Title: Fluffy Passion (Ep 8 of the Fluffy Files) Author: Hilary

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: Everything I have borrowed from Joss.

Author's Notes: This is part of a series I have lovingly titled The Fluffy Files. I'm taking every Ep that Spike has appeared in and twisting it to give it a nice fluffy B/S ending. The eps are not meant to be read in sequence (unless you want to). They are all stand-alone fics which I have just grouped together, sort of a 'how they might get together' thing. In other words ignore any other Fluffy File fics and just pretend this is the first. For each Ep just assume that the show has gone more or less as normal up until the point where I start.

Dedication: To Py for her beta and help with the ideas, and to Kris and Rich for helping out.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

She was beautiful. As she lay there sleeping, there was no hint of the fierce warrior, which she was; she was just a normal girl, helpless, vulnerable and utterly at his mercy. This was the only time her defenses were totally down and she didn't even know he was there. He could do what he wanted; kill her in any way he wanted.

But where was the fun in that?

For now he just watched her, planning for the time when he would be ready. Then, and only then, she would die.

* * *

Dru kept glancing anxiously at the door while Spike eyed her grumpily from his wheelchair. He'd given up even trying to win her over. Anything he did for her was nothing in her eyes compared to Angel. He even slept alone now, Dru preferring the company of her sire to her crippled childe.

Even looking after him seemed more of a game than anything to her; she treated him like a child and Angel found that hysterical. As soon as he got out of this damn chair he'd show him just how funny it really was.

Dru glanced at the door again.

"Will you stop looking at the bloody door, Dru?" Spike snapped.

"But, the sun is almost up," she whined. "And my Angel has not yet returned."

Spike shrugged. "It's his own fault if he gets dusted then."

"Well, Spike. I'm flattered you have such a high opinion of me."

Angelus swaggered into the room and caught Dru is a passionate kiss.

Spike stared at them for a moment. Angelus had always taken delight in hinting to him that there was something going on between him and Dru, but he'd never directly shown it like this before.

After a minute he regained control of his senses and cleared his throat loudly. Angelus broke away from Dru and grinned at him.

"Sorry, Spikey boy. I didn't see you down there."

Spike glared at him but before he could make any sort of comeback, Dru reached out and caressed Angelus' cheek.

"My Angel, I've been worried. You were gone so long and the light of day is nearly upon us."

Spike seized his moment.

"Been Slayer-watching I should imagine. Honestly, I don't know why you don't just kill her. All this pouncing around is just going to piss her off until she eventually stakes you."

He faked a deeply thoughtful look.

"On second thought…"

Angel tried not to let it show but he was clearly getting annoyed.

"You don't know the first thing about women, Spike. And you certainly don't know anything about the Slayer."

Spike rolled forward a little, keeping his eyes locked on Angel's.

"Yeah, I don't know much about the Slayer, but that's because I'm usually trying to kill her. Now all this has got me wondering. You say it's not time to kill her. I think you can't. I think somewhere underneath that badass exterior there's still some part of your nancy soul hanging around and it's stopping you from killing her."

Dru began to whimper at Spike's words, suddenly fearful that her Angel wasn't hers at all.

Angelus ignored her and rested one hand on each of the arms of Spike's chair, leaning in so that their faces were mere inches apart.

"Listen to me," he hissed. "If you weren't so pathetic and helpless I'd kill you right now."

Without warning Spike swung a punch at him, catching him on the jaw.

"Now who's helpless?"

Dru now started to wail loudly and blind fury swept over Angelus. How dare Spike disgrace him in front of his childe and lover? With a roar, he tightened his grip on Spike's chair and tipped it over, sending the younger vampire sprawling to the floor. Spike's head hit the ground with a resounding crack and Angelus smiled. It was music to his ears. He moved back over to Dru and kissed her.

The attack on Spike seemed to have convinced her that he was still fully evil and she snuggled into his chest, happy once more.

From the floor, Spike tried to focus on what was going on. His vision kept fading in and out and he could hear the sound of voices coming from very far away.

Dru's shrill laughter was the last thing he heard before he passed out.

* * *

The next thing he became aware of was the steady sound of a human heartbeat. He wasn't alone.

He continued to lie there with his eyes closed, hoping that whoever it was would leave him. However, after a few minutes, he felt someone hovering over him and he knew he had no choice but to open his eyes. As soon as he did he whole body tensed.

It was the Slayer.

Instantly he knew that this was it. She was going to kill him and there was nothing he could do to defend himself.

Buffy, it seemed, had a different agenda. Rather than the glare of someone who was looking at their enemy, she was smiling gently at him. Finally she reached forward and carefully helped him to his feet.

Spike was now totally confused.

"Slayer? What are you-"

She placed a finger softly on his lips and he fell silent. She then placed a hand on his cheek and instantly a feeling of total calm and peace flooded through him. It was the most amazing thing he had ever felt.

"You need to find a way in."

Buffy's soft voice cut through his reverie and he opened his eyes.

"What?"

She seemed to not have heard him.

"You are stronger than you think."

He frowned and opened his mouth to question her again when he saw a shadow move behind her.

"Buffy! Look out!"

His cries were too late. With a loud snap her lifeless body crumpled to the floor, her neck broken.

Angelus grinned at him.

"No more watching."

With a gasp Spike's eyes snapped open. He was still lying on the floor and there was no sign of Buffy or Angelus. He shuddered; it had seemed so real.

His eyes fell on the overturned wheelchair lying a few feet away from him. He was stuck until Dru or Angelus decided to help him. That could mean hours or even days. Neither of them were famous for their compassion.

Buffy's words rung in his ears. He wasn't sure what made him try but he sat up and gripped the edge of the table. Slowly he pulled himself to his feet.

He was standing. His legs still felt quite weak but he was standing. Buffy had been right. Now it was only a matter of time before he would make Angelus pay.

* * *

A week passed and Spike's strength had grown daily. He was now able to walk fully unaided but this was a fact he chose to keep hidden from both Angelus and Dru. He wanted the moment he told them to be perfect, when revenge would be its sweetest.

This, and only this, had enabled him to suffer the humiliation of pretending to be still helpless. Once he'd discovered he could stand, he lay back on the floor and waited for Dru or Angelus to help him back into his chair. He'd been quite lucky really, he'd only had to wait a few hours and put up with some sarcastic comments. All the time it had been going on, he'd been relishing in the fact that very soon he was going to make them eat their words.

Occasionally his thoughts would drift to the Slayer. He'd never been quite able to shake off that dream entirely. Maybe he could let her in on his plan. It was possible that she hated Angelus as much as he did. Plus it would piss Angelus off just that little bit more when he found out that he'd managed to turn the Slayer against him. He grinned at the thought and decided to approach her that night. Hopefully he'd be able to explain before she tried to stake him.

* * *

As soon as Dru and Angelus left to hunt that night, Spike headed towards the Slayer’s house. He stopped when he reached the driveway and almost turned back. This was crazy.

Could this have been what his dream had been referring to?

He looked at the house again. Her bedroom light was on. He considered climbing the tree and knocking on the window but then decided against it. Sneaking up to her room wasn't going to get her any closer to trusting him. He decided to use the door. After stepping tentatively onto the porch he knocked.

* * *

"MOM!" Buffy yelled as she heard the knock on the door. "Can you let Willow in and tell her I'll be down in a minute?"

From the kitchen Joyce rolled her eyes. Her daughter seemed to think that she had nothing better to do than act as a doorman for her. At the moment she was struggling to control two pans, which were insisting on boiling all over the stove.

"Come in!" she yelled at the front door, knowing that Willow was more than capable of making herself at home until Buffy was ready.

Outside the door, Spike stood frozen. He hadn't planned on anyone else being home, and now he'd just inadvertently been given an invite into the Slayer's house. He thought about going in and giving the Slayer a surprise, but that would more than likely lead to instant stakeage; from Buffy's mum if not the Slayer herself.

"Bloody hell." he muttered to himself and disappeared into the night. He'd have to save this for a more private time.

Joyce looked at the door with confusion. Maybe Willow hadn't heard her. She took the pans off the stove and opened the front door. Willow was just walking up the drive. Joyce shook her head; they must have been hearing things.

* * *

The sun was just starting to set the next night when Spike awoke. He quickly dressed and climbed into his wheelchair, determined that he would see the Slayer that night.

He wheeled into the main room and saw that Dru was already up. She barely looked at him and continued to tend to her dolls. This came as no surprise to Spike. She'd been like this with him since the fight with Angelus and he found himself not even caring anymore.

"Tonight is the night our dreams come true." Angelus announced as he swaggered into the room, obviously having just woken.

"What's that?" Spike grumbled. "You gonna trip and fall on a twig?"

Angelus either didn't hear him or chose to ignore him. "Tonight I'm going to kill the Slayer."

Dru's face instantly flooded with delight.

"Really, my Angel?"

He nodded.

"I'm getting bored of the whole stalker thing. No more watching, it's time to act."

Spike stared at him.

The words from his dream hit him like a lightning bolt and instantly he knew he had to do something.

Angelus glanced at his watch. "Sunset. Dru, you stay here and keep an eye on Wheels. I've got a Slayer to kill."

Dru frowned. "Can't I help?"

He grinned at her eagerness but shook his head. "Sorry, baby, but this is kind of a private moment."

She pouted but knew better than to argue with him. Instead she fixed her eyes on the door and watched as he swept out into the night.

From his chair, Spike eyed Dru who still had her back to him. He had a choice to make. He was going to have to get past her if he wanted to warn Buffy. If he did, Dru would be lost to him forever. On the other hand, if he stayed here with Dru, Buffy would die. Thinking about it, this was insane. Here he was debating between the love of his immortal life and the enemy that had crippled him.

Yet, despite it all, he couldn't help but think of his dream, and the fact that Dru had treated him as little more than dirt since Angelus had returned. In a split second he’d made his choice and jumped to his feet. Before Dru could even sense what was going on behind her, he grabbed a doll from the table and cracked her over the head with it. Porcelain was clearly stronger than it looked, because Dru slumped to the floor, out cold.

Without giving her a second look, he ran out of the factory and headed straight for Buffy's house.

* * *

Angelus smiled from his perch outside Buffy's window as he watched her climb into bed and switch off the light. He'd followed her all night, on patrol, to the Bronze, and, finally, back to her house. He was savouring each moment, knowing they were her last. The fact that she was completely oblivious to it made it all the more sweet.

He continued to watch until he was sure she was asleep, then climbed through the window and took his usual seat at her bedside. He gazed down at her for a moment, drinking in her beauty for the last time. He then picked up a cushion and stroked it for a moment before he was struck with the idea that his face should be the last thing she saw. He shook her shoulder and her eyes fluttered for a moment and then opened. They fixed sleepily on him and then widened as she fully woke. Angelus chose that moment to clamp the cushion over her face, cutting off her air.

"Goodnight, Buffy." he whispered as she began to thrash beneath him, trying to shake him off. Her struggles grew weaker and weaker until finally she went limp.

Angelus grinned has he imagined various ways he could position her body for her mother to find in the morning. Killing Buffy was only half of the fun. Death was an art to him, and he intended this one to be his masterpiece.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't see the figure climb through the window. The next thing he knew, he was being tackled to the floor, the cushion still in his hands. He fought to wrestle his opponent and for the first time ever he looked genuinely shocked when he saw who it was.

"Well, Spike, aren't you full of surprises?"

Spike merely growled and carried on punching him, venting out the frustration and hatred that had built up over the past few months. Finally Angelus found a gap and managed to kick Spike off him. He jumped to his feet and glanced at the bed.

"Too bad you didn't get here in time to save the girl." he sneered before jumping out of the window.

Spike didn't bother trying to follow; it could wait. Instead he ran over to the bed. Buffy lay motionless, her eyes closed. If he hadn't seen Angelus suffocating her, he'd have thought she was just sleeping. He just prayed he hadn't been too late. Slipping into his vampiric features, he focused all his senses on Buffy until he heard what he wanted. He slid his human visage back in place and smiled with relief. He'd heard the sound of a slow, steady heartbeat. She'd just passed out, that was all.

Taking a seat beside her on the bed he patted her cheek softly.

"Buffy, luv, come on now. You need to wake up."

Nothing.

He sighed, having hoped it wouldn't come to this. He slapped her, hard. Instantly her fist shot out and connected with his jaw. The shock, rather than the force of the blow sent him sprawling off the edge of the bed and onto the floor. Buffy sat up and looked down at him.

She seemed surprised for a moment, having expected to be facing Angelus. Her surprise quickly turned to anger though.

"What the hell are you doing in my house?"

Spike sat up and rubbed his jaw. "What am I-? I saved your life!"

She continued to glare at him. "Why? Wanted to finish me off yourself did you? Well, come on then, I'm ready to fight."

Actually her whole body felt like jelly after her brush with death but there was no way she was telling him that.

Spike shook his head. "I didn't come here to fight, luv."

"Right. You just slapped me and now you're saying you don't want to fight. Have you forgotten that we're meant to be enemies?"

Spike rolled his eyes. "No, I haven't forgotten. I just figured that since we have a common enemy we could do each other a favour. Take him down together. And I only slapped you to wake you up, you silly bint."

If it was possible, Buffy's glare intensified. "Get the hell out of here before I come to my senses and dust you."

Spike climbed to his feet. "Oh, that's just bloody typical, I save your life and you threaten to take mine. I thought you were supposed to be one of the good guys, Slayer."

His words hit her hard and she fell silent. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. He had just saved her and the least she could do was show a bit of gratitude.

"Thank you." she mumbled.

Spike paused at the window. "You're welcome, luv, and I'm serious about what I said. Angelus is still out there and if you want some help taking him down, I'll be around."

He hooked one leg over the window and prepared to climb out.

"Wait!" Buffy called.

He paused and turned back to face her.

"Come here after sunset tomorrow. We'll work out a plan."

Spike smiled. "Sure thing, pet."

With that he jumped out of the window and disappeared.

* * *

The next evening Joyce struggled to make her way up the driveway, arms laden with shopping. It had been a long day and she was looking forward to dumping the groceries, having a nice hot bath and putting her feet up.

"Mrs Summers, I came to offer my condolences"

Turning her head she saw Angel, the boy who until recently had been tutoring Buffy in History. She frowned, Buffy had told her how he'd started following her around and hassling her.

"Condolences?"

Angel nodded. "I was so sorry to hear about what happened to Buffy. I heard it was peaceful, that she died in her sleep."

The grocery bag slipped from Joyce's suddenly numb fingers. "Is this some kind of sick joke? There is nothing wrong with Buffy. I don't know what you heard but I can assure you it's not true."

Currently picking up the dropped shopping, Angelus looked up at her.

"She's alive?" he hissed.

Startled by the fact that he looked angry rather than relieved, Joyce grabbed the food from him and headed for the door. "Buffy doesn't want to see you anymore, I suggest you leave her alone."

Angelus ran after her and grabbed her arm. "Joyce, you don't understand. I can't live without Buffy, and she'll die without me."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Are you threatening her?"

Angelus ignored her. "She's everything to me Joyce, and I'm not going to let anyone stop me from getting to her."

He tightened his grip on her arm, causing her to wince. Joyce was just starting to panic when, suddenly, Angel was pulled away from her. She looked up and saw a blonde-haired man holding onto him.

"You're not welcome here," the blonde hissed to Angel. Then he looked up at her. "Mrs. Summers, go inside and call the police."

Not needing to be told twice, she quickly opened the door and hurried inside.

"Buffy?" she called, hoping her daughter was safe inside. She sighed with relief when both Buffy and Willow ran downstairs.

"Mom, are you alright? What happened?"

Joyce walked into the living room and picked up the phone. "I need to call the police. That boy, Angel, is outside. Buffy, I don't think he's very stable, he more or less threatened me, if that other young man hadn't come along."

Buffy tensed. "Other guy? Who was it? What did he look like?"

Joyce shrugged. "I don't know. He seemed sort of familiar, he looked about the same age as Angel, maybe a little younger, and he had bleached hair."

Buffy shot Willow a look before addressing her mother. "Mom, don't call the cops just yet. I'm going to see if they're still out there."

"Be careful." Joyce called as Buffy disappeared back into the doorway with Willow following close behind.

Buffy opened the front door and peered outside. Both vampires were, indeed, still outside and she wasn't surprised to see that they were fighting. Spike seemed to be faring a lot worse than he had the night before; Angel was pounding him like a punching bag. Occasionally Spike was getting a hit in, but these times were few and far between.

"Buffy?" Willow asked cautiously. "What do you want to do? Spike's still got access to your house. Shall I de-invite him too?"

Buffy kept her eyes fixed on the two vampires, listening to Willow and assessing the situation. She was the Slayer, she should just leave them to kill each other, but somewhere in the back of her mind her mom's words repeated themselves.

If that other young man hadn't come along.

It was then that she made up her mind. She ran outside. Willow's jaw dropped but she knew better than to call out and draw attention to Buffy.

Still not quite believing what she was doing, Buffy had grabbed Spike's arm and was halfway back to the front door before Angelus had even realized what was going on. He snarled and gave chase but it was too late. Buffy pushed Spike inside and turned back just in time to see Angelus bounce of the invisible barrier keeping him out.

"Sorry Angel, your key doesn't fit anymore." she said bitterly.

Spike grinned smugly at him. "Yeah, looks like another vamp has replaced you on the guest list."

And with that Buffy slammed the door in his stunned face.

* * *

At the sound of the door closing Joyce hurried into the hallway and was relieved to see Buffy, Willow and the young man who had helped her.

"Is he gone?" she asked anxiously.

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, I think he got the message. I don't think he'll be hanging around here anymore."

Joyce's face was still filled with concern. "I still think I should call the police, he seems dangerous."

Buffy shook her head. "They wouldn't do anything, they have better things to do than deal with a jealous guy making empty threats. Besides, I think I made it clear where we stand, I don't think he'll bother me anymore."

Finally Joyce nodded, albeit reluctantly. She had a feeling her daughter was glossing over what was going on. She turned her attention to the blonde man who had been silent so far.

"I guess I should thank you for helping me out back there."

He shifted on his feet, kept his eyes fixed on the floor and mumbled something that sounded vaguely like 'no problem'. She turned back to her daughter.

"Is he a friend of yours, Buffy?"

Buffy rolled her eyes at the not-so-subtle hint for an introduction. "Mom, this is William, but everyone calls him Spike. It's a nickname he picked up a while ago."

Joyce smiled. "Well, Spike, I'm glad you were passing when you were. I hate to think what might have happened if you hadn't showed up," Suddenly her eyes narrowed. "You do seem familiar, are you sure we haven't met before?"

Buffy realized that things could get awkward very quickly. "Mom, I'm going to take Spike upstairs so he can get cleaned up."

It was then that Joyce noticed that Spike was bleeding from a gash above his eye and several bruises were dotted across his jaw. "Oh, my goodness, are you alright?"

Her maternal instinct took over and she pulled him into the living room so she could examine him more carefully.

Buffy, Spike and Willow all protested but Joyce would hear none of it. She sat Spike down on the couch and wandered into the kitchen to look for a first aid kit. Buffy shot Spike an apologetic look but he seemed more embarrassed than anything. It made her want to laugh; it was almost cute seeing him like this.

Joyce returned and set about cleaning and binding Spike's cut.

"You're lucky this doesn't need stitches." she muttered as she wiped it with some rubbing alcohol.

"Mom!" Buffy cried in exasperation. "He's fine!"

Joyce threw a glance over her shoulder. "Buffy! Try and show some feelings for your friend's well being. He could have been badly hurt tonight."

Buffy folded her arms over her chest and sighed loudly. "Spike can take care of himself."

While mother and daughter bickered with each other, Spike was doing his very best not to die of shame. A few days ago he'd still been considered a badass vampire, wheelchair or not. Now here he was, sitting in the Slayer's house being nursed by her mother. This was not how it was meant to be. He groaned.

"Did I hurt you?" Joyce asked with concern.

Spike shook his head and continued to stare at his hands lying in his lap.

"All done," Joyce announced as she stood up. "It wasn't as bad as it looked."

"I told you." Buffy grumbled, but before Joyce could reply a car horn sounded outside.

"That's my mom." said Willow, making her way into the hall. Buffy followed and when they reached the door, Willow turned back to face her.

"Buffy, if you need me for anything else, just call."

Buffy nodded, knowing exactly what she meant. If she needed to have Spike de-invited then Willow was more than capable of doing it. She pulled her friend into a hug.

"Thanks for your help tonight, Will."

Willow smiled but there was still concern in her eyes. "Buffy, are you sure you're going to be okay here with Spike? I can stay if you want."

Buffy shook her head. "Thanks, but I'll be fine. I can handle Spike if I need to."

Willow nodded and gave her one final hug before running out to the car.

Buffy watched until the car was out of sight before walking back into the living room. Joyce was handing Spike a mug of hot chocolate. He smiled as he accepted it.

"Thanks, Joyce."

Joyce looked up as she saw Buffy enter.

"I've just made some hot chocolate. Do you want some?"

Buffy shook her head, her eyes fixed in disbelief on Spike.

"Well, I've had a really long day. I'm going to take a bath and go to bed. It was nice meeting you Spike, and thank you again for your help."

Spike seemed to have regained his courage, this time he looked her in the eyes and smiled. "It was my pleasure. Thanks for the hot chocolate."

Joyce smiled again and kissed Buffy on the cheek. "Goodnight, honey, don't stay up too late."

"Night, Mom."

As soon as Joyce was upstairs Buffy flopped down on the chair next to Spike.

"I guess we need to talk."

Spike nodded. "I guess so."

An uncomfortable silence fell on the room as each of them considered what they needed to say.

"Why did you come to me?" Buffy finally asked. "There are plenty of demons out there who would have helped you get rid of Angel so they could add it to their resume. Why did you come to your enemy for help?"

"I didn't come to you for help!" Spike snapped in irritation. "I came to you because you're the only other person I know whose life he's made a living hell. I figured you'd want to help me, revenge and all that."

Buffy nodded, understanding what he meant. It may not be revenge that she wanted, but she knew that Angel had to be stopped. He'd nearly gotten her mother tonight; any of her friends could be next. Angel's death would be the only way to keep them safe.

She felt surprisingly calm about this. The past few days had made her realize that the Angel she loved was gone, only an evil monster remained, wearing his face.

"Alright," she finally said. "We need to come up with a plan. I don't want my family, my friends or I to be in danger any longer than is necessary. Is Angel still holed up in the factory?"

Spike nodded.

"Well, why don't we just storm the place?"

Spike didn't even need to think about it.

"I'll give you three reasons why that's a bad idea. One, the place will be crawling with minions. Two, now that Dru is back at full strength she's going to be just a tough as Angel. And three, now that he knows I'm playing for the other side, he'll be expecting an attack of some sort."

Buffy looked thoughtful for a moment, then she folded her arms across her chest and glared at him.

"Then what do you suggest oh all-knowing one?"

"I don't bloody know!"

They fell into silence once more, continuing to glare at each other.

"What about Dru?" Buffy finally suggested. "Maybe you can convince her to turn against Angel."

Spike shook his head sadly. "Not likely, luv. Dru turned her back on me long before I helped you."

Buffy stared at him. She'd had no idea, but then how could she have known? She looked at him a little longer. It almost hurt seeing him like this. He looked so lost and she could swear there were tears in his eyes. She moved from her chair and took a seat beside him on the couch, resting her hand on his arm.

"I'm sorry," she whispered gently. "I know what it's like to lose someone you love."

"It's been over for a while now." he replied, his voice suddenly raw and choked with emotion. He may not love Dru anymore, but it still hurt to think about her, and how he had lost her.

Suddenly his head snapped around to Buffy, his voice clear once more. "I've got it! Dru's the key to all this. We get her and Angel will have to play by our rules. He'd never stand for one of his childer to be harmed, especially one he's shagging."

Buffy looked at him, stunned by his sudden transformation from brooding Spike to proactive Spike. "You think we can get her?"

Spike nodded. "Every night, just after sunset, she goes out to 'commune with the stars'. Angel doesn't stand for any of that poofy nonsense, rich coming from him, so he uses that time to get ready for hunting. I think if I go I should be able to get her."

Buffy suddenly looked doubtful, if Spike still had any feelings at all for Dru then this could all go horribly wrong. "Maybe I should be the one that gets Dru."

Spike shook his head firmly. "She wouldn't even let you get close. It's got to be me."

For a moment Buffy looked as though she was going to argue with him but finally she sighed and nodded.

"Okay, once you've got Dru we need to take her somewhere where Angel won't find her. Where are you staying?"

"There's an old warehouse on the outskirts of town."

Buffy nodded. "I know the one, it'll do. Take her there and I'll meet you after I've patrolled."

Glancing at her watch she realized just how late it was.

"You'd better go, my mom's gonna kill me for staying up on a school night."

Spike grinned. The idea of the Slayer, who fought monsters every night, being scared of a telling off from her mum amused him.

Seeing him grin, Buffy glared at him for a moment before smiling good-naturedly. Spike stood up to leave but suddenly winced, doubling over slightly and clutching his ribs.

Buffy quickly stood, a slight look of concern on her face. She put a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

He jerked away from her, the motion causing him to wince again. "Of course I'm okay. If you'll just move I'll be on my merry way."

Buffy remained still. "You are so not okay, let me have a look at your ribs."

She reached out and he took a step back. "I'm fine, Slayer. It's nothing."

She rolled her eyes. "If it's nothing then let me have a look. You're not going anywhere until you do."

With a defeated sigh he stepped forward and allowed her to lift the hem of his shirt. What she saw made her gasp. The whole of his torso was covered in ugly looking bruises, which seemed to be darkening with every second that passed.

"Oh, God, Spike. This looks bad. Does it hurt?"

He shrugged. "A bit. I'll be right as rain tomorrow."

"Fine, you'll just have to stay here tonight."

The look that fell over Spike's face went way beyond shocked and somewhere into the realm of stupefied. His mouth opened and closed a couple of times, but no sound came out.

"It's only for one night," she continued hurriedly. "And it's kind of my fault you got hurt. Besides, it's my job to look after the defenseless. You go out tonight and you'll get killed by the first evil thing that comes along."

Spike began to splutter, suddenly managing to find his voice. "What? I am not defenseless. I can take care of myself."

Immediately Buffy pulled a stake out of her pocket and hurled it at him. Spike dodged, but cried out in pain in the process. He straightened and stared at her in disbelief.

"You could have bloody killed me!"

"If that had been intended to kill you, it would have. But I think you see my point now, no pun intended."

Spike rolled his eyes. "Whatever, you want me to stay? Then fine. I don't think your mum will be very happy about it though."

Buffy grinned. "She'll never know; I've done this before."

Her smile fell as she remembered the night she'd snuck Angel into her room. It had been one of two nights she had shared with him, the second resulting in him becoming a monster once more. She swallowed back her tears and motioned for Spike to follow her. They stopped in the hallway and she opened the front door.

"Goodnight, Spike," she called loudly. "I'll see you later, thanks for the help tonight."

She made sure the door shut loudly so that her mom would hear before she gestured to Spike to follow her. They crept up the stairs and into her room.

* * *

Buffy motioned for Spike to sit on the bed and take his shirt off, while she rummaged through the first aid kit she'd brought with her. Spike took hold of the hem of his T-shirt and started to pull it up, hissing in pain before it was even halfway off. Buffy looked over at him.

"You need some help?"

As much as he hated to admit it, he found himself nodding. Buffy leant over and carefully eased the shirt up his arms and over his head. Involuntarily she found herself looking at his chest, and the horrible bruises that marred it.

"Why didn't you say anything before?" she whispered in a low voice so that her mom wouldn't hear. Spike lowered his eyes and looked away.

"Well?" she asked impatiently.

"I didn't want your mum to make a fuss," he finally murmured. "She seemed worried enough as it is."

Buffy stared at him. He wasn't kidding; he'd put up with pain just so her wouldn't upset her mom. It was the sweetest thing she'd ever heard. She shook her head and focused on her task, carrying on working on the bandages around Spike's waist.

"I don't get it," she finally said. "I thought vampires were supposed to be evil. I mean look at Angel, he lost his soul and turned back into the killer he's always been. You don't have a soul but in the past two days you've saved both me and my mother."

Spike pondered this for a moment.

"I can't explain it, Slayer. Not everything is black and white."

Having finished taping up Spike's ribs Buffy put the first aid kit to one side, leant forward and kissed him softly. Spike froze for a moment and then responded equally as gently. A moment later they parted, both smiling.

"Um…that was supposed to say 'thank you.'" Buffy whispered, a blush spreading across her cheeks.

Spike grinned.

"Remind me to get in your good books more often."

She swatted his arm playfully and stood up.

"I'll go and get some blankets."

As Buffy left the room Spike shook his head. He could hardly believe this was happening. Not only was he spending the night in the Slayer's bedroom, but she has kissed him. And he'd liked it.

At that moment Buffy returned, tossed a pillow on the floor and began to arrange the blankets into a semi-bed.

"You take the bed," she said as she worked. "You're hurt."

Spike looked at the bed, and then back at Buffy. "Slayer, you don't need to kip on the floor, the bed's big enough for two."

Buffy's head shot up and her eyes looked as though they were going to pop out of her head. "The…what…huh?"

Spike raised his hands in innocent surrender. "I won't try anything, I swear."

Buffy grinned and stood up. "You'd better not, I sleep with a stake under my bed. Try any funny business and I'll be sleeping with a big pile of dust."

Spike nodded and eased himself into bed, trying hard not to jar himself too much. Buffy walked around to the other side and climbed in beside him, keeping a reasonable distance between them.

"Goodnight, Spike." she whispered.

"Goodnight, Slayer."

They were soon both sound asleep.

* * *

A soft, warm light filtered through Buffy's closed curtains, rousing Spike from sleep. He lay there for a few minutes, enjoying the comfort of it all before he was struck with the feeling that something was different. As the last veils of sleep lifted from his mind, he remembered exactly where we was, and what had happened the night before. He opened his eyes and his whole body tensed.

Buffy lay snuggled up beside him, her head resting on his chest. He had his arms wrapped around her waist, holding her close to him. He realized that he must have done it in his sleep, but at the same time he knew that there was no way Buffy was going to see it like that. As soon as she woke up she was going to dust him for trying it with her. If he could just roll her away from him before she woke, she'd never even know it happened.

Glancing down he saw that she was still sleeping peacefully. It was now or never. He slowly tried to pull his arm out from underneath her but as soon as he moved she began to stir. He braced himself for the impending attack, but was amazed when her eyes opened and she merely snuggled closer to him.

"Morning." she whispered.

"Um…morning, luv."

"I don't want to go to school," she pouted. "It's nice like this."

Spike looked down at her for a moment, trying to work out if he was dreaming or not. The sound of her heart beating and the feel of her warm flesh upon his convinced him that this was no dream. With his free arm he reached out and gently started stroking her hair. Buffy sighed and let her eyes drift shut.

Neither of them knew how long they lay there for, but the next thing they became aware of was a loud banging on the door.

"Buffy?" Joyce called. "You're going to be late for school."

"I'm up!" Buffy replied, disentangling herself from Spike and jumping out of bed. She quickly grabbed some clothes and ran to take a shower.

When she returned Spike seemed to be sleeping. She dried her hair and took a seat beside him. Instantly his eyes opened and he smiled up at her. She smiled back.

"How are your ribs?"

"They're good."

Buffy nodded, knowing that there was no way they could be fully healed in the few hours they'd been asleep but not wanting to argue with him.

"I have to go now, try and get some more rest. I'm training after school and then patrolling so I'll meet you at your place like we planned."

Spike nodded and Buffy pulled the covers over him.

"Be careful tonight." she whispered, placing a small kiss on his forehead.

"You too." he replied.

She leaned down again and kissed him properly before hurrying out of the door. With a contented sigh Spike settled back down and soon drifted back to sleep.

* * *

He awoke again just as the sun was setting and he quickly got out of bed and unwrapped his ribs. They were pretty much healed; still a little tender but nothing that would stop him from fighting if he had to. He paced the room until the last rays of light disappeared beneath the horizon and then he quickly climbed out of the window and made his way to the factory. There wasn't much time.

He arrived to find Dru sitting outside, gazing up at the sky and murmuring to herself. He took a step closer and cleared his throat, causing her to turn around.

"Hello, Dru."

Her eyes filled with tears at the sight of him. "The stars told me you want to take me away, far away from my Angel."

Spike said nothing.

"You want to take me away, and that nasty teacher wanted to take my Angel away," she grinned evilly. "He soon put a stop to that badness."

Spike looked questioningly at her for a moment until what she was saying sunk in. Angel was going to kill Buffy's Watcher's girlfriend, if he hadn't done so already. He looked back a Dru, and deciding that she could wait, he turned and ran. Dru watched him until he was out of sight and then focused her gaze back on the sky.

* * *

With a grunt Buffy staked her fifth vampire of the evening and as he exploded into dust she checked the area for any more attackers. When she saw there were none she straightened from her fighting crouch.

"Buffy!"

She raised her stake when she heard the voice calling her name, and lowered it again when she saw Spike running towards her. He stopped in front of her, and despite not actually needing to breathe, he was panting heavily from the running.

"Spike? What are you doing here? Where's Dru?"

"Where's…the…teacher?" he gasped.

"What?" Buffy asked with confusion, having no idea what was going on or what he was talking about.

Spike took a deep breath and managed to compose himself. "The teacher, your Watcher's girlfriend. Do you know where she is?"

Buffy shook her head. "No, why-" her eyes widened in horror as she realized what he was trying to tell her. "Oh, God."

She ran out of the cemetery, Spike following close behind until she found a call box. She grabbed the receiver, shoved some money in and dialed.

"Giles? It’s Buffy. Is Ms. Calendar with you? Ok, I'll explain later. Bye."

She hung up and turned to face Spike. "She's working late at the school."

Spike nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

Through the darkened corridors of the school, Jenny ran. She could hear Angel behind her, chasing her. Fear pumped through her veins like ice water and she tried to speed up a little. The one thing was that she had the advantage of knowing the school well. If she could just shake him off she would probably be able to lose him. She ran up a flight of stairs and glanced behind her. There was no sign of him.

Suddenly, a hand clamped over her mouth, muffling a scream. Everything went black.

"Well, that wasn't quite what I expected." Spike said to Buffy as Jenny fainted in his arms. Buffy was looking nervously around her.

"He's here somewhere. Ms. Calendar was running from something," she looked back at Spike and the unconscious teacher. "Take her to Giles' and wait for me there. It's time to finish this."

Spike opened his mouth to protest.

"GO!" she hissed. "I'll be ok, I'm finally ready to do this."

Spike nodded and picked Jenny up in his arms. "I'll see you there. Be careful."

Buffy nodded and pulled out a stake. As Spike carried Jenny outside she looked around, she and Angel were going to do this on her terms. She wasn't going to look for him; she was going to wait for him to come to her. It would only be a matter of time.

* * *

As Spike stepped into the cool night air, he felt Jenny stir in his arms. After a moment her eyes opened and immediately widened as she realized she was being carried by a vampire.

"Easy," Spike whispered. "I'm with Buffy, she asked me to take you to Giles."

Looking like she didn't believe him at all she began to struggle.

"Stop it. I'm trying to help you." Spike growled.

Jenny stilled. "Fine, put me down then."

She was amazed when he set her down on her feet and took a step back. "You really are helping me?"

Spike nodded and Jenny looked around. "Where's Buffy?"

"She's still inside."

Jenny looked horrified. "But Angel…" Then she realized what Spike was saying. "She's going to kill him."

Spike nodded and turned to walk back to his car. Jenny caught hold of his arm and spun him back to face her.

"You can't let her kill him, I know how to restore his soul. There's a disk in the computer lab with the spell on it."

Spike glanced back at the school building and then back at Jenny. If Angel got his soul back, he was sure that things would go back to normal between them, they'd be happy and in love and Buffy wouldn't want anything to do with him anymore. Spike wasn't sure he could bear that. At the same time he imagined how heartbroken she would be if she found out after she had killed him, he could bear that even less.

Reaching into his pocket he pulled out they keys to his Desoto and handed them to Jenny.

"Go to Giles' and gather as many of the ingredients as you can," he instructed. "I'll get Angel and the disk and meet you there."

She nodded and hurried to the car while Spike turned and ran back into the school.

* * *

Buffy and Angelus kept their eyes locked as they circled each other. She had been right, after a few minutes he had shown up, deciding that killing her would be more fun than chasing after Spike and Ms. Calendar.

"Well, well, well," Angelus sneered. "Look who decided to finally show some guts. If you think you can take me down, little girl, you've got a lot to learn."

"We'll see shall we?" Buffy replied, and with that they launched themselves at each other, Buffy tackling Angelus to the floor. She quickly straddled him and reached for her stake. He used the moment to kick her off him and they both jumped to their feet.

"I thought killing you in your sleep was fun," Angelus taunted. "This is going to be so much better, I love a good fight before the kill."

"So do I." Buffy replied, dealing a powerful kick to his chest, which again sent him sprawling to the floor. His head hit one of the steps, dazing him and Buffy used the moment to straddle him once more. She raised her stake and was about to plunge it into his chest when a hand caught hold of her wrist, stopping her. She was then pulled off Angel and she whipped around, stake in hand, ready to kill whoever it was that had stopped her.

Her eyes blazed when she saw who it was. "Spike, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I can't let you kill him."

Buffy's heart twisted with pain as she realized that the one person she thought understood her was betraying her. Her whole world felt as though it was being shattered. She was vaguely aware of Angel climbing to his feet behind her, chuckling.

"Come to your senses have you Spike? Well, since you had the decency to save a fellow vamp, I might just let you help me kill her."

Spike looked at Buffy, then at Angel. Finally he walked past the Slayer and stood in front of the older vampire. Angelus smirked, knowing that he'd won. Without warning Spike pulled a wrench out from underneath his coat and cracked it across Angelus' head. He slumped, unconscious, to the floor.

Spike knelt beside him and looked over his shoulder at Buffy, who was staring at them.

"I need something to tie him up."

Buffy continued to stare at him.

"Buffy!"

The sound of her name seemed to bring her back to her senses. She walked over to Spike and crouched down beside him.

"You…you didn't betray me?"

"Of course not." Spike scoffed, looking around for something to bind Angel.

"I don't understand." Buffy said softly, as she reached into her weapons bag and pulled out some rope. Spike took it from her and tied some around his wrists and some around his ankles.

"The teacher has figured out a way to give him his soul back. We really need him alive for that."

Spike stood and hoisted Angel over his shoulder. Buffy remained crouched on the floor, tears in her eyes. This was the moment she had dreamed of since Angel had lost his soul, but now that it was happening she almost couldn't believe it.

"Come on, luv," Spike urged. "I want to get to Giles' before Angel wakes up."

She climbed to her feet and they made their way down the stairs and into the computer lab. Buffy found the disk, which had slipped down the side of the desk. She tried not to look at the wreckage; evidence of how close Ms. Calendar had come to being killed.

With the disk in hand, they made their way out of the school and to Giles' house.

* * *

Buffy nibbled her lip nervously as Jenny and Giles prepared the ritual to restore Angel's soul upstairs. Angel was still unconscious, lying in the middle of the room, tied with the rope Spike had used; if he woke up, they didn't want him interfering with the spell. Spike stood next to Buffy, his face expressionless.

Suddenly Angel groaned and opened his eyes.

Angel's eyes fixed on Buffy. "Buffy? Where am I? What happened?"

Her eyes filled with hope. "Angel?"

She took a few steps towards him and knelt down.

"Is it really you?"

He nodded. "My head hurts, I can't see you very well."

She leaned in closer and he suddenly raised his head and caught her mouth in a rough kiss. She jumped back and climbed to her feet, seeing with shock that the evil glint was back in his eyes.

"Come on, Buff, don't act all coy now. I know you like it rough, remember that night we spent together? I don't think I'll be forgetting that in a hurry. Look at me, all tied up like this, I didn't realize you were into bondage too."

"Stop it." she whispered, tears starting to roll down her cheeks. Spike was at her side in an instant, pulling her gently into his arms as she buried her face in his chest and began to cry softly.

Angelus looked amused by it all. "Look at you two, you're disgusting. One minute you hate each other, now all of a sudden you love each other. It makes me sick. You should be killing each other not-"

Suddenly he gasped. His eyes glowed for a second and he fell back, breathing heavily. Buffy pulled away from Spike and looked down at Angel, not daring to get any closer. Giles came down the stairs, supporting Jenny who looked drained and weak.

"Did it work?" he asked cautiously.

Buffy took tentative steps towards Angel, who was lying still. There was no way she was going to be tricked again. As she caught sight of his face she gasped, there were tears pouring down his cheeks.

"Angel?"

He looked up at her and choked back a sob. "I'm so sorry."

Instantly she knew it was him and hurried into the kitchen, grabbing a knife and cutting the ropes that were holding him. He made no attempt to move, he merely lay there sobbing. Buffy sat down beside him, pulling him into her arms and rocking him gently.

"It's ok," she hushed. "It's ok."

Spike watched the scene before him, his own heart feeling as though it was being crushed.

Sensing that they needed to be alone, Giles took Jenny back upstairs to rest. Spike sensed it was his cue to leave too and he made his way to the door.

"Wait!"

Spike turned to see Angel struggling to his feet. "There's something I need to say, to both of you."

They both looked at him, curious. "First of all I'm sorry. I know it's not much, but I don't know what else to say. Buffy, I'm sorry for everything I said to you, for everything I did to hurt you. I wish more than anything else I could take it all back. Spike, I'm sorry for the way I treated you, and I'm sorry about Dru. I knew she had this infatuation with me, and I knew how much you loved her."

Neither Spike nor Buffy said anything. Angel turned to face Buffy. "Buffy, you know I love you, but I can't stay here. It's too dangerous."

Tears rolled down her cheeks but she nodded, there was no way they could risk anything like this happening again. Angel turned to Spike.

"I know you care about her, Spike. I want you to look after her for me, keep her safe."

Spike looked at Buffy and then back at Angel, he nodded. "I just want you to know that I'm doing this for her, not because you're asking me to."

Angel nodded. "I understand."

"When are you going to go?" Buffy asked.

"Tonight," he replied. "I need to clear out my apartment and then I'll go."

"You need any help?"

Angel shook his head. "I think it's best if I do it and go. The longer I stay the harder it's going to be."

Buffy nodded and pulled him into a hug. "Take care of yourself, Angel, I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too. Goodbye, Buffy."

And with that he swept out of the door and was gone.

Spike watched the ex-lovers hug and his heart felt heavy with the knowledge that Buffy still loved Angel. As soon as Angel was gone, he turned to face Buffy.

"I should go." he said, making his way to the door.

"Spike, wait." she called, but the door had already closed behind him.

* * *

Buffy patrolled alone, she hadn't seen Spike for a week and she figured he must be off with Dru somewhere now that Angelus was out of the way. She staked another vampire and thought about calling it a night. She was tired and it was getting late.

Making her way back towards the main gate, she sensed a vampire behind her. Slowly she pulled a stake out of her pocket, swung around and knocked him to the floor, straddling him before he could recover. She raised the stake and froze as she saw who it was she'd attacked.

"Spike? What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," he groaned. "Now are you going to get off me or what?"

She looked down and realized she was still on top of him. Blushing she climbed to her feet and helped him up. "Sorry about that, but you shouldn't sneak up on me."

Spike shrugged. "Thought I'd come and help you patrol, but I see you're about done."

Buffy nodded. "I didn't expect to see you here tonight, I thought you'd be back with Dru."

He stifled a laugh. "Back with that twit? Not bloody likely."

She smiled with relief. "Well, it was good to see you anyway. Maybe we can patrol together tomorrow."

Spike nodded. "How are you doing anyway, now that Angel's gone?"

He had wanted to avoid talking about Angel altogether, but he wanted to be sure Buffy was okay.

She smiled. "It's not as bad as I thought it would be."

Spike looked slightly puzzled. "Why's that?"

She reached out and took his hand in hers. "Because you're here."

Spike looked down at his hand clasped him hers, and then back at her face, which seemed to be radiating love. He knew then that she was serious, and he pulled her into a kiss.

An eternity later they parted.

"I never thought this would happen." Spike confessed. "I thought once Angel came back…"

Buffy shook her head and laid a gentle finger on his lips. "Angel will always have a place in my heart, but I don't love him anymore. These past few days have shown me that there is more to a person than a 'soul'. You protected me, my friends and my family without any sort of magic curse. I think that makes you more of a man than Angel ever was, and I love you for it."

Spike kissed her again. "I don't need a soul, luv. I've got you."

The End