Chapter Thirteen – Dance in S Minor

"So happy you decided to join us Spike, although attacking a castle full of perfectly capable witches and wizards," Buffy reached behind her for the stake she had hidden in the back of her dress, " I thought you were smarter then that."

Spike slapped a hand around Buffy's throat. Lightning-fast, Buffy grabbed the stake. Spike grabbed her wrist and she whirled to face him.

"Lesson the first: a Slayer must always reach for a weapon." Spike was now in vamp-face smiling smugly. "I've already got mine." He morphed back into his human face, smiling. Buffy wrenched her wrist out of Spike’s grasp and the two began circling each other.

"Good thing, too." Spike continued. "Become a vampire, there's nothing to fear. Nothing but one girl. That's you, honey." Faith took a step forward, but Buffy stopped her. No. Keep everyone back. I don’t know where he’s going with this, but if he wanted me dead, he would have attacked by now. I have no idea what he wants.

"The first slayer I killed failed to learn that. The night I killed her – sweetest bloody night of my life." Some of the students seemed shocked that this vampire had been able to kill a slayer. Hermione was shocked that Buffy hadn’t done anything to fight him yet. "And I’ve had some sweet ones, isn’t that right Angelus?"

Angel stepped forward, but Buffy stepped in front of him. "You leave him out of this. This is between me and you. Got it?"

Spike laughed. "Seems I’ve tread upon a touchy subject. You think your boy never killed a slayer? You’d be wrong."

"Shut up Spike." Buffy said venomously.

"What? You can’t take the truth?"

"Shut up!" Buffy punched him square in the jaw. Spike touched his finger to the cut, looked at the blood on his fingers, and chuckled. "Yup. Seems our little Buffy is in denial. It’s funny how killing slayers is such a horrid topic of conversation, but I suppose you wouldn’t mind discussing how many vampires you’ve made fit for an ash tray."

"Not enough." Buffy spat.

"And we just keep coming. Like a wave of roaches, and here you are doing a minute waltz, trying to stomp us all. But you can kill a hundred. A thousand. A thousand thousand and the armies of Hell besides. But all we need... " Spike came closer, seductively. Buffy eyed him with caution but let him come, "Is for one of us, just one, sooner or later, to have the thing we all are hoping for."

"And that would be what?

Spike whispered, dangerously close to her neck, "One. Good. Day."

"You bastard!" Buffy said and shoved him, and the two of them ended up falling out of the window Spike had come into. Buffy swung her legs up into a fighting stance, and she and Spike began circling each other once more. The students, as well as most of the professors, watched from the windows with interest. Angel, Faith, and Ethan followed Buffy out onto the lawn, but kept a "safe" distance, ready to jump in if needed.

"What?" Spike said, almost laughing. "You asked and I'm telling. Problem with you Summers is you've gotten so good, you're starting to think you're immortal."

"Not really. I just know I can handle myself."

"Really? Then why is your lover over there ready to pounce? Seems you have Nancy Boy trained. All you have to do is say jump slayer, and he’ll ask how high." Spike seemed to have touched a nerve because Buffy swung at him. Spike blocked the punch and sent a kick to her ribcage. She used his own momentum to push him back.

"So that it? Lesson over?"

Spike seemed to pull a quarter staff out of nowhere. Must have nicked it from the Hall when I wasn’t looking. Damnit! "Not even close."

Buffy stood in a fighting stance. "Give it to me."

Spike lunged at Buffy. She ducked and came up, grabbing him by the throat and throwing him hard against a brick wall. She held him pinned there. Spike laughed.

"What?"

"Lesson the second: ask the right questions. You’ll get the right answers."

"Fine." Buffy pulled him back from against the wall and slammed him against it again. "Why the hell are you here?"

Spike threw three punches faster than the eye could follow. Harry and Hermione moved closer to the window watching, interested. Buffy moved her head, avoiding each punch.

"That didn't hurt."

"Knew I couldn't touch you. If, on the other hand..." Spike went into vamp-face. He took another swing at Buffy, this one straight to her face. She ducked and he ended up pinned to the wall once again. Spike laughed. "Now that hurts."

"Yeah?" Spike turned to Buffy, still grinning. She punched him.

"That hurt, too?"

"Oh, so good."

Buffy punched Spike again. He went down.

"What is he doing? He could have blocked that." Faith said, amazed at how the fight was playing out.

"Easy – he doesn’t want to kill her." Angel said warily. "He’s here for a reason. If he wanted a fight, he would have started one by now. This is nothing compared to what I’ve seen go down between those two. He wants something from her."

"Or maybe someone else does?" Ethan said. "And he’s just the messenger."

"How 'bout that?" Buffy asked.

Spike still grinned even though he clearly still felt that last one. "Definite pain there."

"Why are you here Spike?" Buffy asked again, this time louder then before.

"I’m not ready to tell you yet, pet." Spike tried to hit Buffy. In one move she twisted his arm, flipped him, and pinned him to the ground. In a flash she straddled him, pulled a stake out and held it hovering over him.

"Then get ready. Soon." Buffy pressed the stake into his flesh. Spike gave in.

"Well, if you insist…" Spike flipped Buffy off him. She hit the ground with a crack and rolled to her feet in the same move. She turned to face Spike. The two squared off –

And the dance began.

Spike lunged at Buffy and she sidestepped him. He turned. "Y’ know, you remind me of the second slayer I killed. The first one was all business. But the second - now she had a touch of your style." He lunged again. Buffy sidestepped again. Spike passed her and she grabbed him by the back of his belt and spun him, smashing his head into the wall. Buffy held him steady, and reached for her stake, but Spike broke her grip and pulled himself away. The fight steamed up. Buffy and Spike threw punches at each other in furious, merciless volleys.

"She was cunning, resourceful," Spike continued, trying desperately to piss Buffy off – and succeeding – "and oh, did I mention? Hot. I could have danced all night with that one."

"You think we're dancing?"

"It's all we've ever done."

Spike advanced, holding the quarter staff in his hands, waiting for Buffy to make a move, and continued. "Every day you wake up it's the same bloody question what haunts you: Is today the day I die? It's a warrior's pain, a warrior's question and you ask it..."

Buffy just got more pissed off and threw a punch that landed right in Spike’s face. He kept grinning and Faith ran back inside to find Buffy a better weapon.

"...every time the sun rises. And every day you manage to survive, you're only partly relieved because you know - it's just a matter of time."

Spike attacked her with the quarter staff getting in some strikes. Buffy caught it just as it came whistling down on her skull, holding Spike frozen in place, just for a second.

"Death is on your heels baby - and, sooner or later, it's going to catch you..." Buffy goes to kick him in the groin, but he catches her foot and sends her sprawling to the ground. "And some part of you wants it." Buffy jumps to her feet. "Not only to stop the fear and the uncertainty - but because you're just a little bit in love with it."

Buffy doubled up her fists and hit Spike with all her strength. He went down. Buffy got on top of him, landing punch after punch directly onto his face.

Lightning struck and suddenly Spike was on top, pinning Buffy’s arms to the ground. "Death is your art. You make it with your hands, day after day. That final gasp, that look of peace… Part of you is desperate to know... What's it like? Where does it lead you? That's also a warrior's question. A warrior's curiosity."

"Where are you going with this?"

"This is the answer to your question slayer. I’m here with the secret – something you’re supposed to know. It all adds up to a fighter’s own curious nature. Not the punch they didn't throw or the kick they didn't land. She simply wanted it. Every slayer has a death wish." Spike made it look like he was going to grab her throat, but instead got up off of her, trench coat billowing behind him. "Even you. The only reason you've lasted as long as you have is you've got ties to the world. Scoobies. The one you love. They tie you here but you're just putting off the inevitable. Sooner or later, you're gonna want it and the second, the second" He clapped his hands in her face on the word and she flinched, "that happens, I pray to God I'm there. I'll slip in - have myself a real good day."

Spike backed up a few steps. "Here endeth the lesson."

"You're wrong. You’re completely wrong. Is that the real reason you’re here Spike – to scare me with stories of slayers past? I’m not a little girl. Now tell me – why are you here?"

"Hey. You asked." Spike said, obviously angered by Buffy’s reaction. "Sorry if the answer isn't cuddly enough for you-"

"Get out of my sight, Spike. Now." Buffy said, deadly malice in her voice.

"Ooooh, did I scare you? You're the slayer. Do something about it. Hit me."

Buffy didn’t move, but Spike read her murderous look. He wanted another go round, and he was determined to get it.

"Come on. One good swing. You know you want to."

"I mean it- "

"So do I. Give it to me good, Buffy. Do it." She didn’t make a move. He morphed into vamp-face. "Do it!"

That was the last straw. Buffy threw herself into every kick, punch, and swing she could manage. She wanted to beat him. If this was the message he was sent to give, she didn’t want to hear it –

Because a twisted part of her brain knew he was right.

Buffy lunged, but found she was being held back by a just as angered Angel. "Spike – leave. Now." He growled.

Spike threw a letter at Buffy’s feet, absently wiping the blood from a wound on his forehead. "Give my regards to the watcher. You’re going to need a blessing when this goes down."

Spike glanced at Ethan and walked off, the other vampires who had come with him retreating into the distance.

The exchange between Ethan and Spike did not go unnoticed by Faith. She made a mental note to corner him about it.

Later.

Buffy walked back into the Hall to a look of shock and surprise among her students and colleagues.

"I want everyone to please return to their dormitories immediately." Dumbledore said strictly. "No – not you Harry. Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasly you should come as well. You four," he said gesturing to Buffy, Faith, Angel, and Professor Rayne, "I would like an explanation as to what just went on outside. And then I believe we have to discuss the contents of that letter and a certain prophecy. A little talk is in order as I am interested to know what just went on out there."

"I’m interested to know myself." Buffy said, eying the letter in her hands suspiciously.

TBC...