Chapter 1:

DAY ONE: 9 a.m. - Buffy Summers’ Bedroom

Buffy Summers looked around her room, trying to figure out just what it was that she was forgetting. After all, packing for 7 weeks at an overnight camp was a serious responsibility, especially with all the hottie potential running around.

"Ok, time to pull out the checklist," Buffy said as she pulled out her Palm Pilot: "1 trunk with clothes for nighttime fun and all-around cuteness - check! 1 suitcase with everyday stuff, dance attire, and beachwear - check! Backpack with photos, toiletries, books, CDs, DVDs, hairdryer, curling iron, blah, blah, blah, - check! Cosmetic bag - check! - 1 laundry basket of shoes including, jazz shoes, 3 pairs strappy sandals, 2 pairs sneakers (1 cute, 1 for outdoor activities), 2 pairs chunky heels, flip-flops, and 3 pairs miscellaneous - check."

"Aha!" she yelled triumphantly. "2 sexy dresses, sure to stop the hearts of the male counseling staff," she said in a deep sultry voice as she pulled a hanging bag out of her nearly empty closet and tossed it onto her bed.

Buffy bounced over to her vanity and surveyed herself in the mirror. She really was a beautiful girl, although her confidence sometimes wavered. Her green eyes glistened with excitement as thoughts of another summer at Camp Sunnydale swam throughout her head.

As she was collecting earrings off her dresser, the phone rang. An excited voice on the other end shrieked in her ear, "Has it really been a year already?"

"Hey Wills."

Willow Rosenberg sat in front of her desk, her shiny red hair pulled loosely into a ponytail, and big brown doe-eyes fixed on the computer screen of her IMAC laptop, fingers clicking away, cordless phone balanced precariously on her shoulder. Willow and Buffy had been best friends since they first met at camp when they were 5-years old.

"I know, it seems like just yesterday everyone was saying their goodbyes and off to do who-knows-what. Have you talked to anyone else?" Buffy asked.

"Xander mostly."

Xander was Willow's good friend from college. She had convinced him to work at the camp two-years ago, and now he was in for life.

"So, how is the Xand-man? Any smoochies goin' on there yet or what? Seriously, if that boy doesn't wake up soon and notice the hottie that is you, I'm going to personally pummel some sense into him while forcing you to find some new cutie more worthy of your attention."

"Look who's talking." Willow said as she rolled her eyes, "Exactly how many more seconds were going to go by before you were planning on mentioning a certain tall, dark, handsome, and Angelic counselor?"

Liam 'Angel' O'Connor was a 24 year-old forth-year counselor who Buffy had been "in-love" with since his first summer at the camp. Granted, he was gorgeous, but he knew it. And he also knew about Buffy's crush on him. Willow was so tired of having to listen to her best-friend rave about a guy who used her as an ego boost and nothing more.

"Very funny Wills. This summer is going to be different. His skanky-ho of a girlfriend won't be there, so he won't be able to resist my charms, or my new bikini."

Silence crossed the airwaves for a few seconds before the redhead finally asked quietly "Buffy, didn't you hear?"

"Hear what?" she said into the mirror while reapplying her lip-gloss.

"Well, Xander called me last night and said that Darla IM-ed him that she was coming back. I thought you knew, since your Mom does run the camp and all."

Buffy froze and said stiffly, "I guess she forgot to tell me."

Willow sighed, "Maybe it's for the best. There's going to be a ton of fresh meat this year with the new counselors coming in from the UK. Who knows, maybe they'll make you forget all about Angel."

"Doubtful," Buffy said glumly.

"Well, try not to let this ruin your summer before it's even started. I'll be over to pick you up in twenty-minutes. You did pack lighter this year right? I don't want to have to spend hours re-packing like last time?"

Buffy stared guiltily at her room full of luggage. "Of course. No over-packing here."

"Yeah right," Willow said knowingly before she hung up.

As soon as Buffy clicked off the phone, she yelled as though her life depended on it. "Moooooommmmmm!"

Joyce Summers came bounding up the stairs and burst into Buffy's room, ”Honey, what happened? Are you ok?"

"Am I ok? AM I OK?" she said eyes flashing "Why didn't you tell me that you hired Darla again?"

Joyce's breathing slowed. "Oh, is that all, I thought you were being attacked. Well, either that or a spider on the wall," she said with a smirk, acknowledging her daughter's silly fear of spiders.

"Not funny Mom. Now will you please tell me what possessed you to hire that bitch back?"

"Watch your mouth dear. Well, it's really very simple. Our new Waterfront Director backed out and we needed someone with certification right away. You know the ACA is visiting us this summer and Darla was available so..." she said trailing off.

Buffy groaned, "But Mom, she's a terrible counselor and she's never in the pool anyway. She's just going to run around doing...um...other things." she grumbled catching herself.

"Like what...Angel? That is what this is really about right. When will you finally get over this adolescent fantasy you have with Angel?" Joyce said with exasperation.

"Adolescent fantasy?" Buffy said angrily, "You don't think I have a chance with him do you?"

"That's not what I meant. It's just that, he's not good enough for you baby. You put him up on this pedestal, when he's really just a man. And not a very bright one at that. Just let him have Darla and you just take care of yourself for awhile." Joyce reached to put a hand on Buffy's shoulder, only to have her pull away sharply.

"Yeah, well I have to finish up, Wills is gonna be here in 15-minutes so..." she said quickly while nodding towards the door.

Joyce sighed "Well I have to go take the van to pick up your Uncle so we can get there before the staff arrives. Remember sweetie, it's a new summer and anything can happen," she smiled and closed the door behind her.

Buffy threw her arms up, and plopped down on her bed, "that's what everyone keeps saying."

****

11 a.m. - Summers’ Driveway

"Finally," Willow said gasping for air as she finally got the trunk of her car closed. "I never thought it was all going to fit."

Buffy jumped into the passenger seat and looked behind her as the suitcases and bags toppled over to the front seats. She smiled sheepishly as Willow climbed into the car, maneuvering a suitcase strap off the seat and into the back.

"And we're off," said Willow excitedly as she pulled the car out of the Summers' driveway. "5 hours and we reach our destination."

"Yup, and I made the perfect mix to pass the time," Buffy said as she dug a tape out of the bottom of the backpack at her feet. "This has all of our bar-tunes on it from last year as well as some that will remind us of classic moments from summers-past. Including my personal favorite "I Touch Myself."

Willow burst into giggles as she remembered them at 11 dancing on the stage to Divinyls as the crowd looked on in shock. "I can't believe the staff let us do that for the talent show! Your mom is so mean!"

"I know," Buffy said laughing, her face turning bright red, "and we had no idea why the oldest kids gave us a standing ovation. We just thought we had the best dance in the talent show."

The song came on as the girls sang along at the top of their lungs.

4 p.m.

Buffy and Willow didn't realize they had been driving for 5 hours until they drove through the camp gates. As they pulled into the circle drive in front of the main building they noticed a large group congregating on the porch a few faces they recognized.

"Hey what took you guys so long?" Xander said excitedly, pulling Buffy out of the car to give her a big bear hug.

"Luggage mishap." Willow said as she climbed out.

"Again?" Xander said, looking knowingly at Buffy.

"What?!" she said defensively. "We're really far away from a decent shopping mall, so I had to make sure nothing was forgotten."

"You know Buffy," Xander said teasingly "the foreign counselors are only allowed to bring one suitcase and one carry-on for the entire summer, and they seem to manage just fine."

"Speaking of the new blood, shouldn't the airport van be here by now?" Willow said looking around eagerly.

"Yeah, well," Xander said with a sigh, "Jonathan got lost driving to the airport so they won't be here for another couple of hours. So Buffster, did your Mom hire me a sweet Irish lass or a fine mademoiselle this year to keep me company during the hot summer nights?"

Willow and Buffy both rolled their eyes at him as the blonde responded, "No luck this summer Xander. But, I think she did pick up a girl from England who's going to work with me in the dance department. Another girl is coming in from Ohio to work in the business office and teach general classes, a couple other newbies from around Cali and maybe one from New York."

"That'll do," Xander said with a grin.

"There's also a new guy from LA, one from Iowa, oh, and a new guy from London who I think plays soccer."

"As long as they know who is in charge around here, we won't have any problems," Xander said while puffing out his chest, which only made him look like a marshmallow in his white staff shirt. Buffy poked him in the stomach causing him to giggle like the Pillsbury doughboy.

Willow scanned the crowd on the porch. "So who's here already? Is that Cordelia over there putting the moves on Angel? Guess you're not the only one who didn't get the memo that Darla was coming back this summer," her pointed finger caused Buffy to quickly turn and look for her dream boy.

There he was, leaning on the post as Cordelia yapped at him about Daddy's latest grand purchase. 'He leans great' Buffy thought as her stomach fluttered a bit. Just as she got up the courage to walk over and ask about his year, Buffy's Uncle Giles came running out with a clipboard.

Rupert Giles had married Buffy’s Aunt Cathy after meeting her in a London pub 5-years ago. Cathy was notorious for her inability to commit to just one man and the couple had divorced less than a year later. However, Cathy had made the mistake of bringing Giles up to the campgrounds during their brief marriage, and he immediately fell in love with the place. So, while Cathy barely even visited Camp Sunnydale, Giles worked year round making sure the business stayed a success.

“Ah yes,” Giles said looking at his clipboard, “if everyone could gather around for me just a moment we can send you off in the proper direction. As most of you know, I am Rupert Giles, Assistant Director for Camp Sunnydale. But you can call me Uncle Giles, everyone seems to. Anyway, the airport shuttle was . . . er . . . sidetracked, and should arrive in a few hours. The rest of you can take your bags over to the appropriate cabins.”

“When you say appropriate do you mean I can bunk with any of these fine ladies I choose for the next few days, right?” Angel said scanning the crowd and finally acknowledging Buffy.

Giles flushed, “Er, uh, no Angel, of course not. You know the rules. The cabins are not co-ed. Xander please lead the gentlemen over to The Razorback and Buffy take the ladies to, uh, Hemory Hall. Remember this is only temporary, as we will be making final cabin assignments over the next few days. Please meet back at the dining hall in 2 hours for supper. Any questions?” One hand waved excitedly, “Yes Xander.”

“Is it true that we have a new kitchen staff this year? Something about the secret to last year’s mystery meat being revealed and Miss Summers not being to happy about a connection to Soilent Green.”

A few faces that Buffy didn’t recognized looked around nervously.

Giles froze then quickly covered for Xander’s mouth, “Yes, we have a new kitchen staff. And no, the Doublemeat Burgers were NOT people,” he said shooting a glare at Xander. “I’m sure you will be quite satisfied with the new food service here. I assure you it is the finest in the country. Now go, um, mingle and be back in two hours.”

****

6 p.m. - Dinner Time

The staff gradually made their way into the mess hall. Buffy and Willow waved to Xander and approached his table. Buffy saw that he was sitting with a guy, probably about 21 with spiked orangish hair.

“Hey guys, this is Oz. Oz, these are the two finest ladies in all of Camp Sunnydale.”

Oz said, “Hey,” with a little wave.

“Ah, a man of few words - my kind of guy,” Xander said with a wink to Buffy and Willow.

“He’s only saying that because he likes to do all the talking. We can never get a word in edge-wise. I’m Buffy Summers, nice to meet you.” Buffy said shaking hands with Oz, noticing the blue finger-nail polish, making a mental note to ask him the shade later.

“Any relation?” Oz asked.

“Unfortunately,” Buffy groaned, “but really, I’m just like everyone else here. No special privileges. I swear, people run around thinking I’m part of the Sunny-D Mafia or something. Ready to rat them out for any little mistake.”

“Considering Buffy and I have caused our fair share of trouble over the years, I know that couldn’t be farther from the truth. I’m Willow by the way.” The redhead said with a smile, finally getting a good look at the mysterious man in front of her. He was definitely a cutie, but not in the typical way, more artsy. The guy might have some potential if she can get him to open up a bit. What was it she’d said to Buffy, something about new summer and fresh meat?

While Willow talked up the new guy, Buffy scanned the table for Angel, finally spotting him at a table with Cordelia, Harmony (one of Cordelia’s minions) and Gunn (a second year counselor). He caught her eye and gave her a little wink, which made Buffy blush and look away quickly.

As they ate their dinners, Buffy, Willow and Xander regaled Oz with tales mayhem from previous summers.

“ . . . and then Willow and Buffy made it out of the cabin right before Uncle Giles burst in to find me in my room tied to my chair in a wig and bra and my boxers. They just left me there for my campers to find me the next day. Saucy wenches!”

Xander had only been able to stay angry with the girls for a few hours. It was pretty funny. Besides, he did steal all of their underwear and then proceeded to hide it all over the campgrounds with little clues leading to the missing clothing.

Willow burst out laughing at the reminder of how Xander looked with the Dolly Parton ‘do and falsies. Oz looked at the pretty redhead with curiosity, as he would never have expected such a thing from the seemingly reserved girl.

Someone cleared her throat near the table. Everyone turned slowly to see Miss Summers standing there with a stern look on her face.

“Um, hi Miss Summers,” Willow sputtered nervously, “uh, how was the drive up?”

Miss Summer shook her head at the group, “Xander, I thought you told Giles that you didn’t know who attacked you? Something about them wearing masks and it probably just being your own boys, and not to worry?”

Three pairs of eyes quickly looked at each other nervously, trying to take cues for a cover story.

Buffy started, “Well you see Mom, one of my camper’s left something in Xander’s class and wouldn’t go back to sleep until she had it back, so Willow walked me over to his cabin and . . .”

Joyce tried to suppress the smile but couldn’t anymore, “Are you kidding? You don’t even want to know the kind of things I did when your grandmother was in charge.”

The four faces at the table looked shocked. “What, you don’t think I was a little goody-goody tattle-tale do you? Anything you guys have tried, or will try, I’ve done it. I remember this one time when I was dating the head of . . .”

Buffy didn’t want to hear the rest of that statement, “So mom, when do you think the airport van is going to get here? Everyone’s getting pretty anxious to meet the rest of the new crew.”

“Actually, that’s what I was coming over here to tell you. Jonathan just called and they should be here in about 5 minutes. I’m really excited about this new group. Drusilla seems really sweet, I’m sure you’re going to love working in the dance department with her. She had a ton of recommendations. And she’s worked on so many-”

“-Professional shows, I know.” Buffy finished. “As long as she remembers that I’m the head of the dance department,” and stays away from Angel, she added mentally, “I’m sure we’ll get along just fine.”

“Of course honey. I explained that she would be working under you and she assured me that wouldn’t be a problem. Of course I’m sure you could learn a few things from her sweetie.”

Just then Jonathan burst through the entrance and ran up to Joyce panting, “I’m so sorry Miss Summers, I was on 23 and then I wasn’t and somehow I ended up in Santa Barbara before I realized that everything was all wrong and please don’t fire me.”

Everyone stared at the short young man eyes wide as he tried to save his butt, but Joyce just laughed and said it was no problem. “However, I do hope you didn’t leave them at the airport to fend for themselves,” she said looking over his shoulder trying to find the group.

“They were just behind me, but I may have run off to quickly so they probably don’t know where they’re going.” Jonathan said worriedly.

“Well, it’s a good thing I happened to show up just in time to direct them over here,” a sticky-sweet voice piped in. Buffy turned around to see Darla standing with her arms crossed and a group of six young men and women slowly trickling into the cafeteria behind her.

“Darla, it’s so good to have you back,” Joyce said giving the blonde a quick hug, “isn’t it kids?” she said looking at Buffy. The table just mumbled in agreement as Buffy gazed over to Angel’s table to see if he had noticed Darla’s arrival.

Just as she turned back to the group in front of her, she was met with the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen.

****

“You al’right luv?” the young man asked with an amused chuckle. He couldn’t believe his eyes. The girl in front of him was stunning. Her green eyes twinkled with mischief and her long golden locks hung around her shoulder, perfectly framing her tanned face. This summer was looking up after all. “I’m Sp . . .”

Before ‘blue-eyed boy’ could finish, Buffy saw Angel jump out of his seat and push his way over to Darla, picking her up in an embrace. The new guy saw the look of longing pass over his blonde-beauty’s face as the big poof with gelled hair kissed Darla passionately. ‘Well, I can see I have my work cut out for me’ he thought dejectedly.

“Alright you two, break it up.” Joyce said as she pulled their bodies apart. She swiftly walked over to the microphone set-up at the front of the cafeteria. “Everyone grab a seat quickly, it doesn’t matter where, I just have a few announcements to make.

The new guy took the opportunity to pull a chair up next to Buffy without her noticing and leaned to whisper in her ear, “I’m Spike by the way.”

Not realizing that someone was that close, Buffy jumped and ended up smacking her elbow right into the side of Spike’s head. “Bloody hell woman, are you trying to kill me?” he said in a harsh whisper.

“Sorry I didn’t know you were there. Besides, you really should try not to sneak up on people like that, creepy much?” she whispered back eyes flashing.

“Well, if you weren’t so busy drooling over the big poof over there, maybe you would have noticed me pull up a chair, or is this some sort of exclusive club that I can’t join?” he said indicating the table of Willow, Xander and Oz.

Buffy turned to respond only to be cut off by her mother “Is there some sort of a problem Buffy? And...” scanning her clipboard, “William?”

Spike’s eyes got really big, “No, no problem ma’am. Just trying to avoid flying elbows. Not very coordinated is she? Big problem with special awareness, this one.” He said with a smirk.

Joyce laughed, as did some of the other counselors, Darla and Angel included, “Well, she hasn’t caused any major injuries just yet.”

Buffy blushed furiously, shooting a dirty look in Spike’s direction. She didn’t notice the raven-haired girl sitting next to Spike eyeing her curiously. Spike just leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling, contemplating a way to win the heart of the golden girl on his left.

Joyce continued speaking to the group of young counselors, “Welcome to Camp Sunnydale of the Theater Arts...”

Spike snapped to attention, his chair slamming back onto all four legs at the last two words. “Oh balls…” he muttered under his breath. Buffy gave him a questioning look. Willow and Xander eyed each other knowingly and snickered.

“Our first orientation meeting will be at 8 p.m. We will do proper introductions at that time as well as go over the schedule for the week. If returning staff could please give the new counselors a tour of the campgrounds in the meantime, that would help immensely. Buffy? Angel? Could you take care of that?” They both nodded as Darla shot daggers in Buffy’s direction.

“Wonderful! Then I will see everyone at 8 o’clock sharp in Turner Hall.”

The sound of chairs scraping the floor filled the air as the 20 or so young people started leaving the dining hall. Buffy pushed her way past Spike who still sat stunned in his chair. Willow glanced in his direction as she pulled Oz along and through the doors, leaving Xander to take care of the situation.

“So, didn’t know it was a theater camp huh?” Xander said as he scooted his chair closer to Spike, who just sat there and numbly shook his head. “Yeah, well Willow -she’s the redhead- didn’t tell me either when she dragged me along two summers ago. Oh, I’m Xander by the way.” Spike just shook his hand in silence. “Anyway, it’s really not that bad. The kids alternate sports and other activities, with their performance classes; it’s pretty good set-up. And the kids are a riot.”

“So I can just play football and not have anything to do with all that theater stuff then?” Spike asked hopefully.

Xander thought about that momentarily, “Not exactly...well, you’ll see, and it’s all really fun. Minimal pain. I promise.”

Xander scooted back his chair and patted Spike on the back. “Come on William, tour’s gonna start in a few minutes.”

“Spike.” He sighed, rising from the chair.

“Huh? Is that some weird British slang that I don’t know about?” Xander said with confusion.

“It’s my name. Nobody calls me William.”

“And nobody wears big black leather coats in the middle of a California summer either.” Said Xander as he took in Spike’s attire.

“Well, I’m an individual.” He smirked at Xander as they walked out of the cafeteria.

7:45 p.m. - Hemory Hall

Buffy climbed onto her bunk bed and collapsed on the mattress as Willow lay on the bed below.

“I mean, really, where does he get off? Not 5 minutes into the new season and he’s already mocking me in front of the entire counseling staff...”

“I really don’t think...” Willow tried to interject only to be cut off by a venting Buffy.

“And who does that to there hair? He must have dumped an entire bottle of bleach on his head. That whole Billy Idol look is so over...”

“This from the girl who used to lip synch to “Mony Mony” in her Princess Leia underroos?” Willow said giggling as she kicked up the mattress above her.

Buffy bounced lightly on the bed, “That was over 10 years ago.” She swung around so her head hung over the side of the bed and pointed at her friend, “Besides, you promised never to mention that again or I’d tell Xander about the time you dressed up your-”

“Ok, ok, it’s forgotten!” she squealed. “Anyway, I think Spike’s kind of a hottie. Those blue eyes seem to just pierce right through you.”

“I don’t care about his stupid blue eyes,” Willow sighed as Buffy started again, “and what kind of a name is Spike anyway? And that black leather thing has got to go!”

“I don’t know, he looks kind of cool. And Xander seems to have taken a liking to him already. It’s kind of nice to have someone around here that isn’t like the other sheep. You know?” said Willow thoughtfully. “It could be worse. Your mom could have hired another Harmony.”

“No shit. One’s really enough for me. Hey Wills, we better head over to the orientation meeting.” Buffy jumped off the bunk and straightened her top. “I want to make sure I get a good seat.”

“You mean one with a direct eye line to Angel, right?” the redhead said rolling her eyes at her friend’s back.

“Exactly,” she agreed, while thinking to herself, ‘and completely out of range of a stupid British soccer player who asks stupid questions during my tour and has beautiful eyes and...god, why do I care?’ Buffy shook off that weird tingly feeling she started feeling underneath her skin, pulled her hair back into a low ponytail and bounded out of the room leaving Willow behind tying her shoes.

She hadn’t seen Buffy this worked up since her first-love, Scott Hope, painted her hair in the 8th grade. Hopefully, Angel would be completely out of Buffy’s mind by the end of the first week.

‘Yep,’ the observant girl thought, things are going to get interesting.

Chapter 2:

7:45 The Razorback

"So that Drusilla chick seems pretty into you man. She barely left your side during the entire tour." Xander said as he pulled on a new shirt.

"She's not a bad chit. We met on the plane on the flight over and she seems pretty cool. A little messed up in the gord. But cool all the same." Spike said as he sat down on the chair running his fingers through his bleach-blonde hair.

"And she's also quite the hottie. I wouldn't mind taking a little trip to the Mother Country for some of that."

"I don't know, she's not really my type. Just because we're both Brits don't mean we have to end up together in perfect marital bliss, ya know?" he said with a sigh. "Besides, I think I'm going to focus my attention elsewhere. There's a little spitfire I have my eye set on." His eyebrows raised at Xander.

"If you’re talking about Buffy," Xander said turning to Spike, "you've got your work cut out for you. The girl has been obsessed with Angel, or the 'great poof' as you like to call him, for as long as I can remember. As long as he's around there's no way you're breaking through that wall. Trust me, better men have tried and failed."

"Well, I've always liked a little challenge. And there's just something about her..." he added softly, "I can't put my finger on it. But there's something special about that girl."

"Yeah, she's beautiful, smart, talented, and completely head over heels for someone else. What's not to like?" Xander added with a note of sarcasm.

"I'm sure she's all that, but I'm talking about somethin' deeper. The first time I looked at her I felt this bolt rush through me," Spike emphasized by pounding his fist to his chest, "I've never felt anything like it before."

Xander thought for a moment and deadpanned, "Maybe it was the airplane food." Spike just glared and quirked a scarred eyebrow in his general direction. "You've got it bad man, and it's only the first day. My advice is to grovel to make up for that little scene in the caf. Once the Buffster gets a little grudge goin' it's really hard to win her over."

"We'll see mate. I have 7 weeks to get the girl and still survive summer in Theater Hell." Spike said as he threw his prized duster back on. "I can't believe the blokes at Camp America didn't warn me about that little clause in the contract."

Xander just laughed and grabbed his notebook, "Well think of it this way. If you never came to Theater Hell you never would have met the new love of your life. Plus, believe me; the 7 weeks are going to fly by so fast you won't believe it. And you'll never want to go home." Xander clicked off the light as they exited the room heading for their first meeting.

Five minutes later

Xander and Spike jogged up to the steps of Turner Hall. Xander went ahead while Spike decided to take in the surroundings for a few minutes. Truthfully, he had been dying for a fag ever since he got on his plane and hadn't had a free moment till now. He fished into the deep pockets of his duster, pulled out his pack and was about to light up when he heard a sharp voice behind him.

"You're not aloud to smoke on campus. Didn't Xander tell you?"

He turned around to see his golden goddess standing in front of him with her arms crossed. It had only been twenty minutes since the last time he saw her, but she still took his breath away.

"Sorry luv, no one told me. Any other rules you would like to fill me in on before we go inside? Wouldn't want to make a fool of myself on the first day."

Buffy eyed him up and down. "Too late," she said and headed into Turner.

After the door closed Spike crushed the unlit cigarette in his hand and threw it to the ground, exhaling loudly. "You look lovely this evening. Want to sit by me and Xander in the meeting? Will you allow me to profess my undying love then shag me silly?" Nope I had to blow it again. Damn.

--------------------------------------

Spike walked into Turner Hall to find a number of the counselors loitering in the hallway. He gave a little salute and walked into the meeting room. Xander, Willow and Oz were already sitting together with an open seat near them. Willow smiled at him and waved him over. Spike shrugged and moved into the room, taking a seat in the small desk next to Xander.

"So where's 'little miss coordination'? Doesn't she usually tag along with you lot?" Spike said scanning the room.

"Well her Mom called her into the office for a minute. Don't worry, I'm sure she'll be here soon." She said with a wink.

"Her mum? Why's her mum here?"

"Shit man, did I forget to tell you? Her mom is Joyce Summers, the Camp Director. I can't believe I forgot to mention that." Xander said smacking his forehead.

Spike nodded slowly, the pieces falling together, "Alright, I get it. That's where the attitude comes from."

"Sort of. You see, Buffy loves it here, but she doesn't want to be labeled as family by everyone. Basically, she wants to cause trouble like the rest of us, yet still at the same time doesn't want to disappoint anyone. It's a really fine line to walk." Willow explained.

"She seemed to get a little bent out of shape about it when I asked earlier." Oz piped in. "Touchy subject."

****

The rest of the staff filtered into the small room, including Angel and Darla, who seemed to be permanently joined at the hip. Buffy stumbled into the room with a stack of papers and put them on the desk at the front of the room. She huffed in annoyance and brushed a stray wisp of hair from her eyes. She caught Willow's questioning eyes and just responded with an eye roll.

"If everyone could quiet down for a moment, Joyce got tied up with something in the office and asked me to get the meeting started."

Willow looked at Spike and mouthed, "See," to which he could only nod and turn his attention back to the girl speaking to the crowd.

"So, I guess we can start off by going around the room and learning a little bit about one another. Please say your name, where you're from, what you're here to teach, and how many years you've been at Sunnydale." A collective groan sounded. "I know its lame, but at least I'm not making us standing in a circle and think of a descriptive word that starts with the same letter as your name and do a little motion. That comes later." She said evilly in Spike's direction who just glared at Xander for holding back some of the little details.

"Ok, I'll start. My name is Buffy Summers. I'm from Southern California and I'm the head of the Dance Department." Her eyes darted to Drusilla at the last statement. "Oh yeah, and I've been going to this camp my entire life."

They went around the room. Spike had been focused so intently on Buffy that he didn't realize it was his turn until Xander jabbed him in the ribs. "Oh right. I'm Spike. I'm for North London. I was hired to teach football, or what you lot like to call 'soccer.' I've never worked at a camp before and I sure as hell never worked at a bleedin' theater camp before. So, I guess I'm going to need a little private attention during this first week." He added, leering at Buffy. A few of the girls giggled, while Drusilla, Cordelia and Harmony whispered conspiratorially to one another.

Buffy's mouth dropped open like a fish the quickly composed herself. "I'm sure many of the ladies will be jumping at that offer," she commented sarcastically. "Next."

Spike zoned out again as Cordelia explained her Fashion class that she insisted be added to the schedule this year. Harmony then basically repeated word for word what Cordelia had to say, almost forgetting to use her own name.

All eyes turned to the brunette next to Harmony who spoke with a sharp Cockney accent. "My name's Drusilla. But 'ya can call me Dru. I'm from Essex in the UK and I spose I'm goin’ to be workin' with Buffy teachin' the littluns to dance. I've mainly done professional theater and never worked at a camp before till now." She eyed Spike suggestively, "So, I'm sure we can feel it out together." Spike just smirked and caught the flashing eyes of Buffy for a split-second.

Angel let out a loud whoop, only to be smacked upside the head by his girlfriend. "Ouch." He said, fixing his hair. "I'm Liam, or Angel, as I'm known around here. I teach all kinds of sports, mainly soccer. By the way, we put together a little match during the third week that usually gets pretty intense so I hope to see a lot of you out there. This is my forth-year at Sunny-D. LA just can't beat the sights one can find in this place." Angel winked at Buffy and caught another elbow from Darla.

She quickly jumped in. "I'm Darla. I'm from Virginia. I'll be Waterfront Director this year, so no one gets to go skinny-dipping without my explicit permission." The group booed. Xander being the most vocal of them all. "Hey, I didn't say NO skinny-dipping. Just that I want to be there when it happens. I'm not missing out on the fun." The group burst into applause with a few cheers here and there. Buffy, shushed them turning it over to the last girl.

"I'm Anya from Ohio, I'll be taking care of your money. So don't piss me off! Anyway, I'll also be teaching a few other classes like Arts and Crafts and other silly mindless activities to pass the time before I can play with your money again. I'm new, but I know how much money everyone makes so I have one up on the rest of you."

Buffy broke the silence, "Um, thank you Anya. Thanks for bearing with me guys. We're just going to go over some of the camp rules and what you can expect day to day." More groans filled the room. "I know, this is the boring stuff, but tomorrow we're going to start on the counselor song." A few whistles filled the air as Willow jumped up and down excitedly. Spike just eyed Xander who was whistling loudly and shrugged at Spike.

"My mom told me that we're going to use the music of the 70's this year so keep that in mind. I know everyone is excited to hit the local nightspots tonight, but please wait until tomorrow or the next day. We have a lot to do and I don't want everyone tired out this early in the week."

After the meeting wrapped up Spike pulled Xander aside. "What exactly is this counselor song Buffy was talkin' about? I thought you said I wasn't going to have to do any of that nancy boy crap?"

Xander sighed, "No, I said you'd see." He tried to walk away only to feel Spike pull the back of his shirt. Xander met the angry eyes of the Brit and answered quickly with his arms raised, "Fine. Basically, when the kids get here, the entire counseling staff gets on stage and does a little welcome number. We make fools out of ourselves and the kids love it. And it makes them feel ok about getting up there themselves later on."

Spike understood all too well, "You mean, I'm going to have to get up on that stage in front of hundreds of kids and dance like a buggerin' Village Person?"

"You got it buddy." Xander slapped him on the back.

Spike shook his head and squinted at the ceiling, "Bloody hell, I really need a fag." Xander pushed him out the door and back towards The Razorback.

Buffy fixed the papers on the desk and glanced over to where Angel was saying goodnight to Darla. Buffy noticed him eye her appreciatively while giving his girlfriend a hug. He gave another little wink at her, causing her to drop a few papers. She glanced up and saw Xander and Spike talking in the corner and tried to suppress a giggle when she heard Spike yell something about the Village People. Buffy quickly figured out what the conversation must be about. It really was his own fault that he didn't find out exactly where he was going to be spending his summer. Yes, tomorrow was going to be lots of fun.

She started over to Willow who was deep in conversation with Oz. 'Atleast someone's summer is starting out well,' she thought. She decided to leave them alone and headed over to Hemory Hills to catch up on some sleep. This had been a long day and she wanted to get to bed to have sweet dreams of Angel and his piercing blue eyes. She stopped dead in her tracks. Brown, brown! Of course I meant brown. I must be really tired, she thought as she jogged the rest of the way back to her bunk.

Chapter 3:

There Spike stood in front of the goal, sweat glistening off his perfect washboard abs. He looked over to the stands to where Buffy stood holding hands with Willow silently cheering him on. The score was tied 10-10, and Angel was the only thing standing between Spike and the final goal of the game. Spike glanced again at Buffy as she mouthed slowly, “I Love you,” and blew him a sweet kiss. Spike caught it in his left hand just as the band struck up the first bars of the theme of “Chariot’s of Fire.” He looked straight into the angry eyes of ‘the great poof’ and approached the checkered ball with purpose. Spike swung one finely muscled leg and hit the ball perfectly in the center and watched as it sailed right past Angel and into the goal.

The crowd burst into cheers as they stormed the field running towards their new hero. Buffy pushed her way through the masses, finally finding her way to the man of her dreams. Spike picked her up and swung her around. The fans seemed to disappear as he captured her lips in a bruising kiss. She pulled away breathlessly panting and said with a wide smile “Nine. I can’t believe it.”

Spike grinned widely, “Me neither,” he pulled her tightly to his body, feeling every inch of her pressed to him, “Nine goals in one game, that’s my new record.” He nuzzled her neck, inhaling the vanilla scent of her hair. “You’re my good luck charm.” He pulled back to look deeply in her eyes and leaned in for another kiss. Buffy stopped his approach by placing a firm hand on his chest. She then stared at him blankly and said in a flat voice, “It’s that time.”

Spike leered at his girl suggestively, gently tracing his fingertips over one tanned cheek as she nuzzled his palm warmly. “What time is that luv,” he said as his fingers made their way to her parted lips.

Suddenly his golden goddess morphed into Xander, causing Spike to jump backwards falling to the ground. There stood his new friend, still wearing Buffy’s pink sundress and sandals, hands firmly placed on his hips. Xander took a few steps towards the now cowering Spike and smacked him upside the head yelling into his ear, “What’s gotten into you, it’s just Breeeaaaaaaakfaaaaast!”

Spike shot straight up, smacking his head on the wood board dividing his bed from the bunk above. He looked around panting finally catching Xander’s wide eyes, peering at him curiously.

“Man, what the hell is wrong with you?” said the worried, yet shaken looking brunette.

Spike just stared at him blankly. Breathing a sigh of relief when he noticed the flannel pants and t-shirt the young man was wearing. Spike dug his palms into his eyes, trying to erase the image of Xander in a sundress from his memory.

“I was just trying to tell you that it’s time for breakfast then you start touching my face and try to kiss me,.” Xander said, shuddering at the experience. “Sorry about having to smack you man, but that’s just too much for me. I mean, I don’t care if you like that sort . . .”

Spike took in his surroundings as Xander continued to ramble on. He noticed the unmistakable strains of the theme from “Chariot’s of Fire” piping into the room through a loud speaker in the corner. A bleach-blonde head just shook with a slight laugh as he remembered Buffy telling the staff about the speaker system used for wake-up calls and campus wide announcements. ‘Bloody Hell, I haven’t even known the chit for a whole day and ‘m already dreamin’ bout her.’ Spike looked up at the brunette who was now pacing the floor.

“...I mean, it’s not that you’re a bad looking guy; it’s just that I like my male/female relations to have more emphasis on the female part of the equation. If I did swing that way you probably...”

Spike jumped to his feet making Xander freeze in his tracks. “It’s alright mate,” Spike said reassuringly, “it was just a bloody dream.” Xander noticeably relaxed only to have one finger jabbed sharply into his chest. “Which, by the way, seemed to be goin’ quite well until you showed up.”

Xander rubbed the tender spot, “Sorry man, it’s just, breakfast time. And you don’t want to start off your second day with Buffy on the wrong foot do you?”

Spike contemplated that for a moment, “I guess you’re right, and atleast you got to me before that sundress disappeared completely. I’ve already seen enough of you for one day thanks.” He waved his hand at Xander’s now fully clothed body. Spike walked opened his suitcase to figure out what to wear for his first morning with Buffy.

“Sundress?” Confusion marred Xander’s features. He quickly became defensive, “I’ll have you know that many fine females happen to love my tasty bod.”

“Right,” Spike snorted as he pulled on a new black t-shirt, “you’re a nummy treat.”

****

Buffy groaned as she heard Jonathan's whiney voice on the loud speaker booming in her ear, "Everybody up! It's time for breakfast! The sun is shining so let's start the day off with a little ‘Walkin' on Sunshine.’”

Buffy rolled over in her bunk, pulling her pillow over her head to block the sounds of Jonathan and his all too cheery morning music selection.

Buffy finally sat up in her bed looking around for Willow, who was already fixing her hair at the mirror. "Wahhh," the tired blonde whined, "Why does Jonathan have to use that annoying speaker system already? It's not like the kids are here or anything." Willow turned to look at her disheveled friend. "Besides, we're all adults; I think we can figure how to use alarm clocks for the first week."

Willow walked over to her friend's bunk and leaned on the mattress, "Buffy, you of all people should know why." The blonde looked away guilty. "We tried the alarm clock thing last year, but somehow you managed to snooze all the way through breakfast AND lunch."

Buffy was notoriously a heavy sleeper, nothing except Jonathan's squeaky voice could ever get her out of bed on-time. Joyce had tried allowing the counselors a little extra time the previous year by letting them set their own alarm clocks, but of course Buffy overslept, so the speaker-rule was reestablished for orientation week.

"Well, it's not my fault no one noticed I wasn't there," Buffy said defensively as she jumped off her bunk landing on the cold floor with a thud. "You would think that after all these years someone would miss me," she added with a pout.

Willow rolled her eyes, Buffy always tried to make excuses for her ability to sleep all-day. "Whatever. We were all over the grounds painting signs that day, no one knew where anyone else was until your mom finally found you at lunch, dead to the world."

"Ok, ok. It's my fault, I admit it." Buffy grumbled as she kneeled in front of her suitcase. "At least now I have extra time to make myself look extra cute," she said pulling out a couple of tank tops and cut-off sweats. "So, what happened with you and that Oz guy last night Will?" she asked her friend while eyeing her selections. "I passed out before you got back. So you better spill all the details."

Willow smiled at herself in the mirror, a slight blush gracing her cheeks as she remembered the events of the previous night. "No smoochies if that's what you mean." She turned to Buffy, who was now pulling the drawstrings of her sweatpants closed. "But we talked for about 4 hours after the meeting ended."

Willow walked over to the desk that was situated in the corner and sat in the chair, tucking one knee under her chin. Buffy looked at her friend, "Four hours huh? Did Oz explode or something, too many words cause him to spontaneously combust?"

"No" the girl said shaking out her red locks, "he's actually quite a talker when you get him going about something he loves. Did you know he’s in a band in LA and plays the guitar?"

Buffy shook her head and slid her feet into her slip-on sneakers, "So does this mean your Xander-phase has officially ended?"

Willow sighed and tried to describe her discovery, "I think what I feel for Xander is more of an 'I love you in a friend way' than in 'I want to jump your bones and then cuddle all night' kind of way."

"Wow, and you figured this out after one night talking to Oz?" Buffy eyed her friend curiously pulling her long hair into a loose knot on her head.

"No, it's not a completely new revelation. I started discovering this a few months ago, but didn't really know what to make of it. I mean, I thought I loved Xander for over 2 years and a change like that can be kind of scary."

Buffy quirked an eyebrow at her friend, "So, am I going to have to vacate the room tonight so you can jump Oz's bones or what? Because catching my mom and dad in the act when I was 8 is not something I want to relive, EVER." Suddenly a pillow smacked her in the gut as a flushed redhead gaped at her in disbelief.

"You know me, 'I'm a big ho." Willow giggled. "But seriously, smoochies would not be a bad thing at this juncture. So, any new prospects for you, or am I going to have to hear you talk about Angel all summer? AGAIN?"

It was Buffy's turn to throw the pillow at her friend. "We'll see. Things seem to be looking up on the Angel-front. I wonder if his feelings for Darla are wavering…I keep catching him winking at me when she's not looking."

Willow eyed her friend warily. She didn't want to tell her about the numerous girls Angel had slept with the previous year, not counting his 'girlfriend.' He was a collector of pretty girls and liked to see just how much he could get away with. He had even tried hitting on her one night last year, but was immediately shot-down for the first time in his life.

"Just be careful with that one Buffy," she said worriedly, "But what about a certain blue-eyed soccer player? He seems to be all kinds of interested."

Buffy just rolled her eyes, "He was totally just trying to embarrass me in front of everyone again. I seriously doubt he has any interest in this," she said pointing at her small backside. "And if he does, then, bllleeeaauuuughhh," she shuddered, "so not interested."

Willow just grinned at her friend, knowing all to well that Denial was NOT just a river in Egypt. She saw the way his comment had affected her the previous night. Deciding not to say anything just yet, she hopped over to her friend, and pulled her over to the mirror, "Well Miss Summers, I think we look quiet adorable this beautiful morning."

"I concur, Miss Rosenberg," Buffy said with a straight-face, "Shall we head yonder to the cafeteria to consume dry hash browns and soggy eggs?"

"We shall," Willow nodded, as the girls began their way to the caf to start their first full day at Camp Sunnydale.

Chapter 4:

Breakfast was highly uneventful, as most of the counselors just poked at their food looking like zombies. Buffy and Willow sat with Xander, Spike, Oz and a few of the new counselors, only speaking a few sentences during the entire thirty minutes. Spike sat directly across from Buffy watching her poke at her hash browns. He didn't know anyone could look so adorable this early in the morning. Her upswept hair really showed off her luscious neck. All he could think about was nibbling that little bit of flesh until she moaned and...

"Good morning counselors," Giles addressed the staff, snapping Spike out of his fantasy. "Welcome to your first official day at Camp Sunnydale." A spattering of applause was heard throughout the cafeteria. "We have a long day ahead of us. As most of you know the buses are arriving the day after tomorrow and there is much work to be done before that time. Jonathan, would you mind passing these out to the staff," he said as he passed a stack of papers to the young man standing at his left. "As you will see, we have divided you into groups to begin the first leg of preparations for the campers. Please do not loose this as it also outlines the schedule for the next three days. If there are no questions," he eyed the quiet group in front of him, "Good. Then you may go to your designated areas and begin working. Please meet back here at 12:45 for lunch. Many of you will find you finish your work early, if that is the case, you may use that extra time to explore the grounds or just 'chill' as you call it."

Giles giggled nervously and moved back to his table. Spike eyed his packet closely, overjoyed to see that he would be working with Buffy painting the pier.

"Great, I'm working down at the lake with Darla and the bleached wonder over here," Buffy groaned smacking the packet onto the table.

Willow just grinned at Spike as she pulled one of the new girls over to another table to meet about painting cabin signs.

"I don't know luv, I think it could be fun getting' you all 'wet,'" Spike snickered.

Buffy blanched at Spike, ignoring the sexual undertones, "There's a lot of work to be done, no time for water sports."

Spike just chuckled at the comment and started to respond only to be interrupted by Darla, flanked by two of the new staff members,

"Alright you two, we'll have none of that on my time. If you want to play later that's fine by me, but now we need to get down to the lake,"

Darla turned sharply as the group followed her out the cafeteria doors. Buffy shot another look at Spike and followed the line out. Spike put his hands to his knees and rose to his feet, watching Buffy's small round ass sway in front of him.

'Thanks a lot mom,' Buffy thought as she made her way to the lake. 'She had to put me in a group with Darla AND Spike. I wonder if you're allowed to divorce your parents? I mean, Drew Barrymore tried in that movie.' She suddenly felt a weird tingly sensation move through her body and looked over her shoulder, only to be met by a pair of intense blue eyes staring deep into her own. Her eyes widened and she quickly turned away as her heart began to race. She took a deep breath and waited for her heart to slow.

The group reached their destination and Buffy calmed at the sight before her. She always loved this view, even as a little girl. She would sit at the edge of the water and watch the waves crashing before her, and the world would suddenly make sense. Spike eyed Buffy with awe as he saw her eyes sparkle and a small grin decorated her glossed lips. He moved to see what she was looking at and couldn't believe his eyes. He had skipped this part of the tour yesterday to get something from The Razorback, so this was his first chance to take in the beauty of the camp lake. Lush green trees lined the shore, small gaps allowing a peak at the crystal blue waters hiding beyond. He could barely make out the opposing shoreline, as the tops of trees waved at him in the distance. The rest of the surroundings were just as amazing. A large sand dune was situated twenty-feet away, with a sand volleyball court directly to the right. A small speaker donned the tallest tree with brightly painted cords spiraling around the trunk.

"Ok kids," Darla said as she turned to the group, "the first thing we need, is the pier from the boathouse. Mick, Donna, Nikki you come with me. Spike and Buffy, go to the adjoining shed and bring out 4 cans of white paint and six brushes."

Darla took her group to the boathouse as Spike watched Buffy, still staring out into the water. He cleared his through lightly as she snapped to attention.

"So luv, I wager we should do what the bird says."

She just nodded quietly in response.

"But would you mind answering one question for me first?"

Buffy held her breath, fearing what he might ask, but she just nodded.

"Would you mind telling me what the hell that is?" he said pointing behind Buffy.

She turned to see a tree, slightly angled towards the water. The bark was covered with strings of all different colors shapes and sizes. Buffy giggled at Spike and walked over to the tree and waved him over.

"This is 'The Gum Tree.'"

Spike eyed the tree curiously and quirked an eyebrow at Buffy.

"You see, we don't allow the kids to take gum in the water. Choking and swimming are non-mixy things. About thirty years ago, when my grandmother ran this place, some kid stuck a piece of gum on this tree instead of swallowing it. Eventually everyone started putting their gum here and it became a tradition. Sometimes people will just stand in front of the tree, pop a piece of gum in their mouths, choosing the color carefully, of course…" she said smiling at Spike who grinned in awe, he couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked. She glowed, her eyes twinkling like a kid in a candy store. She continued, "Then mold the gum into different shapes on the tree. Come here," she said pulling Spike closer to where she was standing.

She leaned over to the tree and waved him behind her. The closeness allowed Spike to inhale the rose scent of her perfume, he looked at where she pointed and saw two swirls of gum making the letters: WR + BS = BFF.

"Willow and I did that her first summer here. You can see how the color has faded, but it's still there." Buffy suddenly realized what they needed to be doing and cleared her throat, standing straight. "I guess we should go get the paint before Darla gets back."

Spike saw the change in her immediately. Gone was the giddy little school girl who stood before him just moments ago. She had been replaced with the serious Buffy he’d seen at the meeting the previous night. He would give anything to see more of that other girl, but realized it was not the time for probing questions.

"Thanks for tellin' me about this luv'" he smiled at her and pulled a small piece of Trident from he mouth and stuck in on the tree, "it is a little gross though innit?" he grimaced, wiping the stickiness on his red soccer shorts. Buffy just smiled and took off towards the shed, leaving Spike lagging behind.

****

For the next two hours the six counselors worked diligently painting the pier. At one point, Darla ran to the boathouse to get them all bottles of water. Spike took the opportunity to flick his paintbrush in Buffy's direction, splattering her directly on her left cheek. She looked up at the culprit, mischief filling her green eyes and with a quick flick of the wrist, got him in his already, nearly-white hair. Spike hopped up and ran towards Buffy, weapon ready, only, just as he sent the paint flying, she ducked behind Nikki, causing the paint the hit the girl's Adidas t-shirt.

Soon paint was zooming through the air at record speeds, more on the grass and the five young adults than the pier itself. Spike ran at Buffy, gathered her in his arms and carried her kicking and screaming to the water's edge.

"No! No!" She wriggled and pleaded in his arms.

Spike just grinned wickedly, "Oh yes," as he tossed her in at what looked like a deep enough spot.

Buffy came bursting through the water, gasping, "You are so dead mister."

Spike could only smile at the dripping beauty swimming back to where he stood.

She braced herself on the rocks below his feet extending a hand to him, "So, are you going to help me out or what?" She asked innocently.

Spike eyed the girl warily and slowly reached for her. Seizing the opportunity, Buffy pulled him into the water as he dove in head first. 'I can't believe he fell for that,' she thought just as she felt someone pull her legs from under her, forcing her back under the water. Buffy took advantage of this and scooped up some of the muck from the lake's floor and hurled it at an unsuspecting Spike just as she came up, hitting his now destroyed black t-shirt. He looked at her shocked, pulled the tee from his body and flung it to shore. He then dove down to arm himself with the same goo.

Buffy stood shocked at the body underneath the t-shirt and was struck dumb, only to have Spike shoot up behind her plopping a large pile of mud atop her head. She immediately scooped the gunk off her head, pulled him to her by his elastic waistband and proceeded to put the mud in his Soccer shorts. Buffy gasped as she realized he wasn't wearing anything underneath said shorts. Spikes eyes had glazed over at the combined feel of her small hand and warm mud on his already hardening cock, finally meeting her wide eyes.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!"

Two heads snapped to a furious Darla and a slightly amused Angel standing on shore. Unable to meet Spike's eyes again Buffy swam towards the shore. Angel stood waiting for her at the edge, pulled her from the water, and eyed her dripping form appreciatively.

"I didn't know you liked it dirty…" he whispered in her ear seductively.

Buffy blushed furiously and walked over to the fuming blonde. Spike watched the exchange and began his journey to the rocks, pulling himself out swiftly. Luckily his shirt had landed at the base of nearby tree. Grabbing it quickly, the flushed blonde covered up his raging hard-on.

"You two, head back to your cabins and get changed. Angel," who was glaring at Spike, "will help the rest of us finish the pier," Darla finished.

Spike looked over to Buffy, who was sliding her sneakers back on, avoiding his gaze. He just nodded at Darla and began walking to the main campgrounds, Buffy following slowly behind. The walk was made in silence.

Just as Spike was about to turn in the direction of The Razorback, he turned to Buffy, "Pet, I'm..." only to see her jogging quickly back to her own bunk.

Spike sighed and ran his hands through his wet locks, pulling a clump of mud out. 'Now I have two reasons to take a long cold shower,' he muttered under his breath.

Chapter 5:

Spike arrived at The Razorback without running into any of the other staff members. As soon as he stepped inside he quickly discarded his ruined clothing, wrapped a clean towel around his waist, grabbed his shampoo and soap, and ran to the showers.

Turning the water as cold as possible, Spike stepped under the spray and ran his fingers through his sandy hair.

He couldn’t believe what a wanker he had been. A fun game had quickly escalated into a highly embarrassing situation. Leaning one arm against the wall he allowed the water to run over his aching muscles. Spike tried to rationalize what happened earlier. ‘Maybe she didn’t notice how excited I was?’ He quickly amended that thought as he looked down at his engorged cock. If his present situation was any indication, there’s absolutely no way she DIDN’T notice.

Closing his eyes, Spike visualized the peaceful expression on Buffy’s face as she watched the sunlight reflect off the water. The image then changed to the glowing girl running through the grass - paint splattering in all directions.

Spike ran his fingers down his chest, tweaking his left nipple gently as his hand made the dissent to its destination.

He remembered the hot look in her eyes when he removed his black t-shirt . . .

Spike encircled his penis, squeezing the base before moving up its length . . .

He continued to stroke as he pictured her taut nipples jutting from beneath her soaked tank top - panting as the sound of her laughter surrounded him . . .

His movements quickened as he remembered the feel of her body against his own . . .

Spike imagined her small mud covered hand encircling him and let out a gasp as he began to climax . . .

Images of Buffy’s eyes, hands, breasts, lips flashed through his brain in rapid succession . . .

Shuddering he fell limp against the shower wall, breathing heavily.

Taking a few minutes to wash away the sand, mud, paint, and let the other fluids run from his body, Spike finally turned off the shower and pulled his towel from the hook on the door.

As he dried himself, he tried to think of how to apologize to the girl for his body’s reaction to their game. ‘I’ll give her a little time,’ he decided, ‘I don’t want to pressure her at all.’

After the way he handled himself with his last relationship he wanted to make sure to play this one just right. He had told Cecily after their first week together that he loved her. He showered her with cheesy poems and flowers only to find out a month later that she had been sleeping with three other men. When he confronted her she laughed at him, calling him childish and naïve. He was such a stupid git, believing a girl like Cecily would change her ways for him. That any of his gestures would make her love him back and choose monogamy. Spike had soon realized that he probably never loved Cecily. That he was so blinded by the kinky sex to discern love from lust.

He walked over to the mirror and squirted a small dab of gel into his palm. ‘I’m going to take it slowly this time. See how it develops,’ he thought as he rubbed his hands together, ‘allow her to come to me.’

Running the styling product through his hair, allowing the bleached locks to fall in damp waves, Spike smirked at his reflection, ‘And if she doesn’t soon . . . I’m going to pull out the big guns. There’s no way I’m letting this one get away.’

****

Hemory Hills

Buffy finished tying her damp hair into a long braid, fastening it with a small black elastic. Willow had not yet come back from her morning duties. The flush in Buffy’s cheeks remained from her encounter with Spike, and she knew her friend would be able to tell something was up. Not wanting to be caught without an explanation, Buffy pulled on a new pair of sneakers and made her way towards to cafeteria for lunch.

As she walked along the dirt path, Buffy went over the morning’s events in her head. ‘How exactly did I let it get that far?’ ‘There’s no way I could have known the boy goes commando!’

A tingle ran through her body as she pictured Spike’s perfect six-pack and remembered the feel of him in her hand. Buffy squeezed her eyes closed as she tried to forget the desire in his eyes as she felt him respond to her touch.

‘Bad Buffy,’ she mentally chastised herself. ‘He’s just another horn-dog trying to get in your pants,’ she thought as she had a flashback to her brief encounter with Parker Abrams. Parker was a senior at UC-Santa Cruz with whom she spent one highly unsatisfying evening her freshman year of college. She had woken up to find the bed empty and a short note which read, ‘Thanks for the ride’ on her pillow. Since that night Buffy had vowed never to let lust control her ever again.

‘Spike’s no different than the rest,’ she thought as she opened the doors to the cafeteria. ‘Besides, Angel seemed really jealous when he saw us at the lake. So maybe the situation wasn’t entirely bad.’

Buffy made her way over to her usual table only to see Willow, Xander, Oz and Spike already seated. Her heart began to pound in her chest, and she scolded herself. ‘Stop undressing him in your head, it’s not like his body is THAT great.’ Making a quick decision, Buffy veered towards the head staff table to sit with Giles and Joyce.

Willow frowned when she saw her friend rush past their usual table to sit with her mother. The redhead shot a look at Xander only to find the boy deep in conversation with Oz. Her gaze turned to Spike who seemed to be fascinated with his cuticles at the moment. Taking in Spike’s appearance she noticed that his hair now hung in damp waves onto his forehead. He also wore a Manchester United t-shirt, as opposed to the black tee he donned this morning. Willow bent down and pretended to tie her shoe and noted that he had also changed into green Adidas shorts.

Willow switched her focus over to Buffy and quirked an eyebrow at her friend’s wet braid and change of wardrobe. The blonde now wore a red baby tee and black dance pants. She saw Buffy steal a glance at Spike - who was now inspecting the salt and pepper shakers - before going back to the conversation with her mother.

Something had happened in the three short hours since breakfast - Willow was sure of it. Xander had told her that Spike had a thing for Buffy, and Willow knew that the girl had allowed him to get under her skin on the first day. Willow decided that she had to talk to Spike. She needed to find out what happened at the lake. Furthermore, if anyone was going to attempt to pry Buffy’s mind away from Angel for the summer, he would need her help. Of course, Buffy could never know. If she found out that Willow was secretly helping a guy woo her, she’d never speak with her again. This was going to take a lot of planning and finesse.

A/N: Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews. This is my first fan fic, so the encouragement really helps me keep plugging away (and update faster!). Thanks again to Flames for the beta and Silver for the great site.
Keep reading and reviewing – the really good stuff is approaching. Just think – we’re only on Day 2 of a 7-week camp season!!