---

The two vampires reached Giles’ apartment as the first of the morning’s rays started to shine across the small courtyard outside of the building. Spike held Buffy protectively close.

“S’okay, pet, you’ll do fine.”

“It’s not okay, Spike, I’m not okay, and nothing will ever be okay ever again,” Buffy whispered into his chest. “I was going to bite him, Spike. How can I ever look at him again? He must hate me.”

“No, pet, he doesn’t hate you. He loves you. I’m sure he’s been worried sick.”

As they entered the apartment, Giles dashed from the kitchen towards the front door. “Oh thank God you found her!” Giles had been frantic when Buffy had fled from his home. He knew that the sun would be rising soon and that she could be in danger.

“Yeah, mate,” Spike said with a small nod.

Giles wanted so badly to wrap his arms around Buffy. If he could hold her he would know that she was alright; however, he was beginning to understand that this would be brutal temptation for Buffy as, she was unable to control the demon inside of her at the moment. Resigning himself to this fact, he kept a safe distance from the petite girl in front of him.

Spike realized that Buffy was getting heavy as he held her against his chest, and as he looked down at the small figure in his arms he realized that she had started to fall asleep.

“Say, Watcher, you got someplace safe for her to sleep? I think she’s ‘bout done in.”

“Yes, yes of course. She can sleep in my bed upstairs.”

Spike picked Buffy up in his arms like a sleeping child and carried her up the stairs to Giles’ bedroom. He gently placed her on the bed and removed her shoes before pulling the covers over her tiny body. He then made sure that the curtains were securely closed, ensuring that no sunlight could enter the room.

Giles watched as Spike placed Buffy in the bed and fussed over the curtains. *He really does love her,* he thought to himself when he saw the tenderness the blonde vampire used in regards to the former Slayer.

“If you don’t mind I might catch a few z’s m’ self, getting’ a bit late an’ all.”

“Mmm…… Yes of course. W-where were you intending on sleeping?”

“Don’t worry, Watcher. I’ll sleep on the chair.”

“Very well then. I’ll leave you to get some rest.”

“Thanks, Rupes….. Oh one more thing, she’ll be hungry when she wakes up. Do you have any blood ‘ere?”

“No, no I don’t, I-I-I’ll go get some.”

“Thanks.”

As Giles left the room, Spike sat in the chair across from Buffy and before long he too was asleep.


~*~~*~~*~


“Angel, what are you doing here? I thought you where dead?” Buffy asked as she walked closer to the dark-haired vampire.

“You should know death isn’t enough to keep me from you…..Lover.”

“Oh no, not again. Stay away from me!” she hissed.

“Oh such harsh words, I’m quaking in my boots,” Angelus mocked.

“I mean it, if you come near me you’ll curse the day you were ever born.”

Buffy put as much force behind her words as possible, hoping that he wouldn’t come any closer. It didn’t work, Angelus just kept advancing on her and for some reason she couldn’t move.

Angelus was now standing so close that he could have kissed her if he wanted; however, nothing so innocent figured in his plans. He had a much more deadly desire to fulfil.

He bent down and licked the side of her neck, allowing his cold lips to linger over her pulse point.

Buffy let out a small shiver when she felt Angelus’ cool lips on her neck; as she felt his fangs bury themselves in her soft flesh, she let out a harsh scream. Tears welled in her eyes as she felt her life being drained from her.


~*~~*~~*~


Buffy awoke from her dream screaming. Spike was at her side in an instant, pulling her into his strong embrace in an attempt to comfort her. “S’okay, pet, s’okay. It’s just a dream, it’s over now.”

Spike was rocking Buffy, slowly stroking her hair as she cried on his shoulder. After spending so many years with Drusilla, he’d picked up a few tricks to calm down distraught females.
Dru would often have nightmares or visions that would send her into hysterics. Kissing the top of Buffy’s head, Spike stroked her back while he rocked her back and forth, all the while whispering in her ear that she was safe now, that it was just a dream and that nothing was going to harm her.

When Giles heard Buffy scream, his heart turned to ice. Running as fast as he could up to his bedroom he saw the bleached blonde vampire holding Buffy in his arm rocking her back and forth, whispering in her ear.

Giles started to make his way to Buffy so he could help comfort her.

“I think you best stay back, Watcher.” Spike spoke the warning gently, fully aware that it would break the watcher’s heart to have to stay away from his overwrought ward.

Spike was right. As much as it hurt Giles to be unable to comfort Buffy, the girl he considered to be his daughter, he would only be compounding the problem. After what happened earlier, he’d best stay away from the former Slayer, at least until she could control the demon inside of her.

“What happened?” Giles asked.

“Bad dream I s’pose,” Spike squeezed Buffy closer to his chest.

“Oh. W-w-well t-that’s to be expected, she’s been through a lot,” Giles said in a low voice.

“Yeah, s’pose so.” Spike responded in a sombre tone.

“I-Is there anything that I can do to help?” Giles asked.

“No, don’t think so, mate” Spike replied softly, all the while continuing to stroke Buffy’s hair.

As much as it pained Giles, he knew there was nothing he could do to help, for all he knew his presence alone could be enough to test Buffy’s self-control. “Right. I’ll leave you to it. I’ll be downstairs if you need me.”

“Yeah, okay,” Spike agreed with a small nod.

Giles stopped and turned to the blonde vampire. “Spike?”

Spike lifted his head to look at Giles. “Yeah?”

“Take care of her.”

“Course, Watcher, I’d give my own unlife for her.”

With that said, Giles slowly turned and walked back downstairs to continue the research he’d started on the Slayer/Vampire. Unfortunately he wasn’t having much success. In all his years as a Watcher he had never heard of a vampire with a heartbeat, and the fact that she seemed to have retained her soul and still required to breathe was nothing short of astounding. He would obviously have to conduct some more tests to see what other abilities the Slayer/Vampire was capable of. Under different circumstances, Giles would be positively jumping with unrestrained jubilation at the opportunity to study such an event; however, the thought of researching such an issue with regards to Buffy only served to be distressing.

~*~~*~~*~


Buffy had started to fall back to sleep in Spike’s arms as he rocked her back and forth. When he tried to pull away from her, Buffy only tightened her grip around his waist. If he had been human she would have easily killed him with the pressure she now placed on his body.

“Don’t leave, please just hold me,” she whispered into his chest.

Spike nodded his head. “Okay, luv. I won’t leave you. Just lay back, get more comfortable.”

As they lay down together, Buffy rested her head on Spike’s chest. He held onto Buffy tightly, kissing the top of her head as they fell into a dreamless sleep wrapped in each other’s arms.


~*~~*~~*~


When Buffy awoke she realized that she was lying on something cold and hard with what felt like arms wrapped around her body. Lifting her head to see what she was laying on, she found herself looking straight into ice blue eyes.

“Afternoon, pet, sleep well?” Spike asked, giving her a soft grin.

“It wasn’t a dream was it?” Buffy asked quietly as she ran her hand over her face.

“No, pet, ‘fraid not.” He started to stroke her hair, hoping to keep her calm.

“What time is it?” she asked as she rolled onto her back, pinning Spike’s arm behind her neck. Not that he was complaining about this, mind you.

Gazing down at the woman of his dreams, Spike brushed a wisp of hair from Buffy’s face. “’Bout four, I think….. You hungry, Pet?”

“Mmm yes, I’m starved.”

Buffy started to stretch, arching her back and raising her arms above her head. Spike couldn’t believe what he was seeing. *Cor she’s beautiful, so warm and soft. I can’t believe she’s allowing me to hold her. If I died right now I would die a happy bloke.* Shaking himself from his thoughts, Spike gave Buffy a warm smile. “Well then let’s get you something to eat. The Watcher said he would get some blood.”

“Mmm. Sounds good.” She forced herself to sit up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. She found that waking in Spike’s arms was a lot more pleasant then she would have ever expected.

“Spike, could you ask Giles to leave until I’ve eaten? Just in case,” she nibbled her bottom lip nervously.

“Sure thing, pet, I’ll go shoo him away.”

“Thanks.”


~*~~*~~*~


Spike somehow found a gentle way to tell Giles to sod off while Buffy had something to eat and after a few minutes Buffy made her way downstairs. Spike handed her a mug of warmed blood as she entered the kitchen. She greedily gulped down the warm red liquid making a yummy noise when she finished.

“Mmm, tastes a lot better when it’s warm,” she teased, handing her mug back to Spike. “More please.”

Spike only laughed and refilled her mug, placing it in the microwave to warm the liquid inside. When the microwave beeped he handed the second mug of warm blood to Buffy and she quickly grabbed it from his hand and drank greedily, loving the warm copper taste that spilled across her lips. Finally feeling sated, she handed the mug back to Spike and licked her lips.

“Want some more, luv?”

“No, I’m full,” she answered, patting her stomach to emphasize the fact.

He then filled his own mug, placing it into the microwave so he too could have some breakfast. At first Spike didn’t notice Buffy rummaging through Giles’ fridge and pantry. When he finally became aware that Buffy was looking in the fridge trying to find something, he raised his scarred eyebrow in question.

“What you looking for, pet?”

“Something to eat. I’m starving!! I haven’t eaten since yesterday.”

“Um, Buffy, what do you mean you haven’t eaten since yesterday? You just ate. You said you were full.”

“No, Spike, I just drank some blood. Now I want some food, I’m hungry.” Buffy repeated, her tone very much like she was talking to a distracted toddler.

“Pet, you’re a vampire. You don’t need to eat food anymore, remember?” Spike was looking at Buffy like she had just grown a second head.

“Yeah, Spike, try telling that to my stomach.”

She had finally found a box of Weetabix in Giles’ pantry and started to help herself a bowl of the cereal.

Spike watched in amazement as Buffy started to eat the cereal. Of course Spike ate human food on occasion, but he would never say that he ever felt the need to eat food because he was hungry.

Buffy was halfway through her second breakfast when Giles stuck his head through the front door.

“Um, is it okay for me to come inside now?” Giles shyly asked from his front door.

“Oh, Giles, of course, come in,” Buffy said, feeling quite embarrassed about the fact that she had forgotten Giles was waiting outside while she ate.

“How are you feeling?” he asked as he started to clean his glasses.

“Better, not great, but I feel clearer, not so confused. Guess that’s what a meal and a good day’s sleep can do for ya,” she said as she ate another mouthful of her cereal.

“Yes, yes indeed,” he put his glasses back on and noticed that Buffy seemed to be eating a bowl of cereal.

“Wh--What are you eating?”

“Weetabix,” Buffy said as she ate another mouthful of cereal.

“May I ask why?” Giles was more than a little surprised to see a fledgling vampire enjoying a bowl of cereal.

“S’what I’d like to know” Spike muttered to himself.

“Like I already said! I was hungry,” Buffy said while looking directly at Spike, raising her voice a little.

“What do you mean you were hungry? Didn’t Spike give you any of the blood I got for you? Willy assured me it was fresh.”

“Yes, Giles I had two mugs full. Thanks by the way. But I still felt hungry so I had a bowl of cereal as well.”

“What do you mean you were still hungry? The blood should have filled you,” Giles asked, desperately trying to make sense of what Buffy was saying.

“It did fill me, but I still felt hungry.”

“That doesn’t make much sense, pet, either you’re full or your not, can’t be both,” Spike was very confused on this one. How could she be full and hungry at the same time?

“What’s so hard to believe about the fact that I was hungry? I didn’t know it was a crime to eat a bowl of cereal! Am I going to get the third degree every time I eat something?” Buffy asked in irritation.

“Not at all, Buffy, we are just a little confused. You said that the blood filled you, is that correct?” Giles asked.

“Yes.”

“And you said that you were still hungry so you ate some cereal?”

“Yes.”

“And are you full now?”

“Yes.”

“So what you are saying is that you require both blood and food in order to feel satisfied.”

“Yeah I guess so,” Buffy said quietly, suddenly feeling very confused.

“This is fascinating.” Giles was amazed; he never knew that it was possible for a vampire to survive on anything other than blood.

“Glad someone’s happy about my new freak status,” Buffy muttered.

“You’re not a freak, Slayer,” Spike placed his hand on Buffy’s shoulder.

Buffy turned and pulled away from Spike. “Yeah right, I’m not a ‘freak.’ I’m a vampire with a heartbeat and a soul who needs to eat food as well as blood, oh and I also breathe. Now try telling me how I’m not a freak! I’ve always been a freak, even as a human I was never normal. I never had a normal life. Hell I never even had a normal boyfriend. No one I know is normal, Willow and Tara are witches, Giles is a Watcher, Anya’s an ex-demon, you’re a vampire and my little sister is some mystical key thingy. Xander’s the only one of us who could ever be considered remotely normal, and that is very disturbing!” Buffy was now yelling as she paced the floor.

“Just ‘cause you’re different, Slayer, doesn’t make you a freak,” Spike tried to reassure Buffy.

“Yes it does Spike. That’s what a freak is!” Buffy stomped over to Giles’ couch.

“Yeah, good point,” Spike shrugged his shoulders and followed her.

Buffy just looked at him and threw her hands in the air with a frustrated sigh, “could my life get weirder?” she muttered as she flopped down onto the couch glaring at Spike as he sat down next to her.

“Buffy, I know everything must feel very unnatural to you right now. But I’ll – we’ll start to research this right away. I’m sure that there is some reason that your transformation has occurred, perhaps a prophecy.” Giles walked over to stand in front of Buffy.

“Well that makes me feel so much better” Buffy announced sarcastically. Jumping from the couch she once again started to pace the floor.

“No, I’m sure it isn’t much comfort to you right now,” Giles said nervously, removing his glasses he briskly started to polish them.

“I’m sorry, Giles. I didn’t mean to be all snappy. I’m just a little high strung at the moment.” Buffy reached out to hold Giles’s hand.

He gave her a small smile in return. “Yes, I can imagine that you would be quite shaken by the recent events.”

“Understatement, much!” Buffy gave Giles’s hand a small squeeze. “So, what do we do now?”

“Well we should probably conduct some tests. Find out what other abilities you have--strength, speed, etcetera.”

“Well okay then. But first I’m going to go clean up. Than we can get started.” With that, Buffy walked to the bathroom.

“I’m gonna have a smoke,” Spike mumbled to no one in particular. Fortunately most of the courtyard was in the shade by now, so he could leave without the fear that the late afternoon’s sun would turn him into a crispy critter.

“Yes and I’ll start to prepare” Giles said to himself as he walked over to his weapons chest, removing several items.


~*~~*~~*~


Several minutes later Buffy returned from the bathroom.

“You guys are not going to believe this one….. But I have a reflection.”

“YOU WHAT!?!” Spike yelled.

“Excuse me?” Giles asked.

“I have a reflection,” Buffy said with a wide smile.

“This is amazing.” Giles was almost jumping with joy, “a vampire with a reflection, I have never heard of such a thing.”

“Don’t get so excited, Giles, you might give yourself an injury,” Buffy’s smile grew even wider at the sight of her Watcher almost dancing from the excitement.

“How the bloody hell can you have a reflection?” Spike asked as he walked over to Buffy.

“I don’t know, Spike, I just do.”

“But it’s not possible, I’ve been a bloody vampire for over a century and I’ve never even seen a glimpse of a reflection.”

“What’s wrong, Spikey, jealous?” Buffy mocked.

“Well yeah, don’t think it’s very fair s’all,” Spike muttered.

Buffy laughed and turned to her Watcher. “Giles when I was in the bathroom seeing my own reflection wasn’t the only weird thing that happened…… I um, I had to pee.” She nervously bit her bottom lip.

“Excuse me?” Giles couldn’t believe his ears.

“I had to pee.”

“That is not possible. A vampire doesn’t have an excretory system like a human.”

“Well someone forgot to tell my body that, because I just did.”

“This is amazing.” Each new revelation left Giles more overwhelmed with excitement.

“So, Watcher, got any theories?” Spike asked as he casually leaned against the wall watching Buffy in amazement.

“W-Well, one would assume that the need to consume food would necessitate the need for normal digestive and excretory systems.” Giles turned and watched Buffy sitting on the couch.

“Would the two of you stop looking at me like I’m some sort of lab rat? It’s freaking me out!” Buffy yelled.

“Sorry.”

“Sorry, pet.”

Buffy rolled her eyes in annoyance. “Okay, Giles you said something about tests earlier.”

“Oh yes, the tests. I-I was thinking that we would see if you have any normal vampire weaknesses.”

Buffy furrowed her brow. “What do you have in mind?”

“Well I would like to see if you have any reactions to items such as holy water, crosses, garlic, and sunlight.”

Spike was furious. “What, you’re gonna torture her? What’s the last test, a stake through the heart to see if she turns to dust?”

“No! Not at all. I would rather take my own life than to harm her. But we do need to know what her weaknesses are.”

“What, so if she goes all evil on you, you’ll know how to off her?” Spike growled in anger.

“NO! BUFFY NEEDS TO KNOW SO SHE CAN DEFEND HERSELF!” Giles was livid. How could Spike ever think that he would want to harm the girl that he loved like a daughter?

“STOP IT!” Buffy yelled.

Both Giles and Spike turned to look at the truly pissed off Slayer/Vampire standing in front of them.

“Spike, back off! I’ll do the tests.”

“Yeah well, when he decides to see if you have intolerance to pointy wooden things, don’t come crying to me.”

“Spike! Giles won’t hurt me. Will you, Giles?”

“No, of course not.”

“See, I’m in no danger.”

Spike only snorted in protest.

“Okay, what’s the first test?” Buffy asked turning to Giles.

“Well it’s your choice, Buffy. I have crosses, holy water, and garlic and of course there’s sunlight.”

“Not too keen on the sunlight, so I guess I’ll start with the cross, ya know work my way up to the whole burning to death thing.”

Buffy reached over and touched the cross with her fingertip. Nothing happened, so she laid her hand on the cross--still no reaction. Finally she picked the cross up off the table. With a huge grin she turned to Spike and showed him the cross. “See nothing to worry about.”

“Extraordinary!” was all Giles could say.

Next Buffy carefully opened the bottle of holy water. After a few deep breaths she dipped her finger in the bottle, no reaction. She poured a small amount onto her hand, still no reaction. “This is great! Now this is a test that I can pass!” Buffy’s grin got even wider as she looked over at Giles and Spike.

“Extraordinary!” Giles said again.

Spike was grinning like a Cheshire cat. *That’s my girl!*

Next Buffy picked up the garlic. She held it up to her nose and sniffed, “Just smells like garlic to me.”

“Extraordinary!” Giles said again.

“You know, Giles you’re starting to sound like a broken record,” Buffy said with a small giggle.

“Nah, Slayer. Never heard a record that sounded like that ponce” Spike said with a smirk.

Buffy burst out laughing and Spike drank in her beauty. He loved it when she laughed, especially when he was the one who made her happy.

“Oh yes, sorry, I’m just a little stunned. This is just…..” Giles took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes as he spoke.

“Extraordinary?” Buffy finished for him.

“W-well yes.” He gave Buffy a small smile.

Buffy started to laugh again. “Okay, okay. What’s next?” she asked as she took a deep breath.

“Well if you feel up to it, the sun hasn’t set yet, if you would like to see if-if……”

“If I burn to a crisp?” Buffy finished for him.

“Well, not so much burn to a crisp, as much as, well simply burn” Giles answered.

“Okay, let’s see if I go all dusty in sunlight” she said with fake enthusiasm.

“Buffy, pet you might want to think about this. Sunlight hurts like a bitch; takes a long time to heal as well” Spike said softly.

“No... It’s alright. It’s not like I’m going to walk out into direct sunlight or anything,” Buffy said as she walked to the front door. “Besides the suspense is killing me, and I don’t think I could wait until tomorrow to find out.”

Spike and Giles followed Buffy out the front door. They watched in amazement as she placed her hand out into a small patch of sunlight.

Letting out a scream in delight, she walked out into the full rays of the afternoon sun, holding her arms as she laughed and spun in circles like a small child.

“Oh god, Spike, Giles! I can go in the sunlight--this is, this is just incredible,” Buffy was overjoyed.

Laughing like a mad woman she grabbed Giles and pulled him into the sunlight with her.

“Look, Giles, I can go in the sunlight.” She was so happy she started to cry.

“Yes, I can see that. It’s wonderful,” Giles said with a huge smile.

“Wonderful, Giles? It’s amazing!” she tilted her face up towards the sun. “I thought that I would never be able to do this again.”

“Yes, I’m starting to believe that you may not have many, if any, ‘disabilities’ with your new, um,
condition,” Giles replied as he watched Buffy sunbathing.

Spike was standing in the shadows watching in sheer amazement and envy. What he would give to be able to stand in the sun with her.

“Dawn!” Buffy suddenly yelled.

“Excuse me?” Giles asked.

“Dawn, I have to call her, she’ll be worried sick,” Buffy stood up and started to walk back into Giles’ apartment.

“Buffy, may I ask what you are going to tell Dawn?” Giles asked curiously.

“I don’t know. But she needs to know what’s happened,” Buffy said quietly. She had no idea how to tell Dawn and her friends about her recent transformation.

“D-do you think it’s wise to tell her like this? I mean this isn’t the sort of thing you tell someone over the phone” Giles asked.

“Yeah, luv. Might be a bit of a shock n’ all,” Spike said as he lit another cigarette.

Buffy nodded her head in agreement, “Yeah…I guess I could call everyone and get them to meet us at the shop, if that’s alright with you?” Buffy asked Giles as she nervously ran her hands through her hair.

“Yes, yes of course,” Giles nodded his head in agreement.

As Buffy walked inside to call the rest of the Scoobies, Giles turned to Spike. “What do you think of all of this?”

“I think ‘s amazing. I mean she’s still Buffy, just new an’ improved, what more could you ask for?”

“Yes her transformation is amazing. However I don’t think I would use the term ‘improved’ as you put it!” Giles ground out, more then peeved at the thought of Spike thinking he had improved Buffy. “However, I must say I have never heard of a vampire with Buffy’s ‘abilities’. Have you?” He looked straight at the blonde vampire.

“Oh yeah, hear bout it all the time, in fact I saw a vamp last week that could fire walk,” Spike replied, his voice absolutely dripping with sarcasm. “Of course I haven’t bloody well heard of this before, Watcher” he threw his cigarette into the garden, “and I’m guessing we’ll never see it again. She’s a one of a kind.”

“Yes, yes you’re probably right, still I’ll continue with my research.”

A few minutes later Buffy came back outside and sat in a small patch of sunlight enjoying the warmth. “I’ve called the gang. They’ll meet us at the shop around seven.”