*~*~*~*~*~*

**All text surrounded by ~'s are Spike's thoughts to himself.

~*~Who was it that said warned people to be careful what they wished for?~*~

*~*ANSWERING YOURSELF?*~*

He paced his crypt angrily.

~Who the hell did she think she was anyway?  Who the hell did she bloody think she was talking to?  I am the Big Bad!  I am William the Fucking Bloody and just where did she get off treating me as if I were a second class citizen, if that?!  I hate her she hates me.  I help her she hates me.  I'd rather hate her and quit looking like such a bloody wanker.~

Spike decided that Buffy wasn't so great after all.

~Sure she was gorgeous, all full of long blond hair, big doe-y eyes and a tight little body to match, but she wasn't anything special.~

He scoffed at himself.

~She was the fucking slayer-bitch, that's who she was.  And it made her special.  Am I just poofing out?  Is it a sickness that comes to us all in its `due time'?  God, I hope to hell not.  I should bloody think about staking my own damn ass if that is becoming the case.~

Spike continued to pace his crypt.  He looked at his meager possessions.  He looked at how he lived.

~If you could call it living.  I sit here every day pacing this same small cramped crypt while others half my age are out killing the wealthy land owners.  Why don't I just do that?  No, you know what I need to do?  I need to get my pansy-ass in gear again.  I am the Big Bad.  I need to start acting like it again.  I need to get this bloody chip out.  I need to feed off of every single one of those do-gooder, "look, Mom, I'm helping a Slayer", Scoobies!~

He started to smile when he thought of feeding off of Buffy's friends.  It gave him a purpose.  Just like every day he sat and paced, wishing for his chip to come out, every day he planned every one of their deaths.

~.then Xander will wish he hadn't of given me the idea of him impaled by a fork.  Now Cordelia will be a little harder to kill.  I'll have to track the cheerleader all the way to LA but it'll be worth it. Maybe I'll even stick around to see the look on Angel the Poof's face when he finds her.  Maybe I'll off watcher number two for good measure.~

Darkness fell on Sunnydale and a vampire emerged from his crypt with a mission.  It was time to get this chip out.

*~*IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE*~*

He was sitting at home, alone, eating a TV dinner when there was a knock at the door.  He sighed.  It was a soft knock, which meant it was probably another government official asking him to inject this or remove that from one of their boys or girls.  He set down the TV macaroni and cheese and fish sticks dinner and went to the door.  It beat staying here alone.

He opened the door to the blond nightmare.  His eyes widened in panic as he realized who this was.  He hurriedly tried to shut the door in the face of the vampire, forgetting that vampires couldn't enter without his invite.  The door got stuck on a foot.  He looked at the foot in surprised and then looked up to see a very big, very angry looking man attached to it.  He didn't need an invite.  He stalked in and picked the doctor up by his shirt and nearly shouted in his face.

"Invite them in."

The doctor looked over to the pair in the hallway.  It was the same two.  Spike and Harmony.  Hostile 17, he was told after his encounter with him the first time.  He remembered back to when Spike and Harmony approached him about removing a chip that was lodged in Spike's head.  At the time he had been so nervous he wasn't sure he could remove it.  Since then he'd studied up on he procedure.  Every time he came upon a procedure he knew little about he studied up on it.  It kept him competitive.  It kept him in business for the government.

He remembered being watched, scrutinized while he worked.  He remembered the ditzy blonde making enough of a distraction for him to toss a coin in a bowl and proclaim the procedure a success.  He remembered the look on Spike's face when he realized he had been tricked.  It was the look that had haunted his nightmares ever since.  Somehow he knew that Spike would find him sooner or later. He was glad it was sooner, for some reason he was glad.

"Don't make me ask again."

Spike smiled from the doorway.

"Better do as the bloke asks, mate.  He's rather anxious to do his good deed for the day.  An authentic boy scout, he is.  After tonight he'll be an eternal boy scout; his payment for helping me.  See, I remember our last meeting didn't leave us parting on such good terms.  You remember doctor?"

Spike could see that the doctor did.  He could smell the fear from the doctor.  But finally he saw that the doctor had made up his mind.

"You are invited in," the doctor said.

Spike and Harmony piled into the room.  Harmony was holding her trusty crossbow.  The doctor nearly rolled his eyes, hoping the crossbow wouldn't go off in his apartment.  The big man set him down, none too gently.

"Wow, I would have thought you'd be holed up in a much nicer place. What kind of doctor are you that you can't afford a better place than this?" Harmony said with obvious distaste.  "Ew, is that." she peered closer to the couch.  "It is!  Polyester!  Spikey I wouldn't trust a poor doctor with your cute widdle head if I were you."  The sing song quality of her voice grated on Spike's nerves.  "I mean, really, if he was any good, he'd have many customers and could afford nice things."

"Patients," the doctor chimed in.  Harmony whirled on him and pointed the crossbow at him.

"Do not tell me to have patience.  I'll have you know, I'm a very patient person!" she said.

Spike fought to keep control of his voice as he spoke next.

"Harm?  Very kindly get that crossbow out of the face of the doctor who is suppose to operate on my head before it slips and goes off."

Harmony looked at the crossbow and then at the doctor and moved it so that it pointed upwards.

"Oops.  Sorry."  She gave an apologetic smile to the doctor and he was nearly astounded by her stupidity.

"I meant, they are called patients, not customers."

"Ooohhhh.  I gotcha now."  She smiled at him.  He was struck by how pretty she would be if she weren't already branded in his mind as a killer and an airhead.

Spike walked to the doctor slowly.

"Now, last time you didn't do me so good.  I made a deal with you, mate.  I trusted you."  His lips pushed out a little in his own sadistic smile, making his cheekbones jut out as he circled around the doctor and ended up nearly nose-to-nose with him.  "You let me down.  The deal was, you do me right and I let you live.  Here's the problem.  I have the chip in my head still and here you are.  Alive. For the moment."

The doctor started to sweat.  Part of him welcomed the fact that his life would finally be over, but then another part was so scared he would do anything to keep his life.  For what he wasn't sure, but he knew that enough of him wanted to live enough to do whatever Spike would ask of him.

"Now the way I see it is we can try again, this time with my mate," he flicks his head to the man with them, "watching you, and Harm," Spike glances at Harmony who was reapplying her make-up in one of the doctor's mirrors in his living room, "being Harm."  He sighed.  "Harm, you don't have a reflection."

She stopped, realizing the truth of this and gave Spike a dirty look to cover up her actions.

"I know that, I'm not stupid, Spike" She went back to the mirror and continued.

Spike decided not to make comment on that.  He looked back at the doctor again, leaning forward, making the doctor lean backwards.  "I want this chip out, doctor.  What is so hard about this bloody concept?"  Spike's eyebrows went up as if he actually expected an answer.

The doctor didn't know how to answer him, so he just said, "Nothing."

The doctor nearly passed out when he realized that was the right answer.  He was so relieved when Spike's reaction to the answer was to smile.

"Good, mate.  That's real good, because this time you will not live to tell the tale if this chip is not out, soon."  He emphasized the word `soon' by putting on his game face, his amber eyes boring into the doctor's scared ones as he pissed himself.

Spike looked at him in disgust.  "Go change.  Lad, you go with him and make sure he does as he's told."

The man with them followed and half-shoved the doctor to one of the back rooms.  The doctor quickly changed and prepared himself for what
was to come.

*~*BORN AGAIN KILLER*~*

Spike had never felt more alive than he did now.  His feelings rivaled that feeling of triumph the night he killed his first slayer.  He walked with a haughtier air than normal.  Harmony could feel the difference in him.  When Spike told Harmony to go home, she did gladly, wanting to be away from him for now.  She couldn't get the look on his face when he killed the man and the doctor out of her mind.  It was if he was experiencing sex for the first time.  The feel of another's skin, the smell of another body, close, touching. The feeling of the first orgasm ever felt as it rips through your body, leaving quiet chaos in its wake.  That was the look on Spike's face.  Followed by a growl so menacing, even she was spooked.  Yes,
she was glad to be leaving.

Spike watched Harmony's face scrunch up in confusion tinged with fear.  It wasn't a new sight for him.  Her normal state of being was confusion.  Spike had considered killing her along side the good doctor and their little helper, but for sentimental reasons, he let her be.  She was with him through the era of the chip, so he thought he owed it to her.

Spike smiled as he neared his crypt.  Today, he wouldn't just be abstractly thinking of the death of the Scoobies, but he'd be making actual plans.  He couldn't wait.  For once he looked forward to pacing his crypt all day long.

*~*LOOKING FOR SOMETHING IN RED*~*

Willow smiled absently to the students crowding the hallway of her dorm.  Normally she might stop and talk to some of the better-known occupants, but today she was in a hurry to reach the dorm to try out her new spell.  No trolls this time.  This time she was making sunlight.  She remembered Anya's smile when she purchased the ingredients and took them with her.  This time she wasn't going to have any interruptions.  Just her and her sun spell.  She wanted to surprise Tara with it when she got home.  The thought made her hurry even more as she fumbled to get the door open.

She entered her dark apartment and frowned.  The soft white lights that were hanging around the apartment were usually on so she could see.  She set her stuff down and went to flip on the light switch.

Suddenly the door was shut and she was grabbed and flung into the room.  The lights were flipped and she saw a very satisfied looking Spike in front of her.

Spike smiled at the witch as she looked up at him in shock.

"'Ello Red."

"Spike.  What the hell was that all about?  You ok?" her face etched into one of concern.  Spike looked at her blankly for a moment. Concern.  For him.

~What the hell is she doing?  Is she worried?  Does she think I can't take care of myself?  It the bloody chip.  She doesn't know I'm about to drain her of everything she has.  God, I wish this was Thanksgiving.  How ironic would that be?~

Spike smiled.

"I'm fine, pet.  I'd be more worried about myself if I were you. See, you looking at a changed man, Red."

"Changed?"  Something about his tone scared her.

"Changed.  As in, no more chip.  No more defenseless Spike.  No more "performance problems."

Her sudden look of fear made his chest swell.  Now, he was ready to reclaim his former place in the fear of people's hearts.

Spike used the opportunity of her stunned fear to pounce on her.  His face changed as his amber eyes rejoiced at the resignation in hers. She knew this was her end.

"Now where were we?"  He plunged down to her neck; only the moment seemed to go in slow motion for him.  He remembered the way she tried
to comfort him after he couldn't bite her the first time.  He remembered the way she looked out for him when he tried to stake himself.  He remembered her concern for him that lasted all the way up to about five minutes ago.

His face nestled next to her neck he realized he didn't want to kill her.

After a moment, Willow opened her eyes.

"See, I knew it was me."

She sounded so disgusted with herself that Spike actually had to laugh.  He couldn't bite her and she was blaming herself.

~Wouldn't, not couldn't.  Get it straight.~

Spike leaned up a bit and his game face melted away.

"You're something else, Red."  His smile was still on his face as he brought his head down hard onto hers, knocking her out.

*~*HOW TO KILL A SCOOBIE TAKE TWO!*~*

Spike smiled to himself as he waited in the ally next to the apartments.  He hid in a darkened corner and waited for Xander.

~This one I can definitely sink my teeth into.  I remember when he tempted me while tying me up in that soddy chair.  "I happen to be very biteable pal. I'm moist and delicious."  We'll see about that.~

Xander sighed as he walked home from the Magic Box.

"Xander go do this, Xander go fetch that.  What the hell am I?  The mascot for the Scoobies?"  he grumbled.  It seemed every time they needed anything they would send him to go get it.  Right now he was after some book that Anya took home to read to bring it back to the Magic Box.  He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he neared the apartment complex.  Next time they needed something he should just tell them no.  That's it, he should tell them.

Xander's thoughts were interrupted when he was suddenly tackled, dragged into the ally, and wrestled down to the ground.  He didn't even have a chance as he was taken down.  His hands were still stuck in his pockets.  Obviously someone with superior strength to his.  Or just one desperately sorry vampire.

"Spike, get the hell off of me before I."

"Before you what, ducks?"  He leaned down and whispered in his ear.  "No chip.  No protection.  What will you do?"

The realization that the chip had not activated when he was roughly tossed to the ground made Xander start to sweat.  This was not of the good.  He could not even begin to list the many levels of bad that this fell under.  But he'd be willing to try if Spike would let him.

"Get the hell off of me.  Buffy is going to go freakazoid on your ass if she finds out you've even marked me a little!"

"Because she cares so much about you, Xander?  Right.  I know.  Leave you be or else.  I'm just not in the mood for `or else' tonight. I've been swallowing that dish far too long, pet."

Xander started to wonder what he was going to do.  Anya was at the Magic Box still and he had no way out of this.  His struggled only showed him how efficiently Spike had him pinned.  This late at night, yelling would probably attract more vampires than help.

"I'm about to find out how `nummy' a treat you are.  I've waited for this moment for a long time.  Spent many days dreaming about it."

"Sadly enough, you are the only person to date who has said those words to me about me.  So first you show me how pathetic I am and then you kill me.  Great plan."

Spike chuckled.  He always did have a quick wit that Spike found himself being drawn to.  It was comforting in a way that even with the chip out, there was one person who just had to try and out with him.

Spike shook his head.

~What the hell am I doing?  I got the whelp where I want him.  Just fucking drain him already and let's move on.  Does every moment gotta be a Kodac moment?  No!  Just quick, to the point, and make sure it leaves a message for the Slayer.  The Big Bad is back and ready for action.~

Spike wet his lips in anticipation.

"Uh.could you just eat me already?  I'm kinda on a busy schedule here, and laying under you while you try to remember how to do this is really messing with my world here."

Spike growled and stood up, picking Xander up by the shirt and tossing him against a wall.  He looked at Xander in disbelief as he thought back to all the times he and Xander hung out in the Bronze. Well, `hung out' was kind of an exaggeration of the situations, but Spike still benefited from his wit and he kinda liked the verbal sparing.

~For fuck's sake!  I can't kill him either.  What the fucking bloody hell is wrong with me?  I can almost taste this awful peach flavored residue in my mouth as I start to poof out.  Oh God, please.  Just, let me kill one of them.  Giles.  Giles!  I could kill Giles!~

Spike leaned down and picked Xander up and punched him hard across the face, knocking him unconscious.  He dragged him back deeper into the ally to keep him safer from unknown dangers and left him there. He briefly thought of waiting for Anya to try and kill her, but he kind of liked her.  She did used to be a demon after all.  How bad could she be?

*~*THIRD TIMES THE CHARM*~*

Giles sat in his comfortable easy chair and swallowed the last of the scotch in his glass.  He felt a momentary loss until he remembered the newly opened fresh bottle of scotch in his other hand.  He was glad he finished that last bottle.  He'd been looking forward to opening a new one.  He sighed.  This is his life's excitement. Opening a new bottle of scotch.

Lately Giles had been unable to find his worth.  It was really tearing him apart, but he knew the others in the group did more than he.  They were always so nice, though, and offered him praise and credit for whatever big thing they defeated.  He poured another drink and shot it back.

He thought back to England.  Returning there, even if only for three days, felt like a homecoming to him.  Perhaps it was time he went back.  He had been seriously considering it before.  But when Buffy looked at him and told him she needed him, he put the idea away.  But even being Buffy's semi-watcher was starting to feel empty for him. Lately the only thing that seemed to fill him was scotch.

His thoughts were interrupted by the front door being kicked in. Giles stood quickly.

"Bloody everlasting hell, man, what do you want?"  Giles slurred his words a little, but he knew Spike had caught the drift.

Spike walked in and closed the door behind him.

Or not.

"Spike, I am not in the mood for you this evening.  Please leave and come back to harass me tomorrow, ok?"  Giles waved him away with the hand that held the bottle of the scotch, which helped none when it sloshed out of the bottle and on to him.  Giles cursed softly to himself.

"Watcher, I'm about to have the most fun I've had in a long time, and you get to be the main event."  Spike smiled.

Giles looked up at him and tried to focus his eyes.  He had really drunk too much scotch to do this tonight.  Besides, how much harm could Spike be?

"I bet you're wondering `what does he hope to accomplish here?'  Or maybe you're wondering `how much damage could Spike do, being neutered and all.'"

"Well, yes actually.  I was."  Giles took another swig of his scotch.

Spike's face went dangerous as his demon face stared at Giles.

"I'm not so helpless anymore, Giles.  I'm a new bloke."  He rushed Giles, knocking him back in his chair, making him drop the bottle and glass of scotch.

"Hey!  That's a good bottle yet!"  Spike picked up the bottle of scotch and drank some from the bottle.  Giles had a faint look of disgust on his face.  "Of which I'll never drink from again."

Spike laughed a little as he tossed the bottle away.

~I've waited for this for a long time.  I will definitely not have any problem killing a watcher.  Watchers are nearly as bad as slayers.  They train the slayers.  They practically put my picture on display and teach them my vulnerable points.  Well, one less watcher in the world will hurt no one.~

Spike straddled Giles' lap and Giles immediately tried to shove him off.  There was no strength in the watcher's arms.  Alcohol had made all his limbs seem like liquid.

"What's wrong, Rup?  Can't fight me off?  Come on, now.  Fight. No?"  He smiled his dangerous smile, showing off his assortment of teeth.  "How about I let you in on a little secret."  Spike's hand shot out to Giles' neck and started to squeeze, painfully.  "No more chip.  No more helpless Spike."

Giles' eyes bulged out as he saw the truth of Spike's words.  He could feel his breath being cut off by the strong hand at his throat, and no pain was registering in Spike at all.

Spike laughed and his eyes were suddenly drawn to a small table next to the chair where an empty box of Wheetabix lay.  Spike's laughter ceased, and his forehead creased even more.  He remembered fondly back on when he told Giles what he used the Wheetabix for.

~Sissy.  That's what he is, a sissy.  A sissy who let me stay here when I needed a place.  A sissy who helped to make sure I was fed when I couldn't feed myself.  A sissy who helped get that bloody tracking device out of my back when the Initiative was chasing my ass around.  What the hell is happening to me?  Am I just a sentimental fool?  Or just a fool in general?~

Spike's hold loosened on the watcher's throat and Giles gasped for the much needed air.  Spike watched his purple-y complexion go back to white, letting his mask drop in much the same gradual manner.

"I just don't get it.  I killed that bloke and the doctor without a moment's hesitation.  No worry, no fuss, no muss.  Well.a little muss."  Spike smiled.  "Tonight I've tried to kill you, Red, and the Whelp.  Nothing."  His smile was gone, replaced by a look of thoughtfulness as he tried to reason away his problem.

"Spike?"

Spike's blue eyes flashed to Giles.

"I should think that perhaps you have just grown fond of us and are acting upon those fond feelings.  I am sure you are still demonish, you just have some sense of loyalty."

"Demonish.  Deamon-ish?  I am the Big Bad!  I am the fucking premiere demon!"  Spike looked indignant.

"Right.  Of course.  Could I bother you to get off of my lap?  This is awfully uncomfortable."

Spike growled and got close into Giles' face.

"I'm not that fond of you that I couldn't rip your fucking throat out, Rupert.  Don't patronize me.  I'm not a bloody poof, I'm just saving myself."

~That right.  He isn't even a real watcher anymore anyway.  It isn't like this lush is of any danger to him.  All weak and rather girly in his attempts to get away from me.  But the Slayer.  Now there is the main course.  I've been waiting far too long to kill Buffy to let anything as fucking stupid as sentimental feelings get in the way. Besides, I can't think of a single good thing about that bitch at the moment.  I'll make her regret the day she said I was beneath her. I'll make her wish I were.~

Spike's glare turned to a look of amusement as he realized Giles had passed out and was snoring softly.  Bloody lush drank like pansy.

*~*TO KILL A SLAYER*~*

Buffy sighed as she patrolled the cemetery.  No action tonight.  Some would think that was a good thing.  And she did.  Yeah.  A good thing.  Well, it was better to be bored than face the end of the world.  A shadow caught her attention and she raised her stake in anticipation.  Perhaps tonight wasn't as dead as she thought.

The shadow walked toward her slowly and finally she lowered the stake.  Looks like she was wrong.

"Spike, what are you doing here?"

"It's a cemetery, Buffy.  I live here.  What about you?"

She looked at him closer.  He was acting strange.  He stayed where he was, not trying to advance as his eyes nearly gleamed.

"It's a cemetery, Spike.  I slay here."

Spike grinned at her and reached in his pocket.  Something about the way he was acting and moving was creeping her out.  Maybe it was just the night.  No action tends to put her on the edge.  She watched him pull out a small container about the size of a roll of camera film. It was clear glass and she could see a little something in it.  She couldn't make out what it was from this distance though.  Spike tossed the container at her and she caught it easily, giving him another odd look before examining the contents.

Buffy looked at the shiny metal piece in the container.  At first she wasn't sure what this meant until she realized what it was.  Spike's chip.  Her eyes shot back up to his and then she nodded.  Here she thought she wasn't getting any action tonight.  Now she knew she was facing an epic fight.  To the death.

~Look at her.  Now she has it.  Now she understands.  This is what I should have done before.  Show them the chip is out.  Make them want to fight me.  Can't bloody well back out of a fight that the other person is in.  Tonight the slayer dies and I will just add another notch to my belt.  Tomorrow will be the dawning of a new day for Sunnydale.  The day it becomes Slayer-free.~

Spike's smile faded and he quickly shed his duster.  Buffy tossed the container back at him and he caught it, replacing it in his duster pocket before taking a few steps away from the headstone.

"Congratulations.  You've just been put on the endangered species list.  Lets go for extinction, shall we?"

"You can try, but you won't be any more successful than your friends were."  He smiled an evil smile as he took in her look of shock and then extreme anger.  He knew that she thought he had killed them.  He preferred it that way.

~What's the harm?  She'll be dead before the nights up.~

Buffy took a fighting stance.  She tried not to think of Willow, Xander and Giles.  She tried not to think of their deaths and tried to focus on the beast in front of her who killed them.  If it was the last thing she ever did, she was going to make him pay.  She should have killed him when she had the chance.  Guilt spread throughout her like wildfire.  Anyone could have killed him yesterday or the day before or countless days before.  But it was her responsibility and she got squeamish and failed.  She should have known that he'd eventually find a way out of his predicament and come for them.  She should have known that their newfound comfort levels would weaken them all around him.

Spike watched her, circled around her as she stayed where she was, only turning to face him at all times.  He could see the guilt in her eyes.  He could see her weakening in her resolve to live.  He could nearly taste the hatred.  It was intoxicating.  He knew he was going to kill a slayer tonight, and he was ready.  He had been ready for this ever since he learned of a slayer.  He killed two, and tonight it was her turn.

Buffy suddenly sprung to life, jumping high into the air and doing a perfect spiral bringing her leg up to connect with what would have been his head if he hadn't of ducked, nearly too late.  Spike charged her as soon as her feet touched ground and Buffy dropped to the ground a split second faster bringing her feet up to his chest and propelling him over her head, flipping him on his back.  She flipped up to her feet and turned to face him only to find him gone.  She darted her head from left to right and turned around.  Nothing.  She turned again to see if she could find him and he swung out of a tree planting his heavy boots into her chest and knocking her back on her back.  He let go of the tree and stood at her feet, glowering triumphantly over her.  She shook her head as he did a superman pose and kicked his feet out from under him.  Spike growled and got into game face, snarling as he quickly got up and lunged for her.  Buffy easily dodged him, letting his anger get the better of him and become
her ally.

This wasn't working, Spike realized.  He stopped.  He turned to Buffy and started to laugh, manically.  Buffy waited.

"You know this is funny.  What are you fighting for Buffy?"  He took a swing at her and she ducked it returning the favor.  He easily knocked her hand away and shoved her to the ground.  She quickly scrambled onto her feet.  "For Willow?  Xander?  Giles?"  He smiled.  "They're dead.  Face it.  You have no more friends here. The Scoobies are gone.  After you it'll be a mere few loose ends before I've wiped any trace of you off of the face of this miserable little town.  If it's any conciliation, they died well.  All brave faced and threatening me.  Even as I had Xander pinned down he threw threats of his Slayer friend at me.  They all trusted you to come save the day, Buffy and you failed."

Buffy angrily charged at him and Spike easily moved from her.  This was a game he could play.  He watched as she angrily advanced on him,
punching, kicking, doing everything to try to knock him down, but he was easily deflecting her blows, which made her more upset and more
distracted.

Spike smiled haughtily and Buffy got in a lucky punch, knocking the smile right off of his face and knocking him to the ground with the force of her punch.  Buffy paused.  She blinked.  She wasn't looking at Spike anymore, but at Willow.  Relief flooded her face.

Spike looked to where Buffy was looking and saw Willow.  His face showed the `oh shit' look he had.  He got to his feet, feeling punch-drunk from that last one.  Buffy, not even looking at him easily pushed him back down before he was stable.  Then she looked down at him.

"You didn't kill them."

"Well, not technically, but I tried!"  His indignant tone made her brows furrow.

"Why?"

His eyes widen.

"Are you people deaf or just bloody idiots?  I'm fucking evil, Buffy.  I have been ever since you've known me.  I haven't changed, you have.  What the hell did you think?"

Buffy just stared at him.

"No, brainless, I meant why didn't you kill them?"

Spike wasn't expecting that question.

"Did you want them dead?  If you did I could arrange that for you."

"Could you?  Somehow I'm beginning to think you can't.  You've grown soft on them haven't you?"

"No!"  Spike looked at her like she had lost her fucking marbles. Then his look turned guiltier.  "I just didn't feel like killing them."

Buffy's eyes went wide with surprise and her tone was one of amusement.

"You couldn't kill them.  You liked them too much to kill them.  Well now Spike, there's a little bit of sentiment in you after all."

Spike growled.

"Don't rub it in."

Buffy looked at him curiously.

"You knew that if you tried to surprise me with the chip thing that you might back out of this fight too, huh?  You had to let me know about the chip and then prove you were a danger by trying to tell me you killed my friends.  That's why you lied."

"No I lied because I wanted to piss you off enough to lose the fight.  And I was doing just grand until Red, here showed up."

Willow reached them and smiled at Buffy and then turned a glare to Spike.

"You gave me a headache.  And a lump.  Feel."  She grabbed his hand and brought it to her forehead.

"I don't feel."

"You did!  There is definitely lumpage forming."  She dropped her hand and shoved him, not making him really move too far away, but surprising him.  She knew the chip was out and she still was treating him like.like a friend she was mad at.

"Oh bloody hell, Red, I'm sorry."  He looked pissed at himself and Buffy burst out laughing.

"This isn't funny, damn you!"  Buffy just laughed harder as she started to walk away from Spike.

Now Spike looked a little confused.

"You're leaving?  You aren't even going to try and kill me?"

Buffy turned around.

"Look, its obvious you aren't going to hurt my friends or me, so I'm not worried.  You stay out of my way and I'll stay out of yours. Just be careful, because if you start playing for the other side again, expect a slayer to come for you."  With that she left.

Spike watched her go and then looked at Willow.

"You aren't going all fang-y and evil again are you?"  Willow's previous anger was gone and Spike glowered.

"What I should do is finish the fucking job I set out to do when I went to stake myself.  Not only am I not going to kill you and your friends, or the slayer, but also now I don't even have the chip as an excuse anymore.  How more pathetic could I get?"

"Look, I've had about enough of your whining."  Spike's eyes shot to Willow in complete surprise.  He recovered quickly though.

"Oh good form, Willow.  I ask how pathetic I could get and you answer by calling me a whiner.  Nice to know a man can count on you for answers."

"Oh shut up, Spike.  The only reason I'm still talking to you is because I know how you feel about us and because you didn't kill us."

Spike wanted to point out that had he killed her.that would be the reason she wasn't talking to him, but he wisely shut up.

"You know, you whine about that stupid chip, but you should have known that anything that can be added can be subtracted.  We all knew
there  would come a day when you got the chip out.  Even you had to know there was going to be a moment when you did.  Did you ever stop
to think the chip could be a good thing?"  She folded her arms and stared at him, obviously expecting an answer.

"No."

"That's the trouble with you Spike.  How many other vampires do you know of who had to have a chip put in them to tame them?  Huh?"

"Well, there were others in the cages."

"How many of them with chips?"

"How the hell should I know?"

"How would you like to bet that you were the only vampire with a chip like that in your head?"

Spike just looked at her, not sure where this was going.

Willow sighed.

"How come I'm the only one who can see that this makes you seem scarier?"

Spike's puzzlement was clear.

"So let me get this straight, Red.  You were scared of me more when I had the chip in?  Is that why you and your friends felt safe enough to invite me in, fall asleep, and come to visit?  Because I was scary?  I'm not buying it, Red."

"No, dummy, because you required a chip.  I mean think about it!  You were so scary and so much of a threat that the Initiative saw fit to equip you with a chip to render you helpless in order to kill you. How many other vampires are so notorious and so frightful that people need to medically alter them?"

Spike stared at her, his face thoughtful.

~She may just have something there.  I was chosen because of how powerful and dangerous I was.I mean am.  That's why they put a chip in my bloody head. Because I'm the Big Bad.  Fuck, yeah!~

Finally seeming satisfied with that answer Spike smiled at Willow.

"So, Red, I don't suppose you'll let the Big Bad Vampire walk you home, will you?"

Willow smiled.

"Do you think you can behave yourself long enough?"

"Nope."

"Lead on then."

They walked off together.  Friends.  How the hell he got friends, Spike would never know.  But he had them, and that was what was important.
 

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