Spike prepared for a one-way trip to Hell. Looking into the Slayer's determined eyes he knew that his long road had come to a dead-end. He was therefore unprepared when Buffy cried out in distress and leaped off of him.

Tossing her stake away she began to pace, hands wrapped in her hair, head down. "God, why can't I just kill you already? You're evil, a killer. It's my job damn it!"

Spike braced himself on his elbows and watched in amazement as the Slayer walked back and forth before him, chastising herself for not killing him.

"Buffy," he began.

"No! If you value your unlife, Spike, then just keep your mouth shut!"

Spike clamped his lips tight. In truth however, he wasn't really in danger and he knew it. She had thrown away her stake and was in too much distress right now to give him much of a fight. Not that he wanted to fight, of course. No he had other things he wanted to do with this particular Slayer.

Turning to him, Buffy had finally calmed down enough to address him directly. "Okay, Spike. Here's the deal. You saved my life and my mom's. You didn't kill me when you had the chance at your crypt. So I'm going to let you go this one time. Leave town. Don't ever come back. Next time, you die."

With that, Buffy turned and started to walk away. She gasped when she suddenly found herself with a faceful of Spike chest. Stepping back, she looked up into a deadly serious visage.

"I don't think so, pet." Lifting up one hand he drew a finger down her cheek and neck. He watched her as she shivered from his touch. Leaning down, he once again whispered in her ear. "I want you, and I'm not leaving town until I have you."

"No!" Buffy cried, backing away from her tormentor. "Spike, I gave you a chance. Leave town. Don't make me kill you!"

Spike tilted his head, looking at the distraught slayer. Nodding his head as if coming to a decision, he replied, "Tell you what, Slayer. You don't want to kill me. I don't want to kill you. Right?"

Buffy nodded weakly. Why was she admitting to her enemy that she didn't want to kill him?

"I'll make another deal with you," Spike continued. "You come to my bed one time. Let me make love to you for one night. Once I've got you out of my system, I'm gone. You never have to see me again."

Buffy stared at him in total shock. "You're insane. Totally insane. I'm not going to go to bed with you, Spike. I hate you, remember?"

"Yeah, well I hate you too, Slayer. Doesn't mean I don't want to fuck you."

Buffy gasped at his crude words. Never had she had a man talk to her in such a way. When she had been with Angel, his words were all tender and loving.

"God, you are so disgusting, Spike. I'm not going to go to bed with you or, or anything with you except kill you. Leave town. This is your last chance."

With that, Buffy swung around and ran away from the dangerous, tempting, evil, sexy vampire. ***

The next morning, Buffy was a bundle of nerves. She had spilled her morning juice all over the kitchen counter and dropped her schoolbooks on the front steps of the school holding up traffic and pissing everyone off as she gathered them up again. Unable to concentrate in class, she had been reprimanded by Ms. Barton for not paying attention.

"Buffy, is something wrong?" Willow asked after Buffy had jumped as if bee stung when Willow had tapped her on the shoulder at lunchtime.

"No, no," Buffy prevaricated. "Just late slayage last night. Not enough sleep. I'll go to bed early tonight and be a-okay tomorrow."

"Oh, all right," Willow accepted Buffy's word without question. "Any Spike sightings yet?" she asked.

"What!? No. No sightings of Spike." Buffy wanted to jump up and run away. Hide from questions of Spike and bed and oh god she just thought of Spike and bed in the same sentence. With a moan, Buffy lowered her head onto her arms.

"Buffy, you sure you're okay. You're acting kinda weird," Willow asked with concern.

"I'm fine, Willow, really. Oh look. There's Oz. Hey, Oz, hi!" Buffy's enthusiastic greeting caused the laconic teen to look at her with some bemusement.

"Hey, Buffy. Hey, Willow." The young werewolf leaned down and gave his girlfriend a quick peck on the lips. "Hi, Oz," Willow beamed. She still couldn't believe her luck in dating such a sweet guy as Oz.

Buffy breathed a sigh of relief as Willow and Oz began talking about the gig Dingos Ate My Baby, was going to be playing at The Bronze that Saturday night.

"So can you come, Buffy?" Willow asked. "Huh?" Buffy replied. She hadn't been listened to the discussion. Her thoughts never seemed to stray too far from Spike's ridiculous suggestion last night. Go to bed with him. That was crazy talk. And she was crazy for even thinking about it. No! Not thinking about doing it, she reminded herself. Just thinking about how crazy the suggestion was.

"Uh, can you come to The Bronze Saturday to hear Oz's band?" Willow was saying. "We could maybe make a slumber party of it. You know go to The Bronze and then have a sleepover at my house afterwards."

Why did an excuse for being out of her house all night suddenly sound so appealing to Buffy? She would be at her best friend's house. Not anywhere else. Not in a dirty crypt with her mortal enemy.

"I guess so, Willow. I'll have to ask my mom first, but I think I can spend the night."

Oh boy, she thought. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy.