Hey everyone! Thanks for the lovely reviews, they mean a lot. So some of you are worried about Gayle, whether she’s actually evil or if she’s gonna go after Spike. Well… do you honestly think I’m gonna tell you?! This soon?! I’ve got about twenty chapters to go yet! I’m trying to go along the usual construction of a Buffy season, so the mystery will only be lifted muuuuch later, with lots of action and detours along the way. As for Spuffy steam, well, there’s a little appetizer in this chapter. And for the L-word, be patient: these two have been through a lot, they can’t work it out from one day to the next… And I’ve got to keep you on your toes, don’t I? Mwah-ha-ha-ha…

This chapter is a bit longer than usual. Sometimes I just can’t seem to be able to stop. Let me know if it’s too much or boresome. That little steamy bit? Was not planned. It just sorta wrote itself before I could stop it. And I apologize for the lateness in updating, but I broke my ankle last Sunday. I’ve got a splint and crutches and everything. The pain is kinda distracting. Anyway, lemme know what you think…

Chapter Four – People Are Strange

“People are strange when you’re a stranger
Faces look ugly when you’re alone
Women seem wicked when you’re unwanted
Streets are uneven when you’re down
When you’re strange, faces come out of the rain
When you’re strange, no-one remembers your name.”
The Doors, People Are Strange

It was high noon, and Buffy was standing in front of Spike’s crypt. This ends now, she thought, and walked decisively in.

She found him slouched on his armchair, watching TV. He got up when she entered, surprised to see her. His button-down shirt was hanging open, revealing his perfectly chiseled, definitely lickable chest.

Okay, maybe not “now”…

“Hello, Buffy.”

“Spike. Erm. We… we need to… we need to talk.”

He nodded. “Yes. Would you… like a drink? I have a few soft drinks stored up…”
“Really? Why?”

He looked at her with that which made her realize she’d just asked a stupid question…

“Erm, yeah, drink would be of the nice.”

He nodded and motioned her to sit down. There was only one armchair there, so she propped herself up on a sarcophagus. When he brought her a can of coke, she realized what a mistake that was.

The sarcophagus had brought her to his eye level, and, more importantly, lip level. All she had to do was move a little forward and…

No! her mind screamed. Focus, damn you!

She took a deep breath and opened her can. She took a long sip while surveying him. She could tell he was in the same state, because his breathing was short and shallow. He only breathed when he was feeling a strong emotion.

She took the plunge. “About the… other night…”

He looked at her with a worried frown. Which other night? Was she talking about when he had tried to…?

“Xander was out of line.”

He sighed in relief.

“But he wasn’t entirely wrong…”

The frown was back. But he had known that, in time, they would have had to face the facts.

“It is… hard for me to have you around…”

“Hasn’t exactly been a walk in the park for me either, kitten.”

“Don’t call me ‘kitten’.” Why not? You like it when he does… “What I was saying is, when I look at you, I…”

Her mind trailed off. She was looking at him. At his expectant face, at his beautiful eyes, his sensuous lips…

The temperature got up a couple of degrees… Spike wondered why she had stopped talking, but then he saw her dilated pupils… and started to feel himself going hard.

Slowly, he got closer to her, expecting her to push him away at any moment. She didn’t. Hypnotized by his gorgeous face and the love filling his eyes, she didn’t move. He held out his hand to cup her cheek. She let him. His fingers then glided along the column of her throat…

She moaned.

All bets were off.

He leaned forward and caught her lips with his own. Buffy’s body went straight to auto-pilot and her arms around his back, pulling him closer. Her mouth opened to receive his tongue which started immediately an intimate dance with hers…

His hands moved down her sides and slid under her top. The contact of her skin made him just hungrier for more. He broke the kiss to attack her throat, letting his tongue and lips work their way down to the crook of her shoulder, where he suckled and nipped at the skin with blunt teeth. Buffy moaned again and arched her back, pressing her breast against his chest. She hooked her fingers in his hair while her other hands trailed down his back.

Spike was lost in the feel of her. His hands were moving all over her body, and one of them found its way under her skirt. He pushed her underwear aside and slid his fingertips along her folds. She was wet and gasped at his touch. She moved her hips forwards, almost impaling herself on his fingers. He wrapped his free arm around her waist to steady her. He slid two fingers inside her and started massaging her clit with his thumb.

She bucked against his hand. He began pumping and she thrust to meet him. She knew she wouldn’t last long, he was too skillful. But she wanted him so bad, she didn’t care. Why had she come here again? Don’t know, don’t care…

Spike started pumping faster, and his breathing became shallow. He kept watching her, wanting to see her face when she came. She was so beautiful when she came, abandoned, glowing, and her mouth forming a perfect little O. God she felt so hot on his hand, he was certain he was going to catch fire at some point.

She bucked harder and faster. And suddenly, a powerful climax hit her like a tidal wave. As she cried out, her cries were muffled by his mouth, and she kissed him back with passion as she rode out the remnants of her orgasm.

She clung on to him by his shirt as she came down, and he held her tight. It was so good to be in his arms again. She breathed in his scent, like leather and spices… So good…

“Oh my sweet Buffy…” Spike whispered, kissing her hairline. “Love you so much…”

Reality came crashing back. Buffy’s eyes went wide when she remembered suddenly why she was here. She roughly pushed Spike off her and he tumbled to the floor. “What the heck is wrong with you? I came here to talk!”

He stared at her in disbelief. “Me?! You’re the one who… that… We were both in this!”

“When exactly, when I said ‘We need to talk’, did you hear ‘please make with the handjob’?”

“Oh, like you hated every minute of it!”

“That’s so not the point!”

“Isn’t it? Did I force that one on you too?”

Her face fell. Spike inwardly falcepalmed himself. Buffy jumped off the sarcophagus and smoothed down her clothes.

“Jesus, Buffy, I’m sorry…”

“No, it-it’s okay… look, tell you what, just be at the Bronze tonight. We’ll talk then.” She started walking towards the door.

“Kitten…”

“Just… be there.” She left without meeting his eyes.

Spike felt the familiar pinch in his unbeating heart. Despite everything… she was still afraid of him. He punched the sarcophagus she had been sitting on. His knuckles bled without him noticing…

Buffy was walking briskly out of the cemetery. Good plan… Fetch Dawn from school, go home to Gayle’s cheerytude and go to the Bronze later… Yes, the Bronze… in front of that many people, I might not be so tempted to jump his bones and we can really talk…

__…-==-…__

On the first floor of the Summers house, in the guest bedroom, Gayle Masterson was crouching on the floor and crying, heavy sobs rocking her body back and forth. When she heard the front door open and Dawn call out “Gayle? You in?”, she took a deep breath and shouted “Yeah, upstairs!” in a cheery voice. As the teen made her way up the stairs, Gayle quickly got up and went to her mirror.

“Come on. Get it together, girl. Get it together.” She wiped the remnant tears and put on her usual smile. She then went to opened her door to both the Summers sisters who had just arrived on the landing.

“Hey Mama Gayle!” said Dawn in a cheery tone and a hug. “Were you asleep? You have bed-hair.”

Gayle absent-mindedly ran a hand through the treacherous locks, still smiling. “Yeah, actually, and you interrupted just as Johnny Depp was about to kiss me, so this better be good, young lady!”

Buffy laughed. “Oh, honey, I know the feeling. I think that French chick has a pretty strong hold on him, you know…”

“Only because he hasn’t met me yet. Was there a point to the kissus interruptus?”

Buffy’s brain was suddenly overrun with images of another kiss… She blinked to regain control. “Erm, we were thinking of going Bronzing tonight, with Willow and Anya, just us girls. You interested?”

“Sure, why not. What’s bronzing?”

__…-==-…__

Gayle had said she would do a quick patrol so that Buffy could really have the night off, then would join them at the Bronze. Willow and Anya had joined the Summers sisters and were having a really girly moment in choosing each other’s clothes and doing their make-up.

“So I found this, ever-so cute lil’ one bedroom apartment near the town center,” Willow was saying, “it’s got great western exposure and a balcony. But it’s a wee bit pricey, so I asked to meet the owner to see if we could negotiate.”

Anya’s head snapped round while she was applying her lipstick. “Do you want me to come with you? If it’s in the building I’m thinking of, I think I might know him and he owes me a favor…”

“Oh, Anya, that would be great! Wait a sec, you don’t like me, what’s in it for you?”

“Xander has been explaining to me that ‘word-of-mouth’ concept. Sounds like a disease to me, but hey, it’s good for business. You get all your witchy friends to come and shop at the Magic Box and we’ve got a deal.”

“Consider your will be done! Magic Box has now total monopoly. Buffy, what’s that on your neck?”

“Huh?”

“Is that… a hickey?”

Buffy flew to her mirror to check herself. Sure enough, right at the base of her throat, Spike had left his mark… “Oh, erm, no, it-it’s just a normal bruise… patrol was a bit rough last night…”

“Really? Gayle seemed okay…”

“Gayle got the easy ones. You ready? Then let’s go.”

Willow understood the underlying truth: ask me no questions and I’ll stop lying. So she dropped it.

When they got to the Bronze, a poster on the door informed them that it was an open-mike night.

“Cool!” exclaimed Dawn. “Can I sing, Buffy? Please?”

“Why not. Just don’t make me do it too.”
Bad things happen when I sing… so bad they feel good…

When they came in, a girl was already on stage and rocking the house. She was moving like she had done that her whole life and had an incredible voice, a mix of Bette Midler and Shirley Manson. She was dressed all in white, tight pants and flowy shirt, and her soft hair flew gracefully about when she moved. She looked a lot like…

“Oh my Gosh, guys, it’s Gayle!” exclaimed Anya.

Buffy’s jaw dropped while Willow’s eyes doubled in size and Dawn squealed. It was indeed Gayle. She seemed too comfortable on stage for it to be her first time too.

“When you’re strange, faces come out of the rain / When you’re strange, no-one remembers your name / When you’re strange / When you’re… stra-a-a-ange.” She really sang beautifully. The audience was captivated.

“Whoa” said Buffy. “So that’s yet another thing she can do.”

“She’s really good” Anya joined in and leaned in towards Willow. “What’s that song?”

“Not sure… I think I heard it in some eighties vampire movie – Oh I get it! Fun-ny!”

The song ended and Gayle bowed. She got a roaring, standing ovation. And amongst the joyous clappers… was Spike.

Buffy’s breath seized in her throat. Spike was there. He was clapping. He was smiling. That genuine, confident, happy smile that she had not seen him wear in such a long time.

He was smiling at another woman.

He could have slapped her in the face, it would have hurt less. But why did it? She didn’t love him, he was his own vampire, and if he went after someone else, wouldn’t it solve all their problems?

Gayle waved at them and left the stage to join Spike at his table. She had a drink waiting for her there, so obviously they had been together before. She motioned the girls to join them, which they did.

“Gayle, you were awesome!” chimed Dawn.

“Thank you honey! That’s nice of you to say!”

“I didn’t know you sang” questioned Willow.

“Oh I used to be a choir girl, when I was a kid, it kinda stuck! But I almost didn’t dare, Spike here had to push me a little bit.”

“Yeah, but I din’t know you could do it! I pushed you for a laugh only, but you rocked, pet!”

“Sooo…” ventured in Buffy, “… you guys came here together? What happened to patrol?”

“No, Spike was already here when I arrived. And I did patrol! Place was dead! Well, you know what I mean…”

“How? How did you manage to go home, get ready without us noticing and get here before we did?”

“Buffy, these are the clothes I left with! I wore a long coat to keep them clean, and I always carry a little make-up bag, I did my make-up when I got here! What’s with the funny looks?”

Buffy straightened up. “Erm, nothing. Good job. Very efficient. Spike, can I speak to you for a second?”

Spike nodded and followed her. The girls joined Gayle at her table and ordered drinks. Buffy and Spike sat at a table by the stairs, ironically the same one they had chosen when she had ask him to recite his Tale of Two Slayers.

“I see you brought the girls. Safety in numbers, pet?”

She ignored him. “Okay, one? This afternoon? Will never happen again.”

“Yeah, kitten, I already gathered that much…”

“And two: I want you to stop coming at Scoobie meetings. It-it’s not your place, a-and it’s difficult for me to… have you there… like nothing happened.”

She had meant their affair, but Spike misunderstood and thought she was talking about his attempt to rape her.

He frowned and pain filled his eyes. “Buffy… I’m not asking you to forgive me … and I know I can never make up for what I did to you … But could you at least… let me try?”

Buffy tried to calm down her heartbeat. “Spike…”

“Look, I know, alright? I know you’ll never love me, especially now. But if I can’t be with you, could you just let me fight beside you still? Let me help? Please?”

She lowered her gaze. So many things she wanted to tell him, but couldn’t. She needed her sanity to come back from vacation, and soon. She couldn’t possibly be with him.

Ha! ‘Couldn’t’, not ‘won’t’!

Shut up!

Spike looked at Buffy, and how she was avoiding eye contact. He sighed. Of course she would refuse. It was bad enough that he had imposed himself into fighting with the Scoobie Gang, bad enough that he had come back without even asking permission. Bad enough.

He got up and started to put on his duster. Buffy looked at him, confused.

“S’alright, kitten, you don’ have to say anythin’. I’ll… just leave. I promise you’ll never hear from me again…”

“What? No!”

That last word had gone straight from her heart to her lips, before she even realized.

Spike stared at her. “But… I thought…”

“Spike, I don’t want you to leave!” there it goes again, came out without me knowing it… I really got to keep myself in check…

“You don’t?”

“No!”

“Why?”

“Because… because…” Because the simple thought of not having you in my life would ever kill me or drive me insane! “… because it was bad enough that you left once, when I needed…” you with me “… your help, when Willow went baddie, and I could need you again!”

He smiled. “So you’ll let me help?”

“Yes! No, I mean… sometimes, yeah.”

The smile disappeared. “What the fuck does that mean?”

“That… when I need your help, I’ll let you kno –”

“Sod this.” Spike got up and headed for the back exit.

Buffy panicked and went after him. “Spike, wait!”

“For what? You to get needy? So I’m good enough to get you off but not be a part of your life or you precious gang? I just have to wait around until you whistle? Like hell!” He opened the back door and stepped into the alley.

Buffy followed closely. “Spike, you have to understand…”

“No, Slayer, I can’t be your damn lapdog again! Think I hurt you bad? Well think about what I had to – BLOODY HELL!!”

Spike had stopped dead in his tracks as he was about to step into… he had no idea what! Next to the dumpster was a large puddle of some gelatinous-looking… goo. It looked at the same time like jelly and slime, in a kind of pinkish color with hues of red.

What was scary was the size of it (it could easily have filled a bathtub) and the smell. A smell both of them knew all too well.

Rotting flesh.

Buffy’s hands flew to her mouth. “Oh my god, what is that?”

“Ain’t got the foggiest, but it certainly is not s’posed to be here! Get the others!”

Buffy disappeared inside the club and was back with the rest of the girls five seconds later. Their reactions were similar to her own: they were totally grossed out.

“Oh my gosh, it’s awful!” cried out Dawn.

Anya got over the disgust first. “Okay, let’s not panic here! Maybe somebody got really drunk and came back here to barf! It happens sometimes, right? Right?”

Gayle raised her hand. “Um, guys? You’re probably gonna think a lot less of me for admitting this, but… I’ve seen vomit, in lot of different shapes and sizes. That’s not vomit! In fact, I’ve never seen anything like this!”

Buffy took Willow’s arm. “Will, do you think this could be a spell of some sort?”

“What kind? ‘My-purge-be-done’? I don’t think so, Buff, but I would tend to agree with Gayle: I don’t think it’s vomit… Don’t even think anything human did this…”

“Oh man!” Gayle exclaimed. “Remember that article in the paper a few days ago? ‘Gelatinous fluids of an unknown nature found in alleys’? They’ve been found all over the town center! It must be one of those!”

Willow nodded. “Could be. I’ll take a sample for analysis and we’ll find out.” She took a tampon out of her purse, dabbed it in the puddle and wrapped it back in the plastic wrapping.

“Nice improvisation, Will!”

“Thank you! I saw that on TV! Sometimes you do learn useful stuff in there.”

They went back inside the club, except for Gayle, but it was clear the evening was over.

“You alright?” she asked Spike. “It looked like you and Buffy were arguing…”

“I’m fine. Me an’ the slayer were just… brainstorming. You wanna go back inside, luv?”

Gayle gave a non-committal shrug, then started to balance from one foot to the other, like a kid wanting to ask something embarrassing.

And it suddenly dawned on Spike just what it was.

“You want that fight, don’t you?”

She did a little jump on the spot. “Yes please! Can we? Please please please?”

Spike smiled, amused. “Yeah, alrigh’…”

“YES!” Gayle clapped. “This so cool! I’m gonna fight William the Bloody! I’m actually – Whoa!”

Spike had just thrown her a fast-paced punch, which she blocked at the last second, catching his fist in her graceful long hand. “Tried to get me by surprise, did ya? Ain’t gonna happen, mister!”

Spike was actually impressed. Only Buffy had ever been able to parry that particular blow…

“Come on, then, pet… let’s dance!”

The sparring began.

After only a couple of blows, Spike decided to take of the brakes. Gayle was too good to go easy on. She managed to block or dodge every blow he threw at her, and he had a hard time staying on top of the fight too. She moved a little less gracefully than Buffy, and was more rigid, but still, the girl had style! But what disturbed him slightly was that her trademark smile had turned really predatory since the beginning of the fight…

He could tell she was enjoying the fight, but she was almost enjoying it too much. She fought like she was getting to something else. Like she really aimed to win, even to kill. Like he was an appetizer. Like…

Like a bloody vamp!

Gayle was human, he knew that, heartbeat and all. And there was no doubt she was a Slayer, because of her strength and agility. But the way she fought… this was not duty for her. This was not just a calling. She was totally at peace with what she was and what it might bring to her, namely an untimely end. With that part of darkness inside her…

Just like he was.

The blows became stronger, the attacks more vicious. And Spike was loving every second of it! It had been a long time since he had had a worthy opponent… In fact, the last one had been Buffy. He delighted in the fight, managing to get a lot of stress and doubt out of his system… He felt on top of the world once again, like in the days when he had been one of the most feared vampires around. He felt…

“What the hell?”

Both vampire and Slayer brutally stopped the fight. Buffy was staring at them with knives in her eyes.

“I came back fearing you two had run into some kind of trouble, and here I find you fighting? Each other? What is this about?”

“She started it!” protested Spike, then inwardly kicked himself for acting like a child.

“I did!” Gayle agreed. “I did start it! I’m sorry you got worried, Buffy, really, but come on! A chance to fight William the Bloody? I had to…”

“You had to nothing! Okay? You’re in my town, sister, and you don’t just fight anyone without asking me, okay? My turf, my rules! Haven’t you gotten that through your skull yet?”

Gayle could only stare at her, horrified. She then heard Spike growl.

“And what about me, Slayer?”

Buffy turned her head to face Spike. “What?”

“Do I get to fight or playfight with anyone I want? Or do I have to ask for your bloody green light every bloody time? Am I on your fucking leash? You migh’ want to tighten the collar a bit, pet, I can feel it coming loose.”

“Spike, that’s not what I meant…”

“Bollocks! That’s exactly what you meant! But I’m not game, Summers, not anymore!”

And he stormed off.

Buffy bit back her tears. Fine. She spun around and started to walk home.

Leaving Gayle alone yet again. She let out a loud sigh, then took a cigarette pack and lighter out of her jacket and lit up. Those two really are blind when they should be mute. They’ve got it way bad.

__…-==-…__

Buffy was sitting on the back porch steps, which seemed to be the official place for self-reflection. She was wondering if she had truly lost Spike tonight. If it mattered. Why it actually did.

So she was addicted to him. Big deal. She only had to stop seeing or talking to him and she’d be fine in no time.

Yeah, you can stop anytime you want, right? her brain mused.

She tried not to pay attention when she heard the kitchen door open and Gayle came to sit beside her. Great. Lecture time. But Gayle didn’t say anything. For a while.

Finally, Buffy turned her head to see what the brunette was doing. Nothing. Just staring at the stars.

“You gonna come to the talking part of this conversation anytime soon?” Buffy said irritably.

“Actually, I’ve been racking my brains for a good witty way to start said conversation. Can’t find one. So I’ll just mime it.” She opened her arms out to her.

Buffy glared at her, but Gayle had a look of such tenderness and compassion on her face, that she just gave into the hug and cried.

Gayle just held her, not saying a word, until Buffy had cried her last tear. Then she just rocked her softly. “Rough day, huh?”

A nod.

“You wanna talk about it?”

A head shake.

“You wanna get some ice cream?”

“I love you, Mama!”, the blonde slayer said, looking up.

“Of course you do. Who doesn’t?”

End of chapter four.

Trivia time: Willow was right, the song Gayle sang at the Bronze (“People are Strange” by the Doors, see introduction) was covered in 1987 by Echo & The Bunnymen as part of the soundtrack of one of the most awesome vampire movies of all time: “The Lost Boys”, directed by Joel Schumacher. Rumor has it that the lead villain, David (played by Kiefer Sutherland, whose father Donald played the ill-fated Merrick in the original BTVS movie), with his rebel attitude, bleach-blond hair and long leather coat (need I say yum?) was one of the inspirations for Spike…