Part 1...
 

"Come on," screamed Spike, "Passions is on."

He was chained in the bloody Watchers bathtub and the bloody watcher hadn't switched on the telly for him and he couldn't bloody well reach it! He could hardly move! "If you make me miss it I'll..."

"You'll what, lick me to death," the Watcher's answer came back to him from the other room.

Spike rattled his chains and screamed, "What, just what have I done so wrong to be neutered and stuck in this bathtub!? What!?"

"How about everything you've done since Drusilla turned you? That would be my guess," said Buffy as she bounced into the bathroom.

"Slayer, don't you have a class to attend or killing to do or something?" Spike said with a sneer.

"I don't kill, I slay," her bouncy self disappeared and now she was pouting.

"Tomato, tamato, it's still getting things dead."

"It's getting bad things gone, it's slaying."

"Where's my breakfast?" Spike growled.

"You'll eat when I get some information from you!"

"GILES!!!" They yelled in unison.

"Oh for gawd's sake," said Giles as he entered the bathroom, "what are you two arguing about now?"

"Just let me kill him Giles, it will save so much time."

"I thought you didn't kill blondie, you slay!"

"When it comes to you Spike, no matter what it's called, all I know is that you will be a cloud of dust and out of my life for good!"

"Buffy, please," said Giles. "Spike we can't kill err slay an..."

"Impotent vampire?" Buffy finished

"HEY!" yelled Spike.

"Well what should I call it?" Buffy goaded.

"You're one step away missy," Spike said rattling his chains.

"Giles help the impotent vampire is gonna gnash his fangs at me!"

"I'm gonna rip you into pieces and suck each one dry."

There was a knock on the front door, "Oh thank you," Giles said as he raised his eyes toward heaven. He left Spike and Buffy arguing in his bathroom and went to his front door.

"Got mother's wart and jelly donuts," said Willow as Giles let her in. She could hear the arguing from the bathroom. "Slayer and Fang Boy are still at it I hear."

"Second day and counting," said Giles as he rubbed his forehead.

Willow went into the bathroom. "Hey Buffy. Hello Spike."

"Hey Wil...and I do too got the stones. I got plenty of ...stones!"

"Slayer," Spike said laughing, "Now that I'd like to see."

Willow stuck a jelly donut into his mouth.

Giles came back into the bathroom. "I'm out of several herbs we will need; I'll just run to the magic shop and get..."

"I'll come with," said Willow as she walked out quickly behind Giles eager to get out of the bathroom and away from the Slayer vs Vampire verbal smack down.

Buffy and Spike heard the front door close but continued their arguing without pause.


* ~ * ~ *


They had been arguing for several minutes more when there was a flash in the hall just outside the bathroom. They turned and looked to the spot in unison.

There stood Spike in his leather duster, which was smoking slightly. Actually there was smoke all around him. He stared in disbelief at the Slayer. As the last of the smoke cleared he said, "Buffy love? Oh thank God you're alive!" and fell to the floor.


* ~ * ~ *


Buffy and the Spike in the tub looked at each other. "What the hey?" said Buffy.

"Don't look at me slayer. I didn't do anything."

"Then how did you get over there and still here? I mean..."

"Bloody hell, did Giles and teen witch try some spell and it split me in two?"

"Don't be stupid, why would anyone want two of you!"

Spike grinned at her and raised an eyebrow. "Two heads are better than one, slayer."

"You're a pig Spike."

"Yeah so you always say but..."

Buffy went to the Spike on the floor.

"Am I...I mean is he dead?" asked the Spike in the tub.

"It's hard to tell with vampires," said Buffy, "but I think he is alive."

"Who is he?"

"You, I think."

"How'd he get here?"

"How would I know?"

"Geez slayer you're not good at much are ya."

"One more word Spike and so help me I'll stake you."

"Him or me?"

Buffy looked at him, her eyes wide with warning. Spike closed his mouth.

"What the heck?" said Willow as she stood over the Spike in the hallway and then looked at Spike in the bathtub.

"Beats the heck out of me," said Buffy, "and I was here when it happened."


* ~ * ~ *


Spike was chained to the coffee table in the living room, while the other Spike was laid on the couch. Giles, Willow and Buffy were all talking at once over each other about how this could have happened. "Great, that's gonna get you real far," said chained Spike. "And what do you suggest?" asked Giles.

"Wake the wanker up and ask who he is and why the bloody hell he's here!"

Buffy, Willow and Giles looked at each other and then at the Spike on the couch. Giles gently shook the sleeping Spike. "Hello, I say, hello are you okay?"

Chained Spike rolled his eyes and made a grunting noise.

Buffy raised the stake in her hand. Chained Spike snarled at her.

After a few moments, the Spike on the couch stirred and looked up at Giles.

"Giles, Giles, you made it too? Where's Buffy, I saw her didn't I? I mean is everyone okay? Where's Dawn?" He tried to sit up and his head spun. Then he saw Buffy and smiled at her.

Buffy put her raised right arm down. She still held the stake. She starred into Spike's eyes. She read something warm and deep in them. It un-nerved her. She dropped the stake.

Chained Spike raised his scarred eyebrow.

"Who are you?" Buffy asked him in a whisper.

"Buffy did you hit your head or did a part of the building hit you? Baby it's me, Spike."

Chained Spike snickered and the other Spike looked over at him.

Realization exploded in his head and he knew he was back in time. "Oh God, why am I back here?"

"I don't know, but right now you are in my home," said Giles.

"Yes I know. I recognize it even though you have not lived here for a while now."

They were all staring at him. He said, "I think...no I am sure...I am from the future."

The door burst open and Anya and Xander walked in. "What's the emergency?" asked Xander.

"Oh great, just what we need another two know-nothings."

"Shut up Spike," said Xander. Then Xander saw the Spike on the couch and said, "What, who, what?"

"Yes," said Giles. "Exactly."

Xander stared from one Spike to the other.

"He's from the future," said Willow.

Xander's mouth fell open and Anya approached the Spike on the couch. "There's something different about this one," she said.

She looked at the chained up Spike and then back to the Spike on the couch. "I'm not sure what though?"

Future Spike took a deep un-needed breath and said, "I have a soul."

Buffy sat down on the coffee table in front of him and said, "How?" "Long story, but not gypsies."

"Then who gave you a soul?" Buffy questioned.

"No one gave it to me, I got it myself. It was my doing."

"Why?" Buffy asked.

"I did it for..." He hesitated.

"Yes?" asked Giles.

Future Spike looked at Buffy. Again she saw that look in his eyes. He said in a whisper, "I did it for a woman."

Chained Spike yelled, "WHAT!?! Even in the future I'm still love's bitch!"

Buffy got up quickly and moved far away from the Spike's on the couch and the floor. "This is too much. Way too much! Giles do something about this, and do it fast!"


* ~ * ~ *


Both chained Spike and future Spike had been given warm pigs blood. Buffy was still as far away as she could get, on the other side of the room, from both of them. She would look from one Spike to the other. She'd shake her head, and then look away into a world only she could see. Chained Spike was amused. Future Spike looked very sad.

"So you say we were all fighting another big bad and next thing you knew you where here? But you don't know how or why?" questioned Giles.

"Yes," said Spike as he fingered the amulet around his neck. Giles took notice.

"What year was it?" asked Willow.

"2003," Spike answered.

"Bloody hell," said chained Spike, then realized he was still around and un-staked in 2003. Good, he thought to himself, I must get away from these gits somehow. No wait, he was fighting with the slayer and the scoobies in the future. Oh someone put a stake in me.

Future Spike told them just a little more...that he was given the amulet to help out. He left out that Angel had brought it to Sunnydale and that Buffy had given it to him. But he said to them that he was unsure if it was the amulet or something else that brought him here.

"It has to be the amulet. But I do feel there is something you're not telling us," Giles said to Spike.

"Well how unusual, future Spike's not being honest. I see some things never change," said Xander.

Spike put his head down and then up again and looked at Buffy who was staring at him. "Many things are different in 2003," said Spike in an even lower whisper. Buffy shook slightly, but only future Spike noticed.

How could he tell them all what was to come? Even he would not believe himself. He looked over to his past self sipping blood from a yellow novelty cup. A frown touched his lips. He was in a room full of people he knew, sometimes better than they knew themselves. And one of them, her, he choose to die for. But none of them knew this, and he could not tell them.

"Did we all survive?" asked Anya.

"I think so, I was...I was not with everyone else. I was the last one out."

"Of course we all survive Ayn, we always do," Xander assured her.

"Darn tooton," said Willow.

"It's getting late," said Giles. "Let's all relax a bit and get something to eat. Then Buffy can patrol and we can do some research."

"And what am I supposed to do?" asked chained Spike.

"Stand still while we stake you sounds good!" said Xander.

Chained Spike snarled at Xander and Xander made a staking motion towards chained Spike.

"But if you kill him, future Spike will die," said Willow.

"See," said Xander, "two vampires, one stake. And this would be a problem why?"

Chained Spike rattled his chains.

"We can't do that Xander," said Giles, "it would be altering the future."

"And him being here doesn't?" said Buffy.

Both Spikes looked at her and she looked away.

Future Spike said, "If you let him go he won't hurt anyone. He can't."

"Yeah but he could leave Sunnydale and try and get the chip removed," said Xander.

"Trust me, he won't."

"Hey mate," said chained Spike, "Don't try and help me!"

"I say we take a vote," said Xander. "All those in favor of staking raise your hand. All those in favor of setting a serial killer free...get over it. Not gonna happen."

"Let him go Giles," said Buffy.

"WHAT?" said chained Spike and Xander together.

She looked at future Spike, "He really can't bite anybody or harm anybody?"

"I assure you he can't harm any human. The pain caused by the chip is so great that anything he starts against a human, he could not finish." said future Spike.

"Well I don't assure...I mean, yeah of course I assure you. Rupert unchain me."

"Buffy are you sure about this?" asked Giles.

She looked at future Spike and said, "Yes."

Future Spike spoke to his former self. "Don't do anything foolish." "Just exactly when do I turn into a wanker?" asked chained Spike of his future self.

Future Spike ignored his remarks and said, "There's a crypt in the Sunnydale cemetery about a half-mile in, East of the gates."

"I know of it," said chained Spike.

"You should set something up there."

"I...okay," said past Spike, listening to his future self for some reason.

"And watch out for the initiative."

"The what?" said Giles.

Future Spike was still looking at his past self and said, "The buggers that implanted the chip."

"Thanks mate," said past Spike.

Chained Spike was released. He grabbed his duster. He turned to himself and gave a thumbs up. Then he turned to the slayer and sneered. He ran out the door into the night.

It was 12:15 am. Buffy was asleep on Giles' couch, Anya on Xander's lap on the chair both asleep, Willow was at the desk her head in the book she had been searching through, and she too was asleep. Spike and Giles were at the kitchen counter. Giles inside the kitchen, Spike outside on a stool. Spike was watching the sleeping Buffy. Giles whispered, "You're in love with her." A statement, not a question.

Spike nodded.

"Is she in love with you?" asked Giles.

Spike turned a sad face towards Giles. Their eyes met. Spike went to say something, but he stopped.

"It's okay; you don't have to tell me."

Giles picked up the book he had been searching through. I just don't know. I have nothing on this amulet and I know you are not telling me all."

"How can I mate?"

"Yes, you are right, but it's hard...do I die? Is that why you're not telling me all?"

"I don't know who survived, I came here." Spike said a bit loudly, and Buffy stirred.

Spike motioned Giles back into the bathroom. "Listen Rupert, I'm not sure about anything. I'm not sure what to tell you and what not to tell you. I don't want to alter time."

"Your presence here already has."

"Yes I know, but I...look it's all connected to this blasted amulet isn't it?"

"I agree, but what makes you think so?"

"I just sense it is all."

"How was the chip removed? Did you do it yourself?"

"No."

"Then how?"

Spike half smiled, "Don't worry Watcher, nothing I can do or the other me can do for that matter, will undo the chip. Trust me, I tried."

"You look tired," Giles said.

"Well I've travel back a few years, which tends to make a bloke knackered."

Giles nodded. He suggested Spike go up to his bed and try and get some rest. Spike went past the sleeping Buffy. He paused. He bent over and lightly put two fingers to her hair. He straightened up and then slowly climbed the stairs to Giles' bed.

He took off his duster and his boots and got into the bed. His mind reeled. He couldn't stop wondering why he was sent back to this time. What was this about and why was it happening? He took another unneeded deep breath and turned over. All he could think of was the Buffy of his time and with the thought he hurt inside. Was she alive? Was he?


* ~ * ~ *


He had been resting, not sleeping. His back was to the bedroom door. He sensed her before she spoke. He waited a moment taking in her scent before he turned over.

She was staring hard at him. She looked so tired, she looked upset, and she looked oh so beautiful.

"Why did you come here?" she asked.

He sat up and put his back against the headboard. "I don't know love."

"Please we are mortal enemies, don't call me love." Spike nodded.

They were looking into each other's eyes and Buffy felt something tingle inside of her. She looked away.

"I'm sorry Buffy, I never meant to do anything to upset you ever again."

"Ha, do I look stupid? You want to kill me. Is that why you came back? To help your past self to get me?"

"No pet, so very no."

"What changed?"

"Between us?" he asked.

She nodded.

He half smiled, "I don't really know. It just happened for me one day. I woke up and things were just different." He tilted his head and smiled wider.

"Stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?" Spike asked honestly.

"Like we are friends. Like we know each other intimately. Like we are one."

Spike put his head down trying to conjure up a poker face. But he could not. He could not look at her without love.

"I want you gone. I want you out of here as quickly as possible." "Why?

"It's not real; it's not right. I don't want to know the future. I don't want to know any of it."

"I understand."

"And stop pretending you know me. We don't know each other. We are not connected and we never will be!"

She stormed out of the room and down the stairs.

"I need a shower," she said to Giles who saw her come down the stairs. I want to wash all of this off of me."

Giles knew they were all un-nerved by this turn of events, but this had more than un-nerved his slayer. He just didn't understand why. Xander was awake. He stopped Buffy. "Buffy, let's just stake them and get it over with. Really how much can we alter our futures with one vampire death? He's useless now and I believe he'll be just as useless in the future."

Buffy's heart clenched at Xander's words, but she said nothing. "You can't alter things like that Xander you'll cause..." said Anya. "Yeah I know, I watch all the Sci-Fi movies and shows. But really, it's one insignificant dead thing."

"It's just not a right thing to do," said Willow.

"So?" said Xander.

They all started to argue again, and then Buffy said, "Xander's right. He's nothing but a dead thing. How much could we alter the future?"

"That's the thing we don't yet know," said Giles looking at his slayer in a bit of disbelief.

"Find a way to get him gone Giles. You have two days. Just two days or....or we do it my way!" She went into the bathroom.

Giles calmed the rest of them down and finally they all took their places and tried to sleep.

Up in Giles' bed a tear slide down Spike's face. He was not afraid to die. If she killed him, she killed him. Hell he was probably really dead anyway from this blasted amulet. What hurt him to his soul was her; being near her and once again feeling her hate, her mistrust. He wiped the tear away and put his head under the pillow. Please let me sleep, he asked whomever had put him here. Please.


* ~ * ~ *


Spike tossed on the bed. He was dreaming. "Why," he shouted and woke up.

He sat up. He looked down at the amulet around his neck. "Why?"

He went to the side of the bed and put his boots on. He grabbed his duster and made his way to the front door. They were all asleep. He saw a clock, 2:30 am.

He silently left the sleeping slayer, watcher and scoobies to their dreams and stepped out into the night. He headed for his crypt or rather what had once been his crypt.

All he had to do was get the slayer on his side. Not an easy thing since right now she wanted nothing to do with him. Harder still, he had to convince his other self not to kill the slayer. Then convince himself to help convince her to convince the scoobies to help him find his way back. His head spun. "Why?" he again asked the sky. "I mean I know you want it done this way. I just don't understand why?"


* ~ * ~ *


Spike jumped up off the slab as his other self entered.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"To talk to you."

"About what? Didn't they find a way to make you gone yet?"

Future Spike smiled briefly. "Both you and the slayer want me gone in the worst way. Funny that."

"Not funny to me," said past Spike as he lit a cigarette. "Want one?"

Future Spike shook his head no.

"So what do we need to talk about?"

"You and the slayer."

"Oh yeah? What about me and the slayer?"

"I need you to convince her to help me."

"And just why should I do that?"

"So that she does not stake you and end both our days."

"She's angry eh. I just love making her angry."

"I know."

Past Spike took a long drag off the cigarette. "Why can't you convince her?"

"She couldn't handle it from me."

"Why not?"

"It would be too much for her. And she won't realize that I'm not the person I was till she sees a bit of a change in you."

"I don't think I like your plan mate."

"I know."

"And stop telling me that you know. Just what do I have to do to convince her to help you?"

"Get her to trust you, get her to want you. You're gonna have to make love to her."

"WHAT?" past Spike screamed. Then he laughed. "You must be daft. If I'm gonna touch that bitch it's gonna be to kill her."

"Don't you think it would be more pleasurable to make love to her than kill her?"

"No!" Then he seemed to think a moment. "Screw the slayer? Sure she's a cutie, but I'd only do that before I killed her. You know, play with her a little. Could be real fun. Yeah could be real fun!" There was an evil grin on his face.

"I don't want you to play with her! Or harm her! I want you to convince her that you've changed."

"Changed into what, a nancy boy? Geez if this is my future self, maybe I'll just let her stake me!"

Future Spike looked at his past self and said, "I'm in love with her." "You're an insane git. What the hell do you see in her?"

"Come on, all that fighting you two have been doing, don't you realize it's just foreplay?"

"Don't you realize you are a daft git?"

"You get hard just verbally fighting with her."

"How do you know...I mean...oh shut up!"

"And you know her scent better than any other scent in the world."

"True, but that's just cause I want her dead."

"That's just cause she gets aroused when she verbally fights with you."

"Does she?" Past Spike thought a moment, "Yeah I guess she does."

"Neither of you will admit this until years from now. But I've got to get you to realize it now!"

"What happened between you two, I mean us two, I mean, oh hell!"

"You're going to fall in love with her. And you're gonna want her more than you want blood."

"You're bug-shagging crazy, you are. Sure I'd screw her, who wouldn't...that shampoo commercial hair, perky little round breasts."

He grinned sardonically, "I'd love to make her scream in ecstasy just so I could rub in in her face afterwards."

"Yeah, I know."

"Bloody stop saying that!"

"But you'll get over that feeling. And you'll come just as hard from her!"

"Why? How?""You'll see, once you've tasted her."

Past Spike raised his scarred eyebrow at his future self, "Okay future self, what's the plan of action?"

"Well I'm gonna have to teach you how to...get to her."

"Hey I know how to "get to" a woman. I don't need any lessons!"

"The slayer is not just any woman."

"God you do have it bad for her don't you?"

Future Spike put his head down. Then he looked back up at his other self. "You gonna listen to me or what?"

"I'd say or what, but you'd just argue with me all night. We don't give up too easily. Do we?" Future Spike smiled, "No we don't."

"Did we eventually wear her down? Make her ours?" asked past Spike. Spike smiled at his past self, "Yes, she became ours."

"Maybe you're not as daft as you sound."


* ~ * ~ *




"She likes what?" asked past Spike laughing.

"She likes it when you talk dirty to her. She also likes to talk dirty back to you."

"You're kidding right? Goodie miss blondie two-shoes likes it dirty?"

"Yes, well at least in the beginning."

"The beginning of what?"

"The beginning of us being together. Of course some things changed as we went along. That actually didn't change, but some things changed.

Well got more so, not changed really."

"Just exactly how long did you, do we...oh hell you know what I mean."

"How long were the slayer and we together? A while."

"Damn!"

"You know that thing we do with our tongue? That thing that use to drive Drusilla crazy?"

"Oh yeah."

"Well she likes it too. But she likes us to stick it all the way in, not just the flickering thing."

"Really? Wow so the slayer's a bit of a whore in the sack, eh?"

"She's not a whore!"

"Okay, okay calm down. Wanker!"

"You just called yourself a wanker, you wanker."

"Well if the boot fits."

They looked at each other as if sizing each other up. Then past Spike said, "Oh okay, what else does the slayer enjoy?"

"She likes it when you call her name in a whisper." Past Spike made a face.

"But she likes it even more when you call her Slayer." Past Spike chuckled. "And what does she like to call me? Dust boy."

"She'll call you Spike. Until you've got her at the breaking point, then she'll call you William."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"And we let her?"

"Oh yes," future Spike said closing his eyes and remembering.

"You really get off with this woman eh?"

"More than you can even imagine."

Past Spike changed his position on the slab and then asked hopefully, "Do I get to bite her?"

"No, she won't trust you enough in the little bit of time you'll have. And even if she wants you to I don't think the chip will let you. Come to think of it you may have to go very gently at first, until she wants it errr harder, or the chip may activate."

"When did the chip activate for you? I mean at what point, so I'll know to cool off or go slower or whatever."

"The chip didn't work on her. That's how we got together."

"Yeah? Sounds like an interesting story. You gonna tell me?" Future Spike shook his head no.

"Bugger. Now that story I could have gotten into. Will the chip not activate with her now?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Another long story and we don't have time."

"Sh*t! Say do I do all the work here or does the slayer help out a bit?"

"Oh she'll help out, trust me."

"Yeah? Mmmmm. Okay so I screw the heaven out of her and then what?"

"You have to get her to see that you can be a better man than you are now."

"Hey, I'm a fine man just the way I am."

"Not for the slayer."

"I'll be buggered if I'm gonna change for the slayer of all women!"

"Do you want to survive the next two days or get turned into an ash of yourself?"

"Okay, okay. How am I gonna do that?"

"You'll have to help her fight some demons. Maybe kill a vamp or two. You could go on patrol with her tomorrow night. You know, catch up with her on her patrol accidentally on purpose, and be on her side."

"Hello, have you forgotten? I still have the bloody chip! You're the Spike without it!"

"You can fight demons."

"I CAN! REALLY! Let's go find some now!"

"Not until we finish our umm...lessons. And make a plan or two for tomorrow night."

"What I gotta do more? What does it take to win this bint? More still, what does it take to make her come, a bloody army?"

"No, it just takes you. But you're gonna have to use all your skills in one night's time to get her to want you again. This way she may extent our staking time and I can then get the hell back to my time."

"Damn I gotta do it more than once?"

"You got a problem with making love to a beautiful woman all night?"

"But it's not a woman; it's the slayer!"

"You'll get over it, I promise."

"Sure she's not gonna stake me after I make her come. You know like the praying mantis or something?"

"She won't kill a man she's made love to."

"She killed Angel to save the world. Remember!"

"Yeah I remember."

"We lost Dru over all of that," past Spike said a bit sadly.

"I know."

"Okay back to the matter at hand," said past Spike deciding not to dig up past hurts. "Tell me more of her desires in the sack."

"She likes it when we lick her stomach, and the inside of her thighs."

"Got a thing for our tongue does she!"

"Yeah."

Past Spike chuckled and then began to get aroused as his future self explained how he should start the touching if he could get the slayer into the crypt. Not to mention the fact he was gonna get to fight. Things were looking up. Maybe him coming back to help himself was not such a bad thing after all.


~ * ~ * ~


Spike left his past self alone to clean up the crypt a bit, and made his way out of the cemetery very carefully. He ducked behind some bushes just before leaving the cemetery. He saw a lone Initiative guy just stepping out of the gates. The guy took off his face covering and spoke into the radio. "That's a wrap men. See you at the dorm." Spike almost gave away his hiding spot. He couldn't believe it. It was Capt. Cardboard! It was Riley soddin Finn. The bastard who would one day try and stake him, the bastard who would hurt Buffy so badly he'd have to break down all the walls she set up after him. It would take all he had to make Buffy forget the hurt and abandonment Capt. White Bread instilled in her.

Spike followed Riley into the street. Before he could stop himself, he was on the boy. Riley was taken totally by surprise. Spike hit him in the side of the head and Riley reeled around. Dazed from the punch Riley never saw clearly who it was that had hit him, or who was now standing in front of him.

Spike punched with his left fist dead in the center of his All- American face. Riley went down hard.

Spike looked at him for a while and then checked to make sure the git was still breathing.

He was.

"That's for the chip, the stake, and all else you are about to do to me!" said Spike.

"I'm letting you live cause I can't alter time. And I look way better to Buffy after all the crap you pull on her. Bloody wanker."

Spike left the unconscious Riley lying in the street outside the cemetery. "Damn but that felt good," Spike said as he walked back to Giles'. He had a full smile on his face now.

CONTINUED...