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Spike sent the rest of the day trying to avoid attention. He had almost made it out of the school, when a girl approached him at his locker. She was tall, slim, and wore very fashionable clothes.
"Hello," she was grinning widely
"Hi," Spike replied casually
"I heard from Aura you that you were the one who shoved Xander Harris into a bench."
"No, that was someone else," Spike lied
"It's okay, you don't have to hide it," the girl assured, "Xander's a creep. I'm Cordelia Chase, by the way."
"Spike Summers."
"And you're new here, right?"
"Yeah."
"You seem pretty cool…"
Cordelia eyed Spike's leather coat.
"…Why don't you come by the Bronze tonight?"
"What's the Bronze?"
"It's the only good club in Sunnydale. They'll let anyone in, but it's still the hottest scene."
"OK. Might stop by."
/
Later…
/
Spike stood in his room, in front of a mirror. He was trying to decide which coat to wear. He held one up to himself.
"Yeah, Shaft knows I raid his wardrobe," Spike said, mocking the coat's design
He held up his other leather one.
"Hi, could all non-Aryans please leave the room?" he continued, alluding to the fact that the coat looked like it had belonged to an SS officer
"Spike?" Joyce knocked on the door
"Hey mum," Spike replied
"Are you going out?" she asked
"Yeah," Spike nodded, "Going to a club."
"Oh. Will there be girls there?"
"Uh, no, mum, it's a eunuch club."
Joyce tried to hide her smirk.
"Just be careful, okay?"
"Sure," Spike nodded
"You know, I think we can really make it work here. I've found a nice place for the gallery, I've got my positive energy flowing, and this place seems very nurturing. Well, not too nurturing. I know you don't need too much nurturing, you're sixteen…"
"I'll be fine, mum," Spike sighed
"I know you're a good boy, Spike. You just fell in with the wrong crowd."
"Don't worry, mum, I plan to hang out with the living this time…"
/
Spike left the house, and started to head to The Bronze. He had barely walked two blocks when he noticed someone was following him.
"Bugger…" Spike muttered
He began to deviate from the directions Cordelia had given him, and ducked into the nearest dark alley. Using his slayer agility, he leaped up a fire escape, and crouched down. The mysterious stalker followed Spike's path, but then stopped, trying to figure out where he had gone. At once, Spike jumped down and kicked the stalker to the ground.
"Did I do something to offend you?" the stalker asked, with a hurt quaver in her voice
Spike was surprised by the female voice.
"Who are you?" Spike asked
The stalker rose from the ground, and faced Spike. She was an eerily beautiful brunette, wearing a stunning black dress that contrasted with her pale skin.
"Why were you following me?" Spike demanded
"I know what you're thinking," the girl spoke with a faint cockney-English accent, as if it had been worn down over time, "Don't worry, brave knight, I don't bite."
She walked up to Spike.
"Hm. Didn't think you'd be so tall," she said, "I thought skinnier. Girlier…but I like this."
The girl ran her hands through Spike's hair.
"What do you want?" Spike pulled away from her
"The same thing you do."
Spike waited for her to finish the sentence.
"Which is…?"
"To save the villagers from the bad vampires."
"True…"
"You're on the Hellmouth now, brave knight," the girl informed, "And it's about to crack wide open. The Harvest will begin soon."
"Couldn't you have just told me that instead of following me?" Spike sighed, "How hard is it to get a hold of my phone number?"
"I could have phoned you on the phone, but then I couldn't give you your present," the girl added
"Present?" Spike raised an eyebrow
She took a small box out from her satchel, and handed it to Spike. He opened the box; it contained a small metal crucifix.
"So, are you with the Watchers…?" Spike began
He looked up. The girl was gone.
/
Spike entered the Bronze. A band was playing loud music. Loud, but not good.
"Oi, mate," Spike approached the bartender, "Can I get a beer?"
"ID," the bartender said expressionlessly
Spike handed over his fake ID. The bartender eyed it suspiciously, but reluctantly gave Spike a beer. Spike popped it opened with his Swiss Army knife began to drink.
"Ah, that's good," he murmured
He looked around the club, and noticed Willow sitting at the bar.
"Willow!" Spike called
He walked over to her. Willow got up nervously.
"Um, hi Spike," she said
"Hey," he replied, "So, that friend of yours, Zana…"
"Xander," Willow corrected.
"Whatever. Is he okay?"
"Um, yeah, he just bruised his arm. He's here if you want to apologize."
Spike snorted.
"Why should I apologize? He was being a jerkass."
"W-well you didn't have to push him into a bench," Willow said, gingerly
"Yeah, but I didn't have to NOT push him into a bench," Spike joked
He drank some more of his beer.
"You want one of these?" Spike offered
"Uh, I'd rather not," Willow said
"Your loss," Spike shrugged, "So, you and Xander? How long has that been going on?"
"W-we're not going out," Willow corrected, "I mean, we used to, but we broke up when I took one of his action figures without asking."
Spike was confused for a moment, but then he laughed.
"I see, you were kids."
"Actually, it was last year," Willow muttered disdainfully
"Oh..."
Cordelia walked up to them.
"Hey Cordy," Spike said
"Hey Spike," she replied, with a little smile, "Glad you could make it."
She turned to Willow. Her smile disappeared.
"Geek," Cordelia said, "Shouldn't you be at home doing my homework?"
Spike was shocked by the Cordelia's nastiness. She had seemed so nice.
"Um, well," Willow began, "I-I thought since it wasn't due until Monday, I'd, um, wait to finish it until…"
"Um, hello, I don't have all day!" Cordelia interrupted, "Are you going to go home and do it or not?"
"Uh…" Willow croaked
Out of the corner of his eye, Spike spotted something that disturbed him. It was a man, who only looked twenty, at the most, but he dressed like he was from the seventies. He was watching girls who passed, but he was looking at their necks, instead of other places. Obviously a vampire.
"Hey Cordelia," Spike tapped on her shoulder, "That bloke over there, he's got his eye on you."
"Oh?"
Cordelia looked over to the vampire. He winked at her.
"Excuse me," Cordelia grinned
She pushed past Willow, and walked to the man.
"Thanks for getting rid of her," Willow said
"No problem," Spike said
Giles walked up to the two of them. He had been watching the situation from afar.
"Hi, Mr. Giles!" Willow smiled
"Hello, um, Willow, isn't it?" he asked
Willow let out an excited squeak. The fact that an attractive older man had remembered her name was a big deal for her.
/
"You know you'll have to save her if he tries anything," Giles reminded Spike
"I know," Spike sighed, "I just wanted to give her a little scare."
"Scare? Is he in a gang?" Willow asked
"No, just a bit rough," Spike explained
"So Cordelia shouldn't be leaving with him?"
Spike and Giles turned to see Cordelia leaving with the vampire.
"I'm on it," Spike sighed
"I'll go with you."
The two Englishmen made their way to the exit.
"By the way, I ran into a friend of yours," Spike said, "That dark haired girl. Is she with the Watcher's council?"
"I don't think I know who you're talking about," Giles replied
They got outside just in time to see the vampire dragging Cordelia to the sewers. She was screaming and protesting.
"Well, no time like the present," Spike took out his stake
"Wait!" Giles held Spike back, "Vampires don't normally take prisoners."
Spike knew he was right; if they wanted to drain or sire her, they would have just done it in the alley.
"You think they have plans for her?" Spike asked
"Possibly. They might be an order. Maybe they're doing a virgin sacrifice?"
"They wouldn't have taken Cordelia for that," Willow said
Spike and Giles turned around. Willow had followed them out.
"How much of that did you hear?" Giles asked
"Pretty much everything," Willow replied, "You guys don't really believe in vampires, do you?"
There was a loud scream. Not Cordelia's, a man's scream.
"Jesse!" Willow exclaimed
"Willow, I advise you not to get involved…" Giles began
"If it's an order of vampires, I'll need all the help I can get," Spike reminded
Giles couldn't argue with that.
"Go get Alexander or whatever his name is," Spike instructed Willow, "Get him to meet us down in the sewers. I'll leave a trail…"
/
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To Be Continued…
