CHAPTER FIVE
 
Buffy followed Spike down the hall, stopping him with a hand on his arm when they got to the living room.  “When did you last eat?”
 
He stared at her in surprise. “Last night. They only feed the animals once a day.”
 
“You’re hungry, aren’t you?” When he just continued to stare at her, she added, “I saw how you looked at Oz’s blood. You wanted to lick it off… but you didn’t. Why not?”
 
“Wolfboy’s my friend, isn’t he? Wouldn’t go sampling his blood without permission. And that tiny little bit wasn’t going to feed me. Would have been just for the pleasure of tasting human blood.”
 
“But you didn’t do it.” Buffy stared at him until he looked away and pushed around her to go sprawl in an easy chair.  She sat down to wait for Giles and Oz to come back into the room.
 
“Stop staring at me, Slayer,” he growled.
 
“I was just thinking—”
 
He snorted. “That explains the smoke comin’ from your ears then.”
 
“That was lame, Spike.”
 
“I can do better.”
 
“I’ll bet you can…. Blondie Bear.”  Buffy giggled at her own humor, but sobered when his snarl at her ended with him clutching his head and smothering a scream.  “Oh my God. You can’t even get mad at a human?”
 
“Was thinking about biting you,” he said, through gritted teeth. “Chip reads intent as much as it does actions. Learnt that much during the last round of testing.”
 
“So, you could hit me if you didn’t mean to? Like when you cut Oz and he said ‘ow’? That didn’t trigger the chip.”
 
“Didn’t mean to do it, did I?”
 
“So you would have bitten me?” Buffy’s eyes narrowed and she looked as if she was planning to cause him even more pain.  He shrugged and raised bloodshot eyes to hers.
 
“Dunno. I was just brassed off at being reminded of my lousy taste in women, and my first reaction was to bite. Probably would have thought better of it before I actually got my teeth into you, but the chip read the anger and reacted as if I would.”  He looked down at the floor. “I wouldn’t really hurt you.”
 
“Really? I thought killing me was on your bucket list of things to do before I dust you.”
 
“Ha, bloody, ha, Slayer.  It was. Now it isn’t. Not up for discussion. Could change my mind again if you keep calling me… what you called me.”
 
“Fine. I won’t call you that stupid name if it really bothers you. I don’t want to be responsible for causing that kind of pain… unless I’m hitting you, of course.”
 
“Goes without sayin’,” he said, managing a small smile. Buffy smiled back before she could stop herself and when Giles returned to the room the two normal enemies were smiling softly at each other from their respective chairs.
 
“Am I interrupting something? I sincerely hope.”
 
“What? No. We’re just waiting for you and Oz to come back so I can tell you my idea. Shut up, Spike.”
 
“Wasn’t even thinking it that time,” he said.
 
Giles stared back and forth. “I have the distinct feeling I’m missing something.”
 
“Nothin’ important, Watcher.”
 
“Let’s wait for… Oz!  Is that you?” 
 
All eyes went to the man entering the room. His ears were bright red with embarrassment as he waited to hear their reactions. Oz had gone from a scruffy-looking young man with long hair and a beard, to a completely bald and clean-shaven one. Not only did he now look barely old enough to drive, but even Buffy, who’d known him since she came to Sunnydale, didn’t think she would recognize him on the street.
 
“Wow.”
 
“An amazing transformation.” Giles could not seem to stop staring at Oz. “I believe you will be quite safe walking around Sunnydale like that. I’m not sure even Willow would recognize you.”
 
“Yeah, well, let’s not take that chance, huh? I still need to leave.”
 
“Wait! You haven’t heard my idea yet,” Buffy said.
 
Oz waited patiently while she organized her thoughts.
 
“Okay, see here’s the thing. You want to learn to control the wolf, right? Because right now, you can’t do much about it if it comes out. Which is sorta like having a demon inside, except that your demon comes out when the moon is full, and vamp demons are always there. But all vamps can hide their demons sometimes, and Spike can just ignore his when he wants to—” At Spike’s snort and Oz’s look of disbelief, she amended, “Okay, he can control his most of the time. Unless he’s being tortured or something. Anyway, he can control it, so why can’t he teach you how to control yours? Why do you want to go all the way to Tibet for that? He can help you learn how to do it right here in Sunnydale.”
 
Oz and Spike exchanged looks. Then Oz shook his head. “I don’t think it’s the same thing, Buffy. The wolf is a living creature that I turn into. Spike is… dead. No offense,” he added with a glance at the vampire.
 
“None taken. He’s right, Slayer. A demon is what I am. Without it, I’m just a corpse. Better-looking one than most, but—”
 
While Buffy rolled her eyes, Giles chimed in. “I’m afraid they’re right, Buffy. I’m not sure whatever Spike does to keep his demon quiet would work with something as different as the werewolf virus.”
 
“Virus?”
 
“Of a sort. It is passed through a bite, but it’s a bite that leaves the victim alive and harboring a wolf. Unlike a vampire, which is, as Spike pointed out, an animated corpse. If Oz lost his wolf, he would still be Oz and completely human. If Spike’s demon is lost, he turns to the dust he would have become many years ago had he died of natural causes and remained in his grave.”
 
“Oh.” Buffy’s shoulders sagged.
 
“Sorry, Buffy,” Oz said. “I know you’re trying to help, but I think it’s best if I leave.”
 
“But Willow’s already so unhappy! I mean, I understand now why we didn’t run into you at the Bronze or on campus or anything like that, but at least we thought you were still around somewhere. If you go away….”
 
“If I go away, Willow is safe from me. If I stay here, she isn’t. I didn’t hurt her last time, but I did kill somebody else. And I don’t know that I wouldn’t have killed her or Xander if you hadn’t been there to stop me. I can’t live like this. I’ll be back when I know I’m safe.”
 
There was silence when he finished speaking, so he just nodded and walked to the door. Spike got to his feet and followed him. They had a quiet conversation that both Buffy and Giles tried to pretend they weren’t listening to.
 
“Be careful out there. If it doesn’t work out, you can always hide out with me during the bad times.”
 
“Thanks, but I think you’re going to have your own problems,” Oz said, cutting his eyes toward Buffy and back quickly. “That chip’s put a pretty big dent in your ability to protect yourself. You’ll have to stick pretty close to Buffy for a while.” He snickered, laughing even harder when Spike growled.
 
“If I could bite you….”
 
“Just don’t forget you can’t and get yourself dusted. We’ve got things to do when I get back – bands to hear, concerts to attend—”
 
“Clubs to wreck….” Spike grinned at Oz.
 
“So…take care of yourself…”
 
“You too, wolfman. We’ve still got some howling to do.”
 
“Yes we do. So long, Spike.”
 
“Good luck, mate.”
 
XXXXXX
 
Spike walked back to his chair and sat down, staring back at Buffy and Giles who were looking at him.  “What?”
 
Buffy shrugged. “I didn’t know vampires could have friends.  I thought you were all about the minions or family members.”
 
“What you don’t know about vampires could fit on the roof of this flat,” Spike growled, resting his head on the back of the chair.
 
“Are you just cranky because you’re hungry?”
 
“I’m cranky because I’m a vampire. Or I used to be. Now I’m… I don’t know what I am. Can’t feed myself. Can’t even walk around for fear of being captured again. Depending on the Slayer for food and shelter….”
 
“I’d like to point out that with Buffy being pursued by the same organization, you are both somewhat dependent upon me for food and shelter,” Giles said dryly. “Which, if you can promise not to destroy my home by getting into a physical confrontation while I’m gone, I will endeavor to take care of.”
 
He stood up and picked up his car keys. “Assuming I can get from here to the grocer without encountering anyone searching for you, I will do my best to see that we enough food… and blood… here to last a few days. By which time, I hope the Council will have convinced the US Army to take a hard look at what is going on here.”
 
“Hold up, there, Watcher.” Spike reached for his bag and pulled out several large bills. “I can pay my way.”
 
Without looking at the denominations, Giles stuffed the money in his pocket and, after peering outside, went out to shop.
 
XXXXXX
 
There was silence for several minutes while Spike and Buffy avoided looking at each other. When they caught each other sneaking looks across the room, Buffy giggled and Spike broke into a grin.
 
“Behavin’ like a couple of four-year-olds aren’t we?”
 
“I can’t believe I went from a tour of his facility with my boyfriend, to an escaped… something.”
 
“Just don’t forget that, pet. To them, you are a ‘something’ now. Just as non-human as wolfboy and me.”
 
“His name is Oz,” Buffy said.
 
“I know that.”
 
“Then why don’t you call him by his name?”
 
“Don’t call anybody by their names, do I?  You’re the Slayer, Rupert’s the Watcher, Willow’s the Witch – or Red, the boy is….whatever.”
 
“You don’t know Xander’s name?”
 
He shrugged.  “Guess I never had any reason to remember it. He’s just the boy that hangs around with Red. And Demon-girl – don’t think I know her name either.”
 
“She’s Anya. And Xander is Xander Harris.”
 
“And Captain America?”
 
“Riley Finn. And I should probably be worried that I knew who you meant….”
 
He laughed at her and she threw a couch pillow at him.
 
“Shut up, Spike.”
 
 
 
 
 
 
CHAPTER SIX
 
Oz had only been gone a little over a week when he suddenly found himself back in a familiar place, if somewhat bewildered about why and how he got there. Deciding Buffy’s watcher would be the mostly likely person to have an explanation, he walked across the parking lot to Giles’s apartment.
 
When Oz knocked on the door, it was opened by a beaming Buffy who pulled him into a hug and then waved an ugly silver ring at him.
 
“Look, Oz! Spike asked me to marry him! We’re engaged!”
 
Oz glanced at Spike, who was beaming proudly. “She said yes. Bet you never thought that would happen, did you?”
 
“Uh… no?”
 
“Come in, come in,” Spike said. “I’m so glad you’re back and I don’t have to ask Harris to be my best man.”
 
“By all means, come in, Oz,” Giles said from the couch where he was downing another glass of scotch. “Welcome to the asylum.”
 
“Don’t pay any attention to him,” Buffy said. “He thinks somebody put a spell on him and Xander.”
 
“Ah.”  Oz peered at Buffy who was now snuggled up in Spike’s lap. “So you and Spike aren’t really….”
 
“We’re immune!” she said with a brilliant smile. “I guess because I’m the slayer and Spike’s a vampire, it doesn’t seem to have affected us.”
 
“I can see that,” Oz snickered as he watched them indulge in a brief, but noisy make-out session.  He walked over to sit next to Giles. “So, a spell, huh? What has it done to Xander?”
 
“According to a rather panicky phone call from Anya, he has apparently become something of a magnet for demons. I expect them to arrive at any moment, hoping Buffy will be able to protect them.”
 
Oz cast another look at the cooing and kissing couple in the big chair. “If she’s not too busy with her own special demon,” he said.
 
“Oh good Lord. Are they still at it?” Giles tipped up his glass, frowning when nothing came out. “It’s okay. I have more scotch.” He stood up and tottered to the kitchen, holding on to furniture and walls to keep from tripping over anything.
 
As Oz watched Buffy and Spike, wondering how much of Spike’s behavior was spell-induced and how much was a result of his earlier feelings for Buffy, the front door burst open and Xander and Anya stumbled in.
 
“Shut it! Shut it!” Anya shrieked, pushing against the door. “Buffy! We could use some slayer-strength here.”
 
With a sigh, Buffy got up from Spike’s lap, pulling him by the hand. “Come on, Spike. Let’s get rid of the demon that’s after Xander.”
 
One look out the door and Spike slammed it shut, ignoring the scream from the small demon whose hand was crushed. Green fingers fell to the floor. “Best make that demons, plural, love. We’ll need weapons to take them out.”
 
“We? What we? Why isn’t he tied up?  And what is Oz doing here? Didn’t you go away to China or someplace like that? And what’s with the haircut?” Everyone paused to take note of the fuzz just barely visible on Oz’s head and face.
 
“I did.” Oz frowned, ignoring the question about his lack of hair. “Now I’m back here. Not sure exactly how that happened.”
 
“Probably the same spell that had Giles going blind and Xander…. Buffy, what are you doing?” Anya narrowed her eyes as Buffy and Spike resumed cuddling in the big chair.
 
“We’re engaged!” Buffy said happily, showing off her ring. “Spike and I are going to get married.”
 
Xander stared with his mouth hanging open until Anya pushed it shut. “Relax, Xander. Obviously we’re dealing with some sort of spell here—although I don’t know why it’s so different for everybody.”
 
With a sigh and a quick kiss, Spike moved Buffy off his lap and stood up to begin looking through the books Giles had on a shelf, muttering to himself about finding a general reversal spell.
 
“Is he helping?” Giles tried to follow the conversations going on around him.
 
“Well of course he is!” Buffy looked offended on Spike’s behalf.
 
“Can’t have a blind man walking my bride down the aisle can I? Or a bunch of besotted demons mucking up the ceremony.”
 
“You think finding myself back in Sunnydale is part of the spell?” Oz frowned.
 
“Don’t remember how or why you got here, do you?”
 
“No.” His frown deepened.
 
 Spike stopped looking through the book and walked over to Oz, rubbing his fuzzy head and earning a growl before he said, “Who do we know that might have done a spell to bring you back?”
 
“Willow? You think Willow did this?”
 
“Don’t you? I mean, doesn’t it make sense? Don’t know why she wants a blind watcher for Buffy. Or Harris to be chased by demons, but with all of you obviously under some sort of spell, it must have been something… .big.”
 
“Oh Dear Lord.” Giles groaned as he sank back against the couch. “She told me I couldn’t see anything, shortly before I started losing my vision.”
 
Xander paled. “She told me I was a demon magnet….” He whirled to stare at Buffy. “And she said if you thought it was so important to stay near Spike, you should just marry him.”
 
“Well that’s just silly of her. I am going to marry him. She didn’t need to wish it on me.”  She moved closer to Spike as there was silence in the room and they all stared at her.
“What? She didn’t. Did she Spike?  We’re in love, aren’t we?”
 
“Of course we are, pet. Our feelings have nothing to do with whatever she may have wished on everybody else.”
 
“Buffy...” Giles paused, then continued, “and Spike, please try to remember that until only a short while ago, you were not in love. Nor were you planning to be married. The only one who doesn’t seem to have been harmed by this spell is Oz.”
 
Oz cleared his throat. “I was actually in China just before I found myself in your parking lot,” he said. “I’m not hurt, but I’m pretty sure I’m part of the spell.”
 
“Well we aren’t part of the spell!” Buffy’s indignation was backed up by Spike’s low growl as the truth of what Giles said began to worm its way into his befuddled brain.  “We aren’t, are we?” Buffy’s eyes narrowed when she saw the confusion on Spike’s face.
 
“One of us isn’t, love. You can count on it,” he said, low enough that no one but Buffy and Oz could hear him.
 
“What does that mean? One of us? Which one of us?”
 
“Nothing, pet. Don’t get yourself in a state.” Spike met Oz’s gaze, earning a small nod from him. “Best thing we can do right now is see what we can do to help them break the over-all spell and get everybody back to normal.” He went back to the bookshelf and began to read again, leaving Buffy to sit in the chair by herself, a pout on her face.
 
Oz slid up behind him and picked up one of the books. Keeping his voice low, he said, “Shouldn’t you be enjoying your engagement while you can? Let me handle this. If I find something, I’ll let you know and you can tell Giles.”
 
Spike stared at him. “You think we’re part of the spell, don’t you?”
 
“I know you have feelings for Buffy, but you know as well as I do she wasn’t there with you. And she isn’t going to be there when the spell breaks. I’d say enjoy what you’ve got while you’ve got it.”
 
Spike gave a low growl, but nodded. “I think you’re wrong, but I’d rather be snogging my girl than digging through a bunch of old watcher books.”
 
“Go on. Keep Buffy happy for a while.”
 
“You’re a good friend, Wolfboy. Definitely best man material.”
 
“We’ll see,” was the quiet response, although Oz smiled at him.
 
Spike joined Buffy, pulling her to her feet until he could sit down and set her back on his lap. She was still pouting, so he nipped at her full lower lip. ‘Gonna get that, pet.”
 
Buffy giggled and snuggled into his side, running her fingers up and down his chest and earning a muffled groan from him as he shifted beneath her.
 
“Playin’ with fire, there, love,” he rumbled in her ear. Before they could get anymore entangled than they already were, the door shuddered as demons continued to throw themselves against it. “Bloody hell,” he growled. “Where are the weapons? Let’s take care of this now.”
 
Buffy gave him a last lingering kiss before she stood up with a sigh. “Okay. Let’s make demon sushi out of them.”
 
She led Spike to the weapons chest and began to search through it.
 
“Here, you take this,” she said, handing a sword to Xander. “Stay with Giles. He won’t be able to see to defend himself.”  Buffy gazed at Anya. “Do you know how to use a sword?”
 
“How hard can it be,” Anya sniffed. “You stab or behead with it.”
 
“Good enough,” Spike said, handing her one of the swords and choosing one for himself. “Let’s go, Slayer. We’ve got snogging to do.”
 
“You guys stay here. Lock the door behind us, ‘k, Oz?”
 
He nodded and added a club to the chair where he was collecting books that looked as if they might be useful. “Go. Kill things. It’ll do you both good.” He watched as Spike yanked the door open and followed Buffy out into the front yard.  He closed the door, leaning against it briefly, before going back to the books.
 
XXXX
 
Buffy and Spike whacked and stabbed their way through the demons, all struggling to get the door and Xander, paying no attention to the two people hacking them into pieces.  When a particularly clumsy green creature knocked Spike to the ground, Buffy threw herself on top of him protectively. It was soon obvious that the demons had no interest in them, as they all just continued to throw themselves at the door.
 
Buffy looked down at Spike who was holding her by her waist and pulling her more tightly against him.
 
“They don’t want us.”
 
“Nope,” he agreed, sliding his arms all the way around her. “We can just lie here snogging all night and nobody will care.”
 
“Ummmm,” Buffy moaned into his mouth. “You are a very good kisser…”
 
“I think I’m kind of inspired, love,” he murmured. “Could keep this up all night.”
 
“All night works for me,” she said, nibbling on his throat.”
 
“Oh bloody hell, love. You have no idea what that does to me.”
 
She giggled and rubbed herself against him. “I think I do. I can feel it.”
 
“Minx,” he growled pushing up into her. “If we had a little privacy….”
 
“I thought you wanted to wait for the wedding night?” Buffy teased, letting her legs fall open.  “Oh! Oh, I think I….” She gave a little whimper as she ground down into him. He put his hands on her butt and pulled her down even harder as he tilted his hips up.
 
“Oh god, Buffy. Slayer. Love of my life….  Yessss, right there. Just—”
 
“Buffy!”  Willow’s shocked exclamation didn’t seem to affect Buffy, but Spike growled and glared up at her.
 
“Little busy here right now, Red. Why don’t you go inside and—”
 
“It’s okay, Willow,” Buffy panted. “We’re engaged. I would have told you about it right away, but you weren’t here, and now you are and you can congratulate us.”
 
Willow groaned and pulled on Buffy’s arm. “I can stop you from doing something you’re really gonna regret. Let her go, Spike!”
 
“Don't want to.” He tightened his arms, pleased that Buffy seemed to have no inclination to move.
 
Willow blew out her breath. “You two are not getting married. I just said that when Buffy wanted to go looking for you.”
 
“Then how are we engaged?” Buffy waved her hand with the heavy ring on it. “Huh? Answer me that, Willow. What does that mean?”
 
“It means I have to be more careful what I say when I’ve done a spell to have my will be done.  Now get off the vampire so we can go inside and away from these demons.”
 
Although they were still lying down, Buffy and Spike had stopped grinding together when they realized Willow was serious.
 
“So it was you,” Spike growled, still resting his hands on Buffy’s hips. “If you want to get away from the demons, you’ll need to take back what you said about Harris being a demon magnet.  And you might want to clear up the watcher’s little case of blindness while you’re at it.”
 
“I’ll get to them as soon as I— Get the hell away from me!” she shrieked as a newly arriving demon bumped into her.  She waved her hand. “Xander isn’t a demon magnet!” she yelled. “He doesn’t even like demons.”
 
There was a moment of confusion in front of the door before the demons began slinking away, obviously not quite sure what they’d been doing there.  Two of them paused to stare at Buffy and Spike.  “Slayer,” the biggest one gurgled just before his head fell off, having been struck by the sword Spike threw at him.
 
With a sigh, Buffy sat up on him.  “Let me go, Spike. The demons are gone, we can go back inside with everybody else.
 
“Don’t want to be with everybody else,” he said, sitting up himself and pulling her legs around his waist. Face to face, with Buffy on his lap, they completely forgot Willow’s presence and went back to kissing.
 
“Guys! Buffy! You are not getting married. I take it back.  Do you hear me? You’re not engaged.”
 
They paused and looked at each other, then Spike shrugged. “I don’t have to marry you to love you. It’s up to you, pet.”
 
“We probably shouldn’t rush into anything,” Buffy agreed. “But we can still—”
 
“Argh!” Willow threw her hands up in air and walked to the door. “Come in here with me so we can work this out.”  As she started to open the door, Spike and Buffy remembered who else was in there besides Giles and Xander.
 
“Uh oh….”
 
With growl, Spike gave her a last kiss, stood up, and wited until she’d slid down his body and had her feel on the ground. “Come on, love. We need to go in there and provide some moral support for my buddy.”
 
“Hey! Oz was my friend before he was yours," Buffy said as she ran after him.