Chapter 1 

"It’s the hat, Mate. I can’t wear the bloody hat!"

Xander looked up from his clipboard at the disconsolate Spike. He had to suppress a snicker. The blue chambray work shirt was bad enough, but the bright yellow hard hat was the crowning touch, so to speak.

"I’m sorry, Spike, but OSHA regulations say that all workers have to wear them."

"Look, Xander, I’m a vampire... I don’t NEED the bloody hat. It makes me look like one of the freakin’ Village People…and it makes my hair all flat!"

"Tell me about it! Listen Spike,"

Xander lowered his voice to a whisper. "OSHA doesn’t care that you’re a vampire! In fact OSHA doesn’t KNOW that you’re a vampire! And neither does anyone else! If they ever look up that Social Security number I made up for you, they’ll deport you right back to your crypt! Is that what you want?"

"No. All right... I’ll wear the stupid hat."

Xander looked around the Bronze. Workers in hard hats were leaving as a second shift of workers arrived. A lot of progress had been made in rebuilding the nightspot, but much more remained to be done. Tuesday night’s Troll disaster had put the club owner into a panic. He was so afraid that the Sunnydale "youth", as he called them, would find a new place to hang out while repairs were made, that he sprang for a double shift of workers…at time and a half, no less. This had enabled Xander, as foreman of the night crew, to grant Spike’s quite unexpected request for employment.

Xander shifted his clipboard to his good hand, and flexed the fingers sticking out of his cast, another lovely Troll souvenir! Pain shot up his arm, but his fingers had cramped up holding that clipboard. Xander could have taken sick leave but he had asked to supervise this project instead. It meant a lot to him to get the Bronze up and running again. Spike noticed Xander’s actions. "How’s the wrist doin’, mate?"

"Better, I guess. You missed all the REAL Troll action down at the Magic Box."

"I guess the Slayer got him finally, huh? Cleaned his clock, for him, eh?"

"His clock is indeed clean. Then Willow zapped him back to happy Troll land."

Xander glanced at his watch; almost time to get started. But one question nagged at his brain. " By the way, Spike, I’ve just GOT to ask. Why in heaven’s name do you want a job?"

Spike sighed dramatically, "Because I’m bloody bored out of my skull, is why! The chip keeps me from hunting which was my livelihood. And there’s only so much telly a man can watch. Nothing to do all night and day but sit around and brood about…stuff. It’s not healthy, I tell you."

"I hear ya. I guess. " Suddenly, Xander’s eyes grew hard. "Listen, Spike old pal... this isn’t some new plot to kill the Slayer is it? Though it’s so clever and diabolical, I can’t quite figure out what it could possibly be."

"Oh, you mean something like rigging the balcony so that it falls on her some night?"

Xander stared at him. "What?! I’m not allowed to have a passing thought? No... I’m not planning anything like that at all. I promise."

"You’d better not be, Spike, or there won’t be a sewer deep enough to hide you. "

"I swear, Xander... oh by the way, can you do me a favor?"

"Another one? Getting you this job against every ounce of my better judgement isn’t enough?"

"Just don’t tell B... the Scoobies about this, okay? I don’t need her... their ridicule right this moment. I’m sure they’d have a field day with this."

"Actually, I was kind of looking forward to that myself. Oh. Okay Spike. Mum’s the word. Now you’d better get to work."

Spike adjusted his hard hat on his platinum hair, now squashed beyond recognition and walked over to a group of workers. A tall Hispanic man pointed to a pile of planks, which Spike picked up and brought over to him. Xander watched in amazement. The most extraordinary thing he had ever seen, (and Xander had seen plenty) and he couldn’t even TELL anyone!

The next day being Saturday, Xander planned to sleep late. But Anya was up at the crack of dawn, making an unusual amount of noise, even for her.

"I’m going over to the shop," she said to him in a stage whisper loud enough to wake the dead.

"Come by when you get up. We need you." And she was gone.

"Well so much for that whole sleeping concept."

Xander dragged himself up, smiling to himself at the thought of Spike last night. He wasn’t half-bad as a worker. Okay, not the most energetic guy on the crew, helping himself to breaks (and beer) whenever possible, but not bad, considering. And no one suspected him at all. In fact the other guys thought he was cool and laughed at a few of his sardonic comments.

When Xander arrived at the Magic Box, a sight completely opposite to that of the Bronze greeted him. No organized chaos here, just chaos. If anything the shop looked worse than it did after the Troll was sent back to Troll land... or wherever. Giles was practically weeping over the pitiful state of his books, picking them up and piling the less damaged ones gingerly on what remained of the counter. Anya was running here and there picking up items and bemoaning their value. "Oh... This pearl essence was priceless. Oh, these toadstools are practically truffles! Thirty dollars a pound, and all... pounded!" Tara was sadly picking up tarot cards off the floor. Buffy and Willow were standing at a smashed display, drinking coffee.

"So, I turn around and there he is CROUCHING over this poor woman. And I say, ’Spike, what are you doing?’ and he says ’I’m making her more comfortable!’ And then he proceeds to tell me that he isn’t TASTING any of her blood, like he’s trying to earn Brownie points for not feeding off helpless victims! Can you believe him?"

"Well, Buffy, he was kinda helping, wasn’t he?"

"That’s not the point! He’s Spike! He could have been changing water into wine, and I still wouldn’t have trusted him. He was up to something snarky. I know him!"

"Well, that’s true. He hasn’t exactly been shy about the whole evil thing."

"Somebody tell me why I don’t just stake him and do us all a favor."

Xander listened to the two girls who were too preoccupied to notice that he had arrived. As he listened to the Spike story, he began to think about the conversation that he had had with Spike in the Bronze right before the Troll arrived. Xander had been telling Spike about Willow and Anya’s constant sniping, but all Spike kept talking about was the Slayer. How did the Slayer react... was the Slayer angry, holding grudges or something to that effect. Quite honestly he hadn’t been paying that much attention. My God... could Spike be in LOVE with Buffy and trying to impress her with good deeds? Was such a thing even possible? At that moment Buffy turned her head and saw him.

Xander smiled, hiding the questions that rocked him. "Hi guys. Is somebody talking about a stake for our Spike? "

Buffy smiled grimly. "Spike and Stake... Two words that just sound so good together. But not now, I’m afraid... we have work to do. Xander, I’m so glad you’re here. Look at this place!"

Chapter 2

"How is your wrist today Xander?" Willow still felt guilty about Xander’s injury, earned while defending her and Anya.

"Much better, Will, but I’ve pretty much had to give up handstands for a while."

"Look at this, Xander!" Anya came over to him, holding a small object, "A HEAD of Mithras! And his body is MISSING! I ask you, who is going to buy a head? Everyone knows that all of his power is in his penis!"

Willow and Tara looked at each other.

"Well, I’m sure HE thinks so! " Willow said. She and Tara giggled.

"Xander, thank God you’re here!" Giles came over and shook Xander’s good hand as if greeting a long lost relative. "Look at this place."

"How is the Bronze coming along?" Tara asked shyly, still idly sorting cards.

"Very well. Right on schedule. Unlike here, I must say."

"Well, you have professional workers over there, AND money to pay them with." She shot a look at Willow. "We don’t even have a cash register! Look Giles... Mithras has lost his body. We can never replace him."

"Don’t worry, Anya, the insurance will cover it... You kept excellent records."

"I did, didn’t I," Anya said proudly as she walked over to the ledger. "Good records are the key to running a successful business!" She lifted up the ledger, only to have it fall to pieces in her hands." Unless they’re shredded."

"Oh dear, " said Giles mournfully.

To Willow, it seemed like a good time to change the subject. "Hey Xander, do ya think the Bronze will be ready in time for Buffy’s Birthday Bash?"

"Absolutely. At the rate we’re going, we will be done by Friday."

"Oh great," Buffy said sadly. "My annual crash-and-burn fest won’t have to be postponed. Yay."

"Hey Buff," Xander put his good arm around her, "we have scheduled NO crashing OR burning this year. Just party goodness."

"That’s right, Buffy. Uh, it isn’t every day a girl turns twenty," Giles announced. "You deserve a good party. Your mother is better, uh, you’ve made up your incompletes, so you will get credit for last semester... There is uh, much to be grateful for." Which given the state of his beloved Magic shop was a very heroic speech for Giles to make.

Buffy realized this and gave him a quick hug. "Thanks Giles... I’ll try not to be a big mope."

"No moping," Giles said sternly, and turning to look at Willow and Anya, "and NO TROLLS!"

"Oh, we promise!" Willow raised her hand in the Girl Scouts’ pledge. "Scout’s honor."

"Well, actually," Anya stated, "Trolls can be a lot of fun at parties." Everyone looked at her. "Given the right sort of Troll… and the right sort of party… which obviously this isn’t!"

This seemed like a good time for Xander to change the topic. "Actually, Buffy, a 20^th Birthday party might be some kind of a record for a Slayer!"

Buffy’s face fell. "Thanks, Xander... But somehow that doesn’t make me feel as good as you obviously thought that it would. And... I won’t even have a date." Buffy’s lip began to pout.

Willow put her arm around Buffy. "What dates? We won’t have dates either... we’ll just show up."

"Right. You and Tara. Xander and Anya. Me and…Giles? No offense Giles."

Xander tried a gambit "Well, we could always invite Spike."

Buffy glared at him. "Hey, it was a joke. Ha ha. I’m the funny one, remember?"

Well, obviously Buffy didn’t feel the same way about Spike. Thank God! Angel had been one vampire too many in Buffy’s life, in Xander’s opinion. And hadn’t there been something about Riley being bitten by a vampire the night he left? Buffy hadn’t explained further, and he hadn’t wanted to ask. Riley was a touchy subject these days. And what was it that Spike had said about Buffy holding a grudge? Xander sighed. Buffy and vampires was a subject he either knew too much or too little about.

"Excuse me... but all this chatter isn’t getting this shop ready to open," Anya announced impatiently.

"Uh, I’m afraid that Anya’s right," said Giles. "We have a long way to go."

"I wish that I could be more help doing the actual work, but maybe I can make a list of what needs to be done, and assign jobs... kind of what I’m doing at the Bronze," Xander offered.

"And they actually pay you for that?" Buffy smiled sadly at Xander.

"Totally cool, isn’t it?" Xander smiled back at her.

"Organization... just what we need," pronounced Giles.

As Xander started to walk over to the table to make his list, his foot kicked something from under a pile of debris. It looked like a headless statue of some kind. Xander picked it up and waved it around. "Anybody looking for this studly young body?"

"Mithras!" Anya exclaimed happily. "Xander... you can do anything! You know, Mithras is considered to be very powerful by the Druids!"

"That’s funny," Xander studied the statue. "He doesn’t LOOK Druish!"

Everybody groaned. "Hey!" said Xander, "am I the ONLY one here who saw Spaceballs?"

Chapter 3

Spike walked into his crypt and sank down into his easy chair. God, the place looked good to him. Since Harmony had moved out, taking all of her unicorns and crap with her, he had finally fixed up his lair to his own satisfaction. But still, he had recently reached the point where he couldn’t stand the sight of the place. Trying to keep away from Buffy this last month had been hell, and had further restricted his activities, which had been limited to begin with, and he was suffering from an advanced case of crypt fever. The construction job had been a godsend. Now it felt good to come home, feeling like he had actually accomplished something. Of course the clothes were hideous and he wasn’t much for fetching and carrying, but he genuinely liked working with his hands, he discovered. Spike looked with pride at the bookcase he had made from material "borrowed" from the site. It was a little lopsided but it neatly held the books he had stolen from the local library. Spike had devoted most of his unlife to destruction. Creation was a whole new experience for him. He got up and got himself a beer from the stone tomb, which kept it reasonably cool. His Buffy mannequin stood in the corner looking impassive as always. Spike raised his beer to her in salute. "Evenin’ Luv. And how was YOUR day?"

Well, it was a poor substitute, but at least THIS Buffy didn’t smack him around or freeze him out the way the real one had been doing for the last month. But now he had a faint glimmer of hope that she would thaw out. A birthday gift BOUGHT by him with money that he EARNED! That would show her that he had changed, right? Nothing stolen for Buffy.

This "right and wrong" deal was a real problem for Spike. He knew the laws, and could obey them if he chose, and he could play by human rules if he had to, like at his job at the Bronze but he had no instinct for it and, if taken by surprise, could really put his foot in it. Like the other night. The Troll had thrown him off guard, appearing so suddenly like that, and when he had asked where to find babies to eat, Spike had automatically suggested the hospital. Bloody Idiot! Luckily Xander had intervened or Spike would have been blamed for that mess too. He hoped that word of it hadn’t gotten back to the Slayer.

The Slayer. It all came back to her, didn’t it? Spike opened the bag he had gotten from the butcher shop on the way home. He took out the pint of blood, thankfully still warm, and sat down in his chair for dinner. As the warm coppery taste of blood filled his mouth, his features changed and his mind turned, as always to thoughts of violence. His usual game at these times was to imagine what he would do when he got his chip out... Whom would he kill first, and how. Xander first, he decided tonight. That would teach him to trust a vampire! To be so nice to him, getting him a job, even cashing his paycheck for him because he had no bank account... That would teach him all right! Keeping his secret from Buffy. Buffy! Damn it all to hell!

Spike slammed the pint of blood down on the end table. It just wasn’t FUN anymore, the thought of killing Xander. Or Willow. Or any of the bloody Scoobies! What was the matter with him lately, anyway? Had the chip permanently warped his brain? But, he’d had the thing for more than a year now, and he had been as bloodthirsty as ever until that horrible day, a few months ago, when he had thought the chip had been removed. He’d had Buffy in his power then, ready to rip her throat out, but in the split second before the pain from the chip had kicked in... he had known that he couldn’t do it. The pain had actually been a relief! An excuse to get the hell out of there. And that night he had realized the awful truth... that he LOVED Buffy, and didn’t want her dead. Unfortunately, she had had no similar revelation. Would she ever see past his vampire label, and look at the real person underneath? Sure, he had no soul, but he had feelings. Intense feelings. And she just stomped on them like they didn’t exist. In frustration, Spike jumped up, glaring at his Buffy manikin, and stomped out of the crypt to once again pace the dark streets of Sunnydale as he had every night for the past month.

Chapter 4

Xander looked around with satisfaction. The Bronze was back to its former state of gloomy magnificence. Tomorrow night was the grand re-opening. The balcony held firm... Xander had inspected it himself, mindful of Spike’s remark. He smiled as he handed out paychecks to the night shift, and thanked them all for a job well done. Spike was last. Xander was truly amazed with the way Spike had performed this last week. He really could act human if he chose. The guys all liked him, admired his attitude. It was all a big puzzle to Xander.

"Here ya go." He read the name on the envelope. "Mr. Spike Williams. I cashed the check for you."

He handed it to Spike. "I’m sorry it’s not more, but they deduct a lot for taxes and stuff. The first time I got an actual paycheck, I thought I had been robbed!"

Spike shook his head. "Taxes! Give me a bloody break! I don’t pay TAXES. I’m not even an American! Next they’ll be wantin’ me to vote. "

"Don’t worry, Spike, dead people only vote in Chicago."

"Huh?"

"Never mind. Anyway, you’ve done a good job here. If we have any more night jobs, I’ll let you know, okay?"

"Yeah, sure, I can always use the bread."

"So, Spike what are you going to do with all that ‘bread?’

"Well, I’ve got to buy blood and smokes, don’t I, and maybe I’ll spring for one of those microwave ovens. Nothing worse than cold pig’s blood."

"I can’t argue with you there."

"Well, I’ll be seeing you around." Spike started to saunter off.

"Uh, Spike?" Spike turned around and Xander pointed to his head. Spike reached up to his own head and felt the hard hat. Oops. He took it off and handed it to Xander.

"Forgot I had it on. See ya." He sauntered out of the Bronze.

Spike walked out into the night. His head felt chilly with the weight of the hard hat removed. He looked at the envelope full of money. Not as much as he had hoped, forget the microwave, but enough. Spike turned and looked back at the Bronze. He was going to miss going there each evening, talking to the guys. The guys. Tom, Pete, Andy and Carlos. Kind of fun to talk to. Spike hadn’t known any humans except as breakfast, lunch and dinner, before he got his chip, and since then it had only been the Scoobies. This was different. These guys had only two topics of conversation... Women and sports. On neither was Spike much of an authority. He could hardly bring up Dru, Harmony OR Buffy, could he? And he had quickly discovered that the guys weren’t big Dawson’s Creek fans, so that conversation had died a quick death. Well, then it had to be sports. On Sunday, he had endured American football... Some big playoff game. The fans were having a great time, screaming and yelling, but Spike couldn’t see the point. Bunch of guys crashing into each other. Unlike rugby, they were so padded up that nobody even got hurt! Where’s the fun in that? Hockey was better, a little more like it, but then Spike discovered on late night TV, something called the WWF. Now THAT was entertainment! So he and the guys talked wrestling, and it wasn’t bad, not bad at all. Where to now, Spike wondered. The shops were closed, but Spike felt too good to just go home. He decided to take a chance and visit a place he hadn’t been in more than a month.

From the tree in front of Buffy’s house, Spike looked up at the lights in the windows. He couldn’t see anything in there. He never could, but that didn’t matter. Just knowing that Buffy was inside those bright rooms, living her life, was enough for Spike. What was she doing now? Studying? Brushing her teeth? Sleeping? He stood and smoked for a long time, feeling happier than he had been for a long time.

Chapter 5

The Bronze was packed on the night of Buffy’s party. Fortunately Giles had reserved a table for the Scooby gang. On it was a beautiful cake that Tara and Willow had baked. Gaily wrapped gifts were piled nearby. Xander and Anya were dancing. Giles was nursing a drink and watching the band. Willow and Tara were admiring Buffy’s new look.

"You look great tonight, Buffy," said Willow.

"I love your hair," said Tara."How did you do that braid thing?"

"Oh, Dawn saw it in a book, and she experimented on me... Do you really like it?"

"It’s great... Do you think she’d let me borrow that book?"

"She’ll be here soon with Mom, so you can ask her."

"Oh," said Willow. "Your Mom will be here? That’s SO great!"

"Yep... She said she wants to get out, and the Doctor said it’s okay."

Buffy looked at Xander and Anya dancing together. "You know, it’s silly, but I kept having the feeling that I would hear from Riley today. A card or something. But nada."

‘I’m sorry, Buffy." Willow looked sad, knowing all too well how Buffy felt.

"It is ridiculous, since he didn’t remember Christmas. But my birthday last year was kind of when we first got together... Remember that surprise party you threw in the lounge?"

"I remember, Buffy."

"Well, I promised no moping tonight, so NO moping!"

Buffy smiled, a big phony smile, and took a big gulp of her drink... "So when do we get to eat cake? It looks great, Will,"

"Here comes your Mom and Dawn," said Tara. "Now we can open your presents."

Xander and Anya came back to the table, and joined the group greeting Joyce, who looked beautiful in a navy dress and a jaunty beret covering her bald spot. Giles came up to Joyce.

"How are you doing? You look splendid."

"Thank you, Rupert. I feel much better... Couldn’t stand being a couch potato anymore."

"Are you up to dancing?"

"Well, as long as it isn’t the Watusi, I can manage."

Rupert and Joyce walked out to the dance floor, where the band was performing a slow number.

"Hmmm," said Buffy, watching them dance. "This could be interesting."

Of course that meant that everybody was in pairs but her.

"Hey Buff, how about a dance?" It was Xander.

She smiled, "Are you sure Anya will let you?" only half kidding.

"Sure, in fact it was her idea,"

"Will wonders never cease! I would be delighted."

She and Xander joined the others on the dance floor.

Soon, it was time for Buffy to open her gifts. There was a beaded headband made by Dawn, a blouse from Willow and Tara and a cell phone from Mom, exactly what she needed. Giles had commissioned Xander to build her a beautiful bookcase for her room, and Xander and Anya had added two tickets to "Superstars on Ice." There was one package remaining on the table, wrapped in the distinctive blue paper from Dylan’s, the most expensive boutique in town. Buffy looked around the table curiously but everybody looked blank. Buffy shrugged and began to open the paper, finally just tearing it off, in curiosity. As she peeled back the tissue she took out a sweater... Pale blue cashmere with pearl buttons. She held it up. Tears came to her eyes.

"It... it’s from Riley. I know it."

"Riley? How do you know, Buffy?" Willow said gently.

"I showed him this sweater. We were walking past Dylan’s the day after Thanksgiving, and it was in the window and I pointed it out to him. I was thinking Christmas, but…"

"But how?" Joyce asked.

"Well, somebody here must be in on it... he called you, or wrote you and told you to get it! It makes perfect sense!"

She looked around the table, searching faces for signs of complicity, but saw only sorrowful blankness.

"Or, maybe he’s here himself... a surprise for my birthday!" She looked around through the crowded Bronze, but there was no Riley.

A horrible certainty had hit Xander like a fist in the stomach.

"Buffy... are you sure there’s no card?"

The small white envelope was almost hidden in the tissue paper. Buffy hastily tore it open. "A Gift for You" the card proclaimed. The inside was blank except for one word, beautifully inscribed… Spike.

Intense disappointment flooded Buffy, followed instantly by anger. "Spike! That bastard! How dare he! Does he think I’m some stupid bimbo like Harmony to be bought off with stolen merchandise!"

"Buffy... " Xander began to explain.

"Don’t even think about trying to defend him! He’s Spike! How many times has he tried to kill us? How many times have we treated him decently only to have him betray us? What the hell is this supposed to prove? That he can steal in good taste?"

"You ungrateful bitch!"

Everybody turned around as a figure in a hooded gray sweatshirt stood up from a nearby table. It was Spike, the hood hiding his blonde hair providing an effective disguise. His face was anguished.

"What do I have to do to prove to you that I’ve changed, rip my bloody heart out, and give it to you on a platter? I give up Slayer! I bloody well GIVE UP! You all won’t have old Spike to kick around any more. The only reason I ever stuck around this hellhole was on the off chance that I could get this chip removed and KILL you all! But that’s NEVER gonna happen so I am out of here."

He looked Buffy in the eye and said quietly, "Slayer... You can add my name to the list of the men you drove out of Sunnydale!"

Spike had advanced on them as he spoke and with his last words he slammed his fist through the nearest object, which happened to be Buffy’s birthday cake. With that, he overturned the table sending cake, drinks and gifts flying, and stalked out, the crowd parting for him like the Red Sea.

Buffy stood there in shock, the pain of his last remark taking her breath away. Joyce came over and hugged her daughter, though she had no idea what had happened. "Who was that, Buffy? Don’t I know him from somewhere? "

"He’s a vampire, Mom. You’ve met."

"Oh, that’s right. I gave him cocoa when his girlfriend left him."

"Buffy... I’ve got to tell you something in all fairness." It was Xander. "Uh... Spike didn’t steal that sweater. He bought it."

"What? How do you know? Where would he get any money, except from us?"

"He had a job, working here at the Bronze… for me. He didn’t want me to tell anybody. Well, you, I guess."

"Why? Why would he do such a thing? And why the secrecy?"

"Look, Buffy. I’m not defending the guy, okay? He’s driven me nuts for years. But for some reason he’s got it in his head that you are mad at him - though I can’t imagine why he would think that - and he wanted to make it up to you. I didn’t know about this though, or I would have stopped it."

"But why would he even CARE that I am mad at him?"

"Because he’s in love with you." This from Tara. "I’ve known it for a long time." Everybody looked at her. "It’s his aura... it gets all pink and fuzzy whenever he’s near her."

"WHAT!" Buffy looked around the table incredulously. "My God... Am I that pathetic that you are trying to fix me up with Spike now!"

"NO!" Everyone answered in unison, and a little of the tension lifted.

"Jeez, Buffy, that’s the last thing we want. Believe me. But he really surprised me this last week. Even the guys liked him."

"The guys," Buffy said contemptuously, "and if he got that chip out, those guys would be dead in a week. You heard him."

"I don’t know, Buffy," said Willow. "Maybe he has changed,"

"How can he change? Has he eaten any gypsies lately? Has he suddenly developed a soul? I don’t think so. Vampires are incapable of love. That chip is the only thing that keeps him from being just like Angelus."

"Well, he certainly seemed to be in love with that Drusilla person." Joyce volunteered. "Who says that vampires can’t love?"

"He’s awful cute," said Dawn. "Though that sweatshirt was kinda dorky."

"Well," said Giles, who had been lost in thought, "the books say that vampires are incapable of human feelings, but I have often wondered how accurate that really is."

"Sure," said Willow. "The Watcher’s Council isn’t totally unbiased. It’s kind of like reading books about Indians written by Custer."

"Excuse me... Vampire Slayer here! Don’t tell me NOW that vampires are fuzzy puppies that deserve our compassion." Buffy was furious. "And don’t tell me that I should go apologize to that... that..." She burst into angry tears. Xander and Willow went to hug her, but she pushed them away. "I’ve got to get out of here. Thanks for the party, guys. Fun." She stalked out of the Bronze.

"Well," said Giles, looking around ruefully, "we’ve had the crashing. Is it time for the burning yet?"

Chapter 6

Spike slammed around his crypt looking for things to take with him. He would have taken his little bookcase, but it was now mostly a pile of splinters. His Buffy mannequin lay shattered on the ground. It didn’t matter. He didn’t need to take anything with him. He traveled light. Always had. He had his souvenirs of the two Slayers he’d killed... the scar above his eyebrow from that first slayer in China, and the black duster from the girl in New York. But what of the Slayer who had taken HIM down... Did he have a souvenir of her? He reached into the drawer of his end table and removed the scrap of lace, panties that he had stolen, on impulse, from her room. It would have to do. He stuffed them into his pocket. He looked around the crypt. He would miss the place... Would miss Sunnyhell. But what could he do? Where would he go? Maybe back to New York. That was a good time, New York in the 1970’s, but maybe it could be good there again. Or he could go to LA, look up Angel, see what he was up to. Of course he and Angel hated each other. Maybe Angel would kill him... do him a favor. There was a knock on his crypt door.

Spike froze. The door opened. Buffy peeked in, and seeing him there said, "See, I knocked."

"I see, Slayer. Now get out."

"In a minute Spike, I need to talk to you."

"Why... are you hobnobbing with thieves these days?"

"Spike, Xander told me about the job. I’m sorry that I jumped to conclusions."

Spike was stunned, Buffy apologizing to him? "Well, they were natural conclusions to jump to, I guess."

Buffy looked around. The crypt had been totally destroyed. "I like the way you pack."

"Yeah well, this place was never exactly the Hilton."

Blonde hair on the floor caught Buffy’s eye. She walked over to the remains of the Buffy mannequin. "What is this? Or rather, what WAS this?"

Spike couldn’t meet her eyes. "Just something I picked up at the dump. Gave the place a little class."

So it was true, what Tara had said. It didn’t seem possible. But walking around the graveyard, Buffy had thought about what Giles and Willow had said about the Watcher’s books being biased and inaccurate. It was more likely than not, Buffy realized. Maybe the only way to understand vampires was to actually get to know one.

"Listen, Spike... I just wanted to thank you for the sweater. It’s beautiful."

"It matches your eyes."

"You spent way too much for it."

"You’re worth it, Slayer."

"You don’t have to leave town, you know. At least on my account."

"I didn’t really want to leave."

"Spike, can I ask you something? Will you answer me honestly?"

"When have I ever lied to you, Slayer?"

"If you got the chip removed, what would you do?"

Spike looked up at Buffy’s face. He knew this was an important question... Probably the most important of his unlife.

"Honestly Slayer? I don’t know. Sometimes I dream about getting this chip out and going back to my old life, being the Big Bad again. But then I think about you and the Scooby gang and even those crazy guys at work, and it’s hard to see you all as mere victims. I know you now, you see?"

"Yes, I see. It’s exactly the reason I’ve never been able to stake you. I KNOW you. You’re not just a vampire to me."

"Why is it that, when you get to know your enemy, they aren’t your enemy anymore?"

"If I had the answer to that one, I’d be able to bring about world peace." Buffy smiled at Spike. It was the first time that she had ever smiled at him (while in her right mind) and Spike’s heart soared within him.

But he had one more issue to deal with, one that had been on his mind for a month. "You know, I never got to explain to you about that whole Riley thing."

Buffy’s smile faded. For a moment, she had forgotten about Riley, and Spike’s role in his departure. "I didn’t want to hurt you. I just thought that you would want to know. I shouldn’t have brought you to him like that. I’m sorry."

"I did want to know. It was a shock, but I shouldn’t have blamed you. It was easier to blame you than Riley… or myself. I’ve had some time to put things into perspective. I guess Riley needed to leave. And I’ve got to learn to accept it."

"Truce?" Spike put out his hand.

"Truce." Buffy took his hand. "You know, we actually fight pretty well together, when we aren’t fighting each other."

"That’s true," Spike said. "Well, if you ever need me, you know where to find me."

"I’ll even knock," said Buffy. She started for the door. "Bye Spike,"

"Buffy? " Buffy was almost out the door, but turned around. Spike smiled, "Happy Birthday."

The End