Buffy turned around at the sound of Spike’s voice, just in time to see a second dart refuse to penetrate Travers’ skin.

“Go. Get him out of here!” she hissed at Xander, giving him a small shove to get him and Giles moving out the front door.

Whirling back around to face the head of the Watcher’s Council, stake in hand, Buffy advanced on him.

He merely shrugged at her advance, acting as if having a brassed off Slayer after his head was nothing out of the ordinary. Buffy bristled. She was scary dammit!

“I think I may have that seat now, Miss Summers. We do have quite a bit to talk about.” Motioning to a small sofa that was against one wall, Quentin took a seat in the chair Giles had been tied to. “Oh, and you can call off your vampire. Neither you nor him can hurt me for the time being.”

Buffy glanced at Spike; he shrugged at her, but kept the gun pointed at Travers. “What do you want from me?” she asked him hesitantly, refusing to take a seat.

“Why, Miss Summers. I thought that it was obvious. This was a test,” Travers said, matter of factly.

Buffy couldn’t help it, her mouth dropped a bit as she stared at him in shock. “A test?” she repeated. “What do you mean a test?”

Quentin sighed impatiently, “Please, Miss Summers. Sit down. I have no intention of hurting you.”

Rolling her eyes at him, Buffy hoisted the stake a little higher. “Right, and you’re all invincible because…?”

“Because I know that you employ a witch, and I was just covering all my bases,” the Watcher replied as if it was common sense. “Besides, I do not fancy the morning after headache a tranquilizer dart leaves one with.” Crossing one leg over the other, Travers leaned back in his chair.

“I am afraid I have some bad news, however, Miss Summers.” Glancing between her and Spike, he continued. “You have failed this portion of the test.”

“Well then I guess it’s a good thing I don’t give two shits about your or your Council. I thought I made that perfectly clear, Travers. I am *not* in your employment any longer!” Buffy was livid. *A test? They’re fucking testing me? On what? My rescue skills? Fucking Council!*

“Miss Summers, I do suggest you calm down. We must go over your scoring if you hope to do better on the next portion of the exam.” Quentin explained patiently. It grated on Buffy’s nerves how he sounded as if he was speaking to a child.

“Wow, for someone who’s all educated and stuff, you really seem to have a hard time understanding me. I quit. I don’t want anything to do with you. Leave. Me. Alone,” Buffy ground out through clenched teeth.

“I’m afraid that’s not the case Miss -” Quentin began, but Buffy cut him off.

“Is it because I’m an American?” she asked. “Spike, how do you say ‘Leave me the fuck alone’ in British?”

Snorting, Spike came over to stand beside for. Thankful for his solidarity, she smirked at his reply. “Sod off wanker,” he answered her, his last word punctuated by a colorful hand gesture that Buffy was pretty sure she knew the meaning off.

“Well, now that that’s clear, I’m done here, Travers. If you touch me or my friends again, I will kill you. Is that clear?”

“Miss Summers, I really must insist that you hear me out. The tests *will not* cease once they have begun. There are two more trials you must face. Since you have failed the first one, you *must* pass the next two or you will… regret the consequences.”

Buffy barely noticed Spike growl as she launched herself at Quentin. Her hand was a mere inch away from his throat when she was pushed back, as if encountering some kind of invisible wall. Picking herself up, Buffy glared at him.

“Mojo you got going won’t last forever mate. Then you’ll be sorry you messed with us.”

Buffy’s eyes widened at that, *We’re an us?!* Taking in the fact that Spike had morphed into game face, she decided that if Travers wasn’t scared shitless he must be the biggest idiot alive.

“Yes, yes. I’m sure you’re right,” Travers began. “Just, sit down and listen for two minutes and then you can be on your merry way.”

Buffy refused to sit, instead taking comfort in the vampire standing shoulder to shoulder with her. “You might as well start talking, because I’m not sitting down.”

Sighing, Quentin continued. “You have failed the first test because, although you rescued Mr. Giles in record time, it is not exactly Council… policy to employ vampires in your search.” His gaze shifted to Spike, and then back to Buffy. “Many of the council members are a bit concerned with the many relationships you seem to make and… maintain with vampires. This automatically disqualifies you from this test.”

Buffy shrugged, her shoulder brushing up against Spike as she did so. “Well it’s a good thing that I don’t care then.” Combing a hand through her hair, Buffy looked back and forth from Spike to Travers. “You know what? I’m so done with this. I will… maintain relationships with whoever I want. Screw you and your council.” Grabbing Spike’s hand, Buffy began walking towards the door. “Let’s go,”

Turning their backs on the head of the Watcher’s Council, the Slayer and vampire made their way out of the house and down into the sewers.

~*~

Spike landed in the sewer with a small splash, beside a fuming Slayer.

“How dare they kidnap Giles, hurt him, make me worry, all for a fucking test! This is absolutely ridiculous.” Kicking at the muck, she turned to Spike. “Are you sure you can’t kill him? Just this once? I won’t even tell Giles it was you, I swear.”

Spike smiled at that. “I’d love to pet, but this little piece of hardware up in my noggin won’t let me, yeah?”

He could smell the fear scent fading from Buffy, and though he couldn’t smell it, he knew she was pissed off. *Hell hath no fury like a brassed off Slayer.* She was practically trembling with rage at this Travers git. If he could have, Spike would have snapped his neck in a second.

Shaking her head, blonde hair flying, the Slayer continued her rant. “It’s just – how dare they tell me what I can and can’t do. They haven’t been around, they have no idea what’s going on.”

Grabbing her shoulders, if only to stop her from scrambling her brains with all that head shaking, Spike turned her to face him. “Listen Slayer. Anything they dish out, we can take it, right? Got Giles back in one piece, yeah? Ditched those bleeding commandos? You and your scoobies, you’re a right powerful group. So, no worries.”

The anger seemed to fading a bit from her face, and she wasn’t as tense as she had been almost all night, so Spike figured that was a good thing.

“A little anger never hurt no one, Slayer. But you gotta make sure it don’t eat you alive. Keep it there, let it remind you of all the reasons you need to protect your friends and family, but just don’t let it cloud your judgment. We beat one test, we’ll beat the rest.”

Her face was softening alright. *Must be doing something right,* he thought. Her green eyes were studying his face, and suddenly he realized that his hands were still on her shoulders. *Really should move those, mate.*

“We?” she whispered hesitantly. A mixture of emotions clouded her features, making it impossible for Spike to know what she was thinking.

*Now you done it, acting as if you’re more to her then some impotent vamp. Got all caught up in the lies you been telling all night, is all. Thinking she actually felt something with that kiss.*

He cleared his throat, wanting to tear his eyes away from hers, wanting to take his hands of her shoulders. “Well, we, I mean - ”

His words were cut off by the Slayer’s mouth on his. Soft lips met his own, as her tiny, powerful arms came up to circle his waist. He couldn’t believe it, she was kissing him. And there wasn’t any spell, and… *Stop thinking mate, just do.* And then he was.

Drawing her closer to him, he groaned when his tongue was granted entrance to her warm mouth. Both of them, warring for dominance as they kissed, he couldn’t stop his hands from wandering up and down her arms, finally settling on letting one fist in her hair, while the other splayed against the small of her back.

Spike didn’t know how long they kissed before she broke away, breathing hard, and leaning against him, her arms still wrapped snugly around his waist. “Wow,” she whispered.

He couldn’t answer her, just held her tight as he gasped for breath he didn’t need. Looking up at him, her green eyes were filled with lust and desire and… hope? Kissing him once more, quickly, she pulled away entirely except for one small hand grasping his own.

“We should probably go check on Xander and Giles,” she said, no longer meeting his eyes.

“Sure pet. Whatever you say.”

Spike let himself be led.