Email: Weeza410@hotmail.com

Disclaimer: This fic is for entertainment purposes only. All characters of Buffy belong to Joss Whedon. This idea came from an actual reality show called Married By America, which I believe aired once on Fox.

Buffy walked into the Magic Box to be greeted by Giles and the rest of the gang. However, she didn't expect the gang to include Spike who was casually lounging on the counter. She looked over at him and immediately became nervous. She hadn't seen him since the kissing incident caused by the singing and dancing demon. She knew it shouldn't have been that big of a deal. She wished she could just go back to how things were and forget about it but there was this feeling that was nagging at her and she couldn't quite figure out what it was.

Something resembling a friendship had started to form with him. He was the only one she had confided in about what happened to her after she died. They went patrolling almost every night and would have conversations like two normal people even though normal had never exactly been in her vocabulary. When she was with him she felt like an average 20 year old girl and thought it was very ironic that she only felt like that while hanging around with a vampire.

Their eyes met and to her surprise, Spike looked down after only a second like a shy little boy who had just spotted his elementary school crush. Buffy hated that uncomfortable feeling and knew that this would change everything between them. She was enjoying the way things were going and didn't want the normality of their friendship to change. Enjoying his company was something she never prepared herself for but found that it came flying out of nowhere. She started looking forward to seeing him every night and didn't even realize she felt that way until that kiss ruined their nightly patrolling conversations about everything and nothing. She had actually started to miss him but knew she could never ever let him know that.

"Hey guys!" Buffy greeted, deciding that keeping her eyes away from Spike was the best idea for now. "What's the emergency?"

"Buffy, have a seat." Giles requested. "There is something going on in the demon community that I think needs to be investigated."

Giles looked nervous and a nervous Giles was always of the bad. Buffy sat down and patiently waited for Giles to speak again and tried to ignore the feeling of dread that was brewing in the pit of her stomach. He hadn't even told her what the problem was yet and she was already on the verge of having a panic attack. All it took was that one look on Giles' face to let her know that she had to brace herself for whatever news was coming.

"Do you ever watch reality television, Buffy?" Giles asked.

Buffy scrunched her nose and looked at Giles as if he were speaking a different language.

"Uh, yeah sometimes, I guess. What does that have to do with anything?"

"You see, Buffy, there is this reality show and I suspect that it is being run by demons. They did a couple shows within the past year and every couple that were declared the winners have come up missing. We think they may be using the winners as a sacrifice for something."

Spike chuckled suddenly. "I always knew those TV execs just HAD to be evil! There was no way regular humans could have been responsible for Alf."

Buffy's lips twitched as she fought the smile that Spike's comments caused. During their conversations she found that he mentioned old TV shows quite a bit. She always wondered if he had scheduled all his grisly murders around the prime time schedule during his evil days. She always stayed away from that question though. She'd rather not know. She'd rather not think of him that way. She wondered when that had changed.

Her attention had turned back to Giles, waiting for him to get to the point. "What can we do to find out more?"

"Well, that's the thing Buffy. As I see it, the only way we can gather any further information is to get personally involved. That's where you come in."

"What do you need me to do?" Buffy asked, the pang of dread returning.

"I want you to go on this show."

"What? You want me to go on TV! Giles, are you crazy?"

"Buffy, people may be getting murdered. We have to do something."

Buffy stared at him wide eyed. "You don't even know that for sure!"

"I know that but this is the only way we can find out. They have all officially been reported missing. No one has heard from either couple again after the show had finished filming."

"You keep saying couple." Buffy interjected. "Exactly what kind of show is this anyway?"

"It's called Married By America. Several couples are paired up by the television audience and have to live together for three weeks with their every move being captured on film. In the end, the television audience votes once again on which couple they feel should be married."

"How am I going to investigate demons if I'm stuck living in a house for three weeks with a complete stranger?"

At this point, Giles started cleaning his classes and another wave of fear crept its way into Buffy's throat. She swallowed audibly and her heart began to pound as if sensing what he was going to say next. "Actually, I do have one connection on the inside that will be able to rig it so you will be chosen for the show." Giles cleared his throat and sighed deeply. "You will be paired with Spike."

"What? No! No way!" Buffy stood and glanced quickly at Spike and saw a spark of a hurt expression on his face, which quickly disappeared after he noticed Buffy looking at him.

Spike hopped down from his seat on the counter. "Look, slayer, I'm not too happy about this either. How did I get dragged into this anyway?"

"I just thought you would be the logical choice." Giles admitted. "We need someone with your strength to aid Buffy in this in case things get out of hand. We don't have a ton of information about this and don't know what to expect. I just wanted to make sure we had all of our bases covered."

"Ok. Assuming we both go along with this, what exactly is it that we have to do? Since you have someone on the inside we shouldn't have to do much right? He can set it up so we win and then we can find out what happens after that. It's sounds pretty simple I guess."

"It's not that simple Buffy." Giles frowned. "My friend is able to set it up so you get chosen to be on the show but it ends there. The rest is up to you. You have to win on your own."

"And how exactly do we do that?" Buffy asked cautiously.

"By convincing the television audience that you two are hopelessly in love."

Buffy's jaw dropped. "Huh?"

To Be Continued...

 

Chapter 2:

The silence became deafening when Giles announced that Buffy and Spike would have to convince an audience of millions that they were completely in love.

Spike felt uncomfortable about the idea but intrigued at the same time. They had barely talked at all after their kiss and he couldn't help but wonder if she were acting so distant because she actually felt something when their lips met.

Xander cleared his throat and stood up, finally breaking the silence. "Giles, don't you think this is a little far fetched? To say that Spike and Buffy are an unlikely couple is an understatement. How do you expect them to pull this off?"

"Yeah." Willow agreed. "They aren't even attracted to each other. Well, maybe Spike is but what about Buffy? There is no way she could make out with someone that she is sickened by in front of TV cameras. The thought of it probably disgusts her."

"Thanks so much Red for those words of encouragement." Spike rolled his eyes.

"Sorry Spike." Willow replied nervously. "I was just trying to make a point."

"I think Spike is very attractive." Anya chimed in. "If it were me, I'd have no problems. I would gladly make out with him for the greater good."

"Uh, Anya!" Xander exclaimed. "Fiancée sitting right here."

"Oh right, I almost forgot the male pride." Anya walked over and sat on Xander's lap. "Xander however, is much more attractive and I would much rather spend my nights caressing his body than investigating demons with Spike." Anya smiled and Xander looked humiliated.

"Ok! Everybody stop!" Buffy interrupted. "What is all this talk about making out? Giles, what are you getting me into?"

"I've seen a few of those shows, Buffy." Xander said before Giles had a chance to speak. "They can get pretty racy. If you want to convince America that you two belong together you are going to have to be prepared to lay it on pretty thick."

"So, what you're saying is that Spike and I have to pretend to be pleasantly in love twenty four hours a day for three weeks?" Buffy asked.

"Twenty hours actually." Giles corrected. "This particular show is a little more lenient than some of the others. They let you have 4 hours a day of free time without the cameras on. Between the hours of one and five in the morning you will be free to be your normal selves."

"There is no way this is going to work." Buffy argued. "Spike and I fight way too much."

"Um, maybe you could use that to your advantage." Tara suggested after thirty minutes of silent observance.

"What do you mean, Tara?" Willow asked.

"Uh, well, sometimes fighting can equal passion. That may be something that attracts the audience. Maybe you two don't have to change much of anything. Well, except for the fact that you guys will have to kiss and stuff." Tara added shyly.

Buffy blushed at the thought of kissing Spike again. Even though no one knew about it, she still felt like she was under a spotlight.

"Ya know, the bird may be onto something." Spike added, pointing at Tara. "It would kind of be like that show Moonlighting. That David and Maddie had quite a relationship and they did nothing but fight. They had great chemistry. It was one of my favorites."

"First of all, how are we going to convince anyone that we love each other if all we do is fight? Secondly, Spike, you watch too much TV" Buffy said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Spike looked wounded. "Well, I don't hear any suggestions coming from you, Slayer."

"That's because this is ridiculous!" Buffy said, frustrated.

"Buffy, please." Giles said calmly. "I know how unhappy you are about this situation but there is definitely something out of the ordinary here and my intuition is telling me that it needs to be investigated. Look on the bright side, you won't have to worry about doing any slaying for three whole weeks until you win this thing. Think of it as a vacation."

"Well, if I have to be stuck with Spike for three whole weeks there may be one vampire that ends up getting slayed." Buffy pouted. She sat down and crossed her arms over her chest like a little girl that didn't get the toy she wanted. "Fine. If it's really necessary, I'll do it."

"Great! Thank you, Buffy." Giles said, then diverted his gaze toward Spike. "What about you Spike? Are you in?"

"If the slayer is willing, then so am I." Spike said, trying to hold back a grin.

"Good, then it's settled then." Giles sighed in relief.

"What do we have to do first?" Buffy asked.

"We need to go over the basics." Giles responded. "First of all you have to remember that you are not supposed to know each other. Basically, you are two people set up on a blind engagement." Giles then glanced over at Spike. "And Spike, you've got to stop calling her Slayer and start referring to her as Buffy and in return Buffy will start calling you William."

"No way! I don't want to go by that sissy name again. There was a reason I changed it ya know. If I can't keep my name then the deal is off. Besides, the name Spike gives me more character."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Just let him keep his stupid nickname so he stops whining."

"Hey!" Spike yelled. "I'm not whining but if I have to be stuck in a house with you for three weeks, I'd at least like to keep my dignity in tact."

"Spike, you look like a Billy Idol clone. You have no dignity." Buffy shot back.

"I'll have you know, Slayer, that Billy stole his look from me. The hair and the leather was all my idea." Spike smirked.

"Yeah." Buffy chortled. "Like that's something to be proud of!"

"That's enough!" Giles yelled in aggravation. "Stop acting like adolescents and let's get back to business. You two are going to have to try to co- exist without ripping each other apart every time you try and have a conversation."

Both Spike and Buffy looked down in shame as a result of their immaturity. Giles could make any one of the gang have that reaction whenever he started scolding them like a father.

"That's better." Giles said after five seconds of silence. "Now, if I may continue." He gave a stern look at the entire room. "While you two are on this mission, we will be visiting you a few times a week while the cameras are off to update you on the goings on. We will all be keeping a stern eye on the situation and one of us will visit regularly to let you know how you are doing compared to the competition. There will be two other couples that you must outdo. By giving you the inside scoop on how their relationships are going, you should have no problem keeping up with and surpassing them."

"When do we leave?" Buffy asked calmly.

"You will need to pack your bags straight away. We'll need to head out tomorrow evening." Giles answered.

"Fine." Buffy said softly. "Are we done here? I wanted to go in the back and train for a while."

Giles nodded and Buffy traveled to the back to let out her frustrations on the punching bag.

After three minutes of one-sided sparring, Spike walked into the training room and casually leaned against the wall, tilted his head slightly to the side, and watched her kick the hell out of the punching bag.

She stopped as soon as she noticed he was there. She sighed heavily and grabbed a towel to wipe the sweat off her brow.

"What do you want, Spike? Isn't being stuck together for three weeks bad enough? Do we really have to be around each other now too?"

Her words stung him but instead of being hurt he became angry.

"You better get over this holier than though attitude you've had around me lately because if you don't, we're never gonna win this thing." Spike scowled.

Buffy remained quiet and the look on Spike's face softened. He walked over to the mats that were piled up in the corner and sat on them.

"Uh, about that kiss..." Spike started but Buffy spoke before he could finish.

"That kiss meant nothing." She said coldly. "It was because of the spell and nothing more. I hope you remember that during our little excursion because it seems we are going to have to get a lot closer than I'd like to. Let me just say right now to avoid any confusion, that anything we do within the next three weeks won't be anything more than a bizarre form of acting. Don't take anything I do or say to heart."

Spike glanced up at her determined expression. He stood up and walked toward her until he was a foot in front of her.

"If that kiss meant nothing then why have you been ignoring me ever since it happened?"

"I haven't been ignoring you. I'm avoiding you just as much as I always have."

"Give me a break, Slayer. I thought we were becoming friends."

"Friends? That's a bit of an exaggeration don't you think, Spike?"

"You have asked me almost every night for the past few weeks to patrol with you. We've had a couple of friendly conversations and have even had a few laughs. Do you always act that way toward people you despise?"

"Maybe I do." Buffy said crossing her arms across her chest in that way she always does whenever he starts to get too close to the truth.

"I think you're scared." Spike observed her.

"Of what?"

"Of what you felt that night while I was kissing you. You enjoyed every second of it. You wanted it just as much as I did and you're afraid that you are gonna feel that way again the next time we kiss because this time you won't have a spell to hide behind."

He took one step closer to her and looked deep into her eyes. She stared back, never flinching, her jaw clenching in a cross between determination and nervousness.

"We're going to have to do a lot of pretending during the next few weeks, Buffy." Spike's voice got lower and Buffy blinked wildly at the use of her name. "I know the difference between fantasy and reality. I also know when someone is enjoying kissing me. You enjoyed it then and you'll enjoy it next time too. I promise you that."

Buffy swallowed hard and Spike backed away watching her still silence. He turned and walked out of the training room, leaving her with her own thoughts.

She could have kicked herself for staying silent. She wished she could have mustered up the strength to verbally fight back. Instead, she said nothing because as much as she wanted to deny it, she couldn't bring herself to do it. She was too paralyzed with fear that every single word he had just said to her was true. Deep down she knew that it was and because of her silence, he now knew it too.

To Be Continued.....

 

Chapter 3:

After arriving at the TV studio the next evening, Buffy and Spike had to fulfill their technical requirements to prepare for the show. First, they had to sign contracts and the first thing they had looked for was the promise that the cameras would be turned off between one and five in the morning like Giles had said. Luckily they had quickly found that clause which insured their privacy during those hours. The contract also stated that if chosen to be on the show the only room that was off limits to both video and audio at all times was the bathroom. At least they knew there was one place they could go if it was ever necessary for them to talk in private.

The final part of the preparations was the private interview. All contestants were supplied with a list of questions they had to answer in front of a camera to provide the viewers with enough information about themselves so the audience could pair them up. Even though they knew they were already set to be paired up and chosen for the show, they made sure to list similar interests so it looked believable to the casual observer.

Buffy and Spike spent the entire time apart after they arrived and Buffy had to constantly remind herself that she wasn't even supposed to know him. Later, each of the contestants were taken to separate hotel rooms in which they were to stay until the show had started and the decisions had been made.

Buffy stared up at the ceiling as she lay on her bed after the day's events had ended. She found herself to be completely exhausted and utterly bored. Half of her wished that Spike were there so she would at least have someone to talk to but her other half wanted to beat up that half for even having such thoughts. After their last encounter in the training room, she was afraid that any interaction between them would end up becoming awkward.

A light tapping sound on her door brought her back to reality. She quickly stood up to answer it, ready to welcome whatever friendly distraction may be standing on the other side. Her eyes widened as she saw Spike standing there after looking through her peephole. Quick as a flash, she opened the door, grabbed Spike by the front of his black T-shirt, pulled him inside and tossed him roughly onto the bed.

"Well, well, well. Aren't we quite the eager beaver." Spike said with a cocky grin, his eyes seductively scanning her body.

"Spike, what are you doing here?" Buffy asked, ignoring his comments. "What if someone saw you? We aren't supposed to know each other remember? You could have ruined everything!"

"Calm down, Slayer." Spike said as he propped himself onto the bed so his back rested against the headboard. "I got bored." He stuck his bottom lip out in an adorable pout.

Buffy definitely noticed the cuteness of it and it made her visibly relax and silently thank the heavens for the distraction she was hoping for.

She walked over to the other side of the bed and looked down at Spike who made himself a little too comfortable.

"Spike, if you are going to hang out for a while, that's fine, but my bed is off limits."

"What's the matter, Buffy? Afraid you can't handle being in the same bed as me? Afraid you won't be able to control yourself?"

"Get over yourself!" Buffy exclaimed, frustrated.

Spike watched her get onto the bed and sit down next to him with her back also resting against the headboard. He knew she would give in if he challenged her. She was way too stubborn not to try and prove him wrong.

He silently waited for her to speak but the silence lasted so long that he could no longer bear it.

"I wish you would stop being so nervous about this. It's really not that big a deal. Nothing to get all stressed out over, luv."

"I'm not nervous and I'm not stressed. We just don't have anything to talk about. Maybe you should just go back to your own room." Buffy responded.

"Don't even try to tell me that this whole situation isn't bothering you. You haven't even been able to look at me since yesterday."

Immediately, Buffy turned to him and met his eyes. "There. I'm looking at you. Are you happy now?"

Before Buffy was even able to blink, Spike quickly leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss ended as quickly as it begun and it caused her to furrow her brow in confusion. Her thoughts paralyzed her and she cursed herself for thinking about how soft his lips had been and how hard her heart was suddenly beating.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Spike shrugged. "Just breaking the tension. We are going to have to kiss, you know. I just thought if I kissed you now, it might not be so weird later."

"Well, you thought wrong." Buffy said with a lot less venom than she had intended.

Spike looked down and fiddled nervously with the edge of the blanket. "Practice makes perfect, Buffy. I figured it would be easier to deal with if we got used to kissing each other."

"That is not practice, Spike. I think they call that making out." The corner of Buffy's mouth twitched slightly as she fought a smile.

He looked over at her curiously. "What's wrong with you? There is no fist in my face and my nose remains unbroken. Are you sick or something?"

"I just don't feel like fighting right now. Besides, we are going to have to pretend we're in love. I may as well make an effort to be nice to you. It'll be a whole new experience."

Buffy beamed and Spike's heart sang. He couldn't believe it. Was she actually joking around with him? He loved to see her smile. He's never felt this way before. He's never felt this good simply because someone else seemed happy. He figured he was turning into a nancy-boy but he didn't care. He wanted to give her the world even though he knew deep down that she'd never let him.

"I'm about to risk that broken nose I've been waiting all night for by telling you this but I just wanted to let you know this is going to be a lot more difficult for you than it will be for me. When I tell you I love you and show my affection, I won't be pretending. Knowing that will probably make you even more uncomfortable but I needed you to know that."

"Spike, why do you always have to do that?" Buffy said with a huff.

"Do what?"

"Make everything harder than it has to be."

"I'm sorry, Buffy, but I can't help how I feel."

"I can't help the way I feel either." Buffy said and saw a shadow of a smile cross Spike's face. She realized he had misunderstood her so she wanted to clarify before he had any more wrong thoughts about what she meant. "I feel nothing for you, Spike. I can't even stand to be around you half the time. You infuriate me like no one I've ever known. I need you to know that so we can avoid any mixed signals."

Spike studied her carefully. "You're lying. You feel something for me. I know you do. I could feel it in your kiss."

Buffy swallowed audibly. The fact that she felt guilty for what she had said didn't help matters much. The truth was, she didn't know what she was feeling. What she said was true though, she really couldn't stand him half the time but it was the other half that worried her. He was capable of making her angrier than any human or demon she has ever encountered but then there were the times when he has said or done things that were so sweet that she wanted to hug and kiss him. Their kiss outside the bronze after the singing and dancing demon fiasco was proof of that. Her mixed feelings were sending her into a dimension of deep confusion.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw Spike coming at her again. He was moving slowly toward her and she almost closed her eyes to welcome the kiss but those damn confusing emotions sent her head spinning and it caused her to do what she does best. She turned into a bitch at super speed and pushed him away from her and off of the bed.

"Ow!" Spike groaned after landing on his tailbone. "What did you do that for?"

"Obviously you're hard of hearing." She sneered, leaning over him. "I don't have any feelings for you, I don't like being around you and I certainly don't want to kiss you! That kiss was just a fluke that you've got to get over!"

Let's make some ground rules shall we?" She continued with a hand on her hip. "We are going to have to kiss, I know that much is true, but there will be no naughty touching at any time during this little project of ours. If you so much as put your hand in my back pocket like the eighties reject that you are, I will give you such an ass kicking while the cameras are off that you won't be able to see straight. Is that understood?"

Spike stood up slowly and gracefully. "I understand completely." He said the words slow, his voice lower than she was used to hearing. He took a step toward her and loomed over her. "I will keep my hands far away from your parts if that's how you want it."

"That's exactly how I want it." She said, her face determined.

"Fine." Spike backed off a little. "I can hold out as long as you can."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Buffy asked.

"You'll see." With that, Spike left her room before she could get in another word.

To Be Continued...
 

Chapter 4:

Two large double doors stood before Buffy, waiting to be opened. She reached for the handle and opened both doors at the same time. She stood there for what seemed like forever, staring at a long hallway that seemed to have no end. She traveled down the extended hallway and noticed a number of doors with an array of colors on both sides. She stared at them intently, trying to decide which one to open first. She decided on the green door and cautiously walked into the room. She saw Parker standing there with that overly charming smile that, once upon a time, she naively thought was for her eyes only. He strolled up to her, never losing his smile and kissed her cheek.

"I had so much fun with you, Buffy. Convincing you to be with me was a lot easier than I thought it would be. Not much of a challenge but fun none the less."

"Why do you have to play with the minds of every girl you meet? Why did you use me?" Buffy scowled.

"Use you? Buffy, we used each other. We both got what we wanted."

"Do you actually think that all I'm looking for is a night of casual sex?"

"Aren't you?" Parker asked, then faded away.

She suddenly found herself in the hallway once again with more colorful doors staring her in the face, however the green door that she had already occupied was now completely boarded up.

She chose the Yellow door this time and saw Riley standing there with his hands behind his back, looking as innocently normal as he always has.

"Nice to see you, Buffy."

Buffy walked to Riley with a sympathetic smile. "I'm so sorry things ended so badly between us."

"It's ok, Buffy. I always knew you didn't love me."

"Riley, I.." Buffy began.

"No, don't explain. I understand now."

"Understand what?"

"I'm not what you needed." Riley stated flatly. "It wasn't your fault. You couldn't help the way you felt. You needed someone who sparks the fire within you and that just wasn't me. I hope you find him, Buffy."

Riley suddenly disappeared, just as Parker had and she found herself once again in the hallway with another choice to make. She stood before two more doors, one red and one blue.

She took hold of the blue door's knob. "Let's see what's behind door number three."

Just as she suspected, Angel was standing on the other side of the blue door. So much has happened lately that she didn't even have time to miss him. As she saw him standing before her, mixed emotions clouded her thinking. She was happy to see him but her feelings seemed different now. She didn't know if she should be happy that she had finally begun to get over him or sad at the thought of those feelings slowly drifting away.

She wondered if she just missed that feeling of being in love. Missed the fact that there was someone out there that she always looked forward to seeing. Having someone to confide in, someone who knew her inside and out but loved her in spite of it. Someone she could count on. Someone that would never leave her. Deep down she knew that person wasn't Angel because he had left her. She desperately needed someone to be there for her but he left anyway because he had convinced himself that she would be happier in the long run. He thought it was for the best. He thought he was doing it out of love but knowing why he had abandoned her didn't stop it from hurting any less.

Angel walked up to her and grabbed both of her hands and held them in his own.

"Before you say anything, I want you to know how much I've missed you and how much I'll always miss you. I left because I couldn't give you everything you needed. Things would have gotten much worse if I had stayed."

"You didn't have the right to make that decision." Buffy argued.

"Buffy, how many times were we together kissing and touching?" He swept a hand gently down her cheek. "All that time I knew how much you cared about me. I knew you wanted to get closer than I was capable of."

"That wasn't important to me. I wanted to be with you and if that meant not being fully intimate then we would have dealt with that." Buffy stared at him with regret in her eyes.

"Intimacy always gets in the way, Buffy. I knew about the curse. I knew how much I loved you and how happy it would make me to be with you. I risked everything just so I could make love to you and because of it I almost ended up killing you."

Suddenly Angelus appeared and stood beside Angel.

"Why hello sweetheart!" Angelus greeted with a sardonic smile. "I know how much that night we had meant to you but please you have GOT to stop begging!"

Angelus took a step back and eyed Buffy up and down.

"Ah, look at you." Angelus continued. "You are all grown up and back from the dead. I was so disappointed when I heard that you were worm food. I wanted to be the one to put you in the ground but it looks like I have another chance after all."

Angel stood in front of Angelus and blocked Buffy's view of him. "Do you see now? Angel gave her a sorrowful look. "Do you see why I had to let you go?"

Angel faded and once again, Buffy found herself in the hallway. The three doors she had previously entered were now gone and only one remained. She took a deep breath and entered the room with the red door.

Spike saw her walk in and sauntered up to her immediately. Buffy looked at him and her brow wrinkled with utter confusion.

"Spike? What the hell are you doing here?"

"I'll always be here, Buffy. I'll never leave you no matter how hard you try to push me away. Please, just let me love you. I can be good without a soul. I want to be better man for you. I would rather die than ever disappoint you."

A silver tray appeared in Spike's hand and a telephone lay on top of it. It started to ring.

"Answer the phone, Buffy." Spike said.

"Who is it?" Buffy asked in wonderment.

"Your true love." Spike smiled slyly.

Buffy abruptly sat up in bed. Her heart was racing because of the blaring sound of the phone that woke her. She always tends to panic and become disoriented whenever a ringing telephone wakes her out of her slumber. Her mind tried it's hardest to put together what was happening. When she finally came to her senses she reached over toward the bedside table and grabbed the receiver.

"Hello." She said groggily, her heart still pounding a little too fast.

"Good morning, luv. Did I wake you?" Spike greeted.

"Spike?" Buffy rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "What time is it?"

"It's eight in the morning. Time for sleeping beauty to get out of bed."

"I'm hardly sleeping beauty, Spike. When I get up in the morning I resemble some of the scary demons I've killed."

"Not possible." Spike said. "Get your cute butt out of bed. We have to go over our game plan starting with that pesky little tidbit about me bursting into flames if I step out in the bright sunshine."

Buffy let his little flirty compliments slide on account of being too tired to argue. She yawned and tried to block out the blazing sun that was shining through the partially opened curtains.

"Luckily for you, Spike, I had enough brains to think about that earlier. Don't worry. Willow will be coming by later to help you with your little problem."

There was a sudden knocking at Buffy's door and since Spike was on the phone she wondered who in the world it could be at such an early hour.

"Hang on, Spike. There's someone at the door."

"It's room service." Spike said before Buffy had a chance to put the phone down. "I ordered you some breakfast. I hope that's ok. It's sort of like a peace offering because of last night."

Buffy sighed. "All right. Hang on ok? I've got to get the door."

She opened the door to a man who rolled in a large cart of multiple plates with fancy looking silver covers on them. She gave him a tip and he left her alone with an enormous amount of food.

After staring at the food for a few seconds, she walked back to the bedside and picked up the phone.

"And who exactly do you think is going to eat all of this food?" Buffy asked.

"Spike?" She called out when she got no answer.

"Spike?" She waited a few seconds and heard nothing but silence. "Where the hell is he?"

Her door suddenly burst open and Spike came barreling through it.

"Ever hear of knocking?" Buffy asked. "And how the hell did you get in here anyway."

"I stole a master key off of one of the maid's carts." Spike admitted with a smirk.

Buffy rolled her eyes and walked over to the window to close the curtains all the way. It almost became a force of habit to protect Spike from the sun.

"I hope no one saw you. One of these days someone is going to catch you coming up here and our cover will be blown."

"I already know that, Slayer. It's not like you haven't told me a million times already. I was careful, ok?"

"Stop calling me Slayer! You have to call me Buffy remember?"

"Nag, nag, nag! You are already starting to sound like a wife."

Spike plopped down onto her unmade bed where she had slept less than a half an hour ago. He could still feel the warmth from her body on the sheets and he breathed her scent in deeply. He folded his hands under his head and stretched out as he observed Buffy in her little cloud covered tank top and matching shorts that she had slept in.

"What is with all this food?" Buffy asked as she eyed the plates curiously. "Did you order everything on the menu or something?"

"Just about, pet. I wasn't sure what you would have a taste for this morning so I ordered a little bit of everything. That's why I came up here. I thought I would help you feast on all the goodies." He said with eyes still roaming over her body.

Buffy uncovered a plate filled with pancakes. She grabbed the maple syrup and drowned her pancakes in the sugary liquid. She sat on the edge of the bed and happily began to devour her breakfast.

"Hungry, pet?" Spike asked and sat up, making his way over to the bed's edge to sit beside her.

"I'm starving!" Buffy answered him. "This is really good! Try some."

She held out a large forkful of the fluffy goodness in front of his mouth and waited for him to take a bite.

He leaned forward and wrapped his lips around the fork, looking into her eyes the entire time. He pulled the contents off of the fork with his lips and made a sound of pleasure.

"Delicious." He stated, slowly chewing and savoring the syrup coated breakfast and his tongue darted out to lick the excess off of his lips.

Buffy unconsciously watched his mouth as he chewed. She never realized how seductive feeding someone could be.

As if reading her mind, Spike uncovered a bowl filled with chilled strawberries and dipped one into some chocolate.

"If you thought those pancakes were good, trust me, these are even better."

Spike brought the coated strawberry up to her lips and held it there. She stared at him for a few seconds, unsure of what they were doing, but that strawberry just looked way too good to pass up. She opened her mouth and took the strawberry into it as well as the tips of his fingers. She could taste the salt from his skin as well as the chocolate, which made for a spine tingling mixture on her taste buds.

Spike noticed some of the chocolate that was now making it's way down Buffy's chin. He leaned forward; his heart set on lapping it up with his tongue, when there was a knock at the door.

"Bloody Hell." Spike silently grumbled.

Buffy quickly stood up in a panic and wiped the chocolate off of her face with a cloth napkin. She made her way over to the door and opened it to be greeting by the smiling face of Willow.

"Hey Willow!" Buffy greeted. "Did everything go well with the spell I asked you to do?"

"I think so. But we won't know for sure until we test it out." Willow replied.

They both made their way over to Spike, who still sat on the edge of the bed.

"Oooh! Sugary goodness!" Willow exclaimed as she grabbed one of the strawberries and ate it after dipping it into the smooth chocolate.

"I think we may have solved your sunshine problem." Buffy said, holding out a closed fist to Spike.

Spike held an open hand underneath and waited for her to drop whatever was in her hand into his.

Her fist opened slightly dropping a ring onto Spike's palm.

"What's this?" Spike asked, studying the ring.

"Congratulations." Buffy said. "It's your very own Gem of Amara."

To Be Continued....

 

Chapter 5:

Spike studied the ring for a moment in silence. It looked like an ordinary man's ring with a large blue stone in the center. He was certain he was dreaming. How could it be possible that the slayer actually trusted him with something that would make him invulnerable?

"The Gem of Amara?" He asked, mostly to himself, in a slight whisper. "This doesn't look anything like the gem."

"Well, that's because it's not. It's only a replica. Buffy had the original sent to L.A. for Angel but he destroyed it. I just had to find an ordinary ring, work my mojo and BAM, a new gem is born." Willow smiled, pleased with herself, as she continued to chew on a strawberry.

"This is amazing! Does it work?" Spike asked with hope in his eyes.

"There's only one way to find out." Buffy said and took a water pistol from behind her back and started squirting him with it.

Spike looked down at his water stained shirt and quickly stood. "Bloody Hell! What are you doing?"

"It's holy water. You didn't burn so I guess it works." Buffy smirked.

Spike looked toward the window and slowly walked up to it. He brought his hands up and prepared to push apart the curtains and let in the morning sun.

"Spike, wait!" Buffy yelled.

He stopped and turned around to look at her. "What's wrong?"

"Just, go slow ok? What if you let in all that sun all at once and it doesn't work? You'll go all dusty in a matter of seconds." Buffy said with genuine concern in her voice.

"Right." Spike replied.

He continued to look at her for a few seconds. Was she really worried about him? Would watching him come to a dusty ending actually upset her? The way that she yelled out in such a panic made him wonder.

He turned back to the window and stuck his arm out between the curtains and placed his hand on the glass. He could feel the warmth of the sun seep into his skin and he couldn't help but smile.

"I think it's working." He pulled the curtains open all the way and stood there with his eyes shut, letting his face completely soak up the sun.

Spike smiled wide when he realized how many things he could do now that he couldn't do before. This whole experience is going to be amazing. In his mind's eye he could see himself walking hand in hand with Buffy in the bright sunshine. He suddenly frowned when he realized that as much as he wanted that to happen, it probably wouldn't because she just didn't feel the same way about him. His love for her was all consuming and he would sometimes imagine showering her with kisses at any given time. The best part of that daydream is her acceptance of him. He wanted to kiss her and see the flush of her cheeks and the warm smile of being in love but that just seemed way too good to ever be true.

He didn't want to let what could never be ruin this moment, so he pushed those negative thoughts in the far recesses of his mind. He savored the feeling of the sun one more time before he turned around to face the girls.

He walked over to Willow and wrapped his arms around her in a friendly embrace.

"Thanks, Willow." He pulled back from her and smiled. "You do great work!"

From out of the corner of her eye, Willow caught a look of uneasiness on Buffy's face. It almost looked like disappointment so she decided to intervene.

"Well, actually Spike, it was Buffy's idea. I just did what she asked."

Buffy's eyes shot up and she shot Willow an evil glare. Spike turned and looked at Buffy's panicked expression and an automatic smirk appeared on his lips. Willow mouthed "sorry" at her and shrugged when Spike wasn't looking.

"Buffy's idea? Is that right?" Spike sauntered over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. He leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss on her cheek. "Thanks, luv. You don't know how much it means to me to have you trust me with the Gem of Amara."

"Uh, Spike, you know this offer is for a limited time only right?"

"What do you mean?"

"The ring gets destroyed when this whole nightmare is finally over. You do realize that right?" Buffy carefully studied his face.

"Right. Of course." Spike said in an understanding tone.

Buffy knew she had just crushed him. She saw the look of hurt and disappointment in his eyes. She knew him well enough to know that he tried his hardest to hide those emotions but he was just so overwhelmed at that moment that she could read every bit of what he was feeling on his face.

"I'm sorry, it's just that it's not safe to have a ring like that around. What if it got lost or stolen. It could be very dangerous." Buffy tried her best to explain after the sudden pang of guilt she felt.

"It's alright, Slayer. I get it. The gem is good enough for Angel but it's not good enough for me."

"Spike, don't do that! Don't put words in my mouth!"

"Why not? It's the truth isn't it?" Spike waited for an answer, but got none.

"You're silence speaks volumes, Slayer." He didn't hide the bitter annoyance in his voice. "The show is about to start filming in a couple hours. We better get ready." He looked over at Willow and nodded. "Thanks again, Red. See you later." He gave Buffy once last unfeeling glance and headed out the door.

The TV studio was crazy. There were a ton of crew people running around to get everything set up for the show. Buffy walked past one of the rooms to see a lot of editing equipment. There were workers inside piecing together little snippets of each winning contestant.

Buffy was trying to keep her mind off of what happened with Spike. It never phased her before, after she had hurt his feelings. It was always just another part of her day but somehow it was different this time. She felt awful for what happened but she was only trying to help. She didn't think far enough ahead to see this coming. He had been horribly offended and she never thought for a second that he would ever assume that she would let him keep the gem forever.

Her feelings of guilt were replaced with nervousness as she watched the first couple getting filmed for the show. They kept the men and women separated on different sides of the studio so they wouldn't run into each other ahead of time. Little did they know, Spike had been a part of her life for a number of years now.

She watched the silhouette of a woman behind a white screen with a round hole cut into it. The woman stood there behind the screen as the man settled on the other side on bended knee. They said a few things to each other about how they felt about the situation and expressing how happy they were to be there. The man then asked the still faceless woman to marry him and as she said yes, she placed her hand through the hole of the white screen so he could place an engagement ring on her finger.

The man then stood and waited for the screen to be pulled up so the engaged couple could now see who they have been designated to spend the rest of their lives with.

The screen lifted and the couple smiled at each other. The man stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. They looked so happy even though they had only existed in each other's lives for a matter of seconds.

Buffy noticed a man coming toward her with a clipboard in his hand. "Get ready. You're up next." He said as he passed her by.

Her insides fluttered. After watching the previous couple declare possible future love for each other it became way too real.

The man with the clipboard suddenly appeared again. He placed his hand on her back and shoved her in the direction that he wanted her to go.

She found herself on the same stage as the girl who was just proposed to. She was standing behind the same screen with shaky hands and ragged breath. Her heart was leaping in her throat and she couldn't figure out why she was in such a panic. She figured it must be the cameras. The thought of millions of people watching parts of her life with a vampire that she had mixed feelings for terrified her. She was so used to always having everything planned out and for the first time she had absolutely no idea what the next three weeks would bring.

While she waited, thoughts of chocolate and strawberries were entering her mind. Why did they keep having these weird sensuous moments just to either end up fighting or pretending that it never happened at all? She knew she had to strengthen her resolve so she wouldn't give into those moments anymore. This time with him is going to be difficult enough without letting temptation get in the way. Besides, once he found out that she was having mixed feelings for him it would be all over. She could see it all now, that cocky grin, those wandering hands, his knowing eyes. He would use all of those things to try to pull her into his world, a world that she knew she had to stay away from.

She heard an announcer call out Spike's name but she was so drowned in her thoughts that she completely missed her own introduction.

Before she could blink, she saw Spike's silhouette on the other side of the screen. He was the one on bended knee this time and was about to give his speech.

"I know this is a strange way to meet someone." He started, and she could see his head bow a little from her side of the screen. "In the next three weeks I would like the chance to try and get to know you better than anyone else does. I want to have fun with you and make you laugh. I want to hold you when you get nervous or cry. I want us to feel comfortable with each other. I want you to trust me and maybe eventually love me because I have a feeling that the moment I see you I will fall harder than I ever imagined I would. Buffy, will you marry me?"

Buffy felt a little queasy. She knew that this was supposed to be all for show but she also knew that he meant ever word of what he had just said. Now she was expected to talk but after hearing his speech, she had no idea what to say. She knew she would have to go with the flow and make sure to remind him on a regular basis that this was just another way to fight impending evil and nothing more. She knew that the more she told him that it didn't mean anything, the more suspicious he would get of her constant denial but it had to be done. It scared her to admit it, but she really didn't want to hurt him. Her feelings had changed and she would like the chance at a friendship. Him loving her made that more complicated than it should be but she missed those nightly chats they used to have while they were patrolling. She saw how all of that was suddenly thrown away because of one single kiss and was afraid that more romantic feelings would just make any chance at a friendship fizzle and die.

She squeezed her eyes together tightly and took a deep breath. "This isn't exactly the traditional way to get engaged but meeting my match hasn't exactly come easily to me. So, as crazy as it is, I am willing to put my fate in the hands of a million strangers and give this the chance it deserves. I hope we are able to find that maybe this is fate. Maybe this is the way we were supposed to meet and maybe it will all work out in the end. So, yes Spike, I will marry you."

The crowd in the audience cheered and Buffy jumped a little, almost forgetting that they were even there. The lights on the stage were so bright that she could barely see them anyway. They all looked like dark globs of shadows waiting around for her to trip and fall on her face.

Buffy slipped her hand through the space in the screen and waited for Spike to make his next move. She felt his hand gently take hold of hers as he slipped an engagement ring onto her finger.

She pulled her hand away and continued to stare at the silhouette of him standing on the other side, waiting to see her. The screen pulled away and her breath caught in her throat when she saw him standing there, looking more handsome than she has ever seen him. His hair was gelled and slightly curled. He wore dark gray khakis and a dark gray long sleeved button down shirt. His blue eyes twinkled under the bright lights and he had such hope in those eyes that she had to fight her own from tearing up.

He moved toward her and gave her a quick and gentle hug before pulling back and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. They wrapped their arms around each other's waists and grinned into the camera and at the audience, neither of them knowing how they were ever going to pull this off.

Things were already starting to get way more complicated than either one of them had been expecting. Their nervousness increased as they realized this was only the beginning.

To Be Continued....
 

Chapter 6:

Their limousine pulled up in front of the place they were to call home for the next three weeks. As they stepped out of the car they saw three beautiful log homes. The homes were attached to each other like townhouses. They were led toward the home in the center and led inside with a cameraman following their every move so he could capture their reaction to their temporary new home.

The interior was even more gorgeous than the outside. There was a large plush black leather sofa in the living room and a coffee table made out of logs. A large entertainment system made the living room look cozy enough for Buffy to want to kick out the cameraman, get comfy and watch a good movie. A large stone fireplace was off to the side of the living room with two large chairs sitting in front of it along with a large black bear skin rug on the floor directly in front of where a fire was already burning. The dining room had a large table that was also made from huge logs to match the house. The two place settings that were already on the table made the home look more like one of those model homes that Buffy used to like to go through with her mom when she was a kid.

They walked over to a closed door on the main floor and when they opened it they saw the one thing that would bring them the most relaxation. It was a large hot tub, big enough to fit eight people. Spike and Buffy looked at each other and grinned. They hadn't smiled this wide since they were little kids receiving the one gift they wanted the most at Christmas time. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

A staircase leading up led to a huge loft where the bedroom could be found. Like practically everything else in the house, the bed frame was also completely constructed of large wooden logs and a soft mattress lay on top just waiting to be slept on. A colorful quilt and an overabundance of pillows lay on top and just a quick glance was making a very tired Buffy want to ignore everyone else and get a good night's sleep.

After capturing Spike and Buffy's initial reaction as they took a tour around the home, the cameraman finally left letting them know that filming was officially starting at five in the morning. They finally remembered the cameras and noticed there was one in every corner of every room just waiting to capture all of their actions and words for the next 21 days. Buffy silently gave thanks for the four hours a day that they would be free from the paranoia of knowing that everyone was watching them.

Buffy sat down on the leather sofa and Spike sat down next to her.

"This is nice." Buffy said, sounding content. "This house is beautiful."

"Yeah, maybe to you." Spike chortled.

"What? You don't like it?"

"It's nice enough but a house made entirely of wood isn't exactly a vampire's idea of a dream home."

Buffy laughed. "I never even thought of that. Well at least I know if you get out of line, there are plenty of weapons around."

"Very funny, Slayer."

Buffy hit him hard in the chest.

"Ow! What was that for?" Spike asked, his hand covering the section of his chest that was now aching.

"Call me Buffy! Why is that so hard for you to remember?"

"I don't know." Spike shrugged. "I guess I just like calling you by pet names better. It's more intimate."

"I don't think pet names are more intimate." Buffy frowned. "Girls always like to hear the guy they like say their name."

"Are you saying you like me?" Spike raised an eyebrow.

"I said no such thing. I was just trying to make a point." Buffy looked away from him, her chin held high.

Spike grinned and turned his body so he was facing her.

"Ok. Buffy." He drew her name out slowly and his voice was low and sensuous.

Buffy shivered. When he said her name she felt it all over. She tried to remain calm so he didn't notice the reaction she was having to a simple thing like her name coming from his lips.

Buffy wanted so desperately to change the tone of this conversation because it was wavering too close to the realm of sexuality. "My mom and I used to go through model homes like this. I used to love to look around the entire house and pick out which room would be mine if I lived there." She babbled.

"Yeah?" Spike inquired but it was obvious he wasn't really listening but instead focusing strictly on her mouth.

"Spike, stop looking at me like that!"

"Like what?" he drawled.

"Like you are ready to devour me!"

"What if I am?" he smirked.

"Why does everything have to become sexual to you? Is that all you think about?"

"Only when I'm around you." He answered.

"Spike, knock it off and save it for the cameras."

"Calm down, Buffy. I'm only kidding."

"No you're not!" She accused, a slight smile crossing her features.

"You're right. I'm not. But I'll stop if you want me to." He said with a sly grin.

Buffy was about to retort but was stopped by a noise that startled her slightly

"What was that?" Buffy asked, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from.

THUMP THUMP THUMP

"What the hell is that?" She asked again. "Can you tell where it's..."

"Shhh" Spike silenced her and gently grabbed her wrist. "Come here."

Spike tried to follow the sound and lead her closer to it.

THUMP THUMP THUMP

"It's coming from upstairs." He whispered.

They climbed the stairs to the bedroom and the sounds continued to get louder.

THUMP THUMP THUMP

They walked up to the wall where the headboard rested. Buffy put her ear to the wall and Spike stood directly behind her and did the same.

They heard the thumping again and they could feel the vibrations against the wall but this time they heard moans and grunts along with it.

"Bloody Hell." Spike said, looking at the wall as if it contained all of life's answers.

A woman's moan filled their ears followed by a grunt of a man right after it.

"What are they..." Oh!" Buffy said with sudden realization.

Buffy suddenly turned around and became face to face with Spike.

"I can't believe this!" Buffy voiced in a harsh whisper. "They've known each other for two hours!"

Spike said nothing but he kept his ear to the wall and continued listening and Buffy did the same while keeping her position in facing him. He leaned his ear as far up to the wall as he possible could and placed his hand on her waist to steady himself. Well, partly to steady himself but it also gave him a reason to touch her and he never turned down an opportunity to do that.

The sounds of pleasure from the other room were getting louder and the thumping against the wall told a tale of amazing sex that was happening in their neighbor's house.

Against her will, Buffy started to become aroused and standing this close to Spike wasn't helping things in the least bit. Her ragged breathing became impossible to hide and her hot breath on his face made his tight jeans even tighter.

He squeezed her waist slightly but the touch didn't make her push him away. In fact, it made her breathing increase in speed and she knew she had to back away when naughty thoughts of Spike's body upon hers were entering her thoughts. She had never really thought of him in that way before. Once in a while a thought or two would slip in here and there, especially after their kiss but this was quite different. In her mind, his hands, his lips and other body parts she was trying not to think about were doing things to her body that she was also trying to push out of her mind.

Shaking her head slightly as if that would help rid of the fantasy in her mind, she backed away and felt a blush creep up and make her cheeks rosy. She found herself sweating and blamed it on their closeness and body heat but deep down she knew it was only her excitement. She couldn't use the body heat card on a member of the undead.

When they heard an increase in volume of the moans and groans, they knew the couple was reaching their climax and soon after the room once again was filled with silence.

"How are we ever going to win this if the people next door are already bumping and grinding? They are practically strangers!" Buffy exclaimed.

"Well it should be easier for us since we've already known each other for a while. Wanna give them a taste of their own medicine?"

"What? No! Spike, we are NOT having sex!"

"I didn't mean that we would actually have sex." Spike admitted but then paused as if in deep thought. "Unless.."

Buffy narrowed her eyes at him.

"Didn't think so." He sighed. "Follow my lead."

He headed toward the bed and discarded some of the large pillows that were strewn about it for decoration. He kneeled on the bed, facing the headboard and started pushing his body toward it so the headboard it the wall. Then, much to Buffy's surprise, he started groaning and her eyes widened.

"What are you doing?" She asked incredulously

"I'm trying to show these wankers what real sex sounds like. So, come over here and help me before they think I'm just jerkin' myself off."

"Spike, you're disgusting!"

"Come on, Buffy! Help a fellow out here! Have a little fun!"

She rolled her eyes and crawled up onto the bed. Positioning herself next to him, she too started to push against the headboard so it crashed against the wall.

After about a minute, Spike elbowed her in the side. "Come on, luv. Make with the noises."

"Huh?"

"Let out some grunts and groans. You want them to think that you are enjoying yourself, don't you?"

"Well, maybe you're just not very good." Buffy said teasingly.

"Oh believe me, luv. I'm very, VERY good." He pushed his tongue against his teeth and wiggled his eyebrows.

Buffy sighed. "I can't believe I'm doing this."

As she continued to push against the headboard, she let out some moans of pleasure. The sound made Spike stop what he was doing. Those few precious sounds that she had made turned him on faster than he ever thought possible.

As she continued, he wanted nothing more than to push her down on the bed and have his way with her but he knew that would get him staked. He had to do something though because the pressure between his legs had become unbearable.

He grabbed hold of her wrist to get her to stop pushing on the headboard.

"Stop, stop." Spike practically begged and he leaned his forehead onto the headboard as he tried to control himself.

"What's the matter?"

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea." He admitted slowly.

"Well, this was your idea. What's wrong now?"

"Nothing. I just think we should stop is all. I'm tried of playing this game." As he said it, she could see that he was desperately trying to catch his breath, which was weird because she knew breathing wasn't a necessity for a vampire.

After calming slightly, he got up off the bed and started heading downstairs. When he was halfway down he heard her speak.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to take a cold shower, then I'm gonna get myself a few hours of sleep on this comfy sofa down here."

"But what about tomorrow? We didn't plan anything. How are we going to act?"

"No worries, luv. We'll improvise. We'll be fine. Goodnight!" He said quickly and then she heard the sound of a closing door and sounds of a shower starting.

She settled on the bed and closed her eyes. She tried to get the image of Spike's naked body under running water out of her head. What was wrong with her? Why was she suddenly having these thoughts? It wasn't going to help make this project any easier. Maybe she was just lonely and slightly sexually frustrated. That was the only explanation.

This wasn't going to be easy but maybe she could get all of her frustrations out while they were pretending to have a relationship. Just because she was technically being forced to kiss him on this mission didn't mean she couldn't enjoy it a little but that was as far as it could go. After they got settled, he would definitely be out of her system.

To Be Continued....

 

Chapter 7:

Morning came and Buffy awoke to the smell of sizzling bacon. She breathed in deep and enjoyed the scent before realizing exactly where she was. Her eyes opened slowly and she took in the sight of the beautiful log cabin around her. That's when she realized the only person who could have been cooking that wonderfully smelling breakfast was none other than Spike. Spike knew how to cook? She guessed that this was just one of the many surprised she would find out about him before this whole nightmare was over.

Looking at the clock, she realized that the cameras were on and that she would have to be on her best behavior. She grabbed her robe as she slipped on her slippers and headed downstairs toward the enticing smell of breakfast. Spike stood in front of the stove pushing eggs around with a spatula. She walked over, stood next to him and smiled.

"Good morning!" She greeted, kissing his cheek.

"So, how's my girl this morning?" He asked sweetly.

"I'm great! Even better now that I know my man can cook. Looks like I'm set for life."

"You better believe it." He said, pulling her toward him to kiss her neck.

"Have a seat, Buffy. Breakfast is almost ready."

Buffy sat and propped her head up with the palm of her hand. She watched Spike make breakfast, smiled, and tried to ignore the fact that we was playing chef while wearing black silk boxers and nothing else. Never in her life did she ever think she would witness a vampire in a domestic situation so watching him cook was beyond weird.

Spike set a plate in front of her filled with eggs, bacon and toast. He brought her a glass of orange juice and handed her a rose.

Her eyes widened. "Where did you get this?" She asked, smelling the rose.

"I couldn't sleep last night so I took a little stroll and thought I'd get you something."

"Oh, Spike, that's so sweet!" She exclaimed, giving him another kiss on the cheek.

A strange look suddenly came across Spike's face and Buffy wrinkled her brow as she looked at him, trying to figure out what he was thinking.

"Buffy, I think I misplaced that special shampoo I use after I bleach my hair. Would you help me find it in the bathroom." He said, eyes wide and eyebrows raised.

She could tell by the look on his face that he was trying to get her away from the cameras so they could talk alone. She took the hint, followed him into the bathroom and shut the door.

"This isn't working." Spike said as soon as she faced him after closing the door.

"What's not working?"

"This." He said pointing at himself then at her. "This isn't us. We sound like Ward and June from "Leave It To Beaver" and it's really bloody scary. Before you know it, I'll be walking around in a suit and you'll be strolling around the kitchen in a conservative housedress with a frilly apron."

"I tried to talk to you about it last night but you ran off. I didn't know how else to act."

"Well all I know is that there is no way we are going to be able to keep this up for three weeks." He sighed. "We're not about warm embraces and gentle kisses. That's way too boring for us. We've got to be ourselves."

Buffy looked at him as if he were crazy. "If we were ourselves, I'd be punching you in the face every two seconds but I really don't think that's the kind of impression that we want to make."

A look of panic suddenly crossed Spike's face. He lunged toward her and placed his hands on her hips, lifting her onto the counter right next to the sink. He placed himself between her legs and immediately started kissing the left side of her neck. She was too shocked to stop him in the beginning but started enjoying the feeling of him nibbling on the soft skin beneath her ear to even think about stopping him at all.

Pushing away the fabric of her robe, he trailed kisses down her neck and when he reached her collarbone he swept his lips across it. The velvety softness of his lips made her gasp softly. The journey continued downward toward her chest and his hand raised toward her breasts.

"Hey!" She exclaimed, swatting his hand away. "Don't forget our deal. That kind of touching is against the rules."

She put her hands on his naked shoulders and gently pushed him a few inches away. "What are you doing anyway? There are no cameras in here."

"I know. I thought I heard someone." Spike shrugged.

"And what? You thought that a camera crew was going to come bounding through the bathroom door?" She asked, sarcastically.

An instant after her words were spoken, there was a loud knocking on the door. Spike grabbed her around the waist again and held her against him.

"Come on in." Spike said.

The door opened and man in a gray sweater and black khakis stood within the doorframe with a cameraman behind him. The man's dark brown eyes observed their intimate embrace and smiled.

"Hi!" He greeted and shook Spike's hand as well as Buffy's "My name is Kevin. I'll be stopping by to visit you every so often to let you know about plans involving some of the other couples. Tonight you will all be getting together for dinner so you can meet and get to know each other. I'll come by later to get the two of you and bring you to the clubhouse."

"Should we wear anything special?" Buffy inquired, always worried about her wardrobe.

"Not at all." Kevin said. "It's not fancy or anything. Just wear whatever you are comfortable in"

Spike, who was still holding Buffy, leaned over once more and started nibbling on her ear. "I was hoping we wouldn't have to get dressed at all."

"Spike!" Buffy exclaimed, giggling. "Stop that! We have company!"

He reluctantly let her go and they both followed Kevin out the door. They all walked into the living room and stood silently while the cameraman got close up shots of them.

Kevin smiled at them once again. "It looks like you two are getting along pretty well."

"Yeah, I'm really lucky to have been paired up with this one." Spike said with his arm around Buffy as he gently kissed the top of her head.

"Great! Well, I just thought I'd check up on you and tell you about tonight's plans." Kevin turned the knob on the front door, getting ready to leave them alone. He turned slightly before walking out. "By the way, make sure you save the groping for in front of the cameras. It's good for ratings."

After Kevin left, Spike turned to face Buffy. "Feel like boosting the ratings, pet?"

"Get your mind out of the gutter."

"Fine. Maybe one of the other birds would be interested in me groping them. I think I caught a glimpse of one of them behind stage during the whole engagement scene. I've gotta say, she was looking pretty hot." Spike looked up at Buffy to see her reaction but her face was void of emotion. "I'm sure some scandal would boost the ratings. What do you think?"

"Spike, we're not here for ratings." She was about to continue on about the missing couples but remembered she had to choose her words carefully. She didn't want to give themselves away in front of the cameras. "We're here to win a dream wedding to someone we hopefully fall in love with."

"But what if it doesn't work out between us?" Spike asked. "What if we meet someone else we fancy better?"

"Well, if you are already thinking about cheating on me with the hot girl next door then maybe you're not the right guy for me anyway." She stormed upstairs and as far away from him as she could possibly get.

She wasn't sure if it was a twinge of jealousy that made her lash out or if it was just her idea of drama for the cameras. Whatever it was, at least the Ward and June problem was finally solved. After that little spat, their 60's family comedy days were over.

After a few passing hours, Spike and Buffy were the first ones in the clubhouse after Kevin showed up to get them. They were patiently waiting for the others to arrive. Buffy wanted their fight just to be a way to stir things up but she was undeniably upset. If this was complicated now, she knew it would only get worse in the future and she was having trouble telling if Spike was serious about what he said or if it was just a way to make waves in their fake relationship. As they continued to wait, she sat as far away from him on the sofa as she could, never speaking a word to him.

One of the other couples walked through the door and she knew in an instant that this must be the girl that Spike was talking about. This girl was beautiful with her long and wavy chestnut hair. Her eyes were large and the green within them sparkled like emeralds. She had full pouty lips and even fuller breasts. Buffy suddenly felt extremely inadequate bordering on homely.

Spike instantly stood and walked over to the beautiful woman. Buffy watched him drool over her like a dog and she felt a pang of something that she would rather die than call jealousy stab her in the gut.

"Hi!" The girl greeted, smiling brightly. "I'm Angela."

"Very nice to meet you, luv." Spike said, taking her hand in his and placing a gentle kiss upon it.

Buffy noticed the kiss along with the fact that she seemed to be appreciating his looks just as much as he was appreciating hers. This infuriated Buffy to the point of making her storm off without even introducing herself. She walked over to the dinner table where she sat in silence, waiting for everyone to come and join her.

She watched the three of them greet each other and overheard Angela's other half introduce himself as John.

The man left Spike and Angela to come over and sit next to Buffy. He held out his hand to offer a handshake.

"I'm John." He said and Buffy shook his hand and gave him an awkward smile. "Don't worry. I don't think she's making the moves on him. I'm pretty sure she's just a flirt."

"A flirt huh?" Buffy tilted her head and observed him. "Which house do you live in?"

"If you're facing the building, we live on the left."

"Oh! Well, she sounds like she was doing a lot more than flirting with you last night."

He blushed. "Sorry about that. We didn't think we were that loud. But I really don't think she's always like that. We just seemed to click right away. It's like we've known each other for years."

Buffy looked up and saw Angela whispering in Spike's ear while she played with the stray curls in his hair. She looked back at John and realized that he hadn't noticed their display. Instead of making some snide remark, she held back. He seemed to like her enough that he was already making excuses for her and she didn't know either of them well enough to get in the way.

"I'm Buffy, by the way." She said, making sure his attention was away from their significant others.

"That's an unusual name."

"Yeah, I know. I don't know what my mom was thinking."

"No, I like it. It's different."

Buffy smiled shyly. "Thanks."

They both looked up to see Spike and Angela on their way to the table with the third couple trailing behind them.

They all sat down and greeted each other before dinner. The new couple introduced themselves as Jason and Lorena. Sharing their names with the rest of the dinner guests is about all they did for the thirty minutes before dinner was served. Jason had the blondest of hair and the tannest of skin. It appeared as if he had finally entered the city for the first time after a lifetime on the beach. Lorena, on the other hand, was a Hispanic beauty. Her full face, dark hair and almond eyes were a complete contrast with the man she had been coupled with.

Lorena remained silent through most of the dinner and the only time Jason said a word was to belittle the woman he was supposed be getting to know better.

After he made the comment about Lorena not having dessert because she could stand to skip a few meals, Buffy's inner slayer almost came out and leapt over the table to kick his ass. She decided to mind her own business for now and tried to look at the bright side. At least she now knew that the only real competition they had in winning this little reality game was John and Angela.

When dinner was cleared, Buffy hung around the door and wished that Spike would hurry up so they could go home. She waited impatiently as she observed him having a conversation with John about who's the better action hero, Jackie Chan or Bruce Lee.

She was so engrossed in watching the two of them argue about it, that she didn't notice Angela walk up to her.

"You are so lucky." Angela said, startling her.

Buffy jumped a little. "What?"

"You got hooked up with a real hottie. You totally lucked out."

"You guy is great too." Buffy said.

"Yeah, great in bed." Angela said with a sly smile.

"So I've heard."

Angela glanced at her. "Oh! So you are the ones next door that we heard having a party of their own. Too bad you didn't have as good a time as I did though."

"What is that supposed to mean? I'll have you know that we had tons of fun together last night." Buffy boasted.

"That's not what it sounded like to me." Angela said, honestly. "It didn't sound like it lasted very long. I heard a few grunts and groans and the rest was silence after a very short amount of minutes."

"Obviously you've never had an orgasm so intense that you lost all ability to make sound. Frankly, I feel sorry for you." Buffy said, trying to one up her.

A flash of surprise crossed Angela's features but then she chuckled. "Don't try and compete with me. You won't win. I have yet to meet someone who is able to keep up with me."

"Well, congratulations." Buffy's eyes narrowed. "You've finally met your match."

To Be Continued...

Additional Note: Hallelujah!!! I've finally been able to gather enough time to write this chapter. Those of you who are enjoying this story need to gang up on my boss and force her to give me less work so I can free some time to write more. Thanks so much for all of your reviews!! I appreciate each and every one of them more than you know. I'll do my very best to get the next chapter done faster. Thanks for reading!

Special Thanks to my friend Angela who I've named a very important character after. Thank you so much for all of your support with my writing. It means everything to me!

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