By Heather Martin

Spoilers- Set during and after Smashed. I borrowed a few lines from Wrecked as well. Has spoilers up to that point. Goes AU after that

Summary- B/S T/W A/X Something goes funky with Spike and Buffy after their coupling in the abandoned house. Meanwhile, a demon and a mysterious girl come to Sunnydale from the future.

Buffy leapt at Spike and they both flew back toward the staircase. He grabbed her, pinning her against the stairs. He let out a chuckle. Buffy hated the sound. She punched him, and he reciprocated the move. His fist hit her face hard. It should have burned, but it didn’t.

Spike lifted her up so that he could look in her face. His expression was full of amusement.

Smirking, the vampire said, “I wasn’t planning on hurting you . . . Much.”

“You haven’t even come close to hurting me!” she threw back.

Please, hurt me, Buffy silently begged. She was desperate to feel. Feel anything. Since returning to earth, all she’d been was numb. Pain, joy, sadness . . . they had all vanished. She was a void of nothing.

“Afraid to give me the chance?” Spike retorted.

Disgusted, Buffy broke his hold. She tossed him against the feeble wall. The impact of his body made an indent. The wall split, cracking. The slayer gripped Spike, slamming him against it.

“You afraid I’m gonna-?” Spike started to say.

The sentence was interrupted by Buffy smashing her mouth against his. He returned the kiss with passion. Buffy took her hand and slammed it into the crumbling wall, creating another whole.

The pair stumbled away from the wall, still in a lip-lock. The bleach-blonde slammed his slayer into another section of the wall. The cracks widened, spreading up above them.

Buffy shoved Spike away, toward another wall. She came at him again, resuming the kissing. His hands lifted her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. She reached down between them, groping for her target. She found it. Her fingers unbuttoned his jeans and then took hold of the zipper. She yanked him free.

Buffy rose, and then impaled herself. He filled her, joining their bodies together. And for the first time in what seemed like forever . . . Buffy could feel.

They both stared at each other in shock. Buffy was amazed. This dead thing had the ability to make her feel alive. How ironic.

She began to move up and down. Her rhythm was slow, savoring every plunge. She let out a tiny grunt of pleasure.

Their faces moved in to kiss. Spike turned them around, pushing Buffy back against the wall. She reached up and grabbed the wall to steady herself.

The chandelier fell from the ceiling. It crashed to the floor. The abandoned house disintegrated around the vampire and slayer as they united. The floorboards broke apart.

Spike and Buffy continued on, not caring about the atmosphere around them. Buffy mewed and gasped from the intensity of their mating. Spike nuzzled his head against her breast.

Buffy leaned forward, embracing Spike. They tumbled backwards, the floor giving away beneath them. They landed with a thud, a cloud of debris floating around them.

Buffy quickened her pace. Things became blurry and all she was aware of was the friction.

A cold hand brushed her cheek. Then it came up and ran through her hair.

“Oh God, Buffy, I love you so much,” Spike murmured.

She should have slapped him. She should have scrambled off him. This wasn’t supposed to be about affection. This was about harsh emotion. Yet, she was too far gone to care.

The waves hit her and she cried out. Vaguely, in the background, she could hear Spike shout out as well. When she calmed, however, he was still making noise. She gazed down at him, noting how his eyes rolled back in his head. The sound he made wasn’t from pleasure, but rather from agony.

“Spike?” Buffy asked, not in concern, but in confusion. What was going on?

The slayer lifted herself off him. She crawled away quickly. She watched in horror as he convulsed. Finally, the shakes slowed to tiny twitches, and then ceased altogether. Spike lay there, panting.

The bleached-blonde turned his head to meet her eyes. They stared at each other in alarm.

Spike rose up, getting to his knees. He gasped for air, filling his lungs fully with the substance. He took his hand and placed it over his heart. Then his blue eyes shot to Buffy again. The orbs were full of fright and puzzlement.

“What did you do to me?” Spike demanded.

Buffy got to her feet. She fixed her leather skirt, smoothing it down.

“What I did!?” she exclaimed.

Spike took another gulp of air. “I’m breathing, slayer,” he informed.

She gaped, a loss for words.

“Now I’m going to ask again, ‘What did you do to me?’ ”

Anger could be seen on her face. “Why do you automatically think I did this to you?”

He laughed manically. “I was all right before all this. Now my lungs are working and my heart seems to want to beat.” He said all this accusingly.

“Hello, this little thing we did was a mutual act. If screwing each other made you alive, then we’re both to blame,” Buffy defended.

“I can’t be alive,” Spike mumbled.

Buffy rolled her eyes. “Because dead people breath and have a pulse,” she replied with sarcasm.

Spike stood up. He zipped up his pants and fastened his belt. He took a foot and kicked some of the rubble with fury.

“Arrrrr! Bloody hell!” Spike screamed. He shifted to Buffy. “I don’t want to be a weak human. Change me back!”

“Let me just wave my wand and reverse it,” Buffy spat.

“If what we did did this, then maybe . . . If we again . . . It could right . . .”

Buffy’s green eyes widened. “No! This is the end of this freak show. Never again will I touch you, Spike.”

Giving her an unconvinced look, Spike said, “Right.”

Buffy shook her head. She spun around, prepared to leave.

“And what, you’re just going to leave me here!?”

She stopped, looking back. “I left Dawn alone.” Then she continued walking away.

Spike rushed over. He locked his arms around her shoulders, keeping her in place. She could feel hot air hit the side of her face.

“You aren’t leaving. I won’t let you,” the former-vampire said.

She shoved him off her. She was surprised at how easy it was. Maybe he really was a full-blown human now.

She faced him. “You aren’t my problem.”

Spike’s expression changed. It showed pleading-ness.

“Please, Buffy,” Spike begged. “Help me.”

Buffy softened. “What do you want me to do?”

“Get the scoobies together. Find out what happened. I need to know if this is permanent or not.”

Silence fell over them. Finally, Buffy answered.

“Fine. We’ll do research. On one condition.”

“What’s that, luv?”

She looked him directly in the eyes. “You are not going to mention a word of what went on here. I swear to God if you do, I will kill you vamp or not.”

“What if what happened here is related to my humanness?”

“Don’t say a word to my friends! That is the deal, take it or leave it.”

Hesitantly he nodded.

“Okay, come on,” Buffy commanded. “We need to get moving. Unless you want to test your skin’s reaction to ultraviolet rays.”

Spike clenched his jaw, but followed the slayer willingly.

____________________________________________________

What do you guys think? Please let me know. This plot is going to get really cool. At least, I think it is.

The ex-vampire walked behind Buffy, lost in his thoughts. The pounding in his chest exploded in his ears. Breathing burned his chest. His eyesight wasn’t as keen in the darkened night. As much as he hoped against it, there was no doubt about it- he was human.

If he was human, then who was he? He couldn’t be the demon. That meant he had a soul. Was he William with Spike’s memories? He didn’t feel like William. He didn’t have the urge to write poetry. He glanced at Buffy and had to contradict that thought. Okay, maybe Buffy did arise the poet in him, but he had no inclination to use any words such as effulgent.

How could this happen? He enjoyed being a member of the undead. He could drink to excess, smoke without the risk of cancer, and run a mile without breaking a sweat. There were also no rules for vampires. They took what they wanted- who they wanted, and didn’t have pesky morals to stand in their way. Being immortal was fun. Now he was bound by law. He had to watch his health again. Not to mention, how he was homeless. A crypt was no place for a mortal.

Damn her, Spike silently cursed. Buffy may think she had nothing to do with this, but what else could have caused his sudden metamorphosis? Their shagging was the only solution. He had said that she came back wrong. Maybe she had. Her new state could have brought the change.

They approached Revello Drive and Spike let out a sigh of relief. It was only a matter of minutes before the scoobies got together to figure out what was going on. This might not be forever. He could be back to his regular self by tomorrow night.

The Summers’ residence came into view. Soon they were walking up the steps to the front door. The slayer and bleach-blonde entered the house to find it dark. The only illumination came from the glowing television screen in the living room. Some sitcom was on and a laugh track sounded from the speakers.

Buffy and Spike stepped into the room, spying Dawn and Tara asleep on the couch. A pale colored afghan was draped over them.

The slayer reached over and shook Tara. The woman opened her eyes. She looked up at them and smiled.

“Hi,” Tara greeted. She glanced over at Dawn. “I stayed with her because no one was home.”

“Thanks,” Buffy replied with gratitude.

Spike leaned against the wall. He thrust his hands into the pockets of his duster. He longed for a cigarette. Being human was going to kill him. He had to laugh at the thought. Of course it was going to kill him. That is what humans did. They grew old and died.

The women turned their heads toward him.

“Inside joke?” Buffy asked.

He continued to laugh. He got out, “I want a fag. Can’t have one, though, unless I want lung cancer. And that is so bloody hilarious because I’m going to die anyways.”

“You are not going to die,” Buffy affirmed.

Still laughing, he said, “Unavoidable, pet. One of these days I’m gonna kick it.”

Tara furrowed her brow. “W-What is he talking about?”

Buffy gestured to Spike. “Spike here has turned into a human. He’s not handling it well.”

Tara’s eyes widened. “He turned into a human? How?”

Buffy gulped. “We-uh, we don’t know. We were . . . fighting and all of a sudden he began to breath.”

“Fighting? A demon?”

“N-No . . .”

“We were fighting each other,” Spike said. He had finally stopped his psychotic laughing. It had been replaced by a pensive expression.

Tara looked toward Spike and then back at Buffy. “Each other? Sparring?”

“Yeah,” Buffy answered too quickly.

“You’re going to have to do research,” Tara said.

“We are. Tomorrow morning.”

Spike stepped away from the wall. “Hey now! I thought we were goin to look into this now.”

Buffy crossed her arms. “No, Spike. Non-nocturnal beings sleep during these hours.”

“You don’t care, do you, slayer? You don’t care that my entire existence just did a u-turn.”

Buffy sighed. After a few seconds she said, “No, Spike, actually I don’t. One vampire off my hands. Yay. I don’t really care how.”

His mouth opened, hurt seen in his eyes. He shook his head, closing his mouth.

“Fine, slayer. I don’t need to take this from you. Forget about our little deal, I’m leaving.” With that, Spike headed out the door.

The cool air hit him. He realized then how alive his neurons were. He could easily detect the temperature change. It was unnerving. He couldn’t decide if feeling coldness was a good thing or bad.

There was only one place for him to go. He headed toward the cemetery. For some reason the thought of having to return to the crypt made him feel rejected. Oh, who was he kidding? He knew why. Buffy didn’t care. She really didn’t give a crumb what happened to him.

Spike stopped, letting this all sink in. And then he knew deep down what she had been telling him all along. She would never love him back. Even now, as a human, she would only see him as a monster.

Wetness began to accumulate in his eyes. He furiously brushed it away. Damnit, he probably did have a soul. He was acting all poofter-like.

“Spike!”

Spike spun around toward the voice. Buffy stood in the driveway.

“What do you want?” Spike asked, exasperated.

“Come back inside,” she instructed. “There’s a cot in the basement.”

A flutter rose up in his chest. Maybe she did care. A little. No, Glinda probably put her up to it. Sweet Tara, she cared about everyone.

Against his better judgment, Spike came back toward the house. He reentered the house, Buffy behind him.

Tara was there to meet them. She smiled. “Well, I better be going. Tell-Tell Willow I said hello.”

The white witch left.

Buffy pointed to the couch where her sister slumbered. “I would give you the couch, but it is occupied.”

“That’s all right. Wouldn’t want to wake the girl,” Spike commented.

The slayer led him to the basement. She gathered some blankets and a pillow for him.

“It’s pretty dark down there,” Buffy said.

“I’m used to it.”

“Yeah,” she softly said.

“G-night, slayer.”

“Goodnight, Spike.”

Spike crept down the wooden steps into the basement. He noted how cold it was. It was true that he was used to the dark, but it had never seemed this black before. It closed in around him, swallowing him up. He lay himself down on the cot, wrapping the blanket tightly around his form. At that moment he felt very much alone.

_______________________________________________

Luckily Spike had a dreamless night. He had been afraid that his soul would torment him with past evil deeds. He awoke, forgetting what had happened last night, his mind a thick fog. Then it all came back to him as he drew in a deep breath. He sat on the cot for awhile, reflecting on what he was now. The concept wasn’t getting any easier. Then again, it had only been a few hours.

The ex-vampire dragged himself off the portable bed. He slowly made his way up the stairs and into the kitchen. The aroma of something appealing wavered in the air. He scanned for the source, seeing Dawn flipping pancakes in a skillet. A strange sound came from his stomach. It had been so long since that had happened, and he wasn’t sure what it was for a moment. It hit him all of a sudden that it was his stomach growling.

“Got enough batter for two?” Spike asked.

Dawn shrieked, jumping in surprise. She spun around to see Spike.

“Oh my God, you scared me!” Dawn burst out.

Spike smiled. Even as a human he still had sneaking ability.

“Sorry, bit,” he apologized. He really wasn’t that sorry. He was glad that he could still frighten someone.

Dawn turned back to the food she was cooking. “Why are you here, Spike? Did you spend the night?”

“Yeah, I slept on the cot downstairs,” he informed.

“So, uh, do you have enough for two?” Spike asked again.

The teen scooped the pancakes on a white porcelain plate. They were darker brown than they should have been, but they weren’t burnt.

“Sure,” Dawn said. “I’m not as good as Tara, but they’re edible.”

She put the plate on the island. Spike gathered a stack of them for himself. He spread butter on them and drowned them in maple syrup. He dug in, amazed at how potent the taste was. As a vampire he had liked food, but it had never been this enjoyable before. He couldn’t wait to get a hold some spicy buffalo wings from the Bronze.

Spike could sense someone watching him. He raised his head to spot Dawn eyeing him with curiosity.

“Is it really that good?” she questioned.

“Not bad,” Spike commented.

She giggled. “I’ve never seen you gobble food up like this before. I remember our popcorn and movie nights. You never ate this way.”

Spike swallowed the last piece of the breakfast. “I’m just famished, that’s all.”

“Shouldn’t you be going to the butcher’s shop then?”

The bleach blonde wiped his mouth with a paper napkin. Then he hopped down from the stool he had been sitting on.

“Big sis didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?” Dawn demanded.

“I’m human now.”

At that, Dawn exploded into laughter. She bent over, consumed by giggles.

“What?” Spike asked, clearly not finding the humor.

She pointed at him. “That one was good.”

Spike blinked. Did she not believe him?

“You should try that one on Xander.”

“This isn’t a joke, nibblet.”

Dawn wiped the tears from her face. Her laughter came to a halt. She examined him for a long time. She noticed the slight rise of his chest as he took in air.

“Oh my gosh!” she shrieked. “You really are alive.”

She came over and touched his hand. “You’re warm. Wow! This is amazing!”

The man snatched his hand back. “This isn’t amazing. This is a nightmare.”

Dawn rolled her eyes. “No, Spike, this is a miracle. Think about it, you can go out and see the sun. Get a real place and a job.”

“I don’t want a house and job! I want to go on forever living in a dank, dark tomb, drinking blood, and doing what I bloody well please.”

Just then the door opened. In came Willow and another girl with light brown hair, along with a stream of sunshine. Out of habit, Spike dashed out of the ray’s path.

“Hey,” Willow greeted.

The girl she was with stood beside her. She wore a tight black shirt and a short skirt. She gave a tiny smile.

“Willow, where’ve you been?” Dawn asked.

“Out.” She gestured to the girl. “With Amy.”

“Amy?”

“Amy, the rat,” Willow clarified.

Dawn widened her eyes. “The witch?”

Amy raised her hand. “That’s me.”

“Wow.”

“So you used to be a rat?” Spike questioned.

The females turned to him, seeming to notice him for the first time.

“Yeah, I was a rat. Willow changed me back,” Amy said.

“I used to be a vampire. Think she could change me back?”

Amy shrugged. “I bet she could. She's a freaking amazing witch now. I couldn't even keep up with her last night. I mean, I can do some transmography, but she is messing with dimensions and everything, it was awesome! This blowhard dude, first she made his mouth disappear? Thank god.”

Spike looked at Willow. “Sounds like you could do it. Please, turn me back,” he pleaded.

The redhead glanced from Spike to Dawn. “What is he talking about?”

“Spike’s a human now. Isn’t it cool?” Dawn said.

“It is not ’cool’!” Spike snapped. “Like I said before, ’It is a bloody nightmare’.”

“T-To change you back I’d sort of need to know the cause,” Willow said.

“Well, let’s get Buffy and you lot can do the research bit then.”

“No need getting me,” Buffy told them as she entered the room. With a slight limp, she walks over to a stool to sit down.

“Buffy, are you okay?” Dawn asked with concern.

“I’m fine,” the slayer assured her sister.

“You’re not,” Dawn replied. “You’re all sore and limpy.”

“I-I’m not . . . sore . . . I just . . . “ She looked up and met Spike’s gaze. “Patrol. Had a fight.”

If Spike was his usual self he probably would have made some comment to remind her of what really happened, yet not openly revealing it to the others. Instead he remained silent.

The slayer glanced over at Willow. “Did you just get home?”

“Yeah. Amy and I . . . We went out and lost track of time,” the red-head answered.

“Oh.”

Amy got up from her seat. “I should go. Dad is expecting me.”

“Okay, I’ll call you later,” Willow told her.

“Yeah, good.” Amy opened the door and left.

Dawn stepped closer to Buffy. “We were talking about Spike’s condition.”

“Uh huh. He’s human now,” Buffy said.

“We were also talking about lookin into it,” Spike hinted.

“Yeah. I promised Spike we’d check it out,” Buffy informed.

“Can I help?” Dawn asked with excitement.

A sigh escaped Buffy. “Sure.” What was the harm? And with another helper this matter could get wrapped up quicker.

Dawn gave Buffy a hug. “Thank-you!”

“I don’t know, guys. I’m really tired,” Willow said.

“Get some rest, Will. You can join us later,” Buffy said.

“All right. I’ll meet you at the magic shop in full research mode,” Willow promised her.

Willow headed out of the kitchen. “Night, everybody.”

Buffy got to her feet. “Let’s get this over with.”

A frown appeared on Spike’s face. Did she have to make remarks like that? She kept on wanting to remind him how much of a nuisance he was.

Buffy went over to the door. She opened it, going out. Dawn began to follow, but stopped when she realized Spike wasn’t coming.

“Spike?”

“Give a fella a second,” he said.

Spike mustered his strength, bracing himself. He cautiously moved toward the door. The sun hit him in the face. He squinted his eyes, lifted a hand to serve as a shield. His skin soaked in the heat, tingling. He blinked, focusing his fragile eyes.

When he could see, he comprehended that both Summers girls were staring at him. Dawn looked thrilled, while Buffy’s expression was unreadable.

“You are definitely going to the beach with me, mister,” Dawn stated.

Spike studied his pale arm. He compared it with Buffy and Dawn’s skin tone. They had rich tans. He found himself looking straight at Buffy. Examining her skin led to thoughts of touching it.

Buffy looked at Spike. He could see lust there. It ended quickly, though. She looked away, forcing it away.

Buffy began to walk toward the road. “Let’s go.”

Spike forced himself to move.

_____________________________________________________

Spike wasn’t much of the reading type. William had been all bookish, while the demon got his stories off the telly. He never took part in the research parties (not that he had been invited anyway). That day, though, he was eagerly scanning every page. When he came to the end, he snatched another book to search.

Beside him, Dawn flung a heavy gray volume to the table. “I’m done with that one.”

“Anything?” Buffy asked.

“Nothing. Zip. Nada,” her sister expressed.

Anya looked up from her text. “We’ve been at this for hours. We’re never going to find anything,” she complained.

“It’s only been three hours,” the slayer said.

“Yes, and that’s three hours of my time,” the ex-demon commented. “If Giles were here maybe he could find something. But he’s gone now and took all the valuable books.”

“Maybe Anya’s right,” Xander spoke up.

“Pessimists anyone?” Buffy asked.

“All I’m saying is this is Spike here. Why are we helping him anyway?”

Buffy squirmed in her seat. “I promised him.”

“And I ask . . .so?”

That was enough. It was all Spike could take. They were talking as if he wasn’t even in the room. He stood up, gathered a couple books and headed out the door. If they didn’t want to help him fine. He’d help himself.

He paused outside the door for a moment. He could still hear muffled voices from in the store. They probably didn’t even notice he was gone.

The door opened. He turned, not knowing who to expect, but was extremely astonished to see Anya exit the shop. She faced Spike, eyeing the books he held.

“You’re bringing those back,” she told him.

“No worries, luv. Bring them straight back after I’ve had a looksie,” Spike replied.

She nodded.

“We need to talk.”

“And why’s that?” he asked.

“Because that is what humans do. They talk when they have something valuable to pass on.”

“Right.”

The ex-demon went over to the curb and sat down. She looked back, annoyed, seeing that he wasn’t moving.

“Well, come over here,” she ordered.

Spike sighed. He set the books down on the side-walk, and then walked over to her side. He reluctantly sat down.

She smiled over at him. “Being human isn’t so bad. You’ll like it once you get used to it.”

Spike didn’t think he liked where this little talk was going. He’d rather not be lectured about the joys of mortal life. He went through twenty-nine years of it before and it brought him nothing but a bad reputation as a mama’s nancyboy, and rejection.

He realized Anya was still going on.

“You’ll find yourself a nice woman who will give you many orgasms. And then a job that will put lots of green money in your pocket.”

Spike stood up. He went over to get the books.

Anya got to her feet as well. “Soon you won’t care about changing back into a vampire. So, it is all right if we don’t spend all day looking through archaic tomes.”

“Gee, thanks, Anya. You’ve helped me tons,” Spike said with sarcasm.

Anya didn’t catch the mockery in his voice. A bright smile spread across her face. “I’m glad I could aid you in this dark time.”

He rolled his eyes as she bounced back into the Magic Box, probably onto the lap of monkey boy. Just then Buffy and Dawn came out.

“Let’s go,” the slayer said.

“What?” Spike questioned in disbelief.

“My house. Now.”

“Are you offering me a place to stay?”

Buffy and her sister began to walk, expecting him to follow. He remained in place.

“Why?” Spike asked. “You don’t owe me anything.”

Slowing down, without stopping, she said softly, “Because I haven’t forgotten.”

Confusion ran over him. “Forgot what?”

“What you did for me and Dawn.”

Buffy continued walking and this time Spike followed behind.

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

Buffy awoke, sweaty and horny. She had just dreamt about the night in the abandoned house. She lay on her back, still, trying to calm herself. She closed her eyes in attempt to return to sleep. It wasn’t working. She tossed and turned. The sheets tangled around her legs.

The thought of Spike down in the basement was not helping. He was in the same building. Obtainable if she really wanted him. Which she did. Oh God, how she did.

She kicked off the sheets. Then she wriggled out of her blue pajama bottoms and top. She wore lacy black panties underneath, with no bra. The material was soaked through. Buffy discarded them as well. Completely bare now, she ran her fingers over her slick body. She imagined the hands were icy and masculine.

Her right hand pinched her nipples, while her left trailed down to her pussy. She rubbed herself vigorously, bringing herself to release. She came whimpering, but instead of sating her longing, it only seemed to intensify it.

Getting out of bed, she searched for her robe. She quickly threw it on. She crept out into the hall. The house was silent, everyone deep in slumber. She went downstairs and into the kitchen. The door to the basement called to her, beckoning her forth.

Buffy reached for the doorknob. She hesitated. You can always turn back, she told herself. This is wrong. Bad.

She turned the knob. The stairs creaked as she journeyed downward.

“Spike? Are you asleep?” she whispered.

“Slayer?” She could sense him sit up, searching for her in the dark.

“I . . .”

This all seemed stupid now. She wasn’t even that aroused anymore. Suddenly the basement burst into illumination. Spike stood next to the light switch. She stared, transfixed by his naked chest. Okay, arousal heightening again.

Buffy let her robe fall to the floor. She threw herself at him. She crushed her lips to his, pushing him toward the cot. They fell on the mattress. She straddled him, kissing him with fervor.

He gently pressed her away. His clear, blue eyes met hers in inquiry. “Are you sure about this?”

“No talk.” She took his hands and cupped them over her breasts. “Touch me.”

He didn’t need to be told twice. He prodded the erect nipples, making her moan. His fingers were switched to his mouth. He sucked and bit at them with blunt teeth.

She was hot. Spike’s hands were also hot. They weren’t supposed to be hot. Why were they hot?

Her thoughts ended, however, when she was slammed down on the cot. Spike hovered over her. He kissed her passionately. As he did, she felt flesh hit her throbbing core. Her green eyes widened in surprise and she gasped.

Spike put her feeble attempts upstairs to shame. His thumb ran up and down her slit. She was shaking as he vibrated against her clit. The orgasm hit her, ripping a scream from her throat.

The bleach blonde looked at Buffy, smirking in conceit. He knew he was talented.

Buffy tore the dark jeans from his lower half. Then she flipped them so that she was on top. His rock hard cock entered her heat, filling her walls to excess. She rose up and fell back down over and over. His hips were eager to join the rhythm. Their breathing quickened as the pace grew more desperate.

Make me feel, Buffy begged. Make me real. Give me a reason to go on even if it is just to fuck you one more time.

Finally, the explosion hit, spreading over them at the same time. His seed spilled into her with heat. Heat?

Buffy grabbed his shoulders. Her nails dug into his skin. The expression on her face was frightening. Hollow and empty.

Spike stroked her cheek. “Buffy?”

“Drink me,” she pleaded.

“What!?”

“Please drink me.”

I want to know I still have life. I want to see if blood still flows through my veins or if they are worthless tubes.

He ran his fingers through her hair. “I can’t, pet. Remember?”

Dawning came over her. Everything came crashing back. And she realized who she was with. This wasn’t a souless demon. This wasn’t the Spike who was a thing.

Buffy jumped off him. She wrapped the robe around her as fast as she could. Then she fled the room.

___________________________________________

Spike stored the money in the register. He smiled at the woman in front of him. She smiled back. He passed the paper bag over to her.

“Thank you for shopping at the Magic Box. Please come again,” he said.

The woman winked at him. “Oh, I will.”

She walked to the door, glancing back and waving before she exited. Spike shook his head.

Just then Anya came out from the back room. She carried a large box. She noticed her blonde colleague behind the counter.

“Spike, why are you over her? You are supposed to be by the door. Many girls are drawn to your handsomely chiseled cheek-bones and washtub abs,” she told him.

He shrugged, moving away from the register. “Fine. If you don’t want me to do actual work I won’t. Next time a customer comes in when you aren’t around I’ll just stand around and look nice.”

The ex-demon set the box down on the table. Her eyes brightened. “There was a customer?”

“Yeah,” he replied. “A bint with this dreadfully awful perm.”

Eagerly, Anya asked, “What did she buy? How much did it cost?”

“She got one of the incense kits. The thing with the holder, lighter, and assortment of incense sticks.”

Anya rushed over to the register. She opened it to examine the green bills. “We are fifteen dollars richer.”

Having a job at the magic shop sucked. It was the only option, though, considering he had no credentials or experience. Anya offered him a job. She wanted him around to flirt with the female customers, thinking it heightened business. Frankly he couldn’t give a care either way. If that meant he didn’t have to do anything of real importance that was fine with him.

“Next time you are going to gather the replacement merchandise,” Anya informed. “I don’t think you take as much pride and satisfaction as I do when dealing with consumers.”

“Don’t worry, pet, wasn’t meaning to invade your territory. The register’s all yours.”

She grinned. “Thank you. Now go set up the candle display. After that, go stand next to the door.”

The man reluctantly took the box Anya had retrieved from the back room. He went over to a shelf and began to put wax colored candles down on it. When he was through he went over to stand near the entrance like a good lil former vampire.

Hours went by. Spike kept an eye on the wall clock, ready for eight o’clock to arrive. It finally came. Spike went over and grabbed his duster that was draped over the back of a chair.

“Time for me to push off,” he announced.

“It’s eight already?” Anya whined. “I was hoping to sell at least one statue today.”

“Sorry to disappoint, luv.”

“Well, good-bye, Spike. I can close on my own. See you tomorrow for another bright day of satisfactory labor.”

More like a waste of my time, he thought. He rolled his eyes. He slipped into his leather coat and left. It was chilly outside. The duster was no longer only for show, but also helped dispel the cold.

He took the long way home. Not because it went past Revello Drive, but because he felt like walking. Yeah right, his brain threw back. You know you want to catch a glimpse of the slayer.

The white house numbered 1630 was dark except for the living room window. Spike stood next to the tree in their yard. He’d been there so often the oak seemed like an old friend. He squinted his eyes at the window, but couldn’t see a damn thing because of the drapes. With a sigh, he pressed on.

He hadn’t seen Buffy since moving into his new apartment. He invited her and the nibblet over to check the flat out, but they never showed. He was sure that Dawn would love a visit. So it must be the older sister who kept rejecting the idea. She probably was glad to be rid of him. After the night in the basement she basically avoided him. The most she said to him while he had stayed there was one sentence at a time. The majority had been about going on patrol.

Spike moved, clinging to the shadows out of habit. Even though he was human now, he still felt the same. It was possible that he cared a little more about things, but other than that he was the same person. He didn’t feel the need to change the way he acted. That fact had brought up his confusion about Angelus. How his grandsire could be totally different with the soul was something he couldn’t figure out. Made him wonder if the vampire was hiding who he really was. And then he had to ask himself if the demon was hiding his good nature or the soul was hiding his evil tendencies. If he were to answer truthfully he would have to go with the latter. Angelus didn’t have anything but coldness in his heart when he toiled with people’s lives for fun.

Suddenly Spike detected the scene of a fight. A teenage girl was battling a vampire. They were in the yard of a blue house. The vampire was dressed almost entirely in black leather. His hair was long, running to his shoulders. He pinned the girl down to the grass.

Instinct took over. Spike rushed to the aid of the girl, drawing out a sharp stake from his pocket. He came to a halt as he witness the girl buck beneath the vampire. She raised a leg and kneed the blood-sucker in the groin. The vampire jumped off her, hissing in pain.

Spike smirked. Demon or not, a male had one part in common no matter what.

“You are going to pay for that,” the vampire spat.

A grin appeared on the girl’s face. “Aw, did I hurt you?” She kicked the vampire as he lunged at her. “Well, good. Let me do some more damage.”

Where did this girl learn to fight? Spike wondered. He was very impressed. Most people in this town just screamed in fright. But this one had spirit. She had a chance even without his help.

The girl revealed a stake from out of nowhere. She kicked the vampire again, preparing to strike. The weapon never made its target, however, because the vamp managed to knock it out of her hand. The wood flung through the air, landing out of reach.

The girl did a somersault, trying to retrieve the fallen stake. The vampire tackled her before she could reach it. He snatched her by the shoulders, holding her before him. His golden eyes gleamed at her, his teeth eager to pierce through her skin.

Spike knew it was time to intervene. He had given the girl a chance to defeat him on her own, but the odds of that were no longer looking good. He entered the scene, separating prey from predator. With the element of surprise on his side, Spike dusted the vampire in a heartbeat. The dust burst around them, settling to the ground.

Spike turned to the girl. She was dusting herself off.

“Not bad,” Spike complimented. “Where’d you learn to fight like that?”

“My parents,” she replied, not bothering to look at him.

“And what do they do? Teach martial arts?”

“Something like that.”

“Maybe we should be getting you back to them. It is much too late for you to be wondering around alone at your age.”

She lifted her gaze. Her blue eyes met his with annoyance. “My age? I am quite capable. I was about to get the upper hand again before you came to the rescue.”

“What are you fourteen?”

“Fifteen.”

He nodded. “Figures. I know someone your age. She acts the same way. Doesn’t want to be treated like a child. It isn’t that you are too young to take care of yourself. This town isn’t safe for anyone. Even if you can fight you aren‘t safe. All it takes is one good day.”

“You just never stop lecturing me,” the girl muttered.

Spike furrowed his brow.

The girl raised her head. Spike saw that she was smiling. “I didn’t expect to find you so soon.”

“What?” he asked in confusion.

The girl reached out her hand to be shook. “Alexis. You don’t know me yet, but I know you.”

“What in the bloody hell are you talking about? You know me?”

“Yeah. Your name is Spike and you used to be a vampire.”

“How do you know that?” he demanded.

Alexis shook her head. “Not right now. We have to get to Buffy.”

“Buffy? You know the slayer?”

“Yeah, she’s the one that sent me here. Well, her and Giles. Now come on. We have to prepare her before he attacks.”

Alexis grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the street.

“Buffy’s in trouble?” Spike inquired.

“Maybe,” Alexis responded.

That was all Spike needed to shut his hole and follow the girl in silence.

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

The demon burst into Judas’s lair. He was a gray creature with wrinkled skin. He surveyed the place. Judas dropped the dead girl to the floor. She was a blond. Stupid and easy to catch. He wiped the red off his mouth.

“Who the hell are you? Don’t you know it is impolite to burst into someone else’s home?” Judas asked.

The demon’s eyes flashed red. He eyed the dead girl. Pointing, he inquired, “You gonna use the rest of that?”

Judas shook his head. He motioned to the body. “Be my guest.”

The demon knelt, snapping off a leg. He brought the limb to his mouth and bit down. There was a loud crunching noise as he met bone. He continued eating until only the head remained. A burp escaped his mouth. Then he straightened, meeting Judas’s gaze.

“Now that I’ve fed, we can chat.”

Judas stared down at the girl’s head. He must have been mighty hungry. It hadn’t taken the beast long to consume it all either.

“Sure. You can start by telling me why you’re here,” the vampire demanded.

“I’m here because you summoned me. You brought me out of a hell dimension to do your bidding. I am at your service.”

Judas blinked. He hadn’t called upon any damn demon. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The demon growled. He reached out and grabbed Judas’s shoulders. His nails ripped through the black t-shirt to dig into the skin beneath.

“Watch it!” Judas yelped.

“You told me to come here.”

“When did I say that?”

Letting go, the demon said, ”Fifteen years from now.”

Judas laughed. “I think you are a little confused.”

“No you are! You sent me here to help you do away with the slayer.”

Judas raised an eyebrow. “Slayer, huh? Not a bad idea.”

“She turns you human. I’m here so you can prevent that.”

“What?” Did he say human?

“It is the slayer’s fault that all the vampires turn human and the demons are sent to hell. You hated it, missed the killing, and still wanted eternal life. So you summoned me to prevent it. So here I am.”

Judas thought for a moment. So this demon claimed to be from the future?

Not likely, but killing the slayer was appealing. If what the demon told him was actually true, it would solve the problem in the future. And if not, he still got the glory. Doing away with a slayer was a big deal. He’d be legendary. Fledglings would grovel at his feet.

“All right,” Judas declared. “We can get to business with killing the slayer.”

The demon grunted in agreement.

“Hey, what should I call you?”

“I don’t have a name,” the demon replied.

Judas studied the creature in front of him. “Well, you’re a Gestalt demon. I’ll

just call you Gestalt.”

The demon didn’t respond.

“Okay then, Ges, this is the beginning of a lovely partnership.”

_________________________________________________

Buffy stepped into the living room. She turned her head over toward Dawn. Her sister was sitting on the couch with a bag of Doritos, chomping away. The television was on some station with cartoons.

"Hey, Buffy!" Dawn greeted.

Buffy went over to settle beside her. "Do you have your homework done?" she asked.

There was a moment of silence. Dawn crunched into another corn chip.

"Dawn?" Buffy repeated.

Dawn sighed. "It's only a little bit," she confessed.

The older of the two grabbed the remote. She pressed the red power button. The TV screen went black. "Then . . . it will only take you a 'little' bit of time to get it finished."

A groan came from Dawn. She got up and headed to the stairs. "You become more like a mom everyday," Dawn commented. Then she was out of sight.

Buffy stood there, a little shocked. Mixed emotions clouded her brain. She was glad that she gave Dawn discipline so the teen wouldn't run wild. And, besides, that meant not having her sister get taken away. But her a parent? It scared her somewhat. And, not to mention feel regretful. She didn't want to take her mother's place. She was very confused and didn't know whether to be proud or upset with herself.

That was when the doorbell rang. Buffy took a second to clear her head before answering it.

The door was flung open to reveal none other than Spike. Annoyance came over her. She had known he would show up sooner or later, despite her act of avoiding him.

Sudden panic hit her. She tried, desperately, to push the memory from downstairs away. It wouldn’t seem to disappear, though. She become angered, and not at him, which made her even more angry. It had been her that initiated the act. She had lost control, letting her urges take over, not him. But it was done now, and had been a big mistake. She looked at him and a rush of guilt flowed over her. She knew it had meant much more to him. He loved her. And she could honestly believe that now. He had a soul.

She wanted to apologize. To tell him he wasn‘t a thing, and she hadn‘t meant to use him. Instead what came out was,” Spike.” Then she noticed the girl next to him. "Who's this?"

The two females met gazes. An eerie feeling passed through her. There was something about this girl, familiar somehow. She was positive that they had never met before, however. The girl was almost as tall as she was, with dark brown hair that fell to her shoulders. Her eyes were piercing orbs of crystalline blue.

"Buffy!" Spike took a step forward, concern etched on his face. “Are you all right? You didn’t come across any nasties tonight did you?”

“Huh? No. I haven’t gone out on patrol yet,” the slayer answered.

"I think you should call the scoobs. This girl is spoutin some rot about how you sent her here from the future."

Buffy's eyes widened. "The future? As in time travel? Like that Back to the Future movie?"

Spike laughed. "You‘d have to ask her."

The mysterious girl watched them, smiling the whole time. "Actually it was a spell,“ she clarified. “A car would have been much cooler. I have my permit.”

“A spell?” Buffy asked.

“Yeah. Call a meeting and I‘ll tell you everything. What I need to say should be for everyone."

Buffy nodded. "Let me call Xander and Anya. Willow is out somewhere with Amy. I’ll tell Dawn to send her over when she gets back." She took a last glance at the girl before turning away.

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

The three of them headed toward the Magic Box. Buffy was deep in thought as she led the way. Her pace was quick, oblivious to the others as she moved. Spike, however, sparked up a conversation.

"So, you know me?"

The girl kept walking, not even glancing his way. "Yeah."

"So I can count on not biting the big one for awhile. What year are you from?"

“2016,” Alexis answered.

“Okay, at least I know now I won’t die for another fifteen years at least.”

Alexis shook her head. She glanced over. “You are scared of death, aren’t you?”

“Well, yeah. When you’ve been undead for over a hundred years, and then suddenly develop an expiration date, it does that to you.”

“You are very healthy. I doubt you’re gonna die anytime soon.”

“Right then.” He paused. “So, how do you know me and the slayer exactly?”

Alexis averted her eyes. “I’m not allowed to say much.”

“Just tell me one thing, pet. Is she happy?” He motioned his head in Buffy’s direction. He stopped, gazing intently at Alexis, waiting for her response.

“Yes. She’s very happy.”

Spike shut his eyes, letting that sink in. She was happy. That was all he needed to know. That was all that mattered.

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

They finally had arrived at their destination. Xander and Anya were waiting for them. A sinking feeling came over Buffy. The gang had been reduced tremendously. Willow hardly seemed to be around anymore. Buffy felt abandoned a lot of the time. Everyone was swept up in their own lives. And Giles. . . No, she wouldn’t think about that right now.

Heads lifted as the group entered.

"So, Buff, what's the sudden get together about?" Xander wanted to know. He was sitting next to Anya at the round table as usual. She appeared to be miffed about something.

“Yeah, I want to know why Xander and I had to be interrupted from our fun,” Anya commented.

Xander glared at his fiancé. “Ahn, remember that conversation we had?”

“But, I didn’t say it outright,” she defended.

A long exasperated sigh escaped Xander. He had given up. Anya would never learn when to stay quiet. He would just have to get used to it if he planned on spending the rest of his life with her.

Buffy seemed to suddenly become reintroduced to the real world. She gestured to Alexis. “This is Alexis. She claims to be from the future.”

“Jiminy Christmas,” burst out Xander. “Do they have the floating cars yet?”

The teen smiled, shaking her head.

“Darn,” muttered Xander.

“Xander, we don’t even know if she is telling the truth,” Buffy pointed out.

Everyone locked eyes with Alexis. They seemed to be accusing her of some crime. She fidgeted, nervously. The atmosphere choked her.

“I can prove it,” she defended.

“How, ducks?” Spike asked. He went over to the counter and hopped up.

“I know stuff,” she said. “Remember? I knew you used to be a vampire.”

“She knew you used to be a member of the undead?” Xander questioned.

“Yeah,” Alexis declared. She looked over at Xander. “And I know that Anya used to be a vengeance demon. Dawn was a mystical key. Giles is in England. Willow is a witch. She brought Buffy back from the dead after . . .”

“Oh my God,” murmured Buffy. She sat down in a chair across from Anya and Xander. She hadn’t really believed Alexis until now. The girl knew everything. Well, everything important that is.

Just then Willow burst into the store. Her friends knew instantly that she was upset about something.

“What’s wrong?” Buffy asked.

The red-head sighed. “If Amy comes around tell her to go away. She isn‘t my friend anymore,” she told them.

“Oh!” exclaimed Alexis. “Amy used to be a rat!”

Willow’s head snapped over toward Alexis, noticing her for the first time. “Um. . . Hi.”

“Hey!”

Willow surveyed the others with confusion.

The slayer pulled out the chair next to her. “Sit down Willow. You’ve missed a lot.”

______________________________________________

Willow blinked a couple times. “So, let me get this straight. You are from the future?”

“Yes,” Alexis confirmed.

“And I thought we came across it all. Evil vamps. Big snake nasties. A hell-God.” The red-head shook her head.

“Ever come across a Gestalt demon?”

“A what?”

“Buggering hell,” muttered Spike.

The slayer looked over at the ex-vamp in inquiry.

“Never came across one, mind you. But I have heard of them. Nasty blokes. Ugly. Rip apart anything they can get their hands on. Massive jaws and teeth that break through bone.”

“Aren’t they only a legend?” Anya asked. “No one has ever really seen one.”

“Oh, I think people’s seen em, they just haven’t lived to tell the tale.”

“Well, I’ll be the first then,” declared Buffy. She looked over at Alexis. “Tell me about this Gestalt thing. Where is it? Do you know how to kill it? Is that why you are here?”

“I have no idea where it is. All I can say is it is here in Sunnydale. It came from the future where I’m from. As for killing it . . . Decapitation often works. And yes, this is why I am here,” Alexis answered all three questions.

Xander leaned forward in his seat. “He’s from the future too? How many people took this little trip through time?”

“Just me and the demon. At different times,” the girl said.

“What does this demon want?” Buffy questioned. Deep down she knew the answer. What did every evil demon dream of?

Alexis met Buffy’s gaze with saddened blue eyes. “To kill you.”

Silence fell over the store. The vacancy of Buffy was still too fresh. Memories of the summer without her ate away at their hearts. They didn’t want to have to go through another one.

“Figures,” Buffy said. “What do I do to piss him off exactly?”

Alexis fidgeted with her fingers. “It isn’t something you do, although you help.”

“What do I help with? Must be more than Shake ‘n Bake.”

The teenager scanned the people in the room. “This is all because of me.” There were tears beginning to glisten in her eyes.

Willow frowned, sympathetic. “What do you do, sweetie?”

“I have this big destiny. Sort of like a slayer does. I rid the world of vampires and demons. The vampires turn human and the demons are all sent to hell. The world is cleansed.”

“Sounds like a big yay to me,” Xander remarked. “What goes wrong?”

“Judas. He was-is a vampire. He will become human. But the thing is he doesn’t like it one bit.”

Spike huffed.

The blond slayer turned toward Spike. “Care to comment?”

He shook his head. “No, carry on. Just that I can relate is all.”

“He tried to kill me,” Alexis went on. “Apparently he didn’t succeed. He came up with a better plan than revenge instead. He summoned the Gestalt demon from hell, and sent it here to prevent the cleansing from taking place.”

“By killing me?” Buffy asked.

“Yes.” Alexis paused. “You discover a prophecy about the cleansing. It mentions me. You find me to perform it.”

“So that’s how you know us? We find you?”

“Y-yeah. I’m the prophecy girl. We sorta . . . become friends.”

“All right. I think I get it,” Buffy said. “If he kills me we never find you and the cleansing never happens. Then this Judas can remain fangy and dangerous.”

“That’s about it.”

“Why didn’t this guy come here himself?” Xander wanted to know. “What is it with villains and not wanting to get their hands dirty?”

“It wasn’t by choice this time. Judas can’t come back to the past. It is too risky. If a person touches themselves they . . . I don’t know. Giles wasn’t very explicit about that. They die somehow. Atoms can’t exist two places at once. That’s why I was sent. I know I’m only fifteen, but I can fight. And I’m not around to accidentally touch myself.”

“Wow,” Xander voiced. “This is making my head spin.”

“Tell me about it,” Willow agreed.

Reaching in her pocket, Alexis drew something out. It was a folded piece of white-lined paper. She opened it up, handing it over to Willow. The witch examined the writing. Then she looked up, her eyes wide.

“This is the spell to transport you back to the future?”

Alexis nodded. “Yeah. When this mess is all sorted out that’s all ya have to do.”

“I . . . I can’t,” Willow whispered. She gave the spell back to Alexis.

Confusion spread over Alexis’s face. “Wh-Why?”

At that moment Willow looked small. Her lips trembled. “I almost did something horrible,” she confessed.

“What happened?” Buffy demanded.

“Amy took me to see this warlock named Rack.”

Spike hopped down from the counter. His expression was stern. “What!?”

Ashamed, the red-head shifted her gaze to the floor.

“Who is this Rack?” Buffy commanded to know.

It was Spike who answered. “Rack is dangerous. He’s into the dark stuff. Black magic.”

“I left!” Willow defended. “He wanted me to open up to him. I did, but . . . When I felt him, felt his evil, I left.”

No one knew quite what to say. They were relieved that Willow left, but also worried that she would even consider going to such a place.

“Don’t you see now? I can’t do this spell. I don’t trust myself. Not yet. Not with something this big.”

“What about Tara?” Alexis asked.

“T-Tara?” Willow had difficulty saying the name.

“Could she do it?”

“Maybe. She is so much better than I am.” Willow let out a sob.

Seeing her friend in distress, Buffy stood up. “Let’s go home. It’s late. We’ll continue this tomorrow.” She glanced at Willow. “I think everybody’s tired.”

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

Alexis had two choices. She could either sleep on the couch or the cot downstairs. She chose the couch. It wasn’t pitch black in the living room. She couldn’t stand the dark. It was something she was born with. Not exactly a phobia. No, it didn’t frighten her. It filled her with loathing. She had always hated the dark. Her mother had told her stories about when she was a baby. Ever since birth she would only fall asleep with a light on. It didn’t have to be much light, but there had to be some. As a small child she grew up with a Sesame Street Count nightlight. It was her father who gave her the pink lava lamp as a replacement. She was very grateful for it. She no longer had to go through the embarrassing explanation when she had a sleepover.

There wasn’t a nightlight that night. Alexis was all right, though. Moonlight streamed in through the window. It was enough illumination so that she could vaguely make out the furniture and television. She wasn’t as needy as she used to be. A little light-Light at all was enough. It kept her from feeling as if she was being suffocated. That she had to battle the shadows before they engulfed her.

She rolled over in the fold-out bed, bringing the covers up to her chin. She was having trouble sleeping. Not because of the light issue. Because she felt bad.

She kept telling herself she hadn’t been lying. She simply wasn’t telling the whole truth. It was necessary. There would be grave consequences if they knew everything. Giles had been very clear on that. He told her not to tell the scoobies their future. It might change it.

Still, Alexis wished she could spill it all. She despised lying. No! I’m not lying, she reminded herself. I’m only bending the truth a tad. That’s all. Like Dad when he dented the car. He hadn’t told Mom about that telephone pole for her own good.

Alexis shut her eyes. Right then she wanted to be back in the future. She wanted to be with her family again. Not with these strangers. They weren’t strangers, but they seemed like it. They didn’t know her.

Stupid girl! Alexis screamed at herself. You are acting like a baby. You aren’t four years old. You are strong. What would Mom do in this situation? She’d get the job done. She wouldn’t be silently whining about going home. You have a duty. An important duty. Everyone is counting on you. If you don’t do this you’ll die. Buffy will die.

Alexis dispelled the thoughts from her mind. She made herself drift off to sleep. She needed her strength if she was going to kick this Gestalt demon’s ass.

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