At least thirty minutes had passed.

The Scoobies were all gathered around the research table, slumped in their chairs, either staring at the ceiling, flipping idly through books, or looking toward the door of the office.

When the vampire couple finally emerged, Spike had even more of a swagger to his step than he normally did. Some of his hair had been pulled loose from the gel that usually held it in place by Drusilla’s grasping fingers. His duster was back in place, covering most of his upper body, since he now wore no shirt.

Drusilla’s steps were uneven, and she occasionally stumbled, giggling giddily. Her dress was wrinkled, and the top that had been torn in half was crudely taped together so that her breasts were no longer bared. Her hair had fallen from its fancy style and lay in loose, rich curls around her shoulders.

Everyone tried not to appear as uncomfortable with the situation as they actually were, except for Buffy, who was outright glaring at the two.

Spike pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his duster pocket and lit one up, taking a long, satisfying drag before bothering to acknowledge the Scooby’s stares.

“What?”

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

“All right, now…describe this demon that’s working with Angel.” Giles was making a very honest attempt at keeping his patience, but he was learning quickly that it was not an easy task while holding a conversation with William the Bloody.

He had tried to keep the vampire on track long enough to get the full story from him, including his truce with Buffy and everything that had happened with Angel. Then there had been the grueling task of getting him to hold still long enough to inspect and copy down the scabbed over symbols on his chest.

Spike had insisted vehemently that no one would be ‘examining’ Drusilla.

Drusilla had pouted, disappointed.

“Big,” Spike began his description. He was leaning back in his chair and looking up, as if staring at the ceiling would help him remember. “Tall. About seven or eight feet. Hard to tell since I was lyin’ down at the time. But I know he was at least a foot taller than Tall, Dark, and Forehead.” Spike could just catch a glimpse of Buffy rolling her eyes out of the corner of his. “He had thick skin, kind of patchy, like gray in some places and brown in others. The git had big horns, too. Big ram lookin’ ones that made it look a bit top-heavy -- like he was gonna topple right over.”
Spike was tapping his foot impatiently against a table leg, causing the table to shake while Giles was trying to jot down what information he could get from the master vampire. Drusilla had wandered away from the table earlier, and Spike seemed even more anxious when she was not near.

“Can you recall hearing a name?” Giles could feel a slight tic starting up under his right eyebrow, as his own frustration began to build.

He shrugged. “Angelus called him ‘Zeffy’.”

The Watcher stared at him for a moment. “Zeffy?” He sighed and took off his glasses, giving them a thorough polishing.

“Zeffy?” Xander scoffed. “Man, that’s a worse name to get stuck with than ‘Spike’.”

Spike leveled a glare in his direction, but before he could say anything, his attention was drawn away by Drusilla. She was swaying seductively over by the counter, where the police tape had been, until it had been torn down earlier that day.

“Spike, come dance.”

“Give us a minute, kitten,” Spike spoke gently. “I just have to finish talkin’ with our new little friends.” He lowered his voice as he spoke and sent another threatening glare Xander’s way.

Drusilla twirled in one spot, her dress flowing around her. “I want to show you where the other Slayer danced her last.”

Everyone went immediately silent, and Spike’s hackles rose in the tense atmosphere. His eyes went immediately to Buffy, whose lips were in a straight line, her gaze filled with disgust and quiet rage as she stared at Drusilla with a murderous look in her eyes.

Sensing danger, Spike rose immediately and went quickly to Drusilla’s side. “Uh, Dru, luv…darling…” He wrapped an arm around her and guided her to the table. “Sweetheart, why don’t you come sit with me? We’ll dance later, I promise.” He gently pushed Dru into a seat beside his own, wanting to keep her as close as possible, in case the Slayer decided to try something.

“Oh, yeah,” Xander spoke up with clear sarcasm. “It was a real great idea to bring the vamps in on this.”

Buffy bristled and turned to Xander with the same coldness in her eyes that she had shown him at the hospital. “Did I say you could talk?”

The venom in her voice brought another stunned silence from the Scoobies. Xander opened his mouth to protest, but when she raised both eyebrows as if to dare him to say anything, he wisely shut his mouth again.

Willow couldn’t manage to bring herself to say anything to either of her friends. She could only glance from one to the other helplessly as she saw the evidence of the rift that had seemed to spring up from nowhere, and now seemed to be widening with every tense moment that passed between them.

“Wow,” Cordelia remarked with a slightly smug smile. “Someone’s working hard to fill her bitch quota for this evening.”

“Children, please!” Giles sighed. “Spike, if you have no other information regarding this demon…”

“His eyes were black.”

It was not Spike who had spoken. Everyone turned to look at Drusilla, but she didn’t notice the attention at all. She had drawn into herself.

“Black like shadow that wants to consume the world. His mind dances with tales of Acathla. They sing together. Acathla sings of a journey, and the shadow-eyed one sings of home.”

They all fell silent for a moment, each trying to interpret her words.

“He and Acathla…” Spike was well used to her riddles by then. “Sing together… journey…home…” He frowned. “Dru, are you sayin’ this bloke comes from the place Acathla’s goin’ to suck the world into?”

Drusilla grinned and gave Spike a sweet kiss. “My clever William.”

Giles stared at the two for a moment, not only surprised by Drusilla’s insight, but also by the very domestic affection taking place between the two vampires. “That actually… helps a great deal. Er…thank you, Drusilla.”

For a moment the vampire looked for all the world like a child who had just received praise. “You’re welcome.”

“I think it would be best if we begin our research there,” Giles told the others. “I suppose we should be grateful that Angelus is not immediately waking Acathla, at least…”

“Oh, I wouldn’t be thankful just yet,” Spike interrupted. “Angel’s still gonna be causin’ you a world of trouble, mate.”

“He does not wish to awaken Acathla until he has gained more power,” Giles argued. “Which means that as long as we manage to keep you two safe…”

“You think we’re your only problems?” Spike asked. He looked around at all of the rest. “Think, people! The poofter’s going to get more strength by drainin’ his childer. So what do you think he’s going to do when he finds that he can’t get to us?” He pointed to himself, then to Drusilla, as he spoke.

Surprisingly, it was Cordelia that spoke up first.

“Sounds to me like he would make more baby vamps.”

Spike grinned. He tapped a finger to his nose and pointed across the table at Cordelia. “And a kewpie doll for the lady.”

Buffy sighed, rubbing her forehead in frustration. “Great. That means Angel’s going to be trying to kill a lot more people. It also means a lot more fledges popping up. Which means A *lot* more slayage.” She suddenly sent a sharp glare in Spike’s direction. “Which *you’re* going to be helping with.”

The vampire raised an eyebrow. “Come again?”

“Slaying.” She repeated. “You’re helping.”

“You think I’m going to run around killing my own kind with you?”

“You’re willing to kill Angel…”

“Angelus is a wanker. Of course I’d kill him.”

“Consider it pulling your own dead weight. You made a deal, so deal with it,” She said firmly.

“I made a deal to stop Angelus and get Drusilla out of Sunnydale. Somehow, I don’t think I’ll be keepin’ my end of the bargain if I get dusted, and he gets all my power.”

Buffy gave the bleached vampire a look of rage that rivaled the one she had given Drusilla earlier. Her quiet fury was enough to send a small jolt of excitement through his body. He almost wished the Slayer would start something with him, right there in the library.

Instead she turned away from him swiftly, blonde hair flying, and marched toward the weapons, taking two stakes and an axe.

Spike snarled and rolled his eyes, but then stopped his show of attitude when his gaze came to rest on Xander. The whelp was staring straight ahead, his eyes wide and unblinking. He was sure there was a bit of drool coming out of the corner of the boy’s mouth.

Frowning, Spike followed his gaze…to Drusilla. The tape had come off the top of the dress, and she was completely exposed from the waist up again. Spike’s eyes widened. Drusilla, of course, was unashamed. She was even returning the boy’s stare with a seductive lick of her lips.

“Uh, on second thought…Slayer!” Spike quickly took off his duster.

Buffy stopped at the library doors. She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest, turning to face him impatiently.

“I think I will join you.” Spike draped his coat over Drusilla’s shoulders. He quickly buttoned up the front so her breasts were not exposed. As soon as they were hidden, Xander seemed to snap back to himself. Spike gave a low growl in the whelp’s direction before returning his attention to Buffy. “I need to pick up some supplies for me and Dru, anyway.”

The falling off and removing of clothing had returned the tension to the room. Xander was looking very sheepish, having been caught staring at the vampire’s breasts. Willow had blushed so deeply that her face was almost the color of her hair. Oz, meanwhile, had taken more notice of his girlfriend. His nostrils flared and he sniffed the air before looking down at Willow and raising an eyebrow. Willow blushed all the brighter and avoided his gaze.

Cordelia, meanwhile, was taking in the sight of Spike without his duster, without any sign of restraint. “Hello, British Hotness.”

Xander turned swiftly to his girlfriend and frowned. “Hello.” He waved a hand in front of her face. “Boyfriend, standing right here.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Oh please, like you weren’t just ogling Morticia’s tits a minute ago.”

“Ogling?” He quickly denied. “There was no ogling!”

Spike snorted. “Then why were your eyeballs not in their own sockets where they belong? Because if I find them on Drusilla’s nipples again, I’m gonna squash them under my boot.”

“Enough!” Buffy spoke firmly. “Spike, if you’re coming, let’s go.”

Sighing, he stood. He spared a glance for Cordelia, who was still looking at him with obvious appreciation, and gave her one of his best suggestive smirks. He looked her up and down in return, then nodded toward the girl’s boyfriend. “Make sure he behaves himself, wont you, luv?”

“Don’t worry,” Cordelia reassured him wryly. “He won’t be trying anything unless he wants to deal with me.” She gave Xander a firm glare.

Chuckling, he turned and swaggered toward the library doors, not bothering with the weapons.

Drusilla had risen as soon as Spike had decided to leave. She watched him and the Slayer talking together with a slight pout. Her stomach was all growly….

She looked around the room, then smiled as her gaze came to rest on the redhead. She liked that one…an enticing combination of innocence and power. There was something so sweetly wicked about that one. She rose and made her way slowly around the table, moving so calmly that no one paid her the slightest bit of attention until she stood right beside the young, redheaded witch.

Willow looked up at the dark-haired vampire with raised eyebrows. There was a slightly nervous expression on her face when she realized that Drusilla was staring at her intently.

“Um…hi.” She gave a nervous smile.

Drusilla leaned down against the table. Their faces were almost touching soon, and Willow was growing even more nervous. She paled when she saw the female vampire licking her teeth, and wondered how fast she could slip into game face and rip into her throat.

“Uh…” Willow tried to shift back in her chair a bit. “Can I help you with something?”

The duster fell just low enough for Willow to get a good peek inside of it. She swallowed hard, trying to keep her eyes off Drusilla’s breasts. But then she remembered that the vampire’s eyes could hypnotize, so she ended up looking down at her breasts again instead.

Drusilla sniffed the air and watched Willow curiously. She then grinned widely, smelling a small hint of arousal coming from her. She looked her up and down hungrily. “I’ve been so very good. I want a treat.”

Oz stood up from his chair and insistently stepped between Willow and Drusilla. His gaze met hers, unafraid. “I don’t think you should be sniffing that close.”

Drusilla stood up straight and cooed at him.

“Oooo…the puppy wants to play.”

Buffy had been watching the scene play out since Drusilla had first started walking around the table.

“Spike…” She spoke with a grave warning in her tone.

Spike frowned, then turned to see what was keeping the Slayer. “Oh, balls..”

“Yeah,” Buffy confirmed for him. “Do something about it.”

“Right…” He frowned, trying to think of what he *could* do about it.

“She can’t be trusted to just wander around while you’re not here to watch her.”

Spike turned and growled at the blonde beside him. “And what would you suggest?”

Buffy sighed, looking around the library, until her gaze fell on the cage that they used to keep books and weapons. She pointed to it. “There.”

The vampire’s eyes widened and he turned to glare at her. “Have you gone *completely* carrot top? If you think I’m just lockin’ her up…”

“Would you rather she meet Mr. Pointy?” Buffy held up her stake for emphasis.

Narrowing his eyes, Spike spoke in a low growl. “The only Mr. Pointy she’ll be meetin’ is mine.” He grabbed at his crotch, giving Buffy a wicked leer.

The Slayer kept her gaze on his eyes, not following the motions of his hand. “If you don’t want me to stake her, then make sure I don’t have to. Letting her eat my friends isn’t a good way to keep her ali – err, undead.”

Spike sighed, listening to the rising voices…desperately wanting the day to end.

“Fine.”

He turned, changing his demeanor completely and putting on his sweetest voice. “Dru, luv?” He made his way toward her, knowing for a fact that he was going to regret what he was about to do. “Do you want to play a game?”