"A Lighter Shade of Darkness"

By Cindell T.

Chapter 2

********

Buffy walked into the Magic Box, prepared for battle. She had no illusions that it would be difficult, at best, to get everyone on her side about Spike. Dawn would be easy; she liked Spike, and trusted him when no one else did. His not having the chip wouldn't affect her opinion too much.

The rest of them though, especially Xander, would be hard to win over. She marched up to the table where they were all sitting. "Guys, I'm glad you're all here. I've got some really, really big news you are not going to believe."

Anya spoke up in her usual blunt way. "Is it about Spike losing his chip?"

Buffy froze and frowned at everyone. "Ok, maybe not so big news."

Tara smiled as Buffy sat next to her. "Anya was eavesdropping when Giles got the call."

"Was not." Anya replied defensively. "I just happened to be standing where he couldn't see me, but close enough for his loud voice to be heard clearly."

Buffy blinked at her, "And that's different from eavesdropping… how?"

Anya was at a loss for words. Unaccustomed to that situation, she looked down at her hands. "It just is."

Xander suddenly spoke. "Ok, let's stick to the crisis with the most danger of getting us all killed; Spike is chipless. Ergo, I say we all grab some weapons, spread out over the city, and hunt him down. Who's with me?"

"No one is hunting him down." Buffy stated firmly.

"You're right, spreading out would make us too easy a target. Will, you got some kind of vampire-calling spell…?"

"I said no one is hunting him down, period. He's not a danger to us."

Xander looked at her disbelievingly. "Not a danger? Buffy, we're talking about Spike. The same Spike that tried to kill you numerous times, tried to kill Willow even when he was chipped…"

"The same Spike who let Glory torture him till he was nearly dead, rather than give up Dawn. I know who we're talking about."

Xander sighed. "Look, I know he's been there for us lately, believe me, I get this. But you're ignoring one crucial detail… He's a vampire. Without the chip, there's nothing holding him back."

"There's us holding him back." Dawn had been silent for as long as she could. "Spike may be a vampire, but he cares about us now… all of us." She looked around at each of them. "He told me so himself. And Spike always protects the people he cares about. He won't hurt us now." She stood up and grabbed her book bag off the table. "I'm tired, let's go home Buffy."

"That's it?" Xander still wasn't convinced. "'Let's go home'? Dawn, home is the last place you should be. He has an open invite, he could sneak in while you slept…"

"No he won't!" Dawn surprised them all. "Spike is not gonna hurt anyone…so just… just drop it!" She ran from the store and after a scolding look at Xander, Buffy followed her out.

Xander looked around guiltily. "She'll be fine. She's just mad. I'm right though. I am." Xander looked down, feeling terrible. Anya patted his hand tenderly and they shared a comforting look.

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

"Dawn wait!" Buffy ran to catch up to her sister.

Dawn turned and glared at Buffy. "Why? Why did they have to do that to him? Hasn't he suffered enough? Now everybody's going to be trying to stake him… and… and he hasn't even done anything wrong. Why can't they just leave him alone?" She looked angrier than Buffy had seen her in a long time.

"No one's going to stake him. I promise." And she meant it too. As far as Buffy was concerned nothing had changed. She trusted Spike with everything she had, and she knew the depths of his love for both of them. It might not be easy, but Buffy was sure he would find a way to keep his demon in check even without the chip.

"He wouldn't do it. He'd never do it no matter what they say." Dawn crossed her arms and stared at the ground.

"I know." Buffy put her arm gently over her sisters shoulder and guided her back to the car. "It's getting late. Let's go home and we can talk more in the morning."

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

Tara and Willow returned home, both silent in thought. It had been a strange night for them. They had watched the Buffy/Xander argument without saying a word. For Tara that was the norm, but for Willow to not say anything to support Buffy was strange. Tara plopped her bag in a chair and approached Willow, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Willow jumped and spun around, then relaxed and gave Tara an embarrassed smile. "Sorry, I'm a bit jumpy tonight. Guess that whole 'Spike can bite you for real' idea has me kinda wigged."

"Not a problem. I understand. Want me to draw you a hot bath?" She smiled affectionately at her.

"Yea. Actually that sounds really good." Willow nodded.

Tara did as she promised, adding bubbles to the water and lighting several candles as well. She offered to join her lover, but Willow explained that she wanted to meditate and told her, "Maybe after dinner." Tara smiled understandingly and went to the kitchen to prepare their meal.

Willow entered the bathroom and immediately gave a deep sigh. The room was very cozy and she could feel the tension start to leave. She closed the door and began to undress. Removing her earrings and necklace, she opened one of several jewelry boxes the girls owned. Resting in the bottom was the decorative gold amulet she had tried to use in a levitation exercise so long ago. Willow picked it up gently and looked it over, an urgent memory trying to resurface. She slowly lowered it to the counter and looked in the mirror.

Her reflection looked back at her, with two black voids where her usually bright eyes should be. "The time has come so soon?" her reflection asked.

"Yes." Willow's body answered. "An unforeseen event has occurred to clear the path. I need only a few days time to weaken her support."

"You can be sure of this?" The surprised reflection replied.

"The witch is sure of it." The dark spirit hiding in Willow's body was growing impatient with its counterpart's questions and it showed in Willow's voice. "Without the vampire the Slayer will fall. And when that happens..." An evil smile crossed Willow's lips. "…the witch will be without her greatest allies."

"Without two of her greatest allies." The reflection corrected. "What of the others, the younger witch in particular?"

Willow sighed and explained in a voice one would use with a small child, "The Slayer is the keystone of the group, the vampire her counterpart. Without them the others will be too weak to resist. We will have little opposition to our goal. Tell them to prepare, I will signal them soon."

The reflection nodded and its eyes returned to normal.

Willow blinked once then resumed undressing, unaware that anything was wrong.

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

To say it was hard getting through the day was a huge understatement. As hard as she tried to concentrate, Buffy's mind kept wandering to Spike. Xander had been so sure Spike would kill again and Dawn had been just as sure he wouldn't. As much as she hated to admit it, Buffy found herself somewhere in the middle. She knew she trusted Spike, the chipped Spike. But without that guarantee she had to admit she was a little nervous about patrolling with him tonight.

When the sun finally went down she found herself approaching his crypt with butterflies in her stomach. She stopped just outside the door, trying to decide the best way to handle the situation. After a few moments running through the possibilities, she decided the "nothing happened" approach would be the easiest. As she pushed the heavy crypt door open, she forced a smile and the back of her mind warned her to keep alert; just in case.

The crypt was nearly completely dark. The only light, that of the half full moon, filtering dimly through one dirty window. "Spike?" she called softly. There was no answer as she stepped slowly into the room. The trap door leading down to the lower level was open and Buffy slowly walked toward it, her nerves on edge.

The voice behind her made her jump and spin, ready for a fight. "I'm right here." Spike was sitting on the floor against the wall of the crypt. Buffy knew this because of the two yellow eyes that glowed back at her.

"What are you doing sitting in the dark? You nearly gave me a heart attack." Buffy took a step towards him.

"Just waiting for you, luv." He rose and stepped into the ray of moonlight. His face was human looking and Buffy stared up into his deep blue eyes.

"Well I'm here, so let's get going." She started for the door but Spike reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her back.

"Don't think that's such a good idea." He looked into her eyes; sorrow twisting his undead heart. Just when he found her he was losing her again. The thought fueled his anger and for an instant his eyes sparked yellow.

Buffy was mesmerized as his eyes changed from despair to fury to resignation. He had always had expressive eyes, but now they were so clear, so alive, as if some intangible element had been missing before and was now back. She frowned as his words finally registered. "What? What do you mean, not a good idea?"

"I'm not going on patrol with you." He let go of her arm and walked over to his TV watching chair. Picking up the worn duffle bag, he turned back to her.

She looked at the bag then back at him. Realization swept over her face. "You're leaving? No. You are so not leaving. You can't; I need you." Even a few months ago she would have struggled to say that to him, although it was as true then as now. She had spent so much time denying his love, denying her own feelings, she made a promise to herself she wouldn't hold back anymore.

"You need someone I can no longer be. Without the chip, I'm just too dangerous. I can't control it, can't deny what I am. I'm a vampire, sooner or later…" He looked at her tenderly, realizing that even now he was hurting her. "Giles was right; I would try to kill you." He smiled a bittersweet smile and took a step toward the door.

Buffy blocked his path and gazed up at him determinedly. "What happened?" She wasn't about to lose him without a fight.

"Nothing happened." He looked away from her.

"Don't lie Spike, do what you're good at. Tell me the truth I don't want to hear."

His head snapped up and he glared at her. "You want the truth? Fine. The truth is I'm a killer. Last night I came across a girl who had been attacked. She was covered in blood." His eyes glowed yellow and he stopped to take in a large breath, remembering that night. "It was glorious, the blood, the fear; I reveled in it. Enjoyed it. Wanted to take her and drain every last wonderful drop of blood from her body."

Buffy refused to let his words disgust her. She stared back at him, her eyes never wavering. "But you didn't."

It wasn't a question. Spike looked in her eyes and realized she knew. She wasn't asking him if he did, she was telling him she knew he didn't. Baffled he replied, "No. But I wanted to."

"But you didn't." Buffy repeated firmly. "Don't you see Spike? It doesn't matter how much you wanted to. People want things everyday that they shouldn't have. What matters is that in the end you didn't do it. You controlled yourself." She took the bag from his hand, and put it back on the chair. She walked back up to him all business. "On the way over, Giles warned me that he'd heard about a vamp nest down by the docks. I'm taking them out tonight, and you're going to help."

He knew that look. It was her 'don't even try to argue 'cause I'm not taking no for an answer' look. Both he and the Scoobies had learned a long time ago that there was no defense against it. The battle was lost. Spike frowned at her and shook his head. "You are bloody stubborn, you know that Slayer?"

"And you wouldn't have me any other way." She gave him a quick light kiss on the lips. "Now let's go."

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

Bane~ "That which destroys life, which is poisonous, destructive, evil, dangerous."

***

There was always sound at the docks, the cry of a seagull, the whispering caress of waves against the pier, the clang of rigging against a mast. It was a constant symphony many found relaxing and peaceful. Tonight there was only silence. It was as if the entire area was holding its breath, aware that something was about to happen.

Buffy hardly ever went to the docks, vampires usually nested closer to town. But this group was different; they were here on a mission. The leader of the group was fairly big, and very old, even for a vampire. He had volunteered to lead this group of seven against the Slayer, knowing full well he might pay for failure with his life.

He had been instructed not to take his mission lightly. This was no ordinary Slayer. Not only had she cheated death and managed to live far longer than any before her, but she had managed to recruit one of their own to help in her battles. The vampire Spike was well known as having been one of the baddest vampires that ever walked. He was also known as a traitor.

The leader of this group knew him as a former friend. They shared the same passion for the unknown, the fight they weren't sure they'd win. When they first met it had been in one such fight. They had barely managed to survive it, and when it was all over they were both flying high off the experience. They decided they made a good team and spent 20 years spreading mayhem and fear through Italy.

But that was lifetimes ago. Now, as he looked out the warehouse window at the moonlit waters, Bane told himself that he would enjoy killing the vampire who allied himself with the Slayer. He turned his head slightly as one of his scouts approached and whispered to him. "They're here."

Bane nodded and his scout left him. After another moment gazing at the waters, he turned to the others who were sitting behind him, chatting about battles past. One by one, they noticed their leader's gaze and slowly stood and gathered around him.

"This is what you have trained for. Remember your mission; kill the Slayer if you can, but Spike will not leave in one piece. Go." They quickly spread out and disappeared into the darkness to wait for their prey to enter the empty warehouse.

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

Buffy and Spike had no idea what was waiting for them in the shadows of the building. To them this was just another vampire nest in a long string of nests they had defeated. Sure, it was in an unusual area of town, but that didn't mean anything. As Buffy walked confidently up to the door, she began to frown. By the time her hand was on the doorknob, she was no longer sure of herself. Something didn't feel right. She turned and whispered behind her, "Spike?"

"Yea, luv, I feel it too." There was something going on but he couldn't tell what. All he knew was the demon within him was screaming to be let out.

Buffy opened the door and stepped inside, her Slayer senses tingling. In the center of the huge room were six empty chairs surrounding a table lit by a single floor lamp. All the windows had were blacked out, but on her left, the moonlight streamed through a single clear window, and lit up a man sitting with his back to her in an oversized chair. The rest of the area was pitch black, but her senses were screaming that the darkness held danger.

She turned toward the man in the chair, keeping part of her awareness open to the vast area around her. She knew she could handle herself under most normal circumstances. This, however, suddenly did not feel normal. She was glad Spike was with her and drew from his presence to give her voice a confident edge she didn't quite feel. "So where's all your buddies? Did they hear I was coming and hightail it out of here… 'cause I'm thinking that's a pretty smart idea, one you should have thought of."

She continued her slow approach, and though she couldn't see his face yet, his voice betrayed a smile. "Oh, they're around, don't worry your pretty little head 'bout that."

The moment he heard the vampire's voice, Spike knew they were in big trouble. His mind flashed back to several of their adventures together and his demon smiled at the delightful memories. "Bane?" Spike stepped around Buffy and as he did pointed to his back. She immediately understood the message and spun to keep an eye on the darkness. Whoever Bane was, Buffy knew Spike wanted him to himself.

The man slowly stood and turned to face Spike. "You remember?"

"Course I remember, mate." Spike tried to keep his voice and attitude casual, at least till he could find out what his old buddy was up to. "I never forget my friends."

Bane chuckled in distain. "Friend? Is that how you think of me? I'd love to hear your definition of friend in that case. 'Cause last time I checked… friends didn't betray each other."

"I never betrayed you." Spike said firmly.

"Not when we were together, no. But you've betrayed our kind by allying yourself with the Slayer. And that means you've betrayed me as well. And that means… we are no longer friends." His demon face came forward, eyes glowing yellowy gold, the bridge of his nose and brow extending, and teeth becoming long and jagged.

Spike braced himself for an attack and allowed his own demon to show. "Alright. Let's do this." He closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye.

Buffy heard them roar behind her and as she turned to see, a vampire jumped out of the darkness at her. Her head spun back around, but not fast enough to see the fist aimed at her nose. As her head snapped back and she stumbled, she grabbed her stake from its place, wedged in the back of her jeans.

She glared at the smiling vampire. "You'd better savor that memory, 'cause it won't happen again." As she took a step toward him, she sensed movement behind her. She instantly changed her forward momentum into a backward roll as the vampire leapt off the table behind her and missed her completely, instead taking out the one she had been facing.

As he turned to glare at her, she rose to her feet and smiled back. "Nice work. Sure you're not on my side?"

He spun toward her, fury enhancing his features. "That's it. Guys…" he called to the shadows behind him, "we're taking her out now!" Suddenly Buffy found herself in the center of a vampire storm. They were coming at her from all directions and she was struggling to save her own life.

Spike heard the commotion behind him but he had his hands full. Bane was much older than he was, and stronger as well. Spike was using every trick in the book to keep him from getting the upper hand. Finally, Bane managed to get behind him and grabbed his head in a vice-like grip.

"Well, Spike. I must say I'm quite impressed. You put in a good show. I was starting to wonder if I'd really be able to take you after all." Spike thrashed slightly and tried to elbow him. "Now none of that." Bane warned, tightening his grip. "Wouldn't want me to twist your head off before we've had a chance to chat."

Spike relaxed a bit. "Chat 'bout what?"

Bane pushed him towards the center of the room where Buffy was putting in, what was literally, the fight of her life. Spike took one look at the odds against her and became very still. His head lowered slightly and the yellow eyes of his demon glared at her. She was absolutely stunning, a vision of movement and light. He smiled at her deadly beauty.

Bane misinterpreted this and relaxed his grip on Spike ever so slightly. "You see it don't you? She is going down tonight. You were supposed to die with her but… I might be persuaded to let you go, if you can convince me that you no longer care for her safety."

Spike leaned slightly forward and licked his lips, as one of the vampires she was fighting landed a blow to her chin, causing blood to spray from her cut lip.

Spike growled low in his throat and breathed in the scent of her fear. An evil smile spread across his face as her kicks and punches became noticeably slower and more sloppy.

Bane saw his reaction and looked up to enjoy the battle himself. In that instant Spike grabbed Bane's arm and spun, twisting it behind him. Quickly pulling a stake out of his coat, he buried it deep in his former friends' chest.

As their leader's dust settled to the floor, all but one charged Spike. The one that stayed found himself hard pressed to defeat the tired Slayer. She had seen Spike's actions out of the corner of her eye and it gave her an adrenaline rush that kept her going, though her muscles cried to stop. After she finally managed to dust her opponent, Buffy turned to find Spike.

He was standing with his back to her, watching the last vampire's dust fall. As she approached, he spun around, his yellow eyes burning into her. She was out of breath as she drew near he watched her chest rise and fall with fascination.

"Are you alright?" She asked. She noticed that though his shirt was ripped and a small cut could be seen on his chest, he seemed relatively unscathed. He looked up into her eyes and she froze. Gone was the Spike she knew. Even with his game face on she could usually still see or sense some part of the man she loved. Now there was only demon.

"Yes." He answered huskily and quickly took her in his arms. He bent down and with the tip of his tongue licked the blood off her cut lip.

Her whole body shivered and she pulled him to her, kissing him hard. As his arms wrapped around her body, Buffy lost herself in his kiss, his arms, his presence. It was a primal feeling Spike had kept hidden from her. In all their time together he had only showed her glimpses of it. But the Slayer in her craved more. She knew no matter how raw and violent their passions became he would never truly hurt her. Now she was getting the full force of his demon self and was loving every minute of it.

She arched back baring her neck for him. He kissed a trail down her neck then drew back slightly to gaze at the pulse beating heavily just under her skin. He was lost in the sensations his vampire body was giving him. Her breath, her pulse, her heat; the sound of her heartbeat pounded in his head. He smiled, letting his jagged teeth show, and bent down slowly, preparing to bite her.

As his teeth grazed her neck Buffy moaned. "Yes. Oh Spike." Her voice broke through the desire filled haze in his mind. He stopped and drew back to look at her face. It was a study in ecstasy. She was so lost in her feelings and her trust of him.

Her eyes fluttered and she opened them to look at him. "Why did you stop?" she panted.

He frowned, his face flickering between human and vampire. "Do you know what I was about to do?" Of course she didn't know. He hated to tell her because he knew that would be then end of them, probably the end of him as well.

"Yes," she replied huskily. She drew a finger lightly over his lips, staring at them with a hunger he'd never seen in her before.

"No, luv. I don't think you do." He stepped back from her, his human features finally gaining control of his face.

"Yes, Spike, I do. You were going to bite me." She saw the shock on his face and rushed to explain. "I know you can bite someone without draining them and without turning them. I trust you enough to let you." She stepped closer and placed a hand on his chest. She looked up at him with heat in her eyes. "I want you to."

He smiled at her tenderly. She had no idea what that meant to him, that she trusted him that much. But he didn't. Without the chip, and with everything he'd been feeling since finding out it was gone, he wasn't sure he could trust himself that much. Not with her life. "I know pet. But it's just the heat of the moment. Tomorrow you'll regret it, and when the Scoobies find out what I'd done…well, vamps like Bane would be the least of my worries."

"You don't get it, do you?" She shook her head in disbelief. "How could you not get it? You. The one who understands me better than anyone, including myself."

She stepped close to him again and though he could tell her heart rate and breathing were returning to normal, she still smelled of desire to him. "I've wanted this for a long time. I just didn't trust you enough till now."

He touched her cheek and sighed as she closed her eyes, nuzzling against his palm. "Well that's just bloody irony for you in' nit? 'Cause luv, the thing is…I did trust myself enough…until now."

She felt his hand withdraw and she kept her eyes closed, breathing in the sent of him lingering there. When she opened her eyes he was gone. She looked around the warehouse frantically, but he was nowhere to be found. As fear pooled in the pit of her stomach, she ran toward his crypt.

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

Spike knew he didn't have long, probably only a few short minutes before Buffy would catch up to him. He entered his crypt at full speed, grabbed his duffle bag still sitting on the chair, and headed out the door. He hated leaving her like this but he knew it was the only way. Buffy was a fighter and he knew that now that she trusted him so completely she would fight to keep him in Sunnydale. He was afraid that fight would end with him taking her life.

He had felt it when he held her at the warehouse. That nearly overwhelming desire to taste her blood; to drink from her and lose himself in her. He had managed to resist, but just barely. He couldn't take the chance that he would be able to resist a second time. He loved her too much.

And yet somehow his love for Buffy wasn't enough. Angrily, he walked faster. As he approached his car and threw the bag in back, he paused to look back at the cemetery. He remembered all the times they'd fought against each other and with each other. "I'm gonna miss you, pet. But this is something I have to do…for your own good." He would do anything for Buffy, and if that meant getting outside help, then so be it. He quickly got in, peeled away from the curb and headed for the nearest highway entrance.

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

Buffy was frantic by the time she reached Willow's. She had been everywhere she could think of looking for Spike. First stop had been his crypt. When his missing bag confirmed her suspicions that he was leaving, she nearly broke down then and there. Instead, she allowed anger to fuel her and she began a systematic search of town and the nearby areas. It was almost sunup now and as she knocked on Willow's door, the realization that she may have lost him forever gripped her mind in terror.

A sleepy-eyed Willow opened the door and as soon as she saw Buffy's face she woke completely up. "What's wrong? Is Dawn ok?"

Buffy brushed past her and began pacing in the living room. "Dawn's fine. Spike's gone."

"What? How do you know that?" Willow closed the door and joined her friend in the living room.

"Because…I just do is all. I've looked everywhere, he's not in his crypt, not at the Bronze, not even the Magic Box or Giles'." She stopped pacing and turned to Willow. "Please, Will. You have to help me. I can't just let him leave. I… I love him."

Willow sat down hard on the couch. "Oh."

Buffy sat next to her. "I know it's kind of… um…"

"Shocking?" Willow supplied.

"Well I was gonna say surprising…"

"No… no I think shocking is the word to use here." Willow did look shocked for a moment. She began to frown and looked over at Buffy. "Actually… not so shocking. You know, I kind of saw this coming."

"You did?" Now it was Buffy's turn to be shocked. "How could you? I didn't even see it coming."

"Of course not. You're too close to it. Add in your stubborn refusal to do what's good for you and…presto, no seeing." Willow gave a small smile.

Buffy returned it. "Yea. Guess you're right. So, what do I do about it now? It's kind of hard to love someone who's running from you."

"He didn't say anything that would give you some clue as to where he went?" Willow stood and walked over to a bookshelf.

"No. Just that he didn't trust himself with me without the chip."

Willow turned back to her with a large book in her hands. "Wait a minute. Spike left because he didn't trust himself with you? As in didn't trust himself not to… hurt you?"

"That's the gist of it. But I know he wouldn't hurt me. I told him that. I trust him, even when he doesn't trust himself."

"Wow." Willow stated.

"Yea, deep huh?" Buffy smiled then noticed the book in her hand. "What's that?"

Willow sighed and went to sit next to her. "I think I can find out at least what direction he went in, but it's going to take time. And I need you to get me something of his." She began thumbing through the pages of the book.

"Ok. Um… I could run back to his crypt and see if he left anything." Buffy looked hopefully at her and when she nodded, stood and started for the door.

"It has to be something personal. Something he was close to, both physically and emotionally. The more the better." Willow placed the book on the table, open to the page she'd need.

"Personal, right. I won't be long." Buffy disappeared out the door.

Willow tip-toed to her bedroom and peeked in on a dead-to-the-world Tara. She smiled tenderly at her, then went to the bathroom to retrieve some herbs stored in the medicine cabinet. As she was about to open the mirror she paused. Something wasn't right. She looked at her reflection and was dimly aware that her eyes were the wrong color.

Her reflection gazed back with black void eyes. Frowning, it waited for Willow to speak first.

After a few moments, Willow shook her head and spoke quickly. "The time is almost at hand, and none too soon."

"You had trouble gaining control that time."

"I know. It's her worry over the Slayer. The stress is causing her to be more aware, making it harder for me to take over."

"What do you need?" The reflection asked.

"Call the Tallinach." Willow's voice was hard as steel.

"Are you sure? It is unreliable after it's last encounter with the Slayer." Willow's reflection frowned in worry of it's own.

"It's not for her. The Slayer will be leaving town soon. The Tallinach will be needed after she goes."

The reflection looked confused for only a moment before it realized what it's counterpart meant. "For the witch. To distract her."

"Yes. The dreams should work well enough for that. Go, tell them to await my signal one last time."

The reflection nodded and it's eyes returned to normal.

Willow shook her head and looked around slightly dazed. "That's weird. Guess I need more sleep." She opened the cabinet and began looking through the items.

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

Spike drove like the proverbial bat as he shot down the deserted highway. The events of the last two days plagued his mind; finding out about the chip, saving the injured girl, the fight with his old buddy, the blinding desire that had enveloped him when he had held Buffy in his arms.

He cringed at the memory. That moment had decided things for Spike. As much as he loved Buffy he had nearly taken her life, nearly given in to the overwhelming desire to drink from her. It was at that moment Spike realized what he had to do. He was desperate not to lose Buffy, and desperate times called for desperate measures.

As the DeSoto cleared the top of a hill, and Spike saw the twinkling lights of the city appear in front of him, he muttered to himself, "And this is one bloody desperate measure." He stepped on the gas and the car plunged into the dark outskirts of Los Angeles.

End ch 2

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