FEAR AND LOVE (1/?)
 

The flames of the candles flickered as a soft wind began to blow inside
the small room. The figure leaned over the candles, their face concealed
by a black hood that fell forward as they spoke. The wind increased as
the chant became louder. The figure leaned over the candle and placed
the first name into the flame. There was a bright light as the paper
began to burn. Soon, all that was left was an Xa. The person continued
with the other names until all that was left was ash.
 

Eight candles burned as eight names were destroyed. The figure smiled,
lips twisted in a sneer as the chant ended. The figure leaned over and
blew out the first candle. Smoke began to float out the window, headed
north. The second candle was blown out. Smoke drifted over the building
headed east. Each candle was blown out as smoke drifted to find it's
recipient. The figure chuckled as the final words were said and the book
was closed. "So mote it be."
 

Across town, Buffy turned in her sleep, her mouth open slightly. She
breathed in the smoke that hovered over her bed. She coughed softly
before turning back into her pillow. Across the room, Willow breathed in
the smoke as it drifted over her head. She grimaced slightly in her
sleep before settling back down.
 

The same process was repeated in Xander's basement as he and Anya both
breathed in the same smoky substance. Giles almost woke up as he found
his breathing hindered but soon settled back into his chair. Spike was
walking through the street, kicking a can as he walked through a cloud
of smoke. He frowned, not noticing anything different as he headed back
to his crypt. Around Sunnydale, two other people also slept
uninterrupted as the smoke was absorbed into their systems.
 

*************

Anya yawned as she woke up. She frowned as she again heard the shouting
from upstairs. She glanced at Xander, glad to see that he was still
sleeping. She stood and went to the bathroom, hoping that his father
would pass out soon. She didn't know how Xander dealt with his father.
She hated the man and had only met him twice. Both times he had been
sober, a rare occurence from what she could hear. Shaking her head, she
knew it wasn't the alcohol. Xander had told her one night about his
family. His father had only started drinking heavily the last few
months, since he had lost his job. Before that, he had just been a mean
bastard who enjoyed beating his wife and son. She wished that she still
had her powers. She'd show him a beating.
 

Xander woke up to the sounds of his mother being yelled out, again. One
thing, the old man seemed to get more verbal and less physical the older
he got. There had been no bruises since Xander had almost killed him
three years before. Remembering the anger he felt at that time, Xander
tried to focus on the bed. He slowly calmed himself down, the anger
forgotten. He heard the shower going and smiled. Anya was already awake.
Good. He'd surprise her with a back rub, he decided. He had fallen in
love with the exdemon over the last six months. He knew she was still
struggling with her lack of power and her humaness, but things were
finally starting to come together for both of them. He hummed as he
snuck into the bathroom, kissing her neck as he joined her in the
shower.
 

FEAR AND LOVE (2/?)
 

Rupert Giles sighed as he shelved another book. He glanced at the title
in his hand and tried to decide where to place it. Finally deciding that
it was more historical based than magic, he placed it on the third shelf
beside the History of England. He heard his front door open and looked
up, smiling as Buffy and Willow came inside. "Hello girls."
 

"Hiya Giles" Buffy said, smiling.
 

"Giles, do you need some help?" Willow asked, seeing the stack of books
laying on the floor.
 

"No. Just doing some late Spring cleaning" he said, wiping the dust from
his hands as he sat down. "What are you girls up to today?"
 

Buffy shrugged, "Nothing much. No class so we're at loose ends."
 

"She's glum because Riley is studying" Willow explained with a smile.
 

"Am not glum" Buffy said pouting. She just hated that she had a free day
from class and he was stuck studying. That was her luck though. Spend
the evening saving people and the days thinking of something to do. She
suddenly had an idea,  "Hey...Hey....are there any demons to save
someone from? You know, sun loving demons? That is, demons that might be
out during the sun?"
 

"Buffy...sounding desperate" Willow said smiling.
 

Buffy frowned, "Well, sorry. I was trying!"
 

"Well, I'm sure there are many ways you two could spend the afternoon.
Shopping?"
 

"No money" Willow said, sighing.
 

"We're in college, Giles. No jobs due to the slaying thing. What's
money?" Buffy asked, smiling.
 

"Oh, yes. Foolish of me for suggesting that" Giles said, rolling his
eyes slightly. Spending the afternoon entertaining two bored college
girls was not what he had planned for his day. "Studying?"
 

Buffy snorted, "Strike two, G man."
 

"Well, you could visit with Xander and Anya. At his house." Giles said,
not wanting to be rude, exactly.
 

"Uh oh...I think he's trying to get rid of us" Willow said in a loud
whisper.
 

"You think?" Buffy replied. "Guess he's wanting to get back to those
books."
 

"I am right here you know" Giles said flatly. "I just assumed you two
would want to spend the afternoon out in the sun instead of cooped up
with an old man and his books."
 

"You're not that old" Willow said. "But, we know you like the peace and
quiet during the afternoons so we'll be nice and leave."
 

"Just remember our good deed next time I want to cut patrol short, ok?"
Buffy suggested with a smile.
 

"Go" Giles said, laughing. He went back to shelving his books, his mood
much lighter since the visit.
 

********

"So, what do we do" Buffy asked, walking beside Willow.
 

Willow shrugged, "Why is it when you're in class you can always think of
things you could be doing, but, when you have a day off, you can't think
of anything?"
 

"Just life I guess" Buffy said, thinking about it. "Irony and all that
stuff."
 

Willow laughed, "Yeah, all that stuff. Hey, want to go watch the ducks
at the park? We can think of something on the way over there maybe."
 

"Oooh...I love the ducks" Buffy said with a smile. "We can be
duckwatchers for the next hour or so."
 

Willow rolled her eyes at her friend's amused tone. Buffy seemed almost
lost without Riley by her side. The two had spent so much time together
lately, it was rather strange to see one alone now. They were in love so
it was always sweet to see them together but quickly got annoying to the
rest of the non-in-love members of the gang.
 

Willow wasn't jealous though. Nope. Not her. She was happy being single.
She didn't need a man. She had tried that dating thing with Oz back in
high school and look how that had turned out. Him cheating on her with
several groupies. She had been glad when he had graduated the summer
before her senior year. Nope, she didn't need a man. She had her
friends. As long as she had them, she was content.
 

FEAR AND LOVE (3/?)
 

Spike looked in the shop window and scowled. He took a drag of his
cigarette as he looked at the white porcelain faces on the dolls. He had
memories of Drusilla and her dozens of damn dolls. He sneered as he
thought of Dru, turning away from the store window and continuing on his
walk. His dark goddess. The only person he had loved completely, more
than he had even loved himself. He would have walked into the sun for
her. Now, he could realize how stupid he had been.
 

She had never loved him. Not the way he had loved her. In her heart, it
had always been Angelus. He had just gotten the left over scraps. He
growled at a passing man, delighting in the look of fear that crossed
the man's face. God, he missed scaring people. Making them quake in fear
before he would bite into their flesh and taste their intoxicating, warm
blood. He groaned at the thoughts before he remembered what he had been
thinking about. That's right. His princess. The damn bitch that had
cared so little for him she had left him for any demon around. That's
love for you. Makes you blind to common sense. He could see now, out
from under her spell, just how pathetic he had been.
 

Never again. She had cured him of that. He knew that she wasn't what
love truly was, but he didn't need it. He had been love's fool for over
a eighty years. He wasn't about to play that part again anytime soon. He
had learned his lesson. No, he wasn't stupid. It only took one mistake
for him to learn from it. He saw the slayer's pup walking on the other
side of the street. He resisted the urge to scare the man, scowling
instead. He figured that they were headed to the same place. The nightly
meeting at the watcher's place. He could barely contain his vast
excitement at the idea. He'd personally rather be dragged over hot coals
in the middle of a heat wave in the Arizona desert at high noon than
watch the slayer and her pup make googy eyes at each other and have to
listen to the moron and his bitch talk all lovey dovey. But, Red would
be there. That was something, he guessed. He tossed the remainder of his
smoke onto the street as he lit another.
 

Riley's head was killing him. He had been popping aspirin all morning.
In fact, Graham and Forrest had both stopped by to ask if he needed them
to contact his 'pusher' for more. Damn idiots. They could laugh. They
didn't have a paper to write through this blinding pain. But, he was
going to see Buffy. That was something, he guessed. He had missed waking
up beside her this morning, but he had known the paper needed to be
finished. With her there, not much would have been done he knew.
 

He had sent the patrols out already, searching the cemetaries to the
north. That would save him and the others a bit of time. He rather
enjoyed being able to send his men to cover some of Buffy's areas. It
meant more time that they had together and less places she might find
trouble. Of course, she had only a vague idea of what exactly he
commanded his men to do and would probably get irritated with him if she
knew he was protective of her. He loved her though and had no intention
of letting her get hurt on his command.
 

He noticed a match flare across the street and saw Spike. Hostile 17, he
corrected. Who was he joking? The man had saved his ass twice now. He
was Spike. Riley kept his attention in front of him, not wanting the
vampire to notice him. He wasn't scared of the blonde, but he was. It
didn't even make sense to him so he knew no one else would ever
understand. Spike was an arrogant, mischief making bastard most of the
time, but Riley had seen times that the vampire had risked his own
unlife to save one of the gang. He knew the vampire would deny it if
ever confronted, but Riley had seen. The man was an enigma. Even with
the implant, the changes the vampire demonstrated were amazing. The
implant just prevented violence. The rest, the helping and the caring,
those were all things that had existed before. In that way, Riley was
intrigued by exactly who Spike really was. He'd love to see into his
mind sometime.
 

He noticed Forrest and nodded before continuing on his way. He had
allowed Forrest to control the patrol that evening, knowing the man was
ready for the responsibility. Besides, it gave him a free night to be
with Buffy. It was a fair trade, for once. He saw Giles' apartment
building in the distance and quickened his steps. Buffy was waiting for
him. He had missed her that day.
 

FEAR AND LOVE (4/?)
 

Anya walked into Giles apartment, a frown on her face. She rubbed on her
arm, hating the pain she felt. She had bumped into a rack at the
department store while shopping and bruised her upper arm. It hurt like
hell, though it was just a small injury. "I hate this body!"
 

Willow glanced up, a slight smile on her face. "What is it now?"
 

Anya scowled, "This! I bruise" she spat out the last word.
 

Buffy snickered as she exchanged a look with Riley before rolling her
eyes and going back to her homework. "Get over it."
 

"Do you have any idea how utterly horrible it is to go from being
immortal to this? I actually change colors....I'm like one of those bath
toys or something!" Anya whined, made that none of them felt her pain.
 

"There there honey" Xander said, his tone slightly annoyed, "It will
fade."
 

Anya hmmphed as she sat down, glaring at the mark on her arm. "Stupid
human body" she muttered.
 

"So, what's the sitch?" Xander asked, looking at everyone.
 

"Nothing" Giles replied. "Things are actually quiet this evening."
 

"Quiet? Why is that not a good thing on the Hellmouth?" Buffy asked
dryly.
 

"Enjoy it" Riley said, yawning. His headache from the day before had
started to fade finally. "We can spend some time together without
patrol."
 

"I don't know...I've been around long enough to know that quiet around
Sunnydale is not of the good" Buffy said simply.
 

Willow nodded, "I second that one!"
 

"I suppose you should patrol anyway" Giles said, "But we don't need the
entire group."
 

"I can go. I have no plans, it being Saturday night and all and me being
well, single" Willow said, smiling at the two sets of lovebirds.
 

"Thanks Wills" Buffy said, smiling. "Are you sure?"
 

"Go...party and have fun and lots of smoochies" Willow said, seeing the
sudden grin on Riley's face.
 

"I'll go with her" Xander volunteered.
 

"I thought we were going out?" Anya asked, looking at him in surprise.
 

"We go out every night. Tonight, I want to fucking help. Is that ok with
you?" Xander asked, glaring at her.
 

She looked at him, her expression taken aback. She nodded, blinking as
she looked away, "Fine. Play hero. I don't give a fuck!"
 

Xander watched her leave, his face falling. "Wait! Anya...I'm sorry...I
don't...We can go out. Sorry, Will."
 

Willow shook her head, "Go after her. That was rather harsh."
 

"I'll go with the chit" Spike said, his voice startling the others. He
had been so quiet they had forgotten that he was there. "You two go make
those fish eyes somewhere out of my sight, got it?"
 

Buffy and Riley smiled at each other then looked at Giles. "Patrol is
covered. Are we excused?"
 

"Hmm?" Giles asked, glancing at them. "Oh. Patrol..Yes...uh, that's
fine."
 

Willow frowned at the lost look in the watcher's eyes. "You ok Giles?"
 

"Of course" he answered smiling. "Just seem to have misplaced my notes."
 

"Try underneath the phone" Spike suggested. He saw them look at him and
shrugged, "What? I lived with the guy for over a month...he always put
the damn pad under the phone."
 

"No need to be so defensive, vamp breath" Buffy said, standing. She
reached over to pull Riley to his feet, pulling hard. "Have you gained
weight?"
 

"No" he said, looking at her. "Why?"
 

"Nothing...must be tired" she said, winking at him. "So, what is on the
agenda for tonight?"
 

Riley shrugged, "Dunno. You decide."
 

Willow watched them leave before turning to Spike. "Guess that leaves
you and me."
 

"Whatever" he said scowling as he walked past her. "Let's get this done.
I have plans tonight."
 

"Of course you do....everyone does except me" Willow said to herself
making a nasty face at his back. She smiled innocently as he turned
around and glared at her. "Coming master."

FEAR AND LOVE (5/?)
 

Willow looked at Spike then back at the night sky. He was so quiet. It
was almost like patrolling alone. He always spoke more than this. What
was his problem? She heard a noise and froze, glancing to her left. "Did
you hear that?"
 

He glanced at her, momentarily struck by how beautiful she looked in the
moonlight. He frowned, glaring into the distance. "Hear what?"
 

She rolled her eyes as the sound got louder. "That!"
 

"Well, I'm not bleeding deaf, am I?." Spike said, exasperated with her.
"I heard it."
 

"Touchy touchy" Willow said, "I didn't realize vampires got PMS."
 

Spike frowned trying to place her insult. His eyes widened as he
sputtered, "Listen here Missy...I am not hormonally challenged!"
 

"Really? Could have fooled me!" She said back at him.
 

"Why you little bitch" he said, forgetting about the sound as he faced
her. "If I could, I'd rip your throat open and drink your blood!"
 

Willow snorted, "IF being the operative word."
 

Spike felt excitement go through him as he continued to argue with her.
He had never noticed how green her eyes would get when she was mad. Why
was she mad? Because he had been ignoring? He smiled suddenly, the
problem becoming obvious to him. She was tired of being ignored. "I'd
bathe in your blood, luv. As soon as this damn implant is removed, your
blood is mine."
 

"Get use to gumming people then, Spike. Cause that implant won't be
going anywhere" she retorted, a thrill going through her as they argued.
This was rather fun. He was intelligent and able to keep up his end of
the conversation easily. Sure beat patrolling in silence. Wait,
patrolling. She glanced around suddenly, "Did that thing leave?"
 

Spike paused in his tirade of threatening everyone she knew, "I don't
know...I forgot about it."
 

"I don't hear it" she said, peering into the darkness.
 

Spike glanced at her, surprised to find them so close together. He
caught his attention on her lips, swaying slightly. Suddenly, he caught
himself. He scowled and turned away from her, "Let's keep going. I'm
sure it was nothing."
 

Willow glanced at his back and stuck her tongue out at him. For a minute
there she had thought he was going to kiss her. Why did that thought
make her blood race? He was Spike. She shouldn't want to kiss him.
Sighing, she hurried to catch up to him.
 

**********

Buffy looked over at Riley and smiled. She stretched, the sheet clinging
to her nude body as she rolled closer to him. "You feeling better?"
 

He nodded, "Yeah...the headache is gone. Guess you're better than
aspirin."
 

"Thanks" she snorted, kissing him softly. "So, you hungry?"
 

He started to answer before stopping. A confused look crossed his face,
"Dunno. Are you?"
 

"You don't know if you're hungry?" Buffy said, smiling. "I could use
some grub. Want hamburgers? We could run down and pick up some to go."
 

"Whatever you want" Riley said, glancing at the window as he thought.
 

"Ok...You want me to run and grab them?" Buffy asked, moving to get
dressed. She took a deep breath as she paused while pulling her shirt
on. She steadied herself, gathering her energy before finishing the
task. "Damn...I think I may be getting sick. I feel tired."
 

"Maybe you should stay in bed." Riley said. "If you want to."
 

"You want to get the burgers?" Buffy asked, catching her breath.
 

He shrugged, "Whatever."
 

"Fine. You can pick them up. I want a combo number 1" Buffy said,
sitting in his desk chair.
 

He nodded, "Do I want a combo number 1, too?"
 

Buffy laughed, "I thought you usually got a number 3? With extra pickles
and onions."
 

"I do?" Riley said, "Yeah...that's right. I do. I'll be back soon."
 

Buffy nodded, putting her head in her hands as she leaned on the desk.
She was glad there was no school the next day. She was feeling very
tired.
 

Next