I Know You, II

by Slaymesoftly

The sequel to Prologue/I Know You, this story is concerned primarily with what happened to the Spike and Buffy who were yanked out of Sunnydale in the first fic. There are occasional visits to check up on both the post-NFA dimension and the early Sunnydale one, but mostly we watch season 2 Buffy and season 2 Spike trying to get to know each other in another dimension.

2. IKY, II Part 2

Chapter Eleven

Facing them was a tall, slender girl with dark chestnut hair. She waved and stepped out of the glowing portal in which she'd arrived. She studied their suspicious stares and tense body posture, looking momentarily unsure of herself.

"Hi, guys," she said, smiling weakly. "There is a really, really good and totally non-evil explanation for this. I swear!"

Spike cocked his head, frowning and sniffing the air before relaxing his shoulders and giving Buffy a nudge.

"I think it's okay, pet."

"Who are you?" she demanded, ignoring Spike's reassurance and glaring at the girl standing in her front yard.

"Okay, now, see, this is gonna be the whole 'really good and non-evil explanation part," Dawn said carefully. "So just bear with me, here, 'K?"

"WHO are you?" Buffy repeated.

"I'm Dawn. Your... sister," the girl responded. "I mean, not in this dimension – cause you don't have one here; and not in the one you came from, cause you don't have me there – yet. But in my dimension, I'm your sister. The monks gave me to you."

"Monks? Sister?"

"I think she's telling the truth, luv. She smells like you."

Buffy turned her glare on Spike. "There's that 'ewwww' thing we've talked about," she grumbled, but relaxing at his verification that the stranger facing them on the dark sidewalk was related to her. She studied Dawn again, then nodded her head and started around her. "Okay, come on in the house and explain this to me – us."

With a happy smile, Dawn quickly followed Buffy up the steps and through the now-open door. Spike came in right behind her, pulling the door closed behind him.

Buffy prowled around the strange girl standing in her living room, looking her up and down and seeking some sign that they were related. Something other than Spike's nose... Suddenly it struck her. "You can't be my sister," she said, using her best "aha!" tone of voice. "You look like you're the same age I am!"

Dawn rolled her eyes in a gesture that was so similar to what Spike had seen from Buffy that he barely managed to choke out, "Oh, she's your sis, alright, Slayer. I'd know that look anywhere."

"Shut up, Spike." Buffy spared a glare in his direction, before confronting Dawn again. "I don't have a sister – and certainly not a twin. Try again."

"Which part of 'alternate dimensions' are you too feeble-minded to get?"

"Who are you calling 'feeble-minded', you dork?"

"If the shoe fits..."

"Your shoes won't fit – because you're not my sister! I don't have a sister! Not in this dimension, and not in the one I came from."

"I'm not FROM the one you came from!" Dawn's voice had risen to a screech that had the vampire putting his hands over his ears.

"Oh." There was a pregnant pause. "Why didn't you say so?"

Dawn's only response was another eye roll and a loud huff.

Spike stepped into the silence, beckoning the two girls to the couch and suggesting in a placating manner, "You sure fight like you're sisters. I'll give you that."

The two girls sat on opposite ends of the couch glaring at each other until their lips began to twitch and Buffy mumbled, "We kinda were, weren't we?"

"Well, yeah. I mean that's what sisters do – sometimes."

They sat for a few more minutes in abashed silence, then Dawn sighed and said, "I guess I'd better do what I came to do before I get yanked back to my dimension."

"An' what would that be, pet?"

"I promised my Buffy and Spike that I would try to find you guys and make sure that you're all right."

"Your Buffy?"

"Yeah, the one that took your place in Sunnydale? She's my sister – from my dimension. She got sent there cause it's earlier there than it is in my dimension and she has a chance to fix some things that went waaaay wrong for us."

"What did you mean, 'your Spike'?" The vampire's voice was quiet, but the look on his face was intent and Dawn blinked as though she had forgotten he was there.

"The reason you got kicked out is because my Spike – the one that..."

"That got his soul and died to save the world. Already got that scary story," he said, smiling at her to show it was all right to talk about it.

"Yeah, that one. Well, he came back and then he did it again—"

"Bloody hell!"

Dawn grinned and continued as though he hadn't spoken. "The last time, the Powers that Be gave him a choice of going to Heaven" – she ignored Spike's choking noises – "or joining Buffy in the other dimension's Sunnydale. He picked Buffy."

" 'Course he did," he said absently, half-falling into the room's only chair. "So, he's with my Buffy and I got kicked here to keep this one from getting into trouble until we can sort out why we're here..." He paid no attention to Buffy's indignant "Keep me out of trouble?" but continued softly, "So, she's got her vamp back, then. All souled up and everythin'."

Dawn and Buffy exchanged anxious looks as they watched his face while he digested the news that the Sunnydale Buffy had her own Spike back in her life. While he had assured this Buffy that he was not yet in love with her older doppelganger, it was very clear from his behavior and treatment of her that he had feelings for the other slayer, and she wasn't sure how he was going to handle the news that Sunnydale Buffy was with someone else – even if the someone else was a version of him.

She breathed a sigh of relief when his face softened into a smile and he said, "So, she's got what she wanted. The real thing, this time. I hope I – he makes her happy."

"She looked pretty happy when I saw them," Dawn said with a smile. "They both did."

"Well, good on them, then." He cleared his throat and sat up straighter. "So what can you tell us about this world? And what makes you able to flit back and forth?"

"Um, that's kind of a long story... which I'll tell you!" she hastened to add when Buffy's eyes began to narrow suspiciously. "But I'll have to do it on some other trip, 'cause I think this one's about up."

Buffy squirmed uncomfortably before blurting out, "How is Angel? Did you see him? Does he miss me?"

Panic swept over Dawn's face as she remembered that in her dimension, Angel had dusted in the same battle as Spike. One look at Buffy's face told her that secret was one she didn't need to share just now. She stumbled on her words as she said, "He... I didn't actually see him when I was in Sunnydale – and I didn't think to ask about him. I suppose he's still around – I mean, he would have been at that time in my world..." Her voice trailed off as the disappointment on Buffy's face registered. "Tell you what," she said brightly. "The next time I go there, I'll ask about Angel. Okay?"

"Okay, sure," Buffy said dully, not even trying to hide her disappointment. Dawn studied her for a second and then volunteered, "I'm sure he does miss you. I mean it's not like my Buffy is still in love with him – she's got her Spike back and... well, anyway, I'll bet he really misses you."

Over Buffy's lowered head, she exchanged a look with the vampire who was torn between sympathy for the slayer and anger that she would still be so worried about his grandsire. Vowing to find a way to tell her more about Angelus and his past, he stood up and moved closer to the two girls, trailing them out the door. He rested a hand briefly on Buffy's shoulder, giving it a little squeeze and saying, "I'm sure the big poof misses you, pet. The older you was a bit too much her own woman to suit him. He probably wouldn't like her even if she did still want him."

"That's not as reassuring as you might think," Buffy muttered. "I grow up to be such a bitch that my boyfriend doesn't love me anymore? How is that supposed to make me feel better?"

Dawn paused at the spot where she had originally appeared and smiled as the sides of the portal began to glow. "I think I'm getting better and better at this," she said happily. "The next thing I have to learn to do is to make it appear wherever I want it to, instead of wherever I landed."

"Can... will you... I mean, if you go back..." Buffy straightened up and said firmly, "Will you tell Mom that I love her? And I miss her? And say 'Hi" to Willow and Xander and Giles and Angel and..." Her face crumbled and she barely managed to get out "and everyone..." before a sob burst from her throat and she ran back into the house.

"I guess this has been kind of hard on her, huh?" Dawn said sympathetically.

"It has," he responded simply. "It's a lot for anyone to handle, never mind a young girl."

"Good thing she's got you, then, isn't it?" Dawn looked at him with shrewd confidence.

He shook his head, trying to hide the smile on his face. "I'm not the Spike you know, pet. I'll do what I can to help her, but I don't love her... an' I can't replace the poof."

"I've got faith in you," Dawn said cheerfully as the glowing walls surrounded her. "Bye!"

With another loud 'pop", she vanished, leaving him standing on the sidewalk, staring at the front door. His vampire hearing allowed him to pick up the sounds of Buffy's muffled sobs as he sighed and walked up the steps. After closing the door behind him, he looked longingly at the basement steps before growling and going into the living room. He shrugged off his coat and sat down to wait out the crying coming from the slayer's bedroom. Not until her sobs had tapered off and her even breathing told him that she was asleep did he get up and, after turning off the lights and checking the doors, make his way downstairs to his bedroom.

He sat on the edge of the small bed that he had found in a used furniture store and put his head in his hands. It wasn't that hard to imagine how Buffy was feeling when he thought back to his own world and the things he'd left behind. Buffy herself played a bigger role than he wanted to admit; as did Dru who, in spite of her behavior, was still his sire and the woman he had loved for over one hundred years. To the best of his knowledge, he had no family in this world, nor any friends other than Clem. With a start he realized that the only thing anchoring him here was the young girl upstairs and his growing attraction to her.

"This can't possibly end well," he muttered to himself as he closed his eyes.

Chapter Twelve

In spite of Buffy's indignant complaints and insistence that she was "doing just fine", Spike made a point of working out with her every night. If they weren't sparring, they were running or stretching or practicing with swords. She jokingly began to call him "Giles, Jr." until he growled that he was at least three times the watcher's age and "bloody tired of being compared to him".

"Well, if you're going to act like my watcher, I'm going to treat you like one!"

"Does that mean you'll do whatever I tell you to?" he asked with more interest than he'd shown in the rest of the conversation.

Buffy gave him her best 'as if!' stare until he looked away.

"Guess not," he mumbled, kicking at a tombstone.

"Don't feel bad, Spike," Buffy said, almost kindly. "I didn't do what Giles told me to, either."

"Thanks, pet. That makes me feel ever so much better..."

"You know," she continued, "you do sound a lot like Giles sometimes – all with the British speak and stuff. Sometimes you even sound like you—"

"Oi! Watch your mouth, Slayer. I am nothing like your ponce of a watcher, and don't you forget it!"

"Oh right. Big Bad, evil vampire. Silly me." She crinkled her nose at him and grinned until, in spite of himself, he was grinning back at her.

"Watch it, missy," he growled around his smile. "I think somebody needs a reminder of just how big and bad I am."

"Oh, oh! Somebody help me, the vampire is going to hurt me!" Giggling and sticking her tongue out at him, she took off running through the cemetery, enjoying the air moving past her face and the strength in her body as she sped past trees and tombstones, dodging things with an agility that she knew was due to the vigorous training that Spike had forced upon her. She could hear the pounding of his boots on the turf as he laughingly chased her, making no real attempt to catch up but enjoying the thrill of the chase and the sound of her happy laughter.

Been a while since she laughed like that, I'll wager. If I've done nothing else here, I've been able to make the slayer happy for a bit. If, somewhere inside him, a demon was sputtering indignantly at the idea of making a slayer happy, Spike cheerfully ignored it and continued to chase the slender girl in front of him.

He was still smiling at the thought of how happy she sounded, when he rounded a large mausoleum just as her laughter choked off to a gurgle. He sped up as he caught sight of the dark-haired vampire that had Buffy pinned to the ground, grinding his pelvis into her and slavering at her throat. Spike's charge knocked the vamp off the Slayer, and she sat up, her eyes wide and staring.

"X... Xander?" she whimpered. A quick glance at the demon he was holding down explained to Spike why she had been lying so passively under the vampire's attack. With a complete lack of recognition, the young vampire snarled at Spike.

"She's mine," he growled, baring his fangs and ducking the punch Spike had thrown at his face. "You can't catch her, you lose her. Back off."

Ignoring the other vampire, except to backhand him away, Spike growled over his shoulder, "It's not him, Slayer. It's just another vamp what needs slaying. Now get up here and do your job!"

Buffy's face registered nothing but shock and the faintest trace of hope.

"It's Xander. He wouldn't hurt me. He—" She was cut off as a slender but very strong arm went around her neck and a familiar voice purred in her ear.

"Aren't you a pretty thing?" said the red-haired female vampire holding Buffy against her chest. "And you know Alec's name. Isn't that interesting...?"

While Buffy trembled with horror, a vampire wearing Willow's face ran her tongue up the side of her neck. She didn't flinch when the vamp's teeth grazed her throat; only the feel of the other girl's hand on her breast and Spike's terrified shout snapped her out of her daze. At the last second, she twisted away, feeling Willow's fangs slide harmlessly against her skin. She whirled to face one of her worst nightmares, her lip trembling as she whispered, "Willow? Don't you know me? It's me – Buffy."

The red-haired vampire cocked her head and frowned, moving to join Alec/Xander now that Spike had thrown him to the ground and rushed to Buffy's side. She studied the teary-eyed girl in front of her, then asked her companion, "Wasn't there a Buffy in our high school? Annoyingly perky cheerleader type?"

"Yeah, there was. I remember her. Wouldn't give me the time of day," the dark-haired boy snarled.

"Didn't we kill her?" Willow sounded genuinely confused. "I thought we did."

While the two vampires tried to puzzle out who Buffy was, and why she knew them, Spike was whispering to her urgently.

"It's not them, Slayer. Look at them. They don't know you and you don't know them. They are just vampires who look like your Scooby pals. Snap out of it!"

The devastation on the slayer's face told him that she was not going to be able to slay the two demons in front of them, and he quickly placed himself between Buffy and the steadily more puzzled vampires. He frowned himself when he caught the unmistakable itch that spelled 'family'. Pushing Buffy behind him, he began backing away cautiously, his senses alert for anything that might indicate the presence of any other Aurelian vampires. There was no question that a run-in with Angelus would be the final blow to the slayer's heart. And he, himself, was not eager to find that Drusilla was present in this dimension, either. Nor was he sure that he could protect Buffy from his entire family without her willing cooperation.

The dark-haired demon began to move in their direction, but Willow's hand on his arm stopped him.

"No," she said clearly. "We know where to find them. We should go back and tell the Master about this."

"Let's just kill them and tell him later," Xander argued, unaware that the blond vampire that had pushed him away from his dinner had not really been trying very hard when he hit him.

"Did you hear what he called her?"

"No, I wasn't paying attention. Didn't she say her name was Muffy or Fluffy or something like that?"

"No, jackass!" Suddenly it was very obvious who was in charge as Willow slapped Alec's face. "He called her 'Slayer'. We need to tell the Master about this."

Without another word, she whirled and ran, the other vampire reluctantly trailing after her.

"I will have you, Muffy, or whatever your name is," he threw over his shoulder. "We'll be back."

XXXXXXX

Buffy didn't speak a word all the way back to the house, allowing Spike to set the pace and blindly following him. There was no stopping at the diner or the ice cream shop, just a steady, fast pace to the relative safety of her home. He opened the door, pushed her toward the couch and went down to his room, returning quickly with a bottle of amber liquid and a glass. He poured two fingers of what passed for scotch in this world and silently handed it to the slayer.

"Here," he said gruffly. "Drink it."

"I'm not old enough to drink," she mumbled, automatically taking the proffered glass from him.

"Not askin' you to go on a toot, pet," he said with a gentle smile. "It's purely medicinal. You've had a shock and you need somethin' to settle your nerves."

Giving him a suspicious glare, she tipped the glass up and swallowed the whole amount at one time.

"Bleagh!" she said with a shudder. "You actually like that stuff?"

"It's an acquired taste," he responded, grinning at her. "Feel better?"

As the warmth spread through her stomach and body, and the taste left her mouth, she realized that she did, in fact, feel somewhat better and she held her glass out imperiously.

"More, please."

"One more," he warned. "I want you relaxed, not unconscious."

"I'm a slayer. I'm sure I can hold my likker," she huffed, taking another big swallow and repeating the face and sounds she'd made the first time.

"I'm sure you're right, luv, but let's not test that theory right now, yeah? We've got a situation here."

The reminder of why she'd been so upset in the first place wiped the contented look off Buffy's face, and she slumped back against the cushions, closing her eyes as if to block out the vision of her two best friends as vampires.

She moaned softly and opened one eye.

"I don't suppose there's any chance that I'm just having a particularly bad dream, is there?"

"Not unless I'm having the same dream, luv."

"Crap."

"Right there with you, pet. It's crap, but it's here and we've got to deal with it." His voice softened and he sat down beside her and stroked her head lightly. "Are you gonna be alright?"

"No," she grumbled. "I'm not gonna be all right. My two best friends are evil vampires in this dimension and they keep talking about somebody called 'the Master', and I just can't wait to find out who he is." She put the glass up to her mouth and finished the liquid in it, shuddering immediately.

"Who do you think he is?" Spike wondered if she was expecting Angelus, then remembered that this Buffy had never met his unsouled grandsire. With a sudden cramp in his stomach, he remembered that the Master in Sunnydale had been Darla's sire. 'Old Bat Face', as Spike and Angelus had referred to him out of Darla's hearing, had apparently been killed by the Slayer the spring before he arrived in Sunnydale. He studied her worried face, then asked again, more softly, "Who do you think he is, pet?"

"With my luck, it's that ugly old creep that lived on the Hellmouth in Sunnydale. The one that killed me."

"He what?"

"Just for a few seconds. He was so happy to be getting out of there that he didn't drain me; he just threw me into a puddle of water to drown, but Xander and Angel found me, and Xander did CPR and I was okay, except that I was really pissed and I went and found him and threw him through a glass roof and he dusted." She paused to gasp for breath, having blurted that all out in one long sentence.

"Well, then," Spike said, smiling at her attempts to breathe normally, "it's not a problem, is it? Just hold that thought about how brassed off you were, and you'll dust him again. Assumin' we even see him," he added. "Maybe he's been locked up somewhere in this dimension too, and that's why your little Scooby friends are runnin' his errands."

"Do you think?" She sounded so hopeful that he put on an air of confidence that he didn't completely feel.

"I do, pet. If the old bugger was able to get out and about, he'd have been here by now to check you out. Those two minions didn't even recognize what you were until they heard me call you 'Slayer'. If he knew there was one around, he would have taught them better."

"He would?"

"Oh, yeah. He's a right pain in the arse with all his rules of this and codes of that, but he makes sure that his favorites know everything they need to know to grow old with him."

"What did he teach you?"

"Um... I didn't... I don't... wasn't exactly one of his favorites," he growled. "He jus' tolerated Angelus and me so that he could have the girls aroun' sometimes."

"I wonder if there's a you in this dimension?"

"If there is, I can guarantee you he's staying as far away from his great, great grandsire as he can get." He thought for a minute, then touched her cheek to get her to look at him. "Just in case, though, I want you to be bloody careful if you think I'm actin' strange, or if you see me somewhere you don't expect to. You hear me, Buffy? You keep that stake handy and you use it if you need to."

His use of her name and the urgency in his voice as he stared into her startled eyes gave evidence of how serious he was and she nodded slowly. He let his fingers trail down the side of her face as he dropped his hand, fighting the urge to cup her chin. He heard her heart rate go up as his fingertips skated over her smooth skin and he groaned mentally.

"Promise me, pet?" he continued, stepping away from her. "Do you promise? Don't believe it's me until you're sure."

"May—maybe we should have a code word or something. Something that you could say that another you wouldn't know about."

"Secret handshake?" he grinned, laughing aloud when she flushed and stamped her foot.

"I'm serious! You're the one who brought it up," she continued, still glaring at him. "I'm just offering a possible solution."

"And a good one it is, luv," he soothed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh at you. You're absolutely right – we need to have something I can say so that you'll know it's the real me." He thought for a minute, then said, "How about I tell you I know you?"

"You say that all the time," she grumbled.

"That's why it will be good. It will be in character and you'll know when it fits the situation. Even if someone else tried to use it, he wouldn't know why I say it or when it would make sense."

"Okay. You know me. Got it." She sighed and put her empty glass down. "I guess I might as well get to bed – I'm really sleepy for some reason..." Her eyes drifted shut and he shot out his arm to stop her from swaying again. She opened one eye and peered at him. "Am I drunk? Did you get me drunk?"

He laughed richly, even as he was steadying her and helping her walk toward the bathroom.

"I don't think so, pet. I think you've just had a shock and then more alcohol than you're used to. You might be a bit tipsy, but not drunk. Trust me, love, I know drunk." He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she giggled before mumbling, "I just bet you do." She tottered into the bathroom and closed the door. She peed quickly, and then splashed cold water on her face until her head felt clear. After carelessly brushing her teeth, she opened the door and peered around it to see where Spike was. She smothered the little jolt of happiness when she saw him straighten up from the wall.

"You alright, pet?"

She smiled and nodded. "I think so."

"Alright, then. Let's get you to bed so that you can sleep off your first taste of the good stuff."

He didn't touch her again, but watched as she walked to her bedroom, placing each foot carefully and deliberately. When she had made it to her bed and fallen face down upon it, he couldn't hide a snort of laughter, and she opened one eye to glare at him.

"I meant to do that."

"Of course you did, pet. Now give me those feet and I'll tuck you in."

Without waiting for a reply, he pulled her shoes and socks off and pushed her legs onto the bed. He tugged the covers out from under her inert body and pulled them up to her shoulders, tucking them in around her arms. Without opening her eyes, she mumbled, "I still have my clothes on."

"You do," he said without inflection. "And I suspect it's in my best interest to see that you stay that way. Good night, Slayer."

He passed a hand lightly over her head and walked to the entrance, turning the light out and pulling the door closed behind him. He walked into the living room and turned the lights out before heading for the basement and his own part of the house. He threw himself on the bed and, not for the first time, wondered what the powers had been thinking, sending him to live with a teenage Buffy after he'd known the adult version.

She's beautiful, yeah. And brave. And she's workin' on being that amazin' fighter I met back in Sunnyhell. But she's so young! And still hung up on my bloody, souled grandsire. I don't think she has any idea what she does to me. She's so innocent – that body might know mine, but the little girl inhabiting it thinks she's a virgin. Wants hugs and kisses and romantic speeches – not what I want. Not the passion I know is in there.

He groaned and surrendered to the need inspired by seeing her curled in her bed and talking about taking off her clothes. The sounds of his zipper sliding down, and the sigh of relief as his erection burst out into his waiting hand were all that could be heard in the dark room until the vampire's growl of release indicated he'd reached the only satisfaction he was going to.

Chapter Thirteen

In another small city, far enough away from Winterset that travel back and forth was not all that common, a very old and angry vampire was questioning his favorite minion.

"You say he called her 'Slayer'? This vampire that protected a human? It's not possible. I killed the last slayer hundreds of years ago. Before I killed her, I found and destroyed all the possible replacements – ripped their throats out. Killed them, killed their watchers and their families. Before I feasted on the last one, I made sure that there was no way for another slayer to be called."

"I'm just telling you," Vamp Willow said stubbornly, "He called her 'Slayer' and told her to do her job."

"And did she?"

"No... she was... she acted like she knew us. Like she thought we were friends or something."

"But you weren't?" He gestured for the red-haired childe who had become his favorite to come closer, smiling when she eagerly crouched at his feet and leaned against his bony leg.

Alex spoke up for the first time. He knew he wasn't a favorite, that the Master only kept him around because Willow had pleaded for him to be turned with her. He generally tried to keep a low profile around their sire, only approaching when he thought he had brought something that the old vampire would like. Like delicate, pretty blondes.

"There was a girl that looked like her in our high school," he volunteered. "And I think she had the same name. But that was years ago, and Willow and I killed her when we went back for Prom night. I know we did – I made her pay for ignoring me before we drank from her. She cried," he finished with great satisfaction.

"And yet, here, close enough to be of concern to us, she appears to have come back to life as a Slayer..." With a final stroke to the top of Willow's head, the Master rose to his feet and began issuing orders. He sent a small group of his oldest minions to Winterset, ordering them to find out what they could about the would-be slayer and the vampire that protected her from his own kind.

When they had left to make preparations for the drive to the other city, he walked to the large table in the middle of the room and studied the plans spread out upon it.

"Explain to me again how this is going to work, my little genius," he purred, pulling Willow close and pinching her firm little rear. She giggled appreciatively, while Alex rolled his eyes and walked out of the room. Rubbing against her sire, Willow showed him how the process would work when they had rounded up enough humans to make it worthwhile, and begun feeding them into the machinery that would drain their blood into storage tanks.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Buffy left the restaurant the following night and found Spike waiting for her just outside the back door, she was somehow not at all surprised. She was surprised to see him chatting casually with the chef, laughing and slapping him on the back. She hadn't been aware that they knew each other, although she realized that Spike had probably made some friends and acquaintances among Winterset's demon population during his nights out. As she walked up, she heard the other man say, "Your luck's going to change one of these days, Spike, and then you'll have to get a real job – just like the rest of us."

"Never happen, mate."

"What will never happen?" Buffy asked, smiling at the chef as she walked up and poked Spike in the back. "That you won't stop treating me like a little girl who needs a big bad protector?"

"What? I can't meet you after work for a quick spot of violence before I go off to do evil things? Has nothin' to do with... I just felt like comin' by and talkin' to my mate, Harry here. "

She rolled her eyes and gave him a "we'll have this conversation later" look, before turning to Harry to explain, "He thinks taking care of me is his job or something. Like I wasn't doing just fine all by myself before he got here," she huffed.

The human/demon hybrid that she now knew Harry to be gave her a benevolent smile and said, "You may have been doing all right by yourself, but you never smiled the way you have since this card sharp started showing up to walk you home."

Buffy blushed to the roots of her hair, and only the fact that Spike seemed as embarrassed as she was kept her from wanting to sink into the dirty pavement. She mumbled something about it just being nice to find somebody from her home to talk to sometimes, ignoring Harry's knowing grin as she waved and began to walk down the alley. With a quick "See you later, mate" Spike jogged after her. In their embarrassment, neither one of them noticed the vampire standing across the alley in the shadows. He watched until they had reached the end of the alley, then slowly began walking in that direction.

Completely unaware of their onlooker, Buffy and Spike began a silent patrol, staking a few newly-risen fledglings and then pausing to relax on top of large marble tomb. Buffy lay on her back and looked at the sky overhead.

"There are more stars here than there are in Sunnydale," she said abruptly.

"Not more, pet, just more visible. There's a lot less light in this world than in ours. The stars are the same, we can just see them better."

"How do you know they're the same?"

He lowered himself beside her, taking great care to be far enough away that he wasn't touching her.

"Because when I was a lad, we didn't have all those lights in the cities – and none at all in the countryside – so I could see the stars almost every night if it was clear."

"Oh. So you were one of those ass...astro...starwatching people, huh?"

"Among other things," he replied.

"What other things?" She turned her head to look at him and there was a long silence while their eyes met and held. She was suddenly very aware that the vampire was lying only a few inches away, and she swallowed hard at the expression on his face. For a second she thought he was going to kiss her, but instead, he sat up and said, "Nothing that you need to hear about, Slayer. Now get your lazy arse up and let's find some demons to beat on."

Grumbling about vampires that think they're the boss, she rolled off the tomb and led the way toward the cemetery's gate. "Fine," she sniffed, "don't tell me about what else you know. I'll just go find some other annoying vampire to talk to. I'll pretend he's you, and when he won't tell me what I want to know, I'll—Oh, look! Here one comes now!"

"Here comes more than one, luv," he growled, stepping up beside her as four of the master's minions spread out around them. He watched their nostrils flare as they caught his scent and recognized the faint trace of family.

"The Master wants to know what you are doing with her," the tallest one demanded. "Why aren't you where you belong?" He frowned as both Spike and Buffy laughed heartily and Spike answered, "Don't we wish we were!"

"I don't belong with you lot," Spike continued. "Don't know what old Bat Face has done in this world, but you might want to tell him that where we come from the Slayer dusted him when she was just a little chit."

"Blasphemy!"

Spike rolled his eyes. "Have at it, pet. I reckon they need to learn the hard way." To the surprise of the other vampires, he just pushed the one in front of him out of his way, then, rather than join the fight, he jumped gracefully onto another tomb and sat down to light a cigarette.

"I thought you were helping her?" a husky minion who had just been kicked by the Slayer gasped as he doubled over.

"Oh, I doubt she'll need it. There's only four of you."

Spike took a deep drag on his cigarette and blew a stream of smoke in the direction of the deadly whirlwind that was the Slayer. She had already staked two of the minions, leaving only the one stocky man and a nervous-looking woman to continue the fight. With the grace and athleticism that he loved to watch, Buffy kicked and spun until there was nothing left but the dust coating the grass and her boots.

Spike applauded briefly, then his head snapped up at the same time that Buffy fell into a fighting crouch and spun around, her eyes searching the shadows. The minion that had been following them had remained out of sight while the others attacked the Slayer, and he was now running away with the tale of Buffy's effortless decimation of four of their strongest fighters. With his enhanced vision, Spike could just make out the vamp's outline as he ran for the gate. He looked at Buffy questioningly and she shrugged.

"Let him go back and tell them what he saw. Maybe they won't come back any more." The trace of hopefulness in her voice made him ache for her and he said gently, "They'll be back, pet; but probably not for a while. My great, great grandsire doesn't go looking for trouble – he's going to stay away from a city with a Slayer livin' in it."

Buffy frowned at him. "If he doesn't live here, where does he live? There aren't a lot of cities in this world. Not on this continent, anyway. I checked out all the ones in this country when I first got stuck here – looking for Sunnydale, but it doesn't exist."

"Well, wherever it is, it has to be close enough for him to send minions to check you out a day after he finds out about you." He gently nudged her elbow and guided her toward the gate. "We'll try to find some maps or somebody who knows the area and see where the nearest city might be that's big enough for a family of old vamps to hide out without being noticed."

"I wish I knew more about this place," she grumbled. "Maybe I should have tried to get into school somehow – at least I would have learned some history or some geography."

"Considerin' that by the time you got to high school, you would have been expected to know some of both of those things, I don't think that would have been in your best interest, pet."

"Probably not," she sighed. "Everybody's pretty cool about most stuff here – like letting me work without a birth certificate or a social security number – I wonder if they have social security?" she segued. "Do you think they do?"

He snorted a laugh at her ability to switch subjects so quickly and shook his head. "Wouldn't know, love. Not something demons and vamps spend a lot of time worryin' about."

"Well, they should... I mean the ones I'm not going to slay, anyway..."

He gave her a friendly nudge and said with a smile, "You know, Summers, you've come a long way, livin' here."

"Huh?"

"Older you? She didn't get that not all vamps and demons are alike until she was several years older than you are. She told me about it – how she was all about the fightin' evil and no exceptions – except the bloody poof, of course. Thought that soul meant the world..."

"Well it does!" Buffy quickly rose to Angel's defense.

"Then how do you explain all the peaceful vamps and demons in this world? The ones you see every day and don't slay because you know they aren't up to anything more evil than playin' poker on the weekends?"

"It's.. .it's a different world. That's all. They're different because the whole weird world is different – so, it just makes sense that the vamps and demons would be different too! Maybe they all have souls or something," she muttered at his skeptical look.

"An' me? How do you explain me, pet? Not from this world, am I? Got no soul to keep me righteous – jus'..." His voice trailed off as he realized how close he had come to admitting having feelings that he was still fighting.

"If I tried to explain you, I'd go nuts," she muttered, laughing when he growled. "It's true!" she argued. "You don't have a soul, but you didn't kill other me when she said she knew you, and then you... you started to like her..."

His lips twitched at her youthful way of talking about his feelings for the slayer he'd left back in Sunnydale. Different dimensions or not, this one was so like what Buffy must have been like at that age that he had to constantly remind himself that she wasn't her.

"Had other things I was interested in doin' with her, pet," he said, waggling his eyebrows at her.

She gave him the obligatory glare and "ewww", then looked more thoughtful. "Why don't you want to do those things with me?" she asked innocently. "Is it because I'm not pretty anymore?"

He was rendered completely speechless – stopping in the middle of the street and staring at her as though she'd grown another head. He wasn't sure which had astonished him the most – that she didn't realize the effect she had on him, or that she didn't know how beautiful she was. He stammered incoherently as he tried to decide which misconception to address first.

"Spike? Did you hear me? Why did you stop?" Buffy turned around when she realized he wasn't with her and put her hands on her hips. "What's wrong with you?"

He shook his head and gave a nervous laugh as he walked toward her again.

"Just a bit gobsmacked, love. And don't know which of those comments is the more wrong-headed."

"Huh?"

He pushed a strand of hair off her face and touched her chin, smiling to himself when he heard her heart-rate go up. Ah, love, if you only knew how badly I want to do those things with you. Choosing to go with the safer question, he said with perfect sincerity, "I told you that first night that you were a beautiful woman, and I meant it. Do you look like the curvy little thing that's pretendin' to be you back in Sunnydale? No. You look like the woman she grew into. You're strong, you're beautiful and if you would go get that pretty dress you told me you were gonna get a dozen paychecks ago, I'd take you out to that club like I promised and prove it to you. I can guarantee you'll be the most beautiful woman in the place."

As he'd hoped, his effusive praise of her looks and the reminder that they were due a night out on the town distracted her from her first question and she blushed and stammered as she finished walking up to the front door. Before she could get her key out, Spike was beside her opening the door and holding it for her. She smiled her thanks and ducked under his arm, heading immediately for the living room and the TV. After a minute of good natured arguing over which old movie to watch, they settled on one that sounded like it would have enough violence for Spike and enough romance for Buffy.

One of the drawbacks of this world's being so different from what they were used to, was that very little of what was on the few television stations available was familiar to either of them. The different history, much smaller population of humans world-wide, and the tacit acceptance of the peaceful demons that lived and worked with humans meant some major differences in the entertainment world, just as it did in many other areas. Spike, who had spent over a hundred years watching his world change around him, had adjusted much faster than Buffy had been able to when she first arrived. It had taken her several months of making what she now knew to be stupid mistakes before she had learned to watch and wait before opening her mouth or jumping into a conversation. Now, with Spike's easy mingling with the demon population and her own hard-won knowledge of how this world was and was not like the one she came from, they were becoming more and more comfortable in their new environment.

Buffy told herself that watching TV and movies was an important way for them to learn more about their world, and she happily spent a couple of hours most nights sitting on the couch with Spike and arguing with him about whether or not what they were watching was "real" or a made up story that they shouldn't take as a genuine look at their new home.

Chapter Fourteen

The next night, without saying a word to anyone, Buffy rushed out the door of the restaurant as soon as her shift was over, and, clutching her paycheck, headed immediately for the bank branch where she cashed her checks. She smiled her thanks at the young man who handed her the money and stuck it in the pocket of her jeans while she strolled through the small mall looking for a shop that might have a dress that she could both afford and look pretty in.

An hour later, she was walking home swinging the bag that contained her new, and only, dress and the shoes she'd had to buy to wear with it. Hidden in the bottom of the bag was a lacy push-up bra and matching panties in the same pale green color as the dress. For the first time since she had landed in Winterset – confused, angry and frightened – she felt like herself.

Shopping therapy – nothing like it! She smiled to herself as she walked into the house and began calling for Spike. She quickly realized that he was still in the shower, the sound of the water not quite drowning out the song he was singing in a surprisingly pleasant baritone voice.

"Young girl, get out of my mind... My love for you is way out of line... Better run, girl, You're much too young, girl... With all the charms of a woman, you've kept the..."

Okay, I've never heard that song – I wonder if he made it up? Of course, he's older than dirt, so it's probably just some oldie that—

The sound of running water cut off and, still humming under his breath, Spike emerged from the bathroom, a towel hanging precariously from his hips while he used both hands to rub his hair with another one. Buffy's strangled "Spike!" got his attention just in time for him to make a one-handed grab at the rapidly slipping towel around his waist. He froze, not sure what to do as Buffy stood staring at him, her eyes wide and still focused on his flat abdomen and the line of soft curls disappearing beneath the towel that he was clutching tightly.

She'd never seen a naked man, let alone from a distance of less than six feet away and, while Spike was not completely naked, it was more than obvious that the only thing between her eyes and that part about which she couldn't help but be curious, was a not particularly large, cheap, thin bath towel. She could feel her face redden, even as she was unable to tear her eyes away from the body in front of her.

Stop staring, Buffy! What is wrong with you? Stop looking at him! He's going to notice... oh, god, he noticed...

Spike kept a firm hand on the towel that protected what little modesty he had, but he couldn't prevent a grin from breaking out when Buffy's breathing and heart rate continued to climb even as her face grew more and more colorful. He leaned back against the wall and waited until she was able to drag her eyes up to his amused face.

"See anything you like, pet?" he drawled, laughing out loud when she sputtered incoherently.

"What? No! No liking... I mean not that I... that you... I mean... you... naked... shower... towel... There is no liking here – no seeing and liking. No seeing. I'm not seeing – I'm going to my room now," she finished with as much dignity as she could muster in the face of having to walk past an almost naked vampire to get to her room. It didn't help that his shoulders kept shaking with barely contained laughter as she marched past, eyes carefully averted.

While Spike, still chuckling to himself, went through the kitchen and back downstairs to get dressed, Buffy lingered in her bedroom as long as she could – hanging up her new dress, putting the shoes into the closet next to her sneakers and boots, and scolding herself for being such a baby.

I'm the MTV generation. "R" rated movies and Playgirl magazine. That sooo did not bother me the way he thinks it did. And I was sooo NOT ogling his body. I love Angel. I love Angel. I love Angel....

Eventually she had to emerge, carefully stuffing stakes into her pockets and avoiding eye contact with the now completely dressed vampire. He was uncharacteristically silent as they left the house and headed for the nearest cemetery. They walked along in uncomfortable silence for several blocks before Buffy could stand it no longer.

"I love Angel!" she blurted out, turning away quickly when she saw that he had completely read the guilty thoughts that brought on that non-sequitur. He cocked his head at her and waited until she stopped and faced him, her face flaming. When she refused to meet his eyes, darting hers from the sky to the ground, to a very interesting, if imaginary, something over his shoulder, he sighed and shook his head.

He rested his hands on her shoulders, waiting until she reluctantly raised her eyes to his before he said carefully, "I know you do, pet. Or, I know that you think you do; just like you think you know him. You're not doing him any harm by ogling my naked body – and it doesn't make you a bad girlfriend, or a loose woman. It makes you a perfectly normal, healthy girl. I didn't credit that look for anything but it what it was."

Her shoulders relaxed in relief. "What was it?"

"Jus' a curious little chit tryin' to get a look at my goodies," he said, leaping back with a laugh as she swung her fist at him.

"I wasn't... I didn't... oh, you are sooo full of yourself!"

Still laughing, he ran toward the cemetery, calling over his shoulder, "Com'on, Slayer. Take that temper out on some vamps that might actually need pummelin'."

Clutching her stake in a threatening manner, Buffy chased the laughing vampire until he ran past a grave that erupted with a pair of dirt-encrusted arms. She stopped, waiting until the newly-risen vampire had pulled himself most of the way out of the grave before she chirped, "Hi there. Welcome to the rest of your... death," as she ran her stake through his heart and watched the dust settle back onto the soil. She looked up at Spike with a satisfied smile, forgetting about her earlier embarrassment. "I feel much better now," she grinned. "There's nothing like watching a vamp go 'poof' to make a girl's night."

Shaking his head at her, he responded with a rueful smile, "Nice to know that you're so easily pleased, Slayer. I'll keep that in mind."

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Uh oh," Dawn's voice caught the attention of the red-haired witch working in the corner and Willow looked up.

"What's 'uh oh'? Uh oh's are never good, in my experience."

Dawn gestured to the scrying bowl and said, "You need to see this for yourself."

Willow walked over to the large bowl that Dawn had learned to use so well, peering into it and blanching at what she saw.

"Oh, Goddess," she whispered, watching a vamped out version of herself as she held a teary-eyed Buffy with one arm and fondled her with the other. She watched as Buffy tore herself away and Spike stepped between the slayer and the two vampires. She gave a little moan when she saw who the other vampire was.

"They've gone to the world where the master is still alive," she said, shaking her head in denial even as she watched demon Willow and Xander run off together. Dawn kept the bowl focused on her sister and the vampire who was protecting her – noting how he got Buffy out of the cemetery and on the way home while the young slayer remained in a state of shock. Once they were safely in their house, she waved her hand over the bowl and allowed the picture to fade.

"What do you think is going on?"

"Well, it can't be exactly like the alternate dimension that Anyanka put us all in when Cordelia wished that Buffy had never come to Sunnydale, but it must be very similar. Of course, the Buffy that finally showed up there didn't know us, and the Master was killing her just as Giles smashed the pendant – so we don't know what would have happened. But that Buffy didn't have Spike on her side – and Angel wasn't really much help, I think he got himself staked or something."

"I have to get back there – I have to warn them—"

"Warn them about what? They've already seen us – them – they know what they are. And Spike isn't a captive like Angel was, so he should be able to help her."

"They know about you guys, but they might not know about the Master. I guess I should talk to our Buffy first and see if she has any ideas..." Dawn wandered off to the room she now used for her portal-opening experiments, muttering to herself about vampire witches and dumb-ass carpenters. Willow watched, her brows knitted in a little frown as she tried to think of anything useful to tell young Buffy about her vampire self.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"You saw what?!"

"Vamp Willow and Xander. They attacked Buffy, but she got away and Spike was there, so—"

"Tore the whelp's head off, I hope."

Dawn rolled her eyes at Spike's less than useful contribution to the conversation.

"He was busy trying to keep Buffy 2.0 from getting too close to them. I don't think she realized for a second or two that they were vamps – or that being vamps meant that they didn't know who she was." She frowned. "I don't think Xander was a very important vampire – vamp Willow smacked him across the face. That's got to be good, right?" she added brightly.

"It'll have to do," he grumbled, subsiding while Dawn and Buffy compared notes about what they could remember of that dimension. Dawn wasn't much help, as in that world she hadn't even existed and neither had Joyce. Buffy tried to fill Spike in on one of the few Sunnydale experiences for which he hadn't been present.

"Willow was a vampire – a gay vampire – and so was Xander, only not gay – I don't think. And the Master was still alive, and they kept Angel in a cage, and..." Her eyes flew to his. "They kept Angel in a cage – and they were setting up some kind of machine for the Master that was going to drain people for him. What if that's... that's the dimension they're in? The one where the Master's alive?"

"Easy, pet," he said quickly, putting a steadying hand on her arm and speaking soothingly. "Even if it is that same dimension, you don't know what the situation is now. Clearly it's different from what happened to you, or they wouldn't be around, would they? And they would have recognized you as the Slayer – which Dawn says they didn't."

"In... in that dimension... they–he... won," she whispered softly. "They would be still walking around, because the Master killed me – or, he was about to anyway. Giles broke Anya's pendant and that dimension just... vanished."

She looked at Spike sadly. "What if it didn't vanish? What if we just got sent back to our own dimension – me, Angel – but what if the Master and vamp Willow and vamp Xander stayed wherever they were? What if this is where they've been all the time?"

"Think, Slayer. Didn't you say that you went back to your own dimension just as old bat-face was trying to off you? And that the witch and the whelp came back with you? If it is another version of them, they don't know you. They've got no idea what they're up against." He smiled at her dubious expression and gently pushed her hair off her face. "No idea at all."

"I guess that's why there's no Mom or me in that one," Dawn said thoughtfully. "Must have something to do with the Master not being trapped in the Hellmouth... or maybe it's just a completely different dimension and nothing's the same except a few people or vamps. We don't know if what Anya did actually sent us all to another dimension, if it changed the one we were in, or if we were all having the same bad dream that ended when Giles broke the pendant. And it's not like we can ask her..." Dawn's voice trailed off and Spike and Buffy exchanged looks over her bowed head.

"What are you thinkin', Bit?"

"Well, in my world – your old world – Anya died; but in this one, as far as we know, she's still a vengeance demon, right? Maybe you can summon her and just... ask?"

"Ask a Vengeance Demon to tell the Slayer what happens when she grants a wish? Oh yeah, that should go over well!"

"But, it's Anya..."

"She's still Anyanka here, Bit." Spike's voice was gentle as he reminded her that the demon they would summon was not their Anya and would not know them. "Got no reason to help us out; and might be a bit brassed off at being summoned for somethin' like that."

"Fine!" Dawn's tone and her rolling eyes indicated that she wasn't giving up on the idea, but she agreed for the time being. "So, what should we – I do? I need to tell them about the Master, at least."

"I think you should tell them," Buffy said suddenly. "And maybe..." she gave Spike an apologetic smile, "maybe you should tell them to look for Angel? Just in case he's got his soul in that dimension and the Master is torturing him again?" She ignored his growling and continued. "They could probably use all the help they can get and having Angel on their side would—"

"Would bollix up any chance of anything developin' between me and you," Spike interrupted. "Is that what you want for them? For you? To waste all those years mooning after my grandsire when she could be-"

"Spike, we can't make them fall in love with each other. They're us... but they're not us, too. Maybe he won't even want me – her. I was able to coax him into bed, sure, but he wasn't in love with me and he didn't want to be in love with me. I'm glad he found her, and that he's helping her, but we have no idea how they feel about each other. For all we know, he has a vampire girl friend and just sees Buffy when he patrols with her."

Buffy looked at Dawn for verification, but saw that she wasn't going to get any help there.

"I think he likes her, Buffy. He doesn't want to admit it out loud, but I can see the way he looks at her. I think he's afraid to say anything because she's so young – and because she's still—"

"Still hung up on Angel," Buffy sighed in agreement. "Yeah, even if he is interested, I don't know if teen-aged me is ready for Spike. That's a lot of..."

"A lot of...?" Spike's eyebrows were raised as he waited to hear what she thought it might be too much of. When there was no response, he filled in, "Passion? Incredible sex? Violence? Stop me when I get to something you haven't thought of, pet."

Glaring at him with angry eyes and lips that were trying not to smile, she said, "I was going to say 'That's a lot of pretty intense emotion for a teenager to handle. It might scare her off.' "

"Too bad we can't talk to them then, isn't it, love?" he said, pulling her into an embrace that she only pretended to fight. "You could tell her what a wonderful lover I am and what a wanker Peaches really is."

"Or, you could tell him to take it easy and not scare her off by doing something stupid."

"Stupid? What have I ever done that might have been scary to a slayer? Aside from tryin' to kill you," he added as an afterthought.

"Chains, offers to kill crazy ex, and then threats to feed me to crazy ex – let me know when I get to something that might be scary to somebody who—"

"Oh," he muttered, hiding his face in her neck. "That stupid stuff. Well, he probably won't think about doing anything like that."

"We can only hope not," she said. "Who knows if she's as easy going and forgiving as I am..." She felt him shaking with laughter that he tried to hide by nibbling on her neck, and she bit down on his shoulder with her own teeth, giving a very credible growl.

"Um... if you two could stop with the wildly inappropriate PDA's for just a few more minutes, I'd like to come up with a plan about what I should tell them."

The growling couple reluctantly disentangled themselves and sighed simultaneously. "I'm leavin' this up to you, pet. I don't really know anything about what happened – all I know is old Bat Face was already gone by the time I got here, and you'd pretty much cleaned out most of his minions, too. Nothing left for me but the Annoying One and a couple of wannabes."

Buffy looked at Dawn and said thoughtfully, "Maybe I should just write it out for her – you could take a note or letter with you, couldn't you?"

"Yeah, sure. If I couldn't take things with me, I'd be showing up naked all the time—and you sooo did not leer at me, Spike! Ewwww! That's like...like...ewww!"

"Sorry, Bit. Force of habit – I am a man, you know. Pretty girl says the word 'naked' I just naturally perk up. Even if she is more of a sister-type."

"Men are disgusting," she huffed, turning her back so he wouldn't see the smile on her face.

"Pigs," Buffy agreed primly, pinching Spike's ass while her sister wasn't looking. "All of them."

"I know when I'm in a conversation that's not going to go well for me," he laughed. "I'll be in the other room." He pinched Buffy back, and before she could retaliate, he was already at the doorway and going into their bedroom. As soon as he got out of sight, he went to the desk and pulled out a sheet of paper, quickly scribbling out a note and folding it into a small packet.

Buffy was also writing, filling a page of notebook paper with as much as she could recall about the demon dimension to which Anyanka had converted Sunnydale. She made sure to point out that she didn't know for sure if that's where they were, but that she was giving them some things to watch out for. She finished the letter, reread quickly – adding some more facts about Angel and the fact that he hadn't known her, but had been willing to help – then folded it and handed it to Dawn. She chewed her lip for a minute, then ripped off another sheet of paper and scribbled a much shorter note, folding it into a much smaller packet and giving it to her sister too.

"Do me a favor," she whispered, looking around to be sure that Spike hadn't come back into the room, "give this to Buffy when Spike isn't around to see it. Okay?"

"Okay," Dawn agreed readily, tucking the folded paper into her pocket. "What did you do, tell her to forget about Angel and grab Spike while the grabbing was good?"

"Something like that," Buffy mumbled. "But don't tell my Spike I did it."

"Don't tell me you did what?" His sudden, silent appearance behind her was a reminder of just who and what she was living with.

"Nothing."

"Right. Cause it's always important that you not tell me nothing – never know what I might do with information like that."

"It's nothing," she repeated stubbornly. "Just girl stuff."

He gave her one of his "I see right through you, Slayer" looks, but dropped the subject, instead walking up to Dawn and giving her a hug. "It was good to see you again, Bit. Give our regards to our other selves." As he released her, he slipped the folded note into her hand, whispering, "Give this to Spike – just don't let the Slayer see it, yeah?"

Dawn rolled her eyes at both of them – inspiring mutually suspicious looks from them both – then stepped into her portal area and closed her eyes to concentrate. While Spike and Buffy watched in admiration, the walls of the portal swirled up around her and she waved as the usual loud "pop" carried her back to her own world.

Moving closer together, they stared at the empty space for a few seconds before Spike put his arms around Buffy and pulled her into his chest. He nuzzled the side of her neck, smiling when she tipped her head to the side so that he could lick his mark. She put her hands over his crossed arms and held them in place as she enjoyed the sense of belonging and serenity that she got from his attention to his mark. Finally, she gave his arms a little squeeze and moved away, turning to face him as she did so.

"Do you think they'll be able to handle him? He did kill me the first time I faced him. Of course that was all about that stupid prophecy that Giles and Angel had me thinking meant I was going to die no matter what I did..."

"Wankers!"

She heaved a sigh and nodded sadly. "Got to say, it wasn't one of their finest moments... but the other Buffy has already kicked his ass once, so she should know she can handle it—"

"She'll be fine, love. She's you, isn't she? Old Bat Face isn't gonna know what hit him."

"What about evil Willow and Xander? You heard what Dawn said about what she saw – what if she's so lonely there, that she can't kill demons wearing the faces of her friends?"

"I'm pretty sure soulless Spike isn't gonna be bothered by that, pet. If he had time to meet Harris while he was here..." he waited for Buffy's reluctant nod, "then he isn't going to have any problem at all with it. Trust me," he growled, half-seriously.

Buffy laughed at his growl. Even though they had explained and explained about Spike and his soul and his world-saving, Xander refused to see him as anything but the slayer killer that had appeared in Sunnydale the year before, Drusilla in tow. His reaction to the news that not only had the vampire returned to Sunnydale for Buffy's birthday, but that his body was now inhabited by the Spike that this Buffy knew and loved had been sufficiently ugly to create a rift between the two friends that had yet to heal.

Giles, on the other hand, couldn't resist the appeal of recording as much as he could get Spike to tell him about a vampire who loved a woman enough to get his soul for her. Spike's confirmation that the Powers were responsible for his presence, as well as Buffy's, went a long way to gaining some acceptance for the situation. Buffy and Spike were still treading a fine line between feeding the Watcher's curiosity and not revealing too much about a future that very well might not happen in this dimension. They were all agreed that they should limit their interference with the possible course of events to those things that they could be sure were necessary.

Buffy's disappointment that she couldn't arrange to beat Cordy for Prom Queen was only partially put on – that little taste of semi-normal high school life being one of the few she could remember from her own high school days. She huffed angrily when Giles said that he was "quite sure that the Powers That Be did not bring you back here in order to watch you cheat your way into a tiara"; and she threatened Spike with spending a lonely night on the couch if he couldn't stop laughing at her disappointment.

Even though she had stomped out in a fit of temper, she was secretly delighted that the two Brits seemed to be bonding this time around, and that she would not have to worry about her surrogate father trying to kill the man she loved. Her best male friend was another matter, and she smiled ruefully at Spike at his reminder that Xander was not as accepting of his presence in her life.

She nodded her head. "I don't suppose he will," she agreed. "I don't know what's wrong with Xander – I know he's a better person than this—"

"He's jealous, love. There isn't going to be much we can do about it until he outgrows it or finds somebody else. There may not be an Anyanka this time around, so who knows what it'll take. The cheerleader doesn't seem to be doing it for him and he's lost his chance with Willow. Now, can we talk about something else besides the bloody whelp? Gives me indigestion, it does."

Chapter Fifteen

Buffy's much-improved mood lasted until they had cleaned out the three cemeteries on their list for the night. Instead of their usual ice cream treat on the way home, they both agreed that it was getting too cold for ice cream and they stopped at a coffee shop for hot chocolates. Spike told her how much he'd liked her mother's hot chocolate and she smiled sadly as she agreed that it was the "best ever".

The reminder of what she was missing sent Buffy into a melancholy silence and he fumbled around for some way to bring back her happy mood. Remembering the bags she'd been carrying when she came home, he asked quickly, "What was in those fancy bags you were carrying when you stopped to ogle me, pet? Did you get that dress I told you to?"

Making a face at his ogling comment, she nodded, regaining her enthusiasm as she spoke.

"Yep! Got a dress and shoes and matching underwear... and I sooo did not just tell you that!"

Grinning at her flaming face, he waited for her to stop sputtering before he purred, "So, matching underwear? 's that right, Slayer? Plannin' on havin' yourself a big night, are you?"

"Hmmmph!" she huffed. "Like that's likely with you watching my every move and flashing your fangs at anybody you don't like."

Smothering the pang her comment gave him, he said mildly, "Wouldn't get in your way, luv. You know that. Promised you a night on the town and that's what you'll get. I promise."

Crap! I hurt his feelings again. Damn vampire and his feelings – and those eyes that show everything he's feeling.

"I... I'm sorry, Spike. I didn't mean that the way—"

"'s alright, pet. You're likely right. Without that reminder, I'd probably be prowlin' behind you promisin' to eat anybody who had the wrong look in his eye. Won't do it, I promise you. I'll jus' get you in the door and dancin' and then watch from a safe distance."

"You aren't going to dance with me?"

"Thought I was takin' you there to meet people your own age and have some fun? You don't want to be spendin' your time with an old vamp what hasn't danced since the waltz was considered daring."

"Way to remind me that you're older than dirt, Spike," she grimaced.

"Didn't know you needed remindin', Slayer," he said gruffly as he stood up. "Let's get goin' – I want to watch that show where the demons compete with humans to see who can answer the most questions."

"That almost-but-not-quite-Jeopardy show?"

"Yeah, that's the one. Like to get the answers before they do."

"So you can yell at the TV and feel superior to somebody."

"I AM superior, pet. An' don't you forget it." He waggled his eyebrows at her and she giggled in spite of herself, following him out the door.

The walk home was quicker than usual, Buffy's steps hastened by the fact that she hadn't worn a winter coat and Spike's by his urge to see his show.

I need to get that parka out of the back of the closet. I forgot how cold it gets here in the winter.

"Penny for your thoughts, pet?"

"I was just thinking about how much I miss southern California and the sun – especially at this time of the year. Do you know how much money I had to spend when I first got here – just buying stuff to keep me from freezing to death? You'd think the powers might have sent us someplace warm," she grumbled, wrapping her arms around herself and shivering.

Spike eyed her heavy sweatshirt and long pants and nodded his head. "Got to admit, the outfits you wear here aren't nearly as easy on the eyes as those short skirts and skimpy tops that you filled your closet with back home."

"Are you saying I don't dress well?" Dismay and disappointment flew across her face. In spite of her small salary, Buffy had done her best to continue to dress nicely – making allowances for the fact that this world was much cooler than what she was used to and short skirts and thin tops just weren't practical. With a limited budget and the potential damage caused by her slaying duties, she'd been forced to stick with easily washed, long sleeve tops in warm fabrics, but she prided herself on coordinating things as much as possible. Even the thermal underwear that she wore in the winter was in pretty colors.

"I'm just saying, luv," he said quickly, reading her unhappy expression and wishing he'd kept his mouth shut, "that I got used to seein' a lot more of Buffy than what I get to look at now. Not that you don't look nice – it's just that I'd rather be lookin' at skin than corduroy. Watching you kickin' in pants just isn't the same as watchin' you kick wearing a mini-skirt..." His eyes unfocused for a minute as his mind wandered back to watching Buffy spinning and kicking in her short skirts.

"You're a pig, Spike!" The response was automatic, but she couldn't hide the relief in her voice.

Once again he was reminded that, in spite of her physical appearance, she was only approaching her eighteenth birthday and still very much a teenager when it came to worrying about her clothes. She did dress very differently from the way she had back in Sunnydale – and not just because it was cold. Without being in school and having to worry that she wasn't fitting in, she hadn't wanted to waste too much of her limited money on clothes that she was planning to leave behind as soon as she was yanked back to her own world. The dress to wear out dancing was her first real venture into shopping for pretty clothes since she had become resigned to living in this colder, less stylish world and she had forgotten how much she enjoyed shopping until she went looking for it.

Vowing mentally to have more shopping therapy in her future, she shoved Spike and began to run, calling back, "Last one home is a—"

She got no further before he was running easily beside her, so busy admiring the way her cheeks reddened and her eyes sparkled in the cold air that he almost ran into the little fence around the house's bare excuse for a front yard. At the last second, he realized where he was and leaped it effortlessly, landing beside her at the foot of the steps and shoving her aside.

"Hah! I win, Slayer," he crowed as he took the steps in one bound and put his key in the door. Before he could open it far enough to get inside, a giggling Buffy had slipped under his arm. She turned to face him triumphantly, pointing at him.

"Hah, yourself! I won. You're a... a... Rats! I forgot what I was going make the loser be."

"Well, you think on it for a while, pet. This loser is going to watch his show." He went into the living room, dropping his duster on the chair and flipping on the TV. He tried very hard to concentrate on the picture in front of him and not so much on the now-warmed up slayer in the hallway. In a very short time, Buffy joined him on the couch to listen to him shout answers and mock the stupidity of the contestants when they didn't know them. The camera shifted from the emcee to the contestants, and suddenly they were both focused on the screen. Standing in the middle box, wearing a low-cut blouse, tight pants and knee-high boots was Vamp Willow. She licked her lips slowly, causing the human contestant on her left to cast her a nervous glance.

"So, Ms Rosenburg," the emcee tried to keep her attention on him, all the time wondering what had possessed the producers to allow what was clearly a less than tame vampire onto the show. "What are your qualifications for being on 'Stump the Experts?' You seem quite... young... to be an expert on anything."

"Oh," she purred, licking her lips. "I'm older than I look. And, I'm an expert on quite a few things..."

She ran her eyes up and down the announcer's body, then did the same to an off-camera female assistant producer. The man cleared his throat and attempted to continue his show, indicating that the first question was up for grabs. Before the human contestant next to her could even move, Willow's hand had smashed down upon the large round ball on her desk, causing it to collapse. Both men blinked at the speed with which she'd moved, and their growing suspicion was clearly evident in their faces.

"Ooopsie! Did I break your buzzer? Shame on me." Willow's grin made it obvious that she wasn't sorry at all.

"N-no, that's quite all right," he stammered. "We'll just—"

"I think we'll just say I won and let it go at that. How's that sound, huh?"

Once again moving too fast for the eye to follow, she grabbed the man now edging away from the contestant area and ripped his throat out, flashing her blood-covered fangs at the camera. They watched in horror as the camera moved backward, away from the stage, but still recording. The wider angle allowed Buffy to watch as Xander stepped up behind the emcee and buried his teeth in the man's neck. She moaned softly and without thinking, Spike put his arm around her shoulders and gave her trembling body a sympathetic squeeze.

"'s not them, Buffy," he murmured as she continued to watch in horror while minions swarmed onto the set and into the audience, ripping and tearing as they followed the directions of the red-head now holding the microphone. Spike swallowed hard, fighting back his demon, which was being called to in a way that he hadn't worried about in months. He relaxed his comforting grip on Buffy's shoulder, suddenly very aware of the nearness of her throat and the blood pounding there. He eased himself away from her and fought to remain in his human face, even as every molecule in his body was crying for some of the red liquid so visible on the small screen.

Missing his comforting presence, Buffy tore her gaze away from the sickening sights still being broadcast in living color, and glanced at him. She watched in fascination as his eyes flickered between their usual soft blue and amber; his fangs had dropped far enough that she could just see the tips of them protruding below his upper lip. Sudden understanding had her reaching for the remote so as to change the channel, but he stopped her with a claw-tipped hand.

"No, love," he growled around his fangs. "Leave it. We need to know what's goin' on there. It isn't like old Bat Face to go public like this."

"But—" she began. "You...isn't it...?" She fumbled for a way to say that she hated to see him struggling so hard to hide what was his nature. A small part of her, that remembered her Watcher's teachings, was screaming that she was sitting next to a dangerous vampire and that he would not be able to control himself in face of so much blood – even if it was only on a television screen.

"It's alright, Slayer. I'll be alright. It's just been a long time, and I—"

"And you miss it," she said flatly.

"I do." His admission was equally uninflected, but he took a deep breath and then his normal blue eyes were staring at her – no trace of the monster within visible any longer. "I do, but I can control it. I'm sorry, Buffy," he said more softly. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"The only thing that scared me," she said, tossing her hair, "was wondering if I was going to have to stake you." She lowered her eyes and said more softly, "I don't want to do that."

He nodded and sighed. "Got to say, I'm not too excited about that idea myself, pet. Doin' my best to see that it never happens."

"I know you are," she whispered. "But what if it happens? What if I have to stake you? I don't know if I could do that, Spike. I don't know if I'm that kind of Slayer."

Remembering what the older Buffy had told him about Angel's regaining his soul just before she had to send him to hell, he smiled and lifted her chin with a gentle finger.

"You are that kind of Slayer, Buffy. I know you are."

Their eyes met and locked, hers worried, his warm and encouraging. Spike's finger was still on her chin, his need to reassure her that she was stronger than she thought overcoming his usual reluctance to touch her in any way other than strictly platonically. His face moved towards hers, which remained where it was, only her widened eyes and increased heart rate indicating that she was aware of his proximity.

Ohmygod! Is he going to kiss me? Why aren't I moving away? Do I want him to kiss me?

Suddenly, screams from the television interrupted the moment and they whirled to watch as vamp-Willow, still holding the microphone, talked directly into the camera.

"That's right," she purred at the camera. "We're not hiding in the dark any more. This is our town...and soon it's going to be our world."

The camera, now being operated by one of the minions, panned over the audience, which was being herded into long lines, the people being held together by loops of rope around their necks. When the only untied humans were the ones lying dead on floor, Willow pointed to the exit and said clearly, "Get them out of here and into the trucks. We have more pick-ups to make tonight." She turned back to the camera and gave a toothy grin. "Maybe one of them will be you!" she said, pointing at the screen, which then went blank.

Spike could feel Buffy quivering beside him and, forgetting the just-passed moment of tension, he pulled her in with both arms, rubbing soothing circles on her back until she stopped trembling. He felt her stiffen and without looking, he felt her transform from unhappy girl to angry Slayer. Her head came up and her voice was cold as she spoke.

"That's not my Willow."

"Told you that, pet," he soothed, unwilling to give up holding her warm body until he had to.

"No. I mean, that wasn't my Willow. Not the one I know or that I wouldn't want to slay. My Willow is shy. She would never grab a microphone like that, or talk into a camera. I can slay that vampire," she concluded firmly. "And I will as soon as I track them down to their lair."

As she spoke, she pulled away from Spike's no longer needed comfort, and stood up to pace around the room, muttering to herself.

"If I can borrow a car, you can drive me to that city and I can find their lair. I'll stake her and that stupid Xander look-alike, and then I'll kick that old guy's butt—"

"Slayer? Buffy?" Spike stepped in front of her, bringing her ranting pacing to a halt as he did so.

"What?"

"You can't go charging in there like John Wayne, love. We need to find out what's what in that place – preferably from a distance – before we plan how to take them down. I don't think we're looking at a bunch of fledglings that just got too big for their britches; this smacks of some plannin' and a lot of confidence."

"There you go," she pouted. "Sounding like Giles again."

"Jus' sayin', luv. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. They aren't going anywhere."

"But, Spike! Those people! I can't just let them—"

She was interrupted by one of the loud popping notices that preceded Dawn's arrival and they both turned to watch the younger Summers sister step out of the portal now visible in their living room.

"Hi, guys!" Dawn waved and then hugged Buffy and smiled at Spike. "I have some information for you from Sunnydale." She took the letter her Buffy had written out of her pocket and handed it to the Buffy in front of her, then turned to Spike. "Have you got something to drink? I've been traveling all day and I'm really thirsty."

Frowning curiously, he left Buffy reading the letter from her older self and led Dawn into the kitchen. Quickly reaching into her pocket again, she handed him the folded note from her Spike, whispering, "He said to give this to you when Buffy wasn't watching."

"Okay, thank you, Dawn," he said with a smile that faded when her face fell a little. "What wrong?"

"Nothing," she mumbled. "It's silly... it's just that you – the other you – has always called me Bit or Niblet or Bite-size or something. It just seems strange for you to be calling me Dawn."

He laughed softly. "Well, can see where someone who'd known you since you were bite-sized would have given you a nickname like that; but you're all grown up and as tall as me now, aren't you? Doesn't seem appropriate, somehow."

"Oh, I know," she sighed. "It's just strange to hear you call me Dawn – unless you're yelling at me for something."

"Tell you what, pet. Between now and the next time I see you, I'll come up with something, yeah?"

"Okay, I'm holding you to that," she smiled back at him, turning to greet Buffy as she walked into the kitchen asking, "Holding him to what?"

"He's going to come up with a nickname for me so I won't feel so weird when he calls me 'Dawn'."

Buffy shrugged at the idea of Dawn needing a nickname and held up the letter.

"Well, if the Master they were talking about is the one that is described in here, then he's planning to take over that city and maybe the world. Making humans just livestock to be used for food."

"Well, given that they just went very public – I'm guessing they're working on the city now." He shook his head in dismay. "I guess you're right, Slayer. We're gonna need to pay that town a visit and try to suss out what's goin' on."

Dawn looked back forth between their grim faces and wrinkled her brow.

"What happened?" she asked quickly. "Did they attack you again?"

Buffy shook her head and quickly recapped what they had just seen on the TV. Her voice was calm and controlled as she described how Willow had clearly been in charge of the gang of vampires that took over the television station.

"I have to stop them," Buffy explained unnecessarily. "I can't allow the Master to take over this world and turn all the humans into livestock.

"Of course you can't!" Dawn agreed immediately. "But will you do me a favor?"

They both looked at her curiously, Spike's head was cocked to one side as he waited.

"Will you just find out what you can about them, but wait until I talk to my Spike and Buffy before you do anything? Please?"

Buffy stiffened noticeably as she replied, "Why? Your Buffy is back there in my world – where I've already killed this creep once. This is my world now; it's my job to prevent the apocalypses here. I don't need her help."

"Of course, you don't, pet," Spike immediately soothed before she could start yelling at Dawn. "But it can't hurt to find out what else older you knows, can it? She has managed to stave off a few more world-ending events than you have, luv. Seems to me it would make sense to make use of that experience, wouldn't it?"

He watched as the familiar pout began to develop, and mentally prepared himself for her refusal. However, she surprised him by nodding reluctantly and suggesting, "Okay. How about if we just go to their city and look around? Find out where the lair is, maybe? "

Dawn nodded eagerly. "That sounds like a good idea. Meanwhile, I'll go back and talk to Buffy and see if she has any other ideas."

"Can you keep hoppin' around like that without hurting yourself?" Spike asked dubiously. "Seems like it might be a bit of drain – all that blood-lettin' and transporting."

Dawn nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's what Giles keeps saying; but so far, I've been fine. It's not like I keep bouncing back and forth between dimensions all the time. And the better I get at it, the less blood it takes. But, I don't have to come right back," she said quickly. "I can just send a note – and I can see what you're doing—"

"What?"

"Um... I... we... I mean how do you think I found you? We have a scrying bowl in the Coven House and I can peek in when I need to. That's how we knew about Vamp-Willow – I saw her grab you."

"You can see us? You're watching us?" Buffy's voice was dangerously calm and Spike involuntarily stepped between them as he asked his own worried question.

"Exactly how much watching have you been doing, pet?" he growled. "I'd hate to give up my only source of amusement jus' because some nosey bint might be peeking in at me..."

"Oh, I... oh!... and ewwwww – I was thinking about something more interesting than... Never mind. I've got no desire to be scarred for life by catching you doing... whatever. Although," she added with twinkle, "I'll bet if I charged admission to watch you in the shower, I could make a lot of money from some of the slayers..."

"There will be no long-distance ogling of Spike!" Buffy's outburst caught herself as much by surprise as it did them; she blushed when she caught Dawn's knowing grin, and shot Spike a quick glance to see if he was going to laugh at her; but his expression was one she had never seen on him before. Instead of the cocky amusement that she expected, he was looking at her with eyes that held genuine warmth and more than a trace of hopeful speculation. She blushed even redder and immediately changed the subject.

"So," she said briskly, "you're going to talk to the other Buffy and then leave us a note if you have anything else to say? If I write back to you, will you be able to get my note?"

"I don't see why not. It doesn't take much energy at all to send tiny inanimate things back and forth. I just open the portal and toss them in. I could, like, check the kitchen every day and if you need to talk to me, you could leave a note on the table. Or, if I need to talk to you, I can just leave a note there for you to answer. That's what I usually do with my Spike and Buffy unless it's an emergency."

"Do you spy on them, too?" Spike ignored the glare Buffy sent him for reopening the touchy subject of being watched.

"Oh my god, no! I know better than to look in on those two unless they're expecting it! Speaking of being scarred for life..." She shuddered, and Spike had to smother a laugh when Buffy turned bright red again.

"Nice to know she's not missin' me," he said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Can we talk about something else besides watching people doing... things," Buffy said desperately. She was sure she wouldn't be able to look Spike in the eye for a week if the conversation continued much longer.

"It's okay," Dawn soothed. "I have to get back anyway. I do have a life, you know. I'll check in every day to see if you've left a note for me."

They nodded and Spike went to the refrigerator to get himself some blood. He waved his good-bye to Dawn as he waited for it to heat up in the old microwave Clem had given Buffy. Dawn and Buffy walked into the living room and Dawn quickly pressed the folded note into her sister's hand.

"She said not to let Spike see it," she whispered, glancing towards the kitchen and hoping the vampire's hearing hadn't picked up her whisper.

Buffy shoved the note into her pocket and gave Dawn a quick hug goodbye as the other girl pulled her portal around her and popped into her own dimension.

Chapter Sixteen

Spike strolled into the living room, mug of blood in hand, and asked casually, "What did who say I wasn't supposed to see, luv?"

She gave a guilty start and glared. "You listened!"

"Vampire," he said simply, pointing to his ear with his free hand.

"Stupid vampire hearing."

"You gonna answer my question or just insult my ancestry?"

Buffy sighed and pulled the note from her pocket. "She gave me a note from the other me – one I'm not supposed to let you see."

He titled his head at her and then pulled his own note out. "Sounds a lot like the one I sent to myself – also not for sharing."

"I guess..."

Spike put his back in his pocket and turned away. "I'll look at it later and if I think it's something you need to know, I'll tell you about it. You alright with that?"

Buffy nodded, putting her own note into her back pocket. "Sounds like a plan. And if I think you need to know what mine says..."

"Exactly. Need to know basis."

"Right. Need to know."

They stood around for a few minutes, eyes darting around the room, feet shuffling and hands twitching before the vampire finally said, "Sod this!" and pulled the note back out of his pocket. He set his mug down on the top of the television set and carefully unfolded his note.

Buffy gave a sigh of relief and removed her own letter, quickly opening it and running her eyes over the words there. Her brow creased as she read what her older self had written, confusion plain upon her face. She looked up at Spike and saw that he was staring at her – the speculative expression back on his face.

When he noticed her looking, he cleared his throat and folded the note back up until it was very small.

"Well, nothing there worth sharing," he said briskly. "Just vamp to vamp stuff."

"Yeah," Buffy agreed with relief. "Me too. Just Slayer stuff; nothing for you to worry about."

"Well, that's that, then."

"Yep. Nothing to see here."

Looking for a change of subject, Buffy asked, "How long do you think it will take us to get a car to use?"

He raised an eyebrow, growling when she rolled her eyes and elaborated.

"How long do you think it will take us to get a car without stealing one?"

"Spoil sport," he grumbled.

"Spike..."

"Yeah, yeah. I got it, Slayer. How about one that I win in a poker game or take off some lesser vamp?"

"Just don't tell me about it," she surprised him by saying tiredly. "Just find one so we can get there and find out what's going on."

"Alright, pet. Why don't you get some sleep while I go see if some really unlucky demon wants to bet his ride that he can beat an inside straight?" He pulled his coat back on and gave her a gentle push towards her bedroom. "Go on, Slayer. There's nothing we can do now. You may as well get your rest while you can."

Leaving Buffy in the hallway, he left the house, carefully closing the door behind him and waiting for the sound of the lock clicking into place before jumping from the small porch to the ground in one bound. He began walking towards the demon section of town, checking his pocket to be sure he had his note as he strode down the street.

XXXXXXXXXX

Buffy walked through her nightly rituals, trying to ignore the small piece of paper in her back pocket as she brushed her teeth and washed her face. When she had changed into her warm, flannel pajamas and fuzzy socks, she slipped into her bed and unfolded the note again. She studied the words written there in what was very clearly her own handwriting.

All it said was: "Give him a chance. He's more than worth it." She had no doubt who the note referred to and she frowned at it.

Is she saying that even without his soul, he's worth loving? Do I want to love him? What about Angel. Why doesn't she say anything about Angel? Why doesn't she love him anymore? How did she fall in love with Spike?

With a sigh, she put the note under her pillow and turned out the light, snuggling under the heavy blankets and closing her eyes. She tried to picture Angel's face, but all she could see behind her eyelids were soft blue eyes and knife-like cheekbones over a sinfully full mouth and a wicked smile.

XXXXXXXXX

It didn't take Spike long to find a card game, but word had spread about his skills at poker, and he couldn't find anyone willing to bet anything more substantial than a litter of kittens. He played just long enough to win some spending money, even losing a few hands so that he'd be welcome to come back, then said his 'good-night' and went back out into the night. His hand went to his back pocket and he pulled out the folded paper there, going into vamp face in order to read it in the dim light.

"Take your time. Don't be a bloody git about the poof. She's worth the wait."

"Speakin' of bloody gits," he grumbled. "How stupid does he think I am? Already know she's worth it, don't I? Question is, does she think I'm worth it?"

He wondered idly what Dawn had seen between Buffy and himself, and what she might have told their older selves about it. Which reminded him that Buffy had received a note of her own and he tried to imagine what the older Buffy might have said about him. He had no doubt that it was about him – the heightened color on Buffy's face had made that clear. With a shrug, he shoved the paper back into his pocket and headed for the club Buffy had mentioned.

It wasn't that far from the demon section of Winterset, which brought Spike's eyebrows up a bit; then he recognized the logic in putting a hot club close to a good source of employees. There was nothing like have a couple of seven-foot tall Yeti demons as bouncers to keep things peaceful and sedate.

Spike leaned against a wall across the street and smoked while he observed the patrons going in and out. He narrowed his eyes at the doorman, finally recognizing him as one of Clem's buddies who sometimes joined their weekly card games. Quickly, he racked his brain to remember if he'd ever cheated that particular player and concluded that he hadn't. He might even have lost a hand or two to the very human-looking demon with the power to decide who did and did not get into the club.

Spike snorted at the idea that there were enough people willing to go out after dark in this town for the club to be in a position to turn prospective customers away, but acknowledged that the chance that they might not get in seemed to be a draw, if the length of the line of hopefuls could be used as a ruler. He finished his cigarette and tossed it away before strolling across the street to catch the eye of the doorman.

The other demon cocked his head at the door and raised a questioning eyebrow, but Spike shook his head and waited for a break in the line before saying, "No – thanks, mate. Not tonight. Gonna be back one night soon with a lady, though, and I'd appreciate it if we didn't have to stand in line."

"No problem," the other said with a nod. "Just come up to the front and find me."

Nodding his thanks, Spike walked away, winking at two young women in the line who were clearly trying to catch his eye.

" 'nother time, pet," he purred as he walked past them, smiling to himself at how much he'd changed since meeting Buffy in that Sunnydale alley. Less than two years ago, he would have quickly taken the two girls up on their open invitation and left them both drained and dead. But maybe with smiles on their faces, he thought with a chuckle as he ran his eyes over their nubile bodies. Ah, how the mighty have fallen...

He almost considered it a sign from the Powers when he came upon two vampires that had just pulled a man from his large, black luxury car and were taking turns drinking from him. Spike sauntered up to them, dusting the one holding the man before turning to the other with a toothy grin.

"Guess you haven't heard that there's a Slayer in town, then?" he said conversationally, catching the victim and lowering him to the ground more or less gently.

"You're no fuckin' slayer," the other vamp snarled, eyeing the stake in Spike's hand even as he prepared to lunge.

"It's all in your perspective, mate." Spike waited for the lunge, sidestepped and plunged his stake into the other vamp's back as he went by.

He put the stake back in his pocket and leaned down to help the intended victim climb back into the driver's seat.

"Are you gonna be alright?"

"Yes... I... I think so." The man grabbed a sweater off the seat and held it to his bleeding neck." I don't know how to thank you! You saved my life! If there's ever anything that I can do—"

Spike eyed the big car with the dealer plates on it and smiled.

"Well, now that you mention it..."

XXXXXXXXX~~~~~~

An hour later, he pulled into the small driveway running beside the house in a nondescript, but very functional sedan with dealer tags and a full tank of gas. He smiled all the way into the house; more than pleased with his night's work. His smile vanished as he walked through the living room and saw the now-dark television set. The memory of what they'd seen there, and the effect it had had on his demon was enough to destroy his good mood. He knew that he hadn't come as far as he thought he had when his fangs began to itch thinking about the mayhem and bloodshed he'd witnessed earlier.

With an angry snarl, he threw his coat on the chair and continued through the room to the kitchen, reaching for bag of cold blood and drinking it straight from the container to the accompaniment of low growls.

You'd think if I was gonna lose it, it would have been while that wanker was sittin' there bleedin' – not over some long-distance rippin' and tearin' from a bunch of distant relatives.

"Spike? Is that you?"

Buffy's voice startled him out of his thoughts and he raised his head, blood still coating his lips, and fangs still exposed. She recoiled, then caught herself and came into the kitchen, head up and shoulders back. She walked right up him, grabbing a towel as she went by the sink and using it to wipe the corners of his mouth.

"Didn't you mother ever teach you to use a napkin?" she teased gently, as she continued to wipe the blood off his lips. Without conscious effort on his part, his human face came back the instant she touched him and he almost dropped his blood as realization jolted through him.

Bloody hell, I love this girl. This one – not the one I Ieft behind, but this brave, beautiful, deadly almost-a-woman. I love the way she accepts me as I am, and...

"Spike?" As he stared at her, his eyes barely focused and his mind obviously somewhere else, she slowed her motions and started to drop her hand. He startled back into awareness and grabbed her hand, bringing it back to his lips and kissing her fingers before releasing it.

"Sorry, love," he said, smiling at her softly. "My brain went somewhere else for a second there. Thanks for the clean-up."

"Yeah, okay... sure."

Her fingers felt warm where he'd pressed them to his lips so briefly and she tried to tell herself it was impossible.

He's drinking cold blood and he's only room temperature himself. There's no way his lips could feel warm. And what was that all about, anyway? He doesn't kiss me. We're just slaying partners; roommates – that's all. He's like my big brother.

"Why aren't you asleep, Slayer?" he asked gruffly. "I told you to go to bed."

"I couldn't sleep," she admitted. "I kept seeing those people and—"

"We're going to get them, love," he said, grazing his knuckles over her cheek. "I promise you. Even got the car already," he added with a smile. When she raised a suspicious eyebrow he quickly explained about the would-be victim and the gratitude he'd shown. "It's not like he gave it to us," Spike explained, "But he said I could keep as long as we needed it."

"When can we go? Tomorrow? The next night?" The Slayer was fully in hunting mode and the demon in him had to admire the bloodthirsty look in her eye, even as he shook his head.

"Promised you a night out and we're gonna do that first. You don't want to go chargin' in there right after a public massacre like that. For all we know, that whole thing was staged jus' to get you into their town."

"Well it's gonna work," she growled. "If they wanted a pissed off slayer, they're going to get one."

"Right there with you, love, but I think it can wait a day or so – give them time to wonder if you heard about it and if you're Slayer enough to come after them."

Buffy sighed, dropping her angry Slayer persona and yawning. "Okay. If you say so..." She yawned again and wrapped her arms around herself, unable to hide a shiver.

"You cold, Slayer?"

His eyes went over her heavy pajamas and the fuzzy socks on her feet and he had to smother a smile. She nodded, unaware that her outfit made her look even younger than she was.

"Yeah, I am. I think it's time to break out the down comforter that I paid most of a paycheck for last winter." She glanced up at Spike anxiously. "Are you going to be warm enough? I mean, I know the cold can't hurt you, but—"

"I'll be fine, pet. Yeah, it's a bit on the chilly side down there," he nodded towards the basement door, "but I'll be alright."

"Why don't you sleep up here?" she asked, not meeting his eyes. "It's not exactly toasty, but it's got to be warmer than that basement..." She looked up quickly. "You could sleep on the couch and I can give you my extra blanket. I won't need it when I get the quilt out."

He thought about the likelihood of his getting any sleep with Buffy's warm breath more than audible from the bedroom and smiled gratefully.

"That's alright, Slayer. I 'preciate the thought, but I'll be fine. Jus' give me that extra blanket and I'll let you get back to sleep. Got to get your beauty sleep so you do me proud tomorrow night, yeah?"

She frowned at him dubiously, but his warm smile convinced her that he was really all right with sleeping in the very cold basement that he had made his own. She nodded and went to the extra bedroom, opening a big cardboard box and pulling out a large down-filled quilt. She carried into her room, setting it on the floor while she pulled the top blanket off the bed and handed it to Spike.

"Okay, if you're sure," she said with a small frown that he decided was adorable. He took the blanket from her, just barely resisting the urge to bury his nose in it while she was watching.

"Thank you, love. I'll see you tomorrow. Good night, Buffy."

"Good night, Spike," she responded softly. Before she could think about it and talk herself out of it, she stood on her toes and kissed him on the cheek, blushing furiously as she immediately jumped into bed and pulled the covers over her head.

One hand on his cheek where he was sure the imprint of her lips was going to remain warm all night, he stared at the mound in the middle of the bed, then shook his head and left the room, sighing to himself.

Bloody hell. If she has any idea what she's doin' to me...

He checked the doors and windows, then headed for the basement and his cold narrow bed. He carefully put the blanket down and shed his clothes, slipping into the bed and giving in to the urge to inhale the familiar scent that was all over the blanket she'd given him. As Buffy's scent surrounded him, his cock had its usual reaction and it wasn't long before he was stroking himself vigorously, doing his best to imagine that his cool, rough hand was much smaller and warmer.

Chapter Seventeen

Buffy ran out of the restaurant as soon as her shift was over the following evening, running all the way home without even bothering to check the alley behind the mall. Despite her anger and despair over the massacre she'd witnessed the night before, she had reluctantly realized that both Spike and Dawn were right about the importance of knowing as much as possible about the Master and his clan before charging in blindly. In spite of herself, she remembered how easily the old vampire had enthralled her the first time she faced him and the thought of facing him again made her shiver slightly.

I did it once, I can do it again. And I've got good backup this time. Spike wouldn't let some stupid prophecy keep him from helping me like Angel did.

She stopped so abruptly that she stumbled and almost fell, horrified at the disloyal thought that she'd just had about the vampire she was sure she was in love with.

Why DID Angel not try to help me? If he really loved me, how he could stand back and just say "Oh, it's a prophecy. Too bad." Spike would never do that if somebody he loved was in trouble.

During their quiet evenings of ice cream and television, Spike had told Buffy a lot about his former existence, including the fact that he'd killed two slayers. The fallout from that little confession had lasted for several days until the night that Buffy had to stake two vampires that couldn't have been more than eight or nine when they were turned. The child-vamps were not fledglings and Spike had to admire the way they worked together to get Buffy to follow them into the nearby alley where they intended to make her their next meal. He watched from the entrance as Buffy waited until they changed to their true faces before staking them. She stared at the dust in front of her, then raised her head to meet his eyes.

"I had to do that. They were vampires. They kill people."

He nodded, waiting, but she didn't say anything else until they were half-way down the block towards the diner. He almost didn't hear her when she whispered, "Slayers kill vampires."

"They do," he replied, equally quietly.

"So, if a vampire kills a slayer, it's almost like... self-defense?" There was an undercurrent of hope in her voice that almost unmanned him. It would be so easy to let her think that he had killed her sister slayers while defending his own life...

"In a way, I suppose it is, Buffy. But that's not why I went lookin' for them. You know that it isn't true, an' I can't let you think that it is."

"Yes, you could," she muttered petulantly. "I'm trying to give you the benefit of the doubt here, Spike."

He stopped and waited for her to turn around. Oblivious to the few people passing by and her own wide-eyed surprise, he put his hands on her shoulders and placed their foreheads together so that she couldn't look away from his intent gaze.

"An' I appreciate that you're willin' to do that, love. I can't tell you how much. But it wouldn't be fair to you an' it wouldn't be honest of me to even pretend that it's true. I sought those girls out for the joy of the fight and the glory of killin' a slayer. Not gonna tell you I'm sorry I did it – they were two of the best fights of my life, and I gave them a warrior's death – but it's nothing to do with you an' how I feel about you."

"How you feel about me?" Buffy's voice was much squeakier than she wanted it to be. Somehow, his last words completely destroyed the firm scolding tone she had planned to take when he began insisting that she acknowledge the vampire that he used to be.

Bollocks!

He was so obviously terror-stricken that she had to laugh, even as she reminded herself firmly, He doesn't mean me, me; he means that other me – the one he made love to. Smothering her laugh with a cough, she said kindly, "It's okay, Spike. I know you didn't mean that the way it sounded. I know you don't want to kill me... most of the time..." The twinkle in her eye that accompanied his own reluctant nod and shamefaced grin was sufficient reminder that they were still capable of having very loud and occasionally physical disagreements about his behavior.

Their mutual relief at having survived another of the tense moments that seemed to be part and parcel of a Slayer and a vampire attempting to share a house, allowed them both to relax and move on to enjoy their usual post-slaying meal. However, the knowledge of how hard it had been to get past those tense days and nights was never far from Spike's mind, and the next time he shared events from his life he'd talked about Drusilla and the way he'd felt about her for over a hundred years.

As he talked about his "dark princess" and the way he had cared for and protected her for so many years; about meeting the other Buffy and learning about his future, souled self and the things he had done for her, Buffy was able to put together a pretty good picture of a man who loved completely and totally. A man vampire! who would stop at nothing to protect and be worthy of the woman he loved. Whether it was to become one of the fiercest fighters in the world, or someone who would turn his entire life around for the love of girl who wouldn't love him back until it was too late, it was more than clear that Spike could no more let someone he cared about walk out to meet certain death by herself than he could become a vegetarian. It just wasn't in his nature not to fight tooth and nail at her side, if needed, or to protect her if that was what was required.

Buffy's steps slowed as she tried to reconcile what she knew about Spike's past behaviors and the few times that Angel had tried to help her out. Aside from killing Darla –which, thanks to Spike's evening ramblings, Buffy now knew, had been a pretty big deal – his contributions to keeping her alive seemed to be mostly cryptic warnings. She tried to smother a disloyal comparison of him and Spike in which he came out as the lesser vampire, soul or no; but she came into the house and met his curious gaze with newly wise eyes.

"Buffy?" Spike's question jolted her out of her speculative reverie, and she quickly put her attention on the clothes that he was obviously waiting for her to notice. Instead of his usual jeans and tee shirt, he was wearing a pair of wool dress pants and a white sweater that brought out his blue eyes and bright hair.

"Wow"

"I'll take that to mean you approve, Slayer. Now get your luscious little bum in there and get yourself dressed. We've got a club to visit."

It took Buffy only a few minutes to get into her all-new clothing and shoes; it took her twenty minutes to put on her make-up and get her hair to hang in soft waves that spilled over her shoulders and down her back. When she appeared, somewhat shyly, in the living room, Spike raised his eyes from the television set that he'd been watching as he waited for her, and gaped at her speechlessly.

A pretty girl had walked into the bedroom; the young woman who had emerged took his unneeded breath away. Since Spike's arrival, Buffy had been coaxed into better eating habits and that, plus the companionship the vampire offered had softened the hard, thin look she'd had when he arrived. The dress clung to new curves and swirled gently around her knees; the soft green shade brought out the color in her eyes. The high-heeled sandals she'd bought to go with it set off her nylon-clad legs and made them appear even longer and more shapely than they already were.

"Spike?" The uncertainty in her voice broke into his open-mouthed absorption in the beautiful woman standing in front of him. "This is the part where you tell me I Iook pretty... although, I'm willing to settle for 'okay' if—"

Shutting his mouth with a snap, he was off the couch and in front of her before she was even aware that he'd moved. He walked around her slowly, not with his normal predatory prowl but with the awed admiration of a man who had never seen her in anything but pajamas or slaying clothes. He circled her twice before stopping in front and whispering, "You look drop-dead gorgeous, Buffy. I'm sorry I didn't say it right away – was too gobsmacked to think straight."

She giggled with embarrassment at the open admiration in his eyes, asking, "Is 'gobsmacked' a good thing?"

"It's a good thing, pet. Means you were such a beautiful vision that I couldn't think or talk."

"Oh," she colored lightly. "Well, that's good then. So, you think they'll let me in?"

He just shook his head at her naivety and picked up his duster. He put it on, then quickly took Buffy's coat out of her hands and held it open for her.

"Allow me, milady."

"Thank you, sir."

The ride to the club on the other side of the small town took only a few minutes in their newly-acquired car and Spike was soon skillfully backing into a parking space less than a block from the club. Side-by-side, they walked towards the entrance; bypassing the long line outside to Buffy's surprise and going directly to the door. The doorman blinked once, then recognized Spike and nodded them in, holding up the rope and giving Buffy an appreciative look.

"Thanks, mate," Spike said with a flash of amber eyes that told the doorman that his beautiful companion was more than off limits.

"Just appreciating," the half-demon said with a smile in Buffy's direction. "It's not often we get something this gorgeous in here."

Buffy colored at his open ogling, but couldn't prevent a happy smile from breaking out on her face, and Spike laughed as he nudged her inside the club.

"You see, pet? I told you. You'll be fightin' 'em off all night."

"Where are you going to be while I'm doing all this fighting?" she asked as he took her coat and handed it to the attendant at the cloakroom.

He put the check stub in his pocket and steered her towards a booth along a back wall; one that allowed him to sit in relative obscurity and see almost the entire club, as well as the door.

"I'm gonna be sittin' here drinking my beer and watching the prettiest girl in the room while she dances."

"What if nobody wants to dance with me?" Her anxiety was so ridiculous that he couldn't resist teasing her.

"Then I'll stop watchin' that other bint and make somebody dance with you, Slayer," he said, only the twinkle in his eye giving away his teasing. He ordered a beer for himself and soft drink for Buffy, then settled back and waved her out on to the floor. "Go on, pet," he encouraged. "Doesn't look like havin' a partner is important in this world. Jus' go and enjoy yourself."

Buffy watched dubiously for a few songs, finally agreeing that most of the young people dancing in the open space in the middle of the club did not seem to be partnered up with anyone in particular. Girls danced wherever they wanted, and the men moved closer to dance near them for a while, then moved away when someone else wanted to get close enough to talk. Buffy stood up and took a few timid steps towards the floor, her body already unconsciously moving to the music. She heard her own name, and with a relieved smile she saw the young man who worked at mall's bank branch waving her onto the floor. She quickly joined him, nodding and smiling as he shouted introductions to the group of people dancing in his vicinity.

For the next half hour she was able to put the Master, his minions and her enforced immigration to this world out of her mind as she bounced and twirled and allowed the music and the friendly company to take her away for a while. When the band took a break, her new friends headed for a large table on the edge of the floor inviting her to join them. Buffy looked back and forth between Spike and the crowd of laughing young people, her face a study in dismay and confusion.

Rising gracefully to his feet, the vampire picked Buffy's drink up and walked towards her, neither of them aware of the way the other women in the club were watching the way the good-looking blond man moved. He handed Buffy her drink and gave her a little shove in the direction of the table.

"Go on, pet. 's what you're here for, innit? Meet some people your age, have a good time... You'll know were to find me when you're ready to leave."

"But... but..." Torn between her desire to join the group that appeared to be having such a good time and abandoning the man who had brought her, she hesitated until he turned her around and gave her a firmer push.

"Go. Have fun. I'm fine."

With a final glance back over her shoulder, she obediently walked over to the chair that was being held for her and sat down. In the relative quiet that marked the band's short break, she quickly asked for reintroductions, now that she could actually hear the names of her new acquaintances. The boy from the bank was apparently 'Mark' and he shocked her by announcing, "Buffy is the Slayer. Did you guys know that?"

Her discomfort at having her status announced like that quickly faded as a girl who'd been introduced as 'Suzie' nodded and said, "Yeah, working at the mall has been a lot safer since Buffy came to work there. I don't mind taking out the empty boxes anymore – now that I know that there aren't any vamps lurking in the alley." She explained to a puzzled Buffy that she worked in one of the dress shops that Buffy had determined was too expensive for her to bother with, and she encouraged the slayer to come in the next time she was looking for something special to wear. "I get a discount, and we're about the same size, so you could pick something out and I could get it for you. When we have sales I get some really nice things for cheap and you could too."

Buffy stammered her thanks, asking, "Won't you get in trouble for that?"

"Are you kidding? Why do you think the owner always made me be the one to take the boxes outside? She'd be happy to see you in the store and as long as you're paying something for the clothes, that'll be good enough for her."

Buffy quickly discovered that most of the girls in the group worked at the mall either full or part time. A couple of the girls and several of the boys also attended the local junior college and they were soon discussing up coming parties and the mid-winter exams they would be having soon. While the talk drifted into areas that Buffy couldn't contribute to, she let her gaze wander over to the corner where Spike was working on his second beer.

When the fourth young woman had taken the long way to the ladies' room so as to walk past his booth and smile at the grinning vampire, Buffy found that she had to pry her fingernails out of the chair in which she was sitting. Her grip had tightened with every new stroller and when one especially bold girl slid into the seat opposite Spike, she felt a piece of the chair break off in her hand. She surreptitiously dropped the broken piece of wood onto the floor under the table as Suzie asked innocently, "Do you think your boyfriend wants to come over here with you?"

"My wha-? Oh, Spike! Spike's not my boyfriend – he's..."

"Is he your brother?" a girl whose name Buffy hadn't caught asked eagerly, almost licking her lips as she watched Spike flirting with the dark-haired girl who had sat down with him.

"No," Buffy said tersely. "He's not my brother. But he kinda acts like one sometimes."

"Well, what is he?" Suzie refused to give up the subject. "I know he picks you up some nights, and he brought you here tonight. If he's not your boyfriend and not your brother, why is he around all the time?"

"I... he's... we... he comes from the same place I did, and since neither one of us knew anybody here, we just sorta..."

"You just stuck together because you knew each other," Mark came to her rescue with a kind smile.

"Yes!" Buffy agreed with relief. "We've stuck together because we already knew each other. And he needed a place to stay, so I let him live in my basement."

"In the basement?" The astonishment with which everyone looked at her told Buffy that she'd made another statement that didn't fit someone who had been born and raised in this world.

"Um... yeah... he... he likes it there," she finished lamely. "It's all dark, and... stuff."

Suzie's eyes widened suddenly. "Is he a vampire, Buffy?"

Buffy was wearing her deer-in-the-headlights expression when one of the other girls came to her rescue.

"Well, of course he is, you dummy. Who else would live in the basement?" She turned to Buffy. "So, he's not a dangerous one, then?"

"Guess that depends on who you are and how mad you make him," Buffy said grudgingly. "But, no, mostly he's a pussycat."

"He doesn't look like a pussycat..." The girl who had been so anxious to know if Spike was Buffy's brother eyed him speculatively, slowly licking her lips as she did so.

The look Buffy gave her was such pure Slayer that everyone at the table unconsciously flinched back from her for a second. "Pussycat's have teeth and claws," she ground out. "Don't forget that."

Disregarding the warning in Buffy's voice, the girl got up and made her own hip-swinging walk to the ladies' room, pausing at Spike's booth to offer her hand and introduce herself as "a friend of Buffy's". She exchanged glares with the woman already sitting with the vampire and then, after suggesting that Spike might want to join them at the "fun table", she continued on her way to the rest room.

Mark leaned towards Buffy and whispered, "Do I need to remind her that he's your vampire?"

Buffy shook her head. "He's not mine – not in that way." She glanced up with a wicked gleam in her eye. "You might want to remind her, though, that slayers have super strength and a violent streak."

He laughed, along with those sitting close enough to have heard the exchange and the tension at the table relaxed just in time for the band to come back. Buffy was soon up and dancing, temporarily forgetting that Spike was attracting as much attention from the women in the club as she was from the men. Now that her introductions to other patrons had broken the ice, she danced with abandon – moving from one man to another as she worked her way around the floor. Periodically, her new acquaintances would work themselves back into the center and reform the original group of dancers – of which Buffy was now a member.

Spike sat and nursed his latest beer while he watched Buffy dancing, laughing and seemingly having a wonderful time. If he'd noticed her glares when the other girls were so obviously trying to get his attention, he didn't allow it to affect his behavior. He flirted and charmed everyone who came by, even as he shook his head and denied having any interest in dancing. When the brunette who had sat with him for quite a while finally realized that he wasn't going to give her any more or less attention than any one of the other girls vying for his time, she left and went back to her original table on the other side of the room.

Stupid bints. If they can't see that I came with the most beautiful woman in the place...

Eventually, the band went into its last songs of the night and the tempo slowed. Buffy found herself surrounded by young men, all wanting to be the one that she chose to share the last dance with. She was trying to decide what to do when she saw the determined brunette walking purposefully towards Spike and she rose to her feet quickly. "I'm sorry, guys," she said as she moved away. "This dance is already taken."

She got to the booth at almost the same moment as Spike's determined admirer and they exchanged glares. The other woman had not seen them come in, and didn't realize that Buffy had arrived on Spike's arm.

"Get lost, blondie," she said dismissively. "I've got this one."

"I don't think so," Buffy said, doing her best imitation of Cordelia Chase speaking to an underling. "Go away." She held out her hand to Spike and waited calmly.

"What's this about, pet?" he asked quietly, waving the other girl away without even looking at her.

"I want to dance with the guy who brought me," she said equally quietly. "Please?" she added when he still hadn't moved.

Shaking his head gently and telling himself what a really bad idea this was, he rose to his feet and took her hand, leading her onto the floor and pulling her into his arms. For the first few seconds they were stiff and uncomfortable with each other – keeping a chaste distance between their bodies and stumbling as they tried to decide who was going to lead. Eventually, Buffy gave a soft sigh and rested her head on his chest. Immediately, he gave a matching sigh and pulled her in so that their bodies were touching and he could begin to guide their steps.

Somehow she was not surprised to find that the vampire who had claimed not to have danced 'since the waltz was considered daring' was actually quite a good dancer. They moved gracefully around the floor, their bright heads catching the lights occasionally as they slowly circled the room. As the song ended and the band went right into another one, their steps slowed until they were standing together and barely moving. Buffy's arms were around Spike's neck and his arms were now around her waist as they swayed in time to the music. None of the patrons still in the club had any illusions left about who either one of the good-looking newcomers was going home with, and they quickly began searching for alternate choices.

Even as Buffy relaxed into Spike's body and allowed him to move her around the floor while she rested her head on his shoulder, her conscience was trying to tell her that she was perilously close to cheating on Angel. I'm enjoying this too much. It feels so.. .right. He feels right. He fits me perfectly. Is it cheating to think that I'd rather dance with Spike than with my boyfriend? With a sudden flash of total honesty, she admitted that she hadn't seen her so-called boyfriend in almost a year and a half, and that their relationship hadn't amounted to much more than a few kisses at the end of an evening's patrol.

I've been mooning over a man I barely know and haven't seen in forever. No wonder the other Buffy thought she needed to tell me to give Spike a chance. I haven't. All I've done is worry about cheating on a man – vampire that has probably forgotten all about me.

As the song came to an end and the lights began to come up, she raised her head and stood on her toes, kissing Spike chastely on his lips.

"Thank you," she whispered as she dropped back to her feet.

"Not that I'm complain', love," he said, resisting the urge to dip his head and show her a real kiss, "but, what was that for?"

"For giving me the best night out of my life."

"The best, huh?"

"The very best."

She nodded firmly, sliding her hands down his arms as she let go of his neck. Taking the hint, he reluctantly released her and turned to follow her to the coat check where he picked up their coats and held hers for her. They smiled their good-night's at the doorman, who invited Buffy to come back "anytime you want to – you don't need to have him with you" to the accompaniment of Spike's throaty growls. Laughing and poking the vampire in his side, she thanked the man/demon and promised to come back soon.

Chapter Eighteen

"You know you can't get there without me," Spike grumbled as various other male admirers waved to Buffy while walking to their cars.

"Why can't I?"

"You can't drive," he said triumphantly. "And it's too far to walk in those shoes"

"Speaking of these shoes..." she mumbled, stumbling a little.

"What's wrong, pet?"

"I'm not used to wearing heels, and I've been dancing all night. Even Slayer feet have their limits and I think mine just reached them." She groaned and stopped to rub one foot, holding on to his arm as she did so. He frowned, then gave a shrug and with a "no problem, Slayer", he scooped her up and began to stride down the street with her in his arms.

After her initial "oh!" of surprise, Buffy smiled and put her arms around his neck, enjoying the way he carried her so effortlessly. She buried her face in the soft leather of his coat and inhaled the scents that had become so familiar to her. Mingled with the old leather was the smell of tobacco, a trace of whiskey and a unique earthy scent that she associated only with Spike.

They reached the car more quickly than either one of them would have preferred, and he stood beside the door irresolutely before finally setting her on her feet, holding on until he was sure that she was balanced before letting go and opening the door for her.

The ride home seemed to take no time at all, and they were soon walking up to the front door, Spike's hand under Buffy's elbow to steady her on her now aching feet. The minute the door was open, she kicked her shoes down the hallway towards her bedroom and sighed with relief. Spike closed and locked the door, shrugging off his own coat before turning Buffy around to take hers. He dropped both coats on a chair and then just stood looking at her as she stared back at him expectantly. He wanted nothing more than to pick her up again and carry her into her bedroom. Unsure of his own self-control, he remained where he was, waiting for her to say something.

"What is it, pet?" he finally asked when she just stood there in her stocking feet, staring at him.

"I... nothing, I guess. I just thought... maybe... never mind." Her shoulders slumped and she began to turn to go to her room.

"Buffy? I thought you had a good time tonight. What's wrong, love?"

"I did have a good time; didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did, 's matter of fact. But that wasn't the point of it, was it? We got you out for evening, you met some people – maybe acquired some mates your own age – danced till your toes were sore... what's missing?"

She stared at him, her lower lip creeping out in the barest beginning of a pout.

"Don't you know what's missing? Don't you know how a date is supposed to end?"

He shook his head slowly, wondering if he knew what she was talking about, but afraid to find out that he was wrong.

"Vampires don't do a lot of 'dating', Slayer. You want to give me a hint here?"

"No. If you wanted to do it, you'd just do it. I'm not going to beg for a good-night kiss. If you didn't have a good time and don't want to ki—"

Note to self: vampires can move very, very fast.

Spike hadn't bothered to answer her words, he had just appeared in front of her and fastened his mouth on hers before she could finish complaining. Buffy's initial surprised gasp as his surprisingly soft and mobile lips began to move around on hers, opened her mouth just enough to allow him to touch his tongue gently to her lips and trace around them lightly before reluctantly ending the kiss and stepping back just far enough that he wasn't touching her.

She gazed at him with wide eyes, one hand touching her lips where his tongue had brushed them so lightly. "Oh," she said softly.

"Don't ever think I don't want to kiss you, Slayer," he growled. "But don't be askin' me for it if you don't really want it."

"I... I do want it... a kiss, I mean." She blushed as she realized how "I want it" might sound.

He surprised her by laughing and pulling her gently into his arms, dipping his head and murmuring against her mouth, "I know that's what you meant, love. I might be hopeful, but I'm not delusional."

As he stopped speaking, he began another kiss that soon had her heart rate going up and her knees weakening. With a strong arm holding her to him, Spike continued the kiss until she parted her lips enough for him to slip his tongue in again. He probed lightly until her tongue timidly met his and they gave matching sighs. Spike tightened his arms, holding her against his body and groaning when he felt her melt into him. He deepened the kiss, forgetting now that this wasn't the Buffy he was used to, and demanding more from her. With growing enthusiasm, Buffy met his demands with her own, running her tongue around his teeth and probing the recesses where his fangs were just barely contained. She felt him shudder and enjoyed a sudden burst of feminine pride at the thought that she could have such an affect on the man who made her heart race just by touching her cheek.

She was enjoying the kissing and the hard body pressing against hers so much that she didn't even notice the object persistently nudging her hip or the way his hands were roaming her body until he slid one hand under her skirt and ran it up her thigh. With a little squeal, she pulled away, staring at him with horrified eyes.

"What are you doing?"

Spike stared back at her with amber-tinged eyes, panting heavily for unneeded breath. While he struggled to bring himself under control, he watched her expression change from shock to embarrassment.

"I'm sorry." "I'm sorry."

They spoke at the same time, then laughed softly at themselves. Buffy tried again.

"I'm sorry. That was a stupid thing to say. I'm not that dumb – not really. I just... you just... I wasn't expecting..." She lost her ability to articulate as she contemplated how completely into the kissing she had been and how wantonly she had been pressing against his body.

"No, pet. I'm sorry. I've been wantin' to do that for so long that I let my dick get ahead of my brain. All you wanted was a good-night kiss, you didn't ask for—"

"I asked you to kiss me – and I meant it. But I don't... I can't..." She blushed again as she tried to say that she hadn't meant to allow her body to promise more than she was willing to give.

"'s alright, love. Know you didn't mean for it to go that far. I know your body was writin' checks you're not willing to cash." He ran his hand lightly down her cheek. "Jus' couldn't help myself, is all. Havin' you so close..." He shook himself slightly and turned to go into the living room.

"Does that mean we can't kiss any more?" Buffy's voice was soft and unsure. "'cause I really, really liked it, and—"

Once again, he moved faster than she could speak, picking her up and striding to the couch where he sat down with Buffy draped across his lap. Her skirt had slid up her thighs, exposing the lacy elastic that was holding up her nylons. She primly pulled the hem of her dress down as far as she could make it go and snuggled into his chest, holding her face up to his.

"More kisses?"

With a happy chuckle, he dipped his head and began to kiss her again, taking care to keep his hands still where they rested on her arm and thigh. In very little time, she was breathing heavily and whimpering in her throat as his talented lips and tongue aroused desires long suppressed under her allegiance to Angel. Buffy began squirming on his lap, not sure of what she was trying to do, but only too aware that her body wanted more. This time, when Spike began to stroke her thigh, she didn't object; she just stopped moving around and tried to concentrate on the kisses that were continuing to fuel the throbbing between her legs.

When his hand slid higher and his fingertips brushed lightly against her underwear, she whimpered again as she involuntarily arched into his hand. By the time his fingers had slipped beneath the elastic of her panties to begin spreading the moisture that had soaked them through, she was close to fainting from the sensations he was creating. Tearing his lips away from hers briefly, he pulled her earlobe into his mouth, sucking on it and whispering, "Let me make you come, love. Won't ask you for anything you don't want to give – jus' let me show you how good I can make it for you."

Too wrapped up in the wonderful shivers he was causing just by stroking her folds gently, she could only nod shyly and bury her face in his neck. As soon as he felt her timid nod, his hand became bolder, dipping one finger and then two into her and pumping them gently. He soon had his fingers far enough inside that he could curl them up to tickle a spot that had her hips jumping off his lap to the accompaniment of inarticulate moaning. While his talented fingers continued to move in and out, reaching for the same spot each time, his thumb began to rub her clit with steadily increasing pressure. In a very short period of time, she had uttered a muffled shriek and convulsed around his hand as he encouraged her verbally to "Come for me, love...there's a good girl...ah, that's the way, sweetheart...you feel so good..."

As she gradually recovered her senses enough to pay attention to what he was doing, she realized that the hand he had used to bring her so much pleasure was now gently stroking the outside of her thigh in a surprisingly soothing manner. Buffy kept her flaming face hidden in his chest until she felt it vibrating under her cheek. Surprise outweighing embarrassment, she jerking it upward to ask, "Are you purring?"

"Prob'ly," he replied, brushing his lips softly across hers.

"But you didn't... I...i t was... Why are you purring? You didn't get anything from... from that."

"Oh, Buffy, love. I got to touch you, got to taste you—" He brought his fingers to his mouth and licked them, grinning when she made a face. "Got to watch you get off... and to know it was because of me. Could listen to you makin' those little sounds all night long and never get tired of it. Trust me, love, I got just as much out of that as you did."

The idea that a man could enjoy giving a woman pleasure was so counter to what she knew of high school boys and their expectations from their girlfriends that she had trouble believing him. Only the purring that she could still feel rumbling through his body worked to convince her that he was telling the truth.

"But don't you want... I should..."

"You shouldn't do anything that you don't want to do, love. I did what I wanted to do, and you let me do it. You don't owe me anything."

"You don't want me to... to touch you?" she asked, blushing furiously.

"Want it? Bloody hell, yes! Need it or think you owe it to me for letting me pleasure you? No."

"What if... what if I want to?" she said very softly. "Would you let me?

He studied her determined face for a minute, then said just as softly, "I'd let you do anything you wanted to me, pet. I jus' don't want you thinkin' it's some kind of obligation."

Buffy sat up straighter, smiling at his muffled groan when she slid her ass across the bulge straining against his pants. She moved off to the side and put a tentative hand on the bulge, smiling when his hips jerked up to press it against her palm. She stroked him with growing confidence, then squeezed him several times before stopping to study his face intently.

"What are you doing, pet?" he managed to say through his clenched teeth.

"I'm trying to decide what feels better to you – when I do this..." She stroked him again. "Or when I do this." She squeezed him a few times and cocked her head curiously. "What do you think?"

"I think you're killin' me, here," he growled, even as he slid down a little farther on the couch and canted his hips forward into her hand. She bit her lip, then with a small smile, she grabbed his zipper with one hand and pulled it down while the other hand popped the button at his waist. Free of the confinement of his pants, his cock burst out, causing her to give a tiny "oh!" of surprise.

Once again she began to stroke him, this time responding to the words falling from his mouth as he murmured, "Oh, like that, love. Right there, Do it harder, pet, harder than that... oh, bloody hell, yes, love... yes... pull and squeeze... ah, I'm going to... Buffy!"

He grabbed her hand and pulled it away, tugging his sweater down to catch the milky fluid spurting from his cock. He flashed back to the hand job the other Buffy had given him when he first met her and a smile of contentment crossed his face.

"Ah, that was lovely, Buffy. Made me feel like a new man, it did."

She beamed with satisfaction, then blushed again and lowered her eyes.

"So," she spoke with studied casualness as she stared at her own hand, which was toying with the sleeve of his sweater. "Do you think we could do that again some time? Like maybe, tomorrow night?"

"Tomorrow night, tomorrow morning, the day after, the day after that..." He laughed as he pulled her into another kiss. "As often as you want to, love. Say the word and I'm yours."

"I think we should do it every night," she said firmly.

"Every night it is," he agreed. "You can count on it."

" 'kay,then." She snuggled into his chest again and curled up with her legs across his. "We'll do it again tomorrow." Her voice trailed off as she spoke, and he soon realized that she had gone to sleep in his arms, a contented smile curling her lips up lightly.

"Every night, my love," he whispered into her hair. "Every night."

Chapter Nineteen

When Buffy awoke, the TV was going; but Spike was asleep, his head against the back of the couch and his arms fixed firmly around her. She studied his face, amazed by how young he seemed when he slept. His lashes lay against the skin beneath his eyes and his sharply defined cheekbones were softened; as was the mouth that she now knew was just as soft and strong as it looked. It took a minute for her to register that he was breathing as he slept and she smiled at this sign of how human this particular vampire could be. As she tried to move, his arms tightened around her almost imperceptibly, then relaxed. She carefully slid his hands off her body and put them at his sides, before leaning forward and brushing her lips against his.

"Good-night, Spike," she whispered as she stood up. He squirmed around on the couch, sliding into a more horizontal position and burying his face into the cushion. She gently picked up his feet and put them on the couch, then carefully took off his shoes and tucked the old afghan around him. With a final caress to the back of his head, she tiptoed to the bathroom and got ready for a few more hours of sleep before she had to get up and go to work again.

When she got up, groaning when she saw how late it was, there was no sign of Spike in the living room, although the afghan was folded and once again in its place on the back of the couch. She quickly dressed and ate, blowing a kiss at the closed door of the basement before hastening off to work.

Now that she had met so many of the people who worked in the mall, she realized that she saw many of them every day, but just hadn't paid much attention. Their friendly waves and calls of "Hi, Buffy" made her feel a bit guilty for not having made an attempt on her own to get to know anyone other than the people in her restaurant. With a start, she realized that the inhabitants of this world that she knew the best – Harry and Clem – were both demons.

If I didn't already know I was in bizarro world before, that would do it, she thought ruefully as she returned the waves.

When her shift was over, she wasn't surprised to find Spike waiting for her outside the back door. With Harry beaming at them as if he were entirely responsible for their newly happy faces, they left the restaurant and made a quick pass through the alley before walking towards home. When Buffy shyly slipped her hand into his, Spike almost gasped before he linked his fingers with hers. He was grateful that he had no reflection because he was sure that he was wearing a stupid-looking grin on his face as they strolled down the street.

When they got to the house, Spike gave her a little nudge towards the door, saying, "Go get changed into somethin' warm, pet. I think if we hurry we should have several hours to prowl around Petersburg before we have to get back."

"To do what, where?"

"Had a long talk with some mates while I was waitin' for you to get off work. Think I know where those wankers are. Clem says it's only a couple of hours away in a good car, so we can be there well before midnight. Give us time to look around, maybe sniff out where they're holed up."

She nodded and immediately headed for the front door while Spike went to get the car from behind the house. She was back quickly, hair pulled back into a businesslike ponytail and holding her hat and gloves. Rather than wear her bulky winter coat, she had layered her sweaters and sweatshirts for efficiency of movement. Over her shoulder was her weapon bag containing the stakes that she hadn't already distributed around her body.

Spike nodded approvingly and held the door open for her once again, just as he had the night before. Buffy's face twisted in a wry smile at the reminder of the previous night's adventure.

"Why do I think tonight isn't going to be as much fun as last night?" she grumbled, pulling her legs in so that he could close the door.

"Sure it will, pet," he grinned as he slid behind the wheel and began to back out. "Jus' different kind of fun, is all."

"You sound almost like you're looking forward to fighting," she accused.

"I am lookin' forward to it," he said happily. "There's not near enough excitement in this town." He looked at her bright eyes and said shrewdly, "An' you need to stop pretendin' you're not excited about it too, Slayer. You know you love a good fight just as much as I do – and you don't often get one here."

"Spike, nobody likes a fight as much as you do," she insisted, but she was smiling as she said it and she had to admit that the idea of getting a chance to slay some challenging vampires had her feeling more alive than anything else had lately. Than anything else except what he did to me last night... I think I'd be willing to pass up a good fight for more of that.

As though reading her mind, he said slyly, "There's things I like better than fightin', Slayer. Might have a bit of time for some of that too, before the night's over..."

Buffy blushed and stared out the window at the passing darkness. This was the first time that she had been very far outside the town limits and she wished that she could actually see what they were driving past. A denser darkness seemed to indicate a lot of trees, maybe even a forest, but she wasn't sure. The road was narrow, but smooth and fairly straight and Spike pushed the car to what he felt were its limits until he could see the gradual lightening in the sky ahead that indicated a city.

"There it is, Slayer," Spike's voice interrupted her intent peering into the darkness; she sat up straighter and looked at the growing glow on the horizon. It wasn't long before they were entering the city's outskirts, which contained the usual assortment of warehouse, light industry and strip malls. The smattering of lights on the higher ground indicating the presence of residential areas that appeared to look down upon the main part of the city. Kinda like a small LA, I guess, Buffy thought idly as they moved into the downtown area.

For an hour or so, Spike just drove randomly, pausing occasionally to consult a crudely-drawn map that a former resident of the city had given him. It wasn't detailed enough to use for finding a specific place, but it allowed him to have some idea what part of the city he was in and in what direction he needed to go to get to another. When he felt he understood the layout fairly well, and could find his way back to the road they had come in on, he pulled into a parking place on the surprisingly empty street and turned to Buffy.

"Ready to go, pet? The only way we're going to get a feel for what's going on here is to get out and talk to people."

Buffy nodded, checking her pockets for her stakes before stepping out of the car. It wasn't really cold yet, so she left her hat, gloves and her top layer of sweaters in the car. There were other pedestrians on the street, although there didn't seem to be much activity in terms of nightlife. Spike had parked in what was clearly an entertainment district, but as they looked around it was obvious that very few of the bars, clubs, or theatres were actually open. The lights were on, but there was no one going in and out, with the exception of one or two places that Buffy could identify as demon bars even without prompting from Spike.

As they walked down the street, they seemed to be drawing more attention than they would have expected for a young couple going out for the evening. Even as Buffy began to say something about it, Spike pulled her into a darkened alley and pushed her against the wall, his hand over her mouth. She twisted her head away, but whispered, "What's going on? I'm getting vamp vibes like crazy, but I didn't see anybody that looked like they were hunting."

Spike put his lips right beside her ear, smiling briefly as he felt her shiver. "I don't hear any heartbeats out there, Slayer. Only yours. I don't think there's another human on that whole block."

"Guess that explains the funny looks we were getting, huh?" she muttered under her breath. "Now what?"

He shook his head. "I dunno, pet. Don't dare leave you here while I check it out – somebody would hear or smell you eventually – but we can't just stroll down the street with every vamp out there knowin' that only one of us has a heartbeat."

The question of what to do was temporarily put aside when the alley entrance was darkened by several shadows. Spike lifted his head and snarled at three young vampires, now staring hungrily at Buffy. While he glared at the interlopers, she pulled a stake out of her pocket and slipped it up her sleeve.

"What do you lot want?" Spike growled, holding Buffy so as to appear to be restraining her.

The biggest of the three vamps swaggered towards them, his two friends following closely behind.

"We think you ought to share with us – or we'll turn you in. You know it's against the new rules to keep anything for yourself."

"Sod the bloody rules!" Spike's snarled defiance was all the more convincing for it being his normal response to being told about rules, whether he knew what they were or not. "But," he said in a sudden change in demeanor, "if you want some of this, help yourselves, mates."

He pushed Buffy into the center of the alley where she would have more room, and leaned against the wall casually. Confident that they had driven the smaller vampire off his prey, they converged on Buffy. If they noticed that she wasn't screaming, but was, in fact, bouncing on her toes and wearing a predatory smile, they were too hungry to wonder about it; instead, they elbowed each other to be first to sink their teeth into the fresh, warm blood they could hear pounding in her veins.

"Have at it, love," Spike said with a smirk as he moved to block the alley's entrance. He lit a cigarette and watched as Buffy efficiently pummeled all three of the vamps into unconsciousness. She quickly dusted two of them, and when the surviving fledgling woke up it was to find a perky human perched on his chest and holding a stake to his heart.

"Hi there! We're new in town and we have a few questions for you. You don't mind, do you?" She pushed the point of the stake in far enough to break the skin and smiled in what would have been a friendly fashion had her eyes not been so hard and cold.

"Wha-?" The vampire looked at Spike for some kind of clarification. "Was this a trap? To see if we were cheating? Cause we weren't, you know. We wouldn't have touched her if you hadn't pulled her in here. That's entrapment! That's what it is..." His voice trailed off as Spike knelt down beside him and grabbed him by the balls. Spike gave a small twist of his wrist and the other vampire tried to scream, only to find Buffy's hand over his mouth.

"Ah, ah," she said. "No noise except to answer our questions. Got it?"

He nodded quickly, his eyes darting back and forth from the human holding the stake to his heart and the vampire who was clutching his testicles in an impersonal, but very powerful hand.

"'kay, then. Why aren't there any people on the streets? Huh? And how come you didn't think Spike should be eating me? Or that you would be in trouble if you did?"

She lifted her hand cautiously, while Spike gave a little squeeze to remind the vamp that he was only a muscle twitch away from serious pain. With a whimper, the nervous vampire began to speak.

"There isn't any food on the street because nobody human goes out at night anymore. We thought you were taking her to the Master until you ducked in here. Nobody is allowed to catch their own food anymore. You have to take any humans you can find to the Master and he gives you blood. He controls all the blood in the city – except for those people who are still alive and hiding in their houses."

Buffy's face went white. "It's just like the alternate Sunnydale," she whispered. "Just like Buffy said in her letter – people are livestock here."

"Where do we find old Batface?" Spike growled, twisting his wrist again and bringing a muffled shriek from the vamp underneath the Slayer. Although the frightened demon's eyes widened to humorous proportions at Spike's disrespectful description of the Master, he had no problem knowing to whom they were referring.

"He's – they're in an abandoned factory in an industrial park on the edge of town. You can't miss it – it's all lit up and there's a lot of activity all night long."

"Address," Buffy snapped. "Give us an address."

As soon as the vampire had complied, Buffy drove the stake through his chest and stood up before the dust had even settled onto the filthy pavement. She brushed herself off and turned towards the street, only to be stopped by Spike's hand on her arm.

"We're just gonna keep runnin' into this kind of thing, pet. I suggest we get back to the car and see if we can find the lair. We'll work out what to do next when we have a better idea what's what, yeah?"

Buffy nodded her agreement and they left the alley, the Slayer hanging onto Spike as though too weakened to stand up by herself. Although many of the vampires that they passed gazed longingly at what seemed to be an already bitten human, most of them looked away quickly when Spike snarled at them. They had just reached the car when he heard the footsteps approaching rapidly from behind and whispered, "Ready, pet?" He ducked just as a bottle whistled past his head to break on his shoulder. In full game face, he whirled on the bottle-wielder and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him off his feet and throwing him into a near-by wall.

Buffy waited calmly as she was "captured" by two female vamps that stared hungrily at her throat but limited themselves to inhaling the scent coming off her warm body. She watched as Spike quickly twisted the head off another would-be enforcer, before turning back to face the first attacker. When he had turned their leader to dust and transferred his amber glare to the remaining male vampire, the girls holding Buffy began to shuffle their feet nervously. They pulled her away, growling and insisting that she come with them to join the rest of the "food."

Spike looked at her and cocked one eyebrow inquisitively. At her tiny nod, he nodded back and allowed the demon he was fighting to think he was winning, long enough for Buffy to be dragged to a nearby van. As soon as the door had shut behind her, Spike dispatched his opponent without even bothering to let him know that the fight was over; then jumped into the car and followed the van through the mostly empty streets of the city.

Chapter Twenty

Inside the van, Buffy remained quiet – doing her best to appear too frightened and weak to struggle. She sneered mentally at the stupidity of the minions who had not realized that she had no bite marks on her. The vampire holding her licked her lips and leaned in hesitantly as though unable to resist the warm blood pounding so close. A sharp "Lucy!" from the driver made her retreat with a growl and a longing look at her captive's neck, and Buffy slipped the stake back into her sleeve.

When the van rolled to a stop, the driver jumped out and ran around to open the back door. To her surprise, there was no sign of either her fellow food gatherer or their prize for the evening. She put her head into the dark interior, giving a surprised gurgle when she was grabbed by the throat and yanked all the way inside. She barely had time to register that the only thing in the van was the girl they had thought so harmless, before her dust was joining Lucy's.

Buffy peered out cautiously, noting that they seemed to be parked some distance from the building into which were going a steady stream of hungry-looking vampires. Periodically, another door would open and vamps would come out, looking much less hungry, if a bit disgruntled. Suddenly one of the vamps acting as a doorman began walking towards the van, frowning as no one got out or approached the building.

"Lucy? John? Where are you? What did you find? Was there really a rogue vamp trying to keep food for himself?"

He stuck his head into the open back of the van and found Buffy crouching just inside the door.

"Hi!" She gave a little wave. "Rogue vamp, huh? I think Spike'll like that."

"Who the hell are you?"

"Oh. I'm Buffy."

Sudden recognition crossed his face as he remembered overhearing the story with which Willow and Alex had returned from Winterset.

"You're...you're the..."

"The word you're looking for is 'Slayer'," Buffy agreed cheerfully, as she plunged her stake into his heart. She looked around for Spike, sure that she'd felt his familiar signature among all the others filling the atmosphere around her. She spotted him in the line shuffling into the building and settled back against the wall of the van to watch. She partially closed the doors so as to be less easily observed herself as she watched Spike disappear into the building.

Her patience with waiting lasted only until she noticed that there were ground-level windows along the back of the building and that there did not appear to be any guards.

I guess if you're the bad guys and everybody else is food, you don't need much in the way of guards. You'd think they might be just a little bit worried about me, though... Feeling somewhat annoyed that the Master hadn't appeared to take her presence in the neighboring city very seriously, she slipped out of the van and, keeping other vehicles between herself and the line of hungry vampires, she made her way to the end of the parking lot. She was just getting ready to sprint for the wall of the building when she heard a commotion from the exit door.

Snarling and snapping, an angry vampire was being forcibly removed from the building. In spite of his shouted protests that he was hungry and entitled to eat, he was forced into the open area in front of the parking lot. Standing behind the bouncers was a smug-looking vamp Xander, arms folded and face twisted in disgust.

"You know the rules – you either bring in a contribution to the food bank, or you bring something to pay with. You can't just walk in here and demand blood. You have to pay for it."

Snarling and muttering under his breath, the ejected vamp stumbled across the parking lot and into one of the cars. He opened the door, got in and raced the engine before screaming out of the parking area – hitting two other vampires on the way out.

Buffy crouched behind the last car, watching from underneath the bumper as Alex/Xander spoke to the vamps that had thrown the other one out.

"He's going to be trouble. I don't see any reason why he needs to be around anymore. Handle it."

"Yes sir."

She could see Alex swell with pride as the respect they had for the Master was reflected in their behavior towards him.

"What do we know about the pick-up from downtown? Are they back yet?"

They all looked around the parking lot, frowning. "The van's back. I guess they already took her inside. If there really was a human girl on the street. Coulda just been somebody getting hungry for fresh blood and hallucinating."

"I guess. Okay, guys. Get back inside, I'm going to take a look around."

They nodded and went into the building leaving Alex/Xander sniffing the air and staring around suspiciously. He narrowed his eyes at the van Buffy had arrived in and began walking towards it just as Buffy made her break for the back of the building. He spun around, not quite sure if he had caught movement behind him or not. When he didn't see anything, he shrugged and walked towards his original destination, looking inside and taking deep sniffs of the interior.

Buffy, meanwhile, had made her way to the first window and scraped away some of the dirt and paint that covered it. She looked down into a cavernous area that must have once been used for manufacturing whatever the factory had produced. She felt her blood run cold when she saw the aged vampire that was sitting on a throne-like chair at the end of the room.

It's him! The Master. Just like the other Buffy said – he isn't trapped and he is setting himself up to rule this world. Starting with this city.

Fighting the urge to run away from the vampire whose thrall she could remember so well, she forced herself to continue watching the activity in what was clearly his private space. She could see vamp Willow hovering around the Master's chair and cringed when he slid his hand up to cup her ass, making the redheaded vampire giggle and rub against him.

Ewwwwww!

She was so wrapped up in being grossed out by Willow's obvious enjoyment of the Master's attentions that she didn't notice that her vamp tingles had gotten stronger until she heard a chillingly familiar voice behind her.

"I knew I smelled something familiar."

She straightened slowly, allowed the stake in her sleeve to slip down to her wrist as she turned to face the demon wearing the grinning face of one of her best friends.

He sneered at her, walking slowly forward with no fear at all. "You know, I kind of expected a slayer to be a little smarter than this – coming to my home town, walking right into my lair, leaving her scent all over one of—"

Buffy stared at him, her mouth hanging open as she took in his words and the attitude behind them.

"Your home town? Your lair? Oh, I'll bet old Bat Face would love to hear that."

Ignoring Buffy's disbelief, he continued to swagger towards her, growling, "Maybe you just couldn't stay away from me. We must be something to each other where you come from – the way you got all teary-eyed and wouldn't stake me... You want me, don't you, Muffy? You find me attractive..."

"Find you attractive? You're a bloodsucker – like, oh, I don't know – fleas, ticks, leeches... stop me when I get to something that sounds like I might find it remotely attractive."

"You hang out with a vampire!" he snarled. "You must like them."

"I like A vampire. A very unusual vampire – you're just a run of the mill demon. The kind I stake every night."

"But you couldn't stake me—"

Behind the now angry vampire's back she caught sight of a familiar shock of blond hair. Spike was gesturing to her urgently and she put an end to the bantering with the vampire now reaching for her.

"Uh, yeah. About that – I got over it." She ducked under his outstretched arm and kicked him in the knee, sending him to the ground with a howl of pain. The howl cut off abruptly when she ran her stake into his chest, watching impassively as the dust drifted to the ground. Giving herself a little shake, she walked through the dust to join Spike at the corner of the building.

"You alright, love?" In spite of his obvious impatience, Spike touched her face tenderly as he asked his question.

Buffy nodded shortly. "I'm fine. It wasn't my Xander – he was having a little trouble figuring that out."

"Think he's got the picture now, Slayer." Spike's tone held only admiration as he smiled at her. Then he straightened up and looked over his shoulder. "Can you get to the car from here?" he asked abruptly. "Think we need to get out of here before our luck runs out tonight. I just missed gettin' caught by that red-haired bitch, and now you've done for her buddy here – somebody's got to miss him eventually."

"But we haven't done anything yet!"

"This wasn't about doin' something, Buffy. It was about learnin' what we could about them. And we've done that – we know where to find 'em, you've taken out one of his top minions, and I've seen the inside of the place. Time to get out of Dodge while we still can."

Her "hmmph" of disappointment wasn't a serious objection as she realized the truth of what he was saying. With a nod of agreement, she pointed to the cars behind which she had worked her way to the building. "I have to get to those cars and then I can sneak back to the other end of the lot."

"Right then; off with you. I'll meet you at the car – you see where it is? I'm gonna pull it out onto the road and you can just pop out of those bushes. If you run into anything you can't handle, you holler, yeah?"

With a nod, Buffy watched him step back out into the open area and look around – at his quick gesture, she sprinted to the first car and crouched behind it. As soon as he saw that she was safely across the open area, Spike began walking quickly towards the far end of the lot where he had left their car. Buffy darted from car to car, pausing once when her senses told her there were vampires nearby. She waited behind an old station wagon until the vamp couple getting in the next car could get out of her way. Instead of getting into the car, however, the man in the remains of a business suit started towards the rear of the car, saying over his shoulder, "Let me just find something to wear that doesn't look like I was buried in it—"

He was cut off as Buffy rose in front of him and dusted him without a word of banter. Behind the dust that was slowly falling to the ground, his companion was opening her mouth. Her confusion about whether she should attack the small blonde girl waving dust out of her eyes, or scream for help gave Buffy all the time she needed to knock her unconscious and drag her body behind the wagon where she could drive a stake through the vamp's heart.

"Hey! What are you—?"

"Shit!" Without looking to see who or what had seen her, Buffy sprinted for the end of the row of cars, yelling for Spike. Suddenly the waiting car was spinning around in the driveway and roaring back towards the running slayer, who was now being pursued by a rapidly growing group of vampires. Spike drove right through the oncoming crowd, not even slowing down until he had done another 180 degree spin and was moving alongside the Slayer. He leaned over and opened the door, slowing down only enough to allow Buffy to dive through it before putting his foot to the floor and flinging gravel all over the angry demons behind him. The force of their forward motion was enough to slam the door shut, and Buffy quickly squirmed around until she could see out the rear window.

Spike's "Yee haw!" as the car swerved and skidded to the end of the driveway and slid sideways into the deserted street brought her head around in disbelief.

"Did you just say 'Yee Haw!'?"

"Might have," he mumbled, risking a quick sideways glance at her shocked face. " 's fun, you know. Can't remember the last time I got to drive like this – not sober, anyway."

She just shook her head and took a tighter grip on the seat. Suddenly the fact that seat belts had never made it big in this world was beginning to seem like a very large oversight on the part of the Powers That Be. Spike continued to grin manically as he sped through the city, paying no heed to pedestrian safety, now that they knew that only vampires would be out and about in the dark. Not until they had left the city limits far behind and could see no signs of pursuit, did Buffy unclench her fingers and relax a little, suggesting to Spike that he might want to slow down before they got to Winterset.

"I suppose you're right," he grumbled, giving an exaggerated sigh as he allowed the car to slow to a more reasonable sixty miles per hour. "Come on now, Slayer. Admit it. That was fun, wasn't it?"

She allowed a small smile to play around her lips.

"In an 'I-could-die-any-second' kind of way, I guess," she finally allowed.

"Well, there you go! Nothing like a near-death experience to get the old heart pumping." He looked so proud of himself that she had to laugh as she relaxed back into the comfortable seat.

"I get enough of those every night, thank you very much," she said primly, trying not to giggle. "I don't need to go looking for more."

"Bollocks, pet. Most of the vamps and demons that you put away in this world don't even make you break a sweat. When was the last time you were in fear for your life – really in fear?"

Buffy mumbled something even his vampire hearing couldn't catch, repeating it a bit louder when he demanded to know what she was saying. "I said, the last time was when you showed up and had me pinned," she growled, hating to be reminded of how easily he had beaten her that first night.

"Ah," he said softly; then – "You know I wouldn't have hurt you, don't you, love? Not much, anyway."

"Well, I know that now; but not then, I didn't. I thought you were going to kill me."

"Still might," he said. "You never know."

"Oh, I know," she responded, waving her hand around dismissively. "I know you, Spike."

"Hey! That's my line! You don't get to use that, you... you..." The more outraged Spike became, the more Buffy giggled, until he finally finished sputtering and shook his head. "Don't know why I bother. You've got me just as much by the short hairs as your other self did. Might as well just wrap me up and consider it Christmas," he grumbled good-naturedly.

"Wrap you up? You mean like a present? But then I'd have to unwrap you if I wanted to play with you," she teased, miming taking a ribbon off his torso.

Spike's cock jumped to attention at Buffy's surprisingly suggestive remark. Another sidelong look at her face and the way she was biting her lip to keep from laughing and it began to push against the denim in his jeans.

"You sassy bint," he growled. "Do you have any idea what you just did to me?"

"Um, no; not really. I just—eep!"

Before she finished speaking, he had taken her hand and placed it on his erection, pushing down enough to be sure that she didn't miss how hard he was. He released her immediately so that she could move her arm, but to his surprise she just blushed and slid over closer to him, leaving her warm hand right where he'd placed it and squeezing him gently.

The car moved even slower as he sighed and slid down in his seat, taking his free hand and putting it around Buffy's shoulders. His hand was dangling in front of her, his fingers just barely touching the fuzzy sweater over her suddenly erect nipple. It wasn't long before Buffy's breath was getting ragged and her rhythmic squeezing of his cock was getting harder as he teased her nipple until it was almost painfully hard.

By the time he pulled the car into the driveway and around behind the small house, they were both breathing hard and fast. As he yanked the key from the ignition, he turned to meet the lips that were already pursed for the kiss Buffy had been waiting for. For long minutes their lips and tongues battled as though unable to get enough of each other. His hand was now under her layers of sweaters, cupping her beast while he ran his thumb over the nipple and used the arm around her shoulders to pull her closer to him.

When Buffy went to reach for his zipper, he tore his mouth off hers long enough to say, "Let's take this inside, love. Don't fancy watching you get all goosebumps when I rip all those layers off you."

With an agreeable whimper, she nodded her head and pushed away from his chest. Without speaking, she got out and reached into the back seat for her weapons bag and extra clothes. Spike took the bag from her with one hand, and holding onto her hand with the other, he led her around the house to the front door. The visions of naked Buffy that were going through his head dissolved abruptly as they rounded the house to find an angry and shivering Dawn sitting on the top step.