Buffy pressed herself more tightly against Riley. Wow, that was a weird dream, she thought sleepily. More a nightmare really. She wondered what it meant - her losing her Slayer powers and having to depend on Spike like that. The weirdest part was Spike being free-range again and not even trying to kill her.

She wiggled her body until she was lying on top of her boyfriend and started to nibble at his neck. Her legs slipped to either side of his hips and she began to rock against the bulge that prodded at the juncture between her thighs. His hands grasped her hips, pressing her down, increasing the friction. Her breathing sped up, and she reached up to run her hands through his hair while her mouth worked its way toward his. Her fingers encountered thick, tightly-curled hair that felt nothing like Riley's. Her eyes flew open and she stared into bright blue eyes - eyes that were hooded with sexual desire.

"Morning, Slayer," her nemesis said throatily. "Interested in a wake up shag, are you?"

Buffy gasped, rolled off Spike, and scrambled to her feet. She could feel the heat blazing her cheeks.

"I-I..." She tried to speak, but her embarrassment choked the words out of her. "I thought you were... I have to go..." She pointed vaguely into the woods, turned, and ran off. She could hear Spike's chuckle as she smashed through the underbrush. When she could no longer hear him, she stopped and slumped against a tree. God, that was humiliating, she thought. And Spike would never let her forget it either. Great, just great. How could she have ever thought for one single second, even sleep drugged, that Spike was Riley? They felt nothing alike. Riley was big and strong and muscular. And Spike was not. Okay, he was strong and, well, yeah, muscular. Very muscular. And firm. Very firm. But he was so not Riley, she thought fiercely.

She banged her head against the tree she was leaning against. She really, really wanted to go home.

***

When she made it back to the glade, Spike stood up and took a step forward. "Ready to finish what you started?" he asked, his eyes raking her body.

Buffy held up a hand. "Don't, Spike," she said firmly. "You know I was more than half asleep and thought you were Riley."

Spike snorted. "Yeah, 'cause we're so much alike and all. I can see how you made the mistake."

Buffy flushed again, but refused to be baited. "It was a mistake and it'll never happen again. The thought of touching you like that-" Buffy shuddered.

Spike stiffened. "Then keep off me in future, Slayer," he snarled. Turning away from her, he walked out of the glade heading back toward the stream they'd been following the day before.

They proceeded in silence, the quiet interrupted only by the growls coming from Buffy's stomach. At long last they came to the end of the forest and stepped into another meadow. To Buffy's great relief, as soon as they stepped away from the trees, the foul smell dissipated. A range of mountains and rolling hills rose about fifteen miles distant. On the other side of the stream, the forest began again.

"So, you want to go running through the meadow singing "you're out of the woods" or go through more forest?" Spike asked. They were the first words he'd spoken to her since they'd left their glade.

Buffy stared at Spike. "Just how many times have you seen The Wizard of Oz?"

He glared at her and she sighed. "What I really want is to find something to eat," Buffy answered as her stomach gave another loud growl.

"Yeah, me too. I'm starting to feel right peckish."

Buffy braced herself to keep from reacting to the look he was giving her. She was opening her mouth to tell him to stop looking at her like she was wearing a sign reading "eat me" when a plopping sound drew their attention to the stream.

Spike walked over to the bank and stared into the water with narrowed eyes. Wading into the middle of the stream, he stood perfectly still looking down with intense concentration, and then with lightning fast speed he reached into the water and grabbed something. Standing upright again, he held a large, silver-scaled fish in his hand.

"Congratulations, Slayer. You get breakfast." Wading out of the water, he went over to a large rock and smashed the fish against it, killing it. Walking past Buffy, he handed her his catch and his knife and said, "Here, clean this while I get a fire started."

"How..."

He waved a hand in the air as he walked back into the forest. "You're on your own there, Slayer."

Buffy looked down at the fish and sighed. She was so hungry she could tear into it right now, scales and all. Wrinkling her nose in distaste, she raised the knife and prepared to clean the fish.

***

Buffy licked her fingers, capturing the last crumb. The fish had tasted terrible, burnt in some places and raw in others, but it felt so good to have food in her stomach again that she didn't complain. Spike had disappeared across the stream after getting the fire started. When she'd called after him, he simply told her to enjoy her meal. She'd worried a little when he disappeared from sight and then lectured herself for acting so stupid. She was the Slayer; she didn't need Spike. She could take care of herself.

Except here she wasn't the Slayer, she didn't seem to be doing a very good job of taking care of herself, and she did need Spike.

She didn't really think he was abandoning her, not after what he'd said last night. But then they'd had that fight this morning. But then again, they'd had lots of fights. It's what they did...fight. And he did catch that fish for her. And built her a fire so she could cook it. Buffy silently shook her head. He was completely confusing her with the way he was acting. Maybe he was just keeping her healthy in case he needed to eat her like he'd said yesterday.

Buffy's heart gave a little lurch at that thought, and she couldn't help but worry what it'd mean if they didn't find anything but fish. She didn't dare let down her guard. She may temporarily need Spike, but she would never trust him.

Except she had let down her guard and she had trusted him last night when she'd crawled into his arms and slept soundly.

Buffy's head began to pound. Come on, Giles, she whispered desperately. Get me out of here.

Buffy made sure the fire was completely out - a lifetime of Smokey Bear commercials and California wildfires having left their mark - and then washed her face and hands in the stream. The water was cold and she found herself longing for a real bathroom complete with toilet and shower and lots of hot water. And soap. Lovely, fish-stink-removing soap.

When she finished washing, she decided she'd better try and track down Spike. After taking off her boots and socks and rolling up her pant legs, she waded across the stream.

Buffy braced herself to enter the foul air of the forest. To her surprise, however, the air smelled fresh and clean. As she looked around for signs of Spike, she noticed that the trees were different. Where the trees on the other side of the stream were gnarled and twisted as if sickened from the bad air, these trees looked strong and healthy. But it wasn't just the health of the trees. The entire forest just felt different. Friendlier. She pulled her socks and boots back on and walked deeper into the woods.

"Spike?"

When he didn't answer her, she called again.

"Spike!"

"Miss me, Slayer?"

Buffy whirled around to see him leaning against a tree behind her, a roguish smile on his face. There was blood on his mouth.

"There's blood on your mouth."

He lifted his hand and wiped his mouth with his thumb. "Yeah. Guess what? There're animals in these woods."

Buffy sighed in relief.

He reached into his duster pocket, pulled something out and tossed it to her. Buffy caught it and looked at it in surprise. It was reddish-brown in color, round, and about the size of an apple.

"There're fruit trees here too," Spike said unnecessarily.

Buffy wiped it on her jacket and brought it to her mouth. Hesitating for just a second, she parted her lips and sank her sharp, white teeth into it. Juice dribbled down her chin as she bit down and tore off a piece of the fruit's tangy-sweet pulp. The flavor burst over her tongue as she chewed and she closed her eyes in pleasure. She swallowed and the tip of her tongue darted out to lick at the corner of her mouth.

"Good, is it?" Spike asked. His voice held a deep, sensuous timber.

"Mmmmmmm," was all Buffy could answer, biting once again into the juicy treat. When she finished the last bite, she threw the core down and smiled at Spike. "Thanks."

He shrugged; his eyes dark and unreadable, his face impassive. "Didn't grow it, Slayer, just picked it."

She nodded, feeling unexpectedly shy under his gaze, and said, "Just let me wash up and then we can go on. I'm all sticky."

His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed suddenly, and she felt his eyes following her as she walked back to the stream.

***

"I don't get it," she said as they walked side-by-side down a wide path cushioned with a thick coating of leaves. "Why does the air smell better here and why are there birds and animals and fruit and stuff on this side of that stream and not on the other?"

"I'm assuming that's a rhetorical question, Slayer?" Spike asked dryly.

"Well, yeah. It's just so weird, that's all."

"Could be that the air kills the animals in this world even if it didn't hurt you." Spike said. "Don't know why the air stinks across the stream and not here though. I'm sure there's a logical explanation."

"Yeah, thanks, Mr. Spock."

Spike looked at her and raised one eyebrow causing Buffy to laugh.

Feeling uncomfortable over the sense of connection she'd just felt, she looked away.

The woods were full of bird song and the rustling of undergrowth as the forest inhabitants went about their business. Out of habit Buffy kept an alert eye out for danger, and she was aware that Spike was doing the same, but they traveled unmolested. They continued their journey for several more hours stopping occasionally so that Buffy could rest or take care of personal business. Surprisingly, Spike never complained about the breaks, probably because he used them to smoke his smelly cigarettes, Buffy mused. She had warned him once the day before about being careful with his cigarettes. He has rolled his eyes and said, "Combustible vampire here, Slayer. I think I know enough not to set the bloody woods on fire."

As the hours passed, Buffy began to feel fatigued and glanced up at what bits of the sky could be seen through the thick foliage.

"It's getting dark."

"Yeah, that's why I've been watching out for another camping spot."

"Oh."

"You really do know chuff all about roughing it, don't you, Slayer?"

"I know...stuff," she said defensively.

"You may know how to kill vampires and demons, Slayer, but you'd be dead before long if I weren't with you, and you know it."

"Would not," Buffy insisted.

"Would too."

"Geez, Spike, think much of yourself?"

He gave her a look that spoke volumes before heading off the animal track they'd been following and right into another small glade. They prepared camp much as they had the night before. The connection Buffy had felt with Spike on the trail returned, and they talked easily together as they worked. Spike taught her how to make a proper campfire, although he made sure to pick at every mistake she made. They insulted each other, though without rancor, and Spike made her laugh again. And occasionally a niggling worry would pop into her brain that she shouldn't be feeling this comfortable in Spike's company.

After they got the campfire going, Spike left the glade without a word to Buffy. She wished he'd taken her with him on his hunt. She was feeling hungry again but didn't think it would be a good idea to go searching for one of the fruit trees alone. The woods were completely dark outside the range of the firelight, and Buffy wasn't sure she'd be able to find her way back to the campsite. And even though they hadn't seen any yet, there might be predators out there.

Besides Spike.

Her own personal predator.

Buffy sighed and huddled closer to the fire - the air may be sweeter here, but it wasn't any warmer after the sun went down. Spike had only been gone about ten minutes when a rustling in the brush brought Buffy to wary attention. She visibly relaxed when Spike entered the glade.

"That didn't take long."

Instead of answering her, he tossed a fruit at her.

"Bon appétit, Slayer."

She caught it and looked at Spike in surprise. "You went to get me food?"

"Figured you'd be hungry again," he said casually. He sat down next to her handing her two more fruits. "I'll hunt in the morning."

"Uh, thanks." Buffy ate her dinner casting occasional glances at Spike as he smoked a cigarette and lounged by the fire next to her, apparently content to remain silent for a change. Once again, his consideration of her had taken Buffy by surprise. Since they'd come into this world, their relationship had subtly begun to change. Where before it had been defined by what they were, Slayer and vampire, now they were...something else. The casual way he went about finding her food and water and making sure she could keep up and that she rested when needed confused her. She wished she could figure him out, but Spike was the poster child for a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. But it was the nagging thought that she was beginning to trust him that worried her most. He really wasn't trustworthy, was he?

When it came time to sleep, Spike lay down and opened his coat again.

"Slayer?"

"I'm not sleeping with you, Spike," Buffy said warily.

"Afraid you can't keep your hands off me?" he mocked.

"As if."

"Then there's no reason why we can't get all cuddly and keep warm. Going to be right cold again tonight."

Buffy hesitated. The temperature was dropping dramatically again, just as it had last night.

"Just don't try anything, Spike."

"I wasn't the one getting groiny this morning, pet. You were."

Buffy glared at him. "I told you..."

"Yeah, that you thought I was your soldier boy." Spike snorted. "You'd be wise to keep insults like that to yourself, too."

Buffy sighed, admitted to herself that she wasn't going to get much sleep if she was freezing, and came over to Spike. She lay down and allowed him to draw her body up close to his. She shifted around a bit trying to find a comfortable position until Spike ground out, "Keep wiggling like that, Slayer, and you're going to find yourself on your back after all."

Buffy immediately went still.

"Oh, now that's disappointing," he said with wicked amusement in his voice.

Buffy elbowed his ribs. "Just shut up and go to sleep, Spike"

He grunted from the impact of her elbow, and then molded himself around her, muttering in her ear, "Bossy bint."

They were quiet for the rest of the night.