Note: this is my first attempt at a real story about these guys. If it seems boring now, don't worry it will get better. If you have any suggestions or comments please e-mail me or review it. I need to know what you think and I want to know if I should keep going. It is a very long story in my opinion, but my friends have told me the idea is great. So. Enjoy.

Under the crypt

Prologue

"I don't care if he makes you happy!" she screamed. This was beyond imagination.

"Oh come on Buffy. Be reasonable."

"No. I refuse to except the fact that you are dating…well…that." She pointed an accusing finger at the blonde next her precious Xander. Xander sighed a heavy sigh. She was never going to get over the fact that he had been dating one of her enemies for 5 straight months without telling her. "Not only is he dead, but well… he's a he. Your not gay Xander." Buffy was almost on the verge of tears. "Your straight. You always have been. You dated Cordelia for god's sake. You don't get much more straight than that. I mean… it's Spike. He's dead, chipped, evil, blood sucking Spike." She attempted to appeal to his smarter side by listing all the bad qualities about the vampire. It wasn't working.

"You don't know him like I do Buffy. He's not that bad once you get to know him."

"I guess not. Matter of fact I've been told I'm not only nice, but even sweet and charming at some points." That was Spike. He was sitting on the couch calmly looking down at his nails like this was boring. Everyone else was either standing, or not there. Buffy shot him a glare.

"And you. Don't you think I see right through you? You've hated Xander since you met him. What changed? Did you see the opportunity to finally get to me? Use him as a wall to finally break me down."

"It's not like that Buffy."

"How would you know. You hated him just as much. He said so himself. He's charming and sweet. Perfect way to persuade you. I thought you were better than that Xander." She didn't even yell the last comment. It just fell out of her mouth.

"Look Buffy. I don't care what you think. I just wanted you to know."

"There is nothing I can say is there?" she was sad now. Not angry. Disappointed even.

"No. There isn't." Xander paused. "I really need you to see me through on this Buffy."

"No I won't. I obviously can't stop it, but I don't condone it, and I will have no part in it."

"I hope not. I'm a one man kinda guy slayer." Spike really wasn't being much of a help. Xander shot him a please shut up look.

"Fine. Be that way. I won't stop it, but I won't have anything to do with even acknowledging it." And then she walked out of the shop. Everyone else looked dumbfounded. They were still in shock. Buffy had reacted, but they were still processing it. Xander + Spike. Could any good come from that? Or worse. Any bad?

Chapter one

1 year later

"Have we found anything yet?" Giles had his glasses in one hand and was pinching the bridge of his nose with the other. He was extremely tired. The whole group had been there since noon working on this project and it was now 3 am.

"No not yet I'm afraid." Buffy dropped yet another book onto the table. She was used to all the studying and slaying and dusty book stuff, but even this was a little much. "Oh coarse maybe if someone would stop playing dumb and actually help us for once we might actually have something to work on." She looked pointedly at Spike.

"Oi!  Watch it Slayer. I might hear you or something. Besides I already told you I don't know a thing." Spike went back to the book he was only half-heartedly looking through. He shut it and looked up. "Why are you so dead set in thinking this is the demon we are after anyway?" Buffy looked blank for a moment trying to think of a good answer. She really didn't have one. "Come on Slayer. Enlighten us. What makes you think that this is the one we are looking for? This is a hell mouth after all, and after wreaking havoc, or trying to, for a few years I have become just slightly aware with the fact that there is more than 1 or two demons on it. What is so special about this one?" he leaned back in the chair and crossed arms challenging her.

"Well there is the fact that someone is killing off vampires." She pointed out. "And the fact that most of the deaths were not caused by me." She quickly added before the bleached brain could hotly point out that she was the Slayer. "Now from what we know," she now turned away from Spike and addressed the whole group. "In the past 4 weeks the vampire mortality rate has gone up by…" she counted on her fingers, "a lot. And we know that any demon in their right mind, that was aloud to kill, "she looked pointedly at Spike. "Would not kill off other demons. I have also heard on good authority that this specific chaos demon checked into sunny dale right at the time this started happening. Now Spike. Are you sure there is nothing you know about our little helper, so to speak?" she leaned over the back of his chair and pulled her head around to look at him.

"Bloody hell Slayer. I told you. I know nothing. When are you gonna get that through your thick skull?"

"Oh come on Spike. This just so happens to be the same chaos demon your precious Druscilla ran off with. Now don't you think it's funny that he should show up without her for no apparent reason?" Spike just sat there glaring.

"Look Slayer. If you know so much why do you have us hear from noon to almost sunrise looking up ulterior motives? Do you realize how hard it is to get here in the daytime?"

"Do you realize how much I do not care?" Pause. "Guess not. Well I don't I just want to know who is doing such a good job of stealing my work, and I want to know if this is a good or bad thing." She sat down on the sofa and opened up another book clearly bring the argument to an end.

"Fine. You stay here and you look for your job stealer and go about your little thoughts of evil. I have nothing to do with this. I don't even care about what happened to Dru. The fact that I may somehow distantly know the guy does not make it my fault. And it's not my problem. So I am outta here." He looked away from her. And headed for the door. "Xanpet are you coming home now or are you stay here for a little while longer." His tone had dropped significantly. It was now natural rather than sarcastic and spiteful.

"Yeah I'm coming now. It's late anyway. I doubt we'll find anything tonight." Xander picked up his coat and followed Spike out the door.

Damn Slayer. Why is it whenever something goes more than a little bit wrong it's my fault? One of these days that little habit is gonna come back to bite her in her sour ass. And I'll be a bleedin' ponce before I care more than once. Looks like Xander caught up okay. Hope he doesn't start talking yet. If he does I'll just tell him something dumb to change the subject till later. I wonder if he knows that the toaster is broken?

Wow he is really pissed. You can always count on Buffy to do that. And to think I thought she was really warming up to him. Guess not. Damn. How am I gonna fix this one. Yell at Buffy? No wouldn't work. Just make her laugh. Yell at Spike? No he is never the one that starts it. Oh I'll think of something. He looks kinda broody. I'll talk to him about it later. I guess now wouldn't be a good time to tell him we need a new toaster.

Back at the magic box

"Why you gotta be so hard on him Buffy. If he says he doesn't know anything he doesn't know anything." Willow was once again lecturing the group in her calm sweet voiced way.

"That's the thing. He knows something. I can just tell."

"How can you tell? Was it the I don't know that tripped you off or the I don't care. I kinda missed the part where he knows something."

"Look Willow, I know your just standing up for Xander, but I don't trust Spike as far as I can throw him." Willow gave her a weird look.

"I've been there Buffy. You can throw that guy about 30 yards if you wanted to."

"But he point is I wouldn't." she skulked. "Xander gave me a hands off rule so unless he does something death penalty worthy I can't touch the bleached wonder."

"The… I… look I'm not saying you have to trust the guy. Just don't jump to conclusions unless you have some real solid evidence that it was his fault."

"That's my Willow. Always with the logic."

"Yes. Logic is good. It keeps you grounded and informed."

"Yet you do magic which defies just about every logical law ever written?"

"Well yeah, but I understand them both well enough to determine and mesh the boundaries." Everyone looked at her like she was nuts, but Tara. "Plus it is really cool and sometimes you get colorful sparks." The room died down and one by one everyone went home.

Note: well that is the first chapter. Tell me how I did. I will post each chapter as I get it up. They will only come a few at a time, at the most, but I will be working on it so they should come along quickly. Another thing. Please let me know if I'm not being true to the characters. I want them to stay as close to the real Buffy as possible. Thanks.