"I'll patrol tonight, as long as it takes. You guys have your fun, I'll be out there doing my job." I walk out the door, leaving the gang to their plans.

Yeah, right. I can't believe how easily they bought that line. Like I'm gonna waste the entire night huntin' vamps, when I got eight months worth of partying to catch up on.

Well, I ended up staking a couple of vamps while I was cutting through the cemetery on my way to the Bronze. Hey, they were in my way, and besides, nothing helps get the juices flowin' like a little slayage.

Before I know it, I'm at the Bronze, loud rock music blasting through the club's speakers and me dancing in the middle of a crowd of guys and girls. Damn, I missed this.

The music stops, and I move off the dance floor to get myself a drink. Wasn't watching where I was going though, and I ended up bumping into some guy.

"Whoop." I'm about to say something to him when I see a look of recognition and disappointment cross his face. Just a guess here, but he probably knows B.

"Oh, it's you."

Yeah, he definitely knows B. Doesn't seem to happy about it though. Better play along and see what he has say.

"And you." Not the best comeback, but I don't wanna give myself away.

"What, are you keeping tabs on me? You're gonna give me a hard time now?"

Okay, no idea what he's talking about. "Um, do I usually give you a hard time?"

"Very funny. Well, you don't have to worry about me drinking. Unless you're here to protect innocent beers."

He holds up a bottle as an example and then turns to walk away, but I get that slayer tingle, so I follow him.

"You're a vampire." That got his attention, and he stops, turning back around to face me.

"Was. And as soon as I get this chip out of my head, I'll be a vampire again. But until then, I'm just as helpless as a kitten up a tree. So why don't you sod off?"

"Ok." I turn around and walk away. Hey, if he's harmless, no sense ruining my fun. I'll just find him and stake him later.

"Oh, fine! Throw it in my face! Spike's not a threat anymore. I'll turn my back. He can't hurt me."

"Spike?" I *know* that name, so I stop and turn around. "Spike. William the Bloody with a chip in his head." I get a kick out of the idea of a vamp on a leash. "I kind of love this town."

I can tell from the look on his face that he doesn't agree with me.

"You know why I really hate you, Summers?"

Oh! I know the answer to this one.

"Cause I'm a stuck-up tight-ass with no sense of fun?"

I must've been dead-on with my answer, because Spike looks more than a little surprised.

"Well, yeah, that covers a lot of it."

"Cause I could do anything I want, and instead, I choose to pout and whine and feel the burden of slayerness?" I shrug at the idea. "I mean, I could be rich, I could be famous, I could have anything. Anyone." I move a little closer, putting my hands on his chest, pinning him between me and the wall.

"Even you, Spike." I watch his expression change from surprised annoyance to shocked confusion as I continue.

"I could ride you at a gallop until your legs buckled and your eyes rolled up. I've got muscles you've never even dreamed of. I could squeeze you until you popped like warm champagne, and you'd beg me to hurt you just a little bit more. And you know why I don't?" I lean in close, pursing my lips as I look him in the eyes, the tone of my voice becoming mockingly serious. "Because it's wrong."

And with that, I turn and walk away, hearing him call out one last threat.

"I get this chip out, you and me are gonna have a confrontation."

"Count on it." I call out over my shoulder as I walk back out on the dance floor, faintly hearing the sound of breaking glass behind me. I must have pissed him off pretty good.

I try to get back into the music as I start dancing again, but something's not quite right. I'm starting to get this nagging feeling in the back of my mind, and I know right away what it is.

Spike. A very old and seriously dangerous vampire. Why the hell would B let him live? I mean, yeah he's harmless now, but who knows how long that'll last?

The last thing I need is to have one of B's old enemies tracking me down for something she did.

So I make a decision, walking away from the dance floor and heading for the nearest exit. Spike couldn't have gotten that far away yet.

I come out of the club in the back alley, searching for any sign of vamp activity. At first all I see is shadows, but as I turn to the left, I see a glow in the middle of the darkness. A cigarette. Found him.

"Spike." I see the glow of the cigarette hit the ground, and the sound of an exasperated sigh.

"What do you want now slayer? Come to play another round of kick-the-Spike?"

"No, I've got a better game in mind." I watch the shadows, waiting for him to make his move. I hear footsteps in the darkness and I get the feeling that he's moved a little closer.

"What kind of game?"

I hear the curiosity in his voice, tinged with a bit a caution. Time to up the ante. "How about a game of stake-the-vampire?" I pull a stake from behind me, just to show I mean business.

"You won't do it. You don't have the stones."

He sounds confident, making me wonder if there was a reason that B was allowing him to continue living. Oh well, doesn't matter. I just need to get rid of him because he's a potential threat.

"Come on out of the shadows Spike. I *just* want to kill you." I'm still looking at the shadows, trying to figure out exactly where he's at. I don't have to look for long though, because he jumps out of the darkness, tackling me to the ground.

"No bloody way I'm letting you stake me, slayer."

I manage to get some leverage, throwing him over and away from me. By the time I get up, he's already in a defensive stance. Fine with me, more fun when the vamp fights back anyway.

At first it looks like he's holding back, so I move toward him, letting loose with a flurry of blows. He manages to block or dodge most of them, but I can see that he really wants to hit me back. I can't resist taunting him a little.

"What's the matter Spike? I thought you were the bad-ass vampire who took out two slayers? Guess you must've been lucky." He glares at me in a look of pure hatred, and takes a swing at me. The second it connects, he roars in pain, dropping his guard and falling to the ground, clutching the sides of his head.

So *that's* what the chip does. Very cool.

"Damn it slayer, you know this isn't fair."

Just like a vampire to bitch about fairness. They don't like it when the tables are turned.

"Ask me if I care." I move in for the kill, aiming directly for the heart. He barely blocks the attack, holding back my arm, the tip of the stake hovering over his chest.

I look him in the eye, actually seeing a glint of panic and fear under all that rage. He's holding me back with all his strength, but he knows it's not enough. His expression changes to one of resignation as he speaks for one last time.

"Bloody hell slayer, I always knew you had it in you."

With a final burst of strength I push, sending the stake through his chest, landing on the ground as he bursts into ashes. Gotta love that about vamps. No mess to clean up.

I stand up, dusting off my clothes and heading back into the Bronze. As I reach the door, I catch a glint of something shiny near the wall. I walk over to check it out, finding a silver lighter resting by the wall. Must be my lucky day, I think to myself as I scoop it up, putting it in my pocket as I walk back into the club, feeling worked up and ready to party.

Like I said, nothing helps get the juices flowin' like a little slayage.

THE END