Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Beta’d by the wonderful Marella916. Banner by the lovely and talented nmcil12

Just a warning: This is an AU spuffy story. BUT Buffy is only 16 when this starts so the spuffy lovin' while it will happen won't be for awhile. There will be briefly Bangel. I don't mind Angel, but I do not like the pairing of Buffy/Angel but it is necessary to the plot. I have rated this M for now for adult language, eventually there will be smut but like I said it won't happen right away so try to be patient. I hope you enjoy what I have done with the characters. I have used certain elements of the show, certain bad guys and even some dialog. 

FYI: Nobody's Hero is a Spuffy story. It wont happen right away for a number of reasons.

1st - Spike is convinced that his Buffy didn't love him so he isn't all that interested in falling for this Buffy. He really isn't ready to get his heart broken again.

2nd - She's too young at this point in time. The story line of Angel and Buffy consummating their relationship when she was 17 always squicked me out. Even if you only looked at his human age he was too old for her.

3rd - I don't like the character of Angel. I liked his show, but the actions he took the decisions he made. It just made him unlikeable to me. That said there will be some character bashing of Angel in this. And unfortunately there will be Bangel. It's necessary to the plot. But it won't be graphic or last very long.

I am going to take a lesson from my friend sweetprincipale and try to make Xander a likeable character. She always manages to do that in her stories which I find incredible. Because he is another character I never liked very much. So I am going to attempt to make him how I would have liked to see him if the badness of Jessie dying had never happened.

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Buffy slammed open the library doors, “Giles!”

With a deep sigh Giles got up from his desk to see what she wanted. “Yes Buffy?”

“Some creep started talking to me in the alley next to the Bronze last night. He knew I was the slayer and he kept going on and on, something about the mouth of hell. I tried to tell him I’m retired but he didn’t seem to get it. I told him to come here and talk to you.”

“Could you give me a little more detailed description instead of just some creep?”

“Tall, brown hair, brown eyes, leather coat. He gave me the wiggins.”

Giles had an idea who had sought her out. Whistler told him Angel would be arriving in town soon. “You say he gave you the ‘wiggins’? Can you elaborate?”

I am so tired of this. Why does this stuff keep happening to me? “I don’t know! He made me feel all twitchy okay?!”

A new voice startled the duo. “Let me guess, Forehead the size of Mt. Rushmore? Hair stuck straight up? Brooded a lot? Went on about duty and such?” Something about that voice tugged at Buffy’s memory, shrugging it aside when her senses told her he was a vampire.

“Whoa!” Buffy looked around for a weapon. “Giles! Get me a stake!” She was scanning the room when a bottle of holy water under the counter caught her eye. She tried to sneak her way over to it.

“Buffy that isn’t necessary.” Giles moved to stand between Spike and Buffy. “Spike what brings you by?”

“Giles you know this vamp?” The disgust was evident in her tone.

“Right friendly ol’ Rupes and I are.” Spike swaggered over to the table and sank into a chair. Crossing his arms behind his head he swung his feet up and crossed them on the table top.

Giles pinched the bridge of his nose trying to stave off the headache he could feel forming. “Spike please remove your feet from the table. Buffy if this person is bothering you maybe you should just stay away.”

Spike’s feet landed on the floor with a thud. “Wrong watcher. The bint needs to find out just who he is and what he knows.”

“I told him to come here if he had any information. I’m not part of this anymore remember? I just want my nice normal life.”

“Might be he’s the one that gives it to you slayer.”

“Buffy we can talk about this later if you don’t mind. I need to speak with Spike at the moment.”

“Nope. I’m not leaving ‘til he leaves.”

“Buffy I really do need to speak with Spike. Thank you for passing along the information but you should head to class now.”

“Giles I’m not leaving you here with a vamp. Besides its last period and I have study hall, it’s no big to miss it.”

With a blur Spike was at her side, his hand around her throat. “If I wanted him dead he would be. Why don’t you leave the slaying to the professionals pet?” Spike released her taking a few steps back. He wasn’t comfortable turning his back on the angry slayer.

 “Dear lord. Spike was that really necessary?” Giles shook his head at the smirk on the vampire’s face. “Buffy this is Spike, one of the demons I was telling you about.”

Yanking the bottle from under the counter Buffy opened it and tossed the contents on Spike.

“Ya’ know I’m gettin’ a bit tired of being doused in water.”

“Good Lord! Buffy I told you Spike was an ally.”

“Tellin’ stories out of class were you?” Spike raised an eyebrow at the watcher as he made his way into the office to retrieve a towel. “Way I understand it it’s none of her business anymore.” Wiping the water off his face and coat Spike could see Buffy was getting angry at the way they were talking. Deciding that he had enough for one day Spike let Giles know what he had come to tell him. “Figured I’d let you know Angel’s here but the slayer beat me to it.”

“You know that guy?” Buffy demanded.

“Piss poor vamp senses you’ve got there slayer. Spent how long in that alley nattering with him and you couldn’t tell he was a vamp?” Giving a rueful chuckle he looked right at her, “Angel, got cursed with a soul about 100 years ago. Started looking for redemption when he saw you slaying in LA. Figure he came here to help you.”

“Spike.” Giles said and the undertone was clearly understood by Spike.

“Told you watcher, not gonna be able to stop it. All’s you can do is sit back and be prepared.”

“What are you talking about?!” Buffy slammed her hands down on the table cracking the center of it.

Spike stood up making his way towards the door. “I’ll let you know how patrol is. Red and the Whelp will probably come along tonight.” Before either Buffy or Giles could comment Spike was gone the library doors swishing back forth in his wake.

Buffy seated herself directly across from Giles. “You have some explaining to do.”

“No actually I don’t.” Giles sighed.

“I tossed holy water on him! He should have turned to dust! So he obviously had some kind of spell or something done. You honestly think you can trust a vampire? He’s evil and soulless and will kill you the first chance he gets.”

A deep voice joined the conversation from upstairs in the stacks. “He’s calling himself Spike now? Doesn’t matter, she’s right, Spike is vicious and won’t hesitate to kill you.”

Giles looked towards the stairs to see who it was that was speaking. When he saw Angel walking towards the stairs he glanced at Buffy. He was not happy to see the look of interest on her face. Is this what Spike meant? It would make sense, his melancholy. Spike seemed to carry such sadness with him no matter what. To think that the person you loved so deeply didn’t love you in return, that is a burden I don’t ever want to bear. To die and come back to help that person knowing/thinking they won’t ever love you. That is devotion.  “You have some insight to impart?” Giles couldn’t help the sarcasm in his voice.

“I know Spike, he is a ruthless killer, nothing more nothing less.”

Giles was quite tired of this. He knew that until his meeting with Whistler and the Oracles he might have agreed with both Buffy and Angel. But that was before. Now all he could see before him was a vampire who destroyed the world for his own purpose and ego. A vampire who crushed the heart of the young woman seated next to him. The other side of the same coin was Spike. The vampire, who had just left, who changed his very nature for someone he loved. Who gave up his life for them, armed with the knowledge he had Giles found it difficult to warm to the vampire standing before him. “I highly doubt you can provide any insight into Spike Angelus.” Giles hid a small smile when Angel flinched. “From what I have read in the watchers diaries Spike was with your ‘family’ for a fortnight before he took his leave of you. I seriously doubt you know who or what he is now.”

“Demons don’t change.” Angel replied.

“I think you mean you can’t change. Spike is not what he used to be, the change in him is rather astounding.” Giles wondered how his life came to this, arguing with one vampire about another vampire’s intentions; it must be the influence of the hellmouth he thought. “Was there a purpose for your visit today Angel? If not I have quite a few things to get accomplished.”

“Buffy told me to meet her here.” He said glancing over at the petite blonde.

“No I didn’t! And how do you know my name? I never told you and I said for you to come to talk to Giles.” Buffy started to feel uncomfortable. Which was odd in itself. She had felt a little frightened when she figured out Spike was a vampire but part of her had known he wasn’t there to hurt her. So how did she not know this guy was a vamp last night?

Realizing that he wasn’t going to get any work done, Giles brought himself back into the conversation. Spike might be willing to give into what he thought was the inevitable but Giles wouldn’t. “By all means please tell us exactly how you learned her name.”

“Oh uh” Angel was at a loss to explain his knowledge away.

“I think I can answer this. You have been stalking her, since LA.”

“Eewww! You’ve been stalking me!?” Her face a mixture of shock and anger.

“It’s not like that! Really, I saw you and realized you were the slayer and thought you could use some help. I even told your watcher about the vamps in the high school!” Angel fumbled desperately trying to explain his actions.

“So why didn’t you help her fight them?” Giles asked.

Angeltore his gaze from Buffy to face her watcher. He didn’t like the look the other man was giving him. It was full of distrust and dislike, he had no idea what Spike had done to this man to get him to trust him but Angel knew it wouldn’t be long before Spike showed his true colors. He was a demon through and through and the bloodlust could only be held at bay for so long. The carnage would be tremendous when Spike lost control. Shaking his head at the gullibility of the man before him, Angel sought to answer his question. “She’s the slayer. I mean it’s her destiny to fight them. I heard about Lothos and gave her watcher the heads up. I knew she could handle it.”

Giles wondered just why the Powers had dropped this into his lap. “Both of you listen to me. Spike is not to be touched or even bothered by either of you. He is here at the behest of the Powers.”

Angelwas the first one to speak. “You believe him? I thought you would be smarter than that. He is an evil soulless thing.”

“And you have your soul because of the rape, torture and murder of a young girl!” Giles snarled. “Spike came to me in good faith upon his arrival in Sunnydale. He answered my every question honestly. I am not so naïve that I didn’t check his story. His references are impeccable. Yours however are not.” Tired of the entire conversation Giles looked at Buffy and Angel with a hard glare. “You will leave Spike alone. He has a mission from the Powers that Be and neither of you will get in his way.”

Standing up Giles addressed them both again. “All of this is quite meaningless. Buffy has renounced her calling therefore whatever services you came to provide are not needed. Angel I suggest you look for your redemption elsewhere. That also means Spike is not your concern Buffy.”

When Giles refused to be drawn into further conversation with the two they left the library. The sun was just setting and neither of them had noticed just how long they spent in the library trying to convince Giles that Spike couldn’t be trusted. Before either of them realized it they were walking together talking about what had just happened and found themselves at the Expresso Pump. Buffy went to get a mocha leaving Angel sitting at a table. When Buffy joined him the two picked up their conversation. “I don’t know what is going on with your watcher, how could he believe Spike?”

“He’s not my watcher. But I agree with you how can he trust a soulless demon? It just doesn’t make sense. And he never answered me! I tossed holy water on Spike and he didn’t turn to dust! He has to be up to something. Is there a spell that could make vampires immune to holy water?”

“The only thing I can think of is the water wasn’t blessed yet. Spike did something to him, maybe thrall or a spell. We’ll figure it out and fix it.” Angel picked up Buffy’s hand to offer comfort to the upset girl.