Disclaimer: I do not own Spike, Angel, or any of the other characters from the WB show Angel. The only character I do own is my OC.

Note: I have a rather busy schedule, but I'll try to update as much as possible. Hope you enjoy reading! And please be nice, this is my first fanfic.

Just Another Patrol

Los Angeles had a spirit of its own tonight. Music filled the night air, and a variety of beats could be felt on the ground as they pounded from almost every building. There were people walking down the street, moving in time to songs as they passed by.

Spike looked around, and couldn't help but frown at how absolutely oblivious the humans were of their surroundings. He could sense almost a dozen other vamps nearby, and all the little happy meals with legs just went on their merry way as if no danger were present.

It's like an all-you-can-eat buffet, he thought, and briefly regretted his choice to remain on the 'good' side.

Every since he, Angel, and the rest of the gang had stopped the apocalypse, Spike had split the duty of patrolling for nasties and such with Soul boy, but so far nothing had come up tonight. At least, nothing out of the ordinary weirdness.

As he surveyed the crowd, however, one girl in particular caught his eye. At first it was just her looks that struck him. She had long, curly, dark brown hair, and, though it was hard to make out with the lack of lighting, brown eyes as well. To finish off the dark complection, her skin was an almost olive-brown color, giving her a slightly Native American look. Her build was slender but from what he could see, she wasn't a weakling. As she moved gracefully through the throngs of people, his eyes never left her.

Spike didn't usually make a habit of picking people out of a crowd- normally protecting humans was just an obligation he'd stumbled upon. But this girl intrigued him, as did her lack of reason at wandering the streets alone so late. He reached the entrance to the small alley that the girl had entered, and was somewhat puzzled when she was nowhere in sight.

Where the bloody hell did she go? He wondered to himself, taking a second look around.

Something moved in the shadows next to him.

Whirling, Spike struck out, but his fist met thin air. Confusion written clearly on his face, he looked around, light on his feet and ready in case of attack. But nothing happened, and after a few minutes, Spike let his hands fall to his sides, deciding that he was probably just being paranoid. But as he turned to leave the alleyway, a soft, strange noise stopped him.

After searching around for the source of the sound, he was about to just write it off as a figment of his imagination, when there was a loud crash that halted him in his tracks. His curiosity peeked, Spike moved forwards, following the noises that were now getting louder by the second. As he turned the corner, he had to skid to a stop in order to avoid colliding with a flying body.

Spike only took a moment to look down at the guy who had landed square at his feet before he lifted his gaze to see the girl he'd been following a few moments ago struggling to stand. He narrowed his eyes, even more confused than before.

"What-?" he started, but was suddenly interrupted when the figure on the ground stood up. As Spike turned around, he realized his first mistake- thinking the guy was human.

The vampire sneered at him, allowing Spike to get a good look at his fangs. With a start he saw that there was blood gleaming on them.

He hadn't gotten there in time.

"This one's mine, Spike. I've marked her already," the other vampire stated, in an oh-so-subtle fashion.

Having recovered quickly from his guilty shock, Spike rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I can see that-"

"Then if you don't want any trouble you'll just walk away," growled Mr. Obvious, advancing forward.

Spike smirked, sending the threat off with a shrug of his shoulders. "Naw, I think I'll stick around, you know, have some tea and chat for a bit-"

Before he could finish, however, the other vampire's feet were kicked out from underneath him, and he landed flat on his back with a snarl.

To Spike's inward amazement and outward annoyance, the brunette jumped to her feet, delivered a swift punch to the vampire's jaw when he sat up, whipped out a stake and went in for the kill all in one fluid motion.

All that was left of Mr. Obvious was a simmering pile of dust.

Spike stood there for a moment, too stunned to move, until finally his brain caught up with his eyes and he let out a frustrated growl. "Oh, c'mon! Can't a bloke finish a sentence around here?"

"Actually, a 'bloke' can," came a strong but soft voice beside him.

When he turned around he came face to face with the brunette. Spike resisted the urge to step back a little. He did have his pride, after all, even if he hadn't a clue as to what was going on.

Before he could say a word, though, she continued. "But vampires? Not so sure they have first amendment rights." Her words startled him, but he was able to keep calm enough to merely arch a skeptical eyebrow.

Until he realized she was holding a stake dangerously close to his chest.

Spike's eyes widened slightly, and this time he actually did back up, holding his hands in the air. "Whoa, there, luv, no need to get your knickers on backwards. I'm on your side."

"But that vampire knew you. Usually that's not an indication of fighting the good fight." Her cheeks were flushed from fighting, and she was a little out of breath, but her eyes were clear and focused.

She was ready for more.

Spike thought back to when he use to run with vampires like Mr. Obvious, but decided it was better not to mention that tidbit about his past. "Oh, him? Pfft, he's nothing. My name's just gotten a little more popular 'round these parts. Kinda comes with killing their friends 'n all." He smirked proudly, standing straighter.

The brunette nodded, though she looked far from convinced. "Yeah, I bet the demon paparazzi are all over you," she quipped dryly, her dark eyes--which he now saw were actually green--showing no sign that she was buying what she thought was a charade.

Sighing slightly, Spike crossed his arms, even though he was anything but relaxed, and studied her. He was silent for so long that he thought she would have quaked under his dark gaze, but she didn't move a muscle. After a while he cleared his throat, and finally asked, "Who are you, anyway?"

"Who're you?" she countered quickly, getting a better grip on her stake. Spike was trying really hard not to show how nervous that little piece of wood was making him.

He shook his head, saying, "You've got my name, that's all you need for now." After a moment he asked again, "Who're you?"

When she offered no response, he chuckled softly, angling his head to the side. "Come on, luv, this isn't a trick question."

At that her chin rose slightly, and she squared her shoulders, her muscles coiling. "I'm Alita, the vampire slayer."