Heat, hot, flames, wind. Screaming. Lots of screaming. Buffy stood in front of him, begging him. Pleading. He ran, as quickly as he could. Making his way to the edge of the cliff, one step away from oblivion. "Spike!" It was Buffy calling him. He turned and ran toward the sound of her voice, but she was gone. There was nothing left, but the sun.

###

"Funny running into you here.” This Buffy's voice was lighter, less strained than he remembered from that last year, those last days.

"Who are you?” Spike wasn’t buying it, he couldn’t, not if he wanted to remain sane. This girl, this Buffy look-a-like, insulted the Slayer's memory. She was a vampire.

Still, Spike felt his mouth hanging open. She had the same hair, the same oval eyes and shiny lips. She even did that nervous fidgety motion with her hands. He turned away, pretending to be interested in what was happening on the dance floor. Maybe he was dreaming with his eyes wide open. That could be it. That had to be it. Shit. Dreaming was going to turn him into a bloody lunatic.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, tapping his shoulder. “You seem distracted. Should I leave? Were you looking for someone else?”

He faced her. “I’m looking for a girl,” he managed to get out.

“I’m a girl,” she smiled. “Well, technically I’m 80 years old, but I was twenty-six when I got turned. So young woman works.” She glanced at the empty seat next to him. "Can I join you?"

"I thought you already had." He gestured for her to sit down. "You do know this is not your friendly neighborhood bar. Vampires come here to drink human blood from the source and humans are here because they like that."

“I know what a Lust Club is.” She touched the collar of his shirt lightly, pretending to straighten it. "Blood straight from the body, instead of a cup."

“Well, since I haven’t seen you before I thought you were new in town.”

She licked her lips. “Yeah, I’m new, but I’ve been around, New York, DC, Cleveland.” Playfulness floated in her eyes and Spike felt his stomach drop.

“Why are you here?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

“I hear you’re not the type of vampire to indulge in what a Lust Club has to offer,” she said. “You only like rat’s blood.”

‘How do you know what I like, pet?”

“I’ve asked around.”

He looked at her sideways. “Why would you ask about me?"

Hands steady, she slipped out of her jacket and opened the collar of her blouse. She held the edges apart, exposing her juggler.

“What are you doing?” Spike asked.

“Making you an offer,” she responded. “Don’t you want a taste.”

“You just said it, I don’t drink blood directly from a body, any body, human or vampire.”

“I think I can change your mind.” She had a guileless smile on her face.

“What makes you think that?”

“I can smell your arousal.” She giggled softly. “So are you sure you’re not thirsty?" she insisted.

"You should be careful,” Spike said, unable to stop his leg from shaking. "I don't like playing games."

"You don't know what games I'm willing to play."

"I'll give you that, pet.”

She sat there, super cool, gaze hard, holding her collar open. The scent of her arousal joined his and filled the space between them.

He wanted to grab her. Take her. But his fangs were digging a hole into the sides of his mouth.

She titled her head. "So it’s true, you don’t suck blood from vampires or humans?” She shook her head. “Amazing. These days lust clubs are the only place where vamps and humans can legally exchange blood and explore their sexual desires. What’s your problem? Are you a eunuch?”

“No, I’m not a eunuch,” Spike said. Now he really wanted to bite her.

His usual feelings about biting and blood had suddenly evaporated. This girl was taunting him. Not only with her looks, but with her mouth. He moved swiftly to her, and buried his fangs in her neck before he could change his mind.

As his fangs sunk into her cool flesh, she stiffened and made a noise, a grunt or a moan, or both, he didn't care. Her blood was in his mouth and her hands were on his hips holding him to her.

Spike deepened the bite as his body molded against hers. As he sucked, his arms tightened around her waist. Then his hands slipped down to cup her ass. He paused, his erection wedged against her stomach.

"I want you," she whispered. "I want you to understand…"

Spike withdrew his fangs from her neck and licked the wound, lapping at the drops of blood flowing from it. "Understand what?"

"That I'm a good cop and will make you a good partner," she said earnestly.

Spike stepped back. "You've got to be kidding."

She covered the wound on his neck with her hand. "I’m serious.” She extended her other hand. “My name is Buffy Summers, Lieutenant, and I’m your new partner."

"What?" He wiped his mouth and rubbed his hands over his eyes, as if awakening from yet another dream. Had she actually said her name was Buffy? Buffy Summers?

"We were scheduled to meet at the precinct later this evening, after nightfall." She closed the front of her blouse. "But I thought why wait for a formal introduction. Heard you’d never had a partner before and I wanted to meet you outside of work, show you I can be whatever I need to be to work with you."

"You're out of your mind."

"Could be." She closed her eyes for a second as if gathering strength from some secret reserve. "I know we'll make a good team.”

"Not likely." Spike didn’t quite know how to feel. This girl’s idea of getting to know a new partner sucked. "This wasn't a smart move…looking to make points by letting me bite your ass."

"I didn't mean it that way…and you bit my neck." She pulled on her jacket.

Spike grabbed her by the collar and pulled her roughly to him. "Get out of here before I forget I'm a civilized vamp."

"Okay,” she said, unfastening his fingers and heading toward the exit. "I'll see you at work then."

"I said get out."

With a backhanded wave, she walked out of the Club.

"What in the bloody hell was that?" Spike plopped down on the bar stool.

Geronimo held out a fresh tumbler filled with Jack. "Some tasty looking shit, Spike. That girl was bold."

Spike stared at the path Vampire Buffy had taken to exit Club Zero. Now he had to believe his dream was a nightmare, and a harbinger of things to come. But that awareness only made him feel worse. After so many decades, a vampire that looked exactly like Buffy, and who had maneuvered her way into becoming his partner was too far of a stretch of coincidence. There was something demonic going on.

"Maybe you should give her a chance," Geronimo was saying.

"You're wrong, Geronimo." Spike raised his glass and drained it. "I don't have to give her a fucking thing."

to be continued...