8: The watcher's device.

"So Spike left. It'll be a relief for you not to having him around, doing who knows what."

"You're really right" Julien answered, trying to smile.

It was passed a week since that vampire left her home and Julien didn't see him from that moment.

Further, she had no ways to find him, she didn't know where he was… well, she didn't want to.

After all what was the meaning of looking for him? To tell him what? Come back and live with me because I'm so pathetic that I miss you? Spike would at least laugh.

And then, it wasn't Spike she missed, she just wanted someone's company, she would feel the same for everyone, even for Xander, she thought looking the boy laughing for another gag on the vampire… "maybe not".

It was ridiculous! Spike and her weren't even friends, they spent the half time quarreling and the other one insulting… having fun, eating pizza, looking at the TV… "stop thinking about it!"

By now, complaining herself was useless and then it was her and her stupid mouth fault if now she was in this situation.

She couldn't shut up, could she? She must provoke him, cut his pride.

What kind of answer she was expecting for 'Oh no, I wanna stay with you Julien'.

Why was she so fool? Spike was a vampire, a demon, and she was a slayer, it seemed easy, doesn't it? She couldn't grow fond of Spike! It wasn't normal!

"I couldn't sleep under the same roof of Spike, well he got the chip and all, but he's always… you know… Spike."

"Talkative Willow, really a lot talkative and the worst is that you're right, but who knows why my brain refuses to understand it"

"When he slept to me I tied him really strong."

"We know it Xander, you told it a thousand times."

They were having patrol to the cemetery, things seemed to be oddly quiet in Sunnydale, probably because of the organization's work.

After the Apocalypse's story it was obvious to everybody that Riley was one of the super military who was a part of it and so Buffy took advantage of it to take a look at their headquarters, analyzing them by inside, searching information… unless, that was the official version.

The blonde seemed to Julien even too much happy to go around with the underground 007.

She did anything but talking about their equipments, their missions, she also proposed her to go with her and know the queen Walsh, but the brunette had kindly refused.

She took orders by too many people and then she didn't want to ally with a congregation of crazy scientist.

She didn't like at all this story, demons were killed by the slayers, that was the reason why they existed, right? They did it since the origins of time and now the government comes, with his supermen and his superweapons and demanded to nosey where he wasn't interested in.

And what did they do with caught demons? What do they need for chip and experiments?

Let's think about Spike for example… which was the meaning of putting him that chip and leaving him dying for the hunger? It was so much easier to kill him and end up with that, instead they spent who knows how many money for a useless install which was supposed to kill him the same, but slower… no, she didn't trust at all.

She didn't expose her theories to anyone, clearly.

Buffy was enthusiast and the others seemed to be too, so Julien pretended to be such the others… it was enough for her that nobody knew about the existence of a second slayer.

"It seems there's not too much more to do" the red haired interrupted her thoughts.

"Yes, I guess is time to go back."

"Anya is waiting for me at the Bronze, if you want to join us."

"I can't I promised to a friend I would go to her tonight" Willow apologized, oddly embarrassed.

"I have to go to Giles, he seems a little depressed lately."

"You're right, I guess this thing about Buffy and the Enterprise made him feel a little aside, even yesterday at the birthday party he seemed so sad."

"Maybe he feels old."

"Xander, Mr. Giles is not old… he's just a bit… mature."

"However is better to be a good slayer, make him feel more involved."

"Right.. so we'll see tomorrow?"

"Yes, see you tomorrow."

Xander and Willow went away and Julien remained alone at the cemetery.

"Who knows if Spike found a crypt here somewhere."

Also if it was like that, it was impossible to find out, she couldn't just burst into the tombs to find him.

The brunette sighed looking at the sky, was it possible that she couldn't take him out of her head? What was happening to her?

"What a sad image"

Julien started… that voice…

She turned with her heart in her mouth and there, with his back on a grave and a turned off cigarette in his lips, stood Spike.

Was it wrong to be so happy of seeing him?

"Good evening Spike, what are you doing here?"

"I guess is none of your business."

Julien looked away, what did she expected for? Spike didn't miss her.

"If you really want to know, I'm looking for some demons to have fun with."

"Are you trying to steal my job? That's why lately I can't find something to kill."

"You have to thank me, a snotty like you alone could never do this… rather, I guess you have to pay me for my precious work."

"I didn't ask you."

"And what about the queen bee? Is she on holiday with her camouflage man?"

"If you're talking about Buffy, at the moment she's at the organization. Riley made her join the group."

"And you? Haven't you been even invited in their little club?"

"Yes, but I refused, I don't like them a lot."

Spike turned on the cigarette, analyzing her "You've got all my support, but the reason is obvious" he said pointing to his head "…yours is not. I thought you were all part of the same chivalry."

"Not me" the blond frowned.

"It's not that I don't like what they do. Killing demons and vampires is my job too, but what about the experiments? So, what are they working to? Which is the aim of all this work? I don't trust them at all, but I'm the only one who thinks that, so I shut up waiting for everything to go in ruin."

"A really negative reasoning."

"Believe me, I could feel those things and the organization is going to get us in trouble. I've got unerring instinct about those things, something terrible is about to happen."

More than an instinct it was a certainty… anxieties, continuous headaches, the way she kept on falling asleep on afternoon even if she wasn't drowsy.

Her visions hadn't got any way to show widely, but they kept on warning her that something was wrong, something was about to happen.

Spike stared at her thoughtful "It's incredible how much you look like her" he whispered.

"What?"

"Nothing" he shook his head "Now I gotta go, I've got more important things to do than stay with a snotty like you. See you the next time" he greeted her with a hand, before he went far and disappeared among the graves .

Julien remained looking the point where he had disappeared for a long time torn between the joy of talking to him and the sadness for the loss of that moment.

Mr. Giles was waiting for her at home, sipping tea and reading a big greek book, the brunette didn't understand the joy that watchers felt by reading in each languages but their, it was so hard.

"How's been the patrol? Something weird?"

"No, lately there are no so much demons around, with the Enterprise and Spike it seems that everybody's trying to take us away our job."

"Spike?"

"Can you believe it? It seems he goes around making the slayer now."

"I guess is natural… he couldn't kill the humans anymore, he would need someone to vent his innate aggressiveness with."

The girl accepted the cup of tea that was offered to her and she sat on the sofa.

"Mr. Giles?" she started hesitant "Do you know… a vampire and a human being, how much they could be similar?"

"What about this question?"

"Sometimes, don't think I'm crazy I know it's absurd, but sometimes… staying with Spike it's so..."

"I know, I felt the same."

"I doubt it."

"Living together has been a weird and enlighten experience for a watcher like me. Spike could reject every theory, description or knowing we have about vampires."

Giles stared in her eyes "But, we don't have to forget what he is. He kills for living and he has fun in doing it, he hasn't got any remorse or conscience, he hasn't got a soul and so he has no limits."

"But now he's got the chip."

"Exactly, but it's just that. A chip is not a soul, and it couldn't become it."

They kept silence, Giles cleaning his glasses like he always did when he was thoughtful and Julien playing with the empty cup's border.

"Isn't possible that the chip changes the things? I wanna say, stay with us, be unable to hurt us, couldn't all this make him more human some way?"

"Julien, Spike's a vampire. He'll always be. Don't deceive yourself, the chip couldn't present him feeling he's not supposed to have."

"But…"

"Listen, by now Spike is neutralized. The chip make him unarmed and because of that I won't interfere in this weird relationship you're having with him. I just want you to keep on your mind his nature and that you never fail alert. He's a vampire and he's one of the most dangerous, if you trust him too much you could pay it with life. Without minding that the chip couldn't not be permanent, and if he succeed to take it off he will be our foe again. Don't doubt about it."

Julien sighed, the man was totally right, but how she could convince herself?

Rationally she knew, but although she wanted to believe that Spike was… what? A friend?

"Ah-ah.. amusing, Spike would have a crack if he heard something like that."

"After that, let's come to your real problem."

The brunette looked at him confused… what he was talking about now?

"There where words are useless, there's something else that could be useful. For a vampire, who likes drinking blood and smoking, I'd say that money are the best trade possible."

"Do I have to pay him? For what?"

"For making him doing what he likes, I guess not even Spike could refuse a so advantageous deal for him."

"Oh..."

That man was really a genius! How was it possible that she didn't think it before? It was obvious, paying him to work with them, so to kill demons.

It was a genial idea, and she wasn't risking of pathetical and humiliating acts, with a bit of luck she could make it go such something by her soul's goodness.

"Really, someone like Spike would be useful to our cause, but keep on your mind what I told you. He's a vampire, never trust him."

"Thank you Mr. Giles."

"Nothing... nothing."

"Now, let's go back to our Latin lessons, we gave up on it too much lately."

"But it's one o'clock a.m.!"

"You seem to be full of energy… why don't you try translate this passage? It's really easy…"

tbc