Some people have asked how Spike could have gotten together with someone else so quickly. Really, this is based on the show, in which Harmony is essentially Spike's revenge on the way he's been treated by women and in which Spike brings a date to Xanya's wedding to make Buffy jealous. So, yes, he's capable of that. Doesn't mean he doesn't wuv Buffy! XD

"So..." Buffy glanced around at the empty cemetery. "Where are all the vamps? I want some major stakeage, and I want it now." It was finally Saturday, and she was pumped for a fight.

Giles polished his glasses. "I'm not sure. Something's certain to happen tonight, and the Anointed One's army should have emerged by now."

"I've only staked one vampire in the past two hours. If they're attacking, they're not doing a very good job of it." Buffy sighed. "I'm bored." She remembered wistfully nights spent patrolling with Angel. At least then, she hadn't been bored... It wasn't Giles's fault, though. She had contemplating bringing Willow, or Xander, or even homework on patrol, like she ordinarily did, but with the whole Saint Vigeous thing going on, it should have been too dangerous for Willow and Xander. And really, what was the point of bringing homework if she didn't do it, anyway? "Ooh! I have a great idea!" She jumped up. "Let's get a crypt out here, set it up with a fridge and a TV, and from now on, I get entertainment during patrolling!"

"No," Giles said flatly.

She pouted. "You're just scared of TV." She wandered over to the nearest crypt and kicked down the door. "This one looks..."

"Slayer is here," Drusilla noted, staring at her from the darkened doorway. "Wants to play. But there will be no games tonight for her."

"You." Buffy raised her stake warily. She knew it was an empty threat. Dru meant too much to Spike for Buffy to stake her. "Where's Spike?"

"My Spike is gone, off to the party. No sunshine there." She vamped out to attack Buffy, but the Slayer flipped her over and straddled her, holding the stake against her heart.

"Where are they? Where are the vamps?"

Dru smiled up at her. "Sunshine won't touch me." She raised one hand to cup Buffy's cheek in an oddly affectionate gesture. "Sunshine cares, too." Buffy's nose wrinkled in confusion. Dru's vamp face receded. "Party with my Spike at the Slayer's house," she whispered. "Party for Miss Edith later."

Buffy ran, unable to breathe. Giles followed close behind. "My car!"

"Meet you there!" she called back, already halfway down the street, panic overcoming her.

Revello Drive was flooded with vampires, looting the area. Buffy noticed in horror that one house was on fire. That's one way for them to lure out victims. And her house...a window in front was totally shattered. No!

"Slayer!" one vampire roared, seeing her.

The Anointed One, atop his shoulders, smiled. "Enjoy the welcoming committee?"

"Where's my mother?" Buffy demanded, her insides tied in a painful knot.

The vampire bearing the Anointed One laughed. "One of our kind took her just a few minutes ago."

Buffy couldn't feel. She blindly charged into the mob of vampires, forgetting everything but the slaying.

--

Joyce Summers watched from the window as more of the...creatures...appeared, shouting raucously and destroying everything in their wake. She didn't know what they were, didn't want to know what they were, but she had the uneasy idea that they were connected to Buffy.

Buffy... The sigh that came automatically whenever she thought about her daughter made a brief appearance. She wanted to understand Buffy, to share in her life. She couldn't shake the feeling that her daughter was keeping secrets from her, and though she knew that that was typical of teenagers, with Buffy, it always felt like...more. I'm just a normal, paranoid mother. But now these creatures roaming the streets...In her year in Sunnydale, Joyce had gotten very good at the active ignoring of the truth that the rest of the town employed. But this was pushing the limits of rational thinking.

She peered out the window again, frowning when she saw the blonde man from Thursday night- Spike­- swagger over to one of the bulkier creatures. "You're not going to get into the Slayer's house without an invite. Me, I can get in."

The creature sneered at him. "You have an invite?"

"I can get one." Spike smirked. "Slayer trusts me. "

"You're Spike. Slayer of Slayers." Joyce strained her ears to hear. "We've heard you've been around, but you haven't made contact with any of us. And now you're pals with the Slayer?"

Spike turned to the door. "You know who I am?" He didn't even turn to see the creature's nod. "Then don't question me. Slayer's mine."

He knocked on the door.

Joyce moved to it. "I know you're out there," she called nervously. "I don't know what you want, but I won't let you in."

"Joyce!" Spike sounded relieved. "Listen, are you alone in there?"

Joyce refused to answer.

"You can open the door," Spike told her. "We can't physically enter a house unless we're invited."

"How do I know you're not just making that up?" Joyce darted a glance at the window. Even more creatures were there, setting fire to the Smiths' house across the street. Mrs. Smith fled her house, only to be grabbed by one of the creatures. It bent down, and... Joyce shuddered.

"Because if we could, we would." Spike moved to the window, where he knew that she could see her. He turned to her car, beside him, and punched. Once, but it was enough to shatter the windows of the vehicle and leave an impressive dent.

"You totaled my car!" Joyce snapped, irrationally upset about that more than anything else that was going on. Spike looked up at her through the window, shrugging. "It was bound to happen, anyway. Nothing's going to last through tonight." He gave her an intent, earnest look. "Including you, unless if you trust me."

And she did. He was apparently working with a mob of monsters, he looked like a punk relic from her childhood, and his name was Spike, but God help her, she actually trusted him. There was something about those honest eyes...much nicer than that Angel. Buffy would be safe with Spike.

"You...you can come in," Joyce said finally.

Spike nodded. "Good." He punched the window, cracking it to bits, grabbed Joyce before she could run, and turned to the crowd.

"The Slayer's mother." A little boy that sat astride another monster stared at her with keen interest. "Give her to me."

Joyce was frozen in fear.

Spike laughed. "None of you bloody wankers is laying a hand on her!" And he lifted her as though she weighed nothing and ran.

"Where are we going?" Joyce shouted against the raging wind.

"Somewhere where they can't find you!" Spike yelled. "Where you'll be safe!" He stopped in front of a house that Joyce recognized. "Willow!"

She emerged, her eyes wide. "What's-"

"My kind all over Revello. I've got to find Buffy," he said abruptly. "Take care of Joyce." And he was gone.

Joyce stared at Willow, shaking. "So...what's a Slayer?"

--

Spike headed for the cemetery, intending to find Buffy there, when he saw Giles's car, covered with clawing vampires. "Bloody hell." He yanked one off, using him as a bludgeon to knock the others off.

"Get in! We don't have much time!" Giles told him. "Buffy's house-"

"I know. I've been there." Spike slid into the passenger seat and Giles took off again.

"I don't trust you," he began. "You're a vampire, and not an ensouled one like Angel. You've manipulated my Slayer's feelings and you're frankly not pleasant. I don't like you."

"Gee, thanks, Rupes," Spike muttered.

"I'm not done," Giles said reprovingly. "But I do believe that you have some form of warped feelings toward Buffy, and you're actually helping us right now. So we can work together right now." He paused, and for a moment, Spike saw something frightening in Giles's eyes. "But if you hurt her...I will take that ring from you. And I will kill you."

"Got it." Spike laughed, then his face turned serious. "I'm glad Buffy has someone like you to protect her."

"Yes, well..." Giles actually sounded flattered. Then his eyes widened. He stopped the car. "My God."

Spike's smirk vanished as he stared at the wreckage that was Revello. There was...No, the vampire crowd had been severely thinned, and was getting smaller by the moment. Buffy was tearing through them like a machine, with none of her usual taunting and flair. Something was wrong.

"We should...go help her," Spike murmured, entranced by the sight. Buffy had taken down all but a dozen or so, and the rest were running.

"Don't think she needs it," Giles said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I've never seen her fight like this." His eyes widened. "Something must be wrong."

Spike pulled open the door and ran to Buffy. "Buffy! What are-" His breath caught in his throat when he saw her face. It was blank and emotionless. "What's wrong, pet?"

The Anointed One rose and ran, the last two vampires right behind him.

"Buffy..." Spike grabbed her arms. She pulled them away and threw him against the house.

He gaped up at her at she stalked toward him, stake in hand. "You know that won't hurt me, right?" he said, a little nervously.

She staked him anyway, and he pulled it out, still gazing at her.

Then her brow wrinkled in confusion. "Spike?"

He rose to take her in his arms and stroked her hair as she wept in his embrace.

Finally, he pulled her away from him so he could speak to her. "What brought on the whole Super Slayer thing, love?"

"My...my mom," Buffy whispered, her face pained. "The vamps got her." To her surprise, Spike laughed. "Spike!" He really is a heartless bas-

"A vamp got her, pet. One. Me." He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I sent her to Willow's. Didn't think the buggers would find her there."

She stepped away from him, her face a strange mix of shock and relief. "She's...she's okay?"

Spike nodded.

"I need to go to her," Buffy whispered, heading for Giles's car. Spike followed her. He had nothing better to do anyway.

"The Anointed One must be furious," Spike noted with glee. "Didn't get the Slayer, didn't even get any of her loved ones..." Buffy didn't respond, still too overwhelmed. "Thanks to me," Spike continued. It was suddenly very important to him that Buffy knew exactly what he had done. "I doubt I'll be welcomed back into the nighttime community anytime soon. The Anointed One's going to want revenge, and..." He froze. "I'm an idiot." Giles turned to stare at the look of horror on the vampire's face. "Rupert, take me to Restfield."

"I thought we were going to Willow's. Buffy?" Giles turned to where she sat silently.

"NOW!" Spike roared, startling them all.

"Right." Giles drove faster, fueled by Spike's urgency.

When they reached the cemetery, Spike nearly tore off the door in his haste to get to his crypt.

He was too late.

The Anointed One stood calmly behind one of his minions. "You're a shame to your race, Spike." He gestured at the dusty ground before him. "Your lover has paid the price for your sins."

Spike tore off the child-vampire's head before falling to the ground. What have I done? Dru. Dru. "DRUUUU!!!" He wept openly, his face twisting into a grotesque mask of misery.

Buffy bent over him, running a hand up and down his back as ragged sobs tore out of him.

He didn't rise for hours, and neither did she, knowing that he would have done the same for her.