*Author's Note: You guys are amazing. All your words and encouragement mean so much to me. I want to give a special shout out to ZoeGrace for all her reviews. Thank you soooo much!

~*~

*Can’t I just kill ‘im?*

Spike bit back a growl as Riley trailed them into the gallery. Buffy was busy putting away her shopping bag, which, Spike’s nose told him, was full of blood. And he was starving. And he couldn’t eat the soldier boy.

“Buffy, luv,” Spike called out. “Why don’t you go on back and say hello to Mum. I’ll show your friend around.”

Surprisingly, Buffy simply nodded. “Why don’t I make you a drink?” she asked. Bag in tow, she disappeared into the back room. When she was tucked away behind the curtained doorway, Spike turned to Riley.

“So, you’re friends with Buffy?” he asked, trying as hard as he could not to visualize ripping the bugger’s throat out.

“Her T.A. actually,” Riley said, his eyes taking in every inch of the gallery. “She dropped a book on my head.” He chuckled and Spike rolled his eyes. *Ponce probably thinks they’re meant to be or some rot like that.*

“So, how’d you two meet?” the solider boy asked him.

“The Bronze,” Spike answered, not missing a beat. *Better keep this as true to form, as I can.* “Saw her dancin’ with her friends and thought she was the most beautiful bird I’d ever seen.” He smiled to himself, remembering that night. “Almost buggered it up with the worst pick-up line ever.”

The smell of warm blood drifted towards him, and Spike peered around Riley to see Buffy staring at him, open mouthed, a travel coffee mug in her hand. Walking towards her, he took the mug from her hand. “What’s wrong, pet?”

She looked up at him, a smile gracing her features. “You thought I was beautiful?”

Placing a hand to his chest, he affected a wounded expression. “’Course I did. Beautiful, sexy, funny.” Winking at Riley, he grinned at her playfully. “That tight shirt you had on helped, too.”

Laughing, she slapped him lightly on the shoulder, “You are a pig Spike.”

“And you’re marrying me.”

Riley cleared his throat, and the two blondes stopped their banter, looking towards him. “Sorry, Riley. Didn’t mean to ignore you. Did Spike show you around?”

“Uh, no. He was just telling me how you two met.” Riley looked extremely uncomfortable with the route the conversation had taken, and Spike couldn’t help but grin. *Can’t eat the wanker, but I can torture ‘im a bit. Though, if he makes one more pass at Buffy I’ll rip his head clean off. Chip or no.*

“Can you believe it was almost three years ago?” she asked Spike. “I feel like I’ve known you my whole life.”

At that statement, Joyce came bristling into the front of the store. “William, could you help me move something – .” Spotting Riley, Joyce paused. “Hello. Is there anything I can help you find? We just got in a lovely collection of South African pottery.”

“Oh, no thank you ma’am. I’m a friend of Buffy’s. From school.” Riley ducked his head a bit, and held out a hand. “Riley Finn.”

Joyce shook his hand, glancing over at Buffy and Spike. The vampire hastily threw an arm around Buffy, trying to convey the fact that Riley had no idea who they really were. Joyce seemed to get the hint, and introduced herself. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Riley. I wish I could stay and chat, but if we’re going to go meet…”

“My Da’,” Spike supplied as she trailed off. “And the wedding coordinator.”

“Right. William’s father. I have to get a few things finished first.” Shaking her head imperceptibly, she turned to Buffy. “You can help me move those couple of sculptures before we leave?”

“Sure thing Mom, that’s what I’m here for.”

“Let me know if it’s too much for you,” Spike called as they disappeared into the back once more.

Riley fidgeted and looked at Spike as the two of them were alone once more. Taking a big gulp from his mug, Spike set it down on the back counter and sauntered back over to the soldier. Riley took a step back as the blonde vampire approached, and Spike grinned internally. *Least I can still scare someone.*

“Let’s get one thing straight, boy,” Spike told him, his voice casual, but his eyes hard. “Buffy’s mine. If I were you, I’d bugger off, and right quick.”

To his surprise, Riley didn’t back down as quickly as he’d hoped, the larger man’s voice taking on a steely edge that seemed at odds with his self-effacing behavior thus far.

“And if I were you, I wouldn’t go around threatening people. Something’s not right here and I’m going to get to the bottom of it.” Spike smirked when he saw Riley clenching his fists. He couldn’t help it. *This guy wants to fight me for Buffy’s honor? Well I’ll be damned.* Still, he couldn’t ignore the niggling voice in his head that told him not to push the boy to hard. He did still have that bloody chip in his head.

“That a fact? Are you sure you’re not just jealous? Me bein’ the better man and all that rot?”

Riley stuffed his hands in his pockets in a visible effort to control himself. “How so?”

Spike’s grin grew. “Thought it was obvious, mate. She chose me.” As if to illustrate his point, Buffy came bounding through the doorway, a large smile on her face, her eyes twinkling.

“Spikey? Could we have an outdoor ceremony?”

The vampire laughed at her call back to their previous engagement and didn’t hesitate at drawing her in for a hug. She smiled up at him and he kissed her nose lightly, “Only the best for my girl.”


~*~

Giles started as the door to his hotel room opened and in walked Buffy, Joyce, and a slightly smoldering Spike.

“So, are you two going to tell me why half the town thinks you’re engaged?” Joyce asked, setting her purse down on one of the two double beds in the room. “Because I’m sure it’s just a fascinating story.”

“Told ya, Joyce. Had to pretend so the poncy soldier boys wouldn’t think I was a threat. They already hardwired me head. Don’t need ‘em cuttin’ anywhere else up.” Spike sank down into the room’s only easy chair, his legs outstretched in front of him.

“I thought it was a bit clever, myself,” Giles told Joyce, offering her his seat at the small round table in the corner of the room. She thanked him, sitting down in his place. “It really comes in quite handy, and provides a perfect cover as to why Buffy and Spike are spending a great deal of time together.”

Spike nodded, and then straightened as a smirk crossed his face. “By the way, Rupes. If anyone asks, you’re my Da’.”

“What?” Giles spluttered, “That’s preposterous. No one will believe that.”

“I don’t know,” Buffy said offhandedly, studying the two Englishmen. “I could see it.”

“Yes, there is a certain ruggedly handsome resemblance,” Joyce cut in.

Sighing, Giles figured he’d just go along with it. There was nothing to be done about it anyway.

Leaning up against the wall, Giles glanced at his slayer. Spike was filling Joyce in on what was going on with the Commandos, while Buffy was perched on the edge of the bed staring into space. Following her line of sight, Giles realized she was staring at Spike, or rather his hands, which were in constant motion during his conversation. Occasionally, they would twitch as if searching for a cigarette, but Buffy’s eyes never strayed. Tendrils of apprehension began to lace through Giles’s thoughts as he pondered the implications of this new development. He knew that Buffy and Spike’s description of the past evening had not been complete, but now he was beginning to wonder *what* exactly they had left out.

*Perhaps it is some left over affection from Willow’s spell. Or perhaps Buffy is so wrought with emotion that she latched onto the first creature who showed her a modicum of attention?* Giles dismissed that last idea, if that was the case Buffy would be fawning over that Riley fellow and that was obviously not happening. *Whatever it is, I hope she’s careful.*

A moment later the door opened widely to admit Xander and Willow. Spike dove out of the way of the sun’s reach knocking into Buffy as he jumped over the bed. Beating frantically at his smoking hand, the vampire glared at the two new arrivals.

Willow ducked her head sheepishly and pushed the door closed, “Sorry, Spike. Didn’t know you were here.”

“Yeah, not like a little sunlight could hurt anyone,” Xander chimed in. “Oh wait. It can. If you’re DEAD.”

“Hardy har, whelp. You better watch I don’t let the Watchers take you next.” Spike grunted, and looked as if he was about to say something else, but Buffy’s act of coming to her feet silenced the group.

“Xander, don’t do it again. Spike, shut up.” Splitting her glare between both men, Buffy gestured for everyone to find a seat so that Giles could let them know what he had found out.

“Not much, I’m afraid.” Pulling off his glasses, he used the bottom of his shirt to clean them while he continued. “According to Wesley, the Cruciamentum is only the first of the tests the Slayer must endure. If she passes that on her 18th birthday there will be another test every year until she reaches the age of 21.”

“Why do they stop at age 21?” Willow asked tentatively.

“Because no Slayer has ever lived that long,” Spike put in from his place in the corner.

Everyone turned to look at him, and Joyce gasped at his words. “Wha’? It’s the truth.”

Giles cleared his throat. “Yes, well… unfortunately, Spike is right. However – ”

“You mean I’m going to have to put up with this shit for the rest of my life?

“Buffy! Language,” Joyce admonished her daughter.

“No mom. I will not watch my language. These… these *wankers* have fucked with my life long enough. Once these tests are over, and Travers no longer has superpowers, he and I are going to have a long chat. If he screws with me again, touches my family or my friends again, I *will* kill him.” Her voice was full of determination and righteous anger, and not one person in the room felt right to chime in with that little rule about Slayer’s not killing humans.

The room was silent for a moment after her proclamation, and Giles did not, for one second, doubt that she was speaking the truth. Buffy had been through a great deal in her short life, already died once, and she deserved to live out what remained of it happily. Unbidden, Giles’s eyes wandered over to Spike. *Happily.*

“Right. Yes. Anyway, there are three tests. Apparently you have failed the first one?” At Buffy and Spike’s nod, Giles continued. “The second and third tests will be quite different from the first. My abduction was a chance to test your reflex skills, see how quickly you would respond in an emergency. The second and third trials will test your strength and intelligence, respectively.”

“Can’t we just do this by seeing how far I can drag a semi? Or what my SAT scores were? I did good on those, remember?” Buffy’s voice held a bit of a whine to it, and Giles moved towards where she was standing to place an arm around her shoulders.

“Don’t fret, Buffy. I am sure that we can handle whatever they throw at us.”

“And if we don’t?” she asked.

Giles sighed heavily, and looked down. He wasn’t able to meet her eyes. Everyone seemed to take his silence as the answer they needed and Buffy nodded, her face filling with resolve. “Right.” Moving to the window, she pulled back the curtain carefully. “The sun will be down soon, Spike and I will patrol. The rest of you will stay here and try to figure out what you can about both these tests and the Commandos. Riley’s been sniffing around way to much for my liking.”

Giles could have sworn he heard Spike growl deeply at the mention of Riley, but when no one else said anything he dismissed the thought.

“Buf, do you really think it’s a good idea to head out there with the Council out and about?” Xander asked.

“I’m not going to sit around and wait for the council to come to me. We’re going to them.”


~*~

A/N: For all of you who have been waiting patiently for more Spuffy goodness it is coming up SOON. I promise!