Suddenly, the redhead jerked her head up and looked at the Immortal in
confusion. They had just kissed. But she was with Tara. And that kiss had
been so intense and pleasurable. But she was with Tara. Tears welled up in
her eyes.

"I didn't mean to upset you, Willow, I'm sorry," Adam told her gently. "I
shouldn't have -"

"No, it's my fault," she interrupted him. "I'm glad you kissed me, but I
can't. I'm sorry, too. But I love Tara and I just can't-"`

    He silenced her by putting a finger on her lips.

"It's ok, I understand," he whispered. Then he stood up. "I'll go now. What
do you say about Sarah and I picking you all up tomorrow after your
lessons?"

"Sure. I think we'll all be off at four," Willow replied, avoiding his gaze.
"I'll tell Xander and Anya to join us."

"Fine. I'll see you tomorrow, then," he added as he put his coat on.

    He took one last look at her, then headed out of Giles' house. He
shouldn't have done that.

    Willow sighed. It wasn't fair. Adam was so... loveable. And he seemed to
like her as well. Why couldn't he have come into her life a few months ago?
She groaned in frustration. But she loved Tara; that was what mattered.

    She stood up, locked the door  and went upstairs to Giles' guest room.
She did not want to walk alone in Sunnydale's streets that late. Tara would
understand.

------------

"So, this is the lair of these vampires of yours?" Sarah asked. She and
Spike were hidden behind a tombstone in the cemetary. "I thought it was just
a movie cliché, vampires living in crypts."

"Some people find crypts quite comfortable," the blond replied, thrusting
his hands into the pockets of his duster.

"Don't tell me *you* live in a crypt?" the Immortal asked, incredulous.

"As a matter of fact, I do," he replied, half-vexed. "And this one was one
of my favourites, when I checked crypts out to find myself a decent place."

"These vampires we're about to go and dust must have a great taste, then,"
she muttered under her breath. She looked up at Spike, grinning. "Never
mind. Let's go have some fun slaying."

    She started walking towards the crypt, quickly followed by the bleached
blond vampire. She drew her sword out of her long leather coat as he brought
a stake out of his pocket. As they arrived near the door, Sarah nonchalantly
pushed it open.

    Five vampires apparently playing blackjack looked up at the couple,
surprised. They definitely knew Spike; he was the son-of-a-bitch who had
betrayed his own family to take sides with the Slayer. But the woman with
him - she looked wonderful, and that sword of hers gave her a dangerous
aspect. She'd make a delightful vampiress, they silently decided.

    They rose as one, leaving all their cards on the table. Or the stone
tomb, really.

"Gentlemen," the woman began, "we are here to bring you what you most
deserve." She smiled at them. "Death."

    Spike and Sarah descended the few steps leading them to the group of
vampires.

"Traitor," one of the vampires hissed, stepping towards Spike.

"So what?" the blond replied. "Better be alive and treacherous, than loyal
and dead."

    As he uttered the last word, Sarah's sword came in contact with the
vampire's neck. He turned to dust immediately. That left them with two
vampires each. A piece of cake.

"Who's next?" Sarah asked, pointing her sword to the remaining demons.

"Try me," the biggest vampire asked.

    This one must have been a biker before he was turned, Sarah thought with
amusement.  He was big, fat, was wearing leather clothes and had a long,
dark-grey beard. She handed her rapier over to Spike, who gave her a stake
in exchange. She smiled at the bold vampire.

"It would be over too quickly with the sword. I want to have some fun
first."

"Fun? Whatever you want, baby," the vampire replied, lunging forward at her.

    Another heavy and slow adversary, Sarah thought as she jumped quickly on
the steps behind her, letting the vampire bite the dust at her feet. All she
had to do was to crouch down and stake him in the back. "He was no fun," she
said to Spike, pouting.

"I believe this one will be more of a challenge," he gestured towards the
smallest of the group, which, indeed, seemed more agile than his now dusted
friend.

    He stepped forward slowly, watching Sarah intently. She was ready for
him when he suddenly jumped at her. Unfortunately, he was faster than she
expected and she soon found herself pinned to the ground.

"What now, beauty?" he asked as he brought his fangs to her neck.

    Sarah lifted up one of her knees and the vampire rolled off her, bent in
two because of the pain.

"Males," she sighed emphatically, gripping her stake and walking towards
him. "They always believe they are so invincible." The vamp got up, his
already unpleasant face distorted even more by pain and rage.

"You are gonna pay for this, you have my word," he growled.

    A fight of a few seconds ensued. Sarah had to take a couple of hard
blows, but she finally managed to drive the stake into his heart. With more
luck than she would have liked to admit, though.

"I don't trust your word," she told him as she took it out and he turned to
dust. She turned back towards Spike, who was still keeping the two other
vampires at a respectful distance with her rapier. "These two are yours."

    Spike grinned and handed back her sword.  He began fighting with the two
remaining vampires simultaneously, beating them bloody before staking them.
He was the Big Bad indeed, he thought to himself.

    When he was done, he cleared the tomb of the cards and sat on it. Sarah
put her rapier back in her coat and sat next to him.

"So what was that thing you were gonna ask me, love?" he asked her.

"What, no 'good job', no 'you're not that bad for someone without
supernatural powers', no 'you're pretty good for a chit of a girl'?" she
asked, trying to elude his question.

"Good job," he answered. "You're not that bad for someone without
supernatural powers, you're even pretty good for a chit of a girl. Now, will
you please ask me that bloody question of yours?"

"Are you still in love with me?" she blurted out.

    Spike stayed silent for a couple of seconds. He knew she would
eventually ask him about that, but he had never managed to find what he
would answer. Suddenly, he decided. He would tell her the truth; that was
what she deserved.

"No, I am not *still* in love with you," he replied. "I have prevented
myself from loving a dead person, all those years. But I think I may be
falling in love with you *again*."

    He looked up at her, hesitantly. He did not want to be rejected again,
he did not want to be told he was beneath anyone again. This situation
reminded him too much of what had happened more than a century ago, with
Cecily.

    Sarah stayed still for a minute. She did not know what she had expected,
nor what she had wanted to hear. All she knew was that when he had said
'no', her heart had flinched.

    She looked up at him, saw the fear in his blue eyes, and did the only
possible thing to do. She kissed him on the lips, softly, tenderly. Then she
stood up.

"I have to go back to the motel now. Adam must be waiting for me," she
explained with a small nervous smile. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow at
Giles'."

    She watched Spike get up. He stepped towards her, put his hands around
her waist, and kissed her passionately. Their tongues battled for a moment,
then withdrew.

"See you tomorrow," he told her as he let go of her body.

    He watched her step out of the crypt, turn around to look at him one
last time, and then walk away in the night. He sat back on the tomb,
stunned, and put a hand up to his lips, dreamily.
 

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