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



Buffy looked up, but whoever had thrown the brick was nowhere to be seen. “What was all that about?” Buffy began, puzzled at the solitary act.


“Everyone, get ready. We need to hurry.” Giles said with determined focus.


“For what? What’s happening?” Buffy inquired, confused.


“It’s the humans. It’s this guy named Rack who has been attacking us every so often. He’s gotten together some kind of gang to try to kill us, especially Spike. There are a lot of them, so be ready.”


“That’s it? Humans?? Oh c’mon, we can easily manage that!” Buffy said before realizing what that meant in the fight that was about to come. Whose side was she suppose to be on? Humans? Or her friends? They had always been one and the same. She pondered about the chip, but realized that if she had Spike’s life, then it should mean she would be able to fight her own “evil” kind. ‘I just need to help keep my friends alive – I don’t have to kill any humans either.’


Suddenly, a wooden arrow flew through the window, and landed in the bookcase splitting the wood, two inches away from Buffy. Before she had time to be pissed off, time seemed to slow as she saw an entire wave of arrows flying toward them.


“Duck!” Buffy yelled at the rest of them, as they flung their bodies to the ground as fast as possible. But Willow was too late, as a wooden arrow pierced her in her arm (luckily avoiding her heart) and she fell to the floor screaming in pain.


“Willow!” Buffy cried in concern. She couldn’t run to help her best friend, as she saw the humans running into the Magic Box at full speed. Human or not, she was going to kick their ass.


One of the guys angrily attacked her and punched her in the gut, making her slightly double over. ‘What the hell? When did humans learn how to hit that hard?’ She thought to herself quickly, before she launched herself into Buffy-battle mode, throwing a round of fierce punches.


The rest of the gang, including Giles, had vamped out and were busy fending off their own group of attackers, since they had vampire strength and all. Buffy saw in the corner of her eye – 4 humans were outnumbering Anya, as she struggled to keep her ground. Two suddenly grabbed her by the arms, and one of them was about to stake her.


Xander came up with an angry growl behind the man with a stake and twisted his neck abruptly, while Anya took the opportunity to free herself and fight the other 3. “Keep your nasty hands off her, you low lifes!”


Buffy had just finished taking care of her group of attackers, and witnessed what Xander did. She starred at the dead human on the ground with his head twist in a weird direction, not sure if she should be mortified or not. Memory of Willow’s words passed through her head: we only kill humans when they try to kill us. Remembering Willow’s arm, she looked over at where Willow had fallen to the ground in pain. Standing there, with a stake over Willow’s chest, was Rack.


“Ok Boys, it’s time to move the party!” Rack boomed at his human minions, who reluctantly backed off, wanting more violence. He turned to leer at the rest of the gang, settling his eyes on Buffy, as Willow looked angry, but scared at the stake so close to plunging into her chest. “Tell Spike to show up too, unless you all want to see this one die a painnnful death.” With an evil smirk, he took Willow and left.


Buffy was about to sprint after them, when Giles held her back. “Wait Buffy!”


“What?! They just took Willow! We need to follow them before they kill her!” Buffy urged, confused at the gang’s slow reaction to Willow’s kidnapping.


“They’re not going to try to kill her yet. They’re trying to get Spike and the rest of us to show up on their grounds. They probably have a lot of back up waiting to ambush us in the cemetery. We need to inform Spike before we can go – you rush in now, and they’ll kill her before you can say ‘evil humans’,” Xander added, annoyed at Buffy’s stupidity.


She wasn’t use to not making the rules and not knowing what was going on. It bothered her a lot, but she needed to help Willow, so she complied. Buffy sighed, “Ok fine. What’s the plan?”


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


A few minutes later, Spike had rushed to join them, and they were all getting some weapons ready to go. “Spike, did you get any others to come and help?” Giles inquired.


“Yea, I called them. They’ll be there. I told them to come in a couple minutes, so Rack won’t see ‘em first. I’ll go after Rack and get Red free, you guys take care of the rest.” Spike said commandingly, as everyone just nodded in agreement. “Wait, why are YOU here?” Spike turned to look at Buffy for the first time, with annoyance in his eyes.


“To help save Willow, what do you think I’m here for? You? Get the hell over yourself. You’ll have to kill me to stop me from going to help save her,” Buffy shot back, pissed off that he treated her with such insignificance.


“Fine. We need the muscle anyway.” Spike immediately started heading out, with the gang behind him.


‘Did he just call me muscle?!’ Buffy said insulted. She suddenly felt manly and unattractive. She followed them, with a pout on her face.

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


Arriving at the cemetery within mere minutes, Spike put his hand up in warning to slow the group to a halt in the middle of the darkness. “Wait. They’re close.” Everything stilled for them, as they all tried to sense where all of the humans were hiding. “I’m going to try to go straight for Rack. Buffy, I need you to back me up.” Spike turned to her and momentarily stalled his eyes on hers, with an emotion that neither could quite name.


“I’m on it.” Buffy said quietly but seriously, still gazing into his eyes. Their gaze broke, with a sudden noise that got their attention. In a sudden quickening of the moment, a mass of humans came at them from every direction, eagerly ready for barbaric violence.


The humans outnumbered them about 6 to 1, attacking them from all directions. Buffy struggled to maintain her ground against the numbers at first, but found it easier than fighting vamps back home – they were strong (evil did that to them) but not strong enough.


She decided at that moment, that she’d try not to kill them, but wouldn’t worry about the others– after all, this world isn’t real. She jolted out of her thoughts as she hit a guy in the face, and delivered a swift kick to another. She sprinted onto the top of a tombstone, quickly jumping off, delivering a heavy kick and knocking the guy out. Landing with a somersault, she stood up to continue her battle, keeping her eye out for Rack.


Spike had already killed 8 guys and 1 really butch looking woman, moving to kill the last one – who was quite meaty and ugly looking. The human lunged at him ferociously, but Spike was too quick for him. He slide out of the way and grabbed the back of the guy’s head, slamming it violently against a crypt entrance, twice. He picked him up with amazing strength, and flung him back several yards, as the guy’s body landed roughly on a tombstone, with a crack.


He looked to his friends and saw that there were many more humans left, possibly too much for them to handle. But it was then that he saw Rack, in the background, standing with Willow in front of him in his grasp. “Ohh Spike…look what I’ve got,” as he ran his deformed fingers along the side of Willow’s face, smiling evilly. He turned serious. “I think it’s time we settle this once and for all,” throwing a wounded Willow to two of his minions behind him.


Spike growled and lunged forward at the same time as Rack. Both of them punched each other in the face at the same time, swaggering slightly, before returning to tear each other’s throats out. A round of powerful throws were exchanged, when suddenly Rack delivered a blow straight to the front of Spike’s neck, causing him to slightly choke at the pressure. Rack attacked him with a few blows while he was down. Spike stood up after taking a few shots to the face, picked Rack up by the back of his jacket, raising him into the air and bringing him crashing down on his knee.


In the background, the vampires Spike called had showed up to help, evening out the odds a little bit. Buffy tried to work her way over to Spike and Willow, remembering she was suppose to back him up, but the humans were ganging up on her in greater numbers, as if they knew.


She saw Rack get in a good shot, sending Spike back a few feet. In that instant, she realized she was too far from them. Rack took Spike’s moment of pain, to reach Willow again. He was going to kill her first.


“Say goodbye to the little witch!” Rack grinned evilly. Willow struggled in her game face as best she could, but she was too weak from the wound. Rack grabbed a stake from one of his minions. Spike and Buffy both watched in horror, they were too far, and had nothing on them.


Suddenly, before Rack could raise the stake, a female vampire jumped out of nowhere and grabbed Rack’s body away from Willow, sinking her teeth into his neck. Quickly after, she pulled her fangs out and twisted his head, throwing his body on the ground.


“Oh gross. I knew humans tasted bad, but he’s got to be the worst one I’ve ever tried,” the female vampire exclaimed with distaste apparent on her vamped face.


The humans had all either been knocked out, or killed, with the help of the other vampires. The gang ran to Willow, helping her up and dislodging the arrow in her arm as she painfully cried out.


Buffy and Spike were both looking at the female vampire who had killed Rack so abruptly in surprise.


Buffy examined the vamp – she looked strong, her curves accentuated her powerful and toned build. Her hair was a curly flow of blonde silk and her black top left little to the imagination, leaving her breasts billowing slightly at the dip of the fabric. As the vampire changed into human resolve, Buffy saw she had striking grey eyes and high cheekbones, making her appear slightly mesmerizing, or annoying, in Buffy’s case.


“Spike! Did you miss me?” The female vampire walked seductively closer to Spike’s surprised form and placed her arms around his neck, starting to kiss him. He fumbled in kissing her back, thrown that she had returned so soon.


“Leanna, what are doing back so soon?” Spike asked her confused as he held her from kissing him.


“Oh god I just couldn’t stand my family anymore! And that town! The humans were so bent up on killing me, but it was like fighting off annoying knats! Aren’t you glad I’m back though?” She asked coyly, waiting for his answer.


Buffy hated her. There was something about ‘Leanna’ that pissed off every bone in her body. The way she was hanging on Spike made her think of those trashy hoes. Plus, she seemed to fit more as an evil vampire than as a ‘good’ one.


“Of course I did, luv…” Spike began to say to her, until Leanna caught sight of Buffy in the corner of her eye. She flung her head to the side, her long blonde curls bouncing energetically. Leanna’s eyes turned a stormy angry grey, as she glared at Buffy.


“What the hell is she doing here?” Leanna demanded angrily, as she turned back to Spike with a slight whine in her anger. “She is always around when I’m gone!”


“Buffy, I thought we resolved this ‘issue’? You stop trying to steal Spike and I won’t kill you!” Leanna exclaimed with comedic exasperation.


“Who the hell do you think you are? Guys, who is this skank?” Buffy was angrily trying to control her obvious rage. ‘I SO want to kick ass right now,’ she thought but she remembered the chip, and never felt so frustrated in her entire life. Every fiber in her body wanted to attack her right now. But the rest of the gang was busy helping Willow.


“Huh? What’s wrong with her? She seems extra stupid today,” Leanna whispered not too quietly in Spike’s ear.


Spike was starring at Buffy, gauging her reaction to this all. She seemed really pissed off, but he turned back to the woman in his arms. “Oh yea, um, Buffy supposedly has a case of amnesia or some rot like that. Came to my door step all crazy and bug-eyed,” Spike replied to Leanna, making fun of Buffy for show.


Leanna started laughing in Spike’s arms. “You mean she’s this bitchy even when she forgets everything? How sad,” she said with a toss of her golden curls.


Buffy knew the consequences. She walked right up to Leanna, and punched her in the face, as the searing pain exploded once again in her head. She clutched her head and cried out in agony, with tears at the corners of her eyes. She turned her head up to glare at Leanna, who was vamped out and being held back by Spike. “That was completely worth it.” With an angry and slightly wounded look in her eyes, Buffy turned and stormed off with her hand still holding the side of her head.


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


She plopped herself down on her shoddy couch in the crypt. She was exhausted from the fight, and hoped that Willow was ok. She had stormed off without checking up on her, but knew that the gang had it covered, especially since Willow is a vamp and has vampire healing. Her thoughts fled to the couple.


‘That bastard kissed me when he had a girlfriend!! I am going to find a way to dust his ass! And what kind of name is Leanna?? It’s like she thinks everyone has to hold a ceremony every time her name is uttered, that skanky ho! I bet her boobs aren’t even real…’ Buffy pouted as she looked down at her chest.


While she was looking down at herself, the crypt door opened slightly, and Buffy tensed, becoming alert.


“Who is it?” Buffy demanded sternly.


Dawn peaked her head into the crypt. “It’s me,” as she stepped inside and closed the door behind her.


Buffy relaxed and softened her expression. “Dawn, what are you doing here? It’s late, won’t mom worry about you?” Dawn didn’t notice there was no ‘your’ in front of ‘mom.’


“I just wanted to hang out with you for a little bit. I’ll go home in a few minutes, I swear,” Dawn looked at Buffy hopefully.


Buffy hesitated for a brief second before giving in to Dawn’s hopeful look. “Ok, but just for a few minutes…” Buffy couldn’t help but respond.


“Cool! You’re the greatest!” Dawn hugged Buffy ecstatically. Buffy was stunned. Dawn hardly ever treated her like this back home. She wondered just how much time Dawn really spent with Spike back in the real world…


Dawn plopped herself down and crossed her legs Indian style on the couch. She noticed that Buffy looked a bit worn. “Are you okay Buffy? Did something happen today?” Dawn asked inquiringly.


“Oh it’s nothing you need to worry about. We had a little run in with some humans who kidnapped Willow. Her arm is hurt, but she’ll be ok now.” Buffy said quickly.


“Willow’s hurt? Oh no...does Tara know yet??” Dawn asked, concerned.


Buffy knew there was something missing: Tara’s peaceful presence. It was sad that even still now, Tara was always the one in the background. “Where is Tara? I haven’t seen her anywhere,” she asked with a frown.


“Willow said she took a short trip, but didn’t really explain it. She was supposed to be back today…” Dawn explained.

“Well, Tara didn’t come back, some other girl did…” Buffy mumbled bitterly under her breath.

“Let me guess. Leanna’s back?” Dawn asked with annoyance.


“You…you don’t like her?” Buffy looked at Dawn hopefully, happy to hear she wasn’t alone. “Uh Dawn, who is she? I don’t remember her at all...you know, my amnesia thing?” Buffy hoped they still bought it.


“Yea, Spike mentioned it to me. Well, more like he warned me to stay away from you because you’d gone crazy and claimed everything was yours…” Dawn began with a giggle. She suddenly became quiet and looked thoughtful. “Wait, but you remember me right?” She had a worried and confused look on her face.


“Of course I do, Dawnie. I…I can’t remember a lot, but I remember YOU.” Buffy leaned forward and gave Dawn’s hand a comforting squeeze. She pulled away and straightened up, “Now about this Leanna. Who is she and why do I have a feeling we’ve tried to kill each other many times before?”


Dawn giggled before beginning to explain, “Well it’s obvious you guys hate each other’s guts, with you two fighting over Spike’s attention all the time. She wanted to kill you after you got chipped, but Spike wouldn’t let her because he said it was wrong since you can’t hurt them anymore. Ugh I don’t like her – she’s always treating me like I’m five and shooing me away so she can hang all over Spike…”


“Wait a second, we fight over SPIKE’S attention? There’s no way I would do that!” Buffy cried indignantly. ‘Spike stopped her from killing me because it was wrong?’


“Buffy, everyone already knows you love him. You don’t have to pretend anyway, I’d much rather Spike go out with you – he’s just too stubborn.” Dawn continued matter-of-factly.


“I don’t love Spike! Whatever I said before, I was just out of my mind, it wasn’t me!” Buffy protested, trying to convince more than just Dawn.


“Then why do you hate Leanna?” Dawn asked with an uplifted brow.


“Because!! She…She has stupid hair!” Buffy knew it was a lame response and added, “And she looks like she playing on the wrong side…she doesn’t seem good at all!”


“Believe me, I tried to tell Spike she seemed kinda creepy. I mean, who the heck has grey eyes? But Spike wouldn’t listen to me – he just always makes me feel guilty because one time Leanna saved me from some crazy guys while I was walking home. I still think she only puts up with me to get closer to Spike though,” Dawn rambled to Buffy.


“Huh.” Buffy thought about it all. “Wait a minute, what do you mean he’s too stubborn?” she inquired curiously, remembering Dawn’s words.

Dawn smirked knowingly at Buffy’s question. “I think he likes you, but he won’t admit it because you’re human. Whenever I try to mention it, he cuts me off and threatens to tell mom something else I did and get me grounded. I told you he’s a prison warden - he never lets me go anywhere because he thinks ‘it’s not safe.’ Whatever.” Dawn rolled her eyes.


The last part snapped Buffy out of her thoughts, remembering Dawn and where they were. “Dawn, we should get you home. It’s late and they’ll be really worried. C’mon, I’ll walk with you,” Buffy got up as she spoke.


Dawn pouted and got up. “Fine. But will you try to visit more often? No one over there talks to me like you do.”


Buffy smiled sadly before adding, “Yea sure, Dawn. I’ll try.” ‘Is this what Dawn thinks of all of us? Have I really pushed her that far away?’


As they walked through the cemetery back to revello drive, Dawn excitedly told Buffy her stories, while Buffy felt her heart warm at the moment they were having, finally getting to genuinely laugh out loud for the first time since coming here.


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


Joyce was pacing around the house, waiting for any sign of Dawn. She had already tried calling everyone, including Dawn’s friends. To her great relief, she saw Spike walking towards the house, but not alone.


Joyce didn’t really dislike Leanna, but she didn’t exactly like her too much either. Spike had started bringing her around sometime after the whole Dru thing. She knew to keep quiet about it, because it upset Spike whenever Dawn brought up Leanna. She has a sneaking suspicion that Spike started with Leanna to get over Dru, and had long gotten over it, but was too loyal to dump the girl. Besides, Joyce really perceived much more than that…


“Spike! Oh I’m so glad you’re back! Have you seen Dawn?” Joyce asked urgently.


“No, she didn’t come home?” he asked as anger crept into him. He regretted taking such a long time with Leanna to get home now.


“I’ll go and look-…” Spike was cut off as he turned around, seeing Buffy and Dawn walking towards the house together, laughing. His anger melted into relief, and his relief dissipated, when he caught a look of her. He hardly ever saw Buffy laugh, and couldn’t help starring at her face, as her eyes lit up and she smiled in laughter, her whole face radiating as she listened to some funny story Dawn was telling her. He quickly snapped out of it, giving Leanna a quick look, before storming toward Dawn and Buffy.


“What the hell do you think you two are doing?” Spike demanded. Buffy and Dawn had stopped talking, with both of them looking pissed off, for very different reasons.


“Dawn, get your ass inside NOW!” Spike yelled. Dawn glared at him and marched by him with her arms crossed.


Leanna stood back on the porch watching the display in the yard. As Dawn marched toward her, she bent down to level her head to Dawn’s. “Dawnie, you know there are very nasty things out there that want to hurt you. Little girls shouldn’t wander out at night like that,” Leanna said in a very patronizing voice that one would use towards a 5-year old and patted her on the head.


Dawn rolled her eyes and huffed at her, marching in to deal with her mom’s wrath instead. Leanna smirked as Dawn marched inside, but returned to the scene at hand, with her lips tight and her grey eyes flashing with anger.


“What did you do to Dawn? Where did you take her?” Spike asked with a calm but angry voice.


“I didn’t do ANYTHING to her,” Buffy returned with the same tight voice, “She came to the crypt on her own, and I walked her home because I knew someone would be worried.”


“You don’t know how to worry about others, you just worry about yourself! Everything is somehow always about you!” Spike yelled back – he knew he was being a bit over the top, but anger is the strongest emotion to cover up other ones.


“Really!? Everything is about me, huh? You’re the one that kissed me when you had the girlfriend – how selfish is that?! The way I see it, everything revolves around you in this little Spike bubble, where you think you can boss everyone around and USE me whenever you want!” Buffy was livid as she ranted at Spike, until something clicked in her head at the sound of her words. ‘…do I do that? Do I have a Buffy bubble?’ Her angry expression was replaced by a panicked one, which in turn thoroughly confused Spike, throwing him off guard.


He had many things he wanted to yell at her, but something stopped him from doing it – guilt. He felt guilty that he HAD kissed her back, even if she had initiated it. Moreover, he felt guilty at NOT feeling that guilty for going behind Leanna’s back while she was gone. ‘Oh shit, Leanna!’ Spike suddenly remembered she was behind them, watching the whole thing. He swung around, seeing Leanna was furiously quiet, standing on the porch with her arms crossed across her chest, grey eyes glaring at them and waiting for Spike’s next words.


He sent her an apologetic look as Leanna’s expression remained the same. Turning back to Buffy to respond to her outburst and accusation, he was cut off-

“Don’t. I think you’re better off saving it for HER.” With a satisfied but furious look, Buffy turned on her heels and marched away.


Spike closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. He was going to have to turn around and confront Leanna sometime soon now…

She slowly walked up to him, with her blonde wavy hair blowing back a bit, making her eyes appear ever the more angry. “You kissed her?” she cried indignantly.


“Yea, I did, but look Leanna, it was a m-,” Spike tried to finish.


“Oh save it Spike! How could you? She is an evil soulless human!! And I look way better than her!” Leanna exclaimed, really more concerned that her beauty was being challenged.


“Who do you want?” Leanna asked, calming from her outrage.


“You. I want you,” Spike claimed. As a sly smile crossed Leanna’s face, she jumped on Spike with fervor, bringing her arms around his neck as she kissed him lustily. Spike was relieved to have the situation go away so easily, but in the back of his mind, he added to the pile of guilty secrets, the lie he just told her.


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



Recap of chapter 4 and 5: Buffy comes across human Harmony (Vampires are humans, humans are vampires, excluding Buffy and Spike). She visits the Revello home, where Dawn and Joyce live with Spike, and sees them all vamp out. She researches at the Magic Box on how to go back but to no avail and a brick flies through the window. It’s the humans attacking, with Rack leading them. Willow is wounded with an arrow and he kidnaps her to the cemetery, where he expects Spike to show up. All head to fight, and there is a brief showdown between Spike and Rack. As Spike is down, Rack is about to kill Willow, when a female vampire swoops in and kills Rack. Her name is Leanna and apparently, she’s Spike’s girlfriend. Buffy seethes. Leanna pokes fun. Buffy storms away to her crypt, to have Dawn visit her. Both speak of Leanna and Spike, where Buffy denies all. She walks Dawn home, to find pissed off Spike. Buffy lets out about the kiss and walks away. Leanna is pissed, leading to a sappy Spike apology, which is not entirely true.