Maybe, the Justice League of America will hear about this and swoop to the rescue...well; it was possible, wasn’t it? Buffy groaned as she tried to open her eyes Xander would be so proud. She heard the sounds of small whimpers and when she regained enough actual consciousness she remembered everything and figured that Katia was awake and not loving where she was right now. Buffy knew the feeling. The Slayer blinked a few times and then tried to crane her neck to see the other Slayer but it made pain shoot up and down the neck, where Black had shoved the needle in no doubt. So, Buffy had to settle without looking at the girl as she spoke to her.

"Hey, Katia..." Her voice came out dry, croaky, she needed water "Katia, we’re gonna make it through this. I’m stronger than I look...so are you"

"No, I’m not" She rasped back "If I was I would have gotten out of here by now"

"Just surviving as long as you have is a show of your strength"

Katia snorted weakly "Great...so, I’m strong enough to be their personal blood bag. Hooray for me"

Buffy looked at the door to her cage that was still slightly off of it’s hinges, if she kicked it anymore now and someone came in then they were likely to see it and probably have it repaired and she couldn’t have that. She figured one or two more good kicks ought to do it so instead she looked up at the fixtures that held the chains to the ceiling – they looked stuck in tight. She turned her gaze to the manacles around her wrists and wondered if they were made of the same strength metal as the chains were, Buffy was figuring they were because these guys didn’t look stupid and they knew what they were dealing with when they brought Slayers here. However, she had to try and she tried to break them but, predictably, it didn’t work.

The Slayer took a few deep breaths and started doing stretching exercises, or as much as she could do, with her legs and arms a little because she had to be limber to attempt what she was about to attempt. She certainly couldn’t wait around for Angel to rescue her – it was no telling how long she had been in here already, it felt like weeks. Buffy took a few deep breaths and then started swinging back and forth building up speed.

"What are you doing?" Katia asked and she sounded a little alarmed.

Buffy didn’t stop swinging "I’m just trying something don’t worry"

The Slayer built it up until she was pretty sure she had enough force and then she swung all the way up like a Russian gymnast. She went vertical upside down in the air and her arms went rigid because they were supporting all her weight. Her hair fell down underneath her and she could see Katia’s wide-eyed expression upside down, because she was now facing backwards, it looked kind of funny. Buffy’s feet hit the ceiling and she planted them there and then slowly she kicked out at the chain fixtures. They were in damn tight. If she had shoes on it would have been easier but with her bare feet it was really painful. She slipped her big toe into the metal loop and attempted to pull it out, using all of her strength Buffy felt the fixture give a little but not enough and her toe was about to snap in half. The Slayer pulled it out with a frustrated groan. She wished that for once in her life she wore bobby pins so that she could have pulled them down from her hair dropped them, caught them in-between her toes and then swung up, wheedled the fixtures out of the ceiling painstakingly and then got the hell out of this hellhole. Yeah, that would happen.

Buffy kicked at the fixtures a few more times and then sighed and swing back down a little too fast. She braced her legs out behind her so that her feet hit the back bars of the cage and thus broke a potentially nasty bruising of everything. The Slayer then steadied herself and took a lot of long deep breaths, her arms were screaming at her and she groaned.

"That was amazing, you’re...you’re like Super girl or something!" Katia exclaimed.

"Not amazing enough..." Buffy sighed and then frowned "I’m Super girl? Lame! You could have at least said, I don’t know, Trinity or something...Listen, Katia, you’re like me. You have this strength too and if you use it you may just help us both get outta here"

"I cannot do that" Katia said with surety "I mean I noticed that I can open the lids on jars a little easier and, yeah, I can almost hit the top on one of those fairground strength testers...but that’s it"

She shook her head "No, that’s not it. You just haven’t realized your true potential"

The other girl groaned in pain "I feel pretty crappy"

"Yeah? So, do I" Buffy flexed her fists "But if we lacked the strength we have and were just ‘normal’ girls then we would be feeling a whole lot crapper. A ‘normal’ girl would have been dead from the amount of time you have spent in her but you’re not normal, Katia, you’re a Slayer"

"A Slay...wha?"

Spike folded his arms over his chest and squirmed as a bespectacled man tried to take his waist measurements. Angel and Fred stood around and both seemed a little amused at his attitude to the tailor

that was trying to get his measurements.

"It looks that way..." Wesley entered the room and then looked up at Angel he had been talking to one of his many contacts on a mobile phone then hung up. He looked worried "We think we know what Buffy’s kidnappers wanted with her"

"What?" Angel asked taking a step up to him.

"Well, a demon contact of mine on the black market tells me that there is a rush in sales of a bottled liquid which is said to be Slayer’s blood. It seems that the local, and not so local, vampire population is going crazy for it. It is very expensive and so it is the most powerful vampires that are getting their hands on it" Wesley finished looking even more worried.

"That’s not good" Fred’s eyes darted about.

"We’ve gotta go now!" Spike looked around "They’re draining Buffy dry"

"Hold on, Spike" Angel put a hand up "If they’re taking her blood there is no way they would kill her – why bother when they could keep her alive and get a constant supply?"

Spike’s eyes widened "You think she’d just let them take her blood? You’re a bloody moron! The Slayer would rather die then provide vampires with their equivalent of a nice bottle of port!"

"They’re sedating her," Angel reasoned "Like when they shot her with a tranq dart in the street. That’s how they’re doing it"

Fred cleared her throat "I don’t wanna sound rude but there is a way we could use this to our advantage in getting Buffy out of there"

"And how do you figure that?" Spike gritted his teeth.

"Well, we were gonna send you in as a representative of Wolfram and Hart just doing routine checks but now we can send you in as a client of Wolfram and Hart’s – a powerful vampire client who would just love to get his hands on some –"

"Slayers blood" Wesley nodded "That’s a good idea, Fred. It’s more likely to work also they won’t be suspicious. They will assume that we’re bringing business their way"

Angel shook his head "Why wouldn’t he just buy it off the black market like everyone else?"

"He is very picky and wants to see the actual Slayers, get the blood fresh" Wesley had it all worked out.

Angel took a moment "I still think I should do this"

"They’ll recognize you as the boss of Wolfram and Hart. We were sending Spike in before because the boss would not be doing ‘just routine checks’ but now we can’t send you in because they know who you are" Fred looked at him apologetically "But you still have a big part to play, Angel, remember?"

"Right" He sulked.

"This isn’t gonna bloody work," Spike snorted and looked at Angel "I say we go in there and throw down"

"That won’t work" Angel replied.

"He’s right, Spike. We looked over the club and it has a lot of security not to mention it turns out that the underground of the club it built like a high-tech prison – which is most likely where Buffy is, so it would be stupid to just charge in there" Fred nodded.

"Told you that you’re stupid" Angel said childishly.

"It’s your sodding security! Recall all your guys" Spike pointed out.

Angel sighed "If we do that they’ll get suspicious and run, taking Buffy with them or worse..."

Spike let out a sound of protest as the tailor tried to take his inside leg measurement "Oi! Hey, back off, mate" He growled and shook his leg away.

The tailor sighed and stood up, nodded at Angel and then went to busy himself. Spike loosened up and then began to pace back and forth as he had been doing since he had woken up finding himself back in Wolfram and Hart and not with Buffy safe at his side. The vampire had cursed Angel and tried to kill him but hadn’t gotten very far.

Spike cleared his throat "They’ll recognize me as well, Fred. I got shot in the head by their bloody wanker of a getaway driver"

"That’s why we’re making changes to your appearance. You and Angel are the only vampires strong enough to do this op...unless you wanna send Harmony in?" The brunette quirked an eyebrow.

He ignored that and pulled his duster on "I was just pointing it out. Can we go now?"

"It’s still light for another two hours Spike," Wesley pointed out.

"And?" He shrugged.

"And you’re playing the part of a powerful and rich vampire. Who would only come out at night and not run around burning in the sun"

Spike sighed and started to pace again "I just wanna get her out of the bleeding place!"

"We all do" Angel said.

"Besides, Spike, we still have some work to do to make sure they don’t recognize you" Fred started walking towards him a gleam in her eyes.

"What? I don’t think so, luv..." The vampire started to back away "Fred?"

"Lorne!" Fred yelled.

The green demon popped his head around the door "You rang, sweetener?"

"We’re giving Spike a makeover" She smiled.

"I’ll get my make-up kit!" Lorne announced.

Spike shook his head rapidly "Oh no you won’t! No way, no how..."

Spike grumbled and groaned to himself as he made his way to the side entrance of Blood Red. Fred, Wesley and Gunn all sat in a van across the street watching him and he continued to muttered obscenities before he knocked loudly on the door. He reached up and straightened the tie around his neck, god, he hated suits. Spike ran a hand self-consciously over his hair and then cleared his throat and stood still and calm as the door was yanked open suddenly.

On the other side of the door stood a man who was in his late forties/early fifties with dark blue eyes that skated over Spike quickly and then landed on his eyes. The man gave a very large, very cheerful smile and stuck his hand out for Spike to shake but all the vampire wanted to do was punch those pearly white teeth out. The man’s gray hair was cut short and neat and he looked as though he shaved every day and he wore a navy suit with white shirt and black tie.

"Mr. William Soulman I presume?" The man’s hand was still out.

Spike winced at the name inside his head Angelus always did think he was so very funny, but he’s bloody not He brushed past the man into the building, looked down at the Rolex on his wrist "I’m a busy vampire..."

"James Hardy"

"I’m a busy vampire Mr. Hardy." Spike looked at him, eyebrow quirked "And I want to be in and out of here as quickly as possible, I have a lot to do tonight. I like to spend my nights to the full, since they are my only time out...amongst people" He looked suggestively at Hardy’s neck.

Hardy nodded and his hand unwittingly flittered up to his neck, rubbing it "Yes, of course sir. I understand why a man like yourself would not want to purchase our merchandise from the market, I shall have someone bring you a fresh bottle –"

Spike waved a dismissive hand "You misunderstand, Hardy. Wolfram and Hart ensured me that I could see the specimens and that I could get it hot from the tap, if you get my meaning"

He cleared his throat "Well, it’s not policy"

"How else will I know if it truly is the blood of a Slayer and not some normal human dregs blood that you’ve spiced up with some simple spell or trickery?" Spike held his briefcase tight in his hand wanting to slam it into the man’s face.

"I can assure you, sir, that –"

"I will only drink from a Slayer, once I know it is a Slayer," Spike tilted his head up "The only assurance of that is to see the proof myself. I was told this should not be a problem but if it is I shall take my business and my money elsewhere" He started back to the door.

"No!" Hardy grabbed Spike’s arm then when Spike bared his teeth he pulled it back "I’m sorry, Mr. Soulman. I’m sure that can be arranged"

"Glad to here it" Spike nodded.

"Follow me"

As he followed the man down a walkway above the main body of the club and loud dance music blared up from the speakers, people dancing down below and drinks being served Spike’s anticipation of getting Buffy the hell out of here got larger. He looked up and saw that the whole ceiling of the club was a large skylight and he could see the night sky shining at him. He could feel his fingers tightened on the handle of the heavy briefcase he carried and tingles run up them.

Hardy led him from the walkway to a locked door, which he got the keys for from the loop on his belt. He undid it and then ushered Spike through locking the door behind them. They stood in a darkened space and even the vampire could see nothing just as he was beginning to think it was a set up Hardy switched the light on and it lit up the whole white corridor. Hardy walked down it and Spike followed seeing a flight of stairs in front. They went down the dozen or so steps until they reached another lock door and Spike felt like ripping the doors of their hinges. Hardy retrieved the large number of keys from his belt loop again and then opened this door and shut it behind them.

Spike couldn’t believe it when he saw more and more stairs. They spent a long time going down on flight of steps and then through a locked door to another set up stairs to another locked door that Spike began to wonder if where they were holding Buffy was Hell itself – surely the club didn’t go this far down. He hoped that the small microphone inside his shirt and the tracer on his belt were still working for the gang outside.

Finally they came to one long corridor and Spike saw that there was a door to the left in the middle of the corridor with a man, or actually a vampire, with dark black hair and blue eyes in a suit standing outside. The vampires turned and looked a little startled to see that Hardy was with someone he didn’t recognize. He stepped forward and readied himself for a fight until Hardy put a hand up.

"It’s fine," Hardy said "This is a very important customer of ours and I’m going to show him our guests"

Spike’s jaw tightened.

"...I still can’t believe it" Katia sighed after a few minutes in silence. They had been talking for so long that both girl’s mouths were dry "I’m a...Slayer"

Buffy nodded "Hey, Katia, I’m gonna try to get out of these chains again, ’kay?"

There was no answer but she hadn’t really expected one – the girl was in shock a little. Buffy started to swing back and forth, back and forth. She hadn’t been sedated for at least three hours and she was feeling better for it. She did her whole gymnast flip again and planted her feet on the ceiling. Taking a few deep breaths she kicked and kicked at the fixtures on the ceiling. Buffy was giving it all of her effort now – she wanted to get out of here now. The Slayer kicked and kicked and kicked until she went into frenzy and she entered the part of herself that was all Slayer and no Buffy.

When the fixture for the chains on her left arm dislodged a little she barely noticed and continued to kick and kick until it was almost completely out. She started kicking the right one and it shook a little and then she fell back down and braced herself against the back of the cage like she had done before. Buffy took a long while to gather her breath and let her muscles loosen before she pulled down with all her weight on her left arm and, to her amazement and delight the chain fell loose from the wonky fixture and the ceiling and clanged down onto the floor beside her.

"You broke one! You broke one!" Katia cried in shock and glee.

"Shh!" Buffy warned her but she too was overjoyed, she grabbed her right chain with her free hand that was still weighed down with the loose chain. She flexed her arm and then yanked down tight on the other chain it took a lot more effort and she strained until she snapped that one out of the ceiling too. Buffy fell to the floor of the cell and let out long, deep breaths and just lay there and resting for a little while.

"Get us outta here" Katia whispered but there was an edge of excitement to her voice.

"Oh, right, that little thing" Buffy pulled herself up onto all fours and then stood shaking all her muscles trembling and telling her to lie down but she was a Slayer and that was not an option right now.

She gripped the bars of the door on her cage and pulled but most of the fight had gone out of her at that moment. She was weak and sank to her knees, was about to give up when she heard voices outside her cell and realized that someone was coming and Buffy looked around wondering what the hell she was going to do. She stood up and threw her chains up one at a time and curled them around the broken fixture parts that were left in the ceiling. She hoped no one noticed before she had chance to kill them or knock them out. Buffy braced herself and stood up on her tiptoes to make it look like she was still chained up and straining.

The heavy locks on the door were drawn back and the door creaked open and in stepped Mr. Gray with that charming smile of his as they landed on her.

"As you can see," Mr. Gray was saying but not to her "They are quite...satisfactory"

Buffy’s eyes widened as another man stepped in the room and he looked familiar but also...not. She looked into those light blue eyes that skated over her widening a little, presumably at her nudity and knew it was him, it was Spike. His hair was light brown though and curled softly against his forehead, his hair brushed forward now and not backward. He also wore a suit! It was a black suit with a deep red shirt and a red tie with black shiny loafers. The vampire looked fine, even in her tortured, aching state she could see that and she felt herself react to it. Spike recovered and looked into her eyes and she figured this was all part of some covert plan so she looked away. Mr. Gray locked the door behind them.

"Yeah, I’d say they were more than satisfactory," Spike said and his tone was easy but his fists were clenched at his sides "I’d like a taste from that one, there" He pointed at Buffy.

"Of course" Mr. Gray nodded and walked over to Buffy’s cage starting to unlock the door "Be careful though, she’s a whippersnapper –"

He pulled the cage door open and Buffy jumped down and unwound her chains lashing them out so fast he didn’t have a chance. The chains wrapped around Mr. Gray’s neck and his eyes bulged as he clamored with his fingers at the chains. Spike pulled a gun from inside his suit jacket and shot Mr. Gray in the back. He fell to the floor and Buffy saw a small dart sticking out of his back.

"See how you like it" Buffy smiled and then all the energy ran out of her and she fell to the floor.

Spike rushed over and laid a cold hand against her back, making a shiver travel up her spine. Buffy looked up and whispered for him to help Katia, the other girl. He pulled his jacket off and laid it over her before leaving her cage and snapping open his briefcase. Spike pulled out a pair of large pliers and made his way over to Katia’s cage. Buffy groaned and picked herself up slipping Spike’s jacket over her and doing the buttons up it just came to mid-thigh but she didn’t much care about that she only cared about getting out of there. The Slayer knelt down next to Mr. Gray and felt around his waist until she got his keys, which she unclipped. As she stood back up she saw Spike helping Katia out of her cage too by supporting her – Katia now wore Spike’s shirt done up to the top and Spike was half naked. "Thanks for the rescue" Buffy smiled, leaning against the cage.

She came up next to him and he smiled back "No problem, it’s my pleasure. Looks like you were about to hatch your own plan anyway"

"Well, I had the getting out of the cage part just about sussed but everything after that..." Buffy felt her head swim and she almost fell again but Spike steadied her with his other arm.

"We have to get out of here!" Katia cried.

"Shh!" Spike rolled his eyes then clipped the chains around Buffy’s wrists with the pliers before he pulled out the tiny microphone that was cello taped to his chest and spoke into it "We’re on our way out"

Buffy stood up straight again, rubbing her now free wrists and raised her eyebrows "Never had you down for a secret agent"

He shrugged then looked at her, concerned "Are you –"

"Get me outta here, Spike, and I’ll answer that"

The vampire nodded and then he passed Katia over to Buffy and the two girls supported each other, Katia slightly worse off. He took the keys from Buffy and unlocked the large wooden door; Spike stuck his head out.

"You might wanna get in here! Your pal’s collapsed" Spike yelled and then stepped back in.

Mr. Black ran into the room and as he did Spike clubbed him double fisted on the back of the head. The vampire fell forward into the bars of the cage where he hit his head on one of the bars hard. Spike pulled a stake out of his waistband.

Buffy held her hand out "He’s mine"

He looked at her for a moment and then tossed the stake. As he lay sprawled out on the floor and then started to rise up she sunk down and stabbed him through the back into the heart. His eyes didn’t even look surprised.

"Told you" Buffy whispered before he exploded into a shower of dust.

Spike dragged Mr. Gray into the cage Buffy had been in and locked the door he kicked away all possible weapons and then looked around, nodded.

"Let’s get you two out of this pig sty" Spike walked over to the door and held it open for the two women.

They hobbled out and then they were making their way quickly down the corridors and after a while Spike got fed up of unlocking the doors and instead started kicking them down. Buffy watched from behind as he back muscles ripped and the tendons in his thighs tensed when he booted the doors. She wanted to help more but she was weak and she needed to help Katia, who was far worse, along anyway. As they got closer and further up Buffy heard music and she looked at Spike questioningly who quickly explained that they were in Blood Red a club. They met a few more acolytes on their way up but Spike dispatched of them pretty easily and Buffy helped where she could.

However they were human so he didn’t kill them and as they were almost to the top level Buffy heard one of the guards they had left sprawled out on the floor with a broken leg using a radio to tell people in the club to lock down all the exits.

"Spike!" Buffy motioned to the man using the radio.

Th vampire gave her a wicked grin "Not a problem, luv"

She frowned but followed as he picked up the pace until she was almost dragging Katia who was trying as best she could to walk but it was like she had forgotten how after being chained up for so long. Spike kicked down one last door and it flew open onto the top level of the club and he strode out and elbowed a guard who had just been approaching. Buffy stepped out with Katia and saw the people down below in the club start to get panicked as the doors were all slammed shut and the music hit fever-pitch she could not see a way out.

"We’re in position!" Spike yelled into his microphone over the sound of the screams from down below.

Suddenly Buffy, and everyone else in the club, heard a loud and almost deafening sound from above and she turned just in time for the glass skylight to shatter above them. Buffy ducked and shielded Katia whilst Spike flung himself against Buffy to protect her. Once the glass had finished falling and everyone in the club was screaming in alarm and pointing upward Buffy looked up too as the cold night air streamed through the ceiling.

There hovering above the club was a black shiny helicopter and leaning out of that helicopter was a certain vampire with a soul that had been her first love. He held his hand out to her and then turned back into the helicopter. Angel came back out and threw a rope ladder out of the helicopter and to them.

Spike grabbed the ladder and then turned to Buffy "Grab this, go!"

"Katia first" Buffy demanded as she saw more guards running up the stairs towards them.

The girl was weak and she had to use all of her remaining strength to hold on but she could not climb and Angel had to lift the long ladder up manually which meant they lost precious seconds. Three guards ran at Buffy and Spike down the runway and Spike pulled out his tranquilizer gun from his waistband and shot them all then tossed the gun away, obviously it was empty.

The ladder was thrown down again

"Buffy go!" He handed her the rope.

"You’re coming with me!" She yelled back over the sound of the helicopter as her hair whipped about her face.

Spike shook his head "I’ve got to keep these guys back, there’s more of them. You better move, Buffy, I’ll handle them"

"I’ve heard that before, Spike" She looked deep into his eyes "Last time you said that you died. You are coming with me now!"

"I have to –"

"Now is not the time for heroics" Buffy grabbed his arm and pushed him against the ladder "Besides, I’m weak I need you to help me"

Spike looked disbelieving but as she grabbed onto the ladder and climbed a little way up he grabbed hold of it too and covered her body with his so that if she did lean back she would fall into him and not to her death. There were guards rushing at them now and Spike shouted up at the helicopter, which quickly zoomed up and pulled them out of the reach of the guards and then out of the club. They were whizzed up above the city of Los Angeles and Buffy held on not wanting to look down but wanting to at the same time to see the city’s glittering lights.

The vampire pressed against her whispered in her ear "I was so worried ’bout you. I would have come sooner by myself and –"

"And gotten killed" Buffy answered, closing her eyes and enjoying the feeling of having a welcome, familiar body next to hers "It’s okay, Spike. I’m...Katia’s a Slayer too and we need to train...we need..."

"You rest now, luv," His voice stroked down her spine "You’re safe with me"

Buffy smiled and closed her eyes, willingly this time.

Fred looked through the window to the small side room and smiled as she watched the vampire sitting by the Slayer’s bedside. They had given Buffy and Katia separate rooms to recuperate that were part of the lab and were specifically designed for people needing rest and relaxation. It was like a mini-hospital. Buffy was asleep again and she had been drifting in and out for the past three days, Katia the other Slayer had not yet awoken but her blood sugar level and a lot of other stuff was much more serious than Buffy’s.

Wesley suddenly came up to the side of her "We have shut them down"

"Blood Red?" Fred glanced at him then back in the room.

He looked through the window too and nodded "Yes and we have James Hardy in prison already thanks to Gunn. We cleaned out all traces of the Slayer prison and we are arranging to give the property to charity, or rather, Angel is"

"That’s good" Fred smiled a little and then sighed "Isn’t he gonna come down and see Buffy?"

Wesley shrugged "He has been down here a few times but she’s always been resting. Angel is very busy, he still has Wolfram and Hart to run and because of losing the money coming from Hardy and Blood Red the senior partners aren’t best pleased, not that he cares. He has even sent out agents to make sure their are no more Slayers being used in this way by any of his clients..."

"He’s doing checks on everybody?"

"Yes"

"They won’t be pleased about that" Fred noted.

Wesley quirked an eyebrow and looked at that "I don’t really think Angel minds ruffling evil clients feathers, do you? Keeping them on their toes"

Fred nodded and watched as Spike took Buffy’s hand and stroked the back of it with his thumb as the Slayer slept peacefully in the hospital-like bed, she wore an open-backed gown "Spike’s been in there with her every day and night, he hasn’t moved I don’t think"

"He hasn’t got the weight of the company on his shoulders," Wesley commented looking into the room deeply "Angel and Buffy have a deeper history than any of us can comprehend. If he could be here with her as Spike is then he would. He has other responsibilities right now"

"I know it’s just...Spike seems so devoted to her..." Fred looked down at the floor.

"Yes, I suppose he does, I had heard about their relationship, obviously, but I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes until now..." Wesley spoke low "I see things there I never thought I’d see in the eyes of William the Bloody and my one time Slayer when they look at each other. It is quite interesting to see...I suppose when you fall for a Slayer you fall hard"

She nodded still looking down "I guess"

He looked at her, concerned "Are you upset about something, Fred? Is it...do you worry that Spike will go back with her? Is that why you’re so down?"

Fred looked up and shook her head "Oh, no. If Spike wants to go –"

"Fred" Wesley looked into her eyes.

"Okay, yeah, maybe," She sighed "I mean, I kind of warmed to the guy. It will feel a little strange to have him not being here pestering me all the time"

Wesley smiled and put an arm around her shoulders "I understand. Come on, let’s give them some privacy"

The two walked together away from the room.

Inside the room Spike sat up straighter and leaned forward as Buffy’s eyelids fluttered open. Her blue/green eyes were unfocused until she blinked a few times and looked up at the ceiling. She frowned and ticked her eyes to the side, saw him and relaxed, smiled a little. Her blond hair lay limp around her head and her lips had regained a lot of the colour that they had lost. Buffy grunted and tried to pull herself up on her elbows, Spike helped her to sit up by pulling the top of the bed into a sitting position.

Spike smiled back at her and scooted closer on his chair pulled her hand up and brushed his lips against her knuckles.

"What’s the story mornin’ glory?" He whispered.

Buffy raised her eyebrows "I don’t really feel like a morning glory" She rasped and then grinned, it was a little strained.

"Well, you always will be" Spike smiled back and then looked over at her bedside table and grabbed up a pad of paper "Got a call from Dawn when you were asleep but I took a message ‘Hey, sis, heard you got into trouble again! Setting foot in America seems to do that to you not to mention being around the two hot vampire studs...just relax and get better ’cos we want you back. Hey, can you believe I’m speaking to Spike on the phone? Wow. Bye’ I swear to god that’s what she said"

Buffy laughed a little "I can believe it"

"Two vampire studs...well, I know that I’m included in that because it’s obvious but I can’t think who the other one is, can you, luv?" Spike looked around.

"I wonder," Buffy quirked an eyebrow "Speaking of...have you seen him lately?"

"You mean has he been down? Yeah, the big poof stopped by last night but you were out cold, not since though. He’s too busy running an evil law firm or something I think he said" Spike shrugged.

She nodded "I decided during my little break away, hanging from a ceiling, that I have got to trust Angel. If he says he knows what he is doing then he knows what he is doing. If he says Wolfram and Hart can eventually be turned around to do real good, then I guess I believe him. Angel is a good man and a champion and though I might not agree with what he is doing I’m going to support him in it. He deserves to be trusted, and so that’s what I’m gonna do"

Spike paused "Any particular reason you’re giving this little inspirational talk to me and not the hot vampire stud upstairs?"

She shrugged, eyes looking up "Well, ’cos he isn’t here and I can’t get up there and because...well, it’s been a while since I got to practice my rousing speeches on anyone. You know, with the lack of apocalypses going around no one back home is listening to my sermons on the importance of oral hygiene and not changing the channel when someone is watching something"

Spike chuckled "Well, I for one miss them"

"Really?" She looked at him with hope in her eyes.

"Christ, no!" He grinned "I just spent most of my time standing there and praying for damnation rather then one more of your bloody speeches!"

Buffy gave him a look "That could be arranged, Spike"

He put his hand up and raised his eyebrows and she held the look a second longer before they both laughed together as only old friends, and lovers, can.

"Come back with me," She said abruptly.

Spike stopped laughing, looked at her "Are you serious?"

"I sound like I am, don’t I?" Buffy tilted her head "You don’t have to stay but you could just come back and see the gang...Dawn, especially"

He scratched the back of his head "Me and niblet never really got back on track after I came back with a soul. She changed and so did I"

"She’s still glad you’re alive"

"As alive as I can be" Spike corrected her then shrugged "I suppose I could go back to Blighty for a little while, been a long time since I been there. Small problem, though"

"What?"

"I’m a vampire, luv, I can’t exactly get on a plane and stroll in through the airport" He pointed out.

"I could help with that," Angel stood in the doorway of the room, hands clasped in front of himself and a blank expression on his face he looked at Buffy "You’re awake"

"Yep" She nodded giving him a brief smile "I never got to thank you for the whole air lifting me out of the club thing, so thanks. It was very Riley Finn"

"I’m not sure that’s a compliment" Angel replied.

Spike smirked "As far as I’m concerned it isn’t"

"Would you two leave Riley alone? He’s a good guy," Buffy said defiantly.

The two vampires mumbled under their breaths.

"Fred tells me you’re on the mend," Angel said after a moment "Should be up and about by tomorrow, the day after at the latest. Katia may take a little over a week more though. She had it a lot harder"

Buffy nodded then frowned "What am I gonna do about Katia? I can’t just go home and leave her here with no one to teach her and train her about being a Slayer"

"I think I can handle that, I do have experience with Slayers," Angel said suggestively as he looked at the Slayer in bed.

Buffy didn’t even blush "I would appreciate it. I’ll send some people to pick her up in a few days"

"We’ll get her through this"

Buffy looked over at Spike "Hey, when did you change your hair back?"

Spike ran a hand unconsciously over his peroxide locks "A few hours ago when you were asleep. I couldn’t stand it"

"I think it kind of suited you" Angel commented.

The Slayer and the vampire looked at him both with raised eyebrows.

"Well, anything’s better than glow in the dark" Angel snorted, embarrassed.

Buffy grinned "You two really haven’t gotten any closer, huh?"

"You just realized that, luv?" Spike asked rhetorically.

"Spike...I need to talk to Angel alone" She said looking at him.

Spike looked back at her a moment before he stood and grabbed up his duster. He turned and walked to the door passing Angel and leaving. Angel shut the door and then walked over to where Buffy lay in the bed. He did not sit but remained standing and looking down at her.

"I get it now, Angel," Buffy said "I get what you’re trying to do here. I might not understand, exactly, but if you say you have a plan then I support you in that. We’ve been through too much to let this divide us"

The dark vampire nodded "I agree"

"I don’t want to lose you as an ally, you’re too valuable to me" She said softly.

"Then you won’t lose me" He sank down into the seat and reached over, took her hand "I’m always gonna be here for you to use me as you need to"

She nodded "I want you to feel the same about me. Ever need help, you know how to contact me and I’ll come a-running"

"I already knew that but it’s good to hear it again" He smiled.

Buffy smiled back "So, we’re still good?"

"We’re still good" Angel nodded "In every way"

The Slayer looked down then back up to meet his eyes "Angel, I’m sorry I never came here to say goodbye before I left for England"

"It’s fine, I understood, Buffy," He nodded "I was just glad to hear from you that you were okay. I saw your handy work on the news too, the whole of Sunnydale just gone – made the national. People were trying to explain it, they still are. You got rid of the Hellmouth, Buffy, you deserve to move on in your life"

"There’s another one in Cleveland" She replied stoically.

"And the Bermuda Triangle, if rumors are true" He said just as stoically.

"Damn," Buffy said then smiled a little.

Angel smiled back then returned to being serious "You want Spike to go back with you"

She shifted "Just for a little while, he can come back if he wants"

"You think he’d really want to come back here?" Angel arched an eyebrow.

"Maybe he likes you more than he’s letting on" Buffy said then off his look added "Or maybe he just enjoys pissing you off"

"That’s more likely"

"You said you could help? When you came in and Spike was saying he wouldn’t be able to get a plane"

He nodded "I could have the private plane take you both"

Buffy’s eyebrows raised "Private plane? How rich is this place? Second thought, don’t answer that. I really don’t want to know"

"It’s got blacked out windows that provide shielding from the suns rays" Angel looked at her.

She paused "You’d lend Spike the use of your plane?"

"If it’s what you want"

"Thankyou"

Angel nodded and stood to leave but Buffy held onto his hand and pulled him back down. She placed her hand on the side of his face and kissed him softly on the lips. They both pulled away but kept their eyes closed for a moment before they opened them and looked at each other simultaneously.

The vampire’s gaze lingered on her for a few seconds more before he stepped away and then turned on his heel and left. Buffy sighed and then looked up as she felt a presence there. It was Spike. He was leaning against the doorway and if he had seen what had happened between Angel and her he did not seem angry about it. She watched as he lifted his arm up and in his hand was a polystyrene cup.

"Hot chocolate?" Spike asked, tilting his head.

Buffy smiled slowly "How’d you know?"

He grinned.

Spike stepped out of the black cab and pulled his cigarettes out of the pocket in his leather duster. He lit one and took a long puff of it nervously. It was a gloomy afternoon, but then most in England were, and it was bucketing down with rain. An advantage of the dark and dank weather was that it made it possible for him travel around much earlier than in sunny California without fear of being burnt to a cinder by the suns rays. He was looking up at the large and almost stately looking house of Rupert Giles when Buffy got out of the cab behind him and stepped up to the side of him.

The Slayer was all but healed now and she looked as beautiful as she always had. Her long blond hair was pulled back in a French braid and she wore a dark brown leather jacket that reached her thighs, it was done up tight to fend off the rain but the water had never bothered Spike. Buffy pulled out a small bag full of her belongings and then she went around to pay the driver.

The house in front of them had only two floors but it was wide and there was a slightly ‘public school’ theme about it. There were lights coming through the large windows and snaking vines were crawling up the front of the house and nearly engulfing the entire red brick wall. The place was just so British. A large path led up to the house with a front garden big enough for a kiddy’s playground to be built on. Spike could see off to the side that behind the house there were several acres of grassy fields and huge oak trees. Completely unspoiled country land was hard to come by now but somehow Giles had managed to procure himself some. He noticed that there were two figures on horses racing around outside down those fields and coming closer because from here they just looked like small dots. The rain didn’t seem to bother them it seemed.

Spike pointed at the distant figures to Buffy and she grinned and motioned for him to follow her as she walked around the house across the lawn and into the huge back fields. Spike grunted and took another puff of his cigarette but followed anyway and the two of them ended up underneath a large oak tree for shelter as the two horse riders got closer. As they did Spike noticed with astonishment that the one racing in front of the other was Dawn, her long brown hair flying around her as she grinned and the figure on the second horse trying to catch up was Giles. Buffy waved her arm at them to get their attention and as she did Dawn nearly bucked her horse as she noticed who was with her sister. Dawn pulled the reins and turned the large brown horse abruptly to gallop in the direction of the couple. She ground to a halt in front of Spike and Buffy and her eyes had lit up.

"Spike!" She shrieked with girlish enthusiasm.

"Alright, Little Bit" He grinned back and dropped the cigarette to the ground, stomping it out.

Dawn turned and climbed swiftly off her horse jumping to the ground and running to him. She jumped into him and he staggered backward in the brunette’s overjoyed hug. Spike looked over Dawn’s shoulder at Buffy and raised his eyebrows she just smiled. Spike curled one arm around the teenage girl. After a few moments she pulled back.

"It’s so good to see you" Dawn gushed then paused, regained some composure and socked him in the arm hard "You didn’t tell us you coward!"

Spike rubbed his arm "Ow! Hey! Christ, Niblet, you get more like big sis every time I see you"

Dawn tilted her head, her hair dropping down like a curtain and smiled wryly "That mean you’re gonna fall in love with me too?"

The vampire raised eyebrows and Buffy just laughed and so did Dawn. Giles pulled up next to them finally and took a big gulp of air before resting on his horse and recovering, his hair plastered to his head. He let out long, deep breaths that came out icy and looked up with his glasses fogged.

"Buffy, you’re back" Giles said then let his eyes tick to Spike "And you brought company. Spike"

"Rupert" Spike nodded back at him.

Buffy folded her arms "I see Dawn beat you again"

"Yes, well, she’s a natural..."

"You look bloody exhausted" Spike commented "How long did it take her to learn how to ride?"

Giles coughed and readjusted his glasses "Well, um, more or less..."

"Two weeks" Dawn piped up smiling.

"And how long have you been riding?" Spike asked Giles.

"Well, only about...fifteen years" He hung his head in defeat.

Spike smirked and couldn’t believe the strange feeling welling up in his chest just from seeing these people again after he had thought he never would again. Giles and he had never been close but it still felt good to see the old man hadn’t changed and Dawn was a determined, stubborn and opinionated as ever – she really was turning into Buffy, which wasn’t a bad thing.

Dawn was saying something to him but he didn’t hear it he was too busy just looking at her, looking at Giles and looking at the English countryside around him.

"Can we get out of the rain? You know it does havoc with my hair" Buffy grinned and turned on her heel.

"I’ll take the horses back" Giles said and grabbed the rein on Dawn’s horse using his own horse to trot back over to the stables as he pulled the other one along.

Dawn started toward the house and when she noticed that Spike wasn’t following she walked back to him and grabbed his hand, pulled him along with her. Spikes looked down at their hands and then up at Dawn’s face. He had really missed the Slayer’s younger sister.

She pulled him along to the back door of the house that Buffy had disappeared into earlier and the warmth of the place was what he first noticed that and the smell of warm, baking bread. They were in the large kitchen. They walked along through that and down a log corridor before Dawn pulled him to a doorway on the right that lead to a large living room. It had fireplace that had a large roaring fire going and deep burgundy leather sofa’s – one large two seat that could actually fit three people and two single armchairs in the same fashion. The rugs were old but perfect for the room and the whole thing was decorated in old style English furnishings, with a slightly modern twist – kind of like Giles himself. On the mantelpiece over the fire he saw framed pictures of Buffy, Buffy and Dawn, the whole gang (not including Spike of course), and a few of people Spike did not recognize. A large coffee table made of thick, quality, wood was in the centre of the room and Spike noticed the top of it was decorated in swirls and spirals of copper – it was very classy, and he had to admire the Watchers style. On the table were a tray of biscuits and one mug of herbal tea. The tea belonged to the redheaded witch who was sitting cross-legged on the floor deep in meditation and focusing on her breathing.

Her eyes snapped open as she felt their presence in the room and she immediately focused on Spike. She stood quickly and looked him over then she smiled, then frowned as if not sure what to do with herself.

"Good to see you too, Red" Spike smirked.

"Spike, hey, oh..." She walked up to him started to hug him then paused "Thanks for saving the world!" She put her arms around him awkwardly and he patted her on the back before she pulled back and smiled twitchy "And well done on coming back from the dead! It’s tricky, I’ve heard"

"That it is" Buffy nodded as she entered the room from another doorway that led to somewhere else and she smiled "Unless you’ve got a witchy friend"

Willow smiled and looked around the room, let out a breath "Whew wee! This is awkward"

"Don’t suppose there’s any tea going for a resurrected guy?" Spike asked looking around.

"I’ll get it!" Willow piped escaping from the room as fast as possible.

"Two sugars" Spike called after her.

Buffy smiled at her friend’s nervousness around the vampire and then she sat down on the couch and patted the space next to her. Spike looked at Dawn who pulled him over to the chair and sat him down then sat next to him. He was sandwiched between the two Summers women.

"Xander’s at work" Dawn explained to him "So he won’t be back till later and Andrew is training with his Slayers"

Spike nodded "Still can’t believe you let that whelp look after Slayers"

"He’s doing okay, actually" Buffy said reclining into the chair and sighing, she winced a little.

"You alright?" Spike asked.

"Yeah, it’s just the long flight really took it out of me," She closed her eyes "I’m just a little tired"

"It’s understandable" He nodded.

Dawn looked at her sister "I still can’t believe they were trying to sell your blood on the black market. Oh, Buffy, just think some vampire’s just been popping the cap off a bottle and gulping down some refreshing Diet Buffy"

Buffy opened her eyes and glared at her "Thank you for that visual, Dawn"

"Buffy, you look quite peaky," Giles announced as he entered the room sans heavy coat and smoothing his wet hair down "Perhaps you should go upstairs and rest in your room"

"No, I should stay and –"

"He’s right, luv, you don’t look too clever" Spike put his hand on her forehead "Got a bit of a temperature"

"It’s probably the climate change from California to here not to mention you were physically and emotionally drained" Giles nodded and walked over to her made it clear she had to go.

Buffy sighed and let Giles help her up before she turned and left the room. Giles watched her go and then sat down in one of the armchairs across from the couch. He removed his glasses and cleaned them then replaced them on the bridge of his nose. Willow entered and handed Spike his tea before picking hers up from the coffee table and standing leaning against a far wall. Giles held his hands out to the fire and paused then turned to the vampire.

"Spike," Giles said slowly, careful to choose his words correctly "I never thought I would say this, but, I’m glad to see you’re well. None of us will forget what you did for us, for Buffy, and for the world. Your actions were courageous and noble and those were not two words I would have necessarily have had you down as. However, you proved yourself worthy of your soul and in getting that soul and sacrificing yourself to rid the world of the Hellmouth you have given yourself a good head start down the road of redeeming your past"

"Cheers, Rupert" Spike nodded and smiled.

"But don’t think that means I’m going embrace you as my surrogate son" Giles clarified.

Spike chuckled "’Heaven forbid"

The two men reached an understanding then and Spike sipped on his tea, reveling in the warmth of it. He sipped some more and sighed.

"You just can’t get tea like this in America" Spike noted.

"Quite," Giles nodded "Why do you think I moved back here? For Buffy’s own good? No, because I missed a decent English cup of tea"

Willow and Dawn laughed and Giles smiled.

Spike shifted down in the chair and felt something he hadn’t felt for a long while - comfortable.

Buffy padded down the stairs of Giles’ house and yawned, rubbing her eyes, she had slept for too long and now it was almost eleven o’ clock at night. Dawn was already in bed because she had school tomorrow and Willow and Kennedy were also in bed but for a different reason. She turned down the corridor and walked up to the living room where she heard voices. It took her a moment to realize it was Xander and Spike that was talking, very civilized it seemed. Buffy stopped outside and listened even though she knew that was rude.

"So, how’s The Big, Dark and Brooding?" Xander asked.

Buffy rolled her eyes.

Spike snorted "As boring as ever"

"Heard he’s running an evil law firm? That’s...new"

"Yeah, well, he’s doin’ a lot of stupid stuff but..." There was a long pause "But I might be starting to get what he’s doin’ there...even if I’m not gonna lend a hand"

There was a pause before Xander spoke again "How’s Buffy doing?"

"I dunno...I don’t think it’s my place to go up there and check on her. I think Giles might have whacked me if I tried to go up to her room"

Buffy leaned closer to the door.

"So, would I" Xander said and his tone wasn’t all light-hearted "If she’s ill maybe I should go check on her"

"I’d leave her a couple more hours, she needs her rest"

"Yeah," There was a pause "How come we’re having a civilized conversation? When did we start being civilized towards each other?"

"Don’t bloody ask me. Maybe it’s the English air"

"Which you don’t breathe," Xander said leading.

"True"

Buffy walked into the room and the two men looked up at her – Xander was sitting on the couch and Spike was in the armchair opposite him, sitting with his legs wide open and his fingers tented looking kind of relaxed. They were both having a beer and Buffy had to admit it was a surprise to see them being such buddies, it was a strange surprise but a good one.

Spike stood as she entered and she almost smiled it was just such a gentlemanly thing to do, Xander put his beer down on the table and sat up straighter. The Slayer was in her pajamas which was just a pair of pajama bottoms and a blue T-shirt; her hair was loose now. Xander was dressed in his suit, as he was site manager on a building site quite a way away from here. It had taken a lot of convincing for the people to employ him due to his lack of two eyes, but after much badgering they had agreed to take him on. Spike was dressed the same except his duster was gone.

"Hey, Buff, good of you to tell me you were bringing a guest back" Xander quipped "I nearly had a heart attack when I saw him"

"He bloody accused me of being The First and tried to attack me with his blueprints" Spike snorted.

"Can you blame me?"

Buffy looked at her friend "I called, told Giles. I thought he would tell you"

"Apparently I had already left for work when he got that call" Xander took a swig of his beer.

"How are you?" Spike asked softly.

She looked to him "I’m way jetlagged but apart from that I think I’m good now. I’m figuring I’m gonna go back to bed in a minute" Buffy yawned.

"That’s where I’m headed now," Xander stood then looked sheepish "I, of course, mean my bed, not Buffy’s because...okay, bye" He nodded abashed and left.

Spike sat back down on the couch but the Slayer remained standing and he took a long gulp of his beer before setting it down on the coffee table. She folded her arms, then unfolded them, placed them behind her back and then folded them again in front of her. Buffy was feeling fidgety and she knew why.

"So, how do you like England?" She asked trying to ease the tension.

"Well, it’s about the same as I remember it"

"When was the last time you were here?"

"1910"

Her eyebrows lifted "Okay, I think a few things have changed"

Spike shrugged "I never was one for the countryside. More of a city bloke"

"Then you must hate it here"

He shrugged again "It’s alright. I can see why Giles would live here and ever maybe Red, what with the earthy connections and whatnot, but I can’t see you being happy here. Can’t get much privacy what with a house this full"

"Like I ever had any of that," Buffy smiled then shook her head "Actually you’re wrong. Giles has a small guesthouse...well, really more of a cottage and he gave it to, well, me"

Spike frowned "So, why do you have a room upstairs?"

"Incase I feel lonely, incase I need to be closer to Dawn, incase..." Buffy trailed off.

He smiled a little, as if he understood "Incase you want to be dependant on someone else for once. You had sole ownership of the house back in Sunnydale after Joyce...and that was a lot of stress so –"

"So, sometimes I like to pretend like I’m still a kid," She nodded "Like Giles can look after me, so I can sleep soundly. Yeah, I’m a Slayer and I’m afraid of living by myself. I mean its not even more then thirty seconds away from the main part of the house. I am tragic"

Spike stood slowly and shook his head "Not tragic, luv. Just you missed out on a proper childhood, so it’s no big surprise you want to be looked after sometimes"

Buffy looked at him and he looked back and smiled and she was glad that he understood and that she didn’t feel like she had to explain it further to him. Giles strolled into the room and looked between the two as he took a sip of his tea.

Her Watcher looked down at his watch "Buffy, it’s rather late and weren’t you supposed to be resting?"

Buffy glanced at Spike and smiled then looked back at Giles "Yes, dad"

"Oh, really," Giles got flustered, "I only meant –"

"It’s cool, Giles," Buffy grinned "I’m gonna go back to bed"

"Uh...?" Spike shifted from foot to foot.

The Slayer and her Watcher looked at him expectantly.

"It’s just, well, where am I gonna sleep?" He scratched his jaw.

Buffy looked at Giles who looked back at her equally blank "I didn’t think about that"

"Big surprise" Spike snorted and she gave him a look.

Giles sipped his tea "Well, all of our rooms are fully occupied. There’s always the sofa..."

"Giles" Buffy said in a slightly unpleased tone.

"What? It folds down into a sofa bed, I had anticipated when I brought this house and it’s furniture that there was a possibility you would all come down here and demand squatters rights so I made sure I was prepared" He smiled wryly "An Englishman is always prepared"

"He’s right there, luv" Spike looked over at her with a twinkle in his eyes.

Buffy cleared her throat feeling a blush spread across her face "Okay, Spike on the couch. Everyone’s happy. I’m gonna...bye" She turned and fled from the room.

Spike and Giles both turned to each other and seized the other one up before they simultaneously cleared their throats and looked around the room going for casual and failing miserably. Some things hadn’t changed – when Buffy wasn’t around Spike felt out of place with her friends even now.

"Spike," Giles said in a slightly weary tone "Buffy is glad you’re back, and in a way we all are, but..."

Spike turned back to the Watcher "But what?"

"But she has just received a chance at the life she had always wanted – one free of the responsibilities of being the only Slayer. There is no doubt she will always be a Slayer but now she does not have to be one first and foremost. She has the chance at a normal, well-rounded life. Buffy may not think so far ahead in her future but I do and she deserves to be happy, she deserves to have friends, to have a career and to have healthy relationships." He looked at Spike pointedly.

The vampire looked back at him and remained blank-faced "And, let me guess, I don’t fit in the ‘healthy’ bracket?"

"No, you do not" Giles placed his tea down on the table then stood up straight again and folded his arms "As much as I respect and admire your actions against The First and though you do now have a soul you are still a vampire, Spike. You cannot possibly offer Buffy what she needs"

"And what exactly is that, seen as you seem to be the expert?" Spike took a step towards him, facing him off.

"She needs someone who can take her where she wants to go. Outside in the sun, in the light, someone whose whole world does not revolve around death and bloodlust. She needs someone real" Giles removed his glasses and looked him in the eyes.

Spike looked back "And I’m not that someone"

"No, you’re not" Giles replied softly.

The vampire turned his back on the man and grabbed his duster up from the chair. He threw it on and pulled out his cigarette, lighting up and taking a long, deep puff before turning back to Giles. The Watcher remained impassive as Spike looked at him and they shared another moment of understanding. That Spike was not good enough for Buffy and that they both knew it. Spike took another long drag of his cigarette before he turned on his heel and strolled out of the room down the corridor and out of the front door slamming it behind him.

Giles sank down into an armchair and rubbed the bridge of his nose before replacing his glasses and letting out a sigh "She won’t thank me for that"

Buffy rubbed her eyes to clear the bleary vision as she sat down at the dining table and smiled when Dawn pushed her a box of cereal and bowl. She looked down at her watch and saw it was almost time for Dawn to go to school and Xander was talking on his cell phone to someone at the building site and saying he would be there as soon as possible while still trying to eat a large croissant. Giles sat at the head of the table reading a newspaper with a frown on his face and muttering under his breath about British politics. Buffy turned and looked through the doorway that led into the living room – she expected to see Spike curled up there and he was. He had his back to the doorway and was curled up in a ball on the sofa bed, she could see from there that his hair was all mussed up. It made her think back to L.A when he had dyed his hair brown and brushed it forward and how different it had made him look.

Buffy turned back around in her seat at the opposite end of the table and started eating her cereal just as Andrew walked in wearing his Spiderman PJ’s and rubbing his eye with the back of his hand yawning just like a little kid. His usually spiky blond hair was flattened and he sat next to Dawn who rolled her eyes at his morning state. It had to be said it had taken all of them a long time to adjust to all living together but having to see Andrew everyday certainly was the biggest challenge. Xander was thinking about moving out but he was having a hard problem locating a house close enough to them so he was seriously considering enlisting help to build his own house. Buffy had to admit that sounded kind of cool.

"Hey, Dawn," Buffy looked up and spoke "I forgot to tell you but Angel said ‘hi’"

Her sister smiled "He is a vamp of many words"

The Slayer smiled "Oh, and Giles, I’ve decided that there’s no point in us being against Angel, we can’t afford to lose him as an ally"

"But you said that we weren’t on the same side anymore!" Andrew protested "I made a big speech and everything to him!"

Giles ignored the boy "You really think he understands the gravity of his situation?"

"I do," She nodded "He’s been around a long time, Angel knows what he’s doing"

The Watcher let out a resigned sigh "As you wish, Buffy"

"Hey, does that mean that if we ever get in legal trouble, like say...a house I build falling on someone’s head, that he can get me out of that scot-free?" Xander looked up, biting into his croissant and brushing the crumbs off of his expensive suit.

Buffy just smiled.

"He’s sleepy" Dawn motioned to Spike.

Buffy glanced back at him again "Jetlag I guess – no one can escape it, not even immortals"

Giles cleared his throat and looked up from his newspaper "Yes, well, he was also out for a good portion of the night"

"Really?" Buffy arched an eyebrow "Getting some fresh air, I guess...not that he breathes or anything but..."

"Maybe he just wanted to look around, England is his homeland so maybe he missed it a little bit. Giles sure did he was all like ‘oh, god the tea here is ghastly!’ and ‘you Americans are so unrefined!’ when he was back in Sunnydale" Dawn commented and giggled.

Giles frowned "I did not use the word ‘ghastly’ I’m sure it was more like ‘awful’. Yes, now that is a perfectly accurate description of the tea back in America. Oh, I shudder just remembering it"

Dawn rolled her eyes "Whatever, grandma"

"Oh, honestly! First Buffy calls me ‘dad’ and now this," Giles sighed "I must be getting truly old"

"Mmh hmm" Every one at the table murmured and nodded.

"Charming!" The Watcher announced huffily and lifted his newspaper to hide his sulking face.

Spike rolled over in bed and grunted "Will you all shut up! Can’t a guy get some sleep around here?"

Dawn pulled a face at Buffy and then stood up and picked up her bag for school. She said goodbye to them all and then left with Xander who was giving her a lift to school and then going to work. That left just Giles and Buffy at the table and when she finished her breakfast she left the kitchen and walked into the living room where Spike was lying down and staring at her as she entered. Buffy shut the door that led to the dining room and didn’t see Giles’ concerned look as she did so.

"Hey, sorry about waking you up" Buffy said softly as she walked over to the sofa bed and sat down on the corner of it.

Spike shifted under the thin blanket and Buffy saw his bare feet as he pulled himself into a sitting position on the bed. He ran a hand through his messed up hair and trained his blue eyes on her. He was still wearing his black T-shirt and jeans. The vampire had pulled all of the heavy curtains in the living room so that he avoided being fried by the sun.

He shrugged "I’ll sleep when I’m dead, right? Oh, wait." He smiled wryly.

She smiled back but then quickly dropped it "Sorry about bailing on you last night. I should have made sure you settled back in with Willow and Giles..."

"You needed to rest, Buffy," Spike said, "Besides I think that Rupert and I understand each other"

Buffy frowned "What do you mean?"

Spike shook his head "Nothin’. So, what ’ave you got planned for today?"

"Random hanging out" She shrugged "I thought I might take a walk later"

He just looked at her blankly.

"I thought you might take a walk with me later" Buffy elaborated.

"Oh," Spike shifted and cleared his throat and looked at the dining room door "Well, I would but even in England the sun won’t do anything for my complexion besides make it turn to dust, luv"

She smiled "I mean tonight when it’s safe"

"Well," Again his gaze was fixed on the door and then he pulled a face and looked at her "Yeah, alright. Sounds good"

"Good" Buffy nodded she stood and started to leave.

"Buffy?" He called after her.

"Yeah?"

Spike paused then shook his head "I’m gonna be cooped up in here a while, don’t suppose there’s anything that needs doing?"

She frowned "You mean chores? I didn’t realize you were a housevampire now"

Spike snorted "I just meant I could lend a hand. I’m pretty decent at the practical stuff"

"Well, Xander kind of sorts all that stuff out as far as I know, but..." Buffy looked down at him "There is one thing that needs doing..."

That was how Spike found himself cleaning out the guesthouse that Giles had given to the Slayer while she went out and job searched. He grumbled and cursed all the way but at least it gave him something to do other than fume over what her Watcher had said the night before. It’s not like Spike had even made a play for Buffy, not since the incident last year but he did not want to remember that. Ever since he had gotten his soul Spike had been nothing if not a gentleman, okay sometimes a very lascivious gentleman, but a gentleman nonetheless. Just because he had a soul did not mean he didn’t still have the same basic male desires that he had had before and always.

He shook his head and tried to clear it because it did no good to think about things like that. It wasn’t like Buffy would ever get over Angel. Bastard.

The cottage was actually nice in a small, homely way. The small living room had worn down green sofas and there was a fireplace that Spike felt the need to clean and get all sooty. The rugs all over the place were very ‘Giles’. The ceiling was low and there was low rafter beams that even Spike almost had trouble with nearly hitting his head and he was by no means the tallest man. Spike dusted all of those by hanging onto them and testing how strong they were. He vacuumed the place and just groaned at what Drusilla or Angelus would think if they saw him like this. He might as well be wearing a pink frilly apron with the word ‘whipped’ on it. Screw them, he was bored. Besides it was the twenty first century and all that – cleanliness next to godliness. Christ, he sounded like a poof.

The walls of the cottage were painted a nondescript cream that was also carried into the open kitchen that had an old fashioned AGA stove in it, a small fridge and wooden countertops. There was a small window that was sealed shut due to lack of use and Spike nearly broke the glass trying to open it. He finally managed it without the sun burning his skin.

Spike sighed and cleaned the small bathroom with a white bare-clawed tub and all of the walls were tiled in white, the toilet was white and the floor lino was white and gray. After he had finished the lower level of the house he climbed the rickety wooden stairs but there was only about seven of them because the upstairs of the house was actually the attic as the cottage was a bungalow. The only room upstairs was Buffy’s large bedroom that took up all of the space that the lower level three rooms had taken up. It was clear she did not spend much time in this place, her practically empty fridge had also suggested this, but it was too neat up here. The floorboards were visible because there was no carpet save for the small faux fur rug by the large open fireplace off to the left. In the middle of the room against the back wall of the cottage but coming out vertically was her double bed. The duvet cover was dark cobalt and heavy for the cold winter months in the cold attic. The rest of the room was pretty empty but there was a wooden nightstand next to the bed that held a picture of Dawn and another that held one of Dawn, Joyce and Buffy. He walked over and picked the picture up noticing as he was there that the under sheets on Buffy’s bed were a darker blue then the duvet cover and that the pillows matched the cobalt blue.

Spike picked up the picture of the three Summers women and smiled looking at them so happy, so together, and such a family. It made him want to mourn Joyce all over again and the gap it she had left behind in both Dawn’s and Buffy’s life. He replaced the picture frame and yawned he was tired because his sleep had been interrupted and he was covered in soot from the downstairs fireplace. Spike looked over at the Slayer’s bed and was so tempted to just crawl in there – she wasn’t using it, was she? He’d be up and out of it before she even got back. Spike saw a door in the right wall of the room and walked over to it, opened it and saw it was a tiny en suite toilet and basin with a glass shower cubicle in it. So, Buffy had a decent bath and a shower, a big bedroom, two fireplaces, and a kitchen all to herself and she chose to sleep in the main body of the house where she was cramped in one room and had to share the bathroom. Well, if she wasn’t using it he would sure as hell move in. If he stayed. He still wasn’t sure of that.

Spike stepped into the small bathroom and washed his hands, his forearms and his face to get rid of the soot before he walked back into the bedroom and kicked his shoes off. He climbed underneath the duvet of Buffy’s bed and pulled his T-shirt off flinging it to the floor. Though she had not slept in the bed recently Spike could still smell Buffy’s scent on the pillows and he snuggled his face into them before he closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

As the Slayer walked side by side down the small craggy pathway with the peroxide-haired vampire with a soul she smiled just a little. She had never thought she would be taking a nice, normal non-patrol walk with Spike – partly because she had thought him dead and partly because they just didn’t seem to have the type of relationship that usually included nice country strolls.

It was dark now because it was around five o’clock and the days got darker sooner in England. They had left later then she had intended but that was because she had found Spike napping in her bed. Her other bed anyway. It wasn’t like she used it much anyway. Buffy figured she had slept in the guesthouse about three times since they had come to England. As far as she was concerned Spike could stay in the small cottage as long as he wanted to stay, which she hoped would be for a little while longer than her trip to Los Angeles had lasted.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye and he was kicking a small pebble down the stony path. Spike was looking down as he walked, fixated on his shoes and that was unlike him because he usually strutted as confident as a predator, which he was. Either he had changed an awful lot since Sunnydale or something was playing on his mind. Buffy kind of hoped it was the latter because she didn’t want Spike to have changed, she liked him as he was. Mostly.

The Slayer sighed and looked up at the full moon thinking about werewolves because even now with her slightly more normal life slaying was still almost all she thought about, which was more than just ironic after all the times she had wished she could have more freedom. Be a normal girl. Sure, she wasn’t the only Slayer anymore, but she still had the strength, the determination and the drive to rid the world of evil. That just wouldn’t go away because of what had happened in Sunnydale.

Buffy stooped down and plucked a poppy from the ground – there were fields on either side of the path that consisted of mainly long, uncut grass but occasionally Buffy would see a nice flower that had made it through. She twirled the flower stem between her thumb and index finger as she walked with Spike through the English countryside. The only sounds in the night were their footsteps crunching on the gravel and a few crickets communicating in the night.

"We goin’ anywhere specific or just having a wander?" Spike asked breaking the relative silence.

She glanced at him and her lips held a small smile "Follow me"

Buffy veered suddenly off the path and waded into the thick grass hearing Spike pause but then he was behind her doing as she had asked. The Slayer used her hands to push the long grass out of the way as she marched through with Spike close behind. She got bitten a few times through her thin white sweater and her black pants with black boots. Her hair was loose and as the breeze blew around her hair was lifted and tossed around like autumn leaves.

Buffy braced herself when the ground started to go down in a slope as she had been here many times before. Spike had no such knowledge of it and cursed as he slipped down the mud behind her and ended up colliding with her back. Buffy stumbled forward and grabbed hold of Spike arm as she twisted around to face him. He grabbed hold of her hand and they faced each other both holding the other one up and neither entirely well balanced.

Buffy looked into his stunned eyes "Guess I should have warned you about that, huh?"

"Might have helped, luv" He nodded and then let out a sudden burst of laughter as if miraculously some of the tension had just leaked out.

Buffy righted herself and pulled Spike into a steady position before turning back around "It’s only a little way from here"

She walked forward slowly this time and heard Spike follow her a moment later. The mud got less thick here and it was easy to walk on. A thick clump of trees came into view and Buffy walked up to them and entered during a small gap between two of the trees. The Slayer could see well in the dark compared to most humans and she weaved in and out of the trees like someone who could come here with their eyes closed and Buffy thought that might be possible given the amount of time she had spent down at this place when she needed to think.

She finally came to the small clearing and entered stepping to the side so that Spike could come up next to her. In front of them was a small glittering lake. It was completely unspoiled by civilization like most of Westbury. It was roughly circular, very roughly, and completely surrounded by large trees. The water was clean, almost clear, but there was a large rock towards the centre and off to the left that broke the water and made for a good sitting place when she had first tried out swimming in the lake. The moonlight flittered through the branches of the trees to dance across the surface of the lake. The only thing that was missing was a cascading waterfall but this was England for god’s sake and she couldn’t expect perfection.

Spike let out a whistle "Seen a lot of the world in my time. Never knew my home country still had any of these kinds of places left. It’s like steppin’ back in time"

"And you should know" Buffy grinned.

He looked at her "I’m not that old"

"How old are you now?"

"Hundred and thirty, hundred and thirty one. I wasn’t exactly counting"

The Slayer nodded "Yeah, you’re not old at all" She chuckled.

The vampire looked at the lake once more and sighed then he sat down on the small ledge by the water, which he was lucky the mud had dried and wouldn’t rub off on him. Buffy looked down at him as he pulled his knees up and then rested his forehead against them, closing his eyes.

Buffy hesitated and then crouched down next to him, not sitting, but just near him and she reached over and tentatively put a hand on the back of his neck. Spike shivered but she knew he wasn’t cold because it wasn’t that type of shiver.

She stroked her fingers underneath the collar of his black shirt "What’s up?"

"Nothin’" Spike rasped.

"Oh. Okay then" The Slayer withdrew her hand from him and stood up.

The loss of her touch made Spike look up at her from his sitting position on the ground and he locked eyes with her for a moment before burying his head back in his hands and closing his eyes. Buffy smiled and kicked her shoes off. She pulled her sweater up over her head and continued to undress until she was left in just her underwear feeling the effects of the cold on her skin but ignoring them. Then the Slayer looked down at the vampire who had not noticed all of this and turned diving into the lake. She was sure he would hear that. As the cold water hit her body Buffy felt refreshed and fresh instead of chilled to the bone like most people would have. The temperature change made her heart pound harder but she stayed under water until she swum up close to the large rock in the lake before she resurfaced. The lake was deep enough and she was short enough that only her head appeared above the surface when she stood on the bottom of the lakebed.

Sure enough Spike had noticed her exit and he was now stood up searching the water for her, his eyes were worried until they locked on her then he just looked slightly intoxicated as he noticed her clothes had been left on the bank next to him.

"What are you doin’?" Spike called out.

Buffy pushed her wet hair away from her face and let out a shuddering breath of icy air "What’s it look like?"

"Looks like you’ve gone barmy, Slayer!" He shouted back but let out a gleeful laugh all at once.

She smiled too happy to see him smiling again and the tension easing out of his body and mind. That was what she had intended to do in the first place.

"You comin’ in?" Buffy asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Nothin’ would get me in that freezin’ water" Spike shook his head and folded his arms across his chest.

"Nothing? You sure about that?" The Slayer cocked her head.

He nodded and let out a small chuckle as he looked at her. Buffy reached around herself and kept her eyes on Spike’s as he continued to mock her water drowned state knowing that due to her distance away from him and because the water came up to her chin Spike couldn’t see what she was doing as she unclipped her bra and slid it off of her shoulders. She pulled her arm back and pitched the garment at him and it hit him square in the face as she had planned. Spike took a stumbled step backward due to shock and tore the thing off his face he was about to shout at her when he looked down at his hands and realized what it was.

"You won’t even come in now?" Buffy grinned wickedly.

The wide-eyed, open-mouthed look on Spike’s face made her laugh and she began to walk backwards further away from him in the water as she kept her eyes on his. The Slayer pulled her hand out of the water and motioned for him to join her.

Spike gulped a few times like a goldfish trying to find air before he snapped himself out of it and quickly pulled his shoes off and tossed them away. He ripped his duster off and pulled his belt out of the loops of his jeans but apparently he couldn’t wait any longer because he then waded into lake still wearing his jeans and shirt.

Buffy’s back pressed against the rock in the middle of the lake as she watched his approach – the water soon became deep enough that he had to swim toward her. As he approached Buffy had to think that he looked a lot like an albino shark, he was a strong, sleek, sinewy predator and she was the prey.

Spike resurfaced just in front of her, water cascading off of his alabaster skin and Buffy let out a small gasp as he opened his eyes and looked at her. Spike reached out and put his hands on the rock behind Buffy trapping her in-between his arms. He looked into her eyes so deeply she thought he might be trying to steal her soul with just a look.

"You should know better than to tease, Buffy" His voice was a low purr.
Buffy smiled and then let it slip looking at him seriously as she reached up and looped her arms around his neck then brought herself forward to press her breasts against his sodden shirt "Who said anything about teasing?"

Spike turned rigid and then he moved his hands from the rock and tangled one in her hair pulling her face to his and kissing her hard on the mouth. Buffy was pushed back against the rock and she was kind of glad it was there because otherwise she wasn’t sure her legs would support her. The vampire’s other hand rested on her neck and then slid down over her shoulder. Spike pulled back abruptly and looked into her eyes as he dipped his hand below water level and touched her breast. She sucked in a quick breath but kept her eyes on his.

Spike pulled away from her unexpectedly and shook his head. Buffy let go of the breath and frowned as he took a few steps back from her and then turned his back on her and stood then with his shoulders tense.

Buffy’s frown didn’t waver as she cautiously reached out and placed her hand between his shoulder blades. If it was possible Spike tensed even more but he looked over his shoulder at her and then quickly turned away as if regretting looking at her.

"What’s wrong, Spike?" Buffy spoke softly and intimately, her heart still beating too fast from their contact.

"I...I’m not real" Spike said then let out a long unused breath.

Her frown only deepened "What?"

"I’m not your someone"

"You really aren’t making much sense, Spike"

He turned back to face her, water beads on his face "I’m a vampire"

"Well, yeah, I had noticed that" Buffy smiled but it slipped when his face remained serious "What is this?"

"I’m a vampire and you’re human. You need someone who can –"

"Spike, I swear to God if you say I need someone who can take me into the light I will stake you myself" Buffy’s teeth gritted.

Spike’s eyes widened and she could tell he had been about to say exactly that. The Slayer threw her hands up in the air and then dived into the water and swam past the vampire vigorously towards the bank of the lake. She climbed out onto the bank and turned to see Spike facing the rock with his back to her. Buffy pulled on her clothes making them wet but she really didn’t care.

She pulled her boots on and started through the trees when she heard Spike call her name and start to swim towards the edge of the lake. The Slayer just walked faster moving in-between the trees and then climbing the small slippery hill to get to the field of long grass. She made her way through that field and back onto the stony walkway back to Giles house.

"Buffy!" She heard him call.

The Slayer ignored him and he called out again. She carried on down the path.

"Buf –" Spike’s voice was cut off abruptly and there was a loud thud.

Buffy stopped and turned looking back at the patch of trees. It was possible that Spike was just trying to trick her into going back to him. Buffy hesitated not knowing what to do but in the end her Slayer instincts, and her feelings for Spike, won and she turned and ran back down to the trees. She got to them and saw footprints that were larger than her own – they stopped suddenly and then there were muddy tracks as if something heavy had been dragged. Buffy ran through the trees following the drag marks and found herself at the side of the lake again.

She looked out at the water but everything was serene and undisturbed. Buffy frowned and called out Spike’s name several times. She did a sweep around the lake and through the trees her breathing getting ragged as she got more panicked. The Slayer made her way back around to the original opening of the trees and looked out at the field with the long grass. She walked every inch of it and found no trace of the asinine vampire. This was just typical of him, Buffy got mad at him and then he would disappear and probably get kidnapped just so she had to work through her rage and worry about him. So typical.

Buffy called out his name again and then she turned and ran full tilt back home she had to find Giles and Willow, Willow could do a spell and she would find Spike. Buffy fell more than once because her clothes were wet and the mud slippery and soon she was covered in mud and probably looked like some sort of hell beast herself.

When she burst into the house and ran into the living room caking mud and water all over the carpet Giles and Willow turned to look at her in alarm – she told them the situation as quickly as possible and they sprang into action. Willow got out her location spell stuff and Buffy got her weapons while she did it.

"Its weird," Willow said "The spell says that he’s right where you left him"

"He can’t be. I checked" Buffy frowned.

"It says he’s there"

Without another word Buffy turned and ran out of the house and she heard Giles following a long way behind calling out her name. She ignored and sprinted down the path and toward the field, which she crashed into noisily. She slipped down the hill of mud and then picked herself up and weaved in and out of the trees.

She came grinding to a halt when she saw Spike lying on the bank of the river completely soaked and muddy as if he had dragged himself up it. He was groaning in pain and clutching his chest, which seemed to have some sort of spine in it.

Buffy ran over and crouched down next to him "What happened?"

"Bloody...water-feral demon" Spike groaned "Dragged me under – lucky I don’t bloody need to breathe"

"Where is it?"

"There" He pointed to the water.

Buffy turned and readied herself for an attack but saw the thing floating face down in the middle of the lake – the back of it’s head was caved in and she saw a thick splurge of blood on the rock in the lake. Spike had dashed the thing’s brains out.

She turned back to Spike as Giles slipped down into the clearing and crawled over to them getting muddy himself.

"What’s this?" Buffy asked pointing to Spike’s chest.

"It’s the water-feral demon’s quill," Spike groaned.

"Duh" She rolled her eyes "Does it...is it..."

Giles looked over at the water, at the demon "Judging from the species, which I would say is a venomous water-feral demon, I’d say it’s –"

"Venomous?" Buffy guessed sarcastically.

"Yes, quite," He nodded, not getting her sarcasm.

Spike spoke through gritted teeth "It’s doin’ something to me...I can feel it. Ahh! Bloody hell! I can’t...I can’t feel anything...I can’t..."

Spike’s eyes rolled back in his head.

Buffy looked at Giles wide-eyed and he motioned for her to help him get Spike back to the house. Buffy did one better and lifted the prone vampire onto her shoulder like a fireman and practically ran back to the house. Even with her carrying Spike Giles struggled to match her speed.

"Buffy! Take him to the guesthouse" Giles called after her, panting.

The Slayer didn’t question him she just kicked the door of the guesthouse open as she reached it and carried the wet, cold, lifeless body inside. Buffy looked around desperately trying to find a suitable place for him. Giles entered, gasping and running hands through his hair. Her Watcher was now covered in mud himself and he motioned her breathlessly to place the vampire on the floor of the living room. Buffy did as he asked but wondered if Spike as uncomfortable which was stupid because he wasn’t even conscious.

Giles walked into the kitchen and then returned with a first aid kit he threw it to her and she caught it easily "Although I doubt antiseptic will work, try it. I’m going to run inside the house and get my papers on water demons, see what could be wrong"

He bolted out of the door a moment later. Buffy looked down at the soggy vampire and knew her face was a mask of concern. She took a breath and told herself to get on with it. Buffy grabbed his T-shirt in the middle being careful to avoid the spine and then tore it right down the middle. She pulled the material away from his body to expose his chest. The Slayer looked down and gasped because where the spine stuck out just an inch from his heart there was black tendrils of venom running in a spider-webbed fashion through his veins. Buffy grabbed the quill and yanked it out then grabbed the antiseptic from the first aid kit and uncapped it with her teeth spitting the lid away she applied some of the cream to his wound and rubbed it in hearing him groan. Spike stirred a little and then his eyes shot open and bled to yellow with a pinprick of black as his face morphed lumpy in the forehead and his fangs extended from his mouth. He growled and shot his arms out grabbing her around the neck with both hands and throttling her.

"Spi –ke!" Buffy gagged reaching up and clawing at his hands.

His eyes widened more but not at her at something that seemed to be in his mind because he screamed and let go of her making her gasp for air. Spike’s body began to convulse wildly and he almost shook across the floor. Buffy had to grab his shoulders and hold his wildly bucking body down.

Then to her surprise Spike opened his mouth to scream again but instead a loud, long screech came out that was so high pitched Buffy had to hold her hands over her ears at it.

Giles ran through the door with a book under one arm and a syringe in the other he winced and his eyes narrowed at the noise. He slipped on the floor and went down, crawled towards the shaking vampire and stretched his arm across to stab the vampire in the arm, plunging the liquid into him. Almost at once his eyes went wide and he stopped shaking just looked up at the ceiling until he slumped and his eyes closed.

Buffy removed her hands from her ears and looked at Giles, shocked "What...what did you inject him with?"

"Just a sedative to keep him under and hopefully give us a little more time to work out what has happened to him" Giles explained standing up and the walking over to an armchair and slumping down into it "I thought it best to bring him here so as not to distress Dawn"

The Slayer nodded numbly choosing to remain knelt by Spike "What was that noise he was making?"

"Well, strangely enough it sounded quite similar to that of mermaids" Giles looked at her seriously.

"So, you’re saying Spike is turning into a mermaid?" Buffy looked at him, eyebrow arched not amused as she might have once been in regards to the vampire being hurt and/or embarrassed.

Her Watcher gave a shake of the head "I do not know. However, if he was he would become a merman not a mermaid"

"Giles, that’s really not the point" She stressed "What is happening to him?"

Giles gave her a weary look "I do not know. I will have to look through the Encyclopedia of Marine Monsters"

"It’s called that? You’re kidding"

"No, I am not" He adjusted his glasses and then picked up the demon quill from the floor careful so not to touch the poisonous end "Curious. I should be able to find some explanation. Just out of interest, though, Buffy, what were you and Spike doing at the lake?"

Buffy looked up at him; stumped to come up with an answer "That isn’t important. He could wake up any minute –"

"Actually," Giles opened the book but then turned to her "He’ll be out for little less than three hours, I believe"

"Oh. Well." She cleared her throat "Tea, then?"

Giles frowned and looked at her condescendingly "Buffy"

"Giles" Buffy replied in the same tone of voice as she stood up and folded her arms over her chest, suddenly aware again that she was soaking wet "It’s not really your business, is it? You’re not my father and even if you were I’m an adult, Giles. I make my own decisions"

He rubbed his brow and sighed "I take it that means you were being intimate with him"

"Again, it’s not your business" She looked down at him unwavering "I’m gonna go and change, dry out and then we are gonna help Spike"

Buffy turned and ran up the stairs of the guesthouse knowing she kept some clothes here. She walked into her room and to the small dresser absent-mindedly pulling out clothes and stripping her wet ones off. The Slayer tried not to think about what had happened that night. It had all started out so simply all she had tried to do was take a walk with Spike and it had ended in disaster. It was like the fates were trying to make sure they stayed away from each other even in a friendly capacity. Not that the incident in the lake had been just ‘friendly’ of course.

Buffy didn’t know what was going on in her head. It should have been simple because Spike was supposed to be bad for her, right? She wasn’t so sure now. The past year when he had gotten his soul back he had been a rock for her to lean on and they had grown so close, closer then she ever thought she would get to the peroxide vampire. When he had sacrificed himself she had told him that she loved him, but he hadn’t believed her. Buffy knew that at the time she had said it because he was dying and because she did care deeply for him. Now, after seeing him alive when she thought she’d never see him again the Slayer wondered if, maybe, she might actually be a little in love with him. With Buffy love had usually been all or nothing but neither her relationship with Angel or Riley had worked out well so maybe getting to love someone slowly but steadily was the key.

She sighed as she dried herself off with a towel and got changed. Thinking about Spike lying downstairs hurt made her chest feel tight. She turned and looked at her bed, which was unmade, because Spike had crawled out of it that afternoon. Buffy sat down on the corner of it and placed her hand on the pillow taking a long deep breath.

"Buffy?" Giles voice floated up the stairs.

The Slayer stood and then ran quickly down the stairs coming into the living room "What, what is it?"

"I think I’ve found the demon" He replied from his spot in the armchair, he motioned to her to sit down and she did "Spike was correct in that it was a water-feral demon and it was of the venomous kind as we know. However, I studied the quill and you can see it has a slight indentation at the base of it – this type of quill only belongs to female water-feral demons"

Buffy shifted in the chair "Why is this relevant?"

"Buffy," He took a moment, wetted his lips "The water-feral demon’s aim is to find herself a mate to procreate with. If she cannot find one of her own species –"

"Oh my god! Are you saying this demon...mated with Spike?!" Buffy’s eyes widened.

"No. Listen, if she cannot find a mate of her own species then she will make one"

The Slayer frowned "Make one?"

"The venom in her quills can...change any species into a water-feral demon if injected into the bloodstream"

"But Spike doesn’t have circulation"

"It doesn’t seem to matter"

Buffy looked down at the vampire "So...so you’re saying Spike’s gonna change into a..."

"Water-feral demon? Yes, it looks that way"

The Slayer took a few moments to register this "I don’t get it Giles, I’ve been swimming in that lake almost since we got here"

"Yes, but you are female and regardless of the venom’s metamorphic ability it can only work on males of any species, not females. It’s likely the demon was lying dormant at the bottom of the lake waiting for a male to come to the water" Giles looked down at the book then back up "I can’t find a cure"

Buffy stood "Well, you’re gonna have to look harder, aren’t you?"

"Buffy –"

"No, Giles!" She turned to look at him, eyes hard "Spike did not come back from the dead just to get turned into some fish demon’s love slave"

Her Watcher looked at her "No, but it seems he’s come back to be yours"

Buffy’s mouth dropped open and she was flabbergasted "You did not just say that!"

Giles rose from the chair and placed the book on the table. He stretched and then placed his hands comfortably in his pockets looking back into her eyes with a little sadness but assured that what he was doing was the right thing.

"I did just say that," His tone was soft, melancholic "Because it needs to be said. The first time you got...involved with Spike I wasn’t around to put a stop to it but I’m here now and I won’t let you make the same mistake twice"

Buffy’s jaw dropped again "Who do you think you are? You can’t just decided who I can or cannot see, Giles, you have never been able to control my personal life in that way"

"Yes, well, perhaps if I had you wouldn’t have..." He trailed off, not wanting to say the wrong thing.

Buffy arched an eyebrow and she tilted her head her ‘stern’ face on "I wouldn’t have what, Giles? Wouldn’t have made so many disastrous mistakes? Wouldn’t have got hurt so badly? All those experiences bad or good have made me who I am today and they were my mistakes to make, not yours. How dare you presume to know what’s best for me! When was the last time you had a real relationship?"

He paused and shook his head "That isn’t relevant"

"I think it is," She stepped up "The last time you fell for someone? Not since Ms. Calendar"

Giles eyes snapped up at her, hard "Don’t you dare bring her up!"

"Fine, I won’t. Then don’t talk to me about Spike," Buffy replied sharply.

"I’m just trying to stop you from ruining you life," He tried hard to put his point across "You have a chance at something normal here. You can find yourself a normal, human partner and lead a long, happy life"

Buffy looked at him "Maybe ‘normal’ isn’t what I’m looking for anymore. I know that when I first started out the whole Slayer gig all I wanted was to date, to shop to have an average normal girls life but things have changed...I’ve changed. Even if I’m not the Chosen One anymore I can’t go back to being ‘normal’ because, Giles, I’m not normal. I’m extraordinary"

She was remembering Spike’s words back in L.A in the elevator ride they had taken together when he called her extraordinary and she had just realized he was right. Giles looked back at her but didn’t oppose her view.

"I don’t want to sound egotistical," Buffy carried on "But I think it’s true. I can’t ever be normal because ever since I was born I’ve had this weird, unique destiny that I was one day gonna become the Slayer. Then I fought demons, averted a dozen apocalypses and destroyed a whole town bringing a Hellmouth down. You won’t find that on an ordinary person’s résumé"

"You’re quite right, Buffy" Giles took a step towards her "But that doesn’t mean you have to go down the road that Spike will take you"

"And what road is that?"
"The road to heartbreak and pain. You’ve had more of that in your short life then most people have in their entire lives" He paused "I don’t want you to let him hurt you again"

She shook her head "If anyone hurt anyone in the whole Spike and Buffy escapades it was me dealing the pain"

"He attacked you"

"Yes" Was all she said for a moment "And I’m not condoning that but, in a way, I hurt him just as bad. He was in love with me, Giles, and I completely used him. That’s not something I ever want to repeat with anyone"

He gave her a swift nod "Yes, I understand that. Yet, however noble Spike gets now or in the near future he is still a vampire and even with a soul his instincts tell him to inflict pain"

"But his heart tells him otherwise," Buffy locked eyes with him "And even you know Spike has always been ruled by his heart not his head"

"It’s true that even before the soul with Drusilla they had something that, if not love, was extremely close to it" Giles admitted "But all it takes is for his resolve to slip for one moment and he could do something terrible"

"Isn’t that the same for everyone?"

"It is unlikely that you could compare what a distressed Spike might do to someone and what a human would do" He said "But I can see neither of us is gonna back down on that point. So, I have one last question to ask you – have you thought about the practicality of being with a vampire?"

Buffy sighed "Giles, I planned to be with Angel my whole life, remember?"

"So, you’ve thought about the fact that if you were in a relationship with either Spike or Angel that they won’t age?"

She paused, looked down at the floor then back up "It wasn’t ever an issue because I’m the Slayer and the Slayer has a short life expectancy"

"Back then, yes" Giles rubbed the bridge of his nose "But now things are different and you are not the sole Slayer. It is likely you will live to a ripe old age"

"Yay?" Buffy came up with weakly.

"You would age naturally and they would stay looking exactly the same and in time you would most likely resent them for that," He explained "And is there any real guarantee that Spike would stay with you through your old age?"

Buffy groaned "Giles, I’m not thinking that far ahead. I’m kind of doing the normal thing of just going with what I feel right now. I can’t even imagine myself at forty or fifty or older, if I even make it to that age. Yes, my feelings for Spike might change, I might not want to be with him or he might not want to be with me in the future but I’m going with the moment. Living for the present"

Giles glanced down at the vampire on the floor then back at her "What exactly are your feelings for Spike? With Angel it was always clear you were in love but with Spike it’s Could you really love William the Bloody?"

"No" She paused for a long time and Giles nodded his head as if that was what he had expected "But I could love Spike"

His head snapped back to look at her, eyes a fraction wide "And do you? Love him"