A/N: Beta'd by Slaymesoftly and Spikesdeb. Banner by alwaysjbj

Buffy and Spike sauntered through the dark cemetery, making very little noise as they walked on the concrete path. The crickets were chirping and the moon cast an eerie glow on the gray headstones. She kept her pace slow because she really didn't want to face Giles or Xander.

Buffy was so glad that Spike was keeping quiet when he caught up to her. Their hands bumped together a few times as they walked side by side and each time, she groaned inwardly. She felt like an insecure fifteen year old again, and it made her jumpy. Just minutes ago, they had kissed each other, so there was no reason to feel awkward just walking beside him. Finally deciding she'd had enough of feeling silly, she grabbed his hand and Spike squeezed hers gently.

She was mentally congratulating herself for being a woman to take charge when Spike yanked on her hand and pushed her behind a tree. Staring past her and over her shoulder, he looked peeved. Buffy glanced in the direction he pointed to see a vampire kneeling down on a fresh grave, waiting patiently. At first glance, he appeared to be just a nice businessman in a sharp gray suit, but that inner sense that all vampires have told her what he was.

She turned her attention back to Spike when she heard the rustling of his coat. Fishing the stakes out of his pocket, he handed her one. Buffy stared at it in her open palm and wasn't sure how she felt about the familiar weight and smooth grain of the little piece of wood. This thing was now lethal to her as well. She tried to give it back to him, but Spike shook his head and pointed at the snappy dresser still kneeling at the grave.

Spike sniffed and lifted his shoulders a few times before he vamped out and winked at her. He swaggered over to the grave and stopped when the other vampire stood up.

Buffy followed Spike's path and leaned on a tombstone near the grave so she could watch. In truth, she was glad for the excuse not to be on their way to see everyone, but she couldn't muster up enough concern as to whether or not the vampire who wandered into their territory lived or dusted.

“What do you think you are doing in my graveyard?”

Gray suit did not appear to be concerned as he smiled at Spike. “And who might you be?”

“Name's Spike. And I think you missed the office memo. This cemetery is off limits.”

“Spike?” the other one asked as he moved in a half circle inspecting him. He snorted. “Aren't you the neutered vamp that's gone turncoat?”

“Well I left my white hat back at home, but I don't have a problem ending the likes of you.”

Behind Buffy, the earth started to move and a dirty hand popped out of the ground. She was so engrossed in what was going on in front of her that she missed it. Her attention was fully on Spike, who was just so cute and sexy at the same time when he was posturing. She usually didn't get the chance to sit back and watch, because she was always right in the thick of things. Most often, he would be the one watching her. She shrugged the thought off.

Gray suit jumped at Spike and he stepped aside gracefully, using his elbow to knock the guy in the head. Buffy thought it was a great move so she clapped lightly. Behind her, the newly risen vamp stood up and smacked the dirt off his black tuxedo.

Spike was in full fight mode now as the sound of smacks, kicks and grunts filled the air. The other vampire was strong, but Buffy wasn't worried. She'd fought with and along side Spike so many times that she could tell when he was just toying with his opponent.

She turned her head sharply when she smelled the earthy, newly turned dirt beside her. The fledge gave her a sharp-toothed smile and leaned on the tombstone next to her, his dark hair mussed up and bow tie crooked, as if he hadn't a care in the world.

She stared at him incredulously. Normally a fledgling would either fight or flee from her, but this one said, “My ssire can beat your ssire.”

Her mouth opened slightly and she glanced over at the two older vampires fighting to the death. Spike had gone back to his more human visage but Gray Suit had vamped out--a sure sign of who was in control and going to win.

Understanding dawned on Buffy and she realized that the fledge had no fear of her because she was a vampire, too. Anger bubbled up as she gripped her stake tighter. She had been one of the greatest slayers of modern times and this idiot was gonna know it in a minute.

“Geez, man, I hope he hurries up. I'm sstarving.” The twenty-something looking fledge rubbed his stomach. “Where do you think the besst place for an easy meal iss?”

Spike roared and laughed as he kicked and swung around. She was glad someone was having fun.

Turning her attention back to the vampire at her side, she said, “Look, fang boy, you don't need to worry about your first meal.”

“Why iss that?”

“Because dust doesn't need to feed.” She brought the stake up and then down in a flash of preternatural speed, but the fledge blocked it easily and pushed her away from him.

“Hey! What the hell? Are you nutss or something?”

Looking at her stake, Buffy frowned. Something was way off. The vamp should be floating into a pile of dust at her feet. She was just rusty. That was it. She came at the fledge again and this time he punched her in the stomach. Buffy backed up and hunched over at the same time while uncontrollably vamping out. Pushing past the pain, she tackled him.

They landed hard on the grass and she dropped the stake in her struggle to keep him down below her. He was the strongest fledgling she'd ever encountered and he got out from under her and grabbed at her arm. She saw the stake lying in the dirt, grabbed it and tried again to stake him. Letting go of her other arm, he scrambled back.

Spike stood off to the side looking down at them with his arms folded across his chest. He must have staked gray suit when she wasn't looking. “Hurry up, Summers. We're late for that meeting.”

She glared up at Spike as she got to her feet, not really sure what made her angrier, the fact that she was having so much trouble with a mere fledge, or the fact that she missed the grand finale in Spike's fight. He had as much finesse with a stake as Buffy did and he usually executed the ending with a great flourish.

The young vampire jumped her and they went flying to the ground again. He had her by the neck, which hurt a little, but really, it was kind of a dumb move. It's not like she needed to breathe. He put all his weight and energy into squeezing her neck so she brought the stake up and drove it home.

Buffy turned her face and closed her eyes because vampire dust burned if it got in the eyes and the taste was awful. She stayed flat on the ground with her eyes closed longer than she needed to. Hearing Spike stomp over, she opened one eye and saw a boot by her face.

She clasped his offered hand and he pulled her up. He helped her get more of the dust and some leaves off her back while she brushed at the front.

There was something wrong with that fight. Something was missing, as the vamp was just a fledgling and he should have been an easy kill. She stared at Spike while he brushed a hand across her shoulder and it dawned on her.

“What is it, love?”

“Oh, wow.” She leaned against a headstone when the realization hit her. She looked at Spike in alarm. “I really am not the Slayer anymore,” she said in tone of wonder.

“What are you going on about? Didn't I just see you slay a vampire a minute ago?”

She smiled at him. “You just dusted his sire and you're not a slayer.”

“True, but you are one.”

“Was. I was one.” She started walking towards her house. “The one back there was just a fledge like me. I had years of training and knowledge to my advantage back there, I should have dusted him easy,” she said over her shoulder.

“But you dusted Dru and she was no fledge,” he argued as he caught up to her.

“I caught her by surprise and there was no fight.” He still looked unconvinced. “I'm dead, Spike. I think the power has left me. What ever it was, it's gone.”

Buffy knew she should probably feel some sadness over this revelation, but she couldn't muster up the depression for it. She was no longer the Chosen One. Her step was a little lighter as the weight of the world lifted off her. A giddy feeling crept up on her and she let out a small giggle. She was no longer “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Just Buffy the vampire.

She looked over at Spike who kept stealing glances at her with a wary look and her mood quickly darkened. He had a thing about slayers. Would he still want her, now that she wasn't one? Wouldn't that just be fitting? She finally figures out that she wants him and he goes and changes his mind. Buffy sighed.

~*~*~*~*~

Buffy hung back on the porch and let Spike knock. She wasn't as nervous as she had been when they'd left the crypt, but she still wasn't looking forward to dealing with a sad and disappointed Giles.

“You guys are very late,” Dawn said when she opened the door. She hugged Buffy and let her pass.”

“We had a little company at the cemetery,” Spike said in a dry tone. “The Slayer here who is supposedly not a slayer anymore offed a fledgling while I got the sire.”

Buffy mumbled something under her breath, too low for Dawn to hear, and turned towards the living room where Giles was standing up from the couch, but Xander stayed in his seat at the other end. Dawn passed her and sat on the edge of the coffee table.

Walking towards her Giles held out a hand. “May I?”

She looked at his hand not quite understanding what he wanted. Buffy nodded anyway and he gently grabbed her wrist and held on to it like a nurse would at a hospital. He waited a few seconds and released her wrist. Holding it in her other hand now, she watched his drawn and pinched face. It was hard for her to see him so sad. How many times had she seen that same disappointment from something she had done? This was the ultimate.

Giles looked past her and she turned to see Spike leaning against the doorframe to the living room, attempting to appear relaxed.

“Faith says Drusilla did this to you?” Giles asked her.

Faith came into the room and flopped down next to Xander. “I told them that I didn't know much about what happened, but that you two showed up to save me.”

Buffy gazed at Spike again. She couldn't do this alone. Dawn was starring at her with those sad eyes, Xander would barely look at her at all, and Giles was ever the Watcher as he stared at her with cautious curiosity.

“Will you sit with me?” she asked Spike, when their eyes met.

His eyes widened with shock, but he sat on the smaller couch and held an arm out wide for her. Giles frowned at her when she sat next to the vampire and leaned into him. Spike squeezed her shoulder and then later held her hand as she told them about her turning.

Xander narrowed his eyes and glared at Spike. “So Spike just happened to show up here right after all this with a shiny new soul to save the day?”

“No. It was days later that he came back because he felt the distress call from Drusilla when I staked her,” Buffy said.

“You don't have to defend me from him. Let him think what he wants.” Spike gave her hand a final squeeze and stood up. “I'll be on the porch having a smoke.”

Dawn came and sat next to Buffy and they all watched him leave the room and heard the front door shut soundly. Looking around the room, Buffy stifled the need to shield her eyes. It was too bright with every light in the place turned on, and it left very little in the shadows. The familiar furnishing all looked wrong to her now. It wasn't her place anymore.

“So what are we going to do now?” Dawn asked Buffy.


~*~*~*~

Spike got up from his seat on the dimly lit porch when the door opened, but was disappointed when it was Faith who stepped out and closed the door behind her. He leaned on the porch railing.

“Too much for you?” He nodded towards the house. Stomping on his second discarded cigarette, he got out another.

“Yeah, man. They've got to plan everything out and it drives me nuts. Can I have one of those?” She gestured towards the cigarette he was lighting.

He paused and stared at Faith before handing it to her. “Those things will kill you, you know?”

“Not if the Watcher's Council gets me first.” She gave him a smug smile and took a drag.

He frowned at that and waved his hand at the door. “They have any brilliant ideas on how to get them off your back?”

“Not yet. So far, we have agreed that you and Buffy both have souls. I am moving in to Buffy's room and Giles is going to stay permanently in Mrs. Summer's old room. Willow is going to be here tomorrow night and she is moving in with Xander until she gets on her feet again.” She inhaled and then slowly exhaled the smoke. “Oh, and Buffy has no slayer powers.”

“Any clues on why Buffy has a soul?”

Faith glanced at Spike. “Giles seems to know the answer, but he says he needs to consult a certain book before he says more.”

“Who's looking after Dawn?”

“That would be me and Giles.”

Faith didn't sound very excited about the prospect and he wasn't too keen on someone looking after his girl if their heart wasn't in it. He wished Tara were still around.

“Look, don't do us any favors. If you don't want to look after her, tell them that you're the bloody Slayer not a babysitter,” Spike said as he frowned at her, his words harsher than he intended.

Faith looked around as if she thought someone might hear. “It's not that. I like the girl and I'll do my best to help her out. It's just...I mean, I just got out of prison. I never thought I'd be the only slayer. I'm practically taking over Buffy's life here and it doesn't feel right, okay.”

The door opened and Buffy came out holding a suitcase and a backpack.

“So what,” Xander was saying in a high-pitched voice as he followed close behind. “You're just going to forget about what he tried to do to you a couple of months ago?”

“Xander-”

“Okay. You're a vampire now, but you have a soul. You don't have to move in with...that.” He pointed at Spike. “And...and live in a crypt in a dirty cemetery!”

Spike was surprised to hear this. She was moving in with him permanently? He reached over, grabbed the suitcase from Buffy, and held on tight to it.

Faith stepped in between Buffy and Xander. “Leave her alone, Xander. She can do what she wants.”

Xander glared at Faith. “Who do you think you are? Stay out of this.”

Faith pushed him against the house and got in his face. “I'm the slayer. I'm stronger than you are, smarter than you are, and I can kick your ass. Buffy doesn't need your shit right now, so knock it off.”

He pushed her away from him and went up to Buffy. “I care about you and I only want what's best for you.”

Buffy touched his shoulder, smiling sweetly at him. “I know Xander. I care about you, too.” She looked back at Spike. “You ready to go?”

They walked down the steps together and down the path. Dawn came running out of the house and stopped at the steps. “Buffy, wait!”

She caught up to them and Spike felt for her. She was the one who got the worst deal from all of this.

Once she caught her breath she said, “I...I feel so selfish.” She looked down and put her hands in her jean pockets.

“What do you mean, sweetheart?” Buffy put her arm around her.

“I'm glad you're here and not dead, even if it means you're a vampire. Is that okay?”

Buffy smiled at her. “Of course it's okay.” She looked at Spike and then back at Dawn. “I'll tell you something. I'm glad, too.”

Dawn hugged her tight, the two sisters comforting each other for a minute before Buffy stroked Dawn's hair from her face and smiled.

“Why don't you come over right after school tomorrow and you can tell me all about your first day before we all go over and see Willow?”