AN: OK guys, sorry for the delay in update, but I moved house, so things have been a bit crazy and I've not had any internet. I think my style of writing has changed a bit in this chapter, I'm trying new things, but hopefully this should all settle down now. Hope you enjoy. Please review, I'd love to know what you think! I've wanted to write this story for so long. Also, I don't particularly like Riley, but trying to keep things a little bit canon, he will be in the story for a bit. I've kinda skipped over some bits from the show as well because we've all watched them and I didn't just want to be repeating what we already know. This is a Spike/OC story, but there will definitely be Spuffy friendship going on (I just can't help throwing those two together somehow!)

The Key

By Secret Slayer

Mysterious Edie

"What's up with Edie?" Xander asks.

The gang were in the living room of the Summer's residence, having a rare night to enjoy movies and take a break from monster slaying thanks to Giles, who said he would do a quick patrol, but was sure evil activity was on a momentary low of late. No doubt a sign of impending doom.

The lights were low, with just a few candles lit around the house, making a cosy atmosphere. The TV was on, but the movie wasn't loud, keeping the volume to a sociable low. Xander and Anya were cross legged on the floor, leaning against the coffee table, taking handfuls of popcorn. Willow was leaning on the couch whilst Tara dreamily ran her fingers through the witch's red hair from behind; occasionally whispering small incantations that made pieces of Willow's hair magically braid into pretty and intricate designs far too delicate to achieve with bare hands. Buffy and Riley were snuggled up in the corner of the sofa, the only ones really watching the karate movie on screen.

Dawn and Joyce had gone out to the movies, leaving the gang to enjoy the house for the evening. Edie had left just after dark, giving vague details of a date with a guy at a bar. It had bothered Buffy, but Edie had always been sensible and reserved and definitely not the type to put herself in trouble, so she assumed her cousin was just shy about a potential new boyfriend – or too polite to say she wanted some alone time away from the gang.

"I don't know," Buffy answers with a shrug, "She's been kinda weird since we defeated Dracula. Maybe he's thrall hasn't completely worn off or something. Giles said that could happen."

"I think there's something wrong with her," Anya, mouth full of popcorn, interjects before Xander could reply.

Buffy frowns. Her cousin had been unusually quiet and snappy since their encounter with Dracula. She was barely eating; trying to convince everyone she still had the "woozies" or something like that. Buffy thought back to the morning when Edie had been slumped on the kitchen counter, looking pale and weak. It had been weird how by the evening when she rescued her from Dracula, Edie seemed pretty much healthy again, except for being distant. In fact, now that Buffy thought about it, despite her cousin's lack of appetite, she was looking extremely good. Her skin was radiant, her hair flawless, and her body sleek and toned. She moved around the house like a cat, even with Buffy's slayer senses; sometimes Edie had caught her off guard.

"There's nothing wrong with Edie," Willow says gently, noticing the worried frown on Buffy's face. "Maybe she's just having one of those erm... times?"

"Like she's on her period," Anya adds.

"N-no, not that," Willow gasps, horrified. "Just, maybe, she's feeling a bit down. Ya know, we're all couple-y and she's not. Maybe that bothers her."

"I dunno," Xander muffles with a mouthful, "It's never bothered her before."

"Besides she has Spike. I have no doubt they have been having a hot affair. I've seen the way they look at each other," Anya supplies matter-of-factly.

There's a moment of horror and silence as the gang stare open mouthed at the ex-vengeance demon.

"What?" Anya asks innocently.

"Ewww," Buffy squeaks, scrunching up her nose. "What would Edie see in Spike?"

Suddenly though, Buffy has a moment of clarity and she wriggles uncomfortably in her seat.

"Buff, you ok?" Riley asks her.

"No, I think Anya has a point."

Anya nodds her head triumphantly and Xander practically spits out his popcorn.

"Guys, Edie told me she was going to a bar with some guy tonight. She was all avoid-y. I know that those two have always had some kinda weird bond; I just thought it was a British thing. Maybe something is going on..."

"There's only one way to find out," Riley announces, his tone protective.

Buffy nods, already standing and heading for her jacket.

"I'm seriously gonna dust him," Buffy grumbles as she swings the door open.

"So much for movie night," Willow sighs.

Tara looks at her sympathetically.

Edie didn't know why she kept going to the demon bar on the edge of town. It was dangerous, dark and fundamentally reeked of evil and everything that repulsed her – but she didn't feel the need to hide there. Being at home was becoming unbearable, almost impossible, trying to hide what was happening to her from everyone.

"I'll have another Byron," she slurs, pointing to the shot glass on the bar and sliding it back to the bartender without even touching the glass.

Byron, who is some kind of demon-human hybrid, raises an eyebrow at the blonde. His hair is as black as night, his skin is an alluring shade of deep blue with flecks of silver in it that reminds Edie of stars against a midnight sky. His eyes are an aluminous light blue, almost white, with a tiny dot for pupils. If he had been human, Edie imagined him to be attractive, but the demon was too obvious to forget that he was the kind that played poker for kittens and probably traded his own soul away for the bar he owned.

"You're getting good at that," he says smoothly, tilting his head to the empty shot glass as he put a new one in front of her.

"I've been practicing," Edie replies, trying to smile.

"You don't smell like demon honey," he suddenly says, worry clear in his voice, "So what brings you to a dive like this?"

Edie considers this for a moment.

"I must be demon," she eventually grumbles, downing her shot. "I'm definitely not human."

"Well yeah," Byron replies, with a "duh" tone. "But that don't mean you're demon. You smell too good for that."

He gives her a charming wink and goes to serve an ugly looking demon at the other end of the bar, who's impatiently waving his tentacles at Bryon.

Edie smiles affectionately at the bartender, before a thought suddenly pops into her head. She wonders back to when Spike had tried to bite her. He hadn't at any point said she was a demon – just that she wasn't human. Maybe she was something else. Like some kind of witch, like Willow, but then Spike's chip activated when he attacked Willow – so definitely not just a witch.

This was research territory, but she didn't want to tell Buffy yet. She was scared to do that. Scared that there was something evil inside her, something they couldn't cure. The only one that knew something was going on was Spike, but she had been avoiding him since Dracula. He hadn't tried to kill her that night, she now realised. He was merely proving that something was wrong, but in that small moment where his fangs had grazed her neck for the first time, she had felt completely and utterly frightened.

But he could help her – if he chose to. They were kind of allies. He certainly liked her more than the others, but maybe not enough to go out of his way to help her.

"Only one way to find out," Edie announces to herself, the alcohol giving her the bravery to visit the vampire after their previous encounter. "Thanks Byron. I'll err, see you around."

"No problem," he replies, flashing a dazzling smile and tipping an invisible hat her way. "Hope you find what you're looking for."

There's a loud crash as the door to Spike's crypt flies across the room and smashes into the opposite wall.

"Oi!" Spike growls, jumping from his armchair.

"Where's my cousin Spike?" Buffy asks, folding her arms across her chest.

"How the bloody hell should I know?!" he yells back angrily, about to kick her out, chip be damned, when the rest of the Scooby gang file in behind her, Riley in tow, outnumbering him considerably.

"We believe you're having sexual intercourse," Anya chirps up cheerfully.

Spike's mouth drops in surprise and he shakes his head, as if clearing a forbidden thought from his mind, his blue eyes snapping to Buffy's.

"Have you gone completely carrot top?"

"Oh don't act like you don't know what we're talking about Bleach Boy," is Xander's input from the back of the small gathering.

Spike, looking utterly confused, simply stares back at Xander.

"I've not seen Edie for weeks. Not since that bugger Dracula flew in," he finally says.

And since I tried to bite her. Probably hates my guts now.

Buffy scrutinizes this for a moment, and to her embarrassment, she believes the vampire and sighs.

Although that would explain why Edie was in the cemetery that night, but why would Edie visit Spike?

"She's not here guys," Buffy says turning to look at the gang. "I think we got all jumpy with conclusions."

"Kinda disappointed," Riley admits, "I was looking forward to putting a stake through him."

"Oh just sod off," Spike growls at the commando.

"Come on guys, Edie's probably back at the house by now wondering where we are," Buffy says, leading the way out of the vampire's crypt. "I think we'll keep this little outburst on the down low, pretty sure she'll wig if we thought she'd stoop low enough to be having an affair with Spike."

"Bloody charming," Spike calls after them, angrily kicking a shard of wood that was once his door.

The gang laugh and joke into the night, but Buffy pauses, saying she'll catch up in a bit.

She walks through the gap in Spike's crypt.

"Oh can't you bugger off already Slayer," he sighs, before taking a gulp of whiskey. "Nothing left here you can smash up."

"Spike," Buffy's voice is softer than he expected, almost cautious.

Spike raises an eyebrow at her; she looks oddly vulnerable in the empty doorframe, her arms wrapped around herself to beat off the night chill.

"Yeah slayer?" he prods carefully, taken aback by the situation.

"I know you have feelings for Edie," she says, the slayer in her now coming to the fore, her voice hardening slightly.

Spike went to argue, but she holds her hand up to stop him.

"Dont," she warns. "You've always looked at her... differently. Spoke to her differently. I don't know what weird crush thing you have going on for her, but just keep away."

Spike wants to argue, but knows there's no use. His shoulders sag in defeat.

"That it luv?" he asks angrily, his eyes still trained on a spot on his boot, worried how much his face will tell if he looked at the slayer. "Done with the protective cousin bit now?"

"No," she says, her voice softening again. "There's something going on with Edie. Do you know what's going on? I know she talks to you."

Spike becomes overwhelmed with irritation.

"Right, so now you want my help? Make your bloody mind up will you!"

"So you do know," Buffy reads between the lines.

Spike ponders his next move for a moment. Edie is clearly keeping secrets. If he revealed them, he would be betraying what little trust she might still have in him. If he doesn't tell the slayer what he knows, Edie might be in more danger than she realises. There was definitely something powerful working its way through her, something he was convinced she wasn't ready to deal with alone, whatever it was.

"I don't know a bloody thing," he finally lies. "Now get out."

"If you're lying to me Spike and she's in danger, I'll stake you."

"Sing a new tune Slayer," he grumbles.

Buffy purses her lips in irritation, wonders if she should press further and decides against it.

"Stay away from her Spike," is the last thing she says, before turning on her heel and vanishing into the night.

Anger bubbles up inside the vampire and his demon surfaces. He paces from one end of his crypt to the other like a caged lion, before throwing the bottle of whiskey in his hand against the wall, the liquid and glass smashing and spraying everywhere.

"Wow, someone has anger issues."

Spike's demon instantly slips away and he stares at the silhouette in his doorway.

"Edie?"

"Spike, I need your help."

TBC...

I really hope you liked this chapter! Please review, I would love feedback so I can improve. More to come!