destructo-girl.com

"Buffy the Vampire"

Author: Ashlee
Contact: ashlee_999@hotmail.com
Notes: For the purposes of this story, vampire slayers can be both male and female. Also, the events of "Angel" didn't occur as they did in the series. All will be explained soon.

Chance Meeting

William 'Spike' Bradley sat surveying the crowd in the Bronze on the busy Friday night. He was currently listening to his friend Charles Gunn telling his girlfriend Winifred Burkle about a band that would be playing there on the following night. Fred, for her part, was trying to look interested.

"Whoa, man." Spike turned to look at his friend. "Check out the hottie at the bar."

Spike smirked as his friend's comment got him a smack on the shoulder and turned his attention, raising an eyebrow at the young woman he saw sitting by herself. His gaze traveled up the length of her toned legs, admiring the way her skirt slipped higher as she shifted on one of the barstools. Her long-sleeved shirt had a deep V-neck in the front that exposed her cleavage generously. Spike watched, almost mesmerized, as the girl tossed her long, golden hair over one shoulder, revealing an attractive face with a seemingly bored expression.

"You should go ask her to dance, Spike."

Spike glowered at his friend. "Need I remind you, mate, that you're not the only one with a girlfriend."

"How could we forget," Gunn muttered to Fred, who tried to restrain a giggle, earning them both another glare from their friend.

"Aw, come on, Spike," Fred jumped in. "Cecily's not even here tonight, and one little dance won't hurt. It's not like you have to get out and start slaying anytime soon."

"Maybe later," Spike replied, seemingly disinterested. In actuality, he found himself drawn to the girl but fought against it.

At 21, Spike had been the Slayer for four years. He and his Watcher had been shocked when he was called at 17. His Watcher had made no secret of the fact that he was assigned to Spike because he was an older potential, thus no chance of him ever becoming the actual Slayer. A year after he was called, he decided leave his home in London to attend college in America, with the Watcher's Council pushing for him to go to UCSunnydale since it was conveniently located on the Hellmouth. His first week at school, he met Gunn and Fred. At the same time, he inadvertently staked a vampire in front of them, earning him the nickname of Spike from Gunn, who had been fighting vamps for several years.

"Hey, Spike," Fred spoke up. "Your mystery girl is leaving."

Spike's head flew back around to the bar as he saw the girl pay off her tab and stand up. Before he knew what he was doing, Spike was out of his seat and standing behind her as she turned around.

"Leaving so soon, luv? I was kind of hoping you'd do me the honor of a dance," he said, offering his hand as her expressive hazel eyes sized him up.

"That sounds nice," she said with a smile and let him lead her out to the dance floor.

As they embraced each other for the slow music, Spike had different sensations coursing through his body- the adrenaline he usually got when he was patrolling as well as a sense of comfort and understanding of the woman in his arms. As he pulled her closer, his shoulders nearly slumped.

'Damn,' he thought. 'Why do all the hot ones always have to be undead?'

After a few minutes, the song ended, and Spike looked down at her. "Care to take a walk, pet?"

"Fine with me. I'd like the chance to talk to you."

With his hand splayed across her back, Spike led her towards the door of the Bronze, passing his table and grabbing his duster in one fluid motion as he gave his friends a look. Gunn nodded, and he and Fred began gathering their things. Spike led her out the door and let it close behind him. With a quick scan of the alley, he saw that they were alone. As she turned to face him, Spike landed a punch to her jaw. He saw the look of shock briefly cross her face before counter-attacking. The two fluidly traded blows as the door swung open again with Gunn charging out to aid his friend before skidding to a stop, with Fred running into his back. The couple by the door watched the two fight with such perfection- it looked choreographed. As the girl managed to get some distance from Spike, she flipped her hair behind her eyes.

"Will you just hold on a minute!"

"Let me think- hmm, you're a vampire, I'm a Slayer, I think I've got it down to a science by now. Don't need a break, thanks," Spike said as he advanced on her.

"Yeah, you're the Slayer, but you know what? You're an idiot."

This caused Spike to pause as he studied her while slipping a hand in the pocket of his duster. "Who are you?"

"Oh, now you wanna know about me? After you worked out your aggression?"

"You know what, my mistake. I forgot- I'm not supposed to listen to the drivel that you vamps spout off." With lightening quick speed, Spike pulled the hand out of his pocket, holding an open vial of holy water, and flung it at the woman. He watched as she hissed in pain and backed away, holding her burning cheek. Spike wasn't sure she was backing away from him or trying to get away from the pain.

"You know, I was wrong about you," she said, her voice laced with pain.

Spike raised an eyebrow. "And, pray tell, what you were wrong about?"

"I thought you'd understand."

Spike was thoroughly confused now. "Understand what the hell you are?"

"Something like that."

"Let's have a lesson then."

"Do you do research?"

"What kind of soddin' question is that?"

"A simple one. Do you do research?"

Spike simply gave her a look of absurdity.

"Okay, maybe I should just stop with the questions since they seem to be a little too complicated for you. Why don't you run along and ask your Watcher something?"

"And what would that be, pet?"

"Summers…comma…Buffy. Look it up."

Before Spike could blink, she was out of sight as Gunn and Fred walked up behind him.

"Man, what the hell was that about?"

"Bloody hell, I don't know, but I'm damn well going to find out."

Discovery

Spike stood on his Watcher's doorstep less than half an hour later, incessantly ringing his doorbell. When the door opened to reveal a very disgruntled man in a bathrobe, Spike had to suppress a grin. Instead, he pushed his way into the house and headed for the living room.

"William, I hope there is a valid reason for you to be visiting me at this ungodly hour."

"It's not even midnight. Aren't all you Watchers supposed to be night owls like your Slayers?"

"That's a common misconception."

"Oh well. To answer your question, yes, there is a valid reason for me to be here. I need to know everything you know about Buffy Summers."

His Watcher froze, looking as if he was a deer caught in headlights. "Buffy Summers?"

"Yeah, Wes. Come on, I know you have to know about her."

Wesley Wyndham-Pryce surveyed his Slayer for a moment. "Indeed. Why do you want to know?"

"I met this girl. She hinted that she knew her or maybe she was her. Not quite sure."

"William," Wesley said as he sat down. "What did this woman look like?"

"I don't know…younger than me, long blonde hair, tiny little scrap of a thing who nearly kicked my ass, by the way. Oh, and she was a vampire."

"Impossible."

"That's why I'm here, Wes. I've heard of her, but I don't remember the details. She died before I was even a teenager. It's not like I paid much attention to the cycle of Slayers before I became one. Who was she?"

"She was…arguably the greatest Slayer to ever live, saving the world from at least six apocalypses and numerous other feats. She died at the hands of the Master, only to be revived by a friend, but not before the activation of another Slayer. She then killed the Master, fought in hand to hand combat with Angelus numerous times, sending him to Hell in the process."

"But Angelus is living in L.A. Who would think it was the ninth circle of Hell," Spike said with a smirk.

"He was brought back. Presumably by the Powers That Be," Wesley continued. "Do you remember about his soul?"

"The whole 'perfect happiness' mumbo jumbo? Yeah, I got the gist of it. Someone was able to re-ensoul him."

"Yes…that someone was a friend of Buffy's who has since turned into a very powerful witch. Year's passed, and Buffy thwarted each of her enemies, one by one. The mayor's Ascension, a human-demon hybrid, creatures called the Gentlemen. She was successful with each encounter, until the Hell God Glorificus came along."

"Searching for the Key," Spike said, nodding in remembrance.

"Yes, Buffy's sister. Buffy could have let her sister die that night, but instead, she sacrificed herself to save the world yet again, throwing herself off a tower to close a Hell dimension. That was about nine years ago."

Spike nodded. "And her death activated Faith?"

"No, her presence as the Slayer had already activated another. When the other slayer died, Faith was called-"

"And when Faith died, I was called. So who the hell is this girl I met?"

"I honestly don't know, but I feel you better find out."

"Yep," Spike said, rising from the couch. "I'm on it."

Heading out the door, Spike missed the unusual look on his Watcher's face as he headed out into the night.

Answers

Spike wandered through Sunnydale for an hour, not even catching a glimpse of the woman. As he walked past Restfield Cemetery, Spike heard the distinct sound of fighting in the distance. Breaking out into a run, he rounded the corner of a mausoleum to see the woman in the distance, fighting another vampire. Spike stopped and admired her form as she fought with a grace he had never witnessed. He knew that his own fighting style was more street-fighting with a little kickboxing thrown in. This girl was amazing in her precision. She had changed into a pair of red leather pants and a black sweater with her long hair flying behind her with every spinning kick. He stared as she easily staked the vamp and turned her attention to him.

"So, I guess you asked your Watcher."

"Who are you?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You mean you don't know?"

"I know who Buffy Summers was. I asked who you are."

"Well, then, that's convenient since Buffy and I are one and the same."

"Buffy died almost a decade ago, and it wasn't a vamp attack. So who are you?"

"Let me guess," she said as she wandered around him in a circle. "You heard about the Master, the first death, and Angelus. I'm guessing you even caught a little bit about the mayor and Adam. And then there was Glory and the Key. You heard all about the big sacrifice, but," she paused as she came to a stop in front of him. "You didn't hear about her third death."

"I've heard enough."

"No," she said, shaking her head with a smile on her face. "You've heard the Cliff's Notes version. You don't know the details. You don't know how I felt powerless against the Master until after he killed me. And I'm willing to bet that you weren't told that Angel and I were lovers and that was the trigger that turned him into Angelus. Did you hear about the Slayer that you replaced?"

"Faith."

"Yeah…what do you know about her?"

"She was good. Not the best, but she held her own. Couldn't resist the pull to the darker side of slaying, and the line blurred between what was right and wrong. Turned herself in and served her time to be let out six years ago. Two years after that, she was killed in an ambush."

Spike watched as the woman's eyes misted over with tears. "She shouldn't have gone alone."

"What?"

Her eyes snapped up to his. "You don't even believe I'm me. Why will you believe anything I tell you?"

"Why don't you tell me yourself and let me draw my own conclusions?"

"Okay…Faith and I…we were two halves of the spectrum. Darkness and light. So similar, and yet, completely different at the same time. She felt overshadowed by me, and that's what led to her joining forces with the mayor. That led to a lot of bad things, not the least of which was when she poisoned Angel. Only the blood of a Slayer could cure him, and I was determined to give him a cure. I went to Faith's apartment…we fought…and I ended up putting her in a coma. I ended up curing Angel myself, and Faith stayed in the coma for nine months. When she woke up, she was angry. With a lot of help, I managed to defeat the mayor, and that meant I had killed her surrogate father. To make a long story short, we battled it out, she did some things that I thought unforgivable at the time, and she left for L.A.

"Angel was there at the time, and he wanted to help her. I disagreed, but eventually, it didn't matter what we decided because Faith turned herself in. She was let out on probation after five years, and I went to L.A. to see if we could reconcile some of our differences. Turns out, the years had matured us both, and we grew to be the sisters that our lineage called for. Two years after she was released, we were supposed to meet at a factory that had a nest of vamps. Faith got there early and went in alone…I was too late. I got there in time to hold her hand as she died…then I hunted down each and every vamp, and they were met with a very dusty ending."

Spike noticed the tears building up in her eyes by the end of the story. "If you're Buffy, how are you here? You jumped from that tower nine years ago."

"Yeah, here's the part that isn't in your history book…or more accurately, Watcher's Diaries. My Watcher never revealed that I came back. He didn't want the Council getting any ideas in their twisted little heads. I have a friend who's a witch-"

"The one who re-ensouled Angelus?"

Buffy eyes snapped up to his at the question. "Yeah. She thought my essence was caught in a Hell dimension, so she decided I should be brought back. My friends…they…they worked a spell on me, and, presto, Buffy's back. What they didn't know was that I wasn't in a Hell dimension…I was happy. I think, though I'm not sure, that they pulled me out of heaven."

Buffy paused, looking at the ground as she gathered her thoughts. "I was only back for a few days when I got a call from Angel. He wanted to see me. We met at a little rundown place halfway between Sunnydale and Los Angeles. What I didn't know is that when he heard that I was back, he was happy. Perfectly happy in fact…I wasn't met with the man I loved…I was met with the thing that hates me."

Spike suddenly felt the urge to take her into his arms as the tears streamed down her face, but refrained as she continued. "I was missing for a week, and everyone was getting worried. Angelus had turned me before I even knew what was happening. He has an uncanny way of portraying his opposite personality…no matter which one it is. I was chained and tortured for almost a week before my friends figured out what was going on. Willow managed to work the spell again, and Angel has one more thing to add to the list of what Angelus did that he feels sorry for."

"You don't blame him?"

"It wasn't him…I know that now. I'm a 29 year old woman stuck in the body of a 20 year old. I'm not the same naïve little girl that I used to be."

"But, if you were turned, why would he torture you? Wouldn't he want you to be alive for that part?"

Buffy cringed at the reference to her undead status. "That's why he did it. Angelus never got to kill or turn a Slayer…he never knew we make completely different vampires. One of the major factors was the fact that I kept my soul. Angelus thinks souls are filthy since he's been saddled with one for over a hundred years. Mine was disgusting to him, considering I'm now considered his childe. It's an embarrassment to the demon in him. He felt I needed to be punished for having it."

"You said one of the factors…what are the others?"

"Nothing much, really. I'm a little bit stronger than I used to be. My face doesn't change like other vamps."

Spike looked confused. "Why not?"

"I guess the Powers wanted me to stay pretty while I slayed," she said with a grin.

Spike smirked at her response as he looked her up and down. "So you're stuck in that body for all eternity?"

"Yep, till the end of the world, or I meet a dusty ending because someone doesn't want to hear what I have to say," she said, giving Spike a pointed look.

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that, luv. I have to call 'em as I see 'em. If I'd have known, I never would have thrown the first punch…or the holy water, come to think of it," he said with a sheepish look.

"I know. I remember how it was. I didn't believe Angel at first either, so I guess I can let you off the hook," she replied, hopping up to sit on a tombstone. "Besides, already healed." She gestured to her formerly burnt cheek.

"So why were you looking for me?"

"I thought you could use some help. I've been gone for a few years, and I decided to come back to the Hellmouth and keep on fighting the good fight."

"You have family here?"

"No," she said, looking down at her hands. "My mom died a few years ago, and my sister is living in New York. I've been out there with her for a while, but I felt like I was cramping her style. It's kinda hard for her to be 24 and expect people to believe that I'm the older sibling."

"Your dad?"

"I don't even know if he's alive. Haven't heard from him in over ten years."

"What about Angel?" Something about Spike saying that name made him feel sick. He didn't want to think about what it meant.

"Angel's still in L.A. I drop in for a visit from time to time, but he has his own life, too. His soul was anchored by the Powers a few years ago- kind of a reward for all the good he's done."

"So why aren't you with him? I mean, if you're the one who gives him perfect happiness, wouldn't he be wanting to spend all of eternity with you?"

"Maybe," she said with a nod. "But he's in love with someone else. He also feels guilty about all the things he did to me after I was turned, so he usually avoids me like the plague."

Spike suddenly felt very sorry for this woman. It seemed everyone she ever cared about left her.

"Your Watcher?"

"He moved back to England after I died…the second time," she clarified with a smile. "I see him a few times a year. He has his own life, too."

"Seems like everyone has their own life except you, pet," Spike said, coming to lean next to where she was sitting.

"This is my life," she said solemnly, looking down at her hands. "The Slayer's destined to be alone…it took me a while, but I've figured that much out."

"Buffy," Spike said softly as he moved to stand in front of her. With a finger under her chin, he tilted her head up to look him in the eyes. "You're not alone. You're not the only Slayer."

Buffy felt tears spring to her eyes at his soft admission, unconsciously leaning closer to his full lips, Spike dropped his hand to each side of her waist as he, too, leaned forward. A second before their lips met, Spike's cell phone began incessantly ringing, causing them to guiltily jump apart.

"Hello," he said with more malice than he intended.

"Spike! Where the hell are you!? Do you realize it's almost two in the morning, and you were supposed to call me!"

"Cecily, calm down. I'm still out patrolling…lots of vamps out tonight." Out of the corner of his eye, Spike saw Buffy hop down from her seat and begin to walk away. Catching her by the arm, he shook his head, silently asking her not to go anywhere.

Buffy listened as Spike tried to calm his nagging girlfriend. It could only be a girlfriend the way that whiny voice sounded to Buffy's ears. Taking a few steps away, Buffy cursed her vampire hearing for the first time, wanting to soothe her wounded eardrums.

Spike turned to face her as he hung up the phone. "Sorry 'bout that."

"No problem," she said with false cheeriness. "So, my suggestion is, if you're comfortable, we start patrolling together."

Spike frowned at the sudden change in her voice. He didn't want her to think he was ignoring the almost-kiss they had, but if she wanted to talk shop, he could do that. "Sounds good, luv. I'll probably need you to work a few things out with my Watcher, but it'll be okay. He owns a little occult bookstore on Main Street. You want to meet there tomorrow at sunset?"

"I'll see you then."

Spike watched appreciatively as she walked away. This was going to be a very interesting development.

Acquaintances

Spike was going to go to Wesley's store earlier than usual the following night. He wanted to let his Watcher know that the woman he met was Buffy and she would begin patrolling with him.

As it was, though, Spike was running late and met Buffy at the front door, waiting for him.

"Hello, pet."

"Hey," she said with a shy smile.

"Didn't go in yet?"

"No, I thought I'd wait on you. I don't really feel like an attempted staking right now, and I figured that was less likely to happen if you were with me."

Spike had to smile at that. "I think you could hold your own, luv."

"Yeah, but I wouldn't want to hurt your Watcher in the process." She gave Spike a bright smile as he held the door open for her.

Buffy stared around the store in amazement. Though it wasn't the same location, it was almost identical to the Magic Box. There were more shelves lined up throughout the store and fewer magic products, but the similarities were striking.

"Something wrong?"

Buffy shook her head as she turned to face Spike. "No…just déjà vu, I guess."

Spike nodded and turned to look as the door to the back room opened. "Ah, there's Watcher boy."

Wesley suddenly froze, looking at the couple standing next to the counter. When he spoke, his voice was strangled. "It is you."

Spike looked perplexed as he stared at his Watcher and then turned to face an equally stunned Buffy.

"Wes?" she whispered. "Is that you?"

"Buffy?"

Before either Spike or Wesley knew what happened, a blonde blur flew into Wesley's arms. "I can't believe it's you," her voice muffled by his shirt as she hugged the older man.

Spike felt an absurd surge of jealousy seeing his Watcher hug the woman. "Someone wanna tell me what's going on?"

Buffy pulled away from Wes sheepishly as she turned to Spike. "Wes was my Watcher…well…kind of."

Spike looked angry as he turned to face Wesley. "And you didn't see it fit to tell me this last night?"

"William, it wasn't important. I told you what I knew about her- I just didn't tell you I knew her."

"Looks to me like you knew her pretty well," Spike countered with a raised eyebrow.

"Not like that, Spike," Buffy said with annoyance clear in her voice before turning to face Wesley. "Actually, I was a spoiled brat to him. You could say it was hate at first sight."

"Yes, thank you for that, Buffy," Wesley said.

"Sorry," she said, looking embarrassed.

"Well, you seem to have gotten over your hate quite nicely," Spike continued.

"Well, we didn't exactly part on the best of terms." Turning to face Wes, she asked, "I thought I probably got you fired?"

"Um, no, probation. The Watcher's Council felt that since I couldn't control you or Faith, I could get one of the older potentials to train after a five-year waiting period. Imagine their surprise when he was called."

"So let me get this straight," Spike said. "You hated each other, Buffy got you fired, and you meet years later like long lost family?"

"Yeah…sorry about the display of emotion," Buffy said. "It was just wonderful to see a familiar face after so long of not seeing anyone but Dawnie."

"Yes, well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious as to why and how you're here."

"Oh, that." Buffy waved her hand in dismissal. "You have all your facts right if you read Giles' journals. But if you want the shorter version of a long boring story, Willow decided to bring me back. Pretty soon after, I got vamped by Angelus, Willow restored his soul, and as for me-"

"Slayer's are supposed to have anchored souls," Wes cut off in understanding. "Extraordinary."

"Yep, that's pretty much it. Spike can fill you in on all the details."

"So you're still the Slayer, I presume."

"Well, I still do the job, if that's what you're asking, but if you want to get technical, Spike is the Slayer."

Spike offered her a grateful smile for the acknowledgement. "I think it's safe to say you're the original, luv. But we should probably be heading out of here. Just stopped by to tell you we'd be patrolling together," he said to Wes.

"Yes, well, strength in numbers and all. You both be careful, and Buffy, I would like to speak to you in more detail about what you've been up to for the past few years."

"Sure thing, Wes. You're looking good, by the way," she said, taking in his scruffier appearance.

"Ah…yes, well…" he trailed off in embarrassment.

"Same old Wes," she said with a smile before grabbing Spike's sleeve. "Come on, blondie, we've got some vamps calling our names."

Patrolling

Spike and Buffy patrolled in silence for several minutes before Spike finally spoke. "So, you almost got my Watcher fired?"

"Yeah…I, uh, I quit the Council. After Faith poisoned Angel, the council refused to help, and it really pissed me off, so I quit."

Spike raised an eyebrow. "And you two didn't get along back then?"

Buffy sighed. "My Watcher was fired after Quentin Travers felt he saw me as a daughter. Wesley was brought in in his place to train both me and Faith, and we both resented each other. He tried to order me around, being a new guy to the job, but I'd been the Slayer for over three years- I wasn't going to take orders. I kept going to Giles with problems, and Wes wasn't too happy about it."

"When was this?"

"My senior year of high school. Right before the Mayor's ascension."

"So he was there? Wes was there for that?"

"I think so…I was a little busy with blowing up the school."

Spike gave her a smirk. "You blew up the school?"

"Well, it wasn't my fault," Buffy said indignantly. "I mean, am I to blame if there was a giant demon snake trying to eat the entire senior class? I saw a way to stop it, and I did it." Spike saw the smile pulling at her lips. "Besides, the symbolism of the act was too much to pass up."

Spike laughed along with her as they headed through the cemetery. Buffy put a hand on his chest as she stopped walking.

"Vamps," she whispered. "A lot of them, up there behind the mausoleum."

"I don't hear anything, luv," he said, quietly.

Buffy pointed to her ear. "Vamp hearing. I can pick up on just about anything. You take the left, and I'll go right."

Each pulled their stake from their respective hiding places and advanced on the group. Glancing around the corner, Buffy saw a group of seven vamps surrounding a terrified couple. Seeing Spike out of the corner of her eye, Buffy gave a tight nod as they both moved forward. Each Slayer staked a vampire before the rest of the group noticed them. Angrily turning on them, Buffy recognized three of them from a fight she'd had a few nights ago. She had been fighting alone and barely managed to get away from them. Buffy stood her ground as the leader of the group stepped closer to her.

"Well, looky what we have here. If it isn't the brave little Slayer," he said before turning to look at Spike. "And it looks like she brought us a treat."

Spike merely smirked, keeping a close eye on Buffy, while simultaneously readying himself for the fight.

"And I get this pretty one as my own treat," the leader continued in what he must have thought was a seductive voice.

Buffy felt the need to gag. "Can't you vamps ever think of anything else? I mean, I get that you probably haven't gotten any in a while, what with all the skin problems and everything, but really, you need to work on your pick up lines."

Buffy didn't give him a chance to think as she landed a high kick to his face before spinning and knocking one of his minions down. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Spike holding his own against the vamp that came after him. Buffy felt a flash of panic as the four that remained formed a circle around her. Whipping a stake from the back of her shirt, Buffy threw it to land squarely in the chest of one attacker. Kicking another away from her, she saw that he quickly lost interest in her and ran over to aid his comrade that was battling Spike.

Buffy threw a series of kicks and punches at another vampire and quickly staked him, only to feel herself be thrown backward, landing against a tombstone with a thud, as she dropped her stake. Her face contorted as she felt the pain in her lower back, and she opened her eyes as the leader grabbed her arms and smashed her between his overly large body and the headstone.

Buffy shoved at his chest with what little strength hadn't been lost in her fall. "No! NO!"

At her frantic cries, Spike looked up from the vamp he had staked and saw Buffy struggling with the overbearing leader. Jumping up and quickly staking the last of the group, Spike swiftly made his way over to Buffy.

"Looks like I may get some after all," the vampire said.

Spike flinched at the image that popped into his head as he thrust the stake into the vamp's heart. "Doesn't look like it, mate," smiling as the dust settled, letting his eyes fall to a terrified Slayer. He watched as Buffy pushed herself up and wiped the dust from her clothes. "You alright, luv?"

"Fine," she said, sounding anything but fine. "Thanks for that," she continued, gesturing to the ashes on the ground.

"No problem, pet," he said, looking worriedly at her. "You sure you're okay?"

"Spike, I'm fine," she cried, whirling around to face him. "I just don't like feeling like a victim is all. It's not my nature…or yours either, so it's a little unsettling."

"I get that. What do you say we blow off some steam?"

"What did you have in mind?" she asked, relaxing a little more.

"I was thinking we'd head to the Bronze."

"What are we waiting for?" she said with a smile. "Let's get outta here."

The Bronze

As Buffy and Spike entered the Bronze, Buffy let the familiarity wash over her. Memories of a simpler time when she and Willow and Xander would hang out and dance. Buffy longed for those times. She longed for the days when all she had to worry about was studying and slaying. She died in a manner, she thought, befitting a Slayer, only to be dragged back into this earth to fight forever.

Spike caught the wistful look on her face and gently put his hand on the small of her back, leading her through the club. Buffy smiled at the quiver that ran through her at Spike's touch. It had been a long time since she had let herself get within close proximity of a man. Not since Angelus, posing as Angel, had wrapped her in a hug, only to turn it into a deathly embrace. Buffy's smile faded as the depressing memories overshadowed the better ones. Before she became too immersed in her thoughts, a nasal voice had the attention of everyone in the club.

"Spike!"

Both Spike and Buffy turned at the sound of the voice.

"Bloody hell," Spike muttered under his breath. Buffy smiled as she heard the phrase before turning her attention to a brunette stalking toward them. The woman had curls falling past her shoulders and a conceited demeanor that Buffy could tell before the woman had even spoken to her.

"What the hell are you doing here? And with her?" she asked, gesturing angrily at Buffy.

"Cecily, we were just patrolling together."

"Oh, you were," she commented. "Well, why is she good enough to take, but I'm not?"

"Ease up, princess," Buffy spoke up. "I've been doing this for a lot of years."

"Oh, you have," she said, turning her attention to Buffy. "I'm so sure you have, little girl."

"Listen, lady, I'm far from a little girl, and I can hold my own in any fight."

"Oh, I'm sure you can, little one," Cecily said in a snobbish tone.

"You really don't want to know what I'm capable of," Buffy said. She had never wished for a game-face before, but she would have loved to have seen the look on her snooty face if she had been able to flash one. "Why don't you take your nose out of the air, pull that silver spoon out of your mouth, turn around, and head back to your table?" Turning to an awestruck Spike, Buffy gestured with her hand. "I'll be at the bar."

Stalking past a gaping Cecily, Buffy made her way to the bar and took a seat. She could already hear the screeching of the indignant woman as she ordered a drink.

"Nice show."

Buffy turned to face the owner of the voice. Recognizing the attractive black man from the night before, Buffy smiled. "Glad you liked it."

"It's about time someone put the Countess in her place. Lord knows he won't do it," he said, gesturing to Spike with his beer bottle.

"The Countess, that's a good one," Buffy said with a laugh as she turned to face him. "You saw the fight last night. I've gotta ask, why aren't you trying to stake me right now?"

"You came in with Spike," he said with a shrug. "I figured if you were a problem, he would have taken care of it already. Why? Should I be nervous?" he asked, smiling.

"No," Buffy said, shaking her head. "That doesn't tell me why you're voluntarily talking to me. I mean, just because I won't kill you doesn't mean I won't hurt you."

"I can hold my own."

"Good to know."

"I'm Gunn, by the way."

"Nice to meet you," she said, shaking his hand.

"So, what's your story? I mean, I pretty much figured out you're a vamp, what with your aversion to holy water and all."

Buffy nodded as she looked at the bar surface. "Ever heard of the vampire with a soul complex?"

"Yeah. Vamp out in L.A. Fightin' the good fight and all that, but that one's a man."

"Let's just say I'm a relative."

"Okay. So why are you here?"

"I thought Spike could use some help. It's always good to have back-up."

"And that's what you are?"

"Something like that."

"Well," Gunn said. "Always good to have another member of the gang."

"Scooby gang," Buffy whispered, a smile playing on her lips.

"Did you just say something?"

"Oh…no," Buffy said, shaking her head.

"How'd you know where to find the Slayer?"

"Hellmouth," Buffy said with a slight smile. "It seems to draw a lot of people and creatures. I used to live here, figured the new Slayer was here, too."

"New? Spike's been the Slayer for over four years."

"Yeah…I know. I just didn't want to find him yet."

"You knew Faith?"

Buffy's head snapped up at the statement. "How do you know about her?"

"Spike mentioned her in passing. Just that she was the one he replaced. My girlfriend Fred, she helps his Watcher out with a lot of things and told me about a lot of the Slayers. So, did you really know Buffy Summers?"

Buffy smiled, staring into her drink. "Yep. We were real close."

"So you were there the night she died?"

"More or less," Buffy replied, never meeting his eyes.

"That must have been rough."

"Oh yeah."

Buffy looked up to check on Spike and didn't see him anywhere.

"If you're looking for Spike, he's probably outside with what's her name, trying to calm her down."

"You don't like her?" Buffy asked, looking over at him with a smile.

"Hell no. That woman was born with a stick up her ass."

Buffy laughed. "Yeah, I noticed."

"You should be proud. No one's ever put her in her place the way you did."

"Yeah, well, there are more things to be afraid of than a spoiled heiress."

"Don't I know it."

"You've been fighting a long time?"

"Since I was in high school. Figured someone had to do something."

"Nice to know some people still know what's right," Buffy said. "Speaking of which, I better get back out there. It was nice meeting you, Gunn." Buffy left some money on the bar as she walked away.

"Yeah, you, too…hey, I never caught your name."

Buffy glanced at him over her shoulder. "It's Buffy."

Walking out of the club, Buffy left a very perplexed Gunn behind her.

Denial

Buffy wandered around Sunnydale for over an hour. As she came to the end of the docks, Buffy stared out at the black water. Memories rushed back to her as she hugged her arms around her torso. There were still times when she felt like a scared, lost little girl. There were times when she wished for her mother to be here with her, much like she did that fateful night. The night that was supposed to be her last on this earth. She had come to terms with having to live forever. What she would never get used to was the idea of seeing every person she cared about get old and die. Well, everyone except Angel, who couldn't stand the sight of her because of all the memories of what he had done.

Buffy had already started to distance herself from her friends. It wasn't like it was a hard thing to do. Xander and Anya were now married with a baby, living in Colorado, where Xander owned a construction company. Willow and Tara were living in Chicago but seemed to change locations every two years. Giles was back in England, and Dawnie was in New York. In the past five years, Dawn and Giles were the only two she had seen. Buffy knew she was being a bad friend, but she also knew everyone had their own lives now. They weren't as concerned with things that go bump in the night. They still cared about it, but it wasn't their lives anymore. It was for the current Slayer to worry about, as unfair as that seemed. They had put in their time, and for most of those involved, the time was a lot longer than the average Slayer.

Buffy's train of thought quickly went to Spike. She was attracted to him- who wouldn't be? She had seem him at the Bronze last night and was discreetly sizing him up for the best way to approach him. Buffy had been thrilled when he'd asked her to dance, but she knew nothing could come of it. He was the Slayer. Buffy would be lying if she ignored the fact that the almost-kiss made her tremble with excitement. He had a girlfriend, and Buffy had to keep her distance. Not because she cared about the uptight snob that Spike was dating, but because he would be one more person she would have to say good-bye to.

Buffy was so lost in thought that she never heard the footsteps coming down the dock.

"Thinking about anything interesting?"

Buffy immediately spun around, extending her leg for a powerful kick, and was shocked when it was stopped. Looking up into Spike's bright blue eyes, Buffy glanced down at her leg, which was currently cradled by Spike's arms.

"Impressive kick, pet, but I saw you lead into it," Spike said with an annoyingly cute smirk.

Buffy jerked her leg out of his grasp. "Nice reflexes."

"Not too bad yourself, Slayer."

"Slayer?" she asked, looking at him skeptically. "Won't that get a little confusing since there's two of us?"

"Don't think so. Besides, you're cute when you get all flustered by whatever pet name I call you," he said, taking a step toward her. "Actually," he continued as he rested his hands on her hips. "You're cute all the time."

Buffy felt her mouth go dry at the close proximity, unconsciously wetting her lips as his descended toward her. Just as his lips gently caressed hers in the softest kiss, Spike's cell phone began ringing.

"Bloody hell!" he yelled as he jerked away from Buffy and pulled the phone out of his pocket. "I am going to throw this soddin' thing in the ocean. What?!" he yelled into the mobile.

Buffy would have laughed if she hadn't been busy kicking herself. She had just told herself not to get involved, and here she was, nearly kissing him in the moonlight. She turned to face the water as Spike turned off the phone.

"Sorry about that, pet."

"We can't keep doing this, Spike."

"Buffy, I know I have a girlfriend, but…"

"It's not that," she said, shaking her head as she turned around. "You just met me. You're the Slayer, and I know how difficult that can be, but I also know what it's like to get involved with someone you can never be with."

"And I can never be with you? Why don't you enlighten me on this new piece of information?"

"Spike, I'm a vampire. Granted, not the most conventional of vampires, but I still have an aversion to sunlight and drink blood for meals. You need a sense of normalcy in your life, and I'm not it."

"I'll never have a normal life, luv."

Buffy had to shake her head as the memories of a time so long ago came rushing back to her. The memory of Angel breaking up with her, of him telling her they could never be together, of him walking away after the battle on graduation day. "Spike, trust me when I say it's better if it doesn't even begin. There would be nothing but pain and heartache, and I don't want that for you."

"You're thinking about your ex-boy toy, aren't you?" he asked incredulously. "You think history would be repeating itself if you and I so much as kissed each other?"

"What do you mean? H-how do you know about me and Angel? The only thing I told you was the trigger for him losing his soul."

"Yeah. I did a little reading when we parted ways last night. Seems your Watcher kept quite a few records of you and Angelus."

"It's Angel," she said through gritted teeth. "And you know, I am still alive- I could have answered your questions. You didn't have to go behind my back and read up on me like I'm some type of research project."

"But that's the thing, isn't it, Slayer?" Spike said, advancing on her angrily. "You're not alive."

Buffy felt the weight of the words as he said them. She knew she wasn't alive, but she still felt like it. Everyday, she longed to get up and go out into the sun. She wanted to be able to go shopping with her friends at the mall or go to the beach and watch the sunset, but she couldn't. She would never be able to again.

The instant he said it, Spike felt remorseful. She had hurt him when she said they could never be together, and he wanted to hurt her back. Now, looking at the crestfallen look on her face, Spike reached a hand out to her. "Buffy, luv, I'm-"

"Don't," Buffy said, holding up a hand. She shook her head as she began to walk away, leaving Spike standing on the end of the dock. "Just don't."

Office Romance

Buffy didn't leave her apartment for several nights. She and Dawn had sold their house on Revello and put the money in a savings account. Dawn had insisted Buffy keep the money, knowing she would need something to fall back on. When Buffy had moved back to Sunnydale, she found a comfortable home in Giles' old complex.

Buffy knew she was being a coward by not going out and facing Spike, but she couldn't. She knew that no one knew she was back in town, and therefore, didn't know her address to get in touch with her. The only people that had her phone number were Dawn and the old gang.

Buffy didn't hold it against Spike for trying to hurt her. She knew she'd hurt his feelings when she blew him off before anything started. She was avoiding him because she didn't want to get close. She was still angry that he had read the Watcher Diaries, even though she would have told him whatever he wanted to know. She also knew that she would have done the same thing if she'd been in his position. Hell, she had done it when she wanted to see the type of girls Angel used to like. Her mind was a mass of contradictory statements, and Buffy felt as if she was being pulled in a million directions. She thought about leaving town, sparing herself the heartache before it had a chance to manifest.

For every situation Buffy thought of, she always came back to the fact that she had told Spike, Wesley, and Gunn that she would be helping out with slaying. Standing up from her spot on the couch, Buffy pulled on a thick white turtleneck and her favorite pair of jeans. Substituting moisturizer and lip gloss for her make-up, Buffy grabbed two stakes. Stashing one in the side of her boot and another in the waistband of her jeans, she headed out.

Just because she told Spike she would help him patrol didn't mean she had to be with him when she made the rounds. Buffy decided to make a quick pass through the cemeteries and head home. At least she could feel useful, since she hadn't done anything productive in three days. Passing through the first cemetery, Buffy came across a demon and made quick work of it, never even breaking a sweat.

As Buffy passed through another cemetery, she could hear voices up ahead. Slowing her pace, she waited silently as the two figures came into view. Relaxing her stance when she saw Gunn and his girlfriend, Buffy started to move in the opposite direction.

"Buffy! Hey, wait up!"

With a sigh, Buffy turned around to face the couple jogging toward her.

"Damn, girl. Where've you been? Spike's been worried about you," Gunn said. "Oh, by the way, this is Fred. Fred, this is Buffy."

"Hi! It's nice to meet you," the girl said with a bright smile.

"You, too," Buffy responded with false cheerfulness.

"So, where've you been?" Gunn asked again.

"Oh…around," Buffy said vaguely.

"Well, Spike's here somewhere. Told us to go on ahead while he finished off a new vamp."

Buffy swallowed and nodded but stayed silent.

Gunn frowned a little, noticing the difference in her compared to the other night. He had gotten the full story from Spike. Actually, he got it without asking about her. This girl was all Spike could talk about the last few days, which Gunn found refreshing compared to Cecily.

"You okay, Buff?"

"Oh, I'm fine. Just not really feeling like myself lately, that's all."

"Well, you should definitely wait for Spike," Fred spoke up. "He thought something had happened to you."

"Yeah," Buffy said quietly. "I've gotta finish my sweep, so…um…just tell him I'll see him later, okay?"

"Sure," Gunn said skeptically as Buffy quickly walked away. He knew that Spike had some kind of argument with the other Slayer, but he didn't know the details. He and Fred stayed where they were as they waited for Spike to catch up to them. A few minutes later, they saw him rounding the corner of a crypt.

"Hey, Spike! You just missed your girl," Gunn called out to him.

"My girl?"

"Yeah," Fred said. "Buffy just came by, said to tell you she'd see you later."

"Buffy was here?" Spike's voice took on a slightly frantic edge. "Which way did she go?"

Gunn and Fred didn't say a word. They simply pointed in the right direction and smiled as Spike took off in a full run.

Buffy was easily dispatching a group of three vampires when she felt Spike approach. Connecting a high kick to one of the vamp's, Buffy spun and thrust her stake into the one advancing on her from behind. Never slowing down, she turned as the dust settled and slammed the stake into another dead heart. Hearing the fighting over her shoulder, she turned to see Spike finishing off the third vampire and turning to face her as she tucked her stake back in her waistband.

"Long time no see, luv," he said nonchalantly.

"Just a few days."

"Hiding from me?"

Buffy glared as she stared into his infuriatingly striking eyes. Spinning on her heel, Buffy made her way out of the cemetery as she felt Spike following.

"Oh, come on, Slayer, you can't still be mad at me."

"No," she said, shaking her head. "Not mad at you. Just ignoring you."

"Buffy, don't act like this. I thought we were getting along, before I shoved my foot in my mouth."

"That's just it, Spike," Buffy said, whirling around to face him. "We were getting along a little too well. I've had two office romances. TWO, Spike, and let me tell you, they never work out!"

"Buffy, you're not even giving it a shot…and what do you mean two?"

"Didn't do as much research as you thought. And why should I give it a shot?"

she asked, throwing her arms in the air. "You have a girlfriend, so why don't

you run along and spend time with your little princess?"

"You know what? Maybe I will, Slayer," Spike said angrily. "Maybe I should spend time with someone who has a beating heart!"

Buffy began shaking her head as a smile played on her lips. "Oh, I never said she had a heart, Spike. But who am I to tell you who to date?"

Spike gritted his teeth and looked up into the cool night sky as Buffy turned and walked away. "Bloody hell," he muttered as he chased after her. "Buffy, wait! Don't do this, pet. I'm sorry, okay? I said it. I am sorry. Come on, Slayer, I like patrolling with you. Don't get all mad because we both have quick tempers."

Buffy turned to look at the man in front of her. Contemplating him for a moment, she nodded. "Okay, we patrol…but, that's it, buddy," she said, poking a finger into his chest.

Spike bit his lip and raised his eyebrows. "Don't tell me. You're the one who can't keep her hands off me," he said with a smile, looking down at her hand.

Buffy nearly growled as she threw her hands up in the air. "You are infuriating, you know that?"

"That's part of my charm, luv," he replied, hopping up onto a headstone.

"If that's your charm, I actually feel sorry for your girlfriend," she said with a smile.

"Hey!" Spike cried indignantly. "I resent that!"

"I didn't ask," Buffy said, raising an eyebrow at him.

"And she says I'm the infuriating one," Spike muttered under his breath. Buffy laughed as she heard it.

"Just for the record, Spike, I have excellent hearing," she said as she sauntered off.

Spike watched appreciatively as her hips swayed back and forth before hopping down and setting off after her.

After a few minutes of walking in a comfortable silence, Buffy finally spoke. "Seriously, Spike, what do you see in that woman?"

"Cecily? Well…we've been together for years. Ever since I moved here actually."

"Do you love her?" Buffy asked, not sure if she wanted to know the answer.

"I love her…I don't know if I'm in love with her."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well…if you have to question your love for somebody, doesn't that mean there's something lacking? If you fantasize about spending time with another woman, no matter what form that time is spent, rather than fantasizing about your girlfriend, I think that creates a problem."

Buffy ducked her head to hide the flush in her cheeks. Spike smiled as he noticed the gesture. "She's stuck with me. She knows I'm the Slayer, and she accepts it, for the most part. Not a lot of people can handle this line of work."

"Yeah," Buffy agreed quietly. "I know."

"So what about you, pet?"

"What about me…what?"

"I got some of the story of what went on between you and the poofter-"

"Angel," Buffy said with a smile.

"Right. Anyway, what happened there?"

Buffy stayed quiet for a minute, thinking about her response. "I loved him. We…advanced our relationship, he turned evil, I killed him, he came back."

"I got more details than that from reading up on it, pet," Spike said with a raised eyebrow. "What about after?"

"Not much to tell. We realized we couldn't be together, and he left town."

"Do you still love him?"

"Always…but I'm not in love with him anymore. He's like a member of the family. I care about him like I care about my sister."

"You'd die for him."

It was more of a statement than a question. Buffy knew he was thinking of when she protected Dawn and sacrificed herself to save her.

"I nearly did," she said softly as the events of her healing Angel flashed through her mind. "I'd do it again, but then again, there isn't a lot I wouldn't do these days."

Spike looked at Buffy perplexed. "What's that supposed to mean, Slayer?"

Buffy took a deep, unneeded breath, "It means that I would protect someone I care about…no matter what the price."

"You're looking for a way out."

"What?"

"You have a death wish."

"I wouldn't call it that," Buffy said, beginning to get irritated.

"Then what would you bloody call it?" Spike's voice began raising in volume.

"Why are you getting so mad at me? You don't even know me!"

"I know enough, Buffy. I know you don't want to be in this world-"

"No! That's where you're wrong, Spike. I don't mind being in this world…I just don't want to be alone in this world. Because that's what it comes down to, Spike. I'll always be alone. No matter what, no matter how many people I save, inevitably someday, they'll be gone. But not me," she said, shaking her head. "I'll still be here."

Spike felt a strange mix of anger and sadness flood through him. "So why not end it?" he asked, the anger winning out.

Buffy's eyes snapped up to his. "Because I may be a lot of things, but I'm not a coward."

Spike nodded, suddenly getting a new sense of respect for the woman in front of him. "You're anything but that, luv."

Flirting

The next few days passed uneventfully. Buffy paid another visit to Wesley and filled him in on the details he was wondering about. Buffy and Spike patrolled at night, competing against each other to see who could stake the most vamps. Buffy got to know Fred and Gunn a little bit better and was delighted in how much Spike's friends resembled the Scoobies. Gunn was nothing like Xander, but he was fun to be around. Fred had a more quiet demeanor and was remarkably like Willow when it came to studying.

Tonight, Buffy and Spike were patrolling, except it was more like they were walking through the streets of Sunnydale and talking. Their friendly staking competition was abandoned for the night as Buffy told him all about her friends and Giles. Spike almost had tears running down his face at Buffy's description of the Wesley she had known.

"You mean to tell me that my Watcher was a ponce?" Spike asked between laughs.

Buffy smiled. "If ponce means frightened, nervous, anxious guy, then yeah, that was him."

Spike tried to imagine the resilient man who had trained him as someone who timidly hesitated to get into a fight. The Wesley he knew did not match up to the clean shaven, perfectly-attired young man that Buffy had known.

"He wasn't all bad," Buffy continued. "I realized that much when he came back and wanted to fight the Mayor with the rest of us. He could have gone running back to England with his tail between his legs, but he stayed. He knew what was right. I never told him, but that got my respect. I always did feel kind of bad for thinking I got him fired. Of course, that wasn't enough to make me return to the Council."

"Yeah, they definitely don't like an opinionated Slayer."

"You know Travers?"

"Met him a couple of times. He retired last year, and now it's some new guy named Nigel Grant."

"Nigel? That name sounds familiar. Oh well, it's about time Travers retired. He's pushing seventy. He was way too focused on the way the Council used to work and didn't pay enough attention to what was going on around him."

"Yeah, I gathered that much from the few conversations we had. It was pretty much, 'Be a good boy and do as you're told'."

"That sounds about right."

The pair walked in silence for a few more minutes, coming to a stop in front of the swing set in the park. Buffy turned around and sat down on one of the swings as she looked up at Spike. "So what about you? Had any apocalypses I should know about?"

"Just one. I don't know if it's up to apocalypse standards like you're used to. Just a bunch of vamps and demons using some magic to open up the Hellmouth."

"That's never any fun," Buffy said with a grimace on her face.

"They were easy enough to stop. Definitely no stories like the ones you have. You're pretty much a legend as far as Slayers go."

Buffy laughed as she pushed off the ground to send her swing flying into the air. Pumping her legs to get her higher, Buffy shook her head. "A legend, huh? So that explains why you never heard of me."

"I'd heard of you, pet," Spike said, coming around to push her from behind. "I just didn't pay attention to details."

"Sounds familiar," Buffy said, thinking of all the lectures Giles gave her. The two relaxed as Spike pushed Buffy at a relaxed pace. Coming to a stop a few minutes later, Spike looked at his watch.

"I hate to cut out early, luv. I made a promise to see someone tonight."

"Translation-your girlfriend is mad at you for spending so much time with another woman and wants you to come over for some quality time."

"That about sums it up, Slayer."

"No big. I'll make another pass, and then I'm on my way home."

"Buffy, I don't like you patrolling alone," Spike said with an overprotective edge to his voice.

"Spike, I've been doing this for longer than I can remember. I can take care of myself."

"Oh, so that's how you died three times."

"Hey!" Buffy cried indignantly. "To be fair, I did call the shots one of those times."

Spike grinned. "That's true, pet."

"Still standing, aren't I?" Buffy grumbled, huffily crossing her arms over her chest and pouting.

Spike swallowed hard, fighting against the pull his body felt toward the woman in front of him. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms. Fidgeting nervously, Spike shoved his hands in the pockets of his leather duster. "I, uh, I better go."

"Yeah," Buffy said quietly. "You probably should. You don't want to be met with World War three when you get there."

"No, definitely not. I'll see you tomorrow, Summers."

"Yeah…see you then."

As Spike turned and walked away, he felt the tumultuous feelings building inside of him. Every time he left Buffy, he felt like he was cheating on her by being with another woman. Never mind that the other woman was his girlfriend who he could hardly stand to be around anymore. With a soft groan, Spike hung his head as he made his way through the streets of Sunnydale. His life was a mess.

Conflicting Interests

As the weeks went by, Buffy and Spike settled into a comfortable slaying relationship. The desire was still alive and well, but they had managed to maintain it. Buffy knew Spike had feelings for her, and she did her best to ignore the growing affection she had for him, but she knew it would only get harder. She thought about going back to New York, telling him her sister needed her and leave, but she knew he wouldn't take what she said at face value.

All kinds of scenarios fluttered through Buffy's head as she stared up at the ceiling of her apartment one night. Spike had informed Wesley and Buffy that he needed a night off. Buffy had readily agreed but felt a little saddened by the fact that this was the first night in over a month that she hadn't seen him. Buffy thought about patrolling anyway but decided that she deserved a night out. She hadn't gone out with the intention of having a good time since Dawnie had dragged her clubbing in New York, and even then, she'd just sat back and watched her sister have a good time.

"It can't hurt to see if you've still got it, Buff," she mumbled to herself as she searched through her closet. Pulling out a black leather mini-skirt and a red halter, Buffy smiled. So what if it was from her high school days? She still looked pretty damn good. Quickly dressing and pulling on her shoes, Buffy ran a brush through her hair and headed out the door, not bothering to grab a coat since she couldn't feel the cold anyway.

As Buffy walked into the Bronze a few minutes later, she smiled to herself as several pair of eyes focused on her. Buffy surveyed the club for a few minutes before heading out to the dance floor. She was immediately enveloped in a group of frat boys as she danced. Smiling seductively, Buffy swung her hips as she danced, enjoying the rush of feminine power she felt as their eyes stayed riveted to her. As the song continued, one of the guys got braver and stepped up to Buffy from behind, wrapping his arms around her waist as he pulled her closer.

Spike entered the Bronze in an angry mood. After planning on spending the evening with Cecily, he had left early when she kept going on and on about how she should be the one patrolling with him and spending time with him and not 'that other girl.' When her relentless nagging didn't end after more than an hour, Spike left her house with his temper flaring yelling at her that it was over.

Of course, she hadn't agreed with him, but he really wasn't concerned about what she thought.

Now, as he looked through the crowded club, he spotted a flash of blonde hair on the dance floor, Spike looked closer and recognized Buffy. Looking harder, Spike saw her wrapped tightly in the meaty paws of an overgrown jock.

Stalking over to the dance floor, Spike made his way through the pack of men until he came to stand in front of Buffy. Without saying a word, he grabbed her wrist and proceeded to drag her out of the club. Buffy barely had a chance to gain her footing as Spike dragged her. She knew she could get out of his grip if she wanted to, but she also knew that it would probably end in a physical fight if she tried, considering the rigid hold Spike had on her.

As Buffy was dragged out of the club, Spike turned to face her. "What the hell were you doing?!"

Buffy stared at him incredulously before getting angry herself. "What the hell did it look like?! I was dancing!"

"Being molested is more like it!"

"And just who the hell do you think you are? My father? If I want to dance, I'm allowed to. I don't need your permission, Spike!" She practically spit out his name as she walked past him, only to be grabbed by the shoulders and shoved against the brick wall with a fuming Slayer in front of her.

Buffy tightened her lips as she stared into Spike's eyes. "So, what are you gonna do, Spike? Hit me? Just because I danced with a guy, you feel the need to go all caveman on the helpless little girl?" Buffy looked into his burning eyes to gauge his reaction. "Well, I've got news for you, Spike. If I didn't want him touching me, he wouldn't have been. So if you're going to start a fight with me, you may as well do it because I could have some plans for the rest of the night."

Spike tried to rein in his temper as she said it, but he couldn't. Imagining another man touching her in any way nearly drove him over the edge. He lost all restraint whenever he thought about her and Angel being intimate with each other, and that was over a decade ago. Not thinking before he acted, Spike smashed his lips against hers in a brutal kiss.

Buffy almost felt like she was being attacked as his tongue explored her mouth. His lips savagely attacked hers as each struggled for power over the kiss. Spike's arms went around her waist and pulled her closer to him as he pushed closer to her.

Buffy felt a thrill rush through her as he ground the evidence of his arousal against her. Her arms went up to wrap around his neck as the vicious elements of the kiss began to be replaced with more tender caresses of their lips. Pulling away after a few minutes, Buffy seemed to snap back to her senses. Looking up into Spike's eyes, she could still see the anger in them and pushed against his chest. With one last look, she walked down the alley, hearing the crack of something behind her. Buffy didn't turn around, knowing it was probably Spike hitting the wall.

Spike watched as Buffy walked away. Slamming his fist into the nearby wall as she turned the corner, Spike clenched his jaw together. He stood there for a few minutes thinking of what he wanted to do. His rage was telling him to go find the guy who'd been groping the woman he wanted. His mind told him to go patrolling and take out his aggression on the vampire population. It was his desire that eventually won out.

"Bloody hell," he muttered as he broke out into a jog to find Buffy. No matter what happened with her, it was bound to be an interesting night.

Passion

Spike jogged through Sunnydale, trying to see which way Buffy had gone. Cutting through a graveyard, he heard fighting on the other side of a crypt. Coming around the corner, Spike watched appreciatively as the Slayer battled another vampire. He felt his temper flare again as Buffy was pinned underneath the larger vamp. Spike waited for a few seconds to see if she would get the upper hand before whipping out his stake and plunging it into her attackers back.

Buffy ignored the hand that she was offered and stood on her own. Wiping the dust from her clothes and not saying a word to him, she turned and began walking away.

"So that it, then? No thank you for saving your life?"

Buffy whirled around to face him. "You didn't save my life. I'm dead, remember? All you did was save me from getting another bite mark to add to my collection," she said, pointing to her neck. Spike noticed the pale scar that resided there and felt even more anger grow in him. "Angelus," he said with venom in his voice.

"Not just him," Buffy said, seemingly nonchalantly. "The Master, Angel, Dracula, then Angelus. Yep, Angel's demon decided to claim me after he bit me. Oh, not because he wanted me. No, it was because the claiming bite is more painful, and that's what he's all about."

"So you belong to him?" Spike had almost reached boiling point during Buffy's tirade, nearly exploding when she stepped forward to look him squarely in the eyes.

"I belong to no one."

Turning away from him, Buffy began to walk away from him, only to let out a soft cry when she felt her arm jerk back and her body slam into the side of the mausoleum.

"You belong to me," Spike ground out as he trailed kisses along the column of her neck.

"What are you? A vamp now? Sorry, baby, but you can't claim me," Buffy retorted in a slightly breathless voice.

Before she knew what was going on, Spike grabbed her butt and lifted her higher against the wall. Buffy heard a zipper and felt the material of her thong being ripped from her body.

"I'll claim you," Spike growled a second before thrusting into her wet opening. Buffy gasped, her eyes widening at the invasion, stretching her body in ways she hadn't felt in years, before closing them and giving in to the feel of his assault on her. Spike held her hips in place and slammed into her again and again, excited by the fact that Buffy was taking all of his strength and practically begging for more.

"God, you're so wet, baby," Spike moaned as he pumped in and out of her.

He held on with a bruising grip as he relentlessly pounded into her welcoming body, wrapping his muscular arms around her waist as he pulled her closer to him. Buffy twined her fingers through his hair as she threw her head back, losing herself in the ecstasy of the moment.

Buffy tried to break his hold on her hips as she arched against him, desperately needing to shove her body back against his, needing to feel the friction of their movements together, but she was surprised at the amount of strength he possessed. Craving more contact, she pushed against him as hard as she could as he plunged back into her body. Pushing her feet against the wall he had her pinned against, Buffy began rocking her hips as they landed on the ground, Spike barely contemplating the change in positions as his hands trailed over her body, slipping his fingertips underneath her shirt to squeeze her soft breasts. Buffy moaned as he ran the pad of his thumb over an aching nipple. Increasing her speed, Buffy longed for release as she sat up straight, changing the angle of her body and gasping as she felt his hand slip down to her most sensitive spot, putting the barest pressure against it. She panted as she felt the first pulses of pleasure that coursed through her.

"Oh, Spike! Don't stop…please, don't stop!"

Spike smiled as Buffy's body hummed with her first orgasm. "No intention of stopping, luv," he said in a husky whisper.

He watched as the climax took her over. Knowing that he wouldn't be far behind, he took the opportunity to flip them over and pound into her again. As his body sped up, thrusting in and out of her at a rapid pace, Buffy felt another climax closing in on her and gasped at the sensations it caused. Bucking wildly against him, she grabbed onto Spike's back, trying to force him deeper, feeling herself lose complete control.

Spike pulled her arms away and loosely held her wrists above her head. "Uh uh, pet. I'm the one in charge," he whispered, lavishing kisses along her jaw.

Buffy felt pleasure begin to course through her from going against her nature and being in a more submissive role. Spike relentlessly thrust into her, slipping a hand to the swell of her butt and pulling her even closer to him. Buffy felt her body peak in climax as she let out a throaty scream of pleasure. Spike ground himself into her a few more times before he felt the explosion of his own orgasm.

Collapsing on top of her, he listened as Buffy panted for some unneeded air as he felt his strength slowly return to him. Pushing himself up to rest on his elbows, he leaned down and gave Buffy a gentle kiss. This seemed to surprise her, considering the amount of damage they were trying to do to each other no more than a minute ago, before he broke away and rolled to her side, zipping up his pants along the way.

Buffy lay there a moment longer before slowly getting up and straightening her clothes.

"Where are you going, luv?"

"Home," she said softly, not making eye contact with him.

Spike was on his feet in an instant. "Did this not mean a soddin' thing to you?"

"It did," she whispered before turning watery eyes up to the man she was rapidly falling for. "And that's why it can't happen again."

"And why is that?" he asked, the anger returning to his voice.

"Because I can't let myself fall in love with you."

Spike watched as Buffy turned and walked away from him, a look of despair on his face. His look immediately changed when she was out of sight. Turning and heading home, Spike smiled to himself. "Too late."

New Arrival

Spike had stayed away from Buffy for almost a week, knowing she'd want some time to herself and also letting her feel a false sense of security that he had given up on her. Now, as he knocked on her front door, he relished the shocked look on her face.

"H-how did you find me?"

"A lot of research," Spike replied with a smirk.

"Leave," she said in a hardened voice.

"No," he said, the smirk never leaving his face.

"Fine," she said as she moved to shut the door. Spike quickly blocked her move and entered the apartment.

"Nice place, luv," he said, surveying the interior.

"I didn't ask," Buffy said. Spike looked at her, still standing next to the open door with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Now, now, pet. Don't be like that. You know you're just a little thrilled that I'm here," he said, walking over and loosely taking hold of her hips.

"Spike, don't," she whispered, her resolve already crumbling.

"Can't help it," he murmured as he gently left kisses along her neck. "Just being around you, I have to touch you."

Buffy closed her eyes, relishing the feel of his lips on her skin, before gently pushing him away. "Spike, we can't do this."

"And why's that?"

Buffy strained to find a reason, visibly pleased with herself when she thought of one. "You have a girlfriend."

Spike lightly ran his tongue over his lips as he stared at her hungrily. "Says who?"

"Wh-what?"

"You really think," he began, wrapping his arms around her again. "That after I've been with you, I would willingly go back to her? I told her a week ago that it was over."

Buffy looked down, noticing their bodies intimately pressed together. She could have sworn she felt her heart flop for a moment.

"Spike," she said softly. "I'm not saying it was a mistake. Because it wasn't," she said urgently, looking up into his eyes. "But, I think we need to slow it down."

"What do you mean slow down? Buffy, we've already shagged- there's no reason to get shy on me now," he said, getting angry.

Buffy carefully masked her feelings as she looked into his eyes. "So you only want to be with me if I'll keep screwing you, is that it?" she asked calmly.

Spike clenched his teeth together, looking at the ceiling. "Bloody hell, Slayer. I didn't say that. Stop putting words in my mouth."

Buffy disentangled herself from his grasp and moved toward the door. "Thanks for stopping by."

"Buffy, don't be like this. Come on, luv, I just came over to see if you wanted to go patrolling."

Buffy contemplated him for a minute before nodding. "Okay. Let me get changed."

Spike nodded and waited by the door as Buffy disappeared into her bedroom. When she reemerged, Spike felt his mouth go dry as she headed toward him. She had changed into a pair of black leather pants and a snug-fitting white shirt with a low V-neck. Spike had to look away before he was affected in more ways than one.

"Ready?"

"Let's go, luv."

After more than an hour of patrolling, Buffy was ready to call it quits. They had staked one vampire and hadn't even spotted any others.

"Where are they tonight?" she grumbled.

Spike smiled at the childish note in her voice. "Honestly don't know, pet. I didn't get the memo."

Buffy glared at his smart-ass attitude and then turned when she heard a noise. Spike noticed the change in her look and stopped to wait with her.

"This way," Buffy mumbled.

"What's wrong, luv?"

"Sounds like someone's fighting, but you and I are both right here."

Spike broke into a jog. "It could be Gunn. Sometimes he cuts through on his way home from Fred's."

Buffy jogged with him until the people fighting came into view. Both skidded to a stop at what they encountered. A woman in black dress pants and a blood red top was currently kicking the crap out of a vampire. Buffy and Spike stood with gaping mouths as she landed a high-spinning kick to the vamp's head before turning with a fluid motion and shoving a stake in his heart.

Buffy gripped her stake as the woman turned to face them. Slipping out of her game-face, she began to talk toward Buffy and Spike, both clutching their weapons. Buffy gasped as she drew closer and was able to get a good look at her. Her dark chestnut hair fell half-way down her back, and the closer she got, Buffy could see the resemblance between herself and this stranger. It appeared that the woman was just as shocked to see a woman who could have been her twin standing in front of her. While Buffy's eyes were hazel, the woman's were brown. Her lips weren't quite as full, and she was an inch or two taller, but the resemblance was remarkable.

"You must be Spike," she said with a soft voice. "I'm Cassidy."

Spike stared at her for a moment, obviously trying to get over the resemblance. "And how do you know me, luv?"

"Everyone knows the Slayer, but I'm afraid I don't know you," she said, turning to Buffy, who was looking at her skeptically.

"Apparently you need a history lesson then. I'm Buffy Summers."

The shock was evident on the woman's face as she stared at the other Slayer. "But you're dead."

"Yep…and still kickin'."

"But you're not a vampire. I would have heard."

Buffy let her fangs lengthen as her eyes turned a remarkable shade of lavender. Spike stared at her in surprise, realizing he'd never seen her version of a game-face. As she turned to look at him, he stared at her eyes, shocked that they weren't the typical amber color.

Buffy shrugged. "I don't know why," she said, answering his unasked question before turning her attention back to the woman. "So…Cassidy, what do you want?"

"I want to help."

Buffy looked at her doubtfully. "You want to help? With what, making sure the human population doesn't get too high?"

"I want to fight," she said, directing her attention at Spike. "I want to help you."

"Why's that, luv?"

Buffy noticed the way Spike was staring at the woman and felt a twinge of jealousy.

"I have a soul."

Buffy's head snapped around to stare at Cassidy. "You have a soul?" she scoffed. "You do realize they don't just stand in line and hand those out."

"Give her a chance, luv," Spike said, putting a restraining hand on her arm.

"A chance to what, Spike? Get you to feel all safe and comfortable and then go in for the kill? Why bother giving her a chance? You didn't give me one."

"I did, Slayer, it just took a little longer." Turning his attention to Cassidy, he continued, "How'd you get a soul?"

"I was cursed…I'm not sure by who."

"Excuse us," Buffy said with false sincerity as she grabbed Spike's arm and led him away. When they were safely out of hearing distance, Buffy let go and spun around to face him. "Are you crazy? You must really have a death wish!"

"Calm down, Buffy. Shouldn't we give her the benefit of the doubt?"

"No! No benefit, only doubt! I don't like this, Spike. Any vampire can come up to you and tell you that they have a soul. It doesn't mean they do, and there's no way to check for it."

"Buffy, I can take care of myself, and if this chit wants to stake a few vamps, then that's fine by me."

"Spike-"

"No, Buffy, I know what I'm doing." Buffy watched as he turned and headed back to the woman. The female part of her wanted to leave in a huff of not being listened to, but the Slayer part nagged at her to follow this untrustworthy vampire. Buffy didn't like her, no matter what Spike's feeling was. Slowly trailing after him, she heard them laughing over something Cassidy had said, and it almost made her feel sick.

Coming up to stand next to Spike, Buffy stood silently for a few seconds before Spike turned to her. "We're going to the Bronze, luv. You wanna tag along?"

Buffy looked at him incredulously as he asked, and the female part of her finally won. "No, I really don't."

Turning and walking through the cemetery, Spike noticed that she was walking away from the direction of her apartment, but he shrugged it off. Putting a hand on Cassidy's back, he began to lead her to the Bronze.

Jealousy

Buffy wandered through town aimlessly for over an hour. She had held off on shedding any tears, not wanting to start and not be able to stop. It hurt that Spike didn't trust her judgment, but it hurt even worse that he had chosen that imposter over her.

Walking down Main Street a few minutes later, Buffy hugged her arms tightly to her chest. She felt more alone now than she had when she first arrived in Sunnydale.

"Hey!"

Buffy turned at the sound of the male voice and watched as a man jogged up to her. She refrained from getting into fighting stance as he approached. He didn't look like a threat, and if he was, Buffy was sure she could take care of him in less than a minute.

"I know you."

Buffy looked at him, puzzled. "I don't think so."

"No, you're sisters with a girl I knew. Dawn…Summers, I think."

"You know Dawn?"

"Yeah, I graduated with her, and you're her sister…Bunny?"

"Buffy," she replied with a laugh. "And you are?"

"Oh, sorry, I'm RJ Brooks."

"Star Sunnydale High quarterback," Buffy said, nodding. "I remember you."

"Yeah, you graduated a couple of years before me. I didn't know if you'd remember, but damn, you're looking good!"

Buffy laughed at the compliment. "Thank you."

"Well, listen, I was wondering if you'd want to go get a drink with me?"

"I-I don't know. It's getting pretty late, and-"

"Aw, come on. Just one little drink, and it's right around the corner."

Buffy sighed. "What the hell? I need to loosen up a little, I guess. Let's go."

"Great!" RJ said as he led her to the Bronze.

Buffy paused for a moment before going in. What if Spike was still there? Taking an unneeded breath, Buffy headed into the club. Who cares if he sees her? He did bring another woman with him. He couldn't dictate her life, especially when he was drooling over her look-alike.

Buffy followed RJ through the club. The Bronze was crowded since it was the weekend, which explained why the vampires weren't out yet. They were all waiting for people to go home. Buffy scanned the interior, not seeing Spike, and let RJ lead her to a table. As he took off to get their drinks, Buffy watched him go. He really wasn't that bad to look at. He had that wholesome, boy next door quality. Unfortunately, Buffy was finding herself attracted to the bad boy look as of late. 'What the hell,' she thought. 'It's not like this would be a long-term relationship. You may as well have some fun, Buffy.'

Spike stood with Cassidy on the balcony of the Bronze. He didn't understand why he felt so drawn to her, aside from her obvious resemblance to Buffy, but he didn't stop to analyze it either.

She had been shamelessly flirting with him all night, but Spike's mind kept getting drawn back to the hurt expression on Buffy's face as she had walked away from him tonight. He didn't mean to hurt her feelings- he just wanted her to relax a little bit, which was why he had suggested the Bronze. Thinking that if they heard Cassidy's side of the story, she'd be more forthcoming with the benefit of the doubt. Instead, she had turned around and gone the other way. Spike had seen the emotions dancing in her eyes but chose to ignore it at the time. Now he was feeling guilty. Especially as Cassidy plastered herself to his side.

There was no doubt he was attracted to her, but his thoughts always went back to Buffy. Now as he stared over the railing of the balcony, listening to Cassidy talk his ear off, he caught sight of Buffy. Jealousy filled him as he watched a man hand her a drink and sit down next to her.

'She said she wasn't coming,' he thought angrily. 'Then she shows up with some ponce I've never even seen before and sits there, having a drink with him?'

Spike watched for several more minutes as Buffy and the stranger flirted before grabbing Cassidy's hand and leading her down the stairs and to the dance floor. Wrapping her securely in his arms as the slow music continued, he felt her body drape around him in a seductive manner. Looking up, he caught Buffy's eye, and his gut twisted at the sorrow on her face. He watched as she turned to the man and said something to him before getting up and walking out of the Bronze with him practically tripping over himself.

"Cassidy, I think we better call it a night, luv."

"But we just got here," she purred.

"It's been a while, and there's some place I need to be."

The girl in front of him pouted, and Spike was disturbed to realize that it had nearly the same effect on him that Buffy's did. Pulling away from her, he gave her a nod. "I'll see you soon, pet. I really need to go."

Not giving her a second glance, Spike made his way to the exit. Quickly walking to Main Street, Spike didn't see her anywhere. He walked up and down the street once, checking the alleys before he felt his stomach drop at the thought of her taking the man back to her place. Breaking into a run, Spike made his way to Buffy's apartment.

Buffy unlocked her door before turning back to RJ. "Thanks for walking me home, RJ, but it really wasn't necessary."

"Well, I always make sure that my dates arrive home okay."

"Date?"

"Poor choice of words, sorry."

"That's okay," Buffy said with a smile. "I'm sorry I had to cut the night short. I'm just not feeling too well."

"That's okay. I'm glad I ran into you. Maybe I can run into you again sometime?"

"Maybe," she said with a coy smile. "I had fun, RJ." Buffy leaned up and kissed the taller man on his cheek before pulling away.

"I'll see you, Buffy," he said with an answering smile. Turning around, RJ faced a very irritated man coming up behind him. Buffy noticed him at the same time and gritted her teeth.

Spike looked right at Buffy, ignoring the other man. "We need to talk."

"Buffy, will you be okay if I leave?"

Buffy plastered a smile on her face and looked at RJ. "I'll be fine. Nothing to worry about here. You go ahead."

RJ nodded, not entirely convinced, but he flashed her a smile anyway before heading down the steps to the patio as Buffy turned cold eyes on Spike. "We have nothing to talk about."

"Like hell," Spike said, pushing past her and entering the apartment. Buffy sighed and followed him in, slamming the door behind her.

"Why are you even here, Spike? I thought you'd be off with your new girl."

"Bloody hell, Slayer, I invited you to come along!" Spike yelled.

"I'm really not looking to experience a ménage a trios, but thanks for thinking of me," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest and raising an eyebrow at him.

Spike was across the room in less than a second, pinning her to the door as he smashed his lips to hers. Buffy, infuriated, pushed him away. "What the hell are you doing?"

Spike didn't answer, just swung her up over his shoulder, carrying her to the bedroom and throwing her down on the bed.

Buffy scrambled up the bed as Spike began shedding his clothes. "I asked you a question."

"Well, luv," he began, unbuttoning his shirt. "Right now, I'm too pissed at you to get a soddin' thought in my head. So the way I see it, you have two options. One-we beat the living hell out of each other, or two-I shag you and get some of this aggression out. Either way, luv, you're gonna get it."

Buffy propped herself up on her knees. "How dare you! You think just because I 'shagged' you once I'll do it again? You really have a lot of-"

Her words were silenced as Spike grabbed each side of her face and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. Pulling away, she glared daggers at him. "Don't think that'll get you off the hook."

"No…but this will," he said with a smirk as he dropped his pants to the floor.

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Got a high opinion of yourself, don't you?"

"Haven't heard any complaining, luv," he said, pulling her off the bed as he slipped her leather pants and thong to the floor. Raising up, Spike grabbed the hem of her shirt and dragged it over her head, pulling her bra off with it. "Got any more quick retorts, pet?"

Buffy looked at him with loathing as he stepped forward. "Don't think that you're forgiven."

"Wouldn't dream of thinkin' it, pet."

"What am I, your second choice tonight?"

"Just what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means, you were practically being smothered by your new little admirer, and now you're here with me. Why?"

Spike shoved her down on the bed and climbed on top of her. "It means that I want you. It means that I'm falling for you, and I have never wanted to kill a human more than when I saw you and that pillock tonight." Kissing down the length of her throat, Spike continued. "I thought I was going to go crazy when I imagined you coming home with him…doing what you're doing to me."

"Mmmm," Buffy moaned. "I'm not doing anything to you."

"You have no idea what you do to men, baby. Not just me."

Buffy arched her neck for more contact. "I wasn't going to-"

"I know, luv. I just don't like thinking of it."

Buffy wrapped her legs around Spike's waist as the tip of his shaft probed at her entrance. Pushing into her in one smooth motion, Spike stayed still for a minute as she adjusted, kissing her softly as her hands came up to wrap around his shoulders.

"You're mine, Buffy. You belong to me," Spike ground out as he began pumping in and out of her.

"I don't belong to anyone," Buffy countered, thrusting herself back up to meet him.

Spike growled at her defiance, grabbing her hips to try and get some relief from the anger and tension she was causing him.

"You're beyond frustrating, do you know that?" he said as he reached in between them to softly brush a finger over her most sensitive area, stopping after a few seconds.

"Spike," she gasped, feeling the loss of sensations and desperately craving it.

"You're mine, Buffy," he repeated.

"No!" she said, looking at him in defiance before quickly flipping them. Once she was on top, she rapidly rode him as his fingers held onto her hips, bruising the skin that had only just healed from their last escapade in the cemetery.

Buffy felt her climax nearing as Spike physically moved her up and down on his hard erection. Grinding down onto him and moving her hips in a small circle, Buffy screamed out her release as she saw stars dancing in front of her eyes. Spike pumped into her a few more times before pulsing deep inside her welcoming body.

As Buffy fell forward, Spike softly began stroking her back, enjoying the fact that she wasn't jumping up to kick him out of her home. Deciding if he wanted to stay the night, he better adjust his attitude. Spike buried his face in her hair as he wrapped his arms securely around her waist. "I'm sorry, Buffy."

Buffy raised up to look at him with watery eyes. "Me, too."

Spike smiled and pulled her forward to kiss her gently before moving her to lay next to him on the bed. Buffy snuggled up against his chest, enjoying the warmth he provided, and closed her eyes. Feeling content for the first time in years, both drifted off to sleep.

Betrayal

A few weeks went by unremarkably. Buffy had been in Sunnydale for almost three months, and she and Spike had settled into a semi-comfortable relationship, with Spike spending most of his nights over at Buffy's place. Cassidy had begun to patrol with them, and Buffy hated her even more than she had before. Whenever Spike wasn't looking, she always threw glares at Buffy and tried to get physically closer to Spike.

When Buffy confided in Spike about her worries, he told her she was overreacting and not to worry about the woman. Buffy had agreed but secretly still kept an eye on the untrustworthy woman. She had gone to Wesley and told him of the problems she was having with the woman, and Wes had been kind enough to do a little research for her. He had come up with very little, only finding out that she was over sixty years old and had always flown under the radar.

As the group was patrolling one night, Buffy kept a careful eye on the woman to her left. Buffy knew if it came down to it, she could take Cassidy in a fight. All she was waiting for was the first punch to be thrown.

Suddenly, all three heads turned as they heard a scream coming from their right. As they began running toward it, five vampires and a woman were seen in the distance. As another scream sounded from a remote location of the cemetery, Buffy glanced in that direction.

"You go," Cassidy said. "Spike and I can handle this group."

Buffy glared at the woman, but now was not the time to start a fight over a petty situation. Buffy took off to where the other scream came from. Running at full-speed, she saw a group of five vampires surrounding a man who already had blood running down his neck. The man made eye contact as Buffy got closer and silently pleaded with her to help in some way.

Buffy slowed her pace as she got closer. "Hey," she said, twirling her stake from hand to hand as the group turned their attention to her. "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to play with your food?"

Her question was answered by numerous growls as they all turned their attention to her. "No?" she asked. "Oh well." Quickly pulling a stake from under her black turtleneck, Buffy let it fly into the chest of the nearest vampire as the rest charged her. Throwing numerous kicks and punches, she managed to stake another, letting the number dwindle to three. After several minutes of fending them off, Buffy felt herself begin to tire. Seeing a lucky break, she plunged another stake into a vamp that wasn't paying close enough attention. As the two vamps remaining charged her, Buffy felt a mild sense of panic as each one took an arm and threw her into a tree, never letting go of her. Buffy felt a pop in her back but ignored it, focusing on her predicament.

"Don't take it personally." Buffy shuddered as vamp number one whispered in her ear. "I mean, I'd love to take out a Slayer anyway, but we're just doing what we have to do."

Buffy struggled against their hold as both sets of fangs came toward her neck. She knew she couldn't be killed by being drained, but she really didn't feel like being incapacitated long enough for them to stake her. Her Slayer alarms sounded in her head as they got too close before she was suddenly released on one side. Taking advantage, Buffy threw a high kick into the face of the attacker that held her and staked him before turning to the other. She noticed then that he let her go because the man they were about to kill must have hit him. Buffy grabbed the vamp as he was preparing to sink his teeth into the man's neck and threw him several paces away.

"What do you mean, you're doing what you have to do?" Buffy asked as they circled each other.

"We were paid to take out the Slayer. That's what we were doing."

"The Slayer is a man."

"No, you were the previous Slayer. The most powerful- you were the one chosen."

"Yeah, I've heard the terminology. Who sent you?"

"You think I'd tell you?"

Buffy threw her stake into his heart. "Didn't hurt to ask."

As the dust settled, Buffy turned to the man. "Thanks for the help."

"It was the least I could do. I mean, you saved me from five of those things."

"Yeah, well, it's a first for me, having the person preyed upon help."

"How'd you do that?"

"It's my job," she said with a shrug.

"There were more," he said, suddenly panicking. "My girlfriend and I got separated, and some went after her."

"She should be okay."

At that moment, a young woman came running at the man and threw herself into his arms.

"You should get home," Buffy told them.

"Yeah…thank you," he said as he led his girlfriend away.

Buffy let out a slow groan as she felt the pain in her lower back. Twisting it, she managed to pop it and release some of the pressure, but the pain still wrenched her back every time she moved.

Turning around, she saw Spike and Cassidy approaching, the woman practically hanging off of Spike as they smiled at something. Feeling hatred fill her, Buffy moved forward, a slight limp in her step. As she approached Cassidy, Buffy let her fist fly to land solidly on the other girl's jaw.

"Buffy, what the bloody hell are you doing?" Spike asked as he helped the injured vamp off the ground.

Buffy gave him a look before turning to face the woman. "You bitch," she spat out. "You set me up."

"What are you talking about?" Cassidy asked with an innocent face.

"You set all this up! You had your little gang of vamps split up the couple so you could send me to take on five at once!"

"Slayer, what are you going on about?"

Buffy glared at him as she looked pointedly to where he still held Cassidy's elbow. "What I'm going on about is your little friend here decided to set up an ambush for me. I would be dead right now if that guy hadn't stepped in and helped me."

"That's kind of a stretch that Cassidy had anything to do with it, luv."

"You don't believe me?" she asked disbelievingly. "You think she's just Little Miss Innocent with a soul? She's not," she said, getting angrier. "I am standing here today because for half my life, I have trusted my instincts. And right now, they're telling me not to trust her. Please, believe me, Spike." Her eyes looked into his, almost pleading with him.

"Buffy, I'd like to, but there's no reason to suspect anything."

"I think those vamps telling me someone paid them to take me out is a pretty damn good reason to suspect something!"

"Buffy," Cassidy spoke up. "I would never do anything to get you hurt."

"Shut it, princess."

"Buffy, you help Spike, and I would never put him in any danger."

Buffy glared at the girl before turning her attention to Spike. "Do you believe me or not?"

"Luv, I want to, but I can't without-"

"That's all I need to hear," Buffy said, beginning to painfully walk away.

"Buffy, wait, baby!"

"No," she said, spinning around to face him. "You don't believe me. You obviously don't trust my judgment, so why do you need me? You have my doppelganger right there, whispering sweet nothings in your ear all the time! I can't be with someone who doesn't have faith in me." Buffy turned and began walking away again.

"Buffy!"

"Oh, and for the record," she said, turning to face him once more, sarcasm lacing through her voice. "I'm the one with the potentially broken back, and you have your arms around her! Don't worry about me- thanks for the concern, but I'll be fine!" Buffy quickly walked away, trying her best to ignore the agonizing pain in her back as she slipped a hand behind her to offer herself some support.

Spike nearly chased after her as he felt pressure on his arm. Looking down at Cassidy, she spoke, "You should let her cool off. Will you help me home?" Softly batting her eyelashes, Spike looked at her and then to the path Buffy had disappeared to.

"Yeah, pet. I can do that."

Buffy made it home faster than she anticipated. She couldn't believe Spike didn't trust her. Buffy called a cab, not wanting to walk anymore than she had to. Quickly pulling a suitcase and a large shoulder bag from her closet, Buffy filled them with as many belongings as she could. Emptying most of her closet and dresser, she went into the bathroom and began pulling toiletries out and throwing them into a small carrying case. Buffy threw the case into her suitcase and packed a few more possessions, pausing to look at the picture of herself with Willow and Xander, taken when they were in high school. She finally let the tears flow as so many memories and feelings came crashing down on top of her.

Packing the picture, she looked at another one that Fred had taken a few weeks ago at the Bronze. Buffy was sitting in Spike's lap, and they were both looking into each other's eyes and laughing at something that Buffy couldn't even remember. Leaving the picture on the table by her bed, Buffy hoisted the suitcase and bag off the mattress and headed for the door as she heard the cab honk.

She knew it was the cowards way out, but she had to leave. She couldn't stick around and watch as Cassidy and Spike grew closer together. Grabbing a black ski cap from the table at the door, Buffy tucked her long blonde hair underneath it and headed outside, gently shutting the door behind her.

Spike helped Cassidy to the small house she was renting on the other side of town. Once she was through the door, Spike turned to find Buffy.

"Wait!" she cried from inside. "Don't you want to stay for a while?"

Spike watched skeptically as Cassidy made her way back to his side, putting her arms around his neck.

"I thought we could have some fun, Spike." Her lips came closer to his, pulling him down to meet her. Spike snapped out of it at the last second, disentangling herself from her arms.

"I'm sorry, luv. I can't do this. I can't hurt Buffy this way."

"She's already mad, Spike. What difference does it make if she knows or not?"

"The difference is that I would know, and I'm not going to do that to her," Spike said, walking down the front steps.

"Spike, she doesn't want you. Don't you see that? She left you and I together for a reason."

"No, she didn't. She's hurt, and I've gotta go."

Spike jogged through town, stopping at a grocery store that sold flower arrangements to buy a half-dozen red roses in an apology.

Walking up to Buffy's apartment, Spike knocked on the door and waited. When there was no answer, he tried the knob and was surprised when it opened without resistance. Slowly walking through the doorway, Spike laid the flowers on the kitchen bar. Looking through the apartment, something felt off.

"Buffy?"

He slowly made his way to her bedroom.

"Buffy? Answer me, baby."

As soon as Spike opened the bedroom door, he felt sick. The room was practically stripped. The closet door hung open, showing its few remaining contents. Dresser drawers were left open haphazardly, and Spike saw that the picture of Buffy and her friends was gone. Feeling slightly lightheaded, Spike walked over to the nightstand and saw the picture of the two of them, sitting crookedly on the surface. Suddenly gasping for air, Spike sat on the bed. Buffy was gone.

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