A/N: Thanks to the wonderful Megan for betaing.


Chapter 4: Shadowing.


Spike slid his black leather duster over his shoulders, hugging his frame like a second skin as it wrapped around his body. If there was one thing about his resurrection from being burned alive, that he was thankful for, it was that his jacket survived the ride. It was as much a part of who he was as was his penchant for bleaching his hair.

Disappearing into the sewers via the basement access of his building, he trudged through the tube system, glad that his route was dry. Not that the smell was really an issue for someone who didn’t need to breath, but he really wasn’t in the mood for having to clean sewer mulch from his boots. He wasn’t really in the mood for doing anything at the moment; he would have much preferred to lose himself at the bottom of another bottle of whiskey. But he knew that if he avoided his ‘responsibilities’ for a second night in a row, his guide—and he used the term loosely—would up his hounding.

Which is why he was headed for a discreet little demon bar a few blocks from his apartment to meet up with said guide.

But the biggest motivator was Buffy. Thinking of her, dreaming of her… that’s all he bloody did these days. Fighting the good fight that he’d once mocked Angel for, kept his mind occupied and allowed him to take out his frustrations physically upon the vampires that trolled the LA streets by night.

It also made him feel closer to her even though they were oceans apart, because he knew that it was likely that each night she was out doing exactly what he did, ridding the world of evil. That tentative if ambiguous link was sometimes all that kept him sane. To be back from the dusty dead and no longer an apparition but flesh and bone, yet not be with her… almost killed him every night.

All it would take was a phone call, just to hear her voice would make the pain of the separation go away. At first it had been forced, his connection to the amulet prohibiting any movement outside of LA. What stopped him now, was himself. He had died for her, given her the world so that she may continue to live in it. How could he ever outdo that? Turning up now would cheapen his gift, his sacrifice.

Buffy had told him that she loved him in those final moments on the Hellmouth, and although he had denied her proclamation he had believed every word. There was no denying the emotion, the conviction he saw in her eyes and that was when he realized what he had to do. He had to let her go. Spike knew that he wasn’t making it out of the Hellmouth alive and if he had accepted her gift of love, returned the expression, then she might not have gotten out of there in time. That was just who Buffy was. She was someone who risked her life for the one’s she loved. She loved him. Which meant more to him than anything. The only thing more important than knowing that; was making sure she lived.

So he had rejected her. With a smirk and a typical by character remark, he had welcomed his imminent death with the knowledge that she cared.

And now he was back amongst the living and she was on the other side of the world.

Kicking at a soda can that lay on the sewer floor, he made his way towards the ladder that led to his meeting point with Doyle.

It was time to do something useful.

~~~

Angel rode the elevator to his private quarters deep in thought. Buffy had been less than impressed by his insistence of back up for the patrol session tonight and if he knew anything about the Slayer, it was that she was stubborn. Yet she had backed down almost immediately.

Cursing under his breath, he realized that she probably planned on ditching the escort team the moment she hit the streets, that is if she returned to the office at all.

Stepping out of the elevator and into his apartment, he picked up the nearest telephone and dialed down to the armory. A moment later the line picked up.

“Weapons department, this is Lucas,” the technician identified.

“Lucas, when the Slayer returns for weapons pick up this evening, I want you to make sure she is given the stun gun with the imbedded microchip in it.”

Lucas gulped when he recognized the caller as the head honcho Mr. Angel. “Yes sir, of course,” he nodded, even though he knew he couldn’t be seen. “What if she disposes of her weapon?”

Angel was silent for a moment before finally responding, “If you can place a tracker on her person with out detection, do so.”

The technician nodded once more, gulping again at the thought of getting his face punched in by the Slayer. He had heard the stories about what she had done earlier on in the day to the gofer and he didn’t want to contemplate what she might do to him if he wasn’t discrete while attempting to plant the bug on her. He was terrified of the Slayer but he was more afraid of suffering the wrath of his boss. “Yes sir.”

Getting the response he wanted, Angel disconnected the call. Buffy’s behaviour towards him had been cool and he didn’t think it was just because of his requirements for patrol this evening. She was almost wary of him and he didn’t know why. He knew that Rupert Giles was less than impressed with his current position and he could only assume that that played a hand in her reaction towards him this evening.

Padding over to the large windows he stared at the rapidly setting sun, once again thankful for the necro-tempered glass of the building. Sunset was not a sight he as a vampire should be witnessing, at least not without the burning to death aspect.

His thoughts went to his son as the golden rays began to disappear beyond the horizon, the horizon that he had once hoped to bathe in. The Shanshu Prophecy had been all that kept him going on those hard months when he had first left Sunnydale, left Buffy. But now he wasn’t even sure if he believed in it anymore.

In a little under an hour, Buffy would be returning. Turning away from the window, Angel moved towards the bathroom to shower. As always, he wanted to be presentable for her arrival.

~~~

Buffy exited the hotel once more, finding herself greeted by Morty’s cheerful smile. With a brief hello she was guided to her door and helped inside, the car in motion moments later when Morty slipped into the driver’s seat. Once more Buffy was driven through the streets of downtown LA as they made their way to the Wolfram and Hart offices.

At first it had been strange, having someone drive her all over town. She almost felt like a celebrity, except without the fame and the money and the nice shoes…

Now she barely even noticed it anymore. It came with the package of being in LA, another one of Angel’s little attempts to control her. She sighed as her mind wandered to her activities of the day.

Her afternoon had been distraction free, allowing her to concentrate on completing some paperwork. So absorbed in her work she had almost lost track of the time. She had planned on calling Giles and giving him an update regarding her meeting with Angel and his crew. And she still had to call Juan as well. Another pang of guilt washed over her and she promised herself that she would do so once she returned to her hotel room after her patrol; there just wasn’t the time now for either phone call.

Dressing in black leggings, a form fitting red singlet and her trainers she had made her way downstairs, but not before the irony of her outfit colour choice became apparent when she caught sight of her reflection. Red and black… She had grabbed her denim jacket from the hook by the door and slipped it over her shoulders in an attempt to ignore the fact that she wearing ‘Spike’s’ uniform.

The first few months after the destruction of Sunnydale had been hard, but she had gotten through it. And now she had someone in her life, and every time she found her thoughts shifting from her actual boyfriend to that of Spike she chastised herself. Spike was gone. There was no sense dreaming of impossible futures, it would only lead to disappointment.

At one point, when it had been almost too much to bare she had gone to Willow for help, begging for a spell or a potion or something that would make her feelings for the lost vampire dissipate. Willow had denied her the magically induced solace that she so desperately sought and as time had passed Buffy realized that her friend had been right in doing so.

Just as she had to work through her grief over the loss of her mother, she had to work through this as well. It would make her stronger and strong is what she needed to be. She was a role model for all of the girls at the school, they needed her to lead. From time to time she did remember that night in her living room when those in her charge, her friends and her sister had turned her out into the night for doing exactly that. But she pushed those thoughts away.

Just as she pushed thoughts of Spike away…

“We’re here, Miss Buffy.” Morty’s voice broke through her thoughts and Buffy thanked him quietly before quickly exiting the car and stepping into the waiting elevator, once more feeling that being in this place was a bad idea.

~~~

Spike lifted a scarred brow when Doyle changed the topic of conversation to something that only hours ago had been agreed to be left alone.

“So this Buffy, what was she like?”

His expression hardened, his fists clenching by his sides.

“Doyle,” Spike warned, his tone of voice almost dangerous.

“I’m an inquisitive person by nature, can you blame me?” he asked.

Spike growled quietly in response, earning an apologetic shrug from his guide.

“My mistake, won’t bring it up again.”

At Spike’s responding snort, a grin curled at his mouth. “So we’re agreed on the target area for this evening? Down by the docks?”

Nodding, Spike stood from the stool he was perched upon and made his way towards the exit of the bar. It was time to take out some of that frustration.

~~~

Buffy turned the stun gun over in her right hand before shifting it to her left to test its weight. Stun guns weren’t exactly her thing but if carrying this would keep Angel off her back then she would do it.

The vampire in question had just left and Buffy found herself alone with the stuttering technician who looked at her as if she were about to grow two heads. “Is there anything else I have to take with me?” she asked dryly, keeping her distance from the young man in an attempt to settle his nerves.

When he shook his head vigorously she noted that her attempts had been futile. Turning her back on him, she slipped the small weapon into a carry bag along with a couple of stakes and a few vials of holy water.

Realizing that this was his only opportunity, Lucas crept forward with the small tracking bug in the form of a clear sticker. With shaky hands he pressed it to the collar of her jacket as lightly as possible.

Sensing the movement behind her Buffy turned around and stepped back abruptly at the proximity of the technician. His eyes went wide as he stared blankly at her, before a moment later he produced a large wooden cross and held it out to her. “Th-this might be of help.”

With a curious frown Buffy nodded, accepting the cross and slipping it into the bag. “Okay, thanks.” With one last look at the strange young man, she left the lab.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Lucas collapsed into a chair, thankful that she hadn’t detected what he had been doing.

With the flick of a couple of switches, a small green dot appeared on the screen before him, showing the slayer’s position as she moved throughout the building. It was done.

~~~

Spike staked his first two vampires with ease, having found them before they had found themselves victims for the night. Now he was wandering by the docks in search of more would-be attackers. The longer he walked without incident, the more he found himself thinking of Buffy.

He cursed Doyle for his nosy questions that dredged up memories he was trying too hard to forget.

A scream ripped through the air and Spike sent a silent thanks to the gods for offering a distraction before taking off at a run in the direction it had originated from.

~~~

The small van that had Buffy and five operatives piled into it pulled to a stop in the warehouse district where the target, Dana, had last been seen. Buffy climbed out of the vehicle the moment it pulled to a stop. Not wanting to ruin another new clothing acquisition, Buffy slipped off her denim jacket and threw it on the seat she had been seated on before grabbing her slaying bag and pulling the strap over her shoulder.

She set off into the night with the five strong team of ‘bodyguards’, rolling her eyes when it was suggested she walk between them.

This was going to be a long night.



~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Sorry for the delay guys, uni was seriously kicking my ass. But Yay! Only one more day left for the year. Hope you like the chapter, please leave your thoughts.