The fabulous banner is by the awesomely talented Ben Rostock.

Chapter 9

“Is she ever going to stop glaring at me?”

Buffy grinned involuntarily as Spike ducked his head to avoid Joyce’s icy stare.

“Well, you debauched her only child.” She laughed as Spike winced. “She’ll come around. Just give her time.”

“I miss the hot chocolate,” he muttered and she snickered.

“You could get it. All you’d have to do is let me come home right away after patrol.”

“Oh, no, no. Like having you in my bed.”

“When we’re this late coming home after patrol, Mom can’t help but be aware that that’s exactly where I’m spending my time.” She turned him so that his back was to the living room window where Joyce was standing with her arms folded, frowning at them. “It’s getting complicated, isn’t it?”

“Too complicated for you?”

She pulled his head down and kissed him. “No. Could be a lot worse.”

“If anybody else found out, you mean.”

“Yeah.”

“What will you do if they did?”

“I don’t know. Just have to make sure they don’t.”

“And if the worst happens, then what?”

“I told you! I don’t know.” She looked away from his sardonic gaze.

“Just trust your instincts, huh?” He smiled twistedly. “But what do those instincts tell you to do, Buffy?”

Too many conflicting things. She shook her head violently.

“I don’t want to think about it, Spike!”

He touched her face lightly. “Okay. Like I said. Whatever you want to give me, Buffy.”

She caught his wrist as he started to turn away. “See you tomorrow?”

He smiled at her. “Of course. Think I could stay away?”

She couldn’t either. He was becoming an addiction.

“You’re late again,” said Joyce sternly as Buffy let herself in.

“Not that late.” Buffy grinned at her. “He misses your hot chocolate.”

Joyce almost laughed, then caught it back. “It’s here if he wants it,” she shrugged.

“With all those freezing glares you keep giving him, he’s scared to come in. Just in case you dust him.”

“I should,” growled Joyce. But the corner of her mouth indented in amusement.

“You don’t really blame him. You said it yourself the day after Halloween. It’s both our faults.”

Joyce sighed. “Oh, I know. It’s just awkward.”

“You’ll have to accept it sooner or later.”

Joyce reached out and brushed Buffy’s hair back from her neck. “He bit you again. Did you think I wouldn’t notice the way you’ve been wearing a lot of chokers and scarves lately?”

Buffy blushed. “It’s not what you think, Mom. Yeah, he drinks a little, but it’s not like he’s taking a lot. He’s not going to drain me. It’s just a sip. A Slayer’s blood is powerful. We both enjoy it. Plus, it keeps him from feeding on the populace.”

“You know, I never thought about that,” said Joyce in shock. “That he ate people.”

“He doesn’t anymore.”

“It’s astonishing what the mind can do. I like him, so I think I blocked it out. With him eating anything I put in front of him, hot chocolate or wings or pizza, it never really sank in.”

“Oh, he likes taste sensations. But he’s a vamp. He has to have blood to exist. Luckily, that little sip of mine is all he needs.”

“It’s going to be really hard to adjust to all this,” muttered Joyce.

“Tell me about it. He just asked me what I’d do if anybody else found out about us and I didn’t have an answer.”

“Buffy...”

“I know.” She looked helplessly at Joyce. “Giles would say that he’s a vamp and he’s a killer and he doesn’t have a soul and he’s evil. But he’s not acting evil anymore and, Mom, you know he’s not a typical vamp. It’s not the hot chocolate he misses. It’s being part of the family. And what does that say about him?”

“That even though he doesn’t have a soul, he’s got a heart?” Joyce laughed wryly as Buffy buried her face in the cushions of the couch. “But you knew that already, dear. He loves you. Do you love him?”

“I don’t know,” groaned Buffy.

“I can’t help you with that, honey. You’ll have to work that out yourself. But you can tell him he can come for dinner if he likes.”

Buffy looked up and smiled. “I think he’d like.”

When Spike came edgily in the next evening, Joyce walked over to him and hit him in the chest with an emphatic fingertip.

“If you hurt my daughter in any way, William the Bloody or whatever, I will dust you personally.”

“Joyce, if I hurt her, I’ll dust myself,” Spike said simply.

“Just so you know,” said Joyce, but she was smiling.

“She did mention scooping your nuts out with a grapefruit spoon,” murmured Buffy and giggled.

“You Summers women are really scary,” said Spike on a whoosh of breath. “And it’s a vampire telling you that.”

Joyce laughed. “Hot chocolate?”

“With those little marshmallows?”

“Well, of course,” said Joyce and it was all right after that, with all three of them comfortable and relaxed and talking happily again.

Which was what Giles walked in on a week later.

It was her own fault, Buffy thought later wryly. Jenny had picked up some strange vibes last week about something Giles called ‘shifts in the dimensional planes.’ Giles feared it might mean that the Hellmouth portal would be opening again and he was all worked up about it. But Buffy had expected him to call when he got some information, not come racing over to Revello Drive.

She had completely forgotten to lock the front door after she and Spike had come back from patrol that night and, with just a brusque knock to announce himself, Giles came barging in, talking all the way.

“It’s worse than I thought! Jenny thinks it’s something to do with the Powers That Be! If it is, it heralds some major change in the present status q...”

His voice broke off as he saw who was sprawled in the armchair opposite Buffy and Joyce, and he staggered backwards in shock.

“That’s...that’s Spike!” said Giles in a voice so high it was almost a squeak.

“Got some ’splaining to do,” muttered Spike wryly under his breath as Buffy leaped to her feet. He had always been so careful not to let Giles or the others see him with Buffy even at a distance in a cemetery, and now here Giles had caught him being all cosy and cuddly in Buffy’s own home.

“Uh, Giles...” Buffy shot a desperate glance at Joyce and Spike who both just looked back with wide eyes, totally at a loss what to do.

“William the Bloody! Vampire! Killer! Scourge of...Scourge of...” Giles strangled, losing his voice in horror. Then he gasped and coughed. “...Europe! What is he doing in your house?”

“Having some hot chocolate?” murmured Joyce and Spike grinned at her.

“Are you out of your mind?”

Buffy patted the air in a calming gesture. “Giles, chill...”

“Stop!” Giles yelped as Spike got to his feet. He whipped a cross out of his jacket pocket and held it up in Spike’s face, at the full stretch of his arm. “Back! Get back! Don’t come near any of us!”

“Giles, don’t!” Buffy grabbed Giles as he advanced on Spike, the cross held before him.

“Next, he’ll be saying, ‘Back, Spawn of Satan!’” remarked Spike, amused.

“You think this is funny, you pillock?” yelled Giles.

“Kind of like a bad movie, innit, mate?”

“Giles, he’s not going to hurt any of us,” Buffy shouted. “He’s helping me! He’s been helping me since I first came to Sunnydale.”

“What are you talking about? He’s a vampire! He’s evil!”

“Not anymore.”

“Hey! I’m still evil, pet,” protested Spike, aggrieved.

“But you don’t do evil nowadays,” objected Joyce. “You’re actually doing good, helping Buffy the way you are.”

“That’s different.”

“Actions speak louder than words,” murmured Joyce and he gave her a reproachful look.

“You’re mad!” said Giles numbly. “You’re all quite mad!”

“It’s kind of complicated, Giles,” sighed Buffy.

“Complicated? It’s appalling!” Giles’ eyes widened as Spike leaned forward to put his mug down on the coffee table. The cross shot up again. “Get back!”

“Uh, Spike, maybe you’d better step back a little,” Buffy suggested.

Spike held his hands up, palms out, and stepped back, sighing pointedly. Giles glared at him.

“Don’t even try to tell me that he isn’t William the Bloody and a vampire!”

“Yes, he is William the Bloody and he is a vampire, but...”

“He’s killed two Slayers already!”

‘Yeah, those were good fights,” said Spike, happily nostalgic. “But...”

“See? See?” Giles waved a finger at him. “Good Lord, Buffy! Can you really think he’s not planning to kill you too?”

“Then why hasn’t he killed me already? He’s had plenty of opportunity these last several months. He was here when I got to Sunnydale and, believe me, Giles, he was a lot better at fighting than I was at the time. I don’t deny he meant to kill me in the beginning, but then things changed. He taught me how to fight, Giles. He helped me with the Master and with Darla and the Anointed One. He’s helping me on my patrols right now...”

“He eats people!”

“Given that up recently,” murmured Spike

“Don’t give me that!”

“No, he really has, Giles,” said Buffy and Giles gaped at both of them.

“Even if I believed that, what about his minions? Didn’t you say that he’s the Master of Sunnydale now? He’s morally responsible for every death they cause!”

“Well, actually, they don’t kill anymore either,” said Spike. “Told them they could feed, but not kill. So they take a drink, but whoever they drink from recovers in a week and doesn’t remember squat.”

Giles looked as if a ton weight had landed on his head. “Why would they do that?”

“They’re minions, Watcher. They have to do what I say. They’re my vamps. Any other vamps come into town, Buffy and I take care of them.”

“Demons too,” said Buffy.

Giles was slackjawed. “But why..?”

Buffy and Spike glanced sideways at each other, then hurriedly looked away.

“Oh, no!” groaned Giles, seeing that. “No! You can’t have a relationship!”

“Well, we do,” growled Spike.

“Joyce!” exclaimed Giles desperately. “How can you condone this?”

“Well, I can’t say I’m happy about it.” Joyce shrugged ruefully at Spike. “It’s not that I don’t like you, dear. I like you very much. It’s just that I would have preferred you be human.”

“Quite understandable,” grinned Spike.

“But it’s up to Buffy, Rupert. It’s her choice.”

“She’s a Slayer! And he’s a vampire! He doesn’t have a soul! This cannot be allowed!” He glared at the way Buffy and Spike were standing so close to each other. “How could this have happened?”

“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you what I can.” Buffy looked at Spike. “Spike, maybe you should leave. If you’re around, he’ll be so upset, he won’t really hear what I say.”

“Right. See you at Restfield tomorrow evening for patrol?”

“Okay.”

He wanted to kiss her, but he knew that would send Watcher ballistic. Which would be fun, but not such a good idea right now. So he just smiled at Joyce and left. He didn’t go far though, just across the street and up into a tree in which he could sit and watch the house.

It was past midnight before Watcher left. He still looked extremely upset. He got into his car and drove off. Spike followed at his own pace. By the time he got to Giles’ place, Watcher was on the phone. To his bird, Jenny, Spike gathered. Spike leaned against the wall beside the window and watched Giles pace and wave his arms about and shout into the phone.

Wasn’t getting much joy from Jenny either, it seemed. Good to know that Watcher’s bird was openminded. Came from being a techno-pagan, Spike supposed. Mightn’t count for much, the way Watcher was freaking, but every little bit helped. Then Giles slammed the phone down, grabbed a bottle of whiskey and started killing it. Spike grinned.

Well, the bender and its subsequent hangover might calm him down some.

Spike went home in a very good mood. Buffy hadn’t caved. He had really wondered what would happen if Giles and the others found out. Whether Buffy would fold under the pressure they would bring to bear on her. But she was resisting. He didn’t know whether she could continue to hold out, but at least she cared enough for him to try. That was more than he had hoped.

He was completely unsurprised to find Giles sneaking around Restfield with a crossbow the next night. Giles was a Watcher, with all the indoctrination and the rigid thinking that came with it. A few hours talk with Buffy and Joyce wasn’t going to change his mindset. As far as he was concerned, Spike was a danger to all of them and he was going to save Buffy from a disastrous liaison.

“Gonna present Buffy with a done deal, Watcher?” he asked over his shoulder, then smiled at the startled silence that followed. “Did you really think I wouldn’t know you were there? Vamp here.”

“Which is why I cannot permit your relationship with Buffy to continue.”

Spike turned and smiled at Giles, who was standing twenty feet away with the crossbow aimed directly at Spike’s heart.

“She’ll never forgive you for dusting me.”

“Perhaps not. But, in the end, she will come to see that it was necessary. Both she and Joyce were very eloquent in their defense of you last night. But nothing beats a fait accompli. Once you’re dust, they’ll have no choice but to come to terms with it.”

“And you call yourself a white hat,” said Spike, amused.

“What do you call yourself? A ‘good’ vampire. Good Lord! What a contradiction in terms! I just can’t buy into that. A creature of darkness on the side of light? It just doesn’t happen.”

“I love her, Watcher.”

“Vampires can’t love.”

“That’s what the Council tells you. But you’re an intelligent man, Rupert. You’ve read the books. If vampires can’t love, what are all those references to claims doing in those books?”

“You’ve been a vampire for a hundred and twenty years. Can you honestly tell me you’ve met or even heard of a claimed couple?”

Spike sighed. “No. It’s rare.”

“It’s a myth! Just because vampires may envy a desirable human emotion doesn’t make it real. One cannot love without a soul.”

“Ah, this soul thing. What is a soul, Rupert? What does it do? Does it tell you what’s right or wrong?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Does it ensure that you act the right way? Does it forcibly prevent you from doing evil?” He laughed softly under his breath at Giles’ silence. “No, it doesn’t, or why are there murderers and rapists and serial killers? Choice, Watcher. I choose not to do evil, for Buffy’s sake.”

“You argue well and I see how you managed to charm your way into Joyce and Buffy’s good graces. The benefits of a classical education,” said Giles dryly. “Yes, I have looked you up, Spike. You’re not the yob you seem. An educated man, not just a ruffian. But there’s a fallacy to your argument.”

“What’s that then?”

“For Buffy’s sake, you said. Not because it’s right. Just because you presently desire Buffy.”

“Does the reason matter? The results are what count.”

“What happens when the desire wears off, which it often does? Even sooner perhaps if one is a vampire. You’ll kill her and Joyce and the rest of us.”

“You're asking for guarantees. There aren’t any. There never are.”

“Your being dust makes an excellent guarantee.” Giles sighted down the crossbow.

“Can’t let you do that, Watcher,” said Spike mildly. “Selfish that way. Prefer to survive.”

“You don’t have a choice,” said Giles. His finger tightened on the trigger.

In a flash of vampire speed, Spike had covered the twenty feet of ground between them and knocked the crossbow upward. The released bolt shot skyward, then spiraled back down to the ground and embedded itself in the turf. Giles gasped, his eyes wide behind his glasses.

“You’re human, Watcher,” said Spike softly. One hand held the crossbow pointed immovably skyward. The other had closed on Giles’ shirt, jerking him forward. “You’re not a Slayer. Slayer could have dusted me. But there is no way you can move faster than a vamp.”

“Xander!” croaked Giles.

“Did you really believe I wasn’t aware of that tosser lurking there?” Spike turned his head to the right. “How you doing, Amber?”

“Oh, I’ve got him, Spike,” a husky voice purred. “And that silly toy of his is kinda busted.”

Giles twisted his head around to see Xander bent back in the grip of a very pretty, copper-haired, vamp female. She was behind him, one arm around his shoulders and one around his chest in what looked like a light hold. But Xander couldn’t break free, was completely helpless, the crossbow that he had been carrying in two pieces at his feet.

“Meet Amber. One of my minions.” Spike grinned. “Did you think I wouldn’t guess what you might do after the way you acted last night? Thought you’d drag that loser in. Didn’t really need backup. Not with a git like that, human and a wimp to boot. But Amber wanted to play.”

“I’ll find a way to dust you if it’s the last thing I do!” snarled Xander.

“You thought jealousy would give him a real incentive, didn’t you, Watcher? He hates me because I’m fucking the Slayer and he’s not. Would have been a good choice if he wasn’t such a nothing. You’ve made a big mistake.”

“I’m thirsty, Spike,” Amber said. She licked the side of Xander’s neck and laughed when he tried to struggle. “Can I take a drink?”

“Go ahead.”

“No!” blurted Giles.

Amber’s fangs sliced into Xander’s neck

“They’re vulnerable, Watcher. Both that wanker and the little redhaired bird. Do you see where I’m going with this? Are you starting to get the picture?”

Xander was sagging in Amber’s arms.

“Make her stop!” Giles gasped.

“Come after me, they pay the penalty. My minions would make sure of that, even if I were dust, since I command it so. Do you understand?”

“Yes! Tell her to stop!”

“Amber.”

Amber withdrew her fangs. “You never let me have any fun.”

“I’ll get you, I’ll get you,” Xander was muttering.

“Nasty piece of work, isn’t he?” Spike remarked.

“You shouldn’t have stopped me, boss.”

“Do him.”

“What? No!” gasped Giles and Amber looked up at him and smiled. Her eyes suddenly flashed red and Giles’ voice died in his throat.

“Be in me,” purred Amber.

Xander’s eyes glazed over and even Giles felt dizzy.

“Just one command,” said Amber softly. “A nice simple one for a nice simple brain. You don’t ever hurt Spike. You got that? Never.”

“Never,” mumbled Xander blurrily.

“Good boy, Renfield.” She looked up at Spike and grinned. “Sure you don’t want him to do the eating flies bit? That would be a gas.”

“It would. But Slayer might not like that.”

“Yeah, wouldn’t want to get on her bad side.” She let Xander thump onto the ground where he lay struggling feebly. “Watcher man. Did you get the message?”

Giles recoiled from the red eyes staring at him. “Yes! Will he be all right?”

“In a few minutes. He’ll be a little shaky on his feet till then.”

Spike let Giles go. “Take him home.”

Giles gave him a resentful look, but stepped forward without another word to help Xander onto his feet. He hooked Xander’s arm across his shoulders, then began to urge him towards the cemetery gates. Spike and Amber watched them go.

“Did you get the Watcher too like we planned?” Spike murmured and Amber giggled.

“Yup. Nice, solid, deepseated command. And he wasn’t even aware of it. When he finds himself unwilling to come after you, he’ll think it’s only because he’s worried about those two children. Can’t break a command you don’t even suspect exists. Defense in depth, because both of them are going to forget ever being thralled.”

“Good job, pet. Sorry about having to make you drink from that wanker.”

“Blood’s blood. Tasted fine and made it easy to take his mind. And the shock of seeing the boy being drained frayed the Watcher’s defenses. I was able to slide right in before he could even think of guarding his own mind.”

“Looks like we’re over the hump. But now to tell the Slayer,” sighed Spike.

“Better you than me, boss.”

“You did what?” Buffy yelled.

“Got one of my minions to thrall Watcher and the geek.” Spike hooked a hip on the back of an armchair and watched her warily as she stood glaring at him, her hands on her hips. “Didn’t mess with their heads or anything. They’re still the same narrowminded pricks they always were and they still hate my guts. But they won’t be able to harm me in any way.”

“Spike...”

“Think a couple of hours of talking at Giles is enough to remove forty-five years of conditioning? All it did was make him go get blind drunk. Part of that was wanting to forget whatever you might have told him about us sleeping together and part of it was knowing you might never forgive him for dusting me. So he got blotto. But once he got over the hangover this morning, he went straight to Xander Harris. He knew Harris has the hots for you. Easy to get him breathing fire. The two of them would have stalked me forever. Don’t like getting shot in the back, pet.”

Buffy winced.

“I’m no saint. Temptation to rip their throats out might have got too strong. The thrall was the only solution.”

“How did you word it?”

“We kept it simple. ‘Don’t hurt Spike.’ Simple has power. No complications to it. Doesn’t change their attitudes, doesn’t stop them from wanting me dead. But that command has a hold on their psyches. They won’t dust or even harm me. Could you have done better?”

“No,” sighed Buffy. “Mom and I both tried. But I could see I wasn’t getting through to him. I just didn’t think he’d go right after you like that. I thought he’d argue and I’d have a chance to change his mind.”

“Watcher’s more than he seems,” remarked Spike. “That business at Halloween showed that. Maybe Watcher needs to get researched himself.”

Buffy laughed, but Spike thought that might be worth looking into. Watcher was demonstrating an interesting ruthlessness and Spike had always believed it was useful to know one’s enemy. There was a vamp called Dalton who was good at worming things out and it might be worthwhile getting him to check Giles out.

At least Watcher was checkmated now. Both he and Xander might still hate his guts, but they’d have to deal. The best thing that had happened though was...

“You fought for me, pet.”

Buffy blushed.

“I asked you what would happen if anybody found out and you said you didn’t know. That your instincts would take over. Well, your instincts didn’t kick me out the door like I thought they would.”

Her instinct had been to defend him, Buffy thought. She had expected to be horribly shamed and embarrassed if anyone found out. But when Giles had walked in, she hadn’t even thought of herself, of what Giles might be thinking of her. All she had been thinking about was keeping Spike safe, of trying to find some way to change Giles’ attitude towards him and keep him from staking Spike.

“Don’t make more of it than it is,” she muttered irritably. “It just didn’t seem right, the things that Giles was saying, that’s all. I mean, even Mom felt that.”

He reached out and pulled her to lean against him, his arms loosely linked in the small of her back.

“You gonna let me stick around a little longer? Not gonna run me out of town now everyone knows?”

Buffy glowered at him. “Maybe I will. You never know.”

“So when Giles and the others start up on you tomorrow—and they will, depend on it—you’re gonna say, ‘Yeah, I made a big mistake taking up with that evil, disgusting thing. Mea culpa. Just give me a minute to stake him, then I’ll do penance.’”

Her hands tightened on his shoulders. “You’re not an evil, disgusting thing.”

“That’s not what your friends would say.”

“Not if they want to remain my friends.”

He tilted his head a little to one side. “Watcher’s your mentor and Red and Harris are your best friends. You saying you’re not gonna listen to what they say?”

She would have, maybe, Buffy thought in surprise, if she hadn’t met Spike. Giles was the father figure her real father had never been, Willow was the only one she could happily share girl talk with and Xander almost a brother. But they didn’t know her the way Spike did. They were comfortable with Buffy the girl and they accepted Buffy the Slayer. The trouble was that they wanted Buffy the Slayer to be perfect, up on a pedestal, the angel with the flaming sword saving the world.

Spike knew her the way Joyce did, not wanting her to be perfect, just wanting her to be her. Both he and Joyce saw and accepted both her strengths and her weaknesses, supported her, helped her. Joyce didn’t really know or understand the Slayer part of her; Spike didn’t really understand the human part, his vamp lack of soul making morality a riddle that he could puzzle out only through her example. But they both tried, and they both saw her, not just their vision of her.

“You’re my mentor,” she said quietly, “and you are my best friend.”

His eyes widened.

“Don’t know how it happened, but there it is. And I could never stake you.” She grinned at him. “Run you out of town maybe.”

He kissed her sweetly. “You’d miss this.”

She kissed him back, her arms tight about his neck. “Yeah, I would. You’re addictive, vampire.”

“Yeah?” His eyes were smiling and soft.

“Don’t look so pleased. It’s just...”

“Just sex?”

“No. It’s more,” she confessed and watched his eyes light up.

“Buffy...”

“Not love,” she said hesitantly. “I’m not there yet. Maybe I never will be. But...”

“It’s enough,” he said fiercely and caught her tight.

The charm offensive of Giles and Xander started the very next day. They kept at her and at her, while Willow sat to one side, her eyes huge, just listening.

“He had a vamp bite me,” Xander yelled at Buffy. “I was bitten! I could have died!”

“Well, why were you sneaking around with a crossbow? Of course you could have died. You’re not a Slayer. You’re just human.”

“You’re missing the point,” said Giles sternly. “Spike could have killed him.”

“If Spike had wanted to kill the two of you, you’d be dead right now. He was just teaching you a lesson.”

“Just listen to yourself!” snarled Xander. “Why are you defending a vamp?”

“I’ve told you over and over. He may be a vamp, but he’s helping me. He fights my demons right at my side, and he’s a damn good fighter. I’m not going to throw away an asset like that just because of your prejudices.”

“It’s a spell, isn’t it?” Xander growled. “He’s put a spell on you.”

“It’s not a spell.” She gave him a nasty grin, suddenly losing patience. “At least not the way you think. I just like fucking him.”

Xander and Giles gasped, shocked into silence at last.

“Coming, Will?” Buffy spun on her heel and stalked out of the library.

“I can’t believe you said that!” muttered Willow, running after her.

“Got mad.” Buffy glanced sideways at her and saw that Willow was grinning. “What about you? You gonna start up with the Spike-hate?”

“Nuh-uh. I’ve actually been listening to what you’ve been saying. That he’s been helping you, even trained you. I remember that Thai thing last year. You kept hammering out those moves on the punching bag and the thing I noticed even then was that they weren’t exactly the ones on those tapes Dwayne gave you. Someone was showing you stuff.”

“Whoa! You’ve actually been thinking!”

“They’ll start thinking too in a while. It’ll just take them a little time. The thing that got me is that you let him into your house.”

“Well, sure...”

“You’d never risk your Mom, Buff. Not unless you were absolutely sure you trust him.”

“You know, I hadn’t even thought about that,” said Buffy, wide-eyed. “I just did it.”

“And he’s never hurt her. Or us. And he could have.”

“Yes, he could. Easily.”

“He’s been here since you came to Sunnydale last year and he’s had plenty of chances. Only fair to give him one too.”

“I like the way you think.”

Willow grinned at her. “Computer nerd here. We think weird. Our brains are completely 404.”

“You know what’s scary? I actually understood that.”

They both laughed.

“One down, two to go,” said Spike to Buffy after meeting a very nervous Willow and going all out to charm her. By the end of the evening, Willow had relaxed and was enjoying herself.

“The other two will be a lot harder,” sighed Buffy.

“We’ll wear ’em down,” said Willow and made an exaggeratedly determined face. “See? Resolve face.”

Spike laughed at her. “Think that’ll work?”

“Uh-huh. Xander’s seen it ever since we were rugrats and he’s terrified of it.”

“Looks cute on you, Red.” He leaned back and surveyed her wistfully. “Now if only you’d dress the way you did on Halloween.”

“Huh?”

“You looked hot. Great abs.”

Willow blushed as red as her hair.

“Sorry about that,” muttered Buffy, yanking Willow over to the other side of the room. “The man has no shame.”

“Oh, I think I’m in love,” said Willow, grinning.

Buffy laughed and poked her shoulder lightly. “Hands off. Mine!”

“That’s obvious,” said Willow, watching Spike watch Buffy.

This time Buffy blushed.

Spike was happy. Buffy clearly felt at least something for him and Willow was coming round. Joyce was already there, for which he was truly grateful. Joyce and Willow’s opinions meant a lot to Buffy. Giles and Xander would take longer to accept him, but they would in the end when they saw they had no choice and he kept proving that he would do nothing to hurt or upset Buffy. Things were going really well.

He ran lightly up the street to Shady Rest, where Buffy had said she would meet him for patrol.

The moment he stepped through the cemetery’s gates, he felt uneasy. There was an odd vibration in the air. It was as if the Hellmouth had opened. But he was sure it had not and, besides, the Hellmouth was nowhere near Shady Rest. Still the emanations he felt were like those of a portal when something had passed through it.

He remembered Buffy telling him that Giles had been worried about ‘dimensional shifts.’ Maybe something really had come through. He moved warily forward, scanning the area intently for any creature that might possibly harm Buffy.

Something moved in the shadows, then stepped into the moonlight. Spike stopped short abruptly, his eyes widening.

“Angelus?”

The last creature he wanted to see, the great poof with his stupid hair and smug smile.

“But I saw you dusted!”

Angelus smirked. “The Powers That Be didn’t think that was right. Yeah, I went to hell, but they pulled me out of it. It’s taken me this long to recover.”

“So what the hell are you doing here in Sunnydale? Looking to be dusted again? Should have stayed wherever they dumped you. I’m not gonna let you hurt my Slayer!”

“Your Slayer?” Angelus scowled. “She’s not your Slayer. She’s mine! That’s the way it should have been!”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“He’s right.” Someone stepped into the moonlight and stopped beside Angel. A small man wearing ugly clothes and a battered fedora.

“Who the hell are you?” Spike growled.

“Whistler. Demon. More importantly, a representative of the Powers That Be.”

“Yeah?” Spike frowned at him. “So what do the PTB want?”

“To fix things. You see, you’re not the one who’s supposed to be here, Spike. He is.”

“Angelus? The worst fucking vampire on the planet? Pull the other one, you git! No way the PTB would want him anywhere near the Slayer!”

“He’s got a soul.”

“Angelus with a soul? You gotta be shitting me! What, he pick one up off the floor when he was in hell?”

“I was cursed with it a hundred years ago,” Angelus said. “The name’s Angel now and I’m on the side of light.”

Spike’s eyes widened. He thought back over the last hundred years and every encounter he had had with Angelus during that time. Yeah, it could have happened. The strange way Angelus had acted made sense once he factored in a soul.

“He was the one who was supposed to help Buffy Summers,” Whistler was saying. “A vampire with a soul. But things went wrong. Buffy dusted him before he could explain. You should never have come here, Spike. You belong with Drusilla. I’m here to put things back to the way they should be, with Angel at Buffy’s side.”

Spike laughed suddenly, an ugly, bitter sound.

“Should have known,” he said. “Always lose, don’t I? Should have known I’d get fucked over before the game was done.”

TBC