Part Three





There were fifteen of them. Ten surrounding her, four just fading out of the shadows, and one standing in the background…obviously the leader of the gang.



Part of Buffy was shocked - it had been forever and a day since the only thing she had to deal with was a group of vamps, but lately the Vampire sightings had been getting more regular! Another part was amused...what was it with these vamps...even with this many, in her normal mood of late she could have dusted them in seconds.



These however, seemed to be going for the slightly more tactical approach of 'all-at-once' instead of the usual 'only-a-couple-at-a-time-attack-allowing-the-Slayer-pleanty-of-time-to-stake-them-all-without-breaking-a-sweat!'.



Ah, well...she had a little time on her hands.



Buffy rolled her eyes as they slowly advanced on her, "Okay, guys, I gotta couple of minutes to spare." She checked her watch theatrically, "In your own time..."



As one, the group attacked, the shadow-four staying back until the Slayer had tired a little. Buffy ducked under six punches, braving the brunt of a sharp kick to her hips as she swept out with her right leg, knocking three of them onto their backs.



She flipped up and over the group, landing neatly on the balls of her feet. Her sudden movement disorientated the Vampires, and they lost their game-plan focus.



They ran at her in a line.



She was given a brief pause, in which she quickly retracted Mr. Pointy.



Fists and feet flew as she simultaneously attacked the first Vampire, then defended herself against the second, then attacked the third, and so on...



Soon, Buffy was staring at eight piles of dust; the two remaining vamps already tiring. As the Slayer sent a sharp roundhouse kick to a dark head, her stake slammed into a lime green shirt *Definitely not a waste of clothing. *



The Vampire picked himself off the floor and sprung at her with his remaining energy. Buffy used his Momentum to send him flying into a tree. The Demon landed on a tree branch, and with an agonizing scream, burst into dust.



Buffy flicked back her hair and turned to face the four shadow-Vampires. "Come on guys, can we speed it up? Charmed's on in ten."



Her flippancy apparently didn't sit well with one of the four, especially on top of her speedy dusting of his compatriots. With a snarl he lunged for her. Buffy's eyebrows shot up at the sight, and her eyes rolled as he ran straight into her stake.



"Well, that was fun. Who's next?"



The three attacked as one. Buffy’s knee lifted, sharply nailing the first vamp in between the legs. She slammed her stake into the exposed back of that vamp, and as he bent to cup his now aching balls she ducked two punches; their fists meeting comically in the centre. They howled in unison, one punching with their left arm, the other kicking out with their right leg.



Both blows hit their target, causing the Slayer to wobble in the middle from the dual attack. As one, they moved in to punch her she grabbed the wrist of one, using their combined fists to smack the other across the face.



As the second vamp shot up from the floor Buffy used the stunned first Vampire, whose wrist she still held captured, to her advantage, swinging him around into his friend. She raised her leg and kicked hard, releasing his hand, watching as the two vamps flew into the same tree branch that their friend had earlier, dusting with simultaneous screams.



"Well done, Slayer. Though I must say I'm not surprised, I'd heard you were the best." The final Vampire finally emerged onto the battlefield. He was larger than most - but Buffy knew from experience that that didn't have to mean anything.



She just wanted it finished so she could go home.



"Yeah, well, can we get on with this - I wasn't kidding about Charmed." Buffy asked, blowing back the same errant strand of hair from her face as before.



"And the whole joke-thing...really cute."



Buffy sighed as he continued to chat in a sardonic tone that reminded her of her Spi- *So not thinking about him!*.



Buffy fidgeted, not happy with the direction her thoughts were headed. "Can we fight already?"



Out of no-where a fist flew into her face, stunning her as she tumbled backwards. "Damn it." She muttered as she back-rolled away from the foot that was about to crash into her head. "Stupid Demon's using my confusing-chatting technique!"



Unfortunately, she was a just a second too late to avoid being picked up and thrown into a nearby tombstone. As luck would have it, it was shaped like a crucifix and the Vampire Vampire-Slayer recoiled in pain, for the first time loosing control over her human visage.



The other Vampire watched in shock as the Slayer stood, her eyes yellow, her face not quite as Demonic as most, but still evidently not human.



"You're a Vampire?"



"What?" Buffy winced as the burn on her back pulled slightly with her movement.



"The Slayer's a Vampire...oh my God, I have to tell someone! The Slayer's a Vampire!" The bravado image of the still unknown vamp was lost in his jubilation of finding out such an amazing secret.



"Hey! No, you don't!" Buffy shouted, trying to grab him but only succeeding in pulling her burns further - damn these revealing strappy tops!



Buffy cried out in pain and was about to attempt to catch him when in a blur of white and black he was dust. As the particles cleared Spike stepped through them.



"You okay, love?" His soft voice cleared her from her stupor.



"Oh my God!" Buffy muttered, turning hastily around, her burns forgotten as she tried to shield her Vampire face from him.



"Christ, pet, what happened to your back - are you hurt anywhere else?" Spike spoke quickly, "Come on, my crypts just over there we need to get you bandaged up."



He tried to turn her around, still unaware of her discomfort. "No!" Buffy recoiled from his touch, walking as quickly as she could away form him, her face forward, wincing with every movement.



"Come on, Buffy, don't be a bitch about this, you're hurt." He caught up with her and grabbed her arm, forcing her to face him.



"No! I don't want you to see me like this." She shouted out before she could stop herself, a tear slipping from her amber eyes.



Spike frowned, "Like what? Hurt?"



She didn't answer him as she continued to shake, " Pet, just 'cause you're the Slayer doesn't mean you're indestructible! Nothin' to be ashamed of." He tried to reassure her but Buffy wasn't listening.



"Can't you tell?" She whispered.



"What?" He asked, just as gently.



"My face...I've.... I’ve changed."



"Oh." Spike smiled at her, and then frowned. "Why don't you want me to see you? You're beautiful." Remembering the way she’d looked when she had first awoke as a Vampire; only his guilt at her predicament had prevented him from grabbing her close and taking his right as Sire.



"Ugh!" She turned angrily and began to walk away; he followed, as she knew he would. "Don't lie, Spike."



"I'm not lying!" She stopped and faced him.



"Right! Because this is beautiful?" Her angry statement seemed less of a statement, more of a question.



"Yes." Spike’s response was whisper soft as he reached out and swept an unruly strand of hair out of her eyes. His hand lingered, brushing along the more defined swell of her cheekbones, then along her brow; mesmerized by the small indentations along her skin.



"So beautiful..." He murmured, running the pad of his thumb against her lower lip. Her lips parted automatically as her tongue nervously wet them.



"Show me..." She whispered timidly.



Spike looked up into her eyes, knowing what she wanted. Effortlessly and without ceremony his face slid into it's natural visage.



Spike watched through yellow orbs as her amber eyes traced his features.



-----



With black paint smeared across both cheeks, and decked out in green, a commando hid in the bushes, regarding the interaction between the two hostiles.



He watched as the female Vampire lifted her hand, gently exploring the face of the male.



Riley could feel the anger and jealousy burning inside him as he watched them.... together.



A scream sounded in the background and the two rushed off...together.



With a growl that couldn't have rivalled a kitten's he marched off in the opposite direction.



She was his girlfriend….no-matter what.



---



Xander's face contorted as he tried to burrow deeper into his covers and away from the banging on 'his' door. When the banging only got louder, knowing that it would eventually wake his parents (which wouldn't be good), he threw off the covers, shivering as he made his way to the door.



"Okay, okay, I'm coming!" He called to the person on the other side.



Riley burst through the door, standing to attention once he was inside the door - looking every bit the soldier.



"Riley, what the hell are you doing here, man - it's like...." He checked the clock. "Shit, 3 am! I gotta get up for work tomorrow!"



"Permission to speak granted." Xander said after a few Moments of silence.



Riley scowled at him, "I need to talk to you about Buffy."



"Look man, I don't know if I should - you're not her favourite person right now-"



Riley cut him off, impatiently. "I don't care about that. I'm talking about her and Spike."



"Look, buddy, everyone knows how much I don't love Spike especially after the latest stunt - yeah, I was all for the lets go kill him, but Buffy may need him."



"For what?"



"I don't know, but Willow said it and I happen to agree - we need to be here for Buffy. She didn't ask to be turned."



"She certainly doesn't seem to have a problem with it. Her and Spike looked awful cosy in the cemetery a minute ago."



Xander sighed and rubbed his eyes wearily - not seeing the point of this conversation. "Dude, you gotta get over the jealousy - her and Spike? Never gonna happen. Even in peroxide-boy's crazy perversions...never gonna happen."



"You didn't-"



"No I didn't, but if you ever want another chance with Buffy then you're gonna have to be there for her. She needed you and you freaked on her. She's lonely, and if it’s giving Spike the opportunity to mack on her then its your fault - now, I gotta get some sleep!" He ushered Riley to the door. "Think about it." He advised, and pushed him out.



"But-"



Xander shut the door and locked it. "Man, can he talk." He flopped back into bed and shut off the light.








TBC ASAP!!!

A/N: Just wanted to say a big thanks for my lovely reviewers vladt, Dreylin, Paxton, Verda, Pam S and dragontiff!

I hope everyone enjoyed this next part. I'm afraid I'm without internet access for a little while, but as soon as it's back I'll be back with hopefully a swift update!