Spike opened the front door just as Riley flung him out of it. They landed on the lawn together, rolling on the dark lawn. Now Buffy couldn’t see what was happening. She ran outside. The light from the living room spilled out on the lawn in time for her to see Spike trip over his flying coattail, allowing Riley to gain the advantage, and pin him. He had much experience in vampire slaying and a stake had materialized in his upraised hand. Diving into the fray, Buffy punched Riley and grabbed the stake. He turned to her, and in the golden light from the living room lamp she could see the expression on his face.

His vamp face dissolved and it was just Riley, smiling his sweet Iowa smile, but in his eyes there was no love for her, just blankness. She looked at Spike... His vamp face had also gone. She looked in his eyes, the ones she had always known, dark and sardonic. He knew what she was doing. He had always read her like a book. Riley smiled, trying to charm her. Spike, gave her a look that said, ‘Choose, do what you will. If you choose Riley, I won’t want to survive, anyway’. Buffy raised the stake and brought it down with practiced accuracy. The Iowa farm boy who had joined the army to save the world was gone forever, dissolved into dust. Buffy knelt there on the ground, too stunned to even cry... That would come later. Spike arose and took Buffy’s hand helping her up. It wasn’t the first time he had done so…nor would it be the last.

The End