Hello again, here's the new one.. unless you don't already know it (since it's a pretty old fic of mine.. ) , if it's so I apologize for repetition!

Anyway, let's start:

SUN, BLACKMAILS AND FUN

Author: Lu Main Characters: Buffy/Spike

Disclaimer: I know these characters don't belong to me

Feedback: I'd like it

Setting: During " The harsh light of day" (I've just borrowed some quotes from the beginning, just a bit. Thanks anyway to the writer of that episode)

Summary: Spike found the Gem of Amarra, but Buffy is ready to stop him and … just read!

PART 1

Just to stop her whining, Spike had decided to take Harmony to a 'party' and the place had happened to be the Bronze.

As soon as he let in, he felt her presence and the second after he saw her: she was hugged to a guy, engaged in a slow dance.

-- Who is that loser and what bloody right has he got to hug the Slayer? --

While he was trying to figure out why that annoyed him so much, Buffy 's astonished glance met his.

It was time to show up.

He took unceremoniously Harmony by the arm and went towards her.

" Spike… and Harmony!" Buffy exclaimed.

-- Harmony? He and that brain-dead bitch together? What the hell can he possibly find in her; and most of all… why am I wondering that? --

" Well, it looks like a sort of double date!" Spike exclaimed.

The boy close to Buffy held out his hand towards Spike.

" Hi, I'm Parker!" he said with a courtesy smile.

Spike confined himself just to watch that hand.

He would have taken it just to break it, for the simple reason he had dared to hug Buffy with that hand!

Maybe also Parker felt that threat coming, 'cos he immediately drew his hand back, looking scared at the blond guy.

" He's got… um... what's the word? Vulnerability!" Spike said.

" And you and Harmony! What, did you lose a bet?" Buffy stroke back.

He smiled.

" Well, now it's late. Gotta go!" he informed, before running away with Harmony.

" Stay here, I'll be back in a moment!" Buffy said to Parker, before dashing off in pursuit.

She found them on the way to the Graveyard.

" What's the matter, Spike? Did Dru dump you again?" Buffy asked, getting close to him.

" Maybe I left her!" he justified.

Harmony was about to say something, but he shut her up with an icy glance.

" Harm, we'd better go, it's not time yet!" he commented.

" Yeah, but as soon as we have the Gem of Amarra you…" Harmony exclaimed, but he covered her mouth with a hand before she could end up her sentence and he yelled exasperated, dragging her away.

" The Gem of What?" Buffy wondered, puzzled.

She knew where to find all the info she needed.

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" You, bloody stupid bint! You were about to screw up everything!" Spike said, dragging Harmony by her hair in the tunnel.

He had nearly located the exact point: for him, to find the Gem of Amarra was a matter of few hours, maybe less.

" Sorry blondie bear! I didn't mean to. And anyway, she hadn't understood anything!" she said.

" Now, what are you gonna do? Don't tell me you want to come back digging in this stupid tunnel!" she whined.

" Exactly. So, if you don't agree, you're free to bloody go away and stay out as long as you can! Or better, why don't you do me a favour and never come back?" he yelled at her.

" What do you mean, baby?"

" It's over, Harm. I couldn't stand you a minute more. Being with you is the most bloody stupid crap I've done in my whole life and un-life!"

" Oh no, it's not so easy. It's not you dumping me; it's me dumping you!" she justified, 'cos she didn't wanna give him the satisfaction of humiliating her.

" You're too boring for me; I'll find someone else who knows what real fun is! It's over, Spikey!" she said, departing.

" I couldn't ask better!" he muttered, resuming his work.

Only after a half he found the room where the gem was. Although it was hidden among lots of other jewels, he realized soon which it was: the ring with the shining stone for strange reasons seemed to sparkle the most.

He slipped it on his finger, feeling a great power flowing inside him.

He grabbed a cross in the nearby: no stinging.

-- Bingo! --

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Spike heard a soft noise of steps behind his shoulders.

" Why are you back? I've said it's over!" he exclaimed, without even turning, sure it was Harmony.

" Fine! By the way, since when the flaming hell me and you have a story?" Buffy stroke back, crossing her arms.

" Slayer!" he started, turning all of a sudden.

" How did you find me?"

" You know… Willie knows so many things and he can't keep a secret!" she replied with a half smile.

" That wanker! I told him I would have pummelled his face if he had opened his bloody mouth!" he muttered, rolling his eyes.

" And I told him the same if he hadn't ! Maybe, he dreads my punches more than he dreads yours…"

She approached him and, before he could realize what was going on, she smashed a punch on his chin.

"… you can't blame him, after all!" Buffy sneered.

He chuckled.

" I missed that!"

" Uh?" she watched him in disbelief.

He took advantage of hit, planting a vicious kick to her stomach, which sent her on the ground.

" But I missed more this!" he sneered.

They began a fight, where at the end she came off better.

She managed to block him, his face pinned to the wall and she held his hands behind his back.

That's when she noticed the ring.

" So, Spikey, now you like sissy jewels?"

" Hands off!" he summoned her.

" You're not in position to give orders!" she reminded him, pressing him more.

" Plus, C'mon! It's not even your style; you don't look so manly with it! Why don't you take it off?" she said, taking it off.

He managed to free himself from her grip and with a leap he switched roles: now she was the one pinned, her back against the wall.

" Have your mum ever told you it's not nice to steal something from someone?" he whispered in her hear, snatching the ring from her hands.

Her knee connected with his parts, so the fight started again.

" I've beaten you before, don't you think I can do it twice?" she said, trying to punch him, but he was faster.

" You can try, Slayer. Give me your best!" he stroke back, blocking her fist and smashing her to the wall.

" You're gonna pin me to the wall once again? C'mon Spike, you lack imagination!" she teased him.

" Wanna suggest me something new?" he raised his eyebrow.

She shoved him to the ground before he could react, straddling him and drawing out a stake.

" What about me winning and you losing?" she replied, taking his ring away once again.

" I had told you I could do it twice!" she smirked, getting up.

Before he could attack her again, she turned to him, raising the stake.

" Ha-Ha. Behave yourself or you end up a pile of dust!" she warned him, going towards the exit of the tunnel.

" Bloody Hell, Slayer! I guess you feel very satisfied now that you screwed up my plans once again…" he exclaimed, wondering silently why she hadn't staked him.

" I was so bloody close to make my dream come true!" he sighed.

" And which would it be, Spike? Killing whomever you want, whenever you want, wherever you want, however you want?

'Cos I know everything 'bout this gem: it would give you immunity to stakes, crosses, holy water…"

" Sun." he exclaimed.

" All I wanted is to see the sunrise, taking a walk in full daylight, letting the sun warm my face like it hasn't done for more than a bloody century! Yeah, it's such an evil scary plan!" he yelled between ironic and desperate, sitting on the ground with an upset expression.

"So, you all of a sudden have a SUN WISH!" she commented sarcastic, just not to show him how much his words had impressed her.

" Yeah. At least, the poet in me needs it!" he admitted.

" Poet!" she frowned.

" Never mind, it's a long story…"

" So, do you really wanna make me believe you had worked restless in that tunnel to find this gem just to walk in the sun? What 'bout the huge powers it can give you?"

" Believe me or not, pet, but I don't mind. It's not that being unbeatable or not killable sucks… it's just that I don't need it, it's not my style: I like hurting, and killing and feeding with my only strength … that's more fun!" Spike smirked; then he returned sad.

" I just needed it to see the sun again, at least once. I miss it so bad…"

He remembered he was not alone, so he tried to contain his feelings.

" Well, I guess you've bloody won. So now, would you mind to leave me alone in my misery?" he asked exasperated, embracing his legs and burying his head on his knees.

A sudden tinkling made him raise his head and he realized that the thing rolling to his feet was nonetheless the ring.

He looked at Buffy interrogatively, cocking his head to one side.

" I give you a day, just one! Then, you'll give it back to me, with the good manners or the bad ones!" she explained, approaching to him once again.

" Maybe I'll regret doing that!" she rolled her eyes.

" Why? Why are you doing that?" he asked, wearing the ring before she could change her mind.

" Don't know. Maybe, 'cos you're the first vampire I met who misses the sun; all the others hate it!" she justified.

" Anyway, I've got some terms!" she added.

" First: you can use it just and only to walk in the sun, you're not gonna kill anyone with it!"

" Fine. I've already said it's not fun killing wearing it!"

" Second: at the end of the day, you will not only give it back to me, but you'll also leave and never show up here anymore or… I'll have to kill you…" she kept talking. He could almost swear she was unhappy to tell him the last part.

" Is there any other term?"

" Yes, there is: I'll spent the whole day with you!" she informed him.

" What! No way, I don't wanna have you around me every bloody second, why are you asking me that?"

" Hey, don't flatter yourself! I'm not happy 'bout it, too. But you can't expect me to trust you just because you told me you won't kill anyone. I must control you!" she explained.

-- Mm… Harmony is not here… maybe he dumped her… it's not that I care; but something tells me he dumped that ho, bye bye stupid useless bimbo! --

And a half smile crossed her face.

" Ok, so, since we're gonna spend some time together, I suggest a 'No-One-Kills-No-One' truce, do you agree?" he exclaimed, getting up and holding out his hand to her.

" Deal! As long as I have not your fangs in my neck you won't have my stakes in your heart!" she promised, shaking it.

" I don't eat my words, but I can't say the same about you!" she said, a bit worried.

" You can trust me this time, pet, really! Besides, I'm too thankful to kill you!" he smiled, playing with the ring.

Spike approached the exit of the tunnel, turning to her.

" Are you coming?"

" Where?"

" I wasn't joking before: I really plan to watch the sunrise; so if you wanna control me so bloody much, follow me outside!" he invited her.

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After a while, they arrived to the Park. There was more or less two hours to sunrise, so he sat on the grass, waiting.

She sat beside him.

Seeing her yawning constantly, he smiled.

" Pet, you can sleep if you want. I'm not going anywhere! Plus, I'll watch over you!"

" It's reassuring to hear these words from my sworn mortal enemy!" she commented ironic.

" Anyway Spike, if you can stay awake, I can stay awake, too!"

Twenty minutes after, she was already asleep, her head on Spike's shoulder, searching for the softness of his leather coat.

He smiled, seeing that she could already trust him that much.

After all, he could have killed her in a heartbeat, vulnerable as she was right then.

Instead, he enjoyed himself watching her breathing, counting every change of expression she made, like she was dreaming.

Killing her was the last of his thoughts.

After an hour, he awoke her gently.

" You're missing the show, pet!" he whispered.

She opened her eyes, just in time to see the several shades in the sky as the darkness of the night was giving up its space to the light of the new day.

She didn't remember the last time she had stayed up waiting for sunrise; but she was sure she wouldn't have ever forgotten the show of that moment.

And then, she noticed something she wouldn't have ever expected: a single tear has fallen from Spike's eyes and he hadn't even realized it, bewitched as he was by that sight.

He came out of that state of trance few minutes after, rubbing his eyes.

" Well, sweetie, I guess that now we can take a nap: it's too early to do anything, after all …" he explained, laying down and closing his eyes.

She said nothing, but she made a mental note to find out as much as she could about that poet in him.

And then, she followed his example.

TBC

If you don't know it, I hope you'll like it!

Now I go update also 'If you are me ' and 'Before , now, forever ' ;)